When would this Boss Xue arrive? Surely he wasn't just going to stand them up? But that seemed unlikely; judging by what Boss Xue said that day, the flower was quite precious! So, Boss Xue definitely had to show up, but if he was coming, he should have reached Qingshan Town by now. Why hadn't anyone sent word? Wang Qingchen calculated the days while boiling the medicinal broth. His family was now thirty taels of silver in debt!

Speaking of that day, it was a stroke of luck that Li Yuntai arrived when he did; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to gather the money. Thinking of the relieved expressions on Wang Youliang and Tian Shi’s faces when Li Yuntai delivered the silver, Wang Qingchen felt a familiar tightness in his chest. What kind of relatives were they? Always scheming to take advantage of others, yet never willing to spare a single coin themselves. However, after this incident, he vowed he would never again allow the First Branch to ask them for help.

Once the medicine was properly brewed, Wang Qingchen carried it over to Lady Yang.

Seeing Wang Qingchen approach with the medicine, Lady Yang sighed, “Alas, thirty taels spent just for this wretched body of mine. How will this family manage now? I’d rather suffer a lifetime of hardship than spend such unjust money.”

“Mother, don't dwell on it. The money is spent regardless. You must focus on recovering your health, or the money will truly have been wasted. As long as your health returns, this money won't be regretted,” Wang Qingchen said, handing the medicine to Lady Yang.

Lady Yang let out another sigh and took the bowl to drink.

“Mother, Grandfather just sent over an old hen,” Wang Qingchen mentioned.

“An old hen?” Lady Yang was startled for a moment. The Old Madam actually agreed?

“Yes, perhaps Grandfather feels bad that the Old Residence didn’t contribute much this time. I accepted the chicken, but I don't know how to cook it. I’ll go call Third Aunt later to help me simmer it into soup; I hear it’s very restorative.” Wang Qingchen explained.

“Isn't that improper? Your Grandmother will surely be distressed. You should send the chicken back to your Grandfather later; we haven't finished the hen Third Aunt sent over yet!” Lady Yang worriedly suggested.

“Mother, please rest assured. Grandfather must have discussed it with Grandmother beforehand; this is his gesture of goodwill, so you should accept it. Besides…” Wang Qingchen stopped himself from voicing his private thought: it would be a shame to pass up a freebie from the Old Residence.

“Very well then… Oh, right, where are your elder brother and Caiyun?” Lady Yang inquired.

“Big Brother is checking the irrigation in the fields, and Caiyun is picking cucumbers from the garden. We have plenty of cucumbers ready to eat now,” Wang Qingchen replied.

As if summoned by the mention of Caiyun, they heard her voice calling from the courtyard, “Second Brother, someone is looking for you outside.”

“Mother, I’ll go see who it is,” Wang Qingchen said, walking towards the courtyard gate.

“My, my, little one, you made me work hard to find you. I had to ask twice before I got the right directions!” Boss Xue’s booming voice carried from outside the gate.

“Boss Xue, why did you come in person?” Wang Qingchen was astonished to see Boss Xue accompanied by his cart and a few laborers.

“Haha… As soon as I received Shopkeeper Hong’s letter, I rushed to clear my schedule. You truly surprised me, my boy—you actually managed to revive it!” Boss Xue exclaimed excitedly.

Fearing Boss Xue might say too much, Wang Qingchen quickly ushered him into his room and closed the door, lowering his voice. “Please forgive my abruptness, Boss Xue. My family and the villagers still don't know about this matter; I beg you to keep it confidential.”

“But many people in the village saw me arrive looking for you today,” Boss Xue pointed out.

“That’s fine; I can smooth that over,” Wang Qingchen assured him.

“Very well then! Now, bring out that pot of Lümao Jinsi Mawei. If you can’t produce it, I won’t forgive you,” Boss Xue laughed.

