Chapter 71 If Love Between Two People Lasts Forever

During dinner.

Pei Guanli was naturally filled with sorrow and endless inner turmoil.

She said that going back would be a hassle, as the old women in the clan would surely arrange a marriage for her, which she disliked.

Then she urged again, "Sister Jinghong, you must come back as soon as possible!"

But the person mentioned most often was Chen Yi, saying that she still wanted to continue following her brother-in-law and would encounter many fun things.

Xiao Jinghong ignored all of this, finished his meal, and then took Su Zhenyue back to the wooden building.

Incidentally, she opened her arms and dragged Pei Guanli away with her.

Tiger Girl's face was full of sorrow, but she couldn't fight against her mother's strength, so she could only follow her dejectedly.

Brother-in-law, sob... I'm going back tomorrow, I don't want to, sob...

Chen Yi, of course, couldn't hear her thoughts.

Even if he heard it, with his wife nearby, he could only pretend he hadn't heard it.

Just kidding, even if he and Pei Guanli were tied together, they wouldn't be enough for Xiao Jinghong to handle with a single finger.

After dinner.

Xiao Die served Xiao Wuge to rest first, and then began to tidy up the house inside and outside, while also telling him about the lively things happening inside and outside the mansion.

Chen Yi sat in the pavilion, flipping through the pharmacy regulations written by Xiao Wan'er, occasionally adding a word or two in response.

What he considered a lively event was nothing special.

It was nothing more than his calligraphy copybook, a few obsessed teachers at Guiyun Academy, and the top scholar taking office, etc.

Most of these were things he had anticipated.

On the contrary, he found the contents of the pharmacy's articles of association in his hands to be novel.

The Xiao family owns five pharmacies in Shuzhou, two of which are located in the prefectural city, and the rest are mostly in the county town north of the prefectural city.

"Jishi Pharmacy" was a pharmacy located in the eastern market of the prefectural city, not far from the stalls where the slave owners of Vaishsa Kingdom had auctioned off barbarians.

On ordinary days, most of the people who go there for medical treatment are mountain people or people of other ethnic groups who make a living there.

These outsiders didn't speak Wei dialect very well, which gave the former manager room to take advantage of the situation.

For example, the most common prescription for treating colds normally costs ten coins, but Manager Wang Ji can sell it for one hundred coins.

That's fine.

If he were to receive the money normally, he would at most be lectured by Xiao Wan'er, just like the other two managers.

But he received ten coins and pocketed ninety of them, so naturally he wouldn't have a good ending.

After flipping through several booklets, Chen Yi gained some understanding of the role of the pharmacy manager.

In fact, there wasn't much he needed to worry about in the pharmacy.

There are doctors for seeing a doctor and getting medicine, and there is also a bookkeeper in the hall who is responsible for keeping records.

All he needed to do was check the accounts, allocate the daily required medicinal materials, and maintain the stability of the pharmacy.

They are largely no different from professional managers.

Therefore, after watching it, Chen Yi's sense of novelty vanished instantly, and his mind was filled with those drudge-like days.

"A good horse doesn't eat the grass it has already grazed; I can't afford to overwork myself like this again."

He knows his own nature: if he's going to do something, he'll do it to the best of his ability.

If he really sets a goal to expand Jishi Pharmacy, he'll probably find a way to open pharmacies all over the Great Wei Dynasty.

We also need to make a couplet.

The left side reads "Holding a medicine to help the world," and the right side reads "Don't come if you have no money."

He even had a slogan ready—Jishi Pharmacy, a blessing for men, a blessing for women, a blessing for the elderly, and a blessing for children.

Of course, Chen Yi only dared to think about it in his heart.

If this whole process were to be carried out, all the physicians in the Great Wei Dynasty would criticize him behind his back.

He would also grumble and curse: "Mugwort boiled in water, jujube boiled in water, dog skin plaster, these are all worthless things, and you're selling them for a tael of silver?"

Thinking of those people's reactions, Chen Yi smiled.

The world is full of truths and lies, isn't that how it is? One is willing to give and the other is willing to receive, so who can really be an honest person?

Just then, Xiaodie, who had finished her rambling about the lively scene outside the mansion, saw his smile and exclaimed happily:

"Young master, do you also find it amusing that the teachers at the academy got angry and upset after seeing the students' calligraphy practice?"

Chen Yi nodded, "Copying calligraphy is a meticulous task; you won't be proficient after just one or two tries."

Xiaodie also felt that those people were far inferior to her son-in-law.

"You can't say that outside..."

The master and servant chatted idly, exchanging a few words here and there.

Before we knew it, night had fallen and it was getting late.

The summer breeze, carrying a hint of humid heat, blows in from all directions.

Along with the mosquitoes, they buzzed around.

