"Sister-in-law, don't worry. Fragrant Tower won't ruin its reputation. While others' pickled vegetables mature every two or three days and are sold at a lower price, around twenty wen per jar, ours can be sold for a hundred wen per jar. The prices are inherently different."


"Mother, you also know that the pickled vegetables we make are more delicious. Fragrant Tower belongs to the Xie family and they always value their promises. They won't change things arbitrarily."


"Talking about pickled vegetables, there aren't many Chinese cabbages left now. Pickled vegetables can be stored for a long time. Fragrant Tower is the largest restaurant in the county, consuming more quickly. In the future, they will need even more."


"However, if you're worried about not being able to sell them, let's sell them all to Fragrant Tower and let them handle the storage themselves." Ye Muyu changed her mind, as she thought of something. Xie's family had more than one Fragrant Tower.


Other shops in the county would also need pickled vegetables.


As for why the other party didn't mention it, they probably knew about her family's situation. They might have thought the quantity wasn't much and with the cooperation with the Soft Fragrance Cake Shop, Xie Yu's attitude would influence the attitude of those below him toward them.


In this way, just a hot dish wouldn't attract the attention of the Xie family. Of course, the restaurant manager would want to sell more, but unfortunately, they dared not offend the distinguished guests of the main family. They could only continue to sell pickled vegetable fish in limited quantities.


As for Han Shi's obvious groundless worries, Ye Muyu didn't think she had the ability to change that. When the pickled vegetable business could continue steadily, she didn't need to promise anything. Han Shi naturally wouldn't think about such things.


Ye Muyu's speculation was unknown to Ye Pozi. However, during this period she had earned quite a bit of money all because of her daughter's reasons, so any hesitation in her heart had been dispelled.


"Mother, this pickled vegetable recipe, don't tell anyone else. It's agreed with Fragrant Tower. If it leaks out, and Fragrant Tower's interests are damaged, they won't buy pickled vegetables from us again." Ye Muyu had to warn her.


Originally, this pickled vegetable business was a way for her to increase the income of her maternal and in-law families.


Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.


She kindly reminded them. If they could continue to hold this business, it would naturally be good. However, if they couldn't and were eliminated from the market, it would still be better than being foolish and telling others the recipe, quickly destroying the profitable business method.


The former was letting things take their course.


The latter was deliberately making mistakes.


Han Shi's eyes flickered and she glanced at Ye Muyu nervously. Looking at her attire, she felt some envy and then looked at her own coarse clothes, her face filled with sorrow.


Ye Muyu saw her reaction but didn't say anything. Han Shi had such a personality and instead of arguing with her, it was better to face it calmly.


"By the way, mother have you made fermented bean paste at home? You can make a bit more. The last time we sent it to the Xie family, the master of the Xie family seemed to like it. If you make more, you can also sell it like pickled vegetables." 


This fermented bean paste was what Ye Pozi usually made to eat with pickled vegetables.


In her view, it wasn't anything precious. Hearing Ye Muyu say it could make money, she felt as if she had been hit in the head by a pie: "Really? I thought you were the only one who liked to eat this. Other families make it too, so it shouldn't be worth much, right?"


Ye Pozi said hesitantly.


"It's delicious." Two words from Ye Muyu dispelled Ye Pozi's self-doubt.


She chuckled proudly "It makes sense. Your cooking skills are the best and you like it. Others will surely like it too."


"Well, I'll make more when I go back. I'll also plant more fava beans and red peppers this year."

"I estimate that in the areas around Nanchang County only the remote mountain villages like yours wouldn't know about this."


"Oh, and that kudzu root, it's also a dish."


Inside the house, the family members were chatting happily.


Zhang and Wang went to the kitchen to prepare the meal.


Ye Muyu and Ye Pozi sat in the side room.


Chu Ziluo, Ye Mengjie, and Ye Hai, the three children sat on the bed enjoying the pastries.


The pastries were a gift from Xie Yu, the third young master of the Xie family.


In addition to the pastries, there were various kinds of rice dumplings, all as gifts.


Chu Heng had brought the gifts during the second round of the competition and the Xie family's response had arrived even earlier.


Ye Muyu was a bit surprised when she received it. After all, their relationship with Xie Yu was just an ordinary business partnership. In terms of etiquette for big families, ordinary relationships usually didn't involve sending gifts.


Of course, it all depended on the mood of the host.


