So, adding everything up, she had five taels and three hundred coins, just enough for Mu Xinghe to borrow.
Qiao Xi'er left the three hundred coins and came out holding the box.
"There's no need to trouble my grandparents. I happen to have five taels, so you can pay me back later."
When Mu Xinghe saw that the box contained the full amount of silver, the heavy worry on his face disappeared, replaced by gratitude.
"Thank you, little sister Xi'er. I will pay you back with interest when the time comes."
"Don't worry about paying me back now. After the preliminary exam, there's the provincial exam and the metropolitan exam. Pay me back when you pass the provincial exam," Qiao Xi'er said.
Looking at that kind face, Mu Xinghe thought of how he had borrowed money from all his relatives but no one was willing to lend him any. His second uncle didn't even believe that he had passed the preliminary examination and thought that he was trying to cheat him out of money. He spoke very rudely to the Qiao family, who had no relatives or friends with him. Yet they were willing to lend him money.
Overwhelmed with emotion, he almost burst into tears.
Thinking of Qiao Xier's plight, Shen Liang was truly blind; he didn't know how to cherish such a good girl.
He believed that a girl like Qiao Xier would definitely meet a good man who would cherish her.
However, Mu Xinghe did not say these words aloud; he simply kept them in his heart as a blessing.
When Qiao Lian'er and the others returned, they saw Mu Xinghe leaving from here.
Mu Xinghe lingered here for quite a while, and they saw him from ahead.
"Sister Xi'er, what is Mu Xinghe doing here?" Qiao Zhizhi asked.
"He needed to go to the academy examination, but he didn't have enough money for the journey, so he came to our family to borrow some. Luckily, I had some money, so I lent it to him," Qiao Xi'er said.
"Mu Xinghe has lost both parents and still wants to study. This path is truly arduous."
Qiao Lian'er wondered, Mu Xinghe's father was the fifth son, with four uncles above him, why wouldn't they lend him money? Perhaps they thought that Mu Xinghe was an orphan now, how would he repay them in the future?
Moreover, although Mu Xinghe passed the preliminary examination, it was relatively easy. Several people from Datian Village had passed the preliminary examination, and they were of all ages, but they had not been able to pass the county-level examination. Therefore, it was difficult for them to have any expectations for Mu Xinghe.
If Mu Xinghe can pass the imperial examination and become a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), his status in the family will quickly change.
It all depends on whether he has enough potential and whether he lives up to expectations.
Qiao Xi'er was quite surprised to see the baskets and hampers filled with all kinds of fruit. She was about to ask, but then stopped herself, thinking of something.
"Wow, we found so many today! What's this?" She picked up a pineapple that looked strange, with hair on it.
"This thing is called a pineapple, and it's a great way to beat the summer heat," Qiao Lian'er said.
"Let's shave some bamboo skewers. The pineapple needs to be soaked in salt water. This will make it taste better and it's safer. Otherwise, it will make your mouth numb or even cause a stomachache."
"Ah, no wonder my mouth feels numb." Qiao Zhizhi touched her mouth.
The three sisters got busy: Qiao Xi'er peeled bamboo skewers, while Qiao Lian'er and Qiao Zhizhi peeled pineapples and removed the eyes from them.
Cut a pineapple in half, skewer it with a bamboo stick, and soak it in salt water in a bucket.
Old Mrs. Qiao and Old Mr. Qiao returned, pushing a cart full of pig feed and horse fodder.
"Grandpa, Grandma, please try this. Sister Lian'er says it's called pineapple, and it's very sweet and thirst-quenching." Qiao Zhizhi handed two pieces of pineapple to the two elders.
The two elders glanced at Qiao Lian'er but didn't say anything. They took a bite; it was sweet and juicy, so delicious that their old eyes were blurred.
Qiao Xi'er couldn't resist eating two pieces as well.
The two elders had gathered pig feed and horse fodder, and were about to go to the fields to harvest the crops. They left Qiao Xi'er to watch the house, and everyone else carried buckets to the fields.
Having just descended halfway down the mountain, I saw in the distance that the Shen family had finished harvesting a field of rice, and I eagerly headed down to the field below.
The fields below were the land that had already been compensated to the Qiao family.
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