You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal? : Chapter 89: Husband, You Have No Shame (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 89: My Lord, Do You Not Feel Ashamed (Seeking Subscription for Monthly Tickets)

In the days that followed, the tranquility of Shuzhou seemed to have settled into a fragile calm.

Yet for those with keen eyes, the shadows beneath the surface remained as twisted as ever.

The tale of the Xiao family’s medicine being stolen spread like wildfire among travelers resting at the post station that very evening.

It ignited a storm of speculation, with the rumors branching into three distinct camps.

Or rather, three versions of the story found favor in the eyes of three different groups.

Those who roamed the roads and paths were more attuned to the legend of the “Blade-Crazy” Liu Langnan and the malevolent presence of the Huan Yin Sect.

Thus, they were inclined to believe that the medicine Xiao family had transported from Beizhou concealed within it some legendary treasure of mythic proportions.

The most scandalous of all was the tale that among those medicines lay a millennia-old ginseng root, destined solely to grant longevity to Lord Xiao.

Some fool, it was said, had even the wit to analyze the matter, claiming that the ailing lord had been bedridden for years, awaiting that very root to save his life.

The common folk scoffed at such notions.

“They’re probably just eating poison tablets from the Old Life Star, thinking they’re too long-lived already!”

“And dare they stir up trouble in Shuzhou without even inquiring into the Xiao family’s affairs? They’ll probably end up in the big prison in no time!”

In the eyes of Shuzhou’s commoners, the Xiao family had stood tall in their city for two hundred years—surely their mansion held some treasure the emperor himself had bestowed?

How could they lack a single millennia-old ginseng root?

Thus, they deemed those wandering folk as fools courting their own doom, forgetting the might of Lord Xiao in his prime.

Many an elder would regale them with such tales, recalling how in his day, Lord Xiao had ruled the battlefield with few rivals.

Yet these city tales, when whispered in the halls of Shuzhou’s officials, were dismissed as nothing but folly.

The common folk and wandering knights alike knew not of this, for the matter had turned Shuzhou’s bureaucracy inside out.

To describe it as “three feet of plowed earth” was hardly an exaggeration.

That very afternoon, the three eldest sons of the Xiao family were already holed up in the magistrate’s office.

They stayed no other place, occasionally sending word to Liu Si, inquiring about the progress of the investigation.

Forced to act, Liu the Magistrate ordered a full-scale inquiry.

Not only did the clerks in the office run their legs to exhaustion, but the executioner’s deputies and militia members were all dispatched in every direction.

Some went to question the common folk, others sought out the underworld gangs of Shuzhou, and still others relied on informants among the wandering knights to gather intelligence.

Yet they found no trace of the “Blade-Crazy” or the Huan Yin Sect, and the medicine itself seemed to have vanished from the world as if never having existed.

Chen Yi remained unperturbed by the matter, seeing no disadvantage in the magistrate’s efforts.

To him, the lack of results was itself a result.

Setting aside all the tangled webs of rumor, the truth was clear as day—there were those within Shuzhou quietly aiding and abetting.

Beyond that, he could not conceive of another possibility.

Still, Chen Yi did not rush to judgment, merely sitting in patient silence, waiting for the next move.

Each day, aside from opportunistically gaining favor, he remained steadfast in his routine, sitting in the medicine hall, attending to the diagnosis of patients.

The medical knowledge he had absorbed from the small physician, the intricacies of pulse diagnosis and acupuncture, had advanced rapidly, reaching a level of practiced mastery.

Whether it was common ailments, complex ailments, or the properties of various herbs, he knew them all by heart.

To gauge his skill, one might say that even the four most skilled physicians tied together would fall short of his single finger.

Compared to martial arts, the gaps between each stage of medical practice were far greater.

Those who understood did so fully, while those who did not remained ignorant, having practiced and witnessed without grasping the essence.

And Chen Yi knew the most—the very essence of it all.

