After everyone left, grandfather's yard was quiet and still.

  The maid brought in breakfast.

  Gu Jinzhi and his grandfather had breakfast and then started reading books.

  She was reciting "Mencius". What she usually recited fluently, today she made mistakes in many places, her mind was absent.

  The old man slammed his ruler heavily on her desk, his voice stern: "Pay attention! One more mistake and you'll get ten slaps on the palm!"

  Gu Jinzhi straightened up and recited two more paragraphs, then spaced out again.

  "Stand up!" The old man's ruler fell on the desk again, "Stretch out your hand."

  Gu Jin's small hands were thin and delicate, and when the ruler struck them, it made a loud slapping sound.

  He hit her five times, and her palm turned red in an instant. The old man didn't use much force, but her hand was too tender. Seeing it turn red, the old man couldn't bear it, so he put on a stern face and said: "Remember to add another five first, and if you make another mistake, you'll be punished!"

  The way of Gu Zhen is righteousness.

  "Go back and sit down, then recite the rest." The old man said.

  Gu Jinzhi then sat back down.

  The next book, she recited very smoothly, and once she finished reciting an article, there were no more mistakes.

  The old man nodded in satisfaction.

  "It's actually very easy. If you focus, you can memorize it quickly, but instead, you've been beating around the bush! First, remember those five characters, and then think about them later." The old man said, "What were you thinking just now? You didn't put any thought into reciting the book at all?"

  The voice was stern and interrogative, but there were a few hints of concern at the bottom of his eyes.

  "Gu Jin thought: 'I'm thinking of Father's words......'"

  The old man's eyes suddenly turned cold.

  “……His words were still gentle. If it was someone else who said that, I would just laugh and not take it to heart. But since Father said it, I felt sad. Compared to outsiders, my parents are the people closest to me. What they give me is also the most in this world. And I, a small matter that I shouldn't take to heart, actually made me somewhat angry with him. Is it that the more he loves me, the more I demand excessively?”

  Gu Jin's parents in her previous life were both in politics and came from a wealthy family. Due to their family background and work, they never let people read their true thoughts. When speaking with their daughter, they always thought thrice before speaking, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

  Song Paner and Gu Yanwen were different.

  One had never entered officialdom and was just a bookworm who stayed at home to read; the other was an inner house woman, who had never dealt with power in her life, and both preserved their human nature's purity.

  Gu Jing liked their true nature. But when her father blamed Xiu Ge's illness on her, she knew he was just flustered, yet she felt heartache and resentment.

  Time passed and she became pretentious too...

  So she thought a lot.

  People are more demanding of emotions the stronger they are. It's as if parents must love them unconditionally, and once they have some doubts about them, they've done something terribly wrong.

  A normal thing for people, but because of father-daughter relationship, it has become so complicated.

  It's better to be less emotional...

  Mr. Gu was stunned by her words.

  Then his ruler came down heavily on the desk: "Not paying attention to your studies, thinking about these unimportant things! Put out your hand!"

  Gu Jingzhi obediently stretched out his hand.

  The old man pretended to hit her heavily, but in fact he only tapped her palm with the ruler, which didn't hurt at all, just like before.

  The old man still made a show of it, swinging high and falling lightly, hitting her five times with his ruler, making up for what he owed her just now.

  "Read again!" said the old man.

  The way of Gu Zhen is righteousness.

  Afterwards, she concentrated on her studies. Once she had said what she wanted to say, she erased the memory from her mind and didn't think about it again.

  After several days of effort, I have already memorized "Mencius".

  The old man is very satisfied.

  "Stop for today and go back to see your mother..." The old man closed his book.

  He knew that his family was in a state of turmoil and that Gu Jinzhi's mind was not on studying, he must be worried about his mother.

  Gu Jinzhi was just about to speak when a servant came in and said, "Qin Taishi has arrived."

  She had no choice but to sit back down again.

  The old man invited him in.

  Qin Taizhong wore a brand new sixth-grade imperial physician uniform today and paid a very solemn visit to Old Master Gu.

  He entered the door and made a bow to the old man, shouting: "Master!"

  That year Qin Shenyi took the exam at Tai Hospital, and the examiner was Old Master Gu.

  Like the Shizuko, they also call their chief examiner "teacher".

  The old man nodded slightly and asked him to sit down.

  "In the six years since, I have never visited my teacher, which is truly a great sin. I am not worthy to be in your presence." Qin Shen Si did not sit down, but instead lifted his robe and kowtowed to the old man.

  "I am now just a commoner, while Mei Qing is still a sixth-grade imperial physician. I cannot accept such treatment." The old man said, "Get up quickly."

  Qin Sheng had just arrived in Yanling for the past two years, and during the New Year's festival, he also sent a letter to visit. However, at that time, the old man deliberately avoided the world and did not see anyone.

  "One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. Please don't say anything that can't be accepted, Master Qin, or you'll hurt the students." said Qin Shen Si Dao.

  After such politeness, they finally sat down.

  The old man got straight to the point and asked him what brought him here today.

  "Our ancestors used to run a Baicao Hall, and later moved to Kyoto, which was managed by my uncle's father." Qin Sheng said slowly, "But the two uncles of my uncle's family were not good at business. After my uncle passed away, Baicao Hall gradually declined and eventually closed down. My father bought those signboards. A few years ago, I came to Yanling and separated from my older brother, got that signboard..."

  He took nothing but the signboard except for his wife's dowry; neither his elder brother nor his mother gave him anything.

  “…….The student's lifelong wish is to revive the ancestral business. The other day, the princess rewarded me with enough money to reopen the Qinshi Baicao Hall. I asked for the princess's instructions and she agreed, also giving some more reward money. It's just that the student has shallow knowledge, thinking that the benevolent teacher is a great mountain in the medical world, if there are difficulties in the future, please ask the benevolent teacher to take care of me.”

  Mr. Gu smiled and said, "Mei Qi doesn't have to be polite, if there's anything that needs help, just speak up."

  But in her heart, she was thinking, could it be that Qin Mei Qing came just to say these polite words?

  Since it's the Baicao Hall, what needs to be taken care of? Doesn't he have Princess Minghui as his backing?

  "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" Qin Shen thanked him repeatedly and stood up to bow twice more to the old man.

  The old man waved his hand and told him to sit down.

  After sitting down, Qin Sheng looked at Gu Jinzhi behind the bookcase and said: "Master, on that day, the princess was ill, and I misdiagnosed the cause of her illness. I am truly sorry for not living up to your teachings and tarnishing the reputation of our school! Later, it was Seventh Miss who protected me in every way, which is why the princess favors me today. Those rewards should have gone mostly to Seventh Miss. However, I had a selfish thought, wanting to quickly develop the Baicao Hall, so I secretly kept that money..."

  Gu Jin couldn't help but smile wryly.

  She was about to say it wasn't necessary, when Qin Shen continued: "I've drafted the contract, gone to the yamen to affix my seal, and given the two shares of Baicao Tang to Seventh Young Miss. I hope Seventh Young Miss won't despise them."

  The old man was still thinking about what Qin Mei Qing wanted to say, until now he finally understood.

  This honest man is too honest!

  ——*——*——*——

  Thank you for the rewards from Reiko ^^, Zhu Lao Mi, Peach Baby 315, Jian and Rose! Mua mua everyone!