Nearby, Cao Xiangnan found a teahouse that looked good and took his people in. He ordered some food. Considering that the child might not have eaten anything, he ordered a bowl of porridge. After a while, the food was served on the table. He said to his brother who was holding the child, "The child must be hungry. Give the child some porridge first."

"Eat, eat, eat..." Little Tongbao looked at the food on the table and grabbed his mother's hand. He must be hungry.

Liang Yan thanked him repeatedly and picked up a small spoon to scoop porridge for the child and fed him.

Cao Xiangnan also had his own children. At the beginning, they also had difficulties and had no place to eat. If it weren't for the help of others, I think he would have starved his wife and children to death. All fathers and mothers are the same. It doesn't matter if their stomachs are hungry, but it's like stabbing a knife in their hearts when their children are hungry.

"Brother Cao, didn't you say you had something to talk to me about?" Zheng Shubo saw that the child had something to eat, and he was full of gratitude to the person who gave his child food. This person helped him one after another, but he didn't give anything in return.

"Don't worry, you should eat something first, and we'll talk after you're full." Cao Xiangnan didn't ignore the other person's look at the food on the table and swallowed his saliva. They probably didn't eat anything, so they were probably hungry.

It wasn't until the family of three had eaten their fill that the dishes on the table were taken down and replaced with tea. Cao Xiangnan did not directly talk about his story. He recalled that he met them on the boat that day. He thought that they were not originally from Nanyang, so he asked, "Where is Brother Zheng's home? Why did you come to Nanyang City?"

Zheng Shubo paused for a moment, and then slowly told him where his home was. He came to Nanyang to seek refuge with relatives, but they didn't expect that their relatives didn't care about their family affection and drove them out of the mansion. They came to Nanyang from their hometown, and they had very little money left. Later, they found an inn to stay for a few days, and they were driven out when they ran out of money.

So now the three of them are penniless and have nowhere to go.

"Oh, from Brother Zheng's tone, you must have read a lot of books, right?" In this era, those who could read books must have had relatively good family conditions. Cao Xiangnan listened to Zheng Shubo's talk and saw that he was also a scholar.

"Hey, this scholar is the most useless, otherwise I would not have fallen to such a state today, and I can't even provide a place for my wife and children." Zheng Shubo shook his head, with a face full of shame, sighed, and said.

Later, from the conversation with Zheng Shubo, Cao Xiangnan learned that he was originally a scholar with a good reputation, but later his father passed away, and he had to observe mourning for three years, so he was not allowed to participate in the subsequent imperial examinations. He had some impression of this.

It is not easy to pass the exam to become a scholar. Cao Xiangnan has not forgotten that his mother dreamed of Cao Laowu passing the exam. Some people have been taking exams all their lives and are still only a student until they are old. Therefore, he saw that Zheng Shubo was not very old, but he passed the exam to become a scholar at such a young age, which was also amazing.

From what Zheng Shubo said, Cao Xiangnan gradually confirmed this man. At least, there would be no problem for him to be a teacher. After getting to know him better, Cao Xiangnan told Zheng Shubo the purpose of his visit today and gave him a general account of the situation in Fenshui Town and Caojia Village. His wife happened to be here too, so he said, "... So, if you are willing to go to Fenshui Town with me, your food and accommodation will not be a problem in the future."

"Besides, this will not conflict with your future intention to continue to take the imperial examinations. When you are over the mourning period and want to continue to take the imperial examinations, I will definitely not hold you back. What do you think, Brother Zheng?"

"This..." Zheng Shubo was really moved when he heard it.

"Husband, let's go." Liang Yan looked at the child sleeping soundly in her arms, and understood what her husband was thinking at a glance, so she encouraged him.

Zheng Shubo nodded, stood up from his seat, and bowed to Cao Xiangnan with both hands, "Thank you, Brother Cao."

"In the future, you don't have to call me Brother Cao, just call me Xiangnan. If you don't mind, I will also call you Shubo, so that everyone doesn't have to be too formal." Cao Xiangnan was not used to talking to scholars in a literary manner, and he didn't want the academy to cultivate a group of literary old men in the future.

"No, I don't mind, this is very good." Zheng Xiucai smiled, which also alleviated the urgent need of not even having a place to live.

In these few short months, he also experienced the warmth and coldness of the world. If he hadn't met Cao Xiangnan today, he and his wife and children would have to beg on the street. It wouldn't matter if he was alone, but his wife and children followed him...

Now that he has a place to stay, he can continue to take the imperial examinations in the future. This is what makes him most excited. Cao Xiangnan didn't take them back to Yipinzhai. He found a clean inn outside, paid the room and three meals a day, and let Zheng Shubo and his family of three live here first. The weather today is not too good, so he doesn't know if he can go back tomorrow. He said, "If I'm going to leave, I'll have someone come to inform you one day in advance, and you can stay in the inn first." "Okay." Zheng Shubo responded repeatedly.

