Chapter 46 : With the help of my wife, everything we wish for will be achieved.

The old divine doctor, despite his advanced age, had an impressive memory for the pharmacological texts he had read, he could recall them with precise accuracy even now.

He pondered for a moment before continuing, “You all need to be cautious. In case…”

The old divine doctor was concerned that the poisoner in their village might continue to poison people.

Cui Yunzhao shook her head and thanked the old divine doctor. “Thank you, but there hasn’t been such an incident in the village in the past ten years. Given how precious this poison is, it’s likely no longer available.”

The old divine doctor then sighed in relief.

Cui Yunzhao pondered for a moment and asked, “I’d like to ask you, old divine doctor, is there really no more of this poison? If there is, what is its value and where might it be found?”

The old divine doctor looked at her, momentarily taken aback.

Though he was over seventy, his eyes were still clear and bright.

“Why do you ask these questions, young lady?” he inquired with wisdom.

Cui Yunzhao remained calm and composed. She sat gracefully, gazing at the old divine doctor with clear eyes.

“If we know these details, we can tell my parents and elders when we get home. We might be able to deduce who is behind the poisoning. Even if we can’t bring them to justice, it would be helpful for the villagers to be on guard.”

The old divine doctor looked at her again, then carefully began to speak.

“As I mentioned before, I only saw this poison in a travelogue.”

“It was created by chance and the process was complex, so only a small amount was made at that time. The creator of the poison might not have known its exact properties and only knew it was poisonous, so no one else was tested.”

The old divine doctor continued, “Later, a sparrow in the mountains pecked at the bottle containing the poison and immediately convulsed and died. It was then that the creator realized it was one of the deadliest poisons in the world.”

Cui Yunzhao furrowed her brow. “How did people react to this poison compared to animals?”

The old divine doctor sighed. “Medicine and poison come from the same source. When it comes to poisons, the details are often briefly covered. They usually just describe the effects of the poison.”

Cui Yunzhao understood.

The poison’s toxicity was likely evaluated through trials on humans, either by those with malicious intent or by spending vast sums to test it on severely ill individuals.

Cui Yunzhao sighed as well.

Seeing the compassion in her expression, the old divine doctor thought for a moment and then said, “I remember that travelogue was called ‘The Chronicles of Chu Tian.’ Based on that, the source of the poison should be in the region around Meng Chu and Tian Shui. You might start your search in that direction.”

Her expression changed, and she stood up to thank the old divine doctor.

Knowing she had no further questions, she directly stated that she would take her leave.

But the old divine doctor suddenly called her back.

He looked at Cui Yunzhao with a calm and comforting gaze, full of warmth and kindness.

Cui Yunzhao felt that his gaze was somewhat reminiscent of of Mother Xia.

“Miss,”

The old divine doctor said, “Heartache requires heart medicine. Don’t keep all your emotions bottled up, speaking them out will make you feel much better.”

He hadn’t checked Cui Yunzhao’s pulse, but he could see that she was burdened with something.

Cui Yunzhao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and thanked him.

“Thank you for your advice.”

The old divine doctor waved his hand and handed the medical case to Cui Yunzhao. “This poison is extremely treacherous. Don’t let others see it.”

Cui Yunzhao nodded in thanks and left the pharmacy.

As soon as she stepped out the door, a snowflake landed on the tip of her nose.

The snow and wind had returned.

The winter in Boling this year was growing colder by the day. After a brief respite of clear skies in the morning, a new storm had swept in before noon.

Cui Yunzhao exhaled a breath of warm air and reminded Mother Xia, “Mother make sure to wear your wind hat.”

Mother Xia complied without asking why Cui Yunzhao had concocted such a story. To her, Cui Yunzhao’s actions were never to be questioned, her role was to stay by Cui Yunzhao’s side and help as needed.

As they walked along the corridor, they saw a few young apprentices in the courtyard skillfully setting up a rain canopy for the medicinal herbs. Cui Yunzhao then said, “We need to buy some medicinal herbs to take back.”

This was the reason she had discussed with Huo Tan earlier. If one were to stage a play, it should be done thoroughly, without revealing any flaws.

MotherXia then called over one of the apprentices to lead them to a private room in the pharmacy.

After a while, a young female doctor came in and asked what herbs they needed. Cui Yunzhao briefly stated her requirements, and the female doctor went out to fetch the herbs.

While they were waiting, Cui Yunzhao suddenly heard a familiar voice.

She was startled and quickly opened a crack in the door of the private room to listen carefully to the sounds outside.