Obviously, Xie Yu was in a good mood and the gifts he sent to the Chu family were quite generous.


Apart from two expensive-looking pieces of silk, there were various pastries, even different kinds of soft and fragrant cakes.


Tea, wine, dumplings, and more were all of the finest quality.


Altogether, the value must have been over ten taels.


At least, even for Ye Muyu, it was a substantial gift.


"My dear, sister-in-law." Ye Muyu called out to them and asked, "Why didn't my little brother come?"


"This is a big happy event. Your younger sister-in-law is pregnant," Ye Pozi smiled so happily that her mouth couldn't close. Because of the poor conditions in Ye Zhaoming's family, he married late and now at the age of eighteen, after being married for a year, he married a girl from the Su family who was even poorer. The girl who married into the Ye family was thin and bony before she arrived. After a year of care, she barely had the physique to get pregnant.


Ye Pozi didn't want to risk losing both mother and child, so she had to wait.


"Pregnant?" Ye Muyu was surprised but also felt that it was only natural. She smiled and said, "That's great. Little Zhaoming will have descendants too."


"Mother, sister-in-law, have some tea." Ye Muyu poured tea for the two of them.


Han Shi held the teacup and remained silent as if she hadn't heard Ye Muyu and Ye Pozi talking. She seemed like an invisible person.


Seeing that her character was becoming more introverted and less talkative, Ye Muyu didn't force her.


She continued to chat with Ye Pozi.


Ye Pozi talked about Su Shi's pregnancy, "By the way, Lan'er, what do you think about sending our pickled vegetables directly to the Fragrant Tower in the county?"


"I also don't want to trouble the servants of your family to bring it over by carriage all the time. I don't know when they will arrive, and sometimes when your people arrive, I haven't even seen them in the fields."


"But we don't have a donkey cart at home. How do you plan to take the pickled vegetables to the county?" Ye Muyu purely thought that carrying them over would be too tiring for Ye Pozi, so she usually let Zhang Shu drive the donkey cart and go to collect pickled vegetables from two households regularly.


"I'll take the village's ox cart." Ye Pozi said eagerly.


Ye Muyu felt that her emotions were off and took a sip of tea before asking calmly, "Mother, what do you want to do? Why can't you tell me?"


"Second sister, this has nothing to do with you. It's me. I just think it's too troublesome, second sister. Sister-in-law also has a lot of strength and I heard that people in the county have started selling pickled vegetables, and it's selling well."


"If we don't send our pickled vegetables earlier, when we receive others, ours will be left unsold." Han Shi anxiously said, her eyes full of worry and concern, revealing her character of groundless worries.

"Did Lan'er send you to find me?" Ye Pozi felt safe only when she was with her daughter.


How could Chu Heng not understand her thoughts? However, now that his wife wanted to protect her natal family and was not as ruthless as before, he naturally supported her.


"Yes, Muyu is in front. Come with us to the house in the county." Chu Heng affirmed, not bothering to ask Ye Pozi.


Ye Pozi also agreed. She walked past Chu Heng, saw Ye Muyu waiting not far away and nodded "Alright, let's go."


She then held her grandson Ye Hai's hand and followed Chu Heng.


On the way, they encountered Han Shi and Ye Mengjie returning.


The four families walked towards the house in the county together.


Chu Heng went to see the county magistrate and reminded him. As for what the county magistrate would do, it was his business.


The people from the Chu family quickly returned to the courtyard.


Upon entering, they saw Chu Lin entertaining Liushi family's younger brother Liu Cheng, younger sister-in-law Luo Shi, and the young girl who participated in the competition, Liu Jiao. They were all sitting in the main hall.


Chu Lin had brought the family members of his in-laws to the courtyard because the Liu family was the first to compete.


When Chu Liushi entered, she saw Liu Cheng and joyfully went forward, "Second brother, it's really you. Hurry, sit down. Let's talk properly, the two siblings."


"Sister, alright, this time coming to the county, father asked me to bring some mountain products for you. They are mushrooms picked in the mountains, some wild pears, and tea leaves grown in our village. They're not anything good." Liu Cheng felt a bit embarrassed. Since he was born, he had lived a good life for a while. However, after the family's fortune declined and they returned to their hometown, it was all because he failed to achieve anything remarkable. Otherwise, they wouldn't have wasted the family's property in vain.


But the Liu family had a good mentality. Failure in their careers was not something they could control.


