Zheng Xiangju nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, has Ani returned?"
"No, not yet," Xie Xinlian said. "Ani’s master wants her to stay in the capital to study with her for a few more days. She should be back around early August."
Zheng Xiangju looked envious. "That’s wonderful. Here’s the thing: before I got married, I had a close friend. Her health got bad, and the doctors said there was little hope. When she heard about the 'Medical Buddha Girl,' she asked me about it. I wanted to ask if Ani could treat her."
Xie Xinlian smiled. "I wouldn’t dare promise anything. No matter what, we must wait for Ani to return. You can talk to her then. If she says she can do it, then she can." Xie Xinlian spoke sincerely. She never interfered in Zhu Yanyi’s matters, nor did she have the ability to do so. This decision had to wait for Zhu Yanyi’s return.
"Alright, I’ll tell them to wait a few more days. We’ll see when Ani is back." Zheng Xiangju was straightforward. She understood the Zhu Shun Yao family well and knew Xie Xinlian wasn’t making excuses; she truly couldn’t make that decision.
Xie Xinlian nodded. They chatted for a while longer before she left. Next, she went to Aunt Qiao’s house nearby. Aunt Qiao was changing coal briquettes in her stove. Seeing Xie Xinlian, she smiled. "I have too much water here. Bring your thermos over later. It saves you from lighting the stove to boil water."
Although Xie Xinlian’s family used an electric kettle, she didn’t refuse Aunt Qiao’s kindness. She nodded quickly. "Okay, I’ll have An’nan bring the thermos over later."
Aunt Qiao lowered her voice. "You need to be careful. The Fourth Branch seems to be plotting against you."
Xie Xinlian was slightly stunned. "Plotting against us? We are already part of the Third Branch. Even though he is our biological uncle, we are distant cousins. How could he plot against us?"
"You really are naive, child," Aunt Qiao said, looking disappointed. "Your Ani is talented. She can heal people. She has cured many important figures and knows many influential people. Now, the Fourth Branch wants to keep their iron rice bowl and save their children. They naturally need help from those important people."
Xie Xinlian suddenly understood. She shook her head with a smile. "Aunt Qiao, don’t worry. They can’t plot against us. Besides, those are Ani’s connections, not ours. Ani is still in the capital and hasn’t returned. Even if they wanted to plot, they need someone to target."
Aunt Qiao nodded in agreement. "You make a good point. Since that’s the case, I can rest easy." She then sighed. "Xinlian, your family must not be too soft-hearted. Otherwise, it will bring trouble to your home. Human hearts are most afraid of greed."
Aunt Qiao was giving Xie Xinlian a warning. Having lived there for years, she had watched the Zhu Shun Yao family grow. She could see through Zhu Guifu’s plans clearly. They simply wanted the Zhu Shun Yao family to use their connections. They wanted to save the child in Zhang Qiaolian’s womb and protect Zhu Xiangyao’s job. Unfortunately, the world did not work according to their wishes.