Grandma Li wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked in confusion, "Brewing wine? When did you learn this skill?"
Thinking of her daughter's medical skills, Old Lady Li said uncertainly, "Could it be that your master taught you again?"
Zhen Wanwan nodded with a normal expression: "Yes, my master came to teach me something new a couple of days ago."
"Oh dear! May the immortals bless you!" Old Mrs. Li clasped her hands together and kept muttering something.
Upon hearing that Zhen Wanwan was selling grapes because of a fairy's guidance, Old Lady Li excitedly jumped out of bed.
Go and rummage through the paper and incense at the bottom of the trunk.
"The immortal has been so kind to our family, I should give him more money for incense!"
"Mother! You don't need to do this, my master doesn't eat these things!"
Old Mrs. Li scolded, "What do you know, you little kid! We can't just accept the immortal's gifts; we also have to make offerings to him to show our respect!"
“Once we find your aunt and uncle, I plan to go to the temple to make a longevity tablet for your master, so that our whole family can worship him for generations to come!”
Zhen Wanwan felt ashamed. This master was something she had made up. Was she supposed to worship thin air from now on?
However, seeing how energetic Grandma Li was, Zhen Wanwan didn't dare to tell the truth.
At the dinner table, Zhen Wanwan sat at a table with the children.
Even the mischievous kids like Gou Dan didn't dare to cause trouble in the face of Zhen Wanwan's pressure.
She sat quietly in her seat, waiting for her aunt's instructions. Only when she heard Zhen Wanwan give the order did she pick up her rice bowl and quickly shovel rice into her mouth.
"Slow down, be careful not to choke."
Wang Cuihua sat on the sidelines, eating her meal while taking care of the children.
Looking at Zhen Xiaohu and Da Ni, who had gained a lot of weight, she felt very grateful to Zhen Wanwan.
If it weren't for this sister-in-law, her two children might still be timid and shy, and they wouldn't be as lively as they are now.
Thinking of this, Wang Cuihua gave Zhen Wanwan a kind smile.
Instead, Zhen Wanwan couldn't help but shrug. Why was her sister-in-law smiling so awkwardly?
After they finished eating, Zhen Wanwan asked Qu Huaiyuan to help her write down the recipe for grilled fish.
Seeing Qu Huaiyuan's beautiful handwriting, Zhen Wanwan felt deeply inferior.
"Brother Qu, your handwriting is so beautiful! You must have put in a lot of effort!"
It's even more beautiful than the calligraphy of those masters from my previous life!
Qu Huaiyuan smiled faintly and shook his head: "Actually, I didn't practice much! It's just that when I was young, my family was poor, and in order to earn a few coins, I helped copy books at the bookstore..."
Scholars are usually aloof and proud, and Qu Huaiyuan's willingness to take on part-time jobs to ease the family's burden shows that his values are quite appealing to Zhen Wanwan.
She gave Qu Huaiyuan a thumbs-up and praised him, "Brother Qu is not only knowledgeable, but his character is also stronger than many others! I believe you will definitely pass the imperial examinations in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Qu Huaiyuan's expression turned somewhat dejected. He forced a smile and said self-deprecatingly, "I gave up on the imperial examinations long ago..."
"Why?"
Zhen Wanwan was completely bewildered. Qu Huaiyuan had clearly intended to continue his scientific research before, so what made him lose his fighting spirit?
Thinking of the rumors he had heard, Qu Huaiyuan's brows were furrowed with worry.
He knew that Zhen Niangzi was no ordinary woman, so he decided to try to communicate with her.
"I visited the scholars here today, and they told me that His Majesty's health is growing increasingly weak, and I'm afraid..."
What followed was somewhat taboo, so he didn't continue and instead changed the subject.
"Now His Highness the Crown Prince is overseeing the country, and in order to quell the rebellion of Prince Yang, the court has devoted almost all its resources to supporting General Xiao."
"...The national treasury is empty. His Highness has ordered the suspension and postponement of the imperial examinations. As for when the imperial examinations will resume, it depends on when the rebellion is quelled."
