Chapter 4

Jing'er held a large, coarse porcelain bowl in her hands, from which steam was rising, and the aroma wafted to her nose. Gao Yuan had been unconscious for a day and a night, and his stomach was already empty. The smell of the food made his stomach rumble. Hearing the sound, Gao Yuan didn't feel much, but Jing'er's face turned red.

"Big Brother Gao, are you feeling better?" Jing'er asked softly, standing by Gao Yuan's bedside.

"Much better, much better!" Gao Yuan replied quickly. The aroma from the bowl kept entering his nose, and his stomach rumbled again.

"Mother cooked you a bowl of chicken soup and asked me to bring it over to help you regain your strength."

"Thank you, young lady, and thank your mother!" Gao Yuan thanked her repeatedly, but he had no memory of this girl, which made him a bit awkward. Not knowing how to address her, he could only call her "young lady" and refer to her mother as "aunt."

Jing'er suddenly raised her head, her eyes full of surprise, as if Gao Yuan had said something wrong. Gao Yuan blinked, looking at her, not understanding why.

"I'm sorry, young lady, I suffered a severe blow to my head and can't remember many things, including your name. I'm really sorry." Gao Yuan rubbed his head awkwardly. "I haven't had the chance to ask for your name yet."

"My sister is called Ye Jing'er, and Mother always calls her Jing'er." Jing'er hadn't had a chance to answer when a young boy's clear voice interrupted.

"So your sister is called Jing'er, what a beautiful name, it sounds nice. Um, little guy, what's your name?" Gao Yuan smiled at the boy and asked.

"I'm not a little guy!" The boy puffed out his chest, clearly dissatisfied. "I'm called Ye Feng, and I'm almost ten years old. Mother says I'll be a man when I turn ten."

Seeing the boy's serious expression, Gao Yuan couldn't help but laugh. "Great, great, Ye Feng will soon be a big man."

"Exactly!" Ye Feng beamed with joy. "Big Brother Gao, you used to protect our family. Now that I'm a man, it's my turn."

"I used to protect you?" Gao Yuan was surprised, pointing to his nose. "How so?"

"Uh-huh!" Ye Feng nodded. "There were many bad guys who wanted to bully us, and Big Brother Gao always drove them away. This time, Big Brother Gao got hurt because a big bad guy wanted to bully my sister, and you fought with them, but you lost!"

Hearing the boy's straightforward words, Gao Yuan awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Big Brother Gao didn't lose; he just wasn't careful. Once I recover, I'll go and settle the score." He said with a righteous tone.

"Feng'er, don't talk nonsense!" Jing'er finally found a chance to interrupt her brother. "Big Brother Gao, don't listen to the child. Come, drink the chicken soup while it's still hot!" She handed the bowl to him.

Gao Yuan was indeed very hungry. He took the large, coarse porcelain bowl and found a whole chicken inside, though it wasn't very big, probably only about a pound. He took a big sip of the chicken soup, and its delicious taste far surpassed any delicacy he had eaten in his previous life. He couldn't help but exclaim, "So fragrant, such a good soup!"

Jing'er smiled. "This soup was simmered for several hours, and all the flavor from the chicken has seeped into the broth, of course it's delicious."

"It was my sister who stayed by the fire to simmer it. She got up before dawn, thinking I was still asleep, but I was actually awake!" Ye Feng chimed in.

Jing'er was both embarrassed and angry. She reached out and grabbed Ye Feng's ear. "Shut up, if you don't talk, no one will think you're mute!"

"But I'm not lying, why are you pulling my ear?" Ye Feng, half-lifted by his ear, tilted his head and stood on tiptoe, clearly不服气 (unwilling to back down).

"If you talk any more, I'll tell Mother and let her punish you!" Ye Jing'er said, her face red with anger.

Ye Feng immediately shut his mouth. Seeing this, Gao Yuan was moved. It seemed that the mother of these siblings had strict discipline.

The siblings stopped talking, and Gao Yuan, finding nothing to say, lowered his head and drank the chicken soup. The room fell silent for a moment.

Gulp. Gao Yuan looked up and saw Ye Feng swallowing a large mouthful of saliva. When Ye Feng noticed Gao Yuan looking at him, he quickly lowered his head. Gao Yuan was taken aback. Looking at the siblings' clothes, patched upon patches, he realized their family must be very poor. Seeing Ye Feng's hungry look, Gao Yuan smiled and gestured. "Little man, come here."

"I'm a big man!" Ye Feng said, lifting his head.

"Alright, big man, come here!" Gao Yuan laughed.

Ye Feng walked to Gao Yuan's side. Gao Yuan smiled and tore a chicken leg from the bowl, handing it to Ye Feng. "Here, eat this chicken leg. Grow up quickly to protect your mother and sister."

Gao Yuan expected the boy to grab it eagerly, but to his surprise, Ye Feng crossed his arms and took a few steps back. "I won't eat it. It's for you. You lost a lot of blood, and Mother said eating more meat will help you recover. I'm not hungry, I often eat chicken."