Thus, he had been preparing to leverage the arcane arts of medicine to forge new formulas, distincting the various medicine halls across Shuzhou’s territories, so that Bai Caotang could officially open its doors.

Should he speak of it?

The minds of Wang Ji and Yan Hai were sharp.

A few days prior, after securing the premises, they had begun immediately arranging the space, crafting the signboard, and decorating the establishment.

They divided the tasks clearly.

Yan Hai took charge of contacting the herbal farmers and merchants who had previously supplied their medicine, negotiating the prices and terms for future supplies.

Wang Ji spent three days traversing the various medicine halls across Shuzhou’s prefecture, discussing the distribution arrangements.

Notably, the term “distribution” was one Chen Yi had coined for them, intending to foster a spirit of mutual benefit.

The common folk, naturally, would be meticulous about pricing when purchasing medicine.

With “Bai Caotang” as a foundation, the other medicine halls found themselves in a favorable position.

Even those who deemed their prices too high would, upon purchasing their prescriptions from Bai Caotang, share in the profits from their sales.

What a joyous coincidence it was to reap such benefits!

Thus, Wang Ji’s negotiations proceeded smoothly.

He had, of course, omitted the Xiao family’s five medicine halls, but the remaining establishments agreed to his terms at roughly six-tenths of their full cooperation.

Many had harbored thoughts of giving it a try.

Of course, some scorned “Bai Caotang” outright, for who among them lacked proprietary formulas?

These formulas were the very lifeblood sustaining their livelihoods.

That evening, as Chen Yi departed the medicine halls with his newly formulated prescriptions, he noticed Liu Quan and several others standing outside, gesturing animatedly.

“What’s all this fuss about?”

“The shopkeeper—come see, they’ve just opened a new store.”

Chen Yi approached, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Before Yan Hai’s former herb stall, people were bustling about, moving goods inside.

Baskets upon baskets of herbs, scales, and pulse rulers were being carried in.

Glancing up at the signboard above, he saw it read “Lingran Xuan,” accompanied by a pair of couplets proclaiming, “A Hundred-Year-Old Household, Saving Lives and Healing Illnesses.”

Chen Yi mused for a moment, then smiled, instructing Liu Quan, “Go buy some pastries and gifts to send over.”

Liu Quan hesitated, “Master, this new shop seems to be here to poach business—should we really be sending gifts?”

Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively. “It’s merely a neighborly gesture. In time, they’ll be bowing and scraping before us—manners must not be neglected.”

Others may not have known, but this new establishment was, in essence, the aftermath of the stolen medicine.

Those who were meant to come would come—so he chose to ignore them, assuming they’d arrive in due time.

Better to greet them openly and graciously.

After another moment’s observation, noting that the shopkeeper had not yet emerged, Chen Yi smiled and called over Ge Lao San, boarding a carriage to escort him back to the mansion.

The old Ge Lao San had already spotted that apothecary shop earlier, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed by them, so while driving, he peered through the curtain and asked, "Master, are you not angry?"

Chen Yi sat in the carriage, gazing at the passersby outside the window, and casually remarked, "Why should I be angry?"

"Of course because 'traveling companions are sworn enemies.' That ruffian Ling Ran Xuan clearly flaunted his intentions."

"Old Three, you understand a lot. I thought for these days in Dong Market, you only had those girls in your eyes."

Ge Lao San's face flushed a deep red. The towering man was clearly embarrassed by Chen Yi's words, his face turning crimson. "Master, I haven't even married a bride yet. Just looking, just looking."

And so he forgot all about his annoyance with the apothecary shop.

Chen Yi, of course, wouldn't dwell on it either.

When armies come, generals block; when waters rise, earth covers.

Yet upon returning home, he only then learned that Ling Ran Xuan had not just one shop, but four more beside the main apothecary.

All four shops in the Xiao family's compound also had Ling Ran Xuan's stalls.

Chen Yi shook his head, letting out a long sigh. "They're just too afraid to confront us directly."

