Next, the two of them discussed a few precautions regarding the wheelchair.

Shopkeeper Wu even took out a pen and paper to carefully note down those points.

It was at this moment that Shopkeeper Wu realized that Jian Xiu could actually read.

“Miss, you truly hide your talents! A woman like you, who can read, is rare in all of Quan Yong County.”

“Please don’t tease me, Shopkeeper Wu. My small abilities are nothing in your presence. But speaking of reading, I actually have something I’d like to ask you about.”

“Oh? Miss, feel free to speak!”

“As you know, I’ve recently earned a bit of income and I want to send my two young ones to an academy, but I’m not sure which one is good.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Mingtang thought for a moment and then said:

“Hmm, there are only three academies in Quan Yong County, and the best one is Huaheng Academy. However, Huaheng has both advantages and disadvantages. It’s filled with sons of high officials, many of whom are uneducated and aimless. They form cliques, and it’s full of such distractions. If Miss really wants to send the two children to an academy, I’d recommend Xuewen Academy instead.”

“Xuewen Academy?” Jian Xiu asked in surprise.

She had heard of this academy, but its reputation wasn’t very good.

It was said that the fees were quite low, but the teachers were not particularly skilled.

But these were all rumors, and whether they were true or not remained to be seen.

“Yes, Xuewen Academy is actually not bad. Of course, those rumors you’ve heard are only partially true. Most of them are just gossip spread by other academies trying to discredit it.”

Hearing Shopkeeper Wu’s words, Jian Xiu had a look of realization on her face.

At the same time, she became curious because Shopkeeper Wu seemed quite familiar with Xuewen Academy.

It seemed that Shopkeeper Wu saw through Jian Xiu’s thoughts and laughed heartily, “If Miss truly wants to go to Xuewen Academy, I can recommend you personally.”

“Shopkeeper Wu, are you serious?”

“Of course! But I must clarify, I’m only making a recommendation. Whether the children can be accepted by Principal Mo, I can’t guarantee that.”

“That’s natural. I’ll be forever grateful as long as Shopkeeper Wu can make the recommendation,” Jian Xiu said quickly.

At this point, she was already thinking about teaching the two children some basic knowledge when she returned home.

At least they should know how to hold a pen properly and do some simple arithmetic.

“However, Miss, if you send both children at once, it might be a bit too much for them,” Shopkeeper Wu reminded her again.

After saying this, it seemed like he remembered something and continued:

“I heard that after three months, Xuewen Academy will hold a competition. If the children win, there will be a monetary reward.”

“Oh, really?” Jian Xiu asked excitedly.

“Indeed, this is a literary competition organized by the county magistrate. Every academy will send a few students to represent them. Winning depends entirely on the students’ abilities. If they win, not only will the county magistrate reward them, but the academy principals will also waive their tuition fees for a year.”

“That’s great!” Jian Xiu exclaimed.

“There is such a good thing, but whether the two children…”

Shopkeeper Wu didn’t continue, but Jian Xiu understood the implication.

It wasn’t hard to see why Shopkeeper Wu had doubts.

The two children were still uncertain about even being accepted into an academy, let alone winning a competition. It seemed a bit far-fetched.

However, Jian Xiu’s most admirable trait was her optimism.

Jian Xiu then went to the market to find Zhang Zhiyong.

When she found him, he was in the middle of a busy moment.

Looking behind him, sure enough, her own venison was covered with straw.

“Aunt, you want one jin, right? Wait a moment, I’ll cut it for you!”

“Cut from this side, it’s fattier,” the aunt pointed to the right side.

“Got it, I’ll cut it!” Zhang Zhiyong quickly replied.

When Jian Xiu walked over, only half of the wild boar remained.

Looking around, there were only a few customers left.

“How many jin do you want, Aunt?” Jian Xiu asked, picking up a small knife and turning to the aunt.

“I’ll take one jin too.”

“Okay, wait a moment!”

When Zhang Zhiyong saw Jian Xiu, he simply glanced at her in a hurry without asking anything, as there were still three or four people waiting ahead.

After they finished, it had already been a quarter of an hour.

“Zhiyong, why don’t we just take the remaining half back and eat it ourselves?”

“Huh? There’s still so much left, it should sell quickly. Don’t you want to sell a bit longer?” Zhang Zhiyong asked reflexively.

“No, no, we’ll split it between the three families. It’s not much for each family, and everyone’s been working hard recently. A little meat will help supplement our strength,” Jian Xiu smiled as she spoke.

While saying this, she had already started packing up the wild boar.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhiyong had no choice but to agree.

If it had been before, even one jin would be worth eighteen copper coins.

But since the wild boar belonged to Jian Xiu, he didn’t say anything further.

“Jian Xiu, have you finished your business?”

“Yes, I’ve sold the two wild boars to Shopkeeper Wu for seventeen wen per jin, a copper coin less, but it’s much more convenient.”

“Indeed. We still need to go pick some plantain leaves for the carriage, right?”

“Yes, let’s also sell them at Renhe Hall. Zhiyong, if you’re too busy with the ox cart, I can go on my own.”

“Alright, Renhe Hall is just ahead. Be careful! Do you need me to help carry the venison?”

“No, no, I can do it myself. Don’t you remember? I carried the venison out of the deep mountains by myself,” Jian Xiu said proudly.

Zhang Zhiyong: “…”

Renhe Hall.

This was Jian Xiu’s first time coming to the drugstore in Quan Yong County.

Usually, when she had small illnesses, she would simply endure them.

Only when it became unbearable would she ask Doctor Zhang to take a look.

Even when Zhang Zixuan fell off a cliff years ago, they only asked Doctor Zhang for some hemostatic herbs.

As soon as she entered, the waiter at Renhe Hall greeted her politely.

“Miss, are you… here to sell herbs?”

Jian Xiu looked down at the plantain leaves in her basket and replied:

“Yes, these are plantain leaves. My fellow villagers asked me the other day. They said if they are dried, they’re worth fifteen wen per jin. How do you think? Are these dried well?”