Father Feng left the meal feeling fully satisfied—he had to admit, the food was even better than what he’d had in restaurants!

And the warmed wine—it really did go down smoother.

The in-laws were sincere—he had no more grievances, as long as that younger sister-in-law Lu Qingqing kept acting like this.

His son and Lu Yun had run off somewhere, and with the work in the fields on his mind, Father Feng was ready to leave.

But when he stood up, he suddenly staggered.

“Eh? What’s this? Just a few cups of wine and you’re drunk already?” Father Lu teased.

“No, no,” Father Feng bent down to rub his legs. “Been working in the fields these past few days, the leg pain’s back—it’s so bad I can’t sleep at night.”

“What kind of pain is it? In the joints?” Lu Qingqing asked.

In fact, she’d noticed for a while.

His walking posture was stiff.

Unlike Father Lu, who didn’t do much manual labor anymore, Father Feng worked hard. He had two acres of land and rented a few more.

During busy seasons he was out farming, and in the off-season, he helped others build houses and carry bricks.

Getting arthritis was no surprise—many farmers suffer from it.

But it was important to know the type.

“Does it hurt more when it’s cloudy or raining?”

“Absolutely! Especially on rainy days—the knees and ankles feel like there’s wind drilling into them.”

That confirmed it—rheumatism.

“Did you see a doctor?” Father Lu asked.

“I did! They gave me a whole load of medicine—took it for half a month with no results. Then they said it needs rest, no heavy labor. Hah! Not working means waiting to die! Doctors are just out to cheat money!” Father Feng huffed, frustrated.

He’d wasted several taels of silver.

Only later did he realize—this disease couldn’t really be cured. Even if it got better, it would relapse after heavy work.

Might as well live with it—it wouldn’t kill him.

Lu Qingqing smiled and went out, returning with a bundle of flowers.

“The doctor wasn’t wrong. All illnesses require rest. But I know you can’t stay idle. I have a remedy—try it.”

Father Feng looked at Father Lu, surprised.

Father Lu nodded. “She learned some medicine from her mother when she was young. Knows a few remedies. Can’t treat anything big, but you can give it a try.”

Sure, why not.

Father Feng had just eaten a good meal—he had to show some respect.

Still, he didn’t take it seriously.

The bundle Lu Qingqing brought was white pasqueflower, called “old maiden flower” locally. It grew wild and bloomed at this time of year.

The flower was the medicinal part.

Father Feng watched her mash it up and crack a duck egg, mixing in the egg white.

Another duck egg wasted! he winced.

He regretted saying he’d try it.

Once the mixture was ready, Father Lu helped hold the mortar.

Lu Qingqing smiled, said nothing, then directed the paste onto Father Feng’s sore knees.

“Uncle, if your knees feel hot, take the paste off and rinse with warm water to avoid blisters.”

Just these two things?

Could it really work?

Still, for the duck egg’s sake, Father Feng decided to take it seriously.
A duck egg costs five copper coins!

Tsk tsk, such a waste.

Father Lu just spoiled his daughter.

But then—after about half an hour—his knees really began to feel hot!

“It’s heating up! Heating up!” he cried.

“Then go ahead and wash it off,” Lu Qingqing said.

Father Lu fetched warm water.

After washing up, Father Feng took a few steps.

Incredible! His joints felt much looser, hardly painful. Most importantly, that chilly, drafty sensation inside was gone—replaced by a warm, soothing comfort.

“This remedy is amazing! One try and I’m cured?”

“Not cured,” Lu Qingqing explained. “But it will relieve the pain significantly. This is the flower’s peak season. Uncle, apply it a few more times at home. You won’t suffer during summer’s rainy days.”

This time, Father Feng was truly happy—happier than after a good meal.

At the same time, guilt crept in.

He’d come to pressure the Lu family to drive the daughter out, only to be healed by that very daughter!

“Say no more—Brother Lu, I was wrong today. I owe you all an apology! From now on, if I hear anyone spreading rumors, I’ll curse them to their face!”

Just goes to show—the Lu family were all good people.

How could they raise a bad daughter?

It was those jealous troublemakers stirring things up!

The Feng family’s resentment turned into gratitude.

They left with many thanks and deep bows.

Father Lu drank two more cups of wine in delight.

A group of village youths had hunted a wild boar, and Lu Feng and Lu Yun were called to help butcher it.

Father Lu sat in the courtyard working on furniture. He had an order for a few chairs that had to be completed in three days.

Lu Qingqing sat nearby, trimming the herbs she had gathered.

Her head lowered, long hair braided and hanging in front, her expression calm, her features soft.

Sometimes she would nibble or taste a leaf, quietly focused.

Father Lu glanced over—for a moment, he thought he saw his wife’s younger self.

“Yue Niang?”

“Dad, what did you say?”

“Oh, I must be a bit drunk,” Father Lu shook his head.

Then he stood and went inside, soon carrying out a wooden chest the size of a pillow.

“Girl, didn’t you say you want to get a medical license? These are all the medical books your mother left behind—very precious. People would pay a fortune for these. I’ve always kept them hidden under the kang (heated brick bed).”

Seeing Lu Qingqing’s focused expression earlier had stirred old memories.

Her mother, though later banned from practice due to a crippled hand, never gave up studying medicine.

When she read medical texts and took notes, she was radiant—just like their daughter today.

Serious.

Absorbed.

Unbothered by the world.

The medical exam was in autumn, September.

Lu Qingqing had plenty of time to prepare.

She had already read countless medical texts, even obscure folk remedies—treasures passed down for thousands of years.

She wasn’t worried.

Still, it was best to review—there might be era-specific limitations or variations.

Father Lu had preserved the books carefully—the box made of fine nanmu wood, the books wrapped in oiled parchment.

Clearly treasured.

Inside was a full chest of books—some even bore her mother’s name: Shan Yueming (Mountain Moon Bright).

What a beautiful and poetic name.

A dignified ancient beauty appeared vividly in her mind.

But then…

“Dad, you said these are all medical books?”

“Of course! Your mother cherished them. I never dared touch them after she passed—I was afraid to damage them.” Father Lu stroked the books lovingly.

What he touched was titled: “The Cold-Blooded Assassin and the Courtesan’s Romantic Escapades.”

Uh…

Inside the box were love poems, short romances like The Scholar and the Seductive Ghost, cookbooks, bedroom techniques, and even a book called How to Train in Lightfoot Martial Arts.

A mother with… very eclectic interests.

The serious image of a professional medical woman began to crack.

Only two books were actually medical texts.

But Father Lu didn’t know that.

If only he could read more than a few characters…

“Dad, you and Mom must’ve had a great relationship.”

“Hah! Your mom was so capable—of course I treated her well! But honestly, she could’ve done better. She probably… wasn’t all that satisfied with me.” He said, a little self-conscious.

“That’s not true! Mom said you were handsome, well-built, and smiled like… like a little hamster. Super cute!”

“Wha? Really?”

Father Lu grabbed the book Lu Qingqing was flipping through, turning it every which way like he might find treasure in it.

He couldn’t read—but back in the capital, his kids had all been taught by their mother.

“Girl, don’t tease your old dad. These are your mother’s medical books.”

“No, really! This one isn’t medical—it’s full of things she wrote about you.”

Commonly known as… love notes.

Father Lu was flustered—face and neck bright red from both wine and embarrassment.

The little old man hugged the book tightly and ran back into the house.