“Don’t report it to the authorities. We don’t want the medicine compensation anymore—let’s just forget the whole thing,” Wang Mazi gave in and nudged Meng Shi with his foot.

After a long while, Meng Shi grudgingly got up from the ground.

“It’s not up to you to say it’s over. You still owe us twenty taels of silver. If you don’t pay, I will go to the authorities,” Lu Qingqing insisted firmly.

Lu Qingqing dared to call in Doctor Pang for verification and even had the ginseng Lin Zhuang gave her, so that turtle soup was definitely worth a lot.

Wang Mazi didn’t dare report it.

But he also didn’t have the money to pay.

In the end, after much begging and bargaining, he dragged his son over to apologize to Xi Xi. Only then did Lu Qingqing relent.

“A pockmarked father, a short and ugly mother, a pig-headed dumb son—your family really is pitiful. We’ll let it go this time. But remember, Lu Xixi bears the surname Lu—don’t ever assume the Lu family has no one to stand up for him!”

The crowd dispersed.

A shadowy figure crept back home.

Under the dim oil lamp, a person sat at the table, struggling to swallow their food.

“Ma, what took you so long? You were just picking scallions.”

“There were none left—all picked. Just make do with this meal,” Madam Liu said, holding her stomach as she sat down.

The person slammed their bowl down hard.

“I’m not eating! What kind of life is this?!”

Madam Liu had no appetite either.

Thinking of what had just happened made her stomach feel even more stuffed.

“Xiuwen, guess what I saw just now?

Lu Qingqing actually made turtle and hen soup—a huge bowl of it!

And she gave it to that unlucky brat, Xiao Xixi!”

Turtle and hen soup?

Ning Xiuwen instinctively swallowed.

“Is Lu Qingqing crazy? Why is she getting involved with Lu Xixi again?”

“Maybe she knows she can’t marry out, so she’s grooming a little man to keep around?” Madam Liu speculated.

“Why don’t you go coax her again, get some silver out of her to tide us over?

That wretched Ding Xiang is so difficult—asking for anything takes ages, and her ugly face is unbearable!”

Ning Xiuwen looked like he was holding back a lot. He was sick of her too.

Even with the scar on Lu Qingqing’s face, she was still better-looking than Ding Xiang.

The key thing was—Lu Qingqing gave him whatever he wanted. Ding Xiang was always scheming—so annoying.

But he needed money. Always had. Until he achieved fame and success.

Only the Ding family could fund him.

“I’m not going back to Lu Qingqing again! In a few days, she’ll be regretting everything!”

She would come to realize how stupid it was to give up a promising scholar like him!

“You’re right. Coaxing Ding Xiang is better than coaxing Lu Qingqing.”

Madam Liu thought back to how Lu Qingqing looked earlier. She had really changed. Even Wang Mazi had been scared off by her.

Not easy to deal with now.

“Xiuwen, a woman only truly sides with a man once she shares his bed. Look for an opportunity…”

…

After that day, Xi Xi basically became Lu Qingqing’s little shadow.

Calling her “auntie” every other sentence, running ahead and behind, memorizing herb names, collecting herbs, preparing them—competing with Lu Yun.

Lu Qingqing taught while sorting herbs, and the two of them picked things up quickly.

Lu Feng and their father had finished building the side room and made two herb racks.

Lu Qingqing had the two boys write out herb names and functions, placing the processed herbs neatly on the racks.

Xi Xi was illiterate, so Lu Yun and Lu Qingqing taught him to read.

The shelves gradually filled, though a few rows were still empty.

Lu Qingqing wrote on labels:

Wangyuesha, Yemingsha, Baidingxiang, Zuopanlong, Baimatong, Xufumi, Heibingpian, Renzhonghuang…

“Little sis, what are these herbs? They sound powerful,” Lu Yun read out.

“They must be super rare. Otherwise Auntie wouldn’t put them on the top shelf,” Xi Xi deduced, using his usual sharpness.

Lu Qingqing grinned mischievously. “They are rare. So when it’s time to organize them—who’s doing it?”

“Me!”

“Me!”

The two of them rushed to volunteer.

“You each take half,” said Lu Qingqing.

“I’ll first explain what they are.”

“Wangyuesha—rabbit droppings. Spicy, cold nature. Enters the liver and lung meridians. Treats eye floaters, ulcers, and hemorrhoids.”

“Yemingsha—bat droppings. Sweet and mild. Enters the liver. Clears vision and detoxifies…”

“Baidingxiang—sparrow droppings…”

“Zuopanlong—pigeon droppings…”

“Xufumi—dog droppings…”

“Liuyini—earthworm droppings…”

“Renzhonghuang…”

Lu Yun and Xi Xi were dumbfounded.

Bugs were bad enough—but all this poop?

And some of it was human poop?

Were these really medicine… or poison?

“Second Uncle, I’m too young. I’m clumsy. You should organize them,” Xi Xi said quickly.

“No, no, you’re small but smart—you remember things faster than me,” Lu Yun deflected.

“You do it.”

“You do it.”

“I’ll do it!” Their father entered with a grin.

“I helped your mother organize herbs before. I’ve got some experience.”

Lu Yun and Xi Xi looked like they’d seen a savior.

“Dad, you do it!”

“Grandpa, thank you!”

The old man nodded solemnly, eyes gleaming. “Daughter, what are we organizing first?”

“Wangyuesha, Yemingsha, Baidingxiang, Zuopanlong…”

The smile on his face froze bit by bit.

He didn’t know the others, but he did know what “Renzhonghuang” was.

Those two brats had set him up!

But no matter—he’d just say he got too busy with carpentry…

Outside, hearing the laughter and joy from the side room, Lu Feng grew a little restless.

His little sister treated him well—but she seemed to get along even better with the second brother.

They were together all day, with endless things to talk about.

“Dad, isn’t this work kind of boring? You’ve done it all your life—don’t you find it dull?”

“But I don’t have second brother’s brain. I can’t even remember all those herb names…”

“Dad?”

Lu Feng looked back—his father was gone.

Seriously? Even Dad ran off to the herb room!

“Excuse me, is this the home of Lu Yun?” a voice called from outside.

Lu Feng rushed to the door and opened it. A well-dressed middle-aged man stood there.

“You are?”

“My surname is Tian—Tian Leshan.”

“Oh, Boss Tian! Please come in.”

Tian Leshan was here to purchase the wound medicine.

In Ming’an County, he was considered a successful businessman, with a steady stream of suppliers.

Usually, he waited for people to come to him, or sent a clerk to buy stock.

This was the first time in years he had personally come to buy goods.

The product was just that good—he had to move fast!

“Miss Qingqing, that wound medicine of yours is amazing. It stops bleeding and reduces swelling instantly. Can you make more? I’ll buy it all.”

“Some ingredients are rare, so I can’t make much. The price is also high—each bottle costs at least two taels of silver,” Lu Qingqing said.

The effectiveness of the medicine depended entirely on the formula.

The best wound salves required dragon bone, which sold for even more.

Unfortunately, that ingredient wasn’t available now.

The medicine she made was already the most cost-effective formula possible.

After deducting costs and labor, she still earned one tael per bottle.

Tian Leshan had dealt with herbal medicine for years—he knew how much wound medicine usually cost.

Most were two or three taels a bottle, but none worked half as well as Lu Qingqing’s.

If this stuff hit the market, the price would skyrocket.

In time, it might sell for five taels or more.

“Miss Qingqing, I can offer three taels per bottle. But—can we sign an agreement to supply this medicine exclusively to me in the future?”