Chapter 37: Saving someone
After obtaining the Spirit Origin Pill, Hua Changxi devoted most of her energy to improving her realm. To the others in her dormitory, she seemed to be resting almost all the time, except for the hour or so in the morning spent washing medicinal herbs.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Hua Changxi, as usual, submitted the washed medicinal herbs to the Second Department and then prepared to return to her room to cultivate.
However, as she passed by a ditch, she saw that the laborers of the Sixth Bureau had all put down their work and were gathered around their respective Third Stewards, who seemed to be assigning tasks.
Seeing Du Ruo talking with Lu Qingluo and others, Hua Changxi thought for a moment and quickly walked over.
Du Ruo saw Hua Changxi approaching and said, “The First Department needs a batch of medicinal herbs to be processed before the New Year. They are short-handed and need to transfer some laborers from our side to help. Who is willing to go?”
Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately raised her hand enthusiastically, “Steward Du, I am willing to go!”
Wang Yun Chu scoffed, “Who wouldn’t want to do this? You can learn the technique of processing medicinal herbs and earn extra income.”
Since entering December, the medicinal herbs delivered to the Medical Affairs Department had decreased by more than half compared to the previous months. They only needed to wash 200 medicinal herbs per day.
Although the work was easier, their monthly allowance also decreased accordingly.
Helping the First Department was not without reward. Every year, the First and Second Departments would ask for help from the laborers of the Third Department, and those who helped would receive a subsidy.
This kind of good opportunity was naturally appealing to everyone.
Sister-in-law Shi also chimed in, “Yes, I’m willing to go too.”
Sister Lin and Aunt Zhao immediately followed, “We are willing to go too.”
Others also chimed in.
Du Ruo said, “Each group only has two spots.”
Hearing this, everyone immediately started discussing.
Wang Yun Chu spoke first, “Steward Du, Qingluo’s sister is an apprentice in the Apprentice Hall and has taught Qingluo a lot about pharmacology. She will definitely be able to process medicinal herbs without any problems.”
Du Ruo nodded in agreement, “Qingluo is steady and reliable. She will be one of the two. Who will be the other?”
Hua Changxi spoke up again, “Steward Du, I also understand pharmacology and can process medicinal herbs.”
Du Ruo listened but showed no reaction, continuing to look at the others.
Wang Yun Chu and the others exchanged glances. Finally, Sister Lin smiled and said, “Let Yun Chu go. Although Yun Chu can be a bit sharp-tongued, she has often stood up for us, and she is clever. Together with Qingluo, they definitely won’t disgrace our group.”
Du Ruo glanced at Hua Changxi and agreed, “Alright, our group will be Qingluo and Yun Chu.” With that, she turned and left.
As soon as the steward left, the others went back to washing medicinal herbs, leaving Hua Changxi standing alone.
“Hoo~”
Hua Changxi stood for a while, exhaled a breath of stale air, and turned back to her dormitory.
Watching her leave, Wang Yun Chu immediately winked at Lu Qingluo, “Sister Qingling was right. People like Hua Changxi can’t establish themselves in the Medical Affairs Department.”
“I admit, she is very capable, and probably no one in the Labor Department dares to provoke her now. But similarly, no one dares to get close to her.”
Lu Qingluo nodded, “Changxi’s personality is indeed too solitary.” Fighting alone is not feasible anywhere.
Back in the dormitory, Hua Changxi tried hard not to dwell on the scene of being excluded. She forced herself to calm down and begin cultivating, but the circulation of spiritual energy was consistently sluggish.
Hua Changxi had to stop cultivating. She was still affected by others.
She asked herself, had she done anything excessive? Why was the hostility from outsiders so great?
“Did I do something wrong?”
At home, apart from Sixth Brother, her relationships with her other siblings were not very harmonious. Now, in the Labor Department, she was also unwelcome.
With so many siblings at home, conflicts were inevitable, but that was a separate matter.
Hua Changxi carefully recalled her experiences since entering the Labor Department.
She hadn’t helped Wang Yun Chu wash medicinal herbs, nor had she swapped shifts with Sister-in-law Shi. She had merely defended her boundaries. Even if she was capable, there was no reason for her to allow others to exploit her.
Was she wrong?
Of course not. If she hadn’t done so, it would have been a grave mistake.
As for actively befriending Yu Hui and cooperating with Eunuch Yu in alchemy, that was even less wrong.
“I did nothing wrong!”
She shouldn’t doubt herself. It was just a matter of not being liked.
Her purpose for entering the Labor Department was to upgrade her data, obtain inheritance, and improve her cultivation.
These goals were gradually being achieved. As for expanding her network, it would be good to have it, but there was no need to force it if she didn’t.
Hua Changxi comforted herself, and her mood improved significantly. She could now calm down and cultivate again.
Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu went to help the First Department the next day. When they returned in the evening, both were happily recounting their experiences at the First Department.
