Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Qi Yuanjing mulled it over and ultimately decided to come up with another reason to bring it up with Shen Song.

He knew Shen Song valued Chi Jiu greatly. If Shen Song were to learn that Chi Jiu had tried to make a move on Xie Zhiyu in an attempt to leave the Shen family, Shen Song would be devastated.

He first told the servant posted outside the door to bring more fruit and snacks from the kitchen, and also to have the kitchen make two bowls of iced milk custard.

After giving these orders, Qi Yuanjing walked over to the daybed. Chi Jiu promptly rose and bowed and nodded to Qi Yuanjing.

Qi Yuanjing's gaze fell on Chi Jiu, with a hint of scrutiny and curiosity. Before Shen Song could look over, he gave a hum of acknowledgment and motioned for Chi Jiu to sit.

Hearing this, Chi Jiu walked toward Shen Song's side and sat on the round-backed chair in front of the daybed on Shen Song's side.

Qi Yuanjing took a seat across from Shen Song. Seeing that all three plates on the table still had some pastries left, he asked, a little curious, "Didn't the kitchen's pastries today suit your taste? Why haven't you finished them yet?"

Qi Yuanjing didn't know exactly how much Shen Song could eat.

All he knew was that Shen Song had an insatiable appetite. Normally, the plates should have been empty by now.

Shen Song shook his head. "The cooks here make everything taste great. Because it's so good, I wanted to make it last, so I'm taking my time and haven't finished yet."

Qi Yuanjing chuckled lightly.

"Go ahead and eat your fill, don't be shy." Qi Yuanjing's smile didn't fade, since he really didn't see any reason to hold back. "Once you're done, just tell the servant outside and they'll bring more. Don't worry about running out—as long as you ask, they'll keep it coming until you're full."

Shen Song was thrilled. When it came to food, he perked up instantly, unable to resist, his eyes shining with longing. "Qi Yuanjing, you're really my best friend. Every time I come, you feed me so well, and you also treated my third brother-in-law, and found him books to read so he wouldn't get bored. Not only that, you even let my fifth brother borrow the books. My fifth brother said he wants to thank you—he loves those books so much he's even forgotten to eat."

Shen Song listed off all the things Qi Yuanjing had done, then let out a small sigh, imitating the tone his family used when talking about Qi Yuanjing, "I don't even know how to repay you."

Qi Yuanjing nearly blurted out, "Then get Chi Jiu to leave and never bring him here again."

If he said that, Shen Song would definitely ask why. When he'd come in, he'd already decided not to tell Shen Song the real reason. He didn't want to upset Shen Song.

That was definitely something he couldn't say out loud.

Then he thought of the medicine he'd made earlier—some of the herbs hadn't been potent enough. The crops the Shen family grew all seemed pretty extraordinary.

Qi Yuanjing had no intention of prying into how the Shen family did it. He said to Shen Song, sounding a bit helpless, "These are things I can do without even trying, yet you and your whole family have remembered them all this time. Every time you see me, you mention it. With all that weighing on your mind, do you even sleep well at night?"

Shen Song said he slept fine. He explained, "I don't think about these things when I sleep. I only think about them when I see you."

It was also because his mother and third sister often brought it up, saying how much they owed him. Not just the earlier thing about guarding the vegetable fields, but also treating Li Geng for free, and taking such good care of him, and even thinking about his boredom and giving him books to read.

Such thoughtfulness—yet their family really had nothing to offer in return.

The Shen family was grateful, but when a debt of gratitude got so heavy it couldn't be repaid, it also made them uneasy.

Luckily, they knew Shen Song had once saved Qi Yuanjing, so what Qi Yuanjing was doing now didn't leave the Shen family truly panicked or at a loss.

Shen Song himself didn't worry too much. He just wanted to put his family's minds at ease. So every time he saw Qi Yuanjing, he'd bring it up and ask.

Ask if Qi Yuanjing had thought of anything he wanted. If there was something the Shen family could do, they'd do it right away.

Shen Song's thinking was simple—as long as he let his family know there was something Qi Yuanjing needed from them, they'd stop dwelling on it.

In the past, Qi Yuanjing always said he couldn't think of anything.

Today, however, he continued, "Now that you mention it, I actually did think of something."

Shen Song immediately perked up and pressed eagerly, "What is it? Come on, tell me!"

