Chapter 304 Unparalleled Talent! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Ma Liangcai dared not delay. After seeing the water stains on the table, he nodded heavily and turned to leave Jishi Pharmacy.

Chen Yi watched him walk away and let out a soft sigh.

He would never be so cautious unless absolutely necessary.

However, Xiao Jinghong was less than five miles away from the East Market where he was located.

Even without using her true energy, she could hear the sounds here simply by relying on her hearing.

Therefore, Chen Yi had no choice but to let Ma Liangcai go in his place.

As for determining whether the people at the grain store bought back that batch of grain from Cui Qingwu...

It's simple.

Chen Yi listened intently and heard a noisy commotion outside the grain store not far away.

Most people were complaining about rising food prices and cursing the reckless bandits of Vaishsa.

But there were also a few joyful laughs:

"Boss Lin is truly a prophet. He received the news yesterday afternoon and immediately predicted that grain prices would rise sharply today."

"That's true."

"If he hadn't informed us in time, the money would probably have been earned by that Miss Cui."

"Actually, Miss Cui didn't lose out either. She bought our grain for ten taels of silver the day before yesterday, but resold it for fourteen taels of silver yesterday. Sigh."

"In just one day, she earned four million taels of silver... She earned that money much more easily than we do."

"Who can argue with that?"

"If we had known this would happen, we shouldn't have listened to that Lin guy the other day."

"We can't blame it all on Boss Lin. Who would have thought that King Nalando and his Peacock King Banner would be so audacious?"

"Not only did he send men to ambush and kill merchants on the Tea Horse Road, but last night 'Jackal' Du Cang also kidnapped Miss Xiao. He's really courting death!"

"If it weren't for one of Boss Lin's managers risking his life to deliver the message, would we have been in such a hurry to find Miss Cui?"

"Yes, fourteen taels of silver. They're raising prices even more ruthlessly than we are..."

"That Miss Cui is beautiful, but her heart is black..."

The sounds inside the grain store rose and fell, and Chen Yi, having overheard the general sounds, felt relieved.

Four million taels of silver is neither a lot nor a little; at most, it would force a few grain shops to return the silver they had previously earned.

As long as grain prices don't fall, they will eventually earn back their money with the grain they have.

But how could Chen Yi, who had set up such a grand scheme, allow grain prices to continue to rise?

Through the dim light, he watched the bustling crowd outside the pharmacy, his expression growing increasingly calm.

The scene of Yuan Liuer selling herself to bury her father that day is still vivid in my mind.

When the tide turns against the people, they are treated like straw dogs; someone has to stand up.

Now, it is indeed time to end this farce.

Yuan Liuer then stood in front of the light.

Compared to her gaunt and dirty appearance a few days ago, she is now dressed in a physician's apprentice's uniform.

She wore a blue shirt and black boots, with a white linen belt around her waist. Her thin face was clean and fair, and her large eyes showed a hint of gratitude.

Chen Yi snapped out of his daze and saw her peering at him from behind the door, hesitant to come in, so he smiled and waved.

"Come in and talk."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liuer immediately shrank back, and after a moment, she walked in hesitantly with her head down.

"Apprentice, apprentice Yuan Liuer, greets the shopkeeper."

Chen Yi looked him up and down, then nodded with a smile: "Sit down and let's talk."

"yes."

Yuan Liuer carefully sat in the seat furthest away from him, her body occupying only a corner of the chair.

Her head was lowered, and she would occasionally glance up at him, but would hurriedly lower her head again before meeting his gaze.

Given her current appearance, it's hard to imagine that she once had such a resolute side when she sold herself to bury her father.

Chen Yi sighed inwardly, his smile fading slightly, and asked in a gentle voice:

Are you used to staying in the pharmacy?

Yuan Liuer glanced at him quickly and replied in a low voice, "It's a habit."

"You'll get used to it. From now on, just follow Ma Liangcai and learn medicine. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask him."

"If he refuses to teach you, I'll teach him a lesson."

"No, no, I didn't refuse to teach him, shopkeeper. My master is very good to me, please, please don't punish him..."

