Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 271 The Calm Lake (11)

"Huh, why haven't we seen that Miss Zhang these past few days?" Shen Siheng suddenly brought up the topic again.

Meng Jiuhe looked at his wife with a puzzled expression: "And who is that Miss Zhang?"

Xu Chaoyan explained a few words to him.

Zhang Yueniang was also somewhat puzzled: "It's been quite a while since I've seen her. Since my mother and the others came back, that Miss Zhang hasn't come to see me for quite some time either. I guess she has other things to do at home. She didn't go when she asked me to go dig for wild vegetables before, did she? A young lady can't be running around all day. She must be tied up with household chores."

The days passed at a leisurely pace, and Xu Chaoyan and her friends' business was getting on track. Their days were also quite fulfilling, as Meng Jiu and the others were preparing for a small exam at the academy. They were busy all day long, even their meals were rushed.

Meng Jiuhe was also puzzled that day: "It's been quite a while since I've seen Qi Yu. I usually just catch a glimpse of him at school. I want to go over and say a few words to him, but he disappears in the blink of an eye."

Seeing his gloomy face, Xu Chaoyan comforted him, "You've been quite busy studying for your exams lately. Why don't you invite him over for a meal after this one? He's usually quite aloof. It's rare that you and Xuyang have a chance to talk to him. His family, a widow and her orphan, must be having a tough time."

Meng Jiuhe nodded: "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking too. I'll invite him over to my house after this quiz. Just as Shen Siheng said, although Qi Yu is aloof, his scholarship is truly exceptional; I can't help but admire him."

Xu Chaoyang comforted him a few more times, and Meng Jiuxia held her hand gently and said, "My wife, I know I've caused you a lot of worry these past few days. It pains me to see how thin you've become."

A few days later, after the quiz, Shen Siheng rubbed his sore arms and shook them. Seeing Meng Jiuhe and Zhang Xuyang coming out from the other side, he quickly ran up to them.

"Brother Meng, Zhang Xuyang, how did you two do on the exam?"

Zhang Xuyang glanced at him and said, "Anyway, you did better than me on the test. You better watch your skin, or your dad will dock your pay."

Shen Siheng looked at him with dissatisfaction: "It's all your fault, Zhang Xuyang. Last time I asked you to help me, you showed no sportsmanship at all. I've always been so good to you. And wouldn't you know it, I just happened to ask Qi Yu about it last time, and what he told me was exactly what was on today's test. I have a feeling that I'll definitely come out on top this time, and my father will definitely look at me differently. Maybe my money will multiply again and again."

Zhang Xuyang shoved the person aside and said, "Don't block our way. Look how happy you are. Well, I wish you all the best. I found today quite difficult, but you think it's easy for you. It seems Qi Yu has been a great help to you. If you do well on the exam this time, you must thank him."

The three walked side by side. Shen Siheng looked excited: "Of course! I think I've hit the jackpot! Qi Yu is so good at predicting exam questions! He just casually mentioned something and it was right."

Zhang Xuyang replied, "You got lucky, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."

Shen Siheng, however, disagreed: "Who are you calling a rat?"

Today was a day off, so Meng Jiu and Zhang Xuyang went to the street to buy a cartload of firewood. They hauled it back to the yard, chopped it all up, and then delivered it to the shop. The shop is burning more firewood every day now, accumulating quite a bit of wood ash and charcoal.

They packed all the wood ash and charcoal into bags, intending to haul them back to the yard for use during the winter. Zhang Xuyang pulled the cart, while Meng Jiuhe supported it to prevent it from falling.

Suddenly, an old woman ran towards them, crying and sobbing, which startled Zhang Xuyang, who quickly steadied the cart.

Meng Jiuhe then saw who was stopping them. He quickly stepped forward and helped Qi Yu's mother up.

The woman was running so fast that her chest was heaving, and she was panting heavily. Her hair was disheveled, and she was covered in dust. After being helped by the two men, she kept begging them to help her son.

Meng Jiuhe and Zhang Xuyang looked puzzled, but still patiently asked, "Aunt Qi, what's wrong with Qi Yu? Isn't this a day off? Why isn't she staying home? Has something happened?"

Qi's mother raised her sleeve to wipe away her tears, her voice somewhat hoarse.

Meng Jiuhe glanced around and saw that there was still one corner left before they got home: "Xuyang, let's take the car back first, then bring your aunt back to sit down and talk slowly."

Qi's mother stumbled and fell all the way back to the courtyard with them, wiping away tears incessantly. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and her face looked sickly, as if she had aged ten years.

Qi's mother was already in poor health from washing clothes for others, and seeing her swaying and unsteady, the two of them had a bad feeling. Could it be that Qi Yu had gotten into some trouble?

Meng Jiuhe brought over a bowl of hot tea: "Aunt Qi, please tell me in detail what happened to Brother Qi that made you so anxious."

Mother Qi didn't even bother to drink a sip of water: "I've noticed that you two are getting quite close to my son. I really can't think of anyone else to turn to, so I can only beg you to help me think of a solution. My son was falsely accused of cheating on this quiz. It was just a simple quiz, how could my son cheat? Those tests are the easiest things for him."

While Meng Jiu and the other two were still in shock, they wondered why Qi Yu would cheat. Did someone with his level of knowledge need to cheat? This was something that the two of them couldn't understand.

“Aunt Qi, could you please tell us in detail what happened? We can work together to find a solution.”

Mother Qi wiped away her tears with her sleeve: "Hasn't the result of your small test been announced? Didn't the magistrate's son get first place?"

Meng Jiuhe nodded: "That's true, is there a problem?"

"That's the problem. The magistrate's son is just a spoiled brat who doesn't study at all. He spends all his time playing with crickets and walking his dog. How could he be number one? There are a few other young masters who I heard also did well in the rankings this time."

Zhang Xuyang nodded in agreement: "That's true. There are always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. It's normal that we can't compare to them when we first arrive."

At this moment, Qi's mother was so anxious that she couldn't help but cough frequently.

"This is just too abnormal. How could they have such good grades normally? It just so happened that an official from the Hanlin Academy was passing by on his way home to sweep the tombs. The county magistrate hosted a banquet for him and casually mentioned this matter. The official took the opportunity to praise him a few times. The county magistrate, feeling proud, summoned his son and those few playboys, and immediately gave himself away. In the end, under their interrogation, he said that my son had cheated by knowing the exam questions in advance and had helped them."

Meng Jiuhe looked shocked: "How could Qi Yu know the exam questions? That's impossible."

While wiping away her tears, Qi's mother recounted what she knew. Zhang Xuyang quickly handed her some water: "Auntie, your lips are so chapped. Please moisten your throat first, and we can discuss this further."

Where is Qi Yu now?

After taking a sip of water, Qi's mother's voice was a little better than before: "With the officials from the capital here, this matter certainly cannot be left unresolved. The county magistrate handled the matter impartially and threw my son into prison without any explanation, without waiting for the county school to find out the reason. I can't even see him, and I don't know what his situation is like inside. I've heard that the prison is not a place for humans to live."

Meng Jiuhe glanced at Zhang Xuyang before speaking, "Xuyang, let's take your aunt home first and then think of a solution."

Qi's mother thought they were disgusted by the trouble they had caused and wanted to get rid of her, so she grabbed his clothes and was about to kneel down: "Please, please."

Meng Jiuhe helped her up: "Auntie, we won't stand idly by. You go back first and we'll find someone to inquire about the situation. Qi Yu knows us, how could we ignore him? We'll go find some friends to ask around and find out how to help him."