Chapter 35 The aroma of instant noodles filled the examination hall in an instant...
Watching Ji Ge'er successfully enter, his small figure swallowed up by the tall gate of the Imperial Academy by the crowd, soon disappearing from sight no matter how high one stood or craned one's neck. Shen Miao breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly picked up her basket and looked around, preparing to quickly find a good spot to set up her stall.
Although the "Biyong Academy Branch Campus" of the Imperial Academy was located in the suburbs, the surrounding area was not desolate.
The post road was wide, and the loess soil was compacted so that there was very little dust unless a fast horse galloped by. Both sides of the road were planted with crabapple trees, which were now in full bloom, lush and verdant. Along the walls of the academy, there were interspersed covered walkways and pavilions, adorned with tall pines and cypresses, and rockeries; a gentle breeze brought a touch of tranquility and elegance.
But now, because of the imperial examinations for children, the area in front of Biyong Academy is filled with all sorts of oxen, horses, and donkey carts. Many servants lead their livestock and wait by the carts. Some come on foot, others push earthen carts like the Li family, and still others, like Chen Miao, carry loads on their shoulders to do business. In short, the place is now bustling with people and filled with noise, making it extremely noisy.
The soldiers, with their swords at their sides, patrolled among them, their former quiet, scholarly air long gone.
Shen Miao looked around and finally found a good spot near the post road not far from the academy. The place was under a tall crabapple tree, its branches and leaves lush and sheltered from the sun. Facing the bustling post road, diagonally behind was the pavilion and covered walkway, crowded with people, where the parents and relatives of the candidates waiting for the examinations were all resting.
She put the basket down on the spot, first pulled out two small stools, then put the European-style bread wrapped in oil paper into a wicker basket, and turned the basket upside down on the ground to make a table.
She and Sister Xiang each had a stool and sat under the tree, calling out their wares in a casual manner.
"Freshly baked steamed buns! These big steamed buns, purple robes and golden belts! Delicious and auspicious! These fragrant and soft steamed buns—"
She called out, and Xiangjie'er echoed her call in a clear, childlike voice. The two sisters, one with delicate features and the other with two pigtails, looked as cute as little dumplings, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
Taking advantage of the moment, Chen Miao opened one, chopped it into cubes with her kitchen knife, and shouted, "Try it first, then buy! It's a steal! Don't miss out! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"No fool wouldn't take advantage of a bargain," and soon a crowd gathered. Seeing the appealing-looking, purplish-golden steamed buns in the wicker basket, some tasted them and were tempted. They asked the price, and although it was a bit expensive, but…
The woman with her hair styled in a bun, leading her son who was about to take the exam, glanced hesitantly at the young woman selling pancakes.
"Eating this will surely sharpen your mind and make you a high-ranking official in the future!" The woman smiled, her eyes crinkling, as endearing as the steamed buns in her hands. Her voice was clear and crisp, and she continued with auspicious words, "Wishing you good fortune, young man, success in your exams. May you eat well and do well on your tests. Here, I'll wrap one up for you."
These words were so sweet that the woman didn't hesitate for long. She took out some money from her small cloth bag and said, "Give me two!"
She and her son then stood in front of the stall and shared one. After taking a small bite, they exchanged a delighted look—this steamed bun was truly unique! At first, it tasted rustic and unpretentious, but after a few more chews, the aroma of wheat and a subtle sweetness filled the air. The refreshing scent of mulberry and the aroma of roasted peanuts complemented each other perfectly, making it a dish that lingered in the memory. In particular, the surface of the bun still had some browned wheat bran left over from roasting, giving it a slightly creamy texture reminiscent of ripe autumn chestnuts.
So the young mother immediately decided not to eat any more. She quickly stuffed the remaining auspicious steamed buns into her son's baking basket and hurried inside to take the exam.
Of course, some are cautious, bringing their own food and telling their children not to eat outside. But most, once they've tried it, can't resist buying it—after all, besides the good omen, the taste is the real reason customers stay.
When Uncle Shen's donkey cart appeared in front of Shen Miao's stall, Shen Miao was busy wrapping pancakes for people. When she looked up, she saw her arrogant aunt Ding and Uncle Shen, as well as Hai Ge'er, who had gained a lot of weight in just a few days.
