Chapter 134

Xiangxiang Hao's face turned even redder, and she clasped her hands behind her back, her fingertips barely touching.

"Young lady, your candy figurine," Fang Heng said again in a louder voice, thinking she was hard of hearing.

Only then did Xiangxiang Hao come to her senses and carefully take the candy figurine from him. "Thank you, young master."

"You're welcome," Fang Heng said with a slight smile and left with his back straight.

Xiangxiang Hao stared blankly as he left, and accidentally bit the candy figurine to pieces in her absent-mindedness.

That night when Shopkeeper Hao returned home, his only daughter immediately started making a fuss. "Daddy, I don't like Young Master Zheng anymore!"

"You don't like him? Who do you like then?" Shopkeeper Hao glared.

"I like... I like a young master who is nimble and skillful," Xiangxiang Hao said, her face turning red.

Shopkeeper Hao thought it was nonsense. She had only seen someone once, and she already liked him? But his precious daughter was like a delicate flower. If she wanted the moon in the sky, Shopkeeper Hao would be willing to pluck it for her.

The next day, Zheng Ruqian came to deliver sausages.

Shopkeeper Hao regretfully apologized, "After thinking it over yesterday, Xiangxiang felt that you two were not suitable. Don't worry, this will not affect our partnership."

Although Zheng Ruqian was delighted, he still had to sigh with regret, displaying his sympathy.

After leaving Tranquil Residence, he waved his hand grandly. "Let's go see the excitement."

Fang Heng was not a patient person, and Zheng Ruqian was also unwilling to sacrifice his little brother.

The fish had already taken the bait. Now they just had to make the fatheaded fish afraid and abandon the bait itself.

And so, the following scene appeared in an alley near Tranquil Residence:

The elegant Young Master Fang who was dressed neatly on the outside suddenly became vicious and merciless in the alley. He punched and kicked innocent passersby, even breaking two clubs over them.

This scared Xiangxiang Hao, who had happily followed him to the alley entrance, out of her wits. After Fang Heng beat a passerby until he spit out blood, he sinisterly turned back as if ready to assault the next person at any time.

Xiangxiang Hao screamed in fright. She turned and fled back to Tranquil Residence, heedless of all else.

The alley became quiet for a while.

Not long after, Fang Heng's expression returned to normal. He even helped up Jiang San, the "passerby" who was lying on the ground spitting blood.

Turning his head, he saw a smiling Zheng Ruqian. Fang Heng spread his hands. "My payment."

If not for those nine blades, he would never sell himself out and do something like this.

"Don't worry, I already sent them home," Zheng Ruqian said happily, grinning from ear to ear.

After this incident, Shopkeeper Hao would never open his mouth to accept a son-in-law again.

A few people returned to Hairpin Courtyard.

Except for Jiang San, the other seven servants were already crouching in front of the blades, staring at them longingly.

Fang Heng's eyes lit up in pleasant surprise, and he rushed forward in just a few steps to pick up a blade. But he felt something was wrong.

When he looked closely, he lost his voice. "Firewood chopping knives?"

Where were the promised blades? How did they become easily blunted firewood chopping knives instead?

Fang San turned his head and glared angrily at Zheng Ruqian.

Zheng Ruqian smiled awkwardly. "It took me great pains to buy these. What's wrong with firewood chopping knives? They're still better than sticks!"

If the county office investigated later, the nine of them would still have to go up the mountain and chop some firewood to prove that buying knives would not violate laws and disciplines.

"Zheng Er!" In his impatience, Fang Heng picked up a knife and chased after him. "You tricked me into doing that for you..."

Zheng Ruqian turned and fled, ducking straight into the workshop and bumping right into Zhang Qiquan coming out.

For a time, Hairpin Courtyard was thrown into chaos with people and horses overturned. Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun were unwilling to get dragged in, so they slipped outside quietly with small steps.

These past few days, the two youngsters had discussed opening a medicine shop.

The storefront was selected by Wang Fufeng at Chang Yan's request. It was located at the northernmost intersection of East Street. Although the rent was a bit higher, the location was excellent, easily accessible from all directions.

At first Wen Zhiyun was somewhat worried. "I'm just opening a medicine shop. I don't need such a superior location. Any remote street corner would do."

Let alone him, even Doctor Wu's clinic wasn't located on a bustling street.

But Chang Yan solemnly said, "Fourth brother, we're not opening the medicine shop just to simply treat illnesses, but to help our brothers as well." Who had the most well-informed intelligence in the world? Who could most easily infiltrate the enemy's interior?

Of course it was medicine shops and doctors.

Ordinary medicine shops and doctors wouldn't do. To quickly build a reputation and establish connections, they had to go against convention and catch others by surprise.

For this reason, Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun racked their brains for three days before finally finding an overlooked perspective.

Whether rural doctors or city physicians, most were men.

Even the imperial doctors in the royal city were all long-bearded men. To diagnose the pulse for the imperial concubines, they had to place a handkerchief as a buffer, or simply draw a curtain.

Having a female doctor would be more convenient and also more needed by wealthy households.

Chang Yan still remembered when he first proposed this idea, Wen Zhiyun had been extremely alarmed, protectively wrapping his slender frame and softly saying, "I'm not a woman."

"I'm not asking Fourth Brother to cross-dress," Chang Yan said with exasperation. "I mean for you to hire more women to prepare medicine and receive customers."

The position of Anshui Magistrate was normally rotated every three years, and family members often came along. If Wen Zhiyun's clinic had female doctors, it would surely gain special favor from the magistrate's wife.

Who could have imagined that little Doctor Wen had just become independent and now had to be a teacher, and give guidance to women at that.

Wen Zhiyun's scalp tingled and he looked utterly reluctant.

But in order to deal with danger and protect their brothers and sisters, little Doctor Wen still gritted his teeth and agreed.

When Zheng Ruqian and Fang Heng got rid of their rotten peach blossom predicament, the clinic had already been tidied up. All that was left was to hire a clever girl to prepare medicine and receive customers before they could officially open for business.

When this news spread back to Hairpin Courtyard, Wang Xiaosong gave pointers to his little sister.

Although making sausages earned five coins per day, doing the same task every day without any future prospects was unfulfilling.

Wang Xiaozhu mustered her courage and sidled up to Wen Zhiyun. In a small voice she said, "Fourth Young Master, Fifth Young Master, may I...may I help out at the clinic?"

Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan exchanged a look.

Due to societal constraints, although their ideals were beautiful, families who were truly willing to let their daughters stand out were not many. There were also few poor commoners in the county city, resulting in no girls willing to come prepare medicine even after recruiting for several days.

Although Wang Xiaozhu was a bit young, at least she came from a clean background and knew the context.

After exchanging thoughts and confirming neither opposed, Wen Zhiyun nodded in agreement.

The next day, Wen's Clinic had its trial opening.

It was also on this day that the new Anshui Magistrate arrived at the Anyang County Government Office with his family.