Lu Lingzhi swallowed the bun in his mouth, “The fever subsided in the middle of the night. But my Father was afraid it would relapse after it subsided. So he went to check it out later.”

In his heart, he thought that he was meeting such a capable father for the first time. If it were any other doctor in the county, they would have given up treatment long ago. However, the gains were also good. Just the consultation fee alone was fifty taels. Not to mention the remaining half-root of ginseng, which was two hundred years old. The ginseng was taken out by Shi Gongzi and used in the tonic prescription. His father cut half of it, and the remaining half was hidden by his father. Ahem, otherwise his father wouldn’t have worked so hard. It was just because he was afraid that the hidden ginseng would be lost!

After the meal, Zhou Shuren was rarely at home, and he was not in a hurry to read. He went to the clan school with the few who were studying and then went to the clan leader’s house.

Not long after Zhou Shuren left, Zhou Wang Shi came. Zhulan welcomed the person in, “Are you here to find out about the situation next door?”

Zhou Wang Shi felt resentful towards Wang Ru in her heart, “I heard that the doctor lived in your house. Your uncle was worried about it and asked me to come and ask.”

Zhulan said, “If you left your home a little late, you wouldn’t have to make this special trip.”

Zhou Wang Shi was confused, “Why do you say this?”

“The head of the household took the child to the clan school, and then he is going to visit the clan leader and have a chat. It seems you didn’t encounter the head of the household.”

Zhou Wang Shi said, “Shuren has gone, I will also come over to chat with you.”

Zhu Lan pondered for a moment, understanding in her heart, “What do you want to chat about?”

Zhou Wang Shi said directly: “I’m not hiding from you. We know that Wang Ru’s girl is abnormal. I don’t care about the truth or falsehood of Shi Gongzi’s life-saving grace. I just know that Shi Gongzi is here for Wang Ru. The people of Hóufǔ Gōngzi are often wandering around the village these days. The head of the family and I don’t think there is anything worthy of attention in Zhoujia Village. After thinking about it carefully when I went back, I guess I am also here for Wang Ru. Yes, I know you two have a plan in mind. I don’t want to ask anything else. I just want to know if it will implicate the entire Zhou family?”

Especially as soon as something happened to Wang Ru, Shi Gongzi came immediately. Also, Zhang Wu and Zhang Sanni, just one look tells you they’re not ordinary. Both she and the old man didn’t sleep the whole night yesterday, but now they can sit properly; they’re just enduring it.

Zhulan was not surprised at all by Zhou Wang Shi’s guess. The Zhou clan leader was not a simple person, but also a very responsible clan leader. Because he was responsible, he would think too much. The clan leader was worried about the entire Zhou clan as it involved powerful people. This was because he was afraid that the entire Zhou family will be implicated, especially when Wang Ru appeared in Zhoujia Village. The patriarch was afraid that the entire village would suffer because of Wang Ru.

Yao Zheyu must have never expected that someone in Zhoujia Village would guess his purpose. Sometimes, it was the people at the bottom who were more keen and had more accurate intuition.

Zhulan looked at the blue rims under Zhou Wang Shi’s eyes, which showed that she was frightened, and said: “Shuren and I guessed the same thing as the clan leader. The head of the family also made some guesses. The head of the family said that Shi Gongzi had come here for Wang Ru. He definitely doesn’t want any accidents to happen, so, we guess Wang Ru will be taken away after she gets well. As for why Hóufǔ Gōngzi came, it will be something that Shi Gongzi should worry about in the future.”

Zhou Wang Shi felt anxious and urgently needed comfort. Although she didn’t know if Zhou Shuren’s family knew the purpose of the Hóufǔ Gōngzi, Yang Shi’s words eased her tense heartstrings and gave her some peace of mind. “Don’t make fun of me either. I’m just a simple countrywoman who has never left the village. I’m easily scared and can’t handle troubles well. When the head of the household talks about the future of your family, I won’t say much. I’ll just share some insignificant experiences. In my life, I’ve realized one thing: it’s important to stay grounded, taking one step at a time. That’s how the road ahead becomes longer and more enduring.”

The old man also used to say these words to Zhou Shuren. However, women had their own usefulness, especially since Zhou Shuren used to place special importance on Yang Shi. When Yang Shi spoke, Zhou Shuren was more likely to remember her words, and for her and the old man to say them separately was also for greater peace of mind.

