Lin Yu was momentarily stunned to see so many people in the living room.

  "Jiarong, this is Uncle Li and Aunt Sun. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten them?" Jiang Jingren quickly reminded him to greet them.

  "Probably still half-asleep," Uncle Li chuckled, his tone laced with subtle mockery.

  "Hello, Uncle and Auntie," Lin Yu hurriedly greeted them.

  "He Jiarong, how’s life as a freeloader treating you?" Li Xiaotian sneered. After all these years, this loser hadn’t changed a bit.

  "Uh, not bad," Lin Yu replied absentmindedly, still groggy from sleep.

  "Hahahaha..."

  Uncle Li and Aunt Sun couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

  "Jiarong is as amusing as ever," Uncle Li said meaningfully.

  In the past, Jiang Jingren wouldn’t have cared if others mocked Lin Yu—he might have even joined in.

  But now, things were different. In his eyes, Lin Yu was a treasure. Hearing the Li family’s taunts naturally irked him, but since they were guests, he held back his temper.

  "Ah, Old Li, Old Sun, you’re finally here!"

  Li Suqin, who had been out shopping, rushed back upon hearing the Li family had arrived. She had stopped by the supermarket to buy groceries and handed them to Lin Yu as she changed her shoes. "Jiarong, go wash and prep these."

  "Okay." Lin Yu quickly took the groceries and headed to the kitchen.

  Li Xiaotian watched Lin Yu’s retreating figure with a cold smirk, silently cursing him as a spineless waste.

  After finishing the laundry, Jiang Yan went to the kitchen to help Lin Yu. As she washed the vegetables, she pinched his waist hard and hissed, "Your snoring last night was unbearable!"

  Lin Yu rarely snored, but she was venting her frustration with Jiang Jingren on him.

  "Ow! Says the one who talks in her sleep every night," Lin Yu retorted, rubbing his sore side.

  Jiang Yan did talk in her sleep—except last night. For once, she had slept peacefully, and the shadow that often haunted her dreams had vanished. She had finally erased that scumbag from her heart.

  "Keep talking back, and this green onion will be your fate!" Jiang Yan huffed, snapping the scallion in half.

  Unconsciously, since last night’s incident, she had become livelier and more willing to interact with Lin Yu. In the past, she wouldn’t have spared him a glance.

  Hearing the playful bickering between Jiang Yan and Lin Yu from the kitchen, Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth. *Jiang Yan, what does this useless waste have that I don’t?*

  After lunch, as Jiang Jingren was about to brew fresh tea, Uncle Li stopped him. "Xiaotian, quick, bring out the tea you got for Uncle Jiang!"

  Li Xiaotian hurriedly stood and retrieved two exquisitely packaged tea tins from a gift box, handing them to Jiang Jingren with a smile. "Uncle Jiang, authentic Wuyishan Da Hong Pao. Please try it."

  "Oh, this is expensive. You shouldn’t have," Jiang Jingren said with a nod.

  "It was a gift! They say it costs five or six thousand per pound. Ever since Xiaotian passed the civil service exam for the Ling’an Land Bureau, people have been flocking to our doorstep with gifts," Aunt Sun boasted, her voice brimming with pride—especially with a "loser" like He Jiarong around to contrast with.

  "Xiaotian has really made something of himself," Jiang Jingren remarked neutrally, though inwardly, he scoffed. *Five or six thousand a pound? Big deal. My son-in-law made me 50 million last night. I could drink tea worth fifty thousand a pound without blinking.*

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  Jiang Jingren was feeling a bit inflated—understandably so. Anyone would after suddenly coming into that kind of money, especially without fear of the disciplinary committee!

  "Old Li, I heard you came to Jianghai for business this time? Need any help?" Jiang Jingren asked, swelling with pride. His name now carried some weight in Qinghai.

  "Ah." Uncle Li sighed. "If only you could help. Before coming, Xiaotian even reached out to a director at the Qinghai Health Bureau, but it was useless."

  "Oh? The Health Bureau? Is it for medical treatment?" Jiang Jingren asked, surprised.

  "It’s me. I had a fall two years ago, and it left me with lingering issues. Every afternoon, I start running a fever, and it feels like my insides are burning. The pain spreads to my back and thighs," Aunt Sun explained. Compared to the morning, she did seem slightly less energetic.

  "Perfect. Let Yan’er take a look," Li Suqin said, calling Jiang Yan over.

  "It won’t help. This kind of illness requires slow treatment with traditional medicine," Uncle Li sighed.

