Indeed, as the saying goes, there is no progress without breaking from the old.
Lin Zhiqing glanced at the contents of the two boxes. Before she could speak, a commotion came from outside the hall.
"First Master, quickly go take a look, what a magnificent plaque!" The young servant's face was full of excitement.
Lin Congli exchanged a glance with Second Grandfather, still unclear about the situation. The two placed their hands behind their backs and followed the young servant.
Lin Shi'an glanced at Lin Zhiqing, jutted his chin outwards, gesturing for her to go out and see.
Indeed, she should see.
Lin Zhiqing temporarily set aside the thoughts in her mind and stepped out.
At this moment, many people had already gathered at the main entrance of the Lin family. Seeing Lin Zhiqing arrive, their discussions grew even livelier.
"Look, even the plaques of these official families are better looking than ours, the small households. What does it say on it, anyway?"
"You don't even recognize this? This is called 'Master Healer of the Apricot Grove,' and it also says 'Presented by the Old Madam of the Academician's Estate' behind it!"
"Eh, when I just came over, I heard that a Miss from the Lin family won first prize at the Spring Banquet hosted by the Academician's Estate. Could it be true?"
"Hey, which Miss Lin? Lin Yangyang, the one who practices martial arts all day? It couldn't possibly be the 'Three-No' Miss Lin Zhiqing, could it?"
Regarding the candidate for this "first prize," everyone began to discuss intensely again.
A busybody, seeing Lin Zhiqing emerge, asked loudly, "I heard a Miss from the Lin family won first prize at this year's Spring Banquet. Could it be you, Young Miss?"
The person who spoke had no intention of associating the first prize with Lin Zhiqing; they only asked to see Lin Zhiqing's embarrassed expression.
Lin Shi'an detected the malice in that person's words, stepped forward, and blocked Lin Zhiqing. "When did my Lin family become a place where you can run wild as you please? Please show some respect."
"Hmph, do you really think the Lin family is some great place? Having produced a traitor, you still have the nerve to treat us like this." The person grumbled a few words under their breath.
Lin Shi'an couldn't stand hearing such talk and was about to step forward to teach that person a lesson, but just as he took a step, Lin Congli called out to him:
"Shi'an, why argue with such people? First tell us, what's with this plaque and the first prize?"
Compared to Lin Zhiqing, Lin Congli trusted Lin Shi'an's words more.
"First Uncle, please wait a moment." Before Lin Shi'an could answer, Lin Zhiqing, who had been observing the plaque, spoke first. "Some things can be forgiven, some cannot."
She moved her gaze from the plaque to the person who had just spoken. "I didn't realize Shengjing City still harbored such individuals. The imperial court has long strictly forbidden discussing state affairs, yet you still dare to pass judgment on them?"
Her words were sharp, instantly hitting the person's sore spot.
The person who had just been so arrogant instantly lost their bravado. People gossiped behind closed doors, but not everyone dared to openly discuss imperial laws.
"I am the first prize winner personally selected by the Old Madam of the Academician's Estate. If anyone has any dissatisfaction, you are welcome to inquire at the Academician's Estate for clarification."
Seeing that the few people who had been the most boisterous earlier had quieted down, Lin Zhiqing then withdrew her gaze.
She had not had much contact with the common people of Shengjing City before, and it was precisely for this reason that she only realized the seriousness of the matter today.
The nobles and aristocrats normally looked down on the Lin family, but she hadn't expected the common people of Shengjing City to also be full of hostility towards them.
Leaving aside whether there was any foul play in the original owner's father's identity as a traitor, even if it were true, being scolded was acceptable, but Lin Congli's handling of the situation was entirely wrong.
Simply ignoring and tolerating would not diminish everyone's hostility; on the contrary, it would make people think the Lin family had a guilty conscience.
This was quite detrimental to the development of the Lin family.
Lin Zhiqing affirmed in her heart her idea of cultivating new talents.
Judging purely from this incident, Lin Congli and the others had their spirit worn down when facing sarcasm and ridicule, whereas Lin Shi'an still showed some spirit.
Thinking of these things, Lin Zhiqing felt that her task was arduous and the road ahead long. The best thing to solve at present was making money.
Fortunately, with this plaque and initial capital, the Academician's Estate truly lived up to its name; their actions were swift...
Lin Zhiqing waved her hand, signaling the young servants to carry the plaque inscribed with the four characters "Master Healer of the Apricot Grove" into the Lin family.
The young servants exchanged glances, their eyes lingering on Lin Congli and Second Grandfather.
These two had long been bewildered by this inexplicable situation, but even so, they could tell that Lin Zhiqing's performance at the Spring Banquet this time was likely different from what they had imagined.
The two of them also understood that the main entrance was not the place to talk. They thought Lin Zhiqing wanted to return to the residence to properly explain things to them, so they said nothing and followed closely behind Lin Zhiqing.
However, they were mistaken. Lin Zhiqing quickly led people back to her courtyard, then unceremoniously closed the courtyard gate, showing no intention of explaining anything.
Although Lin Congli and Second Grandfather were annoyed at being shut out, they also knew that what they had done today was somewhat indefensible, so they could only swallow their dissatisfaction and then found Lin Shi'an to understand the situation.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhiqing and Aunt Mu were counting money.
The Academician's Estate had sent silver notes, each with a face value of one hundred taels, five in total, no more, no less.
Lin Zhiqing took a light sniff, and only when she smelled the faint scent of money did her heart settle.
"Young Miss, with so much money, if you trust me, I'll keep it for you." Aunt Mu was busy looking for a place to hide the money, muttering to herself:
"Once the furor over Master's matter dies down a bit, your marriage to Young Master Jiang can be put on the agenda."
"The Lin family doesn't have any capable women to take charge. While my old bones are still sturdy, I can help you save up a dowry, so you won't be bullied when you marry into his family."
Her words, both spoken and implied, were all for Lin Zhiqing's sake. Even when she thought of those things, a smile still hung on her face.
But that wasn't what Lin Zhiqing wanted, nor was it her goal for making money. "Granny, please wait a moment."
"These silver notes, we're going to spend them immediately; there's no need to hide them."
"This..." Aunt Mu was stunned, then immediately remembered her Young Miss's confident assertion about opening a medical clinic.
"Young Miss, there's no hurry with the medical clinic. Didn't you say you wanted to practice medicine and earn money at the Lin family residence? We can keep this money for now, just in case, and then establish the clinic when we've earned more."
Aunt Mu's hand tightly clutched the box.
Lin Zhiqing smiled and patted her hand. "Aunt Mu, you can't save money by just being frugal; you have to learn to make money work for you."
"I've inquired. Recently, the rents for various shops in Shengjing City are relatively low. If we wait any longer, it won't be cost-effective." She mentioned a rough figure, and Aunt Mu immediately understood her meaning.
Coupled with the covetous gaze of the Lin family members, Aunt Mu was soon persuaded by Lin Zhiqing. Although her expression still showed some disapproval, she chose to trust Lin Zhiqing.
Lin Zhiqing counted the five hundred taels of silver notes again.
Practicing medicine at home was, of course, good for everything, except... she remembered her agreement with Lu Huai, and felt that it was a bit of a bother for him to come visit monthly.
She didn't want to owe Lu Huai a favor.
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