Today, Wan Mingji came to the County Town to buy some medicinal herbs. Li Yun was sick, and these herbs weren’t available in Shuifuzhen. He also happened to hunt a wild boar at night to sell in the County Town.

After they moved to Linshui Village, they had three rooms at home. Li Yun decided on one room for herself, Wan Xiuyue and Wan Xiubai shared another, and Wan Mingji had one to himself.

The house was a bit rundown, so Wan Mingji hired some men from the village to replace the tiles and change the locks. The family spent a whole day tidying up the house.

It was too troublesome to bring things from the County Town to Linshui Village, so they bought furniture from Shuifuzhen and pushed it back with a cart. Wan Mingji put in a lot of effort on this trip.

After buying the furniture, they first set up the beds they had brought from the mansion. Since they were old, they kept them for sentimental reasons.

The family was busy for a whole day. The next morning, they continued working for several days, finally making the new home look decent.

They even fenced the yard to raise chickens and ducks.

Once Wan Mingji had mostly settled the household matters, he bought a gourd of turbid wine from the village and went to the village head’s house.

Turbid wine didn’t have the strong taste of clear wine, but it was still considered quite good by the villagers. Giving a gift to the village head and having a chat also signified that their family had settled in Linshui Village.

After returning from the village head’s house, they realized that the twenty mu of land they had was too much for them to farm.

Wan Mingji rented out ten mu to the villagers, with the rent to be paid in grain after a good harvest. The remaining ten mu was used for growing vegetables.

In a few days, they planted garlic sprouts, green onions, and ginger. Wan Mingji then went hunting in the mountains. He hadn’t gone far into the deep mountains when Wan Xiuyue found him, saying that Li Yun was sick.

The purchasing steward from Zuixianlou looked at the wild boar, which weighed about twelve jin. It had no wounds, and the meat was still tender, indicating it hadn’t been dead for long. “Little brother, how did this wild boar die?”

Wan Mingji showed the steward the boar’s eyes, which were clearly pierced through. The steward, having seen many people selling game, had never seen such precise archery and felt a chill in his heart.

The steward didn’t dare to lower the price. “This wild boar is very fresh. I’ll give you twenty taels for it.”

“Alright.” Wan Mingji thought for a moment and agreed. The price was fair, as selling in the town was cheaper than in the County Town. He opened his basket, revealing three wild rabbits and two wild chickens. “Steward, how much for these five?”

“One tael and five hundred wen.”

One tael is a thousand wen, and this price was also fair. The steward smiled and said, “Little brother, if you have good game in the future, remember to sell it to Zuixianlou.”

The original owner had eaten at Zuixianlou before, but the purchasing steward worked behind the scenes and didn’t interact with guests. Moreover, Wan Mingji looked very different now.

Wan Mingji acknowledged and, with the twenty-one taels and five hundred wen in hand, planned to buy medicine for Li Yun.

“Young Master Wan, wait a moment.” Xie Qiaoyu approached. He had been watching Wan Mingji for a long time and was surprised to see the wild boar and the game in his basket. He hadn’t expected Wan Mingji, despite his downfall, to have such skills. He couldn’t sell that much rouge in one go.

He was quite capable, after all.

“Are you the third young master Xie?” Wan Mingji stopped, unsure why Xie Qiaoyu was looking for him. He carried his basket, standing straight, his short clothes looking clean and neat.

“My name is Xie Qiaoyu. Young Master Wan, where are you headed? I…” Xie Qiaoyu stammered, shyly lowering his head, showing his best side to him.

His hairpin swayed, his neck as beautiful as snow, and a faint fragrance lingered at Wan Mingji’s nose, making him avert his gaze.

“I’m going to buy medicine for my mother,” he said.

“I also need to buy medicine for myself. I know a cheap pharmacy with a skilled doctor, but the medicine is inexpensive,” Xie Qiaoyu said modestly, planning to buy medicine and then get some Huadiao Drunken Chicken for his father.

“Alright, please lead the way, third young master Xie.” Wan Mingji wondered why Xie Qiaoyu was approaching him. After all, he was in such a state, with nothing to gain from him. He nodded freely.

No money, just a life.

“Qinglian Medical Hall, this way, please,” the medicine boy greeted.

“I’m here for my usual medicine,” Xie Qiaoyu said familiarly. He was indeed there to get medicine, not to seduce with his looks.

The medicine boy, familiar with Xie Qiaoyu, nodded without asking much, quickly grabbing the medicine.

Xie Qiaoyu kept glancing at Wan Mingji from the corner of his eye. Wan Mingji’s fingers had calluses, and his gaze fell on the medical hall, observing quietly before politely withdrawing his eyes.

“Next.”

Wan Mingji: “I need some Ophiopogon japonicus.”

Ophiopogon japonicus, slightly bitter, nourishes yin and generates fluids, considered a top-grade herb.

After the medicine boy finished, Wan Mingji put the herbs in his basket.

He still had other things to buy, so he nodded to Xie Qiaoyu. “Thank you for today, third young master. I have other matters to attend to. Let’s chat more another time.”

How long is “another time”? Xie Qiaoyu watched Wan Mingji, not wanting to blink.

Xie Qiaoyu watched Wan Mingji leave, feeling a bit empty inside. They had just started talking, and now he was leaving. Once they got to know each other better, they would surely have long conversations.

