Chapter 537 Harvesting Leeks

Shang Ruyi frowned.

Before Su Qinglan could finish speaking, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly came from outside. Although it was far away and the sound had become very faint by the time it reached her, it abruptly interrupted Su Qinglan's words.

The patients around them also woke up after hearing that voice.

His previously lifeless face gradually came to life with vivid expressions.

They initially showed joy, but after a moment, as if they remembered something, their joy gradually faded and turned into worry, as if some unseen burden had suddenly weighed on their hearts, making it hard to breathe.

Shang Ruyi looked at these people, then at Su Qinglan.

Then he said, "I'll go out and take a look."

After saying that, he put down the palm-leaf fan in his hand, got up and walked outside.

After passing through the long passageway we had just passed, we returned to the main street in front of the market. The scene before us was completely different from before. The patients who had been lying on straw mats, barely alive, had all stood up and were rushing forward, afraid of being left behind. Even the guards and doctors in the city had to come forward to pull them back and maintain order.

"Don't rush."

"Watch out, you might fall!"

"Get in line first, everyone can have some!"

However, these people wouldn't listen. Like drowning people grasping at a straw, they all rushed forward.

The direction they were crowding towards was the entrance to Chang Le Fang.

Just as Shang Ruyi was about to walk forward, she was bumped by several patients rushing forward behind her, and almost fell. After finally regaining her balance, she looked up and saw the medical supervisor Wu Huanzhi standing by the roadside, frowning as he watched this scene.

He slowly walked forward and said to Shang Ruyi, "Young Madam."

Shang Ruyi said, "Lord Wu, this is—"

"this,"

Wu Huanzhi gave a wry smile, looked at the surging crowd ahead, and said, "Doesn't the young mistress know what she's doing?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, then remained silent.

However, at this moment, the people in front, seemingly following someone's instructions, gradually stopped crowding and began to line up. The line of thousands of people quickly circled around the streets and alleys, with everyone craning their necks and standing on tiptoe, eagerly looking ahead.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance to the market.

Wu Huanzhi pointed ahead and said, "Young Madam, take a look."

Shang Ruyi looked up and saw that a long table had been set up outside the wooden fence, directly opposite the entrance. Several soup bowls were neatly arranged on the table, and a young man was standing next to it, carrying a jug full of medicine and pouring it into the bowls. Behind the table sat an accountant, holding a pen and several ledgers, seemingly preparing to record something.

A rich medicinal aroma wafted through the air.

The crowd's eyes became eager and thirsty, almost unable to resist rushing forward, but another group of people came across and blocked their way. Behind these people, a young man wearing a jade-colored robe walked out slowly, with a graceful figure and an elegant demeanor.

It was Pei Xingyuan, whom Shen Wuzheng had described as "shameless".

His face was covered by the veil that Shang Ruyi had given him before—ordinary people wearing veils would appear very mysterious, like Yuwen Qian before, who, after putting on the veil, only revealed a pair of clear and bright eyes, like an immortal who could only be seen in the clouds, appearing mysterious and elegant.

Even people with ordinary appearances can gain a bit more charm when they wear a veil.

Pei Xingyuan was originally handsome, but because his face always had a smile on it, exuding a down-to-earth charm, now that he wore a veil to cover his features, only his eyes, which were always full of smiles, were visible. Instead of being mysterious, he appeared rather... cheerful.

As soon as he came out, he shouted to the crowd: "Take it in! One bowl costs one tael of silver, payment settled, and the medicine will cure your illness!"

If it weren't for the special circumstances, Shang Ruyi would have almost burst out laughing.

In fact, although she didn't actually laugh out loud, the corners of her mouth, hidden behind the veil, couldn't help but purse, and the corners of her eyes curved upwards.

But the next moment, she heard the person next to her sigh.

Wu Huanzhi, standing beside him, frowned deeply, gazing worriedly at the patients around him. Some, dressed in fine clothes and seemingly from well-off families, readily handed over their money; others, dressed simply, though reluctant, could only grit their teeth and tremble as they took out their purses to survive; while the remaining patients, ragged and clearly impoverished, though clutching some money in their hands, looked as if they were being torn apart.

The first person in line was a middle-aged man who looked very wealthy. He handed over a coin without any hesitation.

The person collecting the money immediately took the silver and put it away, then asked, "Where do you live, and what is your name?"

The man said, "Fenglefang, Jia Wansheng."

The bookkeeper picked out one of the several ledgers, flipped through it, and immediately found the page for Fenglefang, where he also found Jia Wansheng's name. He drew a line after it, and then someone handed Jia Wansheng a bowl of medicine. He drank it down in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and turned to retreat back into Changlefang.

Immediately afterward, a second person stepped forward, handed over the silver, and said, "Ding Laosi from Liuying Village outside the city."