They also moved from the dark and damp house to a bright and spacious house. At this moment, his heart also became bright, letting him know that he would not regret following this person who he had only met three times.

Liang Yan put the sleeping child wrapped in a small quilt in her arms on the bed and went to sleep. She finally felt relieved. She no longer had to worry about him and the child and her husband having no place to live. She came out and sent off the nobleman who had helped them out of their difficulties with her husband.

"Then I'll leave first." Cao Xiangnan said goodbye to the two and left.

The two people standing at the door watched the people leave. Liang Yan took her husband's hand and said, "Husband, our life will get better."

"Yes, it will. It's wronged that you and the child have suffered so much with me." Zheng Shubo reached out and held his wife's hand, led people into the house, and closed the door.

Every autumn rain brings a chill. After the rain, the weather suddenly became cold. The north wind blew, and people's noses were dripping in the cold. Fortunately, the weather looked good, so Cao Xiangnan decided to set off for Fenshui the next day. He told Fang the shopkeeper and everyone about it.

Sun Ji's reply to him was that they would go back to Caojia Village before winter, and they would come to Nanyang to see how to arrange it next year, so they would go back later. Cao Xiangnan had no objection to this, and only asked them to go back earlier to avoid being unable to leave when it snowed.

"Well, I understand." Sun Ji said.

During the time he came to Nanyang, Sun Ji had changed a lot. He was like a half-manager in Yipinzhai. Most of the people who came and went here were rich and powerful. Serving people and welcoming and seeing them off was a big skill. So far, he was doing quite well.

He also had to go to the night snack stalls at night. The people who went there to eat were all rough men from the common people. Of course, there were also troublemakers. To handle these well, he had to be tactful.

Even the few boys who came with them from the Sun family had grown up in a short period of time. They looked different one by one. If this person stayed in a small village, he would never know the outside world. Cao Xiangnan had his own intentions in bringing them to Nanyang.

Having decided to go back, Cao Xiangnan also sent someone to the inn to inform Zheng Shubo, asking them to get ready as they would leave early tomorrow morning.

As for Shen Zhengyang, Cao Xiangnan also told Young Master Shen about his decision to go back to Fenshui, and also said that he would not come to Nanyang City until February or March next year, so the store would be handed over to Shen Zhengyang, and he could write to him if there was anything.

Unexpectedly, when Shen Zhengyang heard that he was going back, he said, "I want to go with you too."

"Uh..." Cao Xiangnan paused. It was not that he did not welcome Young Master Shen to go, but he was the young master of the Shen family, the only heir of the Shen family. "Will your family agree?" he asked.

He didn't forget that there was a powerful old lady in the Shen Mansion. You can go if you want to. Have you asked the head of your family?

"... I'll go back and ask." It was obvious that Young Master Shen had forgotten the two people at home. He was a little depressed and looked sad. What if his mother didn't let him go? Shen Zhengyang was worried.

Seeing Young Master Shen's pitiful appearance, Cao Xiangnan couldn't help but smile bitterly. He almost reached out and touched his head, and comforted him, "It's cold today. If you can't go this year, wait until next year. I will come again in the spring next year, and you can go with me then."

Not surprisingly, when Old Lady Shen heard that her grandson was going to such a far place with someone at this time, her brows furrowed, and she naturally didn't approve of her grandson going. He couldn't refuse it outright. Seeing his grandson in such a state, he comforted him and said something about going next year.

When he heard his mother say that he would go next year, Shen Zhengyang finally agreed.

Manager Fang prepared a lot of things for him to take back, and Shen Zhengyang also gave him a lot of things. There was a generous gift prepared by Old Madam Shen. Cao Xiangnan was a little flattered when he received it, and said, "Thank your old lady for me. The next time I come to Nanyang, I will definitely go to thank you in person."

"You're welcome. You can come to my house anytime." Young Master Shen waved his hand, looking nonchalant.

Since he accepted a gift from someone else, he didn't have anything good to give back, so he could only give something rare. Cao Xiangnan turned around and spoke to Fang, the shopkeeper, asking him to send a fresh dish to the Shen residence.

"Don't worry, I will take care of this." Fang, the shopkeeper, also wanted to make friends with the Shen residence, so he replied.

So when he was ready to go back, he had a lot of things here, in addition to some things given by others, there were also some things he bought himself.

The next morning, a boat was sent to pick up Zheng Shubo and his family of three. Cao Xiangnan led people on board the boat. The river was still foggy, and they left Nanyang and went back to Fenshui Town.