"It won't happen." Xia Zhi reassured Li Xia.

  Xia Xiuren couldn't raise the money as promised to Tian Shi, and they would definitely think of another way. However, for the time being, they wouldn't set their sights on her. If she wasn't certain that Tian Shi and Xia Xiuren didn't dare to make a move against her, nor could they do so, she wouldn't have resorted to this trick of draining the water from the cauldron.

  She said it so firmly and reasonably that Li Xia also slightly put her mind at ease, and then asked her what plans she and Xiao Hei Yu had for the next few days in Fucheng.

  It's settled then. For Xiao Hei and the others, it was very simple - just have fun. Unfortunately, Li Xia had to prepare for her exams and couldn't join them in their play.

  Li Xia couldn't help but smile, and immediately agreed to Little Black Fish's request. Although he had to review his lessons, he would definitely make some time to accompany him and Xia Zhi. Then, he looked at Xia Zhi, with a hint of pity in his eyes. Xia Zhi was different from Little Black Fish, although she was young, but her body had already borne the heavy burden of life prematurely.

  Xia Zhi indeed had a plan, but she decided not to tell Li Xia for now. "I'll tell you when the time comes."

  "If you need help, just speak up. In this city, there are few things we can't accomplish." Li Xia said with a smile.

  "Li Xia, your tone sounds like a spoiled rich kid." Xia Zhi teased.

  Li Xia just smiled dryly.

  "But having a friend like you is really good." Xia Zhi said again. In fact, Li Xia Zhen didn't have any spoiled temperament.

  Li Xia couldn't help but understand that Xia Zhi was teasing him. "Sixteen, just consider me a friend and forget about those words earlier."

  This time, Xia Zhi was amused. Li Xia came down from Wenshan Academy to make Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu happy, and did not choose a quiet road, but instead had the little servant walk on Dongshi Street.

  The two busiest streets with the most shops in the city are Xishi Street in the west of the city and Dongshi Street in the east. Not only are there many shops on these two streets, but also morning and evening markets. The morning market mainly sells vegetables, fish and meat from rural households outside the city, while the night market mainly sells snacks and miscellaneous goods.

  At this time, there were not many vendors on both sides of the street, but every shop was bustling with people coming and going, presenting a lively and prosperous scene.

  Xia Zhi looked at it with joy in her heart. This scene represented great purchasing power in her eyes. The people of the imperial city had such purchasing power, and she wanted to make some money, which was not a difficult task.

  Li Xia saw that both Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu were very happy, so he told the coachman to drive slowly, allowing the two children to take a closer look. As they approached the head of a bluestone bridge, Xiao Hei Yu spotted the two characters "Ju Xian" hanging from a wine tower. The facade of this wine tower was quite grand, and its architectural style and colors were identical to those of the Ju Xian Wine Tower in Linshui Town.

  "Li Xia, is this also your family's?" Little Black asked Li Xia, pointing at the wine building.

  Li Xia nodded. The Ju Xian wine house in Linshui Town was a branch, and this one was the head office, both of which had his family's capital invested. "In the future, if you're hungry, just come here and mention my name. If there's something that can't be found for the time being, you can also have the staff in the wine house pass on a message to me."

  He left an address for the two children in Linshui Town, which is the address of this wine building. Because this place is very easy to find, Dongshi Street Qing Shi Bridge Head, it can't be more obvious.

  The horse-drawn carriage drove onto the stone bridge, and Li Xia pointed at the flowing water under the bridge and told Xia Zhi: "This is the North Canal."

  As soon as Xia Zhi nodded, he saw big and small boats coming and going on the river. Xiao Hei Yu's body almost stuck out of the carriage, and he said he wanted to take a boat ride. He had grown so big but had never taken a boat ride before. Xia Zhi quickly pulled him back. The boats on this river were either for passenger transport or cargo transport, there were no pleasure boats.

  Beiyun River is the main transportation artery from Beizhen Prefecture to the south, but it's not a tourist attraction, mainly because locals don't think much of it.

  "We can take a boat too, I'll arrange it and then come find you." said Li Xia.

  "You're too good, Li Xia." Little Black Fish's big eyes shone brightly as he looked at Li Xia.

  Li Xia chuckled and stretched out his long arm to hug Xiao Hei into his arms. To his surprise, Xiao Hei didn't struggle or put on airs as a senior. Xia Zhi rubbed her forehead, Li Xia was indeed good at coaxing children. Looking at how short a time he had known Xiao Hei, the little boy already treated him like one of his own people.

  The horse carriage went out of Dongshi Street and continued to head west, passing in front of the government office, then crossed two streets running north-south before arriving at Xishi Street.

  The black lacquer gate of the Guo family was still tightly closed. The street was too bustling, with all sorts of pedestrians passing by, and inside the gate was the warehouse of the Guo family's general store, so the gate was always locked from the inside.

