Chapter 253: Can't afford it
"Liu Li ranked 13th in the second class, which is a very good result! Congratulations!" Qin Yao said to Liu Li with a smile.
Liu Li smiled at Qin Yao excitedly, a little unsure of what to do. He looked at the names on the list, confirming them again and again.
The four sisters did not believe that their father could not be on the list, so they watched the whole thing from beginning to end twice, but in the end they had to face the reality.
It is true that passing the formal examination is not something that can be done by luck alone; it requires real talent and knowledge.
But their own father didn't have much knowledge.
"Ah~" the twins sighed.
Dalang and Erlang looked at each other and could only look at Liu Li with envy, "Congratulations, Uncle Li, for making the list."
"Thank you, thank you!" Liu Li thanked happily.
He didn't expect that he would pass the exam in one try. He felt that everything was unreal. It was thanks to Dazhuang that he was pulled by him, otherwise he didn't know where he would go with the crowd.
Qin Yao glanced at Liu Ji and asked, "Why don't you say congratulations to them?"
Liu Li had just comforted him by telling him to keep trying next time. We can't just not congratulate him just because he didn't make the list, right?
Liu Ji refused to speak!
He had been having dreams these past few days. He dreamed that the invigilator was standing in front of the examination table, staring at him, pointing at his nose and saying: I am very optimistic about you, and I will definitely make you on the list!
The result, is this?
Although I knew I was just here to go through the motions and experience the feeling of a formal scientific examination, it really became a formality. The feeling of having my expectations dashed was still very unpleasant.
Seeing that Liu Ji was slow to speak, Qin Yao was too lazy to say anything more.
Liu Li and Da Zhuang had to go to the government office to handle follow-up procedures, so the two families separated for the time being.
On the way back, Qin Yao turned around and saw the five fathers and sons with similar faces, and they sighed, "Oh~".
The little kids were made to look old, like little old men.
Qin Yao originally wanted to go with them, but she really couldn't stand this negative atmosphere. When she reached the door of the inn, she stopped and turned around.
"Liu Ji, is it so difficult to recognize your own shortcomings?" she asked with a frown.
Liu Ji didn't know what he was thinking. He looked up after a while and nodded. Then he pointed to the ice drink sign hanging in the lobby and said, "Have a bowl of ice drink and you'll be fine soon."
The four little ones beside him immediately showed contemptuous expressions, decisively stood back beside their mother, and looked at their father with unspeakable expressions.
They had never seen such a shameless person!
Seeing that he could still make such an unreasonable request, Qin Yao knew that he was absolutely fine, and sneered, "I think you are up to no good!"
Liu Ji: "My lady, please don't use bad words."
Qin Yao narrowed her eyes dangerously and said in a deep voice, "The list has been released. Get ready and leave the city and go home the day after tomorrow morning!"
Seeing that she was about to get angry, Liu Ji decided to stop while he was ahead. He quickly agreed and obediently followed his mother and the other four back to the guest room.
However, when passing through the lobby, I couldn't help but glance at the ice drinks in front of other guests.
But when I looked at the price on the sign, I saw that it was 80 wen per bowl before, but now it has risen to 180 wen per bowl.
Liu Ji shook his head and said, "I can't afford it, I can't afford it."
The price of rice in the city has risen a lot today. The people in this city have money, so they can not only afford expensive rice, but also meat and ice.
But I dare not imagine what the situation is like outside the city.
The huge gap between the rich and the poor is even more obvious in the provincial capital. An ordinary meal for city dwellers can equal several meals for people in the countryside.
I heard that the neighboring houses were suffering from famine, but the young masters and young ladies here could still continue to drink tea and write poetry. There was enough food at home, and they seemed to be unaware of the changes outside.
Rice, flour, oil, grain, fruits and vegetables were brought in from the farms outside the city by guards and servants every day, and life was very carefree.
Liu Ji was filled with envy and jealousy, and hated himself for not having such a fate.
But it's no use saying this now, as the evil woman will leave the day after tomorrow and he still has work to do.
