Jiang Ling bowed to the two men again and said, "I had already given him fifty taels, that's a fact. But Governor Yu and Prefect Chen took pity on me, a pitiful woman, and asked for an extra portion!"
"In other words, without the help of you two gentlemen, I would never have been able to get these five hundred taels back. So I hope you will accept them as my way of thanking you!"
Yu Yansong and Chen Qiyu were both shocked by Jiang Ling's words. No wonder this seemingly ordinary village woman was able to rise to the sixth rank of Anren in such a short time. Her magnanimity was indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people!
Thinking of this, Yu Yansong coughed lightly and quietly put the two hundred taels of silver into his pocket.
"Little Chen, this is also a token of Anren's goodwill, so please accept it even if you have to decline!" Yu Yansong said, glancing at Chen Qiyu who was still standing there in a daze.
Chen Qiyu hesitated for a moment and glanced at Yu Yansong. Yu Yansong nodded slightly, signaling him to accept the money quickly. With Yu Yansong as his "example," Chen Qiyu felt at ease and put the two hundred taels of silver notes into his pocket.
"Aunt, you can stay in Qingzhou for a while longer now, right?" Yu Yansong asked formally.
Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Jiang Ling didn't refuse any further. She nodded and said to the two men, "Alright, gentlemen, I'll wait here for your decision. I see it's getting late. Since you've been so helpful, how about I do you two a favor and invite you to dinner?"
“This…” Yu Yansong and Chen Qiyu exchanged glances.
Jiang Suihe, who had remained silent until now, suddenly found the courage to approach Yu Yansong and Chen Qiyu. She bowed respectfully and said, "Governor Yu, Prefect Chen, thank you both for helping my mother catch the villain. It is only right and proper that my mother and I treat you to this meal. It is because of your integrity that our injustice has been redressed. Please do not refuse my mother's invitation!"
Jiang Suihe's words acted like an accelerator. The two, who had been hesitant, immediately agreed with Jiang Ling without hesitation, saying, "Alright, then we'll respectfully comply. You're truly capable, Anren. Your daughter has been trained to be so poised and elegant! She's destined for greatness!"
Yu Yansong squinted at Jiang Suihe, who was standing beside him, and said with a smile.
Jiang Ling smiled modestly and said, "Not at all, not at all, sir!"
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Yansong and Chen Qiyu had changed into casual clothes, and the four of them sat in a carriage and arrived at the largest restaurant in Qingzhou.
Chen Qiyu deliberately chose the quietest private room and recommended the restaurant's signature dishes. After ordering, the room fell silent again. Looking at the unremarkable tea in the teapot, Chen Qiyu sighed, "Governor Yu, you haven't tried something called mint water!"
Jiang Ling's brows twitched slightly, while Yu Yansong looked at Chen Qiyu curiously and asked, "Peppermint water? What is that? I've never heard of it before!"
Chen Qiyu began to explain to Yu Yansong in a seemingly serious manner, and Yu Yansong exclaimed in amazement after listening, asking, "Then why is it gone now?"
"This... I don't know either, it just suddenly disappeared! Ah, that delicious taste!" Chen Qiyu said, accidentally smacking her lips.
"Sorry for my rudeness!" Chen Qiyu said, glancing at the other two after realizing her mistake.
Jiang Ling smiled slightly and said mysteriously, "My lords, since we are so destined to meet, I will tell you a secret about mint water!"
"Hmm?" Chen Qiyu frowned slightly as he looked at Jiang Ling, while Yu Yansong also looked curious.
"This mint water came from a village woman surnamed Jiang in Lujia Village, Changning Town, Pingxi County! The reason it disappeared mysteriously is because it was already late autumn, and mint water is not sold in autumn and winter!" Jiang Ling said with a mysterious smile.
"What...wait...Lu Family Village, ah! Anren! You...you...could it be you?" Chen Qiyu stroked his chin and pondered for a long time before suddenly realizing what was happening.
Jiang Ling gently tapped the tip of her nose and said, "If you two gentlemen can be patient, the mint water can be sold again in two months. However, the journey is long and it is indeed difficult to preserve. But don't worry, I will find a way to make sure you can drink the freshest mint water!"
"Oh, Madam, you're too kind..." Yu Yansong and Chen Qiyu were both seasoned veterans of the officialdom, and even if they were secretly pleased, they had to refuse verbally.
Just as they were exchanging pleasantries, the waiter arrived with the dishes and knocked on the wooden door of the private room. And just like that, the conversation ended quietly when the waiter came in.
...
Three days later.
At the Qingzhou government office, Governor Yu posted a notice.
Meanwhile, outside the inn where Jiang Ling and Jiang Suihe were staying, there was already a great commotion of gongs, drums, and firecrackers.
The academicians from Qingzhou Academy arrived at the inn's entrance with a red paper congratulatory notice.
Jiang Suihe and Jiang Ling had been waiting for a long time. The academician handed over the red paper and congratulated Jiang Ling and Jiang Suihe with a smile.
As for Hao Lie and his group, they were sentenced to beheading in the autumn. Wang Qianhua escaped this fate because of her young age, but she was turned into a slave and could only be ordered around by others for generations. Of course, that's another story.
...
At the city gate of Pingxi County, Jiang Yaojie arrived early in the morning in his horse-drawn carriage. Two days ago, he received a letter from his mother in Qingzhou, which specified the time and place.
After receiving the news, Jiang Yaojie was so excited that he didn't sleep for two days. This morning, before dawn, he drove his horse-drawn carriage to the city gate of Pingxi County, waiting for his mother.
As the sun rose to its highest point, Jiang Yaojie leaned against the carriage and dozed off.
Before long, Jiang Yaojie felt a slight itch on his face. He subconsciously reached out and scratched it, and a burst of silvery laughter made him open his eyes immediately.
Jiang Suihe was currently scratching Jiang Yaojie's face with a blade of grass.
"Mother! Eldest sister! You're back!" Jiang Yaojie said excitedly.
"How was it, Mother? How was Qingzhou? How prosperous was it? How big was it? And how did you do on your exam, little sister? Did you run into any trouble on the way?" Jiang Yaojie kept asking questions like a machine gun.
Jiang Ling gently patted Jiang Yaojie's shoulder and said softly, "Don't worry, we're fine. Qingzhou is a nice place; you can go there to expand your business if you have the chance!"
"What about your younger sister? How did she do on her exam?" Jiang Yaojie didn't miss a single question and turned to Jiang Suihe to ask.
With a smile in her eyes and brows, Jiang Suihe handed over a piece of red paper.
When Jiang Yaojie saw the red paper, his expression changed from strange to surprised and finally to joy.
He hugged Jiang Suihe tightly and said excitedly, "Our family! Our family has finally produced a scholar!"
Jiang Yaojie's voice was quite loud, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, Yaojie, let's go home first!" Jiang Ling reminded him.
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