The city gates are now closed. "I've sent someone to wait at the city gate, but perhaps something has delayed them and they haven't had time to enter the city. Go back and inform the Duke that he hasn't gone to court yet," Shen Xu said thoughtfully.
"Yes, Young Master Shen," Zhao Zhan urged his horse toward the Duke's mansion. The incident happened so suddenly that Qin Xiaolin hadn't anticipated the other party also possessing poisonous smoke; otherwise, with his skills, he would have ensured those people never returned.
Due to the side effects of the toxic fumes, Qin Xiaolin was conscious but unable to move. After struggling a few times to no avail, he gave up. He figured he must be at Young Master Li's house, and the quiet environment made him relax. It seemed that getting some sleep was the best course of action.
A chorus of roosters crowing came from afar, rising and falling in unison, like a refreshing morning melody welcoming the arrival of dawn.
Sweetie drove the carriage to a nearby market, found a driver, and headed towards the Duke's mansion. They had only been in the capital for less than a month, and the group was still unfamiliar with the place. The driver cracked the whip, and the horse, as if afraid of being whipped, moved its hooves very fast.
Li Xiyao had already woken up and, seeing that Qin Xiaolin was still asleep and unharmed, she went out for her morning training. Meng Zhelan also got up, but she was up to brew medicine. Young Master Qin had inhaled a small amount of poisonous fumes, and fearing lasting effects, he still needed to take detoxifying medicine. Perhaps clues about her father could be found through Young Master Qin.
As dawn broke, Ling'er got up and prepared breakfast for everyone. Then she went to the kitchen to get busy. Lan'er had hired two helpers today, and she still had to instruct them.
After returning from her morning exercise and taking a bath, Li Xi went to see Qin Xiaolin. "Brother Qin, you're awake? How are you feeling? I was almost scared to death when I saw you faint yesterday," Li Xi said with delight as she watched Qin Xiaolin sitting on the bed, preparing to get up.
"It's nothing, thank you so much for saving my life, Brother Li. I will never forget it. In the future..." Qin Xiaolin said earnestly, cupping his hands in thanks. "Oh, no need to be so polite. It was nothing, Brother Qin. Don't take it to heart," Li Xi waved his hand.
"Brother Li, you're so generous. If you ever need my help, just let me know," Qin Xiaolin said politely, seemingly unaccustomed to owing favors. "Alright, I'll remember that. Come, sit down and have some breakfast. There's some medicine simmering on the stove; have some rice porridge first," Li Xi brought in a bowl of minced meat and vegetable porridge from outside.
Qin Xiaolin was indeed hungry. He had been busy for a long time and almost fell for a trap, so he finished eating in no time.
Meng Zhelan brought in a bowl of steaming hot medicinal soup. "Young Master Qin, drink it when it's not too hot." She paused and then said, "Young Master Qin, I have something I'd like to ask you. I don't know if it's convenient."
"What is it, Mr. Meng? Please speak freely." "I wanted to ask if Young Master Qin knows who was chasing you last night? Actually, I have some things I'd like to confirm."
"I'm sorry, I don't know for now, but don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to investigate as soon as I get back to the manor, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any information."
"Thank you very much then." "Mr. Meng, you're too kind. Without your and Brother Li's help, I'm afraid I wouldn't have seen the sunrise today." Qin Xiaolin secretly vowed not to let them get away with it.
When Tian Tian arrived at the Duke's mansion, it was just beginning to get light. She happened to see people from the Duke's mansion coming and going. She stepped forward and explained her purpose, and someone exclaimed, "We've found him! We've found the Third Young Master! Tell the Third Master quickly!"
Everyone in the manor breathed a sigh of relief. The Third Master arranged for the steward to drive a carriage to pick up Qin Xiaolin and take him home. On the way back, the two carriages hurried along, arriving at dawn.
"Young Master, it's so good that you're alright. The Old Madam was just asking about you. Third Master had to tell her you were at Young Master Shen's house, and didn't dare let the Old Madam know. Third Master and Third Madam were so worried. Let's go back first. Third Master will send a thank-you gift later." Butler He was relieved to see that the Third Young Master was safe and sound.
"Understood, Butler He, please wait outside for a moment. I'll say a few words and then leave," Qin Xiaolin said calmly.
“Yes, Third Young Master,” Butler He said as he left.
"Brother Li, I have to go back home first because of some family matters. I'll have someone investigate when I get back," Qin Xiaolin said calmly. "Alright, Brother Qin, take this bottle of medicine back with you. Take one pill each in the morning, noon, and evening. Sister Ganglan asked me to give it to you."
Qin Xiaolin accepted the medicine bottle, bowed his thanks, and left. Seeing this, Li Xi went to the kitchen to check on Ling'er.
"Sister Xia, Sister Feng, these doughs need to be kneaded a little more until they're more elastic," Ling'er was instructing the new helper on these minor details. Seeing Li Xi approach, she smiled slightly, "Xiao Xi, there's freshly steamed taro cake on the stove, come and try some."
Seeing Ling'er radiating confidence, Li Xi smiled and agreed. They went back into the restaurant, which was still packed, indicating things had settled down. Once her chili peppers hit the market, they'd probably have to wait in line.
The new manager, Manager Shen, is meticulous in his work, smooth-talking, and eloquent. He was introduced by Chairman Wang. With him in charge, Meng Zhelan felt at ease entrusting the restaurant to him, and she could also go to the clinic without worry.
After the restaurant opened, she would only come to visit after lunch service. It had been quite a while since she had come to the clinic to see patients, and Meng Zhelan was getting used to it. Most of the pills she had previously made had been sold out. She sat in the clinic for a while, but no one asked her to see a patient.
With nothing else to do, she went to the backyard to refine pills. The last batch she sold earned her about eighty or ninety taels of silver, a considerable sum. Normally, pills only sell for a few dozen coins a bottle, but the most profitable ones are the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Pills, which come in bottles of ten weighing three taels each, and the demand is quite high.
Doctor Liu strongly suggested that Meng Zhelan refine more of the "Ten-Ingredient Tonic Pills." Bao Ge'er was also practicing pulse diagnosis. Doctor Liu was very generous and taught Bao Ge'er without reservation. The new apprentice was also practicing identifying medicinal herbs and was doing a good job with simple drying.
Li Xi had previously brought back several large boxes of books from the escort agency. She selected some to put in the clinic and spent two hundred coins to buy a bookshelf filled with books on medical theory and pharmacology. She let the group of people browse through it freely and ask her questions if they didn't understand anything.
Her father used to force her to memorize these books, saying that a doctor who hadn't even mastered the basics couldn't possibly save lives. Now she had news of her father, and she figured they would see each other soon.
Meng Zhelan had no time for sentimentality; she needed to refine more medicine. She added some Angong Pills, which were used to regulate women's health, menstruation, and relieve pain. These pills were made with highly effective herbs, and she planned to sell them for only fifteen coins, making a profit of only three coins.
Women are often embarrassed to see a doctor about menstrual problems, so some medicine that can regulate their bodies would be very helpful for them. Furthermore, an upgraded version of the "Ten-Ingredient Tonic Pill" was created by adding deer antler and giving it a new name – "Mighty Rejuvenating Pill," priced at twenty taels, which is expensive. But there's always a suitable group of people for it.
These deer antlers were from back in Yunnan and Sichuan. Xi'er had caught sika deer and extracted the antlers without harming them. She harvested antlers from dozens of deer, sold most of them, and made a considerable profit. Recalling what had happened a few months ago, Meng Zhelan felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Because of Xi'er, her journey to the capital was much easier; she was no longer afraid of encountering conspiracies and schemes.
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