Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 684 - 637 Thinking Long-Term (2)

"He had Mr. Mu come to talk about purchasing herbs. I think it’s mostly Mr. Li who wants Mr. Mu to come. He wants to save face by falsely saying that Li San Niang wants to collect herbs. Li San Niang is just a doctor who looks at patients and prescribes medicine. She doesn’t run a pharmacy, so why would she collect so many herbs?"

The long analysis of the latter person was recognized by the majority.

Everyone said that Mu Yuanxiu was entrusted by Li Xingsheng to secretly visit Ling Yuezi.

When the words reached Mu Yuanxiu’s ears, he didn’t object, just smiled faintly.

When it reached Ling Yuezi’s maid’s ears, they immediately reported it to Ling Yuezi.

Ling Yuezi’s eyes flickered erratically, "Listen to their nonsense, there’s no such thing. Brother Mu is not someone who would lie."

No matter how Ah Qing and Ah Lan insisted on their views, Ling Yuezi just didn’t believe it.

Her temper was too stubborn, and the two maids couldn’t move her, so they had to give up.

But at midnight, Ling Yuezi walked alone into the room in the Star-picking Pavilion where Li Xingsheng used to stay, and stayed until dawn before leaving.

.

After a night of rest, Mu Yuanxiu had breakfast in the village and then bid farewell to Ling Yuezi and the Big Master.

Ling Yuezi saw Mu Yuanxiu off at the village gate. Mu Yuanxiu mounted his horse, waved at her, and was about to ride away when Ling Yuezi called out to Mu Yuanxiu, "By the way, Brother Mu, there’s a gift I want to send to Li San Niang. I almost forgot."

Mu Yuanxiu brought the horse back, smiling slightly, "Miss Ling, you’re being too polite."

"It’s just a small gift. I hope she likes it." Ling Yuezi handed a small box to Mu Yuanxiu.

Mu Yuanxiu opened it and found a pair of wooden doll figurines, a boy and a girl.

They didn’t have carved noses and eyes, only the hair and clothes painted with colored lacquer.

The girl was wearing red clothes, and the boy was wearing duck blue clothes.

This pair of wooden dolls, though they didn’t have noses or eyes, looked chubby and charming.

Mu Yuanxiu smiled as he accepted it, "Thank you."

"You’re welcome, Brother Mu have a safe journey." Ling Yuezi waved at him, smiling gently.

Mu Yuanxiu lightly shook the reins of the horse, turned the horse’s head, and headed down the mountain.

Ling Yuezi gently let out a breath and turned back into the village.

.

A hundred miles of mountain road, galloping all the way, Mu Yuanxiu arrived at Li Mansion after noon.

Hearing the knock on the door, Liu Jinbao’s cheerful voice called out, "Coming, coming."

Mu Yuanxiu tossed the horse to Liu Jinbao, lifted his luggage bag, and headed to the main house.

Liu Jinbao led the horse behind him, laughing, "Yuanxiu, Brother Li is also here. He’s been waiting here since early morning. Li San Niang said you’d be back after noon, told him to go get busy, but he’s been waiting, saying he urgently needs to ask you something. Hurry to the main house to see him."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "I’ll go to the main house right away."

Inside the main house, Li Yuzhu and Li Xingsheng, who were chatting and drinking tea, looked at him together.

Li Yuzhu smiled and stood up to greet him, "Yuanxiu, you’ve had a hard journey. Sit down, I’ll get you some water to wash your hands."

She pushed Mu Yuanxiu into a chair, then turned and went to fetch a basin and pour water.

However, Liu Jinbao’s younger brother, Liu Yinbao, was quick on his feet and already brought the water, "Brother Yuanxiu, wash your face."

"How’s the situation in the village? Are the people causing any trouble now?" Li Xingsheng asked Mu Yuanxiu before he could catch his breath and wash his face.

Li Yuzhu glanced at Li Xingsheng, "Second Brother, can’t you ask later? Yuanxiu must still be hungry. Let him wash his face, wash his hands, drink tea, and eat first."

Li Xingsheng’s face darkened, but he couldn’t say anything, just sat with his sleeves gathered, tilting his head.

With a look of being upset and anxious yet not daring to speak out.

Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu exchanged a knowing smile, chatting lightly about various things, intentionally avoiding the topic of the village.

After Mu Yuanxiu finished washing his hands and face, Li Yuzhu called Liu Er and Liu Jinbao to prepare food for Mu Yuanxiu.

Li Xingsheng, impatient with how slow the father and son were to cook, gave money to Liu Er, "Go buy some good wine and dishes, Yuanxiu is still hungry. How long will it take if you cook?"

This time, Li Yuzhu didn’t oppose him, "Uncle Liu, hurry up and go."

Liu Er replied with a smile, took the money, and went off to buy wine and dishes.

From the entrance of Li Mansion, it was directly onto the main street.

A few dozen steps ahead, there’s a restaurant.

In less than half an hour, Liu Er returned with four dishes and a jug of wine, along with some rice.

