Cats have an uncanny sense of their owner's emotions.
Zheng Qian's hand pressed gently along Xiao Zhan's back, tightening slightly. He knew—she was angry.
Even though she spoke calmly about being "mediocre," there was still an undercurrent of resentment and unwillingness in her voice.
Mediocre? She was anything but.
When she treated Zheng Run, Xiao Zhan had been perched atop the beam, observing everything with his sharp gaze.
She had tied the upper part of Zheng Run's deep wound with a belt, stopping the bleeding with such simple measures.
Xiao Zhan had been utterly shocked—he almost fell from the beam.
As a general, he was no stranger to blood and injury.
Soldiers wounded to the extent Zheng Run had been? Their bleeding would never stop on the battlefield. He knew this well. He had watched many of his men slowly bleed to death.
But with Zheng Qian's simple binding, the blood ceased.
If this method were applied in a military field hospital, how many lives could she save?
His soldiers were brave, fearless warriors. They shouldn't die from wounds that could be so simply treated.
Xiao Zhan longed to tell his subordinates about this method—but he was just a cat. He could do nothing, could not communicate it. Even if he painstakingly learned to write, how could he ensure it reached his deputy? And if it did, would anyone believe him?
These questions had occupied his mind for days.
Zheng Run's recovery confirmed Zheng Qian's exceptional abilities. If she were with the army, she would be an extraordinary military medic.
There had been female military doctors in Da Liang before.
Zheng Qian had once jokingly said she wanted to earn a marquisate for herself and have him as her heir. Xiao Zhan had been annoyed at the time.
If he could return to his human form, he would take her to White Cliff Town. With her military achievements, she could secure a luxurious marquis residence.
Then the rest of the Zheng family could open their eyes and see—this lady was far from "mediocre"!
And she had made her own abacus.
Xiao Zhan had witnessed it firsthand—her calculations were precise.
Military logistics and pay calculations were complicated. With her abacus, she could be incredibly useful. Such knowledge would surely spread to the army soon enough.
She was truly remarkable—far surpassing most girls raised in secluded noble households.
Xiao Zhan leapt onto her shoulder, rubbing his head against her face.
He even licked her gently.
His tongue had barbs, but he was careful; the touch was tingling and warm, leaving a pleasant sensation without harming her skin.
Dai Mama saw this and exclaimed with delight: "Achou is comforting Miss!"
Zheng Qian paused, then laughed, her mood instantly lifting.
She scooped Achou up, hugging him and planting several kisses on him. "Achou, you really know how to care for someone!"
Xiao Zhan: "..."
Now a mere animal, he could do nothing for her—couldn't protect her, couldn't save her.
He had never known the history of the Zheng family.
Rarely in the capital, usually on campaign, he only returned briefly, and gossip among soldiers mostly concerned powerful ministers or beautiful women in the city.
The Zheng family's decline meant their title was almost all they had left; without any striking beauties, they weren't a topic of interest for the coarse soldiers.
He had heard that Second Miss Zheng was becoming prominent in recent years, but at seventeen, she remained unmarried—neither high enough nor low enough for any match.
Truly prestigious families would not consider her, and slightly lesser families were unworthy of her lofty standards.
The Zheng marquis and madam were infatuated with that "sorceress" girl, obeying her in everything, which explained why she remained unattached.
Xiao Zhan had seen few women in his life; he had no broad concept of beauty. To him, beauty and ugliness were trivial distinctions.
When he first saw Zheng Qian—crying and tearful—he did not dislike her. In fact, he found her anger somewhat endearing.
When he first saw Zheng Yutan through the eyes of a cat, he found her cunning and malicious—a source of irritation.
In his mind, Zheng Qian was far more beautiful than Zheng Yutan.
Of course, she had saved his life—his judgment was biased.
Only now did he realize the Zheng family's rise to prominence. No wonder…
"The world may not be as harsh as before, but legitimacy still matters. The Zhengs suppress the legitimate daughter while elevating the illegitimate one—it shows their foundation is shallow," Xiao Zhan thought.
He had never cared for such distinctions among his generals—many of whom were illegitimate sons, sidelined by their elder brothers, sent to the frontiers.
Now with Zheng Qian, he favored her, not caring for birth order.
He allowed his mind to wander slightly while she held him, laughing and playing.
Footsteps sounded outside.
"Miss, Fifth Young Master went out and had some snacks sent back for you," a maid said, smiling.
This was one of Zheng Run's attendants.
Zheng Qian had learned from Dai Mama that she was one of the two personal maids of Zheng Run.
Zheng Run had just turned fourteen and already had two pretty personal maids. Zheng Qian was astonished.
"Lotus is here," Cai Yuan greeted, taking the food box. "Fifth Young Master sent it? What is it?"
"Date paste puffs. I heard Miss likes them, so Fifth Young Master specially had them sent over," the maid replied.
The maid had originally been given a name by Fifth Young Master himself, a playful mispronunciation he called her "Han Dan," meaning lotus blossom. It sounded beautiful in concept but awkward in speech. The maids had almost cried in frustration.
Eventually, everyone stopped calling her that and simply said "Lian'er" or "Lotus." Even Zheng Run himself called her "Lian'er," forgetting the formal name entirely.
Clearly, Fifth Young Master didn't pay much attention.
"Bring them in so I can see," Zheng Qian said.
The maid obeyed, carrying the food inside.
Zheng Qian tried one.
It was late May, warm outside, yet the pastries had remained hot through delivery.
She loved the taste of dates, especially fried date paste puffs.
"Fifth Young Master is considerate. Please thank your master for me," Zheng Qian said.
The maid waved her hand respectfully: "Miss, the young master's life was saved by you—how could he expect thanks?"
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Cai Yuan, Hong Luan, and Xiu Zhu, the maid departed.
Zheng Qian ate the date paste puffs, thinking of her rebellious, slightly showy Fifth Young Master, and couldn't help but laugh.
Even in this household, there was some warmth.
"Fifth Young Master is a good boy," Dai Mama said. "He knows gratitude."
"Everyone knows gratitude, except for those heartless ones," Zheng Qian replied with a smile.
They all laughed together.
At that moment, the courtyard gate of Hui Ning Garden sounded again. This time, a young attendant called out: "Open the door."
"Who is it?" Cai Yuan asked anxiously, worried it might be a servant from the Marquis' household.
If it was a servant sent by the Marquis, it could hardly be good news.