Chapter 177: Gu An Hall
Lu Chengjing held his daughter’s chubby little hand and patiently accompanied her as she walked in circles around the courtyard.
With someone holding her hand, the little baby girl wasn’t afraid of falling, and her steps grew bigger, walking one step at a time with particular seriousness.
One wolf and one child squatted nearby watching, their two heads turning along with her.
The evening breeze brushed past, making the leaves rustle.
The last ray of sunset disappeared on the horizon, and the cicada chirps gradually faded.
Lamps were lit in the courtyard, casting the shadows of one big and one small figure.
The small shadow let go of the big shadow’s hand and gradually moved forward, getting farther and farther away.
Yuan Yuan spread her arms to keep balance, walking step by step quite steadily, and finally laughed as she threw herself into Shang Wan’s arms with open hands.
“Mother!” Her smile was brilliant, her eyes curved into crescents, and the little baby girl raised her small hand to pat her chest. “Me! Great!”
“Mm, our good child is the best!” Shang Wan looked up at Lu Chengjing, who was also watching this side, and the corners of her lips curved up.
·
The next morning at dawn, Shang Wan was sleeping groggily when she suddenly felt a weight on her body.
She abruptly opened her eyes, not expecting to meet a pair of round, bright big eyes.
“Mother!” Little Friend Yuan Yuan lay on her mother’s body, her little feet kicking up and down, her voice soft and glutinous. “Go play!”
The little baby girl couldn’t wait to enter the city.
Shang Wan turned her head to glance at the faint light coming through the window, opened her mouth in a yawn. She reached out to pinch the little baby girl’s chubby cheek, her voice lazy. “No rush, we’ll go after breakfast.”
A large hand reached over to scoop up the little baby girl. Lu Chengjing, neatly dressed, said, “I’ll take her out. You sleep a bit more.”
“Not sleeping anymore.” Shang Wan sat up. She couldn’t sleep comfortably either way, so she might as well get up and load the things for entering the city onto the ox cart.
The well water was cool, splashing on her face and washing away the last trace of sleepiness.
“Sister, good morning!” Xiao Huan came over carrying a basin to fetch water for washing up.
Shang Wan lifted the wet towel from her face and turned to look at her. “Do you have anything you want to buy? I’ll get it for you while I’m at it.”
Xiao Huan thought for a moment and said, “The salt at home is almost gone. You can buy two jin. Also buy a bolt of cotton cloth. Cotton cloth absorbs sweat. Make little clothes for Yuan Yuan and A Nian to avoid heat rashes from sweating too much.”
Shang Wan noted it all down and asked, “Do you prefer ready-made clothes or buying cloth to make your own?”
Xiao Huan was stunned for a moment before saying, “Make my own.”
“Then I’ll buy two more bolts of cloth. Don’t just think about us—make some new clothes for yourself too.” Shang Wan asked, “What colors or patterns do you like?”
Xiao Huan: “Anything is fine.”
Shang Wan was very dissatisfied with this answer. She thought for a moment and said, “Come with me into the city and pick them out yourself.”
Xiao Huan hesitated. “But there’s no one at home to cook, the clothes aren’t washed, the medicinal herbs…”
“Just one or two meals—let them make it themselves. The clothes can be washed when we get back; we’ll do it together and it’ll be quick. Shi Tou can watch the medicinal herbs, and if not, there’s your brother-in-law.”
Shang Wan interrupted Xiao Huan, looking at her helplessly. “You’re always busy running around. Think about yourself too and rest a bit. You’re the most diligent in our family and never slack off.”
Xiao Huan pursed her lips. “But…”
“No buts.” Shang Wan settled it firmly. “Come with me. You can help watch Yuan Yuan while I sell the medicinal herbs.”
Hearing this, Xiao Huan no longer objected and nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, they set off. Xiao Huan was the worrying type; while making breakfast, she simply made lunch too, so they only needed to reheat it at noon.
The group entering the city changed from two adults and one child to two adults and two children. Under Chu Xu’s strong act of cuteness, Shang Wan brought him along too.
