Jiang Sheng didn't know the answer.
As she lay prone behind the crowd, a sharp pain shot through her palms, and she realized that the skin was broken.
There was no other way but to struggle to get up.
As soon as she stepped out of the sedan chair, the third young lady, who was being helped by her maid, heard the noise and glanced at Jiang Sheng casually.
He met Jiang Sheng's pure and inquisitive gaze right in the eye.
One is a pampered and spoiled young lady from a noble family.
One was a little beggar who struggled to survive by stealing food and drink.
Although they were of similar age, their fates were worlds apart.
The third young lady glanced at Jiang Sheng's oversized gray coat and indifferently entered You Ran Residence.
The innkeeper served her attentively from behind, "Third Miss, would you like to have a meal? When will the eldest young master arrive? How many days are you planning to stay in Anshui County this time?"
From afar, one could hear the maidservant beside the Third Miss scolding, "How dare you inquire about the young lady's conduct? Today, the young lady is only here on behalf of the Jiang family to check on the property; she doesn't need to concern herself with anything else."
As the sound faded, the maids who had been clearing the way at the door quickly left.
Jiang Sheng rubbed her chapped hands and skipped back to her brothers.
"What happened to your hand?" Zheng Ruqian's expression changed drastically when he saw the bloodstains. "Did they push you just now?"
Jiang Sheng quickly shook her head.
The Jiang family is large and powerful, and Zheng Ruqian still needs to do business with them, so he can't afford to create any discord because of this.
"I accidentally fell down just now," Xiao Jiangsheng said with a grin. "Second Brother, let's continue shopping. I want to see more."
Zheng Ruqian is not stupid.
On the contrary, he became increasingly shrewd.
He could guess that Jiang Sheng had been pushed by that group of people, and he could also understand why Jiang Sheng lied. As a smart person, he shouldn't ruin the relationship that his sister had painstakingly protected, but Zheng Ruqian still felt a surge of hatred in his heart.
Why is it that other people's eight-year-old girls can wear shoes embroidered with pearls and have several maids serving them wherever they go?
Zheng Ruqian's sister, however, was wearing a drab gray coat and, after being pushed down, still tried to defend them.
That's illogical!
Jiang Sheng is the best sister in the world, and she deserves the best treatment in the world.
Zheng Ruqian clenched his fist tightly, then fiercely opened it again. He told himself that in the future, his younger sister must be even more noble, richer, and proud than that third young lady from before.
"Come on, your second brother will take you to buy new clothes." He took Jiang Sheng's hand.
Fang Heng gripped the stick tightly and followed closely behind.
Wen Zhiyun started running with small, quick steps.
Chang Yan glanced coldly at Youran Residence and let out a cold snort.
The Jiang family is nothing but a nobody.
Xu Mo took the prefectural exam for three days, and Zheng Ruqian and his sister spent those three days running around the prefectural city.
They observe prices, look for new and cheap items, and wholesale goods that people in the county town might buy.
Finally, when the empty woodshed was filled with piles of firewood, the gates of the examination hall opened.
Countless students flocked out.
The relatives waiting at the door all rushed over with tears in their eyes, some hugging the student and lamenting how thin he had become, others taking out pastries for him to eat, fearing that he had not had a good time these past three days.
Jiang Sheng also searched for Xu Mo in the crowd.
This time, she didn't have to search for long before the limping boy appeared carrying a bamboo basket.
"Big brother!" Jiang Sheng shouted and rushed over, "How are you? How are you? Are you feeling alright?"
Like all relatives, they care more about their loved ones' health than the exam results.
Xu Mo smiled, his face slightly pale. "It's alright."
Wen Zhiyun, with her sharp eyes, noticed the blood on her older brother's buttocks and rushed over to check.
Fang Heng quickly stopped him, "Go back first."
The siblings returned to the woodshed, and Wen Zhiyun pulled down Xu Mo's pants, revealing that his wound had indeed reopened.
He quickly applied wound medicine, changed the gauze, and finally had Xu Mo lie on the bed to rest.
Xu Mo wanted to take out a book to read, but Jiang Sheng snatched it away.
"What's the point of looking at the exams now that they're all over?" the girl said, hands on her hips. "Let's heal our bottoms first, otherwise it'll be ugly with those scars later."
Xu Mo was both amused and exasperated, and could only obediently lie down.
In an instant, noticing the bloodstains on Jiang Sheng's palm, his eyes darkened, and he asked, "What have you been doing these past three days?"
Zheng Ruqian hung his head and didn't speak.
Wen Zhiyun and Fang Heng remained silent throughout the long banquet.
Because they knew that with Jiang Sheng around, there were no secrets.
Sure enough, the little girl talked animatedly, recounting everything.
First, she mentioned Zheng Ruqian's regret about pork, then she talked about how many pearls were on the shoes of the third young lady of the Jiang family, and finally she showed off the treasures she found with her brothers.
"These handkerchiefs are so pretty, and they're cheap too. I'm sure I can make a lot of money selling them back in the county. And these wooden hairpins, the patterns are so beautiful. I heard they came from Fengjing. I gritted my teeth and bought about a hundred of them. I'm sure I can sell them..."
She pointed to the small hill in the woodshed and chattered away.
Xu Mo listened with a smile the whole time. When Jiang Sheng got tired and went to get a drink of water, he looked at Zheng Ruqian and said, "I saw in a book that there is a way to preserve pork in the Sichuan region. It is said that the pork is marinated and dried, and then smoked with fruit wood. It can be preserved for a long time and has an excellent flavor."
Zheng Ruqian's eyes immediately lit up.
He had already found out in the past few days that ordinary pork, with the best parts removed, only sold for five or six coins per pound. Transporting it to Xiyang County would be a sure thing, but unfortunately the distance was too far and it couldn't be preserved.
If we can truly learn the Sichuanese method of curing pork, these pork pieces can be sold for ten coins when transported to Xieyang County.
"However, I can't guarantee whether the people of Xiyang County will be able to accept the taste if we do it this way." Seeing his second brother eager to try, Xu Mo gently reminded him, "No matter how good something is, it's useless if there's no market for it."
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