She called Wang Chunzhi “Aunt” and Liu Kun “Uncle.” Liu Kun’s temperament was completely different from her father’s. Her father was rigid and stern, while Liu Kun was kind and affable. He would lift her high to sit on his shoulders and would secretly give her candy when her father punished her to face the wall and reflect.
Wang Chunzhi and Liu Kun had lived in Changwu County for many years. Until Lu Tong was seven, Liu Kun borrowed fifty taels of silver from her father, taking his wife and children to the capital to do business. From then on, they lost contact.
Later, when plague struck Changwu County, Lu Tong went up the mountain with Yunniang. Seven years passed in a flash, and Lu Tong herself had almost forgotten she had such relatives. Who would have thought she’d hear this familiar name again from Uncle Cao’s people?
So she wanted to come see this “distant relative” who had informed on the authorities—the same person who had once cooked stir-fried eel noodles for her on summer evenings.
Wang Chunzhi didn’t recognize Lu Tong, which was natural, since Lu Tong had changed greatly from before.
As for Wang Chunzhi…
Lu Tong lowered her head and silently took a bite of noodles.
This aunt no longer had her past simplicity—she was older but much more prosperous.
Steam rising from the noodle bowl blurred Lu Tong’s vision, while from ahead came Wang Chunzhi’s conversation with regular customers.
“Proprietress, the autumn examinations will be here soon. Your young master will surely pass this year’s autumn exam!”
Wang Chunzhi laughingly pretended to hit him: “How can you be so sure he’ll pass? How many names appear on the exam list each year? This is Zide’s first time taking the exam—it would be good enough if he can finish it properly. What are you daydreaming about?”
“Proprietress, why be so modest? We all know your two sons are promising. The eldest passed two years ago, so the youngest certainly won’t be lacking. When the young master passes, don’t forget to treat us to drinks!”
This flattery made Wang Chunzhi beam with joy, eagerly agreeing as if Liu Zide’s success was already a foregone conclusion.
Lu Tong’s hand holding chopsticks paused.
Liu Kun and Wang Chunzhi had two sons—Lu Tong’s cousins Liu Zixian and Liu Zide.
However…
In Lu Tong’s memory, these two were not scholarly material at all.
She picked up another strand of noodles but didn’t put it in her mouth. The spicy aroma from the bowl gradually rose, making Lu Tong’s cheeks flush pink.
Lu Tong’s eyes darkened.
Liu Kun’s two sons, eldest son Liu Zixian and youngest son Liu Zide, were Lu Tong’s cousins.
Unlike her uncle and aunt, Lu Tong actually didn’t much like these two cousins.
These two had arrogant personalities and were habitually incompetent but ambitious. When in Changwu County, to avoid work, they often dumped their tasks on Lu Qian. Lu Tong was dissatisfied with this, but Lu Qian was good-natured, thinking that since they were brothers, doing a bit more work was fine—no need to be petty.
However, Lu Qian’s tolerance didn’t earn gratitude.
Lu Qian studied at the academy with these two brothers. Liu Zide was even two years older than Lu Qian, yet Lu Qian was much better at scholarship than the Liu brothers. Perhaps out of jealousy, Liu Zixian disliked Lu Qian and was always sarcastic in his speech.
Yet this very cousin, whose scholarship was mediocre and whose essays were a mess, had actually passed the autumn examinations two years ago and become a licentiate. After passing further assessments, he might be able to take a local post.
Although one should view people with fresh eyes after three days, this change seemed too dramatic.
As for second cousin Liu Zide…
Lu Tong remembered he couldn’t even write his own name clearly.
Now Liu Zixian had already passed, and Liu Zide was also taking this year’s autumn examinations. Looking at her aunt’s manner, though she tried hard to conceal it, her expression couldn’t hide her confidence.
Confidence in Liu Zide’s essays?
Hardly likely.
The Liu family previously only knew how to make money and eat. Now they’d truly struck gold—both brothers passing examinations. Were they really so capable? Yet there were countless talented scholars in this world. Someone as talented as Scholar Wu from the fresh fish market, who had studied hard for over ten years, still failed the examinations.
Moreover, the time when Liu Zixian passed the autumn examinations two years ago…
Calculating it, it was shortly after Lu Qian was arrested.
Outside, Wang Chunzhi continued chatting and laughing amid everyone’s flattery about “the eldest son becoming an official, the youngest son also becoming an official.” Lu Tong pondered alone until Yin Zheng’s sound of putting down chopsticks interrupted her thoughts.
Seeing Yin Zheng put down her bowl, Lu Tong said: “Let’s go when you’re finished.”
Yin Zheng nodded, wiped her mouth, then looked at the noodle bowl in front of Lu Tong, asking puzzledly: “Won’t Miss eat some more? The noodles have gotten cold.”
Cold noodles had clumped together, and the fragrant aroma had dissipated.
“No.”
Lu Tong glanced down at the noodle bowl and stood up.
“These noodles no longer taste like they used to.”
…
Inside Shangjin Gate, the evening air at the Palace Guard Commander’s residence was filled with the aroma of rice porridge.
Duan Xiaoyan squatted on the ground, dumping the noodles from his bowl to a black dog in the courtyard.
The black dog had an agile build and well-proportioned muscles. Its fur was like shining black satin, sparkling with tiny scales in the sunset—a beautiful hunting dog, though its eating posture wasn’t very elegant.
As soon as Pei Yunying entered from outside, this was the scene he saw. After a moment of silence, he spoke: “Why are you feeding it again?”
Duan Xiaoyan looked up, first calling “Brother,” then excitedly said: “Brother, look, hasn’t Zhizi lost a lot of weight recently? Dr. Lu’s medicinal soup is really amazing.”
Pei Yunying glanced at the black dog: “It wasn’t fat to begin with.”
“Brother, you just spoil her.” Duan Xiaoyan patted the dog’s head. “Zhizi is a Palace Guards Division dog, representing our division’s reputation. Besides, she’s a girl, and girls should naturally be more slender to be beautiful.”
“Since when does the Palace Guards Division’s reputation need to be represented by a dog?” Pei Yunying laughed and scolded, walking straight into the courtyard.