Zhao Xiaozhu ran breathlessly, her small face flushed red.
Zhao Ye received it quickly and skillfully, nodding in thanks.
One was taciturn, the other unable to speak. They exchanged a glance, handed over the food box, and parted.
However, Su Xiaoqi saw something different in it.
Zhao Xiaozhu's eyes sparkled when she faced Zhao Ye, unlike her usual listless appearance.
Su Xiaoqi covered her mouth and smiled. It wouldn't be a bad thing if the two of them fell for each other.
Upon returning home, Shen Xiaomei had already prepared the meal.
Steamed white rice, stir-fried meat slices, a pot of vegetable soup, and a cold salad of houttuynia cordata.
The Shen family had long grown accustomed to having meat and rice.
Well-fed and warmly clothed, everyone was immensely grateful to Su Xiaoqi.
They all knew that it was because of her that they could live good lives.
Even Old Madam Yu, who had always had opinions about Su Xiaoqi, had a better attitude towards her due to the improved meals.
As the saying goes, "softened by food and short of hand from receiving gifts."
Su Xiaoqi's life in the Su family was incredibly smooth now.
After the meal, Zhao Xiaozhu voluntarily cleared the dishes and specifically found Su Xiaoqi.
She counted on her fingers, hesitant for a long time, and then murmured, "Sister-in-law, I, I..."
"What is it?" Seeing her like this, Su Xiaoqi knew something was up. Fearing she might scare her, Su Xiaoqi deliberately softened her voice.
"I, I... I want to ask sister-in-law for some medicine."
Su Xiaoqi patiently listened, occasionally giving her encouraging smiles.
Finally, she got the truth.
It turned out she wanted to ask Su Xiaoqi for some medicine.
Not for herself, but for Zhao Ye.
Su Xiaoqi pursed her lips.
It seemed Zhao Xiaozhu truly cared about Zhao Ye.
Originally, Su Xiaoqi was going to treat Zhao Ye's hand, so she told her about his condition.
"Thank you, thank you, sister-in-law." Zhao Xiaozhu was overjoyed.
She turned and left.
Soon, Su Xiaoqi heard Shen Xiaomei's cheerful voice outside:
"How is it? Didn't I say my sister-in-law is kind? She's like a fairy, coming to help us."
Su Xiaoqi smiled. She had done all this initially for the space upgrade.
But later, it became something she wanted to do.
She wanted those around her to be well-fed and warmly clothed, to live good lives, and to be happy every day.
She couldn't explain why.
She didn't know when it had changed.
If one were to trace the reason, perhaps it was because she had developed feelings for Shen Xiaomei and the others.
Her heart had unconsciously chosen to treat them better.
March 19th, the spring breeze caressed the face, and the warm sun shone brightly.
Su Xiaoqi, Shen Yun, and Zhao Liushun arrived at the Mianzhou Prefecture School early to check the examination results.
Seeing that it was still early and there weren't many people around.
Su Xiaoqi bid farewell to Shen Yun and went to Fuyue Inn, which was close to the school, to deliver the fish first.
Su Baiyi was anxiously waiting. Seeing her arrive, he hurried forward and said,
"Oh, my dear little ancestor, you've finally delivered it."
He had booked thirty tables for lunch that day.
One of the dishes was steamed fish.
But he had forgotten to add the order to Su Xiaoqi, and now the kitchen urgently needed the fish. He decided on the spot to buy it from the market.
Upon hearing the reason, Su Xiaoqi clapped her hands in delight: "How many do you need?" Whatever the amount, she had it.
"Just for the lunch banquet, we need thirty fish. There are also scattered guests in the afternoon.
We need at least fifty, hey, did you bring enough fifty?" Su Baiyi was a little worried that Su Xiaoqi's inventory wouldn't be enough.
Su Xiaoqi smiled, patted the bucket in her hands, and announced loudly, "Coincidentally, however many you need, I have."
"By the way, today is the release of the exam results, and many people are booking banquets these two days.
Bring me fifty fish every day, and then come once every two days with fifty."
Excellent.
Su Xiaoqi quickly agreed.