  Jiang Yan checked Aunt Sun’s blood pressure and listened to her heart with a stethoscope but found nothing seriously wrong—just general weakness that required gradual调理. "You should consult a skilled TCM doctor," she advised.

  "That’s why we came to Jiangyuan—to see the renowned Dr. Song from Jishi Tang," Uncle Li said, shaking his head. "We went to Ling’an first, but they told us Dr. Song was in Qinghai, so we came here."

  "You’ve come to the right place. Dr. Song is exceptional—he’ll surely cure Old Sun. Why the long face?" Li Suqin asked, puzzled.

  "Ah, but seeing a miracle doctor isn’t easy. That’s why he’s called a ‘miracle.’ Rumor has it he only sees two patients on weekdays, and appointments are booked years in advance. We arrived yesterday and pulled every string we could, but no luck. He won’t even meet us," Uncle Li lamented.

  "If you’re looking for Dr. Song, I might be able to help."

  Lin Yu chimed in. He could actually treat this illness himself, but given their distrust and the fact that his in-laws seemed unaware of his medical skills, he couldn’t offer.

  Though the Li family’s attitude was grating, they were old neighbors. Helping them was the right thing to do.

  "You?!" Li Xiaotian scoffed. "Are you saying you’ve got more pull than a Health Bureau director?"

  "In this particular area, I suppose I do," Lin Yu replied lightly.

  "Is that so? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year!" Li Xiaotian burst into laughter, convinced Lin Yu had lost his marbles from being cooped up at home for too long.

  "Jiarong, young man, boasting isn’t a good look. If you’re so capable, why are you still unemployed and mooching at home?" Uncle Li shot Lin Yu a disapproving glance.

  "Yes, young people should stay grounded," Aunt Sun added.

  *Knock knock knock!*

  Just then, someone rapped at the door. Li Suqin hurried to answer it.

  A well-dressed man in his forties stood outside, clad in an Armani suit and holding an ornate box. "Hello, Auntie Li? I’m He Jinxiang. I spoke with Uncle Jiang this morning about visiting this afternoon."

  Li Suqin frowned slightly. At just under fifty, being called "auntie" by a man in his forties didn’t sit well.

  But He Jinxiang was trying to show respect. Seeing her displeasure, he grew nervous, unsure what he’d done wrong.

  "Old Jiang, a He Jinxiang is here to see you," Li Suqin called out.

  "Yes, yes! Please come in!" Jiang Jingren stood eagerly.

  He Jinxiang stepped inside and clasped Jiang Jingren’s hand warmly. "Uncle Jiang, forgive my rudeness for dropping by unannounced!"

  He recognized Jiang Jingren from TV interviews about the *Ming Bie Tie* donation.

  Noticing the crowd, He Jinxiang glanced around. Since both Lin Yu and Li Xiaotian looked young, he hesitated to address either directly.

  He was here to seek Lin Yu’s help and had arranged this visit with Jiang Jingran that morning. Having missed last night’s auction, he didn’t recognize Lin Yu.

  "Director He, with your busy schedule, we’re the ones who should apologize for troubling you," Jiang Jingren said, ushering him to a seat.

  "Nonsense! Visiting you is my pleasure. I heard you enjoy fine tea, so I had someone fetch premium Huangshan Maofeng from Wangmantian for you."

  "Oh! Wangmantian? That’s pricey." Jiang Jingren put on his reading glasses to inspect the box.

  "Not at all. Just 800,000 per pound—a trifle," He Jinxiang said humbly.

  800,000?!

  Li Xiaotian and his parents were stunned, their faces burning with embarrassment. They’d been flaunting their "expensive" tea earlier, while this man casually mentioned 800,000 as if it were pocket change.

  Uncle Li was baffled. *Since when did Old Jiang start mingling with people of this caliber?*

  And this man addressed Jiang Jingren with such deference—a man in his forties calling him "Uncle"!

  "Old... Brother He, what an impressive presence! Truly exceptional! What a coincidence—we share the same surname. We’re practically family!"

  Assuming Jiang Jingren hadn’t introduced them, He Jinxiang mistook Li Xiaotian for Lin Yu and extended a hand with a friendly smile.

  Compared to Lin Yu’s unkempt appearance, Li Xiaotian did look more polished.

  Eager to please Lin Yu, He Jinxiang chose his words carefully. He’d almost said "Little Brother He" but worried it might sound presumptuous, so he settled on "Old Brother He"—only to second-guess himself again.

  Especially since Li Xiaotian was gaping at him, frozen in place.

  He Jinxiang grew even more nervous, his outstretched hand hovering awkwardly as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.