The results of the Prefecture Examination were out soon enough. Although another batch of people failed to pass, Wang Qingchen heard that both Qi Jintang and Zhao Jing had succeeded, which made Wang Qingchen happy for them while simultaneously admiring their solid foundations.

Li Yuntai envied those who passed the Prefecture Examination; they were just one step away from becoming xiucai scholars! Li Yuntai sighed with envy, "They are already tongsheng now; pass the Academy Examination next, and they’ll be xiucai!"

Wang Qingchen was also full of envy, but he still offered comfort, "Don't be jealous of them. We can do it too someday."

Li Yuntai nodded with a smile, but secretly thought that while he might not pass to become a xiucai, Wang Qingchen certainly had the ability. How long had it been since he joined the Intermediate Class, yet he was already excelling there; even the tutor held high hopes for him.

When Madam Zhang heard the news, she felt deeply that the very best fortune stick she had begged for had proven effective, and she secretly resolved to visit that temple more often for future matters.

As Madam Zhang thought this, she saw her daughter, Wang Caixia, approaching and happily told her, "Caixia, Brother Jing has passed the Prefecture Examination. If he passes the Academy Examination next, you’ll be a scholar’s wife! Oh, the Zhao family was already prosperous, and now their son is likely to become a xiucai too. You definitely won't suffer after marrying into their family."

Wang Caixia was also very pleased to hear it, but she maintained the reserve expected of a young woman. She wasn't as excitable as Madam Zhang, though the slight upward curve of her lips betrayed her good spirits.

Wang Youliang's recent days could be described as exceptionally delightful. He didn't have to listen to the Old Master's constant lectures every day, nor did he have to endure Madam Tian’s frequent complaints, and he could even steal moments to meet with Madam Huang while Zhao Cheng was at school. Truly, he was having too good a time to think of returning.

Madam Huang had already learned the reason for Wang Youliang’s arrival from him—it was to evade the corvée labor, or more accurately, to deceive his own father. Initially, Madam Huang hadn't paid much mind to the matter, but as Wang Youliang continued his idle existence day after day, she felt she could barely stand it. Thinking that Wang Youliang had always treated her relatively well, she wondered if she ought to try and advise him. So, one day, Madam Huang decided that once Wang Youliang arrived, she would speak to him about it.

When Wang Youliang showed up, Madam Huang steered the conversation in that direction.

Upon hearing this, Wang Youliang grew slightly impatient. He thought that he had hidden away precisely to avoid his father's nagging; now that he was finally out, he had to listen to Madam Huang lecture him too. He became a little annoyed and said curtly, "My affairs are none of your concern."

Madam Huang knew she didn't really have the standing to interfere, but since she had broached the subject, she decided to continue. So, Madam Huang pressed on, "I know I have no right to say this, but there are things I still feel compelled to tell you. You have always been very good to me, providing the tuition for Cheng’er and the funds needed for our daily living. But precisely because you are usually so good to me, I feel I must say this: living this way every day with nothing to do is very bad. Never mind that you still have an entire family to support; you have been taking care of me too, and all of that requires money. Even if you manage to take money from your parents, to put it bluntly, what if one day they pass away? Who will you rely on for funds then? Getting money from others is far less reliable than earning it yourself!"

Wang Youliang impatiently cut her off, "Enough, enough, I know. You don't need to worry about these things."

Madam Huang could tell Wang Youliang hadn't taken it to heart. After a moment’s thought, she decided to soften her approach and continued, "Even if you don't care about those things, I have to care! Although I am not your formally wedded wife, you are still my world. You have no idea how much better my life has become since you arrived. Do you know what kind of life I lived before? Back then, we didn't have spare money for vegetables, so I had to swallow my pride and pick discarded yellowed cabbage leaves from the market. When we didn't have enough rice, I frequently cooked gruel, using a tiny bit of grain to make a huge pot that could sustain us for an entire day. Can you bear to see me return to that life? Or perhaps... you plan to stop coming to me, to abandon me?"

As Madam Huang spoke, perhaps genuinely recalling the hardships she endured raising the child alone, tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

Wang Youliang had already been somewhat moved when he heard about Madam Huang's previous miserable life, and seeing her cry now made his heart ache even more, "Alright, alright, don't cry. Don't worry, I won't abandon you in the future either."

Madam Huang wiped her tears, "Do you know, I am counting on you now. Only if you do well can I do well!"

