In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

"I'll go first. I proposed the bet, so naturally I'll go first," said Lü Huiqing, taking the bow and arrow from the performer. "What are the rules of this archery technique?"

The performer said, "I am not very talented, and the stage is only this big, so the target is also a bit small. There is a copper coin on the target in front, which is tied with a red silk thread and suspended on the target."

“The archer may try. If it pierces the hole, it is of the highest quality. If it does not pierce the hole, strike the red thread; the shorter the thread, the better.”

After hearing the rules, Lü Huiqing took a deep breath, while the performer went to the target and hung copper coins on it. Lü Huiqing was then directed by the performer to a designated spot, while the other three were positioned further away.

From his position, Lü Huiqing could see the red thread clearly, though it was somewhat difficult. He drew his bow, the string at its fullest, narrowed one eye slightly, aimed, and then released it.

The arrow shot out in an instant and embedded itself firmly in the target, but the sound of the copper coin hitting the ground was quite "ear-piercing".

The performer picked up the copper coin and placed it on the table. Lü Huiqing turned around and asked, "Which brother is next?"

Han Zhi wanted to try it out, so he took the bow and arrow. After standing in the designated position, he drew the bow. He aimed for a moment, then slightly moved the arrowhead before releasing it.

Only the vibration of the arrow hitting the target was heard; the sound of the coins falling to the ground was not heard. The artist stepped forward to take a look and said:

"Insert hole!"

At this moment, Han Zhi subconsciously looked at Su Zhen below the stage, who naturally smiled back and clapped in response.

Next up were Zhang Huaimin and Shen Kuo. Zhang Huaimin's arrow struck the edge of the coin, bouncing it away, leaving the red thread on top as short as possible. Shen Kuo, like Han Zhi, had his arrow enter the coin's hole.

After this contest, the result was obvious—Han Zhi and Shen Kuo won, while Zhang Huaimin's copper coin, although it landed on the ground, barely left a long red thread. So, the only one who would pay the price next was Lü Huiqing.

Now that they had the "wallet," Han Zhi and Zhang Huaimin naturally didn't hold back. One of them bought some delicious food for his wife, while Zhang Huaimin also bought a new set of writing implements.

Lu Huiqing touched his purse, feeling a pang of heartache, then looked at Shen Kuo and asked, "Brother Shen Kuo, is there anything you want to buy?"

Shen Kuo remained silent, perhaps unsure of what to do. But at that moment, he spotted an elegant-looking bookstore, his eyes lit up, and he stepped inside.

The group exchanged glances and then followed him inside. Lü Huiqing asked, "Brother Shen, you're not here to buy books, are you?"

Shen Kuo nodded and said, "I've recently become interested in some books. The shops on the main street are quite comprehensive, so I went out today hoping to try my luck."

Su Zhen was reminded of this and whispered to Han Zhi, "My lord, have we finished reading the books we bought earlier?"

Han Zhi nodded honestly and said, "I saw most of it on the way, and even after arriving in the capital, it was Ba Niang who kept an eye on me."

“Then we should also buy some books and essays to take back. Now that we have become Master Bao’s students, sir, you must not embarrass Master Bao,” Su Zhen said, and then pulled Han Zhi into the library.

Shen Kuo wandered among the bookshelves, his brows slightly furrowed. Soon, he spotted several books that caught his attention—"Taibai Yin Jing," "Wei Liao Zi," and "Sima Fa."

He reached out and took all three books down, then opened one and began to read.

Lü Huiqing wasn't very interested in the books, so she followed behind Shen Kuo. She saw him sometimes frowning and sometimes smiling, completely absorbed in the contents of the books, even ignoring Lü Huiqing who was following him.

It's unclear how long he stood there, motionless, watching. Seeing Shen Kuo so engrossed, Lü Huiqing didn't disturb him, but quietly stood aside and waited.

Some of those infected even reached out and took a book from above, starting to read it themselves.