They were still living well in the deep mountains, thanks to Chu Liushi's occasional financial support.


From Chu Heng passing the provincial exam to now, it had been six years. During this time, the sons had all grown up.


However, because of Chu Liushi's help, the Liu family felt guilty about this daughter-in-law who had married into their family. They would never visit empty-handed.


Chu Liushi held Luo Shi's hand and sat down "Did you and your elder brother go to the mountains again?"


"Sister, we're used to going to the mountains. It's not dangerous. By the way, many people in the village have found medicinal herbs in the mountains and we've found some too."


Chu Zhiwen also walked over.


Hearing this, he said, "Speaking of which, your big mountain village is also divided into households. This time, we found some medicinal herbs in our village. You should go back and look for them too."


At the same time, he said to the eldest son of the main family, "Ah Sheng, go and draw pictures of ginseng, wild fan flowers and other medicinal herbs. Let your uncle take them back to identify."


"Yes, Grandpa." Chu Sheng agreed and went to his room.


Liu Cheng then shouted for his brother-in-law. Chu Zhiwen nodded.


"These wild fan flowers sound familiar." Liu Cheng hadn't seen Chu's family members for a long time, and combined with their remote location in the deep mountains, they rarely had contact with the outside world. Discovering medicinal herbs this time was an accident.


Hearing this, Chu Liushi guessed it but she wanted to confirm it "Second brother, did you sell ginseng, wild fan flowers, and Huang Jing?"


Liu Cheng shook his head when he heard this "No, we sold some medicinal herbs for treating wind-cold."


"I haven't heard of these three kinds."


"In that case, you're in luck. Our village also sold some medicinal herbs and it's precisely these three kinds. The prices were not bad either."

As for the others, Wang didn't think that staying here would affect the competition results.


Since that was the case, why stay? In case they really encountered kidnappers, she would truly have nowhere to cry.


Wang thought for a moment and said to Zhang "Sister-in-law, the competition is over, staying here won't change anything. The children are more important."


"True, I've been foolish." Zhang felt a bit embarrassed.


She realized that she had been too focused on interests to the point where even her usually honest second sister-in-law was more open-minded than her.


With a change in Zhang's mentality, how could she lose to Wang? She couldn't lose face like this.


Without mentioning Zhang's psychological changes, when Chu Heng and Chu Cai brought the three girls back, the family went to the courtyard of the main house.


On the way, Ye Muyu saw Ye Pozi who was happily talking to the people around her. She was accompanied by eight-year-old Ye Hai.


Ye Muru didn't see Ye Zhao and Su Shi.


Following her line of sight, Chu Heng lowered his head and asked her, "Should I call mother-in-law over?"


"Yes, ask her to come over. I just don't know if it's convenient for my sister-in-law's family. My mother is careless, and since Mengie has finished the competition, I always feel a bit uneasy leaving her here." Ye Muyu had felt that the event had been well organized until the incident with the sachet. Now, she felt a bit anxious.


Ye Muyu, having lived two lives, had a natural instinct for danger. She preferred to believe there was a threat rather than assume there wasn't. Moreover, staying for too long was tiring, so she had no intention of staying longer.


"Alright."


Chu Heng walked over to Ye Pozi and heard her boasting about her outstanding son-in-law.


Ye Pozi said, "Do you know that my son-in-law is not only good at studying but also treats his wife well? My daughter hasn't suffered since she married into their family. Look, my granddaughter will surely have a good ranking in this competition."


"Why don't you say your granddaughter? Your daughter might be excellent but she is married." Several women beside her were not happy and seemed to be unable to bear Ye Pozi's excessive pride. They teased her one after another.


Ye Pozi, on the contrary, laughed even more joyfully, "Speaking of my granddaughter, it's almost the same. The main point is that the child is raised well. Whether she marries or not doesn't make a difference. Look at the clothes on me. My daughter-in-law respectfully gave them to me."


"You can envy me. My granddaughter is also very smart. She's enough to match my son-in-law. I know you envy me but I won't argue with you."


"You... "


"Taking advantage of the situation."


"Mother-in-law." Chu Heng still had a gentle smile. When Ye Pozi heard this voice, she patted her ear, thinking she was hallucinating. She looked at the women in front of her and asked, "Did someone call me mother-in-law just now?"


The women: ...


Their gazes all fell on Chu Heng behind Ye Pozi. Just his appearance was enough to satisfy all the women.


