Chapter 66: That's Just Too Outrageous!

The spring sunshine was exceptionally bright.

Luo Zijun bought chicken, duck, fish, and meat on the street, picked up a pot of fresh goat milk, and prepared to head home.

As he neared Willow Leaf Alley, someone suddenly called out to stop him.

Turning his head to look, it was Wang Shen, who sold fruit.

When he went to take the exam for the scholar degree, this Wang Shen's nephew had gone too.

His sister's subsequent actions had nearly angered Wang Shen to death, to the point where the other party had not spoken to his sister for several days.

Today, Wang Shen's face was piled with smiles, and she was exceptionally enthusiastic.

Luo Zijun remembered he happened to need to buy some fruit, so he turned and walked over.

"Wang Shen."

He greeted her politely.

The smile on Wang Shen's face was exceptionally bright: "Oh my, isn't this our scholar gentleman! Hehe, Zijun, I heard from your sister that you were admitted to West Lake Academy in advance, breaking the rules—is that true?"

Luo Zijun nodded while picking out fruit and said, "That is the case."

Wang Shen's face was immediately filled with envy, and she clicked her tongue: "Zijun, you are truly incredible now! I heard from my nephew that West Lake Academy is the most formidable Academy in our Outer City; ordinary scholars simply cannot get in. But you, you didn't even need to take the exam and were admitted in advance. Tsk tsk, I said long ago that this boy of yours looks like the Literary Star descended to earth; you are destined to be a top scholar in the future! Your Aunt Zhang, Uncle Sun, and the others even mocked me, saying I was talking nonsense, hehe."

Luo Zijun picked out a bunch of bananas and a few oranges, then smiled: "Wang Shen has a very keen eye for people."

"Hehe, that's right, that's right!"

Wang Shen chuckled, hurriedly took the fruit from his hands, and without even weighing it, picked up a basket from the ground and loaded it in. She then took some apples, pears, mulberries, and other fruits from the stall, filling the small basket right to the brim.

"Zijun, take this back to eat; come back and get more when you're finished."

Wang Shen handed the full basket of fruit directly to him.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said, "I can't eat this much, and you haven't weighed it yet."

Wang Shen's smile faded, and she looked at him with a reproachful expression: "You're my own nephew, what's there to weigh? Even if you can't eat it all, take it back to eat; Aunt is treating you, no money needed!"

Luo Zijun hurriedly said, "That won't do."

As he spoke, he prepared to take out silver.

Wang Shen hurriedly said angrily, "Don't you dare take it out! Zijun, you've passed the scholar exam and entered the Academy, so now you look down on your Aunt, is that it? It's just a few pieces of fruit, how much could they be worth? If you give Aunt money today, Aunt will be angry!"

"Wang Shen, this..."

"What this or that? I'm giving it to you, so take it! I watched you grow up since you were small; now that you have prospects, what's wrong with Aunt treating you to a few pieces of fruit? Here, take it!"

Wang Shen kept a straight face and, without allowing for argument, shoved the basket directly into his hands.

Then she pushed him along.

Luo Zijun had no choice but to say, "Then thank you, Wang Shen."

"What are you thanking me for, you child! Hurry back; if you want to eat fruit in the future, just come directly to Aunt's place to get it."

Seeing him accept it, a bright smile immediately appeared on Wang Shen's face again.

After Luo Zijun had walked far away, the woman selling vegetables nearby asked curiously, "Wang, is this young man a scholar?"

Wang Shen immediately said, "He's more than just a scholar; he was admitted to the best Academy in our Outer City in advance, breaking the rules—he didn't even have to take the exam! That's the kind of treatment only the Literary Star descended to earth gets!"

"Tsk tsk, the Literary Star, is he your nephew, Wang?"

Wang Shen immediately straightened her back and said with a face full of pride: "Who says he isn't! Zijun is the nephew I watched grow up since he was small; didn't you hear him just call me Aunt? He's a nephew closer than my own flesh and blood! When his sister and brother-in-law see me, they have to respectfully call me Aunt!"

