A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

Liu Chunhua and the other two watched enviously as Liu Yan's impressive carriage drove further and further away. The jealousy and resentment in their hearts were like a boiling pot, bubbling and sizzling.

Nie Wenting gritted her teeth and rolled her triangular eyes. "Hmph, so what if they have two broken carriages? When we make a lot of money in the future, we'll buy ten of them and hang around in front of them every day. Let's see how smug they can be then!"

Liu Chunhua's jealousy burned even brighter than Nie Wenting's. She remembered when Liu Yan was in the Nie family, no matter how dirty or tiring the work was, Liu Yan had to do it all. Whenever she was scolded, Liu Yan didn't dare to utter a word in rebuttal, acting like a soft persimmon that could be easily manipulated.

But who could have predicted that she'd become a completely different person after the divorce, acting like a rich heiress—what a pretentious act...

"He just made a few taels of silver from setting up a stall, and he thinks he's someone special, his tail wagging so high he's practically in the sky. What good is making more money? He's still just a merchant. Once Wenye passes the imperial examination, our Nie family will be an official family. How can we be compared to these peasants?"

While Liu Chunhua was learning to set up a stall to make money, she was also looking down on Liu Yan and the others, yet she could somehow justify it to herself.

They set up stalls to earn money so that Nie Wenye could study better and have a bright future, which is naturally different from what they did.

However, Liu Chunhua's idea is actually the idea of ​​most people in this world.

In those days, even if a businessman made a fortune, he was still considered a merchant with a lower social status. Compared to those with official positions, the difference in their social standing was like an insurmountable chasm.

Nie Daqiang was the eldest son in his family, and his son was the only scholar in the village. He was extremely proud, so he was naturally feeling resentful. However, as the head of the family, he didn't show his emotions like Nie Wenting and Liu Chunhua. He remained silent, but his tightly clenched fists were so forceful that his knuckles turned white.

"Why bother arguing with them? Stop babbling and hurry to the West Market. If we dawdle any longer, it'll be completely dark by now."

Normally, if you want to catch the morning market to open, you can't leave this late. But the Nie family was in a panic on their first day of setting up their stall. They kept finding things missing, and it took them a long time to leave home.

On the other side, Liu Yan and Nie Qianqian chatted and laughed in the carriage, and soon arrived in the county town.

Although the snow was heavy last night, they were traveling in a horse-drawn carriage, and apart from Nie Qianqian and Old Qiao, none of them felt that the carriage ride was bumpy or difficult.

Nie Qianqian had experienced driving before, and even though a horse-drawn carriage was more stable than an oxcart, it was still a bit shaky on the snow.

As for Old Qiao, he really felt that he couldn't fly as freely as he did with his own light-footed skills.

The group first escorted Gu Xiao to Tiande Academy. In February after the New Year, Gu Xiao would take the county examination. After the county examination, there would be the prefectural examination and the academy examination. Passing all three examinations would grant him the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination).

The title of Xiucai (秀才) is the first step on the path of the imperial examination. Xiucai are not usually directly appointed to official positions, but through their status, they can participate in the provincial examination, have the opportunity to pass the provincial examination and become a Juren (举人), and then embark on an official career.

Whether in a village or a county town, a scholar's status was enough to command respect. Scholars and their families were exempt from corvée labor and some taxes, did not have to kneel when meeting the county magistrate, and the magistrate could not easily torture them. They also had the opportunity to associate with local officials, gentry, and other members of the upper class.

The Nie family cherished Nie Wenye, truly experiencing the tangible benefits of his scholarly achievements.

After the previous incidents at the academy, Liu Yan also learned that Gu Xiao was a learned man, even more talented than Nie Wenye, and that passing the imperial examination should not be a problem for him.

Even so, Liu Yan dared not relax at all. In her view, there was no room for carelessness when it came to studying. Liu Yan did not let Gu Xiao worry about things at home, but told him to focus on the exams organized by the academy and not to miss a single one. Only by taking one exam after another could Liu Yan feel at ease.

After dropping Gu Xiao off, the group didn't go to the West Market, but instead went to the crossroads where Guangjuxuan was located.

The bustling city of Qinghe County is concentrated at Shizijie Street, lined with shops and teeming with people, making it the heart of the entire county. Guangjuxuan, situated right in the center of Shizijie Street, is the crowning touch of this vibrant place.

