Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

She knew what her father was talking about.

It was the time when Wen Xiujie cut off his father's finger in prison in order to force the Shen family to hand over the wine recipe and to force her to comply.

Ten fingers connected to the heart.

What kind of excruciating pain could cause a tough guy to continue living in such a nightmare even after he has recovered from his injuries?

"Quickly! Go fetch a doctor! Go fetch Dr. Zhang from Huichuntang!"

Shen Qiongju roared, her voice trembling slightly.

Shen Song scrambled out of the room.

Shen Qiongju held back her tears, hugged her father's trembling body tightly, and gently stroked his convulsing right hand.

"Dad, it's alright, it's alright, it was just a dream. We're all at home now, no one dares to touch you..."

She repeated it over and over, her voice gentle, but the chill in her eyes was more biting than the winter wind and snow.

Wen, Xiu, Jie.

The three words rolled across her tongue, carrying a metallic taste of blood.

All the pretense and forced smiles he had when facing Hu Yuzhen at the tavern today have now transformed into boundless hatred.

What's the point of making so much money?

These 110 taels of silver cannot buy back a peaceful night's sleep for my father, nor can they buy back his dignity as a winemaker.

Half an hour later.

Dr. Zhang rushed over with his medicine kit on his back.

After the acupuncture treatment, Shen Huaifeng finally calmed down and fell into a deep sleep, but his brows remained furrowed, indicating that he was not sleeping soundly.

Outside the main hall, under the corridor.

Dr. Zhang sighed as he wiped the silver needles.

"Miss Shen, please forgive my bluntness. The wound on your father's hand has indeed healed in terms of muscle and bone. The pain is not in his hand, but in his heart."

Shen Qiongju stood in the shadows, her hands tucked into her sleeves, her nails digging deep into her palms.

"A mental illness?"

"Exactly." Doctor Zhang put away his medicine box. "That's a fear syndrome caused by severe torture. Whenever there's any stimulation or emotional fluctuation, the pain of the torture will replay in the mind. This kind of pain is more tormenting than the actual injury, and there's no cure for it."

Shen Qiongju remained silent for a long time.

"So we just have to watch him suffer?"

"It's not entirely hopeless," Dr. Zhang pondered for a moment. "A mental illness requires a mental cure. Your father spends all day cooped up at home, mostly lost in thought and reminiscing about the past. When people have too much free time, they easily get stuck in a rut."

"If we can get him out there and keep him busy, give him something to do, and distract him, he might forget about this."

Doctor Zhang cupped his hands in greeting. "Miss Shen, you are a smart woman. Rather than raising him like a useless person, it's better to let him feel that he is still useful."

After seeing the doctor off, Shen Qiongju stood alone in the corridor for a long time.

The snow has started falling again.

Fine snowflakes landed on her hair and eyebrows, turning into cool water droplets.

She always believed that as long as she was strong enough and earned enough money to protect her family, she could keep them safe and secure.

So she didn't want her father to worry about the tavern or the outside world, and wanted him to take good care of his health.

But she was wrong.

That was his father, the man who once supported the Shen family. Isn't this kind of "protection" just another form of cruelty?

Shen Qiongju turned around and looked at her father's aged face under the dim yellow light in the room, her eyes gradually becoming firm.

She wanted to help her father put his spine back in place.

The next morning.

When Shen Huaifeng woke up, his head was still a little dizzy.

He glanced at his right hand instinctively; the excruciating pain from last night seemed to still linger, making him afraid to move.

"Father, you're awake?"

Shen Qiongju walked in carrying a bowl of hot porridge, her expression as usual, as if nothing had happened last night.

"Qiongju, last night..." Shen Huaifeng felt ashamed, realizing he had caused trouble for his daughter.

"Father, drink your porridge first." Shen Qiongju interrupted him, placed the porridge bowl on the bedside table, and then took out a sheet and a key from her bosom.

"What is this?" Shen Huaifeng was taken aback.

"These are the keys to the distillery's warehouse, and a list of grains to be purchased for the next month."

Shen Qiongju spoke in a flat tone, as if she were talking about a trivial matter that was taken for granted.

"Business at the tavern is so good that I'm busy dealing with those officials and preparing for the drinking contest. I'm really stretched thin."

