Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

I vaguely remember that visit a few months ago. Ji's father, a rambunctious man, looked emaciated, his tears seemingly dried. A grown man sobbed over his daughter. Ji's mother, her hair disheveled, held a bowl of medicine, feeding her spoonful by spoonful, her throat choked with sobs as she softly called, "Nannan, Nannan." The feverish woman, unconscious, fell silent, the unswallowed medicine dripping from her mouth. Ji's mother, unwilling to see her daughter's stain, gently wiped it away. She fed and wiped away the medicine over and over again, to no avail.

The maidservant repeatedly summoned doctors, each one shaking their heads helplessly at the sight of the man's deathly pale face, breathing more than he exhaled, unconscious, and refusing to take any medicine. They all said the same thing: "Family, be prepared. This will probably only last a few days. Let's wait and see when he finally dies. Even a god wouldn't be able to save him."

Uncle Ji, who seemed to have lost half his life, called him to the yard and said helplessly: "Xiuyuan, things have come to this point. I'm afraid I will have to put you in an awkward position."

As for the grievances, the other party didn't mention them, and he didn't ask. Everything was laid out before him, so how could he refuse to do anything for this crumbling family? The most painful thing in the world is to see the young die before the old... Looking at the state of the two elders, they all rose and fell together. This might be the last thing this family could do for their daughter. No matter what, he had to strive to accomplish this last thing...

Thinking back to this, Qin Xiuyuan took a long breath and wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. How could the world be so quiet without her lively presence? He exhaled softly again and patted Li Fugui on the shoulder. "Fugui, thank you." Then he thought of something else. "How is your collection of books?"

That day, Wangshu had breakfast with her parents. Xia Mimi packed everything in the backpack as she requested, including half a pig's head that had been braised and dried yesterday, a bundle of Persian vegetables grown in her own yard, a can of mung bean soup that had been cooked early, and a pot of vinegar dipping sauce.

Taotao went shopping for groceries every day, but today she was the only one out, carrying her old basket and looking back every few steps. Wangshu couldn't help but laugh. She must be craving a snack. They went out together, trying every little street food they could. How could Taotao not love her? She had to do her own shopping today, and she had to get the exact amount right, otherwise the nanny would give her a beating.

"Hold steady!" Father Ji patted the old donkey's head and fixed the backpack. Then he led the donkey and watched his good daughter leading Wangcai and strolling leisurely along the way.

The old donkey, whose habitat has been shrinking due to the recent noise from the chickens, may have suffered from insomnia and dreams, and his hair has turned yellow and withered. He took Ji's father's left arm and said jokingly, "Dad, thanks to my daughter's efforts, the old donkey is living a comfortable life without any chaos."

That's right. The huge flock of chickens chirped and scrambled for food. Wangcai, who was living a life worse than death, was scolded and cried during the day. At night, he was tied to the door of the stable. He would immediately wake up at the slightest unusual noise and bark wildly occasionally. No matter when the old donkey was at home, he could never have peace.

The father and daughter chatted and laughed all the way to the Qin family's home. The Qin family had become quite wealthy when they moved north, and the land they had purchased was even larger. Qin's father personally supervised the construction, building a high outer wall that was difficult to climb over, protecting the family safely and reliably.

It was the last bit of coolness before sunrise. In the alleys, women sat in groups of three or four, mending clothes and shoes, or nursing their children. Children gathered too, boys playing and fighting, girls playing with stones. Wangshu glanced at the breastfeeding painting and immediately turned away. Just as she occasionally saw men, women, and children urinating or even defecating in the street, the sight of breastfeeding in broad daylight made her feel a little uncomfortable.

When the granaries are full, people learn etiquette. In this dynasty, most people were still struggling to make ends meet, let alone pay attention to etiquette. Wangshu picked up Wangcai and rejected the group of children who wanted to tease him. He hurried to the Qin family's door and knocked hard on it with one hand, making it bang loudly.

"My dear daughter, be gentle! Oh, let daddy do it..." Before Ji's father could finish his words, the door opened from the inside, and then his daughter gently turned sideways and slipped in, disappearing from view.

Father Ji: ...Too anxious, too anxious!

Qin Xiuyuan, who was originally receiving boxing instruction from Tang Bo, suddenly had a bad thought when he heard the rapid and weak knocks on the door. His legs were faster than his brain and he rushed to open the door in a few steps. As soon as he opened it, the girl holding the puppy hurriedly squeezed in with him. Qin Xiuyuan immediately stepped out, his fists clenched subconsciously. Then he saw Uncle Ji leading the donkey and was unusually stunned. "...Uncle?"

Ji's father realized he might be mistaken for a scoundrel stalking his daughter, so he gave an awkward smile and, as he entered, half-seriously explained, "Shushu is protecting Wangcai. The children are curious and chasing after her. She doesn't like noise." In reality, there was still a faint smell of urine in the alley...