Bringing one child is bringing, bringing two children is also bringing. If he wanted to come, let him come.
Lu Chengjing and Shi Tou, left to watch the house: “…”
They wanted to go too!
·
There were three more people on the ox cart, making it much livelier than one person.
The two children were like birds out of a cage, extremely excited, chattering nonstop on the ox cart.
Xiao Huan took out dried meat to give to the two children to chew on, and her ears finally quieted down a bit.
After queuing to pay the entry fee, the ox cart entered the city. Shang Wan turned to the three on the cart and said, “We’ll go to the medical hall first and sell the cliff ginger before buying things.”
“Okay.”
Shang Wan had already chosen the medical hall—Gu An Hall.
Old Doctor Sun, who had been invited to the court hall to see patients before, was Gu An Hall’s resident doctor. If the medical hall wanted to buy medicinal herbs, they would definitely have the doctor inspect them. Having an acquaintance would increase the chances of selling.
Gu An Hall was in West City, a two-story building with a backyard. The storefront wasn’t large, but the decoration was very grand. As soon as you turned into this street, you could spot it at a glance.
Shang Wan stopped the ox cart and looked inside.
It was still early, and inside Gu An Hall, besides the shop assistants and two unfamiliar doctors, there were only three patients.
Seeing an ox cart stop at the doorway, a shop assistant came out to greet her politely. “Is this lady here to see a doctor at the medical hall?”
“Not seeing a doctor. I’m looking for your shopkeeper.” Shang Wan jumped down from the ox cart and asked, “Is the shopkeeper in?”
The shop assistant saw that Shang Wan was unfamiliar and was asking for the shopkeeper right away, so he was puzzled and asked, “May I ask what business you have with the shopkeeper?”
Shang Wan said, “I have a batch of high-quality cliff ginger here. It would be a pity to sell it casually. Gu An Hall’s doctors have excellent medical skills and benevolence. Surely they can make full use of it. Does Gu An Hall accept it?”
The shop assistant was stunned, truly not expecting Shang Wan to be here to sell medicinal herbs.
Only then did he look up and carefully size up Shang Wan.
Today, Shang Wan wore a long skirt in autumn fragrance color, her hair simply pinned in a bun with a sandalwood hairpin inserted diagonally.
Her face was bare of makeup yet smooth and fair, with a rosy complexion. Delicate eyebrows and red lips, a pair of moist almond eyes that seemed to hold a gentle smile when slightly curved.
Her summer clothes were light and thin, cinched with a belt that accentuated her graceful figure even more.
The beauty was beautiful, but she didn’t seem to be one of the figures from the apothecaries in the city.
The shop assistant considered and said, “The medicinal herbs used by the medical hall are supplied by fixed partner apothecaries.”
This was a polite refusal.
Shang Wan knew it wouldn’t be that easy, but her smile didn’t fade as she asked again, “Is the shopkeeper not in?”
The shop assistant nodded and said truthfully, “The shopkeeper left the city yesterday and won’t be back until the day after tomorrow.”
What bad luck.
Shang Wan secretly observed the shop assistant’s expression. His words didn’t seem like an excuse; the shopkeeper of Gu An Hall was probably really not there.
She glanced at the two unfamiliar resident doctors inside Gu An Hall and asked the shop assistant, “I have an old connection with Old Mister Sun. Is the old mister in?”
The shop assistant saw what Shang Wan wanted and hesitated a bit.
Shang Wan said, “Good medicinal herbs aren’t common. It’s just a look, and I won’t force a sale. Whether the medicinal herbs are good or not, Gu An Hall won’t lose out.”
Just looking was indeed nothing. The hesitation on the shop assistant’s face eased a little, and he relented. “The old mister is resting in the backyard. I’ll go invite him out right now.”
Being able to meet someone meant half the success. Shang Wan curved the corners of her lips and smiled. “Thank you for the trouble.”
The shop assistant turned and walked into Gu An Hall. Shang Wan jumped onto the ox cart and drove it to the side to avoid blocking the medical hall’s entrance and disturbing their business.
