Zheng Zixuan stepped forward and bowed to the two elders. Xu Zifan gave them a brief introduction. The others had been so excited seeing Xu Zifan earlier that they hadn't noticed the girl behind him. Now, seeing her face, which bore a striking resemblance to Zheng Chuan, they were all somewhat bewildered. Xu's mother looked around, "Where...where's Xiao Chuan?"
"Mother, let's go inside and talk." Xu Zifan tied up the carriage, invited everyone in, and only after everyone was seated did he tell them about Zheng Chuan entrusting his sister to him when he joined the army.
Xu's mother slapped her thigh, suddenly realizing, "No wonder you insisted on having Zheng Chuan accompany you to the prefectural city. So he had arranged to leave from there? Oh dear, you two children, how could you not tell us about such an important matter? You should have at least prepared some things for Xiao Chuan to take with him."
"Mother, don't worry. Zheng Chuan brought money with him. He can buy whatever he needs when he gets there. You know Zheng Chuan's personality. He doesn't want to face the scene of parting, which is why he didn't tell you."
After muttering a few more words, Xu's mother sat down next to Zheng Zixuan, took her hand, and looked at her with a look of pity on her face. "Good child, once you're here, make yourself at home. Your brother often comes over, just like another son to me. We have a very good relationship. You've just arrived here and aren't familiar with the place yet. If you need anything, just come to me or Xiaolian. Don't be shy, we're all family."
Xiaolian stepped forward and said with a smile, "Yes, Sister Zixuan, we're all family. There's a spare room right next to mine, I'll go and help you tidy it up."
Zheng Zixuan quickly stood up, "I'll go too. I can clean up by myself. I've already caused you a lot of trouble."
Xiaolian quickly waved her hand, "It's no trouble at all. You just got off the bus, you must be exhausted. Take a good rest, I can handle it all by myself."
Seeing that the two girls got along well, Xu's mother smiled and said, "Let Xiaolian go. You and Lao San should rest well. I'll go and make you some noodle soup. A hot bowl of soup will make you feel better." She instructed Xu Zifan, "Lao San, take care of Zixuan. I'll go and make you something to eat."
Xu Zifan nodded. "Don't worry, Mother."
Mr. Xu didn't say much to the young girl, but asked Xu Zifan a few questions about the exam. Knowing everything went smoothly, he happily left with his hands behind his back. Many neighbors had been asking about Xu Zifan these past few days, and now that he was back, he should go out for a stroll. Fang Mingda went to help Xiaolian clean the room, leaving only Xu Zifan and Zheng Zixuan in the main room. Zheng Zixuan breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a smile with Xu Zifan. She, her person, her identity, had been established so smoothly!
The next day, Xu Zifan went to register Zheng Zixuan's household registration. Groups of Xu family members came to congratulate her and also to see the new scholar. Xu Zifan was not some poor scholar; he came from a wealthy family, was a doctor, and had topped the imperial examination. By all accounts, his future seemed bright, and many people wanted to get close to him.
In particular, the county magistrate hosted a banquet for Xu Zifan and Liu Yang, as they had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations before the age of 20, and the magistrate recognized their potential. He specially encouraged them and gifted each of them twenty taels of silver, a sum that would make ordinary people envious. In addition, a scholar who passed the county-level examinations received five taels of silver annually, was expected to be polite and courteous to ordinary people, was exempt from corvée labor, and was exempt from taxes on eighty mu of land under his name. All these benefits directly elevated Xu Zifan's social status to a new level.
When Xu Zifan returned to Jishetang for his shift, the doctors he worked with paid him more attention, and the apprentices, pharmacists, and shop assistants treated him with even greater respect. His medical skills surpassed those of several doctors, a fact that had previously gone unnoticed due to his youth. Now, with the title of scholar, he had unknowingly become the foremost person at Jishetang, with everyone else treating him with deference. Only then did Xu Zifan truly understand the class differences between scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants in ancient times.
Another person who noticed this disparity was Su Qianyun. Having been in this world for so long, she had never seen any officials, only a few constables. These constables always walked with their chins slightly raised, exuding an air of superiority, and passersby would give them a wide berth. Those were the most formidable people she had ever encountered. For the past six months, she had been trying to improve her living conditions, so she worked hard to earn money using the few dishes she knew how to cook, and opened a small restaurant in town.
Seeing that Xu Zifan's family was still renting Fang Mingda's house, while her own family already owned a small restaurant, she thought she had finally surpassed Xu Zifan and regained her confidence. But how long had it been? Xu Zifan had already passed the imperial examination and become a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). She thought that passing the exam was useless; many people in modern times viewed Xiucai as poor and unsuccessful figures from TV dramas. She never imagined that a Xiucai would receive so many privileges. Were those Xiucai in TV dramas too aloof and inflexible in making money, or was this world simply different from those dynasties?
Su Qianyun wasn't good at history and didn't pay attention to these things, so she couldn't recall them no matter how hard she tried. However, she had attended several banquets at the Xu family's residence and witnessed firsthand the public's attitude towards Xu Zifan. Passing the imperial examinations truly made a difference. While she earned money and people would greet her with smiles, their attitude towards Xu Zifan was more than just polite; it carried an unspoken sense of hierarchy. Then she saw Xu Zifan walking down the street, and two constables even greeted him with smiles and clasped their hands in respect, addressing him as "Scholar Xu." It was then that she truly realized the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants was real, and that no amount of money she earned selling food and running a restaurant could compare to Xu Zifan's success in passing the imperial examinations.
