Li Laosi doted on his daughter the most, and upon hearing this, he finally felt a bit more favorably toward this older brother he was meeting for the first time.

He reached out and took his daughter, wanting to rub her little face against his skin, but remembering the spatula his wife had just brandished, he quickly changed his mind and could only give her a gentle kiss.

"Of course, my daughter is the best in the world."

Old Lady Li couldn't stand his boasting, so she said, "Go and invite Doctor Zhang. If the village chief and your Uncle Zhao are here, invite them too. Your older brother should come to the village more often so that the old men can get to know him, so he won't be kept out as an outsider in the future."

"I understand, Mother."

Li Laosi put his daughter down and left. Jiayin took off running to the next house.

Madam Cui came to stay for a while yesterday and heard a little about the Li family finding their eldest son. Right now, she is talking and doing needlework with Sister-in-law Qiong.

As a result, Jiayin ran in, "Auntie, Auntie, Uncle is here, come sit down, come sit down!"

Madam Cui scooped her up in her arms, took a handkerchief to wipe the light sweat from her forehead, and said with a smile, "Little chubby girl, where did you get all sweaty? Your aunt made you a little sun hat, do you want it?"

"Yes!" Jiayin's eyes lit up with joy; she didn't want to have an uneven tan again.

Madam Cui adored her little face, hugged her and kissed her sweetly for a long time before putting the new hat on her head.

The hat has a frame made of fine copper wire, and is lined with smooth, cool satin inside and out, embroidered with pretty little flowers, and surrounded by light gauze.

It can be tied to the brim of a hat on ordinary days, and if there are mosquitoes or dust, it can be let down to become a curtain to block them.

Jiayin loved it. She put her little hands behind her back and walked around the ground twice.

She was already plump, and this way, she looked like a big, wobbly white goose, making Madam Cui and Sister-in-law Qiong laugh until they cried.

When Madam Cui brought Jiayin to the Li family, she happened to run into Li Laosi, who had invited Doctor Zhang and the village chief and other old men.

The Li family courtyard suddenly became lively, with more than a dozen people crowding in.

With the servants inside, Old Lady Li simply asked her son to bring small stools, which she placed under the eaves, so they could talk and enjoy the breeze.

Doctor Zhang was an impatient man. Upon seeing Master Wang, he immediately took his pulse, then deftly inserted acupuncture needles, closed his eyes to rest, and ignored everything else.

Jiayin, being mischievous, saw the old man's white beard fluttering in the wind, so she quietly ran over, plucked two strands, and ran away.

Doctor Zhang winced in pain, jumped up and chased after her, yelling, "Little chubby girl, do you want to die? When I catch you, I'll turn you into a hedgehog!"

Jiayin wished she had four legs, running and giggling all the while.

Everyone was amused by the sight of the old man and the young boy running around.

Jia Yin's short legs weren't enough, and she was eventually caught.

Seeing that the little bottom was about to suffer, she quickly took a candy ball from her purse and stuffed it directly into the old man's mouth, "Grandpa, have some candy!"

Sure enough, the old man snorted coldly, but didn't actually slap her. He pulled her back to sit down and slowly savored the fruity aroma and sweetness in his mouth.

Jiayin popped one into her own mouth and lay down on the old man's lap with a smile.

Because of their commotion, the tension and unfamiliarity between everyone and Master Wang disappeared.

The village chief and the others looked Wang Yuanwai up and down and laughed, "This child doesn't look quite like the second son and the others."

Grandma Li said, "He looks like his father, but the rest of them look like me."

“No wonder,” the village chief nodded, and instructed Wang Yuanwai, “Don’t worry if you can’t remember. Get well first. Your mother and brothers don’t care whether you come home or not. Wherever you live, as long as you are safe and healthy, they will be happy.”

Master Wang was touched by this and rose to bow again.

No one pressed Wang Yuanwai about his life in the city, whether he was rich or poor. They just chatted for a while about trivial matters in and around the village.

Old Lady Li remembered the shop in Luo'an town and her eldest grandson's page, and said, "Village Chief, Jiaren went to Luo'an. Fourth Brother said that the students there all have academies, so it would be convenient to have someone run errands and do odd jobs. I was thinking of finding one for Jiaren in the village as well."

"This is a good thing!" The village chief nodded repeatedly and replied, "There are quite a few clever boys in the village. Let's choose one to follow Jiaren and broaden his horizons."

Uncle Zhao and the others chimed in, "Er Gouzi and Xiao Shitou are both good."

Old Mrs. Li said, "Aunt Wu overheard some of our gossip and wanted to send Gousheng over there. That child has suffered a lot before and is a bit timid. Maybe if he goes there for a few years, he can change his temperament."

The village chief and Uncle Zhao and the others suddenly realized what was going on.

"Yes, forget about Gousheng. This kid is definitely more suitable. It's just that his parents need to teach him chores like washing clothes and cooking. He's an only child, so he probably doesn't know anything."

"He's a clever kid, and he doesn't seem to be doing too badly as a helper in the valley."

The matter was settled in just a few words.

Grandma Li continued, "This child serves as Jiaren's page. His food, drink, and clothing are provided by our family. We also give him some pocket money each month. As for how much, we will discuss it with his parents."

“Alright,” the village chief waved his hand, “Your family has always been very efficient in handling matters.”

Grandma Li smiled and said, "One thing at a time. Let's make it clear beforehand to avoid hurting our relationship in the end."

Li Laosi went to the kitchen and brought out two plates of cherries. Many families in the neighboring Big Locust Tree Village grow cherry trees, and it's the peak season for them. You can buy a small basket for just a few coins.

Children from the Big Locust Tree often came by selling things, and Jia'an and Jiaxi, who had a sweet tooth, would buy them from their families every few days.

As everyone ate cherries, Jiayin also came over, but she only ate one before giving up.

This is an empty cherry tree that hasn't been grafted or evolved. It looks good, but the taste is really not good.

The old woman, afraid that she would cause trouble, hugged her and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Village Chief, the hot spring valley has been open for almost a month now, and the income is quite good. Shouldn't we calculate some of the wages for everyone? Almost every household has invested all their money. They don't have any money left to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, or snacks for the children."

The village chief was stunned for a moment, then tapped his tobacco pipe against his forehead.

"Oh dear, my brain is failing me! I can't remember anything. Just the other day I was telling Lao Zhao and the others that Jiaren probably doesn't have the money for tuition, and that I should ask the second brother to calculate how to pay everyone's wages. How could I have forgotten about it?"

Uncle Zhao and the others laughed, "We thought you had already said that."

The old woman was afraid that the village chief would be anxious, so she quickly advised, "We still have Jiaren's tuition fees at home. The reason we want the wages is because there's something else going on."

"What's wrong, Auntie? Is your family in trouble?" Madam Cui asked. "I have some money here."

Even Master Wang asked, "I have some here too..."

Grandma Li quickly waved her hand, "It's nothing serious. There's a nice shop near the academy, and I'd like my third son's family to sell some food there so we can have more income and also take care of Jiaren."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "This is a good thing. Jiaren is blessed that his family cares about him so much."

After thinking for a moment, the village chief said, "Then I'll come over tonight and discuss it with the second brother. We should pay everyone their wages as soon as possible. We need to let everyone have a taste of success so they'll work even harder."

Everyone laughed. "That's right, if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it grass."