I bought a secret manual of the Hehuan Sect for ten yuan.

The Yan family's old house is very old, with a strong sense of weight and history accumulated over the years.

"Brother Shen is here!"

"Please come in!"

Yan Jingchun's second son, Yan Chengrui, personally went out to greet Qin Ge and Shen Tingzhi. "This must be Brother Qin Ge. He is indeed a handsome and talented man!"

"I am Yan Chengrui, the second child in my family."

After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Ge followed Shen Tingzhi and Yan Chengrui into the house.

Shen Tingzhi and Yan Chengrui chatted casually along the way, appearing to be quite familiar with each other.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Yan Chengrui pointed to a side door and said, "My father is in the next courtyard. He intends for Brother Qin to go there alone."

"Alright, please have a seat. I'll go say hello to Mr. Yan."

Qin Ge headed straight in the direction Yan Chengrui indicated, giving Shen Tingzhi no chance to speak.

After passing through the side gate, Qin Ge hadn't walked far when he saw two old men in a pavilion.

One of them was writing with a brush at the table, while the other stood to the side.

"You must be Mr. Yan Jingchun!"

Qin Ge walked straight over and stopped about two meters away from the table.

The old man writing had a kind face but a hint of authority, and Qin Ge guessed that he must be Yan Jingchun.

Another old man had been observing Qin Ge ever since he appeared, but he withdrew his gaze when Qin Ge approached.

"You're here?" Yan Jingchun paused, looking up at Qin Ge. "Sit down first, wait for me to finish writing the last word."

"Ji Yan, you can go down now!"

"Yes!" The old man behind Yan Jingchun responded, glanced at Qin Ge, hesitated for a moment, and then walked away.

"I am indeed Yan Jingchun, but it seems like it's been a long time since anyone called me by my name," Yan Jingchun spoke again. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Qin Ge said frankly, "Based on our age, I should address you as Mr. Yan. If I address you haphazardly, it would be my lack of manners."

"But since this is our first meeting, I just wanted to confirm your identity; I didn't mean anything else."

"Isn't the primary function of a name to identify someone?"

"If you even mind this, then we can't have a conversation."

Seeing that Yan Jingchun had been pondering for a long time without putting pen to paper, he asked, "Old Yan, why aren't you writing?"

Yan Jingchun remained silent for a long while, then finally put down his brush instead of writing. "Do you understand calligraphy?"

Qin Ge simply shook her head. "I don't understand."

"I have no interest in these superficial things!"

"Something unreal?" Yan Jingchun gestured for Qin Ge to sit down. "Could you explain in more detail?"

After a moment's thought, Qin Ge said, "Perhaps it's a difference in perspectives!"

"I come from a rural area, and I used to think that for farmers, the greatest significance of literacy was that they wouldn't make mistakes when buying fertilizers and pesticides."

"After reading more books and gaining a deeper understanding, I believe that the greatest function of writing is to record and preserve, to communicate and convey information, and to document and pass on knowledge."

"Furthermore, all other values ​​are additional."

"I don't mean to belittle calligraphy, and I know that it is no longer just simple writing, but an art form."

"But I'm not interested in these arts. I'm more practical. If the characters are written correctly, the information can be conveyed accurately. If the characters are written neatly and beautifully, it can be pleasing to the eye and make it easier for people to receive information."

"Pursuing even deeper levels seems a bit excessive."

"Perhaps it's a deeply ingrained mindset among farmers: no matter how well they write, it won't increase the yield of their crops."

Yan Jingchun pondered for a moment, a smile playing on his lips, "The kind of 'empty' stuff you're talking about is something only people who're too full would do. If you can't even fill your stomach, you naturally won't have the mind to do these empty things, right?"

Qin Ge was taken aback; this old man was quite open-minded!

"Your understanding is not wrong, and it even touches on some essential points."

Yan Jingchun continued, "Theoretically speaking, a person with good calligraphy skills can also create economic value."

"But this value is mostly assigned by commerce, or as you would say, it's intangible."

"From a politician's perspective, if it takes 300 catties of grain to feed one person a year, then for every additional 300 catties of grain a country produces, it can feed one more person."

"In the event of food shortage, a piece of grain worth 3,000 jin (1,500 kg) may not be enough to feed ten more people, but it certainly can."

"Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—from ancient times to the present, farmers have always come before merchants."

"However, the world situation today is far more complex than in ancient times. For example, some countries can live a wealthy life even if they do not produce a single grain of food, but rely solely on selling oil."

"The exchange of production materials between countries has existed since ancient times..."

"We seem to have gone off on a tangent!"

Yan Jingchun suddenly stopped talking. "Let's talk about you instead!"

"Me?" Qin Ge still didn't understand why Yan Jingchun wanted to see him.

However, just as Su Wan had said, this old man could talk about governing the country even when discussing calligraphy. No wonder he said he loved to tell stories!

"That old man Sun Shizheng has been praising you highly, saying that your medical skills are something he himself admires."

Yan Jingchun poured tea and handed a cup to Qin Ge, saying, "You're really something else; even Li Canglan died at your hands!"

"Don't look at me so surprised. Donghai isn't a small place, but it's not a big place either. Isn't it normal for me to know Sun Shizheng?"

"Don't worry, I just wanted to see you today and chat for a bit. I have no intention of prying into your secrets."

"Is it really just casual conversation?" Qin Ge remained vigilant; he didn't believe that someone like Yan Jingchun would be so idle.

If Yan Jingchun really wanted to chat, there were plenty of important people willing to talk to him. What was there to talk about with a junior?

"Many people say behind my back that I love to preach," Yan Jingchun said to himself, "but actually I'm not preaching, I'm just reminding you."

"Everyone understands the道理 (principles/reasons), so saying more is meaningless, but reminding people is very necessary because it is easy for people to lose themselves."

Unable to fathom Yan Jingchun's intentions, Qin Ge simply asked, "What is Mr. Yan trying to remind me of?"

"This isn't a reminder," Yan Jingchun said with a meaningful smile. "I want to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Qin Ge was increasingly confused. Was this old man really sick and wanted Qin Ge to treat him?

No need for all that trouble. He's happy to treat me as long as I pay!

Moreover, Qin Ge couldn't see any illness in Yan Jingchun!

This feeling is somewhat familiar; it seems like Xia Siyuan used the same tone when she approached him back then.

"That's right, it's a deal." Yan Jingchun said solemnly, "My Yan family is willing to protect you and buy you time to grow."

"In return, you must lend a hand to the Yan family when they are in trouble in the future!"

Qin Ge was so surprised he almost couldn't sit still. "Mr. Yan, you're flattering me too much. What merit do I have to make such a deal with you?"