“Let me pour you a cup of tea; please wait here a moment, and I’ll be right back.” With that, Wang Qingchen went out to fetch a cup of tea for Boss Xue.

Afterward, Wang Qingchen walked into the courtyard and asked Caiyun to go to Third Aunt’s house and invite her over to help boil the chicken soup. Once Caiyun stepped out the gate, Wang Qingchen secured the courtyard door, went to the storage room, retrieved the orchid pot Boss Xue had given him from his spatial dimension, and returned to his room.

When Boss Xue saw the Lümao Jinsi Mawei looking so vibrantly alive, he was overcome with emotion. “Boy, you’ve done me a massive favor this time.”

Wang Qingchen scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. “Please, Boss Xue, don't say that. I did this to earn money. To be honest, I actually divided the orchid you gave me into two separate pots.”

“Oh? You divided it into two pots? Are you certain? That species is notoriously difficult to propagate; one clumsy move and it could easily perish,” Boss Xue sounded skeptical.

“It’s true, Boss Xue. I’ll go get the other one for you to see.” Wang Qingchen hurried back to the storage room and brought out the second orchid from his dimension.

When Boss Xue saw the second Lümao Jinsi Mawei, he stared for a long moment before finally remarking, “Why did you pair it with such an ugly planter?”

Wang Qingchen thought to himself that this ugly one had still cost him five wen. Of course, he lacked the nerve to say that aloud.

Boss Xue studied the two pots for a while. “For this first one, which you revived for me, I will pay you ten taels of silver as a reward. As for the second pot, even if I were buying it from you, I wouldn't cheat you; I will pay you its market price of three hundred taels.” Seeing Wang Qingchen’s slightly flushed face, he added, “However, you must agree to one condition.”

“Boss Xue, please tell me,” Wang Qingchen quickly agreed.

“In the future, if I require your help with such matters, you cannot refuse. For every pot you successfully revive, I will pay you ten taels of silver. If you can manage to divide a pot into two, I will purchase the second pot from you at the market rate. How does that sound?” Boss Xue presented his terms.

“That sounds excellent; I get to make money too, don’t I? However, I must state upfront: I cannot guarantee that I can save every dying plant I receive. If one dies under my care, I take no responsibility,” Wang Qingchen hedged carefully.

“Naturally. The flowers I bring will certainly be near death anyway. If you revive them, excellent; if not, I won’t blame you.” However, Boss Xue was thinking that the previous orchid was one he had personally examined and deemed unsalvageable, yet this boy had brought it back to life and even propagated it into two. Based on this, he suspected the failures would be minimal.

Boss Xue pulled out three 100-tael silver notes and ten taels of loose silver from his robes and handed them to Wang Qingchen. He then happily embraced the two flower pots and headed toward the cart waiting outside the courtyard.

“Boss Xue, wait a moment. I really don’t want anyone else to know about this,” Wang Qingchen said, thinking that Wang Youfu hadn't returned yet, and Lady Yang was too soft-hearted. If others found out about this silver, it would surely cause trouble—the First Branch family wouldn't be easy to placate. It was better to wait until Wang Youfu was home before disclosing anything, as it was never easy to gain an advantage over him.

“You don’t need to worry. The laborers accompanying me today are discreet, and you don't need to fret about Shopkeeper Hong; he and I have been old acquaintances for years, and he won't speak carelessly. You just need to manage the narrative among the villagers here.”

“Then I thank you very much, Boss Xue.”

“Haha, no need for thanks. I’ll surely be troubling you again in the future,” Boss Xue declared heartily. He thought to himself that a flower he had verified as doomed was revived by this young boy, and the boy clearly didn’t grasp the rarity of this skill, but he did. Getting his loyalty and services for such a small price was truly a bargain.

Wang Qingchen, meanwhile, thought that this arrangement meant his spatial dimension wouldn't arouse suspicion, as Boss Xue could serve as the explanation for where the flowers originated. Both were highly satisfied with the prospects of future cooperation—it seemed to be a win-win situation.

