Chapter 27 Go and take the imperial examination to become the top scholar
As the sun set, the previously sweltering weather cooled down.
Ye Wan was cooking in the kitchen, while Daya, Er Ya, and San Ya were washing sweet potatoes in the yard.
"Big sister, your braid looks great today, and you even have a new hair tie. Did you buy it?"
Er Ya spotted Da Ya's new hair tie, which had beads hanging from it; it was really pretty.
“Mom bought it. If you like it, I’ll buy you one too.” Daya’s hands kept moving.
After losing the income from the embroidery shop, she will have to do more work.
"Big sister, you call her mother? Are you crazy?" Er Ya stood up in shock.
It's one thing for that idiot Sanya to call someone "mother," but she and her older sister are both so grown up, how can she still call someone "mother"? It's only been a short time, what is her older sister thinking?
"You can call her 'Mom' from now on. Mom is nice. Go wash up." Daya meant it sincerely.
She could tell that Ye Wan was actually a kind and good-hearted person; otherwise, she wouldn't have taken care of them.
Er Ya felt betrayed. "Hmph, I'm not washing it anymore. You can wash it yourself. Anyway, I've done the work, and I won't get any of the good stuff."
She doesn't want to do any work; there are so many sweet potatoes, how long would it take to wash them?
Daya sighed and called to Sanya, "Sanya, go feed the chicks, I'll wash them."
Er Ya stood at the gate of the courtyard for a while, but no one paid any attention to her. Frustrated, she stomped her feet and walked into the village.
She went to the village to talk to Hongmei about that heartless woman Ye Wan, and now even her eldest sister was on her side.
They hadn't walked far when a woman who was hiding her face approached them. Er Ya was certain she had never seen her in the village before.
Who are you looking for?
Er Ya noticed that the woman was staring at her as if she wanted to ask a question, so she asked first.
"How do I get to the Lin family's house?" Ye Hua covered her face with a headscarf.
She had heard before that Lin Anyuan lived in a detached house at the foot of the mountain, but she didn't know if the one in front was the same.
Er Ya's eyes darted around. "I know the Lin family. Who are you looking for? How can I tell you if you don't explain clearly?"
In the village, only her father's surname was Lin.
"I've come to see my sister." Ye Hua didn't go back to her parents' home. Her family sold them and got the money, so they should be living a good life.
She was worried about her younger sister, Ye Wan, and after much deliberation, she decided to come and see her.
"You come to see people empty-handed?" Er Ya pouted. So it was a relative of that heartless woman. Coming to be a relative empty-handed, how interesting.
Ye Hua was instantly embarrassed. "I...I'll come another day."
Just as they were about to turn back, Aunt Wang came over and looked at Ye Hua with curiosity.
"Young lady, you're not from our village, are you? Are you here to visit relatives?"
Er Ya spoke up enthusiastically, "Aunt Wang, are you here to see my servant?"
"What servant? You little brat, do you think you're some rich young lady? That's your stepmother." Aunt Wang chuckled. Er Ya was sharp-tongued; she didn't even acknowledge her stepmother.
"The sweet potatoes are almost ready for harvest this year. I've come to ask your mother how many she wants. Didn't she say she wanted to buy some last time? Oh, and is your father home?"
"No, my dad went out."
When Er Ya saw that Aunt Wang was carrying something, she decided not to go find Hong Mei anymore and would go tomorrow.
"Young lady, you haven't said anything yet." Aunt Wang called out to Ye Hua as she was about to leave.
"I came to see my sister. It's getting late, so I'll head back now." Ye Hua felt she shouldn't have come on a whim, especially with her face still swollen. Wouldn't that embarrass her sister?
"Is your sister from Lin Anyuan's family? Since you're already here, how can you not come in?" Aunt Wang warmly pulled Ye Hua inside.
"Big sister, you've arrived?"
Ye Wan was surprised to see Ye Hua when she came out of the kitchen. Seeing that Ye Hua was covering her head with a headscarf, she knew that she had been beaten again.
Ye Hua and Aunt Wang sat in the courtyard, as her family didn't even have a room for receiving guests.
"Mom, I'm going to get some water for Auntie," Daya said as she went to the kitchen.
"Your eldest daughter is quite sensible. Alright, I'll head back now that you've said that. Remember to come to my house tomorrow!"
Aunt Wang left happily. Ye Wan said that she wanted all the sweet potatoes from her family and would hire someone to wash them. She would tell her husband and children the good news when she got back.
With no outsiders around, Ye Hua felt more at ease. She looked around and spoke softly to Ye Wan.
"Although this courtyard is a bit small, and I'm still someone's stepmother, you don't know how worried I was when I first heard about it. But now it looks good. This life isn't for others to see; as long as you feel good about it, that's all that matters."
Ye Hua was relieved to see that her younger sister was even prettier than when she was at home, and that there were no injuries on her face. She was also relieved to see that the older girl was still calling her "mother" even though she was so grown up.
A stepmother is fine, as long as I'm not beaten and have enough to eat.
"That bastard hit you again?"
Ye Wan looked at Ye Hua's swollen face, sprinkled some spiritual spring water on a handkerchief, and asked Ye Hua to apply it.
"It was just one hit. I'm not stupid; I knew to run." Ye Hua put the handkerchief on her face, feeling a cool and comfortable sensation. "I just came to see you. I'm going back now."
"Let's eat before we go back."
Ye Wan saw that her eyes were full of genuine concern for her sister, so she invited her to stay for dinner.
Ye Hua quickly waved her hand, "No, no, everyone's life isn't easy. If I stay, it will make things difficult for you."
"It's alright, he won't tell." Ye Wan insisted on keeping him there.
She had already prepared the meal: white rice, braised pork, and cold wild vegetables.
Ye Hua looked at the meat she had never eaten before, and the white rice, while Ye Wan kept shoveling food into her eyes, which were a little moist.
He didn't say a word because Lin Anyuan had also returned.
"It's getting late, I have to go now. Knowing that you're doing well makes me feel less worried. It's just that Cao'er... I don't know where she was sold to."
After the meal, Ye Wan saw the person out of the courtyard. Ye Hua thought of her younger sister, Ye Cao, and felt sad again.
"Everyone has their own fate. Second sister is smart, she should be alright."
Ye Wan thought of her second sister, Ye Cao, who was the smartest of the three sisters. Even if she was sold, she should be able to survive.
Ye Hua returned home with her head wrapped in a headscarf. She was relieved that her sister was doing well. She decided to visit less often in the future to avoid causing trouble for her sister.
At night, Ye Wan opened her eyes and looked at the wood above her head.
"Lin Anyuan, do you think all women in the world have it this hard? Women from wealthy and powerful families must have it better, right?"
"You're overthinking it. It's not just women who are facing difficulties; what you're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg," Lin Anyuan said with his eyes closed.
Min County was the fiefdom of King Jing. King Jing obtained the sweet potato seedlings from somewhere and planted them in the remote Min County, which is why so many people there did not starve to death.
As for other places where people are living in misery, the practice of exchanging children to eat is not an exaggeration.
Sweet potatoes... they dislike them because they're too dry and hard to swallow; there are plenty of people who can't afford them.
Lin Anyuan had a vague feeling that his peaceful days were probably not going to last much longer.
"Lin Anyuan, go study and become the top scholar in the imperial examination!"
Ye Wan suddenly sat up abruptly, staring intently at him.
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