I want to get in touch with this Qin family gie gie more before getting married. Looking at Ji's father who was standing there without leaving after taking off the backpack, Wangshu stretched out his voice: "Daddy~ ~" and looked up at the sky. If he didn't leave, it would get hot!

When Ji's father received the order, he hurriedly put on his empty backpack, said goodbye emphatically, and rode away on his donkey.

Wangshu was very satisfied. Holding Xiao Wangcai by the hand, he said to his master, "Qin Xiuyuan, can I visit your home?"

Unable to keep the person, Qin Xiuyuan began to act as a guide again, showing the man and the dog around the house, even letting them into the bedroom. He watched the curious woman sneak into her nighttime slumber place with the dog. Fortunately, she only took a quick tour. Tang Bo and the maid's bedroom were tactful enough not to enter, otherwise the two people following behind would have been petrified.

Wangshu was quite satisfied with the house. It was clean and tidy. It was obvious that this gie gie changed her bedding frequently. She was a scholar and a martial artist. She lived in the main house, with two side rooms: a study and a martial arts practice room. The east and west wing rooms were still empty. The layout of the back house was the same as the Ji family's.

"Qin Xiuyuan, can you show me your knife skills?" When only the two of them and the dog were left, she continued to make requests. She approached him and quietly pointed at Wangcai, who was squatting obediently on the ground. In a whisper that the dog couldn't hear, she said, "Go in its direction and scare it."

Let Tang Bo come in, hold Xiao Wangcai by the scruff of the neck, secure his hind legs, and prepare for the swordplay.

Qin Xiuyuan, with an air of bewilderment but no objection, selected a massive machete, just over an inch wide and a foot long, with a sharp blade. He swung the blade directly at Wangcai, causing him to thrash his front legs and bark in fear. He then slashed the blade in a straight line, sending Wangcai whimpering with fear, his body defenses collapsing into a line. He then slashed the machete downwards with such force that Uncle Tang lowered Wangcai to the ground. Wangcai's limbs struggled to grasp the ground, and he tried to turn around, but he was paralyzed. After several moves, he demonstrated a coherent and complete set of sword techniques. After completing them all, he collapsed to the ground, leaving Wangcai, already terrified, urinating unconsciously.

Wangshu was very satisfied and loosened its leash, patted its head and said, "Little Wangcai, little Wangcai, now you know how good your sister is to you! The world outside is very dangerous!"

Wangcai was so moved by his sister's kindness that he was speechless. He could only cling to Wangshu's toes and try his best to please her.

How could this be the vicious stepmother who just gave the order...

Qin Xiuyuan: ...God is merciful, little girl! He exchanged glances with Uncle Tang, then turned away in tacit understanding. From everything that had happened since the knock on the door, this host had entered the room, commanding everything, while he, the host, followed the guest's wishes.

Tang Bo was not in a much better condition. His head was buzzing with anxiety. He wondered what was going on.

Wangshu casually pulled out a thin whip from the weapon pile and smashed it on the ground. "Xiao Wangcai, get ready!" she shouted delicately.

Little Wangcai, who had just recovered half of his life, struggled with his last bit of strength and ran to the place where the whip hit him and stood there, listening to his master's orders: "Stand at attention! At ease! Stand at attention! Turn right! Turn left! Turn back! Run three steps! Get down!"

Although his legs were still weak and he staggered and turned backwards in a panic like a desperado, his overall movements were basic units. Wangshu nodded with satisfaction, "Obstacle training!" and swept the whip across the ground, chopping to the left, sweeping to the left, and sweeping back. In order to avoid the whip, Wangcai attacked fiercely, sometimes jumping on all fours, dodging left and right, jumping from left to right. Although his movements were inexplicably awkward, he was not touched by the whip throughout the whole process.

If you were to ask why Wangcai had just peed himself, consider this: the enemy's blade was as sharp as a sword, ready to take his life in an instant, and his legs were trapped. Besides urinating in the open, he was brave enough not to faint. In fact, he had a choice; he preferred to faint, unknowingly returning to the animal realm...

Tang Bo: ...What a human-like dog! I never thought it could be such a good dog after just being scared to pee! Don't judge a dog by its appearance!

Qin Xiuyuan: ...This dog actually gave him the feeling of being a soldier among dogs. Was he just like Zhao Er who bullied the new recruits just because he had been in the army for many years... Don't bully the old, don't bully the young. The puppy is only about two or three months old... What a sin!

Wangshu took out a cloth bag from the pocket in his sleeve, and when he opened it, there was a piece of braised pork ribs inside. "Xiao Wangcai, jump back!" He threw it behind the puppy. The puppy jumped up and tilted its head back, caught it steadily, then held the bone in its mouth, shook its head and tail, and rubbed back to its little master, and started to chew on the delicious food.

"Qin Xiuyuan, what do you think of my little Wangcai?"