The speaker was Bau Xiaochuan.

His distinctive cold, husky voice was still clear amidst the bustling pharmacy.

Cui Yunzhao vividly remembered his chilling voice. Even hearing just a few words, she could quickly identify him.

Peeking through the door crack, Cui Yunzhao glanced outside and saw that it was indeed Bau Xiaochuan.

Outside the private room was the medicine cabinet.

Pharmacists were busy at the counter, dispensing medicine. Cui Yunzhao saw Bau Xiaochuan expertly make his way to the counter.

He took a prescription from his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper glanced at it, smiled, and seemed to be quite familiar with Bau Xiaochuan.

“Have you finished the last batch of medicine?”

Bau Xiaochuan nodded and replied, “It’s been cold recently, and my legs have been uncomfortable, so I’ve been taking more of it.”

The shopkeeper, who was experienced in pricing and dispensing, heard this and pointed to another doctor on duty. “Would you like to see a doctor? Doctor Cheng is very skilled with external injuries. He could adjust the prescription for you, which might be more effective.”

Bau Xiaochuan declined without hesitation.

“No, I’m used to this medicine already.”

The shopkeeper didn’t press the issue. As he was about to prepare the medicine, Bau Xiaochuan asked, “Should we add a bit more of the Corydalis? It has a better analgesic effect.”

This time, Bau Xiaochuan hesitated.

After a moment of thought, he replied, “Alright, thank you, shopkeeper.”

The shopkeeper then went to prepare the medicine.

Cui Yunzhao was buying several expensive items, so the young female doctor took longer to gather the herbs. By the time Bau Xiaochuan left with his medicine, the young doctor only then delivered Cui Yunzhao’s medicine.

After settling the bill, Cui Yunzhao asked the young doctor, “I saw that the gentleman seems to be a familiar face. What illness does he have?”

Generally, doctors wouldn’t reveal patient information, and the young doctor responded directly, “I don’t know.”

Cui Yunzhao didn’t press further and remained quiet.

Once they left the pharmacy and got into the carriage, Mother Xia noticed Cui Yunzhao’s worried expression and said, “Miss, are you planning to investigate that gentleman?”

Cui Yunzhao nodded.

Mother Xia, experienced as she was, made no further inquiries and said directly, “That’s easy to handle.”

Cui Yunzhao looked at her.

Mother Xia smiled and said, “We can find someone to investigate his residence. Then, have someone discreetly follow him. When he discards the medicine dregs, we can have someone collect them. Later, we can have a doctor examine the dregs to determine his condition.”

Cui Yunzhao’s eyes lit up.

She took Mother Xia’s arm and couldn’t help but be a bit coquettish. “Mother, you’re amazing.”

Mother Xia smiled warmly.

“Miss, just now…”

“The old divine doctor is right. There’s no need to worry about everything. We’ll think of ways little by little, and in the end, we’ll always find a solution.”

“You just need to live happily, Miss. I’m here for you.”

Cui Yunzhao almost wanted to cry again.

In her past life, she wasn’t such a crybaby. But since being reborn, she often felt the urge to cry, longing to remember all the losses and separations from her previous life.

Mother Xia gently patted her shoulder. “Miss, you’re acting like a child. You’ve become more affectionate than before.”

Cui Yunzhao, feeling embarrassed, straightened up and said, “I just miss Mother.”

Mother Xia said, “Earlier, when we went to the grain store, I noticed a clever-looking lad named Wang Huzi. Let’s have him keep an eye on things. But in this cold weather, be sure to give him a little extra to keep him warm.”

Recalling Wang Huzi, Cui Yunzhao agreed, “Alright, we’ll find him.”

When they arrived at the grain store, before Cui Yunzhao even entered, she saw Wang Huzi standing at the door in a patched-up coat, his cheeks red from the cold, eagerly trying to attract customers.

He had a beaming smile and a loud voice, clearly an enthusiastic and outgoing young man. Despite the cold, he was diligent.

Cui Yunzhao nodded to herself.

Wang Huzi spotted Cui Yunzhao’s carriage from a distance. As soon as she stepped out, he immediately recognized her as the boss wife.

“Madam, Manager Sun is out today and will probably be back in about a quarter of an hour.”

Wang Huzi quickly came forward to attend to her.

Cui Yunzhao nodded and said, “I need to discuss something with you.”

Wang Huzi wasn’t at all shy and grinned broadly. “Of course, Madam, please come this way.”

After they were seated in Manager Sun’s office, Cui Yunzhao looked at Wang Huzi.

“You’re around twelve or thirteen this year, right?”

