At this time, the distant capital city also had the same night sky, but the streets were as lively as daytime. The nightlife of the capital was quite luxurious and dazzling, making one’s eyes spin.

“Master, master, look at that…” A thin man wrapped in a worn cotton robe and wearing an old hat couldn’t help but point at a shop by the roadside. Inside, the main hall was decorated with landscapes, with waterfalls flowing directly down from the second floor, making rushing sounds.

The man had never imagined that a restaurant could be decorated like this, and he opened his mouth wide in amazement.

Standing beside him was a middle-aged, thin man in equally tattered robes and hat. Seeing this scene, his eyes also widened.

“Go away, you stinking beggars, what are you looking at?” The shop assistant at the door waved impatiently, driving away these two fellows who were obviously country bumpkins and poor people.

“We’re not beggars,” the thin man blushed with both shame and anger and shouted, “We are physicians…”

The shop assistant spat.

The thin man was about to argue further when the thin man beside him pulled him back.

“Don’t cause trouble, let’s go quickly,” he said, tightening his drafty torn cotton robe and pulling his hat down again to cover his face, lowering his head and walking away first.

After walking just a few steps, he heard the assistants still mocking the beggars behind them. He couldn’t help but stop and look back.

Beggars! Someday he would buy their entire restaurant and make them all kneel on the ground calling themselves beggars!

“Master,” the thin man who had walked ahead turned back and called out in confusion.

The man withdrew his gaze.

The two walked through the streets with hunched figures. After several inquiries, they came to the front of a large gate.

“Are you sure this official said he would take us in?” Before approaching, the thin man stopped and asked quietly.

“Yes, master, that official indeed said so and gave me this calling card,” the thin man said hurriedly.

The thin man took out the calling card from his sleeve and looked at it under the dim lamplight at the gate.

Imperial Medical Academy Official Dong Lin.

“Good, what’s there to fear? We’ve already been harmed to this extent. Even if we’re harmed again, it’s just one life,” the middle-aged man muttered, gritted his teeth, and stepped forward to call at the gate.

The knocking sounds made the lights in the courtyard come on.

Led by a servant, the two finally reached a room where lamps were lit one by one by maids. The warm interior made both of them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

They removed their hats, and under the lamplight were Wang Qingchun and his disciple, whom we hadn’t seen for a long time.

However, compared to before, they now looked distressed and disheveled, especially compared to the person who was coming.

The sound of “Master is coming” came from outside the door, accompanied by the rustling of door curtains. Someone walked in, and the two turned their heads.

“Sir…” Seeing the visitor, Wu Shan couldn’t help but burst into tears. He bowed repeatedly, “You… still remember me…”

Under his lowered comparison, the man who appeared even taller in the lamplight looked down with some arrogance.

“You. Of course I remember,” he said slowly.

Hearing this, Wu Shan was overjoyed and couldn’t help but look back at his master.

“Master, I didn’t lie to you, see? The sir really remembers us…” he choked up.

Wang Qingchun looked at this man, lifted his robe, and knelt down with a thud.

“Sir, please seek justice for this commoner. This commoner has been framed by Qianjin Hall and has nowhere to turn,” he cried out in grief and anger.

Wu Shan also knelt down and kowtowed.

The official still looked down at them arrogantly for a moment before slowly raising his hand.

“Get up, I know everything,” he said, “Since you have nowhere to turn, I’ll give you a way out.”

Saying this, he called over a servant.

“Take my card and find Official Song at the Imperial Medical Academy. Arrange some work for these two people,” he said.

Wang Qingchun and Wu Shan looked up in disbelief.

Did this mean… they were going to enter the Imperial Medical Academy?

“Go on, although you can only do menial work after entering, at least it’s a livelihood. You’ll just have to endure it,” the man said with some indifference.

Endure? This endurance was truly frightening!

Only then did Wang Qingchun confirm he hadn’t heard wrong, and he was immediately overjoyed.

“Thank you, sir, thank you, sir,” he could only repeat this phrase over and over, kowtowing repeatedly.

My God, he had become a member of the Imperial Medical Academy! The Imperial Medical Academy! The highest position a physician could achieve!

And he had obtained it so easily?

In that case, shouldn’t he also thank Qianjin Hall and that young mistress?

Walking out of the Dong residence, Wang Qingchun couldn’t help but look up and laugh wildly in the street.

Yes, he would definitely! Thank Qianjin Hall and that young mistress properly!

After breakfast, Qi Yue was again forcibly dragged by Chang Yuncheng to pay respects to Madam Xie.

“How can I make you understand?” Qi Yue frowned and said, “It’s not that if I humble myself, your mother will like me. Going like this forcibly will only make her unhappy.”

Chang Yuncheng pulled her along. Hearing this, his brow also furrowed.

“Mother,” he said, turning back.

Qi Yue looked at him in confusion.

“You won’t even call her mother. How can you expect mother to like you?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her with a stern face.

“It’s not that mother doesn’t like you, but that you don’t like mother at all,” Chang Yuncheng continued.

That was true, but that was because she didn’t need to like someone who didn’t like her.

“I…” Qi Yue opened her mouth to speak.

Chang Yuncheng stopped her.

“Yueniang, mother’s temper and personality are a bit quick, but her heart is extremely soft,” he looked at her seriously and said, while gripping her hand tightly, “Back then, my mother was ill, and I, because I did some mischievous things, was beaten by father. I ran away crying and bumped into her on the road, grabbed her hand and called her mother. Just that one call of ‘mother’ made her… she never let go of my hand again and truly became my mother. Actually, she didn’t have to do this. Even when grandmother advised her repeatedly, she insisted on it.”

