Chapter 2

"Be quiet, you shouldn't be calling her Lin Mei Mei!" Lin Ruhai slapped the armrest of the chair

They are just children in their teens! Lin Ruhai sighed softly, saying: "Whose child is this? If they are not meant to be servants, they are the only one in the family, and at this age, are they not still being pampered? As long as they understand reason and know right from wrong, what does it matter if they are a bit unruly? If they are not allowed to be lively in their childhood, when will they ever have the chance to be happy in their lives? If we require them to be mature, who would still use these children? We would just employ adults in their thirties or forties, but who hasn't grown up from childhood? As long as it does not interfere with important matters, that is all that matters."

Lin Ruhai was initially in a state of great confusion, but upon seeing the youth's demeanor, his troubled thoughts diminished somewhat. Having served in officialdom for many years, he had witnessed numerous storms and tempests in the political arena, and he could discern whether such a young man was lying. Although the youth's account of his experiences was indeed astonishing, the books on the table and the peculiar feelings he had when he first saw them, combined with the youth's attire and his behavior, which was markedly different from that of ordinary people, led Lin Ruhai to believe him.

Aunt Meng was originally sitting with Lin Ruhai, observing that his expression had been poor, so she refrained from speaking much. At this moment, upon hearing the sound of Guiming bumping into the door at the courtyard entrance, she couldn't help but laugh and said, "Look at how you have spoiled these little rascals!"

The young boy was momentarily taken aback, silencing his cries. Perhaps he was in such a hurry to hold back his emotions that he began to hiccup, sobbing intermittently.

This young man exudes innocence; his actions clearly indicate that he is a pampered child at home. Yet now, for the sake of a stranger, he is risking his life to come here, which indeed reflects a rare and pure heart. Lin Ruhai has always been soft-hearted towards children. Observing him like this, although he is not very young, it is evident that those around him still treat him as a child, which has fostered such a naive and carefree disposition. This only deepens Lin Ruhai's trust in him.

Alright, alright! Lord Lin, I will do as you say. Indeed, Lord Lin, you are the father of Miss Lin and a truly good person!

"I didn't mean to..." The speaker appeared to be quite young, seemingly around fourteen or fifteen years old. He was fair-skinned and tall, with hair that was cut very short, barely covering his ears. He wore an outfit that was difficult to identify in terms of material, a half-length top that was neither a robe nor a cloak, with a stiff collar turned down, revealing a circle of white, fluffy fabric underneath. The trousers that showed beneath were exceedingly narrow, neither gray nor blue, giving off a rough appearance. The most peculiar aspect was his shoes, which looked like cloth shoes but had a very strange design, fitting snugly. The soles were white, thick, and appeared quite soft, clearly not made of layered material, making it impossible to discern their construction. Standing there, this person looked oddly out of place, neither monk-like nor secular, and it was only because Aunt Meng was solely focused on Lin Ruhai that she failed to notice him.

"I asked someone to invite Mr. Qin to take a look at your grandfather's illness for you," Lin Ruhai had just spoken when he saw the young man suddenly jump up and exclaim, "Sir Lin, you are truly a good person!"

Master! Aunt Meng was taken aback, hurriedly helping Lin Ruhai to sit down slowly. Suddenly, she heard someone speaking from behind: "Please, don't be anxious. The last forty chapters were written by someone else and do not count. I-I-I will bring you the middle part later. Please take a careful look; there must be a way to change Lin Mei's fate!"

Lin Ruhai was initially quite troubled, but after listening to the boy's nonsensical chatter, he found himself both amused and somewhat relieved. He then called for someone to fetch some silver and went to the pawnshop mentioned by the boy named Xu Yang to redeem his "watch." It was not that Lin Ruhai was truly a good person to the end, but rather that he believed about ninety percent of what the boy had said. However, having a bit more evidence would always be better. From the boy's tone, it was clear that the watch he spoke of was a rare item even hundreds of years later. Although Lin Ruhai felt that the boy would not deceive him over such a trivial matter, being able to retrieve that watch would further substantiate the boy's origins.

Hui Ming observed that although Lin Ru Hai's complexion was not good, his expression remained normal. Therefore, she quietly stepped out. However, feeling somewhat uneasy, she asked a maid in the courtyard to invite Aunt Meng to come and take care of him

"Enough! Stop crying!" Lin Ruhai shouted.

