Everything had calmed down for several days. One day, Zhao Han suddenly told him that Zhao Yuan was going back to the capital.

Liao Tingyu was very happy and did not eat any snacks.

“Do you want to go back to the capital?” he asked.

“I can’t go back; uncle told me to stay here with you. When things settle down there, there will be a big surprise for you,” Zhao Han said regretfully.

When Liao Tingyu heard this, he laid lazily on the recliner. “Your uncle just left you here so that you can eat in a wealthy family without any worries. You can also eat the king’s meal, and you have never paid a cent for housing.”

Zhao Han nodded. “I can’t help it. All the military pay I got was given to my uncle. I don’t have a tael of silver on me. But I can give myself to you. It’s hard to find someone who is young, strong, and capable like me.”

“But the key is, what do I need you to do? No matter how hard it is to find someone like you, in my county office, I can find a few in just one day,” Liao Tingyu said, looking at Zhao Han, whose face had become very thick.

“I’m of great use. Look at all the animals you have. I’ve basically tended to them for you. Since I came here, you’ve either been going out shopping with your wife all day or playing with the children,” Zhao Han argued, counting his contributions in detail.

“If it weren’t for me, you would have been so busy with official duties. How could you have such leisure time? The key is that I am still down-to-earth, and I have never concealed or reported anything important. You can’t find anyone outside who can help you with your official duties and be as dutiful to you as I am.”

“I’ve been helping you with your official duties these past few months. I haven’t received any wages yet, just food and accommodation,” Zhao Han lamented, feeling at a loss.

After working hard for so long, his pocket was still empty.

Liao Tingyu strongly disagreed. “Food and lodging are included. You live comfortably, with maids and servants to assist you. You eat the pigs and sheep specially provided by the ranch. You drink the wine I’ve brewed for a long time. Even if you were to sell it at the market, you’d earn more than ten taels for a jar, and you drink a small jar every day. Do you think you can pay thirty taels in a month with a salary? I haven’t deducted any money from you or asked you to write an IOU, which is already very generous.”

Zhao Han didn’t agree, as his wine had never been sold.

Moreover, Liao Tingyu made a lot of wine every time, and the raw materials were simple. Zhao Han didn’t need to pay for Liao Tingyu’s labor; the servants came to help.

But he didn’t dare to push the matter further. If the man refused to drink with him, he would be in trouble.

After drinking Liao Tingyu’s brewed wine, other wines were simply unpalatable.

Originally, Zhao Han wanted to ask Liao Tingyu how many taels of silver he could put in his pocket, but it seemed he had nothing to gain.

.

Zhao Han, someone who refused to give up until he achieved his goal, decided to take another step since the previous one didn’t work.

His originally straight spine softened, and his hands suddenly hugged Liao Tingyu’s legs. Despite his earlier concern, his expression now turned very aggrieved.

“Teacher, please just give me a few taels of silver. You see, I’m not getting any younger, and I always have to socialize when I go out. Several times, others have invited me, and Ihave to treat them back! Otherwise, how would they feel? Moreover, in people’s eyes, I am the leader of the yamen and the person closest to you. Now that I am so poor, people will wonder if you are reluctant to give me money!”

Liao Tingyu looked at him, hugging his thigh and thought, ‘I owe him a Best Actor Award. His ability to change his demeanor and tone at such speed is remarkable. A grown man speaking in such a tone simply defies belief.’

He used to think he was a tough guy.

Observing Zhao Han’s changed demeanor, Liao Tingyu thought something must have happened.

He had socialized with others before, but he had never been so shameless. Why suddenly ask for money after all this time? It was completely unreasonable. A shameless person wouldn’t care about that unless…

Liao Tingyu decided not to embarrass him and smiled like a fox.

“Okay! Since you’re my nominal nephew, I won’t make it difficult for you. Go to Huang Zilan’s place and get the money. You can only withdraw from my private treasury since you have no standing in the county government,” Liao Tingyu said.

Zhao Han, expecting a long battle, was surprised by Liao Tingyu’s swift acquiescence. He happily got up, hugged Liao Tingyu tightly, and skipped away.

“Thank you, teacher. You’re the best,” Zhao Han exclaimed with gratitude.

.

Huang Zilan, upon hearing that Liao Tingyu asked him to come and get the money, gave him more than a dozen taels of silver without hesitation, far exceeding Zhao Han’s expectations.

“I’m glad you treat me with kindness. Teacher took much longer to agree,” Zhao Han said emotionally, holding the silver.

