The heavy gate of the imperial academy closed slowly, and Xu Mo's figure was completely swallowed up.
Jiang Sheng leaned on her cheeks, her big eyes full of expectation. "After passing the provincial examination and then passing the palace examination, brother will be able to become an official in the future, and we will no longer have to worry about being looked down upon by others. We may even be able to walk arrogantly in Fengjing."
"You can't walk arrogantly. What if I get brother into trouble?" Wen Zhiyun quietly advised.
Jiang Sheng felt it made sense. "Then let's not cause trouble for brother first. When brother becomes very powerful, we'll walk arrogantly then."
"That's still not okay. We have to be humble," Wen Zhiyun patiently taught. "The higher the position and power, the more one must restrain oneself."
If Xu Mo was here, he would most likely give his little fourth brother an approving look, and then smack Jiang Sheng on the head.
Unfortunately he wasn't here, only a long feast trying hard not to laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly.
The bureaucracy of Fengjing was not simple.
Even with the support of Duke Dou, as a descendant of a poor family, Xu Mo would have to suffer for decades if he wanted a high position and power, and by the time his hair turned white, he might be able to sit in a second or third grade position.
Even so, he might not be seen by the powerful families of Fengjing, such as the Qi family. Although they had a minister of rites, they were still ostracized by other elite families because they lacked a family background.
Only simple people like Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun would feel that becoming an official meant everything would be perfect.
Just like in the past when several hungry people thought becoming low level officials was the happiest thing, it was a typical case of desires limited by basic needs, thoughts limiting horizons, horizons limiting life paths.
But Chang Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with that.
Not everyone needed to stand at the highest point to overlook life, not everyone needed to clearly see through the void, and not everyone wanted to seize power and have the ability to accomplish things with ease.
Just being with family, accompanying each other, being able to eat what you want to eat, wear what you want to wear, go out and have fun occasionally, laughing out loud together, that was the best and happiest time in Chang Yan’s eyes.
"Fifth brother, fifth brother," Jiang Sheng called out beside him several times.
Only then did Chang Yan come back to his senses, "What?"
Jiang Sheng grinned, showing her teeth. "Fourth brother and I want to go drink a bowl of wonton soup, do you want to come with us?"
What fourth brother, the innocent Wen Zhiyun beside her hadn’t said anything. It was obvious the little greedy cat wanted to indulge herself but brought along a brother as backing.
Chang Yan didn't expose her, and agreed with a smile.
As Jiang Sheng had wondered a long time ago, there was a wonton stand near every imperial academy. Although they had to keep a certain distance according to local vending regulations, they were always within three miles.
The hot and delicious broth was cooked with kelp and small shrimps, paired with thin-skinned and thick-stuffed wontons, piping hot as they entered the mouth, it was truly a worldly delicacy.
The only thing not delicious was probably the price.
Wonton soup only cost five coins in Anshui Prefecture, but it was sold for twenty coins a bowl in Fengjing. Jiang Sheng's heart was dripping blood as she ate.
Chang Yan teased her, "You can earn hundreds of taels of silver a month, how can you still feel distressed about a bowl of wonton soup."
"Fifth brother, you don’t understand. People who have endured poverty can’t bear to spend a lot of money," Jiang Sheng carefully put the copper coins away. "If it wasn't to congratulate brother, I wouldn't eat it."
In the past, whenever Xu Mo took an exam, they would eat wonton soup, and afterwards receive the top scorer news.
Jiang Sheng was confident it would be no exception this time.
Hiding the copper coins in her purse, she happily ate the wonton soup, not even sparing the little shrimps floating in the soup.
Auntie Zhang on the side wanted to say something but hesitated. She looked at the small courtyard Jiang Sheng had newly rented for one hundred taels of silver, then looked at her distressed appearance from the expensive wonton soup, feeling complicated.
How could she feel that a twenty-cent wonton soup was expensive?
How could anyone feel that a twenty-cent wonton soup was expensive?
Old Lady Jiang from the Jiang family, who was dressed in plain gauze, pretended to pass by. After hesitating several times, she still sat next to Jiang Sheng and her siblings.
The noble old lady of the Jiang family, the top family in Fengjing, actually went to eat wonton soup from a roadside stand. If this news really spread, the Jiang family would be laughed to death.
But she had already sat down, so when the waiter came to ask, "Madam, what would you like to eat?"
Old Lady Jiang could only glance at Jiang Sheng's table and say in a deep voice, "Two wonton soups."
Soon the wonton soup was on the table. In the bowl that countless people had used, the cloudy soup floated unevenly shaped wontons. Because it was overcooked, the wonton skin was even slightly broken.
"Old Madam," Tan Yue carefully reminded, "Why don't you let me eat them instead?"
Although she was Jiang old Madam’s head maid, she had never eaten this kind of roadside food either.
"No need," Old Lady Jiang took a deep breath, picked up a soup spoon, put a wonton into her mouth.
Unexpectedly, it didn't taste bad at all. The soft wonton skin wrapped around the large meat stuffing combined with the light broth tasted fine in her mouth. It couldn’t be considered supreme delicacy, but it wasn’t inferior to the delicate cooking skills of her family kitchens.
Sometimes, the taste honed from the roadside stalls could be more outstanding.
Old Lady Jiang tasted it carefully. She was from an elite family so taking the initiative to eat roadside food would damage her reputation, but since she had eaten it, she shouldn’t waste the food.
When she finished the bowl, Jiang Sheng beside had already drank the soup clean, looking unsatisfied, yet unwilling to spend on another bowl.
Seeing this, her brothers took two wontons each from their bowls and divided them to their greedy sister.
"Oh my, this is so inappropriate," Jiang Sheng declined on the surface, but couldn't help sucking one in.
The satisfied little cat like expression not only made her brothers at the table laugh out loud, but also made Old Lady Jiang crack a smile.
"Madam, two bowls, forty coins." The waiter didn't know when he was standing beside them. Tan Yue then reacted that roadside vendors usually asked for payment first before one could eat. She hurriedly got up to fetch money, but the waiter stopped her.
"Don’t even think about abandoning the old madam and trying to run away. What use is it for me if you escape?" The waiter was young and spoke aggressively. "If you escape then what can I do with this old lady as guarantee?”
Tan Yue stiffened again, at a loss.
Seeing the waiter about to report that they were eating a meal without paying, Jiang Sheng beside stretched her neck in puzzlement and recognized the grimly pursing lips old lady.
Two jin, two jin of candied chestnuts!
She almost jumped up. Wasn't this the old lady who had cheated her? How has the situation turned around with her seemingly cheated by the wonton stand?
"You must pay the forty coins today, or I'm reporting this to the official." The waiter said angrily.
Old Lady Jiang had no choice but to take off her ever-present jade bracelet. "I’ll use this as collateral."