Upon hearing this, the woman's face was filled with envy.

Wang Shen became even more proud and happy, humming a tune while tidying up the fruit on her stall.

Luo Zijun carried his things home.

The house was very quiet.

His sister and brother-in-law had not yet returned; only the Young Maid was in the room sewing clothes.

"Oh, Young Master is back so early?"

Seeing him return at this time, Xiaohuan was very surprised.

She knew that the Young Master had gone out of the city to go sightseeing today.

Luo Zijun forced a smile: "I'm too tired, so I came back early. Go get plates and chopsticks; I'm going to eat something, you eat a little too."

It was still the afternoon.

He decided to eat his fill and then go to his room to sleep.

He would continue his cultivation at night.

As for the matter of practicing martial arts, he would have to wait for his brother-in-law to return and ask him.

Xiaohuan quickly brought the bowls, chopsticks, and plates.

Luo Zijun wolfed down the food, eating an entire chicken, half a roast goose, three pork knuckles, and drinking more than half a pot of goat milk before he stopped, feeling satisfied.

Xiaohuan watched, dumbfounded.

"Xiaohuan, come, drink the remaining goat milk; it can't be left out in this weather."

He poured the remaining goat milk into a bowl.

Xiaohuan leaned in to smell it, and with a bitter little face, said, "Young Master, it's so gamey..."

Luo Zijun said, "If you think this is gamey, there will be even gamier things later. Drink it quickly; drinking plenty of it can enhance your bust and whiten your skin."

"Enhance... bust... whiten skin?"

Xiaohuan was stunned; she looked down at her own chest, and her face immediately turned red.

So the Young Master thought she was small.

"Oh..."

She had no choice but to lower her head, pick up the bowl, and endure the gamey smell that made her want to vomit, gulping it down. Her young, delicate face was full of misery.

After she finally finished drinking, she said with a bitter face, "Young Master, it really is so gamey. By the way, Young Master just said there will be even gamier things later, what are those?"

The little girl asked while putting down her bowl, a few drops of milky-white goat milk trickling from the corner of her mouth, her bright, large eyes full of curiosity.

"Another kind of milk."

Luo Zijun glanced at her, stood up, went out to wash his face and rinse his mouth, then returned to his room to sleep.

As for the medicine he had brought back, he decided not to decoct it at home. If his sister and brother-in-law found out, he feared it would be hard to explain, and his sister would worry herself sleepless again.

He would decoct it at the Pharmacy tomorrow.

He would let that girl Su Qingling decoct it; if she refused, he would spank her!

After letting his mind wander in bed for a while, he soon fell asleep.

His body was too depleted; he was truly headachy and drowsy.

He slept through this nap until it was dark.

After Luo Jiaorong returned, she asked Xiaohuan, then quietly peered into the doorway before deciding not to disturb him.

"He must be exhausted from his trip outside the city; let him sleep."

After dark.

Li Zhengshan had not yet returned, but a guest had arrived.

It was Wang Shi, the wife of Datou.

At this moment, Luo Zijun happened to wake up and heard his sister and Wang talking in low voices in the living room.

!

Wang said apologetically, "Jiaorong, I've been busy taking care of Datou these past few days, so I didn't manage to come over. We simply cannot accept this twenty taels of silver; Datou has been scolding me ever since he found out about it that day."

So it was about the twenty taels of silver his brother-in-law had sent over.

Luo Jiaorong quickly said, "What are you saying, Sister Wang? This money should have been paid by us in the first place. Zhengshan said that if it weren't for your Datou, he would have been the one injured."

The two pushed the matter back and forth, but Luo Jiaorong firmly pushed it back.

"Sister Wang, don't worry about our family; we aren't short of these twenty taels of silver right now. My Zijun can write books to earn money now; he wrote a book last time and earned thirty taels of silver all at once!"

"Really? Thirty taels? Is Zijun that capable?"

