There will be markets on the streets of the capital from dawn to noon.
Various stalls sell everything from vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, snacks to cooked dishes, and daily necessities. There are also many vendors carrying burdens walking around in the alleys.
Although expensive items are purchased in stores, almost all daily necessities can be purchased at such roadside stalls.
It turns out that the old clothes and cakes sent home by my sister were all bought here... Shui Qiancheng couldn't help but think this while walking in the early morning market.
"Young master, do you want to buy candied fruits? There are kumquat candied fruits and grapefruit candied fruits. Do you want to buy some to try?"
"Young Master, there are some dried almonds. Can you buy some? Can you buy some?"
"Young Master, do you want to eat maltose? Young Master, do you want to eat maltose?"
Shui Qiancheng had a greedy look on his face. No matter where he went, vendors would greet him as "young master" in an attempt to attract him, but he didn't notice the expression on his face at all.
The meatballs last time were really delicious, the sugar-roasted chestnuts were also good, and the dried lychees were also delicious.
His sister and Zhuge Qing and his wife both gave him pocket money. When Shui Qiancheng went to private school every day, it became his pleasure to buy food secretly...
In fact, his sister gave him money to buy some reference books.
If you buy too much at once, your pocket money will be used up quickly, which will arouse suspicion.
Therefore, he only buys one thing every day, and he tries to choose the cheapest one...
He walked slowly amidst the shouts of "young master" and saw an old woman silently spreading dates on the freshly steamed buns.
The old woman noticed his gaze and smiled at him with her toothless mouth.
"Just one."
This is the rule he set for himself.
Shui Qiancheng took out a copper coin from the small bag in his arms, took a steamed bun, ate it immediately, and quickened his pace.
Although I had breakfast before leaving Zhuge's house, I couldn't help but want to buy something every time I passed the market.
Logically speaking, as long as he didn't take this path, he could stay away from temptation, but he couldn't resist the tempting fragrance and couldn't help but go here.
Because in Sanhu Village, you can't see a whole row of shops at all.
...My sister is so kind. She has lived in this place for four years.
Shui Qiancheng was walking among the crowds and the dazzling array of goods. He never thought that when Shui Xinyuan was working as a court lady in the palace, he was busy doing chores and practicing dance every day, and sent all the money he received back home, even if he occasionally
When I come to the market on holidays, I always go home after shopping and rarely buy my own things.
Shui Qiancheng bit the date with his molars, walked through the market, and when he came to the residence, an acquaintance came from another road.
"Hey, Mr. Shui."
"Brother Gongchun, good morning."
"Why are you eating on the road again?"
Shui Qiancheng hurriedly wiped his mouth.
"I...I didn't eat."
"Don't lie. However, when passing by the market, it's hard not to buy something to satisfy your cravings."
Although Xu Gongchun is nineteen years old, his smile still looks childish. Maybe it's because of the freckles on his face, or because he opens his mouth when he smiles.
Among the private schools where Shui Qiancheng studied, only Shui Qiancheng and Xu Gongchun were students from Liuzhou.
He passed this year's state examination, but came to the capital to take the national examination but failed, so he decided to simply stay in the capital to study and participate in next year's national examination.
Although he is also from Liuzhou, Xu Gongchun's hometown is from the Wang clan in the capital of the state, and his family is well off.
"Come in after you finish eating! Class begins."
"Okay...okay!"
Shui Qiancheng followed Xu Gongchun into the private school.
Among the candidates who passed the examination this year, only eight were from Liuzhou. Among the more than 20 students who came to the capital with Shui Qiancheng, only two were awarded the gold medal.
When Shui Qiancheng first met Xu Gongchun, he once heard him say that few people would pass the examination in the first or second time.
The two candidates on this year's list each challenged five or six times before finally getting on the list.
"Oh, it's Brother Xu and Brother Shui, morning."
"Good morning……"
"Let me ask you, where did you see the Book of Rites?"
Class hadn't started yet, and the students were all chatting lively. Shui Qiancheng and Xu Gongchun found empty seats and sat down respectively.
Shui Qiancheng attended this private school for almost ten days. The students ranged in age from children under ten years old to young people in their twenties.
He originally thought that the private school students in the capital were all children of wealthy families, but he found that these students were all wearing old clothes and their families did not look wealthy.
He asked the young master of the Zhuge family and found out that only children of common people would go to private schools. Children of nobles would invite famous teachers to teach at home and would not go to private schools.
The Zhuge family also planned to help Shui Qiancheng hire a famous teacher, but Shui Xinyuan stopped him and said there was no need to do so.
