Jiang Suihe saw a group of people surrounding Boss Wang, all of them smiling and exchanging polite words with him. Jiang Ling ignored them, only giving a cold smile. Coincidentally, Boss Wang turned his head slightly in Jiang Ling's direction.

Boss Wang squinted at Jiang Ling for a while, then suddenly pushed through the crowd and walked up to her, saying with a half-smile, "Your daughter is here to take the girls' exam too?"

Jiang Ling rolled her eyes at Boss Wang and ignored him. Although Boss Wang was displeased, he glanced at the people around him and had no choice but to give up.

Anyway, it was already a foregone conclusion that her daughter would get first place in the Class A exam, so why should he have anything to do with people from such a poor family?

Thinking of this, Mr. Wang suddenly felt much better, and he continued chatting with the people around him with a smile.

Back in her room, Jiang Suihe looked at Jiang Ling and tentatively asked, "Mother, why don't you ask me how my exam went?"

Jiang Ling lowered her head, and a pair of sincere, dark eyes met hers. She raised the corners of her mouth and said softly, "The exams are all over, so let's not think about them anymore! You've been so stressed these past three days, so get some rest tonight. How about tomorrow, Mom will take you to explore Qingzhou properly?"

Most girls are powerless against the word "shopping," and even Jiang Suihe, who was focused on her studies, was no exception. When she heard Jiang Ling say the word "shopping," her eyes immediately lit up. However, Jiang Suihe suppressed her joy and nodded, "Okay! I'll do whatever you say, Mom!"

Jiang Ling smiled but didn't say anything.

At midnight, perhaps due to the tension of the past three days, Jiang Suihe slept exceptionally soundly that night. Just as Jiang Suihe drifted into a sweet dream, Jiang Ling, who was beside her, suddenly opened her eyes, tiptoed to get dressed, gently opened the door a crack, and carefully squeezed out.

As soon as Jiang Ling stepped out of the inn, a carriage quietly pulled up beside her. Upon seeing that it was Jiang Ling, the driver dismounted, bowed, and greeted her, saying, "Our master has been waiting for a long time!"

Jiang Ling nodded gently and got into the carriage.

A carriage sped away and soon disappeared into the night.

In a very inconspicuous house on the outskirts of Qingzhou, Chen Qiyu paced back and forth restlessly in the room.

A series of footsteps approached from afar. Upon hearing them, Chen Qiyu suddenly looked up and quickly walked to the door. Before the person could knock, she flung the door open.

"Master, I've brought it!" the servant said breathlessly, pointing to the doorway.

"Quick! Please come in!" Upon hearing this, Chen Qiyu perked up and craned his neck to look behind the servant.

Soon, Jiang Ling's familiar face appeared in front of Chen Qiyu. Chen Qiyu suppressed his excitement and waved to Jiang Ling.

In contrast to Chen Qiyu's excited state, Jiang Ling was much calmer. She walked inside unhurriedly and found the most secluded spot in the back to sit down.

Chen Qiyu dismissed the two servants, closed the doors and windows tightly, and checked everything in the room again before sitting down next to Jiang Ling.

"How is it?" This was the first thing Jiang Ling had said in so long.

Upon hearing this, Chen Qiyu's expression gradually became complicated. After a long while, he frowned and said, "You're right! I've caught the person and locked him in the woodshed. I scared him so much that he vomited everything up!"

“I just didn’t expect it to be him. Sigh, I’ve treated him well, why did this happen?” Chen Qiyu said, her face filled with sadness.

Jiang Ling wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know where to begin. After thinking for a moment, she just opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

"That method is exactly the same as the one you told me about. I would never have thought of such a method even in my wildest dreams!" Chen Qiyu said, covering his face with a hint of pain.

Jiang Ling nodded helplessly. It was true. She was also shocked when she heard the conversation between the two men through the wall.

Half a month before the preliminary examination for the young scholars, Shengjing would send a special person to deliver the relevant examination questions. These questions would be sealed in three cloth bags bestowed by the emperor and delivered to the relevant prefect. The prefect would keep them until the day of the examination before sending them to the relevant academy.

These cloth bags also have seals on them.

The seal also bears the red cinnabar mark personally applied by the Emperor with his imperial brush; once the seal is broken, it can never be repaired.

Furthermore, the Emperor had emphasized that anyone who opened the exam questions before the scheduled time, regardless of their name or status, would be executed without exception. With this deterrent effect, the prefects dared not act recklessly before the exam.

However, during the spring examination one year, a teacher at Qingzhou Academy accidentally lost a cloth bag due to negligence. The person who found the bag was none other than Hao Lie, the heir of the famous local knitting family, Hao.

The Hao family has a remarkable embroiderer with exceptional talent. In her early twenties, her embroidery skills had reached a level of perfection that was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

The Hao family had been merchants for generations. Although they lived in luxury, they had no social standing in this era. Generation after generation, the Hao family hoped that one of their next generation would become a scholar and change their family's status.

Strangely enough, whether it's due to the Hao family's ancestral graves or genetics, these children are unparalleled in business and stand out in their respective fields, but when it comes to studying, it's incredibly difficult for them.

Hao Lie stared at the bag in his hand, lost in thought. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. Seeing that no one was around, Hao Lie quietly put the bag in his arms and quickly walked towards his embroidery workshop.

After finding Liang Xiuniang, he cut a hole in the cloth bag in front of her and said, "Can you repair it? I want it repaired perfectly!"

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