Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Ding brought the freshly brewed medicine to the man's bedside and gently called out to the man who was sleeping soundly on the bed.

"Brother, get up and drink your medicine."

The man, whose consciousness was already somewhat hazy, despite feeling extremely unwell, still forced himself to sit up. He took the bowl of medicine from Ding Yi and drank it all in one gulp.

While eating, Ding Yi accidentally touched the man's arm and could feel his burning heat even through his clothes. Realizing that he had a fever, he quickly asked Wu Shu and Ding Er to spread the newly bought mattress on the kang (a heated brick bed) and carefully helped the man lie down on it.

Before falling into a deep sleep, the man sighed helplessly to himself, wondering if he would ever see the sun rise again. However, his groggy mind and heavy eyelids left him no time to think any further, and he sank into endless darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Ding San's young face and his wide-open eyes.

Seeing that the person who had been asleep for several days had finally opened his eyes, Ding San excitedly ran out, shouting as he ran.

"Big Brother, the new Big Brother is awake! The new Big Brother has opened his eyes!" As soon as Ding San finished speaking, several people rushed into the room.

The man felt much lighter, and his wounds didn't hurt as much.

"How long have I been asleep?" When I spoke, I realized my voice was hoarse and my throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire.

"Brother, you've been asleep for five days. You guys go about your business. Bring over the porridge that's keeping warm in the pot, and the medicine too." Ding Yi held a bowl of warm water in his hand, feeding the man the water as he spoke. However, his movements were too rough, and a lot of the water spilled before the man could even take a sip.

The man struggled to sit up, took the bowl, and drank the water himself. He was afraid that if he were fed any longer, he would choke to death before he even died from his illness. He had just drunk half a bowl of warm water when Ding Er and Wu Shu, who had brought medicine and porridge, came over.

The man took the drinks and drank them one by one. Although he didn't say anything, he was grateful to these young men. At any point during those five days, they could have taken the money he carried and moved on to another place, leaving him to fend for himself. But they didn't do that. Instead, they treated his wounds while he was unconscious and cared for him as he suffered from fever and delirium. If he hadn't encountered them, he might not have made it through.

Over the next few days, the man recuperated peacefully in the small courtyard. Every two days, Ding Yi and Wu Shu would go out to buy some meat and vegetables, then return to the courtyard to cook. After another five or six days, the man's injuries had mostly healed, and he was able to move around freely in the courtyard.

Unbeknownst to the man, while he was recovering, Captain Ding's men outside were practically going blind from searching. They patrolled every street and alley, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pattern their captain had shown them, but five or six days passed without any success. All they could find were their own drawings, and no one seemed to be coming looking for them.

Just as Wu Yi and his group were wondering if Xiao Wu had already perished, the man in the courtyard was directing several Ding Yi and Wu Shu to stew chicken soup in the kitchen.

After drinking two bowls of chicken soup with a thick layer of chicken oil floating on top, the man wiped the oil from his mouth and said to the people in the yard...

"After dinner, I'd like to arrange for you to go out and do something?"

"What is it, brother? Just tell us what to do." Ding Yi and Wu Shu were both sweating profusely from drinking, but they still remembered to respond to the man's words.

The man drew a pattern on the ground with a half-burnt piece of firewood, then had several people come over to look at it and memorize it.

"Brother, what is this?" Wu Shu asked.

“This is the mark between me and my two older brothers. Look around the town; if you see this pattern, come back and tell me,” the man said.

"Is Big Brother getting ready to leave?" Ding Yi asked in a muffled voice, the chicken soup in his bowl no longer seeming appetizing. The other children fell silent upon hearing Ding Yi's question.

These past ten days have been the happiest time of their lives; they no longer have to worry about where to find food every morning when they wake up.

"Have you ever thought about coming with me?" Seeing the little ones suddenly quiet down, the man thought for a moment and then asked.

"..." The group looked up at him in disbelief, hardly believing what they were hearing.

"Don't want to? Then forget it." The man continued, seeing that the group was just staring at him blankly without saying a word.

"Yes, yes, yes, I really want to!" Ding Yi realized what was happening and quickly nodded in agreement.

Seeing him like this, the other children also nodded hurriedly, afraid that if they nodded too slowly, he would regret not taking them with him.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kidnap you and sell you?" the man asked with a grin.

"We're not afraid..." they all answered in unison.

"Then hurry up and eat. After you finish eating, go out and look for the mark I mentioned earlier. I'll take you with me then."

"it is good……."

At this moment, in a small courtyard in Ming'an County.

Captain Ding and Wu Yi were discussing something inside when they heard Zhao Dawei's voice outside.

"Captain, the master has sent word."

Captain Ding opened the door and took several envelopes from Zhao Dawei's hand.

One envelope was addressed to Ding, another to Wu, and yet another to Zhang. Captain Ding first put the envelope with Zhang's name on it into his pocket, and then handed the envelope with Wu's name on it to Wu Yi, who was waiting to the side.

The two sat separately on opposite sides of a room, each reading the contents of their master's letter.

After a moment, the two looked at each other and spoke at the same time.

Brother Wu

Brother Ding

As soon as the words fell, the two spoke at the same time.

"Brother Wu, please speak first."

"Brother Ding, please speak first."

After saying that, the two of them shook their heads, somewhat amused.

"Brother Wu, please speak first," Captain Ding said.

"Alright, the lord has written that we must return to the capital immediately. Brother Ding, I'll leave Xiao Wu's matter to you."

"Don't worry, I will do my best to find it. No matter what, I will send you a message." Captain Ding said to Wu Yi with his hands clasped together.

Although they hadn't found the person yet, which made Wu Yi and his brothers very uneasy, their superiors had sent a letter ordering them to return to the capital immediately. They couldn't disobey their superiors' orders, so despite their reluctance, they packed their bags and set off immediately.

Captain Ding didn't see them off. He usually didn't go out during the day to avoid being recognized. After all, he had done a lot of business outside when he was a steward at the Shen family's residence, and he still had quite a few acquaintances in the county town.

Following the man's instructions, the children in the small courtyard finished their meal and went out to look for the mark. They were astonished by what they found; the mark was everywhere, on street corners and along walls. Had they gone mad from searching for someone?

So, the children, who had only been outside for a short while, ran back into the courtyard from different directions.