The Supporting Female Character Refuses to be Cannon Fodder Chapter 52

Jiang Miao kept his head down, and when he heard Jiang Mu’s words, he replied weakly, “I know, Dad, I will work hard on my own.”

The blow of failing the exam this time was undoubtedly huge for Jiang Miao. From failing the exam at the beginning of the year to passing the Spring Imperial Exam and becoming a Xiucai later, Jiang Miao’s emotions were like a roller coaster, full of ups and downs.

At first, when he failed, Jiang Miao thought it was just because of his poor health and not due to his lack of knowledge. After passing the Xiucai exam, his misplaced self-confidence increased even more.

This confidence lasted until he received the autumn exam questions, and Jiang Miao realized how far he still had to go to catch up with others academically.

Now, failing the exam, Jiang Miao felt like he had been knocked into the dust, experiencing various forms of self-doubt and self-denial.

If Jiang Chan were to comment, she would say it was because Jiang Mu had a bit of silver at hand and got carried away, overestimating himself and underestimating others.

In the previous life, Jiang Mu’s family was truly in financial difficulty. Jiang Miao went to take the exams with the money Jiang Chan earned from selling herself. Even if Jiang Miao and Jiang Mu wanted to continue their studies, there wouldn’t be another foolish daughter like Jiang Chan to sell herself.

So Jiang Miao and Jiang Mu could only develop peacefully in the village, and later on, they managed to live a decent life.

Now, with a bit of money, the father and son’s appetites grew, leading to their current situation of losing everything and being utterly defeated.

Jiang Chan would say it serves them right, they brought it upon themselves.

But the affairs of Jiang Mu’s family had nothing to do with her anymore. She wouldn’t pay much attention to them. Her time was now very precious, and she wouldn’t waste it on others.

Jiang Chan was someone who could study well. It was well-known that students in their country were the best at studying in the world. Especially since Jiang Chan managed her studies alongside working part-time, her grades were quite impressive.

When Jiang Sen assessed Jiang Chan’s progress, he found her improvement to be significant. Her aptitude was comparable to the best students in the academy.

Jiang Sen often lamented with Lin Shi, wondering why Jiang Chan wasn’t a boy. If she were a boy, under his meticulous guidance, she would have passed the imperial examination by now, saving him from always having to see Li Ruisi’s smug face.

Li Yifei, at the age of seventeen, passed the imperial examination, and the news shook the entire town. In the subsequent palace examination, Li Yifei even ranked third, bringing glory to his family.

Li Ruisi, the sly man, was now always cheerful. Jiang Sen couldn’t help but feel envious whenever he saw it. If Jiang Chan were a boy, she wouldn’t be any worse than Li Yifei.

Lin Shi comforted him, saying, “What’s the difference between boys and girls? Xiao Chan is excellent, and that has nothing to do with gender. If you truly value her talent, just teach her more.”

With Lin Shi’s comfort, Jiang Sen felt much better and put even more effort into teaching Jiang Chan. Initially, his guidance was superficial, but later he poured out all his knowledge.

Under Jiang Sen’s tutelage, Jiang Chan’s progress was rapid, showing no signs that she had only started formal studies before the New Year.

Jiang Chan thought she had distanced herself from Jiang Mu’s family, but she didn’t realize that trouble could never be avoided. Knowing that Jiang Xing’s conditions wouldn’t attract a good family, Wang Shi came over one morning to find Lin Shi, asking her to help look for a good match for her daughter.

Lin Shi was reluctant, thinking that even though Jiang Chan was adopted by her, Wang Shi never considered Jiang Chan’s feelings, only caring about her younger daughter. This made Lin Shi feel even more sorry for Jiang Chan.

When Wang Shi arrived, Jiang Chan wasn’t there. Though Zhou Shan managed the shop, Jiang Chan still visited occasionally. She didn’t need to greet customers; just sitting there reading was good enough.

Lin Shi agreed that it was good for Jiang Chan to get out and see the world. Staying in the study all day would turn her into a bookworm.

Now, Lin Shi was even more thankful for this idea. If Jiang Chan had seen Wang Shi and Jiang Xing, how upset would she have been?

After a few words, Lin Shi sent Wang Shi and Jiang Xing away, saying she would keep an eye out but not making any promises. It would be a joke to find a match for Jiang Xing, given her crooked nature. If something went wrong in the future, Lin Shi would be blamed.

Wang Shi took Lin Shi’s words as a promise, happily taking Jiang Xing back. As they left Jiang Sen’s house, they smelled a strong, sweet fragrance.

Jiang Xing couldn’t help but swallow, tugging at Wang Shi’s sleeve. “Mom, it smells so good, what is it?”

Wang Shi was also tempted, shaking her head, “I don’t know, but it sure smells good…”

Their conversation was overheard by an old aunt walking nearby, who smiled and said, “You must not be from around here. This is the cake from Jiang’s Dim Sum Shop. It’s always this time of day.”

While talking, the aunt took a satisfied breath. Even though she smelled it every day, she never got tired of it, wishing she could eat Jiang’s Dim Sum daily.

Jiang Xing felt a pang in her heart. Townspeople were really impressive.

Wang Shi, having eaten more rice than Jiang Xing, smiled and said, “We indeed are not from town and rarely come here. Could you tell us more about it, elder sister?”

The aunt, on her way to buy vegetables, slowed down to explain. The market was right by Jiang’s Dim Sum Shop, so she leisurely introduced it to Wang Shi. Jiang’s Dim Sum Shop had become a famous spot in town. If you didn’t know anything else, you had to know Jiang’s.

“The shop opened just before the New Year, under the name of the scholarly Jiang family. But rumors say it’s actually run by the family’s daughter. The business, oh, it’s doing incredibly well.”

Jiang Xing’s heart skipped a beat. How many scholars named Jiang were there in town?

“Aunt, how many scholars named Jiang are there in this town?” Jiang Xing asked, holding onto a sliver of hope.

The aunt chuckled, “There are many scholars, but only one named Jiang—the one over there.”

Jiang Xing glanced in the direction the aunt pointed, and sure enough, it was Jiang Sen’s house. She couldn’t describe her feelings, but Wang Shi spoke up, “How do you know it’s the scholar’s daughter running the shop? Maybe it’s his wife.”

Wang Shi’s words were an attempt to convince herself.