Chapter 122 Your Majesty's birthday is approaching, shouldn't you behave yourself?
As she left the incense shop, Yu Dajia couldn't help but look back. Her gaze fell on the shop's signboard, and she was surprised to find that the calligraphy on it was exceptionally beautiful, something she hadn't noticed when she arrived.
Then she realized that she seemed to have forgotten to ask the other person's name again.
This was their third meeting, yet they hadn't even exchanged names. A chance encounter, a meeting that felt like fate—that girl was truly carefree.
Meeting such a person actually gave her a sense of anticipation for the future.
It can't get any worse than it is now, so what's there to worry about?
After Yu Dajia left, Chen Huicai walked from the backyard to the front. She asked Achan to clear away the dishes, while she prepared to close the shop.
The two worked for a while, and just after dusk, as darkness fell outside, every household lit candles.
Chen Hui sat in A Chan's room, listening to her recount Yu Dajia's experiences.
Having experienced it myself, I wasn't too surprised to hear about what happened to Yu Dajia.
However, since this involved replacing the royal family's identity, she couldn't help but say, "That Lord Xu and the fake county princess are really audacious. I wonder how deep their feelings are to dare to do this. If they are discovered, the emperor will probably be furious."
To put it bluntly, this is a matter of confusing the royal bloodline.
One can be exchanged, but what about the others?
The emperor wouldn't care that there was only one skin; he would only connect it to himself and make sure that everyone who caused this trouble suffered a terrible death.
"As the saying goes, the bold get rich, the timid starve. Who wouldn't want to take a risk and gain decades of wealth and honor in the future?"
Achan felt that she was becoming more and more understanding of people's hearts.
As long as the profit is big enough, what does it matter if you take risks? You can even give up your humanity. Isn't the Shen family the best example?
"It's a pity they were unlucky enough to run into you," Chen Hui said with a smile.
“How can you say it’s bad luck? It’s clearly an unexpected twist of fate,” Achan said with a smile.
Whether it's a good or bad connection, it's all fate, and she treats them all with the same care and attention.
Because she had already arranged with Yu Dajia in advance and allowed a few days, Achan wasn't in a hurry. The next day when the shop opened, while Chen Hui was receiving customers, Achan was still behind the counter revising the prescription.
There are many types of funerals among the Wu tribe. Some choose cremation, some remove the rotten flesh and leave only the bones to be preserved forever, and some Wu tribes want to leave the whole body after death. This Fangzizi is specially used to deal with the corpse.
The formula uses a large amount of black flint, a type of stone produced in fire pits. It feels slightly cool to the touch, has strong water absorption, and is also somewhat corrosive.
The Wu tribe uses black flint to mummify the bodies of their deceased members before proceeding with subsequent rituals, and there is a reason for doing so.
Not only humans can rise from the dead, but so can the witches.
Leaving aside recent examples, the story of the great shaman who, after being beheaded, rose up on the spot and wreaked havoc in all directions, is a widely circulated legend from ancient times.
The later Wu tribe was not as brave as their ancestors, but they inherited the ancestral custom of their corpses easily rising from the dead.
To avoid this trouble, the priests of the shaman tribe would first render the corpses of their people inactive, making the bodies easier to preserve and less likely to jump up and frighten people.
While Achan was still struggling with her prescription, the guests next to her had already started chatting with Chen Hui.
The female guest said, "The weather has been getting colder and colder lately. When I go out in the morning, the maids at home have to prepare hand warmers in advance."
"Madam's health is still a bit weak; she needs some recuperation to avoid making things difficult during the winter."
“Who says it isn’t true? Ever since I had that little devil, I’ve been especially sensitive to the cold.” The lady complained before changing the subject, “By the way, I put some incense powder in my hand warmer before, and it burned way too fast. When will the owner change the formula? I really like the new incense that your shop recently came out with; I wish I could burn it all day long.”
Upon hearing the other person's words, Achan suddenly had an idea. She looked up at the other person and smiled, "If Madam wants the incense powder used in the hand warmer, I will study it in the next couple of days."
