Zhao Cheng and his mother, Mrs. Huang, later earned dozens of taels of silver from the flower seeds Wang Qingchen had given them, and they felt deeply uneasy about it. The mother and son even decided to return the money earned from selling the flowers to Wang Qingchen, which rather caught him off guard. Finally, only after persuasion from Wang Qingchen, Li Yuntai, and Liu Hao did the mother and son agree to accept the money. However, afterward, Mrs. Huang would occasionally ask Zhao Cheng to bring some homemade food for Wang Qingchen. Since Mrs. Huang was an excellent cook, Wang Qingchen readily accepted everything with thanks.

Meanwhile, Wang Qingchen looked at the potted flowers in his room, anticipating that in a few more days, he could notify Steward Xu to collect them. A wave of joy washed over him; that would be another sum of income!

Truth be told, Wang Qingchen had been living quite comfortably since arriving in the county town, never lacking money. But if it didn't interfere with his current life, Wang Qingchen wouldn't mind earning a bit more. Perhaps with the extra money, he could even purchase shops or fields in the county town later on.

A few days later, Steward Xu received word from Wang Qingchen's messenger and hurried over excitedly. "Oh my, Qingchen, I truly cannot thank you enough. At such a crucial time, I have to trouble you with growing these flowers."

"Ah, Uncle Xu, speaking like that makes us strangers. Firstly, our cooperation was agreed upon long ago. Secondly, the main reason I'm growing these flowers now is to earn money; I'm not doing this for free, am I?" Wang Qingchen replied nonchalantly.

"Yes, yes, of course, but regardless, Uncle Xu must still thank you," Steward Xu chuckled.

Afterward, Steward Xu inspected the few pots of flowers, finding them all quite satisfactory. He contentedly instructed his servants to carry them away. After paying Wang Qingchen, he didn't rush off but instead said, "Qingchen, there is something I must tell you in advance. Boss Xue will be coming over soon. It’s been quite a while since you and Boss Xue last met, hasn't it? He will personally come to thank you then."

Wang Qingchen was genuinely pleased upon hearing about Boss Xue's impending arrival. After all, the wealth he now enjoyed, the foundation of his family's current prosperity, was ultimately brought about by Boss Xue. If Boss Xue hadn't given him the opportunity, he never would have earned money by growing flowers.

"Really? It’s wonderful that Boss Xue can come! I truly haven't seen him in ages! As for the thanks, there’s really no need. If anyone should be thanking, it's me thanking you all, right? Without you, I couldn't have earned this much money. When Boss Xue arrives, Uncle Xu, you must send word so I can host him properly!" Wang Qingchen said.

Steward Xu admired Wang Qingchen’s refusal to take undue credit. "Hahaha, telling these things to a mere steward like me is useless. This is Boss Xue’s decision; I can’t stop it! But I will certainly notify you the moment Boss Xue arrives."

"Oh, Uncle Xu, you're being too modest with me. Everyone knows you are Boss Xue's most capable aide. If you say so, Boss Xue will surely consider it," Wang Qingchen laughed.

"Fine, since you put it that way, if Uncle Xu doesn't help you persuade him, I would seem petty," Steward Xu said with a good-natured laugh.

"Then I thank you very much, Uncle Xu!" Wang Qingchen expressed his gratitude.

Later, before Boss Xue arrived in the county town, Wang Qingchen and his companions had to participate in the provincial examination (Kēshì). Compared to the preliminary examination (Yuànshì), Wang Qingchen felt much calmer and more composed about the provincial exam. By the time it concluded, Wang Qingchen hadn't experienced that feeling of his mind going blank, as he had during the preliminary exam.

When Li Yuntai and Liu Hao emerged from the examination hall, they both appeared in good spirits, which greatly relieved Wang Qingchen.

After cleaning up, the three of them went out together. They first called on Zhao Cheng, and then the four headed to a restaurant to enjoy a proper meal.

"You all don't know! As soon as the examination papers were distributed, my heart soared upon seeing the questions. Thankfully, I had thoroughly reviewed those sections, and I remembered everything the Master taught us. So, for this provincial exam, I feel more confident now than before I took it. Hahaha, I really have to thank whoever set the questions this year!" Liu Hao exclaimed excitedly.

Beside him, Li Yuntai remained silent. However, Wang Qingchen observed his expression and guessed that Li Yuntai must have also performed well, as he showed none of the dejection Wang Qingchen saw after the preliminary exam. Wang Qingchen was quite happy with his assumption; it would be perfect if they could all proceed to the subsequent county-level examination (Xiāngshì) together.

