She replied to Wen Chen, her voice hoarse and muffled. She said, “No one in this world is perfect, and besides, I only have my father left.” 

It was like a pair of shoes she had to wear when going out on a rainy night, uncomfortable and rubbing her feet, but there was no other way, because she only had her father left. 

No… 

In the future, there would also be Chen Lang. 

She probably had the same thought about Wen Chen now. Even if he didn’t fit her feet, it was still better to have him than to have nothing. 

Thinking of this, Li Wanzhao wasn’t sullen anymore. She turned her head and looked at Wen Chen. 

Wen Chen noticed her burning gaze and turned his head to look at her, his eyes unclear. 

Perhaps because they were soaked with tears, her eyes were very bright, like the night-shining pearl he liked to play with in the palace when he was young. Even in the night, when it was so dark that it couldn’t be darker, it was still dazzling. 

He liked that night-shining pearl very much, liked the light it emitted in the dark night. The faint light seemed to be taken away by the pearl, and only it was eye-catching. 

His thoughts drifted back to the imperial city, but the next moment, Li Wanzhao grabbed his arm and rested her head on his arm. 

Wen Chen didn’t like being touched by others, and his body stiffened. He heard her say, “Now I don’t only have my father, I also have you.” 

She also had him… 

Wen Chen pursed his lips and didn’t answer. 

He couldn’t make any promises to Li Wanzhao, because her figure wasn’t in his future. 

His original intention was to give her a reminder, but he didn’t expect that it would change its flavor later. 

It was better not to say anything. 

Li Wanzhao was used to his coldness. Not getting a reply, she only clung tighter, as if only this could bring her a thin sense of security. 

The two returned to the house like this. Before long, someone sent the charcoal over first. 

It was originally agreed to be sent tomorrow morning, but Li Man was afraid that she would be too cold tonight, so he sent someone to send it over first. As for the winter clothes, it was too late now, so they had to talk about it tomorrow. 

Since that day, Li Wanzhao’s life hadn’t been so difficult. Li Guan was willing to say those words and do those things, which was a great concession. Li Wanzhao was also the type to climb up the pole, so as soon as Li Guan relented, she used all kinds of excuses to find him, to send him food to the yamen, and so on. 

In short, she was thinking of ways to please him. 

During this period, she also said a lot of good things about Wen Chen. 

But as soon as she mentioned Wen Chen, her father would be unhappy in various ways. 

Because of this, Li Wanzhao didn’t dare to mention it again, for fear of accidentally angering him again. 

Life passed slowly, and one evening, Li Wanzhao sat in the courtyard doing embroidery. 

Although Li Guan had someone send candle oil again, Li Wanzhao was still so stingy that she was reluctant to go inside and light the lamp even in the evening. 

Because she was afraid that Li Guan would quarrel with her again next time, and she would lose these things again, she saved as much as she could. 

Until it was almost dark, she planned to pack up and go inside. 

At this time, Wen Chen happened to return from outside. 

He walked towards her and stuffed twenty taels of silver into her hands. 

Li Wanzhao was stunned by this large sum of money. She hurriedly asked him, “Where did you get so much money?” 

Wen Chen said, “I wrote a painting and calligraphy, and someone wanted to buy it, so I sold it for twenty taels.” 

Wen Chen had never thought that Li Wanzhao’s life would be like this… 

Life was so difficult that she had to kneel in the snow and cry to her biological father. 

Even if he didn’t like Li Wanzhao very much. 

But when it came to money, as a man, he should share the worries for his wife, which was a matter of course. 

Li Wanzhao looked at the silver in front of her, a little dazed. After a long time, she spat out a sentence, “Is your painting and calligraphy so valuable?” 

In fact, this painting could have sold for more than twenty taels, but Wen Chen needed money urgently, so it was pressed again and again, and finally it was pressed to twenty taels. 

“The calligraphy is valued because of the person.” Wen Chen explained in a light voice, “The calligraphy of His Highness the Crown Prince is hard to find for a thousand gold. I imitated one and asked Zhongji to help me take it out to sell, and it just happened that someone took a fancy to it.” 

Li Wanzhao really didn’t understand. What were they doing buying a fake painting for twenty taels? Were they fools? 

But Li Wanzhao was very happy to see the money. 

Who didn’t like money? 

Li Wanzhao looked at Wen Chen, and her eyes were almost glowing. 

She was happy and couldn’t help but tiptoe and kiss him on the face, “You’re so amazing, Chen Lang.” 

She was really happy. 

She was happy to have money, and she was even happier that Wen Chen was thinking of her. 

However, she didn’t plan to spend the money. She was thinking of saving it up, so that when Wen Chen passed the children’s exam, he would have to go to Beijing to take the exam, and there would be places to spend money everywhere. 

Wen Chen was slightly stunned, and the place where her red lips had touched was a little hot. 

Li Wanzhao was a very easy person to satisfy. 

Twenty taels could make her so happy.  

She’s Stupid and Weak 

The day of the county exam was coming soon. 

The county exam was in mid-February. On the night before, the Li family held a family banquet to wish them a smooth children’s exam and to hope that they would pass the county exam and have a good start. 

