Wei Zimao looked up and saw a child of about seven or eight standing in front of Wei Ling, his gentle and kind face full of smiles. "Ling'er, Brother Yi Min is going to pour tea for the guests. Do you want to help?"
Wei Ling nodded without hesitation and proactively reached out to take Shen Yimin's hand.
Wei Zimao watched the backs of the two children, his brow unconsciously furrowing.
Li Yue Shu, who saw this scene, felt a little helpless.
She suspected that Wei Zimao's gaze had been too direct, making A'Min wary.
Although A'Min was not satisfied with his and Ling'er's betrothal, he was very concerned about Ling'er and had always taken care of her like an older brother.
If it weren't for his young age and inability to do certain things, he would probably have raised Ling'er as his own daughter.
Li Yue Shu chuckled and quickly changed the subject. "You've all had a long journey. Everyone should rest well. I'll have Aunt Mo and Aunt Liu prepare dinner for everyone later."
And so, Wei Zimao stayed in the village.
He brought three guards and stayed at Old Man Liu's house, which was close by and convenient. The other guards stayed in two other nearby villagers' homes.
As the young master of the Hongning City Lord's Mansion, Wei Zimao naturally would not live there for free. He was generous with his money, and the villagers who were initially unhappy about the village chief arranging strangers to stay in their homes immediately became enthusiastic.
...
The next morning, after Li Yue Shu finished taking Wei Zimao's pulse, she went to find Aunt Liu.
Now that the dam training was gradually getting on track, she also had to start building the pharmaceutical factory.
Seeing her busy as soon as she returned, Aunt Liu felt a pang of heartache. "You just got back. These things are not urgent. Rest for two days first!"
Li Yue Shu shook her head. "Don't worry, Aunt Liu. I've been traveling and resting the whole way. If I don't get busy soon, I'll become idle."
Seeing her persistence, Aunt Liu was full of helplessness.
She didn't know what was going on with this child. Ever since she changed for the better, she had been constantly busy. Even though her current life could support a large family, she was still reluctant to rest.
Li Yue Shu, afraid that she would persuade her further, quickly changed the subject. "Aunt Liu, I remember you said you had a few acres of land that were always empty. Could you rent a portion to me? I want to use it to build a pharmaceutical factory?"
Aunt Liu patted her hand. "What rent? In the past year, my husband and I have been eating meat and fish every day thanks to you, and we've saved quite a bit of money. Just take it and use it!"
"That's a different matter," Li Yue Shu shook her head. "You and Uncle Liu have helped me a lot. In the past, I was ignorant, and you secretly helped the four children. I remember it all! Renting land is a separate matter. Even close brothers settle accounts clearly!"
Aunt Liu couldn't argue with her, but on this matter, she was also very firm. "No, I absolutely cannot accept the rent for the land!"
Seeing her serious expression, Li Yue Shu sighed helplessly.
She knew this would happen, but luckily, she had thought of another solution in advance.
"Aunt Liu, I cannot occupy this land for free. If you don't accept rent, then you will receive a ten percent profit share from the pharmaceutical factory each year."
Seeing Aunt Liu about to refuse, Li Yue Shu quickly interrupted her. "Aunt Liu, don't refuse yet. This land is equivalent to an investment. If the pharmaceutical factory loses money, you won't get any dividends, and I can save the money for renting or buying land. In the end, I'll still be the one making a profit!"
Although she said that, Li Yue Shu knew very well that with the current reputation of Hengde Pharmacy, the pharmaceutical factory would definitely not lose money. The value of a piece of land was far less than ten percent of the profit.
However, to her, Old Man Liu and his wife were elders and family. They had helped her a lot when she was just starting out. If she wasn't afraid that Aunt Liu wouldn't accept it, she would have given them a higher profit share.
As expected, Aunt Liu hesitated for a long time before finally not refusing.
Li Yue Shu, afraid that she would go back on her word, immediately pulled her to the village chief to write the agreement.
...
After finalizing these matters, Li Yue Shu immediately went to town to find people to start building the pharmaceutical factory.
Wei Zimao came to Li Yue Shu's house every day and naturally knew that she had been busy since she returned.
It was only at this time that he learned that this seemingly thin and delicate Mrs. Shen was actually supporting such a large family by herself.
Was such a capable and bold woman truly an ordinary woman from a small mountain village?
As Wei Zimao stared at her back, lost in thought, Li Yue Shu suddenly turned around and met his gaze.
Unsure of what she was thinking, Li Yue Shu walked over, pulled over a nearby stool, and sat down. "Young Master Wei, Ling'er's and your sample test results are out."
Wei Zimao snapped back to attention and instinctively asked, "What are the results?"
He actually had a guess, but he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Li Yue Shu didn't keep him guessing and nodded directly. "I tested it three times. Ling'er is indeed related to you. As for Madam Wei, whom I saw, she looks older than you. It's likely she had a hard life after leaving Hongning City."
It was possible that Madam Wei's appearance looked older than her actual age due to excessive worry and labor.
Upon receiving the answer, Wei Zimao couldn't help but look at Wei Ling, who was playing with Shen Zhi Yu in the distance. His eyes flickered with emotion.
He couldn't see any resemblance to his sister in this child's face, yet her joyful smile as she played was very much like Lian Yi's when she was young.
Wei Zimao's eyes felt a little sore. He quickly withdrew his gaze. "Where is Lian Yi's grave?"
Li Yue Shu noticed the change in his expression and discreetly shifted her gaze. "After I'm done with my work later, I'll take Ling'er and you to see it."
Madam Wei's grave was not far away, so it would be convenient for Ling'er to pay her respects in the future.
After finishing her work, Li Yue Shu was about to go to town to buy some offerings for the memorial. However, she saw that Wei Zimao had already arranged for someone to prepare them.
She didn't say much more and took Ling'er and Wei Zimao to Madam Wei's grave. Afterward, she left the space for them as a family.
With Wei Zimao and a few guards accompanying them, Li Yue Shu was not worried about Wei Ling and returned home directly.
It wasn't until close to dinnertime that Wei Zimao returned with Wei Ling.
Compared to when they left, Wei Ling seemed to have become a bit silent, occasionally looking at Wei Zimao with curious and conflicted eyes.
She assumed Wei Zimao must have said something to her.
This child's brain had been damaged by a high fever, but after nearly half a year of treatment by Li Yue Shu, she had almost recovered. Naturally, she understood some things.
After all, it was their family matter, so Li Yue Shu did not interfere much, pretending to know nothing.
In the evening, Shen Tan and the others returned. As usual, they gathered together for a lively meal.
However, after dinner, Shen Tan and Shen Chi approached Li Yue Shu, who was teaching Shen Wei to read. "Madam, Shen Cheng Cai came to the dam today."
Since the dam training had begun, these two children had not gone to the pharmacy and had been in charge of the dam matters.
Both children were at an age where they were growing rapidly. Seeing them standing respectfully, Li Yue Shu had to look up to them. She quickly beckoned them over. "Sit down and tell me. What did he go to the dam for?"