Chen Yi chuckled, watching her frightened expression, and waved his hand, saying, "I doubt he would dare."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "What has your master taught you these past few days?"

Previously, he had Ma Liangcai take Yuan Liuer as his apprentice, claiming that Yuan Liuer was a medical genius.

Thinking about it carefully, he'll eventually have to take the test.

Yuan Liuer glanced at him again, then said meekly, "My master made me memorize the pharmacopoeia and also memorize the 'Theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements'."

"But, but I'm too stupid. It was all my master who taught me, word by word."

Which page are you on?

"I barely managed to finish reading it today."

Chen Yi nodded slightly and continued, "How much do you remember?"

"remember……"

Yuan Liuer looked a little bewildered, but mustered her courage and looked up at him: "I've remembered it all."

That's as if to say, "You won't forget it after you've seen it." What does "remember" mean?

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. "You've memorized them all?"

Perhaps worried that he would punish Ma Liangcai, Yuan Liuer hurriedly said, "Shopkeeper, I, I didn't lie to you, I really remembered it all. If you don't believe me, you, you can test me?"

Chen Yi felt a little strange, but he didn't refuse and asked directly, "The universe has Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, and so does the human body. What is the Five Elements cycle within the human body?"

"The heart is fire, the kidneys are water, the liver is... Yin and Yang are also divided into deficiency and excess..."

"Astragalus?"

"Astragalus is sweet and slightly warm in nature, and enters the spleen and lung meridians. It can replenish qi and raise yang, consolidate the exterior and stop sweating..."

Chen Yi asked several more questions, covering various pages of the Pharmacopoeia and the Theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

Yuan Liuer answered fluently.

Even on some esoteric questions not found in books, which involve the basics of medicine, she offered some shallow insights.

Looking at the still clueless Yuan Liuer, Chen Yi couldn't help but ask, "Have you ever been to school?"

Yuan Liuer shook her head, her expression somber, and said, "Private schools are too expensive, and Father won't allow it. I... I only memorized some words and phrases when my younger brother was reading."

As she spoke, she raised her head again, her small face tense: "Shopkeeper, my master is really good to me."

"Is teaching you to read considered being kind to you?"

"No, doesn't that count?"

Chen Yi smiled and shook his head: "What a waste."

He truly hadn't expected that a moment of compassion would actually bring him back a person with unparalleled medical talent.

No, it's not just in medicine.

Yuan Liuer possesses the ability to remember everything she sees, and she also has an exceptional talent for reading and scholarship.

As for the rest...

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then called Liu Quan and instructed him, "Go and bring over the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

Without thinking too much, Liu Quan hurriedly placed a few items on the table, and thoughtfully laid out the paper and pressed down the paperweight.

Just as he was about to stay and see what had happened, Chen Yi waved his hand and said, "Go wait outside."

Liu Quan glanced at Yuan Liuer and awkwardly retreated.

Chen Yi then called out to Yuan Liuer, "Write a few words and let me see."

Yuan Liuer paused, then shook her head repeatedly: "Shopkeeper, my master hasn't taught me how to write yet, I..."

Chen Yi interrupted her with a smile: "It's okay, I'll teach you, just watch."

Then he picked up a pen and wrote a few words on the paper: "Medicine, Classics, Astragalus."

"Here, you give it a try."

Yuan Liuer looked at the wolf-hair brush he handed her, hesitated before taking it, and, recalling his earlier appearance, picked up the brush.

First, they corrected her grip on the wolf-hair brush.

Next, dip it in ink.

Then I picked up my pen and began to write.

Then a blob of ink spread out on the paper.

Yuan Liuer's face paled, and she turned her head to admit her mistake, when Chen Yi encouraged her, "Continue."

"This time, pay attention to using your wrist more, make a firm initial stroke, and lightly lift the brush at the end..."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liuer's face tightened, and she awkwardly gripped the wolf-hair brush and wrote the character "medicine".

Although the handwriting was still terrible, with loose strokes and poor pen control, Chen Yi noticed something—

This little girl can even remember his movements, and she's even imitating them in a very convincing way.

As Chen Yi watched, a glint flashed in his eyes as he used his Qi Observation Technique to examine her body.

"hiss!"

