The physician, upon examining Wang Qingchen, diagnosed a common cold and duly prescribed medicine, instructing precisely how to decoct the herbs, dosage, and usage before accepting his fee and departing.

Madam Huang promptly dispatched Zhao Cheng to see the doctor out and, as an added task, to procure the medicine for Wang Qingchen. Zhao Cheng readily agreed; even without Madam Huang’s specific request, he would have fetched the herbs anyway, given how unwell Wang Qingchen appeared at the time.

Once Zhao Cheng returned with the prepared medicine, Madam Huang swiftly followed the doctor’s instructions to brew a dose, carried it over to Wang Qingchen, and helped him take it. After finishing the draught, Wang Qingchen drifted into a heavy slumber.

Wang Qingchen slept straight through until noon before stirring awake, yet his condition hadn't significantly improved; he remained utterly listless. Deciding against returning to sleep, Wang Qingchen managed to sit up on his own.

Seeing Wang Qingchen awake, Madam Huang rushed over, her voice laced with concern. "Qingchen, are you feeling any better?"

Wang Qingchen, mindful of how Madam Huang and Zhao Cheng had bustled about for his sake all morning, couldn't bear to disappoint them. He managed a weak smile. "Auntie, I feel much improved now."

Madam Huang nodded with relief. "That's good, that’s truly good. Oh, and you hardly ate this morning. Come sit down quickly; I’ll fetch you something to eat."

Truthfully, Wang Qingchen had little appetite, but knowing Madam Huang acted out of genuine care, he couldn't refuse her goodwill. Thus, he inclined his head. "Then I shall trouble you, Auntie."

Seeing Wang Qingchen agree, Madam Huang hurried off to prepare a meal for him.

Watching Madam Huang's busy back, Wang Qingchen found his thoughts drifting unexpectedly to Madam Yang. If his mother knew he was ill, surely she would fuss over him with the same anxious care! But alas, he was in the county town, far from home; his mother hadn't come. If only she were here... The thought suddenly struck him: since arriving in the county, he hadn't sent a letter home to report his safe arrival! His sudden illness had made him completely forget. Perhaps after eating, he should write one immediately. However, he absolutely could not mention being sick in the letter; if his mother knew, she would surely worry herself sick!

This thought brought a sudden pang of longing for Madam Yang, Wang Youfu, his elder brother, younger sister, and younger brother. If they were all by his side now, he certainly wouldn't feel this hollowness in his heart.

Just as Wang Qingchen indulged in this rare moment of melancholy, Zhao Cheng approached. Zhao Cheng noticed Wang Qingchen staring into space, paused, and then greeted him warmly. "Qingchen, have you improved at all?"

Wang Qingchen’s reverie was broken by Zhao Cheng’s voice. He finally looked up and smiled. "A little better than this morning. Now that I’m awake, I thought I’d stretch my legs a bit! Say, you went to the trouble of fetching the doctor and the medicine this morning—did you manage to eat breakfast?"

Zhao Cheng smiled and nodded. "I did. Fetching the doctor didn't take long; it's not far from here. It's you I’m concerned about—how did you manage to be so careless as to fall ill?"

"I thought just soaking for a little while wouldn't cause any issue; I never expected this outcome! Sigh, I certainly won't dare be so reckless again," Wang Qingchen admitted with regret. "Being sick truly is no pleasant experience!"

Zhao Cheng couldn't help but laugh wryly at Wang Qingchen’s words. How could being sick ever be pleasant?

Shortly after, Madam Huang returned with a light meal, clearly prepared with Wang Qingchen’s current condition in mind; such simple fare was more suitable for someone recovering from illness.

Seeing her son had also finished his reading and arrived, Madam Huang served him a portion of lunch, suggesting Wang Qingchen and her son could eat and converse together.

Wang Qingchen ate little. After all, he'd had no appetite earlier; what he consumed now was purely out of respect for Madam Huang.

Madam Huang understood that as he was sick, Wang Qingchen might lack appetite, so she didn’t press him further, instead urging him to return to his room to rest.

Upon returning, Wang Qingchen decided against resting immediately. First, he wrote a letter home, assuring everyone of his safe arrival in the county and that all was well, deliberately omitting any mention of his illness. Once the letter was done, Wang Qingchen wondered whom he could ask to help send it back. Zhao Cheng? No, he’d already troubled him enough today. He’d wait until Li Yuntai and Liu Hao returned.

So, after finishing the letter, Wang Qingchen left his room, fetched a chair, and sat out in the courtyard to soak up the sun while waiting for Li Yuntai and Liu Hao to come back.

