On this side, Shi Fa Ke returned home with a heavy heart, only to see her wet nurse pacing anxiously at her family’s door. “Wet nurse?”

The wet nurse’s eyes lit up when she heard her voice, and she hurried over urgently: “Miss Shi, why are you only just returning…”

“I went to the Zhu residence today. The matriarch refused the marriage proposal. Do you know what happened? How is Yanyan?”

The wet nurse suddenly burst into tears, gripping Shi Fa Ke’s sleeves tightly like a drowning person grasping driftwood: “Miss Shi, you must quickly think of a way to save my young lady…”

“What happened to Yanyan?” Seeing her like this, Shi Fa Ke’s heart jumped.

“Miss… Miss heard that the matriarch had broken off the engagement and immediately vomited blood. She looks like she won’t make it…”

Shi Fa Ke’s heart skipped a beat: “What exactly happened? Why did Madam Zhu suddenly want to break off the engagement? Wasn’t it already agreed upon?”

The wet nurse stiffened slightly and abruptly stopped speaking, saying hesitantly: “I don’t really know either. The matriarch didn’t reveal even a hint…”

This didn’t look like someone who didn’t know the inside story.

The wet nurse had always been a chatterbox, yet rarely had something she dared not speak of. What exactly had happened… it seemed to be even more serious than imagined.

The wet nurse’s trip to find Shi Fa Ke was also a desperate measure born of panic. Only now did she realize that this matter couldn’t be explained clearly to Miss Shi. If people knew that her young lady had been engaged to a mountain bandit, she would lose all reputation. A young lady without reputation would be forced to die!

“Wet nurse, if you won’t tell me anything, even if I want to help Yanyan, I have no way to begin.” Shi Fa Ke was somewhat anxious.

But the wet nurse refused to say more, giving a few evasive words before quickly leaving.

Shi Fa Ke frowned as she watched the wet nurse depart. What exactly had happened that even with Yanyan so ill, the Zhu matriarch wouldn’t relent? The wet nurse also acted as if it were too profound to discuss.

Could Aunt Lu really persuade the Zhu matriarch to change her mind?

During the evening meal, Shi Fa Ke ate while thinking about this matter. Tonight’s dinner included her favorite fermented eggplant, so although she was somewhat distracted, she kept taking several helpings with her chopsticks. When she reached out again, she came up empty—looking closely, she saw that Third Brother had taken away the entire dish, causing her to glare at him angrily.

“A’Ke, you must focus when eating.” Third Brother Shi spoke earnestly, then got hit on the head with chopsticks.

The one who struck was Father Shi. Third Brother Shi, intimidated by his authority, dared to be angry but not speak.

“Put the dish down. Don’t bully A’Ke.” Father Shi glared at him.

Third Brother Shi obediently put the dish down.

“A’Ke, eat more.” Father Shi served his precious daughter a helping of fermented eggplant.

With one serving from him, the dish was half empty.

“Dad, I have a question.” Third Brother Shi raised his hand.

Father Shi graciously glanced at this troublesome son: “Speak.”

“In our family, only A’Ke is your biological child, right? Are we three brothers foundlings?” Third Brother Shi looked earnestly inquisitive.

Then, as expected, he received another beating.

“A’Ke, you have something on your mind?” Lady Tao completely ignored her youngest son who always courted death, letting him howl as Shi Changhuai beat him. She looked at Shi Fa Ke and asked after thinking: “Is there some problem with the Zhu family marriage?”

“Yes, it’s a bit troublesome.” Shi Fa Ke said with a worried expression: “I went to the Zhu family today to propose marriage, but the matriarch refused.”

Lady Tao was somewhat surprised: “Wasn’t it originally the Zhu matriarch who arranged the matchmaking?”

“Yes, but she suddenly changed her mind.” Shi Fa Ke sighed.

Lady Tao looked thoughtful: “Some things can’t be judged by surface appearance alone. The Zhu matriarch has always loved her daughter dearly. If something hadn’t happened that she couldn’t tolerate, she would never joke about her own daughter’s marriage.”

“I think so too, but what exactly happened…” Shi Fa Ke looked distressed. “However, Aunt Lu says she and the Zhu matriarch are old acquaintances and plans to pay a visit tomorrow. Hopefully there will be a turning point.”

“Aunt Lu?” Lady Tao raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Young Master Lu’s mother. Their whole family has come to Tongluo Town. Speaking of which… Young Master Lu’s family is really wealthy.” Shi Fa Ke sighed in admiration.

“Why do you say that?” Second Brother Shi, who had always been very sensitive to the word “money,” joined the conversation.

Shi Fa Ke ran back to her room and came out carrying a wooden box, placing it on the table.

“What is this?” First Brother Shi also asked curiously.

Shi Fa Ke opened the box, revealing a blindingly golden ruyi scepter, heavy and gleaming, with a jeweled ruyi hairpin beside it that also looked quite valuable, and a piece of paper underneath.

“This is?” Second Brother Shi asked curiously.

Shi Fa Ke pointed to the golden ruyi: “A meeting gift from Uncle Lu.”

