The next day, the rooster's crow punctually arrived, waking Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an from their slumber.
Today was the last day of the month, when the results of the lower degree candidate examination would be announced.
"Zhao Instructor and the others should be coming in the afternoon," Liu Ming'an said to Jiang Ning after breakfast.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning only responded with a brief "Oh," without saying anything more.
Liu Ming'an was taken aback, feeling that Jiang Ning's cold and distant demeanor had intensified significantly, as if they had returned to the first few days of their acquaintance.
For the rest of the morning, Jiang Ning remained notably silent, responding with minimal words even when Liu Ming'an tried to engage her in conversation.
An invisible, thick barrier had formed between the two, and as Liu Ming'an looked at Jiang Ning, trying to guess the reason for this change, a hint of hurt appeared in his eyes.
Jiang Ning knew that her sudden coldness had wounded Liu Ming'an, and she could only sigh inwardly.
Liu Ming'an shouldn't like her, she thought. He had no idea what kind of person she really was. Someone as kind and pure as him would surely be unable to accept her true self if he ever saw it.
It's better to cut ties cleanly than to prolong the inevitable pain, Jiang Ning had decided last night. She wouldn't respond to Liu Ming'an's feelings, letting him end this infatuation on his own.
Today, after getting the truth about her background from Zhao Instructor, she would leave.
A young person's affection is like the wind, coming quickly and leaving just as fast. Once she was gone and Liu Ming'an returned to his life without her, he would probably forget about her after a while, wouldn't he?
She would leave him over a hundred taels of silver, which should be more than enough to repay his kindness.
As Jiang Ning thought about this, her heart sank a little, feeling a twinge of sadness.
As expected, Zhao Instructor came in the afternoon, carrying a large brass gong. He walked to Liu Ming'an's doorstep and struck it heavily three times.
"Dong!" "Dong!" "Dong!"
The deafening gong sound echoed throughout Lotus Flower Village, drawing curious villagers of all ages who gathered in layers around Liu Ming'an's courtyard.
As soon as the crowd saw Zhao Qiang and considered the timing, they unanimously guessed the reason for the gong's sound.
"Liu Ming'an must have passed the examination and become a scholar!" The crowd discussed excitedly.
Liu Ming'an had come out to wait as soon as the first gong strike sounded, but Zhao Qiang ignored him, insisting on completing all three strikes. Only when a crowd had gathered did he announce loudly: "The results of the lower degree candidate examination are out! Liu Ming'an has passed and become a scholar! He can participate in the Provincial Examination at the county office on the sixteenth of next month!"
"Excellent!" A burst of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. This was only the second scholar to emerge from Lotus Flower Village in nearly twenty years since Liu Ming'an's father had passed away.
Liu Ming'an was well-liked for his good nature and politeness, and most villagers were genuinely happy for him. Especially Third Great Aunt, who stood at the front of the crowd, feeling both excited and proud, as if her own grandson had achieved success.
On the outskirts of the crowd, He Yiyi smiled at Liu Ming'an upon hearing the news, but her eyes quickly clouded with sadness and bitterness as she remembered something. After a moment, she quietly turned and went home without a word.
The villagers crowded around Liu Ming'an, offering congratulations and mentioning his father, muttering phrases like "like father, like son." Liu Ming'an, experiencing such a bustling scene for the first time, patiently dealt with everyone. It took about half an hour before the villagers dispersed one by one, finally giving him some peace.
According to custom, someone like Zhao Qiang who came to deliver good news shouldn't leave empty-handed. Usually, they would be given twenty copper coins, equivalent to the price of a bowl of wine, as compensation for their trouble. Of course, wealthier families might give more, as generosity was always appreciated in such matters.
Thus, after the crowd had dispersed, Liu Ming'an invited Zhao Qiang into the house.
Liu Ming'an wanted to use this opportunity to inquire about Jiang Ning's background, while Zhao Qiang had his own hidden agenda. On the surface, they maintained their composure, one respectful and the other courteous, playing out the dance of social etiquette.
