Chapter 6 Preface

He looked around and didn't see Jiang Yar, so he lifted his bag and thought about going to the nearby tea shed to see if Jiang Yar was there.

Before he could take a step, he heard a familiar voice, "Ping'an, are you tired?"

"Yar sister." Chen Ping'an turned around and saw Jiang Yar, smiling at him.

Jiang Yar reached out, habitually took his bag, and said, "Ping'an, are you hungry? Yar sister will take you to eat something delicious."

Chen Ping'an followed behind Jiang Yar, reaching out to hold her hand. The person in front of them stiffened for a moment, then walked forward quickly.

"Ping'an, did you forget to eat lunch again and only focused on studying?" Jiang Yar said.

It had only been a day since she last saw Chen Ping'an, but she felt that he looked a bit haggard and his complexion wasn't good. He seemed a bit weak.

"Yar sister, I've finished all the dry rations you prepared for me." Chen Ping'an said. Perhaps because of his young age and spending the whole day outside in such cold weather, his complexion wasn't very good.

Jiang Yar stopped in front of an inn with Chen Ping'an and looked at the inn, then at Chen Ping'an beside her, her eyes filled with struggle.

How could Chen Ping'an not know what she was thinking? He then said, "Yar sister, let's just find a place to stay."

Upon hearing Chen Ping'an's words, Jiang Yar's struggle turned into determination. She pulled Chen Ping'an into the inn. No matter how much she suffered, it didn't matter, but Ping'an must not suffer.

However, Chen Ping'an didn't want that. Jiang Yar didn't have money, and he knew exactly how much money his mother had given her. But Jiang Yar turned to him and said, "Ping'an, listen to me. It's warm here."

Jiang Yar had extraordinary strength. She dragged Chen Ping'an into the inn, asked the innkeeper to prepare a bowl of ginger soup to warm his body. A scholar's body is weak and must not catch a cold.

After Chen Ping'an had eaten, the innkeeper brought hot water. He took a comfortable hot bath and then went to bed.

Today had indeed exceeded the burden for someone his age. Although he didn't feel very sleepy, his body was exhausted.

Seeing him fall asleep, Jiang Yar let out a sigh of relief. Now Ping'an could be more comfortable. She tucked him in and didn't go to bed, but lay down beside him and fell asleep.

The next morning, when Chen Ping'an woke up and saw Jiang Yar lying beside him, he got angry. After Jiang Yar repeatedly promised not to do it again, he calmed down.

The two of them had to wait here for the results. In the morning, Chen Ping'an would go to the bookstore to copy books for some silver, which could at least support their daily needs in the county.

In the afternoon, Jiang Yar wouldn't let him go out, only allowing him to study in the inn. If his mother found out that Ping'an was out earning money, she would be furious.

When the results were announced, Chen Ping'an and Jiang Yar got up early and went to the place where the red list was posted. Jiang Yar had sharp eyes and immediately saw Chen Ping'an's name.

Although she couldn't read, Chen Ping'an had taught her how to write her name and his name, so she could recognize his name. For her, seeing Ping'an's name on the list meant he had passed. She excitedly shook Chen Ping'an's arm and said, "Ping'an, your name is on here. You passed!"

There were other examinees around, and when they heard Jiang Yar's voice, they looked at Chen Ping'an and then approached them.

Jiang Yar thought the person was going to harm Ping'an, so she nervously stood in front of him, guarding him like a protective mother cow, with a wary look in her eyes.

But to her surprise, the person walked up to Chen Ping'an, bowed, and politely said, "You must be Chen Ping'an. I didn't expect someone so young to achieve such results."

Chen Ping'an came out from behind Jiang Yar, returned the bow, and said, "It's just luck." He whispered to Jiang Yar, "Yar sister, they are also examinees. It's okay."

Only then did Jiang Yar let go of her guard. Chen Ping'an chatted with the person, while Jiang Yar stood aside, not saying a word, with a hint of disappointment and sadness in her eyes.

Until just now, she thought Ping'an had indeed changed, but in front of outsiders, he still refused to acknowledge her identity.

After chatting with the person, Chen Ping'an returned to Jiang Yar's side. Seeing Jiang Yar's expression, he thought she was upset because he didn't tell her about the results.

He smiled and said, "Yar sister, I got the top score."

"What?" Jiang Yar's eyes were full of surprise. "Ping'an, say it again."

"I said I got the top score. Yar sister, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Chen Ping'an's eyes were filled with an unmistakable smile.

Jiang Yar hugged Chen Ping'an, excitedly saying, "You didn't lie to me! You didn't lie to me! Ping'an, you're really amazing. You scored the top in one go."

Chen Ping'an let her hold him, and when he was released, Jiang Yarou blushed and said, "I lost control, Ping'an."

"It's okay, Yarou, this is a happy occasion," Chen Ping'an comforted her. "There's something I want to discuss with you, Yarou."

"What is it?" Jiang Yarou was pleasantly surprised that Chen Ping'an wanted to discuss something with her.

"The local literati are holding a literary gathering, and the county magistrate may also attend. The person who wanted to invite me just now mentioned it," Chen Ping'an said.

"Of course you should go," although Jiang Yarou didn't understand what a literary gathering was, she knew it must be a good thing if the county magistrate was going to be there.

Chen Ping'an smiled, "Then I will accept the invitation."

Because Chen Ping'an was going to attend the literary gathering, their planned journey home would be delayed by two days. For Jiang Yarou, this was worth it.

And Chen Ping'an also wanted to take this opportunity to get to know these literary people better. After many years in the officialdom, his sharp eyes could easily discern who had potential, and he could lay some groundwork for his future.

The reason for inviting Chen Ping'an to the literary gathering was that everyone wanted to get to know who exactly this person was, who had solved the case and was superior to them in some way.