The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

"Uncle Qin, Tie Dan, I'm sorry," Wang Zhonghua said in a heavy voice, "Tie Hua did this for me..."

Old Qin raised his rough hand to wipe his face, shook his head, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's not your fault, Zhonghua. This girl... this girl made her own choice. She's always been decisive; once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it."

He stepped forward, his hand trembling as he gently touched his daughter's forehead, just like when she was a child: "Hua'er, Daddy's here."

Qin Tiehua's eyes filled with tears, and he softly called out, "Father..."

"Hey! Hey!" Old Qin responded repeatedly, choking back tears and unable to speak.

Yao wiped away her tears again, and Wang Xiangjun leaned against her mother, sobbing softly. Wu had quietly retreated to prepare the meal, while Shen Zhou directed two servants to help with the luggage.

Wang Zhonghua carried Qin Tiehua into the east wing, and Liu Xinyi immediately went to check on him. Shen Zhou had already prepared hot water, clean towels, and even a small charcoal brazier in the room, making it warm and cozy.

"Uncle Zhao, thank you for your trouble," Wang Zhonghua nodded.

"Of course," Shen Zhou bowed. "Master, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest for a while. I will come to invite you again after dinner is ready."

After settling Qin Tiehua in, Wang Zhonghua had just stepped out of the side room when he saw another person entering through the courtyard gate—it was Lü Sanjun. This wealthy man, Lü, was not wearing a brocade robe today, but only a plain cotton long gown. He walked hurriedly and looked concerned.

"Zhonghua! I heard you were back, so I came right away!" Lü Sanjun strode forward, grasped Wang Zhonghua's hand, and looked him up and down. "Are you alright? How is Tiehua's injury?"

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm fine. Tiehua is out of danger, but she needs to rest." Wang Zhonghua led Lü Sanjun to the west wing. "This is our savior, Doctor Liu, and this is Miss Liu."

Seeing that Lü Sanjun had an extraordinary bearing, Liu Jueming cupped his hands and said, "I am Liu Jueming, and I greet this gentleman."

Lü Sanjun quickly returned the greeting, his expression solemn: "Dr. Liu, you are too kind! You saved Zhonghua and Tiehua, making you a benefactor to all of us. My name is Lü Sanjun, and I run a small business in Chenzhou. If you don't mind, please feel free to ask for anything you need in Chenzhou in the future!"

"Master Lü, you flatter me." Liu Jueming stroked his beard and smiled. "I have been traveling around for a long time, and I am grateful to have found a place to settle down. But—" He looked at Wang Zhonghua, "He is both wise and brave, and has a kind heart and chivalrous spirit, which is truly rare."

Upon hearing this, Lü Sanjun's face showed a look of relief, and he said to Wang Zhonghua, "Zhonghua, since Doctor Liu and his grandson are your benefactors, they are also honored guests of my Lü family. We also have a quiet villa in Hulu Bay. If Doctor Liu doesn't mind—"

"I appreciate your kind offer, sir." Liu Jueming waved his hand. "My granddaughter and I are used to a simple life, and this room in the Wang family's house is already very good. Besides, Miss Tiehua's injuries still need to be observed and treated, so it will be more convenient for her to stay nearby."

Lu Sanjun nodded in agreement: "The divine physician is indeed very thoughtful. In that case, I will have some daily necessities, medicinal herbs and tonics sent over tomorrow. You must not refuse."

Wang Zhonghua said gratefully, "Thank you very much, sir."

"There's no need for thanks between us," Lü Sanjun said solemnly. "You handled the Longsheng Ferry matter cleanly and efficiently. However..." He lowered his voice, "Chen Shimei's side will likely not let this go easily. We need to make plans as soon as possible."

"I understand." Wang Zhonghua's eyes narrowed slightly. "We'll discuss this later. Please come inside for tea, sir."

The two returned to the main room. Wang Zhuacai, Yao Shi, and Liu Jueming were already seated and talking, while Wang Xiangjun obediently poured tea. Seeing Lü Sanjun enter, Wang Zhuacai quickly rose to greet him: "Master Lü has arrived! Please, have a seat!"

"Brother Wang, you're too kind." Lu Sanjun sat down at the head of the table and accepted the tea offered by Wang Xiangjun. "Xiangjun is becoming more and more sensible."

Wang Xiangjun smiled and said, "Uncle Lü, have some tea."

Lu Sanjun took a sip of tea and said to Wang Zhuacai and Yao Shi, "Brother, sister-in-law, you've raised a fine son! Zhonghua handled the Longsheng Ferry incident brilliantly, eliminating a menace and enhancing our reputation. However..." He turned to Wang Zhonghua, "I've come today to discuss another matter with you."

Wang Zhonghua nodded: "Please speak, sir."

