Gu Dashan also said, "The Yuan family is a household with integrity. They are not trying to take over our workshop but simply want to establish good relations with us. After the Yuan family got wealthy, they even hired villagers from Yanfu Village to work, regardless of whether or not they carry the Yuan surname. Each family can send a few men to work at the brick kiln, which has helped to enrich the entire village." If he hadn’t set his heart on Brother Wu long ago, he would have been tempted by the Yuan family too, as they are indeed a respected household in the villages around here. Any girl who marries into their family will have a good life. Seeing how eagerly Mrs. Chen wanted Gu Yumei to get married quickly, she hurriedly said, "Since they are a good family, why wait? Let’s find someone who knows the Yuan family and ask around tomorrow." "What’s there to inquire about? It’s not proper for a girl’s family to make the first move," Gu Dagui disagreed, feeling that it’s important for a girl to maintain her dignity to avoid being looked down upon. Third Grandma said, "Da Gui is right, we shouldn’t be too hasty. Let’s interact with the Yuan family for some time, and after a while when we are more familiar with each other, then we can ask around. It would look better that way." Third Grandpa had been listening all along and now nodded, "The Yuan family is indeed good. They have a profitable brick kiln that can support the family for hundreds of years. If Sister Mei can marry into their family, she won’t have to worry about her livelihood for the rest of her life." Moreover, the Yuan family also holds the position of village chief, which gives them a certain status in the town. Sister Mei does like families of status, right? So this match is perfect. Seeing that both Third Grandpa and Third Grandma agreed, Gu Dafu was thrilled. Upon returning home, unable to contain his excitement, he called Gu Yumei over to the central hall and spoke to her about the Yuan family. "Sister Mei, my dear girl, we are in luck. The Yuan family is a rare gem in this region. Er Rui is a sensible and capable young man, currently helping his family deliver green bricks from their kiln. He Shiliu mentioned that Elder Yuan had promised to divide the brick kiln and give half of it to Chang Errui as a gesture of sharing between the Yuan and Chang families when Elder Chang passed away. If you marry into their family, you’ll be the madam of the brick kiln." Gu Yumei frowned upon hearing this and asked with little interest, "Has he been educated? With so much wealth in the family, why didn’t he pursue studies and aim for an official position?" Seeing her dissatisfaction, Mrs. Chen stood up and yelled, "What’s there to study for? Are you fixated on chasing after an official title? So many people study, but how many actually achieve that? What’s wrong with the Yuan family? Their brick kiln makes a fortune every day. If you marry a poor scholar, are you going to chew on pens with him?" "And besides, it’s us who are interested in them; we don’t even know if they’ll consider you. Yet, you dare to be picky, as if you’re some kind of precious daughter. Do you think all the desirable young men in Great Chu are waiting in line for you?" Mrs. Chen glanced disdainfully at Gu Yumei, causing her to burst into tears. "What did I say? This is about my entire future, what’s wrong with asking a few questions?" Gu Yumei sobbed, feeling extremely aggrieved. She had been feeling increasingly suffocated and bitter lately. Mrs. Chen clicked her tongue in annoyance, "Enough already. The Yuan family is a good match. Even back at our old place, our family was merely the village chief’s household. Now you’ve found a guy who’s also a village chief, and you’re still not satisfied. What kind of family do you want to marry into? Are you aiming for the sky?" Gu Yumei remained silent, just quietly shedding tears. Feeling helpless, Gu Dafu comforted her, "Sister Mei, Dad won’t harm you. Don’t worry, Dad will look at a few more families, and if there is one better than the Yuan family, we can consider it." By showing her families of lesser status, she would recognize the good in the Yuan family and agree to marry into them. "What’s there to consider? Big brother, you are simply spoiling her too much. The Yuan family is great." Mrs. Chen was somewhat dissatisfied with Gu Dafu, feeling that Gu Yumei was ungrateful. She then left with Gu Dagui to their room. Gu Dafu felt troubled as he watched Gu Yumei cry. He wanted