One of them even reached out to grab Ye Pozi's hand, eagerly asking, "I wonder if your son-in-law has any brothers?"


Ye Pozi realized what was going on, and following the women's gazes, when she saw Chu Heng behind her, she instinctively trembled and the smile on her face almost couldn't be maintained.


Although she boasted about her son-in-law outside, she was really afraid of his cold temperament.


But with her sisters watching, Ye Pozi felt that she couldn't lose face. She tried to force a smile, "Son-in-law? Is it really you? I thought I misheard."

"Yes, Madam."


As Ye Muyu walked away, the crowded people gradually found their places and the congestion eased.


While Ye Muyu dealt with this little incident and returned to her seat, in a distant corner, Tang Rou with her face covered by a cloth, showed a hint of resentment in her eyes. She tightened the handkerchief in her hand with unwillingness.


This plot was indeed designed by her. As long as Ye picked up the sachet, the people she hired would take advantage of the chaos to create a commotion and in the confusion, someone would seize the opportunity to carry Ye away.


She could then find a place to deal with that person.


She planned to seize an opportunity to establish herself as Chu Heng's legal wife. With the greedy nature of the Tang family, they would undoubtedly support her. At that time, she could secure her position as Chu Heng's wife!


Unfortunately... Tang Rou tightened the handkerchief, turned around, and instructed several strong men beside her with a hidden meaning in her words, "At such a lively time, it shouldn't be difficult to lose a few children in the county. I just don't know if the kidnapper has come to the county."


With so many people there must be kidnappers but families coming to the county would take good care of their children.


Ye Muyu sat down on the stool, feeling a bit uneasy.


"Luchuan, go and watch over Xiao Jin." Ye Muyu rubbed the vacant area where her heart was, determined. She gave instructions.


Luchuan didn't understand "Madam, Master told this servant to guard you. Young Master has Zhang Shu."


"My family on this side is well taken care of, nothing will happen. Go and when Chu Heng returns I will explain it to him."


"Alright, Madam." Luchuan was more inclined to listen to Master but when Master's orders conflicted with Madam's, he hesitated.


It wasn't until Ye Muyu spoke up and reminded him that Master would definitely not be angry with Madam and if he didn't listen to Madam, it would be like courting death.


Luchuan had never had a habit of courting death, so he decisively chose to follow orders.


After making sure Luchuan went to protect Chu Jin, Ye Muyu turned to Chu Liushi sitting beside her and said, "Mother, there might be thieves and kidnappers appearing today. Don't let go of the younger children."


Ye Muyu had a kind of intuition that something like this might happen.


However, finding out those kidnappers and thieves would be difficult especially with so many people. If a chase broke out there might be casualties.


She could only wait for Chu Heng to come back and try to pass this information to the county magistrate.


Then, the magistrate could remind everyone about it on the high platform.


Avoiding trouble as much as possible.


She could only help her own family as much as possible. She couldn't control other people's families. Even if the magistrate said it, there might be some families who wouldn't care.


Fortunately, the Chu family cared about their own children.


"That's true. Otherwise, shall we go back? After all, our children have already finished the competition." Chu Liushi knew that once a child was kidnapped, it was challenging to find them.


As for thieves stealing money, they didn't bring much silver with them today, fearing that they might be pickpocketed in the crowded place.


Chu Liushi finished speaking and looked at Zhang "Zhang what do you think? Let's go back first. We can call someone back later when the magistrate announces the results."


Zhang and Chu Qingxiang were both looking forward to the final results. Chu Cai had gone to pick up Wang and Chu Qingyu.


But seeing the two half-grown sons beside her, she hesitated.


On the other hand, Wang holding her six-year-old son, Chu Bo, tightly in her arms, didn't hesitate at all. She said, "Mother, I want to go back."


She didn't care about the rankings at all. Just now, she heard what Ye Muyu said. Since she sold pickled vegetables, she chose to believe her sister-in-law. If she said that, she must have her reasons.

She knew that Song Lu was currently in temporary poverty, but with land, exemption from taxes and corvée, and a job as a private tutor, he would have good days ahead. Especially since Song Lu was polite and well-mannered, even Chu Liushi had nothing bad to say about his character. Naturally, he was an excellent match.


She had more dowry items now and the more she could help Song Lu, the higher her position would be in her husband's family. Even if Song Lu became prosperous later on, he wouldn't mistreat her as his wife.


Song Lu's side also seemed to have noticed the Chu family members.