Lord Lin, please take a sip of water and calm down. I cannot speak well, so please do not be angry with me. I truly have no other choice but to seek your help. Grandpa Zhang is very ill, and the doctors all believe he cannot be saved, refusing to treat him. Although I have been here for two months, I have no household registration or identity, and I cannot find proper work. Very few people ask me to write letters for them. I really do not know where I can earn money. I took the things I brought with me to pawn, but they said my craftsmanship was poor, and I only received a total of two and a half taels. I reluctantly took my watch to the pawn shop as well. That was a Vacheron Constantin my aunt gave me when I was accepted into university two years ago, worth 20,000 dollars before tax. It is the most valuable thing I have! They insisted they had never seen it before and only gave me ten taels... Ten taels is ten taels, but I used the money to hire a doctor, and they still refused to come. Having money is useless. Grandpa Zhang has taken care of me for two months; without him, I would have died from illness long ago. But I have recovered, and he has fallen ill instead. Uncle Lin, no, I mean Lord Lin, I cannot just watch him die. I happened to hear your name in a teahouse and then inquired about your family. After all this trouble, I believe you are the Lord Lin from the book I have. Uncle Lin, no, I mean Lord Lin, I cannot just watch him die. I happened to hear your name in a teahouse and then inquired about your family. After all this trouble, I believe you are the Lord Lin from the book I have... You are the father of Lin Mei... No, no, you are the father of Miss Lin. Please do not be angry; many people from my hometown have read this book, so we all refer to her as Lin Mei or Bao Jie. I do not mean to be disrespectful; I am just so anxious that I do not know how to speak.

"Do not mention the money manager to me!" Lin Ruhai felt a headache at the thought of Guiming's father: "If this child really grows up to be like his father, I wouldn't dare to use him; he could nag someone to death." After saying this, he was momentarily taken aback, realizing that the day's gloom seemed to have dissipated by at least eighty percent. He turned his head to look at Aunt Meng and softly said: "I appreciate your efforts; you have to manage the household affairs and are constantly worried that I might feel bored, trying various ways to make me happy... I am fine; although this young man came today in a rather strange manner, it is a good thing. I truly believe this, and I am not just trying to comfort you."

At this moment, the half-grown youth seemed at a loss as to where to place his hands and feet. He paused for a moment, rubbed his eyes with his hands, and it was evident that he was on the verge of tears. Nevertheless, he still walked to the table, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Lin Ruhai

Half an hour had already passed, and Lin Ruhai was still flipping through that book. His complexion was no longer as pale as it had been at the beginning, but it still looked quite poor. He suddenly raised his head to look at the sky and said softly, "Huiming, ask that monk to come in."

Aunt Meng had already removed her hairpins, but upon hearing that the master was unwell, she hastily combed her hair and rushed to the study. Without bothering to send a message, she entered directly, only to see Lin Ruhai leaning precariously against the armrest of the chair.

A capable attendant was sent to accompany Xu Yang home, and the old steward was also instructed to personally deliver a message to Physician Qin. The boy who ran to the pawnshop was the fastest; since the pawnshop was less than a mile away, he returned shortly. Upon entering, he said: "My lord, I went to Liu's shop, and it seems that item is indeed valuable. The shopkeeper and his associates were all there inspecting it. I mentioned that your nephew had come to seek assistance, that his travel funds had been stolen, and that he could not recall your official title to find you, which is why he had pawned the family heirloom. Now that he has found you, he specifically came to redeem it. Upon hearing he was your relative, they insisted on giving me the item directly, but I dared not accept it, as it was a dead pawn. It appears that this item is indeed rare; seeing the specially crafted box they provided, I knew it was not a cheap item. I felt that the twenty taels I initially offered might be insufficient, so I took the liberty of adding the small silver ingots from the pouch you had given me for rewards, totaling fifty taels for the redemption, along with his two small pieces of jewelry. I did not take their box, as it was inlaid with gold and jade, and redeeming it would have been costly and not aesthetically pleasing." After speaking, he presented a neatly wrapped small bundle.

Lin Ruhai choked on half of his words, clearing his throat before slowly saying: "Mr. Qin was once a court physician, and now he has retired at home, rarely seeing patients. I will first send someone to deliver a message. It is too late today, and given Mr. Qin's age, he may not be able to make it. I will have someone accompany you to your grandfather's house, at least to take some soothing medicine to stabilize the situation..."

