“Hmm? Someone’s here?” Murong Qing glanced outside. “You do your problems first, I’ll go take a look…”
Yun Jinhe nodded, still pondering why Murong Qing could solve problems. What was her background? Kuaishuge
This woman’s identity was probably not simple.
When Murong Qing walked out, she saw a young man carrying a book satchel standing at the door. He was wearing the disciple uniform of Bocai Academy and smiling at her…
“Who are you looking for?” Murong Qing asked curiously.
The young scholar stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “I am Sun Tianxiu, from Sun Family Village. I’ve come to Bocai Academy to study, but I haven’t found a place to stay yet. I wonder if there are any rooms for rent here?”
Hearing the commotion, Yun Jinhe walked out…
Upon seeing Sun Tianxiu, Yun Jinhe’s expression lit up. “It’s Brother Tianxiu!~”
They were classmates and had known each other at Bocai Academy for a long time.
However, Sun Tianxiu’s family was extremely poor. Being able to study here had already emptied his family’s coffers, and his parents had also incurred considerable debt.
After paying the tuition, he had no money to rent a place, which led to Sun Tianxiu being homeless after arriving in the county seat. He had been staying in a dilapidated temple outside the town…
Now that the weather was getting colder, the dilapidated temple was no longer habitable, so he had come out to find a room.
“Jinhe!” Sun Tianxiu grinned heartily. “So you live here!~”
He glanced around the small courtyard. It was clean and tidy, the kitchen stove was burning red, and a hint of cooking aroma wafted over, making his stomach rumble…
Yun Jinhe nodded and invited him inside. “My small courtyard happens to have a room vacant. If Brother Tianxiu doesn’t mind, you can stay here for now!~”
“Oh, that wouldn’t be right,” Sun Tianxiu lowered his head and rubbed his hands. “How much is this room per month? I’ll owe you for now, and I’ll pay you back when I have more money…”
Yun Jinhe was about to say that he wouldn’t charge any money when Murong Qing coughed lightly.
Why was this person so easy to talk to?
This room was rented with money from Young Master Xiao. It wasn’t good to let an outsider move in directly!
Yun Jinhe scratched his head, looking a bit troubled…
Seeing this, Sun Tianxiu’s expression became even more nervous. He quickly opened his bundle, took out a jade pendant, and handed it to Yun Jinhe. “Jinhe, this is the heirloom of our Sun family. I’ve always carried it with me. Even if I have no money, I wouldn’t bear to sell it. I’ll leave the jade pendant with you as collateral. When I have enough for the rent, I’ll redeem it, okay?”
Murong Qing picked up the jade pendant and looked at it carefully…
Although the craftsmanship was a bit rough, it was indeed an old item. If it were taken to a pawnshop, it would be worth at least one and a half taels of silver.
“Brother Tianxiu, you don’t need to be so polite. We are classmates. If you live here from now on, we can study together!~” Yun Jinhe said with a smile.
“Then, thank you!~” Sun Tianxiu bowed again.
Murong Qing pouted and stuffed the jade pendant into Yun Jinhe’s pocket, instructing, “Keep it safe, don’t lose it!”
Yun Jinhe: “……”
After lunch, Yun Jinhe and Sun Tianxiu went to class together.
It only took a quarter of an hour to walk to the academy from here, so Yun Jinhe went home for lunch every day.
Murong Qing went to the study, wiping tables and tidying bookshelves, like a diligent young wife…
Suddenly, a set of practice questions rolled down from the bookshelf. Murong Qing unfolded it and smiled slightly.
She found a blank piece of paper, wrote down all the answers to the questions on it, and then carefully checked them. After confirming they were correct, she rolled them up and put them back on the bookshelf.
This is what a top student is like. When they encounter difficult problems, they always want to solve them thoroughly, otherwise, they feel burdened…
In three days, there would be a mock exam, so Yun Jinhe studied extra hard, often not going to sleep until late at night.
And Murong Qing, since moving in, had taken meticulous care of him.
Because she cooked well and was diligent, Yun Jinhe had even gained some weight after a while…
One night, Yun Jinhe returned home, looking exhausted, and sat in the study. Looking at Murong Qing, who was busy in front of him, he suddenly asked, “Miss Murong, where in Chen Country do you live? Do you have parents or siblings?”
Murong Qing’s hands paused in her work, and she smiled and said, “Why are you asking this question?”
“You said Miss Shangguan is your sister, but you seem to have a master-servant relationship, with no sisterly affection. So I’m very curious, why did you come out to escape the disaster with her?” Yun Jinhe transformed into Sherlock Holmes and began to inquire about Murong Qing’s identity.
Murong Qing sighed and said faintly, “It is indeed a master-servant relationship…”
“Huh?” Yun Jinhe’s eyes widened, his head full of confusion. “Then why did you say you were cousins?”
“Is that very important?” Murong Qing’s small face turned red.
Why did she feel that Jinhe was a bit strange?
The way he looked at her also carried a sense of scrutiny.
Yun Jinhe was stunned for a moment and stopped asking…
After dinner, he took down the set of practice questions from the bookshelf and was about to stay up late to tackle them. However, he found a blank piece of paper tucked inside the questions, with all the answers neatly written on it.
Yun Jinhe suddenly looked up, his expression filled with extreme shock.
Could Miss Murong also be a rare genius, like his paternal aunt?
His paternal aunt was a lucky general, so what was Murong Qing?
He compared his answers to the provided ones and found that all his results were correct…
As expected, in the mock exam three days later, Yun Jinhe took first place in the entire academy.
Sun Tianxiu ranked second to last, as the person in last place had taken leave and gone home.
“Jinhe, in another ten days to half a month, the academy will be on holiday. Are you planning to go back to the village to visit?” Murong Qing walked in, holding a small bowl of washed hawthorn berries, and said with a smile.
Yun Jinhe responded with a ‘hmm’. “Young Master Xiao left us a carriage, which is convenient for returning to the village. Moreover, there will be many people at home for the New Year this year, and it will definitely be lively…”
His third uncle and fourth uncle had both returned, and his second uncle had married Aunt Shanshan. The family had a good harvest, so they could have a peaceful New Year.
Murong Qing listened and slowly lowered her head.
How many years had it been since she last reunited with her parents and family? The beautiful memories of the past felt like another lifetime, yet they remained clearly in her mind…
Dashui Village, Old Yun Family.
Little Xi Tian was still asleep when she heard a burst of scolding coming from the main entrance.
“Oh, who is this? How inconsiderate, this is too malicious!~”
“Who says not? The wedding of Erman and Shanshan hasn’t even passed, and they’re sending this thing to our house. Who is so shameless!”
Little Xi Tian immediately got up upon hearing this.
What was happening outside?