At the Zhao Household, Zhao Yushan hesitated for a long time before entering the main room. First Madam Zhao was serving her husband soup and urged him as he entered, "Sit down and eat quickly. There are some of your favorite dishes today."
Zhao Yushan didn't speak, and didn't touch his chopsticks after sitting down. Seeing this, First Madam Zhao glanced at her husband and laughed, "You got second place again, didn't you? It's no big deal."
All the Zhao Household family members combined aren't as smart as your cousin; getting second place is already amazing.
Smack! Zhao Mingshu slammed his chopsticks down on the table, startling Zhao Yushan, who instinctively stood up and stood beside the table, his hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly.
First Madam Zhao, puzzled, asked, "What are you doing?"
Zhao Mingshu ignored her and sternly rebuked Zhao Yushan, "Kneel down..."
Zhao Yushan dared not refute and knelt down on the ground with a thud.
Seeing this, First Madam Zhao felt sorry for her and said, "What are you doing? Can't you wait until after you finish eating to say these things?"
It's just an exam, right? With so many students, getting second place is already excellent.
Zhao Mingshu said with a stern face, "Secondly, he ranked third this time..."
First Madam Zhao was taken aback. She wanted to plead for her son, but didn't know where to begin.
Zhao Mingshu's anger was mixed with disappointment. " Zhao Yushan, so many members of the Zhao Household have worked their butts off, and you've fallen from first to third."
"Our Zhao Household Academy's top spot has actually been snatched away by someone of a different surname. Don't you feel ashamed?"
Zhao Yushan felt wronged. He had been studying day and night, even reciting the Records of the Grand Historian of the Grand Historian while eating. Didn't his father see that?
"Father..."
"Don't call me 'Father,' I don't have a stupid son like you. Go kneel in the ancestral hall..."
First Madam Zhao, "The child hasn't eaten yet."
"What's the point of eating? He still has the nerve to eat! If this continues, the eldest branch of the family will never be able to maintain its position in the Zhao Household."
Zhao Yushan lowered his head and walked out. His parents' arguing continued. Plop... A tear fell down. He hurriedly wiped it away and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was around.
Inside the ancestral hall.
Zhao Yushan knelt upright on the prayer mat! In his heart, he cursed Zhao Zhiyuan and Meng Anci. If they hadn't come to the Green Mountain Academy to study, would he have been able to get third place?
In the end, all that remained of their Curse was a curse: Curse Zhao Mingyang Academy would go bankrupt and that no more people would be sent to the prefectural city.
The ancestral hall door was pushed open a crack, and a bag of pastries was thrown in through the gap.
Zhao Yushan grabbed a pastry and angrily threw it at the person, yelling, "Get lost! Don't try to show off in front of me!"
Zhao Zhiyuan stood outside the door for a long time before leaving in silence.
Ever since Madam Su said that Black Grand Marshal was a prized horse worth a thousand taels of silver, Jin Shanyao realized a truth: one's status when traveling is determined by oneself.
Now she not only helps people find lost items and missing persons, but also answers their questions.
That day, a veiled woman came to the Anzhi Hall. She handed the birth chart to Jin Shanyao and said shyly, "Master, I would like to have my marriage fortune told."
Jin Shanyao glanced at the girl and saw that she had a lucky face, thick earlobes, and came from a wealthy family and was simple-minded.
With only a hint of darkness between her brows, she Jin Shanyao the man's birth date with her finger. Then, she made a hand Hand Seals and released her Spiritual Power to find him.
In the narrow alley, the man was surrounded by several people at the alley entrance and kept begging for mercy.
"Brother, believe me! I've really seduced the young lady of the Zhang Household. All I have to do is wait for her to confess her feelings to Father and Mother, and then I can marry into the family. At that time, not only will I get ten taels of silver, but the entire Zhang Household will be mine."
The thugs stopped what they were doing upon hearing this. "You really know the only daughter of the Zhang Household?"
"That's absolutely true. That young lady is cautious, and it took me a lot of effort to figure her out. Just give me three days' grace, and I'll return double the money I gambled."
