By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 61 The County Princess Cannot Tolerate the Slightest Injustice

Lu Nian'an said embarrassedly, "Brother Wen knows that I need to prepare for the imperial examination and spend most of my time studying. I hope you can help me find a suitable job."

If it's just a job, Lu Nian'an can find one himself, but it's not easy to find a job that allows him to prepare for the exam at the same time.

Upon hearing this, Wen Zongji pondered for a moment and said, "I own a bookstore. If Brother Lu doesn't mind, you can help organize the books there. There are also places to stay behind the bookstore, so you can stay there and save yourself the trouble of traveling back and forth."

Lu Nian'an quickly waved his hand: "I don't need a place to stay, as long as I have a job."

Seeing that Lu Nian'an was determined not to accept, Wen Zongji did not force him, and said, "The bookstore is on Changxing Street, and its name is Ruijintang. Brother Lu can go there directly tomorrow."

Lu Nian'an cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Brother Wen."

If he hadn't met Wen Zongji, he really wouldn't know how he would have gotten through those two months. He wasn't afraid of hardship, but he was afraid of affecting his exam preparation, which would be a huge loss.

"Brother Wen, it's a pleasure to meet you today. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Wen Zongji said, "Of course, we will have to trouble Brother Lu."

Learning has no end!

He has only mastered some problem-solving methods using the mindset of exam-oriented education, but he still has many questions. Now that he has met Lu Nian'an, he naturally wants to find answers to his questions.

……

左府

Mahjong is addictive, and Pei Rujing and the others were all quite skilled, so they had a good match and enjoyed the game even more.

Madam Wu rubbed her aching neck, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the sun, which was almost directly overhead, and exclaimed in surprise, "It's already so late?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wei looked up and said, "It's already this late, we can't play anymore, I have to go back to the manor."

Madam Liu quickly urged them to stay, saying, "The kitchen has already prepared lunch. Since you have graced our home with your presence, how could we let you go back on an empty stomach?"

Madam Wu stood up: "Lunch is unnecessary. We agreed before we came that we would have lunch at the manor."

Madam Wei echoed, "Thank you for your hospitality today, Madam Zuo. Please come to my residence to play mahjong another day."

Madam Wu looked at Pei Rujing: "I'll send an invitation to the county princess another day. The county princess must give me face."

Pei Rujing nodded: "Of course."

These people are indeed great mahjong partners, and Pei Rujing doesn't mind playing with them a few more times.

Zuo Mingxuan said at the right moment, "If you two aunts are willing, you can join our mahjong club. We will gather at Wangchun Tower every five days to play mahjong."

Both Madam Wu and Madam Wei nodded: "We'll go take a look another day."

Zuo Mingxuan achieved her goal and cheered inwardly.

Liu and Zuo Mingxuan saw Pei Rujing and the others off.

At this moment, Wen Zongji was already waiting outside the mansion.

Pei Rujing's eyes lit up instantly when she saw him, and she walked up to him with a smile: "How long have you been waiting?"

"Just arrived."

Wen Zongji greeted Madam Wu and the others one by one, neither servile nor arrogant, without any deliberate attempt to curry favor.

Madam Wu looked at Wen Zongji with a smile: "I heard that this mahjong game was invented by Young Master Wen. You're really amazing."

Wen Zongji modestly replied, "It's just a little trinket to amuse myself; it doesn't deserve Madam Wu's praise."

Madam Wei said, "The county princess won so much money from us today, must she have learned Young Master Wen's unique skill?"

Wen Zongji explained on Pei Rujing's behalf: "Although I developed this item, my skill level is indeed inferior to that of the county princess."

Madam Wei smiled and said, "Then we'll have another match with the county princess another day."

It was cold outside, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, the group headed towards their respective carriages.

Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing walked together.

Pei Rujing asked him, "Shall we go back to the manor for lunch?"

Wen Zongji shook his head: "It's rare for us to come out, so I've already asked Changdong to make a reservation at Wangchunlou. We'll have lunch there."

Pei Rujing was delighted upon hearing this and grabbed Wen Zongji's arm, saying, "Great! I want to eat steamed lamb with suckling pig!"

Milk-cooked mutton is the signature dish of Wangchunlou Restaurant. It uses the finest mutton and is simmered for a long time to create a milky white broth that is fragrant and delicious.

Wen Zongji helped Pei Rujing into the carriage: "I've already asked Changdong to make a reservation. We should be able to eat right when we arrive."

Pei Rujing asked in surprise, "How did you know I wanted to eat this?"

Wen Zongji followed and got into the carriage: "We've eaten together so many times, I know the county princess likes mutton, that shouldn't be surprising, right?"

The carriage curtain was lowered, and the coachman drove the carriage away from the Zuo residence, with Granny Feng and the others following on either side of the carriage.

Liu and Zuo Mingxuan watched them leave.

Madam Liu was somewhat surprised: "Judging from this, the county princess and young master Wen do seem to get along very well."

Zuo Mingxuan sighed, "I really didn't expect the county princess to be like this after her marriage."

Liu looked at her amusedly: "What could someone who's not even married yet possibly be thinking about?"

Zuo Mingxuan retorted, "Although I'm not married, I've read a lot of stories. A county princess who marries down to a low-status husband who hasn't accomplished anything yet is most likely to end up in a mess."

"If her husband is petty, even if the county princess is willing to ask the emperor to arrange a job for him, he might still feel that the county princess looks down on him."

"People blame others for their own incompetence. The lower one's status, the more likely one is to think this way."

"Judging from what I've seen so far, Young Master Wen isn't that kind of person. I've met him a few times, and his eyes are clear; he doesn't seem like someone with a dark mind."

Listening to Zuo Mingxuan speak, Liu felt somewhat relieved: "I was worried before that you were always reading those storybooks and would be fooled by some poor scholar in the future, but now I can rest assured."

Zuo Mingxuan chuckled and took Liu's arm as they returned to the mansion: "Mother, don't worry. I've been pampered since I was a child, and I can't stand hardship."

Liu smiled: "It seems that spoiling you since childhood has been quite effective."

……

Wangchun Tower

When they arrived at the reserved private room, the steamed lamb with milk was indeed ready.

Pei Rujing picked up a spoon, tasted the soup, and said with satisfaction, "This is the taste. You should try some—"

Pei Rujing ladled another spoonful of soup and held it to Wen Zongji's lips, looking at him expectantly.

Wen Zongji opened his mouth and drank it, taking a careful sip: "It tastes delicious, it really is good."

Pei Rujing smiled and said, "I knew you would like it."

Then, the other dishes were served one after another.

Pei Rujing sat by the window, looking at the crowd on the street, and said, "I don't actually come to Wangchun Tower very often."

Wen Zongji looked at her with suspicion.

"Because Wangchunlou is a mixed bag, with all sorts of people, my mother is worried about me eating out alone, but my eldest and second brothers don't often have time to accompany me."

Pei Rujing could frequently leave the mansion, but she rarely dined out.

Wen Zongji was about to say something.

Pei Rujing took another sip of soup: "However, I eat braised mutton quite often. Whenever I want to eat it, I ask Wangchunlou to make it and send it to the Princess's residence."

Wen Zongji: "..."

The man who thinks Pei Rujing needs comforting is probably crazy.

The county magistrate has never been able to tolerate the slightest grievance.