Chapter 23

(Seeking recommendations! Seeking recommendations! Seeking recommendations!)

In his previous life, Chen Ke had enough of the cutthroat business world and had suffered enough losses before he realized the principle of 'win-win'... You have to let others benefit for the business to last. Sometimes, it seems like you're taking a loss, but in the end, you don't lose out at all; the reason lies in this.

Under his strong advocacy, the second son, Chen Chen, stepped forward and signed a 30-70 split contract with Cai Chuanfu. They agreed to register the contract with the government the next morning and then start learning culinary skills and hotel management.

Since they still had homework to complete, the Chen brothers bid farewell to Laifu and left. Cai Chuanfu also prepared to go to Mr. Lu to return the preliminary contract.

When they got home, the children were so excited that they couldn't calm down. Such a big event, with everyone involved, made them feel as if they had accomplished something great. They talked non-stop all afternoon.

Although the third son constantly reminded them that they still had to memorize their books, it only worked for a short while. After that, they couldn't help but chatter again.

As a result, except for the third son, who had an exceptional memory, the others didn't memorize much of their books all afternoon. By the time it got dark, they realized the situation was dire.

"You'll be waiting for a beating tonight," the third son sighed helplessly, rolled up his sleeves, and went to the kitchen to cook dinner.

When the dinner was ready, Chen Xiliang also returned. Because of the rule 'no scolding after meals,' he took a short rest and then ordered the children to recite their books.

The result was that none of the four children had completed their recitations, even the usually reliable third son had failed... He could actually recite, but as the leader, how could he not share the same fate?

"What did you do today?!" Chen Xiliang was angry.

"Nothing, nothing..." The second son, who acted like a little adult outside, showed his true colors in front of his father.

"Why did you waste the whole day?!" Chen Xiliang's face darkened. He knew his sons well and was aware of how much effort they had put in.

"We know we were wrong..." The second son didn't dare to tell his father the truth and could only take out the ruler and present it to his father.

Although a gentleman has the principle of 'no scolding when feeling guilty,' such an attitude issue cannot be tolerated, or similar situations would keep happening, and it would be impossible to correct them.

"Don't hit Second Brother, it's all my fault. I was bored at home, so I called them out to play!" The third son couldn't help but speak up to save him: "If you have to hit someone, hit me."

"I didn't confine you to the house..." Chen Xiliang said: "But the county is not that big, did you really spend the whole day wandering around?" He then stared coldly at the third son: "Besides wandering around, did you do something else on the way?"

"This..." The third son's heart sank. He thought: 'How did this spread so fast?' He didn't realize that Qing Shen County was so small that if someone farted on one end, the other end could smell it. The news of a ten-year-old boy playing a game with Carpenter Pan and winning five strings of coins couldn't help but spread to the bustling dock.

Although the child's name was unknown, Chen Xiliang immediately thought of his third son... He believed no other child had such skills.

He had planned to check their homework and then question this matter, but the third son confessed on his own! Chen Xiliang was furious: "Wretch! At such a young age, you dare to learn gambling! What did I tell you!" In the family rules Chen Xiliang set for his children, they were not allowed to approach women, gamble, or be distracted from their studies before the age of eighteen!

Although gambling was widespread in the Song Dynasty, many old-school people believed that gambling could lead to 'job loss and family ruin,' causing people to neglect their studies, so they strictly prohibited their children from participating in gambling.

Now, seeing that the most talented third son not only skipped out but also dared to gamble with adults, how could Chen Xiliang not think that he was getting arrogant and starting to act recklessly and deviate from the right path?

"..." The third son lowered his head, acknowledging it, and slowly extended his hand.

"Left hand..." Seeing the second son extend his right hand, Chen Xiliang's face darkened.

The third son had to switch to his right hand. Chen Xiliang's ruler was raised high and fell heavily, causing intense pain, but he endured it without making a sound.

The ruler whistled through the air, hitting the flesh, and he was hit twenty times... After the beating, the third son's hand was swollen like a steamed bun.

Chen Xiliang, fearing that the third son would repeat his mistake, decided to give him a memorable lesson and locked him in the east room, not allowing him to eat dinner.

The second son pleaded for the third son, but Chen Xiliang coldly said: "Settle your own account first!"

According to the rules, poor recitation resulted in ten strikes, and because the second son had also been negligent, he received an additional five strikes, totaling fifteen. The pain made him clutch his wrist and draw in cold breaths.

The fifth son also received ten strikes. This boy was tough and didn't make a sound, but his face showed deep resentment... partly because he was younger and the beating was lighter.

Because the sixth son was still young, Chen Xiliang only gave him five moderate strikes. After the beating, he saw the sixth son trembling slightly and pale-faced, but he wasn't concerned. He knew how to control the intensity of his strikes... for a four-year-old, he would raise his hand high but hit lightly, making a loud sound but not causing real harm.

