On the day of Li Tianchong's birthday banquet, not a single prominent family or high official in Anyang Prefecture was absent; they all sent representatives to offer their congratulations.
Madam Meng, seated at the ladies' table, let her gaze wander between Ye Liangyu and Song Jinzhao. Had they really aligned themselves with the Prince of Ying?
After the birthday celebrations concluded, on the day before Li Qinyun left Anyang Prefecture, she made a point to greet Song Jinzhao, inviting her to visit the Prince of Ying's manor once she arrived in the capital.
Watching the ornate carriage gradually fade into the distance, Song Qiming felt a sense of unease.
Once the provincial exams in August were over, the spring metropolitan exams would follow in February of the next year. The capital was a place of deception and hidden dangers. If a brick fell from the sky there, it would hit either a royal relative or a third-rank official. Life after entering the capital would likely not be as comfortable as it was now.
He turned his head and said solemnly to Song Jinzhao, Sister, I want to live at my teacher's house for the next few months.
He had to work even harder. Since they were already drawn into the center of power, only by climbing higher could they avoid being bullied.
Remembering that Ye Liangyu would be returning to the capital in three months, Song Jinzhao nodded in agreement.
She reached out and patted Song Qiming's arm. Study hard, but don't overwork yourself. Your health comes first.
Song Qiming nodded vigorously. His original goal had been to successfully pass the provincial exam; he hadn't cared about his ranking in the upcoming spring exam, as long as he passed.
But given the current situation, barely passing the imperial examination was far from enough. To secure a place in the capital, it was best to rank among the very top.
By April, the weather had thoroughly warmed up.
Song Jinzhao directed the servants to plant the cut potato pieces with the sprouts facing upward into the garden soil that had long been tilled.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Xuetuan walking over.
Never lacking food or drink, and under Song Shixue's meticulous care, the white tiger cub, now over three months old, already weighed forty catties and looked like a giant, fluffy white cat.
The cross-eyed look in its deep blue tiger eyes had become more pronounced. When its large eyeballs rolled around, it looked incredibly silly and cute, something they had all grown accustomed to.
Sitting in a chair to supervise the work, Song Jinzhao simultaneously sketched and wrote on a piece of paper with her brush.
Expenses in the capital would only be greater. Having plenty of spare funds on hand, she wanted to buy another shop to open a barbecue restaurant.
As the weather got a bit hotter, eating barbecue and drinking ice-cold beer while enjoying the cool evening breeze would absolutely be one of life's greatest pleasures.
Song Jinzhao looked up from time to time to check on the potato planting progress, but her gaze was gradually drawn to Xuetuan, who was walking in circles around a stone not far away.
After watching intently for nearly fifteen minutes, Song Jinzhao frowned.
She walked over and placed her hand in front of Xuetuan. Unable to see the way forward, the white tiger bumped its head right into Song Jinzhao's palm, lifting its head to look around with a somewhat clumsy gaze.
Song Jinzhao tried to play with it and teach it to pounce and bite, but Xuetuan's reactions were extremely apathetic, as if it wasn't interested in anything.
The endless circling, head-shaking, and spinning in place—such stereotypical behaviors made Song Jinzhao doubt Xuetuan's intelligence.
Waking up from his afternoon nap, Song Anhao sluggishly sought out Song Jinzhao, shouting from afar, Eldest Sister! His voice still carried the grogginess of sleep.
Song Jinzhao set Xuetuan down and reached out to catch her youngest brother as he rushed over, gently helping him tidy his hair. Did you sleep well?
Song Anhao rested his head on Song Jinzhao's shoulder, his eyes, like dark grapes, covered in a watery sheen.
I dreamed of eating fish, shrimp and egg custard, and pork and vegetable meatballs. Sister, I really want to eat them right now.
Song Jinzhao gently stroked Song Anhao's soft back, leaning her head back to let him stand properly.
Not right now. I'll have Qingshui make them for dinner.
Song Anhao pouted and began counting on his fingers. Not knowing what time it was, he looked up at the sun.
The sunlight was too glaring, making his eyes uncomfortable. The sun hadn't set yet, so it would definitely be a long while before dinner.
He rubbed his round little belly and acted spoiled, saying, Eldest Sister, I'm a little hungry.
Song Jinzhao curled her lips in a doting smile and pinched his smooth, tender cheek. I think you're just being greedy.
Seeing Xuetuan sitting motionless in place, watching them, a flash of worry crossed Song Jinzhao's eyes.
Shixue already pitied it for its eye problems. If she knew it also had intellectual issues, who knew how heartbroken she would be.
Seeing that Song Jinzhao wasn't falling for his trick, Song Anhao turned and called for Xuetuan to leave with him.
There were pastries left over from the morning on the table. If he couldn't get the delicious food now, he could at least fill his stomach a bit to satisfy his cravings. Otherwise, his mind would keep dwelling on the steamed fish and vegetable meatballs. Eating those dishes in his dream had been so incredibly savory; just thinking about it made his mouth water.
When Song Shixue returned from the medical clinic in the evening, Song Jinzhao didn't immediately share her suspicions with her, but instead observed for a few more days.
Finally, she confirmed that Xuetuan's intelligence truly was impaired. Its sluggish reactions were not entirely due to its vision problems, but rather issues with its brain and neurons.
Ultimately, it was caused by genetic defects.
