In the fourth month at Yanling, the flower season is almost over.

  Gu Jinzhi and her younger brother Gu Xuanzhi sat on the kang eating peaches. She listened to her parents talking about her eldest uncles wifes illness, gradually losing interest, and cast her eyes outside the window.

  She saw her aunt today, and its not a serious illness, shell be fine after taking the right medicine.

  The brocade curtain is half open, and under the window, a cherry blossom tree is in full bloom with pink flowers. The wind blows, and the fragrance of the flowers wafts gently, filling the ground with pale pink petals.

  The sunset is lazy, reflecting the golden hook of the hanging brocade curtain, shining brightly. The brocade curtain lies softly and silently in the curved hook, soundless and motionless.

  Yu Huis eyes, his brothers pair of eyes that were even clearer than autumn water, shone with a bright light as he gnawed hard on the peach, looking like a little pet.

  Gu Jin likes his little brother very much.

  “……Big brother said, big sister-in-law misses Jin Jie and Huan Ge, this must be an excuse.” Mothers topic shifted from her sister-in-law to the letter of Gu Daren, "We have been in Yanling for six years, big brother has never written a letter, why does he want us to bring the children back to Beijing this time?"

  Father shook his head.

  Yesterday, they received a letter from Guo Yan in the capital, asking their parents to take the elderly and children back to Beijing, saying that the family members missed Grandpa and Guo Jins family very much.

  Mother didnt believe it at first.

  Great Uncle Gu Yanwu wasnt so kind-hearted.

  "Do you want to go back?" Mother suddenly asked Father when she saw he was silent.

  Yanling is my fathers ancestral home, but he grew up in Beijing and was not used to the food there a few years ago. It has only been better in recent years.

  Beijing is Fathers hometown.

  Mother is a person from Yanling, she grew up here since childhood. Being able to return to her hometown by serving the old master is the best thing that could happen.

  Mother doesnt want to return to Beijing.

  "Next year is the imperial examination, I can go back to study, during the imperial examination, no need to rush back and forth, its not bad." Father said after a while.

  He is thirty years old this year. He passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty-two, but in recent years, his studies have not made progress and he has been unable to advance his education.

  Next spring, Father will definitely participate in the imperial examination.

  "Are you not going back?" Father said, and found Mother silent without a word.

  Mother knew Fathers mind, and the letter from Eldest Uncle made Fathers idea of moving back to Beijing grow stronger. Her previous question was just a test for him. After confirming it, Mother hesitated.

  She certainly didnt want to go back.

  "No." Mother lied, "We came to Yanling to serve the old master. The old master wont leave, and we cant leave either. I heard the old masters meaning, probably because he was used to living in Jiangnan and didnt want to return to Beijing..."

  Father showed a few points of helplessness.

  "Mother, where are we going?" Gu Xuan suddenly asked.

  He followed his parents south at the age of one and had been in Yanling ever since, with no memory of the capital.

  Mother turned around and looked at Gu Xizhen, her face full of doting love, and hugged him into her arms, carefully using a handkerchief to wipe his hands and wipe away the peach juice that had been sucked onto one of them.

  "Capital city." Mother smiled and coaxed Gu Xuan, "Xuan brother, do you want to go to the capital?"

  His father also smiled and looked at him.

  Gu Xuan was a bit at a loss, he looked blankly at his parents and turned to ask Gu Jin: "Seventh sister, do you want to go back?"

  He threw the problem his mother gave him to Gu Jinzhi.

  Gu Jizhi is the eldest daughter of the third house, but she has two uncles and six cousins. In terms of birth order, she ranks seventh, so at home they call her Seventh Young Lady, and her two younger brothers call her Seventh Sister.

  "I dont want to," Gu Jinzhi said.

  She also spent six years in the capital. From birth to learning to walk, those six years were not particularly dull, but definitely didnt have any interesting memories.

  Back in the capital, the whole family lived together, crowded and noisy, with many people coming and going, which Gu Jin did not like. Like now, its better for grandparents, parents, and younger brother to live as one family, more like a modern family structure.

