FID – Chapter 708

Chapter 708: Self-recommendation

“Why don’t you find another chance to go out, maybe to Aunt Guihua’s house to find something to eat, or you could go to Dabao’s or Gouwa’s house.”

“It’s no use. Grandpa and Grandma have already talked to the villagers, saying that I let Nannan go out alone and take risks. Now, all the uncles and aunts in the village are against me. If I dare to show my face, they’ll kick me out immediately and report me to Grandpa and Grandma, making my punishment even worse. Little White Lotus… I’m doomed…”

Liu Muqiu felt so sorry for him that she gritted her teeth. “I’ll have Yao’er come over!”

“Why should he come?”

“To bring food!”

Liu Zhiqiu immediately perked up, patting Liu Muqiu on the shoulder. “Little White Lotus, hurry up, how long I can survive depends on you!”

“I’ll have Dabao help send the message. He can drive the carriage, and Yao’er will be here by the afternoon at the latest.”

“Are you familiar with Dabao?”

“Naturally, I have to be familiar with your friends.”

Liu Zhiqiu was somewhat satisfied with this answer. After hearing it, the discomfort in his heart immediately disappeared. “Go quickly, I’ll wait for you. Have Dabao tell Yao’er not to come directly to the house but to deliver the food to Xinghua Ridge. I’ll wait for him there!”

“Don’t forget to bring me a portion of the food. If you don’t, I’ll go tell on you!” As soon as they finished speaking, Wei Lan’s voice came from above the beam.

Liu Zhiqiu’s face twitched slightly. It was lucky he hadn’t gotten so excited that he almost picked up Little White Lotus. He looked up and said, “Brothers in misfortune, there’s your share too, so keep your voice down!”

In the main room, Grandpa Liu, who had just fallen asleep, heard the sound of a carriage leaving.

After thinking for a moment, he finally decided to pretend not to know.

His little one had a sharp mind and could always come up with a way to survive even in dire situations.

Before Nannan’s return, he’d let them sneak food every day.

To avoid forgetting the punishment along with the food.

With boldness, they dared to secretly rebel.

Hiding in the loquat grove of the orchard, Liu Zhiqiu and Wei Lan finally had a full meal after nearly two months of struggle.

During this time, they had visited every household in the village, eating whatever they could find to fill their stomachs. When hunger was unbearable, even the baby food made from small beans that Liu Zhiqiu had tasted. 

After the elders issued a ban, their last chance for survival was cut off, and now they had truly been starving for two and a half days.

So the two of them ate greedily, like a whirlwind tearing through the leftovers.

Li Junyao watched in awe, unable to believe his eyes. Even beggars fighting for food couldn’t match their intensity.

He couldn’t connect the image of the man before him to the imposing figure from the Li household that he had seen before.

If his sister truly became a couple with Brother Liu, would their future life be reliable?

“Brother Liu, how did you end up like this?”

“It’s a long story,” Liu Zhiqiu sighed. “Xiao Yao’er, during this time, I’ll be relying on you.”

“……”

“When you return to the town, pass a message to the manager of the Wanjin Restaurant and have him tell Qian Wanjin that if he doesn’t cover my living expenses—food, clothing, and daily needs—before I escape from this misery, the next time we meet, it will be as enemies, with him seeing red.”

The next day, a traveling vendor arrived in Xinghua Village, selling rare items, or rather, only food.

Roast chicken, duck legs, braised pork knuckles, and even rice.

The prices were ridiculously high, so almost no one bought anything.

The vendor seemed to be a bit slow in the head, yet he still came every day.

Meanwhile, in Beicang, Liu Yusheng received another invitation from the Li family, this time personally from Li Ruibai.

The meeting was scheduled at a large restaurant in the capital.

When Liu Yusheng arrived, she found not only Li Ruibai there but also the head of the Li family, Elder Li, and Li Ruifan.

He was already able to get out of bed and walk.

When Liu Yusheng walked in, the three of them immediately stood up and bowed to her.

The formal gesture surprised Liu Yusheng, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit helpless.

It had been nearly half a month since she treated Li Ruifan, and it seemed that in that time, his improvement had completely removed any doubts the Li family had about her.

“Doctor Liu, I apologize for my rude words that day and for questioning your medical skills. I sincerely apologize,” Li Ruifan said, his eyes filled with gratitude and remorse.

“Young Master Li, you’re being too harsh on yourself. It was just a small misunderstanding, and under those circumstances, it was only natural.” Liu Yusheng smiled. She hadn’t given the incident much thought.

“Miss Liu, you are indeed magnanimous and understanding. Truly deserving of the title ‘Benevolent Doctor,'” Elder Li said, his condition much better today than when they had first met.

People were always in high spirits when good things happened, and that was certainly the case for him now. His face was radiant, and he smiled as warmly as a spring breeze.

His words made Liu Yusheng smile. During this time, it seemed that the Li family had probably investigated her background once again. “Elder Li, Young Master Li, Young Miss Li, let’s all sit and talk.”

“Right, right, let’s sit and talk. Look at us, we were so excited that we forgot to invite you to take a seat.”

“Grandfather’s mood has been excellent these days, but his memory is getting worse,” Li Ruibai teased. “You seem to have forgotten that we invited Miss Liu for an important matter.”

Li Ruibai was still dressed in men’s clothing, a white robe, looking like a charming young gentleman.

Li Ruifan, after recovering a bit, had gained some fullness in his face, making him look even more similar to Li Ruibai.

Pulling her gaze back, Liu Yusheng got straight to the point. “Since you invited me here, why not tell me directly what the matter is?”

“Miss Liu is straightforward, so we won’t beat around the bush either. This time, thanks to your help with Fan’er, you could say that not only did you save his life, but you also saved our entire family. The Li family will never forget this great kindness,” Elder Li said, no longer being polite or indirect. 

“I’ve heard that Miss Liu came with the Nanling Merchant Group, seeking to find business partners. Although our Li family is ranked at the bottom of the top three families in the capital, I, an old man, still want to shamelessly offer ourselves as a candidate. Our Li family would like to cooperate with Miss Liu. As for the profit split, our Li family will only take 20%. If Miss Liu has any other conditions, feel free to bring them up.”

Liu Yusheng was surprised.

Taking only 20% of the profit was practically no profit at all for the party responsible for sales.

Opening sales requires costs and labor, so if the Li family takes only 20%, it’s not a partnership—it’s them working for her without pay.

They were using this approach to repay her for saving Li Ruifan’s life.

But from her perspective, she hadn’t done anything extraordinary; she simply examined Li Ruifan once and wrote a prescription.

Muscle and tendon injuries were nothing more than a minor ailment in her eyes.

Her silence caused the Li family to overthink, and Elder Li spoke again, “I know the Nanling Merchant Group is currently negotiating with the Lu family. Inserting ourselves like this halfway is not very proper. In the past, our Li family would never do something like this, but, forgive me for speaking with the heart of a petty person, Miss Liu, the Lu family is not a good partner for cooperation.”

“Why do you say that, Elder Li?”

The three members of the Li family exchanged looks, and in the end, it was Li Ruibai who spoke first. “Grandfather is rather stubborn, and when it comes to speaking ill of others, he can hardly bring himself to do it. As for the Lu family, let me tell Miss Liu the full story.”