A piece of Japanese incense

I looked back, exchanged glances and smiles with him, and understood what he meant. I replied, "Yes, yes, ahem! My father, ahem! He found a skilled doctor for me, ahem, to treat me!"

"Oh, hahaha! I see! Let's meet again if we are lucky! We have a long time to come!" Fang Sinian smiled awkwardly, then got on the carriage with Bai Xuan and left.

Before leaving, Bai Xuan lifted the car curtain and pointed at me. His ferocious look even scared the little girl who was watching the fun outside the car to tears.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Jueming carried Yu Nian on his back and said, "Miss, let's take the young master back to Sansheng Hall first!"

"Well, Yuzhu, you go with me, and make sure to bandage the wound properly."

Yuzhu was still hesitant, so I urged him, "My cousin still wants to take me to see a doctor! Go quickly!"

My cousin and I looked at each other and smiled, and my cousin nodded to Yuzhu with a smile.

"Miss, I just saw Guard Zhou..." Yu Tuan poked my shoulder and whispered in my ear.

"Oh! There's no time to waste, hurry up and go!"

Yutuan ran away in great joy. Yuyi came to my side, looked at Yutuan's back and asked in confusion: "Hey? Where is she going? Is there anything the girl wants to eat?"

I shook my index finger and made a heart sign.

"Oh~ So that's how it is~" Yu Yi understood instantly and said with a sly smile: "Then girl, let's go..." She looked at her uncle, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

Originally, we planned to go to the kiln factory today to fire a huge vat to breed maggots.

I glanced at my cousin and saw that he was looking at me with interest, so I whispered in Yuyi's ear, "Anyway, the blueprint is with you, so go and get it for me."

"Ah? Me?" Yu Yi pointed at herself suspiciously.

"If it doesn't work, you can go to Sanshengtang and take Yuzhu with you. Oh, and pick up a box of snake ointment."

Yuyi pursed her lips and shook her head: "No! How can I leave the girl alone?"

"Don't worry, Miss Yuyi. I will take good care of my niece."

"Alright, alright! Go ahead!"

Watching Yuyi leave, I said in a flattering manner: "Thank you, uncle, for today! Your help is worth two people!" I gave him a thumbs up and praised him.

"Your father is right. You are a troublemaker who causes trouble everywhere!" said the cousin calmly.

"No way! This time it's not my fault. It's just because I'm so pretty." I held my face with both hands and pouted to look cute.

"You left me alone with you, but do you have something to ask me?" My uncle looked at me expressionlessly.

I clapped my hands and exclaimed: "The number one scholar is indeed extraordinary and extremely smart!"

"Hmph! Tell me quickly. I haven't eaten since early morning and I'm starving."

"That's easy! Let's go! Wei Ding Xuan?"

"Aren't you afraid of meeting the young marquis?"

"Um...I indeed forgot about this."

Without waiting for me to think about a safe restaurant, my cousin walked leisurely towards an alley.

As we walked deeper into the alley, we found a low-key restaurant with an inconspicuous facade, just a half-open wooden door with a mottled wooden sign hanging on it with the words "Home Cooking" written in faded handwriting.

The restaurant is small, with a few tables pressed tightly against the wall. The tables are a bit old but clean. In the corner stands a row of seasoning bottles, which are covered with oil stains.

"Oh! The number one scholar has arrived, and our shop is honored!" The boss is a middle-aged man with a smile on his face and a loud and friendly voice.

"Uncle Zhong, stop teasing me and make some food! I'm almost starving!"

"Don't worry! I'll be there soon!" The boss was quick and agile, shuttling back and forth between the kitchen and the hall. He was busy cooking while chatting enthusiastically with my cousin.

Soon, the table was filled with a variety of dishes. The bright colors made people salivate. Fresh vegetables, whole grains and beans, each dish exuded a unique aroma, which greatly increased people's appetite.

I couldn't wait to scoop a spoonful of the pig's trotter stewed with soybeans. The trotter was stewed until it was soft and glutinous, and the meat and bones could be separated with a slight pull. The soybeans absorbed the essence of the pig's trotter, making it plump and tasty.

"You seem to be enjoying your meal. Tell me, what do you want to ask?" My cousin asked calmly, holding a piece of steamed bread in his hand and chewing it slowly.

I was still chewing on a piece of pork chop, and I responded between bites: "Aren't you hungry? Eat first!"

"Uncle Zhong was originally my family's cook. If you have anything to say, feel free to ask."

"Have you fallen on hard times? Why do you want to open your own restaurant?"

"When I went to Beijing to study, my funds ran out, so I opened a restaurant to make a living."

“Why choose such a secluded alley?”

“The prime location is ideal, but the funds for purchasing the land are limited, so we have no choice but to choose this location.”

After thinking about it for a while, it seemed that there was no flaw, so he continued to ask: "Then how did you get to know Yu Nian?"

"Classmates and friends from the Imperial College."

"We're just classmates, huh?"

"Sitting next to each other, sleeping in the same bed."

(Well, four years of friendship is indeed worth it for him to stand up for Yu Nian.)

"Okay! Then, when did you get to know my father? Why did you tell people that I was your distant niece? What is your relationship with my father? Was it really a coincidence that you met in Lingshan Temple? Why were my father's people there too? What kind of secret deal are you conducting? You are not my relative at all, right? My grandfather said that when he brought my father home, he was alone and an orphan!" I spoke out all the doubts in my mind in one breath.

My uncle calmly added a handful of green vegetables to my bowl and said slowly, "Eat a balanced diet, don't eat too much meat, green vegetables are also nutritious."

"Hmm~ You feel guilty, right? Just tell me straight, is your success in the imperial examination related to my father?" I looked at him seriously.

"The emperor personally drafted the test questions: Constraint, among the more than 100 people in this test, do you think we can tamper with them? Or do you suspect that the emperor leaked the questions to me?"

"The emperor is seriously ill, and everyone knows it! My grandfather is still in the palace to take care of him!"

He wiped the corner of his mouth, put the handkerchief aside, and said calmly: "My acquaintance with my cousin was also a coincidence. I have a jade ring passed down from my family, and I always carry it in my purse. Unexpectedly, Yu Nian was in a hurry and bumped into something on the way, breaking the jade ring. I took the jade ring away to repair it, but who knew that the person he was looking for was my cousin, so...we were able to get in touch."

"That's it?"

He still looked at me with a smile on his face, his eyes like a tranquil lake.

"What kind of family heirloom jade ring? Let me see it!"

"It is a broken jade, but it is safe. Although it has been repaired with gilding, I dare not wear it on my body anymore."

"But why has Brother Nian never mentioned you to me? I have never heard him mention that you and Dad got to know each other!"