“Alright, get up,”

Shen Qingwan helped the person up.

Meng Xingzhou was grinning from ear to ear, his white teeth gleaming as he smiled brightly.

“Hehe, Master,”

Meng Xingzhou looked at Shen Qingwan, his heart filled with excitement—he finally had a master!

Shen Qingwan couldn’t help but curl her lips into a slight smile as she looked at the silly boy.

Soon, Lu Youfu and the others found out about Meng Xingzhou becoming Shen Qingwan’s disciple.

The boy had never been good at keeping secrets—his emotions were written all over his face.

Before they could even ask, he had already blurted everything out.

Now that Shen Qingwan had learned about her mother’s true identity, she was determined to investigate why her mother had ended up in her current state.

For the past few days, Rong Yunfei had been gathering information on Chu Fengchun.

He was almost never seen around, and when he finally returned with news, three days had already passed.

“Master, I’ve found out that the renowned physician, Chu, is still in the Northern military camp. It is said that the War King suffered severe injuries, so the physician was invited to treat him. He should still be there,” Rong Yunfei reported, looking exhausted.

Shen Qingwan, seeing his fatigue, told him to rest first.

Now that she was certain the physician was in the camp, she just needed to find a way to bring him back.

If the physician were elsewhere, it might take more effort, but since he was in the military camp, Shen Qingwan already had a plan in mind.

She left home and went to her shop, preparing to visit the magistrate’s office when Lu Youfu came to inform her that someone from the office had arrived with an invitation from the magistrate.

Shen Qingwan had intended to visit him anyway, so this was a fortunate coincidenc

Upon arriving at the office, she waited for the magistrate to speak first instead of bringing up her own matters. However, to her surprise, the magistrate had set up a full banquet and invited her to dine with him.

Confused, Shen Qingwan asked, “Magistrate, may I know why you summoned me today?”

Zhao Zhuo waved his hand, urging her to sit. “No need to be so formal, Shopkeeper Shen. Sit down first—we’ll talk over the meal.”

With no choice but to accept his hospitality, Shen Qingwan sat across from him. Before they could begin their conversation, a gentle voice came from the doorway.

“I wasn’t aware my husband had such an esteemed guest today. Would it be convenient for me to join?”

Shen Qingwan turned around to see the magistrate’s wife entering with her daughter.

Zhao Jing’er was dressed in a peach-colored silk robe, her hair adorned with golden hairpins and dangling ornaments, making her look like a delicate butterfly.

She gracefully followed her mother into the room.

Initially, Zhao Jing’er looked indifferent, but the moment her gaze landed on Shen Qingwan, she couldn’t look away.

Realizing her own loss of composure, she quickly blushed.

“Father,” she called softly, and Zhao Zhuo nodded.

Shen Qingwan stood up politely and greeted them. “I am Shen Qing. Greetings to Madam and Miss Zhao.”

Her composed demeanor and refined manners made both Zhao Zhuo and his wife nod in satisfaction.

“No need for formalities, Young Master Shen. Treat this place as your own home. Please, sit. Jing’er, you come sit too,” the magistrate’s wife said with a warm smile, guiding her daughter to sit between her husband and Shen Qingwan.

Shen Qingwan was unsure of the family’s intentions, so she chose to observe quietly.

After exchanging some pleasantries over food, Zhao Zhuo finally spoke.

“Regarding the grain rations you provided last time, thanks to you, the Northern Army’s crisis was temporarily resolved. However, the war at the border is still ongoing, and the fifty thousand stone of grain only lasted a month. The military has sent another request to purchase more. How much more can you provide, Young Master Shen?”

Zhao Zhuo wasn’t sure how much grain Shen Qingwan still had or the extent of her resources, but since the War King had asked, he had to inquire.

Hearing the request, Shen Qingwan did not immediately agree.

If she provided the grain too easily, they would likely come to her again in the future.

Although she would be compensated with silver, the actual amount was uncertain, given that the Northern Army lacked not only food but also funds.

After a moment of thought, she replied, “I still have some grain left—two hundred thousand stone. I can donate twenty thousand stone to the Northern Army, but I have one request. My mother is ill, and I wish to invite Physician Chu from the military camp to treat her. If the War King agrees, I will offer the grain without hesitation.”

Zhao Zhuo was surprised.

He hadn’t expected Shen Qingwan to offer so much grain just to seek medical treatment.

However, this was not a decision he could make on behalf of the War King.

He suggested that Shen Qingwan either visit the military camp to discuss it in person or wait for him to send a letter and receive a response.

Understanding the situation, Shen Qingwan decided to take matters into her own hands. She planned to transport the grain herself and bring her mother along to seek treatment directly.

Throughout the exchange, Zhao Jing’er had been secretly watching Shen Qingwan. His composed demeanor and eloquence made her heart race.

Seeing him now, she finally understood why her mother had insisted on dressing up before coming.

It was clear that her parents had taken a liking to Shen Qingwan as a potential son-in-law.

“If I could marry someone like Shen Qing, that wouldn’t be bad,” she thought, comparing him to the fierce War King.

Shen Qingwan seemed much easier to get along with.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingwan was entirely focused on the journey ahead and paid no attention to Zhao Jing’er’s reactions.

Before departing, she planned to take Meng Xingzhou with her, as he had come all this way to find his father.

However, Meng Xingzhou shook his head, refusing. “I’m not ready to face him yet. I want to prove myself on the battlefield before seeing him.”

Respecting his decision, Shen Qingwan didn’t insist.

Instead, she assigned him a task: to purchase a large estate and take in orphans—both boys and girls, aged between eight and fifteen.

Meng Xingzhou didn’t fully understand his master’s intentions, but he followed the instructions obediently.

His master no longer needed him to help at the shop, so his priority was to complete this mission.

Shen Qingwan also drafted a detailed training plan for him, instructing him to train the orphans together once they were gathered.

After handling everything at home, she visited Dahe Village to inform her family about her departure before setting off for the Northern military camp.

For this journey, she only brought Rong Yunshuang, leaving Rong Yunfei behind to assist Meng Xingzhou in training the orphans.

Rong Yunfei understood that his master was beginning to cultivate her own force, so he carefully selected promising candidates.

With refugees everywhere, abandoned children filled the streets. Many had taken shelter in a ruined temple in the western part of the city, surviving by sticking together.

Being older and more experienced, Rong Yunfei took the lead in selecting orphans while Meng Xingzhou followed his guidance.

After securing an estate, they brought in a group of children and conducted a rigorous selection process, ultimately choosing only twelve—eight boys and four girls, aged between eight and thirteen.

For security, they had the children sign indenture contracts. Knowing this was their only chance for survival, the children worked hard to prove themselves.

No matter their reasons for staying, it was far better than starving in the ruined temple. At least here, they had a chance to live.