to console her with some soft words but feared spoiling her further, so he eventually returned to his own room, leaving behind the words, "Sister Mei, Dad won’t harm you." Gu Yumei felt heartbroken. Sitting alone in the hall for a long time, seeing no one coming to console her, she could only go back to her room to sleep. Gu Jinli was indifferent to Gu Yumei’s marriage talks. She was examining the scar on Qi Kangle’s face. After the scab on Qi Kangle’s face had fallen off, it left a scar half a finger long, slightly raised and bright red. After examining the scar, Gu Jinli smiled and reassured, "Cousin Le, don’t worry, this scar can fade." The hardest part of fading a scar isn’t the color, but the raised texture. The raised scars have already damaged the flesh, making it difficult for them to subside. However, Qi Kangle’s scars were only slightly raised and not a major issue. As long as the color is lightened, her scars would become unnoticeable. She took out the box of scar removal ointment, dabbed a bit with her finger, and gently rubbed it on Qi Kangle’s face in a clockwise direction: "Apply it every morning and evening, and massage it for half a quarter of an hour each time until the skin feels hot." She also instructed: "If the scar itches or feels too hot and painful during this time, remember to tell me." In the future, she would not only grow medicinal herbs but also make medicines, and the scar removal ointment would be her signature medicine. She must be careful not to encounter any issues while using it. Besides the scar removal ointment, she planned to make mosquito repellent, and medicines to treat colds, coughs, and fevers. She had visited Xuanhu Fang, where most of the medicines were herbal, and antiseptic medicine was also made from ground herbal powder; she didn’t see any finished medicines. In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and many people who fell ill on the road could not get timely treatment, lacking access to herbs, and often ended up severely sick, ultimately leading to death. If there were ready-to-carry finished medicines, just having a few bottles on hand when traveling far could be life-saving. However, medicine making couldn’t be rushed. When the peak of summer arrived, she would first make mosquito repellent to gain Doctor Wu’s trust, then she would prepare the other medicines. "Alright, I’ll remember." Qi Kangle greatly admired her cousin and always kept her words in mind, daring not to forget a single one. After half a quarter of an hour, Gu Jinli finished applying the scar removal ointment on Qi Kangle and handed it to her: "Cousin Le, keep the scar ointment yourself." Qi Kangping’s legs and Qi Kangming’s hands were also recovering nicely, but a complete recovery would still take nearly two months. Bones heal slowly. After receiving the scar ointment, Gu Jinli went home, picked up the load of plant ashes prepared by Mrs. Cui, hung a pair of buckets on the carrying pole, and headed to the medicinal field to work. Her acre of medicinal plants was doing well, with over ninety percent survival rate, especially the patchouli which was already knee-high. Gu Jinli felt delighted seeing the thriving growth of the plants. After she spread the plant ashes in the medicinal field and watered it twice, she picked up the basket and buckets and headed home. Just as she reached the slope in front of her house, she saw the Qin Brothers running towards her. She waved happily at Qin San Lang: "Brother Qin, you’re back." Qin San Lang smiled, "Yes, I’m back. Were you working in the fields?" Qin San Lang had two large bags of sand tied to his feet and stopped in front of her, while Qin Er Lang ran past her without even a glance. Gu Jinli chose to ignore Qin Er Lang’s cold demeanor, nodding with a smile to Qin San Lang: "Yes, I just came back from fertilizing and watering the medicinal field. You guys have come back late this time, you’ll have to leave in the evening?" The Qin Brothers did not return on horseback this time, but by running. Luo Wu did not come back; he was on duty this rest period. Qin San Lang shook his head: "We didn’t ride horses this time, we have to leave in the afternoon." Grandpa had lectured Er Lang, and this month Er Lang was much restrained, he got the fourth place in the competition instead of the top three, he was fifth. Gu Jinli nodded, looked around to make sure no one was around, and quickly asked him: "How’s the investigation going with the Zou family, Hong family, and Lu family?"