When the Marquis of Jing'an stepped inside, he immediately sensed something strange in the atmosphere.
Every pair of eyes in the room gleamed—like starving livestock waiting to be fed.
He frowned. "What are you all talking about?"
Zheng Qian spoke first.
"Father, I sold another item yesterday and earned thirty thousand taels. Grandmother and Third Brother were just praising me for bringing honor to the Marquis residence."
Everyone: "..."
Even the Marquis's pupils tightened slightly.
Thirty thousand taels?
"What did you sell?" His voice unconsciously sharpened. Realizing it, he quickly cleared his throat and lowered his tone. "What did you sell?"
"Mosquito coils," Zheng Qian replied.
She then briefly explained what mosquito coils were.
Before she could finish, Zheng Hao spoke again.
"Uncle, I was saying—since Big Sister earned this money by relying on the Marquis residence's name, shouldn't it be handed over to the elders? That's reasonable, isn't it?"
The Marquis nodded.
Their expressions—so blatantly greedy—were downright revolting.
The Fifth Young Master couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward.
"That's Big Sister's money! Have you no shame?"
The Marquis flushed with anger. "Insolent child! What did you say?"
He was on the verge of losing his temper.
Yet Zheng Run did not retreat.
"Father, you are upright and honorable. Surely you wouldn't do something so shameless?"
Those words were like a slap to the Marquis's face, making him even angrier.
Zheng Hao added fuel to the fire.
"Fifth Brother, what kind of spell has Big Sister cast on you? I don't believe she healed your leg. Perhaps your injury wasn't serious to begin with, and she simply tricked you into gratitude.
"If she truly could bring the dead back to life, why doesn't she treat Eldest Brother?"
There was no shortage of sycophants in the Zheng family.
"Exactly.""Fifth Young Master, don't make things worse.""You're not helping her—you're teaching her to be unfilial."
Zheng Run was nearly furious beyond words.
Seeing that the moment was ripe, Zheng Qian finally spoke.
"I won't claim anything else, but my medical skills are real. Eldest Brother's leg—I can treat it."
An uproar broke out.
Zheng Run almost exploded. He couldn't win the argument, and now his sister had walked straight into their trap.
"Really?" Zheng Hao asked with a half-smile.
"Of course." Zheng Qian remained calm. "I can fit him with a prosthetic limb. He'll be able to walk without crutches—freely within the residence. Of course, it won't be completely natural. He may limp slightly."
Silence.
Utter disbelief filled the room.
How could that be possible?
If such a method worked, it would have been used long ago. The Eldest Young Master's leg had been severed from the thigh—not below the knee.
Without a knee joint, no wooden prosthetic could replicate normal movement.
Doctors had suggested prosthetics before, but they often led to infection and made movement even more difficult. Crutches were far more practical.
That was only for injuries below the knee.
Above the knee? That was a lost cause—even divine intervention couldn't fix it.
The Old Madam and the Marquis both frowned, preparing to reprimand Zheng Qian for her reckless claim.
But she continued calmly.
"Third Brother, do you dare make a bet with me?"
Zheng Hao's smile widened. "Of course. How do you want to bet?"
"Let's bet that Eldest Brother can stand again—and walk without crutches. He only needs to move freely within the residence for the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Climbing stairs, going downhill—anything."
She smiled lightly.
Zheng Hao was momentarily stunned.
This fool had truly taken the bait.
"Fine," he said with a grin. "Let's make it interesting. Ten thousand taels."
Zheng Qian's eyes lit up. "Perfect."
She then looked around at the others.
"Would anyone else like to join? I have forty-nine thousand nine hundred taels in banknotes. We can play multiple rounds. If you join, we'll appoint a middleman to hold the money—so no one can cheat."
The room stirred.
People exchanged glances, excitement flickering in their eyes.
This was a guaranteed win.
The Eldest Miss was practically handing out money.
"How could I miss this?" Fourth Miss Zheng Qin spoke up immediately. "I don't have much—only fifty taels. If I win, will Big Sister pay me fifty?"
"Yes."
As Zheng Hao's younger sister, she naturally supported him—and earning fifty taels so easily was a bonus.
With her leading the way, others quickly followed.
Even Zheng Yutan smiled gently.
"Since it's all in good fun, I'll join too. I have one thousand taels."
That was all her liquid savings.
She had spent years accumulating it. Now, it would double effortlessly.
"Since everyone's betting, Big Sister, even if you back out, you'll still have to pay," Zheng Hao said sternly. "Otherwise, I won't let you off."
Zheng Qian nodded. "Naturally."
She glanced at the crowd's excitement, then turned to the elders.
"Grandmother, Father—would you like to join? Third Aunt?"
The Marquis was about to call it absurd, but then he thought of Zheng Qian's money. He couldn't let it all fall into the hands of the Old Madam and the Third branch.
He frowned.
"I'll put in ten thousand taels. This is to teach you a lesson—not because I covet your money."
The Old Madam considered briefly. "I'll match the Marquis."
Seeing even the Marquis cast aside his dignity, the Third Madam had no reservations.
"I'll also put in ten thousand. If we're playing, we might as well enjoy it."
In the entire room, only Zheng Run did not join.
And there was one more group who remained silent—
Four people from the second branch: the Second Master, his wife, and their sons, the Second and Fourth Young Masters.
The Second Master, Zheng Jingsheng, was born of a concubine and held little status in the household. Their branch lived modestly compared to the others.
"Second Uncle, you're not joining?" Zheng Hao asked.
The Second Master glanced at Zheng Qian, a trace of shared hardship in his eyes.
"I'll pass… I don't have the money."
"You must have at least a tael or two. Join in—it's just for fun," Zheng Hao urged.
Why not take guaranteed money?
Better to take it now than let Zheng Qian bring it all to the Wen family later.
The Second Master fell silent.
The Fourth Young Master, Zheng Huai—also fourteen like Zheng Run, but far more reserved—spoke coolly.
"My father isn't without money. He's just afraid of losing."
The room paused—then burst into laughter.
Zheng Hao laughed the hardest.
Afraid of losing? In a guaranteed win?
Absurd.
"Second Uncle, you—"
"Run'er's foot really was healed by Mei'er," the Second Master said slowly, his expression solemn despite his weary face. "We truly are afraid of losing."
Zheng Hao was speechless.
What kind of fools were these?
Zheng Qian looked at them, surprised.
She hadn't expected there to be people of integrity within the Marquis residence.
They weren't afraid of losing—
They simply didn't want to take advantage of her.
Even while standing in the mud, they still longed for the light.
Zheng Qian studied them for a moment.
The Second Madam met her gaze—and gave her a gentle smile.