Wan Suizhou and his family quickly settled down in the capital.
The capital city under the emperor's feet was indeed bustling and extremely prosperous. Every building on the main street was a famous restaurant and inn, and every available space was filled with stalls and vendors. The capital city was a place where every inch of land was precious, and even the most remote alley was full of people, with children running around everywhere.
Even on ordinary days, the streets are bustling with people. On sunny days, wealthy young ladies, accompanied by two or three maids in green dresses, lightly made up, carrying round fans, gather with a few friends in teahouses and restaurants in the capital to enjoy tea and compose poetry.
Wanwan was very excited to be in such a bustling place for the first time. She ran out to play whenever she had free time. Here she could find candied hawthorns, which she rarely ate in Hailan Village, as well as sugar painting masters with superb skills.
Wanwan mingled among the children, excitedly asking the sugar painting master for her own sugar painting, "Uncle, uncle, I want a little boy and a little girl."
Hearing Wanwan's clear and melodious voice, the sugar painting master smiled and rolled up his sleeves, "Okay, I'll draw one for you right away."
The sugar painting master scoops the glistening, viscous, steaming sugar syrup into a spoon, tilts it high, and then gently pours it down. A thin stream of sugar syrup then flows around a small stick, creating a flowing painting.
Before long, the sugar painting master finished his work and handed two crystal-clear sugar paintings, one of a boy and one of a girl, to Wanwan. "Little girl, take these. Do you have someone you like if you want a boy sugar painting?"
The sugar painting shop owner subconsciously joked with the customer, but Wanwan's heart skipped a beat.
She rarely heard the words "sweetheart".
She only knew that people who liked each other would get married, like her uncle and aunt, but she never thought that she would do the same. She never considered her feelings for Xiao Qi as a typical teenage romance.
But... wait, why does Brother Xiao's name appear in my mind subconsciously?
"What's wrong, little girl?" The sugar painting shop owner looked at Wanwan, who had suddenly frozen in place, with some confusion.
"No, no." Her curved earlobes flushed pink as she quickly took the sugar painting, trying to cover it up. "I don't have a sweetheart."
After saying that, she quickly paid the money and fled from the vendor's stall as if she were escaping.
Just like when she was three, the twelve-year-old was good at quickly forgetting things that bothered her. Wanwan quickly and unsurprisingly forgot about the matter and began to carefully observe the sugar painting in her hand.
The orange sugar painting had a beautiful solidified color, glistening slightly in the sunlight, with tiny air bubbles in the middle. After looking at the two lifelike sugar figures for a moment, Wanwan brought them to her mouth and took a bite at the same time.
An explosive sweetness immediately spread in her mouth, and Wanwan squinted her eyes in bliss.
If Brother Xiao were here, he could have a taste too.
Wanwan played outside until dusk before returning home. Unlike the county town, the stalls in the capital don't close up at dusk; some even stay open all night.
As she walked home, the dim, warm sunlight mingled with the city lights, making it difficult to distinguish which was brighter.
Many people carrying boxes or chests stood at the gate of the Wan family's house. Wanwan was a little curious and hadn't gone forward yet when these people saw her, they rushed up to her like a tide, surrounding her and opening their chests to present her with their treasures.
"Miss, you are the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor, aren't you? Could you please plead with him to let me see you?"
"Miss, this is a luminous pearl from the Western Regions. Please accept it and give it to the Grand Tutor..."
Wanwan was squeezed so tightly she could hardly breathe, and it took her a lot of effort to break free from the crowd.
So this is the person who was refused an audience with Grandpa. With so many valuable gifts, it's no wonder they were rejected!
He patted his sleeves and strode into the inner courtyard.
The day of the scientific expedition arrived quickly, and Wanwan volunteered to take Wan Yuechi to the examination venue, which Wan Yuechi readily agreed to.
Two figures, one tall and one short, set off into the milky white morning mist. The mist in the capital city dissipated slowly, and the thick fog dampened the wisps of hair on their foreheads. When the sun came out, their cheeks sparkled.
The brother and sister walked and chatted as they went, when they bumped into Cao Chengye, who was also taking the exam. It turned out that Magistrate Cao had been promoted to a position in the capital due to his good performance and had settled there.
The once defiant young man from the Cao family has matured and become more composed. His childish face has shed its immaturity and gained a gentle handsomeness. He has grown much taller, and his scholar's white robes make him appear even more refined and approachable.
"Young Master Wan!" Cao Chengye waved cheerfully to the two of them, and the little page following behind him also waved back. The two of them quickly quickened their pace and went up to him.
The four walked side by side, encountering many other scholars on their way to the examination site. They were accompanied by people seeing them off, a deep and steady father, a blushing little boy carrying a book bag, their own lively and lovely younger sister, or a loving fiancée.
When the fog completely dissipated, scholars from all over gathered outside the examination center. Wanwan carefully helped her brother count the items he needed to bring into the examination room, and then solemnly handed them to him. The others who came to see their children off either gave him earnest instructions or helped with the counting, and the scene was bustling with activity.
When the time came, the candidates entered the examination hall. Wanwan shouted "Go for it!" to her brother's back, which immediately inspired others to follow suit, and people outside the examination hall also shouted.
"Go for it, brother!"
"Wishing you success in your exams, sir."
"..."
They entered the examination hall, and the people who came to see them off waited quietly outside. Wanwan's actions just now attracted the attention of a group of noble ladies in the city.
Seeing that Wanwan was still young but had a graceful demeanor and extraordinary bearing, they couldn't help but go up and chat with her.
"Are you new here, young lady? You look a little unfamiliar to me," a refined woman in green asked curiously.
Wanwan nodded, still a little unaccustomed to the sudden appearance of the group of people surrounding her.
"What's your name, young lady? Are you also here to send someone from your family to take the exam?" another woman asked.
While waiting, Wanwan started chatting with everyone. During the conversation, someone inadvertently mentioned the name of Marquis Xi Ning.
This title immediately stirred up Wanwan's long-forgotten memories. She still vividly remembered the scene when she handed Xiao Qi the envelope with the name of Marquis Xi Ning on it, and how Xiao Qi was furious and agitated.
For no apparent reason, Wanwan had a gut feeling that Xiao Qi's departure might be related to Marquis Xining.
"Sister, who is Marquis Xining? Could you tell me in detail?" Wanwan looked at the man earnestly.
The other person paused in the hand that was waving the round fan, then looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before gesturing for Wanwan to come closer, and even covered her mouth with the round fan.
Although the others had heard this story many times before, they still joined in, and the girls' heads were pressed together.
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