Chapter 26 These two siblings are really strange. ...
The long street was bustling with people, and the cries of vendors rose and fell.
Amidst the bustling scene, a woman dressed in coarse cloth lingered in front of Huichuntang, staring at the newly hung wooden plaque beneath the plaque for a long time.
The wooden plaque is engraved with the seal script character "封".
The woman clenched an object in her hand, took a deep breath to encourage herself, then lifted the hem of her skirt and timidly stepped over the threshold.
The clerk behind the counter, busy weighing medicine, didn't forget to look up and give the customer a smile, asking loudly, "Madam, are you buying medicine or seeing a doctor?"
The woman forced a nervous smile, took two steps forward to the counter, handed the object she was clutching tightly to the clerk, and stammered, "Excuse me, can I use this?"
She carefully chose her words, and after asking, she didn't dare to look at the waiter's face. She lowered her eyes and stared at her outstretched palm, anxiously waiting for a reply.
A metal plaque lay quietly in the palm of my hand, engraved with the seal character "封" (Feng), below which was a tiny "周" (Zhou) character, the size of a grain of rice, and next to it was the code "肆叁柒贰" (Si San Qi Er).
"Yes, of course." The shopkeeper's attitude immediately became respectful, and he explained in a pleasant tone, "Don't worry, the princess has already given the order that this nameplate will work in any shop that has a 'sealed' sign!"
“Our Huichuntang is different from the other shops. If you come to see a doctor with your nameplate, we will not charge you any fees, and we will only charge you half the price for medicine.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou finally raised her eyes, a joyful light shining in them. "Really? Then, then I'll go see the patient first!"
"This way, please." The clerk put the packaged medicine aside, stepped out from behind the counter, and led the person into the consultation room.
When Madam Zhou straightened her back and came out of Huichuntang, she was already carrying a string of medicine packets in her hand. She had only taken two steps when she was surrounded by a group of uncles, aunts and cousins who had been watching her for a while, who all asked her a question.
"How's it? Does it really work?"
"I didn't overcharge you, did I?"
"It's more than just usable!" Mrs. Zhou smiled proudly, repeating every word the shopkeeper had said. She added, "He also said that it can be used in households with elderly people or children, as long as the blood relatives are within three degrees of kinship!"
"That's so kind! The princess is too kind-hearted!"
"If we have any illnesses or pains in the future, won't we no longer have to tough it out?"
Everyone was overjoyed to hear this and praised it endlessly. Some impatient ones even took the metal token home to fetch the elderly person for a medical appointment.
Mrs. Zhou nodded repeatedly as she listened. Ever since giving birth, she had been experiencing intermittent lower abdominal pain. She wanted to see a doctor, but she was reluctant to spend the money, thinking that it was just a minor ailment that would pass if she just endured it and it wasn't worth the extra expense.
Until yesterday, her husband suddenly got leave and gave her this iron plaque when he came home. He said it was a special gift from the princess, and that if she took the plaque to a shop with the word "seal" on it, she could get a 20% discount!
She didn't believe it at first. Her husband was just an ordinary soldier in the army. Why would the princess give him such a nice gift?
However, her mother-in-law had been bedridden for many years and it was time to get medicine again, but money was really tight. She thought of trying to see if she could get the medicine from Huichuntang for a cheaper price than usual, and unexpectedly, she was pleasantly surprised!
She had endured the pain of illness for days, but the doctor said it was just a minor ailment that would be cured with two doses of medicine. The cost of the medicine was less than the entire day's food expenses for her family!
She immediately bought medicine for herself and made an appointment to bring her mother-in-law to see a doctor.
"Hey, Zhou family, could we borrow your plaque for a bit?" A sprightly old woman couldn't resist asking. She had only one grandson, and she had sold her granddaughter to be a maid to raise enough money to avoid military service. Now she was very envious.
