Chapter 16 Token
On the evening before her departure, Shang Yuji received a wooden plaque from the old doctor, on which were engraved the two characters "Fang Mu" (方木). The calligraphy was so smooth and elegant that it made her hallucinate the soulful handwriting of many doctors.
After delivering the wooden plaque, the apprentice pointed to the wooden box behind him: "Inside are some newly processed medicinal herbs from the clinic. My master asked me to deliver them to you, young lady, and to let you use them."
Approaching the wooden box, a bitter, herbal scent wafted out. Shang Yuji had been smelling the aroma of Chinese herbs for a long time recently and had somehow gotten used to it.
She thought she had bought all the available medicinal herbs in the clinic, but little did she know that they had produced quite a lot more in just a few days.
How much does the medicine cost?
The young apprentice waved his hand: "Master said that if a flood really occurs, he hopes these herbs can save as many lives as possible. These herbs are a gift for the young lady; we will not accept any money from them."
She explained the flood to the old doctor in order to make him understand that she bought large quantities of herbs for disaster relief, not to hoard them and cause them to become scarce and expensive.
After realizing it was for disaster relief, Dr. Fang did not restrict the amount of medicinal materials she could purchase, but only on the premise of ensuring the normal operation of the clinic.
"Please thank Doctor Fang for me when you get back." Shang Yuji agreed to Doctor Fang's request; more medicinal herbs are always better.
"Master also said that Jiang Langjun will not fall ill for a month and a half, but you need to bring him to the clinic for a check-up afterward. I hope you will go and come back soon, and don't miss the time."
"Dr. Fang has really helped us a lot."
Shang Yuji thought for a moment and asked Old Chen to bring the white sugar that Yi Ning had brought: "Take this to Doctor Fang as a token of our gratitude to him."
Princess Chang's residence didn't have much stock either, most of which were still in production. This was one of the few successful physical products. After Yining brought it to Yangzhou, she gave half of it to Shang Yuji.
Since Dr. Fang sent the medicinal herbs out of his compassionate heart, giving him money alone might be seen as diminishing his righteous act. The relatively rare white sugar would be a more suitable gift in return.
The young apprentice couldn't refuse, so he thanked him and accepted the medicine. After saying what he needed to say, he got up and left.
Seeing the young apprentice leave the main hall, Jiang Xi, who was sitting to one side, went to see him off.
Shang Yuji returned to the eaves of the main hall, her eyes filled with the golden light of the setting sun, and looked up at the sky: "This trip to Jingzhou is extremely risky. Are you afraid to go to Jiangxi? Or have you decided to come with me?"
After speaking for a moment, she suddenly realized that the one who was actually afraid was herself.
Will the prepared goods be insufficient? What if an uncontrollable accident occurs once they arrive in Jingzhou? How many people can she save?
“Aji…” He seemed to sense the sadness in her words, and reached out his fingers to gently grasp her hand. “I’m not afraid. Wherever Aji is, I’ll be there. We can’t be separated. Don’t be sad.”
After a long silence, she sighed, "Ah, so that's what I was feeling sad about."
After a night, Shang Yuji had already adjusted her mindset and was ready to conduct the final test, with the vehicles lined up neatly and ready to go.
As dawn broke, several carts loaded with goods set off from Lotus Road. Alongside the carts carrying goods, a dozen or so martial arts practitioners dressed in uniform rode horses and protected the lead cart in the center.
"Miss Shang, this is the token the innkeeper gave you. If you pass by any other Fulai Inns on your journey, just show this token and the inn will provide you with assistance."
The strong and spirited woman before me was the leader of this guard team. Her bright and cheerful smile made people want to get close to her.
At the same time, he was the most suitable bodyguard for her long journey, found by the owner of Fulai Inn according to her requirements.
Honest and trustworthy, abides by contracts, possesses strong martial arts skills and experience traveling to Jingzhou, and must also be able to start a fire and cook food on the road.
She had had enough of the torment of eating dry rations on the way to Yangzhou. The journey was tiring, and she needed a hot meal to soothe her ailing body.
The shopkeeper's choice of Yang Bai's team unexpectedly suited her taste.
Team leader Yang Bai is a woman, so when discussing details, I can better understand her ideas and she doesn't interfere. She strictly enforces team discipline, and since we met, there has never been any overstepping or offensive behavior between us.
Shang Yuji took the jade Fulai token and thought to herself: No wonder Fulai Inn can be so big. The manager looks like a smiling Buddha, but he is actually a sly old fox. He arranges special services for big clients to ensure that they feel at home. How can he not keep customers?
The necessary documents for each checkpoint had already been prepared. Yang Bai was in charge of external relations and route planning, while Shang Yuji was responsible for making the final decisions and disbursing the funds.
The journey is long, and we can't guarantee that every meal will be a feast, but we still need to ensure we get enough nutrition.
Passing through a meadow with a stream beside it, the convoy decided to rest for a while and have lunch.
Some members of the guard set up pots and started fires, some went to the stream to try to catch some fresh fish to make fish soup, some went to places with lush vegetation to find some wild vegetables to eat, and most stood around on guard.
The crowd was orderly, as if they had made room for conversation.
Just then, Yang Bai approached, his smile fading, and said to Shang Yuji in a serious tone, "Miss, we brought our own food, so we won't trouble you to distribute it to everyone."
Shang Yuji led Jiang Xi to retrieve a wooden box containing cured meat that could be preserved for a long time, making it perfect for consumption during long journeys.
