How could someone be unhappy living in a matriarchal society?

Chapter 60: Moving Begins

At this moment, Master Li was standing in the courtyard, waving his cane at the fruit on the tree.

Seeing this, Chu Ci lightly touched the ground with her toes and gracefully flew to the tree, asking Master Li, "Which fruit would you like?"

Master Li squinted, examined it carefully for a long time, and finally pointed to the tree at the very top of the tree and said, "That's the one."

"Okay." Chu Ci replied, reached out and picked the fruit, lightly leaped back to the ground, and handed the fruit to the other person, "Here you go."

Master Li picked up the fruit, wiped it on his sleeve, and without washing it, took a bite.

She chewed the fruit with satisfaction and let out a soft sigh: "Hmm, it's quite sweet."

Then, Master Li ate the fruit in his hand in a few bites, and looked at He Baobao with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"You not only came to see me today by yourself, but you also brought your friends to see me."

He Baobao quickly stepped forward and bowed to Master Li.

"Master, my friend here is named Chu Ci, and he has come to learn strategy from you."

Upon hearing He Baobao's introduction, Master Li turned his head and looked at Chu Ci, beginning to scrutinize this unfamiliar woman.

"I no longer accept apprentices."

Her tone was calm, but it conveyed an undeniable determination.

Chu Ci blinked and took out the token that He Sheng had given her.

It was an exquisite jade pendant, engraved with He Sheng's name and seal.

"Master Li, it was Lord He who sent me to see you. I will be taking the provincial examination next April and hope to receive your guidance."

Master Li held the token in his hand, examined it carefully, then looked at Chu Ci, and finally shook his head and sighed helplessly, "This little girl really knows how to cause trouble! I'm already so old, and I still have to help her deal with these things."

Chu Ci touched his nose, maintaining politeness and respect, and didn't say anything more.

After a while, Master Li seemed to have finally made a decision. He beckoned to Chu Ci, signaling her to come closer.

Then, with a hint of helplessness, he said, "Alright, since that's the case, let me see how good you are."

As she spoke, she got up and led everyone into the house.

Upon entering the house, one can see that the room is decorated in a simple yet exquisite manner, with every detail showcasing the owner's good taste and attitude towards life.

Everything in the room was arranged in an orderly manner, making people feel comfortable and at ease.

Shi An and He Baobao were invited to sit down in the living room, while Chu Ci remained standing upright, ready to answer Master Li's questions.

Master Li looked Chu Ci up and down, then asked, "Young lady, how old are you this year?"

Chu Ci bowed slightly and replied politely, "Sir, I will turn nineteen next January."

What are you here to learn?

"The policy essay for the military examination."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Master Li's eyes, and he thought to himself: So she is pursuing the path of the martial arts examination, no wonder the girl from the He family values ​​her so much.

Nowadays, the Qingliu faction has almost no say in the military camp. They need someone to enter the army, and this child may be the candidate they are hoping for.

Thinking of this, Master Li couldn't help but have even greater expectations for the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu).

"Have you ever read the 'Thirty Powers'?" Master Li asked.

Chu Ci honestly replied, "I have never read it."

Master Li's eyes sharpened, and he pressed on, "What about 'The Song Family's Mechanical Arts'?"

Chu Ci's brow twitched. "I...I've never read it either."

Master Li's face grew increasingly grim as he continued, "You haven't even read 'The Art of War of Zhao,' have you?"

Chu Ci replied softly, "Yes."

Master Li was so angry he almost fainted. He reached out and clutched his chest, seemingly feeling a sharp pain.

Seeing this, He Baobao, who was standing nearby, hurriedly stepped forward to check his pulse.

Master Li brushed her hand away and sighed repeatedly, saying, "I'm fine."

Then he turned to Chu Ci and scolded, "You're utterly ignorant! You haven't even read these books, yet you dare to boast that you'll take the martial arts exam?"

Although the policy essays for the military examinations were simpler than those for the civil service examinations, it still required many years of diligent study to achieve success.

The child in front of me knew nothing at all, as ignorant as a blank sheet of paper, yet he still planned to take the provincial examination next April.

This is simply asking for trouble!

Master Li shook his head and sighed, "You, from today onwards, you'd better study hard, otherwise you'll definitely fail the military examination."

