Chapter 109: New Business
Qian Yongqiang is the son of the horse market manager. He has been helping his father manage the horse market since childhood and is tall and sturdy.
Xiao Yanci hit him with an umbrella. At first, he didn’t react. By the time he did, several fists came flying, beating Xiao Yanci so badly he couldn’t get up.
Jiang Yihuan anxiously shouted from the side: “Stop hitting. Brother Qian, Xiao Gege, stop hitting. This is a misunderstanding. Let’s calm down and talk it over properly.”
Su Yaoguang excitedly watched the scene and said to Zhou Wangshu beside her: “Wait a bit. Let’s watch the show a little longer.”
Zhou Wangshu asked the shop assistant behind him: “Do you have melon seeds?”
The shop assistant was also watching with great interest and nodded: “Yes!”
He grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the nearby cabinet and placed them in Zhou Wangshu’s hand.
Zhou Wangshu paid one copper coin.
He put the melon seeds in Su Yaoguang’s hand.
Su Yaoguang cracked melon seeds while watching the show.
Unfortunately, Xiao Yanci was too weak and couldn’t withstand the beating. Jiang Yihuan blocked in front of him and pleaded with Qian Yongqiang, who stopped on her account.
“Does my business with Huan’er need you sticking your nose in?” Qian Yongqiang grumbled. “You’d better know your place and not meddle in our affairs anymore. I am definitely marrying Huan’er.”
“In your dreams…” Xiao Yanci retorted.
“Courting death, still talking back.” Qian Yongqiang kicked him a few more times.
“Enough. If you keep this up, I’ll get angry.” Jiang Yihuan glared at Qian Yongqiang in anger.
Qian Yongqiang withdrew his fists and said to Jiang Yihuan: “Huan’er, your servant here doesn’t know the rules. I’m just helping you discipline him and teach him how to work.”
“You say I’m your servant?” Xiao Yanci looked at Jiang Yihuan with hurt eyes.
Jiang Yihuan shook her head: “Not me, it’s my mother…”
Xiao Yanci felt a bit better then.
“What about him then? What’s his deal?”
“Brother Qian has helped me a lot. He’s my friend.” After saying this, Jiang Yihuan glanced at Qian Yongqiang, her face full of shyness.
Su Yaoguang saw there was no more show to watch and took Zhou Wangshu back. On the way, she saw that fat younger sister again and puzzledly looked at Zhang Zhaodi beside her.
Zhang Zhaodi said: “The young lady went to the clinic. The doctors all said they couldn’t regulate her body. She came back to us again. Jing’er doesn’t know how to charge for this, so she’s waiting for you to decide.”
“I left earlier and now I’m back. Are you still willing to help treat me?” The fat younger sister, Wang Chunhua, felt a bit embarrassed facing them at this moment.
“Sister, as long as you believe in us, you can come back anytime. You’re worried we can’t cure your illness and you’ll waste this money, right? How about we change the way we charge? Before treatment, we check how many jin you weigh, first sign a deed for the first month. Within one month, lose at least ten jin. We won’t charge for ten jin or less. Exactly ten jin, we charge you three hundred copper coins. For every additional jin lost after that, we charge twenty copper coins more. What do you think of this arrangement?”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll lose nine jin and then stop losing?” Wang Chunhua asked.
“Sister, to be honest, don’t get mad. With your current body, if you only lose a few jin, then don’t bother. We’d lose at most some medicinal herbs and time, but you’d be damaging your body. You can tell Sister was definitely a stunning beauty before getting sick. At your age, you should be arranging a marriage. You want to be in your best state for a good marriage proposal, right?”
Wang Chunhua nodded with red eyes: “I originally had a childhood sweetheart. We agreed that we’d wed when I turned fifteen, but now he’s gone back on it and married someone else. My mother wants me to meet suitors, but others think I’m ugly and won’t marry me. I’m not convinced. Before I got sick, I was the prettiest girl in the village, and families proposing marriage lined up at our door. I want to change myself.”
Zhang Zhaodi, who had been worried, felt the stone in her heart drop after hearing Wang Chunhua’s words.
Wang Chunhua agreed to Su Yaoguang’s plan.
Her father is the Village Head, and they have dozens of mu of land at home, plus five older brothers. Clearly, her family’s conditions are not bad. Now, as long as she can be cured, she doesn’t care about that bit of money.
Su Yaoguang discussed with Wang Chunhua, then took her outside and said to the passersby: “Everyone, today Sister Wang and I have signed a deed. Peach Blossom Workshop guarantees she’ll lose more than ten jin within one month. If we don’t reach this standard, we won’t take a single copper coin from her. Please bear witness. In one month, we’ll witness the miracle.”
“This young lady is so fat, her family must eat well, right? Just make her eat plain food for a few days, and she’ll naturally slim down. This isn’t hard at all!”
Wang Chunhua said with a bitter face: “Everyone doesn’t know, but I got fat not because I eat too well. If it were that simple, I wouldn’t have let myself get this fat. I’ve tried many methods, even starved for days until I fainted, but still didn’t lose weight. Peach Blossom Workshop’s female doctor said it’s drug toxins left from an illness three years ago. I want to try believing them.”
“This is Wang Chunhua. I know her. She really tried many methods to lose weight and even got a stomach ailment. She can’t starve at all now. Before she got fat, this young lady was a little beauty, so pretty and lively.”
Su Yaoguang had discussed with Wang Chunhua: if she cooperated with some publicity, they’d waive two hundred copper coins of her fee.
The Su family was eager to build their career, while across the way, they were still making a fuss over that bit of man-woman business.
Zhong Lanhua saw Xiao Yanci’s face swollen like a pig’s head and angrily said: “We’re just letting it go like this? No way. We must get the Qian Family to compensate for medical expenses.”
“Mother, Brother Qian already gave it.” Jiang Yihuan took out the money bag.
Zhong Lanhua saw the money bag, opened it, poured out the contents, counted them, and disdainfully said: “Only two hundred copper coins? Why didn’t you ask for more?”
“Mother, first arrange someone to decoct medicine for Xiao Gege.” Jiang Yihuan gave her a look.
After Zhong Lanhua left, Jiang Yihuan sat by Xiao Yanci’s bed and guiltily looked at him: “It’s all my fault. I should have explained earlier, then you two wouldn’t have this misunderstanding.”
“That man clearly pesters you, yet you still make friends with him.” Xiao Yanci was displeased. “He said you’re going to marry him. Is that true?”
“Of course not. Our family had some difficulties before, and he often helped me. I didn’t know how to refuse him. But it’s fine. Over time, he’ll understand I have no other feelings for him. I’m very grateful for his care, and I respect him like an older brother.” Jiang Yihuan said, “Xiao Gege, I’m really sorry. It’s all because of me that you got hurt.”
“What about me then? In your eyes, am I also an older brother?” Xiao Yanci recalled his previous life. At that time, Jiang Yihuan didn’t have any so-called older brothers, and he hadn’t quarreled with anyone.
But back then, he was tightly entangled by Su Yaoguang and didn’t have much time to spend with Jiang Yihuan. Perhaps she was already being pestered by other men, he just didn’t know.
