Chapter 107 The Backpack is Backwards

At the foot of the mountain, the villagers of Liuyun Village stood there in a daze, some of them already wiping away tears.

Many people were also there, cursing loudly, but it was all in vain.

They've even erected a stone tablet there.

Once the forest is owned, anyone who digs things up without permission will be imprisoned.

From now on, we won't even be able to come here to dig for wild vegetables or catch a bird!

As soon as Wan Yuting appeared, he was spat on by an old woman.

"I thought your Wan family were some kind of benevolent people. Why did you have to accept it now of all times? You must have seen the slickness in him!"

Bah! "No merchant is without guile," how true! They're leaving us poor people no way to survive!

The village head stepped forward and said, "Young Master Wan, there are endless medicinal herbs on this mountain. Could we be allowed to dig for a year? The rains this year have been terrifying. If we can't harvest the grain, people in the village will starve to death."

Wan Yuting hurriedly said, "Liu Lizheng, this is a misunderstanding, believe me."

He strode forward and shouted at the servants, "Remove this stone tablet!"

"Young master, it was the master who sent us," the servant said.

"I'll talk to the master. Now let's leave!"

The servant looked troubled: "Young Master..."

Madam Wan came over and whispered a reminder: "Ting'er, let's discuss this matter at home. It's not advisable to start a fight outside."

“Mother! You don’t know! This mountain… cannot be bought! At least not now!” Wan Yuting glanced at Xu Rui not far away with a hidden look.

Madam Wan understood immediately. Her gentle demeanor vanished, and she sternly ordered, "Get out of here immediately!"

Finally, the servants had no choice but to dig up the newly erected stone tablet, but they did so reluctantly.

Lu Qingqing frowned: It seems those servants aren't very obedient!

Someone whispered nearby, "Don't worry, the Wan family wouldn't dare to occupy this mountain forest."

Lu Qingqing glanced at Xu Rui and asked, "You're not going to use your status to force them to return it, are you?"

"I never use my power to oppress people."

"Yes, there will always be someone to lead the charge for you."

Xu Rui was speechless for a moment when he thought of what Fu Leng had done.

While the two were talking, Wan Yuting had already calmed the people down and, as the young master of the Wan family, assured them that they could continue to go up the mountain.

The villagers became happy again.

Wan Yuting came over, greeted them, and then left in a hurry with Madam Wan.

The village head, his brow still furrowed, walked over to Lu Qingqing and said, "I've heard that the Wan family father and son have been at odds for the past two years. I wonder if this young master Wan can persuade the master."

"Don't worry, the Wan family wouldn't dare to occupy this mountain forest." Lu Qingqing relayed Xu Rui's words verbatim and glanced at him sideways.

Only then did the village head notice Xu Rui.

"Whose son are you? Hiding your face and hatching chicks in this sweltering heat?"

Xu Rui: "..."

"How dare you! This is the son of our Magistrate Xu!" A bailiff stepped out from behind Xu Rui.

Village head: "..."

That foul mouth of mine!

Just as he was about to kneel down with a pale face, Xu Rui waved his hand to stop him.

He is not an official, so he doesn't need to kneel.

However, the message still needs to be conveyed.

"Liu Lizheng, you must help the villagers with intercropping. This is very important."

"Yes, yes, I will do my best."

It took Liu Lizheng a while to come to his senses.

Good heavens! That man is actually the magistrate's son, and he's walking with Lu Qingqing!

The Lu family girl is something else!

On the way back, Lu Qingqing asked Xu Rui the purpose of her visit that day.

"Miss Lu, based on the current rainfall trend and the analysis of several experienced farmers, flooding is a foregone conclusion this year, and the crop harvest may be less than 30%."

Therefore, if intercropping is successful in Liuyun Village, we plan to follow suit throughout Ming'an County.

Lu Qingqing was shocked.

"Who will harvest them? Ming'an County simply can't handle that many medicinal herbs!"

"You buy, I sell."

!!! !!! !!! !!!

"You're going to give me money?"

"I'll give it to you."

Lu Qingqing opened her mouth, really wanting to lift his hat and see what kind of expression he would use to say such a bland sentence.

"You have money?"

"It will be available soon."

"..."

Okay, even if he could get the money, why would she want to collect all the medicinal herbs in Ming'an County? She didn't have any ambitions to soar to the top; she just wanted to take things one step at a time.

She didn't want to get too close to Xu Rui.

The more mysterious he is, the more dangerous he seems.

"I'm not doing it. Find someone else."

Xu Rui's fair hand gripped the blue cloth bag strap, and after a long while, he spoke.

“Miss Lu, aren’t you going to take the medical license exam? This is an opportunity to make a name for yourself. Only those who make great contributions to the country can have a medical officer set a special exam for you. You can get a medical license by passing the exam.”

Lu Qingqing asked in surprise, "Why should I have a separate exam set up for me? Can't I just participate in the unified selection in September?"

"no."

"Why?"

"The law was just amended in March, and only those who have studied medicine for three years are eligible to take the medical exam. You may not have heard of this yet, but it will be implemented in September this year."

This three-year medical training requires a mentor, a family background in medicine, or a joint recommendation from twenty doctors.

Lu Qingqing: "..."

Mother, no wonder! Heaven has bestowed a great responsibility upon this person!

She's so unlucky!

"Okay, I agree to what you just said. You'll pay me as agreed."

"good."

Actually, it's not bad. You can get a medical license and a good reputation at the same time.

Reputation is quite important; it can save you a lot of trouble.

Is Xu Rui helping her?

Lu Qingqing glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

I noticed that he put his hand on the opening of the cloth bag, fumbled around for a few moments, then withdrew it, only to put it back on a little while later.

It's like someone is sick.

The bag was a bit bulging, I don't know what was inside.

"By the way, if the crops are damaged this year, won't the price of rice go up? The money from selling herbs can buy a few grains of rice."

Lu Qingqing thought she needed to stock up on some food first.

“Starting last month, those local gentry and wealthy merchants have begun stockpiling grain,” Xu Rui said.

"Oh? So early!"

It seemed that the crops had just been watered, and the villagers thought that this year would be a bumper harvest.

She's definitely not a shrewd businesswoman; she's so slow!

If we wait for another rain to start the operation, it will be too late.

“But…you don’t need to worry,” Xu Rui added, his voice soft and gentle like a warm breeze.

“Magistrate… My father has already found a source of grain, and he’s just waiting to pay the money before he starts transporting it here. The price of grain won’t go up.”

Lu Qingqing looked at Xu Rui, her gaze somewhat blank.

Did he tell her too much?

"Am I... strange?"

Xu Rui put his hand on the bag strap again.

Beneath her fair skin, faint blue veins were visible.

His hands were no longer as thin as before, and showed signs of health.

A pair of beautiful hands.

Lu Qingqing suddenly wondered what his face looked like.

"Oh, that's strange. Don't you think your bag is inside out?"

Why does he put the hook opening on the inside when others put it on the outside?

Is it for storing valuables, or is it for theft prevention?

But her obsessive-compulsive disorder is really awkward to look at.

"Oh, really?"

Xu Rui quickly took off his schoolbag, turned it inside out, and put it back on.

He's mistaken; no wonder he finds it inconvenient.

This time he finally unhooked the hook and reached inside.

"Miss Lu, do peanuts like to eat you?"

----------------------------------------