Chu Ci nodded obediently in agreement, indicating that she would follow the Master's arrangements in everything.

Seeing this, Master Li felt somewhat relieved, thinking that perhaps the child could still be saved.

So she took Chu Ci to the study, and after searching through the mountain of bamboo slips and books, she finally found a very basic book on military strategy.

She solemnly handed the book to Chu Ci and instructed him, "You must memorize this book thoroughly within seven days. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

Chu Ci carefully took the book, gently wiped away the dust, and then put it into her bosom.

She replied sincerely, "Yes, I will follow your teachings."

Seeing that Chu Ci was so well-behaved and sensible, and that she wasn't angry at all even after he had scolded her, Master Li felt a little happier.

So he continued, "Where do you live?"

"Sanyuan Village".

Upon hearing this, Master Li frowned deeply: "So far? That won't do! You need to stay somewhere closer to the academy. Time is already tight; we can't afford to waste it all on the road."

Chu Ci also felt that this was inappropriate, so he replied, "I understand, Master. I will rent a house nearby as soon as possible."

Master Li breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, nodding and saying, "Hmm, that's much better. You can go to the alley to find Madam Zhu; she's in charge of rent and leasing matters. You'd better move over as soon as possible and stop wasting time."

Chu Ci nodded in agreement, indicating that he would complete the task as soon as possible.

Master Li nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave, but then suddenly remembered something and turned back to Chu Ci, instructing him, "Oh, there's one more thing, don't forget. The tuition is one tael of silver per month, and we don't allow credit here."

Chu Ci immediately understood her meaning and promptly brought the money He Sheng had given her that morning to Teacher Li, letting him take it himself.

Master Li smiled with satisfaction, "You are indeed a straightforward person."

The next second, Master Li began to carefully count the money.

Watching Master Li earnestly counting the money, Chu Ci raised an eyebrow. She thought that although the teacher was strict, he was still quite interesting.

After counting the money, Master Li urged Chu Ci to hurry up and find a house.

"Get everything done within three days, and don't forget to memorize the knowledge from the books."

The Chu Ci respectfully agrees.

Finally, before I leave.

Master Li even reminded Chu Ci to come to the academy to find her again in seven days, which shows he was very responsible.

Shi An was somewhat worried when she learned that they were moving.

"What will happen to the rabbits and donkeys at home if we leave?"

Chu Ci wasn't worried at all. "We can just rent a bigger courtyard, won't that solve the problem?"

“But that costs a lot of money,” Shi An said, frowning.

Chu Ci knew that Shi An was a thrifty person. Now that she stopped hunting, the family had no source of income and was eating what they had saved up before.

If she passes the provincial examination in the future, she will have to go to the capital, and the travel expenses and food expenses will add up to a lot of money.

So Shi'an was afraid of not having enough money, and lived frugally every day. It was nothing to worry about.

"Don't worry, I have ways to make money, don't fret," Chu Ci reassured her.

Shi An was taken aback and asked curiously, "What method? Are you still going hunting?"

Chu Ci thought for a moment and gave an ambiguous answer: "I guess so."

Shi An pressed on relentlessly, asking, "What do you mean by 'consider it'?" He was never ambiguous about matters concerning Chu Ci and always had to get to the bottom of it.

Chu Ci sighed and explained helplessly, "Have you ever heard of a ghostwriter?"

Shi An's face turned pale instantly. He gripped Chu Ci's hand tightly and said nervously, "It's too dangerous, you can't do this!"

He Baobao, standing to the side, was a little confused and asked curiously, "What is a ghostwriter?" Why did Shi An react so strongly?

Chu Ci gently patted Shi An's hand, signaling him not to worry, and explained, "A ghostwriter is someone who captures wanted criminals for the government. The higher the level of the wanted criminal, the higher the corresponding reward."

He Baobao suddenly realized, but then said with concern, "This...is indeed very dangerous."

Chu Ci nodded in agreement: "Yes, but this way I can improve my skills."

Shi An looked at Chu Ci with some displeasure: "Can't you take better care of yourself?"

Chu Ci gently tugged at Shi An's hand and coaxed softly, "Shi An, let's not talk about this now. Let's go to Aunt Zhu's house and see if there are any suitable houses for rent. We can discuss this slowly when we get home."