As you walk to the end of the crossroads, the three-story corner tower of Guangjuxuan comes into view first. Each corner tower has flying eaves and brackets, with the eaves pointing high. Compared with the low houses around it, Guangjuxuan is really tall and imposing, and is the landmark of the entire Qinghe County.

When wealthy people come to Qinghe County, they naturally go to Guangjuxuan for a meal. Even those who come to Qinghe County to visit relatives or do business will take a stroll around Guangjuxuan. If they can't afford to eat there, they can always just walk around.

As soon as the group stepped into the crossroads, they saw Guangjuxuan in the distance. Huang Zhenzhu was a little excited. Such a luxurious and high-class restaurant could only be visited by following Qianqian. Liu Xiong hadn't even arrived at the restaurant yet, but he had already started to tidy his clothes. He was going to eat at Guangjuxuan, so he had to make a good impression.

Before it was time to eat, everyone strolled around Shizijie Street. Apart from Nie Qianqian, none of them had ever been to Shizijie Street before.

Liu Yan had hardly ever been to the county town before. She did come after the divorce, but only to set up a stall, and she mostly stayed near the West Market.

Liu Xiong and Huang Zhenzhu were better off than Liu Yan. Huang Zhenzhu had come to the county town to buy things, but she usually went to the East and West markets.

Crossroads?

That's a place only city people go to, why would villagers go there?

As they entered the crossroads, they all felt as if their eyes had been opened.

Along both sides of the street, shops of all kinds stood side by side, each exuding a unique style. Silk shops displayed shelves overflowing with a dazzling array of silks; inside porcelain shops, exquisite porcelain pieces were neatly arranged, some painted with flowers, birds, fish, and insects, others with simple, elegant patterns; the aroma of pastries filled the air; and furniture shops showcased novel designs and delicate carvings. This dazzling array of goods instantly overwhelmed the onlookers, leaving them momentarily unsure which shop to enter first.

Nie Qianqian had been to Shizijie a few times before and was quite familiar with the place.

She led everyone to the lantern shop first. The shop had all kinds of lanterns, and the two families each picked out a few that they liked. Some lanterns were painted with auspicious beasts, while others were painted with delicate flowers. They were all bright red and very festive. Since it was the New Year, the shop also had incense, candles, and joss paper for worship, so Liu Yan and Liu Xiong bought them all at once.

Next, Nie Qianqian led everyone into the clothing store. Although the family's financial situation has improved somewhat now, they have a long-standing habit of buying fabric and making their own clothes. Buying ready-made clothes would be too expensive.

Liu Yan looked at the clothes displayed in the shop, each piece made of the finest fabric, gleaming with a soft sheen. She quickly waved her hand and said, "Qianqian, this outfit is fine for me. I'm busy running my stall every day, and even the best clothes would get dirty in no time. I really don't need these nice clothes on a regular basis."

Liu Xiong nodded in agreement. He felt that his clothes were decent enough now, recalling how his clothes and shoes used to be full of holes.

Nie Qianqian blinked and smiled as she advised, "Mom, why don't you give it a try? Consider it a New Year's gift I bought for you. It'll come in handy soon."

In fact, Nie Qianqian knew that after she took over Guangjuxuan, although her mother would still be in charge of the kitchen, she would no longer have to cook everything herself, and would naturally be able to use these fine clothes.

The shop assistant in the clothing store was experienced and had served all kinds of customers. Hearing Nie Qianqian's words, he quickly chimed in, "Auntie, your daughter is so filial! You're so lucky!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

Her Qianqian was naturally good in every way; she was resourceful, capable, kind-hearted, and filial.

Seeing her mother happy made Nie Qianqian very happy too.

Nie Qianqian has a few simple and unpretentious ideas. First, money is earned, not saved. What's the point of earning money if you don't spend it and just save it all? Second, filial piety requires spending money. Of course, this statement is a bit absolute, but whether in this era or in the era she lived in, being willing to spend money on parents is one of the best ways to be filial.

"Mother, Uncle, Aunt, please buy whatever you like today. I'll pay for it. It's the New Year, so consider this a gift from Qianqian to you."

Upon hearing this, the waiter clicked his tongue in amazement: This woman has quite the audacity! Although he serves all sorts of people every day, he has never seen a young woman say such a thing to her elders. If she can really afford it, then her words are quite domineering!