Chapter 212: Admiring Ye Muyu

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 Chapter 211: Reward

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Chapter 37: Countermove

"Miss, this old lady seemed a bit off to this servant. She guessed your identity as soon as she spoke and her mannerisms seemed to be more knowledgeable than Madam Bai's. This servant cannot guess who she is, but she is definitely not an ordinary commoner."

Yunxu was observant. If she felt something was amiss, then it must be significant.

Pouring a cup of freshly brewed Jingming tea, Feng Jinyao took a few sips while quickly recalling whether she had encountered this person in her past life, but she couldn't remember.

Could their encounter today have been deliberately arranged by someone?

"Send two people to keep an eye on her for a few days. If she doesn't show any major movements, then there's no need to waste energy on her."

"Yes."

Even if it was deliberately arranged, Feng Jinyao didn't have the mindset to dwell on it at the moment. The most important thing right now was her mother's illness.

Taking up a pen, she wrote down the prescription that the imperial physician had just prescribed and handed it to Yunxu.

"Find a doctor to take a look at this prescription tomorrow. There might be something wrong with it."

Yunxu nodded and folded the prescription neatly into her bosom.

Meanwhile, in Pear Blossom Alley, the woman named Aunt Zhang was recounting the encounter during the day to her husband, who had just returned from collecting medicinal herbs.

"I've told you before, if there's something to be done, let the errand boy from the medicine shop handle it. But you insisted on going by yourself. Look, you fell and hurt yourself. Luckily, it's just a sprained foot. If it had been a bone injury, it would have been troublesome."

While applying herbal medicine to her husband's foot, Aunt Zhang lectured him earnestly.

Knowing that he was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, Aunt Zhang didn't argue further.

She then shifted the conversation back to Feng Jinyao, her face flushed with excitement.

"I'm telling you, this Miss Feng San is quite good. Just by looking at the maid beside her, you can tell that she is well-mannered and reasonable. I caught a glimpse of her from afar once. I couldn't see her face clearly, but her demeanor was unmistakable. The eldest daughter of the Bai family was once known as the number one beauty in the capital. Her daughter shouldn't be any less."

"What does it matter whether she's good or not? We don't have a son, so why bother about these things?" The old man's expression soured. For him, no matter how many noble ladies there were, none were as important as the old woman in front of him.

Aunt Zhang patted his back anxiously. "You're being silly. We don't have a son, but we still have a young master. I can see that the two of them are quite compatible..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the old man interrupted her.

"Let it go. I think he wants to live out his old age alone. Otherwise, why would he pretend to be sick all day long?"

"Shame on you! Talking about living out old age alone! If you keep talking nonsense, I won't talk to you anymore."

Aunt Zhang was getting on in years, but when she acted coquettish, it made the old man's heart melt instantly. He hurriedly comforted her in a fluster.

"Alright, I won't say anymore. Be careful of your foot!"

With a snort, Aunt Zhang, who had been with him for many years, naturally knew how to handle him.

Thinking about today's encounter, Aunt Zhang couldn't help but feel that it was arranged by fate. With their past relationship, she was determined to help the two of them find love.

A triumphant smile crept onto her lips, and seeing this, the old man felt three parts resigned and seven parts compliant.

Once Aunt Zhang decided on something, not even eight oxen could pull her back. He couldn't persuade her and he felt regretful for the two people who were inexplicably matched by her.

Meanwhile, in the Duke Ding's Mansion, Xiao Tingyi was concentrating on reading a book. Suddenly, he inexplicably sneezed, frightening his attendant Yang Zhao, who thought his master might have caught a cold.

"Your Highness, should I close the window?"

"No need. It's too warm in this room. It's better to get some fresh air."

Although he said this, he felt as if someone was watching him, sending a chill down his spine.

The night was hazy, and the snow outside continued to fall. In the quiet night, apart from the occasional sound of flipping pages, there was peace.

A dreamless night passed.

Early the next morning, a servant at the Feng residence received an anonymous letter, stating that Miss Feng San was requested to open it personally.

The servant dared not make a decision on her own and immediately ran into the mansion.

When the letter arrived at the Quiet Peace Pavilion, Feng Jinyao had just finished washing up. She saw Xiuqiu walking in with the letter in her hand.

"Miss, someone delivered a letter outside, indicating that you should personally read it."

"Could you see the appearance of the person clearly?" Yunxu asked.

"The gatekeeper said it was a child of about ten years old, dressed neatly and looked like a servant boy from some family."

In front of the bronze mirror, Feng Jinyao's plain face was without makeup, but it appeared even more elegant and ethereal.

The fragrance lingered, and the maids were assisting her with her grooming.

"Bring the letter over. Let me take a look."

Xiuqiu respectfully handed over the letter, and Feng Jinyao examined it carefully but found nothing suspicious.

Suspicious, she opened it and after a moment her face lit up with excitement.

"It's actually him!"

Seeing Feng Jinyao's expression, Yunxu and Xiuqiu were puzzled.

"Miss, who is it?"

"Do you remember the woman we encountered on the road yesterday?"

Xiuqiu shook her head, not understanding, but Yunxu, seeing Miss's excited expression, guessed.

"Could it be someone from the Return Source Hall?"

Feng Jinyao's eyes showed a hint of admiration. Yunxu was getting smarter. She nodded.

"She's the wife of Doctor Zhang. This letter was delivered by that woman and there's also a token inside." Saying this, she took out a small silver leaf.

"She said that because of the help yesterday, she wanted to repay the favor. If there's anything in the future, take this token to the Return Source Hall, and Doctor Zhang will naturally help."

"Great! It's effortless. This Doctor Zhang is elusive. We've had people watching the Return Source Hall for so long without finding any trace of him. Who would have thought he would come knocking on our door himself? It seems that Miss is favored by heaven to have such luck!"

Xiuqiu was also delighted.

