Chapter 256: Too Deeply Immersed in the Role

Doctor Chen was very perceptive. He cleared his throat, then followed the flow of the situation and walked up to Liu Shi with a kind smile.

"This elder sister, do you need me to take your pulse?"

Liu Shi: "..."

That's not right. Weren't they talking about the "life root"? How did it get to her legs?

Should she let him check or not...

Liu Shi gritted her teeth. Let him check! Was she afraid of him? Besides, her conscience was clear.

"Come on then." Liu Shi promptly stretched out her hand.

Doctor Chen gently placed two fingers on her pulse. After a long while, he withdrew his hand. "This elder sister has sufficient blood and Qi, and her meridians are clear. It's just that your temper is a bit too fiery. As long as you don't get angry so often and take some medicine to reduce the heat, there's nothing else wrong with you."

Liu Shi let out a sigh of relief.

As long as she wasn't sick, that was fine. She still had to wait for her son to pass the exams as the top scholar, become a high official, marry a princess, and let her become a noble matriarch of high standing. How could she do that without a healthy body?

"Can a fiery temper cause numbness in the legs and feet?" Shang Tianyou asked, pursuing the matter.

"That wouldn't happen." Doctor Chen shook his head. "And from what I just observed, this elder sister had plenty of breath when she was scolding people and jumped quite high. If she really had symptoms of leg and foot paralysis, it would be impossible for her to recover so quickly."

The implication was that Liu Shi was lying.

The people present cast disdainful looks at Liu Shi one after another.

Master Yan sighed and looked at Xiao Liangchen. "A-Chen, is your mother also going to Fengyang Prefecture to accompany you for the exams?"

Xiao Liangchen opened his mouth. "She..."

"She isn't going." Xiao's father, who had been silent for a long time, strode over and pulled at the corner of his mouth with difficulty. "With the Master taking care of things along the way, we as parents are very relieved, so we won't go and meddle."

When Liu Shi heard this, she became anxious. "How can that be? Didn't we agree..."

"Shut up!"

Xiao's father glared at her fiercely and gritted his teeth. "I am the master of this house, and what I say goes!"

Liu Shi was startled by her husband's man-eating gaze and didn't dare to speak again.

Xiao Liangchen was full of exhaustion and managed a forced smile. "Yes, my mother isn't going to accompany me. I can manage on my own."

Master Yan patted his shoulder. "I believe you can."

After saying this, he turned around, looked around, and raised his voice. "Alright, it's getting late, and everyone is almost here. Everyone, hurry and get on the carriages. We're setting off!"

This trip to Fengyang Prefecture would be by waterway.

Therefore, they had to take carriages to the ferry first, then transfer to a large passenger boat, travel south along the Black Water, and finally arrive at Fengyang Prefecture.

Compared to traveling by land, taking a boat had two major advantages.

First, of course, was the issue of safety. Although most of the road from Wutou Xian to the prefectural city was a main official road, there were post stations along the way for rest.

But there was no lack of rugged and steep mountain paths.

Where there were mountains, there could be bandits; where there were roads, there could be thieves, plus the beggars and refugees one might encounter at any time.

The danger factor could be said to soar in a straight line.

Xiushan Academy sent a batch of students to Fengyang Prefecture for exams almost every year, so they were already very familiar with the route. As early as a dozen years ago, they had already switched to the waterway.

And they had never had an accident.

That was the first point.

The second advantage was also very important.

You have to know that they were going to take the imperial examinations. What was the most important thing before the exam? Of course, it was to conserve energy and build up strength.

Compared to the dust and fatigue of traveling, taking a boat was obviously more comfortable.

If they rested well, wouldn't they naturally perform better during the exam?

Inside the carriage, Jiang Zhan explained these circumstances to Du Ruo, Master Jiang, and Lao Tietou.

Du Ruo nodded in agreement. "That makes a lot of sense."

Jiang Zhan paused and added, "But there are also disadvantages, such as the travel expenses, which are at least twice as expensive as the land route."

"How much is that?"

"Calculated per person, it's ten taels of silver per person."

That is to say, for their group of four, in these short three days, the boat fare alone would be forty taels, not including food and entertainment.

It was indeed quite expensive; ordinary families probably couldn't afford it.

No wonder they say it's hard for poor families to produce noble sons.

Studying in ancient times, if you didn't have some family background, you really couldn't afford it.

However, this bit of money really wasn't a big deal for the current Second Branch of the Jiang Family.

"Don't worry, A-Zhan. You just focus on your exams; your sister-in-law can afford to support you." Du Ruo smiled.

After saying this, she looked at Master Jiang. "Third Uncle, if you don't have enough money, I have some here too."

"No need." Master Jiang curled his lips slightly. "I've saved some over these years; it's enough."

Although the three brothers still lived together, they had actually separated the family long ago. His eldest and second brothers had to take wives, take daughters-in-law, and raise grandsons and granddaughters, so their expenses were high and they were short on cash.

Unlike him, he was a lone man; even if he wanted to spend money, he had nowhere to spend it.

Plus, in his spare time from teaching, he wrote some scripts about talented scholars and beautiful women, and with the share from the bookstore, he had also earned quite a bit of money.

Counting it up, it should be a hundred taels.

He had thought that after he passed away, it would all be left to his nephews and grand-nephews, but he didn't expect to meet Zheng Shi when he was nearly forty.

This money finally had a place to be used.

Thinking of that water-made, silly woman, the smile on Master Jiang's lips deepened.

Once he obtained the title of Xiucai, he would go next door to propose...

Du Ruo had no idea that Master Jiang was coveting her own mother. Hearing him say it wasn't necessary, she turned her gaze toward Lao Tietou, who was sitting opposite: "Uncle Lao Tie, since you were invited by my husband, the expenses will naturally be charged to me."

Lao Tietou laughed heartily. "My current status is a servant of the Jiang family, so I listen to the mistress."

Du Ruo also chuckled.

He was really deeply immersed in the role.

Just now when he was teasing Liu Shi, it was "my mistress" this and "my mistress" that, and something about being eager to protect the master. Good heavens, he made it seem like he was really a servant of the Jiang family.

However, seeing Liu Shi get snubbed and make a fool of herself in public, Du Ruo was still very happy.

She deserved it!

It's just that she didn't know how Lao Tietou managed to do it. Could it be... that he really had martial arts skills?

Du Ruo looked at Lao Tietou with some scrutiny.

Actually, thinking about it carefully, how could the person recommended by Jiang Li be an ordinary person?

It could only be said that Lao Tietou hid it too well.

Du Ruo put aside these thoughts, thought for a moment, and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.

Seven or eight carriages were moving majestically toward the ferry, and at the very back of the procession, Liu Shi was pulling on Xiao Liangchen, crying and wailing, as if her son wasn't going to take an exam, but to the execution ground.