  Gu Jinzhi likes this.

  Her parents laughed when they heard her answer. Like ordinary parents, Gu Yanwen and Song Shi spoiled their children. When they heard the childs interesting answers, they would be very happy.

  His father even jokingly asked Gu Jinzhi: "Why dont you want to? The capital is much more fun than Yanling."

  The prosperity of the capital city is beyond what Yanzheng can compare with.

  "Thats you." Gu Jin said, "I cant go out, and I wont have any fun either!"

  Father was taken aback.

  Her mother burst out laughing.

  Gu Xuanzhi also followed with a loud laugh.

  His father couldnt help but laugh too.

  The whole house is filled with warmth and joy.

  Just then, a maid came in and reported: Madame Hong has brought her nine-year-old younger brother, Gu Xuanzhi, to pay his respects.

  The silver red curtain was lifted, and Hong Yiniang, wearing a lotus-colored embroidered jacket, led Gu Xuan into the room, paying respects to his father and mother separately.

  Mother still held Xiao Ge, but the warm smile on her face had faded by more than half.

  She didnt like Hong Niang very much.

  Hong Yiniang was originally named Hong Lian, and she used to be the maid who accompanied her mother. Her mother trusted her the most. Later, all the maids around her were dismissed, and only Hong Lian was kept, intending to find a good family for her.

  But Honglian climbed onto her fathers bed.

  When Honglian became pregnant, Gu Jinzhi was two years old. She saw her mother cry and make a fuss, not allowing her father to get close to her and Jinzhi, and drove her father to the outer courtyard study to sleep, forcing her father to sell Honglian away.

  Father agreed and even went to call a dentist himself.

  The two elder aunts saw the couple making a scene and came together to persuade them.

  Mother did not give in.

  Those days were quite chaotic.

  Honglian was sent to the Zhuangzi.

  At that time, the elder aunt thought that if Honglian gave birth to a daughter, she would take the child and send Honglian away. But Honglian was lucky, she gave birth to a son.

  The great aunt ignored her mothers crying and took Honglian and her son back home.

  The mother also got a reputation for being jealous and quarrelsome, becoming that years laughing stock.

  But from then on, Father didnt even dare to look at Honglian and her mother, their lives were all in Mothers hands.

  Later, Gu Jin and his family left the capital.

  Where did Mother lose?

  She won!

  Living a life is like fish drinking water, knowing the cold and warmth by oneself. My mother has always been unwilling to compromise.

  Nowadays Hong Niang is gentle and obedient, extremely respectful to her mother. If it werent for that one disturbance, how would things have ended up like this?

  "Haifang, go and get some more peaches for Eighth Young Master to eat." Mother instructed the maid beside her.

  Gu Xun was ranked eighth in his generation.

  Peaches were served, and Gu Xuanzhi also wanted some.

  Gu Xun followed Hong Niangs life, except for three meals a day, there was nothing else. Whatever fresh and delicate food, their mother never sent them any.

  Her mother was very indulgent and gentle to Gu Jins sister and brother, but strict with Hong Niang and her son. Gu Jin thought that her mother, Song Paner, was absolutely not a kind person!

  Seeing the peach, Gu Xuan also drooled.

  Gu Jinzhi took the crystal plate brought by Haitang and didnt give it to her two younger brothers.

  Gu Xuan pouted.

  Gu Xun hid behind Hong Niangs back.

  A pang of pain flashed across Hong Yiniangs eyes.

  "...peaches can cause indigestion, eating too much will harm your appetite." Gu Jinzhi first said to Huan Geer, "Youve already eaten one, you cant eat any more."

  Then she asked Gu Xun, "Xun brother, you vomited yesterday, did you take the medicine I prescribed for you? You originally had a stomach disorder, with qi rising up and causing vomiting. Eating peaches made it even worse. Take two more doses of the medicine, and after you finish, Ill have someone send the peaches to you."

  Gu Yanzheng glanced at his daughter.

  He also knew that Gu Xun had vomited two days ago, and Jin had opened a prescription for her, and she was fine after taking the medicine.

  He also thought Jin Zhi was messing around.

