Chapter 156: Officially Becoming Disciples

Yuan Hongjun added insult to injury. “Do i look like that kind of a person? Oh right, I’m going to travel with Master and Brother Tang later. Don’t be too envious.”

Bao Linjiang panted heavily. It was obvious that he was furious. He gritted his teeth and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely convince my parents to let me travel!”

Yuan Hongjun didn’t believe that Little Abalone’s family would let him go. “Then, I’ll wait and see!”

Bao Linjiang ran into the house angrily.

After a while, he ran out again and glared at Yuan Hongjun. He was so angered by Yuan Hongjun that he forgot to invite his master and Brother Tang in. “Master, Brother Tang, please.”

The Bao family was speechless.

When did this kid have a master?

How could he acknowledge a young girl as his master?

That wasn’t right. Bao Linjiang was even more arrogant than Yuan Hongjun. A famous doctor had once come to the capital to travel and was invited to the Bao family. He found that Bao Linjiang was a potential medical talent and wanted to teach him, but Bao Linjiang refused to acknowledge him as his master. Now, he was calling a young girl Master. What was going on?

Bao Rongming specially took leave today to go home and entertain Tang Jinghong. “Jinghong, Miss Chu, please come in.”

The few of them followed the Bao family into the mansion and sat in the living room.

The servant girls served the expensive tea and left respectfully.

In the living room, Bao Linjiang’s grandfather, Bao Chuanli, the vice dean of the Imperial Hospital, was a thin and energetic old man. He smiled and said, “Jinghong, you haven’t returned to the capital for a long time, right?”

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Tang Jinghong said politely, “It’s indeed been a while.”

Bao Chuanli smiled and shifted his gaze to Chu Qingzhi, revealing some confusion. “This lady is?”

Tang Jinghong looked proud and hurriedly said, “She’s my fiancee, Chu Qingzhi. She’s from the same village as me.”

Chu Qingzhi stood up and bowed to Bao Chuanli and his wife. “Greetings, Old Master Bao and Old Madam Bao.”

“Qingzhi, take a seat.” Old Madam Bao smiled and said, “You two are perfect.”

Bao Linjiang could not help but interrupt. “Grandpa, Grandma, Miss Chu is also my master. You have to treat her better.”

Instantly, the gazes of all the Bao family members present landed on Chu Qingzhi.

Chu Qingzhi had an excellent temperament and appearance. Such a girl was too common in the capital and was not enough to make people think highly of her. However, the fact that Tang Jinghong was engaged to her and that Bao Linjiang was so protective of her showed that she was not ordinary.

Many big families in the capital wanted to marry their daughters to Tang Jinghong. After all, being the wife of the general could enjoy status and reputation. Tang Jinghong was simply the most perfect son-in-law in the eyes of the big families.

However, Tang Jinghong rejected all of them.

When the news that he rejected the princess spread, everyone in the capital knew that Tang Jinghong had high standards and wouldn’t settle for ordinary girls.

As for Bao Linjiang, in the entire capital, other than Yuan Hongjun, he didn’t care about anyone else. He was also famous for being a rule-breaker and arrogant.

Bao Linjiang took the opportunity to present the pill he had concocted last night to Bao Chuanli. “Grandpa, take a look. 1 concocted this under Master’s guidance last night. Isn’t it better than yours?” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Bao Chuanli quickly took the pill suspiciously.

The bottle of pills was given to Bao Chuanli by an expert friend of his. He also tried to concoct it. Although he could distinguish the herbs it was made of, the pills he concocted were not as good as the ones given to him.

He poured out a pill. First, he looked at the color, then smelled it. Then, he scraped some powder off the pill with his nails and tasted it.

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As he tasted it, he became more and more excited. This pill was better than the one his friend had given him.

He was in disbelief. “Linjiang, did you make this?”

Bao Linjiang said, “Yes, I’m the one who made it, but I can’t make it without the guidance of my Master. Grandfather, can you agree to let me acknowledge Miss Chu as my master?”

