In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhu Qingyu chose a day to stop seeing patients and went to the government office with Zhang Shen to complete the divorce procedures.

In theory, divorce procedures are not difficult to complete. Both parties sign and affix their seals to the government office, where the registrar verifies the document and affixes the official seal. Then, the household registration is changed.

That's how it is in theory, but when the two officials who came to process the divorce were seen, one was Lord Zhu, wearing a third-rank scarlet peacock robe, and the other was Lord Zhang, wearing a fifth-rank blue-green pheasant robe, just standing there, the registrar trembled and dared not put pen to paper, and quickly invited Lord Zhuang out.

After reviewing the documents submitted by the two men, Lord Zhuang did not offer any further advice, but instead asked them:

"Are you sure? Don't you want to think about it anymore?"

Zhu Qingyu did not answer, but looked at Zhang Shen first, waiting for him to answer first.

As Zhang Shen looked at the divorce papers in Lord Zhuang's hand, his heart ached again.

This is your last chance to back out.

Zhang Shen looked at Zhu Qingyu, who did not urge him but calmly waited for him to make a decision.

If he changes his mind at this point, Zhang Shen believes that she will not force him to divorce, and she will not even argue with him, but will leave peacefully.

But this departure is permanent.

If he goes back on his word and insists on clinging to this conventional marriage, he will lose her forever.

Only by letting go can I gain her pity.

Zhang Shen felt a pang of pain in his heart, but a slight smile appeared on his face as he replied:

"Sure."

Zhang Shen nodded, and then Zhu Qingyu said:

"Sure."

Lord Zhuang took the official seal and stamped it on the divorce papers, sighing:

"Marriage is a matter of fate, and it cannot be forced. Parting amicably and amicably is not necessarily a bad thing. Now that you are divorced, Lord Zhu, where will your household registration be registered?"

Normally, after a divorce, one's household registration should be returned to the wife's family home. However, Zhu Qingyu's parents were not here, and there was no place for her to register. So she thought of asking Lord Zhuang if she, as a court official, could register a separate household.

Zhang Shen spoke first:

"Qingyu, since we're family, why isn't your household registration still with the Zhang family? Is that alright?"

Zhu Qingyu smiled and said:

"Still staying with the Zhang family? Then aren't you my maternal family now?"

Zhu Qingyu was just joking, but Zhang Shen took it very seriously:

"Well, from now on you can call me cousin. I'll prepare your dowry. I've said before that I should prepare a proper dowry for you. Qingyu, since you've promised to continue being family with me, you have to listen to me on this matter."

Zhu Qingyu didn't care about conventional marriage, nor did she really care where she settled down, but she didn't think the law could support it, so she looked at Lord Zhuang:

"Is this okay?"

Lord Zhuang had served as the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review for many years. The fact that he could file a complaint with the Court of Judicial Review was a testament to the many bizarre and extraordinary stories of the common people. Therefore, having witnessed the farce of her husband becoming her cousin, Lord Zhuang, unfazed, remained calm and replied:

"There is precedent for this, so it's not considered out of line."

With the government's support, Zhang Shen's insistence, and Zhu Qingyu's genuine regard for the Zhang family as relatives, the household registration remained unchanged.

The divorce proceedings went smoothly, and Zhu Qingyu even had time to return to Huiyi Clinic for another consultation.

Before leaving, Zhang Shen called out to Zhu Qingyu:

"From now on, please come back to stay on your days off, okay?"

Since they had agreed to be family, they would definitely keep in touch, so Zhu Qingyu agreed.

The day before her first day off after the divorce, Zhang Shen came to the clinic early in the morning to wait for her to come home. After Zhu Qingyu finished her consultation and got into the carriage, she said to him:

"I can go back by myself from now on. You have to work too, so you don't need to pick me up."

Zhang Shen sat particularly far from Zhu Qingyu this time, basically one person at one end of the carriage and the other at the other, and replied:

"I didn't come here on purpose. I was escorting a foreign merchant to the ferry and just happened to be passing by."

The ferry crossing wasn't in this direction, and although Zhu Qingyu knew he was lying, she didn't expose him.