  Unexpectedly, she really got it right.

  Thats absolutely right.

  Gu Xuanzhi hesitated and asked with a hint of fear: "Really, just two more doses of medicine?"

  Jing nodded slightly.

  Gu Xuanzhi revealed a smile, pure and unadulterated. After all, he was just a nine-year-old child, still with some innocence.

  "Xu Geer, arent you going to thank Seventh Miss?" Hong Niang only then realized she had misunderstood Jinzhi and hastily pushed Xu Zhi over to let him apologize to her.

  Mother had always detested Hong Yiniang and her son, never relenting; Father had no feelings for Hong Yiniang to begin with, it was just a one-night stand, and he was also afraid of Mothers anger, so he was cold towards Hong Yiniang and her son as if they were strangers.

  Gu Xuan was only seven years old and did not understand love and hate.

  Gu Jins expression was even more indifferent.

  She just saw that Gu Xuns complexion was not right last time, and the doctors instinct asked Hong Niangniang if Gu Xun had vomited.

  Hong Yiniang heard that Gu Jingzhi often gave medicine to the familys maids and even the cook, so she took the opportunity to ask Jingzhi for a prescription for Gu Xuanzhi, wanting to get close to Gu Jingzhi.

  Gu Jinzhai opened it.

  Gu Xunzhis vomiting was originally not a big deal and healed quickly.

  Hong Yiniang took this as an excuse and tried to get close to Jiner everywhere.

  Its just like this now.

  Gu Xuanzhi listened to Hong Niangs words and said to Gu Jinzhi: "Thank you, Seventh Sister."

  Gu Jin smiled slightly.

  The peony took the peach down again.

  Mother said to Hong Niang: "Xu Geers body is not good, you need to take more care of her. Dont come over to pay respects for the next few days."

  Hong Yiniang replied respectfully, "Yes."

  The mother asked them to go out together with her son.

  At the age of nine, Gu Xuanzhi had been following Hong Niang for a long time and had become somewhat timid and cowardly.

  Father looked on, his heart aching with pity, and wanted to tell Mother to let her take Xiu Geer into her own care. But thinking of Mothers hatred for Hong Shi and her son, he swallowed the words back down.

  He didnt dare mention it.

  As soon as Hongs mother and son left, her mood suddenly improved.

  After dinner, Gu Jing and her brother returned to their respective rooms.

  Gu Jinzhi went to her grandfathers study and handed in todays homework. Recently, she not only recited various medical classics but also read the Five Classics, Three Histories, and Hundred Schools of Thought.

  There is a saying: "A scholar who studies medicine, quickly cuts the hamstrings." One must be well-versed in the classics to grasp the key to attacking diseases; otherwise, its like trying to climb high without a ladder or cross a river without a boat.

  Gu Jinzhi didnt feel tired at all, as these past lives were all things he had studied before.

  My ancestors always said: Medicine originated from Confucianism. If one doesnt study books and understand the principles, they will be mediocre and ignorant, unable to grasp the subtleties of change.

  Many prescriptions are ancient sayings. The classics of medicine, including the Inner Canon, the Difficult Canon, and the Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber, are the basic skills for a family to learn medicine.

  So, Grandfather Gu Shifei always said that she was born intelligent and a medical genius sent from heaven.

  Thinking carefully, it makes sense too.

  Who has memories of two lifetimes and is not a prodigy?

  After finishing her homework, Gu Jing returned to her room to rest.

  The days passed quietly for several days.

  By April 10th, Mother was worried about Eldest Uncles wifes illness and asked Song Mama to go take a look.

  Songs mother went and came back to tell her mother, "The servant girl doesnt look too good, Eldest Aunt has lost a lot of weight, when she talks while lying down, she doesnt have much energy."

  Mother was shocked.

  She knew that her sister-in-laws heart was burning with anxiety and that using ice to calm her down would eventually lead to trouble.

  After changing her clothes, she instructed the wet nurse of Gu Jin and Gu Xuan to take good care of the siblings. Her mother took Song Mama and went to visit her elder sister-in-law who was ill.