......

Su Zhen and Han Zhi bought nearly ten more collections of essays, only remembering the other three were still on the bookshelf after paying. In the most prominent position was Shen Kuo, engrossed in a military treatise.

The two men went forward, and Han Zhi softly called out "Brother Shen" before pulling Shen Kuo back from his book.

He was a little stunned, blinked, looked at Han Zhi and Su Zhen from left to right, and asked, "Brother Han, have you bought all the books?"

Han Zhi nodded and asked, "Brother Shen, you seem quite engrossed in reading some famous biography?"

Shen Kuo closed the book, revealing the cover, and said, "No, it's just that I was staying at my aunt's house in Suzhou some time ago, and I happened to read some books about the military at my uncle's house, which sparked my interest."

Lu Huiqing closed the book in her hand and said, "Since you've read it, then buy it! I just happened to lose the bet and I still owe you some money for your fun. I'll pay for it all at once."

Before Shen Kuo could recover from his shock, Lü Huiqing took all three books from his hands, and he mechanically followed her to the counter. It wasn't until Lü Huiqing paid in full that the three books were returned to him.

Then he picked up the book, opened the one he had just read, and started reading again. While reading, he would occasionally look up and gaze at the sky, as if he were pondering something.

So engrossed was he that he forgot to look where he was going. At that moment, a carriage was right in front of him, but he was still unaware of it. If Lü Huiqing and Han Zhi hadn't reacted quickly and pulled him back, something terrible might have happened.

Shen Kuo finally snapped out of his daze and looked up ahead. The carriage had stopped, and the driver pointed at him, saying, "You rascal, you're reading on the road instead of watching where you're going! If anything happens to the passengers, you'll be in big trouble!"

Lu Huiqing, being tactful, saw Shen Kuo's somewhat stunned expression and quickly bowed and apologized: "I'm sorry, my friend always acts like this when he's studying, please don't take offense."

"That won't do either..."

"All right."

At that moment, a gentle female voice came from inside the carriage, interrupting the driver.

"Don't be rude. They are just pedestrians, not drivers. It's our fault for not avoiding them; we shouldn't be so malicious!"

The coachman reluctantly replied, "Yes, madam."

Immediately afterwards, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing the face of a woman with a gentle and beautiful appearance. Her hair was loosely draped behind her, giving her the look of a young lady from a secluded family.

Han Zhi was already married, while Lü Huiqing and Zhang Huaimin, out of courtesy, all three raised their sleeves, using the gesture of bowing to obscure their view. Shen Kuo, however, remained rooted to the spot, still clutching his book, staring blankly at the woman.

For a moment, it was hard to tell whether he was obsessed with reading or captivated by the woman.

The woman smiled slightly and said, "Is this gentleman frightened? I am here to apologize to you on behalf of this impolite coachman."

Shen Kuo suddenly snapped out of his daze, and quickly bowed, raising his sleeves to greet her, saying, "I am Shen Kuo, and I have met this lady. I dare not apologize, but I forgot the way while reading and thus offended you."

"Is your husband injured? Should we take him to the clinic for a check-up?"

Shen Kuo subconsciously stood up and waved his hand, saying, "No, no, my friend is incredibly agile and pulled me back without injury."

This time, he met the woman's gaze again.

The woman smiled slightly and said, "If you are well, that would be wonderful. My surname is Wang, and I am the daughter of the Right Grand Counselor. If you develop any hidden illnesses because of this matter in the future, you may come to me."

Shen Kuo was so lost in thought that he subconsciously nodded. He didn't even know when Lady Wang had left.

At this moment, Lü Huiqing patted him with a smile and said, "You're so engrossed in your book that you've even forgotten to be mindful of other people's faces?"

“I…” Shen Kuo’s eyes regained their clarity.

"What's this called?" Han Zhi thought for a moment and said:

"It's roughly calculated that: after reviewing the military registers, I've completely forgotten the route!"