Madam Zhou's face turned cold. She and her neighbors couldn't stand Granny Zhang's practice of selling her granddaughter to save her grandson, and they usually avoided this family. She retorted sharply, "This is the Princess's benevolence; she cares about our sons guarding the country and has arranged this for us. Who knows how much money she secretly subsidizes? It's not for us to take advantage of her! We should be grateful for the Princess's kindness and abide by the rules, shouldn't we?"
The people around her echoed her sentiments. Granny Zhang walked away with her vegetable basket, looking embarrassed. She kept muttering to herself that Zhou's wife was stingy, and that princess was stingy too. They were all neighbors, so why did they have to make such a fuss? The princess had so many shops and so much money, what was wrong with letting them, ordinary people, spend a little?
Madam Zhou glanced back at the wooden plaque with the character "封" (seal) hanging below Huichun Hall, her heart warming. She thought to herself that the princess was truly a good person, and that her coming to the Northern Frontier was a blessing for them, the common people. She hoped that the princess would live a peaceful, happy, and healthy life in the future.
Inside the Zhe family's pastry workshop, Feng Mian was inspecting the quality of various utensils with Madam Zhe.
Madam Zhe wore her hair in a "fallen horse" style, with twelve gold filigree and kingfisher feather hairpins adorning her cloud-like black hair. A large yellow pith flower, about the size of a bowl, was pinned to her left temple, perfectly complementing her twelve-panel Xiang skirt with its water-green Western-style floral pattern, exuding a bright and flamboyant spirit.
Her eyes often held a smile like spring water, and she spoke slowly and gently, “This workshop has only been open for less than a month, and the tools are all brand new. If the princess needs them, there’s no need to pay extra. I’ll give them to the princess as a bonus.”
Feng Mian knew that Madam Zhe was giving face to the Princess.
After hearing about her idea of setting up a workshop, the princess secretly contacted the wife of the president of the Yunzhong County Chamber of Commerce. Madam Zhe was eager to get things done, so she allocated a small, not-so-profitable workshop from her own name. With all the necessary tools and staff, the soup noodle workshop could be set up right away.
Feng Mian was grateful for Madam Zhe's kindness and did not haggle. She immediately smiled and said, "Then thank you for your generosity, Madam."
Suddenly, her cheek felt warm. Madam Zhe pinched her cheek and leaned closer. Her beautiful eyes revealed the affection of looking at a good child. "No wonder the princess is urging me so attentively. If I had a daughter-in-law as lovable as a princess, I would spoil her rotten."
Feng Mian was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, her beautiful eyes becoming even sweeter, as if they were mixed with honey.
Madam Zhe was increasingly pleased with the sight of it, and led the person to the front hall, saying, "Come on, let's sign the documents, and I'll give you an even 10% discount!"
Feng Mian was now grinning from ear to ear.
After signing the documents for the transfer of the workshop, Feng Mian asked where the workers who used to work in the workshop had gone.
Madam Zhe knew that Madam Zhe was worried that the workshop's closure would affect the workers' livelihoods, and she liked her even more. "Don't worry about them. I still have many workshops and shops under my name, so they won't lose their jobs. By the way, have you hired any workers for your workshop?"
Feng Mian shook his head. The workshop only had Huaihua as an employee, by all accounts. "Right now, only one young girl knows how to make these instant soup noodles. I'd like to hire some women so she'll get along better. But I wonder what the rules are for shops in the Northern Frontier?"
“There aren’t any special rules. However, most workshops deal with secret formulas that need to be kept confidential, so they like to buy people from human traffickers. If you need, I can introduce you to an old woman.” Seeing Feng Mian frown, Madam Zhe added, “Don’t worry, she’s an official trafficker, and the people she handles are all very clean.”
Feng Mian's brow finally relaxed, and he agreed to go with her to take a look the next day.
It was nearly noon when they left. Feng Mian sat in the carriage returning to the Prince's Mansion, lifted the curtain and looked out. He happened to see the two of them entering a silk shop with the character "Feng" on its signboard, and he smiled with satisfaction.
