The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 149

"Sister, what's the situation with Tang Qinglin?"

Chun Ning had no idea that the Xiao family was related to someone named Tang Qinglin.

“Tang Qinglin was my grandfather’s only disciple,” Chun Ning told them. “However, he was a wicked man who liked to take crooked paths. My grandfather tried to persuade him many times to no avail, and finally severed ties with him, forbidding him from ever referring to himself as his master again.”

"I see."

Zhao Minghua was in a bit of a dilemma.

"I signed an agreement with him for this batch of goods, 1,000 bottles. If the goods are not delivered on time, the penalty for breach of contract will be substantial."

"You can deliver this batch of goods. I'll prepare a thousand bottles for you." Chunnuan had a premonition that the frostbite cream might ultimately be ruined by these thousand bottles.

Tang Qinglin was such a cunning person that he knew the Xiao family had already returned to Changzhou in Shu, and he only needed to make a few inquiries to find out that he was also there.

Back when I was working in the pharmacy, he observed me a lot and asked me many questions.

Despite being twelve years older than me, he's not that smart.

Moreover, he loved to take advantage of others, saying that according to seniority, he should be called "Uncle-Master".

Given his young age, and considering the importance of respecting teachers, it's perfectly acceptable for him to address his grandfather as his "uncle" since he is his grandfather's last disciple.

He respectfully addressed him as his senior uncle, and without holding back any knowledge, he taught him what he didn't know, and he learned quite a bit himself.

Later, after being expelled from the school by her grandfather, Chunnuan learned that he had secretly concocted a medicine and sold it to the women in the inner quarters of the house.

It was a kind of aphrodisiac, but because of his lack of skill, he prepared too much and almost killed someone.

His grandfather intervened and tried to persuade him to stop, but he only became more brazen, using those pills to make huge profits. Left with no other choice, his grandfather expelled him from the school.

"Tang Qinglin's grandfather and great-grandfather were good friends who came to Beijing together. The two families were prominent families. He was the youngest grandson of the Tang family. Old Master Tang forced him to be his grandfather's apprentice. Unexpectedly, his wicked intentions caused quite a bit of unpleasantness."

"Later I heard that Tang Qinglin returned to Shuzhou and opened a pharmacy called Yishoutang."

"He dares to call himself Yishoutang when he sells such irresponsible medicine?" Chun Ning was surprised: "He's really bold."

"Yes, my grandfather made a decision because he saw that he could not change his ways despite repeated teachings and that his character was bad. After that, my grandfather never took on any more disciples."

That was because I was deeply hurt.

"My eldest uncle, father, and third uncle didn't study medicine."

Chun Ning was a little confused as to why the tradition wasn't passed down from generation to generation.

"My great-grandfather wouldn't let me study."

Because my great-grandfather himself discovered after becoming an imperial physician that serving the emperor was truly like serving a tiger, and he had suffered those hardships himself, and his son, having learned this from a young age, also followed this path, so his grandson was not allowed to learn it anymore.

“My grandfather was still very regretful, often lamenting that no one would carry on his legacy.”

The efforts of two generations had yielded so many secret formulas, yet in the end, they could only be taken to the grave, a regret for him. Then one day, he discovered that his little granddaughter loved playing with herbs, loved sneaking into the pharmacy, and could sit quietly in a corner reading medical books. When she didn't understand something, she would timidly ask questions. The old man was overjoyed. And because she was his granddaughter, no matter how talented she was, she wouldn't need to become a royal physician, thus staying away from all the trouble. So he strongly supported Chunnuan's studies.

With only one successor, what else is there to keep?
He shared all his knowledge with her and was pleasantly surprised to find that his granddaughter had a great talent in this area.

At such a young age, he not only recognized the herbs and understood pharmacology, but he could also process medicinal materials and even make pills. At that moment, the old man was extremely excited and said that he would become a master of medicine making in the future.

Her grandfather could never have imagined that one day she would not become a master of medicine, but instead use her skills in processing medicinal materials and making medicine to earn some money.

My grandfather once said that if you want to be a good doctor, you shouldn't think about getting rich.

However, Chunnuan went against her grandfather's principles. There was no other way; the Xiao family needed money!

Of course, she wasn't a doctor; she just knew how to process medicinal herbs and make some pills.

Chun Ning quickly shipped out a thousand bottles of frostbite cream, and Zhao Minghua also hurriedly delivered them to Yishoutang in Shuzhou.

"Brother Zhao, your doctor Xiao is quite good. Send your goods to me whenever you have them. Let's make money together and get rich together."

"It's easy to talk about."

Zhao Minghua knew from Chun Nuan's words that this was an unconventional person, and he became somewhat wary.

Sure enough, during the brief chatter that lasted about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Tang Qinglin would occasionally steer the conversation toward the Xiao family.

"I once studied under Physician Xiao, whose ancestral home was in your Changzhou. It's just a pity that our master-disciple relationship was short-lived. My master was too old to continue teaching me, so I graduated." Tang Qinglin said, "Later, when I learned that my master had an accident, I shed many tears. I also heard that my master's wife and the others had returned to Shu. Brother Zhao, could you please inquire about them for me and see if there is any news about my master's wife and the others? I should go and visit them to see if they need any help."

"Really? Do you know where that Physician Xiao's family is?"

"I don't know, I only heard that it's Changzhou in Shu, the same place as you, Brother Zhao." Tang Qinglin said, "Brother Zhao, if you have any news about my master's wife and the others, please let me know. I will definitely take the time to visit them and fulfill my duty as a disciple."

Zhao Minghua finally understood why some people sing better than they speak.

Moreover, he was clearly expelled from the school by Physician Xiao, but he embellished it as completing his studies and successfully graduating.

Adorning oneself with gleaming gold is a way of making people believe in one's power.

“Alright, I will try to find out for you. However, my father instructed that Physician Xiao was beheaded, the men were exiled, and the women returned to Shu. If you encounter them, you must stay away, as they are people the Emperor dislikes, and you might get into trouble.” Zhao Minghua said, “I didn’t expect Manager Tang to be so righteous. Knowing there would be trouble, he not only didn’t avoid it but also took the initiative to help them. There are very few people like Manager Tang these days. Don’t worry, I will definitely find out about the Xiao family and send it to you, or I can bring the whole Xiao family to Shu so you can have someone to look after you.”

“No.” Tang Qinglin’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing this. “They are people whom His Majesty has requested to return to their ancestral homes. If they were to leave Changzhou so easily, it would be a great disrespect to His Majesty. This matter is absolutely unacceptable. You just need to inquire about it, and I will visit them when the time comes.”

"Alright, I will live up to your expectations and find Manager Tang's mistress and the others."

Zhao Minghua was practically swearing an oath.

Tang Qinglin inwardly cursed him for being stupid: he actually took his casual remark seriously.

How dare someone with such a brain go out and do business?
Zhao Minghua then talked to Tang Qinglin about other pills and the like.

"Putting everything else aside, our Yishoutang has a unique secret recipe for making pills. It's a skill that my master passed down without reservation, and no one can match it. Even that Doctor Xiao from Changzhou certainly couldn't do it." Suddenly remembering something, Tang Qinglin quickly asked, "Is the medicine maker at that Doctor Xiao's house a man or a woman? How old is she?"

(End of this chapter)