Zhao Canchen reached out and took the few black sugar beans that Lin Yajun poured out. He examined the beans carefully and found that they were larger than the ones Lin Yajun had given him before, and that they were oval in shape.
Zhao Canchen was very curious about the candy, so he put it in his mouth and ate it.
To his surprise, he discovered that this time the candy beans actually contained nuts.
Zhao Canchen savored the crunchy nuts and the bittersweet flavor, a wonderful taste that captivated him. He slowly chewed the candy, savoring each bite, until he finally swallowed it all.
Zhao Canchen's curiosity was fully piqued, and he asked curiously, "Xiao Jun, are there peanuts inside these brown sugar beans?"
Lin Yajun smiled and replied, "No, the candy contains almonds."
Zhao Canchen was surprised: "You can put almonds in candy? That's amazing! Xiaojun, how did you make these brown sugar beans?"
Lin Yajun's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "These are made by grinding black beans from the west into powder, then adding sugar and milk to boil them into a syrup, which is then poured into a mold containing almonds." Her voice was soft, explaining vaguely, because these candy beans weren't made by her own hands, but rather were finished products taken from her spatial storage. As for the specific method of making them, she didn't know it either.
"It sounds so complicated. Xiao Jun, you're really amazing. You can even make candies like this," Zhao Canchen praised, his eyes revealing his admiration for Lin Yajun.
He thought to himself: There's no other girl in the whole world as beautiful, capable, skilled in kung fu and cooking, and clever and quirky as her.
After eating several, Lin Songhao exclaimed, "Delicious! This one is even better!"
He seized the opportunity to chime in, "Yes, sister is amazing! Sister, why don't you make more of these candies and sell them at the shop to earn money? My staff skills are getting better and better."
Looking at her younger brother's adorable appearance, Lin Yajun couldn't help but laugh. She didn't agree immediately, but simply said, "We'll see."
Before, she had considered selling chocolates in her shop. But now she didn't want to sell food anymore. First, the price of candy couldn't be too high, otherwise she wouldn't earn enough money; second, it was easy for someone to poison the candy, which would put her family in danger.
Zhao Canchen said softly, "I haven't seen any shops selling this kind of candy in the capital. If we put it out to sell, it's not worth it if the price is too low, and it probably won't sell if it's too high." He meant that Lin Yajun shouldn't sell this kind of candy, because it contains almonds, so the cost must be very high, and it would be a big loss if it didn't sell at a good price.
Zhao Canchen spoke more in this one day than he had in the previous year or even several years.
The three chatted happily, completely forgetting about the assassin's arrival.
Just then, a commotion suddenly arose outside the gate of the Lin residence. A government official, beaming with joy, strode forward, shouting loudly all the way.
Her voice was exceptionally loud, clearly audible from a mile away: "Great news for the Lin family! This is an incredibly joyous occasion!"
Hearing the sound, Xu came to the door and the shouts grew louder and louder. Her heart tightened, and she quickly went to the door to check.
When she saw who it was, her face instantly darkened.
Following closely behind the official media was a man with green hair, whose green hair was still visible even with a cloth hat. This man was Ren Chuanhe.
Behind him were servants carrying about ten loads of betrothal gifts.
When the official media saw Madam Xu emerge, they quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and then laughed heartily, saying, "Congratulations, Madam Lin! This is a joyous occasion!"
Madam Xu remained unmoved and replied irritably, "What's there to be happy about?"
She stood at the door, blocking the official media and Ren Chuanhe from stepping into the mansion. "My husband is not at home, so it is inconvenient to receive guests today."
The matchmaker knew perfectly well what had happened between the Lin and Ren families in the previous marriage exchange.
However, she had already accepted a bribe, and there would be even more reward money after the deed was done, so she wouldn't give up easily. Therefore, she began to use all her skills, employing both soft and hard tactics.
The official media first tried to persuade him gently: "Madam Lin, look at your husband guarding the city gate. Although it's September now and the weather is not bad, in a few months, when it's the dead of winter, he'll have to stand at the city gate for most of the day. Won't he freeze to death? Don't you feel sorry for him? Don't you feel sorry for your daughter?"
Of course, Madam Xu was heartbroken; the thought of her husband suffering made her heart clench.
Then, the official media changed the subject, continuing, "If this marriage goes smoothly, General Ren said that after the wedding, he will immediately promote your husband's official rank, and he won't have to guard the city gates anymore. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Without hesitation, Madam Xu shook her head and stated, "Our family does not sell our daughters, nor do we use them to exchange for official positions."
"Hahaha..." The official media burst into laughter, as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world.
Before the laughter subsided, her face suddenly darkened, and her tone became stern as she threatened, "Your Lin family arranged a marriage with the Ren family three years ago, and the Prince of Song's heir was the matchmaker—this is common knowledge! Does Madam Xu intend to break off the engagement now? Are you really going to disrespect the Prince of Song's heir?"
Upon hearing this, Ms. Xu was struck dumb, as if by lightning.
The words spoken by the official media flashed through her mind. Indeed, the engagement made three years ago was true.
After a while, Madam Xu came to her senses and hurriedly defended herself, saying, "This can't be blamed on us! It was clearly the Ren family who first proposed the marriage exchange..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was rudely interrupted by state media.
The official matchmaker sneered and said, "An exchange marriage? That's not a big problem. Anyway, your daughter will eventually marry into the Ren family. However, there's something I have to tell you: the second young master of the Ren family has received a marriage decree from the Imperial Son-in-Law, and the engagement has already been arranged and the formalities have been completed. The wedding will be on the eighteenth of next month!"
"Therefore, the Ren family wants to switch the marriage arrangements back, with the eldest son of the Ren family coming to the Lin family to marry the bride. Today, I have come to set the wedding date for the eldest son of the Ren family." At this point, the official matchmaker clapped her hands smugly, quite satisfied with the news she had brought.
"My daughter will not marry him!" Xu's voice was resolute as she turned her head away, leaving no room for negotiation.
Ren Chuanhe merely sneered, his tone full of threat: "Don't want to marry me? Then go see the authorities! Those who break off an engagement are to be punished with a hundred strokes of the cane. I'd like to see if your daughter's physique can withstand a hundred strokes!"
As he spoke, Ren Chuanhe strode forward, walked up to Xu Shi, and shoved her aside without any politeness.
Xu stumbled and almost fell to the ground. An old woman rushed forward to support her and helped her regain her balance. Xu was so angry that she trembled all over and glared at Ren Chuanhe.
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