Chapter 546 What exactly are you trying to do?
Just at this critical moment, several people suddenly walked out of Yanzuofang across the street.
The leader among them was none other than Jin Daji, who was dark-skinned and as thin as a monkey.
They had just applied medicine in Yanzuo Ward and were about to leave as usual when they suddenly heard a commotion coming from across the street when they reached the entrance of the ward. They immediately stopped on the side of the street and looked towards Changle Ward from afar.
At this moment, Pei Xingyuan suddenly stepped forward and said to the patients who were baring their teeth and claws, their anger almost making them want to devour him alive, "Gentlemen, please listen to me!"
The crowd wouldn't listen to him and shouted angrily, "What else is there to say?!"
"What you're saying is all nonsense, we're not listening!"
"If you won't let us live, we'll make things easier for you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several people pushed aside the guards and protectors blocking their way and rushed directly in front of him, their powerful fists almost hitting Pei Xingyuan's face.
Pei Xingyuan suddenly said, "How about I give all these medicinal soups to you as a gift?!"
"..."
In an instant, the noisy crowd fell silent.
It was as if the once towering tide had been frozen into ice by extreme cold, completely losing its overwhelming momentum. In that instant, everyone was also unable to react. It was as if they hadn't heard anything, yet they couldn't believe their ears. They looked at each other, and even those who were about to throw their fists at Pei Xingyuan's face froze in place, staring wide-eyed at the smiling man in front of them.
Pei Xingyuan smiled and repeated, "I am giving these medicines to you all today, without taking a single penny."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, as if the surprise had come too quickly to believe. Those at the front even forgot to retract their fists, their arms still raised high, their faces filled with trepidation: "You, you mean—"
"Is today's herbal medicine free?"
"Young Master Pei, you're not lying to us, are you?"
As they spoke, they seemed to realize that something was wrong, and they all lowered their fists. In fact, the people standing at the front even subconsciously took a few steps back.
The guards and protectors who had been pushed aside immediately stepped forward and blocked Pei Xingyuan's way again.
Only then did Pei Xingyuan's eye twitch involuntarily.
But he still smiled broadly: "How could that be?"
Although his face maintained an unchanging smile, a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, along his temple, and onto his chin before finally falling with a soft thud.
That was close!
Although he knew what he should do and what he was doing, in that instant when those patients, looking like ferocious demons, charged at him as if they didn't care about their lives, he still felt genuine fear—the anger of the people was indeed not something one should easily provoke. Otherwise, even a thousand troops wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Still shaken, Pei Xingyuan clenched his hands, which were trembling slightly and hidden in his sleeves, and smiled, "Since I've said it, I won't lie to you."
"..."
"The herbal medicine has become weak these past two days, which is indeed due to my, Pei Xingyuan's, negligence in supervision. Therefore, I will give all of this herbal medicine to you today, free of charge!"
Although the two markets were separated by a wide Suzaku Avenue, whether it was because he deliberately emphasized his tone or because those three words were inherently sensitive, when Kim Dae-gil, standing on the opposite side of the street, heard the words "faded," a glint immediately flashed in his eyes.
Pei Xingyuan turned around and walked back to the long table. However, in the instant he turned back, he glanced at the few people standing across the street without making a sound. Then he gave a few instructions to the accountants, who immediately returned the few coins they had just collected and crossed out the record in their ledgers.
Pei Xingyuan then turned to the crowd, who were filled with surprise and joy, and said, "Everyone, please line up. Everyone will receive the herbal medicine today, free of charge!"
At this, the patients in Chang Le Fang cheered.
All the anger turned into surprise, and everyone immediately beamed with joy. Some were even overjoyed, as if it were New Year's Day. At Pei Xingyuan's shout, the crowd that had been packed together dispersed again and formed a long queue in front of the long table. The guards and protectors who had been so nervous just moments before finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from their brows, and returned to their positions.
A crisis was thus averted without a trace.
Seeing that a major incident almost broke out at Chang Le Fang, but was quelled by Pei Xingyuan's few words, the group standing outside Yan Zuo Fang all showed surprised expressions.
After a long pause, someone finally asked, "What happened to Pei Xingyuan's medicine?"
Why does the herbal decoction taste weak?
The tall, sallow-faced middle-aged man said, "If the medicine is weak, it's either because it was boiled twice or too much water was added. Both of these situations have only one reason: there isn't enough medicine!"
Upon hearing this, everyone stared at him in astonishment.