Even though Chen Yi had previously used the Qi Observation Technique to examine the internal conditions of many people and had seen many rare meridians and auras.

Like Xiao Wan'er's extremely cold physique, like the old master's seriously ill body.

However, upon seeing Yuan Liuer's aura, he couldn't help but show a hint of admiration.

"Truly a peerless genius."

It was clear that Yuan Liuer's twelve meridians were unobstructed, indicating that she possessed an innate, enlightened body.

In other words, if she practices martial arts, she can directly enter the middle third rank in a very short time.

However, to achieve success in martial arts or medicine, one needs comprehension and must enter the path of enlightenment.

Chen Yi glanced at it a couple more times and muttered to himself, "What a waste!"

Such a genius is being wasted in the hands of Ma Liangcai.

Especially after seeing Yuan Liuer write a few words, the visible proficiency made him feel a bit like, "Why was Yi born when Liuer was born?"

If it weren't for his fortuitous circumstances and exceptional comprehension, he probably wouldn't have achieved even a fraction of what Yuan Liuer had in his life.

He pondered for a moment.

Chen Yi made up his mind.

It's too late to get Yuan Liuer to switch allegiances now. There's only one feasible solution—he takes Ma Liangcai as his apprentice!

Only in this way could he openly and honestly teach Yuan Liuer.

But...

Ma Liangcai, that dull-witted fellow, was really not good enough for him.

If he becomes his first disciple, and this gets out, people will doubt his judgment.

Fortunately, there was Yuan Liuer.

Fortunately, there was still Yuan Liuer.

Chen Yi consoled himself, his gaze towards Yuan Liuer becoming even more amiable, and said with a smile:

"good."

"Your master has indeed taught you a lot."

Yuan Liuer's expression relaxed, and her anxiety lessened. She really felt that the handwriting she had just written was terrible and was worried that it would implicate Ma Liangcai.

"Manager, if you have nothing else to do, I... Liu'er will go to the outer hall to take care of things first."

Chen Yi hummed in agreement, and before she could turn around, he said, "Don't call me 'shopkeeper' anymore."

"You should call me Grandmaster."

"Master?"

Meeting Yuan Liuer's questioning gaze, Chen Yi smiled and said, "Yes."

“Your master Ma Liangcai is my first disciple. As his disciple, you should naturally call me Grandmaster.”

Yuan Liuer thought for a moment, then quickly bowed and greeted him: "Grandmaster."

Chen Yi smiled and nodded. "Go ahead and get busy."

"When your master returns, have him come to me immediately."

Yuan Liuer said "Oh," and followed closely as she walked out of the inner hall.

But after a moment, she turned back and said, "Master, Grandmaster, thank you for letting Master accept me as your disciple."

"I... I know that's true. It was you who paid for my father's burial. You... please accept my bow!"

Chen Yi looked at Yuan Liuer kneeling on the ground, his smile fading for a moment, and he sighed softly:

"Actually, I should thank you."

"Wh-what?"

"It's nothing, you'll find out later. Go on with your work."

Yuan Liuer glanced at his expression, bowed again, and then got up and walked out of the inner hall, looking much more relaxed.

Chen Yi watched her figure disappear through the door, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

Every drink and every bite is ordained by Heaven.

"Fine."

"Now that I'm involved in this karma, I won't try to escape it. What happens in the future is up to her."

Although Yuan Liuer's father did not die at his hands, he was still involved to some extent.

He will eventually tell Yuan Liuer everything once she has completed her studies.

By then, it wouldn't matter whether Yuan Liuer blamed him or not.

"In life, many things are not as people expect; just seek peace of mind."

Not long after.

Ma Liangcai returned with a normal expression. Having received a message from Yuan Liuer, he hurried to the inner hall. Just as he was about to bow, he heard Chen Yi say in a serious tone:

Kneel down!

Ma Liangcai was startled. Seeing his expression, he quickly knelt down: "Master, manager, you..."

"What, now that things have come to this, you won't even address me as 'Master'?"

"Master?"

Ma Liangcai looked at him in surprise, and when he saw the slightly helpless smile on his face, he realized what was happening and quickly shouted:

"Master, please accept my bow."

