Xiao Xi Tian glanced at her elder nephew and pursed her lips into a smile.
She had never seen her elder nephew chat so congenially with any girl before...
With so many potential pairings, she could hardly keep up! A rabbit, inherently not a large source of meat, had its hind leg pulled off by Xiao Jin Heng and handed to Xiao Xi Tian. The rest was distributed among others, with him not eating a single bite himself...
Yun San Man placed the slightly charred rabbit head on a stone, cracked it twice, and then presented it to Shangguan Fang Er, whose eyes were practically popping out, "Here, eat slowly, there are bones inside!~"
"Wow, thank you!" Shangguan Fang Er, not caring if it was hot, directly popped the entire rabbit head into her mouth and began to chew.
With a 'crack,' her tooth hit something hard, and her gums started bleeding...
"Wuwuwu, it hurts, my tooth, my tooth, wuwu!~" Shangguan Fang Er cried as she spat out the rabbit head and threw it far away.
Yun San Man: "......"
Being this ill, why hadn't she found a doctor or something to look at her?
He had heard that this kind of illness would only worsen, gradually making one unrecognizable to their loved ones, and even posing a danger of self-harm.
"Here, have a sticky rice cake, this won't hurt your teeth!~" Yun San Man offered his sticky rice cake to Shangguan Fang Er.
The girl, who had been crying non-stop just moments ago, instantly lit up with joy upon seeing the sticky rice cake, becoming as happy as a child, "Sticky, fragrant, the best to eat!~"
Yun San Man smiled faintly, "Eat more if it's delicious..."
He was actually quite worried. If they continued their journey tomorrow morning, what would happen to Shangguan Fang Er and Murong Qing?
Would they just abandon them like this?
Wouldn't that be like waiting to be fed to wolves!~
Looking at Shangguan Fang Er's innocent face and her warm smile, Yun San Man suddenly felt a pang of reluctance...
After Yun Jin He had spread out the bedding for his aunt, he returned to the campfire and got a blanket for Murong Qing.
"By the way, are you people here for business?" Murong Qing asked casually, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.
Yun Jin He smiled and shook his head, "No, Third Uncle and my aunt are here to send me to Bocai Academy!~"
Murong Qing was taken aback upon hearing this, "So that little girl is your aunt..."
She was so tender, fair, and plump, truly adorable.
Yun Jin He nodded, "Yes, my aunt is very good to me, and she's the treasure of our entire family!~"
He remembered his grandmother saying that day that his aunt was secretly saving tuition money for him, without telling anyone.
Upon hearing this, Yun Jin He wept silently for a long time...
Where could one find such an understanding aunt in this world? If he didn't study hard, would he be worthy of his aunt's earnest efforts?
Murong Qing smiled faintly, suddenly remembering something, and asked, "Since your surname is Yun, is your aunt named Yun Xi Tian?"
Yun Jin He was startled and looked at Murong Qing, "You... how did you know?"
Murong Qing knew, of course, because the news of Xiao Xi Tian inventing the waterwheel had spread to the State of Chen long ago.
She had countless merits, was intelligent and perceptive, and had even been bestowed the title of 'House of Radiance' by the Emperor of the Liang State, her fame already widespread...
It was just that she had fallen into a country with a weak national power and backward economy. The multi-functional bellows and glutinous rice paste she had developed for the State of Chen in the past had not been put to proper use.
If that glutinous rice paste were used to reinforce city walls, could enemies break through?
Unexpectedly, the Huang clan nobles of the State of Chen had used her research results to build palaces and construct pavilions and terraces, solely for their temporary enjoyment...
Besides that, she had also developed glassmaking technology and new metallurgical techniques.
However, the imperial court had not made good use of these two things.
"I've heard of Bocai Academy!~" Murong Qing smiled charmingly, "To be able to study there, it seems you've already passed the Xiucai examination, congratulations!"
Yun Jin He became shy from the praise, scratching his hair, "It's just the title of a Xiucai, it's nothing much..."
"But I heard that most of the people who study at Bocai Academy are of noble birth, and they all bring maids and servants with them to specifically attend to the young masters' food and daily life!~"
Murong Qing blinked her eyes and said seriously, "Also, Bocai Academy doesn't have dormitories, and students have to rent houses themselves. Can you take care of yourself when you first arrive in a foreign place?"
"What did you say?" Yun Jin He was suddenly shocked, "How can there be no dormitories? Then, where will I live?"
He didn't expect maids and servants, but if he had to rent a house himself, how much money would that cost...
Alas, if he had known this earlier, he wouldn't have come.
Wouldn't it have been fine to just enroll in an ordinary academy?
Now that Third Uncle and his aunt had also come, if they found out, they would surely be very disappointed.
Murong Qing smiled and said, "You don't need to be nervous. Bocai Academy has a very strong teaching staff. Studying there will also increase your chances of passing the Juren examination. When you become an official in the capital in the future, will you still care about this rent money?"
Yun Jin He lowered his head, fiddled with the cloth shoes his mother had made for him, and murmured, "Although that's what you say, I don't want my family to suffer too much for me..."
Grandpa goes to the fields with his hoe every day. After his family eats the crops he grows, there isn't much left. The entire family, young and old, relies on that piece of land to survive. Here he is, spending money, and Yun Jin He felt truly distressed!
Murong Qing pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "Young Master Yun, if you don't mind, I can be your study companion. When we get to Bocai Academy, your food and daily life will be taken care of by me. I won't charge a single copper coin, okay?"
"This... how can this be? No, no!~" Yun Jin He refused outright.
What would it be like to have a young girl accompanying him?
Besides, with his circumstances, he couldn't even support himself, let alone bring a maid out in public. How could he have the nerve?
Xiao Xi Tian pressed her ear against the carriage, eavesdropping on the conversation between her elder nephew and Murong Qing...
"Haha!" She couldn't help but laugh, startling Xiao Jin Heng.
"Hey, little village boy, why are you hunched over there instead of sleeping?" Xiao Jin Heng asked.
Xiao Xi Tian beckoned, "Stinky boy, come and listen too!~"
So Xiao Jin Heng also clumsily got up and put his ear against the carriage to eavesdrop...
"Hmm? Is that Miss Murong wanting to be Jin He's study companion?" Xiao Jin Heng asked curiously.
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Xiao Xi Tian nudged him.
Xiao Jin Heng smiled faintly, "Miss Murong is really quite clever, knowing that by following Jin He, she definitely won't starve. It's just that if she follows Jin He, what will happen to her sister!~"
"You don't need to worry about that..." Xiao Xi Tian's eyes curved, "Third Brother will make arrangements for her!"
The long night passed quickly.
At dawn, everyone ate a simple meal and then began to busy themselves with the journey.