Although Xiuqiu didn't understand the reason behind it, she clearly heard the word 'doctor,' and since the lady of the house was currently ill, finding a doctor naturally meant seeking treatment for her.

Suddenly taken aback, she asked Feng Jinyao, "Shall we invite this doctor to come and check on Madam?"

Feng Jinyao shook her head. "Mother's illness should improve in a few days with the prescription from the imperial physician." She had other arrangements for Doctor Zhang.

Thinking of Yunhe's serious illness in her past life, Feng Jinyao heaved a sigh of relief. She had finally found a solution, and her eldest nephew would be able to get through this ordeal!

While the master and servants were talking, a fiery figure suddenly burst in from outside and leaped into Feng Jinyao's arms.

This startled the maids nearby and they screamed, causing the cosmetics they were holding to fall to the ground.

"Be careful!"

A familiar voice reached Feng Jinyao's ears, and she stared at him incredulously, asking in disbelief.

"Second brother? How did you come back again?"

Feng Jinlin casually untied the cloak around him, revealing the brocade robe underneath, looking like a handsome young man, causing the maids in the room to blush.

"You brat, I found a treasure for you, but you don't seem to welcome me with such an attitude."

Treasure?

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 717: Cheng Xian Arrives

Shuyu smiled as Wang Changdong brought the wine over. Behind him were several officials, including the chef from the village.

In no time, a group of people gathered around the table. Besides them, there were a few women from the village as well.

Shuyu brought a separate plate from the kitchen, scooped out a portion, and placed it on another table. She invited Aunt Fang and the others to join her.

Shuyu was very popular among the people in the village. She could read, was intelligent, had a connection with the magistrate, and was easy to get along with. Over the past few days, their relationships had become very harmonious.

The women acted more reserved, but Wang Changdong couldn't contain his enthusiasm.

Especially the chef, who ate while examining the seasonings in the snails, blocking the view of the others. They had to push him away several times.

As they were eating with great gusto, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Miss Lu, are you here?"

Shu Yu was sitting inside and couldn't hear anything due to the noise from the others.

Wang Changdong, on the other hand, was facing the door. When he looked up and saw the visitor, he hurriedly stopped eating, wiped his mouth, and walked around the table to meet him. He smiled obsequiously, "Oh, it's officer Cheng. Why have you come? Does the magistrate have any instructions?"

While speaking, he heard the sound of slurping coming from behind him. His expression changed, and he quickly turned his head and shouted at them, "Stop eating! Can't you see that an honored guest has arrived?"

The people behind, who were fighting over the food, were startled by the shout. When they raised their heads to look, they realized that the person seemed somewhat familiar.

Wasn't he the guard by the magistrate's side?

Damn it, they had been caught slacking off. What should they do now?

Everyone quickly stopped and Shu Yu also heard the commotion and walked over.

When she saw Cheng Xian, she was also taken aback. "officer Cheng?"

Cheng Xian's nose was filled with the enticing aroma, and he was finding it hard to resist.

Upon seeing Shu Yu, he quickly cleared his throat and said, "Um, Miss Lu, I came to find you."

"Find me?" She and the magistrate shouldn't have any current contact, right?

With a hint of confusion, Shu Yu stepped aside. "officer Cheng, please come in. Let's talk inside."

Just as she finished speaking, she noticed Wang Changdong winking and gesturing towards the table.

Shu Yu fell silent. What would be the consequences if her superior's trusted aide saw everyone eating meat and drinking during work hours?

What should she do?

Of course, the answer was... go with the flow.

Shu Yu smiled and said to Cheng Xian, "officer Cheng, you've come at the right time. We just made some snails at home, and I brought them over for everyone to taste. If there's any room for improvement, please let me know. As Guard Cheng has traveled with the magistrate and must have tasted many delicacies, your ability to appreciate food surpasses all of us. How about giving it a try? Let me know if there's anything lacking, and I'll make adjustments."

Cheng Xian's eyelid twitched as he looked at Shu Yu. He saw her blatantly telling lies with her eyes wide open, but she had an innocent and sincere expression, making it difficult for him to maintain his composure.

This girl... she's something else. She speaks as if it's all true.

But the aroma from earlier was indeed enticing, and he was finding it hard to resist.

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 716: I'll Get a Jug of Wine

Shu Yu took a bucket and went straight to the river, washing the snails multiple times until the water became clear. Satisfied with the result, she carried the bucket back.

San Ya and Da Hu, who hadn't been able to help with trimming the snails, were now busy competing to start the fire.

Da Hu, being the older brother, conscientiously gave up his spot and went to peel garlic and wash the ingredients.

Yesterday, Shu Yu had asked Fang Xiyue to pick a bunch of perilla leaves, which Da Hu had taken out to wash.

Shuyu decided to make two flavors—one that wasn't too spicy for the two children. She would add a little bit of chili pepper to enhance the flavor, similar to what she did with the spicy rabbit meat before.

As she observed San Ya peeking out from behind the stove from time to time, Shu Yu couldn't help but smile. She decided to make stir-fried snails in sauce first.

Once the pot was hot, she poured in some oil.

Stir-frying snails was actually quite simple. As Shuyu added the seasoning, she said to San Ya, "You two can taste it first. If you like it, we can make it again next time. But one important thing about stir-fried snails is that they need to be cooked thoroughly. If they're not cooked, there might be parasites..."

They couldn't understand the term "parasites," and it would affect their appetite.

So Shu Yu chose a different explanation. "If you don't cook many things properly, you can get sick from eating them. It's the same with snails. And when they're not cooked enough, you can't extract the meat from them."

Everyone nodded as they listened, and soon, the aroma started to waft through the air.

Shuyu added wine and perilla leaves. The old lady standing by the side brightened up her eyes and sighed, "I used to think these snails didn't taste good, but now I understand. No matter what kind of food it is, if you don't put in these things, it won't have any flavor."

Who would think of putting wine and oil into this kind of meat that couldn't satisfy one's hunger?

