Chapter 57: The Little Girl, Quite a Dilemma

Chapter 57: The Little Girl, Quite a Dilemma

Because she really had a piece of candy.

Lu Mingchao watched the scene with a smile, thinking this was no different from the dilemma of whom to save first if two people fell into the river.

Xie Jingyi, with her baby teeth not yet fully grown, had to face such a soul-searching question at such a young age.

Tsk, poor little Xie Jingyi.

Xie Jingyi licked her lips, a glistening drool hanging at the corner of her mouth, as if already savoring the taste of the candy.

"Daddy, do grown-ups also eat candy?" Xie Jingyi blinked her big eyes, gazing intently at Xie Yan, her little hand unconsciously reaching into her pocket.

Xie Yan nodded, "If they want to, yes."

"If they also want to eat?" Xie Jingyi was taken aback.

Xie Yan: ...

"Daddy and Second Uncle can each have half," Xie Jingyi took out the candy from her pocket, "Sanbao will lick the wrapper."

Xie Yan used one hand to pat Xie Jingyi's head.

Xie Ru'an tiptoed and whispered into Xie Huaiqian's ear, "Big brother, why is Sanbao so silly?"

Xie Huaiqian's voice carried a hint of laughter, drifting with the wind, "Because Sanbao doesn't read books."

"Ru'an, books are the essence of wisdom, reading makes one wise."

"Reading opens up the vastness of the world. If Ru'an doesn't study hard in the future, others will also think Ru'an is silly by observing her words and deeds."

"So, Ru'an, will you still be lazy about reading and writing in the future?"

Xie Ru'an glanced furtively at the silly Sanbao in Lu Mingchao's arms, who seemed not to understand, and nodded heavily, "I won't be lazy anymore."

"But big brother, can't we take Sanbao with us?"

"If Sanbao is the only one who's silly, that would be too sad."

The smile on Xie Huaiqian's lips deepened, "Sanbao is still young, she will definitely read in the future."

Lu Mingchao quietly listened to Xie Huaiqian teaching his younger sibling, her eyes full of joy.

Xie Yan's children were surprisingly intelligent, surprisingly sensible, and surprisingly adorable.

If they could grow up safely, they might not be able to recreate the glory of their ancestors.

In the midst of the family's joyful chatter, they were getting closer and closer to home.

Lu Mingchao saw the relatively simple carriage parked outside Qi Rui's courtyard.

It seemed her guess had come true.

Qi Rui had indeed offered herself, but it was unclear what position she had secured.

A maid?

Or a concubine?

Lu Mingchao gave a brief glance and then looked away.

"Xie Yan."

The Qi family's grandmother and granddaughter seemed to be waiting on purpose.

As Lu Mingchao and her group passed by the courtyard gate of Qi Rui's grandmother, Qi Rui hurriedly followed.

Lu Mingchao thought: She wasn't called. Should she stop to gossip for a while, or should she leave with a cold and noble demeanor?

However, why isn't she calling him Uncle Xie anymore?

Qi Rui had a silver hairpin in her bun, gleaming brightly. When she raised her hand to touch her bun, she revealed a silver bracelet on her wrist. Over her uniform maid's dress, she wore a peach-colored cloak, adding a touch of charm and allure.

Xie Yan put down the wooden cart and stood beside Lu Mingchao.

Lu Mingchao got the hint and handed Xie Jingyi over to Xie Huaiqian, signaling them to head home first.

Who knows if Qi Rui might blurt out some indecent words unfit for polite conversation.

Qi Rui looked up at Xie Yan, her eyes faintly showing reluctance.

She had been longing for Xie Yan for so long, but in the end, she became the second young master of the Sun family's concubine, being played with without any dignity.

"What is it?" Xie Yan spoke coldly.

Apart from repaying the money, he didn't think there was anything else to discuss between them.

Qi Rui felt stifled, "Xie Yan, are you satisfied now?"

Xie Yan: ???

His good mood along the way came to an abrupt halt. What was he satisfied with?

"My life is ruined!" Qi Rui said through gritted teeth.

Xie Yan remained indifferent.

He was just an ordinary person, unable to bear the burden of so many people's lives.

"This is what they call reaping what you sow; you can't blame others."

Lu Mingchao chimed in, "A-Yan is right."

"It was you who harbored malicious intentions and plotted to slander me first, and then willingly degraded yourself to become the second young master of the Sun family's concubine. These were all your own choices."

"In the future, whether you live in luxury and constant favor or in poverty and die in the wilderness, it has nothing to do with A-Yan."

"Randomly dragging others into this is not a good sign."

"Especially now that you're a married woman, if this gets back to the second young master of the Sun family, you might face more trouble."

Qi Rui's hatred froze on her face, "You, how do you know?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Qi Rui knew she had made a foolish mistake.

Lu Mingchao, not wanting to deal with Qi Rui any more than necessary, was blunt: "If you want to repay the money, just do it directly."

"Stop talking about all this nonsense. How can someone who does evil have the gall to feel sorry for themselves while blaming the victim?"

"The little girl is so boring."

Qi Rui felt a wave of frustration surging through her, an unbearable discomfort with no outlet.

This delicate young lady from the capital is really clever.

Thinking of her plan with the second young master of the Sun family, Qi Rui took a deep breath, suppressed her irritation, and took out a pouch from her robe, handing it to Xie Yan.

"Here’s twenty-four taels."

"We’re even now."

She couldn’t wait to see what would happen to Lu Mingchao!

Xie Yan opened the pouch, poured out a banknote and a few pieces of broken silver, then returned the pouch without saying another word.

Qi Rui was speechless with rage!

Really furious!

Was her pouch some kind of dirty rag?

"Xie..."

Before she could speak, Xie Yan was already pushing the cart with one hand and leading Lu Mingchao away with the other.

Qi Rui was seething with rage, nowhere to vent. She stomped her feet in frustration, crumpling the empty pouch in her hand. Twisted and wrinkled, she finally put it away.

"Grandma, are you finished cleaning up?"

Qi Rui's voice was tinged with anger.

Old Lady Qi mumbled, "Yes, yes."

Then came the sound of a door closing.

"Mingchao, we can’t waste any time. I’ll head to the county tomorrow." Xie Yan felt a sense of urgency.

Qi Rui's gaze made him uneasy.

Lu Mingchao, while unfastening her cloak, frowned and asked, "Before, I never understood the laws of Daqian."

"In Daqian, can the children of merchants take the imperial exams?"

They couldn’t block the children’s path to success.

She vaguely remembered that there were only a few ways to enter officialdom: military service, building reputation, recommendation, and the imperial examinations.

Military service meant risking one’s life for a future, prepared to die on the battlefield, and most likely, one would remain a common soldier for life.

Building reputation involved gaining fame through connections with famous scholars, spending money and effort to build networks, in hopes of entering officialdom.

Recommendation also required the support of complex networks of aristocratic families and high officials.

Comparatively, the imperial examinations were relatively fair.

"Yes, they can."

"During the previous emperor's reign, the archaic rule barring merchants' children from taking the imperial examinations was abolished," Xie Yan said, taking the cloak from Lu Mingchao and hanging it on a nearby rack.

Lu Mingchao sighed in relief. "That's a relief."

"Why don't I come with you?"

Ever since she arrived, she hadn't had a chance to visit the market.

Xie Yan's brow furrowed. "What about your health?"

Lu Mingchao waved her hand, dismissing his concern. "The worst part is already over."

"Because reading makes one refined."