Chapter 31: Guard Min Feng

Shen Qingquan found it unbearably cute, cradling her two flower‑bud heads and shaking them, "Yes, yes, yes, our Xiao Ci is not a child, but a big child~"

The two sisters teased each other, their laughter echoing into the courtyard; Ning Shi couldn't help but smile faintly, "These two kids start making a ruckus early in the morning…"

"Qinger and Xiao Ci are close sisters; how many people could ever be jealous!"

Lin Shi, upon hearing this, thought of her several children who had disappeared without a trace, and her expression grew forlorn.

Ning Shi saw her hidden worry and said, "Don't worry, Song'er and the others will be safe. Once Mother recovers a bit, we'll set out immediately to find them. Song'er has some skill, and will surely protect Hua'er and the others."

Shen Yusong is the eldest son of the second branch.

Shen Qinghua is Lin Shi's eldest daughter, the second‑ranked girl in the Shen Family, only ten days younger than Shen Qingci.

At first, Ning Shi and Lin Shi were diagnosed pregnant almost simultaneously, but Lin Shi had already given birth to the eldest son Shen Yusong, so this was her second child. Ning Shi was different; she was in her first pregnancy, carrying twins, and naturally felt even more anxious.

The two women constantly cared for each other, their relationship intimate, until that day when Ning Shi went into labor, and Lin Shi became extremely nervous. Fortunately, Ning Shi safely delivered a dragon‑phoenix twin, and the Shen Family finally had a legitimate eldest daughter, Shen Qingquan.

Ten days later, Lin Shi accidentally twisted her ankle and suddenly went into labor. It was extremely perilous, nearly costing her life, and she suffered pain for a full day and night. In the end, it was a close call, and she gave birth to a daughter, the Shen Family's second daughter, Shen Qinghua.

Shen Qinghua is quiet and gentle, and has had a good relationship with Shen Qingquan since childhood. When Lin Shi faced a difficult delivery, everyone thought there was no hope; even the midwife said to prepare for the afterlife. Yet later, Grandmother, carrying Shen Qingci, came looking for Ning Shi, and for some unknown reason Lin Shi suddenly found strength, finally succeeding in giving birth to Shen Qinghua, pulling her back from the brink of death.

At that time, the midwife called it a miracle, surely blessed by a bodhisattva goddess, while others thought it was the fortune brought by the young lady, because many had seen it, and it was precisely the young lady's appearance that gave Lin Shi sudden strength.

Thus, Lin Shi grew increasingly fond of Shen Qingquan, not only because of her relationship with Ning Shi, but also because she believed that only with herself could the delivery succeed and the daughter survive.

Shen Qinghua is quiet, whereas Shen Qingquan's temperament was flamboyant and unrestrained, often resembling a boy, lacking any feminine gentleness. Because of this, Ning Shi suffered endless headaches, yet the patriarch and mother cherished her, and Shen Juancheng protected her; even if she tried to assert her authority as a mother, she could only end in failure.

Later she even gave up on herself, thinking that someday she would inevitably have to leave the household, and that the days she stayed at home, she would let herself follow her heart more

But who could have foreseen that fate is fickle; one day a massive upheaval led to the Shen Family's downfall, and her Qinger, once a proud daughter of heaven, became a prisoner beneath the stairs.

She sighed in her heart, listening to the laughter inside the house, as if she had returned to the past.

Ning Shi and Lin Shi exchanged a smile; the small, dilapidated courtyard was nonetheless filled with warmth.

The family finished breakfast, and at that moment Old Huang returned from next door; he had just administered a needle to that person and brought back silver and medicinal herbs.

These were his payment.

Ten taels of silver, plus twenty jin of herbs.

Old Huang, however, looked uneasy, "Miss, the young master's wound I cannot cure, only temporarily suppress; with so many things… I feel ashamed to accept them, truly uneasy in my heart."

The previously agreed condition was that it had to be curable, but he was helpless against that poison; at most he could only temporarily suppress its toxicity to prevent recurrence, and for these items, he felt guilty accepting them.

Shen Qingquan glanced at the herbs on the ground—notoginseng, Cassia seed, Patchouli, Agastache, honeysuckle, forsythia…—all common medicinal herbs, many of which are remarkably effective for treating wind‑cold fever.

In her present‑day company she works for, which focuses on pharmaceuticals, she knows many herbs and has studied their quality and efficacy.

This batch of herbs is of excellent quality; even in peaceful times they would be pricey, let alone now.

Nowadays, the price of herbs can even exceed that of grain; not to mention a jin,

even a tael is driven up to sky‑high prices. The neighbor, once he makes a move, deals in twenty jin—such a grand gesture…

Shen Qingquan's eyes flickered slightly, then she rose, "Since it's given by people, we'll accept it. You happen to be short of herbs?"

Old Huang hesitated for a while, but in the end said nothing and took the herbs.

First he repaid the five taels of city entry fee he owed, and the remainder he kept carefully, daring not to spend it recklessly.

Shen Qingquan didn't refuse, and let her father take them.

At that moment, a knock came from outside; it was the guard named Min Feng.

"Guard Min, something?"

"It's like this: the young master and I will be staying here for a few days, and we can't arrange daily meals. I'm a rough sort, not knowing how to cook soups. I wanted to go out to buy some, but the city is in chaos and many eateries are closed, so I boldly came here, wondering if we might share a meal with you all?"

"Don't worry, we'll pay for the food."

Saying that, they pulled out twenty taels of silver and handed it over; the bright silver dazzled everyone's eyes.

In the past, the Shen family wouldn't have cared about such a sum, but now, times have changed; twenty taels of silver can buy many things. Even if grain prices rise, it's only a few days, and they are just two people, so pulling out twenty taels is indeed a grand gesture.

Ning Shi instinctively looked at Shen Juancheng, who stepped forward, "We eat simple, plain meals; I'm afraid the two of you might not be accustomed."

"How could that be? When we're out, we keep everything simple. The young master said we'll follow your style of food."

At that point, Shen Juancheng found it hard to refuse; he glanced at the young lady, Shen Qingquan gave him a silent nod, and he said, "Then we shall respectfully accept your invitation."

"Perfect, we still have warm porridge on the stove; if the two of you haven't eaten yet, perhaps you could have some?"

They had already given the silver, and Ning Shi didn't want them to leave empty‑handed. The pot still had warm porridge and Sweet Potato buns; she thought the children were at a stage of rapid growth and would get hungry quickly, so she had prepared extra.

"That would be wonderful."

"Then you wait a moment; I'll go fetch it now."

Ning Shi turned and went back, Shen Qingquan went to help, while Shen Juancheng stayed behind to talk with him.

After a few exchanges, they introduced each other's names.

Shen Juancheng finally learned his name was Min Feng; the young master from his family is surnamed Bai, who said he was traveling to Youzhou to visit relatives, but was injured by Japanese Pirates en route, taking an arrow wound, and they became separated from their household servants, which is why they ended up in Xiangcheng.

Shen Juancheng also mentioned that his family name is Shen, that they fled famine from elsewhere and are temporarily settled here, and said little else.

Both sides remained cautious; Shen Juancheng chatted with him a few sentences, discovering that although he appeared to come from a military background, he showed no trace of arrogance, speaking methodically, gently, and politely. This was a stark contrast to his robust exterior.? This book first released on 17K Novel Network, watch the official content first!