After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Seeing the man put two fingers on her wrist and mutter something, Zhu Cuiwei was a little suspicious, but she didn't say anything and waited quietly.

The other person's fingertips were a little cold, not as warm as my own wrist.

After a while.

The man smiled gently: "Your pulse is strong, much better than yesterday."

Thank you.

"You're welcome."

Ning Nan casually tucked the other person's wrist back into the quilt.

He certainly didn't know how to take a pulse, but he needed a reason, otherwise his mother outside wouldn't let him in. After all, the woman in bed was the goddaughter the old lady had taken in within a day, and he couldn't afford to offend her.

Although they were somewhat surprised by the rapid progress of their relationship, the surprise quickly turned into admiration.

Ning Nan had known since he was a child that his mother was incredibly socially adept. When he was little, she would carry him in the fields to plant rice seedlings, and she could rattle off a whole list of people in the village in one breath, talking about everyone from this family to that family, whether it was fighting over water or harvesting grain. He never saw his mother suffer a loss in a verbal battle.

The woman always stood with her hands on her hips, grabbing and hitting one after another. When she got involved with Ninth Grandma, she would drag Third Aunt into it, saying that Ninth Grandma's family had taken two-tenths of Third Aunt's land in a certain year and month, and that they still wouldn't admit it.

When she was with Third Aunt, she would also bring up Yang Qiniang, saying that in the twelfth lunar month two years ago, Third Aunt's son stole a chicken from the Yang family and promised to return it, but he never did. Several years had passed, yet she remembered it more clearly than the person involved.

So the aunties especially liked my mother and told her everything. There were many people in the family, but only my mother would hand them an egg on their birthdays and say, "It's your birthday today. I won't argue with you. Here, have a red egg."

Aunts' birthdays are often forgotten even by their own children, but mothers remember them.

Country folk are tough and simple. They're tough because they'll curse each other and fight to the death over a little water in the spring; they're simple because if a woman truly feels you're good to her, she'll remember you for a lifetime.

The day before my ninth grandmother died, she came to my house and brought my mother a newly made cotton quilt, which my mother has been using ever since.

"You've already recognized her as your goddaughter after only one day?" Ning Nan was surprised when she was outside.

"What! You dare bully Cuicui? I'll pinch you to death!"

The woman put on her straw hat, pinched Ning Nan's arm, and when her son called out, she let go, smiling as she got down from the ground.

"Come to the fields early. I borrowed an ox from Uncle Jiu. It's expensive. We need to plow a few acres today and make good use of it."

The woman was sprightly and seemed to never grow old. Outside the earthen house, a neat row of fences stood. Accompanied by the sound of cicadas, the woman's figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

The Ning family's mud house has been built for decades. Ning Nan was worried that it would collapse, so he reinforced it a few years ago. Apart from a few holes made by rats along the wall, it was generally okay. Women are generally afraid of rats, so he figured he should nail those holes shut with wooden boards today.

Seeing that the pretty maid's complexion had improved considerably, Ning Nan nodded and gave a few simple medical instructions... Don't move around too much. The window is open for ventilation, not to make you feel cold. Eat less, not because I'm stingy with food, but because your body is too weak and I'm afraid you can't digest it... He didn't care whether the woman understood or not, and just said everything. He added that his mother wouldn't listen to advice, and that the maid had to say for herself that she couldn't eat. He promised that once she recovered, he would treat her to a big meal, which he would cook himself.

"You cook?"

"If you don't gain ten pounds from eating my food, I'll never hold a spatula again in my life." Chef Ning was very confident in his culinary skills.

Zhu Cuiwei pursed her pale pink lips. She didn't know how to answer the man's question. She had practiced martial arts since childhood and there was no way she could gain weight.

Not at all.

"By the way, I didn't tell you yesterday because you looked too weak and I was afraid you would worry. Actually, your young lady was also rescued, but she has amnesia and doesn't remember who she is. However, someone is taking care of her, and her health is improving, so you don't need to worry."

Ning Nan carefully considered his words, staring at the pretty maid on the bed, observing her reaction.

Although he had received a life-saving favor from Miss Zhu, there was still some hope for the son-in-law route. Yanting shares had already been delisted, so it would be unreasonable not to take this opportunity to help Ningnan shares get listed.

"Miss?" The woman's reaction was somewhat puzzled.

"Hmm."

Ning Nan responded and continued, "But this is what I'm thinking. Look, you and your young lady went on a trip with so many people, so many people, but someone accurately located them and almost wiped them all out... Uh, do you understand what I mean?"

The woman hesitated for a while before nodding.

"That's good!" Ning Nan breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly, "So, I think there must be a mole in your Zhu family who leaked your young lady's whereabouts, which is why you've gotten into trouble."

