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With great difficulty, they managed to put his clothes on. By this time, the village’s ox cart had already left, so they had to use a handcart from their home to push Tian Yaozu to the town’s clinic.

After being examined by the doctor, it was diagnosed that his wrist bones were completely shattered.

Hastily applying bone-setting plaster, they immobilized his hands and prescribed medicines for his recovery.

The Tian family anxiously looked at the doctor and asked, “Will his hands recover?”

“He’s still young, so there should be a chance of recovery. However, he won’t be able to exert force anymore.”

“What about holding a pen?”

“That’s unlikely. But who knows? Maybe it’s possible. It depends on how well he recovers.”

The doctor didn’t rule it out, giving the family a glimmer of hope. However, Tian Yaozu’s spirit was crushed.

“Oh, who could have done such a wicked thing? My son was about to take an exam, and now, this happened. I swear I’ll catch whoever did this and kill them! This has infuriated me.

Leaving the clinic, the Tian family couldn’t swallow their anger, so they went to the village head’s house.

They informed the village head about Tian Yaozu’s persecution. Despite the village head’s unfavorable opinion of the Tian family, he knew he needed to protect these scholars during such a critical time.

As a result, he dispatched guards to accompany them back home. Inside and out, they searched for traces and clues and questioned Tian Yaozu and his family about the events from yesterday until this morning.

The result of their inquiries was futile. They asked but gained no useful information. There were no traces around either, which left the guards in a tough situation.

“Tian Yaozu, do you have any enemies?”

Tian Yaozu shook his head in frustration, his eyes revealing an unknown glint.

“If we talk about enemies, there’s only Madam Qiao from the town. We had conflicts before, and she must resent me.’

One of the guards interjected, “It’s not possible. Besides her?”

“No one else!”

“To capture someone, we need evidence. You don’t even have an enemy. Is it possible for someone to ruin your path to the Imperial Exam without any reason? That’s unlikely.”

“It’s just Madam Qiao. No one else would hate me so much.”

“Say less of the useless stuff. She’s just a woman, selling goods during the day and caring for her child at night. The men in her family and her older children are studying in the Capital. It’s impossible for her to do this. She doesn’t have the capability.”

“What did you say? Her husband and children are studying in the Capital?”

“Yes, they went after the New Year, returning for three days every month. I heard he’s an old scholar, even a Tribute Scholar.”

Immediately, the faces of the Tian family members turned grim. They cursed Qiao Mai in their hearts.

Since Qiao Mai left the Tian family, she had been doing well, while the Tian family’s reputation deteriorated. They had faced trouble after trouble and spent money on various matters.

Both guards had received favors from Qiao Mai. Seeing the family’s reaction, they knew they were cursing her internally.

With a stern expression, one guard said, “Since you can’t provide any clues or evidence, let’s leave it at that.”

“What about my son’s injured hand then?”

“What else can we do? Even if you went to the authorities, it would be the same.”

The guards turned and left. The Tian family exploded in anger, and their cursing could be heard from far away, sounding unpleasant.

After a long time, things quieted down. Regarding Tian Yaozu’s misfortune, the villagers expressed sympathy but were powerless to help.

Some were there to laugh at the situation, while others took pleasure in their suffering.

The Tian family had always flaunted themselves in the village, boasting that Tian Yaozu would become a high official. They looked down on their fellow villagers.

Now, their situation had changed. Tian Yaozu’s path to the Imperial Exam had been cut off. Now, everyone was on the same level, and no one should underestimate anyone else. He would have to stay home and farm and might even lose that ability.

Thinking back to the past, when the village chief had shown favoritism towards the Tian family due to their scholar, he regretted his decision.

Currently, Qiao Mai is doing well in town. She was wealthier and more influential than the Tian family. If the village chief had helped her back then, she might not have ignored them if they faced problems in the future.

After venting their frustration, the Tian family began to think about Tian Yaozu’s situation.

With his wrists broken, even if they healed, he couldn’t study anymore. He also couldn’t work in the fields.

