Chapter 172: 115 Perfect Answer Sheet! (Two updates in one)_4

The examinees were in heated discussion, each chiming in their own thoughts.

Xiao Liulang revealed a look of doubt and introspection.

He quickly lost interest in listening to the gossip and returned his room expressionless.

Lin Chengye’s belongings had been cleared away by Manager Zhou. Xiao Liulang tidied his own things, and Manager Zhou had settled their inn expenses, so no more silver was needed.

At night, Fen Lin wanted to try the famed local delicacies of Provincial City.

“We’ve been here for a while now, and to avoid upsetting our stomachs, we’ve been eating meals from the little kitchen. I’ve had enough!” Fen Lin complained.

During the trip to Prefecture City for the examination with Xiao Liulang, Fen Lin had upset his stomach by indiscriminately eating. Despite having diarrhea medicine from Gu Jiao, he was still terrified.

The provincial examination was a serious affair. To avoid repeating the past, they had been very careful with what they ate.

Xiao Liulang happened to want to buy some things for his family, so he agreed with Fen Lin’s suggestion.

The streets of the Provincial City were wide and long, where even four horse-drawn carriages could race side-by-side without feeling crowded. The shops on both sides were bustling with people, presenting a thriving scene.

Looking at the colorful lanterns in the hands of vendors, Fen Lin admired, “The Provincial City is so lively, much livelier than our county, and even the Prefecture City.”

Xiao Liulang hummed in agreement.

Fen Lin mused, “What do you think Capital City looks like? If the Provincial City is this bustling, won’t Capital City be even more so? Will the streets in the Capital City be wider and longer? Are there more carriages? Even bigger shops?”

“Hmm,” Xiao Liulang hummed again.

Fen Lin said strangely, “What are you humming about? You’re acting as if you’ve been there! Ah, how I long to go to the Capital City. I dream of it, just a single trip in this lifetime and I will die without regret!”

Xiao Liulang said calmly, “What’s so good about the Capital City? It’s just a place of right and wrong.”

Fen Lin sighed and shook his head, “You have no ambition. You don’t understand!”

The Guozijian was the holy land for all scholars. If before, Fen Lin only had a sixty percent desire to go to the Capital City, now it increased to a hundred percent. If he could visit Guozijian once in his lifetime, his decade-long hard study would not be in vain.

However, he did know how to gauge his own abilities. With his abilities, he certainly wouldn’t pass the exam or be recommended by the government office.

The special products of the Provincial City were sesame candy and donkey meat.

Fen Lin wasn’t all that interested in candy, but he drooled over the idea of donkey meat. They went to an old and renowned shop for donkey meat and ordered two bowls of donkey meat soup, two donkey meat buns, and a small bowl of braised donkey meat.

A saying goes, donkey meat is fragrant while horse meat stinks, and one would rather die than eat mule meat. Well-prepared donkey meat can make the whole street smell fragrant.

Fen Lin couldn’t wait to take a bite of the braised donkey meat: “Wow, this is so delicious!”

Having become accustomed to Gu Jiao’s culinary skills, Xiao Liulang also found the donkey meat to be quite good.

After their meal, they called the waiter to settle the bill, only to find out that someone had already paid for them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Who was that?” Fen Lin asked. Could it be Lin Chengye? But wasn’t that guy already back to the Prefecture City? Did he sneak out this quickly? Followed them to the donkey meat shop without sitting at the same table to eat, only secretly picked up the bill?

The waiter replied with a smile, “It was a gentleman with the surname Liu.”

Xiao Liulang’s face cooled.

Fen Lin looked at Xiao Liulang, “Do you know him?”

Xiao Liulang answered blandly, “No.”

The waiter chuckled again, “Master Liu sent a message that he has arranged a small banquet in Zuiyun Tower to treat Young Master Xiao and your friend. He is kindly inviting Young Master Xiao to grace him with his presence.”

“Ah, I see what’s happening. So it’s another gentleman who wants to befriend you.” Fen Lin had encountered many people who wanted to meet Xiao Liulang because of his excellent essay in the Prefecture Examination. He naturally thought that this Master Liu was one of them.

“Will you go?” Fen Lin asked.

“No.” Xiao Liulang stood up, “Let’s go. Back to the inn.”

“Oh.”

The two stayed in the inn for one night. The next day, they planned to hire a good carriage at the carriage station, but just as they reached the entrance, they saw a young man dressed as a servant waiting there, grinning: “Are you Young Master Xiao and Young Master Fen? My master has prepared a carriage to send you two gentlemen back to the county city.”

“Who’s your master?” Fen Lin asked.

“My master is Mr. Liu.” The servant replied.

Fen Lin mumbled, “Could it be the same man from yesterday?”

Fen Lin glanced over at their carriage and was startled by its luxury, even more so than the Lin Family’s carriage. This Master Liu seemed to be quite influential!

“No, we won’t ride.” Xiao Liulang flatly turned it down without hesitation.

Fen Lin: “…”

Alright then!

Genius has its quirks!

They hired the fastest carriage, paying double the usual fare, and made their way back towards the County City without pause.