But opening a shop beside the Xiao family's apothecaries—this method was bound to seem a bit petty.

Without absolute strength, even if the Xiao family shut all their shops, what could they do?

However, Chen Yi was in no hurry. Xiao Wan Er was growing increasingly restless.

These days, there had been no news from home or the prefecture office.

Watching the hope of recovering the herbs grow dimmer by the day, she had already begun contacting previous suppliers to procure emergency supplies.

Now, upon hearing about Ling Ran Xuan's situation, she felt a bit caught off guard.

But she couldn't bring herself to confide in Shen Hua Tuan, so she maintained a composed demeanor even in his presence.

She must have been harboring the thought that one person could resolve this crisis.

Xiao Wan Er sat alone in the pavilion, her expression wistful.

"If Younger Sister were here..."

...

In the depths of the night, in the misty mountains.

A series of bamboo dwellings rose against the mountainside.

At each dwelling's entrance, a fire pit burned, casting flickering light across the village, which was not yet dark despite the hour.

And at this time when people should have been asleep, a large bonfire blazed in the village center, where hundreds of people in tribal attire sang and danced merrily.

"When the mountains turn, when the waters turn, we'll be sitting on boats, hey..."

Their voices rang out, lively and joyous.

In the distance, the tinkling of small bells echoed through the mountains.

"Ting, ting."

"Sister, Sister, sing for us! My brother and I are eager!"

Pei Weng Lu saw some young men from across the way singing and teasing, and he tossed two packets of powder into the air.

The men fled in terror, making the women laugh.

"Don't run away! We're looking for Brother Weng Lu!"

"Just a couple of packets of poison powder. Herbs don't kill people."

Pei Weng Lu blinked, "They can still kill with herbs."

The women fell silent, and soon, someone started circling Pei Weng Lu, ready to strike.

"Are you insane? Using poison like that?"

"Wrong, wrong..."

After a while of brawling.

Pei Weng Lu finally broke free from the villagers' tugging, wiping sweat from her brow. The firelight painted her round face red and rosy.

She scanned the area and spotted Xiao Jing Hong seated quietly on a rooftop nearby, so she bounded over.

"Jing Hong Sister, what are you doing sitting here all day?"

"Want me to show you?" Pei Weng Lu curiously poked her head at him, looking at his hands.

She didn't see anything else, but she noticed the seal on his hand.

Pei Weng Lu's eyes widened, and she lunged forward to grab it...

Smack.

Xiao Jing Hong placed his hand over her face, blocking her view.

"Brother has a letter for you, let me show it to you, Jing Hong Sister..."

Xiao Jing Hong pinched her mouth shut, forcing her into silence, and calmly said, "Tomorrow, let Mountain Lady arrange the people. We'll set out to choose a location."

Pei Weng Lu hiccupped, but still couldn't break free, sulking silently.

If I don't stare you into death with my eyes.

Xiao Jing Hong glanced at her, then released his hand and walked away, "Don't forget."

Pei Weng Lu threw a punch at his retreating back, muttering, "Forget, forget."

After Xiao Jing Hong walked far away, she raised her voice, "I've already forgotten!"

"Hmm?"

Hearing her voice, Pei Weng Lu tucked her head back, hurried away in a panic.

Xiao Jing Hong heard her, and a smile tugged at his lips.

But upon seeing the two letters in his hands, his smile grew even wider, though his bright eyes held a touch of shyness.

"My lord, how humble."

Compared to the poem from Chen Yi, her elder sister's reminder didn't quite sit in her heart.

"My lord asks when I'll return... there's still time."

"Once busy, I'll return."

PS: Extreme measures, only four chapters today.

Perhaps I drank too much coffee and strong tea, feeling unwell, life and death pressing hard, so I moistened my throat.

Tomorrow, I'll learn from this and add more.

(Chapter End)The old Ge Lao San had already spotted that apothecary shop earlier, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed by them, so while driving, he peered through the curtain and asked, "Master, are you not angry?"