Chapter 41 Peony Soul Preparation
The next day, Shao Yanzhe got up very early and went to the largest morning market in Jiangzhou to have breakfast.
Along the way, he eventually chose the breakfast stall with the most people and the largest area.
He also asked Xuan Yao for a plate of dried fish. As soon as it was placed on the stool, Xuan Yao couldn't wait to bend down and start eating.
He himself carried a steaming bowl of thin-skinned wontons to the table, and didn't forget to scoop half a spoonful of bright red chili oil into the wontons.
The aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of chili oil wafted over, and Shao Yanzhe couldn't resist picking up a spoon and scooping a wonton into his mouth.
The translucent wonton wrappers melt in your mouth, and the chewy, fresh meat bursts with delicious broth, mixed with fragrant but not spicy chili oil—it's simply divine.
After solving most of the problems, Shao Yanzhe finally remembered his purpose for coming here.
He picked up the wontons, glanced around, and immediately locked onto a man.
"Hey, the Leng residence was really lively yesterday!" He sidled up to the men's table and said this in a familiar manner.
Upon hearing the keyword "Leng Mansion," some of the disgruntled men immediately approached with interest and asked, "Do you know what happened at the Leng Mansion yesterday?"
He had heard that a coffin was placed at the main gate of the Leng residence yesterday, but unfortunately he wasn't there at the time and didn't see the details.
Shao Yanzhe looked around before lowering his voice and saying, "I heard that the Leng residence was haunted last night!"
"What! It's haunted!" The man exclaimed in surprise, his voice a little loud because he hadn't noticed.
Hearing this, the customers eating breakfast nearby subconsciously lowered their movements and pricked up their ears to listen to what was to come.
"Keep your voice down!" Shao Yanzhe quickly stopped the man, looked around to make sure everyone around was focused on the conversation, and then he felt relieved.
"Okay, okay, it was my fault. Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?" the man said in a low voice, his eyes gleaming with gossip.
Shao Yanzhe said, "Isn't my house behind the Leng residence? Yesterday evening, someone placed a black coffin in front of the Leng residence. When Leng Xiucai came out and saw it, his face immediately changed. Judging from his appearance, he must have known the person in the coffin. He then ordered people to carry the coffin away."
He paused here, then said mysteriously, "The coffin flew in by itself and landed in the courtyard of the Leng residence. Scholar Leng called on dozens of people, but they couldn't lift it!"
"Wow! Really!" The acquaintance exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course it's true!"
"This might mean we've really provoked that thing!"
"That's not all. In the middle of the night, ghostly wails and howls echoed throughout the Leng residence, and people were heard shouting that there were ghosts!" Shao Yanzhe lowered his voice as he said this.
"Do you know who's in that coffin?" the man asked curiously.
Shao Yanzhe immediately said, "Of course I know! The person in that coffin is Leng Xiucai's dead ex-wife. He harmed her for her dowry, which is why he was targeted!"
At this moment, an auntie next to her slammed her hand on the table and said, "No! The coffin contains Leng Xiucai's dead mother! I heard that his mother was angered to death by him. It was because he married into the Qian family that she was in such a state of unrest."
"So, the scholar Leng was actually a son-in-law?"
"Hehe, don't be fooled by the name Leng Mansion. In reality, it's managed by Madam Qian. Even if Scholar Leng farts, he has to ask permission first before he dares to let out a sound."
Just then, an old woman at the next table stood on the same side as Shao Yanzhe: "I heard that it was his ex-wife? I do remember something. This scholar Leng is from the same hometown as me. He once married a woman in his hometown. She was the daughter of a merchant. I heard that she died in an accident. Could it be that the person in the coffin is her?"
Seeing this, Shao Yanzhe quickly tried to continue revealing information, but someone else jumped out to refute him.
"No, it was Leng Xiucai's illegitimate child whom he strangled with his own hands!"
"You're all wrong. That was that scholar Leng's mistress. Madam Qian found out and killed her. The mistress's resentment is still burning, so she's come looking for him!"
"What?! I heard that Scholar Leng offended someone and was threatened with a coffin!"
Shao Yanzhe, who had stirred up the trouble, was dumbfounded. No, how could the ancient masses be so good at spreading rumors? They sounded outrageous, yet inexplicably made people believe them.
However, now that his goal was achieved, he no longer cared about how things would unfold.
He ate the last wonton in one bite, then picked up Xuan Yao, who was contentedly squinting his eyes, and left.
Xuan Yao, who had been squinting, slightly opened his eyes, glanced at the human who was talking animatedly, and couldn't help but press his ears.
These humans are really good at making things up!
It flicked its tail and closed its eyes again.
The man and the cat strolled slowly toward the Leng residence. Upon arriving at their destination, the cat found a corner to hide in.
Soon, a red figure walked through the wall and emerged.
"Madam Yin, how was your time?" Shao Yanzhe teased.
Madam Yin gave him a disapproving look: "Of course it's very good! You're about to take the provincial examination, so give me some more literary talent this time."
"no problem!"
After transmitting the spiritual energy, Shao Yanzhe asked, "What are you going to do next?"
Madam Yin raised her chin, a cold glint in her eyes: "I will make them wish they were dead!"
Looking at Madam Yin's fierce expression, Shao Yanzhe reminded her, "You need to be careful. You're already tainted by karma, so you absolutely cannot kill innocent people anymore, or you'll be in danger, and no amount of literary talent will help."