People often talk about who is the daughter or son of a scholar, and even the children of scholars have a higher social standing than others. But her wealth couldn't bring any improvement in her children's status. Su Qianyun was once again dealt a blow by Xu Zifan; her hard-won confidence crumbled quickly, and she even began to resent herself for not being dressed as a man!
When she saw Zheng Zixuan, her heart skipped a beat.
Her eyes lit up with excitement, a mixture of joy and frustration. She couldn't resist asking Zheng Zixuan, "Did your brother really join the army? Did he say when he'd be back?"
Zheng Zixuan gave him a strange look and shook her head. "No one can say for sure about joining the army. My brother didn't mention it."
When Zheng Zixuan was impersonating Zheng Chuan, she deliberately used a falsetto, making it sound like a man. Now that she has reverted to her original female voice and can cook and sew, Su Qianyun had no doubts. She was only eager to ask her, "What did your brother tell you? Did he mention me or us?"
Zheng Zixuan thought quickly, finding the plan flawless, then shook her head. "No, my brother and I only met a day ago before he left. We didn't have much of a chance to chat. He just asked about my life over the years, then told me he and Brother Xu were sworn brothers, and asked me to come here with Brother Xu. He didn't mention anything else." Zheng Zixuan looked at Su Qianyun, her eyes flickering with confusion. "What's wrong? Should my brother mention anyone to me? Should I be careful about something?"
Su Qianyun was extremely disappointed. She had created so many opportunities to bump into Zheng Chuan and hinted at her advances countless times, yet she hadn't managed to seduce him at all? What kind of man was he? She was clearly beautiful and charming; shouldn't a tough, single man like Zheng Chuan prefer a petite and pretty woman like her? Aren't married women more mature and attractive? Was Zheng Chuan blind?
Seeing her lost in thought, Zheng Zixuan waved her hand in front of her eyes and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about? Is something wrong? If it's about my brother, you can tell me. Is there someone my brother doesn't get along with here? Or... someone he cares about?"
Su Qianyun glanced at her, momentarily wanting to hint that she and Zheng Chuan had a romantic relationship, but quickly stopped herself from doing so. It was too dangerous, and Zheng Chuan hadn't even made any commitment to her; anything she did would be inappropriate. But Zheng Chuan had actually joined the army! The most skilled hunter, taciturn, aloof from women, and fiercely loyal—and now he'd joined the army? Wasn't it obvious he had a bright future and was destined to be a general? He was just like the male protagonist in countless farming novels!
Su Qianyun's heart burned with anger, and she gave Zheng Zixuan a gentle and kind smile. "It's nothing. I just wanted to say that our whole family has a very good relationship with your brother. He's incredibly capable. We went into the mountains with him before and saw him hunting with our own eyes; he was truly amazing. Now that he's joined the army, we'll definitely take good care of you for him. Just call me Sister Yun. Come find me if you need anything." She took Zheng Zixuan's hand. "I've always wanted a younger sister. Seeing you gives me that feeling of closeness. You must come visit me often!"
Zheng Zixuan got goosebumps, feeling that Su Qianyun was crazy. How come she had no past connection with Su Qianyun? When did they become so close? Su Qianyun even took care of her for her brother and became her best friend? Forget it, she knew how Su Qianyun treated Xu Zifan, and she kept her distance from that kind of person.
Zheng Zixuan gave a dry laugh and made an excuse to avoid Su Qianyun. Where was Su Qianyun? She was still dreaming of getting closer to her younger sister and winning over her older brother. Now that she knew how vast the social hierarchy was in ancient times, how could she be content to be a small merchant for life? Xu Erlang could offer her nothing, and he was a chauvinist with a host of bad habits. She had to work harder. The most likely candidate she could get close to now was Zheng Chuan. A well-known, unmarried, and soon-to-be general—no matter what position Zheng Chuan rose to, she could marry him and become an official's wife!
Of course, this matter cannot be made too obvious. She still needs to see if Zheng Chuan can take over. More than half a year of living in ancient times has made her no longer as naive as before. She must be prepared for both possibilities and not cut off her own escape route.
Ever since Su Qianyun made that decision, she frequently visited the Xu family to see the two elders and made excuses to contact Zheng Zixuan, which annoyed Zheng Zixuan to no end. She couldn't help but say to Xu Zifan, "What's wrong with your second sister-in-law? She used to like to hang around me, and now she's even more extreme. I clearly don't like to associate with her, so why doesn't she have any sense of propriety?"
Xu Zifan was busy with the clinic and hadn't paid attention to the situation at home. When he heard her words, he almost spat out his water and asked in surprise, "Second sister-in-law hasn't given up yet?"
Zheng Zixuan looked at him, puzzled. "Give up what?"
"Give up on you!" Xu Zifan coughed lightly, amused. "She's taken a liking to you and has always wanted to get engaged so she could divorce you and remarry."
Zheng Zixuan's eyes widened instantly. "What?! Has she gone mad?"