After Boss Xue’s cart departed, Wang Qingchen had just placed the 310 taels into his spatial dimension when Caiyun returned, bringing Zhang Shi with her.

“Second Brother, who was that person just now?” Caiyun ran over to ask.

“Uh, that was the person who dropped his purse last time. He was just passing by and came to thank me,” Wang Qingchen replied, taking a sip of water, realizing his throat was dry from the conversation.

“Him? I can’t believe someone that old would lose things. I never lose anything,” Caiyun said with disdain.

“Pfft…” The thought of Boss Xue’s expression if he knew he’d just been looked down upon by Caiyun made Wang Qingchen burst out laughing.

Zhang Shi was initially confused but, upon learning the story of Wang Qingchen finding and returning the lost purse, she didn't press further. After checking on Lady Yang inside, Zhang Shi went off to help prepare the chicken soup.

Lady Yang, lying on the heated brick bed, called Wang Qingchen over for a word. When she heard the visitor was the man who lost the purse, she said nothing more. Wang Qingchen, however, secretly rejoiced at having woven that tale previously, as it now served as a perfect cover story.

Only after securing the money did Wang Qingchen finally feel relief. Moreover, this sum was a massive fortune for a farming household. Now, the funds for Lady Yang's medical treatment, his own studies, and Elder Brother Wang Qinghua’s future betrothal were all secured. He could even purchase a considerable amount of land—in this era, what could be safer than land? And perhaps he could earn even more from Boss Xue in the future. Thinking of this, Wang Qingchen felt a profound sense of contentment.

Within a few days, a rumor swept through the village that Wang Youfu’s child had demonstrated honesty in returning lost property, which resulted in incredible luck, leading him to meet an extraordinary figure who bestowed many precious gifts upon their home. The stories were detailed and convincing. Because of this, Tian Shi specifically came to investigate. However, Zhang Shi happened to be there when Tian Shi arrived, and Zhang Shi thoroughly mocked her, sending her slinking back home.

With money in hand, Wang Qingchen decided to buy better nourishment for Lady Yang. One morning, he set out for town carrying a basket. Speaking of the basket, after Lady Yang’s fall, the three children had been so panicked they had abandoned the basket up on the hill. Fortunately, a villager helped retrieve it, and the mushrooms inside were delivered as well.

Since Lady Yang had lost a lot of blood during her miscarriage, she needed restorative foods. Wang Qingchen pondered what might replenish the blood as he walked: Pig liver? That seemed to help with blood. Red dates? Surely those did too. Wang Qingchen recalled seeing red dates at the Huo Trading House last time, so he headed there first.

The shop assistants at the trading house were the same. Upon learning Wang Qingchen was there to buy red dates, the clerk stated, “We have several kinds of red dates here. These small ones, from the south, are forty wen a jin; the medium size is forty-five wen a jin—the pharmacy often uses this kind; the largest ones are from the Northwest, very flavorful, sixty wen a jin.”

“Then I’ll take two jin of the forty-five wen ones,” Wang Qingchen decided.

After paying, Wang Qingchen placed the purchased red dates into his basket. He then bought three jin of pig liver, costing forty-five wen. Thinking that bone broth was also quite nourishing, he spent another ten wen on two large bones, asking the butcher to chop each one into two pieces. Leaving the meat stall, Wang Qingchen spotted a vendor selling old hens. Realizing an old hen could both lay eggs and be eaten, he bought all four of the vendor’s hens in one go, spending two hundred and eighty wen.

Finally, Wang Qingchen bought two packets of sugar and four steamed buns filled with meat. Seeing nothing else he needed to purchase, he headed home. On the way, he calculated that he had spent over four hundred wen today, but considering the items he bought, the expenditure felt worthwhile.

As soon as he entered the courtyard gate upon returning home, Caiyun rushed out, “Second Brother, Father is back.”