This way, not only did the order volume increase, but she also saved unnecessary trips.
After delivering the fish and settling the accounts, Su Xiaoqi calculated.
Oh my, just by delivering twenty fish every day for nearly half a month, totaling three hundred fish.
At an average of fifteen wen per fish, she earned over four thousand wen.
That amounted to four strings and over five hundred wen.
While Su Xiaoqi was happy, Su Baiyi could not hide his excitement.
Originally, their family ran an inn, and the kitchen's cooking was only for the guests staying at the inn.
Now, because Su Xiaoqi sold fish, she had also provided several fish recipes.
When the chefs made them, the taste was excellent.
It had made his name, and now fish had become Fuyue's signature dish. Basically, anyone who dined here would order a fish.
Whether it was braised, steamed, boiled, or grilled.
Various cooking methods, completely different from the traditional ones.
Not only was there no fishy smell, but after eating, the fragrance lingered on the palate, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.
Su Xiaoqi narrowed her eyes, tossed the seven hundred and fifty wen received that day, and took out one hundred wen.
She said she would also order a table of dishes.
"What, the results aren't out yet, and you're already eating as if your husband passed?" Su Baiyi asked with a smile.
Su Xiaoqi nodded repeatedly, full of confidence.
She remembered very clearly that Shen Yun had passed the exam around this time.
Su Baiyi laughed heartily, then looked towards the entrance and said,
"Hahaha, Brother Shen, your wife certainly knows how to talk."
Su Xiaoqi turned around and saw Shen Yun.
Eh, wasn't he supposed to be downstairs watching the results?
When did he get here?
She blushed slightly, lowered her head, and then quickly raised it again: "My husband is talented and knowledgeable, he won't be wrong."
While they were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums.
The sound of horses' hooves approached, indicating that the yamen runners responsible for announcing good news had set off.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed, quickly disappearing around the street corner.
"The results are out, the results are out! Quick, Brother Yun, hurry back and wait!" Zhao Liushun waved his hands from a distance, shouting at Shen Yun.
Hearing this, Su Baiyi, an outsider, reacted first and cupped his hands towards Shen Yun:
"Congratulations, Brother Su, congratulations, Brother Su."
Shen Yun thanked him politely and took Su Xiaoqi to see for themselves.
To no one's surprise, Shen Yun's name was prominently displayed at the forefront.
He was the top scholar of this imperial examination.
Su Xiaoqi's heart relaxed. The storyline was finally progressing along Shen Yun's growth path.
She was worried that her appearance might disrupt Shen Yun's experiences.
"My uncle also passed, the twentieth name! That's great." Shen Yun immediately congratulated Zhao Liushun.
Zhao Liushun's eyes were also filled with joy.
He had finally passed; it wasn't easy!
The announcement of the imperial examination results started from the last person on the list.
A total of about a hundred people passed.
When it came to Shen Yun and Zhao Liushun, it took about fifteen minutes.
To avoid missing the announcement drums, the three of them took a horse-drawn carriage back, spending twenty wen.
Upon arriving home, before they could even explain to their family, the yamen runners arrived.
Shen Yun stepped forward, and Su Xiaoqi, remembering scenes from television, quietly prepared the reward money.
The yamen runners who came to announce the good news originally expected to receive a substantial reward for announcing the results to the top scholar.
However, upon arriving, they were stunned. It was just a dilapidated courtyard with a thatched roof.
They thought this trip might have been in vain.
Unexpectedly, the beautiful young woman beside the top scholar handed over a string of coins.
A string of coins, damn, after so many years of running errands, this was the first time they had received so much reward money in a rural area.
"Thank you, Madam Shen!" The yamen runner said sweetly, thanked them, and then went to the neighboring Zhao family.
Shen Yun looked at Su Xiaoqi.
Before he could speak, Su Xiaoqi said, "I earned it from selling fish. It's four strings and five hundred wen in total."
Shen Yun said nothing, but stepped forward and took her hand.
He held it very tightly, and Su Xiaoqi's heart clenched, she couldn't help but mutter,
"What mischief is this scoundrel Shen Yun up to now?"