Farmer's Wife Has Magic Skills

Chu Qingzhi entered the room and placed the tray on the table. She took out the purple jade gourd and handed it to the young monk, “Do you like it? It’s a gift for you.”

The young monk took the small gourd in his palm, joyfully saying, “I love it. Miss Chu, could you put it on for me?”

“Sure.” Chu Qingzhi placed the purple jade gourd around the young monk’s neck. She had added a blessing to the gourd, wishing him a smooth and successful life.

The young monk looked down at the purple jade gourd on his chest and said softly, “It’s so beautiful.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and pinched the young monk’s chubby cheeks, “Continue with your morning prayers, and eat your breakfast when you’re done.”

“I know.” The young monk replied softly, “I’m grown up now. 1 can take care of myself.”

“You’re the best, Little Master.”

After completing his morning prayers, the young monk ran to the next room to find his master, proudly showing off, “Master, look, this is the purple jade gourd Miss Chu gave me. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It is beautiful,” said the master abbot, a highly enlightened monk who immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of the gourd. “Keep it safe and don’t show it off casually.”

While saying this, he tucked the gourd inside the young monk’s clothes and patted it gently.

The young monk also patted his clothes, his expression serious, “Master, I will keep it safe.”

The master abbot stroked the young monk’s head. “Good boy, hurry up and eat breakfast.”

“Okay.” The young monk nodded and ran back to his room.

The master abbot watched his young disciple with a gentle gaze and then closed his eyes to continue his chanting.

“Mother, please add these two items to my sister’s dowry,” Chu Qingzhi said, handing over the crystal purple jade and the deed to the Chu residence.

“Your sister’s dowry is already sufficient. There’s no need to add more,” said Li Qingyu, recognizing the value of the purple jade without asking.

“Mother, please listen to me, add them.”

Li Qingyu was still reluctant, “Why don’t you add them to your dowry instead?”

“I still have more than a year before I get married. My dowry can be accumulated slowly, there’s no rush.”

“But these are too valuable, especially this residence. 1 heard that even a modest location in the capital costs several hundred thousand taels. How much did this house cost?”

“Jinghong bought it through his connections. It wasn’t expensive, only about a hundred thousand taels.”

“Ten thousand taels is not a lot?” Li Qingyu widened her eyes slightly in surprise. “Qingzhi, this is the residence you bought. Why don’t you keep it for your own dowry?”

“Mother, if I need a residence, I can always buy another,” Chu Qingzhi persuaded. “The Ning family is wealthy and influential. If my sister’s dowry is too modest, it will surely be a subject of ridicule. You wouldn’t want my sister to be looked down upon, right?”

Li Qingyu hesitated. “This…”

“Mother, please trust me. Add it. A richer dowry for my sister will also free you of worries.”

Li Qingyu sighed and compromised. “Alright, I’ll add it. In the future, I will also prepare generous dowries for you girls.”

Chu Qingzhi’s face lit up with a smile, “Thank you, Mother.”

When Chu Qingyue heard this news, she immediately ran to find Chu Qingzhi. “Fifth Sister.”

She hugged Chu Qingzhi, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice choked with emotion, “Thank you, Fifth Sister.”

Chu Qingzhi patted her back, “A bride should not cry.”

Yet, Chu Qingyue’s tears continued to flow. Qingzhi had changed her fate, given her things she couldn’t even dream of, and now added valuable items to her dowry. Gratitude was an understatement for what she felt in her heart. She would do anything for her fifth sister.

“Really, thank you, Fifth Sister.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled, “No need for thanks. Everything 1 give to my sister comes from my heart.”

Chu Qingyue hugged Chu Qingzhi even tighter, crying her heart out.

General’s mansion.

Tang Jinghong went to Lu Yichen’s room, asking with concern, “Are your injuries better?”

Seeing Tang Jinghong, a hint of disappointment unavoidably appeared in Lu Yichen’s eyes. “I’m much better. By the way, did you call Wu Yaqing over?”

“No, she came on her own,” Tang Jinghong approached the bed, looking down at Lu Yichen, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yichen felt a subtle pleasure in his heart. “Nothing, just asking.”

Tang Jinghong playfully teased Lu Yichen, “You and Wu Yaqing…”

Lu Yichen, looking guilty, quickly denied, “Don’t talk nonsense, there’s nothing between us.”

Tang Jinghong looked at Lu Yichen and said slowly, “The feeling of being exposed… is very obvious.”

Lu Yichen’s ears turned red with embarrassment. He hadn’t really said anything, but it felt like he had said everything, making him extremely awkward.

He quickly changed the subject, “What brings you here?”

“Just checking on you,” Tang Jinghong thought to himself, noting that Lu Yichen seemed slightly disappointed when he saw him, which seemed a bit odd.

Lu Yichen tensed up a little under Tang Jinghong’s gaze, “You’ve checked on me, so why aren’t you leaving?”

Tang Jinghong didn’t pick up on Lu Yichen’s cue and said on his own, “I heard that someone revealed their name to a certain someone yesterday?”

A sense of guilt, like being caught stealing, surged in Lu Yichen’s heart. He avoided eye contact, sounding less confident, “How do you know about that?”

Still ignoring Lu Yichen’s words, Tang Jinghong continued, “1 once heard someone say that women are like clothes, but brothers are like limbs. Brother Lu, I still remember that clearly.”

After saying this, Tang Jinghong left the room with a smile.

Lu Yichen was left in a daze.

Could he take back those words now?

At Xilin Garden.

Today, the garden was even more crowded than yesterday. Within an hour of opening, the place was bustling with activity.

The crowd parted to make way as ten judges, all over the age of sixty, walked from the main entrance to the judges’ seats, seating themselves in order.

The judges’ area was set up at the front of the square, with ten tables lined up in a row. Each table had paper and pens, and the judges looked serious and formal.

After the maids served tea, Cai Yuting stepped onto the square, delivered a few opening remarks, and then announced the start of the competition.

The Upper A would receive one hundred taels of silver and a commemorative jade plaque.

The Middle A winners would receive fifty taels of silver and a commemorative jade plaque.

The Lower A winners would receive ten taels of silver and a commemorative jade plaque. All commemorative jade plaques were identical.

If there were ties in the A rank, a re-evaluation would be conducted.

After Cai Yuting announced the start of the competition, ten boys each holding a piece of porcelain approached the judges’ table.

The judges examined the porcelains, wrote down their scores, placed them inside the porcelains, and then the servants took them away. This process continued in a cycle for each piece.

There were twelve categories of scores: A (Upper, Middle, Lower), B (Upper, Middle, Lower), C (Upper, Middle, Lower), and D (Upper, Middle, Lower).

Each porcelain had the contestant’s number on the bottom, but it was covered with black dye before being brought over. The dye would be washed off after the scoring, ensuring fairness..