For the next ten days, the pattern was unwavering: Wang Changming went to Mu Jiao Long's secluded quarters every day to diligently clean and tend to his wounds. What began as a purely benevolent act of medical care—a simple, professional duty—slowly, almost imperceptibly, transformed into something deeper.
In the quiet, intimate ritual of care, the forced proximity stripped away the formality between them. As Wang Changming's gentle hands worked and Mu Jiao Long endured the pain in silence, a fragile trust began to bloom. The hours spent together in soft conversation and shared silence allowed their feelings to subtly shift. What started as kindness soon blossomed into genuine affection and understanding, nurturing an unspoken bond that began to bear the sweet, profound fruit of a deeply developing relationship.
For Wang Changming, dinner was the highlight of his day, a moment he looked forward to immensely because he loved the simple, warm family atmosphere of the Mu household. Everyone ate happily, sharing the stories of their daily lives. In those moments, Wang Changming would secretly pretend to be a true family member. Ever since his mother passed away, he had eaten dinner alone, and the emptiness of that solitude made the Mu family's warmth an irresistible comfort.
Deep down in his heart, he knew he had a crucial mission to carry out. This isn't your life, he silently reminded himself, even as he laughed at a shared anecdote. You can't stay. Yet, he found it increasingly difficult to suppress the temptation of wanting to be a genuine part of this loving family. Just one more dinner, a traitorous thought whispered. Just a little longer before I have to leave this behind.
During the few days Wang Changming spent at the Mu household, he noticed a striking difference in their customs: the masters and the servants sat together for dinner every single night.
He observed that while the three tables furthest from the door were reserved for the masters of the house, the two tables by the door held the twenty servants and two guests. What truly astonished him was the food: the dishes served at all five tables were exactly the same. No master had better or fancier food than the servants.
Wang Changming deeply appreciated this display of respect. He noted that once all the plates were on the table, a unique atmosphere settled over the dining hall—everyone was treated as an equal, and no masters ever disturbed the servants while they were eating. This communal respect was unlike anything he had ever seen in the aristocratic homes of the martial world.
It was for this reason that Wang Changming loved sitting with the servants and listening happily to their conversations. From their talk, he learned that servants sold to the Mu family would change their surnames and be treated as full members of the family.
The dinner conversation shifted to daily chores.
Mu Feng instructed, "Jiao Long, since you're injured, you and Ah Kum will take the rest of the people to help your Tao ge administer medicine."
Mu Jiao Long protested, "Me? Uncle Feng, why me?"
Mu Feng was stern. "You can't just lie down and do nothing. You have to behave more like the head of the family."
Mu Jiao Long argued, "Ah Kum can go by herself..."
Mu Ah Kum gently shook her head at Mu Jiao Long. "Long tang ge ... Father is right, you should go."
Mu Jiao added, "Jiao Long, Ah Kum is a lady and is about to get married. As her eldest cousin, how can you heartlessly let her go alone?"
Mu Jiao Long looked absolutely unwilling to go see Mu Tao. "Aunt Jiao... I don't want to go."
Mu Jiao smiled sweetly. "Aiyo, Ah Tao isn't a tiger. Look at your Ah Kum, do you want to let her go alone with the male workers?"
Mu Jiao Long gave in. "Alright, I'll go." He poked sullenly at his rice with his chopsticks and happened to see Wang Changming sitting nearby, smiling and listening to the servants' conversation. "But... I will do it under one condition?"
Mu Feng exploded in frustration. "Are you mad? I'm helping you straighten your face in front of everyone, but you still have conditions!" He raised his voice to one of the servants. "Lao He! When Jiao Long sneaks out of the house to fight with the local martial artists... Write everything down!"
Mu Jiao Long was immediately distracted. "Uncle Feng, why write everything down?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
Mu Feng smirked. "So, when your father and Ah Lan return... I will report your misconduct to him."
Mu Jiao Long smiled widely and quickly grabbed Mu Feng's right hand. "Uncle Feng, there is no need for that... I will volunteer to go by myself, and I don't need Ah Kum to go with me..."