Haige'er was still sleepy, his eyelids slightly swollen, as if he had just been dragged out of bed. His round, plump body was wrapped in a festive crimson silk shirt embroidered with cranes soaring into the clouds, making him look like an over-fermented steamed bun.
They lived in the outer city, much closer to Biyong Academy than Shenmiao, yet they arrived late. They rushed inside as soon as they got off the carriage, not even bothering to greet Shenmiao when they caught a glimpse of him. They only returned after seeing Haige'er through the academy gate. Ding Shi glanced down at the half-empty basket of steamed buns in Shenmiao's basket and said reluctantly, "Two, please."
Shen Miao raised her eyes, not looking at Ding Shi, but smiling at Uncle Shen: "Uncle, two for twenty-four coins."
Ding glared at her: "You're a relative, yet you still want money from me?"
"Even close brothers keep clear accounts. My niece works hard for her money, and instead of helping her out, she's taking advantage of the younger generation? Uncle, you be the judge! You know my parents entrusted the three of us to you before they passed away. I know I can't always trouble you, but look at the state of my house after the fire. These past few days, I've used up all my dowry and savings to repair the house, and now we're almost starving. You see..."
"Stop, stop." Ding noticed the glances coming from those around her and quickly interrupted Shen Miao's complaint. She took out twenty-four coins from her sleeve pocket and slammed them down in front of Shen Miao. "Take it!"
Shen Miao regretfully wrapped up two European-style breads and handed them over. Ding was quite shrewd; she had seen through Shen's self-inflicted injury before Shen could even begin to play his trick. Otherwise, given Shen's pride, she could have easily gotten a tael or two from the money tied to his waist in front of so many people.
Ding took the two still-warm steamed buns and quickly pulled Uncle Shen away, forcing a smile: "Let's go over there and rest for a while while we wait for Hai-ge'er. That way, we won't delay my business."
Shen Miao smiled as before and waved, "Take care."
A short while later, Uncle Shen returned, looking at Shen Miao with a very surprised expression. He wiped the bread crumbs from his mouth in disbelief and asked, "Big sister, did you make all these steamed buns?"
Shen Miao replied matter-of-factly, "Of course."
Uncle Shen's eyes widened again: "Where did you learn this skill? In Jinling? Don't think I don't know, your father only wanted you to enjoy a life of leisure, but he didn't teach you a single family skill!"
“Yes, I learned it in Jinling.” Shen Miao replied with a smile, her face not blushing or skipping a beat. “Why is Uncle so surprised? Of course, my father didn’t teach me. He doesn’t even know how to make these pancakes and steamed buns. You won’t find another place in Bianjing that can make them. Of course, I figured them out myself.”
Uncle Shen recalled the taste of the steamed bun and had to admit that Shen Miao was right. But he was still a little dazed, looking Shen Miao up and down and muttering, "I never thought that you would be the most talented one in our Shen family."
Back then, Shen's grandfather started his business with a basket of steamed buns and gradually built up a considerable fortune. However, Shen's eldest uncle was devoted to literature and did not learn his grandfather's craft. Therefore, this family craft was passed down to his younger brother, Shen Er.
Although Shen Er was good at making pancakes, he was just copying the recipe without any innovation. He couldn't compare to his grandfather, who was good at everything from steamed pancakes to soup pancakes to steamed buns and other pastries.
The most regrettable thing is that Shen Er died on the street before he could pass on his skills.
With her slender figure and gentle features, Shen Miao stood under the crabapple tree in full bloom. If one ignored the gleaming silver cleaver at her waist, she truly was a beautiful and graceful woman.
Looking at her, Uncle Shen felt a little melancholy. Of all the children and grandchildren in the family, only Sister Shen, who was divorced after marriage, had such a skill and became the one who most resembled her grandfather.
What a cruel twist of fate!
With a sigh, Uncle Shen bought six more steamed buns for his niece, three for himself and three for Ding. Both he and Ding had big appetites, and the buns were really well made. The mulberry flavor wasn't common; it was initially a bit bland with a slight sourness, but then the rich flavor emerged. Most importantly, the buns were baked to perfection, leaving Ding feeling unsatisfied even after eating them. She was too embarrassed to come back and buy more, so she persuaded Uncle Shen to come and buy a few more.