Huang Zilan explained, “It’s not that he didn’t agree, it’s because all the money is with me. If he wants to agree, he has to ask me.”

Zhao Han didn’t believe this explanation. In his eyes, the couple had been inseparable for many years, deeply in love with each other. Money wasn’t just a matter of asking—it was a game for them.

But he didn’t dwell on it. He had more important things to do now.

Zhao Han sneaked into a remote farmhouse with the money.

“Jinli, are you in there? I borrowed the money,” he gently knocked on the door and asked.

At that moment, a handsome shuanger emerged, his face somewhat sad.

“Brother Zhao, did you really borrow the money?” Jinli asked in surprise.

Zhao Han proudly displayed his trophy, saying, “Look, there are more than a dozen taels here. Take your mother to see the doctor quickly. There’s enough money now.”

Jinli felt embarrassed. “But Brother Zhao, how can I possibly repay you for this much money?”

“I don’t want you to repay me if you don’t have the means. Just go and get your mother treated first. His illness can’t wait. The sooner he receives treatment, the sooner he will recover,” Zhao Han insisted.

“But… but…” Jinli worried about the expenses for his own potential illness, then looked at the large bag full of money. With so much money, he wouldn’t be able to repay Zhao Han even if he sold himself.

“Okay, don’t worry about it. Just focus on getting your mother treated. You can use this money for that. I don’t need these ten taels,” Zhao Han said, stuffing the money into Jinli’s arms and walking away without looking back.

Jinli tried to chase after him but couldn’t catch up. He looked at the money in his arms, his eyes turning red as tears streamed down his face. How could he not feel overwhelmed by these dozen taels?

Brother Zhao had spoken so generously. Jinli knew that Brother Zhao worked as an errand in the government office. Many government servants had invited him to dinner, yet he never saw him treated others back. He had even once mocked Brother Zhao for being a spendthrift.

And now, these ten taels of silver might be all the savings Brother Zhao had accumulated through frugality, or even borrowed from others.

.

Walking inside with the money, Jinli felt a sense of emptiness. After his mother fell ill, his father, who had long been known for his alcoholism rather than his responsibility, had abandoned the family.

He had sold everything he could to afford treatment for his mother.

The emaciated figure lying on the bed looked at his child. Jinli had barely left before returning, clutching a bag of money.

“Jinli, where did you get this? Return it immediately,” his mother weakly demanded.

“Mother, a friend lent me this for your medical expenses. I’ll return it once you’ve recovered,” Jinli explained.

“Mother is feeling better. You ask Uncle Wang next door to help take you to the hospital. Let the doctor check again and let’s try to recover as soon as possible.”

Jinli’s mother shook his head. Although he didn’t want to accept death, he knew his body was nearing the end.

In his eyes, spending so much money on someone nearing their end was unnecessary. He regretted not seeing his child married off or leaving his child in the hands of someone trustworthy.

He looked sadly at his busy child, pondering why good people often struggled to live long lives.

“Child, if you find someone you love, tell your mother. I’ll try to see you married before I go.”

When Jinli heard his mother’s words and thought of the tall and handsome young man who had helped him. His face flushed red, but he knew their statuses weren’t compatible. One worked as an errand in the yamen, while the other was just a common people.

“Mom, please don’t worry about that. You’ll have to help take care of my children in the future,” Jinli said, changing the subject.

Having been through similar situations before, Jinli’s mother sensed that their child might have feelings for someone. Unfortunately, he didn’t explicitly mention it, leaving him unsure. All he could do was encourage him, saying, “If you have someone in mind, let me know, and I can help arrange things. We’ll even get Uncle Wang’s wife to embroider several pairs of mandarin ducks!”

Jinli nodded shyly. In his eyes, the remaining money wouldn’t be enough to spend in his lifetime, so why not use it to calculate his own happiness?

.

Meanwhile, Zhao Han, hidden in the corner, observed Jinli taking his mother to the medical clinic and followed confidently. Entering through the back door, he greeted the doctor and asked for special care for Jinli’s mother.

As a doctor, he was familiar with people in the town, he recognized the young man who often accompanied the county magistrate. Agreeing without hesitation, he saw it as a simple task and an opportunity to earn favor from the county magistrate.

“Please rest assured, young master. I’ll do my best to cure them,” the doctor assured.

“Thank you. I trust your medical skills. Whatever medicinal materials are needed, I’ll cover the cost,” Zhao Han replied politely.