Chapter 20: There are always more solutions than problems
The next day, Hua Changxi woke up late as usual and frowned when she found no steamed buns by her bedside.
Had Lu Qingluo stopped bringing her steamed buns because she was scared by her own actions last night?
Soon, Hua Changxi realized she was being ostracized by the others in her room.
Before, everyone would at least greet her when they met, but now, they acted as if they hadn’t seen her.
As she was pulling the medicinal herbs back to the Sixth Bureau for cleaning, Hua Changxi saw Wang Yun Chu squatting beside Du Ruo, speaking something with an agitated expression. He kept glancing at her when he saw her return.
Hua Changxi knew Wang Yun Chu was lodging a complaint, but she wasn’t worried at all.
As long as their own interests weren’t affected, would leaders care about the conflicts between their subordinates?
The answer was, of course not!
Just as she expected, by the time she finished her tasks in the afternoon, Du Ruo showed no intention of summoning her for a talk.
“Hello, Aunties.”
Hua Changxi was once again the first to arrive at the canteen for a meal. The women serving food in the canteen knew her quite well.
“Changxi, you’re so efficient at your work.”
“It’s all thanks to my parents for raising me well and giving me a strong body.”
After getting her food, Hua Changxi didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she stood aside and chatted with the women.
“Aunt Qin, did your hand suffer an injury?”
The woman surnamed Qin, who was the steward of the kitchen, was surprised by Hua Changxi’s words. “How did you know my hand was injured?”
Hua Changxi smiled, “I noticed your hand trembles when you serve food.”
Aunt Qin sighed, “I fell in the kitchen a few years ago, and that’s when I injured my wrist. It hasn’t fully healed in all these years, and as I get older, my hand trembles more and more.”
Hua Changxi said, “Aunt Qin, my family runs an apothecary shop, and I know massage. Let me give you a massage; it can alleviate your hand tremors.”
Aunt Qin’s face lit up. “Really?”
Hua Changxi smiled, pulled Aunt Qin’s right hand over, and began to massage it, focusing on a few acupoints.
In a short while, Aunt Qin showed an expression of amazement. “I feel my wrist is indeed less stiff.” As she spoke, she picked up a spoon, scooped a full spoonful of vegetables, and her hand didn’t even tremble.
Hua Changxi said, “Auntie, I’ll come to give you more massages in the future, and the effect will be even better.”
Aunt Qin put down the spoon. “How can I impose?”
Hua Changxi smiled, “You aunties take such good care of me, always giving me a full serving of food. Of course, I have to reciprocate.”
She then looked at the other women. “Aunties, don’t let my young age fool you. My medical skills have been recognized by Pharmacist Xu on Ninth Street. If you feel unwell in the future, feel free to ask me.”
Hearing that Hua Changxi knew a pharmacist on Ninth Street, Aunt Qin and the other women were astonished.
Aunt Qin said, “Changxi, you mustn’t lie to us.”
Hua Changxi smiled, “Aunties, what benefit would I get from lying to you?”
Aunt Qin exchanged glances with the other women. Then, a woman in her thirties looked at Hua Changxi with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“Changxi, my body has always been a bit unwell. Can you take a look at me?”
Hua Changxi performed the four diagnostic methods on her and stated confidently, “Auntie, you have a gynecological condition. Do you have ink and paper? I’ll write you a prescription.”
Aunt Qin naturally knew the woman’s physical condition. Seeing that Hua Changxi had accurately diagnosed the illness after just a few questions, she was somewhat surprised. “Changxi, you’re still a young woman, how do you know how to treat women’s illnesses?”
Hua Changxi chuckled, “Auntie, you shouldn’t see me as a young woman now. You should see me as a doctor. In front of a doctor, there are no statuses, no ages, only people.”
She then looked at the woman with the gynecological condition.
“Auntie, if you don’t trust me, after I write the prescription, you can take it to a trusted doctor for a consultation. If they say there’s no problem, then you can take the medicine. After three doses, you’ll know its efficacy.”
Seeing her speak so confidently, Aunt Qin gave the woman a look, and the woman immediately went to get ink and paper.
By the time Hua Changxi finished writing the prescription, more people had started arriving at the canteen.
“Aunties, you all carry on with your work. I’m going to eat now.”
Hua Changxi picked up her rice bowl and was about to leave when Aunt Qin grabbed her arm.
“Changxi, wait a moment. I have something to ask you. Why have I never seen you come for breakfast in the morning?”
Hua Changxi looked a bit embarrassed. “I wake up too late in the morning, and by then, there’s no food left.”
Aunt Qin immediately showed disapproval. “You’re a young woman, and this is the time when your body is growing. How can you not eat breakfast? Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll have someone save your breakfast for you from now on. You can come and eat when you wake up.”
Hearing this, Hua Changxi instantly turned into a fan. “Aunt Qin, you’re too kind. I’m truly lucky to have met such benefactors.”
With breakfast settled, Hua Changxi happily went to eat dinner. After dinner, she returned to her room to wash up and then began her cultivation.