Zhulan understood that Zhou Wang Shi feared their family would attract the attention of the powerful figures in the Marquis Mansion, attempting to avoid reaching too high and genuinely helping Hóufǔ Gōngzi. She was afraid they would cause trouble, so she spoke kindly. Zhou Wang Shi didn’t speak out of obligation, but rather out of duty, reminding them out of kindness.

Zhulan also told Zhou Wang Shi, “The head of the house has no friendship with Hóufǔ Gōngzi. From today on, the head of the house will study at home!”

Zhou Wang Shi felt a little less worried. She had no friendship with Hóufǔ Gōngzi and came to Zhou Shuren’s house. It was really a surprise. Because of Wang Ru, when she heard that Zhou Shuren would not go to the county to study peacefully, she repeatedly said, “Next year is the provincial examination. If you study well, what you earn through your own ability will be yours.”

In the past, she thought Zhou Shuren only knew all sorts of people and just saw the benefits they brought. He didn’t pay attention to the dangers. Now, thinking back, it was better to be steady and practical. At least, it was not so nerve-wracking.

Zhulan knew that the clan leader and his wife were truly frightened. “I can see the dark circles under your eyes. Have you been resting well? Does Doctor Lu need to prescribe some calming herbal medicine?”

Zhou Wang Shi waved her hands, “I have a heart problem. I’ll be fine if the one next door is gone.”

Then she muttered in a low voice that it would be better if she died.

Zhulan, “.”

The clan leader and his wife really hope that Wang Ru would die to avoid future troubles. Well, it seemed that everyone hoped so!

It was a pity that Wang Ru’s life was very difficult. The high fever had subsided and had not returned. Although she was unconscious, her condition was stable.

Thanks to Dr. Lu, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren got first-hand information.

Wang Ru survived, and Zhou Wang Shi and the clan leader were very disappointed. Zhulan went to the clan leader’s house, Zhou Wang Shi no longer muttered, but bluntly said that the disaster do survive for thousands of years.

Wang Ru finally woke up after being in a coma for two days, and Dr. Lu packed his luggage and returned to the county with his reward.

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren sent Doctor Lu away. When Zhulan was left alone with Zhou Shuren, she said in a brisk tone: “When Wang Ru gets better, Shi Qing should take Wang Ru away. It will finally stop.”

Zhou Shuren said regretfully: “I had already thought about how to get some money from the male protagonist, but a big change happened: Wang Ru. Once Wang Ru leaves, there would be no chance for me to get the money from him. I originally expected to get enough money from the male protagonist to buy a Zhuangzi!”

Zhulan was very satisfied, “He has given you a lot these few times, I’m quite satisfied.”

Zhou Shuren sighed inwardly, regretting missing the opportunity. In the future, even if he encountered it again, he wouldn’t have the same advantageous circumstances. He realized that he wouldn’t have another chance to obtain money from the male protagonist’s hands.

Zhou Shuren ate the mooncakes made by Li Shi, “I will ask for leave tomorrow to send mooncakes. I hope this kid can bear the sarcasm.”

Following her experience of eating mooncakes, Zhu Lan was indeed impressed by the mooncakes made by Li Shi, and the recipe was indeed valuable. However, Zhou Shuren had just been troubled, and there were no secrets in the county. Since Zhou Shuren no longer went to the county, and Chang Lian had not truly married Dong Chuchu, there were many variables. Chang Lian was just the son of a xiucai, and being troubled was inevitable. “This child has quite a high spirit. I don’t know if he can withstand it, especially recently, he’s been accustomed to hearing flattering words from his classmates at the clan school. It’s inevitable for children to become conceited. If he goes to the county next time, there won’t be any good words for him.”

Zhou Shuren spoke up, saying, “I wish he would go out and experience some setbacks, so he can understand how difficult it is for his old man out there. It’s better to give him a reality check and prevent him from thinking everything is so simple. A little setback won’t hurt.”

Zhulan replied, “As long as he is aware.”

She felt her heart softening as she expressed maternal affection. She was truly worried about Chang Lian being affected. Although this kid said he didn’t care about success when he gave gifts, he must have hoped for it in his heart. The timing of Chang Lian’s gift-giving was not good, coinciding with Zhou Shuren’s return home. She hoped this child wouldn’t be too severely discouraged.

Zhou Shuren felt disgusted when he saw Zhulan pick up the needle and thread to sew clothes. Zhulan regarded the Zhou children as her own more and more. In the past, she only made clothes for herself, but now there were several brats. He squinted his eyes; he felt that his sons were living too leisurely!

(End of chapter)

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