Shu Yu smiled. The stir-fried snails were ready, so she had the old lady bring a large plate and placed it on the table. Then she called the two children over.

"Wash your hands first, and we'll continue after eating."

"Sister, let's eat after everything is cooked," Da Hu suggested.

Shu Yu shook her head. "This won't taste good when it's cold."

The two children exchanged a glance and quickly ran to wash their hands. When they returned, they eagerly approached the snails, inhaling deeply. "It smells really good."

"Give it a try. Suck out the meat first, and if you can't, we'll use toothpicks."

In order to eat the snails, Shuyu had specially asked Father Fang to make toothpicks.

Father Fang's health had improved significantly. Although he could now get out of bed, he still wasn't suitable for physical labor. However, leaning against the headboard and making toothpicks was quite easy for him. Shuyu rewarded him with three eggs.

Father Fang couldn't refuse and diligently made the toothpicks, making them thin and neat without any splinters.

Da Hu and San Ya hadn't eaten this before, so they didn't understand. It was only after the old lady had eaten two snails that they hurriedly went to get some.

The eyes of the the two children immediately lit up.

After they had eaten their fill, Shuyu began to cook the second pot. This time, she made a larger portion and used a large soup bowl to hold it, which she took back to the village.

As soon as she entered the gate, Wang Changdong sniffed and said, "What's that delicious smell?"

"Snails," Shuyu replied, carrying the netted bag into the main room. She placed the large bowl on the table and opened the lid, releasing a strong and dominant aroma.

Wang Changdong was curious. "It looks really delicious."

Shuyu said, "Why don't you try it?"

Wang Changdong ate one and his eyes lit up. He hurriedly said, "I'll go get a jug of wine."

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 48: Secrets 

As Kuang Wei spoke, the others' faces changed, filled with fear. How did she know their secrets?

At this moment, they all understood that this was a threat. If they didn't agree, their secrets would likely be exposed to everyone.

With this in mind, they all looked towards Kuang Wei.

Kuang Wei looked helpless and nodded to the others, indicating that they had no choice but to accept, otherwise, the consequences would be severe...

Everyone shivered with fear. In the end, they lowered their heads. After all, it wasn't as humiliating as shouting "I am a pig" in front of everyone; it was just apologizing.

Soon, they walked towards Chen Xue.

Xu Tian, seeing them discussing for a while before approaching, became alert. "What are you up to?"

Even the nearby prisoners were curious. A group of bailiffs was intimidating enough from a distance.

So, they were very curious if the Chen family had once again provoked these bailiffs. Some jealous individuals began to gloat.

Some showed sympathy.

Of course, there were also those who looked worried.

Kuang Wei glanced at Xu Tian but didn't pay him any attention.

The group approached Chen Xue, took a deep breath, and then lowered their heads. "Sorry for our impudence earlier. Please forgive us, Miss!"

The bailiffs bowed their heads and apologized to Chen Xue. This scene not only shocked Xu Tian but also amazed the surrounding prisoners.

They thought this group of bailiffs was here to settle the score with the Chen family and were ready to enjoy the show, but who would have known...

What a surprise!

These bailiffs actually bowed their heads to the Chen family. It was simply unbelievable.

They had witnessed the ugly faces of these bailiffs over the past few days—constantly wielding whips, cursing, and even extorting. Which prisoner didn't detest these bailiffs?

They had never seen these bailiffs smile or bow their heads before; they always acted arrogantly.

But today, they saw something extraordinary—bailiffs bowing to the Chen family.

Although the Chen family used to be high-ranking officials in the capital, they were now just prisoners. Why would these bailiffs bow to them?

People couldn't understand, especially considering Xu Tian's previous kindness towards the Chen family and Zhao Guang's recent attempts to ingratiate himself with them. Now, even these bailiffs were bowing to the Chen family. Could it be...

Could it be that the Chen family was making a comeback?

Impossible!

They had just been exiled!

Although many among them knew that Chen Yuan had been framed, after all, when they were embezzling, how could they not know who was behind the "filial piety"?

Anyway, the Chen family and they were not "on the same side."

Now, seeing the attitude of these bailiffs, something was clearly wrong.

Bowing to the Chen family... There was only one explanation for this—they couldn't afford to offend the Chen family, and the Chen family was now a group of prisoners. What could they possibly do to offend them?

The most likely explanation was that Chen Yuan might be able to clear his name and return to power. Only then could these bailiffs bow to the Chen family.

For a moment, people felt complex emotions—some were envious, some resentful. Why should the Chen family be different from everyone else? Although they were innocent, some people still felt resentful.

But they were very clear that if things were really as they suspected, they couldn't afford to offend the Chen family. On the contrary, they had to try to please them as much as possible.

At this moment, they felt fortunate that they had not mocked the Chen family before, but instead remained silent.

However, they heard that the Zhang family had offended the Chen family severely. They wondered if they would regret it.

No one knew whether the Zhang family regretted it, but at this moment, they were in trouble themselves. After leaving the post station last time, Zhang Yiquan fell ill and nearly died.

Zhang Yiquan's illness caused panic in the Zhang family. After all, Zhang Yiquan was the backbone of the Zhang family.

However, there were no doctors in the exiled team, and the bailiffs couldn't let them leave to find a doctor, let alone help them find one.

If it hadn't been for Zhang Yiquan's mother's knowledge of some folk remedies, he would probably have been the first prisoner to die in the exiled team.

Of course, this was also thanks to the sudden rule that required the collection of medicinal herbs in the exiled team, which gave them the opportunity to search for herbs in the forest and save Zhang Yiquan.

Although Zhang Yiquan had recovered from his illness, his body was still weak. Therefore, he hadn't had the time to trouble the Chen family and didn't know what the Chen family was up to now.

Back to the main topic.

While everyone was shocked by the behavior of the bailiffs, the bailiffs were nervously awaiting Chen Xue's response.