Qu Huaiyuan said sadly, "Prince Yang's rebellion was planned in advance. Although General Xiao is invincible, it will be difficult to defeat Prince Yang in a short time due to his years of planning!"
Hearing these words shattered Zhen Wanwan's peaceful life.
She thought that with General Xiao around, as long as the Prince of Yang and the Northern Hu people were defeated, the Hua Dynasty could resolve the crisis of war.
"If General Xiao fails to capture the city after a prolonged siege, then we..."
Will my family be destroyed?
Zhen Wanwan couldn't bring herself to say the second half of the sentence, but her anxiety grew stronger and stronger.
Oh, right!
Zhen Wanwan suddenly remembered that Zhu Yuan had mentioned the Liang family's allegiance to the Prince of Yang!
Since he was able to come and arrest the Liang siblings in person, does it mean that there is a problem in Leling Prefecture?
That must be it!
The Liang siblings left home only a quarter of an hour later than them, so it's likely that something happened in Leling Prefecture after they left the city that day!
Oh no! Madam Fang and Siqin are still in Leling Prefecture!
"Brother Qu, if you have some free time, could you please inquire about things in Leling Prefecture? And about Prefect Fang and the others..."
Qu Huaiyuan understood her concerns and quickly nodded in agreement: "Don't worry! I'll go out and inquire about the situation tomorrow."
Thank you!
Xinyang Prefecture has fallen, and Leling Prefecture has also been attacked by Prince Yang's men. Is Songjiang Prefecture still safe?
Zhen Wanwan had a bad feeling; she had to find a way to leave this place as soon as possible!
Her elder brother had just said that the merchant ship bound for Anqing Prefecture would not depart for another five days.
Upon hearing this news from Qu Huaiyuan and speculating about the internal strife in Leling Prefecture, she couldn't wait five days.
Delay may lead to unforeseen changes!
Unfortunately, it was already dark, and she had nowhere to say what she wanted to say.
All I can do is lie in bed and wait for tomorrow to come.
On the other side, Granny Zhang and Yun'er kept vigil for the dozen or so members of the Zhang family.
They were supposed to be keeping vigil, but in reality, the person had already been burned to a crisp by the fire, leaving only a few pieces of flesh.
They knelt in the ruins, burning paper money, tears streaming down their faces.
Despite their profound grief, neither of them dared to cry out loud, for fear of attracting the man's attention.
They hadn't originally planned to live alone; they were just going to the street to sell themselves for that man as a formality.
Her only intention was to provoke the other party into killing them again, by which time her blood-written letter would likely have spread throughout Songjiang Prefecture.
She believes that one day, the injustice done to her Zhang family of more than ten people will finally be redressed.
At that time, she will definitely bring her whole family to meet that man! She'll make him come down and be buried with them!
However, today the grandmother and grandson unexpectedly met Zhen Wanwan, who was willing to risk offending that person and buy them.
And you still trust her so much!
At that moment, she suddenly understood.
Even if the grandmother and granddaughter didn't want to live, it wouldn't necessarily bring that person to justice!
Their deaths only cost two more lives!
She wanted to see that person go to hell with her own eyes!
Her granddaughter must also live well, as she is now the only remaining heir in the Zhang family.
"Yun'er, do you still remember what our enemy looks like?"
Yun'er's beautiful face showed a hint of bewilderment, but when she mentioned her enemy, her eyes filled with hatred.
"I remember it very clearly!"
Granny Zhang affectionately touched her cheek: "That's good! Remember this: if you ever have the chance, you must do everything in your power to avenge our Zhang family!"
Yun'er nodded in confusion. That person was of such high status, could she really get revenge?
Looking at her four-year-old granddaughter, Granny Zhang felt a pang of heartache.
"There's one more thing! From this day forward, our lives are in the hands of the lady who gave us the money. We must not harm her because of revenge!"
"I understand, Grandma!"
"Yun'er is such a good girl!"
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