247 Expedient Measures

Sun Sicheng didn't expect that that night, Hong Zhi, the head of the Hong family, would come to him.

The inn was not convenient, so he had to let someone into his and Ping An's room.

Ping An bowed and was about to go to Lin Feng and Er Qiang's room, but Master Hong insisted on giving him a purse and he refused to accept it.

"My Lord, your disciple is a handsome man, truly a young master as beautiful as jade."

Sun Sicheng smiled faintly: "No, no, you are too polite, Master Hong."

It seems that the concealing cream has faded a lot. I'd better let him apply more during the process. It doesn't matter if it's yellow with black. It's good for family members as long as they know it. It's not necessary for outsiders.

"My dear, I didn't know about my wife's visit to you until she went back home. I'm really sorry. She's a bit too old-fashioned. I hope you will accept this small token of my appreciation. I apologize to you on her behalf."

Sun Sicheng shook his head: "Really, no need, I don't take it to heart."

Mr. Hong smiled bitterly: "Young Master, you must accept it. It's not a valuable thing. I have two sons, several grandsons, and only two granddaughters. This is the eldest granddaughter. I hope you can help her."

"I'm sorry, Master Hong, I dare not help you with this. I have never planned to take a concubine. My little apprentice also has a partner to marry. It is even more impossible for him to get into trouble for treating one person."

Master Hong's face turned red. "My wife still thinks the same way as she did many years ago. She doesn't know how to adapt. Young Master, I can sign a guarantee that I will never blackmail you and your disciples because of this matter. Can you help her? The child is also very pitiful."

"Master Hong, we really need to leave early tomorrow morning. There are many things that cannot be delayed."

"My dear, you have a child. Ordinary doctors cannot perform surgery to remove some parts of your body. They are also afraid of causing inflammation and becoming disabled. You should stay for one more day. I will take the child to Baicaotang early tomorrow morning. No one will know about this."

Master Hong took out another stack of banknotes and said, "This is one thousand taels. It is the medical expenses for you and your disciple. I will pay for the medicine separately.

I will write the letter of guarantee now and put my fingerprints on it. Sir, please just pity the child. She will go on a blind date this year, and having this thing on her foot will ruin her life."

Sun Sicheng sighed, thought about it and agreed.

In that case, I will stay for another day tomorrow. The operation will only take half an hour, but the Hong family has spent so much money, and I can't leave right away. I have to observe for a day.

Ping An returned in an hour and received four hundred taels of silver from the master: "Master, this is..."

Sun Sicheng explained the situation again: "The cost of the operation is not much, this is actually hush money, just take it, with the guarantee letter, we are not afraid of anything, tomorrow we will do it together, Master Hong will bring his granddaughter here alone, let him stay in the emergency room as well."

Ping'an nodded, and the master continued.

With twelve people under him, the monthly salary plus other expenses would total over fifty taels, not to mention clothes for all seasons and extra bonuses. If you calculate carefully, one thousand taels a year is not a small amount.

When he came back this time, Xiao Wu and Xiao Shan were going to get married. Buying a house in the city was too expensive, so he asked Manager Ge to help him look for a farm near the city. As long as it was close to the city, it didn't matter if it was a little more expensive. This way, he could build a row of small courtyards in the farm, one for each person.

He had no plans to use the two thousand taels from his mother for the time being. He got some from the bribery for saving Awu, some gifts from the Huang family, and some from the Bao family. All together, he had more than two thousand taels.

"Master, I will take over now because I am thick-skinned."

Sun Sicheng laughed, "It's not easy to support people, right? I say let Baicaotang support them. The total salary of my subordinates is at least two thousand. How can the cost of your dozen people be increased?"

All the money from the prescriptions and alcohol dividends at the end of the year is with him. The profit of the braised food shop has been reduced by half in the past two years, so the annual profit is not much. Ping An has to take some money back home in addition to the expenses of these people, so his pockets will not be full.

Ping An grinned and said, "Master, that's different. I can't always rely on Baicaotang to help me take care of it."

