The gates of the examination hall slowly closed, and Xu Mo's figure was completely swallowed up.
Jiang Sheng rested her chin on her hand, her big eyes full of anticipation, "After passing the provincial examination and then the palace examination, my brother will become an official. We won't be afraid of being looked down upon anymore, and maybe we can even walk around Fengjing with our heads held high."
"You can't act recklessly. It would be bad if you caused trouble for your older brother," Wen Zhiyun advised softly.
Jiang Sheng thought it made sense. "Then let's not trouble our eldest brother for now. We'll wait until he's really, really powerful before we act all high and mighty."
“That won’t do either. We must be humble.” Wen Zhiyun patiently taught, “The higher your position and the more power you have, the more you must restrain yourself.”
If Xu Mo were here, he would most likely give Xiao Si a look of approval and then flick Jiang Sheng on the head.
Unfortunately, he wasn't there; there was only a long banquet, with his shoulders trembling slightly as he suppressed a laugh.
The officialdom in Fengjing is not simple.
Even with Minister Dou's support, Xu Mo, being from a poor family, would have to endure decades of hardship to attain a high position of power, perhaps even until his hair turned white before he could reach the second or third rank.
Even so, they might not be noticed by the powerful families of Fengjing. For example, the Qi family, despite having a Minister of Rites, has always been excluded by the powerful families because they lack family background.
Only naive people like Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun would think that becoming an official would solve everything.
Just like back then, a few people who couldn't get enough to eat thought that becoming a wealthy landowner was the happiest thing. This is a typical example of how basic needs limit one's thinking, thinking limits one's realm, and realm limits one's life.
But Chang Yan didn't feel there was anything wrong with it.
Not everyone needs to stand at the highest point to overlook life, nor does everyone need to see through the illusion, and certainly not everyone wants to wield power and have the ability to turn the world upside down.
In Changyan's eyes, the best and happiest time is spent with family, eating and wearing whatever they want, going out for trips from time to time, and laughing together.
"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother," Jiang Sheng called out several times from the side.
Chang Yan finally came to his senses, "What?"
Jiang Sheng grinned, "My fourth brother and I want to go get some wontons, do you want to come along?"
"What do you mean, 'fourth brother'?" Wen Zhiyun, standing next to her, looked completely innocent. It was obvious that the chubby girl was greedy and was dragging her brother down with her.
Chang Yan didn't expose him and agreed with a smile.
Just as Jiang Sheng had wondered long ago, there were wonton stalls near every examination hall. Although they varied in distance according to local rules, they were always within three miles.
The broth, made from kelp and dried shrimp, is piping hot and incredibly flavorful. Paired with thin-skinned, meaty wontons, it's a truly heavenly treat.
The only downside is probably the price.
In Anshui County, wontons cost only five coins, but in Fengjing, they were sold for twenty coins a bowl. Jiang Sheng was practically bleeding from the core of her being.
Chang Yan teased her, "You can clearly earn several hundred taels of silver a month, so why are you so stingy about eating a bowl of wontons?"
"Fifth Brother, you don't understand. People who have been poor are reluctant to spend big money." Jiang Sheng carefully put away the copper coins. "If it weren't for wanting good luck for Big Brother, I wouldn't have eaten them."
In the past, Xu Mo and his classmates would eat a bowl of wontons before each exam, and after they finished eating, they would receive a message from the champion.
Jiang Sheng was confident, and this time was no exception.
She hid the coins in her purse and happily ate her wontons, not even letting go of the tiny shrimp floating in the soup.
Aunt Zhang hesitated to speak, thinking of Jiang Sheng's newly rented courtyard with a hundred taels of silver, and then looking at how Jiang Sheng complained about the price of wontons, she felt a mix of emotions.
How could someone complain about a bowl of wontons costing 20 coins?
How could anyone complain that a bowl of wontons costs 20 coins?
Madam Jiang, dressed in plain silk, pretended to be passing by. After some hesitation, she sat down next to Jiang Sheng and his sister.
If the news that the matriarch of the Jiang family, a top-tier family in Fengjing, was eating wontons at a roadside stall got out, the Jiang family would be laughed at to death.
Since they were already seated, a waiter came over and asked, "What would you like to eat, Madam?"
Old Madam Jiang could only glance at Jiang Sheng's table and said in a deep voice, "Two bowls of wontons."
Soon the wontons were served. The bowls, used by countless people, were filled with a semi-cloudy broth. The not-so-delicate meat-filled wontons bobbed up and down in the soup, and because they were overcooked, the wonton wrappers were even a little cracked.
"Madam," Tan Yue, who was attending to her, said cautiously, "why don't you let me eat them all?"
Although she was the head maid of Old Madam Jiang, she had never eaten at these street vendors.
"No need." Madam Jiang took a deep breath, picked up a spoon, scooped up a wonton, and put it in her mouth.
Surprisingly, it wasn't bad at all. The soft wonton wrappers wrapped around large chunks of meat filling, combined with the flavor of the broth, created a delightful combination in the mouth. While not a top-tier delicacy, it was certainly comparable to the exquisite craftsmanship of a home cook.
Sometimes, the flavors of street vendors, refined through countless trials, may be even more outstanding.
Madam Jiang savored the food carefully. She came from a respectable family and would have been criticized for eating from street vendors, but since she had already eaten, she couldn't waste the food.
By the time she finished her bowl, Jiang Sheng next to her had already drunk all the soup, her face full of lingering satisfaction, yet unwilling to ask for another bowl.
The brothers, seeing this, each took two pieces from their bowls and shared them with their greedy little sister.
"Oh dear, that's not good." Jiang Sheng declined, but couldn't help but slurp one up.
The kitten-like satisfaction not only made the brothers at the table laugh, but also made Old Madam Jiang unable to suppress a smile.
"Madam, two bowls in total, forty coins." The waiter appeared beside her at some point.
Tan Yue then realized that most vendors require payment before eating, so she quickly reached into her purse and then froze on the spot.
Old Madam Jiang sensed something was wrong, reached out to touch her waist, and froze.
She was the esteemed matriarch of the Jiang family. Whatever she needed was delivered to the Jiang family by the shopkeeper, and she would then ask the steward for the money. Even when she occasionally went out, it was only to sit at Youran Residence. She never carried a single silver ingot.
Suddenly, you might find yourself unable to afford forty coins when you try to eat at a small street stall.
This time, however, he disguised himself to better resemble a poor family, and didn't even wear any silver jewelry.
Madam Jiang's expression broke down, fearing that her lifelong reputation would be ruined.
"Madam, I'll go get the money right away." Tan Yue hurriedly got up, but was stopped by the shop assistant.
"You're not planning to just abandon the old lady and run away, are you?" The young man spoke a bit bluntly. "What use is an old lady to me if you run away?"
Tan Yue froze again, at a loss for what to do.
Just as the waiter was about to report them for dining and dashing, Jiang Sheng, who was standing nearby, peeked out in confusion and recognized the stubborn old lady with her lips pursed.
Two jin, two jin of sugar-roasted chestnuts.
She almost jumped up. Wasn't this the old lady who had tried to extort her? How come it seemed like she was the one being extorted by the wonton stall now?
"You must hand over these forty coins today, or I will report you to the authorities," the shopkeeper said angrily.
Having no other choice, Madam Jiang could only take off her ever-present jade bracelet, saying, "I'll use this as collateral."
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