The second and third days were the same. However, on the fourth day, as soon as Hua Changxi returned after submitting the washed medicinal herbs to the Second Department, she saw the two of them returning.
Not only them, but all twenty female laborers from the Sixth Bureau who had gone to help had returned.
Everyone had pale faces and expressions of suppressed pain.
Hua Changxi glanced at their complexions. Without even asking, she guessed that something must have gone wrong during the processing of the medicinal herbs.
They were just like the laborers she had encountered on the day of the apprentice examination, who had been contaminated with fire poison from washing Fire Crystal Grass.
Seeing Steward Du and the other Third Stewards invite Steward Leng over, Hua Changxi stopped looking. She thought that with Steward Leng’s relationship with Eunuch Lu, treating Lu Qingluo and the others should not be a major problem.
Steward Leng indeed did not ignore Lu Qingluo and the others. She went to ask Eunuch Lu and returned with a bottle of pills, which she gave to the twenty female laborers who had gone to help.
Afterward, Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu returned to their rooms to rest.
Everyone thought that Lu Qingluo and the others would recover after taking the pills from Eunuch Lu. However, in the middle of the night, painful groans echoed from the dormitory.
“Qingluo!”
“Yun Chu!”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Sister-in-law Shi and the others lit the oil lamps and were greatly startled to see Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu sweating profusely from pain.
“Why are they so cold all over?”
“Quick, look, they’re also shivering.”
“Qingluo and Yun Chu’s condition is a bit unusual. We need to inform Steward Du.”
Soon, the people in the dormitory found Du Ruo.
Du Ruo took one look at Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu’s condition and ran to find Steward Leng without a word.
“Steward Leng has a bad temper. I wonder if she’ll be unhappy if we disturb her so late?”
“We can’t worry about that now. Qingluo and Yun Chu’s condition clearly cannot be delayed.”
“I hope Steward Du can come back quickly.”
After about half an hour, Du Ruo returned, holding two packets of medicine, “Quickly go and boil the medicine, then give it to Qingluo and Yun Chu to take.”
After taking the medicine, Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu’s condition improved, and they quieted down.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the next morning, the two began to sweat and shiver again.
“Why aren’t they better yet?”
Sister-in-law Shi and the others found Du Ruo again. Seeing Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu’s condition repeatedly flaring up, Du Ruo had no choice but to brace herself and go to Steward Leng again.
When Du Ruo arrived, several Third Stewards were already gathered in Steward Leng’s room, all asking for medicine.
Steward Leng had not slept well all night, and her complexion was poor. “Don’t worry. I’ve asked Eunuch Lu. Eunuch Lu said those female laborers are fine. They just need to endure a bit of hardship for a few days, and it will pass.”
Du Ruo said anxiously, “But they are shivering. Is this really okay?”
Steward Leng glanced at Du Ruo. “If Eunuch Lu says it’s okay, then it’s okay. If there’s any real problem, it’s their own body’s issue.”
Du Ruo fell silent. After a while, she mustered her courage again and said, “Steward Leng, the medicine you gave last night was very effective. Could you give me…”
Steward Leng directly interrupted Du Ruo, “There’s no more. Do you know that I had to persuade Eunuch Lu a lot to get that medicine? Each dose costs several taels of silver. I’ve done my best for those laborers.”
“Alright, I’m feeling dizzy. You all can go back.”
“As for those female laborers, if they can bear it, let them rest in their dormitories. If they can’t, let them go home. They can return when they’re well.”
Du Ruo exchanged glances with the other Third Stewards and left with a look of helplessness.
From Hua Changxi’s perspective, Lu Qingluo and Wang Yun Chu’s problem was not a major issue. After finishing her cultivation in the morning, she went to eat breakfast when she saw Du Ruo going to Steward Leng again.
After breakfast, as Hua Changxi walked out of the canteen, she saw Sister-in-law Shi calling Lu Qingluo’s sister, Lu Qingling.
“Qingluo!”
Lu Qingling’s face was filled with anxiety, but she did not lose her composure due to her haste. She immediately began examining Lu Qingluo’s condition. After the examination, she asked Sister-in-law Shi and the others to look after Lu Qingluo and then quickly left the Sixth Bureau.
Hua Changxi watched her leave and guessed that she was probably going back to the Apprentice Hall to seek medicine.
Without paying further attention, Hua Changxi went to the storeroom to collect medicinal herbs.
“Sister Changxi.”
As soon as Hua Changxi arrived at the storeroom, Yu Hui waved to her.
“Sister Changxi, my godfather has stored some discarded medicinal herbs near Qihuang Hall. Remember to go there after you finish your work today.”
Hua Changxi ‘mm-hmm’ed, pushed the medicinal herbs back to wash them, and after washing, went directly to Qihuang Hall.
By the time she returned from Qihuang Hall, it was already dark.
As soon as she entered the Sixth Bureau, she heard sounds of pleading and crying from the backyard.
