After school, Xu Xi was about to find a place to eat snacks, when Mu Qingqiang behind him asked, "Miss Xu Xi, can I read what you wrote in class?" ”

Xu Xi turned around and saw Mu Qingqiang, who was expressionless, looking at him.

"Okay." She took out a stack of paper from the hole in the table, handed it to Mu Qingqiang, and explained, "It's not nailed yet, don't mess it up." ”

"Hmm." Mu Qingqiang agreed, looked at the people next to her, and saw that everyone got up one after another, not paying attention to this, she lowered her voice and said, "Are you going to take the imperial examination?" ”

Xu Xi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

There was no class for Mrs. Cui today, and naturally her exam results were not announced. Mu Qingqiang asked like this, she should have learned about her first place in the exam from other channels.

Her mind moved, and instead of answering, she asked, "What about you?" ”

"I'll participate." Mu Qingqiang's tone was flat, but she was very categorical.

Xu Xi was more and more surprised.

Seeing He Yuqi looking at them curiously, Zhang Lu and Mu Qinglian were also about to come here, and she said, "I have to ask the elders in the family about this matter, but I haven't decided yet, so I can't answer you." ”

As she spoke, she bowed her head slightly towards Mu Qingqiang, and pulled Xu Xue, who was full of doubts, out of the teaching house.

"What's going on?" As soon as she came outside, Xu Xue couldn't help but ask.

Xu Xi told her about Mrs. Cui looking for her.

Xu Xue's round little face wrinkled: "Participating in the imperial examination? She remembered Xu Chongwen's hard work in studying in the past few years, and disapproved of Xu Xi to suffer this hardship, "I don't think it's necessary." What if you get in? Can you still be an official like a man? ”

"I haven't figured it out. Let's put this matter aside for now, and then we'll talk about it later. Xu Xi said.

Xu Xue saw that Xu Xi's gaze had been looking in one direction, and turned her head suspiciously, and saw that the maid Xiaoru beside Mrs. Xiao was walking towards this side.

"Two Miss Xu." Seeing that the two of them saw her, Xiao Ru almost trotted over, "Our lady invites the two girls to sit in the courtyard over there." As she spoke, she pointed in the direction she had come.

Xu Xi is planning to eat snacks to fill his stomach. But since Mrs. Xiao was invited, she had no choice but to nod and agree: "I'm tired of Miss Xiaoru leading the way." ”

The courtyard where Mrs. Xiao was was at the back of Mrs. Cui's courtyard. The room assigned to her was quite spacious, and she divided it into three rooms with curtains.

"Sit down, hungry, aren't you? Let's try the craftsmanship of our cooks. Mrs. Xiao pointed to the dim sum on the table.

"Thank you, Madame, I'm still hungry." Xu Xi smiled and handed the snack he was holding in his hand to Xiaoru, "This is our house, and I bother Miss Xiaoru to pick it out and put it on the table." ”

The three of them sat down and ate some snacks first, and then Mrs. Xiao spoke: "I said that I was going to open a silver building that day, I have prepared the shop, and the craftsman is also looking for it. ”

Xu Xi was surprised: "So fast? ”

Mrs. Xiao waved her hand: "My own shop, I can vacate it with a word." ”

...... "Well, the temperament of the people who have a mine at home is really different."

Looking at Mrs. Xiao with an expectant face, Xu Xi couldn't help but persuade: "Master, I think it's okay, to open a silver building, the style of jewelry must be complete, and ordinary styles account for the majority; You should have new jewelry, but you can't put it all out. All at once, the sensational effect is there, and it can attract customers to patronize your new store in a short time, but if the follow-up is weak, customers can't be retained, and it also gives other silver buildings the opportunity to imitate plagiarism. ”

Seeing that Mrs. Xiao looked confused, and didn't seem to understand why she said this at all, Xu Xi had to explain the method in detail: "When you first opened the silver building, you made the nine novel styles in your hand as a gimmick to attract customers, and ordinary customers still pushed ordinary styles; In the future, two or three new pieces of jewelry will be put out every month, which will not only attract customers to continue to come to the door, but also prevent others from learning all the new styles of your silver building. ”

"You're right, it's too simple for me to think." Mrs. Xiao looked at Xu Xi and asked, "You're only fourteen or five years old, right?" I know more than I do. ”

Xu Xi's details, Mama Yun went to check; Yesterday, they came to the academy and asked Mrs. Cui about it. Mrs. Xiao has a clear understanding of Xu Xi's situation.

So Mrs. Xiao really can't understand how Xu Xi, who grew up in the market and the countryside, is afraid that she has never even seen a few kinds of jewelry, how can she design so many exquisite jewelry? And looking at the way she talked about business that day, she was not sophisticated, and I really couldn't understand how this child grew up like this.

“…… Cough. Xu Xi coughed and calmly rambled, "The children of the poor have long been in charge." The master has a wealthy family and never worries about food and clothing, so naturally he will not think about this. ”

The simple sentence "the children of the poor are in charge early" suddenly made Mrs. Xiao and Mama Yun standing behind her make up a pitiful image on their own, and then recalled what they learned about Xu Xi's situation, and their distress for her suddenly reached its peak.

It's really strange and pitiful to be a good concubine of the Hou Mansion, who was held by the wrong person and raised in the countryside in the market, and had to take care of housework at a young age and find ways to make money.

Thinking that even if she was recognized back to the Hou Mansion, she would still have to run out to sell jewelry pictures, Mrs. Xiao felt even more pity for her, and couldn't help asking, "The Hou Mansion...... Bad for you? ”

"Not really." Xu Xi said, "The old lady and the eldest lady are very good to me, and they don't treat me badly in food, clothing, housing and transportation." It's just that I want to be self-sufficient. ”

Mrs. Xiao and Mama Yun glanced at each other, not believing what Xu Xi said.

When I came to study in the college, in addition to the idea of handing in, I usually spent a lot. I wanted to come to the Hou Mansion except for food, clothing, housing and transportation, and give some restraints, but I didn't give any money. That's why this kid managed to draw jewelry and go to the silver building to try his luck.

If it weren't for her, with the virtue of the proprietor and shopkeeper of Yulon Court, she would probably not be able to make any money.

Thinking that Xu Xi was short of money in her hand, but she still thought about her silver building and persuaded her to make fewer novel styles, Mrs. Xiao felt more and more that this child was rare.

Xu Xi didn't know that Mrs. Xiao and Mama Yun had made up a lot of her tragic experiences, and she saw that the lunch break was almost up, and said: "In addition to the new styles I gave to my master, the jewelry can actually be slightly adjusted and designed according to the existing materials. For example, a pair of heads, perhaps in the eyes of men, this head face is no different from that head, but we women can see at a glance that the color of the gems inlaid on a certain head is more harmonious and beautiful, and the position of the setting is also very different. This harmony and distinction is based on the skill of the designer or craftsman. This kind of jewelry is not very new, but because of its chicness, even if it is more expensive, people who like it are willing to buy it. ”