Seven days later, Old Master Xie himself came to the entrance of the Xie residence to see Zhang Yang off. Counting the previous three days, Zhang Yang had stayed at the Xie villa for nearly ten days this time, a duration he was quite accustomed to; in his past life, he had once stayed at someone's home for a whole month while making house calls.

It was just that Mi Xue was terribly homesick, especially since their current location was so close to her own home. After a long conversation with the elder, Zhang Yang finally got into the car to leave.

Mi Xue sat in the passenger seat, while the rear was occupied by a glass cage. These past few days, the most popular resident at the Xie villa wasn't either of them, but Little Lightning.

Lightning was intelligent, often performing small, endearing actions that brought smiles to everyone around. Coupled with its diminutive size, many of the Xie family children constantly pleaded to have Lightning let out to play with them.

Zhang Yang, naturally, could not agree to their requests. Both Zhang Yang and Mi Xue firmly refused any suggestion of releasing Lightning, not even when Old Master Xie himself brought it up once; this was not a negotiable matter.

Lightning’s power was too immense; releasing it would be akin to gambling with lives—and not just one person's. To prevent any mishaps, Zhang Yang had even specifically asked Xie Hui to procure a specially made lock, one that only Zhang Yang held the key to.

His own room was also refitted with a new lock to prevent those mischievous children from sneaking in and actually letting Lightning out. Such a scenario was not impossible, and if such a result were to occur, the ensuing disaster would not be limited to just Zhang Yang; the entire Xie family would suffer the consequences...

"Doctor Zhang. I won't mince words with pleasantries; here is the twenty-million check, please keep it safe!" Xie Hui personally escorted Zhang Yang down the mountain, and upon reaching the base, Xie Hui took out a check from his person and handed it directly to Zhang Yang.

Thanks to Zhang Yang's treatment over these past few days, Old Master Xie's recovery had been exceptionally good. Old Master Xie could now walk independently and no longer required the daily ginseng decoction as before.

Furthermore, they had given the elder a thorough physical examination. The examination confirmed that the old man’s body was trending toward better health.

His condition was excellent. That Doctor Liu had visited a few days prior.

He was also greatly astonished by the elder's state of recovery and proceeded to question Zhang Yang extensively. In the end, Doctor Liu left in deep admiration, even telling the Xie family that he didn't need to return; Zhang Yang's medical skills were no less than his own, and with the millennium ginseng in Zhang Yang's possession, the elder's illness was certain to be cured.

Doctor Liu's words, combined with the physical examination results, finally made the Xie family understand that Zhang Yang was indeed a profoundly skilled master of medicine, making them even more attentive and respectful. "Twenty million.

Isn't that a bit much?" Zhang Yang asked softly, lightly pinching the check. "Not at all, not at all.

According to our prior agreement, however many years your millennium ginseng contains, that is how much I will pay you in consultation fees!" Xie Hui hastily waved his hands, paused after speaking, and then continued, "Your ginseng must certainly exceed two thousand years. Since I don't know the exact age, this calculation means we are giving you the minimum possible fee!" Xie Hui truly did not know the precise age of Zhang Yang's millennium ginseng.

After much deliberation with Xie Fei, they finally settled on the twenty-million consultation fee for Zhang Yang. To be honest, twenty million was indeed a large sum; even in his previous life during house calls, Zhang Yang had never received this much for a single case.

"Very well, I accept this money. Rest assured, since I have accepted the fee, I will definitely help see the Old Master's illness completely cured!" Zhang Yang thought for a moment before tucking the check into his pocket.

"Then we will have to trouble you further. If you need anything at all, you can call me anytime; if I am not here, I will be in Changjing!" Xie Hui nodded quickly.

He was eager to deliver the money, partly out of fear that Zhang Yang might abandon the treatment midway without further attention. Now that Old Master Xie's primary physician was Zhang Yang, and they hadn't yet provided any remuneration, if Zhang Yang were to leave and not return, they would be helpless.

If Zhang Yang became angry because of this, the situation would be even worse for them, which is why Xie Hui was rushing to deliver the consultation fee upfront. The fee was certainly not small, but this situation was different from previous ones, and Zhang Yang felt no unease in accepting this sum.

This time, the treatment utilized a rare treasure like millennium ginseng, and the spiritual medicine Zhang Yang prepared with it was inherently precious. The value of this spiritual medicine alone could not be measured by mere money.

However, twenty million was still substantial, enough for Zhang Yang to cover the cost of the consultation, and as he stated, since he accepted the money, he would certainly be responsible for the patient until the end. This was also his fundamental medical ethic.

After seeing the money delivered, Xie Hui departed happily. Zhang Yang drove the car, preparing to head towards the county town.

They would not return to school but go directly to Mi Xue's home. Moreover, Zhang Yang was now returning as her future son-in-law, so preparations were necessary; gifts were indispensable.

Mi Xue was fully aware that Zhang Yang had received the twenty-million consultation fee. She had become numb to this outcome.

Last time it was twenty million, and this time it was twenty million again; Mi Xue believed that many more twenty millions awaited Zhang Yang in the future. Perhaps she might have worried previously, but ever since experiencing that life-and-death crisis last time, Mi Xue no longer cared about such matters.

