“It’s also fine if you don’t agree to exchange the land—just convert it into silver,” said Village Chief Wang, after understanding Qian Chunhua’s intentions.

He decided to help her out.

Based on the current land price in Yongning Prefecture of the Min Dynasty, one mu of land was worth fifteen taels of silver.

Under the mediation of Village Chief Wang, Zhao Yongqiang paid Qian Chunhua fifteen taels of silver as compensation.

Qian Chunhua happily accepted the silver.

She hadn’t expected the eldest son’s family to actually hand over all the money they had planned to use for building their tea stand.

Only the unaware villagers shook their heads. “Qian Chunhua is too foolish. How can a farmer give up land? Land is the foundation of everything!”

“She’s just a woman. It’s normal for her to lack foresight. Village Chief Wang, you should try to talk some sense into her.”

For a while, everyone in the village thought Qian Chunhua was being foolish.

Some even took her aside and kept urging her to refuse the silver and insist on getting the land.

They told her that only with land could she and her three children have food in the future.

Without land, once the silver was spent, they would have nothing left.

Qian Chunhua understood their good intentions, but since they stood on different ground, they couldn’t understand her.

Even Clan Leader Zhao tried to persuade her.

In the end, Qian Chunhua reluctantly said she would “think it over.”

Then she tucked the silver into her pocket and cheerfully returned home.

To her, the fifteen taels were basically free money.

..

At the Zhao household, Zhao Daqing lay on the bed, barely breathing.

After checking his condition, Physician Qian looked at Mother Zhao with a grave expression. “You’d better get a physician from the county. I can’t treat this illness.”

Mother Zhao nearly fainted upon hearing that.

She steadied herself against the table.

Her husband had been in good health, but today’s incident had enraged him so much that he coughed up blood.

When she looked again at Zhao Yongqiang, her eyes were no longer kind—they were full of resentment.

But Zhao Yongqiang was still hung up on the fifteen taels he had just paid.

He was heartbroken and didn’t take Physician Qian’s words seriously, only nodding along absentmindedly and saying “okay, okay” repeatedly.

After Physician Qian left, Zhao Yongqiang slumped onto a stool, staring blankly at the floor.

Mother Zhao was deeply disappointed.

Her husband was still lying in bed fighting for his life, but their “devoted eldest son” was just sitting there, doing nothing.

She couldn’t take it anymore. “Eldest, go to the county and get a physician!”

Li Cuihong immediately looked nervously at Mother Zhao.

She thought to herself: getting a county physician isn’t cheap—it’ll cost at least ten taels. Wouldn’t that money be better spent on a few pounds of meat?

Zhao Yongqiang was thinking the same.

Upon hearing his mother’s words, he stammered, not agreeing or refusing outright.

Mother Zhao grew even more furious. “You go get the physician! We’ll pay for it ourselves!”

Li Cuihong blurted out, “Isn’t your money the public fund anyway?”

Mother Zhao was so angry that her voice rose sharply. “What do you mean by that? You want your father to just lie there and wait to die?”

Zhao Daqing heard everything from his bed.

Cloudy tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes.

He was full of regret and resentment.

Zhao Daqing felt short of breath and couldn’t stop coughing.

He also had chest tightness and pain.

If Qian Chunhua had been there, she would’ve realized it was a lung issue.

Unfortunately, the two families were no longer connected, and she no longer cared whether Zhao Daqing lived or died.

Mother Zhao’s outburst made Zhao Yongqiang hesitate.

His father had just stood up for him earlier.

If he now ignored the old man’s life or death, the villagers’ gossip alone could drown their whole family.

Zhao Yongqiang quickly stood up. “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll go to the county right now to get a physician.”

After rubbing his eyes, he left the hall and headed straight for the county.

Li Cuihong was furious that her husband had ignored her.

She turned and went back to the west wing, refusing to deal with the old couple any longer.

Mother Zhao shook her head and went to the kitchen.

She brought a bowl of hot water, added a bit of sugar, and let her husband drink some first.

They would administer medicine after the physician arrived.

..

About forty-five minutes later, Zhao Yongqiang, eyes red, arrived at the county’s academy gate.

Zhao Yongwen, who was attending school there, was called out by the gatekeeper.

When he saw his older brother looking haggard, unshaven, and red-eyed, he thought something terrible had happened at home and quickly supported him.

“Big Brother, what happened? Is it about Mom and Dad?”

Zhao Yongqiang had been locked up in the Zhao family’s ancestral hall for a whole day and night—no wonder he looked so drained.

Seeing his younger brother so anxious, he knew he had made the right choice in coming.

With a sorrowful expression, Zhao Yongqiang choked out, “Third Brother… Father… Father’s not going to make it.”

Tears immediately welled up in Zhao Yongwen’s eyes.

He couldn’t believe it.

Just a few days ago, Father had been perfectly healthy.

Zhao Yongqiang continued, “Physician Qian in the village can’t help him anymore. So I thought… thought we’d try again and find a better physician in the county. Maybe Father… maybe there’s still hope.”

Zhao Yongwen quickly nodded. “Right, right… Maybe it’s not that bad. Come on, let’s go get a physician.”

As he spoke, he pulled Zhao Yongqiang toward the medical clinic, but Zhao Yongqiang didn’t move.

“Third Brother, no matter what happens with Father, we’ve done our best. Just in case… in case he doesn’t make it, you should bring your wife and kids home to see him one last time.”

Zhao Yongwen didn’t suspect anything and immediately agreed. “Okay, okay, I’ll go get Meiping and the kids, and we’ll head back home right away.”

Zhao Yongqiang also said, “Be quick. I’ll wait for you at the clinic, and then we’ll go home together.”

With that, the two brothers split up.

Zhao Yongqiang watched his younger brother’s hurried figure disappear into the distance and smiled in satisfaction.

This was the plan he had come up with on the way.

Of course, they needed to get a physician, but the one paying for it should be his third brother’s wife.

Zhao Yongqiang knew very well that even if Father was dying, he couldn’t die now. If he died at this moment, the whole village would say he had driven his father to his death.

No matter what, Zhao Yongqiang had to keep Zhao Daqing alive.

Now they had a physician, and someone else was footing the bill.

Everything was perfect.

As for the public fund, Zhao Yongqiang had always considered it his private property.

He wouldn’t allow outsiders to use it—not even Zhao Daqing.

Zhao Yongwen rushed home, called for his wife, and picked up the child, preparing to leave for the clinic immediately.

At home, Sun Meiping was shocked to hear about her father-in-law’s critical condition.

Without questioning it, she quickly arranged for their carriage to be prepared so they could leave right away.

The house they currently lived in was a one-courtyard home in the county, purchased by Landlord Sun for Zhao Yongwen. It was just the right size for the couple and their child.

This setup made it convenient for Zhao Yongwen to study in the county while also keeping them separate from the Sun family household, sparing them from gossip and preserving Zhao Yongwen’s dignity.