Li Yuzhu still wouldn’t let Li Xingsheng ask questions, saying that the Li Family has a family rule: no talking while eating, no chatting before sleeping.

Li Xingsheng was a little disgruntled but could only keep his mouth shut.

Mu Yuanxiu gave a slight twitch of the lips, and exchanged a smile with Li Yuzhu.

After Mu Yuanxiu finished eating, another quarter-hour passed.

Li Xingsheng exhaled lightly and poured a throat-soothing tea for Mu Yuanxiu, "Brother-in-law, can we talk now? As a Military Affairs Envoy, I need to worry about whether those new recruits are obedient, and I have to write reports to present to Lord Prefect."

Li Yuzhu thought, come on, it’s just two hundred reservist soldiers.

Is it worth worrying Lord Prefect over?

Isn’t this like having motives beyond drinking wine?

She stifled a laugh and said to Mu Yuanxiu, "Yuanxiu, talk about the situation in the village now."

"Speaking of Feihu Village, I almost forgot something." Mu Yuanxiu opened his luggage bag, took out the small box sent by Ling Yuezi, and handed it to Li Yuzhu, "Miss Ling said it’s for you."

Li Yuzhu was very surprised, "Only for me?"

Mu Yuanxiu nodded, "Yes."

Li Yuzhu took the box with a smile and opened it.

She laughed and said, "Oh, it’s a pair of puppet dolls, really nice-looking."

"Nice-looking, right? I think so too. Miss Ling carved them herself." Mu Yuanxiu pointed to the male doll, "Yuzhu, don’t you think this male doll looks like me? And the female doll looks quite like you."

Li Yuzhu laughed heartily, "Like me in a wedding dress. This male doll looks like you usually do. Hey, if the male doll also wore red, they’d be a pair of bride and groom."

When Li Xingsheng saw these puppets, his eyes twitched fiercely.

Hearing Li Yuzhu talk about a bride and groom, he let out a cold snort, "They don’t look like you at all, no eyes or nose."

"How not? I think they do." Li Yuzhu looked at the male puppet, then at the female puppet, and then at Mu Yuanxiu. Mu Yuanxiu looked at her too, and both said they resembled.

Li Xingsheng picked up Li Yuzhu and pushed her out, "Go play with your puppets, I need to talk official business with Yuanxiu."

Li Yuzhu waved the two puppets in her hand, smiling brightly, "I’ll take them back to the room to look at slowly." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Li Xingsheng glared at her fiercely, "Feisty!"

Mu Yuanxiu poured tea for Li Xingsheng and seriously talked about the situation in the village. Of course, as a proper person, he spoke about those two hundred soldiers, not teasing Li Xingsheng like Li Yuzhu did.

Li Yuzhu is purchasing herbs with silver, which makes the people of Feihu Village very excited. They all said they would do their best to dig and gather.

Mu Yuanxiu spoke seriously, and Li Xingsheng also said seriously, "That’s a good idea. The more money they earn, the more well-behaved they’ll be. But why is Yuzhu collecting so many herbs? Is her medicine pill business doing well?"

The medicine pills that Li Yuzhu usually makes are all consigned for sale at Li Xing’an’s shop.

Even in a month, she doesn’t sell more than a few jars.

Most of her medicine pills are still sold when she sees patients.

Ever since Li Yuzhu no longer lacked money, she has not been as diligent in making house calls. She only takes action for serious illnesses that ordinary doctors can’t cure, while for minor ailments, she refers patients to others.

"It’s not that she wants to make medicine pills but that she has other plans." Mu Yuanxiu explained Li Yuzhu’s plan to Li Xingsheng.

Li Xingsheng was surprised, "I knew it, why else would she idly teach people medicine for free? Turns out she’s planning to sell medical equipment, she really thinks long-term. I have to admit, the set of medical instruments she has is more exquisite than what some doctors in the Capital use. Good tools make treating patients much easier."

Li Xingsheng, like Mu Yuanxiu, didn’t pay much attention to how Li Yuzhu made her medicine pills or who she’d have make her equipment, he was only concerned about whether she’d suffer any losses.

As long as she didn’t lose out, he’d support her even if she wanted to beat up the Emperor.

Moreover, he still couldn’t get out of his mind the pair of puppets Ysuzhu took away, not thinking much about her medical equipment business.

After talking for a while, Li Xingsheng went off to the government office; he didn’t let Mu Yuanxiu help, telling him to rest for the night and go in the morning.

Li Yuzhu came down from the upstairs bedroom, spoke with Mu Yuanxiu for a while, and then went to the small hall to see a few midwives.

As long as they weren’t out attending births, they’d come to Li Mansion to listen to her lectures.

Mu Yuanxiu didn’t rest but went to find Liu Er to talk.

After Li Xingsheng left Li Mansion, he walked around outside and then returned.

He looked towards the inverted house and saw Mu Yuanxiu with his back to him, talking with Liu Er, while in the small hall, there were voices of Li Yuzhu and other women talking.