"That vile servant girl is nothing but a piece of rat droppings; as long as she is here, she'll spoil the entire pot of soup for our Marquis Dingxi manor!" Lady Xie ground out through clenched teeth.

The Marquis sat amidst a collection of calligraphy and paintings, seemingly absorbed by the beautiful scenery depicted within them.

"Then why don't you just kill her?" he asked absently.

Lady Xie slammed her hand down on the table in anger.

"My Lord, I am speaking seriously," she raised her voice to insist.

Marquis Dingxi merely uttered a soft sound, finally lifting his gaze to look at her.

"My Lord, with this woman around, the reputation of our manor will be ruined by her," Lady Xie declared.

"Then what should be done?" the Marquis inquired.

Yes, that was right. This woman was like a thorn lodged deep in the flesh; as long as it wasn't pulled out, it would be a constant reminder of the humiliation he had suffered.

He had been played by the Emperor! He was the laughingstock of everyone!

"Get rid of her!" Lady Xie commanded.

"How do we get rid of her? This Yongqing Residence isn't our own home; do you think we can just drive her away if we want to?" Marquis Dingxi shook his head, saying.

Did they not already understand what kind of woman this was?

If they tried to drive her away, who knew if they wouldn't be the ones driven out instead?

And those shameless things from the Wang family! They even dared to suggest...

"Drive her out!" Marquis Dingxi suddenly sat bolt upright and shouted, his face flushing crimson.

She was the daughter-in-law of the Marquis Dingxi house! Even if she became an outcast wife, she could only be their house's outcast wife!

Lady Xie was startled by his sudden roar.

"What does she have now? Nothing more than a common doctor, a low-class healer," Lady Xie sneered. "A low-born wretch unfit for polite company! I refuse to believe that our noble Marquis manor cannot deal with her!"

The Marquis deflated again, retreating back into the world of his paintings and scrolls.

"Furthermore, I must proceed with Yuncheng's marriage arrangements," Lady Xie continued.

"What shall we do?" the Marquis asked. "Didn't he disagree?"

Lady Xie clenched her hand tightly.

"Back when your mother arranged for Yuncheng to marry that vile servant girl, didn't he disagree then too?" she said calmly.

If past displeasure could transform into present reluctance to part, then why couldn't Miss Rao manage the same?

Was a girl from the Rao family truly less worthy than a beggar?

The reason people mocked their manor was because they wanted to see them utterly ruined. Once they married a new wife, everything would be settled. Then, everyone would clearly see who was truly ruined, who deserved what they got, and who brought suffering upon themselves!

"Mama Su, please invite Madam Yang here," Lady Xie turned and called out loudly.

Qi Yue was unaware that Old Madam Liu had bungled things and ended up taking the blame. Stirred by the matter concerning Yan'er and Old Madam Liu, she began sketching a picture.

A'Ru and Hu San watched from the side.

"Are there really this many different types of cleft lips?" A'Ru asked curiously.

Qi Yue nodded, simultaneously beginning to write.

"...Give a child a chance, give a life a chance... Qianjintang offers free cleft lip and palate surgical treatment..."

Hu San read the words aloud, his expression hesitant for a moment.

"Free?" he commented.

Qi Yue finished the final stroke.

"Yes. The poorer people are, the more hesitant they are to spend money on medical care. If it weren't free, they might not spend their limited funds on something they deem unworthy," she said, sighing softly. "This isn't about human nature; it's the helplessness of reality."

Hu San grunted in understanding.

"Go now, print these out and distribute them widely, especially in the remote areas," Qi Yue instructed.

Hu San agreed, took the drawing, tugged A'Ru's clothes corner, and A'Ru shot him a glare but followed him out.

"What is it?" she asked.

"This clinic, Miss Qi has already spent a great deal of money. She raised the wages for these apprentices, and there's the medicine needed daily, the cloth..." Hu San listed on his fingers, "...the food expenses... Right now, it's operating at a complete loss... Even if our Master is rich, she can't sustain this kind of drain forever."

A'Ru frowned.

"I understand. I will speak to her about it. You go quickly," she said.

Only then did Hu San leave.

On the way home that evening, A'Ru delicately broached the subject.

"Money? I truly don't have much feeling about that," Qi Yue laughed. She always enjoyed walking through the busiest street when returning home. "Because it was never mine to begin with."

"But don't you want to live a better life for yourself?" A'Ru inquired.

Recalling the simple furnishings and plain three meals a day at home, compared to life in the Marquis manor, there was simply no comparison.

"Better?" Qi Yue smiled. "What is 'better'? This is very good."

She looked up at the sky, which was beginning to be enveloped in the encroaching night.

"A'Ru, I have enjoyed things you all could never imagine in your lifetimes, and the fact that I could enjoy such days was thanks to you all," she said, smiling at A'Ru.

Huh? A'Ru didn't understand.

Thousands of years of accumulated history and societal evolution had led to the comforts of modern civilization. Yet, having been born into and enjoying the ease brought by that civilization, she had never once considered gratitude; everything had simply been taken for granted. Only now, with this stark contrast, did she realize how precious those things she had carelessly overlooked truly were.

"So, having enjoyed such good days, it is now my turn to do something for you all," Qi Yue said with a smile. "This is my honor. Don't worry about me; money is meant to be spent."

"But..." A'Ru started to object again, but Qi Yue reached out and patted her shoulder.

"Let's go. No more 'buts.' Having hands and feet to do whatever you wish—that is the best life there is," she said cheerfully, striding ahead herself.

The eighteenth of the fourth month was the day Qianjintang offered free consultations to beggars, and also the day of the grand incense ceremony at the Great Buddha Temple.