"That's great! I'm really looking forward to the boss's face powder."
After seeing the guest off, Achan returned to the backyard and saw clothes still hanging there that hadn't dried.
She couldn't help but think of the last winter when she washed her clothes, and they didn't dry for several days.
She just happened to need black flint, which absorbs water, so she could study how to use it to dry clothes.
As Chan thought about it more and more, she felt that she was really too smart. She immediately tripled the amount of black flint on the prescription, and then excitedly took the silver notes and went out.
Seeing that Ah Chan had gone to the backyard and then ran out shortly after, Chen Hui only had time to call out from behind, "Be careful on the road."
"knew."
Achan went to three hunting shops in the West Market, bought all the odds and ends from two small shops, and then went to the largest shop to buy black flint.
Black flint isn't expensive, but ordinary shops don't stock too much at once. Although the stone is relatively stable and safe as long as you don't hold it in your hand, all sorts of accidents can happen.
Achan didn't actually buy a particularly large amount, just one bucket.
The hunting shop she inquired with did indeed have the goods, but it would take an hour to deliver them. They even asked if she needed home delivery, which would be free.
Achan readily agreed and gave the address to the shop owner.
After she left, the shopkeeper wrote down Achan's address, along with the quantity and names of the goods she had bought, on a piece of paper and handed it to his assistant, saying, "Send this to the Mingjing Division."
With the emperor's birthday approaching, martial law is in effect throughout the capital. Hunting guilds like these need to be extra cautious at such times, lest they accidentally sell something they shouldn't and have their businesses seized by the authorities.
Although black flint is not particularly dangerous, buying such a large quantity at once requires notifying the authorities.
So Achan's shopping list was eventually sent to the Mingjing Division, where the Mingjing Division guards placed it on the table of Feng Yang, the commander on duty that day.
Feng Yang held a stack of invoices sent by hunting shops in the capital and looked at them one by one. When he saw a barrel of black flint, his eyes did not change. The next moment, his eyes suddenly swept to the address below. The familiar Changping Ward made him shudder.
After checking the address again, it really was Miss Ji's house.
He stared at the bill of lading for a while, then realized he shouldn't presume to do it himself and should consult his own family.
Therefore, the order was eventually sent to Bai Xiuming.
"A bucket of black flint?" Bai Xiuming looked at Feng Yang expressionlessly. "Do I need to teach you how to handle such a trivial matter?"
"Sir, please take another look at the address below."
Bai Xiuming's gaze sharpened.
"Although I don't know why Miss Ji suddenly bought so many black flints, there shouldn't be any danger, right?"
Feng Yang's tone was uncertain. In his memory, Miss Ji had never caused any trouble, but for some reason, his heart skipped a beat when he saw this shipping manifest.
Bai Xiuming ignored Feng Yang's self-deception and asked, "Only black flint, nothing else?"
Feng Yang shook his head: "That hunting shop only reported this one type."
"Um."
Seeing that Bai Xiuming only grunted and didn't react, Feng Yang was puzzled and had no choice but to continue asking, "Sir, should this shipment be released?"
"Have the hunting shop assistant deliver the goods to Mingjing Division first."
Tsk, even Miss Ji's goods are subject to strict inspection. The adults are indeed impartial when it comes to official business.
So, that afternoon, when Achan was waiting at home for her black flint to be delivered, Bai Xiuming and his subordinates arrived with the stone, along with the goods.
Achan stood at the door, watching the bucket of black flint being carried by the Mingjing Guards, and the reserved hunting shop assistant beside her. She thought to herself, Bai Xiuming's initiative to visit her was truly unique and did not disappoint her at all.
"What brings Lord Bai here?" Achan glanced at him sideways.
"Routine inquiry." He paused, "Would you mind cooperating, Miss Ji?"
It's as if he'll leave if I don't cooperate.
Ah Chan pouted, stepped back, and finally stopped blocking the doorway: "Please come in."
Unfortunately, she only managed to invite Bai Xiuming in; the others remained standing at the door, none daring to take a step forward.