She kept reminding him, "Remember, when we buy all this from her, you have to make sure the older sister gives you a few coins off, so she doesn't overcharge. Seriously, how can Sister Shen not even let go of her relatives' money?"
But when he got to Sister Shen, Uncle Shen couldn't bring himself to say those words. So he obediently counted out seventy-two coins from the money tied around his waist to buy the cakes. Shen Miao took the money, then tied the cakes with hemp rope for Uncle Shen and handed them over.
Uncle Shen took a handful of cakes and was about to leave, but after taking two steps, he turned back, lifted his eyelids to look at Shen Miao, his eyes filled with complicated emotions. He remembered Shen Miao saying that they were almost starving, so he gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, then simply took a string of copper coins from his waist and handed them to Shen Miao, coughing lightly and saying, "This is my private stash, you can take it for now."
Shen Miao accepted Uncle Shen's money without hesitation, fearing he might regret it, and immediately took it.
"Thank you, Uncle! No wonder people say you're a scholar, you're more sensible than Auntie... Tsk tsk, Auntie's heart... is still not as broad as yours, Uncle." She finished speaking happily, and then glanced sideways at Uncle Shen's thick, bulging waist.
"That's all! Stop looking! Uncle's out of money!"
Shen Miao then withdrew his gaze. He thought to himself, "It doesn't matter. If I can make a quick buck once, that's not bad either."
Uncle Shen couldn't help but advise, "You're really something. Since you're already struggling financially, you shouldn't support Ji'er's studies anymore. Let him learn your pancake-making skills so he can earn a living in the future. Why go through all this trouble? Even if he gets into Biyong Academy, it will cost a lot of money. You're a woman, and even if you make pancakes every day, how can you afford to support him?"
Shen Miao lowered her head and wiped away her tears with her sleeve, looking very distressed: "Uncle is right. It's tough now, but I'm his older sister. I already felt extremely guilty for abandoning them for three years. How could I do this to him? I should support his education even if I have to sell everything I own. So please come and visit your niece often in the future. We're blood relatives, so please remember to send some money to your poor nieces and nephews."
"Do you know that supporting a scholar costs at least ten strings of cash a year! Don't tell me you can't afford it! Even your uncle can't! Don't count on your uncle, he has a whole family to support. Besides, all the money is in your aunt's hands. What is your aunt? She's a greedy pig! Once the money's in her pocket, there's no way it'll come out. Your uncle is already doing you a favor by giving you this one or two strings of cash today! Sigh, if you don't listen to your uncle, life will never get better." Uncle Shen shook his head, rolled up his long gown, picked up the steamed bun, and finally left.
Shen Miao raised her head, her face devoid of tears. She stuck out her tongue at Uncle Shen's plump back, happily weighed the string of copper coins in her hand, stuffed them into her pocket, and continued hawking her cakes.
It was noon, and the European-style bread we brought had sold out, with only a few left.
She then sat down to rest contentedly, turning back to whisper to Xiang-jie, "After Ji-ge'er finishes his exams, let's go to Wang the Butcher's stall together and buy a pair of big pig trotters. Tomorrow, your older sister will make you fruitwood-roasted pig trotters! They'll smell delicious!"
Xiang-jie sat on a small stool, still eating her giant European-style bread. She had watched and memorized Shen Miao's fluent singing, recitation, and acting. She blinked, took another bite of her bread, and then smiled happily, her eyebrows and eyes, which resembled Shen Miao's, pointing upwards: "Okay! I'll do whatever you say, elder sister!"
After saying that, she continued to focus on eating. She ate a few bites of the bread, then picked up the bamboo cup with a lid that was hanging askew on her body to drink tea—this bamboo cup was also bought at the market; the stall owner had made it from old, sturdy dragon bamboo. The bamboo tube was large and deep; after sawing it off, the inside was smoothed out before use. The lid was a separate piece; although not completely airtight, it wouldn't leak while walking. Originally, the cup didn't come with a string, but Chen Miao went to Old Man Yang's house and asked him to kindly drill two holes, one on the left and one on the right. She then twisted the string herself, threaded it through, and could carry it with her.
