Why did you ask her that in Chapter 460?
Ping'er, whose eyes were visible, said, "."
"Get in the car, let's hurry back."
Dean Yue suddenly realized that his apprentice was freezing, and immediately told everyone to get in the car.
Ping'er pulled off the quilt, wanting to cover everyone with it. Dean Yue, however, refused, and instead took off one of his two thick cloaks and threw it among the group.
"Please don't be offended, Doctor Jiang. Ping'er is weak, so I made sure he didn't catch a cold. I put on an extra cloak so it would be just right to cover his feet."
As he spoke, he winked at Ping'er twice, clearly looking like he was asking for credit.
Ping'er: "."
In other words, did his master ever consider that besides his younger brother, only his mother was in the car?
Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Okay, you're right."
Then Heping blinked, turned around and tucked Xiao Er into the quilt, and gave the cloak to the old man.
At this time of year, you could really freeze to death if you stay outside for too long.
A cold wind howled in, stinging people's faces.
Chen Shu and Dean Yue's faces were red from the cold in no time. Seeing that everyone's faces were cracked from the cold, Jiang Nuanzhi also hid her hands, truly missing the days when she had a car.
Come to think of it, she really should buy a carriage these next few days.
With the minor exam fast approaching, Ping'er sat down at her desk to read books after dinner, her pen never stopping.
The chilblains on his hands, which Jiang Nuanzhi had previously applied ointment to, have only just begun to heal slightly. However, the marks are still visible, but he doesn't seem to care much, as he is so focused that he seems oblivious to everything else.
In fact, it wasn't just Ping'er; at this time, studying seemed to be their only way to change their fate. Passing the exam brought glory to the whole family; failing meant a lifetime of struggling in the mire. Especially for those of convict slaves, this small exam was the family's last straw.
Their family, including Xie Liangchen's, is the same.
Two days ago, Jiang Nuanzhi saw Xie Liangchen. He was reading a book while walking, and didn't even notice that the pancakes she was carrying had fallen. He seemed obsessed.
The book says that both Xie Liangchen and Li Junping are geniuses, one in ten thousand. Jiang Nuanzhi observes that they are equally dedicated to their studies, never slacking off. The word "genius" seems somewhat superficial.
Jiang Nuanzhi didn't disturb them. She simply sat down in front of the stove, filled it with coal, and the coal crackled and popped. Before long, the room became even warmer.
While keeping an eye on the stove, Jiang Nuanzhi also took out the old man's recent medical records to look at.
She turned over little by little, and in a daze, her delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly. She turned and went into the pharmacy.
When Jiang Nuanzhi came to her senses again, a pile of boiled medicine was already stacked in front of her.
Baozhu yawned, her big, watery eyes looking at Jiang Nuanzhi: "Mommy, aren't you going to sleep yet?"
Jiang Nuanzhi was taken aback: "What time is it?"
"It's already past midnight, and Baozhu is feeling very sleepy."
"Baozhu, go to sleep first. How about your Aunt Linchun takes care of you? Mother hasn't tried yet."
Baozhu nodded obediently, then lay down on Linchun, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes to doze off.
Lin Chun froze completely. Clearly, even she was quite unfamiliar with the matter of taking care of children.
Jiang Nuanzhi laughed and said, "Baozhu is easy to take care of. Just let her sleep by herself tonight. After you take her to her room, you can go back and rest too."
Lin Chun nodded: "Madam, you should rest early too. Staying up late will make you age faster."
Jiang Nuanzhi: "Okay, I understand."
Watching the two women leave, Jiang Nuanzhi finished preparing the last medicine, boiled it, drank a sip herself, then spat it out, finally letting out a sigh. All this commotion had taken until the wee hours of the morning.
She stretched and blew out the candle. As she went out with the oil lamp, she noticed the oil lamp in the study was still lit.
She walked over without realizing it, only to find that Ping'er was still the same as she had seen her after dinner, seemingly unchanged except for the thicker book on the table.
Jiang Nuanzhi poured a glass of warm water and tiptoed in, placing it in front of him: "Are you hungry? Shall I make you something else to eat?"
Ping'er looked up when she heard this, and shook her head with a smile: "Mother, why haven't you rested yet? I'm not hungry, but it doesn't matter if I am. It will help me to clear my mind. You should rest first, don't worry about me."
Jiang Nuanzhi sighed, but still held his hand down.
"It's too late. Reading for too long will hurt your eyes. Ping'er, a book can't be finished in a day. It's really not necessary to do this at this hour."
Ping'er paused for a moment, then smiled, revealing dimples at the corners of her mouth: "Mother, I'm really not tired. Don't worry, Mother, I'm going to sleep now."
With that, he smiled and got up, took two books, and went upstairs with Jiang Nuan.
"Son will close the door for you, Mother, please get some rest."
Ping'er escorted Jiang Nuanzhi back into the house, helped her blow out the lamp, and then went out.
Jiang Nuanzhi was thinking about the old man and Li Rong's poison, and couldn't fall asleep for a while.
After tossing and turning for a while, I finally got up.
As she went out to get some water, she saw a dim candlelight faintly shining from Ping'er's room.
Jiang Nuanzhi frowned, quietly went over, and gently pushed open the door, only to see Ping'er nodding sleepily like a chick pecking at rice, holding a booklet in her hands.
Jiang Nuan was taken aback, and stepped forward to gently take the book from his hands. She wanted to lift him and put him on the bed, but as soon as the book was out of her hands, Ping'er suddenly opened his eyes.
Upon recognizing Jiang Nuanzhi, the wariness in his eyes subsided: "Mother...it's me."
"Ping'er, is the mini-exam really that important?" Jiang Nuanzhi suddenly asked with a smile. She then pressed him down onto the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed herself.
Ping'er lay down in a daze, stunned for a moment: "Mother, I will definitely do well on the exam, and I won't let you, the family, or my master down."
Jiang Nuanzhi was taken aback, then sighed, "Ping'er, your mother doesn't want you to be so tired."
Ping'er seemed surprised by Jiang Nuanzhi's words, her dimples appearing slightly: "Mother, I'm not tired. Just thinking about passing the small exam and having a chance to leave the Great Wilderness, and then having a chance to pass the imperial examinations, makes me feel full of energy. As long as I pass the imperial examinations, our family will no longer be slaves."
Jiang Nuanzhi looked at him: "Really?"
"Yes!" Ping'er nodded firmly. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Mother, can you tell me why Zhao Yuniang has a connection with the Empress Dowager? Also, why is Eunuch Wang so respectful to her?"
Jiang Nuanzhi was taken aback: "Why would Ping'er suddenly ask about her?"
Ping'er's hands, gripping the book, turned slightly white, and her delicate brows furrowed. "I'm afraid she might do something shady behind my back. I felt uneasy ever since I saw her that day. I'm sure I passed my quiz, but what if someone sabotages me?"
The next second, Jiang Nuanzhi took his tightly clenched fingers in her hand, gently pried them open, and picked up the scroll from his hand.
"Even if she does try to do something bad, it doesn't matter. In your heart, Ping'er has already passed the test."
Ping'er was stunned, staring blankly at Jiang Nuanzhi: "Mother...?"
Jiang Nuanzhi sighed, "It's all my fault. I told you to study hard for the imperial examinations so that you wouldn't have to carry sacks at the docks. Now my Ping'er has to bear so much burden alone."
Jiang Nuanzhi spoke softly and slowly, "Ping'er, you still have your parents. Our family hasn't reached the point where you have to support it all by yourself. Don't overwork yourself."
(End of this chapter)
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