At this moment, the father and daughter were probably at home quietly waiting for her to return.
Wen Zhile turned to look at Li Xianglian. “If you need my help, I will not refuse.”
Li Xianglian was touched, but how could she trouble him?
Even an upright official finds it hard to judge family matters—let alone him?
Besides, what right did she have to ask him for help? He was only her physician, treating her without taking any payment, and even helping Qinglan escape her situation. She didn’t even know how to thank him for such a great favor.
Thinking of Qinglan, she quickly asked, “How is Qinglan doing?”
“Some days ago she was still depressed. I prescribed her some calming medicine, and she has improved a lot after taking it. I was worried she might not be able to handle being alone, so I specially found a talkative young woman to stay with her at all times and help guide her. I didn’t leave her alone in the estate…”
Hearing that Qinglan had come out of her difficulties and would be able to live freely on her own in the future, Li Xianglian felt happy as well.
“Today, when she heard I was coming to see you, she wanted to come with me. But I was worried that she had just come out of such a situation—if she ran into people from the Liu family or even her children, she might not be able to bear it—so I found an excuse to refuse her.”
“You are very considerate,” Li Xianglian nodded slowly. “Oh right… and today you came…”
“I came to check on your injuries,” Wen Zhile said.
Li Xianglian naturally extended her wrist, smiling faintly. “In a few days, I won’t even need a walking stick anymore.”
“You are indeed recovering well. Even so, you must continue to rest properly. Do not fall again, and do not do heavy labor.”
Li Xianglian frowned. “I can’t even weed in summer?”
Wen Zhile looked at her and shook his head. “No.”
“But the weeds in the fields are already half a person tall. If we don’t remove them, there will be no harvest. Farmers depend on the weather. After the recent rains, the weeds have grown even better because of it.” She sighed, clearly worried about her two acres of corn.
Wen Zhile said, “I can find people to help.”
She quickly refused. “No, no. That would be too much. I also can’t afford to pay them.”
Wen Zhile chuckled. “Miss Li, you are joking, aren’t you? You helped Qinglan with fifty taels of silver. If you wanted to, how could you not afford workers?”
Li Xianglian did not respond.
Wen Zhile continued, “How about this—I am free for the next few days. I can help you.”
Li Xianglian’s eyes widened. “No, absolutely not.”
“If you truly consider me a friend, I will help you. If not, then I will take it as I am overstepping.”
Li Xianglian was momentarily stunned.
She did not understand why he insisted on working in the fields like this. Was he deliberately choosing hardship?
Their relationship was not that close.
Yet the more Wen Zhile acted like this, the more her heart beat faster, like a young girl experiencing first love.
She suddenly froze. How could she have such improper thoughts?
What was he, and what was she?
She was a married woman. How could she even think of having any connection with Wen Zhile?
That would be against moral conduct.
“You are not saying anything—I will take that as agreement. I will come tomorrow morning to help.”
Wen Zhile smiled gently, picked up his medicine box, and turned to Li’s mother. “Auntie, I will take my leave now.”
Li’s mother sent him out. When she returned, she saw Li Xianglian still standing there in a daze.
“Everyone has already left. What are you still thinking about?”
Li Xianglian came back to her senses and lowered her eyes, her face slightly red.
“Have feelings for him?”
Li Xianglian shook her head. “Mother, what are you saying? I am a married woman with children. Do not speak like this again.”
Li’s mother did not agree. “I raised you myself. How could I not know your thoughts? That Wen gongzi is indeed a good man. You should quickly sever ties with Chen Lang. If you are with Wen gongzi, it would be proper and justified.”
Li Xianglian naturally understood all of this.
She suppressed the heat in her heart. Although her mother made sense, she did not understand Wen Zhile’s intentions.
Both of them knew clearly—she was a married woman.
“Mother, you are overthinking it. Wen gongzi is simply helping me because I am in difficulty,” she said.
“Do you really have no thoughts at all?” Li’s mother asked.
Li Xianglian smiled. “I am a married woman. What thoughts could I possibly have?”
Li’s mother looked at her suspiciously. She clearly saw the shy expression on her daughter’s face when she looked at Wen Zhile—it was exactly how a young girl in love would look. As a woman herself, how could she not recognize it?
But she did not expose her.
That night, Li’s father hurried back, carrying a hundred taels of silver. He looked around nervously. Li’s mother had just come out of the kitchen and frowned at his suspicious behavior.
“What are you doing?”
Li’s father was startled and made a shushing gesture. “Where is Xuan’er?”
Li’s mother glanced toward the kitchen. “She was taken away by Chen Lang.”
Li’s father straightened up immediately. “Gone? Good, good. I thought she was still here.”
“What are you sneaking around with?” Li’s mother asked.
“Of course it’s something good,” he said happily, walking inside. “Xianglian, come quickly and see what father brought you!”
Li Xianglian slowly walked out with her crutch. Seeing the bag on the table, she immediately knew it contained silver.
Li’s mother opened it—and was completely stunned.
“This… this…”
“I withdrew it,” Li’s father said proudly.
“One hundred taels, not a single coin missing!” He even bit a silver ingot. “It’s real!”
Li’s mother became worried. “Such a large amount of silver… what if the noble household investigates later?”
Li Xianglian held her hand calmly.
“Mother, don’t worry. Since I was able to get this money, I naturally have a way to prevent them from tracing it back to us. I originally planned that once we got the money, Father could stop working at the courier station.
But since you reminded me, he should continue working as a courier and keep intercepting their letters until I obtain the divorce agreement.”