Crackling sound—
Jiang Yuchen chewed on some crispy fried food, muttering, "What is this fried thing? It smells pretty good. Is it fish chunks? No, fish doesn't have this many small bones. What is this...?"
Jiang Yuchen realized what was happening, slammed down his chopsticks, and tried to spit them on the ground.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yuan used one hand to cover Jiang Yuchen's mouth.
"Don't waste food!"
"Ugh—ugh—" Jiang Yuchen puffed out his cheeks, trying to break free from Shen Yuan's hand, but Shen Yuan held on even tighter.
He quickly gave a look to the servants beside him, signaling them to come and help pry Shen Yuan's hands off.
But the servants glanced at Jiang Yuchen, then turned to look at Shen Yuan. When they met Shen Yuan's icy gaze, the servants immediately lowered their heads, pretending they hadn't seen anything, and obediently held their bowls and drank their porridge.
After all, they had all witnessed Shen Yuan's ruthlessness in killing snakes with her bare hands and extracting their gallbladders last night.
It's best not to make an enemy of a girl like that.
Besides, they are currently drinking the porridge she cooked and eating the dishes she stir-fried. They feel obligated to do her a favor, so they shouldn't make things difficult for her.
Besides, the snake meat, coated in flour and deep-fried, is savory, spicy, and crispy—it's quite delicious! Spitting it out would be such a waste!
Jiang Yuchen couldn't pry Shen Yuan's hand away, so he could only stare wide-eyed and obediently swallow the food in his mouth.
After seeing that he had swallowed it completely, Shen Yuan finally let go of his hand.
“Sister Yuan! You…” Jiang Yuchen stared at Shen Yuan with a wronged expression, unable to speak his bitterness.
Shen Yuan pretended not to see the expression on Jiang Yuchen's face and continued eating and picking up food as usual.
After the meal, Jiang Yuchen's servant took the initiative to wash the pots and pans, and only returned them to Shen Yuan after they were clean.
After packing, Shen Yuan boarded the carriage and continued her journey.
Seeing that Shen Yuan was about to leave, the coachman asked Jiang Yuchen, "Young Master, shall we return to the city, or continue to follow Miss Shen?"
Jiang Yuchen's face darkened. "Return to the city? When did I ever say I was going back to the city?"
“You clearly did last night…” The coachman started to speak, but seeing that Jiang Yuchen was even more unhappy, he quickly said, “I know, we’re going to Jian’an City! To Jian’an City!”
The coachman got into the carriage, and the group followed Shen Yuan.
Because Jiang Yuchen gets carsick, the carriage traveled with frequent stops and starts, taking eight or nine days to reach the territory of Jian'an City.
Upon seeing the city gates of Jian'an City, Jiang Yucheng's ashen face regained some luster: "A mere Jian'an City? I... I arrived here with ease!"
"It was quite easy, but I lost eight or nine pounds along the way." Shen Yuan jumped down from the carriage, looking at Jiang Yuchen with a half-smile.
Jiang Yuchen looked embarrassed. He had been vomiting everything he ate these past few days, so how could he not lose weight?
Shen Yuan continued, "It seems that Young Master Jiang should travel more in the future. This way, he can lose weight effortlessly, which is really easy!"
"..." Jiang Yuchen gritted his teeth and said in a muffled voice, "Sister Yuan, can you please stop stabbing me in the back!"
Shen Yuan smiled and led the carriage into the city.
Jiang Yuchen did not follow Shen Yuan; he first found an inn to stay at.
When Shen Yuan returned to the pharmacy, Liu Mama and Tian Tian, who hadn't seen her for a while, rushed over happily to greet her: "Yuan Yuan, you're finally back!"
"Sister Yuanyuan, I miss you so much!"
Sweetie took the heavy object from Shen Yuan's hands. Shen Yuan sat down in the armchair and smiled, saying, "How have you been these past few days while I was away?"
"Everything is fine!"
Shen Yuan nodded.
Sweetie poured a cup of tea and handed it to Shen Yuan, then showed her the ledger locked in the counter.
Shen Yuan flipped through the ledger and couldn't help but sigh that bringing Tian Tian in was an absolutely correct decision.
Sweetie was even smarter than she had imagined. In just six months, she not only learned the names of all the medicinal herbs in the pharmacy, but she could also write them.
Not only that, she also knew the medicinal properties of each herb by heart.
Now, they've even learned to calculate money and keep accounts.
It's almost as good as the helper she hired.
Shen Yuan rubbed Tian Tian's head: "Sister's Tian Tian is so smart, her little brain is really sharp!"
"Sister Yuanyuan's shops are opening more and more, and her business is growing bigger and bigger. Tiantian also wants to learn more things so that she can help Sister Yuanyuan more. Tiantian wants to be a useful person!"
Sweetie looked very serious.
Shen Yuan smiled and nodded: "Sweetie is great!"
As the two were talking, suddenly more pedestrians appeared on the street, walking noisily past the pharmacy.
Shen Yuan pulled Tian Tian to stand at the entrance of the pharmacy.
Sweetie stopped a passing scholar and asked, "Brother, what's going on here?"
"The results are out! We just came back from checking the list, and I passed too!" The scholar exclaimed, beaming with pride.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan and Tian Tian quickly bowed to him, saying, "Congratulations!"
"Thank you!" the scholar said, then hurriedly left to go home and tell his parents the good news.
Shen Yuan withdrew her gaze; this month had really flown by.
Before we knew it, the day for the autumn imperial examination results to be announced arrived.
Shen Yuan patted Tian Tian's head. "I heard that when the results are announced, people will throw candy, fruit, and coins. Should we go and join in the fun?"
"Okay, okay!" Sweetie jumped up happily.
The two went out and walked against the flow of people towards the examination hall.
Before long, they arrived at the examination hall.
The area outside the examination hall was crowded with people, all of them scholars and their families who had come to see the results.
Shen Yuan and Tian Tian arrived a little late and could only stand on the outermost edge of the crowd. They were too far away for Shen Yuan to see the list pasted on the wall.
However, she had anticipated the result and was in no hurry to look at the list.
"My young master has won one of the top three prizes! Let's all share in his joy!" A servant standing on the carriage, carrying a pre-wrapped red cloth basket, said as he scattered wedding candies outside.
Shen Yuan and Tian Tian found two pieces of white sugar wrapped in red paper.
In Jian'an City, there is a custom of giving candy and copper coins to those who pass the imperial examinations. It is said that if you pick up the candy they give you, you will get good luck.
Sweetie peeled off the candy wrapper and bit off a piece of sticky white sugar. "I heard people say this kind of candy is called 'smart candy,' and that eating it will make you smarter."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan stuffed the piece of candy she had found into Tian Tian's hand: "Here, take it all, let's make our Tian Tian even smarter!"
Sweetie happily accepted the candy, her eyes curving into pretty little crescents.
Suddenly, the crowd stirred.
People standing by the outer wall of the examination hall retreated.
"I passed! I passed! I became a scholar! Hahahaha! I passed the imperial examination! Hahahaha! Heaven has eyes! I passed!"
That sound—
Shen Yuan was very familiar with it.
She led Tian Tian aside and then looked up at the source of the sound.
The next second, Shen Yuan heard someone shout again: "Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! Someone's going to die! Quick, quick, make way! Make way..."
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