Ten taels of silver in hand, Xie Xun slowly slipped them into the money pouch at his waist. Then he left with Jiang Xiaoxiao.
On their way to the meat stalls, Xie Xun asked, "Can you fortune tellers really make such accurate predictions?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I didn't make any prediction."
"Huh?"
"I saw him when I was coming down the mountain."
Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "There are many people at the foot of the mountain pretending to be direct disciples of the celestial masters. I remembered this Sun Dazhu."
"I've seen this person before too."
Xie Xun said, "A few years ago, I went to the county town to have my fortune told and met him. I was young and naive back then, and he swindled me out of some silver."
Jiang Xiaoxiao looked enlightened.
No wonder Xie Xun hadn't shooed that old Daoist priest away earlier but had simply sat down to confront him.
So he had run into an old enemy and seized the opportunity to take revenge!
The meat stalls were just ahead.
Xie Xun bought a slab of pork ribs, then went to the fish stall and got three plump catfish. Finally, he went to the grocer's to buy spices.
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't know how to cook any of these ingredients.
But she knew Xie Xun was a good cook.
Thinking about the delicious meal awaiting them, she felt an indescribable satisfaction.
Xie Xun noticed the subtle changes in her expression and smiled faintly.
They had bought too much to carry it all back on foot.
Luckily, an ox cart came by, and Xie Xun flagged it down, negotiating the fare to Shi Mo Village with the driver.
Just as they were about to board, someone rushed ahead and climbed into the cart first. "Master, hurry up, I'm going to the county town!"
Xie Xun recognized the speaker as Yang Wei, the only scholar from Shi Mo Village studying at Luming Academy.
The driver felt a little awkward. "Young sir, he was here first."
Upon hearing this, Yang Wei became displeased. "I'm rushing to take an exam. Why should you send him first? Besides, you'd make more money sending me to the county town than sending him. Right?"
Xie Xun's reputation of being plagued by bad luck was well-known within ten li of the village. As a fellow villager, Yang Wei was naturally aware of it too.
With the pride of a scholar, Yang Wei had never considered Xie Xun worth his attention, let alone interacting with him.
If it weren't for the urgent need to catch this cart due to the time constraints, he wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Xie Xun at all.
Thus, when he spoke, he didn't even grant Xie Xun a glance, as if looking at Xie Xun would tarnish his noble dignity as a scholar.
"This..." The driver looked at Xie Xun in a dilemma.
Before Xie Xun could respond, Jiang Xiaoxiao spoke first, telling the driver, "If you send him, the cart will overturn halfway. By the time you factor in the repair costs, you'll probably end up losing money."
Hearing this, Yang Wei's face darkened. He pointed at Jiang Xiaoxiao. "What uncouth girl is spouting nonsense and wishing ill on others? Mind your foul tongue!"
As scholars, they didn't believe in supernatural forces or nonsense.
Yet this was an exam, and who didn't hope for a smooth journey?
Yang Wei had been at the bottom of his class for six consecutive months.
The master had warned that if his grades didn't improve, he wouldn't be eligible for the children's exam next year.
Of course Yang Wei was anxious - he was the only scholar from the village.
Everyone believed he would achieve great things by studying at the prestigious Luming Academy.
Yang Wei believed this himself too.
Luming Academy's admission requirements were extremely stringent. Apart from passing the almost soul-crushing entrance exam, there were various oral interviews to test each candidate's adaptability.
Yang Wei was probably the luckiest student ever admitted to Luming Academy.
When he enrolled, he didn't take the entrance exam or the rumored "interview."
His admission seemed to be through the back door.
One day, someone from Luming Academy came and said out of the blue that he had saved the dean's life.
Then, just as inexplicably, they gave him an admission letter, and he enrolled just like that.
To this day, Yang Wei didn't remember when he had saved the dean's life. He didn't even know what the dean looked like.
But what did that matter?
In the entire Baoqing Prefecture, even in all of Kaihe County, there wasn't a single student who hadn't heard of the renowned Luming Academy.
They considered it the highest honor to be admitted there.
For Yang Wei to study at such an esteemed institution was naturally a glorious event that brought honor to his ancestors. His family was overjoyed and even threw a grand feast inviting the whole village to let him bask in the limelight.
However, Yang Wei's performance after enrolling was less than stellar.
He always struggled to keep up with the lessons taught by the masters and naturally performed poorly in exams.
While he could pretend in front of the villagers, at the academy, he could only hang his head and tuck his tail between his legs.
To this day, he had yet to meet the dean whose life he had supposedly "saved."
Thinking of this, Yang Wei felt resentful.
Before leaving home, his mother had even burned high-quality incense to pray to their ancestors, hoping he would perform well in today's exam.
Yet before even reaching the town, some uncouth girl had cursed him, saying the cart he was riding would overturn halfway.
Who wouldn't feel unlucky hearing that?
Yang Wei glared at Jiang Xiaoxiao with eyes that seemed to hold knives, as if he wanted to flay her alive.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was usually quick to act and never argued with people. She calmly looked back at Yang Wei.
If he dared to bark another word, she would give him a couple of punches to let him experience the harsh realities of the world.