"Do you think this compensation is enough? Although my Miss has fallen from grace, she is not someone you can bully."

A dissatisfied voice came from beside Chen Xue, expressing her inner thoughts.

Chen Xue turned her head to see Xiao Die, who had appeared out of nowhere. She was surprised. "Xiao Die? How did you get here? When did you come?"

"I've been here for a while. Because the young lady and master haven't come back for so long, the madam was worried, so she sent me over to take a look."

With that, Xiao Die patted her chest proudly. "Miss, rest assured, with me here, no one will bully you."

Chen Xue felt both touched and amused. Xiao Die, this girl, was younger than her, yet she was so protective. Who was protecting whom?

However, her arrival was timely. There were some things she couldn't say herself, but Xiao Die could.

No wonder so many people wished for a loyal and clever subordinate. Sometimes, it really saved a lot of trouble.

Xiao Die's words made Kuang Wei and the others' faces change, but the next moment, her words chilled everyone's hearts.

"Don't think we don't know you still have a lot of silver on you. You're just trying to get away with giving us this little compensation!"

Kuang Wei and the others sank in their hearts. Thinking that Chen Xue knew their secrets and how much silver they had on them was quite normal.

While they were hesitating, they saw Chen Xue raise her hand as if to snap her fingers, and Kuang Wei and the others' faces changed instantly.

Forget it, forget it. Let's just spend money to dispel disaster!

So, they took out all the silver they had on them and handed it over. "We were wrong. Please forgive us, Miss Chen!"

Without Chen Xue having to speak, clever Xiao Die stepped forward to collect their silver. Then, she quickly ran back to Chen Xue's side and handed the silver over to her.

Chen Xue weighed it and found that there were several hundred taels. They must have extorted quite a bit over these days, but now it was cheap for her.

"Alright, let's end it here. If you..."

Before Chen Xue could finish her threatening words, Kuang Wei and the others hurriedly said, "No, absolutely not, Miss Chen, please rest assured, we will definitely be honest from now on."

"Get lost!"

"Alright!"

Kuang Wei and the others had been waiting for this moment. At these words, they turned around and ran as fast as rabbits.

"Are you letting them off so easily?" Xu Tian walked over, feeling somewhat unwilling. Letting Kuang Wei and the others leave like this was too cheap for them.

As for Chen Xue demanding compensation for their losses and taking so much silver from them, Xu Tian didn't envy her; he felt it was only natural.

"What else can we do? We can't just kill them!" Chen Xue shrugged, "Do you really think they would honor the bet? If we push them too hard, what if they choose to take us down with them?"

Xu Tian was speechless.

Chen Xue rubbed her nose. That was just to fool Xu Tian. The real reason was almost the same, but she wanted to hold Kuang Wei and the others' handle so that they wouldn't cause trouble for them in the future, just like Zhao Guang.

By then, even the bailiffs of the entire exiled team wouldn't dare to lay a hand on them, and they might even protect them. Then they wouldn't have to hide anymore and could be exiled freely.

"They've already been let off lightly enough." Chen Yuan sneered.

Xu Tian's heart skipped a beat. He knew that Master Chen had expressed his intention to get rid of Kuang Wei several times. If he had really done it, they would have been too lenient on them now.

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 147: Mistaken Identity?

The next morning.

As Ou Yan was getting ready to leave, she heard Aunt Lan say, "Miss Ou Yan, the young master has been waiting for you for two nights in a row."

"Big brother?" Ou Yan was somewhat surprised. "He's back?"

"Yes, the young master finished all his affairs abroad and hurried back to see you, but you've been leaving early and returning late these past two days, so you haven't met," Aunt Lan said gently. "Can you come home for dinner tonight?"

She could tell that the young master really wanted to see his younger sister.

But Ou Yan remembered that she still had to study professional knowledge for Yin Panpan after work. "It will be after dinner. I'll try to come back as early as possible."

"Okay!" Aunt Lan smiled. "The young master will be very happy to see you."

These past two days, Ou Yan had been extremely busy, allowing Li Yusha to take advantage of the situation and constantly fawn over Li Yihan...

As Ou Yan walked out the door, she saw Si Yechen standing by the car making a phone call from afar.

His figure was slender and upright, with a clear and elegant temperament, exuding an unparalleled sense of nobility in every move.

As Ou Yan approached, she heard him say, "Hmm, I'll go in the afternoon."

After ending the call, Si Yechen opened the passenger door for her, and his entire demeanor naturally softened. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes." Ou Yan looked up and asked, "Do you have something to do this afternoon?"

"There's a sudden situation, I have to go abroad for a trip," Si Yechen said as he fastened her seatbelt. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. During this time, you must take care of yourself."

"I'm not a three-year-old child."

Si Yechen's eyebrows raised slightly. "I'll come back as soon as I finish dealing with things."

"Okay."

"Make sure to eat three meals a day on time, don't just focus on work and neglect your health," Si Yechen reminded as he drove. "Be careful on your way to and from work, if there's anything, call me immediately..."

"You're only going for a day..." Ou Yan knew this man couldn't let go of her. "Don't worry, I'll take care of myself."

When Si Yechen heard her say that, his dark eyes softened. "The bag next to you is for you, open it and see."

Ou Yan opened it and saw not only some items for her period but also a hot water bottle, a warm belly patch, snacks, and other things.

Si Yechen didn't know when her period would come, so he was worried that the Li family hadn't prepared these for her.

"If they're not suitable, I'll prepare something else for you."

Ou Yan naturally knew what he was referring to, and her cheeks felt a bit warm.

"The brown sugar ginger tea comes in individual tea bags. If your period comes, just brew one bag and drink it."

"If you're uncomfortable, you can use the warm belly patch or the hot water bottle to warm your abdomen."

"You can also eat those snacks when your period comes."

...

After dropping Ou Yan off near the company, Si Yechen opened the car door and hugged her reluctantly. "The Tibetan flowers are planted, I'll take you to see them when I come back."