  That little fellow saw the sign of Guo's grocery store and stopped the carriage in front of the door. Guo's uncle was standing at the entrance of the grocery store talking to someone, and he caught sight of the horse-drawn carriage, then looked up at Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu on the carriage. He sent away the person he was talking to with a bow, and hurried over.

  Guo's uncle was also an old resident of the prefecture, running a grocery store on West Market Street for many years, and had long since developed a pair of eyes that could see people's identities. Although Li Xia's car was low-key, it couldn't escape his notice. He was the first to spot the Li family crest on the car. So after walking over, he quickly sent a young apprentice to open the door, then warmly invited Li Xia inside to talk.

  Li Xia naturally had to give face to Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu Er.

  The horse carriage entered the yard, and Guo Shu and Li Xia also knew each other's identities. Guo Shu's attitude towards Li Xia became even more enthusiastic. In addition to enthusiasm, he added unreserved humility. He never thought that the eldest son of the East City Li family, the son of the headmaster of Wenshan Academy, would come to his small grocery store.

  That's right, Li Xia is the most noble person who has set foot in this courtyard so far.

  The outer house also has a hall for receiving guests, but Guo's uncle felt that it was not proper to entertain Li Xia here, and insisted on inviting Li Xia to the upper house in the backyard.

  "The two kids gave Li Gongzi a lot of trouble. Now that Li Gongzi is here, we are honored to have him, and we must invite him to sit in our humble abode." Guo Gufu slightly bowed his waist, with a smile that narrowed his eyes into slits.

  Li Xia glanced at Xia Zhi.

  "Li Xia, if you're not in a hurry to get back, come on in and sit down for a bit. My aunt should be home." said Xia Zhi.

  "Good." Li Xia nodded and followed Guo's uncle through the corridor to the back house.

  Xia Dagu had already received the news in the backyard. She hurried out to greet them and happened to meet Li Xia and his party under the shadow wall. The two exchanged greetings, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then sat down together in the living room of the upper house.

  Xia Dagu personally brought Liu Sao and Xiao Hong to serve fragrant tea, and in front of Li Xia, she set up a box filled with various dried fruits and pastries. Whether it was the fragrant tea or the dried fruits and pastries, they were all carefully selected from the store as the best and most delicate to entertain Li Xia.

  "There's nothing good at home, just these rough tea and snacks, please don't laugh, Mr. Li." Xia Dagu was very gracious and natural in front of the noble guest, more so than Guo Gufu's words.

  "Too polite, Elder Sister." Li Xia followed Xia Zhi's lead in addressing Xia Da Gu. This made Xia Da Gu extremely happy, and Guo Gu Fu on the side couldn't stop smiling.

  Everyone chatted, and Aunt Xia asked Li Shanzhang about his well-being. Then they talked about how Lixia sent Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu back home. Lixia told Aunt Xia and Uncle Guo that he had known Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu for a long time and got along very well with them. This time, the two children happened to meet him on their way back from Wen Shan Academy, so he sent them back home.

  Xia Dagu asked Xia Zhi: "Have you seen your dad?"

  Xia Zhi replied that he hadn't seen Xia Xiucái.

  Li Xia immediately took over the conversation, telling Aunt Xia that Xia Xiuzai was currently explaining articles to students who were preparing for their exams and couldn't be disturbed. As this was a scheduled arrangement at the academy, they apologized to Xia Zhi as father and son.

  "It's a serious matter for students to read articles, but it's two children who are troubling Li Gongzi."

  "It's no trouble." Li Xia said with a smile.

  "Sister, we are good friends with Xia Li," said Little Black Fish to Aunt Xia.

  Xia Dagu could only smile and thanked Li Xia again, her impression of Li Xia was also extremely good. It's rare to see a young person of such status who not only doesn't have any air of arrogance, but also treats people with such kindness and sincerity.

  Changsheng returned from taking care of some business outside and came to the living room to meet with Li Xia. The two were about the same age, and their height was also roughly the same, but Li Xia seemed even more robust than Changsheng.

  "Zhen Zhu, come out and meet Li Gongzi." Guo's uncle suddenly remembered and said.

  Xia Dagu hesitated for a moment, then followed Guo Gufu and sent Xiaohong to bring out the pearl. The pearl knew that there were guests outside, heard her parents' summons, specially dressed up again, and changed into a new dress to meet the guests.

  Mr. Guo was delighted to see them and his face lit up with joy. He asked Pearl to introduce herself to Li Xia, stating her identity, then told Li Xia: "This is our youngest daughter, she's a bit shy, having been raised at home since childhood, and has never gone out to meet anyone."

  Xia Dagu gave Guo Gufu a glance.