Shui Qiancheng found it difficult to study in a crowded room with tables and chairs. He also wanted to go to a private school where he could pass by the market every day, so he was very happy that his sister was thinking of him.
He wanted to show off his sister's affairs to everyone, but the young master of the Wen family and Sister Qing'er repeatedly warned him not to mention this matter to outsiders.
Although the fact that the Queen's younger brother was attending a private school would indeed arouse everyone's curiosity, but what's the point of revealing it a little bit... Shui Qiancheng was dissatisfied with this.
...Besides, I won't mention that that guy is my brother-in-law.
He just wants to tell everyone that he has a sister, and her sister is very good to him.
When school was over after noon, Shui Qiancheng walked out of the school and someone patted him hard on the shoulder. Even without turning around, he knew it was Xu Gongchun.
"Are you going home?"
"yes!"
"Accompany me to a place. I'm going to meet my friends in Liuzhou."
"ah?"
Xu Gongchun pointed in the opposite direction to where Shui Qiancheng went home.
"From Liuzhou?"
"Yes. They are all people who passed the exam this year. Three people from Zhoudu and I passed the exam. One of them also introduced me to the inn here. The inn where he stayed was another student from Qidu Town. You
Do you know Bai Zikui?"
"Brother Zikui? I know him!"
"He will go too, will you come?"
"I want to go, you take me with you!"
He used to go home immediately after school every day. The Zhuge family also told him that because he had just arrived and would send a servant to accompany him when he wanted to go out, he had to go home first to let Xu Gongchun know where he wanted to go. But he agreed without hesitation to Xu Gongchun.
.
...It will be okay. Brother Gongchun is here anyway, and brother Zikui will also go.
Shui Qiancheng told himself so and followed Gong Chun.
The vendors on the street have closed their stalls, and the restaurants have opened for business, leaving tables and chairs at the door.
Xu Gongchun continued walking for a while and stopped at the door of a shop with a red cloth embroidered with daffodils embroidered with silver thread.
"It's right here, go in!"
"oh……"
Shui Qiancheng hesitated because he smelled the smell of alcohol, and there was a woman with heavy makeup, disheveled clothes, and an open collar sitting on the bench in front of the store.
"Why are you lingering? Come quickly!"
"good."
Shui Qiancheng glanced at the woman's white chest from the corner of his eyes, and his cheeks felt hot.
He deliberately frowned, pursed his lips, and walked into the store.
"...Don't be so nervous. This is just a place to eat and drink."
"Oh...ah?"
Xu Gongchun laughed loudly and patted Shui Qiancheng on the back.
"However, it's too early for you to come to a store like this. Have you drunk before? No? I think so, so just eat today. Otherwise, if you get drunk, I will have to carry you home."
It seemed that this was not the first time that Xu Gongchun came to this kind of place. He said hello to the waiter in the store and walked inside with Shui Qiancheng.
There were several small rooms inside, and Bai Zikui and another person were sitting in one of them.
"Gong Chun, you are finally here!"
"Oh, Brother Shui Xian! How are you doing lately?"
"Brother Zikui!"
Shui Qiancheng breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the acquaintance, and at Xu Gongchun's urging, he walked into the small room.
"This is Lin Bojian, who was named on the gold list...Bojian, he is Shui Qiancheng, and he went to the same private school as me."
"I just heard from Zikui that your sister is the queen? That's amazing."
"ah?"
Xu Gongchun looked back at Shui Qiancheng.
That's right, even if my sister and the others asked Shui Qiancheng to avoid talking about this topic, everyone in Qidu Town knew about it... because he had already told everyone on the way to the capital.
If they were secretive, it would arouse Bai Zikui's suspicion. Moreover, Xu Gongchun and Lin Bojian were both from Liuzhou, so it shouldn't matter even if they said so.
Shui Qiancheng took a deep breath, put his chin away and said, "Yes. Everyone calls my sister the queen."
"...You...Shui Qiancheng, are you the queen's brother?"
Gong Chun's mouth opened wider and he looked at Shui Qiancheng's face.
"This...it turns out you are the uncle of the state."
"Gong Chun, please sit down first! Qian Cheng should also sit down! The food will be served soon."
"Whoa whoa."
The four people sat down around the round table. After a while, several Yingying Yanyans who were similar to the women with heavy makeup they saw at the door just brought wine and vegetables. The aroma of oil was mixed with the smell of powder.
"...Young masters, do you want to listen to some music?"
"I told you not to do it anymore. Let's go! It's too expensive for you to sit on the stage."
"Ugh, it's so boring."
Xu Gongchun drove several women away, and they walked out lazily.