Master Xiang glanced at the direction of the door and chuckled, "Yes, Jing Yi has a bad temper. I'll teach him a lesson for you later."

Su Xiaoxiao waved her chubby hands: "No, no, he is your cousin after all, don't make you brothers unhappy because of an outsider like me. He is a little cold to me, but he is very good to you."

…

After Su Xiaoxiao left, Jing Yi walked in.

"Cousin, are you really not going back to Beijing?"

Mr. Xiang didn't say anything, but handed Jingyi a secret letter.

After Jing Yi opened it and read it, his expression became serious: "Actually..."

Master Xiang said, "All the people we sent out have failed. We cannot return until the mission is completed. And recuperating... is a perfect excuse that will not arouse suspicion from the capital."

Jing Yi hesitated to speak.

Mr. Xiang asked, "What's wrong?"

Jing Yi said bluntly: "You revealed too much to her."

Mr. Xiang smiled and said, "You mean I told her that I was from the capital? If she was trying to get close to me, she wouldn't look so natural when I told her I was from the capital."

Jing Yi suddenly realized: "So my cousin was testing her."

Master Xiang gently stroked the prescription left by Su Xiaoxiao: "Her medical skills are too suspicious. My aunt was also unfortunately infected with lung disease. The treatment process was much more difficult and long than mine, and it was also more dangerous. But from what I can see now, I am too suspicious. She was not sent by any force to approach me. She is just a little girl who has received guidance from an expert."

"It's the young lady. She's married." Jing Yi corrected.

Mr. Xiang frowned in surprise: "She's not that old yet, and she's already married?"

Jing Yi: Haha, more than just getting married? They even had three babies! ——After receiving the medical fee, Su Xiaoxiao went to the front room to find Shen Chuan.

As usual, Shen Chuan gave her the list of snacks ordered for tomorrow. Su Xiaoxiao took the list and handed him three taels of silver.

"What is this for?" Shen Chuan asked.

"Commission." Su Xiaoxiao said.

"Ah?" Shen Chuan didn't understand, "What gold?"

Su Xiaoxiao said, "I just can't ask you for help for free, so just think of it as a reward. You helped me order snacks and took care of Mr. Xiang's medicine. I never had the chance to thank you properly."

Shen Chuan waved his hands: "It's just a small favor. You are being polite. Am I the kind of person who does it for money? Besides, my father would like me to show my face in front of the young master more often. I have to thank you for giving me this opportunity. This time you cured the young master's illness, and my father is also very grateful to you, but he just doesn't say it!"

Su Xiaoxiao groaned: "That young master..."

Shen Chuan looked around and whispered, "He's not an ordinary person. You've discovered it, right? Unfortunately, no matter how I ask, my father won't reveal his identity!"

Curiosity kills the cat. The less you know about some things, the better.

Su Xiaoxiao smiled: "Take it, otherwise I won't dare to ask you for help again in the future."

Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was so persistent, Shen Chuan had no choice but to accept it.

Even though he was the dean's son, his father was actually very strict with him. He only had 500 coins in pocket money a month, and even with the money his mother secretly gave him, it was less than one or two coins.

The feeling of making money...seems pretty good!

The two of them went together to wake up Su Ergou in the side room.

——Su Ergou seemed to regard the academy as a good place to catch up on his sleep. He stretched out on the chair and slept soundly.

Su Xiaoxiao patted her silly brother awake.

Su Ergou wiped his saliva and said dazedly: "Sister, is the list ready?"

Su Xiaoxiao said, "You can go back now. Mr. Shen, goodbye."

"Goodbye." Shen Chuan suddenly thought of something and called Su Xiaoxiao, "By the way, Miss Su, do you know a student named Chen Haoyuan? I heard from the old man that you two talked for a long time at the entrance of the academy once."

The old man he was referring to was the old man who lived at the back door of the academy and who always came to Su Ergou to rob him of a pancake.

Su Xiaoxiao asked, "What's the matter?"

Shen Chuan said: "The academy has several places for recommending students to study in the capital. My father is considering choosing one between Chen Haoyuan and another student."

Su Xiaoxiao took the sleepy Su Ergou out of the academy.

Chen Haoyuan had just bought some ink sticks from the study opposite when he saw the brother and sister standing at the entrance of the academy.

He frowned fiercely, and a hint of disgust flashed across his eyes.

The classmate followed his gaze and said, "Hey, aren't those the brother and sister who sell dim sum? Recently, many people in the academy have ordered their dim sum. I've tried it once, and it tastes just as good as Jin Kee's, and it's even cheaper than Jin Kee's! Brother Chen, do you want to buy some dim sum too?"

"No." Chen Haoyuan said lightly.

He already knew that Su Xiaoxiao came to the academy to sell snacks.

Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, the status of merchants was very low. Chen Haoyuan looked down upon the peddlers who reeked of money from the bottom of his heart.

Besides, what good can that pair of siblings produce?

Better than Jin Kee’s?

I don’t know who spread this rumor?

Chen Haoyuan warned: "Don't buy food carelessly in the future! Be careful not to get an upset stomach!"

My classmate said, "No, the snacks they sell are delicious and not irritating, and they are especially filling!"

Chen Haoyuan said calmly: "I can tell from the looks of it that you've never eaten anything good!"

Coincidentally, at this moment, Dean Shen also came down from his study.

He was on the second floor just now, and students generally couldn't go up there.

"Dean!" The classmate first noticed Dean Shen and immediately turned around and saluted.

Chen Haoyuan quickly gathered his thoughts and turned around to salute respectfully: "Dean."

"What are you doing standing at someone's door?" asked Dean Shen.

"We... were just watching the brother and sister selling snacks." The classmate replied. They couldn't be accused of talking about others behind their backs.

Dean Shen looked at Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou who were gradually walking away, and asked again, "Do you know them?"

The classmate shook his head: "Not really acquaintance, I've just eaten the wife cakes they sell."

Dean Shen's eyes fell on Chen Haoyuan's face.

Chen Haoyuan calmed himself down and said seriously: "I don't know him either!" - Dean Shen returned to the courtyard and first visited Mr. Xiang who had just recovered from a serious illness. When he learned that he still needed to recuperate in the academy for a while, Dean Shen said it was his honor.

He immediately ordered his servants to prepare New Year's goods. Celebrating the New Year at home would definitely be different from celebrating the New Year with the young master staying behind.

"father!"

As Dean Shen came out of the study, he ran into Shen Chuan, who was smiling.

Dean Shen looked at the dirt and snow on someone's feet and asked coldly, "Where have you been again?"

Shen Chuan said: "No, I was just tired of studying, so I went to look around. I know what to do in the next autumn exam!"

Dean Shen couldn't understand why his son was running out all day long, like a monkey.

If his son's knowledge was not fake, he would have tied him up and beaten him dozens of times.

Shen Chuan smiled mysteriously: "Dad, I have news for you!"

Dean Shen was fed up with his frivolous appearance, which didn't resemble him at all.

Dean Shen said in a stern tone, "Speak."

Shen Chuan smiled and said, "Chen Haoyuan from Class A of the Academy is Miss Su's eldest cousin! Would you consider recommending him to the capital city?"

Dean Shen frowned: "You said, he is Miss Su's cousin?"

Good morning

(End of this chapter)