The Jin Shanyao, withdrawing its Spiritual Power. She opened her eyes, feigning a profound expression, and said, "Young lady, you are destined for great wealth and prosperity, but you've recently encountered some minor setbacks."
"Master, I've come to have my marriage fortune told?"
Jin Shanyao remained expressionless, his hand constantly swiping under the table. After a moment, he pulled out a fan, brushed it open, and gently waved it in front of his chest.
The girl's lips twitched at her behavior.
Her mother was on good terms with Madam Su, and had heard that the manager of the Anzhi Hall was an accurate diviner, though he seemed a little strange.
Unaware of the girl's thoughts, Jin Shanyao closed her fan and lightly touched the man's forehead with the tip, saying, "The problem lies in our marriage."
Miss Zhang asked nervously, "What do you mean?"
With Jin Shanyao and her face partially obscured, she lowered her voice, saying, "This birth chart is detrimental to your wealth."
"What..." The girl's shy and timid eyes instantly turned sharp. It was okay to deceive her feelings, but it was not okay to take her family's money.
She took out ten taels of silver and placed it on the table. "Thank you for your explanation, Master..." she said, then turned and left the shop.
Meng Anzhi opened her palm and held it up in front of the Jin Shanyao, "Auntie, can you tell me when my fortune will be good..."
Jin Shanyao and used it to prop up her shoulder. "What good fortune? The man she's met wants to take advantage of her, but I can't say it outright, so I'm using a different method."
The girl who left and then returned happened to overhear these words.
Their eyes met.
The girl gritted her teeth, turned around, and rushed out like a madwoman.
Jin Shanyao in alarm, "Oh no! She's been cursed!" She hurriedly got up and chased after her, pleading, " Miss Zhang, listen to me!"
"I won't listen..."
"You can't ignore it," Jin Shanyao and persuaded the person into the house.
He was so dense he was practically fuming, but finally he found something to comfort him.
" Miss Zhang, life is full of sorrow, how can one relieve one's worries? Only..."
Before Jin Shanyao speaking, Miss Zhang jumped up and rushed outside.
Oh my god... Jin Shanyao and crawled, grabbing the person around the waist and carrying them back.
To prevent any accidents, she held onto Miss Zhang tightly, saying, "I haven't finished speaking, why are you running away?"
Miss Zhang felt uncomfortable being embraced by the beautiful woman with the Jin Shanyao, her ears turning red. "Put me down first..."
"No..." Jin Shanyao the person closer to her.
Unable to persuade her otherwise, Miss Zhang retorted, "Didn't you tell me to kill him?"
Jin Shanyao shocked, her heart trembling like a leaf. "When did I say I was going to kill him? Murder is a sin!"
Miss Zhang nestled in Jin Shanyao, her eyes filled with confusion. "Life is short, and the days are filled with suffering! Didn't the master mean that good days are numbered and I shouldn't endure anything?"
"Is that how you interpret this sentence?"
"Otherwise what???"
Jin Shanyao her head, thinking, "Oh no, I've messed up my studies..."
In order to eliminate the murderous intent in Miss Zhang's heart and help her regain her strength, Jin Shanyao planned to offer a few more words of advice.
Are you rich?
Miss Zhang nodded...
Do you want a son?
Miss Zhang was puzzled, but she nodded nonetheless...
Jin Shanyao narrowed her eyes, revealing a wicked smile, "Would you rather leave your father and keep your son? If you fancy someone, sleep with him... get pregnant and dump him, the child will even take your surname."
Have as many children as you want, change as many men as you want, women... should live freely and unrestrainedly, not bound by worldly shackles.
Miss Zhang's eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and struggle before she finally made up her mind, "Master, can you let me go?"
Jin Shanyao tentatively asked, "You won't kill anyone, will you?"
Miss Zhang felt relieved. "Master, you're joking. A life for a life. I won't ruin myself for a scumbag, but I must get my revenge."
She shook off the Jin Shanyao, smoothed her clothes, and strode out of the shop.