Qi Yuanjing smiled and said, "Your family is really good at growing things. When you grow wheat, the flour from it is more fragrant and tastier. When you grow melons and vegetables, they're better in both texture and taste than regular ones. So I was wondering if you could grow some medicinal herbs for me."

Shen Song wanted to say yes right away.

But then he remembered that no one in his family knew how to grow medicinal herbs, so he wasn't sure.

With the earth ability, you could inject energy into the soil and just plant things directly in the ground, letting them grow on their own.

But then he remembered the decision he'd made with his family.

According to their plan, they wanted people to believe the land in the Shen Family Gully area was blessed by the Land God, which was why it was so special.

His fifth brother had warned him over and over not to go too far.

Whether it was wheat or vegetables, his family knew what they were doing—they'd always grown things well. Even when planted in energy-rich soil, they never slacked off and still took great care of the fields.

But no one in their family knew how to grow herbs. If they just planted them without knowing how to care for them, and they still grew amazingly well, that would definitely be going too far, like his fifth brother had warned.

Shen Song said straight to Qi Yuanjing, "No one in my family knows how to grow herbs. Ask for something else, Qi Yuanjing."

"That's fine. I'll come and teach you myself when it's time to plant." Qi Yuanjing said.

Shen Song thought for a moment. "How about I set aside a small plot for you, and you bring your people to plant it?"

That way, Qi Yuanjing would see that the land itself was good, not that his family had some secret method.

Seeing Qi Yuanjing's puzzled look, Shen Song stuck to the family's plan, "My family has no secret to farming. We just take care of the land. If there's any difference, it's probably what the villagers said before—the Land God is blessing our fields."

Qi Yuanjing's mouth twitched. He hadn't expected Shen Song to answer like that.

Talk of gods and spirits—no one had actually seen them, but no one dared not believe in them either.

Qi Yuanjing thought for a moment and then said it was fine. Whether it was true or not, they'd find out by trying. He said the plot didn't need to be big—just about a third of a mu would do.

After settling that matter, there was a knock at the door from the guard outside. Qi Yuanjing knew it was the servant bringing the snacks.

Qi Yuanjing stepped out and came back with a food box.

He took out the pastries and freshly cut fruit and said to Chi Jiu, "It's almost noon, and the kitchen has prepared a meal. Chi Jiu, go eat first. Song Geer and I still have some important things to discuss."

The words were clearly meant to send him away, and Chi Jiu knew it, but he couldn't find a reason to stay.

Chi Jiu whispered to Shen Song that he'd be right back. Shen Song nodded and, remembering that Chi Jiu had eaten a couple extra pieces of the crystal cake earlier, stuffed one into Chi Jiu's mouth, thinking he must really like it.

After he left, the small table was loaded with food.

Shen Song held a cold porcelain bowl of fragrant iced milk custard.

He couldn't resist scooping some up with his spoon—sweet, fragrant, soft, and smooth, absolutely delicious!

"What is this? It's amazing!"

Qi Yuanjing told him it was called iced milk custard.

Right then, Shen Song gained a new dream: to eat iced milk custard every day.

"Qi Yuanjing, what important matter do you need to discuss?" Shen Song asked between bites, reluctant to stop eating.

Qi Yuanjing had no appetite for the pastries or fruit, so he also took up the iced milk custard, taking a light sip before saying, "Song Ge'er, Xie Zhiyu's illness is a secret. The more people who know, the greater the danger. To be safe, next time you come, it's better not to bring Chi Jiu. I couldn't explain this in front of Chi Jiu, which is why I sent him away."

Shen Song found it strange. "But Xiao Jiu came before, and that was fine, wasn't it?"

Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought him along.

Qi Yuanjing also wanted to know why it had been acceptable before but wasn't now.

But Xie Zhiyu hadn't told him, so he had no idea why.

Qi Yuanjing could only come up with an excuse. "That time was your first visit, and I was worried you'd be bored or uncomfortable, so I made an exception."

He then took the blame upon himself. "Chi Jiu hasn't come inside since then, and I forgot to mention it to you. That's my mistake."

Shen Song was persuaded by Qi Yuanjing's reasoning, and it was indeed quite boring here.

Xiao Jiu had been distracted today, his spirits low, and completely different from usual. The difference was so obvious that Shen Song couldn't help but notice.

