The Youngest Daughter, Chang Le

Chapter 94

The old man stroked his beard, "If there are many customers and it's not too far, I can have someone help deliver it."

"It's not far, but it's not in Gu'an either," Zhu Changle pretended to think for a moment, seemingly oblivious to the anxious woman leaning towards her from behind the counter.

"Well, I'm afraid you won't be able to deliver the medicine to that place."

The old man's eyes widened. A place not far from Gu'an, but where medicine couldn't be delivered... could it be...

"Yunbei?"

Zhu Changle covered her mouth and shook her head repeatedly. Then, quite theatrically, she glanced at the door and whispered, "Please don't say such things! How could it be Yunbei? No one can leave that place, right?"

The old man looked at her for a moment, then nodded, "Indeed, it's not Yunbei. I was mistaken. The medicine will be ready for the customer to collect in three days."

"Alright then."

Zhu Changle stood up and looked towards the medicine cabinet, "Is the medicine ready?"

The woman swallowed and cleared her throat, then smiled, "The customer didn't specify how much."

"Oh? Didn't I mention it? Wait, did Tang Ming not say how much either?"

Zhu Changle lowered her head to look at Qiuli, and as her gaze swept past the old doctor, she clearly saw the veins bulging on his hand as he gripped the armrest.

Qiuli nodded.

Zhu Changle scratched her head, "Well, let's get a pound of each then. We might need the extra in the future."

"Please wait a moment, customer."

The woman efficiently weighed and packaged the medicine, then tied it with string. She didn't ask the apprentice for help, but brought it out herself and handed it to Qiuli, who took it and passed over a banknote in return.

Zhu Changle's outstretched hand was left awkwardly hanging, so she simply extended her other hand and clapped them together.

"Keep the change as a deposit."

The woman looked at the denomination, and seeing her father nod, she accepted it. She then turned and gestured for the apprentice to bring over a bag of Huafeng Ointment. "The medical hall will have the medicine ready on time."

Qiuli extended his free hand to accept it, then turned to look at Changle, "Shall we go?"

"Let's go, let's go." Zhu Changle swung her empty hands as she walked ahead, her bouncing steps in stark contrast to the person behind her whose hands were full.

As they exited, Zhu Changle was unsurprised to see Dingding crouching there. She followed him very naturally as he walked towards the alley beside them.

Inside the medical hall, the woman, hiding behind the door, watched the two leave. She quickly walked to the old man's side and sat down, "Father..."

"Don't panic." The old man's own hands were shaking. He clasped them together to steady them and took a deep breath. He said to the young apprentice, "Qing Ye, go buy a roasted chicken."

The young apprentice, being very perceptive, quickly responded and left.

After a moment of silence, the old man closed his eyes and said softly, "He said he was going out to travel, but there hasn't been a word from him in two years. Min Tang isn't that kind of child. In all his years in Xinshui, he wrote several letters every year. I had my suspicions, but I never imagined he was so close."

"If he's so close but not coming home, something must have happened! Father, I'm going to Yunbei right now. I'm going to find him..."

"Nonsense!" The old man glared at her. "He's so close yet not returning, do you think he's forgotten the way home? Rushing over there recklessly might end up harming him!"

Tears immediately covered the woman's face. She was anxious and afraid. In her flustered state, another thought occurred to her. She suddenly stood up and said, "I'll go back to the Zhou Family. No matter what, Min Tang is still their descendant. They can't just ignore this."

"Sit down. You're not going anywhere without my permission."

"Father!"

"Sit down." The old man sighed, "He's your son, and also my grandson who grew up by my side. My worry is no less than yours!"

The woman sat down sullenly, her tears falling even faster.

The old man shook his head. This indecisive, spineless nature had caused her to suffer for half her life, and she still hadn't learned. Really!

"He's been so close for two years but hasn't dared to make a move, obviously he has concerns. The fact that he's acting now probably means he's found an opportunity. These two people did seem quite different from ordinary folk." The old man paused, "Since they've arranged to come back for the medicine in three days, Min Tang surely won't do nothing. Let's wait patiently."

The woman only wished time would fast forward to three days later.

Of course, Zhu Changle certainly wouldn't want that. She followed Dingding at a distance, neither too close nor too far, and they entered an unremarkable house one after another. The interior was equally ordinary, with the usual tables, chairs, and cabinets you'd find in a common household.

"Zhu Changle, you... Hahahaha!" As soon as Dingding saw Qiuli enter, he burst into laughter, unable to straighten up. He remembered how impressive Qiuli used to be, with an arrogance that could pierce the clouds. And now? Now he was just like him, at Zhu Changle's beck and call!

"Brother, we're good brothers from now on, hahaha!"

Zhu Changle kicked him, then very obsequiously ran back to take the bag of Huafeng Ointment and put it on the ground.

Qiuli gave her an amused look. Did he really need help putting that down?

"Hehe, Qiuli is the best."

Dingding stood to the side making very punchable 'tsk tsk' sounds. When he saw Zhu Changle start to roll up her sleeves, he wisely shut his mouth and diverted his friend's attention to more serious matters.

"You bought medicine? Didn't Big Brother bring all the herbs?"

Zhu Changle gave him a look that said 'you're smart after all', and sat down at the table to recount what had happened that morning.

"What do you think is the relationship between Tang Ming and the Heart Ease Medical Hall?"

"Given the age, he's probably that woman's child, right?" Zhu Changle shrugged, "They say sons tend to look like their mothers. Qiuli, when we get back, let's pull off Tang Ming's fake beard and see if he looks like that woman."

Qiuli nodded.

"Pfft!" Dingding couldn't help but laugh again. This time he couldn't dodge and got hit by Zhu Changle. He couldn't help it, Qiuli was just too funny. It seemed like there was another person to aid and abet the tiger now.

"Hurry up and talk about the important stuff. We need to get back, this medicine is for saving lives."

"Ahem." Dingding turned away to avoid looking at Qiuli and reported on his findings from the past half day.

"After I arrived, I immediately contacted the local Beggar's Sect disciples. As luck would have it, the branch leader here has some connection with the old man, and I've met him a couple of times before. He didn't hide anything when I asked. Our previous guesses were all confirmed. Gu'an indeed prepared everything before cutting off the water flow. Four villages were flooded, and they used the gorge to let the water out on that side. However, the terrain is low there, so while water can flow out, boats can't pass through. They can't come back, so we don't need to worry about any pirates entering from that direction."

"So it really was like that." Zhu Changle muttered, "Are you sure boats can't pass through there?"

"Certain."

"Four villages. That's ruthless. Did they relocate the people to other places in advance?"

"Yes, so the Yunbei situation is definitely related to Gu'an."

Zhu Changle nodded, "Go on."

"Guess how much Yunbei's wine sells for in Gu'an?" Meeting his friend's gaze, Dingding smiled, "Seventy wen for one jiao."

Zhu Changle started counting on her fingers. Yunbei sold wine in ten-jin jars. How much was one jar again? Thirty wen!