Wang Dahu was completely frightened and dared not be arrogant anymore. He could only agree to call a doctor. After Doctor Li finished taking Gouzi's pulse, he said, "The fever is so high and you didn't come to call sooner. Also, the quilt and clothes are all damp. Don't the parents care about their child?"

Dog's mother still had bruises on her face. She helped Dog change his clothes and tucked him into her sister's bed before going to boil the medicine. Lu Yan settled the bill with Doctor Li in front of him, "Grandpa, thank you for your hard work. Let's go home first and check on him again when it gets light to see if his fever has gone down."

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the snow began to melt. Gouzi, who had been delirious with fever for three days, finally regained consciousness. Wang Dahu hadn't expected his son to be so seriously ill and was a little scared. Gouzi's mother hugged her son and cried several times. After Lu Yan had Dr. Li examine him and confirmed that he was alright, she secretly gave Gouzi one hundred coins. "This is compensation for you, but if it happens a second time, our family will not take care of you."

The dog refused, its voice hoarse, "It's not because I fell into your pond that I got sick, it's because I... I poured water all over myself."

When he saw his father beating his mother again, and that the family was fighting every day, he was angry but powerless to do anything about it. He could only pour water on himself in a fit of helpless rage.

Lu Yan stared at him for a while, then counted out three hundred coins. "Take this money. You're an honest man. If you want to make a good living, come to my house in the county town to work on the tenth day of the first lunar month."

The dog sat up in surprise, "Work?"

“My family’s work is very tiring, and since you can’t read, you can only do jobs like wiping tables and washing dishes. If you can read in the future, you can also work as a waiter.”

Gouzi kowtowed to Lu Yan, saying that being able to go to the county town to make a living was a great thing.

The three men from the village chief's family went to Linshui County but still haven't found anything. The village chief's illness had just improved when he came to their door. "Dayun, you are the most promising person in our village. Go and find out about the situation in Linshui County. My old bones won't last much longer. I don't want to bury my son."

Lu Yunfeng pondered for a moment, "Village Chief, please take good care of yourself. I'll go find someone to inquire."

However, before he could set off for the county town, Li Zhen arrived first. She looked haggard, and upon asking, she learned that Ye Su had actually gone to Linshui County to suppress the riots before the New Year and had not returned yet. She originally wanted to ask Qin Xiaozhou to inquire about Sun Yuanyuan's situation in Linshui County, but unfortunately, Qin Xiaozhou was injured in the leg and could not be bothered. So Li Zhen could only ask Lu Yunfeng for help.

Officer Li arrived at the restaurant at the invitation. "The situation in Linshui County is complicated, and it will be difficult to get results in a short time. As for the Ye Su you mentioned, he used to be a pretty capable soldier, but I don't know his specific identity."

Unable to obtain any useful information from Constable Li, Lu Yunfeng had no choice but to visit the county magistrate. Magistrate Sun was in high spirits these past two days, having just received a letter from home on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. His wife had written that the old lady had arranged a marriage for their daughter with a poor but talented scholar who would be taking the imperial examination in the spring.

The prospective son-in-law is handsome and talented, and his ancestors included a high-ranking official of the third rank, although they later fell into poverty. The family has a very good tradition, and Sun Yuanyuan will be the head of the household after marrying into the family.

Even the eldest son, who had always been left at home, was arranged to marry the daughter of his father's servant, which was considered a good match.

Magistrate Sun was very fortunate. Although he was born out of wedlock and his birth mother was disliked by the old lady when she was a concubine, and the old lady also resented him and interfered with his career, sending him to this small place as a magistrate, the old lady still gave his children's marriages a lot of face because of the Sun family bloodline.