Chapter 86 One Should Always Face Things with a Smile (Seeking First Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
the next day.
Xiaodie got up early, dressed neatly as usual, and began to busy herself in Chunhe Garden.
Fetch water, clean, and prepare breakfast.
Having previously experienced waking up later than Chen Yi a few times, she was determined to wake up earlier than her son-in-law from now on.
That has indeed been the case these past few days.
Every day, Xiaodie would get ready and then help Chen Yi get up, and after breakfast, she would take him to the Jishi Pharmacy.
That alone is enough to make her happy all day.
To be honest, she was just that kind of simple-minded maid.
By the time everything was finished, it was just beginning to get light.
Xiaodie looked at the newly clean study, living room, and the fried dough sticks, porridge, and several snacks and side dishes laid out on the octagonal table.
A charming smile involuntarily appeared on her little face.
"You can go wake the son-in-law up and get dressed now."
No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps were heard outside the door, and Chen Yi, dressed in a neat long robe, walked in.
He glanced at the breakfast on the table, smiled and praised Xiaodie for being sensible, then sat down at the table and stuffed a fried dough stick into his mouth.
Xiaodie stared blankly at him, her smile frozen, and her eyes dimmed as if they had lost their light.
Oh dear, my son-in-law got up very early again today.
Chen Yi didn't notice her odd behavior. After finishing a fried dough stick and taking a sip of porridge, he said, "Xiao Die, remember to ask the kitchen to pickle more pickled mustard greens next time. They're a perfect match for rice porridge."
Xiaodie gave an "oh" and asked sullenly, "Young master, what time did you get up today?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment and casually replied, "It's probably not yet the hour of Yin (3-5 AM)."
Xiaodie puffed out her cheeks and secretly resolved that starting tomorrow she would get up at 1:15 AM, no, 2:15 AM... or even 5:15 AM.
It wasn't that she wanted to stay in bed, but it was too early. After serving her son-in-law, she would have plenty of free time for the rest of the day.
How can a competent maid be idle?
Chen Yi had no idea what she was thinking. He quickly filled his stomach with a satisfied sound, then got up and walked towards the study.
He added, "After Wu Ge gets up, I'll take him to Jiaxingyuan for breakfast."
Xiaodie instinctively agreed, then, noticing there was still a lot of breakfast left, hesitated and asked, "Young Master, what about these..."
Chen Yi turned around, pointed at her, and then went into the study with a smile.
Xiaodie belatedly pointed to herself, "Me?"
But she was all alone; how could she possibly finish two bowls of porridge, four fried dough sticks, and an egg pastry?
Let's not talk about the little thoughts in Xiaodie's head.
Upon arriving at the study, Chen Yi sat down at the desk, ground ink, and began writing.
However, unlike usual, his mind wasn't on the words; he was thinking about something else entirely.
For example, who instructed "Knife Maniac" Liu Lang and the Illusionary Sound Sect to plunder that batch of medicinal herbs?
For example, what might be the internal reaction of the Xiao family after the medicinal herbs are lost, as well as the reactions of outsiders after they learn of the incident.
There are also issues regarding the continued operation of several pharmacies, and how to deal with the Jishi Pharmacy under his responsibility, etc.
I thought about it in bits and pieces.
Chen Yi did have a general idea of what was going on, and he felt somewhat more confident.
However, there are some issues that he still cannot see clearly.
"This matter seems to be related to the trade market. With the medicinal herbs missing, the Xiao family will definitely have a tough time in the second half of the year."
"Furthermore, with the need to establish a trade market with the mountain tribes, the government's funds may not be sufficient, and it might even affect the expenses of each household."
"So...the Hidden Guards?"
Chen Yi quickly dismissed the idea, saying, "It's too hasty."
If the Hidden Guards were so eager to bring down the Xiao family, they wouldn't have sent someone like him, a "rookie."
After all, without several years of planning and preparation, it would be impossible for a son-in-law to take control of the Xiao family.
If Chen Yi were the head of the Hidden Guards, he wouldn't want to cause too much of a stir when dealing with a powerful family like the Xiao family, which had been operating in Shuzhou for two hundred years.
He must strike a balance, not be too hasty, and not push too hard.
The best approach is to "take the big picture and let go of the small details".
Otherwise, if things don't go as planned, the Xiao family might be driven to take desperate measures.
"If it's not a hidden guard, then who could it be?"
My train of thought has stalled for now.
Looking at the illegible handwriting and the lack of artistic conception on the Yunsong paper in front of him, Chen Yi silently thought to himself:
"There should be more to come, no rush."
