"Thank you, old man. Shui Jun is my brother. You don't need me to tell you. I will take care of him for the rest of his life," Qin Li said solemnly. He looked at the silent Chen Tan and said softly, "If you like to learn, then learn. I can still support you."

Xie Junqian's eyes were filled with tears of gratitude. "Qin Li, thank you."

He turned around, wiped away his tears, took out a thick book of herbal medicine from the top shelf of the medicine cabinet, and handed it to Chen Tan.

"Take it back and copy it out, and memorize it. After the New Year, when the weather is better, come back and learn the three methods of observation, smelling, asking, and palpation from me."

"Okay, Master, I won't let you down."

Chen Tan carefully took the book and flipped through a page. Next to the line-drawing pictures were annotations in traditional Chinese characters.

Fortunately, she knew them all.

"Well, I believe you," Xie Junqian nodded with satisfaction, "Just like Shui Jun, call me grandpa."

"Yes, thank you, Grandpa," Chen Tan said seriously, then looked at Xie Shuijun and smiled, "Shuijun, we will be brother and sister from now on."

Xie Shuijun hugged her happily, "Okay, sister, sister Tan."

"Sisters and brothers can't hug each other, let go!"

Qin Li took out five yuan and gave it to Xie Junqian. Then he picked up three packets of medicine, opened Chen Tan's arms, and suddenly picked her up sideways. "Let's go back, or grandma will be worried."

"No, no need to hold me." Chen Tan was extremely embarrassed, but he couldn't struggle.

"It's not up to you." Qin Li's face was cold again.

Xie Shuijun, who was watching the two of them from the side, smiled brightly, "Hey, Sister Tan, Brother Li hugged you because he likes you, you should be happy."

Upon hearing this, Qin Li gave him an appreciative look and said, "I'll send you an extra chicken in the evening."

Looking at the two people walking away, Xie Junqian smiled bitterly while holding the five dollars.

He used to not care about any money, but now he can only rely on the charity of others to survive.

It’s time, it’s fate!

He straightened his worn army green jacket and chased after her, shouting, "You little bastard, remember to give her plenty of brown sugar ginger tea!"

Chen Tan shrank back even more when he heard his shouting, fearing that he would be seen.

Xie Junqian's sanitation center was used as an office by Weijia Kiln Factory, in front of the brick factory.

The Wei family's old house is behind the brick factory. It is a four-courtyard house. In the front yard, in addition to being used as the brigade's office, there is also a room reserved as the brigade's sales outlet.

It is convenient for the common people and also for the educated youth living in the backyard.

At the sales outlets, people have everything they need for daily life, and they need tickets and money to buy things.

Qin Li carried Chen Tan and walked around the brigade's granary, intending to go to the sales outlet to buy a pound of cotton. Suddenly, the voices of a man and a woman chatting came from the warehouse.

The woman's voice was soft and hooked, "Songzi, please have mercy on me. My family has been out of food for several days."

The man panted slightly, "No, no, no, I can't. If the old branch secretary finds out, I'm done for."

"Oh, if you don't tell me and I don't tell you, who will know?" The woman's voice became even more coquettish. "Are you comfortable? Give me three pounds of wheat and I'll make you feel even better."

"Ah, no, don't do this..." The man gasped and suppressed his breath.

Qin Li let out a loud "Pooh" and quickened his pace, running towards the sales outlet.

Chen Tan, who was in his arms, didn't move at all, and her face was filled with embarrassment.

I know what happened to those sounds just now without having to think about it.

It would be fine if she heard it alone, but it was too embarrassing for her to be hugged by Qin Li.

She moved her head and looked upwards, just in time to see the black stubble on Qin Li's chin and his rolling Adam's apple.

I wonder if he is shy?

"What are you looking at?"

Qin Li suddenly stopped, lifted the corner of his clothes, and met her inquiring big eyes, slightly open red lips, and the pink little tongue that was secretly retracted.

"No, I didn't see anything." Chen Tan moved his head and put his whole little face on Qin Li's chest. "Brother, put me down. It would be bad if someone found me."

Qin Li was not dressed warmly, just an autumn shirt and a thin jacket.

Her face was pressed against his chest, and the soft touch seemed to be transmitted to his central nervous system. In his vision, he could see her rosy ears and her slender white neck.

Thinking of the sounds he had just heard, his whole body felt hot and uncomfortable.

He was stunned for a moment, tightened his arms, and once again grabbed the collar of his coat, holding the person in his arms even tighter.

"Don't move, no one will notice."

The small lump huddled against his chest made it impossible for anyone to tell it was a human being.

The person working at the sales outlet is Qi Xiuyun, the eldest daughter-in-law of Shi Wenju, the accountant of Hongyao Brigade.

Seeing Qin Li, he asked in confusion, "What are you holding?"

"Nothing." Qin Li always looked cool and dignified in front of people he wasn't close to. He took out a cotton bill and a few cents and threw them on the counter. "Buy cotton."

"How are you going to take it back?"

Qi Xiuyun picked up the tickets and money, and after confirming that they were correct, she stared at the army green coat before starting to weigh the cotton.

Chen Tan tucked up his legs and curled up in Qin Li's arms, not daring to breathe. If he showed his face at this time, he would be extremely embarrassed.

"Put it in a bag and I'll bring it over tomorrow."

After Qin Li finished speaking, he lowered his eyes to look at his chest and suppressed the smile in his eyes.

"OK."

Qi Xiuyun was eager to know what was in his arms, but since Qin Li refused to tell her, she had no choice but to give up.

She put the weighed cotton in a sack and placed it on the counter, her eyes still glancing at the bulge in his chest.

Qin Li grabbed the sack with his big hands, turned around and strode away. As he was leaving the house, he bumped into the village scoundrel Ge Erdan.

The collar covering Shen Tan's face was torn, and Ge Erdan saw half of Shen Tan's smooth and celestial face.

Ge Erdan's eyes were filled with amazement, and his mouth was drooling, "Hey, Qin Li, where did you get this beautiful girl..."

"Get lost!" Qin Li's tone suddenly turned cold, his eyes filled with a gloomy and cold light, "Watch your mouth."

"Okay, okay!" Ge Erdan nodded and bowed, his legs trembling.

Even though he is a troublemaker in the Hongyao Brigade, he is a coward in front of Qin Li.

Qin Li walked out of the sales outlet and strode home without stopping.

After entering the house, he placed the sandalwood on the bed, found brown sugar and dried ginger, and went to the kitchen.

"This child isn't stupid," Qin Qiuniang said, looking at the bag of cotton and smiling broadly. "Tan Nier, are you feeling better?"

"Grandma, I don't feel any pain anymore," Chen Tan said, lying in bed and taking out the medical book. "I want to learn medicine from Grandpa Xie."

Qin Qiuniang took the book and flipped through a few pages. "That old fellow has real skills. If you could learn from him, it would be a great benefit to the people."

When Chen Tan heard her words of support, her eyes were moved and red, "Grandma, thank you!"

"Silly child, grandma is not one of those uneducated fools in the village. Just go for what you want to learn. I'll back you up," Qin Qiuniang stroked Chen Tan's head. "Just remember, no matter what time, a woman should never live dependent on a man. Only by learning a skill can you have dignity."

Chen Tan felt warm in his heart, "I will never forget grandma's teachings."

While everyone was being affectionate here, at the sales outlet, Qi Xiuyun tricked Ge Erdan into revealing something with just a few words.

"Are you sure he was hugging a woman?" Qi Xiuyun's eyes were full of gossip.