On the second day, not long after dawn, Zhuang Keqing and Shen Ling grabbed steamed buns and headed out.
The steamed buns are leftover from last night. I got up early and warmed them next to the porridge. It was just right to eat on the way.
Before setting off, Qin Manzhi also filled a bamboo tube with water for each person, so that they would not be thirsty.
"Mom, please go back and watch Aman. The little guy is very clingy these days. If there is no one around for a while, he will wake up."
Zhuang Keqing and Shen Ling did not push the cart this time. They only carried a rattan basket and stood at the intersection.
"Then I'll go back, you should go and go back early!"
Seeing his mother return to the house, Zhuang Keqing pulled Shen Ling away.
The journey went smoothly, and the two of them only rested for a while. When they arrived at Songling Town, the sun had just risen.
The soldiers guarding the city were still the same, lazily standing at the door, inspecting every item entering the city.
Their baskets were empty, and the soldier only glanced at them, collected the money, and waved them in.
Shen Ling had been living in the county town before, but because he was not liked by the master and his wife, he was confined at home on weekdays. He was like an invisible person and rarely had the chance to come out.
This time when Tongzhuang Keqing arrived in town, it was his first time shopping.
"Well, let's buy your pen, ink, paper and inkstone first. As for the books for the exam, wait until you visit the old scholar before buying them." Zhuang Keqing stood at the entrance of the city gate and said to Shen Ling.
"No need to buy books."
"Ah?" Zhuang Keqing thought he heard wrongly and opened his mouth with a funny expression.
"I said, no need to buy books."
Shen Ling pulled the person aside and got out of the way of the carriage that almost hit her.
"Don't you think you're going too far? The door is blocked!" the driver cursed.
But Zhuang Keqing ignored him at all. He only grabbed Shen Ling and asked, "Why don't you need to buy books to study? We don't bother with this."
She looked anxious as if she was afraid that the person in front of her would regret it, which made Shen Ling not know where to start.
In fact, he has had a photographic memory since he was a child. He can memorize any book by reading it carefully from beginning to end. Therefore, he only needs to go to the bookstore to read.
Even with this method, I always feel that I am taking advantage of others. He is really ashamed of his temper.
But Zhuang Keqing doesn't think this is a matter of taking advantage of others. It's obviously God's reward! She has lived for two lives and has never seen anyone with a photographic memory. This shows how rare it is.
The girl in front of her didn't show any disdain, but was unexpectedly excited. She pulled Shen Ling's sleeve and said, "Why didn't you tell me before that you were so awesome? Let's go buy pens and ink quickly, and then go Check it out in the bookstore."
Shen Ling never felt that photographic memory was something to be happy about, because he remembered clearly all the unhappiness and pain that had happened to him since he was a child, and he had never forgotten it.
But Zhuang Keqing's happy look was so real that he even had the illusion that having this ability might be a good thing.
Although it was not a market day, Songling Town was still lively in the morning.
The steamed buns freshly baked on the street are steaming hot. You can buy a meat-filled bun for three cents, and a vegetable bun for two cents. If you don’t have many coins in your pocket, you can still get a steamed bun without stuffing. This one is only a penny cheaper. You can buy one as big as an adult man's fist. And there is no shortage of customers at the food stalls selling noodles. People are drinking soup and slurping noodles, accompanied by the hawkers' cries and bargaining, which is full of market atmosphere.
Zhuang Keqing did not stop on the road. He took Shen Ling through the busy market and came to the east of the city.
She had been to this place several times before to buy medicine, and knew that there were some shops selling stationery supplies and a bookstore nearby.
She found the home that looked the most comfortable and walked in with her basket on her back.
The shopkeeper in the store lowered his head and was taking inventory. When he heard the sound of footsteps, he knew it was a visitor. He raised his head and before his moustache even curled up, he saw a girl coming in. She was carrying a rattan basket, which was empty.
People who come to this store to buy things on weekdays are all scholars, but no girl has ever come to the door.
Although the shopkeeper was surprised, he didn't feel offended. As soon as he came to the door, he closed the account book with a smile and asked Zhuang Keqing, who was looking around in the store: "What do you want to buy, little girl?"
"Well, just a set of pen, ink, paper and inkstone."
This is a refreshing thing to say.
