Chapter 163: Medicine Child
After staying one night at the Hua Family, Hua Changxi returned to the Shennong Apothecary Shop in Feng’an Ward early on October 24th. She informed Pu Cao that from now on, if any Hua Family members came to sell items cultivators needed, they should accept them as long as the quality was up to par, and she gave Pu Cao a price list.
Pu Cao glanced at the price list. She didn’t know much about the market prices for Spirit Talismans and Spiritual Artifacts yet, but she was very clear about the selling prices of Elixirs. Seeing that the purchase prices for Pills on the list were significantly higher than the market price, she knew Hua Changxi was secretly helping out the Hua Family.
After Hua Changxi left, Pu Cao also told A Niu about this matter.
Upon hearing this, A Niu said, “Changxi has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She’s done so much for the Hua Family, yet they don’t know and might even be complaining about her behind her back.”
Pu Cao shook her head, “Changxi’s approach is the way to go in the long run. Family is family, and you can’t completely ignore them, but you have to do it the right way.”
“If Changxi directly covered the Hua Family’s Cultivation Resources, over time, it would only make the Hua Family accustomed to taking without giving.”
“Once this habit is formed, the Hua Family will feel that Changxi’s contributions are a given. If Changxi were to cut off their Cultivation Resources later, they would absolutely not be grateful for her past efforts; instead, they would harbor greater resentment.”
“By purchasing the Elixirs and Spirit Talismans that the Hua Family refines, Changxi wants to help them learn to be self-reliant. It might be thankless work at first, but as long as the Hua Family grows through their own efforts, they will be grateful to Changxi in the future.”
She paused as she spoke.
“Of course, not all Hua Family members may understand Changxi’s good intentions. Everyone hopes to live an easier life.”
“Acquiring Cultivation Resources is not easy, and not everyone has the courage to face the dangers of Cultivation. Some people will subconsciously shift their pressure onto their family members. If the family members are unwilling to bear it, resentment will arise.”
A Niu listened and said, “The Hua Family doesn’t want to obtain Cultivation Resources themselves, which is why they clash with Changxi again and again, right?”
Pu Cao replied, “Not everyone in the Hua Family is like that. The most important thing is that Changxi is clear-headed and unwilling or unable to bear others’ responsibilities, even if they are family.” She sighed.
“However, by doing this, her family sees her as only caring about herself and not them; outsiders might see her as cold-hearted and unfeeling, disowning her relatives.”
A Niu said, “I think the Hua Family is quite ungrateful. If I had a family member like Changxi, I’d be laughing in my dreams.”
Pu Cao smiled, “Not everyone is as easily satisfied as you. Human greed is endless.” She patted A Niu’s shoulder.
“Although we are not Changxi’s family, in her eyes, we are her own people. So, you don’t need to envy the Hua Family.”
A Niu heard this and, thinking that Hua Changxi usually came to the apothecary shop when she wasn’t at the Hua Family’s, smiled and nodded.
After leaving the Shennong Apothecary Shop, Hua Changxi went directly back to the Medical Affairs Department. It was only after she stepped into the Labor Department that she realized she had gone to the wrong place; she should be going to Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall behind the Apprentice Hall.
From a Laborer in the Labor Department to the Hall Master of Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall, she had indeed been promoted.
Hua Changxi turned and exited the Labor Department, walked straight across the Plaza, and entered the Apprentice Hall opposite.
The daily task of the Laborers in the Labor Department was to wash and process Medicinal Herbs, while the most important thing for Apprentices in the Apprentice Hall was to study. Physicians and Pharmacists from Ninth Street would take turns lecturing at the Apprentice Hall.
Although the Labor Department and the Apprentice Hall were separated by only a Plaza, the status and treatment of Laborers and Apprentices were worlds apart. Apprentices were considered reserve personnel for future Physicians and Pharmacists of the Medical Affairs Department.
The size of the Apprentice Hall was similar to that of the Labor Department. This place felt a bit like a school to Hua Changxi, while the Labor Department was like a factory for processing Medicinal Herbs.
Hua Changxi slowed her pace, carefully observing everything in the Apprentice Hall. As she passed some Courtyards, she could hear the sounds of Physicians and Pharmacists lecturing from within.
Hua Changxi stopped to listen for a while and found that the content was actually about Spiritual Plants. She was a little surprised but not entirely unexpected.
If even the Laborers in the Labor Department had been replaced by people with Spiritual Roots, the Apprentice Hall would surely be even more so.
Since entering the Apprentice Hall, all the Apprentices she had encountered on the way had Spiritual Roots.
It was likely that those who could now become Apprentices in the Medical Affairs Department were not ordinary people.
Hua Changxi walked and stopped, and by the time she reached Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall, it was almost noon. As soon as she entered the Qihuang Hall, she saw eight people standing in the Courtyard, and she recognized a few of them.
“Greetings, Hall Master.”
Upon seeing Hua Changxi, the eight people immediately bowed to her.
Hua Changxi’s gaze swept over the eight people.
She wasn’t surprised to see Hua Shuran, Hua Wanyue, He Sirong, and He Siqi in the Courtyard. She was only surprised by how fast the Dingyuan Earl’s Mansion and the Marquis Wu Yi’s Mansion had acted.
At her Eldest Brother’s engagement banquet yesterday, Hua Wanyue was still asking for her opinion about wanting to enter Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall, and she had refused. Today, the Earl’s Mansion had directly sent someone in. Third Master He hadn’t even mentioned it yesterday and had directly placed someone here.
Hua Changxi felt a bit stifled. Both the Dingyuan Earl’s Mansion and the Marquis Wu Yi’s Mansion didn’t seem to take her seriously, otherwise, they wouldn’t have disregarded her opinion like this.
However, the fact that the Dingyuan Earl’s Mansion and the Marquis Wu Yi’s Mansion could place people here was enough to show that the Strength of these two families was considerable.
Hua Changxi’s gaze moved past the four people and landed on Pharmacist Xu.
Seeing Pharmacist Xu in the Courtyard truly surprised her. Firstly, she was surprised that Pharmacist Xu had become a Cultivator; secondly, he was actually here to be a Medicine Child.
Hua Changxi couldn’t figure out why Pharmacist Xu was joining the fray. She then looked at the other three people. She had interacted with one of them before; when she was punished and sent to Sancha Medicine Farm, this person was the leader.
Zhu Yu!
Although he had shaved his beard now, she recognized him at a glance.
Hua Changxi felt annoyed. Out of the eight Medicine Children, six were people she knew. She didn’t know who the remaining two were or which faction they represented.
Among the eight, Pharmacist Xu was the most familiar with Hua Changxi. Seeing that Hua Changxi was silent, he smiled and took the initiative to greet her, “Changxi, from now on, the eight of us will be your Medicine Children. Feel free to command us to do anything you need.”
The other seven immediately echoed his words.
Hua Changxi didn’t intend to pay attention to these Medicine Children, telling them to do as they pleased. She only called Pharmacist Xu into the house.
“Uncle Xu, when did you become a Cultivator?” And you have a Single Wood Spiritual Root.
Upon hearing Hua Changxi’s question, Pharmacist Xu’s face immediately lit up with a proud smile, “I was able to become a Cultivator all thanks to Lingling. I have a good daughter.”
Hua Changxi’s eyes flickered, “Lingling?”
Pharmacist Xu nodded, “Lingling was also lucky. She accidentally obtained two Pills, and after giving one to me, I gained a Spiritual Root.”
