After comforting his wife again, Wenren Taibo’s eyes swept across the tablet and fell on the bookshelf. A strange look flashed in his eyes. At a time when reading was still a privilege for only a few people, it was really unexpected that his daughter had such a large collection of books. This also proved that his daughter was not as poor as he had expected.

The books were categorized and shelved, with most being classics, histories, and collections of essays. There were also some miscellaneous volumes, including novels, memoirs, travelogues, biographies, and even agricultural treatises. Upon scanning the titles, aside from a few obscure ones, they seemed of little value. Most had been read by Wenren Taibo, after all – compared to their family’s extensive collection, these books were merely a drop in the bucket.

Among the books, there was another type that was unfamiliar to most people, including Wenren Taibo: medicinal books, which made up a significant proportion of the collection. The most striking set, however, was stored in a wooden box. Its surface was smooth and refined, not from polishing, but from years of frequent handling, giving testament to the owner’s deep affection for it.

Wenren Taibo’s hand hovered over the box, halting momentarily before making contact, and he experienced a complicated emotion.

On the other side, Han Shi couldn’t help but open the small cabinet, and found its contents as sparse and meager as they had imagined. Next to it was a small table, about one foot square, with things placed on it – a dressing table, it seemed. Han Shi couldn’t bear to look anymore, fearing tears again; she left hastily.

Wenren Taibo followed her out and sighed silently as he looked at his wife, who kept pressing her eyes with a handkerchief. In fact, his wife was a generous and straightforward woman with strong character. In the past ten years, except for the time when her daughter was lost, she probably never cried as much as she did today.

“Do you want to go and see our daughter seeing patients?” Wenren Taibo suggested, “We will just watch from a distance and won’t disturb her.”

Han Shi did not refuse.

The place where Xiao Cao sat for diagnosis was actually a small pharmacy, with which she had a cooperative relationship. Although the shop wasn’t large, its business was thriving, so the diagnoses took place outside the main area of the store. A curtain had been hung beside the desk to create some separation, and there was also a reasonable distance between the waiting patients.

Seeking treatment for minor complaints, patients of all ages – from young to old, and both men and women – came to Xiao Cao’s diagnosis area. Women, in particular, were abundant, with half of them being pregnant. Those who came seeking medical attention generally entered behind the curtain.

Whether it was a serious or minor ailment, Xiao Cao had a remarkable ability to calm patients’ anxious emotions with her warm, gentle demeanor and soothing speech. As she talked, even the most agitated person relaxed without realizing it, and would trust her implicitly. It’s as if, in her presence, all illnesses were insignificant and there was no need to worry.

Meanwhile, Han Shi and Wenren Taibo sat in a nondescript carriage not far away. From the outside, there was nothing unusual about it – no fanfare or attention-grabbing decor. As people from a different social stratum, they didn’t typically frequent this area.

Even though Han Shi felt sorry for Xiao Cao “serving” all these people, she felt soft-hearted when she saw Xiao Cao’s actions. “My daughter has a good character, no matter what she does.” She felt a little relieved.

Wenren Taibo nodded in agreement.

At this stage in life, a person’s personality is largely formed, and if they have strayed significantly from the right path, it can be extremely difficult to change their ways. As a result, even if you are deeply saddened by her behavior, the emotional connection may erode over time, and feelings of resentment might even develop.

Their daughter’s existence brought them immense joy, and being reunited with her again was an even greater happiness. Moreover, if she proved herself to be a good person and stood out in some way, they couldn’t ask for more.

As for Xiao Cao, it had been a whole day since she started working at the pharmacy, and by noon, most of her patients had already left. After a short break, Xiao Cao thought about her parents, who were waiting for her, and decided to take her cue from them. Around that time, they sent someone to bring food for Xiao Cao and the people working at the pharmacy. Occasionally, Xiao Cao would mention her parents to her pregnant patients and other clients, offering them advice on their next steps. As a result, many people were already aware that her parents had arrived, and it was clear that she wouldn’t be seeing these patients again in the future.

Both the pharmacy and its patients were naturally reluctant to see her go. However, they had no reason to keep her and even wanted to congratulate her. After all, it was not easy for a woman to survive alone.

Xiao Cao exchanged pleasantries with the pharmacist for a while, then parted ways. The pharmacist even prepared a small gift for her, which she accepted with a smile.

As soon as he left, Xiao Cao straightened and headed towards the carriage, which had been waiting for half a day. Although she hadn’t seen them when she was inside, she had guessed.

She climbed into the carriage without any resistance.

Han Shi inquired again about her daughter’s health, having just observed her pinching the back of her neck and pounding her waist. With her busy schedule, she must be exhausted.

Xiao Cao simply smiled and didn’t seem to care much. While things were hectic, it wasn’t like this everyday, so she didn’t mind it.

As Xiao Cao boarded the carriage, many people took notice. Despite its ordinary appearance, the carriage was far more luxurious than most people could afford. Since she was traveling alone, it was widely assumed that her hard work had finally paid off. However, when some individuals made malicious speculations about her, they were quickly rebuked by others. It was considered shameful to accept kindness from someone and then speak ill of them behind their back. Such behavior was deemed worse than that of animals, and as fellow human beings, they should at least possess some conscience.

Returning to the small courtyard, Xiao Cao quickly changed into some clothes and began collecting things, preparing to head back to her family’s place.

As for Xiao Cao’s valuables, she had few, but according to Han Shi, she didn’t need to bring any. She had already prepared some of it beforehand, but there would definitely be more later. Most of them were medicine and books. Books could be easily moved, so even if the master returned first, the servants could quickly pack them up. As for the medicines, Xiao Cao thought about it and decided to sell them directly to the pharmacy. After moving away, she would instruct someone to pick them up.

Xiao Cao stood in front of the incense table, gazing at the tablet, then turned around, “Father, Mother, can I take Tingyu’s tablet back with me?”

The fact that she had continued to tend to her husband’s memorial tablet with such reverence despite leaving his family showed just how deeply she loved him. However, displaying this tablet at her parents’ home was unconventional, to say the least.

And yet, as the couple gazed into Xiao Cao’s peaceful eyes, they found it impossible to refuse. Initially, they felt guilty and ashamed; later, after getting to know each other, their affection grew stronger. Naturally, whatever Xiao Cao said was what they wanted to hear, and they were all too happy to let her do as she wished.

As a result, Xiao Cao accompanied the couple to the carriage, bringing with her only the most essential items. These included the memorial tablet, as well as her ‘dowry’, which consisted of the medical books and equipment that her foster father had worked so hard to obtain, along with a special medical box.

At this moment, Han Shi couldn’t help asking about Xiao Cao’s past with some level of cautiousness.

Xiao Cao had no reservations about sharing her past with others.

In a matter of seconds, she summarized the eight years preceding age three or four; she didn’t dwell on them because normal people rarely recall such early memories. The subsequent years unfolded in a similarly straightforward manner, leaving little room for further simplification. Even her experience living alone in Kaiping was distilled into just a few sentences.