"I heard from Lao Ge that you were planning to buy a farm?"

"Well, I think it would be best to buy another better manor. The conditions are that it is close to the city, open, and has more land. Xiaowu and Xiaoshan are both engaged. If everyone buys a house in the city, I can't afford it. Besides, it's not suitable for them to live separately. If we buy a manor with a good location, I will ask Uncle Ge to help build a row of courtyards, one for each person."

Sun Sicheng smiled and said, "We are only in Yong'an temporarily. We will return to the capital sooner or later. However, I have already bought a house and a farm for you in the capital."

"Master, I am willing to buy a property, but please use my money and don't let me spend your money. The same applies to the manor in the capital. When the time comes, I will trouble you to help me buy a house closer to the city and build one or two rows of courtyards for my people to live in."

"I know. Master will only spend your money, Ping An. Master is quite capable in business. He has helped you make a lot of money in the past two years. You are now a small wealthy man."

Ping An’s face was as beautiful as a flower when he smiled, but unfortunately the facial cream still covered his good skin.

"Ping An, you should put more emphasis on facial cream tomorrow. Boys should also be careful when going out. Not all people in Da Zhou are good people."

…

The next morning, Sun Sicheng asked Wanli to inform everyone to stay in the inn for one more day.

Ming Wanli looked at the sky and frowned. "My Lord, I still want to buy another mule cart and load it with water. The further north we go, the drier it seems. With so many carts and people, we will need a lot of water at noon. We may not be able to find water nearby during the lunch break."

"Buy it. Try to replenish it every day when you stay at the inn. A mule cart can only pull two large jars. You can also replenish the rice."

"I know. I have already replenished half of the supplies in the past two days."

Sun Sicheng only took Ping'an and Ruyi to the clinic. When they arrived, Mr. Hong was already waiting in the carriage with his granddaughter.

Ping'an, please note that this little girl is wearing a sunshade, with only two big eyes showing on her face, and she is dressed in the clothes of an ordinary servant. It's good that way, so that we won't recognize her even if we meet each other in the future.

In ancient times, the rules between men and women were really strict.

Sun Sicheng took them directly to the emergency room: "Master Hong, just as we said yesterday, you stay here, but you are not allowed to make any noise to disturb me during the operation."

Miss Hong was still relatively calm, perhaps because the time had come when she had to get rid of this thing. She didn't say a word from beginning to end. Sun Sicheng asked her to drink the anesthetic, so she drank the anesthetic, and asked her to lie down, so she lay down. Mr. Hong hurriedly covered his granddaughter with a thin cloak.

After a while, Miss Hong passed out from the anesthesia. The anesthetic of the Sun family was very effective. A small amount was enough to make a person pass out for an hour.

This time it was Sun Siben himself who did the knife work. Ping An used the silver needle to stop the bleeding, and he also wiped the small amount of blood that flowed out.

Mr. Hong, who was standing by, was watching Sun Sicheng holding a shiny knife and cutting off the flesh splinter half the size of a small peach pit on the sole of his granddaughter's foot bit by bit. He was so scared that he shuddered.

A doctor has to be ruthless when operating the knife, otherwise he won't be able to cut. Look at the little apprentice, he is very young, but he is not panicking at all when applying medicine and bandaging.

Because it takes some time to wait for the anesthetic to take effect, the whole process takes about half an hour.

"Master Hong, we used the best anesthesia and medicine for your granddaughter, and we also disinfected her wounds. I'll get you ten days' worth of medicine later, which will be changed every two days. If you're willing, I'll ask the female doctor in my clinic to go over there. I promise not to spread a word, but your family members have to keep their mouths shut.

I will stay for one more day. As long as she doesn't have a high fever, it's fine. It's normal to feel some pain after the anesthesia wears off. I will prescribe some painkillers for her. What do you think?"

"My Lord, what else can I say with your arrangement? Thank you very much."

While there was no one in the clinic, Mr. Hong carried his granddaughter to the carriage himself, and the carriage quickly left Baicaotang.