Chapter 19 Was the shop called Lucky General Store?
Crown Prince Qin Zhao insisted on going, and Zhao Jingxing and Cheng Fang could not dissuade him.
We can only take him there.
The resettlement areas for disaster victims were located a short distance from the army's encampments to prevent the spread of disease.
The matter of the elixir has caused quite a stir, and many soldiers couldn't resist coming to investigate.
They surrounded Liu Ji's family completely.
Liu Ji has woken up and is now sitting up against the tree trunk, while his mother is feeding him rice porridge.
This rice porridge was made from rice brought by her daughter and cooked with water.
The villagers watching the thick rice porridge bubbling in the pot, smelling the aroma of rice in the air, all swallowed their saliva.
Even in a good year, farmers who toil in the fields can only eat refined rice a few times a year.
Now, disasters have struck, and the rice in the fields has been destroyed, resulting in a complete loss of harvest.
For the next year, they were just grateful if they could even get some coarse grains to eat.
I can't even imagine that I could eat porridge made from fine rice under these circumstances!
Even soldiers in the military can only fill their stomachs with food each meal; white rice and white flour are only available during holidays.
Therefore, at this moment, this pot of porridge made from fine rice is more eye-catching than any elixir.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! Make way!" Cheng Fang shouted.
Led by Zhao Jingxing, a large group of people surrounded the prince and quickly found the villager who had come back to life.
When everyone heard that His Highness the Crown Prince had arrived, they were so startled that they quickly made way for him.
They knelt in a neat row.
"No need for formalities! Which one of you is Liu Ji?"
Even after being told not to stand up, not a single villager dared to get up.
"Your Highness, this is Liu Ji."
The military doctor immediately stepped forward and pointed to Liu Ji, who was resting against a tree trunk with a pale face.
The Crown Prince stepped forward and carefully examined Liu Ji's expression. His face was sallow, his lips were chapped, and his eyes were sunken, making him look like someone recovering from a serious illness.
There was also a wooden bowl containing half a bowl of rice porridge at his feet.
It seems that what was said was true.
He then asked, "Which one is Liu Ji's sister?"
Da Shan's mother was just overjoyed at her younger brother's awakening when she suddenly saw everyone around her kneeling down. She heard that His Highness the Crown Prince had arrived!
She had never even met a county magistrate in her life, and the first official she had ever met was such a high-ranking figure!
She knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to raise her head.
Suddenly called out by name, she trembled and crawled on her knees.
"...Reporting to Your Highness...This humble woman, this humble woman, is Zhao Liu Shi..."
"Elder sister, no need for formalities," Qin Zhao said gently. "I only have a few questions for you; you just need to answer them truthfully."
The military doctor next to her stepped forward and helped her up.
"Yes, this humble woman...this humble woman will certainly...tell you everything she knows!"
"What medicine did you give Liu Ji?"
He already understood the ins and outs of the matter, so he went straight to the point.
“...It was...a kind shopkeeper...who gave me fever-reducing medicine. She gave me three pills...saying that the medicine was very effective, and that if I mixed it with water and took it...the fever would subside in half an hour. So I...I gave one pill to my younger brother.”
She hesitated before speaking, wondering if it would cause trouble for the shop owner.
The shopkeeper exchanged a lot of food for her and even saved her brother's life. He was a kind and good person, and she didn't want to harm the shopkeeper because of him.
"Oh, so you still have two of these fever reducers?"
"Yes... the shopkeeper said that if the high fever recurs, then take another pill after two hours..."
"Could you show it to me?"
Zhao Liushi trembled as she took out the pills carefully wrapped in silk cloth from her bosom and handed them over.
Cheng Fang stepped forward and took it.
He uncovered the silk cloth, revealing a layer of snow-white paper wrapped inside.
The white paper was unfolded, and inside lay two white, round pills, each the size of a bean.
Qin Zhao leaned in for a closer look.
These two pills were extremely small and emitted a medicinal fragrance.
Zhao Jingxing spoke up, "I checked it just now too, and you can't tell anything from the outside."
The Crown Prince asked, "What did the army doctor say?"
"The military doctor also said he had never seen this kind of medicine before. The pills were too small to analyze what kind of medicinal materials were used."
Such a small pill, yet it has such miraculous effects!
No wonder the villagers call it a "miracle pill".
Zhao Jingxing had never believed in ghosts or gods, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
The Crown Prince then asked about Lady Zhao Liu.
"Besides the pills, did the shopkeeper give you anything else?"
"...and...there's also a big bag of food, I'll go get it right away!"
Da Shan Niang walked back into the tent, she was very flustered, afraid that His Highness the Crown Prince would be waiting too long.
Then he took out the entire red plastic bag.
A suppressed commotion spread through the crowd.
Everyone's mouths watered as they looked at the huge bag of cookies and pastries!
Those who are close by can even smell the sweet fragrance coming from the bag!
It's incredible that any disaster victim, even while receiving relief, could afford such a large bag of snacks and fine rice!
Upon seeing the red plastic bag, Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing couldn't help but widen their eyes!
If it was just a coincidence, then seeing the honey bread rolls in the red bag revealed the whole story!
"This is......"
Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing exchanged a glance, then swallowed what they wanted to say.
As intelligent as His Highness the Crown Prince is, he naturally knows what they want to say.
He just ate those honey bread rolls...
Zhao Jingxing confirmed again: "Is the shop called Jixiang General Store?"
The old woman was startled, but could only answer truthfully: "...That's right."
The last doubts were settled.
Zhao Jingxing said, "It seems I need to make a trip to this Jixiang General Store!"
His Highness the Crown Prince was deep in thought, already amazed by the efficacy of the Yunnan Baiyao spray in his hand.
Now there are drugs that can "bring people back to life" and quickly reduce fever.
...If these resources could be used in the military, it would greatly reduce soldier casualties!
He had calculated that not all of the soldiers who died in the Great Yu Dynasty died directly from the enemy's swords. More often, they died because they were wounded and did not receive timely medical treatment or effective medicine.
And this proportion is as high as one-fifth!
They are all flesh-and-blood people, and every time he thinks of this, it breaks his heart!
Upon hearing this, Da Shan Niang immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "...Your Highness...General, it was because I couldn't bear to see my brother die from illness...that I begged the shopkeeper for the magic medicine! The shopkeeper was kind and pitied my family's disaster, which is why he gave me so much food...It has nothing to do with the shopkeeper! I am willing to bear any responsibility for any mistakes! Please, Your Highness, do not be angry with the shopkeeper!"
Cheng Fang directed the soldiers to help her up and return the pills to her.
"We're not here to cause trouble for the shop owner, so you don't need to be nervous."
Da Shan Niang stood there, at a loss.
His Highness the Crown Prince and his entourage had already left.
The people kneeling on the ground struggled to their feet as if a spell had been broken.
At this moment, an elderly woman with white hair pushed through the crowd and stumbled to Zhao Liushi, who was still in shock.
The withered hand grasped the mountain woman's hand, tears welling in her eyes.
He knelt down with a thud.
"Young lady, my grandson also has a persistent high fever. Could you spare one of your miraculous medicine for me...? I have no money, I'll give you anything, I'd even sell my life for you! Please, just spare me one of your miraculous medicine..."
"Splash!" "Splash!" "Splash!"
In an instant, like dominoes being toppled, one by one, three or four disaster victims with feverish family members knelt down in the mud!
"I need a miracle cure to save my life!"
"Sister-in-law Zhao! Please have mercy! Save my child!"
"I'll kowtow to you! I'll serve you like a slave for the rest of my life! Please, just give me a single elixir of immortality!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com