Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After Old Master Wang returned home, he sighed at Old Madam Wang. âI didnât expect Magistrate Zhou to be so sophisticated at such a young age. Only such a person will go far in the bureaucracy!â Thinking of his two sons, Old Master Wang sighed again. âI wonder how his children are raised?â
Old Madam Wang rolled her eyes at him. âHe dared to hit my son, yet you praised him. Old Master, Third Brother will be released tonight, right? Do you want someone to prepare the medication?â
Old Master Wang glared at her and scolded, âPrepare for what? Let him know the severity of the matter for a few days. In my opinion! Youâve spoiled the two children and theyâre the same as you. Let me tell you, you have to watch Third Brother this time.â With that, he flicked his sleeve and left angrily.
Old Madam Wang choked. She was so angry that she pointed at Old Master
Wangâs back and said hatefully, âAre you only satisfied with your vixenâs child?
Let her give birth! â
Not long after dark, Wang Chun was dragged to the door of the magistrateâs office by two bailiffs. Wang Zheng hurriedly went up with two servants to support him. Seeing that he was covered in whip wounds, he complained briefly and glanced fiercely at the guard at the door.
Zhao Cai watched from the shadows as the brothers got into the carriage and drove unsteadily toward the Wang family.
He quietly followed the Wang brothers to the Wang family and sneaked in at night to find out Wang Chunâs residence.
When he returned to the government office, under Li Yuâs guidance, he used the herbs Mr. Wen had given him to smear his skin black and red. He even stuck on a mustache. He hid in the dark and monitored Wang Chun.
Zhao Cai realized that in the first few days, Wang Chun was still obediently staying at home. After half a month, he began to sneak out of the small door in the back garden to have fun at the brothel and the dark hut.
After following him for a few days, Zhao Cai realized that Wang Chun loved to sneak out at night and fool around in a place called Chun Jiao Restaurant in Willow Flower Alley.
Zhao Cai patiently followed him for a few days and figured out Wang Chunâs movements. He watched as he flaunted in front of those prostitutes and bragged that even the magistrate of Yunzhou was afraid of the Wang family. The magistrate could only capture him and locked him up for a night before letting him go obediently.
By the beginning of May, the remaining wasteland had all been opened and corn seeds had been planted. The seedlings had also been planted. After all the land was planted, Ruyi distributed the wages to the short-term workers one by one. He even gave each of them a bag of sugar and a slice of meat. The short-term workers even said to Ruyi, âSteward Zhou, itâs better to work in your farmstead. You live clean and donât deduct food. Would you call us brothers over when thereâs work in the autumn harvest?â
Ruyi smiled readily and said, âAlright, Iâll get you here for the autumn harvest.â
The short-term workers happily took their things and left. After farming, Zhou Jia brought Tiezhu and Ji Xiang to check the river. Mr. Wen also followed Ah Wei to the Great Maple Mountain.
After Mr. Wen went to the Great Maple Mountain, he realized that there were many rare good medicinal herbs on the mountain. Seeing that the older villagers on the mountain all had some illnesses, he decided to stay behind to treat them.
Li Yu got someone to make clothes and shoes for the children and adults. The children wore clothes made of lake-blue rough cloth, underwear made of thin cloth, and modern sweatpants with drawstrings.
After the outerwear was made of lake-blue cloth, it was inlaid with a circle of white with blue floral cloth on the collar. Every child had the same style, with two sets of summer clothes inside and outside.
The adults were also given two sets of summer clothes each. Everyone was overjoyed with the newly made clothes.
One day in late June, Zhao Cai followed Wang Chun and watched him enter Chun Jiao Hall in Willow Flower Alley. After Wang Chun fell asleep, Zhao Cai threw a piece of the knockout incense into the incense stove and waited for him to fall asleep. He sneaked into the house and fed the medicine to Wang Chun. He cleaned up the traces and quietly left.
When Wang Chun woke up, he realized that he was lively and extremely excited, but he could not fall asleep no matter what. It was useless to try all kinds of methods. He became so tired that his mind and body were exhausted. He was sent back to the Wang family in a state of near death.
A few days later, Zhou Jia returned from checking the river. After taking a shower and sleeping, Gu Yu came to report that Old Master Wang wanted to see him. Li Yu glanced at Zhou Jia. The two of them looked at each other and smiled, guessing Old Master Wangâs motive for looking for Zhou Jia.
As expected, after Old Master Wang and Zhou Jia exchanged pleasantries, he said to Zhou Jia, âSenior Zhou, I heard that your teacherâs medical skills are impressive. My third son hasnât been feeling well recently. I want to ask Mr. Wen to take a look at him.â
Zhou Jia smiled politely. âOld Master Wang, my teacher went to Great Maple Mountain to pick herbs so he could avoid the heat in late May. Before he left, he instructed that he would be at the foot of Great Maple Village. Why donât you send someone to Great Maple Village to look for him?â
When Old Master Wang heard this, he cupped his hands and thanked him.
âThank you, Lord Zhou. Iâll get someone to look for Mr. Wen in Great Maple Village when I get back.â
âYouâre too polite.â Zhou Jia politely sent Old Master Wang away and turned to go to the front office. Just as he entered the courtyard, he heard Zhao Zhiwen and a few other scholars discussing. âOld Zhao, have you heard? Third Master Wang has suffered retribution. Rumor has it that the girls he killed are pestering him⦠Itâs useless even if the top prostitute in the brothel is invited. The Wang family has looked for all the physicians in the city, but those physicians are helpless.â
Zhao Zhiwen widened his eyes and asked curiously, âOld Wang, what did he eat? Itâs so powerful!â
Old Wang teased, âItâs so powerful! Old Zhao, do you actually want to try it?â
Zhao Zhiwen imagined that feeling and shivered. The others asked anxiously, âHowâs Chun Jiao Restaurant?â
Old Wang smiled and said, âI heard that the Wang family destroyed Chun Jiao
Restaurant. They said that their women harmed Third Master Wang. Chun Jiaoâs madam said that Third Master Wang became like this because he consumed Five Stone Powder. She even threatened to go to the government office to report it to the officials before the Wang family stopped.â
Zhou Jia coughed dryly. At this, they looked up and bowed to Zhou Jia awkwardly before returning to the escort room.
The steward sent by the Wang family waited in Great Maple Village for two days before meeting Mr. Wen, who had been brought to the mountain by the villagers for consultation.
When the steward saw Mr. Wen, he hurriedly went forward and bowed. âDoctor Wen, I was sent by the Wang family of Yunzhou City to invite you back to help treat an illness.â
Seeing his anxious expression, Mr. Wen nodded and said, âLetâs go! Iâll follow you back to Yunzhou.â
When Mr. Wen arrived at the Wang family, he saw Wang Chun lying on the bed. His eyes were sunken and his face was abnormally red. He knew that he did not have long to live.
After Mr. Wen lifted the blanket and checked, he shook his head and said,
âThereâs nothing I can do.â
Old Master Wang sent Mr. Wen away in disappointment. He was so angry that he went back and complained to Old Madam Wang, âItâs all your fault. You doted on him so much that he became like this. The reputation that my Wang family has accumulated for a hundred years was lost to that unfilial son.â
Old Madam Wang retorted, âWhat right do you have to blame me? The eldest was carried away by Old Madam the moment he was born. Our second child could only be raised in front of me after he was born. Our eldest was spoiled by your mother and was pushed down the brothel by someone in the capital..â
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