Chapter 147: The Telepathic Connection Between Husband and Wife

"Really?" Lin Sangqian beamed, exchanged a quick greeting with Dr. Sun, and hurried away.

Dr. Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief, humming a tune as he watched the patients line up for their medicine.

"Lan'er, is my father really back?"

"Would I lie to you?" Zhao Lan'er replied as she pulled her along toward home.

"How is he? Is he hurt?"

"A little, but nothing serious," Zhao Lan'er said. "Don't you worry."

Hearing that Lin Hongda was actually injured made Lin Sangqian's heart skip a beat. Even if she said it wasn't serious, how could he have gotten hurt at all?

As soon as she returned home, Lin Sangqian couldn't wait to call out, "Dad!"

"Hey, my daughter is back?" Lin Hongda walked out of the room with a smile. He looked a bit darker, but he seemed sturdier than before.

Seeing a circle of gauze wrapped around his left arm, Lin Sangqian felt a pang of heartache. "Dad, what happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! It’s just a small injury." Lin Hongda waved his arm. "Look, I'm really okay."

Lin Sangqian activated her secret medical arts to examine the wound on his arm. Finding it was indeed only a minor scratch, she finally relaxed. It really wasn't anything serious.

"But I still feel terrible," Liao Shuxia said, emerging from the house with a frown. "No wonder I felt such a sudden panic that day. It must have been because you were hurt, right?"

"Which day?" Lin Hongda asked.

"The day of the Dragon Boat Festival! Around noon."

A flash of surprise crossed Lin Hongda's face. That day, after they had rescued General Xiao, they had quickly reached the inn. Among the men Yu Jingxiao brought were some who knew a bit of medicine and carried supplies, so they had stopped the General's bleeding and bandaged his wounds. They had finally breathed a sigh of relief, only for the Yidian tribesmen who had fled earlier to return, hoping to ambush them. Although Lin Hongda eventually drove them off, he had sustained an injury in the skirmish.

Thinking about it now, could Liao Shuxia's panic have occurred at that very moment? Did they truly share such a psychic connection? Lin Hongda looked at Liao Shuxia with moved eyes.

Liao Shuxia: "...That look of yours is disgusting."

"Where are the eldest and the third?" Lin Hongda asked. "The second is still at school, right?"

"The eldest brother and the third brother are still at the shop; they should be back soon," Lin Sangqian said. "I'm going to the school now to find the second brother and ask him to take leave so we can all have a proper reunion dinner tonight!" She still needed to ask Lin Hongda exactly how he got injured.

"Sangqian, I'll go with you." Zhao Lan'er left with her.

When they arrived at the school, the page boy, who already recognized them, led them straight inside. It wasn't class time, and Lin Sangqian saw Master Ge and Lin Yanbei sitting at a stone table in the courtyard, seemingly in discussion.

Master Ge patted Lin Yanbei on the shoulder and said, "You don't need to worry about the county exam at all. Not only will you pass, but taking first place shouldn't be a problem either."

Lin Yanbei scratched his head. "Master Ge, hearing you say that makes me feel a bit embarrassed."

"What's there to be embarrassed about? You are my most promising student. Do I not know your true ability? It's just a mere county exam."

"Master Ge, Second Brother."

"Little Sister, Miss Zhao, why are you here?" Lin Yanbei asked with pleasant surprise. Master Ge also nodded at her with a smile.

"Second Brother, Father is back."

"Really?" Lin Yanbei was even more delighted. "Is Father doing well?"

"Nothing major," Lin Sangqian said. "Master Ge, I'd like to ask for leave for my second brother so he can come home for a reunion dinner. Would that be alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be? Go on home. It doesn't matter if Yanbei stays home for a couple of days," Master Ge said with a laugh. He had already begun giving Lin Yanbei private lessons anyway, so there was no need for him to attend regular classes.

"Thank you, Master! Then I'll go pack my things; please wait for me."

While Lin Yanbei went to pack, Master Huang arrived. As he began chatting with Master Ge, Lin Sangqian vaguely overheard them say, "Who knows how long the fighting will last this time..."

"Those wretched Yidian people."

"Taxes will probably go up again, right?"

"That doesn't matter, as long as we can stop the Yidian invasion!"

"We won't lose; don't forget, we have *him*."

"That is true."

Lin Sangqian wondered, judging by their conversation, was war breaking out? And what were these "Yidian people"? There was nothing about them in the original owner's memories.

Just then, Lin Yanbei returned. After greeting the two masters, he left with the two women.

"Second Brother, you're going to take the county exam?" Lin Sangqian asked.

"Yes," Lin Yanbei smiled shyly. "I actually think it's a bit early, but Master Ge said I was ready, so he registered me."

"After passing the academy exam, you'll be a scholar, right?" Zhao Lan'er said. "That's so impressive! I heard that once you become a scholar, you get a monthly stipend of one tael of silver and thirty liters of rice!"

In truth, that amount meant little to the current Lin family, but it was a symbol of honor. After all, Lin Yanbei had only been learning to read for a few months; if he passed the county exam and then became a scholar, it would surely amaze many. Some people spent their whole lives taking those exams into their twenties or thirties without success. By then, her second brother would surely become the most sought-after man in town, and no doubt many families with daughters would start vying for him...

Realizing her thoughts had drifted, Lin Sangqian quickly pulled herself back and asked, "I heard Master Ge and Master Huang talking earlier about how it seems like war is coming. Do you know anything about that?"

"I haven't heard anything," Lin Yanbei shook his head.

"I see..." It seemed those two masters were better informed. If what they said was true, the news would likely spread through the town soon. After returning home and hearing Lin Hongda describe his injury, Lin Sangqian was even more certain. The country they lived in was the Great Yao Empire. Now it seemed that war between the Great Yao and the Yidian people was only a matter of time.

...

What the Lin family didn't expect was that some time later, General Xiao, who had been recuperating at the Yu residence, would suddenly come to pay a visit.

Lin Sangqian had just closed up the "McChicken" shop and, upon arriving home, saw a carriage parked at the gate. Stepping inside, she saw a girl of about eleven or twelve sitting in the courtyard, her hands resting on her lap, looking very reserved. Seeing them return, the girl stood up in a hurry, so nervous that she couldn't speak clearly: "I, I..."

"Sangqian, you're back," Zhao Lan'er emerged from the kitchen. "This is General Xiao's daughter. The General is inside talking to Uncle Lin."