The snow on the streets had been cleared, and Li Xi and Meng Zhelan drove the carriage to the West Market, where the largest market in Kyoto was located.
The West Market was bustling with people, as if the entire capital of Kyoto had gathered here. There were restaurants, silver shops, money exchanges, antique shops, cloth shops, bookstores and so on on both sides, and their luxurious construction left the two speechless.
The development of handicrafts in ancient times is also amazing. Wealthy people in any era will enjoy life.
The intangible cultural heritage that is admired by later generations is now flourishing in a hundred different ways. As a former art student, this exquisite art has a fatal attraction for her.
Seeing Li Xi drooling all the way, Meng Zhelan couldn't help but laugh and let her wander around. "Lan'er, one day I'm going to shop till I drop in this West Market," Li Xi declared with great ambition.
“Okay, I trust you. Remember to come with me.” “Of course, how could I leave you out?” the two teased each other. After feasting their eyes on the sights, the two headed to the general merchandise market.
Li Xi selected two sizes of casserole dishes and a simple stove. It has to be said that the wisdom of the working people is endless. In order to have a hot meal in winter, they invented an indoor stove that is smokeless and won't make you feel choked.
The thought of stewing radish and beef brisket in a clay pot made Li Xi wish she could go back and stew a pot right away. After shopping according to the list she made last night, Meng Zhelan dragged Li Xi to the Keyunlai Restaurant in the West Market for a nice meal. Wasn't it good to check out other restaurants? The two of them comforted themselves with this thought.
Roast duck, braised pork belly, braised pork hock, deer antler and three delicacies, chicken wrapped in vegetables, etc. The two of them ordered seven dishes. When you go out to eat, you can't skimp on yourself.
"Xi'er, eat! I made quite a bit of money yesterday!" Thinking about how popular the expensive Rejuvenating Pills were, she had unexpectedly made a small fortune. "Lan'er, you're amazing! So I'll just freeload every day?" Li Xi said with a smug look on her face.
"Eat whatever you want, this won't bankrupt me," Meng Zhelan thought. Even if she were so poor that she had to sell her daughter's belongings, she could still earn tens of thousands of taels of silver. Her father used to forbid her from practicing medicine and selling medicine on her own because he was afraid that someone with ulterior motives would find out. The narrow cage could no longer confine Meng Zhelan's heart that longed for freedom.
When the two finished their meal and were about to leave, they packed some to take back for Ling'er and the others to try. Just as they were about to leave the West Market, they happened to run into a boy selling Luban locks.
The boy was being chased out of the clinic by the staff. "Go away, go away, go away! If you don't have money, you won't come here for treatment. We're not a charity." The boy, who was holding a little girl, was about to fall as the apprentice pushed him. Li Xi leaped behind them and caught them.
"Are you trying to kill them, buddy? Even if they're broke, you can't push them. What if they get hurt?" "Who are you? Mind your own business," the buddy ignored Li Xi and said, "Get out of here and don't get in our way."
"Xiao Xi, don't argue with him, bring them over," Meng Zhelan didn't want to offend anyone. Kyoto was full of high-ranking officials and nobles; she had no idea what kind of clinic this was. Li Xi always listened to Meng Zhelan.
“Come with me,” Li Xi said, taking the girl from the boy’s arms. “What’s wrong with your sister? She’s burning up.” When Li Xi touched the girl, she found that she was burning hot.
"My sister, my sister has been sick for a long time, and today she has a high fever. I, I just..." the boy choked up and spoke intermittently.
"Lan'er, come and see quickly!" Li Xi jumped onto the carriage in a few steps. No matter what era it was, a high fever in a child could be fatal. Li Xi placed the girl on the long bench in the carriage. "Oh no, this girl has a high fever and is almost fainting." She quickly took out silver needles from her cloth bag, had Li Xi pick up the girl, lifted the back of her clothes, and inserted silver needles into acupoints such as Dazhui, Quchi, Hegu, and Shixuan where the fever was located.
A quarter of an hour later, the girl's body was no longer as hot as before. "When did your sister start acting like this?" Meng Zhelan asked the boy who had just boarded the carriage.
"My sister has been frail and sickly since birth, and she's always been on medicine," the boy said, looking at the carriage with some apprehension, as if afraid of getting it dirty. Meng Zhelan then checked the girl's pulse in both hands. "Your sister must have suffered trauma to her mother in the womb, which caused poor fetal development, resulting in her being frail and sickly after birth." Meng Zhelan removed the silver needles, wiped them briefly, and put them into her cloth bag.
"Your father..." Li Xi realized before she could finish her sentence that the boy might have no parents, otherwise why would he leave the child helpless? "Where do you live? I'll take you home." "In Willow Lane behind Xiangyang Street." Li Xi asked the boy to lead the way. On the way, Meng Zhelan told her to take the prescription to the clinic to get the medicine. Since they had met by chance, she might as well lend a hand if she could.
"Yu Jian, you son of a bitch, come out here! Paying back debts is a matter of course. Don't think you can hide inside and escape!" Three or four burly thugs blocked the door of the boy's house, banging on the dilapidated wooden door.
The boy shrank back, but was spotted by the thugs. "Oh, you're back. Come on, help your dad pay back the money. It's not much, just thirty taels. Your dad said there will be money when you come back." The thugs approached the boy step by step.
"Have you no shame? Asking money from a child!" Li Xi used his sword to push the thug forward. "You little brat, you dare to block my way? Are you tired of living?"
Li Xi was ruthless and taciturn. He kicked the thug hard in the stomach with his long leg, sending the man flying two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) away. Seeing this, the others surrounded him. "You're pretty arrogant, kid," several of them said, grabbing wooden sticks and beating Li Xi. Their faces were filled with malice and mockery.
Li Xi stared coldly at them, the mockery in her eyes provoking the group. She used both hands and feet to kick them two zhang away in an instant. Their bodies slammed heavily against the wall, accompanied by a chilling thud, and they collapsed to the ground, as if they had lost all their strength.
The thugs fell to the ground, howling and cursing, "We're here to collect debts, that's only right. If you're so capable, borrow money; how come you're in the wrong for not being able to pay it back?" Yu Jian, who had secretly opened the door, saw the boy return with his helpers and quickly ran out.
"Xiaomeng, quick, give me the money!" The panicked man said, trying to find money on the boy. "Enough! I have no money. Yin'er doesn't even have money for medical treatment. Are you even human? Father, Yin'er almost died, and you're still thinking about gambling. Are we your own children? Why are you treating us like this?" The boy's eyes held back tears.
“What are you saying, child? I’m only doing this for your own good, so you can have a better life. Last night, it was so close, so very close. They must have cheated,” the man said, his face full of resentment.
"How many times have you said this? Enough is enough. You have to solve this yourself. Even if you sell yourselves, we won't have that much money." The sadness on the boy's face was heartbreaking.
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