After being a widow for half my life, I found out that my husband was not dead.

"The fragrance of vine will speed up the heartbeat and blood circulation, which can help to force out the congestion in the body, and at the same time, it will also make people feel psychedelic." Hongzhu explained.

"It also has aphrodisiac effect." The beggar added with a smile, "This is a good thing."

Liu Yunxiang hurriedly asked Hongzhu: "Where did your vine fragrance come from?"

"The master left it in the alchemy. I don't know where he got it from." Hongzhu shrugged.

Liu Yunxiang sighed. It was obviously impossible to ask Chongming. But this clue is not broken, there is still the scholar.

Back at Nanhonglou, Liu Yunxiang asked Zijin to go to the market tomorrow to spy on Lan Niang, and then follow her home so that he could find the scholar.

Hongzhu had said that the scent of this vine was addictive, so the scholar might even buy it. In this way, she might be able to find the patch of vine that An Hong planted.

This is Jin An, and she has almost no bargaining chips with her, so she can only sit down and compete with An Hong after finding this fragrant field.

The next evening, Zijin came back and said that he knew where Lan's family lived, but the scholar didn't seem to be at home.

Liu Yunxiang nodded, "Let's have dinner first, and then I'll go take a look with you."

After dinner, Liu Yunxiang followed Zijin out, walking east and west along a small alley, and finally came to a relatively dilapidated house.

"Girl, over there."

Zi Jin took her around to the outside of the west wall. The courtyard wall was not high, and the two of them could reach the top of the wall by stepping on adobe bricks. Looking into the courtyard from here, you can see three dilapidated earthen houses inside. There is a low table in the courtyard with a dim oil lamp burning on the table. The blind old woman is sitting at the table.

At this time, Lan Niang came out of the east kitchen with bowls and chopsticks in her hand, "Mom, you have to eat first so that you can go back to the house and rest early."

Lan Niang's voice was soft and soft. When she came over, she saw the broom lying on the ground. She hurriedly bent down to help it up and put it in the corner, probably for fear of tripping the blind mother-in-law.

"I'm not hungry!" The old woman said in a bad tone, "You're not hungry either. The head of the house hasn't come back yet, so no one can use chopsticks!"

Lan Niang came over, put the bowls and chopsticks on the table, and explained softly: "Mom, what I mean is that you eat first, and I will wait for my husband to come back."

"Am I the fast-talking one?"

Lan Niang sighed helplessly, "You misunderstood me again."

"Are you still wronged?" The old woman snorted, "Don't forget, you are the child bride of my Chen family. There was a famine that year. If my family hadn't adopted you, you would have starved to death."

"I remember the kindness of the Chen family." Lan Niang poured a bowl of water and placed it in front of the old woman. She also carefully placed her hand on the edge of the bowl. "I will serve you and your husband well. Don't worry."

"Hmph, it's not an exaggeration to ask you to be a slave or a maid."

"Yes, I am willing."

Zijin curled his lips and whispered: "Both mother and son, one is a soft-boiler and the other is a coward."

"Who? Who is outside the west wall of my house?" the blind old woman shouted with her ears propped up.

Liu Yunxiang and Zijin hurriedly ducked down. They heard footsteps approaching again and hurriedly hid in the dark. But at this time, the courtyard door was pushed open with a clang, and someone walked in quickly.

"Husband, why are you back so late?" Lan Niang turned and walked towards Chen Hou, "Hey, what's wrong with your face? Did someone hit you?"

Chen Hou's face was livid, and when he saw Lan Niang's concerned look, he became even more angry.

"It's not because of you!"

"I?"

"In Nanmozhai, if you are willing to cooperate with me, they will definitely give me ten taels of silver for fear of affecting their business. Can I still be beaten if I have money?" Chen Hou said angrily.

"Hou'er, who beat you? Is it serious?" The old woman stood up anxiously and followed the sound of Chen Hou, holding her hands in front of her.

Seeing this, Lan Niang hurriedly stepped forward to help the old woman, "Mom, please slow down."

"I can't fall to death, but if my son is good or bad, I won't survive!" the old woman said anxiously.

Chen Hou looked impatient, but he also walked over and supported the old woman.

"I am fine."

The old woman hurriedly reached out to touch her son's face, "Where is the injury?"

"Hey, it hurts!"

The old woman touched the wound, and Chen Hou shrank back in pain. Probably because he was afraid that my mother would touch him again, Chen Hou let her go and took two steps back.

The old woman couldn't touch her son and was a little anxious.

"Hou'er, are you seriously injured?"

Seeing Chen Hou's nonchalant look, Lan Niang replied on his behalf: "It's not serious, just a scratch on the skin."

"Since the skin is bruised, it must be bleeding. Even if it's bleeding, it's not serious. Why are you so hard-hearted?" The old woman said and pinched Lan Niang with her backhand.

Lan Niang frowned in pain, but she just endured it and did not escape.

"Husband, what happened? Who hit you?"

Chen Hou snorted, "Isn't it because of the ten taels of silver?"

"Why?"

Chen Hou snorted coldly, "There is a registration fee for the imperial examination, ten taels of silver. If I don't have it and still want to register, people will definitely beat me up."

"Hey, delaying the imperial examination is a big deal!" The blind woman became anxious and grabbed Lan Niang, "Hurry up and give Hou'er some money so that he can sign up quickly."

Lan Niang pursed her lips and said, "Husband, you reported your name to the scientific department last time and already received ten taels of silver."

"When will I..."

"The eighteenth day of last month."

When Liu Yunxiang heard this, he couldn't help but rolled his eyes. When did the imperial examination require registration fees? He was obviously lying.

Chen Hou coughed dryly and said, "That means you have to submit it again, and then you can take the entrance exam."

"How can there be such a thing? How about I go and ask tomorrow?" Lan Niang frowned.

"Where are you going to ask? What are you asking for? They want money, but I don't have it, so I can't take the exam. If I can't take the exam, I can't honor my ancestors, and I can't let my mother live a good life. It's all been delayed by you, a mother-in-law!"

"Hou'er doesn't know more than you, why don't you give him money quickly!" the blind woman urged Lan Niang.

Lan Niang was helpless: "But how can I have ten taels of silver..."

"You go out to sell vegetables and rice cakes every day, but why don't you have any? Did you spend it secretly?"

"Mom, how much money can you make by selling vegetables and rice cakes? I saved the ten taels last time for a year, and I have another ten taels this time. I don't have any more."

"If not, think of something quickly!" The blind woman pushed Lan Niang.

Lan Niang looked embarrassed. She had no way to get money.

"So when we were at Nanmozhai, you should have cooperated with me and said that the inkstone was worth ten taels of silver. It was all your fault!" Chen Hou gritted his teeth angrily.

"But that's deception."

"As long as you have money, don't worry about that much!"

When the blind woman heard this, she frowned and said, "Hou'er, you can't say that. We have no money. We can borrow it and pay it back when we have money. But we can't deceive people. This scholar..."

"Okay, stop preaching. If you can, give me ten taels of silver." Chen Hou said irritably.

"Hou'er..." The blind woman looked shocked. She didn't expect her son to talk to her like this.

Chen Hou frowned: "I have studied hard for ten years, and I am worthy of the ancestors of the Chen family and you. In the end, I can't enter the examination room or embark on an official career. I can't blame me, I can only blame you for being useless!"

After saying that, he stormed into the house angrily.

The blind woman burst into tears, "It's useless to blame me!"

"Mom, my husband shouldn't talk to you like this, I..."

"What are you doing? Why don't you find a way to find some money?"

Hearing this, Zijin said angrily: "As expected of mother and son, one is more shameless than the other!"