Early in the morning, Shen Miao used this cup to fill a pot with sweet and sour plum soup for Xiang Jie'er—the ingredients for the plum soup had been prepared the night before, and she had simply brewed it when she got up early. Making plum soup at home is easy. Take 15 grams each of dried plums, dried hawthorn, dried tangerine peel, and licorice root, wash them, and soak them in water for half an hour. Then pour them into an earthenware pot along with the soaking water and bring it to a boil over high heat. After that, turn to low heat and simmer slowly. When the water turns darker, add rock sugar to balance the sourness of the plums, and simmer over low heat for a while longer. That's it.
Shen Miao made this soup mainly for Ji Ge'er.
Before the exam, this child was too nervous. Last night, while eating dinner, he was still subconsciously memorizing his notes and ended up scalding himself with hot soup several times.
When he got up in the morning, I gave him a bowl of plum soup. After drinking it, he calmed down a lot. Plum soup is not only delicious, but it also has the effects of refreshing the mind, relieving anxiety and quenching thirst. The cool and smooth plum soup took away the anxiety that Ji Ge'er was feeling in the face of the big exam.
As the resounding, melodious bells echoed from the Biyong Academy, it seemed another exam had concluded. Five questions, each answered with a bell chime. Outside, the soldiers simultaneously struck the ground with their long poles, repeatedly shouting, "Silence! Silence!"
Inside, all the students taking the exam were their own children, so the parents and family members waiting for the exam to end gradually quieted down. Some even spoke in hushed tones, afraid of disturbing the children inside the high walls.
At this time, even fewer people came to buy bread. Shen Miao watched Xiang Jie'er leisurely eating and drinking, and sat down under the tree with satisfaction. She also ate a European-style bread for lunch. Afterwards, she hugged her knees and quietly admired the crabapple and pear trees with their blossoms on the branches. A gentle breeze blew, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air.
What wonderful weather! I'm sure things will go well for Ji-ge.
In the examination room, Shen Ji also put down his pen, stretched out the paper filled with writing, and gently placed it aside to dry.
Although there were thin rattan walls separating the examination rooms, they were not soundproof. Shen Ji could even hear the scratching sound of pens scratching on paper as others answered questions. Therefore, as the sun rose high in the sky, calls for hot water began to ring out from all around.
It is said that in the past, when the Biyong Academy held its entrance examinations, the water provided was only cold. Unexpectedly, many students suffered from diarrhea after drinking the cold water, and some even fell seriously ill. Not only were their examinations hindered, but their health was also ruined. This caused a lot of public resentment, so the academy later switched to providing hot water, but the examination fees also increased significantly.
Shen Ji had been concentrating on writing the exam questions all morning, and now he was feeling very hungry. He took out his large earthenware bowl and took the opportunity to ask for a pot of hot water. There were many things that were not allowed in the examination room, and food was also restricted. For example, stir-fried dishes and porridge were not allowed, for fear that someone would bring cheat sheets into the room.
Therefore, most people only brought dry biscuits, which were then broken into tiny pieces by the soldiers who searched the area before they entered.
But the older sister's ingenuity is endless. This fried soup dumpling is flat and you can see the bottom of it at a glance. Even if you want to break it, you don't have to worry about people breaking it. You can eat it in several pieces. It's cooked quickly by simmering and stewing, and it's fragrant. It's much better than eating dry biscuits.
When Shen Ji asked for hot water, Hai Ge'er, who was sitting diagonally opposite him, looked up at him.
It's hard to know what kind of karmic entanglement it was, but Hai Ge'er's exam number was very close to Shen Ji's, and their exam rooms were even diagonally opposite each other. When they sat down, they were both stunned when they met. But after Shen Ji handed out the exam questions, he never looked up again, which made Hai Ge'er, who cared about him a lot, keep a tight rein on him.
Back in Master Liu's private school, Hai Ge'er was lazy and loved to gossip, but he was quite clever when it came to studying, so he did not do too badly. Several times when Master Liu set monthly exams, he was often tested on his neglect of his studies by sneaking out to copy books.
He had always secretly compared himself to Ji Ge'er, and he also had a hint of self-importance.
Today, Hai-ge'er wanted to be boiled in hot water early in the morning. Ding-shi prepared five of the most famous Liu family mutton flatbreads in Bianjing for him. However, they were all searched by the soldiers before he entered the door, broken into pieces and mixed into a pile of mutton and flour flatbreads. The appearance was really messy, but the taste remained the same.
Because it was broken, the fragrant mutton fat soaked into the flatbread, making it even more delicious.
