Chapter 11: Very well, Father will send you to school!

"Yes, of course, Father will send you to school in the future!"

Li Feng patted Erniu on the shoulder and said it offhandedly. Seeing his father agree so readily, Erniu fell silent. His fist at his side tightened. He must have been overthinking it; how could he have made such an unreasonable request? Was it just the two meat buns and the roasted chicken that had made him lose touch with reality? They hadn't even solved their most basic needs, let alone education. Watching his father’s back, Erniu suppressed his complicated emotions and followed along.

Daya and Saniu both noticed their second brother’s strange behavior, but neither said a word. However, the words their father had just spoken were etched into their minds. *Go with the flow.* Perhaps their father’s plan could actually work! If they could only separate from the main family, maybe Second Brother really could study.

...

"Father!" Dagou and the others all stood up when they saw Li Feng approaching.

"Hmm." Li Feng nodded and led them toward the mountains. Originally, he had wanted to leave Daya, Er-ya, and the younger ones at home, but considering the two old tyrants there, he felt safer keeping them by his side.

[Ding! Wild lily discovered. Pollution level: 0. Medicinal value: 100%. Selling price: 15 wen. Would you like to sell it?]

Li Feng looked up and spotted a patch of wild lilies. He bent down and dug them up, then placed them into Dagou’s basket. Dagou looked confused. Why was Father digging up a bunch of weeds?

Throughout the rest of the journey, Li Feng dug up many things that Dagou and Erniu didn't recognize. By the end, Dagou’s basket was full.

"These are medicinal herbs from the mountains. If we take them to town, they can be exchanged for money!"

In ancient times, medicinal herbs were very valuable, and poor people could rarely afford medical care. Moreover, the skill of identifying herbs was usually passed down through families; no one would willingly teach it to outsiders. Of course, villagers lived off the mountains, so they possessed some shallow, traditional knowledge of herbs over time. However, most of the herbs listed in the *Compendium of Materia Medica* were unknown to Dagou and the others, which was why they had thought Li Feng was just digging up weeds.

Upon hearing Li Feng’s explanation, they finally realized what was happening. But a greater doubt followed: if their father had this skill, why had he never shown it before? Yet, no one dared to ask. After all, the idea of someone’s soul being replaced was far too shocking for them to conceive.

They couldn't grasp such a concept. They only knew that their father had become wonderful, was kind to them, and allowed them to eat meat and white buns. Even if he were some kind of spirit, they would gladly accept it. They didn't want to live their old lives for even one more day!

Li Feng spoke, and Dagou and Erniu listened very carefully. Saniu’s eyes sparkled as he leaned in close to Li Feng, standing on his tiptoes to listen intently to the explanations. With the system, Li Feng couldn't possibly misidentify the herbs, and he taught them a great deal in one go.

By noon, the baskets of Dagou and Erniu were filled to the brim with medicinal herbs.

"Alright, let's take a break!" Li Feng looked at the two large baskets of herbs and nodded with satisfaction. He had plenty of money—after buying the buns and milk, he still had 298 taels and 820 wen left.

His initial intention for bringing them out was to feed them properly away from the others, but once they reached the mountains and he heard the system's notifications, Li Feng had come up with a different plan. He had already gotten used to being a father. As a parent, one must make long-term plans.

Ancient society valued scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, but land annexation was severe in the Great Liang Dynasty, and society was unstable. To live securely here, the family needed a scholar. Old Man Li and Mother Li likely had the same thought, but they were too foolish. Their third son had studied for over twenty years without even passing the entry-level exam, not only failing to lighten the family's burden but also exhausting everyone else. Now that the third son was a lost cause, the two old ones were setting their sights on the eldest branch’s grandsons. If the third son had a son of his own, Li Feng, the "old ox" of the family, would be worked even harder.

He had five sons total, and the old couple hadn't thought of any of them. That was fine in the past, but now that he was here, these boys would be his support for his old age and his means to walk tall in the Great Liang Dynasty. He had to cultivate them properly.

He certainly wasn't going to school himself; studying was too bitter, so he would let these little ones do it! The eldest and second were a bit old to start basic schooling, but the younger ones could certainly do it. Teaching them to identify herbs was just the first step—a way to give them the ability to absorb knowledge and let them see the charm of learning. Secondly, he wanted to see which of the seven had a talent for medicine. If one had the aptitude, he could train a doctor. High mortality rates were common in ancient times; one could drop dead at any moment. He was already thirty-five; wouldn't it be perfect to have a son who was a doctor?

"Come, one bamboo tube of milk, a piece of roasted pork, a chicken drumstick, a cucumber, and a flatbread for each of you."

"I bought these in town earlier. I hid the milk in the creek behind the mountain and just took it out today. You remember the rules, right?"

Li Feng produced a pile of items from his basket as if performing a magic trick. It was all food. Meat!

Seven heads looked down in unison at the large piece of roasted meat, then nodded: "We know. Don't tell Grandfather and Grandmother!"

"Eat!" Li Feng nodded with satisfaction and distributed a portion to each of them. The roasted meat was a large piece of steak. The kids hadn't eaten much meat before, so they likely couldn't tell the difference between pork and beef. He had packed these when he left specifically to avoid suspicion.

Dagou and Erniu were in disbelief. The eyes of Saniu, Si-niu, and the others were practically glued to the roasted meat. The surface was golden-brown, emitting an enticing aroma with charred bits that looked delicious. And there was milk, served in bamboo tubes, one for each. Not to mention the large chicken drumstick and the big flatbread on the side. *White flour flatbread!* The buns had already shocked them, and now there was even a large flatbread. In their house, white flour and rice were locked away by Grandmother; they never got to eat them unless their uncle came home. Now, here, everyone had a portion. How much silver had Father earned in town?

Erniu and Daya felt a complex mix of emotions.

"Slurp!"

Saniu and the younger ones were at the age where they were always hungry. Having never been full before, they couldn't help but swallow their saliva at the sight of such delicious food. But seeing their older brother and father not moving, they could only swallow their spit in silence.

"Why aren't you eating?" Li Feng picked up his chopsticks. "If you don't want it, take it back and give it to your third uncle’s family!"

As soon as he said that, they all began to eat. Giving it to the third uncle’s family was out of the question!

Dagou smiled with pure happiness. Eating the large flatbread and chewing the roasted meat, he felt like he was living like an immortal. If only Father could always be like this.

Erniu: *Forget it, just eat. If the money runs out, we’ll just die together.*

Daya: *Father must have stolen Grandmother’s grain. What if she finds out? (Chew, chew, chew~) But this flatbread is so fragrant!*

Saniu: *I dug up so many herbs today; they’ll definitely sell for silver.*

Si-niu: *What were the benefits of the gastrodia Father mentioned earlier?*

Er-ya and Wu-niu: *Slurp~ The chicken leg is delicious, the white water tastes so good, the flatbread is so fragrant, so this is what roasted meat tastes like.*