The Fallen Medicine Woman: The Daily Life of Chun Nuan-Chapter 198 - 150
"That Doctor Xiao is a sixty-five-year-old man."
Zhao Minghua thought to himself, what a cunning fellow Tang Qinglin is, he must have remembered the past with Chun Nuan.
Chun Nuan once said that in terms of pharmacy, her talent far surpassed Tang Qinglin’s, and she had even guided him before, so this old chap was trying to probe him.
All these old foxes trying to pretend, Zhao Minghua saw through his little scheme in an instant, exposing it with just a word.
"It’s said there’s another old doctor in the Xiao family, who’s eighty-six this year and is the patriarch of the Xiao household."
"This is what truly legacy secret formulas are about." Tang Qinglin suddenly felt an urge to buy the formula from that Doctor Xiao.
"Indeed, our Hundred Herbs Hall offered a fortune to buy some secret formulas, but they wouldn’t sell." Zhao Minghua expressed regret, "Saying that the Xiao family has ancestral rules, only medicine can be sold, not the formulas. Selling the formulas is like selling out the ancestors and betraying the ancestors, and violators will be expelled from the family."
Someone who had been expelled from their sect felt a jolt in their heart, and realizing that even the Zhao family had been refused, abandoned the thought.
After obtaining little information from chatting with Zhao Minghua, Tang Qinglin lost the interest to continue.
Returning to the inn, Zhao Minghua sneered: This old man won’t be cooperating again!
"Young master, shall we check out other drugstores?"
"No need." Zhao Minghua said, "I’m going to open a drugstore in Shuzhou."
"Is it the Hundred Herbs Hall?"
"No, I want to open my own drugstore."
Qingsheng thought his young master was acting a bit abnormal.
Hmm, indeed, if the young master acted normally, he wouldn’t be his usual self. He has never played by the rules.
At the age of twelve, he used his lifetime savings to buy a teahouse; then quietly did some business, even keeping it hidden from the master and mistress.
At this moment, the young master definitely has the ability to open a drugstore in Shuzhou.
"Tomorrow you’ll accompany me to look at shops," Zhao Minghua said, "I want to open the shop before your young mistress develops a new medicine."
Qingsheng... shameless young master, it’s just an engagement, and he’s already planning it all out for his side.
"Young master, didn’t you say you wanted to open a teahouse in the Capital before?"
"Yes, open them both." Zhao Minghua, with Chun Nuan assisting from behind, had grown ambitious, "I want to open drugstores and teahouses all over the Great Xia."
Qingsheng... indeed the young master is abnormal!
Having been with the young master for so long, he had become accustomed to the young master’s eccentricities.
No matter what he says, and what he does, it can’t be wrong, and even if it is, when being punished, the young master wouldn’t let him take the blame, have to admit, in this regard, the young master is really good. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
At the Xiao family’s place, Chun Nuan was teaching Chun Ning how to make medicine.
"Lung-moisturizing drink for nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm and stopping cough."
This kind of thing can also be solved by grabbing a dose of medicine at the pharmacy, but it’s far too bitter for rich people to drink. Moreover, the wealthy fear death the most; they immediately consult a doctor for a little cough.
Since seeing the ’money’ prospect in making frostbite ointment, Chun Ning had asked his sister to teach him to make some suitable ointments and pills to sell.
Chun Nuan also thought this was a door to open the wealth of the Xiao family.
Since her brother was willing to talk, she might as well teach him.
"Sis, this lung-moisturizing drink contains Bai He, almonds, ginseng, tian men dong..."
"Yes, remember?" Chun Nuan said, "Many times, medicinal ingredients can be substituted. The medicine that rich people consume is different from that consumed by those without money, so one has to target the right group, and this lung-moisturizing drink is for rich people."
"What we produce is not only authentic but also cures the illness with the medicine." Chun Ning nodded, "The sales will definitely be good."
That is a must.
"Dryness of the lungs, congestion of lung qi, wheezing, coughing, counter-flow of qi, occasional sputum spitting, pain in the right flank and under the collarbone..." To teach her brother, naturally, she laid out everything.
Chun Ning found that he couldn’t remember so much, and hurriedly took paper and pen to write.
Seeing Chun Ning write, Chun Nuan felt thoughtful.
"Sis, I have been negligent." Chun Ning felt somewhat embarrassed himself, his writing was getting uglier by the day: "Three days without writing makes the hand stiff, three days without reading makes the tongue stiff."
"That can’t be blamed on you, after all, everyone only has twelve hours in a day, and you have too much to manage and learn."
The burden of supporting the family had fallen on the shoulders of this boy not yet fourteen, and he had shouldered a lot, indeed.
"Sis, I will work hard."
"You have always worked hard, I believe in you."
Chun Nuan was unwilling to put more pressure on him.
However, everything was forcing him to move forward, there was no margin for relaxation.
Such is a pitiful fate!
"Yes, I will definitely study well."
Unknown to Chun Nuan, from that day on, Chun Ning not only studied business and pharmacy but also practiced writing for half an hour each night.
What was noticeable was that his writing had become increasingly elegant and free-spirited, to the point where even the third aunt had Chun Qiang and Chun An learn from Brother Ning.
"Brother Ning is the older child, I’m a younger child, I can’t learn." Chun An didn’t want to study, writing was tiring, he preferred to help his sister with medicine in the pharmacy, but alas, his mother wouldn’t let him go.
"Chun An, it’s okay if you can’t learn well when you’re little, but you have to practice every day. Diligence can make up for lack of talent, and when you grow up, you will be able to write just like Brother Ning."
Mrs. Huang, in order to make her children love reading and writing, had already restrained a lot of her temper.
The ruler would often be picked up only to be put down and then picked up again.
She was too aware that studying required an environment, and she felt frustrated about where they lived now, the small and humble home, as if that wasn’t enough, there were so many temptations.
One minute the village children were calling Chun Qiang and Chun An to play outside; the next, Chun Ning needed to make medicine and needed help, the older one would help, and the younger one would cause trouble, yet she dared not speak out.
"Mother, can I not write or read?"
Chun An cautiously tested his mother’s limits.
Indeed, once hearing that he didn’t want to write or read, his mother’s face darkened.
"If you don’t want to write or read, what do you want to do when you grow up?"
"I’ll make medicine, like Sister and Brother Ning, making and selling medicine."
"No." Mrs. Huang couldn’t take it anymore and directly hit her son.
Chun An’s cries echoed through the small courtyard.
The Xiao family naturally rushed to the scene to intervene.
Once they understood the truth, Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Xu exchanged glances: What is Mrs. Huang doing?
If she looked down on pharmacy so much, why did she marry into the Xiao family?
Why didn’t she marry into a scholarly family back then?
The Xiao family was originally in the business of medicine, making a living through pharmacy and treating ailments, and when the Xiao family fell on hard times, though she didn’t explicitly say so, she repeatedly thwarted the children’s progress towards medicine, even resorting to family law.
Does she not know: The reason why the women and children of the Xiao family could return safely to Shu City, why they could survive in Changzhou, was all thanks to Chun Nuan, who had learned about processing medicinal materials and making medicines from a young age with the old master, bringing about today’s peaceful days.
