Hearing Gao-Yuan's words, Yan Qiao was caught off guard.

Young Yan Xun hid in a corner, watching the two men intently.

Yan Qiao asked suspiciously, "Are you saying you didn't know about this before? Are you planning to stay out of it now?"

Seeing that Gao-Yuan seemed reluctant to intervene, Shen Congyun became anxious. He cried out, "Dr. Gao, you can't just leave me like this! You brought me here—if you abandon me now, what am I supposed to do?"

Gao-Yuan hesitated for a moment.

Shen Congyun shouted urgently, "Don't just listen to their side of the story! Yes, I was destitute back then and agreed to marry into their family. But at that time, their old patriarch was on his deathbed. The Yan family wanted to marry someone in to bring good fortune. I was brought in to bring them that fortune!"

"For ten years, I ate and lived with the Yan family, but I didn’t freeload. I worked hard! During the day, I helped in the pharmacy; at night, I washed clothes, scrubbed trousers, and did household chores. I was no better than a servant!"

"And it wasn’t wrong for me to leave the Yan family! From the start, I told them my name was Shen Congyun, and I was a descendant of the Shen family. I said I would someday revive the Shen family name, and they agreed to that. But after the old patriarch passed, they insisted on changing my surname to Yan and even forced my child to take their surname. They were the ones who broke their promise first! As for... as for learning the Yan family’s medical techniques... yes, I did learn them."

Hearing this, Yan Qiao was livid. He slammed the table so hard that the teacup wobbled and spilled water. "You wretch! A son-in-law who married into our family—a useless thing like you! If we hadn't taken you in, you'd have starved to death in the streets. Instead of being grateful, you turn around and bite the hand that fed you!"

Yan Xun's jaw dropped, as though he had just uncovered some hidden family secret.

"Xun, leave now," Yan's second son ordered, shooing him away.

"Second Uncle, just let me listen a little longer," Yan Xun pleaded in a small voice.

Yan's second son waved him off with a stern face. "This is none of your business. Go!"

Left with no choice, Yan Xun reluctantly walked to the door, glancing back repeatedly. Seeing that his second uncle was still staring at him, he finally stepped out—but not far. He stopped and eavesdropped from just outside.

Shen Congyun, growing more agitated, pointed at Yan Qiao with trembling hands and said loudly, "You all promised! I told you I would only bear the surname Shen, never Yan!"

"You!" Yan Qiao pointed a shaking finger at Shen Congyun, his vision going dark from rage, nearly fainting.

"Father!" Yan’s eldest son rushed forward to steady him.

"Scoundrel!" Yan's third son surged forward, ready to strike Shen Congyun.

Gao-Yuan quickly intervened, "This is the New Society now. Aren’t you afraid the Public Security Bureau will come knocking?"

Given that old patriarchal families like the Yans were under heavy scrutiny by the authorities, they were terrified of crossing any lines and attracting trouble. For this reason, they confined themselves to verbal condemnations and rarely took any actual action.

Yan's second son hurried to restrain the hot-tempered third son.

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Meanwhile, Shen Congyun, who had briefly plucked up his courage, shrank back again. He hid behind Gao-Yuan, nervously picking at his fingernails.

Yan Qiao slowly regained his composure.

"Are you alright, Elder Yan?" Gao-Yuan asked with concern.

Yan Qiao closed his eyes, breathing heavily, refusing to acknowledge Gao-Yuan.

Gao-Yuan understood perfectly well that the root of the conflict between Yan Qiao and Shen Congyun was that they were fundamentally alike.

Shen Congyun was obsessed with restoring the Shen family's reputation, with reviving the family name he held dear. Similarly, Yan Qiao was deeply invested in preserving the Yan family's honor. His authoritarian, old-fashioned mindset was what had led him to insist that Shen Congyun adopt the Yan surname. In this way, the two were destined to clash.

To resolve their differences, Gao-Yuan knew he had to address their shared concern: family honor.

