Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

The Zhou family didn't have much money to begin with. If it weren't for the need to develop the weaving workshop, they wouldn't even need to borrow money from the Eight Directions Money Shop. Ten thousand taels of silver would have been more than enough, let alone twenty thousand taels.

Zhou Xiyin didn't stand on ceremony. She knew that the money didn't belong to Bafang Money Shop, but to Lin Ping himself. So she took the silver note and stormed off angrily.

"Not even a word of thanks?" Lin Ping looked bewildered as he watched Zhou Xiyin's briskly walking figure.

This is at least 20,000 taels of silver. If it were thrown into the river, it would at least be lost, but if it were in your hands, Zhou Xiyin, it would just disappear without a trace.

He wasn't too angry. He imagined Zhou Xiyin saying thank you, and Lin Ping kept shaking his head. It was just too awkward.

When Lin Ping returned to Xuanji Hall, he saw two medical apprentices treating a patient. Regardless of their medical skills, their devout attitude deserved praise.

The two of them knew they had some skills, mostly treating typhoid fever, but they would consult Lin Ping when they encountered difficult or complicated cases.

It wasn't until evening, just as Xuanjitang was about to close, that a group of people with hurried expressions suddenly appeared at the door.

"Xuanjitang is closed today. If you're sick, come back tomorrow," Zhao Ritian said irritably, glancing at the group with disdain.

These past few days, he had witnessed Lin Ping's abilities and figured no one would dare to cause trouble openly. "Our master has powerful backers. If you're not convinced, try making a scene."

"You're the one who's sick! We're here to see Lin Ping, quickly inform him!" one of the men said angrily, even grabbing Zhao Ritian's coat collar.

He was a spoiled brat who could practically do whatever he wanted in Jiangcheng, but who knew he would run into trouble as soon as he arrived in Yingtian Prefecture? He couldn't swallow his anger.

"Are you all good friends of our mentor?" Ye Liangchen quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over.

He was a bit smarter than Zhao Ritian. Since the other party knew Lin Ping's real name, he was probably a distinguished guest from Jiangcheng Prefecture.

"You're smart enough to report this now." Zhu Xiaoji released his grip on Zhao Ritian's collar and said with a sour face.

They had gone through a lot of trouble to find Lin Ping, and now that they had arrived, they were stopped outside by two young medical students. How could they not be angry?

Zhao Ritian also noticed something amiss, so he quickly put on a smile and was the first to rush into the backyard to report.

"Haha, they've finally arrived!" Lin Ping smiled, having already guessed the identity of the person who came.

Besides the four notorious playboys of Jiangcheng, who else would dare to make a scene outside Xuanji Hall?

"Brother Zhu, you've finally arrived!" Lin Ping laughed as he pushed open the wooden door and gave him a hug.

Zhu Xiaoji was equally excited. He was certain he hadn't seen such a handsome face in a long time. If he weren't afraid of being misunderstood, he would definitely have taken a few bites on Lin Ping's neck.

"You're not being fair, coming all the way to Yingtian Prefecture to enjoy yourself while leaving us to suffer in Jiangcheng Prefecture," Zhu Xiaoji complained after the hug ended.

That's true. After Lin Ping left, the workload at both the rock salt mine and the oil mine increased even more. The three of them were extremely busy, and in the end, they still sent a large amount of money to Lin Ping.

Of course, this was just a rant; they had no real resentment. If Lin Ping hadn't pulled them in to work together, where would they have gotten so much money?

The old folks in the family also saw the potential and vied to go to the mining area to take on some of the work.

Zhu Xiaoji and his friends were originally spoiled brats whose greatest hobby was sponging off their parents. How could they possibly let such an opportunity pass by? They quickly arranged things for the old guys.

Some were responsible for logistics management, while others were responsible for market development; in short, everyone had their own duties.

"Thanks to God's blessing, I, Li Mingxuan, have finally found you." Before Lin Ping could catch up with Zhu Xiaoji, a pair of arms were already wrapped around his thighs.

Who else but Li Mingxuan could cry so passionately?

This fellow is a long-time follower; not only is he adept at currying favor in officialdom, but his acting skills are also top-notch, even showing a tendency to surpass Lin Ping's.

"Little Li? What brings you here?" Lin Ping stared at the kneeling dog with suspicion, afraid that his snot and tears would soil his newly bought robe.

"It was a stormy night, the second night after the Prince Consort left. A bolt of lightning struck the night sky, illuminating my heart. I couldn't help but think that this was a signal to go find the Prince Consort..." Li Mingxuan said a lot of meaningless words with great emotion.

"I think you're asking for trouble. Hurry up and tell me what's going on," Lin Ping said angrily. He wouldn't be able to tell the exaggeration in it, and he probably wouldn't even believe the punctuation.

Li Mingxuan lowered his head in disappointment. If he couldn't let him perform, he might as well kill him.

"I was sent by the city lord. He was worried that you would suffer outside, so he needed a few capable servants to take care of you." Li Mingxuan chuckled and then told the truth.

He was a servant of the city lord's mansion, of noble status. After Lin Ping left, he could have done whatever he wanted. Even though he knew that following Lin Ping would have a better future, he didn't want to suffer this hardship.

There was no other way; the city lord had given a death order, and he had to find Lin Ping as soon as possible and make sure everything was clear.

"City Lord?" Lin Ping seemed to understand something, a bleak smile appearing on his lips. "If only you had known this would happen in the first place!"

If the city lord hadn't stood by and watched, how could Jiang Yunying have been taken away?

If Jiang Yunying were still by his side, Lin Ping would be confident that he could make the City Lord's Mansion stronger than ever in a short time. Unfortunately, the City Lord did not have this foresight, which led to the tragedy.

He didn't hate the city lord, but he couldn't forgive him either. Once the opportunity was missed, it was gone forever, and it would be difficult to salvage the relationship.

Even if he manages to win Jiang Yunying back through his own strength, he will likely have a rift with the city lord, and might even run away with his wife, not caring about any power struggle.

Wish to have one person's heart, and the white head will not be separated.

"Young master, Xiao Hui has finally found you." At the same time, another cry broke out, but this one was even more genuine than Li Mingxuan's, with no trace of acting.

Lin Ping looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl with her hair in two buns. Her dusty and dirty appearance was truly pitiful, and the two lines of amber tears immediately made Lin Ping's heart tighten.

Before leaving, Lin Ping not only redeemed her from her servitude but also left her a thousand taels of silver. Logically speaking, Xiao Hui could have returned to her hometown to find a husband and a man who would love her.

The current situation is not like that. Xiao Hui's clothes are obviously more tattered than Li Mingxuan's, as if she has been walking for a month.

Unable to control her emotions, Xiao Hui threw herself into Lin Ping's arms, her voice choked with sobs, and asked, "Can Xiao Hui cry in her husband's arms for a while?"

The sound broke Lin Ping's heart. What else could he say?

Should I just push the other person away?

It seems somewhat unsatisfactory, and besides, Xiaohui is developing quite well, so this benefit is barely acceptable.

For a moment, Lin Ping felt like a sinner, that he had made the little girl suffer so much.