According to Yang Bai's explanation, he felt that since everyone had already received Shang Yuji's employment fee and the contract did not mention that she would cover their meals, it would be inappropriate to take advantage of her further.
"It's alright, we brought plenty anyway, you can eat it."
She added, "If you are well-fed and watered, you will have the strength to protect us along the way, which is mutually beneficial."
Shang Yuji didn't think too much; she just felt that if everyone ate and drank well, their mindset would be much more positive when they set off again.
A good state of mind can make many things twice as effective.
It's much better than complaining and doing things half-heartedly.
Moreover, she did not show mercy without reason; she decided to distribute the food after assessing the temperament of Yang Bai's team.
Yang Bai's intervention to dissuade her from sharing the food shows that she hadn't misjudged the guards' character.
Yang Bai treated her sincerely, and she reciprocated with heartfelt sincerity, so she naturally responded kindly: "Alright, Miss Yang, I know you mean well, but I've seen all the hardships you've endured on your journey, so I wanted to do something for you too. You've shown me kindness, so I'm happy to return the favor. Take this cured meat and let everyone eat it together!"
Yang Bai was deeply moved and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "It is because of your kind heart, Miss Shang. I thank you on behalf of my brothers and sisters!"
After Yang Bai carried the cured meat to the fire pit, Jiang Xi quietly watched Shang Yuji. Noticing the upturned corners of her mouth, she asked curiously, "Yun Xiao was willing to share meat with her. Is she also a member of Yun Xiao's chosen family?"
Shang Yuji raised an eyebrow, surprised that he would think of such things, and shook his head, saying, "No, she is not. Family is someone you accompany for life. After our employment relationship ends, we will most likely have no further contact with them, so now we are partners and colleagues."
Jiang Xi nodded as if she understood, took her arm, and leaned closer, saying, "I now understand why Yun Xiao shared the meat with them."
Seeing the expectant look in his eyes, as if he were saying, "Ask me quickly, ask me quickly," Shang Yuji asked with satisfaction, "Then why is that?"
Jiang Xi said, "Eating alone is boring. I like to eat with Yunxiao. We can talk about interesting things while we eat. Yunxiao gives the meat to them, so we can eat with them. Everyone is happy when we eat together."
From his perspective, that wasn't wrong, so Shang Yuji affirmed, "Haitian, you're right."
Jiang Xi was overjoyed to receive such affirmation, her lips curving into a wide smile. She wrapped her arms tightly around Jiang Xi's, beaming with pride.
He clung to her like a large animal, and Shang Yuji took his dependence for granted, allowing her to clear her mind and consider other things.
A few small insects hopped around in the grass. A group of people watched expectantly as Sister Yang returned carrying cured meat. They exchanged glances and then pushed out Little Yang to ask, "Sister, what did Miss Shang say?"
Looking at the cured meat that Sister Yang brought back, I don't know if it's the last thoughtful meal or just another regular treat.
He admitted that he was a common man. He loved to eat meat, and cured meat contained salt. Salt was expensive in the market, and it would cost a lot of money to buy enough salt for his whole family. Every time he saw him, he felt heartbroken.
But they can't do without salt; without salt they won't have the strength. They do manual labor, and without strength, no one will be willing to hire them!
Looking at their weak and helpless appearance, no one would believe they have the ability to protect people and goods, and without orders, they would starve.
Yang Bai handed the meat to the cook: "Miss Shang is a good customer who doesn't care about these gains and losses, but we can't forget her kindness. So you all better keep your heads up and don't you dare offend her, understand?"
"We heard you!" they quickly replied, controlling their volume so as not to disturb Miss Shang and the others.
Yang Bai then gave the cook a tip: "Remember to give the girls extra rice, vegetables, and meat in their meals. Give them whatever you have. They appreciate our kindness, so we should reciprocate."
"Okay, Sister Yang."
After speaking, Yang Bai walked back to a spot five steps away from Shang Yuji, the large sword wrapped around his waist hanging silently guarding him.
The Yang Family Gang is not a powerful gang. They do not use martial prowess as the standard to divide the power of the gang members. Instead, they believe that the most capable should be in charge. Therefore, not everyone in the gang is skilled in martial arts. There are also many old and weak people. Everyone helps each other and supports each other to move forward.
The Yang family gang was a small gang, but fortunately, they were well-known in the area for their trustworthiness and politeness. The local people were willing to hire them to do some work, mostly trivial things, but it was enough to make ends meet.
But when the shopkeeper sent someone to ask her if she was willing to take on a big order, she couldn't help but be tempted. Who wouldn't want their family to eat and drink well?
The shopkeeper mentioned a few things to her, telling her to do her best to close the deal, and she was prepared to offer many discounts.
Unexpectedly, this customer was unusually easy to talk to, and the contract they signed was even more fair, leaving her momentarily bewildered and looking around with a blank expression.
Defense, preparation, argument... She made so many mental predictions, yet the result was so simple.
But Yang Bai is the kind of person who responds better to gentleness than force; if someone treats her kindly, she always wants to repay them sevenfold.
Shang Yuji was unaware that Yang Bai was standing to the side, his expression calm but his heart filled with troubles about how to respond. Her gaze unconsciously fell on the handle of the large knife that Yang Bai was stroking.
She had never seen Yang Bai draw his sword, but just thinking about it, the scene must have been extraordinary. Soon, several classic martial arts blockbusters played out in her mind.
Jiang Xi, who was close to her, noticed Shang Yuji's absent-mindedness immediately. Following her gaze, she saw the large sword, which, even though it was wrapped, still showed signs of being made of high-quality materials.
Ah Ji, do you like knives?
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