"Okay."

"There's a competition tomorrow, just do your best, don't put too much pressure on yourself," Si Yechen looked at her with indulgence and tenderness. "I'll try to come back before the competition."

"Okay, no rush."

"See you tomorrow." Si Yechen picked up her face and kissed her gently before leaving.

Busy at the company all day.

After work, Ou Yan taught Yin Panpan some design techniques and tricks. Unknowingly, it was already past eight in the evening.

"President Ou, let me treat you to dinner?" Yin Panpan felt too guilty, "You've taught me so many methods and tricks. The competition is tomorrow, I must treat you tonight."

"Then let's eat something casual." Ou Yan glanced at the time; she still had to go back to see her elder brother. "What's nearby?"

"There's only a barbecue stall nearby, but the food there is really good. Not only do they have skewers, fried rice, and noodles, but also..." Yin Panpan was excited but suddenly realized something and stopped abruptly, "No, let's go somewhere else..."

"Let's just go there."

"Huh?" Yin Panpan felt that the environment there didn't match President Ou's status.

But Ou Yan picked up the cute bag that Si Yechen had prepared for her. "Let's go."

"President Ou, what's in that bag you're carrying?" Yin Panpan had never seen her carry such a cute bag before; it looked like a cute little rabbit.

Unexpectedly, when it was in President Ou's hand, it looked unexpectedly beautiful.

"Everyday items." Ou Yan thought of that man, her brows softened.

It was only a ten-minute walk from the company to the barbecue stall.

There weren't many people eating barbecue at this time. Yin Panpan asked about Ou Yan's preferences and ordered quite a few dishes. Sitting at the small table, she took out two napkins, wiped Ou Yan's table clean before wiping her own.

"President Ou, the competition is tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous..." Yin Panpan was afraid of embarrassing herself in front of Ou Yan.

"Just take it easy." Ou Yan's gentle eyes lifted. "You'll definitely do well."

Before long, the boss lady came over with a few small plates. "Miss Yin, your skewers are ready."

"Thank you, Aunt Wang. President Ou, do you smell that? Isn't it fragrant?" Yin Panpan picked up a chicken wing and handed it to Ou Yan. "This is yours."

"Thank you." Ou Yan reached out to take it. "Do you often eat here?"

It seemed like she was quite familiar with the boss lady.

"Yeah." Yan Panpan smiled, "Sometimes I'm busy at the company until eleven or twelve o'clock. When I pass by, I grab a few skewers to satisfy my cravings and get a serving of fried noodles for my mom as supper."

Aunt Wang had been running the stall here for half a year, and Yin Panpan often came by. Over time, they became friends.

Many dark and gloomy days were spent like this, bit by bit.

Ou Yan thought of her own background, just about to say something, when suddenly five or six cars stopped by the roadside, and more than twenty ruffians armed with sticks rushed out of the cars, surrounding them.

"Who are you?" Yin Panpan was surprised and subconsciously grabbed Ou Yan's clothes. "Did you get the wrong person?"

The leader glanced at Ou Yan, then at Yin Panpan, confirming that they were the ones they were looking for.

He waved his hand, and his men rushed forward with their sticks, as if they were going to kill.

In the blink of an eye, Ou Yan quickly pulled Yin Panpan up, and several sticks were suddenly aimed at where they were

 sitting. Fortunately, they got up in time; otherwise, their heads would have been smashed.

"Did you get the wrong person?" Yin Panpan, being pulled by Ou Yan, watched as the table was overturned, and the skewers and drinks fell, dirtying Ou Yan's rabbit bag.

Ou Yan was about to pick it up when several sticks simultaneously struck their heads. Fortunately, she was quick on her feet, pulling Yin Panpan away from the flying disaster, and even took the opportunity to teach a few of the little ruffians a lesson.

"Stop it, stop it..." Aunt Wang was scared, she quickly came out to plead, "I'm just doing a little business here, gentlemen, please spare them. Don't hit them. That chair is new, and so is the table... They're just two young girls, please, please spare them?"

  Chapter 146: I Want You to Pursue Ou Yan

"Mr. Bai, Mr. Bai... Mr. Wu just said he'd consider buying it for sixty million. Otherwise, he's going to bed..."

"What did you say? Sixty million???" Bai Zhenhai almost jumped up.

"Yes, if it's sixty million, he'll pay the full amount. Otherwise, he's going to bed..."

Bai Zhenhai was furious, ready to refuse the sale, but Xu Aiqin knelt beside him and pleaded softly, "Sixty million is sixty million... As long as there's a mountain, there'll be wood to burn..."

It was almost eleven fifty-five!! Bai Zhenhai couldn't breathe from the anger. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Sell!"

"That's great!" The agent breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly arranged...

At eleven fifty-eight, Bai Zhenhai's phone made a sound, receiving sixty million.

"Hurry, transfer it to that dead girl..." Xu Aiqin hurriedly said, "There's no time!"

Bai Zhenhai swallowed his tears and transferred the money. The clock struck midnight.

Xu Aiqin and Bai Muyao hurriedly checked online, but there was no news from Ou Yan about the plagiarism! Finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief...

But Bai Zhenhai was overwhelmed with grief. The total price of one hundred and eighty million for the house and shop was sold for only sixty million! It was such a loss! What to do next...

He covered his forehead, heart aching.

Xu Aiqin knew they still owed Mrs. Wang fifty million, and they had to sell more houses and shops to repay...

At this moment, she came to comfort Bai Zhenhai, saying, "Everything is for our daughter. Our daughter has suffered for eighteen years. Let's consider it compensation for her?"

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, I've burdened you..." Bai Muyao apologized tearfully.

Seeing her pitiful face, Bai Zhenhai couldn't bear to blame her. He just said, "In the future, if it's not yours, absolutely don't take it, understand?"