Bai Xiuming followed her into the shop, sat down at the table quite naturally, and even poured a glass of water for Achan as if he were the guest in charge.
Achan picked up her water glass, about to drink, when she suddenly realized something was wrong and put the glass down again: "Speak, what do you want to ask? I will answer everything I know and make sure Lord Bai is satisfied."
"Why does Miss Ji want to buy so many black flints?"
"To dry the clothes," Achan answered without hesitation.
"Drying clothes?" Bai Xiuming's eyes were inscrutable, as if he were asking A Chan, "Do you think I believe you?"
Ah Chan glared back defiantly: "Just by looking at Lord Bai, it's clear that he's never lifted a finger. For ordinary people like us, it's hard to dry clothes in winter, and we don't have many clothes to spare. It's all a hassle."
After talking for a long time, the man opposite her didn't react at all. She wasn't disappointed and kept going: "So I thought that black flint absorbs water, and after processing it, it might be able to be used to dry clothes, which could save me a lot of trouble. Who knew that as soon as I had this idea, I attracted you here."
She rested her elbows on the table, leaned forward slightly, and blinked innocently: "Could it be that I've broken some taboo? But the shopkeeper didn't say I couldn't buy it!"
Bai Xiuming looked at A Chan, who was practically leaning in, and slowly fixed his gaze on her lips.
Perhaps due to the recent dry weather, her lips were not as glossy as usual.
Ah Chan waited for a long time but didn't get a response. She immediately became unhappy and stopped pretending to call him "Lord Bai". She reached out and poked him: "Bai Xiuming, I'm talking to you."
Bai Xiuming withdrew his gaze, ignoring her mischievous fingers, and said unhurriedly, "With the Emperor's birthday approaching, all large transactions at the hunting grounds must be reviewed by the Mingjing Division before shipment."
Achan pointed to the bucket of stones by the door and said incredulously, "Is this what you call a large-scale transaction?"
"Perhaps the hunting lodge owner is just used to being cautious."
"Alright, what were the results of Lord Bai's review?"
Bai Xiuming did not answer, but said, "Besides absorbing water, black flint has some other uses..."
“I know,” Achan answered quickly and deliberately, “It can also be used to dry corpses.”
Bai Xiuming's expression turned somewhat strange; this answer seemed to be outside his comprehension.
"If Lord Bai needs to decompose a corpse, he can come to me anytime, and I can teach you for free."
"Thank you very much."
"You're welcome." Ah Chan smiled at him, but suddenly her smile vanished and she hissed softly. Just then, she moved her lips, revealing a small crack on them.
She licked her lower lip, a faint sweet and fishy taste lingering on her tongue.
Ah Chan thought to herself, "I should have listened to Hui Niang this morning and put on some lip rouge. She's so fragile. It's so hard to be a person."
Seeing her resentful expression, Bai Xiuming watched quietly, then suddenly reached out his hand to her.
His fingertips touched her delicate chin, but Achan didn't react much, only looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Bai Xiuming's thumb gently brushed across her soft lips, and the slight pain suddenly disappeared.
Achan subconsciously wanted to lick it, but her tongue touched his finger, which he hadn't yet withdrawn.
The moment the warm, moist sensation touched her, Bai Xiuming's fingers paused slightly. His fingertips suddenly pressed against her full lips, rubbing them gently, and her originally pale lips instantly turned rosy.
Before Achan could react, he withdrew his hand.
"Okay," he said.
Ah Chan touched her lower lip; the wound was gone, it had indeed healed.
"Bai Xiuming is really useful," she thought to herself.
Then Bai Xiuming stood up, seemingly intending to leave.
"Are you leaving?" Achan asked him.
"Um."
Bai Xiuming took a few steps, then turned around to meet her gaze. His beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with her image. He said, "Your Majesty's birthday is approaching, so please behave yourself?"
Achan escorted Bai Xiuming to the door, glanced at the bucket of black flint they had left behind, turned around lightly, put her hands behind her back and walked into the shop. Of course not, not at all.
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