The honest-looking young man exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that their medicine has already—"
“It has nothing to do with us,”
Before they could finish speaking, Jin Daji interrupted them, withdrew his gaze, and instructed, "You'd better hurry back. There's another medicinal soup to be administered today. If you don't prepare it quickly, you'll miss the appointed time."
Upon hearing his words, the group didn't linger and immediately turned around and headed back down the alley they had come from.
Just as they turned the corner, the young man glanced back and saw Jin Daji still standing there looking at Chang Le Fang across the street. He then asked softly, "Brother Jin, aren't you coming back with us?"
Jin Daji glanced at him and said, "I have other things to do."
The young man didn't ask too many questions, just responded and left with the others, while Jin Daji turned around and walked towards the other side of Zhuque Street.
As soon as he left, Pei Xingyuan, who had finally calmed down the patients who were almost enraged outside Chang Le Fang, breathed a sigh of relief and immediately withdrew from the crowd. He only gave a few instructions to his two attendants before turning around and getting into the carriage. The coachman, upon hearing his command, immediately raised the whip and drove forward along Zhuque Street.
Before leaving, Pei Xingyuan simply lifted the curtain and gave Shang Ruyi, who was standing in the crowd, a wink.
Shang Ruyi nodded as well.
The curtain fell, and soon the carriage disappeared down the long street.
Only then did Shang Ruyi hear two long sighs behind her. When she turned around, she saw that Tu She'er and Wo Xue had both breathed a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
Actually, she felt the same way.
Even though her heart was pounding in her chest when she saw Pei Xingyuan facing the enraged crowd, she suppressed her unease and didn't show any panic, even though her clothes were completely soaked with cold sweat.
She turned around and said, "Let's go."
Tushe'er said with lingering fear, "Miss, that was so scary."
Wo Xue, her breath unsteady, whispered, "This servant almost thought something bad was going to happen. If Young Master Pei were really injured by those people, it would be difficult to handle."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "It's good that nothing serious happened."
After saying that, he led them along the road that they had become very familiar with over the past few days, and soon they arrived at the stables under the city wall.
This place is completely different from before.
Since that day, Shang Ruyi had Jiang Kesheng bring people to clean up the place, taking away the mud mixed with horse manure and urine, leveling the ground, and rinsing it several times with clean water to thoroughly clean it. The stench that had accumulated for several days was also swept away, and people no longer felt so stuffy and unbearable staying here. Even Tu She'er didn't find the smell bothersome when she came over.
After that, she had someone bring straw mats to the patients here.
Although many patients were carried out of here in the past few days, after several days of treatment, the remaining patients' conditions have stabilized, and even the coughing sounds have decreased significantly as they walk in.
But that familiar figure was still busy as always.
Su Qinglan came out of the stable carrying two bowls of freshly brewed medicine. She hadn't changed her clothes, and the hem was covered in mud, but she didn't care. She was only focused on taking care of the patients. She was slightly taken aback when she looked up and saw Shang Ruyi.
A complex emotion flickered in those gentle eyes.
Shang Ruyi said, "Go and help."
Tushe'er and Woxue immediately stepped forward, took the two bowls of medicine from Su Qinglan, and skillfully found two patients whose hands had not yet been marked, fed them the medicine, and then cleaned up the dregs on the other side.
With their help, Su Qinglan felt much more relaxed.
She slowly walked back to the stable, where Shang Ruyi was already squatting, adding water to the empty medicine pot that she had just taken off the stove. Su Qinglan didn't say anything, but took out two more paper packets from her bundle, opened them, and poured the medicine inside into the medicine pot.
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Lord Su has prepared everything very well."
Without saying a word, Su Qinglan poured the medicinal herbs in, filled the medicine pot with water, placed it on the stove, and then fanned it with a fan.
The flickering firelight illuminated her dark, round eyes, which seemed to hold a complex mix of emotions churning within them.
After a long silence, she said, "Yes, I never expected that I could fit so much medicine in this little bundle. It's been eight days already, and I can still feel the medicine packets as soon as I reach in."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's breathing became slightly heavier.
Before she could say anything, she felt Su Qinglan look up at her. Her gentle eyes were serious and focused, staring at her intently. Even though she was gentle, she felt a suffocating sense of inescapability.
She said, "Young Madam, you and Young Master Pei—it's not for making money, right?"
"..."
"What exactly do you want to do?"
At the same time, Pei Xingyuan's carriage stopped in front of a restaurant.
As soon as he got off the carriage and looked up, he saw a figure standing sideways behind a window on the second floor of the almost deserted restaurant, looking down at him.
Those small, black bean-like eyes gleamed with a cunning and greedy light.
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