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

Chapter 32 A Bit Bold
"Qingsheng, tell me, what's the best way to get Miss Xiao and her family to move to town?"

They also have several small courtyards in town. Well, they're called small courtyards, but they're actually courtyards with seven or eight rooms each, much larger than the house in Shuikou Village where the Xiao family lives.

"Young master, you're asking me? How would I know?"

Celebrating a birthday, one might think even the master's brain isn't working properly, let alone one's own.
You asked the wrong person.

"Then tell me, if I just have Miss Xiao move to town, will she go and live there?"

“Of course not.” Qingsheng knew the Xiao family quite well: “Although Miss Xiao and her family are poor, they still have integrity and are a family with rules.” He swallowed the word “poor” and changed his words: “Although they are down on their luck, they still have integrity and are a family with rules.”

how to say?

Qingsheng felt that the Xiao family, despite their decline, had much stricter rules than the Zhao family.

Of course, he would never say that out loud. I've never seen anyone set rules for themselves; what else could that be but stupidity?

"That's right, my brother clearly had a plan, but he didn't tell me. Let me tell you, my brother is really bad."

Celebrating a birthday... Young Master, is it really okay for you to talk about your own elder brother like that?

"He doesn't look like my second brother..."

"By the way, young master, why don't we ask the second young master for his opinion? He's a scholar, quick-witted, and his ideas are sure to be sound."

"Second brother? Do you think you can count on him?" Zhao Minghua shook his head: "He is a person who is oblivious to the world and only focuses on studying the classics. He would not care about these mundane matters."

“That’s true.” Qingsheng said with a sigh, “The second young master will be twenty next year, and he hasn’t even gotten married yet, but he’s not in a hurry.”

The eldest son became a father at the age of twenty, and the third son's marriage was also on the agenda, so the second son was left out. Qingsheng suddenly became very curious.

"Why are the master and mistress arranging a marriage for you instead of the second young master?"

"Because your second young master, my second brother, is obsessed with books. He says that there are beautiful women and riches in books. He can read so much that he doesn't eat or sleep. Why would he want to get married?"

"I don't think so..." Marrying a wife and having children, having a beautiful woman by your side—isn't that what scholars yearn for?
“He wants to study and take the imperial examinations, which is perfect. My father also wants the Zhao family to change its social standing, so he's not in a hurry to arrange a marriage for him, so as not to disturb his serious study. Besides, my parents must have another dream.”

"What dream?"

Qingsheng felt that his young master was becoming more and more adept at keeping people in suspense, leaving only half of what he said, which was not the behavior of a good master.

"Think about it, if my second brother passes the imperial examination and becomes a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), he will definitely pursue an official career and marry a woman from an official family. Only then will they be a good match and a good couple."

Therefore, we absolutely cannot discuss marriage now.

After all, he was just a scholar now, and what daughter of a minor official would want to marry a scholar? And a merchant's daughter was not a good match for a scholar, so, unable to find someone suitable, she simply stopped mentioning marriage altogether.

Qingsheng indicated that he understood.

“Young Master, the Eldest Young Master said you’re not very bright.” Qing Sheng suddenly said, “But isn’t your brain working perfectly? You figured out the key reason why the Second Young Master isn’t getting married right away.”

"I'm like a wise man when it comes to other people's business, but like a pig when it comes to my own." Zhao Minghua was in trouble again: he really didn't know how to invite the Xiao family to stay in the small courtyard in town.

What Xiao Minghua didn't know was that Master Zhang had already taken the lead in doing what he dared not do.

After learning the cause of his illness, Mr. Zhang cut off the allergen and took the medicine prescribed by Xiao Chunnuan, and his condition improved significantly.

He used to be someone who rarely left the house, but this time he felt refreshed and wanted to go out for a walk.

Moreover, he was reminded by the warm spring weather that covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and making sure his neck is well covered when going out can effectively prevent pollen allergies.

So, fully armed, Master Zhang went on his inspection tour. The outside world is so vast, and the air outside is so fresh.

He couldn't wait to see Miss Xiao, the girl who gave him a new life, she was practically his savior.

So they had someone carry a sedan chair to Shuikou Village.

The people of Shuikou Village didn't recognize Master Zhang, but they did recognize Uncle Ma, the head steward of the Zhang family, and they all greeted him.

"Old Ma, you're quite famous around here, aren't you?"

Why is it that even Master Zhang is a little jealous?

"My lord, I often lead people to collect rent and rent land to them, so they all recognize me."

Uncle Ma said, "Master, this old servant will tell them that you are Master Zhang, and that you are a good person in their eyes."

"No, no, no, I find it tiring." People greet you, and you have to respond, even asking a few insincere questions. It's exhausting talking. Master Zhang quickly shook his head: "Don't mention this to outsiders."

Outsiders only know that Master Zhang rarely shows his face, and Uncle Ma makes all the decisions.

As they were talking, Uncle Ma told Master Zhang that they had arrived at the Xiao family's residence.

"The Xiao family lives in this area?"

So cramped and dilapidated!
That day, I gave Miss Xiao a hundred taels of silver. With that money, I could have bought at least seven or eight courtyards in town, but she refused it.
"Who are you looking for?" Chun'an was playing with Chunqiang when she saw several grown men pointing and gesturing outside the courtyard gate, which made her wary. Her older sister had told her that while they were women and children in her own home, there were also bad people outside, so she had to be careful.

"Little friend, you must be the youngest son of the Xiao family, right?"

Uncle Ma swore he had never spoken so gently in his entire life, all because the Xiao family's daughter was the master's savior, and by a rounding up, these young boys were also the master's benefactors.

"Yes, who are you looking for?"

Chun'an became more vigilant.

"We're looking for Miss Xiao."

"Looking for Miss Xiao?" Chun'an blinked and shouted loudly into the house, "Sister Yan, someone is looking for you."

"Come on, who's looking for me?"

When Chunyan ran out to look, she found Chun'an pointing at several big men and saying they were looking for her.

"You're looking for me?"

Chunyan recalled everything she had done recently. Apart from digging for wild vegetables, she really hadn't caused any damage. Why were they coming to her?

"Young lady, we're not looking for you, we're looking for Miss Xiao."

“I have many older sisters, all of them are Miss Xiao. Which one are you looking for?” Chun’an immediately sent Chunyan back, then stood at the courtyard gate with her hands on her hips: “What do you want with my sister? You have to give me a reason.”

With his elder sister and brother Ning not at home, he, as the eldest boy, must protect the women of the family from being bullied.

Chun'an secretly squeezed the chili powder in the bamboo tube in her purse. Her older sister said that if she encountered bad guys and couldn't beat them, she should take this out and sprinkle it in their eyes. Even dogs couldn't stand it, let alone people.

"Young man, we're looking for Miss Xiao, who can diagnose illnesses and prescribe medicine."

Uncle Ma was embarrassed. He had forgotten to ask the girl's name that day, and it was indeed a bit presumptuous of him to come to her house looking for her but not be able to say her name.

(End of this chapter)