Chapter 53 Extorting Ten Taels

Wang Jincai felt that if they were going to send something, they should send it all together; otherwise, they shouldn't send anything at all. The brothers needed to discuss it beforehand!

Those two didn't say anything, they just hid it and gave it away, they're not loyal to their friends!

Sisi thought about it for a while, but couldn't figure out if that was why she felt uncomfortable.

However, he had already made up his mind to observe Gou Dan and Mu Tou for a while longer. If the two were really not honest, he would not let them come along to collect herbs!

At that moment, Sixi was unaware that after he left, Gou Dan and Mu Tou returned to the Lu family.

Also present were their parents.

Each family carried a small basket of eggs and a piece of lean pork.

So it turns out she wanted to become an apprentice!

"Qingqing, to tell you the truth, Ding Hongshi wanted to take our Gou Dan away before, saying we had the talent. If our Gou Dan hadn't disliked it, we would have sent it over then," Gou Dan's father said with a grin.

"Oh, you're pregnant now?"

"Hey, this kid suddenly wants to learn medicine again. Maybe it's all about fate."

The wood seller was also eager to promote her family's wood.

He said he knew angelica and astragalus when he was three years old, and now he knows even more.

They grabbed the wooden arm and made him recite the names of herbs.

"Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Chrysanthemum indicum, Panax notoginseng, Gastrodia elata, Milkweed..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingqing realized that they had been asked to collect the materials in the past two days.

"Alright, alright, come to my house tomorrow, I'll test their talent first."

"Alright then, we'll have the child come over tomorrow."

The two families didn't immediately reach an agreement. After hesitating for a while, they took their belongings and left.

"Hey, is that all? You call this an apprenticeship? You'd be so angry you'd crawl out of your coffin if you went to worship your own ancestors!" Lu Yun scoffed.

The two children didn't arrive until the sun was high in the sky the next day.

In the courtyard, the family had already prepared half of the herbs.

"Auntie, we're here."

The two of them had no relation to the Lu family, yet they called Si Xi "little aunt." It wasn't wrong, but it still felt a bit off.

Lu Qingqing casually taught them how to pick and cut each kind of herb.

"Why didn't Sixi come?" the two asked.

"They'll be here in a bit."

The two didn't ask any more questions and began to prune the herbs.

At first it was fine, but later Gou Dan and Mu Tou Huo got to know each other better and started chatting, and Gou Dan started to get restless.

If you can't do two things at once, and you don't have the skill, the herbs will start to be pruned roughly.

Lu Qingqing remained silent.

The Lu brothers were heartbroken.

Old Man Lu said, "Dog Egg, Wood, stop working and take a break."

"Grandpa, I think this is too simple to make. Just teach us how to prepare it. Once we learn, we'll do it, and you can take a break."

Good heavens, the abacus beads started clicking and rattling.

"Don't rush. Sisi also spent several days learning how to process powder."

"Grandpa, Auntie..."

Dog Egg and Wood started to hesitate and stammer.

"Actually, actually, Sixi is... not a very good person."

"Yes, he's been directing us to gather herbs these past two days while he's been doing nothing."

He also said that once he learned his aunt's skills, he would go out and work on his own.

"According to Wang Jincai, he has a terrible temper, often argues with his grandmother at home, and is very unfilial..."

“They used to steal things, like pulling up bean sprouts from other people’s fields.”

"He also got into fights everywhere, and if he couldn't win, he would throw stones into people's houses."

...

"Sixi, did you hear that?" Lu Qingqing called out to the side room.

Si Xi couldn't contain himself any longer, and as soon as he heard that he could go out, he rushed out.

A pair of round eyes glared angrily at Dog Egg and Wood.

"Four, Four Joys?"

"Fine! You praise me to my face, but then talk bad about me behind my back. You're such treacherous people!"

I did not do those things at all!

Get out! Don't ever come back!

My aunt won't teach you!

He thought these two people were the best to him, but they turned out to be the worst!

Dog Egg and Wood saw that the Lu family didn't care at all, letting Sixi chase them out with a broom, acting as if he were the master of the house.

The two already knew that Lu Qingqing wouldn't teach them anymore, so they ran home crying.

Si Xi was still angry and somewhat frustrated.

“Aunt, I shouldn’t have let them come along to gather herbs. They just wanted to learn medicine from you.”

It wasn't about being friends with him at all.

"What do you think? A kid who's not even a teenager can do chores around the house. Who would help you without asking for anything in return?"

Lu Qingqing knew that Sixi had no friends, and with so many children running around to coax him, he was so happy that he was a little confused and actually treated them as friends.

It's not his fault.

Because she had experienced something similar.

When you've been lonely for a long time, it's easy to be deceived by a little false affection.

She had learned this lesson the hard way, so she didn't want Sixi to suffer the same fate and wanted him to see clearly the people and ghosts around him as soon as possible.

"Then I won't let them follow me anymore."

"No need. Not everyone is so cunning. At most, they just want to curry favor with you so they can waive some of your medical fees in the future."

More people mean more herbs can be collected, and if we pay a little money, no one owes anyone anything.

Sixi, you must remember, true friends are equals. Anyone who flatters and fawns over you always wants something from you.

Si Xi nodded emphatically.

Lu Yun and Lu Feng, who were standing nearby, also learned a lot.

Then, something bizarre happened.

Dog Egg and Wood's parents arrived.

After a series of sarcastic and veiled insults, he actually wanted to take back the red dates and pears he had given to Lu Qingqing yesterday.

Fortunately, Lu Qingqing didn't move at all.

"Two pears and eight red dates, count them, or you'll renege on your debt later."

"Hmph! So what if she can cure diseases! There are no decent female doctors in the world! She'll never get married!" Dog Egg's father scoffed.

The Lu family was furious.

Si Xi kicked Dog Egg's father in the leg.

"Hey, you brat, how can a wild monkey wear fine clothes? You'll never be a respectable person in your life!"

The wooden-headed parents weren't so stupid after all; they knew they couldn't afford to offend a doctor, for who knew what kind of calamities or illnesses they might encounter in the future.

After all, they're from the same village, so they're much easier to plead for than doctors from outside the village.

The two of them quietly left with the wood.

Lu Yun and Lu Feng lifted Gou Dan's father up, one on each side.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?"

Dog Egg's father looked around and found that Wooden Parents were nowhere to be seen!

That bastard!

Didn't we agree to stand up for the wronged child together?

Dog Egg's father was suddenly left at the door by the two brothers.

"Ouch! Ouch! My back is broken!"

He simply lay down on the ground and refused to get up.

"I'm not leaving until I get ten taels of silver!"

"Let's see who'll still come to you for treatment!"

The Lu family has made money recently; everyone is wearing new clothes and silver hairpins. Who wouldn't be envious?

He's determined to extort ten or eight taels of silver!

Old Man Lu picked up the kitchen swill bucket and poured it on.

"Lie down! The night is cold and damp, and if you get paralyzed, your wife will remarry, and your son will be fed by many families. My Lu family will build you a thatched hut and bring you a bowl of bran rice! We'll take care of you until you close your eyes!"

Anyone who dares to speak ill of his daughter, he'll curse their ancestors for eighteen generations!

You damned bastard!

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