A truly useless person. Tian Yaozu still hadn’t come to terms with reality.

During dinner, when he saw that the food wasn’t his liking, he wanted to throw a tantrum. However, Old Tian shut him down with a single sentence.

“We were already struggling to support your studies, and now we must pay for your treatment. If you’re dissatisfied and keep complaining, we can refund the money for your treatment. Do you think your hand is more valuable than that?” The entire family stared at him coldly, and even he could sense it.

This was only the first day, and the Tian family’s demeanor changed rapidly.

After dealing with Tian Yaozu, Qiao Mai was in a good mood. After breakfast, she prepared lunch.

With the family members back, she didn’t need to care for Ling’er, making her much more relaxed.

Lunch involved a hot pot, where various ingredients and food items were prepared.

Old Mister Wang stood outside the kitchen, scratching his head and looking inside, sniffing. Qiao Mai had been busy there for quite a while, yet there was no aroma coming out.

“Can we have a hot pot?”

“Do you have seafood?”

“We have large shrimp, fish balls, and crab sticks. Is that okay?”

Old Mister Wang licked his lips. “Sure, hurry and set the table. I’m starving.” He was enticed.

Qiao Mai smiled without giving away her secret. Yuan Jiaqi, who was at her side, heard him and immediately went to the living room to start setting the table.

The siblings and Ling’er were playing in the courtyard. As soon as they heard the mention of hot pot, their eyes lit up. They were still reminiscing about the meal they had before the New Year.

The lamb slices were thin and tender, rolled into neat coils, and beautifully arranged on the plate.

And there was beef. Right, beef. When would they have the chance to eat the pan-fried beef steak Qiao Mai had mentioned?

Chuan’er was thinking about the steak, but he blurted it out. As soon as he spoke, everyone fixed their eyes on Qiao Mai, full of anticipation.

Qiao Mai looked at their hopeful eyes. “You’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, I’ll make it for you tomorrow morning. Eat your fill before you leave.”

“Wow, that’s great, Mother! Thank you, Mother.”

Old Mister Wang, who had been listening from the side, was puzzled. “Madam Qiao, what’s a beef steak?”

“It’s marinated beef, seared over high heat, and eaten while hot. It’s called a steak because it’s made from beef tenderloin. Do you understand now, Old Mister Wang?”

“Understood. We’ll have that tomorrow morning.”

“I promise you’ll love it.”

“How about we leave in the afternoon? You can prepare a whole table of dishes for lunch.’

“What else would you like to eat?” “Anything you make will be delicious.”

“Alright, let’s focus on the hot pot for now.”

After everyone was seated, Old Mister Wang eagerly picked up meat to cook in the hot pot. Just by looking at him, it was clear he was a meat lover.

However, he didn’t hold back today and ate many of the other dishes as well.

After filling their stomachs, when they started sipping tea, he began to ponder.

“Young lady, there are many things on your table we haven’t seen in the Great Ming Dynasty.”

“I researched these myself when I had nothing else to do. Are you interested in these?”

“I’m interested in everything. As you know, there were many families in the Great Ming Dynasty, each supporting a large household with their own business. Our Wang family naturally has several businesses.”

“I only sell my recipes, not give them away, even though you’re my husband’s and children’s teacher.”

“Of course, money is money. I won’t take advantage of you. After I return, I’ll have my son and granddaughter come over. Can you prepare the recipes and let them taste these things?”

“No problem. I’ve spent quite a bit of silver building my house. Now, I need more silver.”

“In the future, keep some good recipes for yourself. Our family won’t need them, but we can help you sell them to others.”

“Thank you, Old Mister Wang. But I don’t want anyone outside my family to know about this.”

“Of course. The Wang family will bear this responsibility.”

Qiao Mai smiled and glanced at Old Mister Wang. “A gentleman’s promise?” “It’s harder to chase after a galloping horse!”

“Alright, I trust Miss Wang, and I trust Old Mister Wang even more. I hope our families have a pleasant cooperation.”

“Definitely!”