"The prices in the small store vary. What kind do you want?"
This is really difficult for Zhuang Keqing. She doesn't understand this at all, so she has to ask Shen Ling.
So she turned around and went out, and after a while she pulled a young man in, "What do you want? Tell the boss, and we'll buy it if it suits you."
The shopkeeper took a closer look and saw that the young man who came in later had a clear temperament and a handsome figure, but his clothes were a bit shabby, and he also had a basket on his back like the girl, which really didn't match him.
"It doesn't need to be a good one, just the cheapest one." Shen Ling replied.
"Then I will give you an ordinary stone square inkstone, about three taels of rectangular ink ingots, a rabbit-hair pen, and ten days of Caihou paper." The shopkeeper lowered his head and started to dial the abacus, "Two hundred inkstones, one ink. One hundred and fifty essays, thirty essays on pen, one hundred essays on paper, totaling four hundred and eighty essays."
Zhuang Keqing couldn't help but secretly sighed.
No wonder it was difficult for a poor family in ancient times to produce a noble son. The cheapest pen, ink, paper, and inkstone cost 500 yuan at once, and they were all consumables. Add in the money for buying books and hiring teachers, and it took less than a year to earn from the fields. Everything needs to be spent cleanly.
Fortunately, our family has a tofu business.
No, I have to think of other ways to make money later, and I can't just hang myself from this tree.
She thought this, but there was no clue on her face. She just touched her purse and took out a copper plate.
"You have put it away." Several things, weighing less than two large bones in total, were wrapped in oil paper and handed over.
Zhuang Keqing took it, put it backhand into the basket on Shen Ling's back, and then carefully covered it with a cloth.
After leaving the shop, there was a bookstore not far next door. Zhuang Keqing was not embarrassed at all. He dragged Shen Ling in and asked the clerk which books he should read for the scientific examination.
I've never seen such a customer before. Why, you don't know what to read for the exam?
"This... why not let your husband-in-law take a look at it for himself?"
Shen Ling could see the clerk's disdain, but he didn't say anything. He just glanced at the shelf, picked up a book and browsed it, and asked: "Do you accept manuscripts here?"
After yawning, the clerk replied casually, "Take it."
"How to price this book?" Shen Ling asked, raising the book in his hand.
""variorum"?"
This guy has sharp eyes. This is a printing edition that has just arrived in the county. I heard that it is sold in short supply. The shopkeeper finally managed to get two copies from the publisher. In just two days, one copy has already been sold.
"Well, do you want to take it?" Shen Ling asked again.
"I'll take it, of course I'll take it! It's a book of five hundred inscriptions. If the handwriting is clear and it can be delivered within ten days, I can add another hundred inscriptions."
"Then I'll copy this." Shen Ling put the book back again.
It was the clerk's turn and he was stunned. What do you mean you just copied this? How did you copy it? The store didn't give you a special place to copy books.
But the young man in front of him obviously didn't think there was anything wrong with him. He put the book in his hand back to its original position and looked at the clerk again.
"Does your store provide the pen, ink and paper used for copying?"
"This...the money will be calculated when you hand in the book."
The guy stammered in his answer.
But Shen Ling didn't pay attention. He just nodded and said thank you, then pulled the girl next to him and walked out.
"Do you want to copy books?" Zhuang Keqing couldn't bear to ask in front of the clerk when she was in the bookstore. But after she came out, she had no worries, "Just in that moment, did you write down all the books?"
Shen Ling dozed slightly, seeming to be recalling the contents of the book just now.
Soon, he opened his eyes.
"Yes, I have already remembered it."
Zhuang Keqing was simply stunned. She did not hesitate to cast her warm and admiring gaze on Shen Ling, which made the young man turn his head away in embarrassment.
"It was in Shen Wei's study before. I happened to see it a few times. This time I just reviewed it."
It sounds easy to say, but this is not something ordinary people can do casually.
Zhuang Keqing looked at him with a nice smile until Shen Ling's ears quietly turned red.
Is this shy?
Covering her lips and smiling, the girl took the boy's hand in the street, chirping like a bird, "I didn't expect you could make money by copying books, you are really good at it."
Shen Ling didn't know that Zhuang Keqing's exaggeration was actually to encourage and comfort herself.