Madam Yin nodded: "Don't worry, I know."
Shao Yanzhe was slightly relieved. He took out a stack of Xuan paper from his pocket and handed it to her: "I would like to trouble Madam Yin to give me some guidance. These are the poems I wrote yesterday. Have they improved?"
Madam Yin took the poems and carefully examined them. Looking at the poems that were beginning to show promise, she nodded slightly.
"Not bad, you've improved a lot. Passing the provincial examination shouldn't be a problem." She nodded affirmatively.
After receiving praise, Shao Yanzhe happily put away the Xuan paper. He also received some guidance from Madam Yin before leisurely bidding her farewell.
Lady Yin watched him leave, stood there for a long time, and raised her right hand to look at her fair and delicate palm.
She expressionlessly inserted her right hand into her heart, then took it out and opened it, revealing a round bead the size of a quail egg lying quietly in her palm.
It emitted a faint white glow, interspersed with crimson hues. The white and crimson colors intertwined and clashed, and dense cracks could be clearly seen on the surface of the bead.
She looked quietly at the beads in her palm, her eyes calm.
Immediately, she put the bead back into her body, and her figure vanished instantly.
On the other side, Shao Yanzhe was strolling along the bustling streets with Xuan Yao.
The provincial examination is starting tomorrow, and he needs to prepare the necessary materials in advance.
It's August now, and the weather is hot. All you need to bring is a mattress to put on the bed and a light blanket.
Most importantly, now that the seasons are so changeable, be sure to bring an oilcloth to hang in front of the cell to keep out the rain.
Otherwise, if it rains, rainwater will blow into the cells, easily wetting the exam papers and making it impossible to take the exam.
Next, one needs to prepare the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone needed for the exam.
Speaking of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, Shao Yanzhe couldn't help but take out a jade hairpin brush from his bosom.
Because his calligraphy brush was lost in an accident last time, he has been using a jade hairpin brush ever since.
Compared to other calligraphy brushes, this jade hairpin brush looks smaller and more delicate, more like a toy.
However, it is more convenient to use.
Ordinary calligraphy brushes have too stiff tips and are prone to shedding bristles, while better ones are expensive, far beyond his current means.
Thus, this jade hairpin pen has been used to this day.
He wondered if it was because he was frequently exposed to literary atmosphere, but he felt that the jade hairpin pen was more lustrous and translucent than before.
Shao Yanzhe hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to continue using the jade hairpin pen.
Finally, there's the food needed for the three days of the provincial examination.
The weather is hot now, and food is not easy to preserve, so we must be careful. If we get sick because of moldy food, it would be a huge loss.
At this moment, Shao Yanzhe began to miss modern instant noodles, which were indeed very convenient, especially during events like the provincial examination.
Thinking of instant noodles, he recalled their domineering taste and subconsciously swallowed.
I want to eat it!
He cooks whatever he wants. Shao Yanzhe is not someone who never lifts a finger. He actually studied instant noodles before, watched many bloggers' videos on how to make them, and even made them himself.
Making the pancakes is very simple; he simply deep-fries the prepared noodles.
Then he prepared the seasoning packet. He only found half of the seasoning, but it was still acceptable. Finally, he directly cooked a pot of meat sauce and put it into a thicker bamboo tube.
Finally, he also prepared some dried meat, dried vegetables, and other things that could be put in to cook.
Looking at the things piled on the table, Shao Yanzhe couldn't help but scratch his head. Could it be that he wouldn't be allowed to bring these things into the examination room?
Just in case, he prepared five extra steamed buns.
Perhaps because he often had Zhou Jiming and the other two study and take exams at Madam Yin's residence, the three of them rarely appeared in front of him on their own initiative.
Shao Yanzhe was happy to have some peace and quiet. After packing his things and washing up, he lay down to sleep.
Before dawn the next day, he got up, washed up, took the things he had prepared, and went to the gate of the house. He saw Zhou Jiming standing by the carriage waiting for him, as well as Liu Mingyuan, Su Yuheng, Wen Yanqing, and Shen Jingzhou, who had agreed to meet there.
The group traveled by carriage to the examination hall, and only disembarked and walked when the carriage could no longer move.
"Brother Shao, what did you bring? Why are you carrying so much? Let me help you carry some!" Zhou Jiming glanced at Shao Yanzhe and saw that he was carrying a test basket in one hand, a large package in the other, and a bedding on his back, looking somewhat disheveled.
"No need, it's not heavy."
Shao Yanzhe refused, then put the thing in his hand on the ground and stared at it intently.
The provincial examination and the prefectural examination were similar in process; after candidates lined up for a search, they could enter the examination hall.
Shao Yanzhe and his group of six were in the middle of the line, and it would be a while before it was their turn.
Out of boredom, Shao Yanzhe glanced at the candidates in line and realized that their ages ranged from eleven or twelve-year-old children to elderly people with gray hair.
Everyone lowered their heads, frowned, and pondered, worried about whether they would pass the exam.
Suddenly, Shao Yanzhe's gaze fell on the front of the line. He narrowed his eyes and recognized the person as Leng Yanshan at a glance.
Madam Yin surprisingly did not stop him and allowed him to appear here.
It was only then that he learned that Leng Yanshan was actually a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations) and would be participating in the provincial-level examinations this year.
Leng Yanshan, who was waiting to be searched, seemed to notice his gaze, turned around, and met his eyes.
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