Chapter 126: The Academy

Li Mo was somewhat flattered by the constant stream of customers coming from Tian Chang Prefecture every day.

Although most of these customers were there to buy Xue Yan Ointment or to resolve their facial issues, it didn’t stop Li Mo from feeling like a proud peacock. He was proud that the reputation of Yong Le Hall had now spread beyond Yun Tong County.

“This wave of customers really has to thank Shun Yi Tang,” Li Mo said. “If it weren’t for them, our Xue Yan Ointment wouldn’t have been known by people from Tian Chang Prefecture so quickly.”

Li Mo took a subtle jab at Shun Yi Tang.

Li Qiao was also so pleased that he couldn’t stop smiling.

“Congratulations, boss! This time, it’s really an unexpected win. Shun Yi Tang never imagined they’d become our stepping stone.”

Li Mo looked at Ye Xin Ran, who was still busy outside, and felt a sense of gratitude. “But in the end, it’s all thanks to you, sister-in-law, for your foresight and planning. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to handle Shun Yi Tang.”

“Should we write a letter to inform the old master? Let him know and make him happy too?” Li Qiao suggested.

Li Mo’s expression changed immediately when the old master was mentioned.

He lowered his head to think for a moment, then replied, “Forget it. This small achievement isn’t something that will impress him. I’ll just send a letter home to report that everything is fine.”

“Alright!” Li Qiao quickly agreed and then asked, “Should I write a separate letter to Madam to report everything?”

Li Mo understood what Li Qiao meant. He glared at him, “She’s just my mother’s follower. If I write a letter to my parents, how would she not know? No need for any extra trouble.”

Li Qiao sighed.

The boss was great in many ways, but the inner household matters weren’t going so smoothly. Both the boss and Madam were stubborn, and no one knew when they would reconcile.

But since the boss wasn’t in a hurry, there was no point in him, an outsider, worrying.

Li Qiao shook his head and went back to his own work.

With the matter at Shun Yi Tang settled, Ye Xin Ran finally relaxed.

She had already made plans with Xiao Huai’an to go check on the cabinet they had ordered and, at the same time, order desks for the children.

Xiao Huai’an couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy as he watched Ye Xin Ran becoming more and more capable.

His wife was so impressive, would he soon become the one living off her?

He didn’t mind how others viewed him, but he feared that over time, Ye Xin Ran might begin to look down on him.

So, when ordering the desks, Xiao Huai’an deliberately chose a cheaper option.

“I think this one doesn’t look as good as the redwood one,” he said.

“But the redwood is too expensive. I’m worried my money won’t be enough,” Xiao Huai’an replied.

“You don’t have to worry, I have enough!” Ye Xin Ran said nonchalantly.

The young attendant at the furniture shop was also good at reading the room. Upon hearing their conversation, he quickly said, “If your budget is sufficient, it would be more worthwhile to buy the redwood one. It can last a lifetime, and you won’t need to replace it in the future.”

Ye Xin Ran was a bit stubborn in this regard.

After all, it was a new house, and she wanted to furnish it with the best things.

In the end, Xiao Huai’an nodded and agreed to Ye Xin Ran’s suggestion.

However, on the way back, he still voiced his thoughts, “I don’t have much money at hand. I’ve made you spend a lot these days.”

Ye Xin Ran understood that Xiao Huai’an was overthinking.

She smiled, “Well, right now you’re eating my food and spending my money, so you better remember, you’ll have to pay me back double in the future.”

“From now on, you’ll make all the decisions at home,” Xiao Huai’an said.

“That’s fine. Anyway, the future is long, so don’t overthink it. I don’t want to feel wronged just to take care of your feelings. After all, with money, I just want to live a better life.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have a better life in the future.”

Xiao Huai’an wasn’t the type to speak much in the past.

But now he realized that when you have the intention but not the means, all you can do is say these words.

“By the way, tomorrow I’ll take you to the bank to open an account. We can keep the money we don’t need there.”

Xiao Huai’an didn’t know how much money Ye Xin Ran had at the moment.

But looking at the sales of Xue Yan Ointment, it seemed like she had around ten thousand taels.

With so much money on hand, Xiao Huai’an felt a bit uneasy.

“Don’t worry!” Ye Xin Ran reassured him once more.

“I’ve put the money in a very safe place. No one but me knows about it.”

Ye Xin Ran wasn’t ready to fully trust Xiao Huai’an yet, so she didn’t plan to tell him about the space.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huai’an didn’t press further.

When they returned home, the three children were already waiting at the door, eager to share some good news.

“What’s the matter? Did you recite your lessons well? Did the teacher praise you?” Ye Xin Ran guessed, looking at their little faces.

“They did praise us, but not me. It was for my big brother!” Chang An said proudly.

“It was Chang Sheng!” Ye Xin Ran purposely stretched out the sound of his name. “Chang Sheng is naturally great at reading. You two should learn from your big brother.”

“It wasn’t just praise, it was even better than that!” Chang An waved his little hand excitedly.

Ye Xin Ran looked at Chang Sheng and gave him a look, signaling for him to speak about the matter.

But Chang Sheng refused to speak.

It was Chang An who quickly spoke up instead.

“The teacher said he wants to recommend Big Brother to go to Qing Shan Academy! Anyone who can enter Qing Shan Academy is someone really outstanding, and Big Brother will be the first in the village to attend an academy!”

“That’s amazing!”

Ye Xin Ran was also surprised. She had thought that they would need to study with the teacher for some time before being accepted into an academy. She didn’t expect that day to come so soon.

“This is a big happy event. We must celebrate!” Ye Xin Ran suggested.

“Celebrate?”

As soon as the word “celebrate” was mentioned, the children became excited again.

Chang Ping immediately asked, “Auntie, if we’re celebrating, what good food will we have?”

Ye Xin Ran thought for a moment.

The children liked sweet foods, so she decided to make steamed cake for them.

They already had half a gourd full of eggs at home.

Ye Xin Ran took out ten eggs and asked the children to separate the egg whites, while she beat the eggs until they were fluffy.

She then sifted the flour herself.

Next, she poured the sifted flour, sugar, oil, and other ingredients into the egg whites and mixed them thoroughly. Then, she poured the cake batter into a large basin and placed it in a pot without water to bake.

This was her first time making cake using this method.

While baking, she nervously watched the crackling flames in the stove pit.

Fortunately, the cake turned out very well in the end.

The large cake was soft and fragrant, and it was sweet and delicious. When bitten, the smooth cake melted in the mouth, leaving a lingering taste.

The three children were very satisfied after eating. Chang Sheng even saved his portion and said he would take it to the teacher tomorrow to let him try it.

“The teacher is good to you, so it’s only right that you think of him,” Ye Xin Ran said.

“Once you arrive at the academy, you won’t be able to live as freely as you do at home. You’ll have to learn to take good care of yourself.”

“I understand, Auntie,” Chang An responded.

The next day, the school had a break.

Ye Xin Ran and Xiao Huai’an rushed to send Chang Sheng and the teacher to Qing Shan Academy by carriage.

They were both excited and nervous. However, when they arrived at the academy’s entrance, they unexpectedly ran into two people.