Thinking that Chi Jiu wasn't very happy here either, and that Xie Zhiyu's illness needed to be kept strictly secret, Shen Song nodded in agreement.

Qi Yuanjing immediately said, "Then once Chi Jiu finishes eating, I'll have the carriage take him back to Shen Family Gully first?"

Shen Song nodded, saying that was fine, and added, "I'll go talk to Xiao Jiu for a bit."

Qi Yuanjing didn't stop him. "Sounds good. Have your meal at the small kitchen first, then come back. The food on the small table will still be there when you get back."

"Alright!"

Shen Song accepted Qi Yuanjing's suggestion without hesitation and asked if Qi Yuanjing wanted to join him for the meal. Upon learning that Qi Yuanjing would stay to check on Xie Zhiyu and wouldn't go for now, Shen Song left, led by a servant to the small kitchen in the Bamboo Courtyard.

Hearing the door close, Qi Yuanjing immediately went to the back room. Before even sitting down, he blurted out, "I've handled everything for you."

Xie Zhiyu lay in bed, brows slightly furrowed, his face as pale as ever, with a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. He didn't look like he was feeling well.

He didn't respond to Qi Yuanjing.

Qi Yuanjing automatically grabbed Xie Zhiyu's wrist to take his pulse. "Why are you still in pain? Where does it hurt?"

"Headache," Xie Zhiyu said curtly.

Qi Yuanjing's expression grew serious as he examined him closely.

Finally, he came to a conclusion. "This time, after taking the pill mixed with Shen Song's blood, it did manage to suppress the gu worm in your body. It was threatened and didn't dare make a move, but after the effect wore off, it hit your body even harder than before. That's why this time the pain lasted long enough to cause hallucinations, and your headache still hasn't fully gone away."

Xie Zhiyu let out a faint "mm" and said nothing else.

Qi Yuanjing rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Then..." he dragged out the word, his mind racing with speculation, before hesitantly finishing, "why don't you just try drinking Song Ge'er's blood?"

Xie Zhiyu finally opened his eyes, his dark eyes fixed on Qi Yuanjing.

Qi Yuanjing continued, "At first, I suspected Song Ge'er was a person raised to be poisonous. That type is immune to all poisons, but they must consume toxins for their entire lives and don't live very long. There are different types of poison people, and the rarest kind isn't just immune to all poisons—their blood can also cure any poison. Gu poison, at the end of the day, is caused by the gu worm. You've tried their blood before, and it didn't do anything."

"But thinking about it more carefully, after you tried their blood, the gu poison attacks still followed the same pattern as before. Now the timing of your attacks isn't as regular as before, but it's never been delayed this many days. And the way the pain builds up has never changed before, but this time it's completely different."

Qi Yuanjing was sure of it. "These differences prove that Song Ge'er's blood isn't useless. If it were truly useless, it would've been the same as last time."

"Next time, let's just try Song Ge'er's blood directly." Qi Yuanjing wasn't completely lacking in confidence. "Song Ge'er's presence alone can suppress the gu worm—there's gotta be a reason, something about his body."

Xie Zhiyu had been watching Qi Yuanjing the whole time. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low, hoarse voice. "I'll only try the blood one more time."

Qi Yuanjing didn't think twice about it and said casually, "I know. We need one more test to see if it works or not. If it doesn't, we'll think of other options later."

"If the blood doesn't work, I'm not trying anything else." Xie Zhiyu frowned, his tone hard.

Qi Yuanjing was stunned for a moment, not quite getting what he meant. But he quickly recalled a remedy he had once seen.

He'd even brought it up with Xie Zhiyu, asking if he wanted to try it.

Using flesh as the key ingredient.

Qi Yuanjing was a bit stunned. "I never even thought of that."

He felt his scalp prickle under Xie Zhiyu's gaze, and his voice went up without him realizing. "When I told you about that remedy back then, you almost threw up. I knew then you'd never go for it, so how could I still be thinking about it now? Besides, that's Shen Song—the man who saved my life. I could never do that to him."

"Xie Zhiyu, what kind of person do you take me for? A madman who's lost his mind and humanity chasing after exotic poisons?" Qi Yuanjing didn't even know how to defend himself.

Xie Zhiyu said flatly, "The look in your eyes just now when you mentioned Shen Song being different—it lit up. Like you wanted to cut him open and dig out all his secrets."

