Chapter 489 Strolling
Carrying the fish tofu, Lin Yuesha bypassed the crowd and continued forward. Perhaps it was mostly men who came at night, as she hadn't seen any women wandering the streets. The street stalls sold braised meat, side dishes, and other snacks to accompany drinks. Lin Yuesha searched for a long time before finally finding a stall selling roasted corn.
"Big brother, I want to eat this."
The corn in the north is not ripe yet, while a batch has already been harvested in the capital.
These days, corn is cheap and plentiful. An ear of corn only costs two coins, but it's fragrant when roasted. With a layer of sauce on top, many people rush to buy it. Rich people who are tired of eating big fish and meat can also enjoy a change of pace.
"good."
Xiao Qi took out his purse, not wanting his younger sister to spend money. He had just lost to his younger sister when it came to buying fish tofu.
"Brother, we're family, what does it matter who pays?"
Lin Yuesha didn't care about that, but she was holding an oil paper package, which made it inconvenient to take out money.
The vendor skewered the corn with a bamboo stick and spun it over the fire. When it was about 80% cooked, he brushed it with sauce. Lin Yuesha waited by, and the aroma soon filled the air.
Chef Lin Yuesha wasn't really interested in fancy dishes. What she loved most were the simple, down-to-earth snacks. The sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy flavors of life were the essence of life, and they conveyed the simple and warm feeling of ordinary people's lives.
"Brother Xiao, what a coincidence, to run into you here."
A young man dressed as a scholar stopped in front of the brother and sister and greeted Xiao Qi warmly, "In that case, everyone who sees this gets a share, so come with me."
"Yes, what a coincidence."
Xiao Qi smiled憨厚ly and greeted the person in front of him. The speaker was named Li Maocai, from Jiangnan. He was a little younger than Xiao Qi and quite talented in his studies. Xiao Qi had met Li Maocai when he went to the guild hall before, and they got along quite well.
"Hurry, Brother Xiao, let's go quickly, or we won't be able to see it anymore."
Li Maocai held several oil paper packages in his hand and urged Xiao Qi on.
"What are you looking at?"
Xiao Qi was completely bewildered and annoyed. It was the first time he had taken his little sister shopping, and yet someone so inconsiderate had come to bother him.
"Young Master Zhou has a copy of the exam paper from the last imperial examination. He even invited an official from the Imperial Academy to solve the questions. Today, I was drinking with him and several classmates. He got a little drunk and agreed to let us take a look at the exam paper."
Of course, you can only look at it, you can't take it away.
This was a good opportunity, and Li Maocai met Xiao Qi, so he generously said.
"I……"
Just as Xiao Qi was about to refuse, Lin Yuesha said happily, "Brother, as Brother Li said, this is a great opportunity!"
For scholars taking the imperial examinations, there is a high probability that past exam questions will reappear. Even if they don't, they can still understand the preferences of the officials. At least the officials of the Imperial Academy will be politically correct in answering the questions.
Although Lin Yuesha didn't understand the imperial examinations, she did know a little about them. Some examiners preferred practicality, while others liked elaborate and detailed discussions. Writing an essay that matched each examiner's preferences would increase one's chances of being selected.
A group of scholars were discussing the exam questions, but Lin Yuesha, being an outsider, didn't join in the fun.
"I'm here to take you shopping."
Xiao Qi was helpless. What kind of ridiculous exam questions were these? Did he even need these things? However, he couldn't find an excuse to refuse.
"Brother Xiao, let's drink and have some fun. If your brother doesn't mind, he can join us."
Li Maocai was an easygoing person and was about to put his arm around Lin Yuesha's shoulder when Xiao Qi stepped in front of his younger sister, preventing the two from having any physical contact.
He's not going to take advantage of his sister!
Lin Yuesha hid behind Xiao Qi, peeked out at Li Maocai, and then pulled her older brother aside and whispered, "Brother, you and Li Maocai are the same age. You might be able to help each other in the future. Besides, it's a good thing to look at the exam questions."
These scholars were too unrestrained, so Lin Yuesha had to stay away. She wandered around Taipingfang and went to the carriage shop an hour later to wait for her stepbrother.
"Big brother, it's alright. If you get drunk, just ask someone to pass on a message for me."
Taipingfang is bustling and crowded, and there are many guesthouses nearby. You might be able to find a single room to spend the night before going home.
Be extra careful.
Bai Ying came to him tonight to report that the person protecting his little sister should be fine, which put Xiao Qi at ease.
Taipingfang is extremely lively at night, with many idlers coming and going, most of whom are there to watch the excitement. Occasionally, a few hungry people will grab a bite at a roadside stall. Apart from the young men who help out at the stalls, there aren't many very young people around.
Lin Yuesha thought for a moment and felt that wandering around was not interesting, so she found a wonton stall, ordered a bowl of wontons, and enjoyed the food. Time seemed to pass faster while she was enjoying the food, so that she wouldn't feel too tired while waiting for her older brother to come back.
"Young master, why did you go out alone?"
The stall owner served a bowl of chicken wontons sprinkled with scallions and casually asked a question. Usually, those who come out at this time are under ten years old and are doing it behind their parents' backs, mainly to gamble. They are all hooligans who hang around in the streets. The young man in front of me has a fair and delicate face and doesn't look like a street thug.
"To be honest, I came here specifically for your wonton stall."
Lin Yuesha had already mastered the essence of flattery. While waiting for someone to finish, she said half-jokingly, "My older brother said that in Taipingfang, this place has the most delicious chicken wontons."
"That's right, we use tender chicken breast meat for filling, and we also add wild mushrooms."
Seemingly having found a kindred spirit, the stall owner enthusiastically began to talk about his business. Seeing that Lin Yuesha had only ordered a bowl of wontons, he generously gave her a small dish of side dishes as a gift. He continued talking non-stop, "I set up my stall before dawn, and business is good. I sell out before 9 AM, which is perfect for going home to rest. I come here in the evening."
The stall owner was a talkative man. Seeing that there was no one else at the stall, he sat down opposite Lin Yuesha. He saw that there were a few ears of corn in her oil paper package, shook his head, and thought that she was a young master who did not know the hardships of ordinary people. She actually bought this stuff. Corn was a cheap thing. Poor families used it as food all year round and were already sick of it. Who would spend a penny to buy this?
Time flies when people chat. By the time the stall owner finished introducing what his ancestors for eighteen generations had done, half an hour had already passed.
Drinking and studying exam papers would take at least an hour, so Lin Yuesha thought she should wander around and buy some food to tide her over if her older brother was drinking.
In the distance, heavy dark clouds drifted over, and a cool breeze carried a heavy dampness. Lin Yuesha looked up at the sky and thought to herself that things were not good. If she continued to wander around, she would easily get soaked. She decided to go to the carriage shop and wait for Xiao Qi.
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