Song Lu first nodded to Chu Liushi, Zhang, and other elders, then greeted Chu Heng. Due to the large crowd, he didn't come over.


Soon, the first round of the competition ended.


There weren't many outstanding results but some well-off girls, skilled in needlework made it into the top twenty. Some girls from the countryside also showcased their excellent skills and secured good rankings.


With the experience gained from the previous round, the competition became noticeably faster.


When it was Chu Ziluo's turn to go on stage, it was already an hour later. This time, it was Ye Muyu who went up accompanied by Zhang, Wang, and other sisters-in-law.


Ye Muyu found a seat and sat down. In a short while, she heard the name Han Shi.


Han Shi was her sister-in-law from her maternal family. Among the participants this time was her daughter, Ye Mengjie. Previously, due to the original host's preference for male children over females, many valuable items from the family had been given to the maternal family. Most of them ended up in Han Shi's hands.


Although Ye Pozi didn't say anything, Ye Muyu later asked her in a probing manner and learned that Han Shi had a melancholic temperament.


A person who rarely went out actually willingly came to the county this time? Ye Muyu felt that she might have underestimated her sister-in-law from the maternal family. However, since she was sitting in front, she didn't turn around to greet her.


Chu Ziluo went up to the high platform a bit far from Ye Muyu. She glanced back at her mother and also saw Ye Mengjie not far away. A hint of worry and inferiority flashed in her pupils.


However, thinking about her mother's kindness in recent days, Chu Ziluo quietly clenched her fist. Looking at the fabric in front of her, her eyes were filled with determination.


When the bailiff announced the start, she earnestly began to showcase her best craftsmanship, diligently embroidering.


Ye Mengjie also saw Chu Ziluo. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes but seeing everyone else starting, she hurriedly lowered her head to begin.


However, judging by her movements, she was clearly a bit inexperienced.


Two quarters of an hour later, the announcement came that the time was up.


Chu Ziluo and others followed the order and left the stage.


Chu Heng was already waiting at the front gate.


Ye Muyu returned to her seat from her position but before she could sit down, she was bumped into by someone.


Luchuan quickly went over to separate the person who bumped into her.


Ye Muyu instinctively looked down at her waist where the sachet was, as she hadn't brought a money bag, all the money was with Chu Heng. Just now, she felt a force at the sachet.


Sure enough, as she lowered her head, she saw the sachet on the ground, just two steps away in front of her.


But the place was crowded with people, and many women were urging her to hurry up. In just a moment, the surroundings became congested.


Ye Muyu was cautious by nature. She asked Luchuan for a copper coin and handed it to a little boy sitting on a chair nearby. "Help me pick up the sachet, little friend. This copper coin is for you."


"Really?" Although the little boy was skeptical, he didn't hesitate. He bent down, picked up the sachet, and handed it to Ye Muyu while reaching out for the copper coin.


Ye Muyu took back her personal item, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief. She said to Luchuan, "Let's go back."

In order to maintain fairness, each family would have someone representing them. The handcrafts of the top 100 girls would be displayed in front of the county government office to prevent judges from favoring anyone. More importantly, the county magistrate did not want to do a good deed and end up causing trouble. If this women's art competition could be held annually, it would not only accelerate business development but also promote population growth. This would be his political achievement and naturally he couldn't leave room for criticism.


Therefore, with the common people as witnesses, even the judges wouldn't dare to show favoritism.


Soon, the first round of the competition began.


Among the first 100 participants, the top 30 would be ranked and those beyond 30 would be eliminated. After five rounds, a new ranking would be determine and the top 100 would receive corresponding rewards.


"The theme for this competition is pear blossoms."


"Ladies, showcase your best embroidery skills."


"Now, the competition begins."


As the girls on the stage blushed and began the competition, the crowd below became quite lively. Although the bailiffs were shouting for quiet, the people couldn't help but inquire about the identities of the girls.


Originally, the county magistrate aimed to increase the population, so he was happy to see the young men and women eyeing each other. However, the high platform was quite far away and the young men from a distance wouldn't affect the reputations of the girls. It could be considered a win-win situation.


"It seems that there are quite a few well-off girls from the county among those on the stage." Chu Liushi's gaze was accurate. At a glance, she could see that the girls going up were dressed nicely. Although the girls from the countryside tried to dress up as much as possible for this competition, families in difficult circumstances wouldn't buy an expensive outfit just for a competition like this.


