Chapter 22 Someone Wants to Buy Shen Nian

The day of the county exam arrived in a blink of an eye, and Shen Bo, Shen Xue, and Shen Duo were about to set off for the county.

Lanhua Village had poor transportation and everything was inconvenient. They relied on walking to get around, and going to the county was considered a long journey.

Shen Nian had only been to the town a few times since she was three years old, and she had never been to the county.

In the past, she couldn’t walk steadily and would only cause trouble for the adults, so she didn’t pester them to go. But this time, she had to go to the county to broaden her horizons.

The crops she had planted were more than her family could eat, and she needed to find a way to sell them. The town was too small, and there wasn’t much money to be made from business. She had to go to the county or the prefecture, where there were more wealthy people and more opportunities.

Shen Nian wanted to go to the county with them, and Shen Dong was happy to take her. His daughter was so grown up now, and she was so cute, it was time to show her off.

However, Shen Feng and Uncle Zhao saw that Shen Nian was going out and wanted to go with her.

Shen Dong flatly refused: “That’s not possible. This time we’re sending A Bo and the others to the exam hall, not going to play. Taking Nian Nian alone is enough. If we take you two, we won’t be able to take care of everyone. If you insist on going, then Nian Nian doesn’t have to go either.”

Shen Nian immediately looked at Shen Feng: “Ninth Brother, you have to go to school, you can’t be a truant.”

Shen Feng: “…” Truant? Where did the little girl learn that new word?

Shen Nian turned her head and glared fiercely at Uncle Zhao, saying: “Uncle Zhao, your injury hasn’t fully healed yet, you need to rest at home.”

Then she crossed her arms and said: “If Ninth Brother and Uncle Zhao cause me to not be able to go to the county with Dad and Second Uncle, I won’t be friends with you anymore!”

“I have a very bad temper, and it’s not the kind that can be coaxed.”

Seeing Shen Nian’s cheeks puffed up in anger, Shen Feng wanted to reach out and poke her again, but seeing that she really wanted to go to the county, and if he continued to follow her, she would really get angry, he held back and didn’t dare to poke her little face: “Okay! I won’t go, I’ll go to school obediently!”

Uncle Zhao also said: “Nian Nian, don’t be angry, I won’t be a shadow anymore, I’ll stay at home, stay at home.”

Having dealt with the big and small ones, Shen Nian immediately smiled and said to Shen Dong: “Dad, can I just go with you and Second Uncle?”

Shen Dong tapped her little nose: “You can.”

Although the children in the village could all study at the village head’s private school, there were few who were diligent and talented. This time, only Shen Bo and the other two were taking the county exam in Lanhua Village.

The exam lasted for three days. Once they entered the exam hall, they couldn’t come out until the exam was over. They had to eat, drink, and relieve themselves in the exam hall, so the family prepared a lot of dry food for Shen Bo and the others.

At the third quarter of the Mao hour, Shen Nian and her family set off from home.

To get to the county, they had to pass through the town. They walked to Liujiacun and took an ox cart to the county from the entrance of Liujiacun.

Shen Nian had been to Liujiacun many times and was already familiar with the place. As soon as she entered the village, she saw many familiar faces and greeted them with a smile.

“Sister Xiuer, long time no see, you’ve become even prettier!”

“Grandma Yang, you look so energetic, have you had breakfast?”

“Aunt Liu San, are you going to the river to wash clothes?”

The villagers of Liujiacun along the way were all attracted to her, and many stopped to chat with her.

“Little Nian, your little mouth is getting more and more eloquent!”

“You’re getting prettier and prettier, you’re so lovable. Where are you going?”

Shen Nian said softly: “I’m sending my brothers to the county to take the exam.”

“Exam?”

Scholars were rare and precious. There were also scholars in Liujiacun, and some people were also going to the county for the exam today. But there were three people from one family going to take the exam together, and the Shen family was the only one.

Although they knew that the Shen family’s children were all very talented, the villagers of Liujiacun were still surprised.

The Shen family was really something. Their children had only been studying in the town for a year, and they dared to let them take the exam. What if they didn’t pass?

The children would be greatly discouraged.

The villagers of Liujiacun said nice things, but they all thought that Shen Bo and the others had little chance of passing.

The ox cart driver in Liujiacun was called Old Liu, who was Doctor Liu’s cousin.

Old Liu liked Shen Nian, the sweet and lovely little girl. Whenever he saw her, he would give her a piece of candy, and this time was no exception.

The ox cart moved slowly, Shen Nian was held by Shen Dong and sat on the ox cart, looking at the country road that was getting farther and farther away, thinking about the bad roads in Lanhua Village.

If you want to get rich, you must first build roads!

The road in Lanhua Village needs to be fixed somehow.

Half an hour later, the ox cart arrived in the county. As soon as they entered the city, the villagers got off the cart one after another. Shen Dong and his group were about to get off as well, but Old Liu said, “You don’t need to get off, just sit tight, I’ll take you to the exam hall.”

Shen Dong said, “That’s not good, it will delay your business.”

Old Liu smiled and said, “It won’t delay anything, you’ve paid for the cart.”

With that, he drove the ox cart forward without a word.

Shen Nian kept looking around, memorizing the streets and shops they passed.

After another two quarters of an hour, the cart arrived near the entrance of the exam hall.

There were people everywhere, all kinds of carriages and ox carts were jammed, and they couldn’t move forward.

Shen Nian and her group got off the ox cart and thanked Old Liu.

Old Liu said, “You’re welcome, it’s just a small favor.”

He asked Shen Dong, “Are you going back home today?”

Shen Dong nodded, “Yes.”

Old Liu said, “Then I’ll wait for you at the city gate after I’m done. If you don’t come before the You hour, I won’t wait.”

Shen Dong was very grateful, “Come, come, come, we’ll definitely come. Uncle Liu, you’re really a great help!”

Old Liu said, “No trouble at all, I just like Nian Nian riding my ox cart. It’s a pity that the road in your Lanhua Village is bad, even ox carts can’t get in. Otherwise, I would definitely go there every day to pick people up, and you wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of walking to Liujiacun.”

Shen Nian hugged Old Liu’s leg, “Thank you, Grandpa Liu. Grandpa Liu’s ox cart is very comfortable to ride, I like it very much.”

Old Liu drove the ox cart away.

Shen Dong held Shen Nian and took Shen Bo and the others to squeeze into the crowd towards the exam hall.

They were stopped at the entrance and the candidates were checked. No outsiders were allowed to enter.

Seeing her brothers carrying their exam baskets and entering the exam hall, Shen Nian shouted to them, “Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, I wish you good luck on your exam. Don’t be stressed, just do your best. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Shen Bo and the others turned back and looked at her, smiled, waved to her, and then walked away without looking back.

Shen Nian’s shout attracted the attention of many people. Seeing her wearing plain clothes, but with a beautiful and delicate appearance, like a little girl sitting under Guanyin, they couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

“This little girl is so cute!”

“She’s so fair and tender!”

“No matter how cute she is, she’s just a girl!” A woman dressed in rich clothes glanced at Shen Nian and snorted disdainfully, pulling her son to get on the carriage.

Her son refused to get on the carriage, pointing at Shen Nian and saying, “Mother, that girl is so beautiful, I like her. I want her to be my maid, can you buy her for me?”