"No, no, I just want to live a peaceful life." Aunt Guan refused repeatedly. "We should avoid getting involved in the affairs of the martial arts world if we can avoid it; it's too complicated."
"Manager Mei! Manager Lan! We three brothers have discussed it and decided that we will no longer wander around aimlessly, stealing chickens and dogs. We are willing to follow you two to earn a living. We are strong and capable of working. Anyway, we are all orphans who have no one to care for us. Please, please let us stay." The three knelt on the ground and did not get up.
Lan Ya Mei was really tempted to find a cheap worker.
But Aunt Guan said, "Over the years, you've all had your own way of living, and we've had ours. As for the origins of that jade pendant, we won't inquire about it. Let's just let this matter rest. Now that you're cured of your poison, let's part ways and go back to where you came from."
"Manager Mei, please!" The three refused to get up and insisted on staying.
"Manager Mei isn't here!" After saying that, she went back into the house and closed the door behind her.
The three then looked at Lan Ya Mei. Seeing that Aunt Guan's attitude was firm, Lan Ya Mei could only say, "Let's go!"
The three had no choice but to get up and leave.
Butterfly remained unconscious, her face deathly pale, but thankfully no longer on the verge of death. She had lost too much blood and was severely depleted of energy; if she couldn't wake up and eat soon, they would have to buy a century-old ginseng root to prolong her life. The two were penniless and could only hope that she would wake up quickly.
This kind of patient is a piece of cake for Aunt Guan, but the prescription is missing one ingredient, and finding the key medicinal guide is urgent. The two locked the door and, carrying baskets on their backs, hurriedly climbed the mountain behind the house.
The tension made them forget their fatigue.
This mountain is barren, with no scenery or people, so it's highly unlikely you'd encounter a wild boar.
There's not much on the front of the mountain, but there are plenty of wild vegetables. It seems the ancients didn't really appreciate them, so they grow all over the mountain.
As we ventured deeper into the mountains, the path became overgrown with weeds, forcing us to rely on our sense of direction to find footing. The sun gradually rose, and the towering trees in the dense forest cast a shadow, creating a cool and eerie atmosphere.
Lan Ya Mei doesn't recognize medicinal herbs; at best, she's just Aunt Guan's little bodyguard.
As soon as Aunt Guan entered the mountain, she buried herself in searching, digging here and there, and found some strange things.
Lan Ya Mei couldn't fall behind, so she could only rely on her knowledge to gather ingredients she recognized. Luckily, the damp, cool forest was teeming with mushrooms. As she picked, Lan Ya Mei asked, "Why are you turning away these free laborers who are practically offering themselves up?"
“Those three have picked up too many bad habits; keeping them around will only cause trouble. It will take a lot of effort just to discipline them in the future, so why bother? If we need people to do the work later, we can just hire them.” Aunt Guan waved her hoe and dug towards a strange black flower root.
“That’s true! But a prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold, and we should always give those who have strayed and come back a chance.” Lan Yamei still regretted the loss of three free laborers.
"Don't always think about taking advantage, or you'll never suffer a loss. If you steal and sell it, you'll be crying before you know it. If you're acting under someone else's orders, we can't keep you here either," Aunt Guan deliberately threatened Lan Ya Mei.
"I really didn't expect that! I was so naive back then! How could I have trusted you so easily?" Lan Yamei deliberately brought up Aunt Guan.
"That day I didn't want to live anymore. I wanted to leave the city to die, but you dragged me to drink some wine to warm me up, and I even ate two bites of your awful barbecue. Sigh! Suddenly I just realized it all! I don't want to die anymore! I still want to follow you, eat your food and drink your drinks. Isn't that infuriating?" Aunt Guan was always quick-witted and never stopped arguing.
"It really was a bit awful before! But then I saw this plump old lady was starving, so out of kindness, I used my best skills. You saw it yesterday, I do have some talent after all," Lan Yamei said with a hint of pride.
"Okay, once the butterflies are ready, let's work together, make lots of money, and never go hungry again." Grandma Guan was full of anticipation for a better life in the future.
"Aunt Guan, tell me about your past. Who was it that made you fall for Hua Yuhe's trick? What exactly happened?" Lan Yamei was very curious. Such a large business was given up so easily; the reasons behind it must be very touching.
Aunt Guan dug out some herbal roots from the soil, smelled them, and said happily, "It's all done! The butterfly's life has been saved."
"Aunt Guan..." Lan Yamei was really curious about the grudges and feuds in the martial arts world.
As the two walked down the mountain, Aunt Guan said, "I've come to understand one thing in my life: a woman's life must always be in her own hands. Never, ever think of relying on a man. Once you do, you'll be doomed sooner or later."
"Finished?"
"It's over!"
"What kind of story is this? It's not good. Who is he? Who is the man who has you so infatuated?" Lan Yamei pressed.
"All I can tell you is that his name is Ni Shaofeng, and he's a scumbag. Alright, that's the end of the story. Let's hurry back; Butterfly is waiting for us!" With that, Aunt Guan took the lead and strode down the mountain.
Lan Yamei wanted to help Aunt Guan resolve her inner conflict, but Aunt Guan kept her wounds tightly closed. It seems this matter can't be rushed; when the opportunity arises, she'll definitely catch Ni Shaofeng and help Aunt Guan vent her anger.
When the two returned home, Butterfly was still unconscious. Aunt Guan prepared some herbs, brewed them, and fed her the medicine spoonful by spoonful.
Lan Yamei emptied the wild vegetables from the basket, cooked a pot of vegetable and rice porridge, stir-fried a plate of garlic-flavored lotus root slices, and a large plate of wild mushrooms, and called Aunt Guan to eat.
The two hadn't eaten since having a bowl of wontons at Uncle Ouyang's place last night, and were starving. Smelling the aroma of the food, they didn't stand on ceremony and slurped it all up.
After cleaning up the dishes, Butterfly still needed to have medicine applied to her body, so Aunt Guan went off to do that.
Lan Ya Mei was worried as she looked at the pile of lotus roots! Would they turn black and spoil if left like this?
After thinking it over, with three or four hours until dark, I quickly mixed the dough and made two large basins of lotus root cakes, at least three hundred skewers. We were short-handed tonight, so we only fried them in the oil, not on the grill, which would be faster.
I feel uneasy without money, so I'd better hurry to the ghost market to get some silver.
Although she was very sleepy, Lan Yamei still greeted Aunt Guan. Aunt Guan wanted to go and help, but Lan Yamei disagreed, as Butterfly couldn't be left unattended.
When we arrived at the night market, everyone had already set up their stalls. Last night, Lan Ya Mei fought off Tie Tou, and everyone regarded her as a hero, so they all greeted her warmly.
Lan Yamei replied cheerfully that her usual spot was still available and no one was taking it, keeping her hands busy. Before any customers placed orders, she took a short nap on the table.
I don't know how long I slept, but a magnetic, pleasant voice asked, "Young lady, what are you selling here?"
Lan Ya Mei opened her eyes and saw the handsome scholar from the day before yesterday again. Thinking that the trick about the thirty taels of silver had been discovered, she hurriedly said, "What, it's you again? What do you want?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