Wang Huzi nodded. “Yes, Madam. I’m thirteen this year. I started working at the grain store last year and have been here ever since, thanks to Manager Sun’s kindness.”

He spoke quite eloquently and was indeed sharp-witted.

Cui Yunzhao thought for a moment and said, “You should know that I’ve married General Huo. Since I’ve just married into the family, I don’t have suitable attendants around me. When I saw you last time, I thought you were quite good.”

“Would you be willing to work as a servant for the Huo family? The monthly salary is three taels, but you would need to stay at the Huo family’s gatehouse.”

Cui Yunzhao only had maidservants and Mother Xia around her. Some tasks couldn’t be handled by them, so it was important to have a few capable servants.

Wang Huzi’s eyes immediately lit up.

He couldn’t do heavy labor at the grain store, he only did business solicitation, errands, and odd jobs, earning just one and a half taels a month, without food and accommodation.

He was instantly filled with joy, not hiding it at all.

“Madam, are you really interested in me?” Wang Huzi suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. “I’m young and inexperienced. I’m afraid I might cause trouble for you.”

He wasn’t being modest.

He had only worked as an apprentice at the grain store and had no experience as a servant in a large household. He wasn’t familiar with the rules and etiquette involved.

Cui Yunzhao smiled and waved her hand. “It’s fine. Once you’re there, Ping Shu will guide you.”

“You can go back and discuss it with your family.”

Wang Huzi quickly responded, “No need to discuss. Madam, I’m willing.”

He shyly grinned, his face alight with happiness.

“My parents passed away early, and I have only one older sister. Now that I can work for you, it means one less mouth to feed at home. It’s a tremendous blessing.”

When he mentioned his deceased parents, his face showed little sorrow, and his tone was calm. However, when he spoke of the great opportunity, his entire demeanor radiated uncontainable joy.

In a harsh world with widespread hardship, people like Wang Huzi, who live with the bare necessities, have no time for romantic or sentimental thoughts. They only focus on survival.

At twelve or thirteen years old, Wang Huzi had already started working hard for a living.

Cui Yunzhao felt a sudden impulse.

How wonderful it would be if Huo Tan had ascended to the throne earlier?

The common people had long needed a period of peace and stability.

Even a single day less of suffering would be worth it.

With this thought in mind, Cui Yunzhao looked at Wang Huzi and said, “Wang Huzi, since you’ve agreed to be our servant, I’ll give you a task today.”

—

Cui Yunzhao instructed Mother Xia on how to keep an eye on Bau Xiaochuan and asked her to teach Wang Huzi.

Though Wang Huzi had never been a servant before, he understood one principle, tasks assigned by the master should be completed diligently, without asking too many questions or discussing them with outsiders.

After Mother Xia’s instructions, Wang Huzi immediately said, “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll handle it properly.”

Cui Yunzhao smiled and said, “There’s no rush. You can go home and pack your things today. Tomorrow, go to the Huo residence. I’ll have Ping Shu prepare your accommodations, so you can start working tomorrow just as well.”

Wang Huzi nodded, quickly washed his hands, and attentively prepared tea for Cui Yunzhao before leaving.

Mother Xia couldn’t help but admire him. “This boy is really good.”

Cui Yunzhao smiled and said, “Yes, there’s too little help here. It’s inconvenient to do anything. We’ll choose people slowly.”

Previously, it was Wang Huzi who had accompanied Bau Xiaochuan.

He knew which alley Bau Xiaochuan lived in, so there was no need for Cui Yunzhao to worry. He would handle the task himself.

Cui Yunzhao thought for a moment. Since Manager Sun had not yet returned, she gave Wang Huzi an additional silver ingot and asked him to go to the Linlang Silk Store to prepare three sets of clothing for her:

One set for everyday wear, one set of cotton clothing, and two pairs of shoes. Wang Huzi accepted gratefully and left.

Seeing that the two apprentices at the grain store were looking at Wang Huzi with envy, Cui Yunzhao smiled and said, “Right now, I’m short on people. If you all work hard, Manager Sun will reward you if he finds good prospects.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Manager Sun returned.

He greeted Cui Yunzhao warmly and then went to his office.

Without needing to be asked, Manager Sun spoke first “Madam, I just visited the yamen. Clerk Zhao privately told me that although this year’s old rice has been allocated, it is more than forty stone less than previous years. Moreover, General Lu wants to requisition part of it for military supplies, so the remaining amount will be even less. It is estimated that only about a hundred stone will be distributed to each grain store.”