"Dad, I'll remember this lesson. If it's not mine, I won't take it." Bai Muyao bit her lip, feeling full of resentment towards Ou Yan.

Just then, her phone rang.

At first, she thought it was Gao Yang calling. Gao Yang hadn't called her in three whole days...

As soon as she answered, her expression changed. "What, you say you're QY's customer service? QY's customer service doesn't sleep so late? You work 24 hours? Why are you calling me?"

"Our customer service is available 24 hours a day, Miss Bai. You wore QY's dress at the awards ceremony, wore QY's jewelry, and wore QY's high heels..."

"Due to your plagiarism of Listen's works, which seriously blasphemed our brand, we have blacklisted you."

"If you continue to wear our brand's products, we will take you to court..."

"What, what did you say? Hello, hello??" Bai Muyao thought she had misheard, but before she could clarify, the other party hung up.

At this moment, her phone beeped, receiving a text reminder that she had been blacklisted by the brand and was no longer eligible to wear QY products!

"What's wrong?" Xu Aiqin vaguely heard their conversation.

"Mom, that Ou Yan somehow got QY to blacklist me! She said I blasphemed their brand!" Bai Muyao was angry and tearful.

Why did she have to suffer so much? She had lost so much money, embarrassed herself in front of her parents, boyfriend, and audience, wasn't that enough? Did she have to be blacklisted by QY? It was too much!

"It's just a brand, why make a fuss about it! They even called you specifically... Just to humiliate you!" Xu Aiqin was angry, "A renowned international brand, bullying a customer like this? Is that fair?"

"Mom, what should I do? I can't wear QY products anymore..."

"It's just a brand, Mom will buy you more limited editions in the future..." Xu Aiqin comforted, "Don't cry, silly child, is a brand worth crying over?"

"Mom, you don't understand..."

QY is an international first-tier brand, beloved by many celebrities, socialites, and heiresses.

As long as you wear QY products, you can outshine everyone at any occasion...

But now, she had been ruined by Ou Yan!

"Alright, alright..." Xu Aiqin could only continue to comfort her.

Meanwhile.

Gao Yang hadn't contacted Bai Muyao for three whole days. He couldn't believe he could resist not contacting her for three days...

Maybe he didn't love her as much as he thought...

No matter how much Bai Muyao softened her tone or how many calls she made these three days, Gao Yang turned a blind eye, except for a bit of pain in his heart...

Gao Yang sat on the sofa, seeing him coming out after taking a shower, his mother spoke coldly, "Stop."

"Mom, what's up?"

"I told you to break up with that dead girl from the Bai family. Did you break up?" 

Gao Yang didn't answer. Although he hadn't broken up, their relationship was almost over.

"I want you to pursue Ou Yan!"

Gao Yang's eyes widened, thinking he had misheard.

"Ou Yan was engaged to the Bai family before. We had an engagement with her. She must subconsciously consider you as her fiancé. She has feelings for you, but then Bai Muyao intervened, plus her scheming... "

"Mom, Yao Yao is not scheming." Gao Yang couldn't help but correct her.

"What doesn't fit the image of a scheming girl? Do you really think I'm old and can't see?" Gao Yang's mother thought Bai Muyao was talented because Bai Zhenhai was the richest man in Winter city...

But in the end, the Bai family fell, and Bai Muyao's talent was just a show...

It's really infuriating!

"You can tell Ou Yan that you are willing to lower yourself to be with her, regardless of whether she's from the Bai family or not, even if her biological family is poor, our Gao family is willing to lower ourselves... As long as at the engagement, she publicly announces herself as a master Tingyin and performs a few piano pieces live..."

"Mom, are you dreaming?" Gao Yang couldn't help but interrupt her beautiful fantasy, "Do you know the income of a master Tingyin? Just the tax they pay is calculated in billions. Our family's total assets are probably less than half of theirs..."

master Tingyin have always been low-key and not involved in rich lists, otherwise, she would be at the top!

What's the deal with the Bai family and the Gao family?

"She just plays a few piano pieces, and she earns so much?"

"Of course!"

After thinking for a moment, Gao Yang's mother said, "Isn't that better? We marry a money-making daughter-in-law, isn't that better than marrying that white lotus? "

"..." Gaoyang was somewhat speechless. It's as if Ou Yan would be interested in him just because his mother said so.

With Ou Yan's personality, ordinary people couldn't handle her.

"In short, as long as you care about her often, remember her preferences, give her surprises on holidays, and pester her, one day, she will yield!" His mother was very confident, "Whether the Gao family can make a splash in high society depends on you, son!"

Gao Yang: ...

 Chapter 210: A Tendency for Masochism?

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 Chapter 209: Making Trouble Unreasonably

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 36: Prescription

In the Eastern Capital, night falls earlier than in summer, and by dinnertime the lamps are already lit. Now the entire Feng Residence is brightly lit.

As soon as Feng Jinyao returned, she was called by Bai Mama, who served by Madam Feng's side, to have dinner.

Madam Feng's cough had already improved by seventy to eighty percent after taking cough medicine for half a month. However, in order to catch the mole, she still had to pretend to cough from time to time.

Dinner was light because they had some snacks at the Bai family's house in the afternoon, so Feng Jinyao didn't eat much.

On the other hand, Madam Feng, due to her recovering health, ate a bit more than her daughter.

Bai Mama watched them from the side and finally showed a relieved smile.

Glancing at Amber, who was standing outside the door serving, Bai Mama's eyes held a deeper meaning.

"Did you see your grandmother on this trip?" Madam Feng asked with concern.

Feng Jinyao shook her head and whispered, "Grandmother went to the Duke Zhengguo's residence. I only saw my elder maternal aunt and fourth maternal aunt, as well as cousin Siruo."

Feeling somewhat regretful, she couldn't visit people while she was still sick. She could only say next time.

Just as they finished their meal and were about to leave, a maid came in to report that the small courtyard had been tidied up.

