Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

"Haha, I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself to you." Ji Nuan winked playfully, as if possessed by a sense of drama. She humbly bowed and said with a smile, "I'm not very talented, but my friends in the martial arts world give me face and jokingly call me the Little Miracle Doctor of Dongzhou. I didn't mean to pry into your privacy. Last time at the flower viewing banquet, I accidentally touched Shi Zao's wrist. I had some doubts in my heart at the time, but now seeing your reaction, I'm sure it's confirmed."

The corner of Qiu Shili's mouth twitched slightly, and she wondered if she was being too obvious, or if Ji Nuan's medical skills were truly incredible. Qiu Shizao's heart disease had been carefully treated for years, and even an ordinary doctor wouldn't be able to detect it simply by feeling her pulse.

Qiu Shizao looked at Ji Nuan with admiration, his eyes twinkling with countless little stars: "Sister Nuannuan, you actually have such a hidden talent! You are already famous in Dongzhou, it's really admirable!"

"Who is this person who has become famous in Dongzhou?"

Just then, Qiao Qiao and her four sisters arrived. Chen Rong, with her sharp ears, asked curious questions before they even approached.

"Rong'er, Qiao Qiao, you're here!" Qiu Shizao happily took two steps forward and affectionately took the hands of Wang Yunshan and Wang Yunchan, examining them carefully. "These two girls look so alike, could they be twins?"

Wang Yunshan had initially worried that Qiu Shizao, a daughter of an official family, would be so arrogant as to look down on them, daughters of merchant families. Unexpectedly, Qiu Shizao was as approachable as Chen Rong had claimed. Her concerns vanished, and she began to chatter. She shook their clasped hands and smiled sweetly, "Hey, a lot of people ask that. We're actually sisters, born ten months apart in the same year. I'm your younger sister, Wang Yunshan, born at the end of the year; this is my older sister, Wang Yunchan, born at the beginning. You must be Miss Qiu Si, right? Qiao Qiao and Rong'er even praised your intelligence in front of us!"

"Are you really praising me? My sister always says I'm often confused!"

Qiu Shizao asked them with a smile how they had praised him specifically, and insisted on pestering them to praise him a few more times in person, which made Qiu Shili and Ji Nuan laugh.

Chen Rong and Wang Yunshan were both incredibly curious, and they eagerly inquired about the veteran in the Dongzhou martial arts world they were discussing. When Qiu Shizao mentioned Ji Nuan's nickname, "Dongzhou's Little Miracle Doctor," they eagerly peppered Ji Nuan with questions about the origins of this title. Ji Nuan now regretted her self-proclaimed title, but thankfully, she had read a wealth of literature and had treated numerous unusual illnesses. She randomly selected a few experiences to recount, and they were enough to leave the young women stunned and amazed.

Xueqing and Xuebi spread mats on the ground, and the Qiu family's servants set up the low table and arranged the food and tea brought by each family. This group of young girls of similar age quickly became familiar with each other, and the whole open space was filled with laughter and joy.

A group of youngsters, usually confined to their homes to study and practice martial arts, finally had this rare opportunity today—Mr. Fu had given them a few days off because he had moved into the Ji residence in the prefectural capital to prepare for the autumn exam. Once free, they were like ponies on the loose, having fun and forgetting everything else.

Near noon, the kids who were tired from playing came back to rest and rushed to Ji Nuan to ask for water.

Ji Nuan had asked Xue Qing to prepare soft mats and a variety of food for them, and now she asked Liu An to take them there.

Yin Dou'er is still young. Although she has familiar playmates around her, she hasn't seen her parents for a long time and is very attached to Ji Nuan.

He held his favorite cake roll in his hand and quietly rubbed against Ji Nuan, carefully protecting the food in his hand. He squeezed between Ji Nuan and Qiu Shizao who were sitting next to each other, and then sat in Ji Nuan's arms. He raised his chubby little hand and said in a baby voice, "Dou'er, give Dudu some cake."

Ji Nuan smiled gently and said, "Thank you, Yindou'er! But auntie has some here too, Yindou'er, you can eat it yourself."

Qiu Shizao looked at the cute little boy who suddenly appeared, and couldn't help but stretched out his hand and gently pinched his face, "Oh, Sister Nuannuan, is this your little nephew? So cute!"

Chen Rong leaned forward and teased, "Are you envious? Don't you also want to have such a filial and lovable nephew?"

Qiu Shizao nodded repeatedly, his eyes gleaming with desire: "Yeah, yeah, I want it so badly!"

Wang Yunshan interrupted, "That's easy! Just let your elder brother get married sooner."

Qiu Shizao sighed and shook his head. "This isn't a simple matter. My eldest brother had a childhood sweetheart, but unfortunately she drowned last spring. He doesn't even want to consider marriage now."

After spending half a day together, Qiu Shili was no longer as defensive as she had been at the beginning. She felt that these people in front of her did not seem to be treacherous. Moreover, Qiu Shishen's marriage was no secret in the city. Anyone interested could find out everything with a little inquiry, so she did not stop Qiu Shi from mentioning Qiu Shishen's past.

A moment of silence fell over them, unsure what to say. To break the awkward silence, Ji Nuan asked, "Shi Zao, did you bring the notebook you wanted to share with me?"

"I brought it, I brought it." Qiu Shizao quickly ordered the maid to get it from the carriage.

When Wang Yunshan heard they were going to take the storybook, she immediately became restless. She wasn't one to calm down and read, so she quickly found an excuse to leave. "My eyes hurt whenever I see a book, and storybooks are no exception. Sister, let's go to the foot of the mountain and take a walk. Maybe we can come across a pheasant or rabbit or something. It'll be a treat for you sisters."

Upon hearing this, Chen Rong immediately agreed, "Yunshan, Yunchan, whether we can have meat for lunch depends entirely on you."

Ji Nuan also smiled and said, "Rong'er wants to eat meat. Xuebi is good at kung fu, so let her go with you. Also call Feng Ji and Feng Rui from my third brother's side. If we encounter a big guy, they can also help."

Wang Yunchan readily agreed: "Okay, more people means more chances of hunting."

Sprite hadn't exercised for a long time. After hearing Ji Nuan's arrangement, she happily went to find brothers Feng Rui and Feng Ji and informed them to prepare to go up the mountain together.

"Sisters, wait for me to come back and have barbecue!" Wang Yunshan said to everyone confidently, then she pulled her sister Wang Yunchan to meet up with Sprite and the others, and went up the mountain happily.

At this time, Qiu Shizao's maid came running over with a few books in her arms and gently placed them in front of Ji Nuan.