Chen Yi was not afraid. His muscles, bones and skin were well-cultivated, and with the Xuanwu Breath Concealing Technique, he could block his pores with his own energy. For those mosquitoes to bite him was equivalent to crippling their martial arts.

Xiaodie kept fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, and two or three bumps appeared on her wrists without her noticing.

Seeing her pouting and scratching herself, Chen Yi smiled and told her to go and rest first.

Xiaodie did as she was told and went back, fanning herself as she walked, afraid of bringing mosquitoes back to the wooden building.

With nothing else to do, Chen Yi got up, looked at the pool, stretched his limbs, and made a soft crackling sound.

The breeze feels quite refreshing.

Just then, the door of the wooden building next door opened, and Xiao Jinghong walked out and walked towards him without stopping.

Chen Yi saw her, smiled and waved as a greeting, and asked, "What time do we set off tomorrow?"

Xiao Jinghong came to his side, still wearing the half-armor on his face, "After Mao Shi (5-7 AM)."

The sound was crisp and clear, with a touch of gentleness that was unusual for him.

Chen Yin could tell she was in a good mood. After thinking for a moment, he sat down at the stone table, his tone still casual:

"At noon, I heard my eldest sister talk about the trade, saying that the manor had taken out a lot of money?"

Xiao Jinghong sat down next to him and hummed in agreement, “Grandfather is worried that if we don’t spend some money, the mountain tribes will be dissatisfied.”

Chen Yi nodded, thinking that the Xiao family must also be considering doing some business.

Perhaps feeling somewhat apologetic or guilty, Xiao Jinghong couldn't help but offer a few words of explanation:

"Originally, I planned to stay at the manor for a while longer after returning this time."

"But this trade with the mountain tribes is of great importance, and I have to keep a close eye on it myself."

"It will take me at least one or two months, or at most three or five months, to return."

Chen Yi understood the meaning behind her words and said with a smile, "This is a matter of great importance, and we should indeed be more careful."

Xiao Jinghong glanced at him, but could tell that what he said was not against his conscience.

She felt much more at ease and then asked about other things: "Did your older sister tell you where you were arranged to stay?"

Chen Yi pointed to the booklets on the table, "Look, this is the manager of Jishi Pharmacy."

Xiao Jinghong glanced at it twice, not knowing much about these things, and didn't look at it any further, only saying:

"Today I have spoken with my grandfather, second uncle, and second master, and told them not to treat you harshly. They have agreed."

Chen Yi smiled and said, "Thank you."

This relieved his worries.

This will prevent him from being confined to his residence again for doing something in the future.

Upon hearing his words, Xiao Jinghong's eyes shifted slightly and fixed on him: "How about giving me a piece of calligraphy as a thank-you gift?"

Chen Yi thought for a moment and didn't refuse. He nodded and asked, "Are you planning to give it to the Mountain Clan as a greeting gift, or..."

Xiao Jinghong's eyes flickered beneath his half-armor, and he said softly, "Keep it for myself."

Chen Yi was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting her to respond in that way.

As if sensing the difference in his gaze, Xiao Jinghong lowered his head slightly, his watery eyes rippling slightly.

"After several months away, when Jinghong didn't want to come back, she felt a sense of estrangement from you."

She is not a forgetful person.

However, her current status and responsibilities make it difficult for her to focus on romantic relationships.

Occasionally, she would think that it wouldn't be bad if, after Wu Ge succeeded to the title of Marquis, she could retire from the army and return home to spend her life with her husband.

Chen Yi, however, did not think that far ahead.

However, in the past few days, although there hasn't been much progress in his interactions with Xiao Jinghong, he doesn't dislike her.

A moment of silence.

Chen Yi got up and went to the study to fetch a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and spread out the pine paper.

Xiao Jinghong sat to the side and consciously poured water and ground ink.

By the light of the moon and candlelight, two elongated shadows swayed and wobbled, sometimes overlapping and sometimes separating.

Chen Yi gazed at her for a moment, then made a decision about what he wanted to write.

After the ink was mixed evenly, he picked up his brush and wrote the three characters: "The Magpie Bridge Fairy".

Then, with a flourish of his brush, wisps of energy subtly appeared, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and each character revealed its exquisite beauty:

“The delicate clouds weave patterns, the shooting stars convey sorrow, and the Milky Way stretches far and wide in the dark.”

"A single meeting of golden wind and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world."

"Tender as water, a beautiful time like a dream, how can I bear to look back on the road to the Magpie Bridge?"

"If love between two people is meant to last, why should they be together every day and night?"

Xiao Jinghong was looking at him, but as the first word, "Fluorescent Splendor," appeared, she stopped paying attention to anything else.

A pair of bright eyes stared intently at the page of cloud and pine paper, reading it word by word.

Until the very end, only one word remained in my mind: "Beautiful."

It's not her beauty that's striking, but rather the beauty of this poem.

And the lyricists... they're no longer strangers...

(End of this chapter)