Every year, the court uses rice to assess taxes on summer harvests. These new rice are stored in grain warehouses across various prefectures, to be used in times of war or disaster. When the new rice comes in the following year, during the winter when there is a shortage, the stored old rice, which has been kept for a year, is sold to grain stores at a lower price than the new rice. This allows the people to get through the winter and increases the court’s revenue, serving a dual purpose.

This system has been in place for many years. However, in recent years, due to intense warfare, grain warehouses in various prefectures are often empty and require requisitioning from different places. As a result, the amount of old rice distributed each year has decreased. Occasionally, to cope with the war, some of the rice is retained, causing the old rice to sometimes be stored for three or four years.

As for the quality of such rice, it’s not even about taste, if it hasn’t gone moldy or spoiled, it’s considered acceptable.

But the common people, needing to fill their stomachs, don’t care much about that.

Cui Yunzhao asked, “Do you know how old this batch of rice is?”

Manager Sun smiled at this.

He stroked his beard and said, “I’ve known that clerk for many years. Now that you’ve married General Huo, the old rice allocated to us will definitely be a year old.”

Cui Yunzhao understood.

Manager Sun had gone to deliver a gift, and with Huo Tan’s position as military envoy, things were much easier. The clerk probably did not dare to offend General Huo.

Cui Yunzhao pondered for a moment.

She then asked, “When will this batch of old rice arrive?”

Manager Sun replied, “It has already arrived. Each grain store can pick it up today.”

The official grain tokens will be available tomorrow for collection from the warehouse.

“What are the prices?”

Manager Sun replied, “One-year-old rice is priced at twenty-eight wen per dou, while two-year-old rice is twenty-four wen.”

There is a difference in price and selling price.

For instance, one-year-old rice is bought at twenty-eight wen and sold at seventy-five wen, resulting in a profit of forty-seven wen, which is nearly double the purchase price.

This profit is calculated per dou of rice.

One shi is approximately ten dou, so the profit per shi of rice is between four hundred and seventy to five hundred wen.

For a hundred shi of rice, divided among five grain stores, each store would receive twenty shi, resulting in a profit of around ten guan.

This profit might seem modest, but grain stores also handle rough rice, new rice, millet, red beans, green beans, wheat, flour, and various other grains. All these combined lead to a significant monthly profit. Old rice is not the main business for grain stores; it is more of a winter emergency measure. The price of new rice they purchase each year is much lower than old rice.

Cui Yunzhao quickly calculated the accounts and pondered, “It seems that selling one-year-old rice yields a slightly higher profit, around three wen more than two-year-old rice.”

Manager Sun was surprised by her accounting skills and remarked, “If the Madam had learned to do business earlier, she would certainly be an expert by now.”

Cui Yunzhao smiled, her expression noticeably relaxed.

“Manager Sun, have you seen this year’s rice? How is the quality of the two-year-old rice?”

Manager Sun replied, “Clerk Zhao showed me. The two-year-old rice is a bit yellow, but it’s not moldy, and it still has a rice fragrance. The quality is actually quite good.”

Because the quantity is small, the quality of this year’s rice is relatively good.

Cui Yunzhao exchanged a glance with Summer Mother and then said to Manager Sun, “Manager Sun, there have been three snowfalls in Bó Líng in the past few days, which is unusual for this time of year. The weather is very cold, and I’ve heard that many refugees have arrived in Wuping, so their situation must be quite dire.

“That’s why Summer Mother and I have decided to distribute porridge in the next couple of days. But since you’ve mentioned that the old rice has been allocated, I have an idea.”

Manager Sun said solemnly, “Please, go ahead, Madam.”

Cui Yunzhao gathered her thoughts and spoke slowly, “Previously, I said we wouldn’t raise prices, and Manager Sun also mentioned that this might offend other grain stores. I didn’t bring it up again, but today, there’s a good opportunity.

“Taking advantage of my husband’s influence and your efforts, we could directly acquire all the one-year-old rice. Instead of keeping it for ourselves, we could allocate this one-year-old rice to other grain stores and use the two-year-old rice to distribute porridge to the refugees.”

In her past life, Cui Yunzhao had been inexperienced in household affairs, but after Summer Mother’s death and Pear Green’s departure, she had learned a lot.

In her previous life, after her divorce from Huo Tan, Cui Yunzhao lived alone in the manor and gradually began to manage household affairs.

Over the years, she devoted herself to learning and made considerable progress.

Now, applying her knowledge was second nature to her.

