thered on their foreheads, and their complexion lost its luster.The ripples gave five children a mouthful of diluted spring water, which allowed their faces to relax."Master, they will no longer be ab..."That's it!"

Liàn Yī, taking advantage of her young age, sat directly beside Duàn Zōngqīng's chair and continued:

"Father, as for taking him around, forget it! Because I've been sick, I need to make up classes for a while. You arrange someone else!"

"I understand, but you should still pretend. Ask him twice, and wait until he invites you twice before you find an excuse to refuse."

Duan Zongqing held the teacup in his hand and instructed.

"Yes, father."

R ripples didn't object and immediately yawned before going back to rest.

Once the ripples subsided, Duan Zongqing shook his head and sighed, "My daughter is still a child at heart."

"Master, Miss is just a child, only fourteen years old. But she is sharp and perceptive. She said that Zhang Xuetou was insincere to her, so he must be."

Chun Xiao touched the white Bodhi beads on her wrist and said.

"Yes! Several of us sisters peeked at the young master through the screen. Though he seemed polite, after all, he's an adult. How could he be interested in a little girl like Miss He's most likely just trying to get close to the Marshal's Mansion, pretending to like Miss."

Xia Xin twirled the plain silk fan in her hand and spoke.

"Master, would you like to form an alliance with the Zhang family"

A cicada's chirp revealed Duan Zongqing's thoughts.

"There's this idea, the Zhang family dominates the north and our Duan family the south. With the current world in chaos, if our two forces join hands, we should be able to stabilize the situation."

Duan Zongqing didn't think his sister-in-law was just a decorative vase. If it wasn't about warfare, or matters concerning marriage, he wouldn't mind consulting with them. After all, they understood their daughters best and had raised their children very well.

"Once things settled down, those two families would definitely fight for first and second place. Miss is a woman, if she marries into the Zhang family, the entire Duan family army will be her dowry. To prevent the Zhang family from discarding her after using her, we must be cautious."

Spring Dawn also frowned and said.

"Sir, ladies, why the rush Even if the young lady were to marry, it wouldn't be in the next year or two. We can cast a wide net and choose several promising young men as options."

I think it would be better to find a family less powerful than the Duan clan. This way, when Miss marries in, no one would dare to bully her. Or perhaps find a loyal person among the master's subordinates and directly betrothed him to Miss, wouldn't that be even better

Winter Morning leaned against her head and said.

"Hehehe, Dong Qing is right. As the daughter of Duan Zongqing, why should I marry into another family Taking a husband through a betrothal agreement isn't a bad idea either."

Duan Zongqing put down his teacup and said with a smile.

Zhang Xuetao still didn't know that because of Lian Ri's words "dislikes", he had completely lost his advantage. After returning to his residence, he also pondered over the course of the visit to Duan Dashuai's mansion today, wondering if there was anything he had overlooked.

The only one he felt uncertain about was Duan Dashao's daughter. Although she was young, she was well-mannered and had attended an all-girls school, which deprived him of another opportunity to develop a closer relationship with her.

He came to the south ostensibly for academic pursuits, but in reality, he was seeking to forge connections with the Duan family. Most importantly, he aimed to make Duan Lian'er completely devoted to him and facilitate a marriage between their two families. This was his true mission for being here.

Although we only met once, it's natural to feel a bit awkward. But with more interactions, our feelings will gradually grow closer. He is very confident in himself.

At the same time, Yunshiyu, who had already thoroughly researched her own era, felt both joy and sorrow. She was happy to have the opportunity to witness history, but sad that she was just a poor woman who had barely escaped the fate of being raised as a wife. If she wanted to live a meaningful life, she would have to put in hundreds or even thousands of times more effort.

After expressing her feelings, Yunsiyu went to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor with the silver. In terms of health adjustment, she believed more in traditional Chinese medicine.

The old Chinese doctor, who sported a long beard, spent half the day feeling Yun Si Yu's pulse before shaking his head and saying:

"You, girl, are severely depleted. To get well takes more than just a couple of meals."

"Doctor, I know my own body. Before, in order to help repay the family debts, I worked very hard, so now I have saved some money, and I'm here to adjust my health. I don't want to delay too long."

"At first glance, the doctor seems like a truly skilled and compassionate healer. Just give me a prescription, please! I'll keep working to earn money while taking my medicine to regulate my health. If I don't do too strenuous work, I should be able to afford the cost of the medication."

Yunsi Yu knew the saying "wealth doesn't flaunt itself." She stated that she had money, but not a lot. Still, she could work and earn money while paying for her medical expenses, allowing the doctor to prescribe medicine freely.

"Alright! Seeing that you're from a poor family, I won't prescribe anything too expensive. Take this for ten days, and come back for a follow-up in ten days. I'll adjust your prescription then."

The old doctor was still quite skilled. He wrote a prescription and told Yun Siyu to pick up the medicine.

"Remember, you can't do heavy work and need to eat well; otherwise, no amount of medicine will help."

"At the end, the old doctor also reminded."

Thank you for the reminder, I've noted it.

She brought back two stacks of Chinese medicine and Yun Si Yu bought another pot for making soup. They then returned to the inn. Just happened to be seen by the small boss.

"Excuse me, sir, would you like to make some medicine"

"Yes! My aunt hasn't been found yet. I happened to feel unwell, so I went to see a doctor first. As a result, the doctor prescribed me a bunch of medicine."

"But this is just a small shop. The house can only accommodate people and no open fire is allowed. Besides, the smell of decocting Chinese medicine is too strong."

After thinking for a moment, Yun Si Yu directly said:

"Alright, I'll rent a house that has a place to brew medicine."

"Don't worry, guest. I don't mean to chase you away. My little inn has a backyard with a separate kitchen. You can cook there and even make medicine. Just pay a little extra."

The boss, very good at business, immediately spoke.

"Alright, take me to see it."

Yun Si Yu decided to wait and see after she was done with her current situation. After all, before her health improved, there was no way she could go out looking for work. Everything had to wait until she recovered first.

Yun Si Yu was eager to take care of her health, while Zhang Xue Tao tried every means to cultivate a relationship with Lian Yi. However, the effect was minimal; the other party only changed her address to call him "Xue Tao Ge."

Perhaps because of preconceived notions, whenever Liàn Yī met Zhang Xuetāo, she couldn't muster any enthusiasm. It felt like completing a task: having a meal, listening to music, strolling through a garden, watching a movie. After dealing with Zhang Xuetāo, she would report every detail to Duan Zōngqīng upon returning home.

Two years passed in a flash, and Ripple had grown into a graceful young lady. She was beautiful, confident, and very independent.

More importantly, she wasn't a delicate lady. She had learned to shoot, ride horses, and fight, and because she was strong, Duan Zongqing was extremely pleased with her.

"Ripples, you inherited the bloodline of mighty warriors from the Duan family ancestors! Your great-great-grandfather was a renowned warrior who even won the martial arts champion title. Your father, me, isn't weak either; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to build this much power. I didn't expect you to surpass your father and become even stronger. You truly are my daughter!"

"Father is happy, and I am happy too! I thought you didn't like my strength."

Ripple smiled sweetly.

"How could this be! You have the ability to take care of yourself, safer than I could arrange anyone around you!" Now you are not alone. We servants certainly can't go against the master's wishes. The mistress feels whoever is convenient to use, she uses; if she dislikes someone, she simply moves them away."In t...