Qi Yuanjing shuddered. "Damn it, Xie Zhiyu, I wouldn't even dare kill a chicken!"

"You don't dare because you think it's dirty."

Qi Yuanjing: ...

"I'm not going to argue with you about this. Once you suspect something, it's nearly impossible to shake that suspicion." Qi Yuanjing let out a long sigh, then couldn't help wondering—had his expression really revealed something that terrifying?

After thinking for a while, he still felt he couldn't possibly have such an inclination toward Shen Song.

No matter how reckless he was, he valued repaying kindness.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed by Xie Zhiyu's side through thick and thin, all because Xie Zhiyu had saved his life several times.

But reflecting on what he'd just said, combined with having mentioned a similar remedy before, there was indeed ambiguity. No wonder Xie Zhiyu had misunderstood.

Qi Yuanjing thought the matter was settled, but then Xie Zhiyu spoke again. "From now on, don't meet Shen Song alone. And when taking blood, I must be present."

"Would it kill you to trust someone? I told you I could never do that to Song Ge'er, and I mean it." Qi Yuanjing was exhausted, but then, remembering Xie Zhiyu's nature, he said helplessly, "Fine, we'll do it your way. Otherwise, you'd never believe me anyway."

Xie Zhiyu: "Mm."

Qi Yuanjing let out a cold laugh, not knowing what else to say about Xie Zhiyu. His shoes had been dirty for too long—he couldn't stand it anymore and needed to change them immediately. He also had other things to do. "Song Ge'er should be back soon. You wait for him yourself. Li Geng's acupuncture time is up—if we miss the window, the effect won't be as good, so I need to leave now."

Xie Zhiyu gave another "mm."

Qi Yuanjing took two steps toward the door, then turned back. He pulled a small porcelain box from his sleeve and placed it on the small cabinet by the head of the bed. "Song Ge'er got bitten up pretty badly by mosquitoes. I got him some ointment to apply, but with all the fuss about Chi Jiu earlier, I forgot to give it to him. When he comes back, give it to him."

Mosquito bites?

Xie Zhiyu glanced sideways at the porcelain box, and finally said something other than "mm." "Fine."

On the other side, Chi Jiu and Shen Song were eating in the small kitchen. Chi Jiu, who had been happy about eating with Shen Song, felt his mood sink to the bottom when he heard Shen Song tell him to go home after the meal.

"Has something happened, Eighth Brother?"

"No, nothing." Shen Song couldn't tell Chi Jiu the real reason, because it involved Xie Zhiyu, and Xie Zhiyu didn't want more people to know—nor could more people be allowed to know.

He looked a bit reluctant and said, "Xiao Jiu, you go home first and wait for me there, alright?"

Chi Jiu saw Shen Song's hesitation and didn't want him to have such a look on his face, so he could only nod in agreement.

Shen Song walked Chi Jiu to the Qi family carriage and watched it drive away before returning to the Bamboo Pavilion with his attendant.

The hidden guard watching over the Bamboo Pavilion recognized Shen Song and knew he could come and go freely, so he didn't stop him and even opened the door for him in advance.

Shen Song went inside. Before Qi Yuanjing left, a new basin of ice had been placed by the daybed to cool the room.

The fruits and pastries on the small table were still there, untouched.

Shen Song sat alone on the daybed, savoring the food.

The room was quiet. Shen Song ate while thinking about Chi Jiu.

There was no one to sit with him or talk to him.

It felt like he was back in the old days, when it was just him and the only one he could talk to was the robot butler.

Now he didn't even have the robot butler around.

So boring.

Shen Song didn't like feeling this way.

But at least there was tasty food.

Though even the food seemed to have lost a little of its flavor—it wasn't as sweet anymore.

Was it because it had been sitting there through lunch and gone bad?

But why were the morning snacks still tasty when he ate them after a break? Ugh, there was so much food; he probably wouldn't be able to finish it.

Shen Song sat alone on the daybed, holding a piece of mung bean cake in his hand, taking small bites, slowly grinding it with his teeth, without much interest in eating. His eyes gazed at the bamboo leaves outside the window, and he seemed a bit wilted.

