In the courtyard of the Jiang Mansion, a gentle breeze rustled, petals falling like snow. Jiang Yan stood beneath the corridor, his expression calm but shrouded in deep meaning. He had set Ling Yun a seemingly difficult proposition: with only ten taels of silver as capital, he was required to earn a hundred within six months. This was not only a test of Ling Yun's abilities, but also a test of his ability to bring happiness to Nian Li.
Ling Yun accepted the heavy ten taels of silver from Jiang Yan's hand, feeling a mixture of emotions. He knew this was a major test from Jiang Yan, one that hinged on his and Nian Li's future. However, faced with such a meager capital and a seemingly unattainable goal, Ling Yun couldn't help but feel anxious. He paced back and forth in the courtyard, his brow furrowed, his mind racing through various ways to make money, but he couldn't come up with any solution.
Just when Ling Yun was at a loss, Nianli walked up to him lightly like a ray of warm sunshine, patted his shoulder, her eyes full of encouragement and trust, and said, "Lingyun, don't worry, come with me to the market, maybe we can find a way to make money!" Nianli's voice was crisp and pleasant, like a clear spring in the mountains, which immediately soothed Ling Yun's originally anxious heart a little.
Lingyun and Nianli arrived at the bustling market, filled with anticipation. The market was bustling with activity. Stalls overflowed with goods, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining intertwined in a vibrant, homely melody. Lingyun and Nianli found a vacant spot and set up their stall. On the stall were handkerchiefs embroidered with chili peppers by Nianli herself. These handkerchiefs were meticulously embroidered, the chili pepper patterns coming to life, each stitch and thread a testament to Nianli's meticulous care.
Si Yan also came along. He stood aside, an abacus in his hand, his eyes fixed on every move on the stall, ready to calculate the costs and profits at any time. Customers walked past the stall one after another, casting curious glances at Nian Li's embroidery. However, despite the exquisiteness of the handkerchiefs, only a few were willing to pay for them. After working for a long time, only a few handkerchiefs were sold. Si Yan fiddled with the abacus and said helplessly: "The cost is five taels, and the selling price is one tael. At this rate, we will lose money!" Ling Yun felt a little disappointed when he heard this, but he was not discouraged, and his eyes still flashed with determination.
Suddenly, an idea struck Ling Yun. He remembered the wild honey that abounded in the mountains. It was pure, natural honey, unpolluted, and sweet and rich. If he could sell it at the market, he might be able to make a killing. Thinking of this, Ling Yun excitedly said to Nian Li, "Nian Li, I've got an idea! The wild honey in the mountains will definitely fetch a good price. Let's go collect some!" Nian Li's eyes lit up with hope, and she nodded without hesitation.
The two packed up their stall and headed into the mountains. The path was difficult and rugged, but Ling Yun and Nian Li supported each other and continued on their way. Finally, they arrived at the honey source. Wildflowers bloomed all over the mountain, and bees buzzed busily among the flowers. Ling Yun cautiously approached the hive, ready to collect the honey. However, the bees, sensing the intrusion, took flight and attacked Ling Yun and Nian Li.
Seeing this, Ling Yun immediately protected Nian Li behind him. He ignored the bee stings and tried his best to drive them away to protect Nian Li's safety. Although his face was full of lumps from the bee stings and the pain was unbearable, Ling Yun never backed down. After finally collecting the honey, Ling Yun ignored the pain on his face and handed the sweetest part of the honey to Nian Li, saying, "Nian Li, try it quickly, this honey is so sweet." Nian Li looked at the lumps on Ling Yun's face and felt so distressed that tears welled up in her eyes, but she still took the honey, tasted it lightly, smiled and said, "It's so sweet, Ling Yun, you should have some too."
At this time, the secret guards that Jiang Yan secretly sent were hiding nearby, and saw everything clearly. After returning, the secret guards reported to Jiang Yan the situation that Ling Yun was stung by bees while collecting honey to protect Nian Li, but he still saved the sweetest honey for Nian Li. After hearing this, Jiang Yan couldn't help but sigh, and his opinion of Ling Yun changed a lot. He said to Su Jinli, "This kid is really good to Nian Li. In order to protect Nian Li, he didn't care about being stung like that, and he still thought about Nian Li."
Su Jinli smiled and applied ointment to Jiang Yan, saying, "Didn't you suffer a lot to marry me back then? Young people, as long as you treat each other sincerely, you can overcome any difficulties." Jiang Yan couldn't help but recall the hardships he had gone through in pursuing Su Jinli when he was young, and his heart was filled with emotion.
As the days passed, the honey Ling Yun and Nian Li collected became a huge hit at the market. Si Yan finished calculating the bills and said excitedly, "The honey cost two taels, and I sold it for ten taels. I made a lot of money this time!" As the honey sold like hotcakes, Ling Yun was getting closer and closer to his goal.
Finally, the six-month deadline arrived. Ling Yun, carrying his hard-earned money and filled with trepidation and excitement, arrived at the Jiang residence to propose marriage. His hand was still swollen from the bee sting, but his eyes remained resolute.
Ling Yun walked into the main hall, respectfully placed the silver on the table, and said, "Master Jiang, the six-month period has expired. Here is the hundred taels of silver I earned." Jiang Yan looked at Ling Yun, then at the silver on the table, feeling very satisfied. Si Yan, standing nearby, skillfully picked up the abacus and began to calculate. Finally, he said, "Brother Ling, after deducting costs and medical expenses, the net profit is eighty-three taels!"
Upon hearing this news, Nian Li could no longer contain her joy. She cheered, threw herself into Ling Yun's arms, and said happily, "You've passed! Ling Yun, I knew you could do it!" Ling Yun hugged Nian Li tightly, tears of happiness glistening in his eyes. He knew that his six months of hard work had not been in vain. He had finally passed Jiang Yan's test and could now marry Nian Li openly.
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