Wang Qingchen, who hadn't felt much better before, found that sitting in the sun actually made him feel somewhat better; the warmth made him delightfully drowsy.

Before long, Li Yuntai and Liu Hao returned. Seeing Wang Qingchen basking in the courtyard, they both hurried over to ask, "Qingchen, are you feeling any better?"

Wang Qingchen opened his eyes and nodded. "Much better. I’m glad you’re back! I was waiting for you. I wrote a letter home and was hoping one of you could find someone to carry it back."

"That’s easily managed. Give me the letter, and I'll see to it," Li Yuntai offered.

Wang Qingchen then stood up, returned to his room to retrieve the letter, and handed it to Li Yuntai, who took it and headed towards the main hall for lunch.

Wang Qingchen, not feeling like resting anyway, decided to follow them; it would be a good opportunity to talk and engage. His mind felt rather sluggish today, and chatting might help it move a bit faster.

In the afternoon, Li Yuntai managed to arrange for the letter to be sent home. However, when he returned after seeing to the delivery, his expression was strangely subdued.

At first, Wang Qingchen and the others didn't notice, but by evening, everyone realized that Li Yuntai had been unusually quiet ever since delivering the letter that afternoon.

Liu Hao couldn't hold back. Being naturally impatient, he asked directly, "Yuntai, what's wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange ever since you took Qingchen's letter back."

Questioned thus, Li Yuntai became instantly hesitant. Seeing this flicker of uncertainty, Liu Hao knew something significant had happened to cause Li Yuntai’s odd behavior. Liu Hao immediately felt an intense curiosity, like a monkey scratching at his insides, determined to get the truth out of him.

Liu Hao pressed relentlessly. At first, Li Yuntai stammered and refused to reveal anything, but eventually, he couldn't withstand Liu Hao's persistent questioning and finally spoke.

"When I went to deliver Qingchen's letter today, I didn't expect that my own family had sent one back for me as well. It said... it said..." Li Yuntai stammered.

"Oh, hurry up and tell us! What did the letter from your family say?" Liu Hao urged impatiently.

Hearing this, Wang Qingchen cut in with a guess, "It couldn't be asking you to go back and get married, could it?"

The moment Wang Qingchen finished speaking, Li Yuntai and the other two stared at him in utter astonishment. Liu Hao and Zhao Cheng were shocked by the news itself, while Li Yuntai was astounded that Wang Qingchen had guessed correctly.

Wang Qingchen himself couldn't fathom where that sudden thought had sprung from his mind, especially considering how dull his head felt today!

But this wasn't the time to ponder that; the other three were all looking at him. Wang Qingchen quickly laughed it off. "Haha, I was just guessing for fun. After all, he's not a young boy anymore!"

At this, Li Yuntai seemed unsure how to react, responding weakly, "You were just guessing for fun, yet you guessed so precisely!"

Now it was Wang Qingchen’s turn to be surprised. He had genuinely thrown out a random guess, never imagining it would be accurate. The letter from Li Yuntai’s family was indeed about preparing for his wedding.

None of the four present were married yet. If Li Yuntai were to leave now to marry, he would be the first among the quartet.

"Oh, Yuntai, you’re getting married! That’s wonderful! We must come back for your wedding feast then, and we absolutely have to stir up some fun in the bridal chamber," Liu Hao exclaimed excitedly.

Wang Qingchen watched the contrasting expressions of Li Yuntai and Liu Hao and was almost doubled over with silent laughter. Liu Hao looked almost as giddy as if he were the one getting married, with such a radiant expression!

Zhao Cheng chimed in, "Yes, your marriage is good news! There’s nothing shameful about it! Why do you look so unhappy?"

Facing Zhao Cheng’s confusion—which was shared by Wang Qingchen and Liu Hao—Li Yuntai sat down with a dejected sigh. "Sigh. I always intended to marry only after I passed the Provincial Examination to become a Juren. But this time, I failed to secure the Juren title."

The other three exchanged looks upon hearing Li Yuntai's explanation, finding it both amusing and frustrating. The Provincial Examination wasn't a one-time affair; he could try again next time! Besides, if Li Yuntai followed his own logic, should everyone who failed the exam postpone marriage indefinitely? Furthermore, Li Yuntai couldn't very well ask the young lady to wait another three years, could he? Even if the maiden agreed, his parents wouldn't. What family would risk delaying their daughter’s future by three years?

Consequently, Wang Qingchen and the other two began gently explaining these points to Li Yuntai. Li Yuntai knew all this intellectually, but because he had failed the examination, he felt too ashamed to return home for a wedding; he simply couldn't get past this hurdle in his own mind.