He would write a few lines and then take a bite, filling the area with the smell of mutton. As time went on, the mutton cooled and became gamey, and some people couldn't stand the smell anymore. They would stuff their noses with scrap paper and eat the lunch prepared by their families ahead of time.
Only Shen Ji seemed to have lost his sense of smell, concentrating intently on writing until noon before asking for water.
Hai Ge'er had already finished eating and wanted to see Shen Ji's shabby appearance as he ate dry biscuits, but instead he saw Shen Ji bend down and take out a large earthenware bowl from the book basket on the ground, and then lift the lid.
Hai Ge'er was so far away that he couldn't see what was inside clearly, but his curiosity had been piqued. He held the pen but didn't write a single word; instead, he stared intently at the scene.
If it weren't for the exam, he would have even stood up to take a look.
At this moment, the pot of hot water that Shen Ji had asked for was brought over by the soldiers. He took it and poured it into a bowl.
Boiling water poured in, instantly dissolving the braised pork sauce at the bottom. The rising steam also brought out the strong aroma of scallions and coriander. The fried dough absorbed the water, collapsed, and softened, then blended into the savory sauce.
Haige'er smelled the aroma of meat filling his nose and closed his eyes in ecstasy. But the aroma suddenly stopped, and he opened his eyes abruptly to find that Shenji had put the lid back on.
He was a little disappointed, but after a short while, he opened it again. This time, after being steeped, the aroma was even stronger.
Haige'er stared in disbelief as Shen Ji magically produced a bowl of fragrant hot soup dumplings in a matter of moments, then, as if no one else was around, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat them with gusto.
In an instant, the cold, pungent smell of mutton in the examination room transformed into a fresh and spicy aroma. The flavor was indescribable—extremely fragrant, incredibly fresh, and also incredibly potent. Hai Ge sniffed it again and again, feeling that the taste was profound, perfectly balanced between savory and salty, with a hint of spiciness, along with the aroma of steaming noodles, meat, eggs, and vegetables… Many different flavors blended together seamlessly, wafting into your nose without warning, exceptionally alluring.
It smells so good! How can it smell so good! Hai Ge'er's neck was already uncontrollably stretched out.
This caused many people to stop writing, their noses twitching as they tried to catch the fragrance wafting from somewhere. If they weren't still in the exam hall and couldn't move around, some would have already followed the scent.
No one knew where the aroma came from, but it made Hai Ge'er across the street so hungry that he almost cried.
He glanced down at the mutton pie in the oil paper package, now broken into a cold, oily mess, and instantly lost its appeal.
***
Inside the Biyong Academy, in the study room marked with the red-lacquered character "甲" (jia), Ning Yi slept soundly and deeply while the old professor was engrossed in his eloquent lecture. He slept soundly until noon, when his classmate Shang An jolted him awake from his dream filled with delicious food with an elbow.
"Ningda, school's over, I'm leaving."
He looked up groggily and saw that the professor had already left, and even the students in the dormitory had gotten up to pack up. Only Shang An and Xie Qi remained. The two seemed to have just finished solving a policy essay problem. Shang An woke him up and stood up to stretch.
Only those who passed the preliminary examination could enter Biyong Academy. Afterwards, there were examinations every ten days, and students were gradually divided into five classes: A, B, C, D, and X. The students in Class A, who were at the top of the class, were highly respected in the academy. This was because almost all the future scholars, licentiates, and jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from the academy were students from Class A.
Students assigned to the first tier of the academy were taught Confucian classics by professors and assistant professors from the Imperial Academy and the Wentao Academy. Although Ning Yi often skipped school and dozed off, and was not as serious about his studies as he was about the meat pies at Nanxun Gate, he was still a student in the first tier along with Xie Qi and Shang An. Every time they took an exam, he would narrowly miss the bottom of the list of students in the first tier. Now they were students under the same professor and lived in the same study room, so the three of them had a very good relationship.
Today's lessons were over, and the students left the lecture hall in twos and threes. The kitchen in the Zhuoyin Hall had prepared dinner. Shang An finished packing his books and turned around to see that Ning Yi was still asleep, looking drowsy. Xie Qi, on the other hand, was still holding a book, engrossed in the policy essay questions he had just studied.