Seeing Yan Qiao ignore him, Gao-Yuan began speaking on his own. "Since Elder Yan has asked us to settle accounts, let’s go through them one by one. You did indeed take Shen Congyun in, but he also brought good fortune to your family. So, that cancels out."

"Ten years of food and lodging—well, even if you hired a servant, you’d have to provide room and board and pay them wages. That’s balanced as well. As for marrying your daughter and becoming a live-in son-in-law, marriage is a mutual agreement and shouldn’t be accounted for. So really, the issues boil down to two: learning medicine and the divorce. Am I right?"

Yan Qiao suddenly opened his eyes. He wanted to argue because, in his mind, Shen Congyun was a villain through and through. How could the accounts possibly boil down to just these two points? But the logic was irrefutable, and he could only grit his teeth and say, "Isn’t that enough? Just the fact that he deceived us to learn our medical techniques is enough to warrant a thousand cuts!"

Gao-Yuan feigned surprise. "Is it that serious?"

"Of course!" Yan Qiao roared. "The secret to using high doses of Aconitum safely—can you just teach that to anyone? If someone came to steal or cheat, wouldn’t you be furious?"

"For stealing or deceiving? Of course, I’d be angry," Gao-Yuan replied calmly.

"Then don’t preach what you wouldn’t practice!" Yan Qiao snapped.

Pointing a finger at Shen Congyun, Yan Qiao barked, "If you had any shame, you’d stick to using your Shen family’s external treatments to save lives and stay away from our Yan family’s internal methods. But no, you’re a shameless scoundrel!"

Gao-Yuan turned to Yan Qiao. "Elder Yan, since what’s done is done, why not think of a more suitable resolution?"

"What kind of resolution?" Yan Qiao asked suspiciously.

"Why not become family again? Then there’d be no issue of stealing or deceiving medical techniques."

Yan Qiao was stunned. "What did you say? You want me to accept this scoundrel as family again?"

Gao-Yuan quickly explained, "You should consider your daughter. I’ve heard a bit about her condition—she’s bedridden now, isn’t she? No matter how filial a son might be, it’s still inconvenient for him to bathe his mother, clean her waste, or change her clothes daily. She needs someone to care for her, doesn’t she?"

This statement silenced the Yan family, who had been on the verge of erupting again.

Shen Congyun glanced at Gao-Yuan and then lowered his head.

Gao-Yuan continued to reason with them. "If this deadlock continues, it will only cause suffering for your family. It’s hardly a dignified situation for the Yan family, is it?"

Yan Qiao said nothing.

Shen Congyun peeked at Gao-Yuan, sensing that the “Gao Commissioner” persona was reemerging.

Gao-Yuan added, "To be honest, your grievances don’t even qualify as real grievances. From your perspective, Shen Congyun betrayed the Yan family. But Shen Congyun is a man of principle. Would you prefer an obedient, spineless son-in-law, or one who brings glory to the Yan family?"

Yan Qiao frowned and studied Gao-Yuan. "Him? Bring us glory? It’d be a blessing if he doesn’t disgrace us!"

"Shen Congyun left the Yan family with nothing, but within a few years, he had saved enough to buy property and build a modest life for himself. Doesn’t that prove he’s a capable man?"

"He’s skilled in both the Yan family’s internal treatments and the Shen family’s external remedies. He even served as the municipal mayor’s personal physician for a time. Although that was a misstep, you can’t deny his ability. An ordinary person couldn’t achieve such things."

"For you, is there anything more important than bringing honor to the Yan family? Let’s not even compare him to outsiders—can you honestly say Shen Congyun is less capable than your own sons?"

Yan Qiao glanced at his sons, who looked visibly awkward. Gao-Yuan had deftly turned the heat onto them.

Finally, Gao-Yuan delivered his finishing argument. "Dr. Li Runyu is widely regarded as the best doctor in the county, but isn’t your Yan family the true medical lineage of this area? Would you really be content to let Dr. Li overshadow you?"

Yan Qiao’s face twitched as he grappled with his pride and the truth in Gao-Yuan’s words.