After a brief interlude, the porridge factory returned to its former busy and orderly state.

Qiao Heyuan and Ding Xinwan did not take this matter to heart and continued to concentrate on providing porridge to the people. They both knew that such things were not uncommon in porridge factories and there would always be some people with ulterior motives who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to gain benefits.

But as long as they stick to their principles and are not afraid of the threats from these scoundrels, they will be able to maintain order in the porridge factory and help more people.

The ruffian's name was Zhao Si, a well-known scoundrel in the capital. He was idle and made a living by cheating and deceiving others.

Today he was asked by someone to come to the porridge factory to cause trouble. He planned to take advantage of the chaos to put some drugs in the porridge and then take the opportunity to create chaos so that he could fish in troubled waters.

Unexpectedly, the two little girls looked weak but were not afraid of his threats at all. Moreover, the servants appeared in time and completely disrupted his plan.

He cursed "bad luck" in his heart, but did not dare to go back to the porridge factory to cause trouble. He was glad that he escaped quickly and was not caught. He could only look for another opportunity.

Although we didn't succeed this time, our whereabouts have been exposed. If we don't go back to report, we will probably be in bigger trouble.

So Zhao Si took advantage of the night and quietly returned to his hiding place in a dilapidated temple in the south of the city.

"How's the matter going?" A gloomy voice sounded in the darkness, making Zhao Si shiver.

"Reporting to Manager Liu, the task was not accomplished." Zhao Si stammered, "Those two girls were protected by servants. I, I failed to succeed."

"Useless thing!" The figure in the dark slammed the table and cursed angrily, "I gave you so much money, and this is how you do things for me?"

"Manager Liu, calm down." Zhao Si quickly bowed his hands and begged for mercy. "It's really just that those two girls are too alert. I, I can't do anything about it."

"Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're thinking." The figure in the darkness snorted coldly, "You must be thinking of taking the money and running away. You have no intention of doing my job properly."

"You are wise. I, I would never dare to have such thoughts." Zhao Si's forehead was covered with cold sweat and he kowtowed repeatedly. "Give me another chance and I will definitely make amends."

"Okay, I'll give you one more chance." The figure in the darkness was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Go to the porridge factory again tomorrow, and make sure you get the job done this time. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Yes, yes, thank you very much, Manager Liu, for your mercy." Zhao Si kowtowed as if he had been pardoned, and expressed his gratitude.

However, he was secretly complaining in his heart. If he failed to succeed next time, he might really lose his life.

…

As night falls, the mighty general's mansion is brightly lit.

Ding Xinwan returned home in the night, and after dinner, she walked towards her father Ding Dayong's residence, preparing to pay her respects to him as usual.

At this moment, Ding Dayong was changing the plaster on his old shoulder carbuncle injury.

Ding Xinwan came in quietly, took the plaster from the servant, and applied it to her father gently and carefully. Every movement revealed her deep concern.

"The ointment the palace physician prescribed wasn't very effective," she said, frowning slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone. "It seemed to be getting better in the winter, but as soon as summer came, Dad's old injury recurred."

Ding Dayong listened to his daughter's complaints but just smiled calmly. He had long been accustomed to this pain. "This injury has been a chronic problem for many years. It gets better and worse, but that's just how it is."

He changed the subject and asked with concern, "Did you go to the porridge factory again today? Don't be too tired."

"My daughter isn't tired," Ding Xinwan said with a glint of joy in her eyes. "There's nothing to do in the mansion, so why not go to the porridge factory to help out? Besides, my daughter met the girl from the Qiao family there, and we get along really well."

Ding Dayong gently pressed the newly changed plaster, looking at his daughter with eyes full of doting, "Your aunt sent a message from the palace, saying that she missed you very much, and now the young lady of the Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion is also there, so you can go there and have a companion."

The father and daughter moved to the side hall and sat down. Ding Xinwan mentioned the matter of the fifth lady of Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion, and there was a hint of anger in her tone.

"That Xirong prince actually dared to ask for marriage in public. He is really going too far. If I were there, I would definitely teach him a lesson with a whip." As she spoke, she made a whip-cracking gesture, full of heroism.

Ding Dayong looked at his daughter with mixed feelings. He was proud of his daughter's generous character, but he was also worried about how his daughter's life would be guaranteed after he passed away.

"You've been a virgin for two years, but your marriage hasn't been decided yet," he said slowly. "Your aunt has been looking for a suitable candidate for you. From now on, you need to be more careful about your words and actions and act like a girl."

"I understand, father." Ding Xinwan was unusually well-behaved at this moment and did not argue with her father.

Ding Dayong turned his shoulders slightly, and a sudden piercing pain made this tough guy frown.

"Father," Ding Xinwan said worriedly, "I heard from Miss Qiao that there's a Doctor Hong in the Imperial Hospital. He's quite skilled, but he's relatively unknown because of his lack of experience. How about we ask him to come to your house another day to see you? Putting it off like this isn't a solution."

Although Ding Dayong was a tough guy, he wasn't one to shy away from medical advice. He nodded, more because he didn't want to disappoint his daughter. "Okay, let's give it a try."

"Then I'll ask Doctor Hong to go to Baolin Hall and arrange for him to come and treat father as soon as possible." Ding Xinwan said.

"Okay, Dad, I'll listen to you. You make the decision!"

Ding Dayong responded. He had a daughter when he was over thirty, and had no children since then. His wife had also passed away a few years ago. Now, his daughter was the center of his life, so naturally, he prioritized her wishes over everything else.

Shortly after applying the plaster, Ding Dayong began to yawn continuously.

For some reason, he always felt mentally tired these days and could sleep for most of the day.

"Dad, are you tired?" Ding Xinwan asked softly, "Then rest early."

"Ah," Ding Dayong sighed, "time really is merciless."

Ding Xinwan looked at her father's tired face and couldn't help feeling sad.

She knew in her heart that her father's consistent strength and courage were all for the sake of providing stability for her and this family.

Therefore, she often sighed that if she were a man, she would be able to share more of the burden with her father and allow him to recover from his injuries in peace.

Returning to the courtyard where she lived, Ding Xinwan's eyes fell on the messy peony painting on the embroidery frame. She had never been interested in needlework, and this painting made her even more upset.

The irritation in her eyes grew more and more intense, and finally she could no longer bear it. She grabbed the scissors and cut the embroidery cloth in two with a click.

Then she lay down on the embroidery frame, tears rolling down her face like beads with broken strings, and she burst into tears.

Her tears were not only because of the ruined peony painting, but also because of the deep guilt and powerlessness she felt towards her father.