Chapter 161: I’ll Get You Some Tools

Only when Wen Jun finished his work did he notice Wen Yao, who had been watching him from the side.

"Dad is in the backyard chatting with Shopkeeper Qiu. Are you done?" Wen Jun walked over and reached out to ruffle Wen Yao's hair.

Wen Yao dodged him. "I'm not a child anymore, stop that."

Wen Jun just smiled, his expression as gentle as a spring breeze, his eyes filled with doting affection for his younger sister. "No matter how old you get, you're still my sister."

Wen Yao chuckled. She glanced at the patients in the clinic and whispered, "Brother, do you want me to get you a stethoscope or something? I think you could really use them."

Wen Yao had initially worried that the space might not offer such medical items, but after searching, she discovered the space was incredibly comprehensive. Not only were there medical instruments, but even medicine was available. She was tempted to hoard a massive supply.

Because she had skimmed through the plot of the original story, she vaguely remembered that the heroine had indeed provided some items to Jin Xiuyi, which helped elevate his reputation as a "miracle doctor." Could it be that the heroine had already tapped into the medicine and medical equipment from her own space back then? But she was a native of this world, not a transmigrator—how would she have known about such things?

Sometimes, Wen Yao wondered if the original author had simply lost track of the plot and started stitching together illogical elements just to keep the story going. Regardless, she and her brother were different; if these tools fell into Dr. Wen’s hands, they would be put to much better use.

Wen Jun had entertained the same thought, but he had dismissed it as soon as it arose. He would never risk his sister’s safety, nor would he gamble with their family’s lives. Yet, at times, he still missed his old companions.

"Dr. Wen, what are you thinking about?" Wen Yao waved her hand in front of his face, and Wen Jun realized he had been lost in thought.

Wen Jun smiled. "It's nothing. I don't need them for now, but I'll let you know when I do."

"OK."

Just then, Dr. Jin called for Wen Jun. Wen Jun told Wen Yao to go to the backyard to find Wen Xiuyi while he returned to work. Watching her brother diligently learning by Dr. Jin's side, Wen Yao hummed a little tune and headed to the backyard. Under a large tree, Wen Xiuyi and Shopkeeper Qiu were playing a game of chess.

Although Professor Wen—as he was known—was not a master of all the traditional arts, he was practically invincible at chess back at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, often playing against the other senior professors in his residential complex. Wen Yao didn't understand Go very well, but she knew the basics of Chinese chess. Seeing the two men locked in a fierce match, she pulled up a stool and sat down to watch. Both men noticed her, but since it was considered proper etiquette to remain silent during a game, they didn't acknowledge her.

After a long while, just as Wen Yao was about to fall asleep, she heard Wen Xiuyi say with a sigh of resignation, "I've lost, I've lost."

Shopkeeper Qiu was beaming. As he cleared the board, he said, "I pride myself on my chess skills, and over the years, I've met very few who could keep pace with me. I truly did not expect Brother Wen to be such a formidable opponent."

Wen Xiuyi felt a brief panic. *Oh no, I got too carried away and nearly blew our cover.* To compensate, he humbly replied, "Not at all, I'm still far behind you, Brother Qiu. It was just a stroke of luck, pure luck, haha."

Shopkeeper Qiu had always believed the Wen family was no ordinary household, so he took Wen Xiuyi's comment as mere modesty and didn't press further.

Once the board was cleared, Wen Xiuyi stood up to leave and cupped his hands in a salute. "Let's stop here for today. Yao Yao is back, and I have business to attend to. We shall battle again another day." Even though he had been soundly defeated, Wen Xiuyi had enjoyed the challenge.

"Very well, another day it is," Shopkeeper Qiu replied.

Shopkeeper Qiu walked them to the door, exchanged pleasantries with Dr. Jin and Wen Jun, and then the father and daughter departed for the broker's agency. On the way, Wen Xiuyi was full of regret. "I almost gave us away. It’s all this hand of mine—I just couldn't control myself."

Wen Yao didn't mind. Things were already as they were; there was little point in over-masking now. Besides, Shopkeeper Qiu had become quite close to their family, and it was alright to let their guard down occasionally. She comforted Wen Xiuyi with these thoughts.

"Sigh," Wen Xiuyi exhaled. At this point, they couldn't stay low-profile even if they wanted to. Both Dr. Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu were people of significant background. Since things had reached this stage, he decided to just let it be. "Let's go. We need to settle the payment with Broker Deng, take the family home, and then send your second uncle to pick up your younger brother and the others." Having made up his mind, Wen Xiuyi walked with a newfound briskness.

At the agency, they handed the agreed-upon seventy taels to Broker Deng and received the family's deeds of indenture. "Here, you take them," Broker Deng said to Wen Xiuyi, who immediately passed them to Wen Yao.

"Brother Deng, we'll be taking them now," Wen Xiuyi said.

Broker Deng nodded and looked at the family. "From this day forward, you are servants of the Wen household. You've been with me for over half a year, and there's some sentiment there. Once you are with the Wen family, work hard and remain absolutely loyal to your masters. If you are sold off again in the future, don't expect me to show any mercy."

The family of seven looked at Broker Deng, then suddenly knelt in unison. The old man led them in bowing three times respectfully before standing up. All their words and gratitude were contained in those three heavy kowtows.

"Go on then," Broker Deng waved.

Wen Xiuyi cupped his hands, and with Wen Yao and the seven others in tow, they left the agency. Their ox cart was still parked outside. The family looked at the cart in surprise. Wen Xiuyi patted the ox and said, "Let's go, get on, and let's head home."

The word "home" brought tears to their eyes, but they remained keenly aware of the boundaries between master and servant. "Master, we can walk. You and the young miss should take the cart."

Wen Xiuyi stood there holding the whip, struggling for a moment because he couldn't remember the man's name. He turned to Wen Yao for help. "Daughter, what was his name again?"

The names were on the deeds, but Wen Xiuyi hadn't looked closely before handing them to Wen Yao, so he hadn't memorized any of them. The old man heard him and, understanding the situation, said respectfully, "Please, Master, grant us our names."

The others echoed, "Please, Master, grant us our names."

Wen Xiuyi had already undergone a massive mental adjustment just to buy them; he hadn't expected to be naming them too. "Just keep your original names. Our family doesn't stand on such formalities." He urged them onto the cart, but they hesitated until Wen Xiuyi feigned anger, at which point they cautiously climbed aboard.

Even then, they sat only on the very edge, not daring to get anywhere near Wen Yao. Watching the ox cart list dangerously to one side, Wen Yao worried it might tip over halfway home.