Lu Sanjun put down his teacup, his expression serious: "The interests of Qiu Laohu's backers at Longsheng Ferry have been severed by you, so they will surely hold a grudge. This man is vindictive and ruthless. I'm worried he might target those around you—especially Doctor Liu and his grandson, and Miss Qin. Perhaps we should have Doctor Liu and his grandson move to that villa in Hulu Bay; it's heavily guarded and safer there."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jueming pondered for a moment: "Master Lü's considerations are thorough. However, if I were to suddenly move away, it would make me appear guilty. Besides..." He looked at Wang Zhonghua, "I observe that the people of Wangjiagang are simple and honest, and the village guards are well-trained. As long as we strengthen our vigilance, we should be safe."

Wang Zhonghua pondered, "What Doctor Liu said makes sense. However, the master's reminder is very important. Hulu Bay Villa is quiet and suitable for studying medicine. I will have Anjian strengthen patrols in the village, especially around where Doctor Liu and Tiehua are."

"That's fine then." Lü Sanjun nodded. "If needed, just let me know. I have a few skilled men in my household who can be transferred."

Just then, Du Ziteng rushed in from outside. Upon seeing Wang Zhonghua, his eyes lit up: "Boss!"

Seeing that his expression was strange, Wang Zhonghua stood up and said, "Father, Mother, Doctor Liu, Master Lü, I want to say a few words to Ziteng first."

The two walked to a corner of the courtyard, and Du Ziteng lowered his voice: "Boss, there's something... I don't know if I should say it."

"Speak frankly."

"It's Steward Shen." Du Ziteng looked around and lowered his voice. "These past few days while you were away, I followed your instructions and kept an eye on the village. I discovered that Steward Shen has been quietly going to the dense forest at the west end of the village for the past three evenings, and he doesn't return for about half an hour each time."

Wang Zhonghua frowned slightly: "He has no relatives or friends nearby. Do you know what he's doing?"

"The brothers from Dark Arrow wanted to get closer to take a look, but you said not to alert the enemy without specific instructions, so they just watched from a distance. They saw Butler Shen enter the woods, seemingly waiting for someone? But each time he didn't see him, he wandered around for a while and then came back."

Wang Zhonghua pondered for a moment. Shen Zhou was the steward he had bought from a slave trader. He was always reliable and meticulous in his work, and these past few days he had managed the household impeccably, earning his parents' deep trust. If it were anyone else, he might have directly questioned them, but Shen Zhou's status was special…

"I understand," Wang Zhonghua said in a low voice. "Have the brothers from Anjian keep an eye out, but be careful not to get caught. If he goes again, find out the situation without being exposed and report back immediately."

"Yes!" Du Ziteng nodded, then added, "By the way, boss, there's one more thing. At the distillery, Brother Ma and the others are training day and night with the guards, saying they're going to 'pay for their blood debts.' Brother Tiedan hasn't slept much these past few days, staying up late watching over his father, Old Qin, and worrying about his sister; his eyes are bloodshot."

Wang Zhonghua patted him on the shoulder: "You've all worked hard. Tell everyone that revenge is necessary, but there's no need to rush. We need to conserve our strength for a decisive blow."

"clear!"

At dinner, Shen Zhou and Wu Shi arranged the food perfectly. Lü Sanjun was also invited to stay for dinner. At the main table were Wang Zhuacai, Yao Shi, Liu Jueming, Lü Sanjun, Wang Zhonghua, and Liu Xinyi. Qin Tiedan and Lao Qin were in a side room with Qin Tiehua, who was still unconscious. Du Ziteng and other key members of the village protection team sat at another table.

The meal was plentiful yet not extravagant: the chicken soup was rich and flavorful, the steamed fish was tender, several kinds of seasonal vegetables were refreshing, and there was also a bowl of steaming hot shredded pork noodles (called "Bo Tuo" in the Northern Song Dynasty). Wu specially cooked medicinal porridge for Qin Tiehua and asked Wang Xiangjun to deliver it to him.

"Uncle Shen, Aunt Wu, please sit down and eat with us," Wang Zhonghua invited.

Shen Zhou quickly cupped his hands in greeting, speaking respectfully yet maintaining a distance: "Master, you flatter this old man. There is a distinction between master and servant. We will use you later." His demeanor still carried a trace of the scholar's manners that he could not shake off.

When Wang Xiangjun returned with the porridge, she sat down next to Wang Zhonghua and whispered, "Brother, Sister Tiehua woke up for a while, drank half a bowl of porridge, and then went back to sleep. Sister Liu said that as long as she takes good care of herself, she will gradually get better."

"That's good." Wang Zhonghua felt a little relieved, but his gaze couldn't help but drift to Shen Zhou, who was standing to the side.

Although he kept his head down and looked demure, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his fingertips seemed to tremble slightly as he poured tea. His gaze once again drifted towards the darkening sky outside the window.

Hmm, what secrets does this person hold? Was their encounter at Mule Market truly a coincidence? What are his motives for coming to the Wang family? Will he pose a threat to them?

Hmph, I don't care if you're human or ghost, if you try anything funny, we'll see!