Shi An felt a pang of sadness, but she tried her best to suppress her dissatisfaction and nodded in agreement.

After all, there are other people around, so it's not convenient to argue here. It's better to wait until we get home to talk about it.

Aunt Zhu was a kind-faced middle-aged woman with a red mole between her eyebrows.

When she learned that Chu Ci had come looking for a house, her face immediately lit up with a smile.

She asked warmly, "Madam, what kind of house are you looking for? And what price range would be acceptable for you?"

Chu Ci pointed to a small courtyard not far away and replied with a smile, "A courtyard like this will do."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhu was overjoyed and exclaimed, "The rent for such a courtyard is only two taels of silver per month!"

Shi An couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Two taels of silver? That's so expensive!"

Aunt Zhu held Shi An's hand tightly and enthusiastically introduced the house to him, saying, "This kind of house is built with bricks and stones, which not only makes it less prone to fire, but also keeps it warm in winter and cool in summer. The house is fully furnished with high-quality furniture and comes with such a large yard. The price is really reasonable!"

Shi An tried to bargain with her: "Could you make it a little cheaper? Or find a slightly smaller courtyard?"

Aunt Zhu thought for a moment: "A smaller courtyard... well, there is one more, but it's closer to the brothel in our town. What do you think of this one..."

Shi An decisively refused, "Then forget it."

Hearing this, He Baobao almost burst out laughing. She nudged Chu Ci lightly with her shoulder and whispered, "Look how much your brother-in-law cares about you."

Chu Ci raised an eyebrow at her, smiled and pulled Shi An back to her side, then said to Aunt Zhu, "I can pay half a year's rent in one go, Aunt Zhu, could you give us a discount?"

He Baobao chimed in, "Yes, Aunt Zhu, this is my savior. We're all family, so please be kind and give me a discount."

Upon hearing that Doctor He had spoken, Aunt Zhu immediately showed a pained expression, but still reluctantly agreed, "Alright, since it's because of Doctor He's influence, I'll give you the lowest price. Six months' rent will only cost ten taels of silver."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ci quickly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Then thank you very much, Aunt Zhu."

Aunt Zhu waved her hand, "No need to be polite, come with me to see the house."

The group followed Aunt Zhu to the first courtyard.

She told me that the environment here is quiet and peaceful, and it is full of bamboo, making it a great place to cool off in the summer.

However, Shi An felt that the courtyard was somewhat remote and inconvenient, and was not satisfied with it.

Next, they went to see the second courtyard. Although this courtyard was also nice, the kitchen was too small, so Shi An rejected it.

Finally, Aunt Zhu led them to the third courtyard.

This courtyard is close to Master Li's house, and the kitchen is spacious, with a courtyard in both the front and back.

Shi An was very satisfied with the house and decided to rent it.

Seeing that the person was satisfied, Chu Ci directly signed the rental contract with Aunt Zhu and confirmed it by pressing his fingerprint.

After completing the formalities, Chu Ci immediately settled the rent.

Aunt Zhu was overjoyed after receiving the money and said many things to praise them.

After successfully resolving the rental issue, He Baobao bid farewell to Chu Ci and Shi An and returned to the clinic.

Chu Ci then rented two oxcarts and took Shi An home.

Back home, Chu Ci rolled up her sleeves, stretched her arms, and prepared to tidy up the room.

"Alright, let's start packing now!"

Shi An nodded in response, walked into the kitchen, and skillfully tidied up various seasonings and tools.

Chu Ci quickly went to the bedroom, wrapped the quilt, mattress, and clothes in a large cloth, and carried them to the carriage.

The two coachmen were startled to see Chu Ci effortlessly carrying such a large package by himself, and they quickly came over to help.

"No need." Chu Ci put the package on the car in one go, without breaking a sweat.

One of the drivers exclaimed, "Girl, you're really strong!"

Another person quickly nodded in agreement, "That's right, that's right, this bag looks heavy."

"It's innate." Chu Ci chatted with them for a few minutes before going back to pack her things.

Before long, Shi An had finished cleaning up the kitchen.

"The wife is the master, the wife is the master."

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Chu Ci walked into the kitchen and saw Shi An standing in front of the large box, looking worried.

She went over and saw that the box was filled with all kinds of pots, pans, and tableware.