In fact, Wan Mingji’s current situation was beyond Xie Qiaoyu’s expectations. He thought Wan Mingji, having fallen from a wealthy young master, would be down for a while. But he adapted well, seemingly unaffected, and was even more attractive.

He still needed to visit Xie Zhi to inquire about Wan Mingji’s studies.

Xie Qiaoyu returned to the mansion with Huadiao Drunken Chicken for Feng Su.

“The eldest young master passed, thank Buddha,” Feng Su clasped his hands together.

“Father, have some chicken.” Xie Qiaoyu handed a chicken leg to Feng Su.

Feng Su: “A Wei Gongzi also visited the mansion, and he passed the exam too. Truly a talented young man.”

He was feeling much better and had met Wei Bowen and Xie Zhi in the garden today. He sat in the pavilion, not disturbing them, but overheard some conversations, feeling quite impressed with Wei Bowen.

Xie Qiaoyu suddenly found the chicken leg in his hand less appetizing.

“Father, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Some people may look decent on the outside but are just wearing a facade.”

Feng Su: “…”

“You haven’t interacted with others much, so why assume the worst in people, Qiaoyu? That’s not good.”

“Alright, Father, please do my hair.” Xie Qiaoyu obediently complied, resting his head on Feng Su’s lap, nuzzling his soft belly. His father was too kind, which was why Xie Yuan had taken advantage of him and made him a concubine.

Feng Su’s hands were skillful, and Xie Qiaoyu smiled at his reflection in the bronze mirror, with Feng Su’s figure also in the mirror. “Look, two beauties.”

“Little brother, so shameless,” Feng Su said with a smile, full of affection.

“Whoever marries me in the future will be blessed from a past life,” Xie Qiaoyu said confidently about his looks. He was gentle, didn’t cause trouble, and had a broad mind, not petty at all.

“What kind of man do you like?” Feng Su asked.

Xie Qiaoyu blurted out, “Not someone who looks like a human but acts like a dog.”

Feng Su: “…”

“Ahem, that’s just my thought. Actually, if someone has a noble character and treats me well, I’ll be satisfied,” Xie Qiaoyu said insincerely.

“And not a martial man.”

Feng Su chuckled, “Why is that?”

Xie Qiaoyu seriously said, “Father, martial men are rough. I’ve heard their arms are as thick as my two thighs, strong and sturdy, and they can punch ten of me. Wouldn’t I be crushed by just one of their fingers?”

Feng Su was amused by his analogy. “You have such wild thoughts. There’s no such person.”

After chatting with Feng Su, Xie Qiaoyu returned to his courtyard, counted his private money, and lay in bed with a box of silver, hoping to dream of a handsome man tonight. He sank into the soft pillow.

Meanwhile, Wan Mingji bought what he needed and hurried home in the night. He saw someone walking quickly ahead, as if being chased by a ghost.

Wan Mingji quickened his pace, and the footsteps ahead became faster, filled with panic and urgency. Wan Mingji saw it was a young man’s figure, likely a brother, as a normal man wouldn’t be so scared.

He stopped, unable to see clearly in the night, and waited quietly.

Once the brother’s footsteps slowed and disappeared from his sight, he quickened his pace to hurry home.

He unlocked the gate and saw the candlelight inside, walking forward. “Mother, I’m back.”

“Big brother, big brother,” called Wan Xiuyue and Wan Xiubai.

Wan Mingji responded, handing the remaining silver to Li Yun. “Mother, the medicine can be brewed tomorrow. I earned twenty-one taels and five hundred wen from hunting.”

“So much?” Wan Xiuyue, having learned the importance of money these days, exclaimed.

Wan Xiubai: “It’s a wild boar, not something ordinary people can catch.”

“Alright, go rest. You’re all sweaty,” Li Yun said, feeling reassured by her son.

He wasn’t that sweaty, but he accepted his mother’s concern. “Okay.”

He went to the kitchen to heat some water to wash up. After Li Yun went to bed, he knocked on Wan Xiuyue’s door, seeing the candlelight still on, indicating he wasn’t asleep.

“What’s up, big brother?” Wan Xiuyue opened the door expectantly.

Wan Mingji handed him the hand cream he bought from the rouge shop. “There are two, one for you and one for Xiubai.”

“Thank you, big brother. You’re the best,” Wan Xiuyue said. He wasn’t used to the work here, and his hands were dry and cracked. Wan Xiubai, inside the room, was surprised to have one too, feeling happy.

After speaking, Wan Mingji was about to leave when Wan Xiuyue asked, “Big brother, where’s that fragrance on you from?”

“Probably from the rouge shop.”

“This fragrance is pleasant, a rare spice,” Wan Xiuyue, once a wealthy young master, recognized the scent.

Wan Mingji thought while washing up. He hadn’t met anyone who looked expensive at the rouge shop, only Xie Qiaoyu.

Being too close, the scent had rubbed off on him.

He put on his undershirt and picked up a book, reading a few pages before losing interest and putting it down. Most of the Wan Mansion’s belongings were pawned, except for Wan Laoye’s collection of books, which Li Yun had moved to Linshui Village.

When Wan Mingji first transmigrated, the original owner had drunk too much, and when he woke up, he had crossed over. He had just graduated from university and wanted to go camping, and now he was really camping.

The scholars traveling outside spent their days composing poetry and discussing life. Honestly, after a while, Wan Mingji couldn’t take it anymore.

He started traveling alone, not with the other scholars’ group.

Blowing out the candle, he stretched out his fingers, practicing writing in the air. His handwriting was terrible.