The next day, after waking up late, Hua Changxi indeed went to the canteen. The aunties there were very welcoming. They not only saved her steamed buns and vegetable porridge but also pickles and preserved vegetables.
This was the kind of breakfast she had at the Hua Family.
As Hua Changxi walked out of the canteen after breakfast, she saw Lu Qingluo leading a young woman she hadn’t seen before into their dormitory.
“Lu Qingluo knows people from the Apprentice Hall?”
That young woman was wearing the uniform of the Apprentice Hall.
Hua Changxi glanced at the two and then withdrew her gaze, hurrying to the storeroom to collect the medicinal herbs to be cleaned that day.
“What is Changxi doing at the canteen at this hour?”
Lu Qingluo also saw Hua Changxi.
Lu Qingling said, “She’s going to the canteen to eat, of course.”
Lu Qingluo chuckled, “Sister, don’t you see what time it is? The canteen is long out of food.”
Lu Qingling looked at her sister. “You might not get any, but others might.” She had clearly seen that young woman patting her stomach contentedly as she left the canteen.
Lu Qingluo let out an “Ah.”
Lu Qingling said, “If you can befriend the people at the canteen, you can also have food anytime.” This kind of thing happened at the Apprentice Hall too.
“Capable people, no matter where they go, will never lack food.”
“Is she the Hua Changxi you mentioned who taught Wang Yun Chu a lesson?”
Lu Qingluo nodded.
When Lu Qingling heard her sister recount the full story of Hua Changxi teaching Wang Yun Chu a lesson, she already felt this person was not simple. Now, seeing her in person, that feeling became even more profound.
“She has spirit, isn’t afraid of trouble, and can still sleep soundly after hitting someone. This Hua Changxi is definitely a tough character. You should keep your distance from her in the future.”
Lu Qingluo looked puzzled. “Sister, I thought you wanted me to befriend her?”
Lu Qingling sighed. “Staying close to capable people can bring some convenience, but it also carries great danger, and one can easily become their stepping stone.”
Hearing this, Lu Qingluo immediately showed concern. “Sister, are you having a difficult time at the Apprentice Hall?”
Lu Qingling shook her head. “Don’t worry, I can still manage.” As she spoke, she frowned, her expression displeased. “The newly recruited apprentices this time all have some background, which has made the Apprentice Hall even more chaotic.”
“Those people don’t have much skill, but they have big tempers. We increased recruitment to cope with the increasingly heavy workload, but now, the burden on the Apprentice Hall hasn’t lessened; instead, it has increased.”
Seeing her sister’s worry deepen, Lu Qingling quickly stopped talking. “Alright, let’s not talk about these unhappy things.” After speaking, she took out a small notebook she had been keeping.
“This is what the Apprentice Hall taught last month. Study it carefully, and it’s best to memorize everything in it.”
Lu Qingluo accepted it solemnly. “Sister, don’t worry, I’ll study it well.”
Meanwhile, Hua Changxi arrived at the storeroom, but she didn’t see Yu Hui, nor did the other gatekeepers.
After waiting for a while, she saw Yu Hui emerge from the storeroom, covered in sweat and dirt.
“Brother Yu, what happened to you?”
Yu Hui was already quite familiar with Hua Changxi and didn’t hide anything. “A batch of medicinal herbs arrived last night, and the escorts put them in the wrong place, so we have to sort them out again.”
Hua Changxi asked, “Have you finished sorting them?”
Yu Hui took a big gulp of water and said resentfully, “It’s still a long way off. If medicinal herbs are not stored properly, they will spoil, and then it will be our storeroom’s fault.”
Hua Changxi asked, “Brother Yu, do you need my help?”
Yu Hui waved his hand. Just as he was about to say no, he thought of Hua Changxi’s strength. He figured with Changxi assisting him, it would be much easier. He immediately pretended to hesitate. “You still have your own work to do, how can you help me?”
Hua Changxi smiled, “I’m very fast at my work. How about this, I’ll finish my tasks for today first, and then I’ll come find you.”
Yu Hui hesitated for a moment before agreeing. “Alright, Sister Changxi. We’re so familiar with each other now, so I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Hua Changxi smiled, “Brother Yu has helped me so much. I’m more than happy to have this opportunity to repay you.”
“By the way, Brother Yu, you’re so tired. Let me move the medicinal herbs myself today.”
Yu Hui didn’t refuse. “Okay, you can move them yourself.”
Hua Changxi took this opportunity to move some medicinal herbs she hadn’t encountered before.
Yu Hui saw Hua Changxi taking a bit of each type of medicinal herb and didn’t say anything.
Hua Changxi had wanted to enter the storeroom to take a look for a long time.
The storeroom contained a vast variety of medicinal herbs. As long as she could enter and taste each type, she could fully inherit all the knowledge from the Hundred Herbs Annotation sooner.
The opportunity to enter the storeroom was rare. Hua Changxi didn’t deliberately slow down as she had before. She delayed her lunch a bit and finished cleaning all 500 medicinal herbs.
By the time Lu Qingluo and the others returned after lunch to continue their work, Hua Changxi had already delivered the washed medicinal herbs to the Second Department.
