Even if it’s just cousins, it’s not good for a man and a woman to be too close, especially if seen by others outside the yard.

Moreover, Hao Cheng knew very well that they were not cousins at all, so she didn’t help him up. She turned and went into the house. The dim room was instantly filled with a faint yellow light, appearing particularly warm and bright.

When Jiang Mengzhen sat down at the table in the house, Hao Cheng brought out dishes from the small kitchen. There were vegetables, stir-fried lean pork with lotus root slices, radish and spare rib soup, and finally, a plate of fragrant oil-fried river shrimp.

She placed the dishes in front of the man and said to him, whose stomach was growling, “Why are you looking at me? I can’t finish all of this. If you’re hungry, eat it. If not, it’s up to you.”

She said so, but the dishes were very clean, without any traces of being touched. It was clear that she had set aside a portion before using her chopsticks.

Jiang Mengzhen murmured softly in response and began to eat. Just as his chopsticks were about to reach for the plate of enticing oil-fried river shrimp, Hao Cheng suddenly pulled the plate away from under his chopsticks.

Seeing him look up, she explained, “You still have wounds on your body, you can’t eat shrimp.” She wasn’t a doctor, but having worked in hotels for a long time and being a cook, she was quite familiar with the effects of different ingredients.

Seafood is a cold-natured food, which is not conducive to wound healing. She also added chili to the river shrimp, which is something he couldn’t eat right now. She neglected it for a moment, but when she saw him, she remembered.

Jiang Mengzhen’s lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, he moved his lips as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and quietly ate his meal.

The food was still warm, and as he swallowed each mouthful into his stomach, there was a long-lost sense of happiness. Thinking about it, every time he ate at this scholar’s house, the food always tasted particularly delicious when he was starving.

Hao Cheng didn’t bother guessing what he was thinking. She was still thinking about going to the town tomorrow to look for a house. She hadn’t even thought about guessing what was on his mind. When the other person finished dinner, she still insisted on washing the dishes herself and asked this person to go to the back room to change the bandages. After all, she didn’t want to hear the sound of dishes breaking on the ground.

Although she had some money on hand, she was planning to buy a house in town, which would definitely cost a lot of money. She also wanted to start a small business to save money, which also required capital.

If there was a new place to live, the house left by the Hao family could be sold, but it wouldn’t sell for much. She was still very poor and had to save as much as possible.

When the sunlight shone into the room, warming Jiang Mengzhen’s body under the blanket, he finally woke up from his deep sleep.

He slept soundly last night, and when he was still dazed, he thought he was still in the luxurious Zhang mansion. But when he woke up, he found himself lying on the old but clean wooden bed. The scholar who saved him on a rainy night and the assassination full of betrayal and blood were not just a long dream.

After calming down himself, he got up to wash. The house of the scholar was small, filled with various messy things, but because everything was neatly arranged, sunlight shining in from outside the door created a unique and peaceful atmosphere.

This tranquility made Jiang Mengzhen’s mood particularly calm, he drank the scholar’s cooked rice porridge and changed his own bandages. He fetched warm water from the well to wash the clothes stained with blood.

The scholar did the household chores well, but he refused to wash his clothes for him. He could not even think of letting her wash his personal things. There were no servants he could order around here, so he had to do it himself.

Seeing him washing clothes clumsily, the young man from the neighboring Dong family leaned against the low wall and pointed, “You won’t wash the clothes clean like this. And this washboard, put it on the stone slab… Only then can you apply enough force to wash properly.”

The husband from the Dong family thought that before the disaster, this young man must have been a young master. Just by looking at him, he knew that he had never done any manual labor. In villages like this, every boy helped with household chores from a young age.

Jiang Mengzhen didn’t mind the man’s chatter, instead, he took the opportunity to chat with him. This man was a neighbor of the scholar and had a big mouth. After asking a few more questions, Hao Cheng’s background and life story were completely revealed.

While Jiang Mengzhen was trying to get some information about Hao Cheng, Hao Cheng had already hidden the silver bills in a place where Jiang Mengzhen would never find them. She went to the town with the ten taels of silver to find someone to inquire about and investigate the market for doing small business.

After such a long time in this world, she had already planned her way out. She had the title of a scholar, and she was still young. She could first try to pass the provincial exams.

It’s not that she wanted to become an official in the future, but with the title of a provincial graduate, she wouldn’t be afraid of those ruffians and corrupt officials when doing business.

To take the provincial exams, she had to go to the capital to take the exams. On the way, there would inevitably be a large expenditure. The imperial exams were held only once every three years, and she had spent countless pens, ink, paper, and inkstones in these two years.

Hao Cheng weighed the money in her hand, made a rough calculation, and felt happy for a couple of days. Then she frowned again, thinking about eating well, drinking well, and using good things. With so little money, it would soon be gone. She was used to not treating herself harshly, so what else could she do? Of course, she had to do business to make money.

In terms of familiarity with the market, Hao Cheng was definitely not as good as those middlemen. She went to a reputable broker’s office in town and asked Mr. Li, the broker, to find a suitable house for her.

Just as she came out of the broker’s office, the scholar’s cheap uncle, Kou Qing, entered the broker’s office. His wife said they were going to entertain some guests, and they needed to hire some smart and clever little attendants. Originally, they could have had the steward handle this, but he was worried that the steward would choose someone too good-looking and attract his wife’s attention. So he came to the broker’s office personally. Coincidentally, he saw Hao Cheng.

Mr. Li, the broker, was his acquaintance. After exchanging a few words, Kou asked directly, “What was my niece doing at the broker’s office just now? Her family can’t afford to hire servants!”

Mr. Li replied, “She wasn’t here to hire people, she wanted me to find her a house.”

Buying a house? With that dilapidated house in her hometown, how much could she sell it for? The house prices in the village and the town were definitely different. Kou felt strange in his heart and asked again, “Did she say what kind of house she wants you to find?”

“Of course, she mentioned the conditions.” Mr. Li mentioned the requirements Hao Cheng had given, “That scholar said she must have a house with a large courtyard, preferably not too far from the market, and the price of the house should be controlled at around five hundred taels.”

Kou was shocked, “Did she really say that, a house for five hundred taels of silver?” To him, five hundred taels of silver wasn’t a huge amount, but it definitely wasn’t a small amount either.

He hurriedly asked again, “Did she say if she’s buying it herself or introducing it to someone else?”

Mr. Li looked embarrassed, “It’s her affair, I can’t casually talk about it with others.”

Kou handed some silver to Mr. Li and whispered, “Brother Li, as you know, her family only has me as a relative. If she wants to buy a house, she’ll have to borrow money from me. You must make it clear to me.”

Mr. Li also lowered his voice, “I’m quite sure she’s buying it herself and has already paid a deposit. It seems that someone saw your niece go to the pharmacy a few days ago, and she probably saved quite a bit of money.”

Kou was so angry that smoke was coming out of his head. This Hao Cheng only thought of him when she wanted something from him, but instead of appreciating his help, she only asked him for money. A few days ago, she even squeezed twenty taels of silver out of him.

He felt annoyed and the bad water in his stomach kept bubbling up. After a moment of silence, he approached Mr. Li again and whispered in his ear, “You know you have a kind heart. Can you help me with a favor? If this matter succeeds, you will naturally benefit from it…”

After listening to him, Mr. Li considered for a moment and then smiled, “Brother, I’ll help you with this favor.”