“Steward Ling, please don’t send me away. I can’t live without this job.”
“No one is sending you away. We’re just asking you to go home and recuperate. You can return to the Labor Department when you’re well.”
“I won’t go back. I’ll stay in the Sixth Bureau.”
“Don’t you know your own body? You whine about every little ache and pain. Others need to rest at night, and you’ll disturb them. Listen to me and go home to recover.”
“But if I go home, my family won’t hire a doctor for me. Steward Ling, I’ll endure it. I promise not to make any noise at night and won’t disturb anyone else.”
As Hua Changxi walked into the backyard, she saw a female laborer kneeling before Steward Ling Xiao, holding onto her leg and pleading desperately.
In the dormitories further away, similar situations were occurring in several rooms.
And in the dormitory where she lived, someone was also crying.
“Qingluo, why don’t you go and ask your sister again if she can help Yun Chu? You know Yun Chu’s family situation. If she goes home sick, her stepmother will surely torment her.”
Although Lu Qingluo was still very weak at this moment, she was no longer sweating profusely, and her complexion had improved significantly.
Clearly, Lu Qingling had obtained medicine from the Apprentice Hall that morning, which had alleviated Lu Qingluo’s pain.
Lu Qingluo looked troubled. “Steward Du, my sister and Yun Chu know each other. If she could help, she definitely wouldn’t ignore her.”
Du Ruo sighed and looked at the others in the room. “Please be understanding tonight. If Yun Chu doesn’t want to go home, don’t force her.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Yun Chu’s crying intensified, mixed with suppressed sounds of pain.
Hua Changxi frowned. Was the Labor Department planning not to treat the injured female laborers by sending them home?
Just as Hua Changxi was about to enter the room, a scream suddenly came from the adjacent room.
“Sister Zhuang!”
“Someone, quick! Sister Zhuang can’t breathe!”
Hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately turned and ran towards the adjacent room.
“Make way!”
Hua Changxi rushed into the room and saw Sister Zhuang’s face turning blue and purple from suffocation. She immediately jumped onto the bed and began emergency treatment.
The people in the room were already panicking. Seeing Hua Changxi suddenly appear, they didn’t stop her. It was only when Sister Zhuang let out a gasp and began breathing again that they snapped back to reality.
Upon closer inspection, they realized that the person who had saved her was the rumor-plagued Hua Changxi. Their expressions became complex.
After Sister Zhuang could breathe, Hua Changxi checked her body again, confirmed the cause of her illness, got off the bed, left the room, and returned to her own dormitory.
In the room, Du Ruo and Sister-in-law Shi and the others looked at Hua Changxi with somewhat unnatural expressions.
They had seen Hua Changxi treating Sister Zhuang from outside the room just now.
Hua Changxi ignored their thoughts and looked at Du Ruo. “Steward Du, Lu Qingluo and the others were poisoned while helping the First Department process medicinal herbs. The First Department should be responsible.”
Du Ruo was quite displeased with Hua Changxi because of her association with Eunuch Yu from the storeroom. However, after seeing her eagerness to save someone just now, that displeasure lessened somewhat.
“The pills Qingluo and the others took last night were given by the First Department. The people from the First Department said that their laborers often encounter such situations, and they recover by taking these pills.”
“If our people don’t get better after taking them, it has nothing to do with them; it’s their own body’s problem.”
Hua Changxi thought for a moment, took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from her cabinet, quickly wrote down three medicinal herbs, and handed them to Du Ruo. “Tell Steward Leng that these three herbs can detoxify the female laborers. One dose will cure them completely.”
Du Ruo took the prescription and hesitated.
Hua Changxi said, “Steward Du, if the First Department really encounters such situations often, you just need to give the prescription to Steward Leng.”
Du Ruo looked at Hua Changxi and took the prescription out of the room.
“Cure completely?”
Steward Leng’s eyes flickered upon hearing Du Ruo’s words, and her expression changed from impatience to curiosity.
Du Ruo nodded. “Hua Changxi said so.”
Steward Leng paused. “I remember now. This Hua Changxi seems to have been personally recruited into the Labor Department by Eunuch Jia.” Saying this, she stood up.
“As the steward of the Sixth Bureau, I cannot stand by and watch my subordinates suffer. I will go and run this errand for them one more time.”
Du Ruo watched as Steward Leng directly went to find Eunuch Lu, and her mood immediately lightened. She was happy that Wang Yun Chu and the others might be saved, but also felt a sense of complexity because the prescription came from Hua Changxi.
Du Ruo had intended to wait for Steward Leng to return and get a definitive result before leaving, but after waiting for more than half an hour, Steward Leng had not returned, so she had to go back to the Sixth Bureau first.
As soon as she returned to the Sixth Bureau, she saw Eunuch Lu and Steward Leng directing people to boil medicine. Du Ruo was stunned.
