The two doctors each felt the pulse, discussed the prescription and medication in a polite manner, had lunch accompanied by Mr. Qin, and then left separately.

  Zhao Dafu from Hangzhou City, Li Wenshan and Mr. Qin coincidentally all dodged the question of who invited him.

  Magistrate Li didn't think much of it, firstly because he was ill and really didn't have the energy, secondly, after hearing that he was ill, Eldest Brother actually sent his son to accompany the doctor, rushing over from Jiangning Prefecture overnight, this matter made him feel both moved and touched, so much so that his mind was shaken and he couldn't think of anything else.

  Huang Daifu returned to Jiangning Prefecture first, while Li Wensong stayed for another day. County Magistrate Li now had a completely different state of mind from before, and the more he looked at Li Wensong, who was only one year younger than Li Wenshan, the more he felt a deep affection for him that was hard to come by.

  "How's your father lately?" County Magistrate Li wanted to have a good chat with his nephew, whom he had met only once before, but when he opened his mouth, the words sounded awkward and unfamiliar.

  "My father is very good, just busy, sometimes for two or three days, three or four days, can't see him at all." Li Wensong has a gentle personality and a very good temper, even when he's not smiling, his face still looks like a smile.

  "It's been busy." County Magistrate Li tried to appear nonchalant, but wasn't very good at speaking, "I'm just a small county magistrate, from the day I took office until now, I've been busy running around like crazy. Your father is in charge of the entire Jiangnan East Road and also has to take care of local government affairs in Jiangning Prefecture... Fortunately, your father is capable, much more so than me."

  Magistrate Li tried his best to have a good conversation with Li Wensong, but the words that came out were all sour and embarrassing, even bystander Li Wenshan felt too awkward.

  "Uncle had gone through many years of county government affairs, and what he had experienced was definitely different from what he hadn't. When Uncle first became a county magistrate, it must have been just as difficult for him as it was for Father." Li Wenshan's first reaction was to mediate on behalf of his father.

  "Wu Ge said that my father often said the same thing, Father said that San Shu was in charge of the local government at first, and it was not easy to be so close to the place where the Empress Dowager and the King were stationed. My father has said many times that although the county of Hengshan led by San Shu is a small county with less than 1,000 households, it is actually no easier to govern than the surrounding counties of the capital city, and San Shu was able to hold on, which is not easy at all."

  Li Wensong's good temper and eloquence made Li County Magistrate smile after a few words, and Li Wenshan also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Your father started early, and it was a smooth journey..." County Magistrate Li's words had just begun when he himself felt something was off, so he hastily stopped, but then didn't know how to continue, feeling awkward for a moment. He lightly cleared his throat and changed the subject, "You... Old Man, are you well?"

  "He's quite well, and just sent a message the other day asking if Father had seen Third Uncle." Li Wen-song's words were somewhat ambiguous.

  County Magistrate Li's eyes were slightly moist, "Father loved me the most..."

  Li Wensong glanced at him, his eyes darting away, a hint of embarrassment in his smile.

  Weng Weng and Second Uncle's letters were all written by him on behalf of his father, and in Weng Weng's letter, he scolded Third Uncle severely, asking his father to tell Luo Shuai to remove Third Uncle from his position, so as not to be humiliated...

  Li Wensong didn't want to continue, Li Wenshan had heard Ah Xia say before that this father of theirs had never been kind to them. Hearing Father say so, he furrowed his brow and muttered to himself.

  Magistrate Li was thinking of his father who loved him in his imagination, and the house fell into an awkward silence again.

  "Your father is so busy, yet he still worries about finding a doctor for me, such a small matter. Thank you." County Magistrate Li broke the silence, but his words were...

  Li Wenshan's mouth twisted in pain, how come he never noticed before that his dad was so bad at talking!

  "Third Uncle has spoken heavily." On the contrary, Li Wensong was fine, and before he came, his parents had already instructed him and were well-prepared. "Father often said that he and Second Uncle and Third Uncle are brothers who share a common fate, when one prospers they all prosper, when one suffers they all suffer..."

  Magistrate Li heard the words "one honor, one glory; one loss, one sorrow" and unknowingly touched a chord in his heart, his mind was filled with all sorts of emotions, and he was so stunned that he didn't even hear what Li Wensong said afterwards.

  "Yes, yes, yes!" The sudden quietness beside his ear made County Magistrate Li hastily nod his head, "Your father is right, one honor shared by all... I was confused..."

  Magistrate Li's heart was in a mess, with all five flavors mixed together, feeling ashamed and guilty, "Shan Ge, you accompany... them to go, I'm tired, I'll take a rest for a while."

  Li Wensong didn't stay for long and returned to Jiangning Prefecture the next morning. After seeing Li Wensong off, Li Wenshan went in to attend to County Magistrate Li's taking of medicine, then rushed out to look for Mr. Qin.

  Mr. Qin sat under the veranda, leisurely brewing and drinking tea. Seeing Li Wenshan come in, he beckoned him to sit down, handed over a cup of tea, "Is your father better?"

  "It's much better now." Li Wenshan felt relaxed from the inside out. Having solved two major hidden dangers, he felt that from now on everything would be smooth sailing.

  "There's something," Mr. Qin looked at Li Wenshan, who had relaxed and shrugged his shoulders a few times, feeling both amused and somewhat sentimental, this was the bright and lively youthfulness.

  "It's been a few days, I've had too many things on my mind lately, so I haven't spoken to you about it yet. It's about Zhong Bao Zhu."

  Li Wenshan hastily swallowed the tea in his mouth, his eyes wide with surprise. "What's wrong with her again?"

  Mr. Qin saw his reaction and smiled, while Mrs. Xu from the inner house held her mouth shut, looking like someone who could stand up for herself.

  "Zhong Baozi's boat, when crossing the river, encountered a violent storm and capsized. Many people went missing, including Zhong Baozi. It's been seven or eight days now... it seems like they can't be found." Mr. Qin said in a calm tone.

  Li Wenshan's eyes widened, staring at Mr. Qin, opening his mouth once, then again, before finally speaking, "How... really... unpredictable..."

  "Yes, that's the unpredictable nature of the heavens and the great rivers. The risks are enormous, and it's not easy to be a boatman." Mr. Qin sighed with a hint of sadness, then pulled out a small, half-old package from behind him. "This package contains the valuables of Mrs. Zhong, which were returned two days ago. I've checked them, and there are 27,000 taels of silver in total, all in the form of silver notes from the De Long Bank in Beijing, wrapped in oil paper and perfectly intact."

  Mr. Qin placed the small package in front of Li Wenshan, who stared at it intently, with countless bubbles of doubt rising and popping, only to disappear again.

  "A large sum of money, and it's no wonder that you siblings can't even afford a new set of clothes." Mr. Qin looked at the worn-out cuffs of Li Wenshan's sleeves.

  Li Wenshan no longer looked at the small package, raised his head and looked towards Mr. Qin, "What you said is right, as the saying goes, 'the fault lies with oneself', the law of heaven is cyclical, cause and effect are reciprocal."

  "Hmm, this silver, what are your plans?" Mr. Qin asked Li Wenshan.

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