The food for this family of six on the road needs to be prepared well.
The fifty kilograms of flour that he brought with him finally had to be used. With the current price of grain in the city, Liu Ji wouldn't buy any flour even if he had a crazy mind.
A pound of fine rice is already priced at ninety wen.
Every day when he went to the market to buy vegetables, he was shocked by the price of rice.
But when I came back and told my wife about it, she was not worried at all and said with a smile:
"As long as we can still buy grain at high prices, it means the problem is not serious."
It would be scary when all the rice shops close down. We are just getting there now.
Qin Yao asked Liu Ji to prepare dry food for the journey, and asked the four children to finish their homework for the day, and then she packed her own luggage in advance.
After arranging things for the father and his sons, Qin Yao went out again.
I first went to the lumber store to find Manager Fang to confirm the delivery status of the first batch of wood. I felt relieved when I learned that the wood had already begun to be delivered to Liujia Village.
The two of them also confirmed the subsequent quantity of wood and the delivery date. Qin Yao left only after everything was arranged correctly.
Afterwards, she went to Fulong Commercial Bank, but failed to meet the second manager Jiang Wen, so she had to ask the clerk to help tell him that she was going back to the village.
After leaving the trading company, Qin Yao spent a few dozen coins to inquire about the current situation outside before the escort agency closed. Only then did she return to the inn.
Liu Ji led his two little helpers, Dalang and Erlang, to prepare dry food in the kitchen.
Keep 20 kilograms of flour for making hot noodle soup or dumplings on the way, and make the remaining 30 kilograms of flour into pancakes.
This thing is easy to store, and you can make enough at once to eat along the way.
It was just too dry, and when it cooled it became hard like a helmet.
But the journey only takes four or five days, so just bear with it and it will be over.
Liu Ji also learned two tricks from Aunt Zou in the kitchen. He could eat the baked cakes with sweet water, or break them into pieces and soak them in broth to make a paste, then sprinkle some chopped green onions on them. The taste was quite good.
Qin Yao came to the kitchen to look for the father and his two sons. After hearing what Liu Ji said, she laughed dryly.
"You are dreaming. Do you know what is going on outside? Forget about the chopped green onion and pork soup. If you make a fragrant aroma, you might be targeted and killed at night."
Liu Ji was so frightened that he almost threw the dough in his hand into the fire pit. He finally managed to steady himself. He felt that Qin Yao was deliberately trying to scare him, and he muttered in a bad mood:
"Madam, it's not even dark yet, what ghost story are you telling?"
"It's not a ghost story." Qin Yao said seriously, "A large number of refugees from neighboring provinces have come here. The capital is in the south of the province, so we haven't seen many people here yet."
"But we are heading back all the way to the north, and we are sure to meet them on the way."
"Ah?" Liu Ji was shocked and asked hurriedly, "Where did you get this information from? How come I don't know about it?"
Qin Yao patted Erlang's shoulder, and the little guy immediately picked out the largest crispy and fragrant pancake and handed it to her.
Qin Yao sneered at Liu Ji while eating a cake: "You only care about your high school daydreams, how can you care about the sufferings of the world?"
Liu Ji: “.”
"I got the latest news from the escort agency. It's best to find a few more people to travel with on the way back. I plan to go find Master Ding tomorrow to return together."
Qin Yao winked at Dalang again, saying that the biscuit was too dry and she was choking.
The young boy understood, took out a bowl, scooped half a bowl of big bone soup for her, and sprinkled a handful of green onions on it. It was so delicious when eaten with the pancake.
Qin Yao nodded to Liu Ji, "It's really good to eat this on the road."
Liu Ji choked. Did someone forget that she just said that if you eat this on the road, people will target you and kill you?
Qin Yao finished the soup and pancake paste in the bowl in one breath, put down the empty bowl, and patted Liu Ji's shoulder with satisfaction, "Make more, it's delicious."
If there is anyone who dares to covet her scones and bone soup, don't blame her for being cruel!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