The wilted man's ears suddenly twitched, and he whipped his head around. The next moment, Xie Zhiyu came around the screen and saw the person on the daybed soaking in the sunlight, looking at him with bright, deer-like eyes, his expression delighted, eyes curving into a smile.

"Xie Zhiyu!" Shen Song called out happily.

Xie Zhiyu walked over nonchalantly and sat across from Shen Song. Seeing the table laden with fruits and pastries, and having eaten nothing since morning, he had no appetite for any of it.

"Here, have some." Shen Song took out his four steamed buns.

After spending so much time together up close, Shen Song had noticed that Xie Zhiyu didn't eat anything else—only the vegetables his family grew and his steamed buns.

Today, knowing Xie Zhiyu's weird illness had acted up, Shen Song had actually been hungry on the way over in the carriage, but he held off eating.

A sick person needs to eat their fill to fight off the illness better.

Thinking that Qi Yuanjing and Xie Zhiyu would definitely have lots of good food ready for him, he bore the hunger and saved all the buns for Xie Zhiyu.

Xie Zhiyu hesitated a moment, then accepted the steamed bun Shen Song offered and began eating it slowly.

With someone there with him, Shen Song's appetite came back. The mung bean cake in his mouth suddenly became tasty again, all fragrant and sweet—he could eat the whole thing by himself!

Shen Song munched on his pastry and asked Xie Zhiyu, "Xie Zhiyu, you're all rested up now, right?"

Xie Zhiyu raised his eyelids to look at Shen Song, looking a bit sickly. "What is it?"

"If you're rested, can you stay here the whole time? I don't want to stay here alone. It's uncomfortable, and I don't like it." Shen Song said truthfully.

Xie Zhiyu looked away, lowered his head, and leisurely tore pieces off his steamed bun to eat. "Since you said that, fine, I guess."

Shen Song was even happier after getting Xie Zhiyu's answer.

The downside was that the mosquito bites kept itching. Shen Song held out for a long time, but he really couldn't take it anymore.

He raised his hand. No one stopped him, and he couldn't hold back anymore, scratching away nonstop.

The more he scratched, the itchier it got; the itchier it got, the more he scratched, until it hurt.

Then Shen Song scratched too hard, and the pain made him flinch. He pressed his hand against his neck and held still, closing his eyes to ease the pain.

Xie Zhiyu ate a quarter of the steamed bun, then set it down and raised his eyes to ask Shen Song, "What's wrong?"

"I think I scratched my neck open. It really hurts."

Shen Song was really hurting—even his eyelashes seemed wet.

Xie Zhiyu wiped his hands clean with a handkerchief. "Want me to take a look?"

Shen Song said yes.

He put his hand down, braced both hands on the table edge, and leaned forward, in the same position as that morning.

This time, it was Xie Zhiyu across from him.

Shen Song frowned a little, and looking closely, his eyes were slightly red.

He said, "Did it break? Blow on it for me, will you, Xie Zhiyu? It's so itchy—I can't stop myself from scratching."

Even in summer, Xie Zhiyu's hands weren't warm to the touch.

When his left hand landed on the skin of Shen Song's nape, Shen Song's whole back gave a slight tremble. His prominent shoulder blades moved slightly, tensed up, then quickly relaxed.

"Let me take a look..." Xie Zhiyu said slowly. "It didn't break, but you can't scratch it anymore—it's red and swollen."

It was so itchy that Shen Song was miserable, and his fingers even twitched. He couldn't help but urge Xie Zhiyu, "Quick, blow on it, hurry."

Xie Zhiyu stared at the exposed nape of Shen Song's neck, unconsciously rubbing his teeth together. "Fine."

After blowing for a bit, Shen Song felt relieved. He leaned back, and Xie Zhiyu took the opportunity to let go of his hand from the back of his neck.

They both sat back down. Shen Song was a bit distressed. "When I get back, I'm going to wrap a cloth around my neck. Why do those mosquitoes all gang up on my neck?"

Xie Zhiyu rested his left wrist on his knee, lightly tapping his fingertips. "Maybe the blood in your neck is sweet, and they like drinking it."

Shen Song corrected him, "No way, blood tastes the same everywhere."

"How would you know?" Xie Zhiyu asked him.

Shen Song ate his pastry and said, "I just know it."

The porcelain box of ointment Qi Yuanjing had told Xie Zhiyu to give Shen Song wasn't given to Shen Song until the day before he no longer had to go to the Bamboo Pavilion.