The accountant picked up another ledger, turned to the page about Liuying Village, and recorded it. Then someone took the money and gave the man a bowl of medicine to drink.

Seeing this, Shang Ruyi understood.

They must have registered all the patients who entered Chang Le Fang, and traced the back of each patient after they drank a bowl of medicine. This not only recorded the amount of medicine taken, but also prevented someone from impersonating another patient and taking more medicine. Although the process was a bit slow, it was orderly.

Before long, dozens of people had finished their medicine and returned to Chang Le Fang.

At this moment, Pei Xingyuan saw Shang Ruyi standing to the side and walked over with a smile: "Ruyi—oh no, sister-in-law, you've arrived."

"Young Master Pei."

Seeing that he was still polite in front of outsiders, Shang Ruyi smiled. Pei Xingyuan said, "Why did you come here? This place is not a good place to stay."

Shang Ruyi said, "I heard that there are not enough people here, so I brought She'er and the others to help out."

Pei Xingyuan waved his hand and said, "What's there to worry about? With me, Pei Xingyuan, here, I guarantee that everyone here will get their medicine and be cured!"

Seeing him like this, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh again.

Before he could say anything, Wu Huanzhi beside him said coldly, "Young Master Pei's words are true, it can indeed cure the disease."

"..."

"However, even if the illness is cured, I'm afraid these people will be impoverished."

Upon hearing this, Pei Xingyuan and Shang Ruyi were both stunned and turned to look at him.

Pei Xingyuan crossed his arms, his eyes still crinkling with laughter, but it was no longer the pure joy that could infect everyone around him; instead, it revealed a hint of wariness: "What do you mean by that, Lord Wu?"

Wu Huanzhi said in a low voice, "Isn't one qian of silver for a bowl of medicine too expensive?"

"..."

"The Duke arranged for the clearing of Chang Le Fang to treat the patients, not for you, Young Master Pei, to collect a fine—"

He ultimately didn't utter the last word.

However, even though he didn't say it aloud, everyone present understood what he was going to say. Although Shang Ruyi was prepared, her face couldn't help but darken at this moment.

Fortunately, the veil covering her face concealed her momentary lapse in concentration.

Pei Xingyuan showed no remorse whatsoever; his eyes, peeking out from behind his veil, were still smiling, even more so than before.

Just as he was about to say something to Wu Huanzhi, a middle-aged man at the front of the line suddenly said, "Gentlemen, your medicine is too expensive! I've lived for over forty years and have never drunk medicine that costs a penny a bowl!"

Upon hearing this, the people who were busy around the long table stopped.

These words resonated with the patients behind them, and someone immediately chimed in, "That's right, a bowl of medicine costs a penny, that's too expensive!"

"Everywhere else they distribute medicine, but you guys are doing something else entirely: selling it for money, and at such a high price!"

"We don't have that much money!"

"This time, the Duke of Sheng sent you to rescue people. How could you do this?"

Clearly, the crowd was already dissatisfied with their drug-selling activities, so as soon as someone spoke up, it immediately aroused their resentment, and they all started complaining.

Wu Huanzhi sighed, looked up at Pei Xingyuan and said, "Young Master Pei, this time, it's not up to me to decide."

After saying that, he glanced at Shang Ruyi beside him.

He thought that since this young mistress of the Yuwen family was willing to risk her own safety to enter Chang Le Fang, she must be a kind-hearted person. Hearing these words, she should be moved or help persuade this young master Pei. However, he did not expect that when he turned his head, he met a cold and indifferent face, as if he had a heart of stone.

Shang Ruyi looked around calmly, without the slightest bit of remorse.

Wu Huanzhi was also stunned for a moment.

As the crowd's voices grew louder and louder, almost overturning the long table in front of them, Pei Xingyuan suddenly stepped forward and stood directly in front of them. With a wave of his hand, the people around him seemed to know his identity and immediately quieted down.

In an instant, hundreds and thousands of eyes, filled with all sorts of emotions, focused on him. Although Shang Ruyi had not yet stood in front, she also felt a little uneasy at this moment.

There are so many people here; what if things get out of hand?

Just as she subconsciously held her breath, Pei Xingyuan smiled faintly and said, "What exactly are you all arguing about?"

At this moment, the middle-aged man who had been leading the disturbance and was standing in front of the long table immediately stepped forward and said, "Young Master Pei, we just want to ask you for justice."

"..."

"Now that the plague is raging and everyone is in danger, the Duke ordered that Chang Le Fang be cleared out to treat everyone so that we can recover and leave as soon as possible. But you, how can you sell medicine here?"

"..."

"Aren't you just treating us like韭菜 (leeks) to be harvested?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Xingyuan blinked in confusion.

Not only was he puzzled, but Shang Ruyi was also stunned. Even the patients who had initially agreed with that person were taken aback. Someone murmured, "What does 'cutting leeks' mean?"