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Ge Lihua sincerely remarked, “Songnian is indeed quite smart.”

Chu Qingzhi agreed, “Let’s continue. The questions get tougher. Let’s see how

they did.”

Ge Lihua, eager to proceed, nodded.

In the ancestral hall, eighteen children sat listlessly, sighing deeply and looking

utterly dejected.

Xu Zeliang sighed, “Which sister came up with this question? It’s too hard!”

Xu Songnian guessed, “It must be Fifth Cousin.”

Xu Wenlin agreed, “I also think it’s Fifth Cousin. Sister Lihua and the others wouldn’t be so harsh on us.”

Tian Xiaoqiu commented, “Fifth Cousin seems easygoing but is actually the strictest, yet she’s the best.”

“That’s true,” Xu Songnian said. “I think the question should be for the two

younger cousins. They’re clever.”

Tian Xiaoqiu expressed frustration, “I almost pulled my hair out.

Zeng Yiping made a face, “Why did Fifth Cousin give us such hard questions?” Xu Wenlin speculated, “Maybe it’s because our studies are ending soon. It could be a test for us.”

“Yes, we’re finishing in five days,” Xu Zeliang lamented. “These three months have been the best of my life. Not only did I get to study, but I also got to eat meat every day. It was like living in a dream.”

Everyone empathized deeply with this sentiment.

Zeng Yiping added nostalgically, “Back home, we only get to eat well during the

New Year. Now, it’s like feasting every day.”

Sun Tianyang wished, “I hope these days last longer.”

Their conversation turned bittersweet.

Chu Lan’er joined in, “It’s okay. Once our studies end, we can earn money. Once

we have money, our families can eat well too.”

Tian Xiaoqiu declared determinedly, “That’s why I must try to stay.”

Xu Zeliang encouraged, “Let’s all work hard together.”

“Let’s work hard together.”

Footsteps approached, and then Ge Lihua entered the hall, “I’ve graded your papers with your Fifth Cousin. I’ll call out names, and you come up to get them.”

After half an hour, everyone had their test papers, and their expressions turned solemn and sad.

Xu Songnian’s scores: 70, 65.

Xu Wenlin: 65, 63.

Tian Xiaoqiu: 71> 70.

Chu Lan’er: 69, 68.

Zeng Yiping: 65, 67.

Sun Tianyang: 68, 68.

Such low scores must have disappointed their sisters greatly.

Ge Lihua quietly observed their reactions, amused. The children’s world was so innocent; they didn’t suspect this was designed to challenge them.

“Don’t be sad. Low scores mean there’s a lot of room for improvement. Besides,

this isn’t the final exam. Don’t worry too much about the scores.”

“Now, everyone, lift your heads. Let’s go through the answers together.”

Ge Lihua took out the standard answers provided by Chu Qingzhi. Without them, even she couldn’t have solved some questions.

The children listened more intently than ever before…

Used to scoring above ninety or even a hundred in previous exams, they found learning incredibly easy. But now, seeing their own scores, they felt despondent about their future prospects.

After discussing the test questions, Ge Lihua distributed a second set of exams with medium difficulty, including fifty academic and fifty arithmetic questions, totaling a hundred, to be completed in two hours.

“There’s no practical lesson today. Just finish these questions, and you can go home,” said Ge Lihua.

“Yes, Sister Lihua.”

Ge Lihua set the hourglass on the lectern, starting the timer.

With no time to dwell on their sadness, the children plunged back into their studies.

Ge Lihua left the classroom to start work on her wedding preparations, taking out her needlework basket to embroider her bridal veil.

She had already finished her wedding dress and shoes; only the red veil remained.

Gazing at the bright red fabric, Ge Lihua’s usually cool demeanor softened.

“Miss, come see the bamboo house,” Li’s father called out as he approached the pharmacy.

Chu Qingzhi, instructing Chu Qingning on medicine preparation, responded,

“I’m coming.”

The bamboo house’s frame was complete, showing the outline of seven rooms. Chu Qingzhi tested one of the load-bearing wooden beams, finding it exceptionally stable.

Impressed, Chu Qingzhi praised, “Uncle Li, your craftsmanship is commendable.”

Li’s father modestly replied, “Thanks to your appreciation, Miss.”

Chu Qingzhi inspected every part of the construction, ensuring everything was in order, “Uncle Li, we can proceed to the next step.”

“Right away,” he agreed.

The next taskwas to bind bamboo tightly to the frame to form walls, ensuring no significant gaps were left, as Chu Qingzhi wanted the office to be warm enough for winter use.

Once the bamboo was in place, Chu Qingzhi planned to line the interior with layers of thick fabric for insulation and decoration, making it comfortably warm with a couple of stoves.

These tasks didn’t require Chu Qingzhi’s direct involvement, as many were willing to help voluntarily.

Binding the bamboo was straightforward, and with Li’s father’s guidance, everyone quickly learned the process.

As they finished, Chu Haodong arrived, “Qingzhi, I’ve bought the spices you requested. Take a look.”

“Okay.”

They moved to the storage area behind the old house, where Chu Haodong had unloaded the goods.

Opening the boxes and unwrapping the bundles, Chu Haodong presented,

“Qingzhi, everything is here.”

In this era, these items were still considered medicinal rather than culinary.

Chu Qingzhi took a handful of Sichuan peppercorns, noting their wild, dried quality and the strong aroma that wafted out upon opening the bag.

She also inspected the cinnamon, finding it well-dried and fragrant.

After reviewing all the spices, Chu Qingzhi was satisfied with their quality.

“Who did you buy these from? We could collaborate with them in the future, she asked.

“A traveling merchant specializing in medicinal herbs. He faced local resistance in Shuiyun County and struggled to sell. I bought from him because his goods were of good quality,” Chu Haodong explained.

“Good job,” Chu Qingzhiacknowledged.

“We’ll buy from him again next time.”

“Exactly.”

With the goods stored for now, Chu Qingzhi went to find Chu Xuhua.

Chu Xuhua had just returned from outside and was taking a sip of water when Chu Qingzhi approached him. “Big brother, I’ve bought all of Landlord Sun s pigs. I’m planning to make cured meat out of them. Tomorrow, could you take a few people and buy ten pigs to start with? We’ll make the first batch of cured meat.”

She planned to use part of it for curing, another part for making sausages, and another for creating sauce-coated meat.