Moreover, the girls from the county were naturally wealthier and it was normal for them to dress better.


As a result, the distinctions were clear.


"Mother, I saw someone from the Song family." Suddenly, Zhang exclaimed with joy unable to hide it. On the other hand, Chu Qingxiang seemed a bit shy but also tried to appear composed.


"Oh? Where?" Chu Liushi asked eagerly and Zhang eagerly pointed out the Song family members not far away.


This time, Song Lu also came and sat among the crowd appearing quite upright.


"It seems that the Song family also has eligible girls participating in the competition. Qingxiang, do well." Chu Liushi who had a strong and self-improving personality was pleased that her eldest granddaughter was given to the Song family. However, the Song family's conditions were worse than the Chu family's. To support Song Lu's education, the family had spent all their remaining funds. Fortunately, Song Lu had recently passed the exam for scholar candidates, gaining a tax-exempt land quota. This year, the Song family didn't have to pay taxes, barely making ends meet.


In these circumstances, the Song family wanted to show potential wives to Song Lu while he was gaining popularity. They aimed to find a good match for him.


Song Lu was considered both academically and morally outstanding. However, as the saying goes, a poor scholar is a poor scholar. He had just passed the exam for scholar candidates and with the family having spent money, continuing his studies was not an option for now. He could only temporarily put aside the opportunity to take the imperial examination this year and find a job as a private tutor in the county. He had been doing this for over a month.


Although he was short of money, due to his good character many families were interested in him.


In the end, the Song family agreed to exchange engagement cards with the Chu family. The engagement between Chu Qingxiang and Song Lu was then settled.


"Grandmother, I will do my best." Chu Qingxiang's eyes flashed with determination. She also had a strong personality but was more adept at reading the situation. Naturally, she understood the importance of this competition.

It would be quite easy to investigate some privacy. With the connections of the Xie family they should be able to find out. However, they wouldn't be clear about the true abilities of those in the Supervisory Institute. They might assume they are just civilian officials, not realizing that they are more like secret guards.


However, even if the Xie family is unaware, they wouldn't openly commit foolish acts of collusion between officials and merchants.


"It seems that the Third Young Master has put in quite a bit of effort. I believe the Soft Fragrance Cakes will sell very well." There were many people present today and just the number of people entering the county town indicated that the people under the jurisdiction of Nanchang County, located in the southern part of Jiangnan were quite wealthy with surplus grain.


In addition, those wealthy merchants sitting in the restaurants were even richer. Although the pricing of the Soft Fragrance Cakes was a bit high, there was still a market for it.


Seeing her pleased, Chu Heng's mouth curved into a joyful smile.


"Take a seat and rest for a while, there's still a quarter of an hour until noon." Chu Heng suggested.


Ye Muyu didn't hesitate and sat down together with Chu Ziluo. Chu Heng took his seat behind her, with Chu Liushi and Ziluo beside him, and Luchuan beside Ziluo.


Not long after, a bailiff went up to the high platform and struck a large gong.


"Silence!"


After three strikes, the lively street gradually quieted down. In front of officials the common people instinctively felt fear.


The bailiff loudly declared, "The auspicious time has arrived. Here, I wish everyone a safe Dragon Boat Festival."


"Everyone must not overcrowd. According to the county's orders, no disturbances are allowed. Offenders will be punished with twenty lashes, and serious offenders will be imprisoned, awaiting further punishment."


With the bailiff's loud proclamation, the fragmented sounds of the common people disappeared in an instant. It was evident that no one wanted to go to prison. In ancient times, going to prison meant the end of one's life. For ordinary families, it was a disaster and for them it would feel like the sky was falling.


The bailiff was quite satisfied with the silence of the common people.


Following that, he announced, "Now, I invite the county magistrate to the stage."


On the high platform the county magistrate dressed in official robes was assisted as he walked out of the back room, surrounded by attendants. When passing the steps, he was supported up.


A plump and prosperous-looking official walked onto the high platform, gazing at the people below with a satisfied smile on his face.


A light cough signaled the beginning of his speech.


Ye Muyu was too far away to see the county magistrate's appearance clearly. However, she noticed that although his speech was somewhat verbose, it wasn't perfunctory. Particularly in the last sentence, "This official hopes that everyone can showcase their talents, not only bringing honor to their parents but also letting our county's reputation spread far and wide, glorifying our ancestors."