  Li Xia returned the pearl's courtesy, smiling but not saying anything in particular. Pearl made her way through the ritual and sat down beside Auntie Xia, observing with a gentle and quiet demeanor.

  After chatting for a while, Li Xia stood up and bid farewell. Xia Dagu and Guo Gufu naturally tried to persuade her to stay, but Li Xia just said that she still had things to attend to at the academy, so they didn't insist on keeping her.

  "Master Li doesn't mind our humble door and small household, please come over whenever you're free in the future." Guo's uncle saw Li Xia off while smiling and saying.

  "I'm troubling you, Uncle Guo." Li Xia said politely. Before leaving, he specifically instructed Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu: "I'll come to find you when I have time. When you go to the academy, be sure to come find me." He also told them that if they had anything in the city, they could go find him.

  He had instructed these words before, and now he said them again, as if they were meant for Guo Auntie and Xia's mother to hear.

  Summer solstice had an idea flashing through his mind, but didn't think deeply about it.

  After seeing off Li Xia, everyone returned to the living room and sat down. Guo's excitement had not yet subsided. He kept muttering: "This is indeed the eldest son of the Li family, the son of Li Shanliang, our city's little Wenqu star!"

  "What's Xiaowen Qu Xing?" Xia Zhi asked out loud for the first time when she heard this phrase.

  Uncle Guo asked Xia Zhi: "How come your dad never told you?"

  Summer solstice shakes head.

  Uncle Guo was in a good mood and explained to Xia Zhi. It turned out that Li Xia had been known as a child prodigy since he was young, able to compose poetry at the age of four and write essays at the age of five, and was considered the most promising young man of this generation in the Li family.

  "Li Shanlang has already become a Hanlin, Li Gongzi will certainly surpass his father and become a Grand Scholar like his ancestors."

  People running small businesses like Old Man Guo's grocery store all say this, so it can be imagined how widely such talk has spread. Xia Zhi suddenly somewhat understood Li Xia.

  As soon as the topic of Li's family was mentioned, Uncle Guo seemed to have endless things to say. Aunt Xia cleared her throat and reminded Uncle Guo, "Shouldn't we go ahead and take a look? I think Liu the accountant was looking for you earlier."

  Uncle Guo hummed and thought of something that had not been done yet in front, so he hurried forward.

  Xia Dagu smiled towards Xia Zhi.

  "Eldest aunt, I and uncle knew a good beef noodle shop at the academy, brought some of their braised beef back, everyone try some." Xia Zhi finally had the chance to give the braised beef that was put aside to Eldest Aunt Xia.

  Xia Dagu smiled and took it over, looking at it, and asked Xia Zhi: "Is it the beef noodle soup from that family who teaches people?"

  Summer nodded: "Big aunt, you also know his family?"

  "I know his beef noodles are really delicious. I've had them before. But he never sells this sauce beef, it's hard for you to bring some back."

  "It should be Li Xia's face." Xia Zhi said.

  "No wonder." Xia Dagu handed the sauce beef to Liu Sao, letting her cut it for dinner, then smiled at Xia Zhi and said, "You child, no wonder your grandfather and grandmother praise you, indeed considerate and thoughtful."

  As she spoke, she led Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei to the east house and sat down. Li Xia sent them back, and Xia Dagu was very surprised. Just now, in front of Li Xia, many things were not good to ask.

  "How did you recognize him?" Xia Dagu asked.

  Changsheng followed Uncle Guo to the front, and Zhenzhu followed over to sit beside Xia Dagu, opening her eyes wide to listen to their conversation. She was also very curious, how did Xia Zhi and Li Xia, two people with such vastly different identities and backgrounds, become acquainted and even good friends, allowing Li Xia to personally send them back.

  "It was at the temple fair in Linshui Town that they met. This time too, it was a coincidence, and he didn't expect to run into him at the academy." Xia Zhi only gave a rough outline and didn't go into details.

  Xia Dagu also didn't feel well, so she asked her in detail about the incident at Wenshan Academy today: "Did you still see Li Shanzhang?" The gift that Li Shanzhang gave was just seen by her.

  "Yes." Xia Zhi didn't want to lie to Xia Da Gu, but she also couldn't say that she had gone specifically to find Li Shan Zhang, so she glossed over the reason for their meeting and only said that Li Shan Zhang was very kind and affectionate towards her and Xiao Hei Yu.

  "Doesn't Li Shanzhang and Li Gongzi know who your father is?" Xia Dagou asked.

  "I've told them," Xia Zhi replied.

  Xia Dagu suddenly realized and many questions in her heart were answered. Li Shanzhang and Li Xia treated Xia Zhi and Xiao Heiyu specially because of Xia Xiucan's sake. She felt a bit sentimental: "Your father had very good relationships with people at the academy."

  To be continued...