42 Are you hiding a man around here?

Strangely, Jing Yunzhao felt like the old man was familiar. Despite his harsh words and emotionless face, Jing Yunzhao could tell that deep down he was a kind person, unlike the people she met in her previous life who would always smile while plotting evil in their hearts. 

"Thank you, Mr. Xu. I will come on time," Jing Yunzhao said, smiling warmly. 

"In that case, memorize this book before you leave," the old man said and tossed a book at Jing Yunzhao, then walked out of the shed and locked the door behind him. 

There was adequate lighting in the shed, so Jing Yunzhao opened the book to read it. Iit was a book about sowing and harvesting herbs. It was not a thick book, but it would easily take one to two days to memorize the whole book. 

Having said that, Jing Yunzhao's memory capacity had drastically improved ever since she absorbed the Naling Jade. She looked down at the book that contained both texts and illustrations and then at the locked door. After making sure that there was no one around, she sat down resignedly and entered her secret space to start memorizing the book. 

Time passed slower in her secret space, so only three hours had passed by the time she finished memorizing the whole book. 

Jing Yunzhao knocked on the door from the inside of the shed, and the man who collected her herbs the first time opened it not long after. 

"Recite the book if you wish to leave," said the man as he opened the door wider and took the book from Jing Yunzhao. 

Jing Yunzhao was thoroughly dumbfounded by both the old man and his apprentice but knowing that they meant well, she started reciting the book. 

The book was around two hundred pages and it would take some time to recite the whole thing, but the man paid careful attention to every word Jing Yunzhao said and even stopped to check with her when what she recited was unclear and moved on after making sure that Jing Yunzhao said it correctly. 

Jing Yunzhao was not the type of person to do things half heartedly, and would always give her all if she set her mind to something.

The sky was dark by the time Jing Yunzhao finished reciting the whole book. 

"You recited it correctly, you may leave now. Here is the money for the herbs today, please come on time from now on," said the man, who seemed to be even more straightforward than the old man. He turned around and left right after that. 

Jing Yunzhao clutched the few thousands of cash in her hand. 

She had made more than ten thousand including yesterday's earnings. She was making money at a speed that she would never have imagined in her previous life. 

The moon was shining brightly in the night sky. Enjoying the fresh air outside the shed, Jing Yunzhao took a deep breath. She returned the way she came, and saw a few people coming her way right after she walked out of the alley. 

Jing Yunzhao was trying to digest the information in the Naling Jade when she was stopped by someone, and she looked up into Lu Jia's fierce eyes. 

Since the day she had gotten slapped, Lu Jia had been staying at home while her swollen face healed. Her face was still an unnatural red and visibly swollen. 

"Well, well. Is this not our famous Jing Yunzhao? I saw you walking out of the alley. Why are you wandering around a place like this at this time of the night? Are you hiding a man around here?" Lu Jia sneered, eyes glittering with hatred. 

She would never forget the embarrassment of being held down and slapped in front of the whole school. 

With all the teachers siding with Jing Yunzhao, not only could she not do anything about Jing Yunzhao, she also got scolded by her parents. Now that they were at a place with no CCTV cameras, she would make sure that Jing Yunzhao didn't get off easily this time!