vstars Chapter 280 The Little Yellow Chick Delivering Silver Notes
Chapter 280 The Little Yellow Chick Delivering Silver Notes
When questioned by the Du family, Niwan Zi felt a pang of guilt, yet he held the little boy in his arms even tighter, as if he were his shield against everything. His master's wife, standing nearby, kindly advised, "Don't follow your master's example and take in orphans… He's kind-hearted, but this world is hard; raising a child is no easy task. Look at you, you can barely take care of yourself, adding another burden—how will you manage in the future…"
Before she could finish speaking, Du Xiaobing stepped forward, unleashing her full fury: "Your father worked so hard to support your studies, hoping you would pass the imperial examinations with flying colors. And what did you do? You secretly took the money meant for the examinations to learn farming and cattle raising!" Her chest heaved with anger. "Are you planning to turn the Du family into a mere village farmer's house, or open a cattle farm? Are you planning to sell beef by hawking your wares, or run a farmhouse inn to entertain guests? Are you going to become the lowest of merchants?"
Mother Du sighed heavily, gently tapping Niwanzi's purple forehead with a bamboo ruler: "Other people's children are studying hard by the window, but you, on the other hand, spend your days dealing with mud and oxen. This imperial examination is a major event that concerns your entire life. Can't you let your father and mother have some peace of mind?"
Niwanzi blushed and was about to explain when he suddenly heard the sound of gongs and noise outside the door... It turned out that the day of the imperial examination had arrived, and the candidates were heading to the examination hall in groups.
Du's mother's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Niwanzi and headed out: "Perfect! I'll take you to the examination hall today so you can see the world and stop having those unrealistic dreams all day!"
Inside the examination hall, candidates filed in, each with a serious expression. Niwan Zi held a writing brush, staring at the question on the exam paper: "Strategies for Governing the Country and Ensuring Peace." But in his mind, images of rolling wheat fields on the black soil and the mooing of cattle kept flashing through his mind.
He gritted his teeth, and the handwriting under his pen gradually became crooked—while others wrote about court strategies, he began to describe the planning of farmland water conservancy, from irrigation canals to the improvement of oxen, filling the entire exam paper with his eloquent writing.
When the invigilator came to patrol, he caught sight of Niwanzi's answer sheet and immediately widened his eyes. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "How dare you! How dare you spout nonsense during the imperial examination!" The other candidates, who were not taking the exam very seriously, all turned to look, pointed and whispered, and snickers rose and fell.
Niwan Zi straightened his back and said, "Food is the most important thing for the people, and agriculture is the foundation of governing a country! I am willing to use my knowledge to ensure that all people in the world have enough to eat!"
Du's mother waited anxiously outside the examination hall. Hearing the commotion inside, her heart skipped a beat... When she saw Niwanzi being kicked out of the examination hall, Du's mother almost fainted! Du Xiaobing was so angry that he stomped his feet: "You're going to drive us crazy! What are we going to do in the future!"
Niwan Zi, however, looked towards Xiao Sizi, who had also come to cheer him on, and a determined smile appeared on his lips. He knew that compared to the high court, the vast fields were what his heart truly yearned for. One day, he would write his own unique and glorious chapter on that land…
Sizi blinked her big eyes: "Maru-zi, you're not right, you're so anxious, you're so impatient, you're so impatient—Old Du, what happened to your plans? Have you become a farmer?"
Niwanzi squatted down and gently poked Xiao Sizi's chubby cheek, deliberately putting on a stern face and imitating Du Laozao's tone: "Silly boy, this is called strategic transformation! Constables catch thieves with brute force... but your brother... farming requires wisdom—once I grow glowing glutinous rice balls, all the roasted chestnuts in Chang'an will have to give way to me!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a vendor's cry rang out in the distance: "Freshly roasted chestnuts—" Little Sizi's eyes lit up instantly, and she tugged at Niwanzi's purple clothes as she ran: "How about planting chestnut trees first! And osmanthus trees too... Roasted chestnuts with osmanthus honey, just thinking about it makes my mouth water!"
Watching Sizi skip off to buy chestnuts, Niwan Zi shook her head helplessly yet indulgently. She suddenly felt that, compared to her grand farming plan, perhaps conquering Sizi's stomach was the most urgent task.
Just then, Xiao Yao burst out from the street corner, panting heavily, as if chased by a frantic messenger. The money pouch in his hand jingled as he cried out, "Young Master! I've finally found you!"
Xiao Yao slammed on the brakes, nearly bumping into Si Zi, who was gnawing on a large chestnut. "Master, Little Chicken sent me to deliver some silver notes to you!"
Si Zi's cheeks puffed out like a little hamster's, and he asked indistinctly, "Which little chick? The silver notes are too big, what am I going to do with them? Just get some loose change..."
"I've been kept in the dark the whole time, and I'm so puzzled!" Xiao Yao scratched her messy hair and whispered mysteriously, "Everyone in the palace knows the master is missing, but no one cares. It's like everyone's keeping quiet about it. Only I'm anxiously waiting. Then this morning, someone suddenly handed me this money pouch, saying it was 'a gift from the little chick.' Don't you think it might be a clever little chick trying to repay a debt of gratitude like a fox?"
Before the words were even finished, Sizi's little nose darted over, and the money bag suddenly "poof"ed out a handful of fried green beans, startling the two of them so much that they jumped three feet high at the same time.
Xiao Yao held up the money bag and shook it. A crumpled piece of paper fell out with a clatter. It read in crooked handwriting: "Buy candy for Si Zi — from the cutest little chick."
Si Zi's eyes darted around, and she reached out and poked a hole in the auspicious cloud pattern embroidered on the money pouch, revealing the Shu brocade used by the imperial court! She waved the fabric in front of Xiao Yao, deliberately drawing out her words: "I knew it! Where did this little chick come from, so extravagant! Turns out it's some 'little yellow chick' in a dragon robe causing trouble~"
Xiao Yao's eyes widened instantly, and she almost bit her tongue: "You mean... His Majesty? But isn't he busy reviewing memorials every day, so busy that he doesn't even have time to eat the osmanthus cake from the imperial kitchen?"
"Hmph, he's such a good actor!" Si Zi gave half of the remaining fried green beans to Xiao Yao, then turned and made a face towards the palace. "Last time, I knocked over his teacup, and instead of letting him review the memorials, he beat me up and made me copy scriptures. I didn't even care about him~ In the middle of the night, he secretly dressed up as a little yellow chick and stuffed a bag of candied fruit next to my pillow... I saw through that 'little yellow chick' trick when I was three!"
It must be Zhinu's doing! Sizi thought to herself, her eyes shining like two stars, and she grabbed some fried green beans and stuffed them into her mouth. "Xiaoyao, from now on you'll keep in touch with me and Xiaonenji! Use this money to buy Xiaonenji candied hawthorns and roasted chestnuts!"
Xiao Yao followed behind Si Zi with a long face. Si Zi was still nagging, silently calculating in his mind whether the silver notes in the money bag would be enough to help Brother Ni Wan Zi realize his dream of farming...
After saying goodbye to Si Zi, Xiao Yao munched on a fragrant plate of stir-fried green beans and headed back towards the palace, until he saw the setting sun turning the palace walls orange. Gazing at the swaying copper bells under the eaves in the distance, Xiao Yao suddenly felt that this "little yellow chick" that delivered the money pouch was perhaps more like a mischievous older brother who loved to play pranks than the majestic emperor in the court.