Both of them need time to adjust to the changes in their relationship.

After Zhu Qingyu and Zhang Shenhe divorced, the person who reacted the most was actually Zhang Ruohua.

After arriving home, Zhang Shen corrected her form of address, saying:

"From now on, you can't call her sister-in-law, you have to call her cousin."

Zhang Ruohua glared at Zhang Shen angrily and stormed off without even coming out for dinner.

Zhang Shen arranged a courtyard for Zhu Qingyu to stay in the inner courtyard. Seeing Zhang Ruohua's strong reaction, Zhu Qingyu discussed it with Zhang Shen:

"Or I should go back to the clinic, so as not to upset Ruohua."

Zhang Shen shook his head, refusing to let her leave, and replied:

"She'll be even more upset if you leave."

No one knows a sister better than her brother. After Zhu Qingyu finished washing up and was about to go to bed, Zhang Ruohua suddenly came over, stood by the door, and stared at her expectantly.

Zhu Qingyu waved to her:

"Third sister, will you sleep with me?"

Zhang Ruohua rushed over, crawled under the covers, and took up half of her bed, without saying a word.

Zhu Qingyu blew out the lamp and got into bed. Zhang Ruohua immediately snuggled up to her, resting her head on her arm, but still didn't say anything.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the autumn rains continued, and the autumn winds blew through the nights, making each day cooler than the last.

Worried that Zhang Ruohua wasn't properly covered with the blanket, Zhu Qingyu fumbled around and covered her with it.

Zhang Ruohua, wrapped in the blanket, finally spoke, her voice muffled and trembling with tears:

"Sister-in-law, is it because my second brother is bad that you don't want us anymore?"

Zhu Qingyu touched her face, and sure enough, the emotional girl was shedding tears.

After fumbling for a handkerchief to wipe away Zhang Ruohua's tears, Zhu Qingyu replied:

"No, Ruohua, it has nothing to do with your second brother. It's my problem; I changed my mind. If you feel bad, I can come less often, or not at all. Would that make you feel better?"

Zhang Ruohua clung to her arm and burst into tears:

"No, sister-in-law, you don't want us anymore, I'm so sad. But you don't come to see me anymore, I'm even sadder, sob sob sob, sister-in-law, I'm so sad."

The young girl's emotions came intensely; she hugged Zhu Qingyu and cried for half the night, and would cry every time she thought of her, almost as if she would cry until the end of time.

But time is a magical thing. By the time Zhu Qingyu returned on her fourth day off, Zhang Ruohua seemed to have gotten used to it. She not only started calling her "cousin" but also chatted and laughed with her during dinner.

"Cousin, your next trip back will be around the time of the Beginning of Winter. Miss Zhuang invited me to go to Danxia Temple to see the autumn leaves. Shall we go together?"

It's almost time for the start of winter again, and Zhu Qingyu will soon be five years old since she transmigrated to this world.

Those who parted in spring and promised to reunite remain missing by winter.

Perhaps he has some difficulties and can't come.

As expected.

Since arriving in Jiangning, Zhu Qingyu, whose days were filled with work at Huiyi Clinic and who had almost no free time, suddenly felt a little tired and wanted a moment to be alone quietly. So she replied:

"No, I have something to do on the day of the Beginning of Winter."

The day before the start of winter, Zhu Qingyu lay in bed, unable to fall asleep no matter what she did. She lay there until past midnight and still couldn't sleep, so she got up and went to the front clinic to organize the recent medical records and continue writing her treatise on all diseases.

In the dead of night, there was a knock on the door of Huiyi Clinic.

Hearing Uncle Qi, who lived in the back room, open the front door, Zhu Qingyu's heart suddenly started pounding for no reason. She jumped up and rushed to the door.

Outside the door, snowflakes began to fall from the sky at some unknown time.

Under the cover of night, Gu Zhao, carrying a lantern, wearing a black cloak, and sporting a buzz cut, smiled when he saw Zhu Qingyu:

"Madam, this humble monk has come from the capital. May I come in and have a cup of tea?"