Magistrate Zhang walked in, followed by Director Xu.

The students present all saluted them one after another.

Magistrate Zhang seemed to be in a good mood and nodded slightly to everyone.

Seeing Zhao Ce standing at the top table, he walked straight over.

All the scholars at the table also stood up and saluted Magistrate Zhang.

Magistrate Zhang smiled and said: "There are many new faces here this year, and I am looking forward to everyone's performance."

Everyone also followed Zhang Xianlin's words and complimented him a lot.

Next to him, Master Xu saw the wooden box in Li Xiucai's hand and said jokingly: "Why did Li Xiucai bring his own snacks? Is it because he is afraid that he will not be full tonight?"

You will definitely not be full after eating at this kind of poetry gathering.

But the people who came to this poetry gathering didn’t come just to eat.

Master Xu's tone was teasing, and there was not much malice.

"Candy Picking Notes...is it a new snack shop in the city?"

Li Xiucai followed his words and said with a smile: "No."

"This is the Mid-Autumn Festival ceremony specially prepared for me by my student Zhao Ce."

"Oh?" Magistrate Zhang and Director Xu, who had just arrived here, looked at each other.

Zhao Ce stood aside politely and did not speak.

After all, according to his status, he can't talk to these people now.

"It's strange to have Mid-Autumn Festival gifts here." Magistrate Zhang glanced at Zhao Ce curiously.

"With so many of us here, why not show us what kind of Mid-Autumn Festival rituals it is?"

Li Xiucai didn't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, but he just followed the two people's words and raised his voice slightly.

"Of course it's possible."

Li Xiucai's words attracted the attention of everyone present.

Zhao Ce is just a farmer. What good gifts can he buy and present at this poetry festival?

What if those shabby things were given to me privately and secretly?

Under the curious eyes of everyone, Li Xiucai gently opened the wooden box and revealed the contents.

The crystal-clear fruit candies appeared in front of everyone.

Everyone was stunned for a moment when they saw it.

"What kind of snack is this?"

The scholar who had just spoken to Li Xiucai couldn't help but lower his head and looked at it carefully, but he still didn't know what it was.

"It smells like fruit, maybe peach?"

Li Xiucai always used Zhao Ce to talk about it and directly popularized science to everyone.

"This is fruit candy!"

He took out one and showed it to everyone.

Zhao Ce on the side looked at Li Xiucai's actions and couldn't help but feel a little funny.

He just wanted to give Li Xiucai some candies so that if he drank too much, he could eat one and not feel so uncomfortable.

As a result, Li Xiucai was as active as a "trustee" invited by himself.

He didn't need to say anything, he just introduced this thing in a loud voice.

"Fruit candy?"

Everyone looked at it curiously, wondering how the appearance of this fruit candy could be so beautiful.

The snacks they usually make with brown sugar are basically colored.

It is impossible to have such a transparent situation.

"Where did this fruit candy come from? Did this candy picker buy it? Where is it located?" Someone came to his senses first and asked quickly.

"Yes, why is this fruit candy so transparent? I have never seen such a pure candy."

"Li Xiucai, you are such a thoughtful student!"

Some people praise it, and some people disparage it.

Some of Zhao Ce's former classmates murmured in the crowd: "Zhao Ce is just a farmer, and he actually spent so much money to buy such an expensive gift for his wife."

"Our Master always teaches us that gifts don't have to be expensive, as long as they suit your status."

Liu Xiucai retracted his slightly shocked look, listened to his student's words, and nodded in agreement.

Zhao Ce didn't panic and said directly: "Everyone is serious, this is something I made myself. The raw materials are fruits and sugar."

"As for fruits, we have a lot of them on the mountain at our farm."

"As for sugar..."

Zhao Ce smiled lightly and said: "That is a craft passed down from my family's ancestors."

"Sugar?"

After hearing what Zhao Ce said, many people who had seen sugar came over and looked at the candies in the box seriously.

Li Xiucai did not hide his secrets and showed them openly to everyone.

"Is this made from white sugar? No wonder it's so transparent."

"Not to mention the price of sugar, if you want to buy some sugar now, it is not a matter of money."

"I didn't expect that Zhao Ce would be willing to use such precious white sugar to make this fruit candy and give it to his wife."

"White sugar is already sweet enough, so naturally the taste of this fruit candy is much better than white sugar."

"Li Xiucai has a better vision, right? If he accepts Zhao Ce as his student, doesn't he have as much sugar as he wants?"

Many people sighed after hearing this.

Only then did several scholars in the city realize that Zhao Ce was not as unsightly as the rumors said.

At least he really cares about his wife.

Some people who were watching the excitement and did not mind the matter cheered: "Li Xiucai is just the wife of Zhao Ce, so he can give such a good gift."

"Presumably Liu Xiucai has been Zhao Ce's wife for so long, so he must have received better things, right?"

Several scholars targeted Liu Xiucai one after another.

Although these scholars usually get together to recite poems and write poems.

But privately, they are all in a competitive relationship.

Therefore, when you see your competitors suffering, you must be happy to see the results.

Suddenly being stared at by everyone, Liu Xiucai didn't look good.

Zhao Ce quickly explained: "I brought sugar to visit Master Liu before, but unfortunately I did something wrong at that time and there was nothing I could do about it."

The feud between Zhao Ce and Liu Xiucai was abuzz in the city.

Now that everyone mentions the brothel incident, many people are sympathetic to Zhao Ce.

That's how it is with people.

Once your reputation improves, people will automatically put filters on you to beautify you for some of the bad things you have done in the past.

Not to mention, what Zhao Ce did before was not too wrong, right?

After listening to Zhao Ce's words, Liu Xiucai recalled the day when Uncle Zhao Ce brought him here and he refused him to send Shu Xiu back to school.

It turns out that the little cloth bag he brought over that day actually contained sugar?

That bag, based on the selling price, is estimated to be worth a few taels of silver, right?

If I hadn't put on airs because of Zhao Ce's poor grades before.

Let him continue to come back to school. These things today are all his!

The more Liu Xiucai thought about it, the more depressed he became.

He scratched his neck and said, "Zhao, Zhao Ce is just a farmer."

"His family is poor. As a master, how can I bear to let Zhao Ce give these valuable things?"

When Liu Xiucai said this, everyone else pretended to be suddenly enlightened.

But things had already happened, and Liu Xiucai had nothing to do.

He could only think secretly in his heart,

As long as Zhao Ce is surpassed by his students at the poetry meeting, even if he gives the best things to his master, it will be nothing.

Liu Xiucai muttered in a low voice: "It's so flashy."
Chapter completed!