Zhu Yanyi gave a thumbs-up to Zhu Xinfu. "My grandfather never bowed to your threats or bribes, Uncle. That must have frustrated you. It kept you so busy that you ignored the Four Towns Zhu family for a long time. But when you finally looked again, you found a 'Medical Buddha Girl'—that’s me. You also found someone developing the economy—my dad."
She looked at Zhu Yongfu. She knew she was highly intelligent. Without her secret knowledge from the old camphor tree, she likely never would have uncovered this.
"Your plan was simple," she continued. "If our family joined the Zhu Shi branch, it didn’t matter if the Four Towns branch returned. The Zhu Shi people were already a mixed bag of Zhu relatives, so they could accept us. Your real goal was the Military Advisor’s Token. Even if we didn’t have it, you could use our family to threaten my grandfather. But you never calculated that we would refuse."
Zhu Yanyi sighed. "It shows that 'pie falling from the sky' isn’t logical. Even if it falls, it won’t hit us. We must work hard and stay grounded."
Zhu Shunyo laughed. "You’re only eighteen, not eighty. Why the deep sigh?" He added, "But you’re right. Being honest is best. Don’t dream of free gifts. If a pie falls, it’s either unwanted, poisoned, or rotten. Even if it’s fresh, it won’t land in your hands. It’ll hit the ground, get dirty, and make you sick if you eat it."
Zhu Yanyi smiled. "I see Dad has a talent for medicine too."
"My talent is all-around," Zhu Shunyo teased. "I just lack a degree, so I hide it. Let my daughter show off her skills."
Zhu Yanyi made a funny face. "Dad, you’re too proud. Not humble at all." She grinned. "But I forgive you. You’re old now. A little pride is okay. Even if you lose your ability, I’ll support you later."
Zhu Xinfu coughed. "Ani, your dad is old. What about Grandpa?"
"Old but vigorous," Zhu Yanyi said calmly.
Zhu Xinfu laughed loudly, pointing at her. "You girl, hurry up and tell the rest of the story."
Zhu Yanyi giggled. "The story is almost done. Let me finish the last part."
She looked at Zhu Yongfu, whose face was pale. "You didn’t expect us to refuse, even when you threatened our lives. You never thought our attitude would be so decisive. We not only refused; we moved our whole family from the Four Towns to the Capital without you noticing.
"The Capital isn’t your territory. You couldn’t reach us. You could only watch the Four Towns Zhu family grow. But you weren’t satisfied. So you used利益 (benefits) as bait to get Grandpa Enfu to agree to the 'non-conversion of the main branch.' In truth, you had no choice. The concept of 'converting the main branch' doesn’t exist. It was created only for the Military Advisor’s Token.
"You suspected the token was in the Four Towns, but your searches failed. You sent people to infiltrate our home, but our security guards stopped them. You grew anxious. But what you didn’t expect was that we stole my grandfather away while you weren’t looking."
Zhu Yanyi paused to drink some tea. "Grandpa’s disappearance made you fear all your efforts would vanish. You wanted to strike back, but the Zhu Shi family was all poisoned. No one could cure them. And then, I arrived."
She smiled strangely. "You didn’t expect me to come so openly. Especially after you heard I cured a person who was blind, tongueless, and legless. You panicked. You suspected I had cured my grandfather, so you tested me these past few days. Honestly, I told you the truth from the start: I have a grandfather, and her name isn’t Zhu Shenfu. You just didn’t understand the meaning. That’s not my fault."
Zhu Yanyi looked innocent. This expression made Zhu Yongfu’s face turn green. "So, my testing of you these days was just a joke to you?"
"The illnesses here aren’t serious. I have little entertainment. Watching a play or a joke is normal," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile, admitting she was indeed watching a joke.
Zhu Xinfu looked at her for a while. "How do you know all this?" If true, these were Zhu Yongfu’s deepest secrets. Yet Zhu Yanyi knew them clearly. This even surprised Zhu Xinfu.
Zhu Yanyi shrugged. "There is nothing I don’t want to know, and nothing I don’t know. Otherwise, why do people call me the Little Divine Doctor? My 'divinity' isn’t just in my medical skills, but in my knowledge of everything under heaven. You also remember I was called the 'Medical Buddha Girl' as a child. I need some special abilities to justify my status."
She looked particularly innocent. Zhu Yongfu didn’t believe her, but there was no other explanation. Why else would she know secrets no one else knew?
Zhu Yongfu looked at Zhu Yanyi. "Indeed, the people in the Zhu Shi family are no longer of pure blood. But so what? The Zhu Shi family still exists." Her eyes showed a hint of madness. "As long as there are people in the Zhu Shi family, as long as they bear the surname Zhu, they are Zhu family members. They must strive for the Zhu family’s main branch."