"Shen Song is a reckless fellow and can't keep an eye on the warehouse. My uncle only knows how to do accounts; he doesn't understand the quality of grain."

Shen Qiongju looked into her father's eyes and said earnestly, "Father, the first step in brewing wine is selecting the grains. No one but you can do this job. You have to help me."

Shen Huaifeng was stunned.

He looked at the brass key, then at his daughter.

"But... my hand..." He instinctively pulled his right hand back under the covers.

"You don't need to carry anything. As long as your eyes are still open and your tongue can still taste the freshness of grains, what does it matter if your hands can lift heavy objects?"

Shen Qiongju shoved the key directly into his hand, and the icy touch sent a shiver down Shen Huaifeng's spine.

"Father, whether Shen Family Tavern can win the drinking contest and crush Wen Xiujie depends entirely on this batch of grain."

"If you don't take care of this either, then our daughter really won't be able to hold on."

Shen Huaifeng's hand holding the key trembled slightly.

It wasn't because of the pain, but because of that long-lost, heavy sense of responsibility.

That feeling of being "needed" was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the gloom that had accumulated in my heart.

He took a deep breath, and the deathly look in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a glimmer of light.

"it is good."

Shen Huaifeng gripped the key tightly, his voice still weak but filled with a fierce intensity.

"I'll oversee the quality of this grain for you. No one can fool the Shen family with stale grain!"

Shen Qiongju smiled, a smile that held tears in her eyes, yet also the sharp edge of a drawn blade.

Wen Xiujie, the pain you caused us, we will repay you bit by bit, with interest.

On the other hand, the half-month deadline is approaching, and the Pei family will soon be moving.

On this day, the sky was terribly overcast, with leaden-gray clouds pressing down over Wuxian County as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

Liu, the head of the official house, was followed by more than a dozen yamen runners with knives. He stood up straight and had the arrogance of a petty person who had gotten his way.

"Listen up, members of the Pei family!"

Liu, the head of the department, stood at the bottom of the steps, holding a document covered with red seals in his hand, spitting as he spoke.

"The government's approval has been issued, all the paperwork is in order, and the evidence is irrefutable! We've given the county magistrate face, but this is an official matter, and no one can stop us."

He glanced sideways at Shen Qiongju, who was standing at the door, and sneered twice.

"Young Madam Pei, don't blame me for not reminding you. Three days, just three days."

"If you don't move out in three days, we'll have to forcibly clear the area. If you get bumped or knocked over, or lose any valuables, don't blame us for being rough."

The cold wind whipped up snowflakes that stung people's faces.

Pei Jundai was so angry that he was trembling all over, and his finger pointing at Manager Liu was shaking.

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! This house is the culmination of the Pei family's hard work; you're blatantly robbing us!"

Liu's face was also streaked with tears, and she clung tightly to the door frame as if she wanted to pry a piece of wood off it.

Shen Qiongju's expression remained unchanged.

She even took a look at the documents in Manager Liu's hand, and after confirming that everything was correct, she said calmly, "Since the procedures are complete, the Pei family will naturally abide by the law. Manager Liu, rest assured, this house will be vacated for you in three days."

Manager Liu felt like he'd punched a pillow; he didn't see the expected wailing and lamentation. Feeling somewhat displeased, he snorted and left with his men.

In three days, the entire Pei family was in a frenzy.

Fortunately, Pei Zhong's two sons were capable, strong, and quick.

On the evening of the third day, the last carriage drove out of the county town.

The wheels crunched over the snow, making a "crunch crunch" sound, and the hearts of everyone in the Pei family sank to the bottom with that sound.

Going to the countryside and living in a mud-brick house was tantamount to exile for the Pei family, who considered themselves to be of high moral character.

The carriage swayed and finally stopped in front of a large courtyard.

It was completely dark outside, and the surroundings were pitch black, except for two red lanterns hanging at the entrance of the courtyard, which gave off a warm feeling.

"We're here, let's get off." Shen Qiongju was the first to jump off.

Pei Jundai wrapped his cloak tighter, hunched his shoulders, and stepped on the snow with a look of disgust: "This godforsaken place, there's not a soul in sight, it's freezing cold..."

Before he could finish speaking, the heavy wooden door creaked open.

A wave of heat hit me without warning.