Feng Jinyao was a bit puzzled, but Madam Feng smiled and said, "The gardener has nurtured some flowers that can bloom even in winter. I heard they are light purple. They can be transplanted here in a couple of days."

"So fast? It seems these gardeners are quite skilled."

In the courtyard, the maids and old women had already finished preparing the soil for transplanting flowers, but they still needed to tidy up some details.

As they were speaking, Feng Hai entered with a man from another realm.

Looking at his attire, it was likely that he was a royal physician from the palace.

"Father, you're back?"

"Yes." Feng Hai, dressed in a brown long robe and a brown mouse fur jacket, strode in. His face, well-maintained at the age of forty, looked like a carbon copy of Feng Jinyao.

With calm eyes and a calm tone, he had developed a steady temperament over the years of serving as the second in command at the Ministry of Revenue, neither anxious nor impatient.

When Feng Hai brought the royal physician, he saw his wife and daughter chatting casually at the dinner table.

"Has the master had his meal?"

"I ate outside. Madam, are you feeling better today?"

When speaking to his wife, his tone softened compared to usual.

"Much better, just feeling a bit cold these days and not willing to go out."

It was normal for a chronically ill person to be sensitive to cold and heat.

"Worried that your cough might persist for too long and damage your health, I specially invited Doctor Liu to take a look. He's most skilled in treating internal heat and coughs."

"Master Feng overpraises me."

Doctor Liu, who replied, had only joined the royal physicians a few years ago. He was particularly good at treating throat illnesses, around forty years old, with handsome features and a faint scent of herbs on his body.

Since the guests had arrived, they couldn't just chat without checking pulses and treating illnesses, so Madam Feng nodded slightly.

"Then, please trouble Doctor Liu."

"Madam is too kind. This is just the duty of a humble servant."

The maids quickly cleared the dishes, and then stood respectfully outside to serve.

Hearing about Doctor Liu examining her pulse, Amber's brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing this, Bai Mama's sharp eyes noticed and her gaze towards Amber became even sharper!

After examining the pulse for a while, Doctor Liu slowly spoke up.

"Madam's body is not in serious condition, just a floating heat in winter, weakness inside, excessive worrying, inevitable stagnation of liver qi, and restlessness. Just take good care of yourself, follow the prescription, and after about three doses, you should be better."

After taking the medicine from the Ren family, she naturally recovered quite well.

However, the prescription from the previous physician almost killed her mother. Who knew what the result of this prescription would be.

Although Feng Jinyao had a smile on her face, she was thinking about how to change the prescription.

The mother and daughter exchanged a secret glance, and they both knew what was going on.

On the other hand, Feng Hai and Doctor Liu seemed to be playing dumb.

When Doctor Liu was brought in this time, the purpose of the diagnosis was to deal with the cough, among other things. Even without mentioning anything else, the lack of improvement in the past two to three months was enough to worry Feng Hai.

So Feng Hai had instructed Doctor Liu earlier not to tell the truth to Madam Feng, just comfort her and advise her to take care of herself, and discuss the details with him privately.

Seeing Doctor Liu nodding slightly at the subtle hint, Feng Hai finally felt relieved.

The couple had been loving for many years. Now that they were both in middle age, it was time to take a break. Originally, Feng Hai planned to take some time off and accompany her to the countryside for a few days of relaxation, but who knew that she would fall ill for so many days, which made him very anxious.

After Doctor Liu finished the diagnosis, he carefully wrote a prescription.

The handwriting was neat and the medication was clear.

After taking the prescription, Feng Jinyao quickly glanced at it.

Although she didn't understand the properties of the medicine, it wouldn't be a problem to remember it and ask an external doctor later.

After memorizing it, she called out to Amber outside and handed her the prescription.

"You've always been in charge of mother's medicine. Take this prescription and get the medicine. When mother's illness gets better, your diligent efforts will be rewarded."

"Thank you, Miss!"

Amber seemed very happy, with a proud expression on her face as if she had been praised by her Miss. If anyone didn't know better, they would think she was a simple-minded little maid.

Looking at Bai Mama, who was beside her, they exchanged glances, and Bai Mama's eyes showed a reassuring look, which finally put Feng Jinyao at ease.

After bidding farewell to Doctor Liu, Yunxu entered the courtyard with a serious expression.

She told Feng Jinyao that there were some unclear parts in the account books and asked her to go back and check them carefully.

Suppressing her doubts, Feng Jinyao understood that the maid had something to say privately, so she slightly bowed to her parents.

"Since Father is back, you should accompany Mother. Daughter will go back first, and I will bring Yunhe with me to visit tomorrow. The child has been talking about Grandmother for several days, saying he misses her."

Madam Feng didn't like her eldest daughter-in-law, who was weak and frail, but she was very fond of her legitimate grandson.

Thinking that her grandson and granddaughter-in-law had not seen each other for several months, she couldn't help but tear up.

"Alright, I miss Yunhe very much too. I didn't allow him to come over the other day because I was afraid he would catch the illness. Now that he's better, he can come whenever he wants as long as he's safe."

"Well, if he knows this good news, he will be happy for sure."

Feng Hai's solemn face suddenly showed a hint of relief and joy. His eldest grandson was indeed a good boy.

But soon he thought of his second son, and the smile that had just appeared disappeared instantly.

"Go ahead, be careful on the way, and ask them to bring the lanterns closer to see the road."

"Yes."

With the snowy night and slippery roads, but with lights along the way, the lady and servant returned to the Ning'an Courtyard soon.

Feng Jinyao found an excuse to dismiss the attendants, and then asked immediately.

"Yunxu, what's going on?"

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 715: Stir-Fried Snails

The situation of fifth Team was not looking good. According to the doctor, the leader had a broken arm and had lost a lot of blood. He remained unconscious for three days before finally waking up.