Manager Sun couldn’t help but glance at Summer Mother, who was sitting on the side smiling. He remarked, “The Madam is not only kind-hearted but also meticulous in her planning. It’s truly admirable.”

Cui Yunzhao waved her hand, not wanting him to continue with the flattery, and said, “Tomorrow, when you exchange the rice, tell them it’s my whim to distribute porridge. To keep the price low, I decided to switch to two-year-old rice. Since we’re using the old rice for porridge, we won’t have much old rice left for sale, so to maintain business, the price of new rice won’t be raised too high.

“Give them a little sweetener first, explain the situation seriously, and then play up the hardship. This way, other grain stores won’t have much to say.”

Cui Yunzhao, a young lady of high status, might not understand the intricacies of business, but her idea to do good would ultimately burden her steward.

By doing this, she would satisfy both the practical and the moral aspects, and if other grain stores didn’t cooperate, it would show their lack of goodwill.

After all, Cui Yunzhao’s intention was to do good deeds.

Manager Sun, upon hearing this, let out a long breath.

In business, integrity is crucial, and he was seasoned and worldly. His current refined and skilled approach was the result of decades of experience.

To see a young newlywed like Cui Yunzhao with such insight was truly impressive.

“I will follow the Madam’s instructions.”

Cui Yunzhao smiled and said, “Please also ask the tooth house to temporarily hire two women to cook the porridge and two strong men to help distribute it, to prevent any troublemakers.”

Manager Sun naturally agreed.

They discussed the details further, and by the time they were done, it was noon.

Worried about the Wanyan family, Cui Yunzhao didn’t stay out for lunch. Instead, she bought a pound of braised beef from Quanshun Restaurant on her way home.

When she arrived home, Huo Tan was already back.

He was comparing two lists and looked up when he heard her footsteps. Seeing Cui Yunzhao walking briskly into the house with a light smile on her face, he set down the lists and poured her a cup of hot tea.

After Cui Yunzhao washed her hands and changed clothes, she sat beside Huo Tan, who then handed her the two lists.

“These were delivered by the Wanyan family’s servant earlier.”

Cui Yunzhao took the lists and asked, “How are they?”

Huo Tan lowered his eyes and sneered coldly.

“The Wanyan family has been established in Boling for many years and is deeply rooted, especially after Wanyan Dawang’s death in battle. He had protected the infantry battalion commander Zhang Shouzhang, who in turn took good care of the Wanyan family. The team commander of Wanyan shan was promoted by Zhang Shouzhang himself.”

As a cavalry battalion officer, Huo Tan naturally had a strained relationship with the infantry battalion. With this incident, Zhang Shouzhang was unwilling to back down.

Huo Tan couldn’t help but sneer at this.

“Wanyanshan was detained by the Military Affairs Division. When Zhang Shouzhang heard about it, he personally went to the Military Affairs Division’s inspector, insinuating that the cavalry battalion was bullying their infantry battalion.”

“That’s simply outrageous.”

At home, Huo Tan rarely lost his temper. Even when the old lady caused trouble, he mostly responded with a smile, appearing to have no temper at all.

But Cui Yunzhao knew well that when he was truly angry, he was ruthless.

Hearing this, it was clear that Huo Tan was indeed angry.

Cui Yunzhao asked, “And then?”

Huo Tan paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and his anger seemed to dissipate almost immediately.

“Zhang Shouzhang’s concerns could be addressed by Deputy Commander Mu as well. Moreover, Wanyanshan, being guilty, was evasive in his responses and couldn’t defend himself.”

Huo Tan continued “Deputy Commander Mu acted decisively, avoiding unnecessary entanglement with Zhang Shouzhang. He directly reported to the Military Affairs Inspector, requesting to continue detaining Wanyanshan. After my return and presenting the evidence, a final judgment will be made.”

“Zhang Shouzhang was very angry, but since Deputy Commander Mu is at his level and the inspector is known for his impartiality, Zhang Shouzhang had no choice but to give up. However, Wanyan shan’s situation has not been easy these past few days.”

Cui Yunzhao looked at him.

Although he had a smile on his lips, it didn’t reach his eyes.

“This morning, I went to invite the two masters you mentioned, along with the dowry list, the prescription for the medicine used when Wanyan’s family mistreated my elder sister, and two of Wanyan’s neighbors. We all went to the Military Affairs Division.”

Huo Tan was meticulous in his work.

Upon hearing this, Cui Yunzhao relaxed and smiled lightly. “So, did things go as you wished?”

Huo Tan smiled and glanced back at her.

“With the Madam’s strong support, things naturally went as we wished.”