Zhang Yang was willing to risk his life for her; what else was there to worry about? The county town below the mountain was Qingya County.

Zhang Yang planned to purchase gifts here; he couldn't buy them at Mi Xue's house. Qingya County town was not large, but fortunately, it had a major department store.

Zhang Yang and Mi Xue went there for a major shopping spree. This spree involved buying over ten thousand yuan worth of items—so many large and small bags that Zhang Yang's car couldn't hold them all.

They ended up hiring a minivan to transport the rest. Mi Xue kept saying they bought too much, but Zhang Yang wouldn't listen; this was his first time meeting her parents, and he needed to show utmost sincerity.

He had already inquired about how many people were in Mi Xue's family, preparing gifts for every adult and child. Seeing Zhang Yang put in so much effort, Mi Xue finally stopped persuading him, though her heart felt incredibly sweet.

Lie Shan County, where Mi Xue's family lived, was only a few dozen kilometers from Qingya County. The two counties were adjacent and belonged to the same municipality.

Driving for only about forty minutes, Zhang Yang arrived from Qingya County into Lie Shan County town. His Mercedes stood out conspicuously in Lie Shan County, drawing backward glances and murmurs from people on the road from time to time.

Many people recognized luxury cars in those days. Such fine vehicles were rarely seen in small county towns; a Mercedes or BMW was a truly rare sight, and some car enthusiasts even followed behind to get a better look.

"Zhang Yang, we're here. That's my home up ahead!" After navigating a few turns, Mi Xue called out softly near an alley.

The closer they got to home, the more excited she became, yet mixed with a degree of apprehension. She was bringing her boyfriend back this time, and she hadn't even given them prior notice.

Zhang Yang looked ahead; it was all old, traditional houses, but these houses were quite large and all had courtyards. Zhang Yang turned, and the car soon stopped in front of an old-style gate.

Mi Xue got out and immediately ran over to knock. "Mom, Dad, I'm back!" Mi Xue patted the iron gate, shouting loudly.

Girls always missed home; after being away at school for so long, she was finally back. Zhang Yang also got out of the car, helping the minivan driver unload the goods.

The minivan was rented, as the driver needed to return that day. "Brother, your girlfriend is quite something.

This is the county government family compound; her family must hold some official position, right?" The minivan driver said enviously to Zhang Yang while unloading. "County government family compound?" Zhang Yang was slightly taken aback, looked around again, but it didn't look like a family compound at all—it was just a narrow alleyway with no guardhouse.

"Yes, I often travel to Lieshan, I know this area. This is where only officials are allowed to reside!" The minivan driver nodded, stating it with certainty, a hint of unnatural envy flickering in his eyes.

He only felt envy, not thinking much else. Zhang Yang was young and clearly wealthy, judging by how freely he spent money on the car.

Mi Xue was beautiful, and her family were officials; in his eyes, it was a match made in heaven. The main gate was soon opened, and a woman in her forties stepped out.

Although she appeared older, one could still tell she must have been a great beauty in her youth. Moreover, this woman bore some resemblance to Mi Xue, making her identity easy to guess.

"Mom, I'm back!" As Zhang Yang was contemplating this, Mi Xue suddenly rushed and threw herself into the woman's arms. The woman looked very happy to see Mi Xue, then glanced at the Mercedes parked outside the gate and the gifts being unloaded.

"Mom, let me introduce you. This, this is Zhang Yang, my boyfriend!" Mi Xue hurriedly pulled her mother's arm and approached, a flush rising to her cheeks as she introduced Zhang Yang.

Introducing her beloved to her family for the first time made her heart pound, accompanied by a sense of nervousness. "Auntie, hello.

Mi Xue and I should have come sooner, but we were delayed by matters, which is why we arrived so late!" Zhang Yang politely bowed slightly. This woman was not much older than he was in his previous life, but she was still Mi Xue's mother, and Zhang Yang had fully adapted to his current identity.

"It’s good that you're here, come inside first!" Mi Xue's mother seemed quite surprised, perhaps even a little flustered, but she still ushered Zhang Yang inside. She hadn't expected her daughter to bring her boyfriend home, and a trace of worry surfaced on her face as she spoke.

"Mi Xue, you go inside with Auntie first; I'll move all this stuff in!" The minivan driver had only helped unload the items; he hadn't carried them inside—that task was his alone. Fortunately, although there were many items, none were excessively heavy, and Zhang Yang had plenty of strength.

Before long, he had moved all the large boxes and numerous bags inside the house. Only after finishing the unloading did Zhang Yang take a careful look around Mi Xue's home.

It was a large courtyard, with three main rooms in the center and three side rooms flanking them. None of the three main rooms were small; they all seemed to be structured as one room and one living area.

Such a large residence was only common in this era. At this point, Zhang Yang began to believe the minivan driver's words: this was indeed the county government family compound.

Ordinary families would not possess such large houses; most residences in the county town now were the old allocated houses... Sixth chapter!

(To be continued...RQ