"Madam Cheng is here, please come in!" Huang Youcai had been talking to his master, and only then did he see Cheng Ruyi come up, so he immediately beckoned her over.
Upon hearing this, Ruyi lifted the curtain in front of her and looked up. In front of her were the same furnishings and the same people, even their expressions were as cold as ice.
"Thank you, Manager Huang." Since she was willing to cooperate with the other party, she didn't care about attitude or anything like that. She walked into the pavilion generously, bowed to the person in front of her, and said, "Greetings, Master."
This was Zhou Yin's second time meeting this Madam Cheng, but this time his impression of her had changed drastically. He had initially thought she was just a naive woman who didn't know the immensity of the world and its dangers, but he never expected her to be so audacious, barging into a bandit's den without any martial arts skills...
Even he himself couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat when listening to Clerk Peng's report. How deep the water was behind this matter! Ignorance is bliss!
"Having not seen you for half a year, Madam Cheng is truly astonishing..."
Cheng Ruyi was completely confused by what he said. She frowned and looked up at him in confusion, not knowing what he was up to.
Seeing that the other party genuinely didn't understand, Zhou Yin also felt a bit bored, so he put away his teasing mood and introduced himself seriously for the first time: "I am Zhou Yantang. My father and children really enjoy the food that Madam Cheng sent. Madam Cheng has only met them once, yet she is so thoughtful. It is truly rare."
As expected! This person is the current head of the Zhou family! No wonder he acts so arrogantly; Huai Shan County is practically their territory!
"So it's Master Zhou! I'm so sorry! These are just ordinary snacks, it's a pleasure to have Master Zhou and his young masters and ladies enjoy them."
Ever since Cheng Ruyi met the Zhou family at Dabeisi Temple in January, she has been sending them homemade desserts and snacks every now and then without fail. Although they are not particularly exquisite or delicious, they are fresh and creative, which ensures that they are always impressed and full of anticipation!
And so, she successfully left an impression on Mr. Zhou, which can be considered as achieving her goal.
"Madam Cheng seems to be quite skilled at cooking. I wonder who she studied under?" Zhou Yin said as he picked up a cup of tea. His tone and demeanor seemed very casual, but his piercing peach blossom eyes made the other party not to be underestimated.
Whether it was crab roe sauce, fried chicken, or other food sent to the Zhou family, they were all novelties she had never heard of before. How could she, an ordinary woman, possibly make them? It was truly suspicious.
"I have no formal training and have been a housewife for over ten years. Anyone would know a little bit about cooking. It's just that my late husband left behind a lot of miscellaneous books, and I tend to overthink things after reading them. I always like to think about new and strange things. Actually, it's not just about food. I have many novel and quirky ideas in my mind. That's why I came to see Mr. Zhou this time!"
Alas, poor Shen Yun, I have no choice but to use you as a shield again, otherwise it would be really hard to explain. Fortunately, Yun Ping really did secretly hide a lot of books, although most of them were storybooks, but they can at least be used to cover things up when necessary.
A dark glint flashed in Zhou Yin's eyes as he followed up on Cheng Ruyi's words and asked, "Oh? I heard that Madam Cheng's deceased husband was a scholar from a farming family. His family was not wealthy and they almost couldn't even afford his tuition. He earned money by copying books every day. How did he have the leisure to buy miscellaneous books?"
"Hehehe, that all happened after we got married. Since he married into our family, he couldn't continue taking the imperial examinations anymore, so he could only read some miscellaneous books to pass the time, hehe."
Zhou Yin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile, "That makes sense."
Fortunately, he was just curious and didn't want to get to the bottom of things. After all, everyone has their own secrets, and there's no need to make a big deal out of things that don't cause any harm.
"So, I wonder what ingenious idea Madam Cheng has come to see me this time?" He was actually quite looking forward to it. In a dull, boring, and unchanging life, he always hoped for some surprises from time to time.
The Zhou family has been operating in Huaishan County for so many years. Unless they expand their territory, it will be difficult for them to undergo any earth-shattering changes. Since he came of age and took over the management, he has just been guarding the property left by his predecessors, maintaining it without any major ups and downs or any significant achievements.
The situation in Da Yue was becoming increasingly unstable, and the capital was rife with undercurrents and unpredictable events. The old man did not want the Zhou family to get involved, fearing that the century-old foundation would be destroyed in an instant, so he had always lived in seclusion and remained aloof from worldly affairs.
He himself didn't have any ambition, but since the opportunity had come, he naturally wouldn't run away. He would try a little harder and maybe he could gain more capital for the Zhou family so that they could stand firm even when chaos came in the future.
Cheng Ruyi composed herself before speaking: "This matter actually started a year ago. When I was sorting through my late husband's miscellaneous books, I accidentally found a few strange prescriptions. According to the books, their effects seemed to be very miraculous, but their origins were unknown and their authenticity was hard to verify. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to them."
"After the lockdown, food became scarce. In order to improve my family's health, I tried one of the recipes by chance. Unexpectedly, it actually worked. Over the past year, I have repeatedly experimented with it and have now confirmed that several of the recipes have excellent effects, namely, calming the mind and helping sleep, nourishing the meridians and strengthening the body, beautifying the skin and delaying aging, and refreshing the mind and clearing the mind."
Well, these effects don't exactly sound miraculous, and there are many pills on the market with similar effects, but only Cheng Ruyi herself knows the actual differences in their effects.
Zhou Yin was also a little confused after hearing this, "Does Madam Cheng mean... she wants to open a pharmacy?"
A shop without a resident doctor who doesn't see patients or prescribe medicine is just a pharmacy, right? It seems like the Zhou family doesn't need to get involved in opening a pharmacy. Given the Cheng family's current wealth, taking over a shop shouldn't be a problem.
Instead of answering his question directly, Cheng Ruyi took out a small box from her bosom. Inside, there was a round pill that emitted a faint fragrance.
She didn't explain anything, but simply took the empty cup next to her, poured herself a fresh cup of tea, and then gently stirred the pills into the cup.
After a while, once the pill had completely dissolved, he handed over the teacup, saying, "There's no point in saying more. Why don't you try it yourself, Master Zhou?"
This is the perfect combination she came up with after many experiments using the pulp of the Qingling fruit tree, along with its leaves and other spiritual ingredients. It is not only sweet and sour, but also has an effect that will definitely invigorate you!
Zhou Yin picked up the teacup with some skepticism, but the moment he got close, he could smell an intoxicating aroma. He couldn't help but swallow, and then without hesitation, he drank it all in one gulp!
Having lived for so long, he still didn't know how to describe the feeling he was experiencing. An incredibly clear yet reckless aura rushed from his mouth to the top of his head, instantly making him feel as if he were soaking in ice water. His spirits were lifted, his thoughts became incredibly clear, and many things he had never been able to understand before seemed to have answers immediately!
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