“The Uncle Lu you’re talking about… is Lu Chi’s father?” Third Brother Shi, who had just received a beating, also came over curiously and picked up the golden ruyi from the wooden box: “Hey, this weight!”

Shi Fa Ke ignored him and calmly pointed to the jeweled ruyi hairpin: “A meeting gift from Aunt Lu.”

Third Brother Shi showed a somewhat pained expression: “A’Ke, you’ve become rich overnight.”

He looked quite envious.

Shi Fa Ke had already been shocked earlier and was now very calm, looking like someone who had seen the world. She picked up the paper from the wooden box: “This is a meeting gift from Big Brother Lu.”

Third Brother Shi snatched it and opened it, exclaiming: “Whoa, five hundred taels!”

Hearing this, Father Shi frowned slightly.

First Brother Shi and Second Brother Shi looked at each other, while Lady Tao looked at the golden ruyi and jeweled ruyi hairpin in the wooden box with a somewhat subtle expression. They were giving ruyi items… what were that family’s intentions?

“Even if they’re wealthy, they wouldn’t be this foolish. Have you ever seen a matchmaker receive meeting gifts? Those are called matchmaker’s fees, and you said the Zhu family had complications… this matter didn’t work out either. As a matchmaker, what about you is worth such an expensive price? These meeting gifts—could it be they’ve taken a fancy to you as a daughter-in-law for their family?” Third Brother Shi hit the nail on the head.

After his words fell, there was silence.

Then Father Shi suddenly stood up, took off his shoe and threw it over: “You little rascal, you dare say anything!”

Third Brother Shi leaned to one side and dodged.

Father Shi then personally entered the fray to beat him. Third Brother Shi saw the situation was bad and quickly ran around the table, howling as he ran.

Shi Fa Ke scratched her head: “Actually, I also think it’s a bit strange.”

She might be a bit thick-skinned, but she wasn’t stupid!

“You said Lu Chi has an older brother?” Lady Tao asked.

“Yes, that banknote was from him.” Shi Fa Ke nodded, then showed a surprised expression: “Mother… you couldn’t be suggesting that Big Brother Lu has taken a fancy to me, could you?”

Shi Changhuai finished beating his son and ran back, stuffing the recovered banknote back into the wooden box and firmly closing it with an out-of-sight-out-of-mind expression. Then he said seriously to Shi Fa Ke: “Return these things to them.” He then bent down to take off his boot and poured out several banknotes from inside, stuffing them all into Shi Fa Ke’s hands: “Dad has money, Dad will give you money to spend!”

Um… this was a stack of fragrant banknotes.

Shi Fa Ke looked at her father with mixed feelings, winked at him, and hinted that he should quickly look back at Mother’s face…

Shi Changhuai immediately understood his good daughter’s expression. He stiffly turned his neck slowly around, and before he could see Lady Tao’s face, his ear was already being pulled.

“Hiding private money? Hmm?” Lady Tao’s voice rang ominously in his ear.

“Ow ow ow, the children are here, wife, please give me some face…” Shi Changhuai, with his ear pulled, turned sideways and pleaded pitifully.

Heh, Dad, you’re overthinking it—you have no face to speak of.

Third Brother Shi secretly rolled his eyes.

Seeing his younger brother courting death again, First Brother Shi gave him a warning glare.

Third Brother Shi silently shrank his neck but couldn’t help looking longingly at the stack of fragrant banknotes in his little sister’s hands. He didn’t mind the smell! He needed money! He hadn’t been able to go out and socialize for several days!

Obviously, little sister was a little rich woman! Why did money only recognize her and always go into her hands!

“Dad…” he finally couldn’t hold back and called out plaintively: “It really is true that only A’Ke is your biological child…”

Shi Changhuai, with his ear controlled by another, viciously gave him a “I’ll deal with you later” look. When he turned to look at Lady Tao, he magically changed to a pitiful pleading expression: “Wife, I didn’t mean to hide private money. Gold Full Tower came out with a new set of jewelry that I thought would suit you perfectly. I was planning to save enough money to buy you a set… I wanted to give you a surprise, but who knew someone would dare to throw money at our A’Ke? I had no choice but to use it for emergencies…”

Lady Tao’s grip loosened slightly.

A complete set of jewelry from Gold Full Tower wasn’t cheap.

“Wife, look…” Shi Changhuai’s expression was innocent and pitiful, looking somewhat dejected.

“Ahem, I already have several sets of jewelry from Gold Full Tower. What would you buy more for? They’re not food or drink, and wearing them out would be too flashy. I’ll accept your thoughtfulness, but new jewelry isn’t necessary.” Lady Tao coughed lightly and withdrew her hand.

“Wife…” Shi Changhuai looked moved.

The Shi family siblings looked at each other.

Well, Dad’s survival skills had evolved again.

Successfully self-rescued, Shi Changhuai took his wife’s small hand and didn’t forget to remind his precious daughter: “Remember to return those things tomorrow.”

Shi Fa Ke quickly straightened her attitude and nodded obediently: “At the time, their kindness was really hard to refuse. I originally planned to return them to Lu Chi privately.”

Shi Changhuai nodded with satisfaction. See, this was the benefit of raising his daughter well—she wouldn’t be bought off by such small favors. He was proud!