Fang Fang saw Bai Qingqing pointing at her and said awkwardly, "Qingqing, Qingqing, I..."
Before she could finish, Bai Qingqing sharply interrupted, "Shut your mouth!"
Bai Qingqing glared at Fang Fang with disgust, successfully silencing her instantly. Fang Fang looked at the shrewish Bai Qingqing, her mind filled with questions. Was this still the gentle and weak Qingqing?
Nian Jiaojiao, however, found this Bai Qingqing to be quite real, and she seemed much more pleasing to the eye. Suddenly, Nian Jiaojiao felt a weight on her shoulder, a hand resting on it. She stiffened, startled. A teasing voice came from behind, "I've been looking for you for ages, and here you are eavesdropping."
Nian Jiaojiao stiffened, slowly turning her head. She saw Tong Fu, smiling, wearing a large white padded jacket and a green warm hat, her tiptoes reaching to grasp her shoulder. Nian Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief. She shot the other girl a glare. "Don't you know scaring people can kill them?" She then asked, "Why are you here?"
Tong Fu rolled her eyes at her and said irritably, "It's the New Year, why aren't you staying home and running around instead? I went to your house, and your husband said you were near the Bai family's place." She had asked all the way here to find Nian Jiaojiao. The muddy village paths were difficult to navigate, and she carefully avoided the mud pits, yet her skirt hem still got splashed with a lot of mud.
Nian Jiaojiao felt she had seen enough of the excitement and said to Tong Fu, "Let's go, we can talk as we walk." Along the way, many people were attracted by Tong Fu's elaborate attire, which was rarely seen in this small mountain village. Nian Jiaojiao had changed significantly, and no one recognized her. However, many unmarried men secretly threw flirtatious glances at Tong Fu. But clearly, these glances were wasted on the blind, as Tong Fu's entire attention was on the woman beside her.
"Jiaojiao, you're truly amazing. I was still worrying about whether I could pass the examination, and you scored the highest among the students." Tong Fu then showed a look of annoyance. "Jiaojiao, you're not being fair. You promised to let me know when you passed the Tong Sheng exam, but you haven't made a sound. Are you not considering me a friend anymore?"
Nian Jiaojiao quickly apologized and explained, "I'm sorry, Tong Fu, I've been really busy lately." Tong Fu arrogantly lifted her chin. "Hmph, I'll forgive you this time." "By the way, did you pass the exam this time?"
Nian Jiaojiao's question elicited a subtle change in Tong Fu's expression. After a pause, she replied, "I... I did pass..."
Nian Jiaojiao offered her congratulations, "Then congratulations! I'm planning to attend the academy after the New Year. Shall we go together?" "Uh..." Tong Fu's face turned slightly red. The way she had become a Tong Sheng was not something to be discussed with outsiders.
In the imperial examinations, Tong Sheng were not strictly considered scholars, so the examination standards were not as rigorous. Descendants of those who had made significant contributions to the local area were given preferential treatment in the Tong Sheng examinations. In essence, the Tong family had donated money, allowing Tong Fu to pass the Tong Sheng exam with the lowest score. Of course, apart from the top scorer, the Tong Sheng examination did not have rankings. This kind of thing was an unwritten rule everywhere, and everyone tacitly understood it.
"Well... I'm still considering it." After answering, Tong Fu quickly changed the subject. "Jiaojiao, look, we're here at your house." Nian Jiaojiao saw the familiar fence and pushed the door open first, only to see an unfamiliar male figure.
"Tong Ziyao?" Nian Jiaojiao was a little stunned. Why had this man come over? During festivals like this, it was rare for men to visit a woman's home. Moreover, they had only met twice, and their conversations had not been extensive. The elegant man seemed out of place in the simple setting of the Nian family's home. He nodded slightly at Nian Jiaojiao. "My sister is usually very lively and active, so as her brother, I came along. I didn't inform you in advance, so I hope you'll excuse any disturbance."
Nian Jiaojiao waved her hand. "No disturbance, no disturbance. Come in and have a seat." She led them into the house, only to find it filled with gifts. Her three husbands were sorting them, making the already small living room even more cramped, leaving little room to move. "This... so many gifts..."
Nian Jiaojiao marveled at Tong Fu's generosity and then turned to her, "Friends don't need to be so formal. Perhaps you..." "Hey! Stop!" Tong Fu put her hands on her hips and said, "You really are family! You think alike. What you were going to say, your husband already said it. It's the New Year, we're just here for the festive atmosphere. Does our Tong family care about these small gifts? Besides, I'll get angry!"
Nian Jiaojiao shook her head helplessly. "Alright, alright, I won't say it then." At this moment, Yu Chuan brought tea to the two guests. Tong Fu couldn't help but sigh. "You're truly amazing. I didn't know before that you had married four husbands at your age." Nian Jiaojiao gave an awkward laugh. She didn't want this either! Was it her who married them? It was clearly the original body's fault! And there was a villainous big shot to serve at home. Was it easy for her?
Although she thought this, Nian Jiaojiao could only reply, "Don't be envious, you'll definitely have more than me in the future." As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Tong Ziyao, who was smiling and chatting with her three husbands. Although the man came from a wealthy family, he had no airs. He did not look down on anyone because of their physical disabilities.
Since men and women have different topics of conversation, Nian Jiaojiao said to Tong Fu, "Let's go to my room to chat. We'll leave them here." Tong Fu readily agreed. "Okay!"
The two arrived in Nian Jiaojiao's room. With some money in hand, Nian Jiaojiao had added quite a bit of furniture to the room. The tea table, desk, wardrobe, and chairs were all made of bamboo, which was very common and cheap in ordinary households. This entire set only cost a tael of silver.
"Sit." Nian Jiaojiao invited Tong Fu to sit down. Tong Fu looked around, taking in the general state of the room. She marveled inwardly at how poor her friend's home was. Nian Jiaojiao poured another cup of water. "I'm sorry, I don't have any desserts at home to entertain you with." Tong Fu didn't mind. "I'm not here to eat anything good, I just came to see you and chat with you."
So, the two began to chat. After talking for a while, Tong Fu suddenly complained, "Alas... something happened at home recently, and the atmosphere in the entire household hasn't been very good. I can only come here to escape during the New Year." Nian Jiaojiao deliberately said, "Oh, so you didn't come specifically to see me, and you've made me feel guilty." Tong Fu rolled her eyes at her and continued, "Escaping is true, and seeing you is also true."
"What exactly is it?" Nian Jiaojiao asked, seeing her worried expression. "Do you know about the case in Qinghe Village recently?" Nian Jiaojiao's heart stirred. Could it be...