"Xie Jiu, let's go." Shang An stretched and slung his book box over his shoulder. "The food at Zhuoyintang is already as bad as pig swill, and it'll be even harder to swallow when it gets cold. After lunch, besides Ning Yi going to check out that new badger meat shop under the North Gate, didn't we agree to go hiking to watch the sunset with Meng San and the others? If we don't go now, it'll be too late."
Just thinking about the food at Zhuoyintang, which was neither visually appealing nor delicious, made Shang'an feel a dull ache in his stomach again. But if he didn't force himself to eat a few bites, he would be too hungry to sleep at night.
"They're here." Xie Qi then put away the book.
Seeing Xie Qi's diligent study, Shang An felt it was a pity. Xie Qi had passed the preliminary examination for children, personally presided over by the Prefect of Kaifeng, when he was around eight or nine years old, and was the first to qualify for the Xiucai examination. He was not only the top student in the Biyong Academy that year, but also a genius who caused a sensation in Bianjing. Now, he has always been among the top students in Biyong Academy, but unfortunately, he is unlucky. Despite his outstanding literary talent, he still failed to pass the academy examination and obtain the Xiucai degree.
He counted in his mind that Xie Qi always seemed to encounter some kind of accident whenever he took an exam, whether it was a big one or a small one. He remembered one time when Xie Qi took the academy exam, it was so absurd that the exam room he was in collapsed... Sigh. Shang An shook his head and sighed, really not knowing how to feel sorry for him.
Meanwhile, Ning Yi, who had been so sleepy that she had to force her eyelids open with her hands, woke up at the mention of food. She immediately snuggled up to Xie Qi and whispered, "Xie Jiu, Xie Jiu, do you still have any of your egg yolk pastries?"
Ning Yi was utterly astonished to discover that the egg yolk pastry he had tasted by chance at Lanxin Bookstore, the one he had traveled all the way to Yangliu East Lane to seek but could not find, had already had its recipe bought by the Xie family! After being politely refused by the young woman selling pastries that day, he returned to the academy dejectedly. All the way there, he felt utterly disheartened, listless, and hopeless. But as soon as he pushed open the wooden door of his dormitory, he smelled the familiar aroma of egg yolk pastry.
Inside the room, Xie Qi and Shang An sat around a table. On the table was a large, open lacquered, mother-of-pearl-painted nine-compartment food box filled with round, golden egg yolk pastries!
"Ning Da, you're finally back! Xie Jiu's family sent some incredibly delicious pastries. Didn't you claim you wanted to travel the world and taste all the delicacies? These pastries have a truly unique flavor; I'm afraid even you, a connoisseur of Bianjing cuisine, haven't tried them before! Come and have a taste!"
Ning Yi was stunned, staring at the whole box of egg yolk pastries. Even Shang An's voice seemed to have drifted away from his soul. Afterwards, he ate five pastries by himself to relieve the extreme highs and lows of his feelings, which were a mixture of wanting something but not getting it, and losing one thing but gaining another.
"The rest were given to the doctors, there's nothing left." Xie Qi shook his head with a smile. "It's alright, I'll have Qiu Hao go home and get it later. The cook at home has already learned it, he's received all of Madam Shen's personal instruction, and he does it perfectly."
Ning Yi nodded vigorously: "It's a deal, it's a deal."
The three chatted and laughed, each accompanied by their pageboys. After a few bites of lunch, they accepted the invitation from their fellow students in the academy, packed up, and prepared to go hiking in the nearby mountains.
Ning Yi, however, did not accompany them. Instead, she excitedly left through the back door, determined to attend the gourmet gathering alone.
People in the Song Dynasty were always artistic. In this era of great commerce and literary flourishing, young students loved to while away their time amidst mountains and rivers. Xie Qi and his classmates were no exception. They planned to wander through the bamboo forests in the mountains, to see the distant green mountains, the rocks under the flowers, and the pavilions by the water. Several of them would tap on the bamboo, singing and composing as they walked.
However, as Xie Qi stepped out of the academy gates, he saw the bustling crowds at the academy entrance and along the post road, and suddenly remembered—oh right, today was the academy's annual recruitment day for students. He subconsciously thought of the Shen family's son, who was coming to take the exam.
besides.
His gaze drifted into the distance.
The branches are covered with blossoms that resemble crimson clouds, which sway in the midday sun.
There is also a beautiful woman under the tree.
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