He needs to see what happens next to verify his guesses and find out who is behind it and what their purpose is.
There's still time.
With that thought in mind, Chen Yi slowly tidied up the things on the table, neatly arranging the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
He crumpled the messy piece of paper and threw it into the wastebasket.
If someone sees a poem with lines like "Killing one person in ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles," they will inevitably misinterpret its meaning.
A moment later, Xiao Wuge got up, washed, and dressed, and Chen Yi took him to Jiaxing Garden.
"Brother-in-law, aren't you going to the pharmacy today?"
These past few days, after Xiao Wuge got up, Chen Yi had already left the mansion, so he couldn't see him even if he wanted to go out with him.
Chen Yi casually replied that he was taking a break, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiaxingyuan.
Xiao Wuge immediately became somewhat sullen.
He did have some ulterior motives in asking that question.
Yesterday he only glanced at the pharmacy, still excited and curious, and was thinking of going again today.
A short while later, the two arrived at Jiaxingyuan.
Xiao Wan'er must have gotten up long ago. She was wearing a festive red cloak and standing in front of the building, giving instructions to her two maids with a smile on her face.
"...When the medicinal herbs are put into storage, remember to be careful and register them in a categorized manner."
"Hua Tang is not good at math, so you two should help her out. Oh, and Xiao Die too, you can call her along later."
Her gentle voice echoed in the courtyard.
Chen Yi heard it clearly, and he didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
Leaving aside Xiaodie's mathematical abilities, it's clear that Xiao Wan'er hasn't received news of the stolen medicinal herbs yet.
It seems that the people outside the city haven't come in yet, and the news should arrive soon.
And Shen Huatang...
Last night, he only saw Liu Lang and Huan Yinzong slaughter everyone in the escort agency, but he didn't know if Shen Huatang had also died.
I hope she's safe and sound.
Otherwise, judging from Xiao Wan'er's current state, she would inevitably be unable to bear the extreme joy followed by extreme sorrow.
It seemed as if they heard the sound of two people's footsteps.
Xiao Wan'er turned around and glanced at him, a smile appearing on her pale face, but it was directed at Xiao Wuge:
"You've come so early today, haven't you eaten yet?"
Xiao Wuge nodded, and then complained a little: "My brother-in-law ate all of his breakfast by himself."
Chen Yi understood that it was Xiao Die's "achievement," but he couldn't reveal the truth, so he explained, "I practiced stance training for a while this morning."
Xiao Wan'er's smile seemed to widen in an instant, and then she instructed her maid to prepare breakfast.
After everyone left, she asked, "Didn't my brother-in-law go to the pharmacy today?"
Last night she was pleased that Chen Yi had gotten used to life at the pharmacy, but seeing him so slack off today, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Chen Yi brought up the reason he had just given Xiao Wuge, "Let's rest for now, and see what happens tomorrow."
Fortunately, he didn't know Xiao Wan'er's thoughts, otherwise he definitely wouldn't have cared about her.
He knew exactly how much this young lady cared about that batch of medicinal herbs.
If he hadn't been worried that Xiao Wan'er wouldn't be able to handle the news of the stolen medicinal herbs, he wouldn't have brought Xiao Wuge with him.
Xiao Wan'er nodded understandingly and comforted her, "You're new to business, so you really can't be impatient."
"Especially the pharmacy, which has a wide variety of medicinal materials and a diverse range of people, it took even Liu, the accountant, two years to sort things out."
"And those doctors and apprentices, remember not to be too harsh on them; they are all long-time members of the Xiao family..."
Perhaps because she was in a good mood or had gotten off to a good start, Xiao Wan'er unusually chatted with Chen Yi for a few minutes.
Most of the topics are about how to manage a pharmacy, what to pay attention to, and what attitude to use towards different people.
Chen Yi's feelings.
To put it simply, it's like... he couldn't find the right words at the moment.
However, Xiao Wan'er still had a smile on her face, which made him somewhat relieved.
It's just clear they won't last until noon.
As the siblings were having breakfast, a light footstep came from outside the door.
Chen Yi paused, realizing the person's identity.
Fortunately, Shen Huatang survived.
Then Shen Huatang's voice was heard, "Young Miss..."
Xiao Wan'er looked towards the door, her smile faltering as a bad premonition arose in her heart.
At this moment, Shen Huatang, dressed in blood-stained blue robes, lowered her head and said with a mixture of self-reproach and hesitation:
"The medicinal herbs have been stolen."
(End of this chapter)
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