Lin Ruhai took the small package, opened the handkerchief, and found two delicate ornaments that seemed to be made of gold, which were not particularly rare. However, the other item, although he had suspected it was not an ordinary object, still surprised him with its material, craftsmanship, and design. He raised his head to look at the young servant named Guiming, who was sweating profusely, and praised, "You did very well! This item is worth 50 taels to redeem, which is not too expensive! It would have been better if it had been packed in a box. Later, take another bag of small ingots to prepare, and also take 2 taels as your reward."

Gui Ming always carries a bag of small coins with him, prepared for expenses when Lin Ruhai gives rewards. However, often this bag remains untouched for a year and a half, and he only spends a little when going out. Now, he has suddenly received two taels; although the amount is small, it is rare, indicating that this matter has indeed been handled splendidly. Gui Ming is naturally overjoyed. At twelve or thirteen years old, being around Lin Ruhai can be considered useful, but he is still just a servant, not someone in charge. He earns only one tael of silver a month, which he has to give to his mother to save for his future marriage. With these two taels, he can at least keep one tael for himself, and when he returns home, his parents will surely praise him. He stepped out, bouncing with joy.

Aunt Meng, also known as Lin Ruhai's beloved, was simply happy. However, upon hearing this topic, it was clear that trouble was brewing again. The absence of a son had almost become a source of distress for Lin Ruhai, and the lack of his daughter nearby further stripped him of his remaining joy. At this moment, he inadvertently stirred up his paternal feelings again and quickly interrupted, saying: "What the master says is true. This child, Guiming, rarely has both feet on the ground when he is not on duty; he is always jumping around. However, when he is on duty, there is truly no one better at adapting than him. At just twelve years old, he already understands how to be flexible in handling matters. Today, he even learned the art of acting first and reporting later. Indeed, such a person is indispensable by your side. When he grows up, he will be another capable steward."

Aunt Meng was originally frightened, but this time, seeing the disheveled appearance of the boy who looked like a character from a picture book, throwing a fit and crying incoherently, she was left dumbfounded. Turning her head to look at Lin Ruhai, she saw him pressing his temples, likely also suffering from a headache due to the noise.

Aunt Meng was startled and turned around abruptly, only to discover that there was still a person standing on the ground.

The young boy vigorously rubbed his tear-streaked face with his sleeve and suddenly knelt down: "Miss Lin is a good person, and I believe her father must be a good person too. I know that my sudden appearance here might seem unreasonable, and you might think it is nothing to just treat me like a monster and get rid of me. But, but I beg you, considering that I brought you this set of books, could you at least help me find a good doctor to save Grandpa Zhang? Grandpa Zhang is a good person; he even took me in and cared for me, someone who is not even related to him. Please save him, save him!" As he spoke, the boy began to cry loudly, exclaiming: "I know I seem like a fraud, but I have no choice! I want to go back to my parents too; I don’t want to trouble you. I’ve been thinking about whether jumping into the lake again would take me back, but I can’t swim. When Grandpa Zhang pulled me out, I almost got sick and died. I’m afraid if I jump again, I might drown before I can return..." The boy cried harder and became increasingly incoherent: "I’m just a big fool; why did I have to send my sister such a book? Why not something else? I had to send 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' in traditional vertical format, an antique no less, which cost me a month’s living expenses. It would have been better to buy a new book. This old book must have something strange about it. Oh... I want to go back to my parents too; I don’t want to trouble you. I’ve been thinking about whether jumping into the lake again would take me back, but I can’t swim. When Grandpa Zhang pulled me out, I almost got sick and died. I’m afraid if I jump again, I might drown before I can return..." The boy cried harder and became increasingly incoherent: "I’m just a big fool; why did I have to send my sister such a book? Why not something else? I had to send 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' in traditional vertical format, an antique no less, which cost me a month’s living expenses. It would have been better to buy a new book. This old book must have something strange about it. Oh... Grandpa Zhang is not doing well; he eats the vegetable dumplings while giving me the steamed buns. I can’t just watch him die!"

Lin Ruhai was a man of simplicity. Although he was kind to his servants and they received a considerable monthly salary, the Lin family maintained a strict atmosphere, and with few masters, the rewards were not abundant. For the servants, receiving a substantial monthly wage was considered sufficient, and performing their duties was naturally expected. Therefore, it was rare for them to expect rewards for minor achievements; only when they accomplished something truly commendable or demonstrated exceptional diligence would they receive extra pay. This practice prevented the servants from developing the bad habit seen in some noble families where long-serving servants believed they could receive their monthly wages without effort and only earned rewards for additional work.