"Do you know who I am? How do you know there's a mole?" The woman's words came like a storm, her brows furrowed, and she made a move to get up.

Ning Nan hurriedly raised his hand to stop him: "I guessed! You said your surname is Zhu, and Zhu is the imperial surname. I guess no family would let a maid have the surname Zhu. Even if she really had the surname Zhu, she would have to change it, otherwise it would be taboo, unless the master's family has the surname Zhu. So, I guessed that your master's family has the surname Zhu."

"A maid?"

"I didn't mean to look down on you," Ning Nan waved his hand.

He pointed to himself: "I'm an unregistered resident with no household registration, so I wouldn't dare look down on others."

Zhu Cui squinted her eyes. For a fleeting moment, she thought the other person knew her identity and was giving her advice indirectly.

Early in the morning, while the woman was feeding her, she tested the woman and discovered that the family mistook her for a woman in distress. Little did she know that they actually thought she was a maidservant of a wealthy family.

Zhu Cuiwei's forehead suddenly felt tight.

I don't think it's the other party overstepping their bounds or anything like that. Not at all. It's just common sense. I'm just a country bumpkin with no experience.

Yeah, I don't think so at all.

A traitor... there really was a traitor, her maid Ziyuan, who stabbed her in the lower abdomen with a dagger.

Seeing that the woman didn't seem displeased, Ning Nan cautiously continued, "You see, you and Miss Zhu are in such poor health. Perhaps the traitors in your family haven't been completely dealt with. I'm thinking, you and Miss Zhu should stay in the village a few more days until you've recovered. Then I'll go to Master Zhu and help him clear out the traitors in his family. After that, I'll send someone to bring you and your young lady back to the Zhu family. What do you think?"

Killing three birds with one stone: delaying Miss Zhu's return home allows them to cultivate their relationship; knowing the Zhu family's location allows them to make plans in advance; and finally, by using the excuse of "helping the Zhu family eliminate internal traitors," they gain the favor of Master Zhu and obtain the household registration... household registration. If Master Zhu makes him a slave, then they'll spit on him and part ways... Hey! A mudfish leaping over the dragon gate.

After receiving a clear answer from the aloof maid, Ning Nan stood up happily, "Then you should rest more."

As he stepped out the door, Ning Nan picked up a hoe and chased after his mother. The warm sunshine bathed him, but Ning Nan suddenly felt a pang of fear.

"The girls from wealthy families are really quite capable."

Ning Nan pursed his lips. When the woman on the hospital bed asked him a question just now, for a moment, he really felt that she was a tigress ready to devour anyone.

A sick white tiger, its imposing presence was terrifying. Only he, fearless and invincible, could keep it in check. If it were Er Laizi and his gang, they would have been scared out of their wits and would have knelt down on the spot, calling him "Lord Mountain Lord."

The Ning family's windows were made of wood and had several holes in them, but since the windows were already open, the holes were irrelevant.

The sun gradually climbed to its highest point.

The light outside the window is no longer so glaring.

She clutched her lower abdomen, struggled to get up, and wanted to see that 'lady'.

This farmer's son must have had some other thoughts because he saw that the "young lady" was quite beautiful and dressed in the best of the common people. Zhu Cuiwei smiled self-deprecatingly. Her maids were all carefully selected, and naturally each one was outstanding.

Fortunately, this farmer's son didn't have any great ambitions, but he also didn't have any bad intentions. He probably wanted to rely on this "young lady" to please that "Master Zhu," fantasizing about becoming his capable servant, entering the Zhu family mansion, and enjoying a life of luxury. For poor people, this was indeed a good way out, so there was no need to be too harsh on him.

She was not Emperor Hui of Jin, who was known for his indifference to poverty and hardship; how could she not know the difficulties of the people's lives? The Grand Tutor often lamented in his residence that the common people had no way to make a living, and even if they wanted to sell themselves into slavery, they had to rely on the kindness of wealthy families. Thinking of this, the woman sighed, her feelings complicated.

She shook off her thoughts, took a few deep breaths, gritted her teeth, raised her head, bent her elbows back, and sat up halfway, propping herself up on the soft bed. Her face was contorted with pain. She bit her lip. In front of the bed was an earthen-yellow wall, which had stood for countless years, mottled and worn. Then she saw a line of words at the bottom of the wall, very small but very conspicuous.

Why are there words in this kind of place?

The black ink on the wall had dried for many years, faded, and now revealed a white hue.

This seems to be a line of poetry.

What beautiful handwriting!

"Before the whale has drunk its fill of the sea, the sword's aura has already swept across the autumn sky."

What a beautiful poem.