"What?" Xu Yuehuai was completely bewildered.
I have absolutely no idea what to do with it.
Zhou Wan earnestly advised, "Mother, you're only twenty years old now, still so young. Brother Qi is a good person, and he takes meticulous care of us, always granting our requests. You can remarry after meeting such a good man."
Xu Yuehuai never expected that Zhou Wan, who had been so deeply poisoned by feudalism, would say such enlightened things, and she was overjoyed.
The same principle should naturally be instilled in Zhou Wan.
“His death has nothing to do with you. Now that you’re in the capital, you should find a warm harbor and strong arms. In the future, through wind and rain, two people are always better than one.”
This was something Xu Yuehuai had been preparing for a long time.
I had wanted to tell Zhou Wan before, but I was so busy lately that I didn't have any free time.
Zhou Wan nodded.
The two looked at each other in bewilderment.
"I'm just like this now. Besides, even if I find someone, they might not treat the little one well. I'm too lazy to compromise with anyone. So be it."
"Hey, hey, hey," Xu Yuehua frowned, "Don't give up on yourself."
They both laughed.
In the afternoon, Huang Daoyi, the old imperial physician from the capital, arrived. He was skilled in healing the wounded and had been studying traditional Chinese medicine in the palace since he was thirteen. Now, he was highly respected and had become an imperial physician who served the emperor exclusively.
Xu Yuehuai, showing respect to scholars, led Huang Daoyi to the inner room.
Bai Ruiji removed her veil, revealing horrific wounds. Overwhelmed with grief, she wept uncontrollably. When she saw Xu Yuehuai indeed bring in an imperial physician, her eyes shone with the brilliance and joy of life.
"I am Huang Daoyi, a court official. I heard that the young lady has some troublesome illness and would like to trouble me to take a look. So I have come here."
Xu Yuehuai thought that inviting Huang Daoyi would be a piece of cake for Qi Guze.
Little did they know that ordinary members of the royal family were generally not qualified to work with this person.
This person has never treated anyone except members of the royal family, let alone come into contact with these girls who have fallen into prostitution.
But he was meticulous. He first gave Bai Ruiji a thorough examination, and then asked about her habits such as diet and daily life before speaking, "I am going to treat your symptoms and nourish you for a month. Once your body has recovered, I will arrange the next step of the plan."
"What's the plan?"
Bai Ruiji wanted to know everything about her injuries.
Huang Daoyi said, "Once you are feeling better, I will perform surgery and use various elixirs to help you gradually recover to the same smooth and tender skin as before."
"Thank you so much. This face is my most valuable asset." Bai Ruiji was extremely excited and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
Huang Daoyi, on the other hand, kindly helped Bai Ruiji up and said many heartfelt words. Then he glanced at Xu Yuehuai next to him and said, "You should thank Miss Xu instead of me. She went to great lengths to contact me."
"Ah Yue, thank you so much, how can I ever repay you?" Bai Ruiji prepared to kneel down.
Xu Yuehuai smiled, gripping her hand tightly as if giving her a word of advice, but it was also a blessing: "When you're better in the future, find a good man to marry and settle down in. Go to a beautiful place and live a quiet life, forgetting all this unpleasantness and unhappiness."
"Yes, yes."
Bai Ruiji started taking the medicine in the afternoon. This medicine requires three courses of treatment and will take half a month before the surgery can begin. It is a minor surgery, but Huang Daoyi is very confident.
During this period, Xu Yuehuai and his team's business became more and more booming.
After Xu Yuehuai willingly assisted Bai Ruiji, Bai Ruiji put on an even more enthusiastic performance and promoted the product in various ways, and soon Xu Yuehuai's business became very profitable.
She took out five hundred taels of silver and gave it to Qi Guze, saying, "This is my way of repaying you."
Five hundred taels?
He had once lent a helping hand to Xu Yuehuai and her companions when they were in trouble, but he hadn't given them this much. Xu Yuehuai, on the other hand, explained in a serious tone: "It's with interest. Besides, don't you need money to see the imperial physician?"
Little did Xu Yuehuai know that it was Huang Daoyi who gladly chose to help Qi Guze.
In the palace, Qi Guze was a figure of utmost respect, and many people wanted to curry favor with him but couldn't. Huang Daoyi had always wanted to get close to him, and he seized the opportunity.
“I should have accepted it,” Qi Guze said, picking up the silver ingot to examine it. “But now I want to invest. You can keep this money here for now and use it as you like. I’ll be coming back at the end of the year to receive a share of the profits.”
Xu Yuehua clicked her tongue, "Look at you, so rich and powerful, you only invest five hundred taels of silver. How much will you get at the end of the year? You should invest five thousand taels. I'm even planning to buy out Li Feng's inn when he kicks me out tomorrow."
"Are you asking for such an exorbitant amount?" Qi Guze was surprised that Xu Yuehuai was so bold and had such an unparalleled business acumen.
Xu Yuehuai himself felt that everything he did was done step by step.
"He's not one to sit idly by and wait to die; you'd better watch out for him in the future."
“He’s been careful every day, but in broad daylight, under the clear sky, does he really intend to do something to me?” The “something” that Xu Yuehuai mentioned meant, just like before, an open and unscrupulous attack.
“You’re an outsider, a newcomer, and your business is going so smoothly, so naturally you’ve become a thorn in their side.”
Qi Guze hit the nail on the head.
Xu Yuehuai stroked her chin. "If the capital doesn't reject us, they should accept us too. Does the capital only allow locals to do business and not give outsiders a place to live?"
Xu Yuehuai was somewhat indignant.
Seeing her so indignant, Qi Guze added, "It's difficult for both."
"They only bullied us because they saw that we were all girls."
"But you're much better than any man."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuehuai laughed heartily, “My parents gave me life, but Brother Qi truly understands me.”
The two were still chatting when they heard the sound of gongs and drums again.
Xu Yuehuai leaned out the window and looked out, when she suddenly saw a lively scene in front of Old Li's Restaurant across the street.
A group of girls dressed in flamboyant attire walked towards us. The girls flirted with the men on both sides of the road, striking seductive poses, and the men craned their necks to watch.
Unknowingly, they followed this group of bewitching women, who were like fox spirits, to the other side.
The expected overcrowding didn't happen. Instead, a large group of guests followed the girls into Old Li's house.
Qi Guze sighed, "Isn't this just copying what others have already said?"
“Only magic can defeat magic,” Xu Yuehuai said with a smug smile. “Li Feng really knows how to apply what he’s learned, but I only find good girls from the brothels. They have clean backgrounds and we sell our art, not our bodies.”
At this point, Xu Yuehuai closed the window. "The women he found are no ordinary women; they're obviously from brothels."
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