"Go ahead and eat it. Big Brother is injured and doesn't have much of an appetite!" Gao Yuan said, looking at Ye Jing'er.

Seeing Ye Feng say he wouldn't eat but swallow saliva, Ye Jing'er looked a bit sad. "Feng'er, Big Brother Gao wants you to eat it. I won't tell Mother."

With Ye Jing'er's permission, Ye Feng took the chicken leg and devoured it in a few bites, even chewing and swallowing the bones. Gao Yuan was stunned, realizing the boy must rarely eat meat.

Seeing Ye Feng's pitiful state, Gao Yuan tore another chicken leg and handed it to him. The chicken was small, and after tearing it twice, there was little left in the bowl.

"Miss Jing'er, your family is having a hard time, isn't it?" Gao Yuan asked, raising his head.

Jing'er looked at Gao Yuan with bright eyes, thinking that if Gao Yuan really couldn't remember anything, it must be true. Otherwise, with the two families separated only by a wall, how could he not know their situation?

"Our family consists of just the three of us, and we survive by Mother doing laundry and sewing for others. It's hard to make ends meet." Jing'er lowered her head and said softly.

Gao Yuan didn't expect their situation to be so dire. Looking at the remaining broth in the bowl, he realized this chicken must have been a significant expense for them. The siblings were so thin, they looked like they could be blown away by a strong wind, clearly malnourished. But Jing'er had beautiful features, and when she stood there, she had an unusual aura. Gao Yuan couldn't think of the right word to describe it, but she was very pleasing to the eye. If she were a bit fuller, she would be a real beauty.

Seeing Gao Yuan staring at the siblings without speaking, Jing'er blushed and took the bowl from his hands. "Big Brother Gao, rest well. We'll leave now."

After they left, Gao Yuan realized he still didn't know how he got injured. He thought for a moment and called out, "Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi!"

"Master Gao!" Zhang Yi appeared immediately. "I'm cooking medicine for you, I just got the ingredients."

"Come here, I have some questions." Gao Yuan patted the bed, gesturing for Zhang Yi to sit beside him.

Zhang Yi took a few steps closer but didn't sit. "What would you like to ask, Master?"

"You know I can't remember anything. What do I do? What does my family do? How did I get injured? And what about Uncle Lu? What's the story with the Ye family?" Gao Yuan asked a series of questions, leaving Zhang Yi speechless for a moment. "Master, you really can't remember anything?"

"Of course not, if I could remember, why would I ask you?" Gao Yuan said irritably.

"Master, your name is Gao Yuan. You are a native of Fufeng City. Uncle Lu is the county magistrate of Fufeng County and is also your uncle. The Gao and Lu families are close. Uncle Lu treats you like his own nephew. Ye Jing'er is your neighbor, and there are three of them in her family," Zhang Yi explained.

"How did I get injured?" Gao Yuan pressed.

"Master, wasn't it the day before yesterday when Master He's son tried to harass Miss Ye Jing'er, and you intervened? You stood up for her, and a fight broke out. He Tianliang had many people, and you couldn't win, so you ended up like this," Zhang Yi said, spreading his hands.

"Who is He Tianliang?" Gao Yuan asked instinctively. He knew the county magistrate had significant power, similar to a police chief in his previous life. Given his own strong backing, He Tianliang must be a tough opponent to dare attack him.

"Master, you've had conflicts with He Tianliang a few times. He is the son of the imperial inspector, whose rank is higher than our county magistrate!" Zhang Yi said in a low voice.

"What does the imperial inspector do?" Gao Yuan asked, not recalling this position often.

"The imperial inspector is sent by the prefecture to supervise the county officials." Zhang Yi looked at Gao Yuan with concern, thinking that this time, Master had suffered a significant blow, and his mind was a bit confused, not remembering anything.

"I didn't suffer in vain!" Gao Yuan said angrily. "Once I recover, Uncle Lu will surely not let me seek revenge."

Zhang Yi chuckled. "Not necessarily."

"What do you mean?" Gao Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Although the imperial inspector's rank is higher than the county magistrate, our master is not someone to be trifled with. Master, our family has backing in the prefecture as well. If you accidentally gave He Tianliang a beating, we wouldn't be afraid of trouble," Zhang Yi said confidently.

Hearing this, Gao Yuan understood and sneered. "Once I recover, I'll make sure He Tianliang can't take care of himself for the rest of his life."

Zhang Yi was startled. "Master, He Tianliang doesn't come out alone. His family is very wealthy, and he usually has several servants and bodyguards with him. Don't go alone; ask Master for a few soldiers quietly."

Gao Yuan shook his head. Once he recovered, a few lackeys wouldn't be a problem, but asking Uncle Lu for soldiers was out of the question. It was like in his previous life; when two groups fought, it was one thing, but if one side brought the police, it would cause trouble for Uncle Lu.

"I know what to do!" he said in a low voice.

Seeing the fierce look in Gao Yuan's eyes, Zhang Yi shivered involuntarily. He had a feeling that after this beating, Master Gao Yuan seemed to have changed.