Early that morning, carriages and horses lined up outside the temple gates. Servants from wealthy households wielded sticks to ward off the beggars rushing forward seeking alms, while elegantly dressed noblewomen, their faces partially obscured by fans, strolled gracefully into the temple, the scent of rouge almost overpowering the aroma of incense.

As Lady Xie alighted from her carriage, she spotted Madam Yang's retinue. She quickly walked over. Madam Yang was just helping her young maid alight and smiled upon seeing her.

"...The young master and young ladies have also arrived," Madam Yang said, looking at the three girls and one boy behind Lady Xie.

Chang Shulan, Chang Huilan, and Chang Yunhong bowed to Madam Yang, and Chang Yalan, held in the arms of her wet nurse, performed a proper little bow as well.

"Why don't we see your scholar husband?" Madam Yang asked with a smile.

Chang Yunqi had passed both the county and prefecture examinations, achieving the top rank in both.

"Don't joke, what scholar husband? They are just children; we don't truly care about such things. It's just that the children have been diligent, which is rare," Lady Xie chuckled, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Madam Yang. "He's at home preparing for the exam. He won't be coming out until after the Metropolitan Examination in the sixth month."

"Naturally. The Third Young Master is sure to bring back the Triple Crown," Madam Yang replied smoothly. "Several families' daughters have already asked me about him. You can take your pick? Once the Third Young Master finishes his exams, we can settle the marriage right away."

Lady Xie smiled but said nothing.

"What did they say from Shandong?" she suddenly inquired.

Madam Yang paused briefly, though her smile remained fixed.

"The journey is long, and it has rained for several days, causing delays. Please be patient," she replied vaguely.

"They had better hurry. If it weren't for their family, I would have announced Yuncheng's choice of wife long ago; there are countless families waiting for me to choose from," Lady Xie remarked casually.

Madam Yang twitched the corner of her mouth, her smile becoming noticeably strained.

Ahead, the crowd suddenly became chaotic. The servants clearing the way were knocked sideways, met with a sharp reprimand, and immediately raised their sticks to strike. The scene instantly devolved into disorder.

Both Lady Xie and Madam Yang were startled and quickly stopped in their tracks.

They watched the beggars surge and scramble.

"Give them some money," Lady Xie said calmly.

This had become Lady Xie's habit. Upon hearing this, the attending maidservant quickly grabbed a money pouch she had prepared in advance and tossed it out.

Accompanied by the ladies' feigned cries of compassion, the beggars surged forward, chasing the thrown pouches. Amidst the chaos came the pained cries of those being trampled or crushed.

This was a favorite spectacle for the noblewomen. Lady Xie watched the desperate scramble with a faint smile.

"The Marquis's wife is truly benevolent," Madam Yang commented flatteringly.

Lady Xie thoroughly enjoyed such praise and accepted it with a warm smile.

Madam Yang naturally did not want to be outdone; with a command, her maidservant also tossed out several bags of money.

After watching the excitement for a while, they grew bored and finally proceeded toward the temple entrance.

"...Carry him out... Slowly, don't move..."

From behind them came a clamor different from the begging or scrambling—it was a sound of measured action. The two ladies, about to step over the threshold, couldn't help but turn to look back.

They saw that the beggars who had been fighting over money had been separated. Several men dressed in identical clothing were carefully carrying out a small beggar whose head had been severely injured from being trampled.

"This way," Qi Yue called out.

Right by the roadside, a banner had been hastily erected, simply reading "Free Clinic." Behind the banner stood the apprentices of Qianjintang, all busy attending to their duties.

Standing beside Qi Yue were two apprentices who, while ostensibly helping, had subtly formed a protective perimeter around her.

"Free consultation means no payment?"

"I heard that the ancestor of Qianjintang’s doctors once received a favor from a beggar, so they hold a free clinic every year on the eighteenth of the fourth month, offering consultation and medicine. The passing common folk murmured among themselves, asking questions. Compared to the beggars who were desperate to beg for a few coins or a few steamed buns, receiving medical treatment and medicine held less immediate appeal for them. But for other citizens, it was different, and soon a crowd gathered."

Lady Xie spotted Qi Yue instantly, although the way the woman was dressed made her appear no different from the beggars in Lady Xie's eyes.

"Putting on an act as some benevolent Bodhisattva," she scoffed. Watching an old beggar kowtow gratefully to Qi Yue, the anger in her chest surged instantly. Pah! A vile woman! She doesn't even deserve the goodwill of beggars!

"These beggars are quite pitiful, scrambling like madmen for those two or three coins," Lady Xie remarked, raising her hand. "Go, give away another fifty jin."

Not only the attending maidservant beside her but even Madam Yang's eyes widened as she stared.

Fifty jin...

That was truly...

"Hurry up and go!" Lady Xie snapped.

The maidservant hastily obeyed. In an instant, the news that the wife of Marquis Dingxi was giving away fifty jin spread throughout the area, and the spot where the Marquis's wife dispensed the gold became jammed solid with people.

Lady Xie watched as the beggars who had initially been receiving treatment at Qianjintang—those with broken legs or bleeding profusely—now crawled toward the location of the gold. She saw the woman standing there, anxiously trying to dissuade them but ultimately helpless, and finally, a deep, satisfying smile spread across her face.

Over there, Qi Yue seemed to sense the scrutiny and looked over as well.

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam!" Qi Yue called out loudly, waving toward those still receiving treatment nearby. "Quickly, quickly! Seeing the doctor isn't a rush! Everyone, go grab the money first! Once you have the money, then come back for treatment. Nothing will be delayed."

Everyone laughed at her words, and indeed, the entire throng rushed off toward the gold. Lady Xie's satisfying smile caught abruptly in her throat.