Chen Yi frowned. "Keep your voice down, are you worried that people outside won't hear you?"

"I'm kneeling... no, Master, I know I was wrong, hehe..."

"Hmph, stop with the grinning. You're getting a good deal by becoming my first disciple."

"Yes, yes... Master is right..."

Chen Yi saw Yuan Liuer outside and noticed that she was looking over, so he waved to signal Ma Liangcai to get up.

Then he continued to write a few lines on the table with water: "Go to the house next to the locust and willow tree in Linzhuang outside the East City and find Liu Lang."

"Tell him that the grain will be distributed tomorrow."

Suppressing his excitement, Ma Liangcai memorized every word and then knelt down to pay his respects once more.

"Get out of here. From now on, teach Liu'er well and remember to teach her everything you've learned."

"Yes, Master!"

"Get lost."

"Yes, Master..."

Ma Liangcai didn't feel offended at all; on the contrary, he looked delighted.

Having served Chen Yi for quite some time, he was naturally aware of Chen Yi's abilities and his identity.

Putting aside his medical skills, the mere title of "Mr. Qingzhou" and his perfected calligraphy were enough to make him kneel in worship.

Now that he can become a disciple of such a person, what will happen in the future...?

Thinking about all this, Ma Liangcai patted Yuan Liuer and said furtively, "Hehe, good apprentice, we'll be rich in the future."

"ah?"

"Keep it to yourself, don't spread it around. Your master is now the shopkeeper's disciple."

Yuan Liuer said "Oh," and replied, "My master just told me that."

"Master?"

Ma Liangcai stared at her blankly for a moment, then suddenly realized—his immense wealth and status were probably all because of Yuan Liuer.

"My disciple... you must not abandon me if I am ever in trouble..."

Yuan Liuer believed it to be true and said solemnly, "Master, a teacher for a day is a father for life."

"If you are in trouble, your disciple will definitely save you."

"What I fear most is that the person who will put me in a difficult position is..."

Your grandmaster.

Ma Liangcai shuddered at the thought of Chen Yi's ability to manipulate events.

After giving Yuan Liuer a few instructions, he hurriedly headed out of the city, clearly not wanting to experience Chen Yi's methods.

After he left, Chen Yi also walked out of the inner hall, greeted the people around him with a smile, and leisurely returned to the Xiao family.

After informing Wang Ji and Liu Lang, they also learned that the grain store had bought back the grain from Cui Qingwu.

He will then be able to relax for a while, and the rest will depend on fate.

What a coincidence.

As Chen Yigang walked to the corner of the south street, he saw Old Master Xiao and Xiao Jinghong walking out of the Provincial Administration Office.

Liu Hong, as always, smiled and saw them off from behind.

"Lord Xiao, General Jinghong, please take care. I am on official business and cannot see you off further."

"Lord Liu, please wait."

Old Master Xiao turned his head and gave a nonchalant reply before boarding the carriage.

Xiao Jinghong nodded slightly and was about to follow when he caught sight of Chen Yi not far away. He then begged the old man for mercy and walked over.

"Husband, let's go back together."

"Okay, I just went to Jishi Pharmacy..."

“I know, my husband has also taken on a disciple.”

Chen Yi paused, then smiled and said, "Actually, I did take on a grand-disciple. Ma Liangcai's medical skills are alright, but his talent in calligraphy is too poor."

"That Yuan Liuer?"

"Hmm, she's quite talented..."

Sure enough, Xiao Jinghong had been keeping an eye on him.

However, Xiao Jinghong was not in the pharmacy and did not know the specifics of Yuan Liuer's talent, so he assumed that Chen Yi had taken a liking to her.

Besides, in her opinion, it was a good thing that Chen Yi was able to take on a disciple.

The deeper the bond between the husband and Shu Prefecture, the less likely it is that a "wedding runaway" will occur in the future.

Chen Yi asked a few probing questions and then felt relieved.

Just as I was about to inquire about her and the old man's experience at the Provincial Administration Commission, a golden light flashed before my eyes:

[Chance: +22.]

[At four quarters past noon, Marquis Dingyuan, Xiao Yuan…]

(End of this chapter)