Chu Dingjiang hurried out after receiving a letter.
Meanwhile, Sheng Changying, having nothing to do all day, spent his time in Mo Sigui's room. He was now the sole person responsible for brewing medicine for everyone, effectively becoming a highly efficient "apothecary's apprentice."
With his extraordinary memory, he could accurately locate any of the hundreds of unlabeled medicine chests after just one explanation from Mo Sigui.
The room was thick with the scent of herbs. Mo Sigui reclined on the couch with a poultice on his face, while Sheng Changying tended to over a dozen medicine stoves alone. Fanning the flames busily, sweat beading on his forehead, he finally felt a sense of peace.
Watching him so engrossed, Mo Sigui remarked, "If you ever die one day, it'll probably be from exhaustion."
"Better exhausted than idle," Sheng Changying replied, still fanning the stove. "At first, I did it just to survive. But later, I often thought—Sheng Changying's time in this world, whether a hundred years or just a few decades, has allowed me to accomplish what others would take two lifetimes to do. I consider that a great bargain."
Mo Sigui pressed the poultice to his face and sat up from the couch, moving to the stove on the far right. Just as he was about to toss in a handful of coptis, he heard Sheng Changying sigh deeply.
"What's the sigh for?" Mo Sigui paused.
Sheng Changying said, "I was thinking—Xuan Ren is truly a good girl."
Mo Sigui's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that?"
"Losing her family and being left with defective meridians—it's pitiful. And in a place like the Crane Control Institute, life must be even harder! Seeing her struggle to survive, I can't help but relate." Sheng Changying drifted into memories. "Back then, I also lost my family. I entered the Crane Control Institute with A'Zhi, but he was soon selected, leaving me alone. I slept in the firewood shed for three or four years. Winters in Bianjing were much colder than here, and I only had one quilt—the one A'Zhi gave me before he left. Once, I took it out to air, but when I returned at night, it was gone. I never found out who took it. After that, I could only curl up in the firewood pile. With defective meridians and no Inner Force, I couldn't withstand the cold at all. That's how I ended up with all these ailments."
Sheng Changying narrowed his slender eyes and slightly dampened the flames of one stove. "I was useless in the Crane Control Institute. Back then, the janitor Ah San roasted sweet potatoes and shared them with others. I was young and couldn't resist the temptation, so I asked for one—only to be mocked by a group of people. Before I became the storekeeper, I was often bullied. But if someone gave me half a steamed bun, I'd remember that kindness for life. Miracle Doctor, whether you offer help in times of need or add to the suffering—for you, it's just a passing thought. But for people like us, it's a lifelong debt."
His meaningful gaze fell on Mo Sigui's hand, still clutching the coptis.
After a moment of contemplation, Mo Sigui asked seriously, "Changying, have you ever sought revenge?"
Sheng Changying shook his head.
"Good. That puts my mind at ease." Mo Sigui lifted the lid of the medicine pot and tossed in the handful of coptis without hesitation.
"Miracle Doctor," Sheng Changying looked up and said, "Though Xuan Ren and I share similar hardships, I don't think our personalities are alike at all."
Mo Sigui paused, then smiled. "I know her well. She doesn't bother with trivial matters."
Sheng Changying regarded him calmly. "I may not understand Xuan Ren as well as you do, but I do understand Lord Chu..."
"..."An Jiu didn't haggle over trivial matters with friends, but if someone truly provoked her, she wouldn't hesitate to silence them permanently. Chu Dingjiang, however, was the complete opposite—when someone crossed him, he would ensure they tasted every form of suffering in this world before granting them release.
Mo Sigui turned his face away with a scoff. "Hah! Bring it on then, who's afraid of who?"
Sheng Changying wore an expression that said "you're on your own," as he poured the finished medicine into separate bowls and called in a few servants to deliver them to each room.
"Wait, wait!" Mo Sigui held back An Jiu's bowl. "Since she wasn't the one who provoked me, brew another batch."