Although Li Guan said that there was no need to make winter clothes, he was afraid that Chen would come up with some excuses, and the Old Madam and the others would take the opportunity to say that she was unfilial, so Li Wanzhao symbolically made three sachets. 

Sachets were easy to make. This thing was small and didn’t take much effort to make. 

Li Wanzhao had learned the qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and female arts very well. 

Because Li Guan was strict with her, and she was afraid that she would disappoint her father if she didn’t do well, she had always used all her strength to learn these things. When she was studying at the school, the teacher also praised her for listening to the lectures most carefully. 

She wasn’t very smart, and she didn’t learn things quickly, but she was serious, and she had never disappointed Li Guan. 

She handed Wen Chen a red sachet and said, “Wear this on your body to bring good luck.” 

Wen Chen looked at the red sachet she handed over. 

So she had been messing around there these days to make sachets. 

He didn’t like such bright red and purple things. 

Moreover, the imperial examination didn’t allow these things to be brought in. 

When he was eighteen years old, he had also been an examiner for the autumn exam. The Crown Prince was almost old enough, so Emperor Zhenyuan specially asked him to supervise the autumn exam, indicating his importance to the imperial examination. 

The imperial examination was strict and required many things. Even the clothes were single-layered, and the inkstone couldn’t be too thick… These details were countless, and as for the sachets, they would be confiscated if the person checking at the door saw them. 

Although the county exam wasn’t as good as the autumn exam, the rules were similar. 

Wen Chen looked at the sachet in Li Wanzhao’s palm and said, “Sachets can’t be brought into the examination room.” 

Sachets can’t be brought in… 

Li Wanzhao really didn’t know this. 

But since she had already made it, Li Wanzhao said, “Just hang it up, even if it’s just for one night, to bring good luck.” 

It was really impossible to avoid it. 

But Wen Chen didn’t want to argue with Li Wanzhao about these things. There was no need. If they argued and turned red, she would probably be angry again. 

He took the sachet and hung it on his waist. 

A touch of red was added to a light color, which was particularly eye-catching. 

The two didn’t say anything else and went to the main room to attend the family banquet. 

On the way, Li Wanzhao instructed Wen Chen, “My younger siblings don’t speak very well. If they say something later, don’t pay attention to them.” 

Chen’s son had been spoiled by the Old Madam since he was a child. Adults would still pay attention to their face when they spoke, but Li Hongyuan was only fifteen years old and didn’t have a proper job on weekdays. She didn’t know what kind of nasty things he would say. 

Wen Chen “mm”ed, which was considered an answer. 

He also knew what kind of temper Li Hongyuan had. 

Wen Chen was studying at the school, and Li Hongyuan had deliberately come to provoke him. And since marrying into the Li family, Li Hongyuan had repeatedly ridiculed him, mainly laughing at him and what happened to Li Wanzhao before. In addition to his status as a son-in-law, Li Hongyuan liked to talk about it even more. 

However, Wen Chen was too lazy to care about those things. 

These things weren’t important. What was important was that Zhongji found out that Li Hongyuan had also drugged him at the poetry gathering that day… 

When the two arrived at the main room, it was still early. The sky hadn’t even darkened yet. Li Guan had something to do at the government office and was delayed for a while, so he hadn’t returned home yet. 

In the main room, the dining table had already been set. Except for the master and second master of the Li family, everyone else had arrived. 

Li’s old master had passed away, so the oldest person in the Li family now was the Old Madam. 

Because the two masters hadn’t returned yet, the meal hadn’t started yet. Chen and Huang were both next to the Old Madam, talking to her. 

Huang had one son and one daughter. 

Li Wanshu and the young lady of the second house were chatting together, while Li Hongyuan was with the young master of the second house. 

The few of them were sitting in pairs. Until Li Wanzhao and Wen Chen appeared, their conversations gradually faded, and their eyes fell on the entrance. 

No one spoke first. 

Li Wanzhao was the first to take Wen Chen to greet these people. 

Chen didn’t pay attention to their greetings, but coldly snorted, “Chao jie’er is promising now, and she has also learned to be two-faced. She agreed to make winter clothes for her brothers in front of me, but then she went to cry in front of your father, making me look like I was deliberately making things difficult for you.” 

Li Wanzhao knew that she would mention this matter again. She took out two sachets from her sleeves and handed them to Li Hongyuan and the cousin of the second house. 

She said, “Mother, don’t be angry. I really couldn’t make it in time. Later, Father also said that it was just a county exam and that there was no need to be so grand, so I didn’t make them. If my cousin and Hongyuan go to Beijing to participate in the autumn exam next time, I will definitely start making winter clothes for them early.” 

Were the two of them capable of passing the children’s exam? They were still going to Beijing to participate in the autumn exam, which was laughable. 

As soon as Li Wanzhao said this, the atmosphere became even hotter. 

She didn’t care and just took Wen Chen to sit down. 

Li Hongyuan also heard Li Wanzhao’s sarcasm. Looking at the red sachet in his hand, he only felt that it was an eyesore. He said disdainfully to Li Wanzhao, “Sachets and other things are prohibited from entering the examination hall. Doesn’t elder sister know this? You’re too careless. Besides, this color is too tacky. Who wants to hang a red sachet on their waist these days? How country bumpkin.”