Mu Feng picked up his chopsticks and smiled in satisfaction. "Well, that settles it then." He looked around the table. "Eat."
Mu Yu spoke up. "Jiao Long, after dinner, take Lao He and two men to go buy some supplies for the workers."
Mu Jiao Long frowned unhappily. "I understand..."
Mu Bai coughed lightly, then gave a firm warning. "Jiao Long, when you meet Ah Tao, you must control your temper. Don't act recklessly, understand?"
Mu Jiao Long sighed. "Understood...Elder Uncle Bai."
Mu Bai stressed his point. "Control your temperament; you can succeed in everything, and martial arts is no exception."
Mu Yu looked troubled. "Da ge... why do you support his martial arts?"
Mu Bai countered, "Ah Feng, we all know Jiao Long has never been interested in medicine these years... If he likes martial arts, let him learn it. It's not as if no one is willing to learn medicine and continue our family tradition. We have Ah Lan to take over..." He cleared his throat.
Mu Jiao smiled and stepped in to coax her husband. "Lao gong, what da ge said is right. Although Jiao Long doesn't like learning medicine, Ah Lan is an expert." She looked around the table, beaming. "Think about it, Ah Lan is a master of medical skills, Jiao Long is a great martial artist—who dares to hurt our home?" The remaining elders nodded in agreement.
Mu Bai settled the matter. "Drop it. No arguments at the dinner table."
After dinner, Mu Jiao Long walked straight up to Wang Changming. "Are you going out with me?"
Wang Changming was confused. "Huh?"
Mu Jiao Long explained, "I will leave soon to go help my tang ge dry medicine."
Wang Changming asked, "Where is this place?"
"We will leave early tomorrow morning," Mu Jiao Long replied. "The place is on the mountain. Lao He and I will gather some supplies for the workers tonight."
Wang Changming asked, his interest piqued, "Can outsiders enter this mill?"
Mu Jiao Long grinned. "We hire many workers there. You can go as a worker."
Wang Changming quickly confirmed his interest. "If Mu gongzi is willing to hire me... I will be a worker."
"What? Why?" Mu Jiao Long asked, confused by the young man's decision.
Wang Changming gave his cover story. "I want to go because I am short of money."
Mu Jiao Long tried to dissuade him. "How much do you want? I'll give it to you. It's not easy to work in a drying factory."
"I know," Wang Changming admitted. "To be honest, I want to see how your home exposes your medicine. I want to learn."
"Fine..." Mu Jiao Long agreed, then sized Wang Changming up with an amused look.
"What?" Wang Changming asked.
Mu Jiao Long smirked. "Wang gongzi, with your delicate face, I don't believe you can last two days. Don't cry and complain if your clothes get dirty."
"I am not afraid of hardship," Wang Changming stated firmly.
"We will see..." Mu Jiao Long chuckled. "Xiao mao!"
"You..." Wang Changming muttered under his breath, then whispered back with a smile, "Xiao gou."
Mu Jiao Long laughed heartily and walked out the door, shouting, "Lao He, let's go to the market!"
Mu Yu watched him go, murmuring, "What's wrong with him? He was a little dissatisfied just now."
Mu Jiao smiled knowingly. "Jiao Long is like this. A free soul should never be bound by family rules."
Mu Yu sighed. "Well, it's a pity. His surname is Mu, he's the head of the family, so he must follow the family rules."
Mu Jiao smiled, her gaze sweeping across the elders at the table, her voice ringing with maternal excitement. "Jiao Long is at that age for marriage! Old Ye's eldest daughter, Mudan Guniang, is very interested in Jiao Long. Just the other day, I went to visit Old Furen, and she said as long as we send the matchmaker, she won't refuse!"
Mu Yu chuckled softly, tapping the table. "Oh, really... If Jiao Long finally has someone to control him, I'm sure he'll no longer act so childish!"
Mu Bai grinned, nodding decisively. "Then let's prepare the matchmaker immediately and arrange for Jiao Long and Old Ye's Guniang to meet."
Mu Jiao beamed. "Da Ge, I'll arrange everything!"