As for Zhao Cheng, Wang Qingchen felt there was even less to worry about. If Zhao Cheng couldn't pass the provincial exam, then none of them should hold out hope, right?

Zhao Cheng, having arrived, hadn't spoken much. Instead, he drank some wine, his face flushed and showing slight signs of intoxication. Zhao Cheng rarely drank much, so it was unusual for him to be in the mood to drink so heavily today. However, drinking alone was unacceptable, so Wang Qingchen accompanied him, consuming a significant amount of wine himself. But their tolerances were on different levels; while Wang Qingchen barely felt woozy, Zhao Cheng was already quite muddled.

Although Liu Hao was overjoyed, his excitement quickly faded when he noticed how much Zhao Cheng was drinking. He quickly intervened, "Hey, Zhao Cheng, you can't drink any more! Your tolerance isn't great; how can you handle this much? Be careful you won't even be able to walk later."

However, Zhao Cheng didn't seem to heed the warning. "Just let me have a few more cups! It’s only today, I promise I won't be like this again."

Liu Hao didn't immediately catch on, but Zhao Cheng's words carried a distinct air of sadness. So, Liu Hao asked, "Zhao Cheng, you seem off today. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Zhao Cheng didn't answer, taking another sip of wine. At this point, Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai were also certain that Zhao Cheng had something weighing on his mind. However, unlike Liu Hao, they didn't press him directly, choosing instead to sit aside and not disturb him.

Liu Hao felt quite unhappy watching Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai stand by idly. Zhao Cheng was their good friend now; if a friend was clearly troubled, it seemed unconscionable for the other two to ignore it completely.

Wang Qingchen looked at Liu Hao. "If he doesn't want to talk, then we shouldn't ask. Maybe it’s something he finds difficult to bring up? Let’s not press him; we don't want to make him uncomfortable."

Li Yuntai agreed with Wang Qingchen’s view and nodded in assent. Liu Hao had no choice but to agree with their approach, though he remained uneasy. He quickly took control of the wine pot, ensuring that whenever Zhao Cheng reached for another cup, Liu Hao only poured a tiny amount. Since Zhao Cheng was already somewhat drunk, he didn't notice.

Afterward, the three of them escorted Zhao Cheng home together. When they reached the place where Zhao Cheng and his mother lived, they saw Mrs. Huang standing anxiously at the doorway, occasionally glancing toward the road entrance—it was obvious she was waiting for her son.

The three quickly helped support the drunken Zhao Cheng. Seeing her son thoroughly inebriated, Mrs. Huang was very worried. After thanking them, she quickly helped her son inside, then immediately started boiling hangover soup and preparing hot water to bathe him, working until late before finally resting.

The next morning, Mrs. Huang awoke to find her son already up, having prepared breakfast, showing no trace of yesterday's demeanor.

However, Mrs. Huang was still concerned. "Cheng'er…"

She wanted to say something to her son, but the words caught in her throat. She simply looked at Zhao Cheng with deep concern.

Zhao Cheng naturally knew his mother was worried. He looked up and said, "Mother, please don't worry. I’m fine, aren't I? Hurry up and eat, or the porridge will get cold."

Mrs. Huang looked at her son; he truly wasn't like he was yesterday, so her heart finally settled a little. It was a relief that her son had recovered. She had feared he might be dwelling on certain matters, hurting himself in silence.

Yesterday, after finishing the provincial exam, Zhao Cheng had hurried home. As he neared his residence, he overheard several neighboring women speaking ill of his mother, Mrs. Huang—accusing her of improper conduct and worse. Zhao Cheng had known people looked at him and his mother oddly his entire life, but he never imagined someone would viciously slander his mother behind her back. How could he swallow such an insult? However, before Zhao Cheng could confront these women, Mrs. Huang quickly came out and pulled the reluctant Zhao Cheng back into the house.

The anger was contained but not released, leaving Zhao Cheng feeling suffocated. When Wang Qingchen and the other two came to call him out, he left without hesitation; staying at home any longer, he felt he would go mad.

Mrs. Huang assumed that the three had managed to talk sense into Zhao Cheng the night before, which explained why he seemed completely fine today. She had no idea that her son had merely buried the incident deep in his heart, never forgetting it—not even long after the fact.

Once Zhao Cheng went to the county school, Mrs. Huang returned to her embroidery work. While the money they had now would last mother and son quite a while, most of it came from selling flowers. What if that shortcut vanished in the future? Thus, Mrs. Huang diligently returned to sewing embroidery, saving money coin by coin.

At the school, Wang Qingchen and the other two hadn't inquired about the reason for Zhao Cheng's silent drinking the previous day, which brought Zhao Cheng a measure of relief.