However, it was then that Xie Xun spoke to the driver, "Never mind, you can send him first."
The driver felt a little embarrassed as he looked at Xie Xun, then drove off with Yang Wei.
Jiang Xiaoxiao watched the departing ox cart, then turned to Xie Xun. "Do you know that person?"
"He's from the village," Xie Xun said. "But we're not close."
"Is he a scholar?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to study too?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked again.
"No."
Xie Xun strode forward.
He had considered it before, but his intention to study was only to find a way back to the capital.
However, Jiang Xiaoxiao had told him that to reclaim what was rightfully his, he would need to get close to the crown prince Mu Rong Yuan after returning to the capital.
The path of the imperial examinations was clearly not feasible.
Yang Wei was in a rush the whole way.
They had been on holiday yesterday and were supposed to return to the academy yesterday evening.
He had lingered to drink with some childhood friends from the village and ended up oversleeping until this morning.
Now he was rushing to the exam, and time was clearly tight.
Yet the ox cart was so slow, barely faster than walking.
As they went along at a snail's pace, Yang Wei's brow furrowed more deeply. "Hey, can't you go a little faster?"
The driver said helplessly, "Young sir, ox carts are just slow. If you're in a hurry, you should have taken a horse carriage earlier. Horse carriages are much faster!"
Horse carriages were fast, but they were also exorbitantly expensive!
There were only two horse carriages at the town's transport station. What ordinary person could afford that?
Yang Wei said, "Just whip the ox a few more times, and it'll go as fast as a horse carriage."
The driver: "..."
Yang Wei added, "I'll give you five extra copper coins if you can go faster. Otherwise, I'll be late for the exam."
"Alright, I'll try my best." The driver cracked his whip against the ox's back.
Stung by the pain, the ox indeed broke into a gallop.
At this speed, they would definitely reach the academy on time.
Yang Wei felt relieved.
However, before he could fully catch his breath, he saw a large puddle ahead.
There was no way to slow down in time.
The ox charged through the puddle, the left wheel sinking into the water.
Before anyone could react, the cart overturned, spilling driver, passenger, and all.
Yang Wei's pristine scholar's robe was covered in mud.
The driver wasn't faring much better either.
But his first thought wasn't to check on the ox cart, but to recall the words of the girl back in town.
She had said that if the ox cart was headed to the county town, it would overturn halfway.
The driver was no spring chicken, yet he had been spooked by the mere words of a young girl?
Yang Wei didn't take her words to heart at the time, thinking the girl was just venting her anger after someone had stolen her carriage.
But now, looking at the overturned ox cart in the muddy pit, the carter broke out in a cold sweat on his back.
Yang Wei also recalled Jiang Xiaoxiao's words, his face darkening.
He didn't believe in any premonition nonsense; that dead girl must have tampered with the ox cart while he wasn't paying attention!
Now that things had turned out like this, there was no way he could make it to the exam site on time.
The more Yang Wei thought about it, the angrier he became, ultimately deciding to cut his losses.
He didn't pay the fare and abandoned the ox cart, turning around and running back.
He was going to find that dead girl and settle the score!
In Shi Mo Village.
Xie Xun was steaming the spare ribs, squatting by the well to kill fish.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was holding a wooden dipper, watering the vegetable garden.
The fragrance of steamed spare ribs wafted out from the steaming pot in the kitchen from time to time, making her mouth water.
Before long, someone was knocking heavily on the courtyard gate.
"Xie Xun, get your ass out here!"
Xie Xun recognized the voice and ignored it, continuing to kill the fish with his head down.
The commotion outside the gate grew louder and louder, with Yang Wei even disregarding the demeanor of a scholar, knocking on the door while cursing loudly.
"Xie Xun, you plague-ridden scoundrel, you've harmed someone and can only cower like a turtle now? Have the guts to come out!"
Hearing this, Jiang Xiaoxiao looked over at Xie Xun, "Someone's knocking on the door."
Xie Xun said indifferently, "No need to bother."
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't want to bother either, but the person outside was too annoying.
She tossed the wooden dipper aside, grabbed a half-bucket of water, jumped onto the courtyard wall, and poured it directly towards the gate.
The drenched Yang Wei immediately jumped up and down. "Xie Xun, you..."
Jiang Xiaoxiao squatted on the courtyard wall, propping her chin and frowning, "You're so annoying."
Yang Wei looked up, saw the person on the courtyard wall, and grew angrier. "You dead girl, was it you who tampered with the ox cart earlier?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaoxiao realized the ox cart had overturned.
And judging from Yang Wei's mud-covered appearance, he must have taken a nasty fall.
She shrugged nonchalantly, "You say it was, then it was."
"You!" Yang Wei was furious, shouting curses, "You pair of bastards, I'm going to tell the village chief and get you kicked out of the village!"
As Yang Wei was about to leave, Jiang Xiaoxiao leaped down in front of him, blocking his way.
It was then that Yang Wei realized this dead girl actually had some martial arts skills.
"You, you want to do what?"
He stepped back in fear.
Jiang Xiaoxiao rolled up her sleeves, about to take action.
At this moment, a stern rebuke came from behind, "Stop!"