When Wang Youliang heard Madam Huang place him in such a high position, relying on him completely, he felt a surge of being needed. A sense of pride welled up in Wang Youliang that he never felt back at the old residence. Unable to restrain himself, he drew Madam Huang close and affirmed, "Rest assured, I will go into town tomorrow to see what work I can find. I promise you won't have to live that kind of life again."

Madam Huang finally nodded, a little embarrassed, "I lost my composure."

Wang Youliang smiled and shook his head, "It's fine, you're in front of me anyway."

Seeing that her persuasion had succeeded, Madam Huang finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Madam Huang had tried to persuade him before, it surely would have failed. One must remember that initially, Wang Youliang was merely toying with the idea. It was only later, as friction frequently arose between him and Madam Tian at home, that he increasingly realized how much better Madam Huang was than Madam Tian, leading to his deeper affection for her. This is what allowed Madam Huang to succeed in her persuasion. However, if the Old Master knew that the aspiration he had tried every method to achieve was successfully persuaded out of his son by the woman his son was seeing on the side, one could only wonder what his reaction would be.

Wang Youliang’s pride lingered into the next day, and he kept his promise to Madam Huang, preparing to explore potential sources of income in town.

Before leaving, Wang Youliang considered that running into any acquaintances in town would be problematic, so he disguised himself slightly, trying hard not to be recognized, before finally heading out.

Wang Youliang wandered around town for a circuit but couldn't find any work he could do to earn money, which left him somewhat disheartened. Just as he was getting thirsty, he found a teahouse, sat down, and ordered a cup of tea.

After drinking the tea, Wang Youliang felt a bit better and less tired, but since he hadn't found any good prospects for wealth, he felt too awkward to return to Madam Huang immediately, so he stayed seated in the teahouse.

The teahouse had a steady flow of people. He could hear many chatting and laughing, and even more hearing others recount the latest happenings in town. Wang Youliang found it interesting and settled in to listen.

Indeed, he overheard some potentially useful information. One man was talking about his son attending the town school, mentioning that sometimes his son woke up late, fearing punishment from the tutor, and would rush to school without eating breakfast, thus going hungry all morning. Of course, the man’s main point was that his son’s habit of not waking early was bad, not focusing primarily on the missed breakfast.

After hearing this, Wang Youliang thought it might be a source of income, but with only a few students, how much money could be made? He estimated this path wouldn't work.

Wang Youliang didn't hear any more useful tidings after that, so he paid for his tea and returned—though he headed to Madam Huang’s place, naturally.

Upon seeing Wang Youliang return, Madam Huang eagerly asked if he had found any good prospects for making money.

Not wanting to disappoint Madam Huang, Wang Youliang mentioned the story about some students skipping breakfast, suggesting that perhaps setting up a small food stall near the school might be viable.

Wang Youliang had initially thought this path wouldn't amount to much profit, but Madam Huang’s eyes lit up upon hearing it. Back in her old home, she used to make many kinds of snacks, and if they really opened a food stall, her culinary skills would finally have a place to shine.

So, Madam Huang quickly asked Wang Youliang for his plans, but since Wang Youliang hadn't believed it was a good idea in the first place, he hadn't given it much thought. He only mentioned it to avoid hurting Madam Huang’s feelings, never expecting her to be so enthusiastic.

Wang Youliang could only vaguely recall his prior experience in opening a shop and offered general ideas on how to manage a food stall based on that experience.

Madam Huang nodded repeatedly; she genuinely thought it was a wonderful idea. However, for now, it was just a concept, and before putting it into action, they needed to deliberate carefully.

Wang Youliang was also calculating that if they truly opened a stall, they would need to rent a storefront, buy ingredients, and hire someone skilled in making snacks—it would likely require a substantial sum of money.

Madam Huang agreed that investing so much upfront only to find no return later would be unwise. After some thought, she suggested, "How about we don't rent a shop first? We can just set up a stall and see how the business goes, whether people come to buy. If business is good and we earn well, then we can consider renting a proper storefront or something."

It must be said, Madam Huang’s suggestion was quite cautious. Wang Youliang was very pleased with it and increasingly felt that Madam Huang was an invaluable virtuous helper. In contrast, his wife at home only knew how to complain constantly or start arguments at the drop of a hat; she truly wasn't half as good as Madam Huang. Wang Youliang even found himself wishing Madam Huang were his wife.