It was Qi Yuanjing who noticed that the mosquito bites on Shen Song were still there. He asked Shen Song in surprise if he had applied the ointment he gave him, saying that if he had, it would start to take effect within two days. Shen Song looked totally clueless.

Qi Yuanjing turned to look at Xie Zhiyu, and Xie Zhiyu smiled slightly. "Oh, I forgot by accident."

“You could forget a mosquito bite that obvious?” Qi Yuanjing felt Xie Zhiyu was saying something so obviously false.

-

After more than two months, the Shen family’s house was finally built.

The whole family no longer had to squeeze into the straw shed, and they could finally bring Shen Jing back from the clinic.

On the day they brought Shen Jing home, Shen Zhun, Shen Chong, and Shen Song went to pick him up.

After delivering the vegetables, they headed to Pingshun Clinic to pick up Shen Jing and return home.

Shen Jing, Shen Zhun, and Shen Song gathered their things in the clinic’s back courtyard, while Shen Chong settled accounts with Doctor Zhang out front.

The money from the ginseng had lasted this long, with forty-two taels remaining.

Doctor Zhang settled the balance, and both parties canceled the previous contract.

Back home, no matter how mentally prepared Shen Jing was, he still wasn’t prepared for how much the house had changed.

He knew the family was planning to build a new house.

After Shen Yian and the others started delivering vegetables, they visited their father every day, sharing updates from home.

Their visits were brief, but they always managed to chat briefly.

Shen Jing was kept up to date on everything at home.

On the way back, Shen Song described the current state of the house, but no amount of imagination could match the impact of seeing it in person.

The old rammed-earth house, so dilapidated it seemed one push away from collapsing, was completely gone.

In its place stood a house of blue brick, timber, and a tiled roof.

A large main house facing south, split into three rooms, with the same layout as before but much more spacious.

To the west was a large room partitioned into three, and to the east was the same, one of which was the kitchen.

The family’s ox had a shed, and the litter of puppies had a doghouse.

The doghouse was made of wood with a thatched roof.

The path from the main house to the kitchen was paved with small blue stone slabs, laid on purpose to avoid mud during rain.

Paving the entire courtyard was beyond the Shen family’s means, but laying two walkways was doable.

With the new house, sleeping arrangements were rearranged as well, now organized by family unit.

The old Shen couple shared one room. Shen Jing, Xu Hongmei, and their three-year-old daughter Wu Xi slept in another. Shen Zhun, Zhou Gu, and their two-year-old son Liu Rui shared a room. Shen Chong and Li Maizi, with their two young sons—Si Ping, three, and Qi Tian, one—all slept in one room.

Shen Jue and Shen Lie shared a room, while Yi’an and Erkang shared another.

Shen Song, San Qiu, and Chi Jiu shared a room.

The three boys slept in the west side room of the main south-facing house, while the east side was for the old couple.

The central hall was used for receiving guests and having meals.

The family also built a storage shed behind the house.

It wasn’t made of blue brick but of timber with a thatched roof.

Still, it was more than enough for the family’s needs.

Additionally, they hired a geomancy master to find an auspicious spot for digging a well, and as luck would have it, there was a suitable location in the courtyard. Having their own well made getting water much easier, sparing them trips to the river or the village’s shared well.

A cellar was also dug, and they hired the carpenter who had made the family’s cart to make beds, cabinets, large trunks, dining tables, and long benches.

Everything in the house had completely changed.

The one hundred ninety taels of silver were spent down to the last tael.

In the end, they had to chip in another twenty-five taels because the well excavation exceeded the budget.

Initially, the family hadn’t planned to dig a well. One day, in the hustle and bustle, they all forgot to fetch water.

With no water at home, no matter how tired they were, someone had to go get it.

Shen Song suggested digging a well on the property, pointing out that the vegetable sales were bringing in steady income and should cover the cost.

His suggestion made sense to the family, and they seriously discussed the idea.

Good thing they went for it.

Having a well in the courtyard turned out to be super convenient.

During this period, the Shen family was running around like crazy.

They had to keep an eye on the fields, the house construction, the furniture being made, and the well and cellar digging.

Fortunately, everything finally fell into place.

On the day they brought Shen Jing home, the family was reunited, moving into a clean, spacious, and bright new house.