That night, the atmosphere at home was tense, and the four father and sons didn't speak, going to bed early.

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In the middle of the night, the second son heard his father's loud snoring and opened his eyes, planning to sneak out of bed to bring food to the third son. But when he crossed over the sixth son, he suddenly froze, hearing a faint moan... He reached out to touch the third son, feeling cold sweat all over his body, but his small body was burning hot and trembling slightly.

"Father!" He couldn't care about the third son anymore and quickly called out: "Sixth son is sick!"

The third son was sound asleep on the chest in the east room. He woke up groggily, saw the light in the main room, and the shadows of people moving on the window paper, realizing something was happening.

He supported himself on the chest and sat up, the pain in his left hand making him fully awake. He gritted his teeth and covered his left hand, taking two steps to the window and saw Chen Xiliang pushing the door and stepping out into the yard in a flash.

"Second Brother, Second Brother, what's wrong!" The third son shouted.

"Sixth son suddenly fell ill," the second son, called out, his face invisible in the dark, but his voice showed his anxiety: "He's drenched in sweat, burning hot, and shivering!" He turned and said: "I can't talk to you now, I need to put a towel on him."

"Did you figure out the symptoms?" the third son shouted.

"Father has gone to get a doctor. Don't provoke him now, just stay put for the night." The second son said and went back into the room.

"Idiot, what doctor, let me see first." The third son pounded on the window.

"Third son, stop fooling around," the second son said seriously: "I admit your culinary skills are amazing, but medicine is a different field, and you can't do it." He then went back into the room.

"Damn, I'm not a chef!" The third son, frustrated, pounded on the window: "I've studied medicine for ten years!"

The county was small, and people were warm-hearted, so the doctor was quickly brought in. The doctor, in his forties, sat down, examined the patient, and then closed his eyes, shaking his head for a while before slowly opening them and saying to the anxious father and son: "Sigh, it's appendicitis!"

"Appendicitis?"

"Yes, this disease is often caused by overeating, or running immediately after a full meal, or falling and injuring, leading to damage to the blood vessels in the intestines, blood stasis, and heat in the intestines, causing the blood to rot and the flesh to decay, forming an abscess." The doctor recited: "As stated in 'The Plain Questions': 'When the lesser yang channel is in reverse, the joints are not flexible...'"

"How do you treat it?" Chen Xiliang, impatient with the doctor's bookish talk, interrupted rudely.

"A large dose of Baihu Decoction is needed." The doctor said: "I'll write a prescription, and you can get the medicine tomorrow. Take it daily, and it should be cured in three to five days... Hey, kid, what are you doing?" It turned out that while they were talking, a ten-year-old boy had slipped in and was touching the sick child's stomach.

"Third son, how did you get out!" Chen Xiliang was furious.

"Shut up!" The third son ignored him, carefully observing the sixth son's symptoms, and gently said: "Sixth son, Sixth son..."

It seemed the brothers had a connection, and the sixth son opened his eyes, looking pitifully: "Third brother, save me..."

"Of course. Does it hurt here?" The third son pressed a spot.

The sixth son shook his head.

"Does it hurt here?" The third son pressed another spot.

The sixth son shook his head again: "It doesn't hurt, just feels bloated."

"Anything else?"

"I have no strength at all..."

"Okay, rest now..." The third son sighed with relief, straightened up, and said: "Fortunately, it's not appendicitis."

"Appendicitis, what is that?" The doctor was puzzled.

"It's appendicitis!"

"You..." The doctor's face turned red.

"Third son, stop fooling around!" Chen Xiliang shouted: "What do you know about medicine?" He then bowed to the doctor: "Sir, please write the prescription."

"What prescription?!" The third son insisted: "Baihu Decoction is a purgative, do you want to kill my brother?!"

"Ridiculous, do you even know what Baihu Decoction is?" Chen Xiliang was angry.

"It's just a mix of Anemarrhena, gypsum, fried licorice, and rice." The third son sneered.

Chen Xiliang glanced at the doctor, who looked surprised, and knew the third son was right, but still scolded: "You read a bit of medical books and think you know everything. Go back to your room!"

"You're the one who doesn't know!" The third son pointed at the old doctor: "It's not a crime to be unskilled, but it's a crime to treat people when you're unskilled!"

"You, you!" The doctor, like a cat with its tail stepped on, jumped up: "I won't treat him, you have a high expert, deal with it yourself!" He picked up his medicine box and left, and Chen Xiliang couldn't stop him, so he had to wait until he calmed down to invite him back.

"You did a great job!" Chen Xiliang, returning, naturally vented his anger on the third son: "You chased away the doctor, what about Sixth son's illness?"

"I'll treat him." The third son said loudly.

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Far behind the fourth, seeking recommendations, crying for recommendations...

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