Sheng Changying curled his lips and poured the medicine back into the wooden basin before gathering the herbs again.
Jade Residence.
Chu Dingjiang sat in the honored seat of the warm pavilion while Yu Pianfei personally brewed him a pot of tea. "A toast with tea in place of wine—to you, Brother Chu."
"Bottoms up," Chu Dingjiang replied.
After downing the cup, Yu Pianfei said, "Thank you for your help, Brother Chu. Thanks to you, my elder sister escaped danger, and the Yu family has absorbed part of the Feng family's assets."
"Not everyone dares to reach for the flower on the cliff’s edge," Chu Dingjiang remarked with a faint smile. "The head of the Yu family hasn’t disappointed me either."
In this battle, the Feng family was the victim. But with their third leader, Qin Zheng, still away on his voyage, the remaining two Feng leaders grew uneasy and quickly sold off several riverside docks. These docks were insignificant to the Feng family—barely a drop in the bucket—but combined with the two docks the Yu family already owned, they could now control the throat of the Huainan East waterway. With Yu Pianfei at the helm, it wouldn’t be long before the entire water route fell into the Yu family’s hands.
Yu Pianfei truly had nerves of steel, snatching victory from the jaws of danger and staking the entire Yu family on this gamble.
The gamble succeeded, but in doing so, the Yu family had also offended Misty Villa. Yu Pianfei had invited Chu Dingjiang today precisely to discuss this matter. "We’ll continue to rely on your support, Brother Chu. If you have any requests, as long as the Yu family can fulfill them, we will not refuse."
The fact that Chu Dingjiang had dealt such a heavy blow to Misty Villa—regardless of whether he had backing—proved his formidable strength, making him a valuable ally. His presence today indicated his willingness to cooperate, but since he had extended a hand to the Yu family, he surely had demands of his own.
"In that case, I’ll speak plainly." Chu Dingjiang toyed with the jade cup. "I want Zhu Pianxian."
Thud!
Outside the door, Zhu Pianxian, who had been eavesdropping, scrambled up from the floor with a grimace. Knowing the noise had given her away, she barged in defiantly, straightening her posture. "This old lady is a Zhu family wife, no longer a Yu family daughter! Since when does the Yu family have the right to decide my fate?"
Yu Pianfei remained unruffled, silent for a moment before saying, "Brother Chu, my elder sister is... no longer in her prime..."
Zhu Pianxian stormed over like a whirlwind and smacked the back of his head hard. "You little brat! How dare you talk about your own sister like that! You’re the one past your prime!"
Yu Pianfei calmly rubbed the back of his head. "Brother Chu’s tastes are truly... unique."
"It’s not my preference." Chu Dingjiang set down his teacup and looked at Zhu Pianxian. "My companion admires Madam Zhu. She has few friends, so I hope you’ll accompany us back to Bianjing to keep her company. As for your other affairs, we won’t interfere."
The first time Chu Dingjiang saw An Jiu teasing someone, he knew she must have found it amusing to act that way. That was the moment he decided to bring Zhu Pianxian back to Bianjing with them."I see..." Zhu Pianxian instantly changed her demeanor, adopting a gentle and graceful air, just as she had when they first met. "After all, it's such a long journey. I need to think it over carefully."
Yu Pianfei rubbed his forehead in exasperation. This sister of his was truly driving him to distraction! Had she forgotten these were the very people who had bought her life from Misty Villa? How could she be so naive as to think people who treated human lives so lightly would be easy to deal with?
"We depart in seven days. You may take your time to consider, Madam Zhu." Chu Dingjiang rose and slightly inclined his head toward Yu Pianfei. "Should you have news, leave the message at Fulai Tavern as before."
As Yu Pianfei stood to see him out, Chu Dingjiang's figure had already vanished from the room.
Turning, he caught sight of Zhu Pianxian tiptoeing away and bellowed, "You! Stay right where you are!" (To be continued...)
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