"Hehe, of course! He is a Scholar now, and he was even admitted to the West Lake Academy by special exception—he doesn't even have to take the Academy Examination!"

"This... I haven't seen him for a few days, and Zijun is already this impressive! But if Zijun goes to the Academy, doesn't he need to pay tuition? I hear the Academy's tuition is very expensive."

"Haha, no need, no need! Others certainly have to pay tuition to attend the Academy, but as for my Zijun, not only does he not have to pay, the school even rewards him with silver every month..."

As she spoke, she proceeded to boast with smug satisfaction, repeating the same words she had already bragged about countless times to the neighbors.

Hearing this, Wang was both shocked and envious.

"Tsk tsk, Zijun is actually... I truly never expected this. I originally thought Zijun was suited for medicine and might become a doctor in the future; who could have imagined he is the Literary Star descended to earth..."

Luo Zijun was speechless listening from his room.

Why do people here love to call scholars the Literary Star descended to earth when they praise them...

His sister, however, didn't blush at all: "Isn't that so! I used to dream often that a star fell from the sky and landed in my home; it seems now that it was my Zijun!"

Luo Zijun: "..."

The two chatted for a while longer.

Luo Jiaorong looked outside and asked curiously, "Why hasn't Zhengshan returned yet?"

Wang hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping, before saying in a low voice, "Jiaorong, I will tell you something. Datou kept telling me not to tell you. But I thought about it and decided I must tell you, otherwise..."

Luo Jiaorong immediately said, "What is it? Tell me quickly!"

Wang said with a face full of worry, "Do you know why Datou was injured? It was mauled by a great beast."

"A... a great beast?"

Luo Jiaorong's expression changed.

A great beast meant a fierce tiger.

Wang continued, "I heard from Datou that a very large great beast has recently appeared at Jingyang Ridge outside the city, and several passing merchants and commoners have been killed or injured. The yamen received the news and offered a bounty for hunters to enter the mountains to kill the beast, but I heard several hunters were killed or injured as well. With no other choice, the yamen had to send Datou and the others, who have martial arts skills, to go and hunt it..."

"After they entered the mountains, they searched for several days and finally discovered it that day, but all of them were injured. I heard one Constable's head was almost crushed by that great beast..."

Luo Jiaorong was terrified, her face turning pale, and she stood up abruptly, saying, "My Zhengshan, he... he..."

Wang sighed, "I heard from Datou that they might have gone again tonight. Zhengshan was likely afraid you would worry, so he didn't dare tell you."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jiaorong immediately trembled, her face deathly pale: "This... this scoundrel..."

At this moment, Luo Zijun suddenly came out of the room and asked, "Sister Wang, the great beast you just mentioned, it appeared at Jingyang Ridge? Is that the name?"

Seeing him come out, Wang quickly stood up and nodded, "Zijun, that is the name."

Luo Zijun asked again, "And at the foot of Jingyang Ridge, is there a tavern?"

Wang was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "There is a tavern; Datou and the others went there to eat and even drank some wine."

Luo Zijun's heart raced, and he asked again, "Does that tavern have a banner hanging in front of the door, with the words 'Three Bowls Do Not Cross the Ridge' written on it in large characters?"

"Eh?"

Wang was full of astonishment: "Zijun, have you been there too? I heard from your Uncle Datou that it indeed says 'Three Bowls Do Not Cross the Ridge' there. Your Uncle Datou said the wine there is very strong, and he only dared to drink one bowl."

Luo Zijun: "..."

Jingyang Ridge, a great beast, Three Bowls Do Not Cross the Ridge...

This...

Isn't this too absurd?

At the same time.

By the Xihu Broken Bridge, two young girls appeared.

The moonlight was bright, and the lake water shimmered.

The two girls, one in white and one in green, sat quietly by the Broken Bridge, staring blankly at the star-lit surface of the lake.

"Qingqing, I'm hungry."

"You just ate."

"I'm hungry again."

"..."

"Why hasn't he come yet?"

"It's daytime."

"Oh, then let's go get something to eat now."

(End of chapter)