"County Magistrate, well said!"


The people below enthusiastically applauded.


Looking pleased, County Magistrate Xu observed the emotional response of the people. He continued, "Now that the auspicious time has arrived, I hereby announce the beginning of the competition. After the competition ends, I will also present gifts to everyone. Each household can send one person to queue and receive it."


"Gifts?"


"County Magistrate, what gifts are these?" A bold man asked.


The county magistrate, at ease responded, "The gifts will be revealed after the competition ends."


Since the people didn't know, they didn't dare to ask any further. Anyway, it was just a matter of waiting for a little longer. Since each household could receive one, they could have their family members pick it up later.


With this interlude over, as County Magistrate Xu descended, a bailiff quickly stepped forward, calling out names and numbers to go up for the competition.


The first hundred people went up in order.


Simultaneously, the corresponding family members took their seats in the front hundred positions.


Regarding the competition for women's handcrafts, two embroidery ladies from Linger Pavilion, Qianyi Hall, and Embroidery Pavilion respectively acted as judges.


These three shops were the best clothing stores in the county and their embroiderers were the best in the entire county.

"Well, this mansion can serve as a passage. After the girls finish their performances, they can come out from there. Two bailiffs will be guarding and when a girl comes out, they will announce a name. If the family is there, they can go out; if the family doesn't arrive within fifteen minutes, they must go out. At that point if it tarnishes their reputation, it's their family's concern."


"After all, it's about achieving political merits and these details have already been discussed with the county magistrate."


"I'll go pick up Ziluo later. Luchuan will stay here and keep watch. There won't be any unwelcome people approaching." Chu Heng, from his position, inadvertently shielded Ye Muyu ensuring that she didn't experience any collisions despite the crowd.


"Alright." Ye Muyu nodded in agreement.


With Zhang Shu carrying him, Chu Jin, feeling the excitement couldn't sit still. He tugged at Ye Muyu's sleeve, "Mom, I don't want to watch. Can I go find Uncle Chu Xing?"


"Zhang Shu, take him. Be careful on the way." Ye Muyu had already instructed Zhang Shu earlier. Zhang Cong wouldn't go along since, although he was older, he couldn't watch over a child of five or six years old. Instead of letting him accompany Zhang Shu and distract him, it was better to stay with her, avoiding the crowd.


"Yes, Madam. I will take good care of Young Master." Zhang Shu led Chu Jin and walked away.


With Chu Jin gone, Chu Ziluo became nervous.


"Mom, I'm number 205. I won't be up until the third round. Should we sit here and wait?" Chu Ziluo tugged on Ye Muyu's sleeve, worried about her mother's health and feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness about the upcoming competition especially with so many people watching.


"Sister Ziluo, you can follow me to the stage later. The seats above are numbered, so just find your seat. Don't worry, I'll be close by." Chu Qingxiang reassured Chu Ziluo.


Chu Ziluo nodded obediently and said, "Thank you, Sister Qingxiang."


Ye Muyu was not surprised by Chu Qingxiang's goodwill. Since it carried good intentions and she wasn't one to provoke trouble, they could naturally get along well.


"Ziluo, don't worry. Mom will be watching you from below."


"You sit down and conserve your energy."


Following her mother's words, Chu Ziluo sat down on the chair in front of her.


Beside her, Zhang was still instructing Chu Qingxiang, chatting with the family members of the participating girls who came by and taking the opportunity to inquire about the situation.


Chu Liushi told Chu Lin to check if her maternal uncle had arrived.


"Dad, Mom, you sit here. I'll go check." Chu Lin said.


"If you can't find him, don't worry about it. It'll be even more crowded later." Chu Liushi, worried, reminded him.


In just a moment, they had added quite a few chairs behind them, indicating that more people were arriving.


Chu Lin nodded and went out.


Ye Muyu looked around and unexpectedly noticed some guards in dark blue robes appearing in the vicinity.


"Who are those people?" Ye Muyu turned her head and asked Chu Heng in a low voice.


Chu Heng looked up and recognized them "They are guards from the Xie family. The county office has a limited number of bailiffs and with such a grand event, there might be some oversight."


"After all, the Xie family is a big aristocratic family. They are willing to help, likely just for their own business." On the surface noble families weren't supposed to get too close to government officials but privately with the sky high and the emperor far away, many had deep connections.


Chu Heng also knew that the current court had established a supervisory institute which had many skilled individuals.