Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 221 Entrance Examination

After saying that, the little girl quickly ran away, nodding to Xu Chaoyan and the others as she passed by. Shen Siheng, like a fool, pointed at the maid and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you know that woman? She looks a bit familiar."

Then, as if remembering something, he yelled at Zhang Xuyang a few times: "Zhang Xuyang, I didn't expect you to be so good-looking. Look at those girls, they're all flirting with you, but you're still a long way from me."

After saying that, he looked smug.

Zhang Xuyang really wanted to throw the bag at his face, but he held back and didn't bother arguing with this idiot.

Xu Chaoyan recognized her as the maid who had previously served Qin Zhenzhen. She and Zhang Yueniang exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.

She then instructed Meng Jiuhe not to come out so early, and to check several times after finishing. The maid came out two quarters of an hour after she went in, just as Meng Jiuhe and the others had already gone in.

The maidservant curtsied to them and said confidently, "I've already spoken to them inside. They'll do my young lady a favor. Both Scholar Meng and Scholar Zhang were admitted to the county school. My young lady helped them a lot this time. Please remember her kindness and be grateful."

Zhang Yueniang glanced at Xu Chaoyan and saw her wink, signaling her to keep quiet. Meng Jiuxia was also stopped by her sister-in-law and muttered a few words: "What's wrong with this little maid? Who asked her to come and fawn over us for no reason? With my brother's talent, how could he not pass that little test?"

Xu Chaoyan turned around and said, "Be careful with your words and actions."

Xu Chaoyan didn't care too much. So many people came to participate in the entrance exam today. She heard that only the top 50 would be admitted. There were at least 200 people present. If Qin Zhenzhen could help Meng Jiu and the other two get admitted smoothly, it wouldn't hurt to be subservient to them for the time being.

A smile instantly spread across her face: "Then I'll have to trouble you, young lady. Please accept some snacks another day to satisfy your cravings, and don't be offended."

Qin Zhenzhen, who was in a carriage not far away, saw her maid talking to the ugly woman. Her face darkened and she gave her a sharp look. The maid trembled and quickly replied, "You just need to remember how good my young lady is. As for those low-class things, you can keep them for yourselves."

After saying that, she jogged over, afraid of being even a fraction too slow.

Just as Qin Zhenzhen was about to slap her again, the little maid couldn't help but step back a little and said tremblingly, "Miss, please don't be angry. I was just asking them to remember your favor. I didn't delay anything."

She had long since lost her arrogant and haughty demeanor.

Qin Zhenzhen nodded in satisfaction, took out a handkerchief, wiped her hands, and threw it to her with a look of disgust.

"What are you still standing here for? Do you want to stand here in the cold wind like a doorman? Now that things are done, let's go."

Xu Chaoyan waited outside for two short hours. She hadn't waited for nothing; she had brought a load of tofu pudding that morning. She knew there would be a lot of people today, and she could sell even one bowl as a part-time job.

There were many people outside who were sending their children to take the exam. Xu Chaoyan simply set up her stall there, and from the beginning, a few people came over to join in the fun and see what was going on.

She lit a charcoal fire and set up a few long benches. In the first month of the lunar calendar, the spring chill was still in the air, and the cold wind howled, making people shiver. A chill ran up from the soles of their feet and stung their faces.

She then beckoned a few women and children to sit down and warm themselves. The women were shivering from the cold and some couldn't bear to watch, but they also felt bad about sitting there for nothing. They could at least buy a bowl of tofu pudding for a few coins to pass the time.

As more and more people gathered around, she had already sold half a bucket of tofu pudding. After looking around, she quickly asked Zhang Yueniang and Meng Jiuxia to go back and bring some more charcoal braziers and sweet potatoes. By the time the students left the examination hall, it would be past lunchtime, and they would definitely want something hot to eat.

"Sister-in-law, wait here. I'll go back with my sister. I have other plans."

After returning home, Xu Chaoyan kneaded a lot of glutinous rice balls and cooked a large pot of sweet fermented rice balls. She added red dates and goji berries, and sweet potatoes and sweet fermented rice were perfect for warming the body. Later, she brought a lot of long benches over, and everyone gathered around there, munching on sweet potatoes and drinking the warming sweet fermented rice balls, chatting and laughing, temporarily forgetting the tense atmosphere in the examination room.

As night fell, Xu Chaoyan was again engrossed in counting her money jar. Meng Jiuxia scooped some hot water from the pot, glanced at her sister-in-law, and chuckled helplessly, "Brother, sister-in-law said I'm obsessed with money. I think she's the one who's always staring at her jar counting. Can those coins really produce a money son?"

