Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Madam Shen! I want a braised pork bone!"

"I want the medicinal flavor. The Master said the medicinal flavor is delicious."

"Me too! I want a medicinal-flavored braised pork bone too!"

"..."

All the students in the academy flocked to Shen Qing's stall, their faces beaming with joy and their eyes filled with anticipation.

There were less than ten braised pork ribs left in the pot. After Master Zheng tasted the medicinal flavor of the braised pork ribs, many diners came forward to try them, and in the blink of an eye, there were hardly any bones left.

Shen Qing smiled with satisfaction and began to pick out the bones for the students one by one.

There weren't many braised pork ribs left; soon only one was left.

At the front of the line was Zhao Gou. He swallowed hard, glanced at Li Shun beside him, and finally made his decision.

"Madam Shen, could I have a bowl of sauce? Or how much would it cost? I'd like to buy a bowl."

"The sauce is free. What flavor do you want?"

Although the spicy and savory pork ribs were sold out, the sauce was still available.

"I'd like to try the spicy flavor," Zhao Gou said, sniffing.

Of the three flavors, the spicy flavor is the most pungent and tempting, and he especially wants to try it.

Shen Qing smiled and scooped some spicy sauce into the bowl, then handed it to Zhao Gou.

Zhao Gou didn't rush away. Instead, he turned to Li Shun and said, "Try this braised pork ribs. We've all tried them before, but you haven't. The teacher said the medicinal flavor is delicious, so it must be something special."

"Yeah, Li Shun, you bought the last one, right? Try it, we can just eat it with the sauce wrapped around the steamed bun."

"Yes, you'll absolutely be won over by this braised pork rib!"

Other students chimed in.

When Li Shun was wrongly accused, none of them dared to stand up for him, so they felt somewhat guilty.

This was the first time Li Shun had received so much attention, and he felt a little embarrassed and at a loss for what to do.

After a long pause, he cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd and walked to Shen Qing's stall.

"Here are sixty coins. I want this braised pork bone with medicinal flavor."

Shen Qing smiled and accepted the money, then scooped the braised pork ribs out, placed them on a plate, and handed them to Li Shun.

"There are no chopsticks today either. This braised pork rib is best enjoyed by holding it in your hands and gnawing on it."

Li Shun's ears turned red. He remembered that on the first day, he was the first person to come to the stall, but he had to give up because there were no chopsticks.

"I know, we don't need chopsticks."

He picked up the braised pork bone with his hands, threw off his clothes, squatted down by the roadside, and took a bite.

The pork, infused with the aroma of herbs, is exceptionally tender and melts in your mouth, with a rich and mellow flavor that makes you want to savor it slowly.

Swallow it down, and a slight sweetness lingers in your mouth, the aroma of meat lingering endlessly.

Fragrant, really scented!

"These bones... taste surprisingly good..."

Li Shun was amazed; he hadn't expected that adding medicinal herbs to the meal could make it so delicious.

This kind of deliciousness isn't the kind that immediately amazes you, but rather it becomes more flavorful and comforting the more you savor it, giving you a feeling of coming home.

He squinted, a look of pure enjoyment on his face. At this moment, all the tension had dissipated, his whole body was relaxed, and the inherent cautiousness he had always possessed had also vanished.

Each of the other students had a bowl filled with sauce, and dipping their steamed buns in the sauce made them equally delicious.

Shen Qing looked pleased. Food should bring joy and happiness, and seeing the students enjoying their meals so relaxed made her genuinely happy.

After all, the greatest happiness for a chef is seeing diners enjoy the food they make.

After packing her things, Shen Qing pushed the cart home.

As soon as they arrived at the gate, Old Chen, the gatekeeper, hurriedly helped Shen Qing push his things back into the courtyard.

"Master..." he said, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"What's up?"

Old Chen looked somewhat strange, and after a long while said, "The old lady brought guests into the mansion, and I thought I should tell you."

Guests? Shen's mother's guests?

"understood."

Shen Qing frowned slightly and walked towards his mother's courtyard.

As soon as she reached the gate of the courtyard, she heard laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside.

It was a young man's voice.

"Auntie, please rest assured, now that I'm back, I won't let you and Qing'er suffer any injustice. With me here, no one will dare to cause trouble for you!"

The voice spoke with absolute certainty, and it was none other than Song Wenqian.

It turned out that Song Wenqian was unwilling to accept being driven away by Shen Qing that day. He didn't have much money on him and was eager to get close to Shen Qing.

In this way, at least they can continue to live a life where they don't have to worry about food and clothing.

Mother Shen had intended to go outside for some fresh air today, but she was intercepted by Song Wenqian as soon as she stepped out the door.

He fabricated a whole bunch of lies, recounting his experience of failing the exam and expressing his longing for Shen Qing. This immediately fooled Shen's mother.

You see, deep down, Shen's mother hoped that Shen Qing could have someone to rely on, so she immediately brought him home.

"Good, good. Qing'er has suffered a lot this time. You have no idea how much she has been wronged. Her father is so heartless. He just abandoned us. The Shen family is no good. They are always finding ways to bully us."

"Fortunately, Qing'er is capable and has the courage to find a way to set up a stall; otherwise, my daughter and I would still be living in this dilapidated house."

Shen's mother cried incessantly, as if she wanted to express all the pain in her heart.

She had been suppressing her feelings for too long, and her heart was heavy. She also felt that her daughter was all alone and had no one to rely on, so when Song Wenqian appeared, she instantly felt hopeful.

She could rest easy as long as she could see her daughter marry a good man.

Song Wenqian had his own wicked ideas. He was unhappy, but he still comforted Shen's mother in a soft voice.

"Auntie, please don't cry. After I marry Qing'er, I will definitely take good care of you. Please don't be sad."

"Qing'er is really strong. She actually bought such a big house just by setting up a stall." He changed the subject and started asking about the house.

Madam Shen waved her hand: "This house wasn't bought, it's rented. It's just that a customer likes Qing'er's cooking, so we don't charge rent."

"It's not easy for Qing'er to make money by setting up a stall."

Every time Shen Qing returned from setting up his stall, he would hand over the money he had earned to his mother, not for any other reason than to put her mind at ease.

Shen Qing didn't rely on the small amount of money he earned from setting up a stall, but rather on the huge rewards from the system.

Upon hearing this, Song Wenqian's face immediately showed a hint of contempt.

Oh, it was rented. No wonder.

He said, "How could Shen Qing, a woman, possibly buy a house in such a short time by setting up a stall?"

He really overestimated Shen Qing.

It now seems that Shen Qing only has a little money.

If he weren't currently penniless and had no other wealthy women to rely on, he wouldn't waste his time on Shen Qing.

The conversation was clear and reached Shen Qing's ears.