Chang Yuncheng became emotional and agitated talking about the past, his voice trembling slightly.

Qi Yue listened quietly to the end.

Young Madam Xie married in only because of Chang Yuncheng? Not like in other novels and TV shows for family reasons or even harboring designs on this Marquis brother-in-law, but simply to protect this motherless child?

Qi Yue made an “oh” sound.

“Alright, I understand,” she looked up seriously and said, nodding to Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng smiled and gripped her hand tightly again.

Coming to Madam Xie’s side, they encountered three young ladies and two young masters who had come to pay their respects at the gate.

Meeting everyone so completely was a first, and the front gate immediately became lively.

“How are the preparations going?”

This was Qi Yue asking Chang Yunqi about his studies.

“Of course no problem. Otherwise, how could I face the special examination meals that sister-in-law prepared?” Chang Yunqi said with a smile.

Seeing him recover his natural expression when talking to her, Qi Yue smiled and nodded.

“That’s good to hear. If you don’t do well on the exam, then you’ll have to vomit back what you ate from me,” she said with mock fierceness.

This was too… the young ladies quickly covered their mouths and laughed, while Chang Yunqi and Chang Yunhong burst into laughter.

“Sister-in-law, I’m taking the exam next year too,” Chang Yunhong came over and said.

“No problem, leave it to sister-in-law. I’ll definitely make you all plump and white before entering the examination hall,” Qi Yue laughed.

Another round of laughter.

“Yan’er has been obedient lately. I weighed her yesterday and she’s gained two pounds,” Chang Chunlan said.

“Really? That’s great. Keep it up, try to gain another four pounds before the surgery,” Qi Yue smiled.

“Is it soon?” Chang Chunlan asked nervously.

Qi Yue nodded.

The third young lady immediately grabbed her hand, smiling excitedly.

“Big sister, finally we can look forward to it,” the third young lady said with tears.

The second young lady looked sheepish for a moment, then also came forward.

“I heard from Yinglan that sister-in-law’s cooking skills are very good. When you have free time, could you teach us a few specialty dishes?” she asked.

“Of course,” Qi Yue replied cheerfully with a smile.

Seeing her agree so readily and without any grudge on her face, Chang Shulan finally felt a weight lifted from her heart.

“Sister-in-law has worked hard, and there’s nothing I can help with. I had nothing to do, so I embroidered a handkerchief for sister-in-law. Please don’t despise it,” she untied a brocade handkerchief from her waist and handed it over.

This was a gesture of goodwill. Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“Thank you, thank you. I was just about to have the maids make a few more,” she said with a smile, taking it and tucking it into her waist.

The brothers and sisters surrounded Qi Yue with laughter and chatter, while Chang Yuncheng was left aside. However, there was no displeasure on his face; instead, he looked somewhat smug.

In the past, although the relationships among these family siblings appeared harmonious on the surface, they were actually distant at heart. For all of them to show genuine intentions of befriending this woman like this was truly surprising.

Then she and mother would be the same, right? As long as she could be a little better to mother, mother could also understand her a little more.

Chang Yuncheng was full of confidence about this.

The commotion outside naturally reached Madam Xie’s ears inside the room. She put down her prayer beads and looked out through the half-open window, involuntarily holding her breath.

What were those children who were usually respectful and careful in front of her, following her preferences, doing now!

Surrounding that woman, talking and laughing, with undisguised flattery on each of their faces!

Flattery!

Did they think she was already dead?

Slapping her face right in front of her!

“Tell them all to get lost,” Madam Xie threw the prayer beads in her hand hard onto the ground.

The prayer beads broke and scattered all over the floor.

The maids and servants in the room didn’t understand why Madam Xie suddenly lost her temper and were all frightened into kneeling.

A’Luan was the first to react and quickly came out, waving at the door.

The young ladies and masters were crowding around Qi Yue and about to step in when they saw her like this, all very confused.

“Sister A’Luan, what’s wrong?” Second Miss Chang Shulan asked.

A’Luan smiled at them somewhat awkwardly.

“Lord, Young Mistress, young ladies and masters, please return for now,” she said quietly.

Everyone was surprised to hear this and looked at each other.

“What’s wrong with mother?” Chang Yuncheng asked.

This wasn’t rest time, and it wasn’t time for Buddhist prayer either.

Could she be feeling unwell?

He was about to step in.

“Lord,” A’Luan quickly stopped him, giving him meaningful looks, “You’d better not go in.”

The door curtain was lifted again, and a maid came out.

“Young ladies and masters, please return. The Lord and Young Mistress should stay,” she said.

Since this was said, the young ladies and masters all paid their respects to their mother from outside and then withdrew.

Chang Yunqi looked at Qi Yue with concern and was about to say something when Chang Yunhong pulled him.

“Big brother is here, you don’t need to worry unnecessarily,” he said quietly.

Chang Yunqi smiled and looked back once more before leaving.

“Is mother…” Chang Yuncheng hurried into the room.

Qi Yue hesitated behind him. Her intuition told her that something bad might happen.

Madam Xie sat on the kang, looking at Chang Yuncheng who hurried in, not even lifting her eyelids.

“Mother…” Chang Yuncheng called.

Madam Xie raised her hand to interrupt him.

“Go, take this and have the Young Mistress kneel in her courtyard,” she interrupted Chang Yuncheng but didn’t speak to him, pointing to a brocade cushion beside her.

Chang Yuncheng was stunned.