Xu Chaoyan had a smile on her lips the whole time. She grabbed a handful of money and stuffed it into her hand: "You can't give birth to a son, but you feel a sense of accomplishment when you count money. Here, this is what you deserve today. Keep it safe. If there's anything you want to buy, don't hesitate. If you don't have enough money, just tell your sister-in-law."

Meng Jiuxia stared at the copper coins in her hand in astonishment. Usually, her sister-in-law would give her ten or twenty coins, but today she had given her too many, and she needed both hands to hold them.

"Sister-in-law, this is too much money. The household expenses are high these days. Let's keep this for ourselves."

Xu Chaoyan was still muttering to herself, "Husband, come with me to exchange some silver coins another day. These copper coins are too cumbersome to keep. Keep the ones I gave you; you can save them for your dowry."

The county school exam results won't be available for another three days. During these three days, the atmosphere between the Zhang and Meng families is somewhat delicate, and neither dares to bring it up.

Although Qin Zhenzhen's maid had delivered the message earlier, Xu Chaoyan was still a little worried, fearing that something might go wrong. After all, it wasn't easy for poor families like theirs to go to the academy. She had heard that as long as you had money, even those who couldn't read many characters could get into the county school and Mingyue Academy. Money makes the world go round.

Shen Siheng came twice, patting his chest and assuring Xu Chaoyan, "Brother Meng, don't worry about this. With his talent, how could he not get into that lousy county school?"

When Shen Siheng tried to invite Xu Chaoyan to stay for dinner, Xu ruthlessly kicked him out.

“Sister-in-law, why have you become so cold and heartless? Look how thin I’ve become these past two days from hunger. My sister-in-law doesn’t come home, and my father and elder brother are at the restaurant every day. My mother doesn’t cook at home either, so I have to drink water all day long.”

Xu Chaoyan was amused by his aggrieved look: "What's going on in your family? Your sister-in-law doesn't seem like an unreasonable person, so why is she always causing trouble and not feeding you? Is it your mother who's being unreasonable?"

Shen Siheng could talk about this for three days and three nights without stopping. He crawled under Xu Chaoyan's outstretched arms and sat down directly in front of the fire under the eaves.

"Little Xia, you still care about your brother the most. You can roast two sweet potatoes for me to fill my stomach. I'm starving."

Meng Jiuxia was already used to it; every time this person came over with a pale face and a droopy head, it was definitely because he was begging for food.

His family argues every few days, either threatening to run away from home or divorce each other. The Zhang and Meng families have seen it all before. The main reason Xu Chaoyan didn't let him stay for dinner this time was because she was afraid he would talk too much and say something that would upset the two of them.

Meng Jiuxia picked up a few sweet potatoes from the corner and threw them into the fire. She then buried them with fire tongs. Shen Siheng gave Xu Chaoyan a fawning smile and said, "Sister-in-law, please cook me some hot soup. These sweet potatoes are quite dry. I'd like to have some dumpling soup instead. I'll treat you to some snacks another day."

Xu Chaoyan, puzzled, asked, "Your family owns a restaurant, surely you'd be fed? Why do you always come to my house for meals?"

Speaking of this, Shen Siheng snorted twice in anger: "My older brother is such a peacemaker. Every time my sister-in-law and mother quarrel, he doesn't act as a mediator. He just wants to smooth things over and make it a simple matter. As soon as I go there, he won't let me go. He insists that I go and mediate and even make me go and bring my sister-in-law back. How can I do such a thing? He's a grown man. If he can't even handle this kind of thing, what's the point of getting married? He deserves to be a bachelor for the rest of his life and die alone. It's made me lose a lot of weight in just a few days."

Xu Chaoyan couldn't stand his incessant chatter, so she quickly went to cook some dumpling soup to get rid of the noisy sparrow.

On the third day, when the results came out, Xu Chaoyan was delayed by something and couldn't go with them.

They've been in the county town for a while now, but relying solely on roasted sweet potatoes and tofu pudding isn't a sustainable business. Once the Lunar New Year is over and the weather gradually warms up, these sweet potatoes probably won't sell as well as before. They need to come up with a long-term plan.

The Zhang family started out making tofu, and she was thinking about whether to take over the family shop and start a tofu business, such as tofu chicken, tofu fish, tofu pork intestines, etc. There are quite a few varieties, aren't there? These days she has been calculating the family's remaining money, and renting a shop in the county is not so easy. She still needs to work hard.