Jiang Ning had been sitting inside the whole time. When she saw Liu Ming'an bringing Zhao Qiang in, she put down the book she was reading, gave them a cool glance, and then nonchalantly returned to her reading.
Zhao Qiang looked at the neatly dressed Jiang Ning sitting properly, finding it hard to believe that she was the same woman who had been barely surviving in a cage. But remembering the purpose of his visit, Zhao Qiang pretended not to notice, only glancing at Jiang Ning before averting his gaze.
"Zhao Instructor, thank you for taking the trouble to come," Liu Ming'an said politely with a smile, handing thirty copper coins to Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang took the coins and quickly tucked them into his robe, responding, "It's my duty. Thank you, Scholar Liu!" His eyes, however, darted around, clearly pondering something.
Just as Liu Ming'an was about to speak, Zhao Qiang quickly interjected, "Scholar Liu, I'm a bit thirsty. Could I trouble you for a cup of water?"
"Of course, just a moment. I'll fetch it for you," Liu Ming'an replied.
As Liu Ming'an was about to stand up, Zhao Qiang grabbed his arm. "The water vat is just outside, isn't it? No need to trouble yourself, I'll go get it myself."
Without waiting for Liu Ming'an's response, Zhao Qiang walked out of the room and approached the water vat outside the kitchen. He cautiously looked around, then took out a yellow paper packet from his robe. Opening it, he poured all of the white powder inside into the water vat.
"Zhao Instructor."
Worried that Zhao Qiang might drink the water and leave immediately, Liu Ming'an hurriedly followed him out with some silver. Seeing Zhao Qiang standing by the water vat, he called out.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Qiang, guilty of his actions, was so startled by the call that his heart nearly leapt out of his throat. He quickly turned around, crumpling the paper into a tight ball in his fist. Only when he saw that Liu Ming'an's expression was normal did he relax.
"Sch-Scholar Liu, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now, haha. It's getting late, and I need to return to the yamen, haha..." Zhao Qiang laughed nervously, trying to appear calm as he made to leave the courtyard.
Liu Ming'an hadn't yet asked what he wanted to know. How could he let Zhao Qiang leave?
So, as soon as Zhao Qiang took a step, Liu Ming'an blocked his way.
Liu Ming'an spoke up, "Zhao Instructor, there's something I'd like to ask you about."
Zhao Qiang asked suspiciously, "What is it?"
Liu Ming'an pointed towards the house and said, "I want to know where you got her from to sell. Do you know who she originally was, her identity, and why she was abused and sold?"
Zhao Qiang's suspicious gaze swept over Liu Ming'an, who maintained a gentle smile, revealing nothing of his thoughts.
"Why are you asking this? Want to return her? No way!" Zhao Qiang replied impatiently, his mind preoccupied. He turned to leave again but was once more blocked by Liu Ming'an.
"Scholar Liu, don't waste my time—" Zhao Qiang's words were cut short as a silver ingot appeared before his eyes, seemingly weighing a full tael. This sight made him swallow the rest of his sentence.
Zhao Qiang hesitated only for a moment before snatching the silver from Liu Ming'an's palm. He bit it, leaving clear teeth marks.
"I got her from Blind Yang. By the time she reached me, she was in the state you saw when you bought her. I don't know who she was originally. Blind Yang owed me money, so he gave her to me as collateral," Zhao Qiang said quickly in a lowered voice.
Liu Ming'an quickly processed this information and then asked, "Who is Blind Yang?"
"Blind Yang is in his fifties, a businessman in Qushui City who dabbles in everything. He was born with one eye that's all white and can't see, so he got the nickname 'Blind Yang.' I don't know his real name. He's quite well-known in Qushui City. If you want to find him, just ask around in Qushui City and you'll get information."
Zhao Qiang spilled everything he knew, figuring that sharing this information wouldn't cause any harm.
Liu Ming'an nodded and sincerely thanked him, "Thank you very much, Zhao Instructor!"
Zhao Qiang waved his hand nervously, said nothing more, and quickly left Liu Ming'an's house.