Upon waking up, he couldn't accept the fact that his arm was severed. He shouted and screamed at home, even destroying the vegetables growing in the yard, worsening the already difficult situation for their impoverished family. The rest of the family, who had been living relatively well because of his hunting, became increasingly disgusted with him.

Although he eventually recovered, he was left without much spirit. With his arm severed, hunting was out of the question, so he could only join the land reclamation team.

His situation was somewhat similar to Xu Dali, the man who had also severed his arm while hunting. The difference was that Xu Dali's arm was severed at the forearm, while the leader of fifth Team had lost his upper arm.

However, their attitudes after waking up were completely different. Within the land reclamation team, the leader of fifth Team was quickly deemed useless, and their family situation worsened.

As for the other members of fifthTeam, although their injuries were not as severe as the leader's, many of them were still injured. Two of them suffered severe internal injuries from a single swipe of the bear's paw and were unable to enter the mountains anymore. Another member had minor injuries but was terrified by the previous incident and, after witnessing the leader's arm being severed, became too afraid to even venture near the outskirts of the mountains, let alone go hunting.

Fifth team completely disbanded.

Of course, these events were discussed later.

Shu Yu continued to carry out her duties as usual. She had almost finished playing with her rocks, but Meng Yunzheng and Zhao Xi still hadn't returned.

She was a bit worried and regretted not asking for more detailed information about their whereabouts.

Two days passed like this. Shu Yu was gradually getting the hang of things at the Zhuangzi, and the sand had almost been removed from the snails she had collected earlier.

Shuyu was feeling a bit hungry and decided to stir-fry the snails to have a nice meal for herself.

After finishing her tasks in the morning, she returned to her home. Since her sleep schedule had been adjusted, she no longer needed to take a nap.

She brought a chair and sat in the courtyard, trimming the bottoms of the snails.

San Ya wanted to help, but there were only large scissors at home, no small ones. Besides, trimming the snails required some strength, and the little girl's small hands might accidentally get pricked.

Shuyu didn't let her do it, and San Ya felt a bit disappointed. "Second sister, are stir-fried snails really delicious?"

"Have you never tried them before?" Shuyu asked.

San Ya shook her head.

Preparing snails took time, and there wasn't much meat on them either. In the past, when the family was poor and her father injured his leg, her mother and grandmother were busy with the field work. She and her older brother had to go and gather pig feed and firewood, but because they were young, they weren't allowed to go to the river to catch snails.

No one had time to deal with such things, and they hurriedly ate their meals every day. So she still didn't know what snails tasted like.

Shu Yu originally wanted to pat her head, but with a snail in one hand and scissors in the other, she couldn't free up her hand. All she could say was, "Then you can taste it later. Has anything I cooked before been bad?"

San Ya thought about popcorn, fried chicken legs, and spicy rabbit meat. She couldn't help but salivate and her eyes sparkled. "No, everything was delicious. Especially delicious!"

Shu Yu smiled and said, "Then you just have to wait. You'll be able to eat them later."

She said "later," but there were actually quite a lot of snails, so the task of trimming them took quite a bit of time.

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 714: Malu Caused Their Misfortune

So, when third Team was descending the mountain, fifth Team immediately hid and waited for them to move further away before following the same route and venturing deeper into the mountains.

They had heard third Team's conversation earlier, and the place where the giant beast appeared was just ahead. Although two days had passed, the signs of the battle were still visible and easy to find.

Third Team had no idea about the presence of a bear in that area now, but it used to be the territory of a tiger, indicating that it was already deep in the mountains. Even if the tiger was no longer there, it was a place where large predators would frequent, and the chances of encountering danger were high for someone unprepared.

Ma Lu didn't actually intend to harm fifth Team's members. If they hadn't been so greedy and let their desires cloud their judgment, and if they had exercised and observed more, they could have avoided the danger.

But it was their own fault for their lack of foresight.

As Fang Xiyue explained the situation to Shu Yu, inside the room, the members of fifth Team were groaning in pain and intermittently explaining the cause and effect to Wang Changdong.

However, upon hearing it, Wang Changdong was exasperated. "You're blaming third Team for this? Did they force you or drag you into the deep mountains secretly? Do you have some ulterior motive? You're the ones causing trouble, always making a fuss. You hunt so little and catch such small prey, yet you have the audacity to drag third Team down with you. Idiots!"

Compared to the trouble-making fifth Team, Wang Changdong naturally preferred Ma Lu and the others who were competent, didn't cause trouble, and brought honor to themselves.

So, after realizing that third Team had nothing to do with the incident, he couldn't be bothered to deal with it any further.

Wang Changdong turned to the doctor and said, "Take care of them, give them proper treatment, and send them back home. This has been a bloody mess."

He felt nauseous.

No matter how much fifth Team protested, Wang Changdong left, and the other officials ignored them as well.

Third Team happily watched them from outside the house, then went to deliver their catch and prepare to return home.

Shuyu also didn't pay any more attention to them. As other hunting teams gradually returned, they all went to see fifth Team.

Upon hearing that they were injured by a bear, everyone couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy. The excitement and eagerness to go into the mountains and hunt the giant beast that had been stirred up by third Team's words slowly subsided.

Especially for the members of tenth Team, who were on their first day of hunting, their expressions changed after seeing the situation.

They hadn't caught much since it was their first day and they were still getting used to it.

After registering their catch, Shu Yu didn't have to wait long before the team that was clearing the waste land came back.

She saw the members of her own family again, but this time they didn't say much. They quickly took the food and left. When they saw that the food hadn't been deducted, they all heaved a sigh of relief.

Shu Yu sneered at the scene. She wasn't interested in manipulating things in a place like this.

If she were to do something, she would do it on a larger scale.

However, Shu Feng and Shu Quan, who had originally wanted to change their work and go hunting in the mountains, never mentioned it again. It was unclear whether they had abandoned the idea or had other plans.

After completing her tasks, Shu Yu saw off the injured members of fifth Team, who had been treated, as they were sent back home.

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