Divorce with three kids? I'll build a house and eat meat, driving my in-laws crazy.

Chapter 190: Five Years of Past Exam Questions and Three Years of Mock Exams
Li Ruru was also confused, as Chu Xiu had been completely overwhelmed by Fang Xingzhi just now.

Chu Xiu couldn't win an argument with Fang Xingzhi and got so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged.

His gaze shifted from clear to angry, then from angry to peaceful, and finally to worshipful.

He simply knelt down on the ground with a thud.

With starry eyes, he said, "Master Fang's knowledge far surpasses mine. You...you could take me as your disciple?"

After a long pause, Fang Xingzhi coldly refused, saying, "You're making me feel bad. I never take on disciples."

Chu Xiu hung his head, his face pale.

Li Ruru offered Fang Xingzhi a roasted sweet potato in a flattering manner, saying, "Master Fang, don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Chu Xiu is a very clever child."

Chaochao quickly chimed in, "That's right, Master Chu is very clever. With just a little guidance from Master Fang, he will definitely make great progress."

Chu Xiu looked at Chaochao with gratitude, then glared at Fang Xingzhi with resentment.

Fang Xingzhi stroked his beard and said, "I said I don't take on apprentices, but I didn't say I wouldn't teach you."

"Huh? You're willing to teach me?" Chu Xiu jumped up from the ground and excitedly grabbed Fang Xingzhi's arm.

Fang Xingzhi coldly pushed his hand away and said, "Hey, step back, you're being too affectionate."

"I just really like my master," Chu Xiu said coquettishly.

Fang Xingzhi got goosebumps all over and quickly waved his hand: "First, I'm not your master. Second, I don't like men acting cute."

"Master, please accept my bow." Chu Xiu ignored everything and knelt on the ground, kowtowing three times.

His head was covered in mud, and he was smiling like a fool.

Chaochao handed him a pink handkerchief and said, "Hurry up and wipe your forehead; it's covered in dust."

Chu Xiu smiled and took the handkerchief. After wiping his face, he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket and said to Chaochao, "This handkerchief is dirty. I'll give you a new one another day."

Chaochao smiled, her eyes crinkling, "Okay."

Bai Lu glanced at Chu Xiu for a while, then at Chao Chao, feeling that the atmosphere between the two was strange.

She felt as if pink bubbles were rising in the air.

But everyone else just went about their business, and Bai Lu thought she was overthinking things.

Fang Xingzhi pulled out a thick stack of books from his bundle and handed them to Chu Xiu.

He said, "These are the essays of the top twenty candidates in the county examinations over the past five years. You can take a look and learn from them when you have time."

The exam questions for the Big Tang test are known only to the examiners and the test takers, and many test takers can't remember them after the test.

Only a few wealthy families would spend a lot of money to have candidates recall the exam questions from that year, thus creating a complete exam paper.

Chu Xiu was both excited and thrilled. He flipped it open, looked at it, and asked, "Master, where did you get this?"

His family only has exam papers from the last two years, and those are only from the top three students.

The unassuming master craftsman managed to get his hands on so many exam papers.

Fang Xingzhi coughed and said, "Here you go, just take a good look at it. You can ask me anytime if you don't understand anything."

Anyway, it's been raining a lot lately, and he can't leave the cave. Since he's just killing time, finding someone to discuss academic matters with is a good option.

Li Ruru picked up an exam paper and looked at it, saying, "These candidates all have very neat handwriting."

She looked at Chu Xiu again and said, "You need to practice your handwriting properly."

These so-called past five years' exam papers follow the same pattern as China's five years of real exam questions and three years of mock exams.

Xiao Wu said, "Godmother, you don't know. My young master can write neatly, he's just too lazy to write carefully."

Chu Xiu always listened to Li Ruru, and he said, "I understand, godmother."

Before we knew it, the meal was ready.

As soon as the lid was opened, the aroma of steaming hot stewed rabbit wafted out.

The scent lingered in the cave for a long time.

Qiqi jumped up first, barking loudly at the pot. Li Ruru poured the remaining offal and raw meat into its bowl and said, "You little rascal, you're getting better and better at barking."

Qiqi rarely barks anymore; when it does, it makes a proper dog bark.

Qiqi ate her meal with satisfaction, and everyone else also received a large bowl of stewed meat.

Besides rabbit meat, the pot also contained various pickled vegetables and potato chunks.

Li Ruru also took out some potato noodles from her spatial storage, intending to explain that she had bought them in the county town earlier.

But everyone just kept their heads down and ate their food, no one cared where the food came from.

"Mom, you eat too." Chaochao picked up a rabbit leg and gave it to Li Ruru.

She used to always say that her mother was wasting money, but now their lives are getting better and better, all thanks to her mother.

All the things Mom bought are now coming in handy.

Li Ruru took a bite of the rabbit leg, and a rich and mellow aroma burst forth, rushing straight into her nostrils.

The unique freshness of rabbit meat, mixed with the rich and spicy aroma of scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon and other spices.

It is as rich in layers as a symphony, with a passionate opening at first sniff and a lingering sweetness upon second sniff.

She took a small bite, and the rabbit meat slightly fell off the bone, releasing abundant juice that instantly burst on her tongue.

"Come on, have some cornbread!" Li Ruru used a spatula to scoop up the cornbread stuck to the side of the pot and handed it to everyone.

Fang Xingzhi discovered a new way to eat it: he dipped the flatbread in the soup. The plump, white flatbread was coated in the thick, smoky soup. Taking a big bite made him feel like he was in heaven.

Chu Xiu simply tore the cake into pieces and soaked it in the broth.

They ate similar meals, one with refined manners and the other with unrestrained abandon, each creating their own unique culinary experience.

Others followed suit, nodding in agreement.

"It's delicious, it tastes even better this way."

After dinner, Bai Lu offered to help wash the dishes, but Li Ruru refused.

"You don't need to do it, let the men do it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the men stood up on their own.

Chu Xiu, Xiao Wu, and Fang Xingzhi carried the pots and pans to the spring and began washing them in perfect coordination.

Xiao Yishan took out a piece of gauze from his bundle and handed it to Bai Lu, saying, "Your wound on your hand must not get wet."

Only after hearing him say that did Li Ruru realize that Bai Lu's hand was injured.

"Oh dear, what happened?"

Bai Lu smiled and said, "It's alright, it's nothing."

"Don't move, let me bandage you up."

Xiao Yishan stepped forward and said, "Godmother, let me do it. I have experience."

Li Ruru thought about how Xiao Yishan always bumped into things and got minor injuries all over his body, and how he did often bandage her wounds.

He then said, "Then you do it, be gentle."

Don't be clumsy and hurt that young lady.

Bai Lu's hands were quickly wrapped up like a mummy by Xiao Yishan. She said helplessly, "I won't be able to hold chopsticks with these hands tomorrow."

Peipei chimed in, "It's okay, you can use a spoon."

Not long after dinner, it got completely dark, and Li Ruru and her family quickly fell asleep on the soft mattresses.

Bai Lu, still asleep, suddenly cried out, "No, don't come any closer!"

Li Ruru was startled awake. She lit a candle and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Bai Lu, her face streaked with tears in the candlelight, said, "Aunt Li, I suspect, I suspect my father has met with some misfortune."

(End of this chapter)