It seems that this battle without gunfire between us and the people of Yunzhong County has already achieved an initial victory.
Suddenly, Liu Ying tugged at her and pointed outside, "Princess, look! Isn't that Miss Yuan? Why is someone sneaking around following her like that!"
Feng Mian looked closely and indeed saw Yuan Jixue's slender figure. She turned into a small alley on the side of the street, and a man followed her in with a furtive look on his face.
"Stop the carriage!" Feng Mian hurriedly got up and got off the carriage. "Quickly follow them and see what's going on."
Even though it was broad daylight, a man acting suspiciously followed a young girl into an alleyway, which seemed like he had ill intentions!
Feng Mian summoned a guard to follow him, and they followed the man who was following Yuan Jixue into the alley.
The narrow alleyway could only accommodate two people side by side. The blue brick surface was uneven and potholed. The further you walked, the quieter the alley became. The hustle and bustle of the street outside faded away, and only the sounds of tense breathing and footsteps could be heard.
As they reached the end of the alley, the man quickened his pace, seemingly intending to attack Yuan Jixue. Feng Mian gave him a look, and the guard rushed forward, grabbed the man's arm, pushed him against the wall, and pinned him down.
The man only managed to let out a short scream before he collapsed unconscious.
Hearing the commotion, Yuan Jixue turned around and ran back in alarm, crying out, "Brother!"
Brother?!
Feng Mian and the guard who had made the move exchanged bewildered glances.
The guard slowly released his grip on the Yuan family's elder brother, spreading his hands innocently, "I really didn't use any force..."
God knows he only used 20% of his strength and didn't even manage to smash the man's head against the wall, so how did he pass out?!
Feng Mian waved for the guards to hide behind him, then walked towards Yuan Jixue and cautiously asked, "Miss Yuan, is this your brother?"
Yuan Jixue was taking the pulse of her elder brother, who was lying face down on the ground, when she looked up and realized that the people who had just attacked her brother were actually the princess and her entourage.
"Princess? What are you doing here?"
Feng Mian then told him that she had seen a man suspiciously following her from the carriage and that he was worried that she might be in danger.
Feng Mian was very puzzled. Why was Yuan Jixue coming to such a secluded alley all by herself? And why was her brother from the Yuan family secretly following her, looking like he was about to do something bad?
As if reading her unspoken question, Yuan Jixue explained, "This is my elder brother, his name is Liang. I'm here to..."
Before she could finish speaking, a tightly closed wooden door at the end of the alley opened from the inside. An old woman with a full head of silver hair groped her way to the door and peered out, her eyes vacant and lifeless as she stared into the alley. "Miss Yuan? Is that you?"
"Grandma He, please slow down." Yuan Jixue threw Yuan Liang's hand to the ground and hurriedly got up to help Grandma He. She looked at the alley with some difficulty and whispered to Grandma He, "Grandma, please wait for me here for a moment."
Yuan Jixue walked up to Feng Mian, glanced back at Granny He behind her, and continued her previous words: "I came here to treat Granny He. She is old, blind, and has difficulty walking, so it is inconvenient for her to seek medical treatment. My family does not allow me to practice medicine outside. My brother must be worried about me, so he secretly followed me."
As she spoke, she curtsied to Feng Mian, "I still need to see Granny He. Could you please trouble the Princess to help me send my brother back?"
Feng Mian couldn't refuse, since it was her people who knocked Yuan Liang unconscious.
Yuan Jixue helped Granny He back into the house with peace of mind, while Feng Mian signaled the guards to carry Yuan Liang back to the carriage and lay him across the driver's back.
As she left, Feng Mian lifted the curtain and glanced at the alley entrance, a faint sense of doubt still lingering in her mind.
Yuan Liang's shifty-eyed look just now didn't seem like he was worried about his sister. Yuan Jixue, apart from rushing over to take his pulse at the beginning and then casually tossing his hand aside to help Granny He, didn't seem genuinely worried about her brother either.
These two siblings are really strange.
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