Bao Chuanli did not answer Bao Linjiang. He pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, “Miss Chu, were you the one who sent the two prescriptions to the Imperial Hospital that day?”

Chu Qingzhi did not know about this.

Tang Jinghong explained, “Qingzhi wrote the prescriptions. It was an emergency that day, so 1 sent the prescriptions to the capital and asked you to prepare the medicine and distribute it to the various military camps. Qingzhi didn’t know about it.”

Bao Chuanli stood up and bowed solemnly to Chu Qingzhi. “Thank you, Miss Chu, for offering the prescriptions to save the lives of our soldiers.”

These two prescriptions had saved many people. He admired Chu Qingzhi greatly.

Chu Qingzhi was very surprised. Bao Chuanli’s status was high and noble, but he actually bowed to her.

She quickly stood up and bowed back. “You’re welcome, Old Master Bao.”

She thought for a moment. “Do you have a brush and paper? I’ll give the Imperial Hospital another prescription.”

Bao Chuanli quickly got someone to bring a brush and paper.

Chu Qingzhi picked up the brush and wrote down the prescription for malaria on the paper, as well as what to do when malaria was discovered and what to pay attention to during the process…

When she thought of how hopeless those refugees outside Xu City were when they found out that they had contracted malaria, her heart ached and she sympathized with them.

Bao Chuanli, Bao Linjiang, and Yuan Hongjun gathered around to watch.

When they saw the word “malaria”, the three of them trembled. This was a disease that they had been thinking of ways to overcome since ancient times, but they had not been able to. Yet, Chu Qingzhi had written a cure so easily.

How powerful was she to be able to write down such a prescription?!

Chu Qingzhi put down the brush. “Old Master Bao, 1 hope this prescription can save more people.”

Bao Chuanli said solemnly, “Miss Chu, don’t worry. I will definitely use the prescription to save the people.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Old Master Bao, I’ve been away from home for many days. I’m afraid that my family will be worried, so I’ll take my leave.”

Bao Linjiang said anxiously, “Master, wait for me. I’ll go pack my things and leave with you.”

Bao Chuanli said, “Wait!”

Bao Linjiang knelt down with a thud and begged, “Grandpa, I want to travel with Master and learn medicine from her. Let me go, please.”

Bao Chuanli suddenly felt that he had been a little too strict with this grandson. “I didn’t say no to you going. Since you are going to acknowledge her as your master, you can’t skip the formalities. Quickly bow and serve tea to her.”

Bao Linjiang was stunned for a moment before he was overjoyed. “Grandpa is right.” He quickly turned his head to Chu Qingzhi. “Master, sit. I’ll serve you tea.”

Forget it, Chu Qingzhi thought. She had never taken in disciples before, but it wouldn’t hurt to take in mo little disciples. Chu Qingzhi sat on the chair.

Not to be outdone, Yuan Hongjun also went to get a cup of tea. Then, he knelt in front of Chu Qingzhi with Bao Linjiang. “Master, please drink the tea.”

Chu Qingzhi drank both cups of tea. From now on, the three of them would be master and disciple.

“Linjiang, go and pack your things. I have to rush home.”

Bao Linjiang replied excitedly, “Yes, Master.”

After he packed up, Tang Jinghong had already brought over fast horses. The four of them bade farewell to the Bao family, got on the horses, and rushed to the Chu Village.

Bao Rongming stood at the entrance and watched the four of them. He could not help but sigh. “Jinghong is lucky to have found such an outstanding fiancee.”

Second Brother Bao, Bao Linjiang’s father, said, “Linjiang is also lucky to have found such a powerful master.”

He knew his son well. Not only was he arrogant, but he was also hard to discipline. Now, he had become an obedient little rabbit.

Bao Linjiang’s mother wiped her tears. “My son has grown up. He doesn’t want to stay with me anymore.”

Second Brother Bao put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and walked back. “He’s been by your side for more than ten years. Aren’t you annoyed with him being around you all day long. Since he’s gone, we can try to make another child.”

Bao Linjiang’s mother pinched Second Brother Bao’s waist.. “Get lost!”

Chapter 157: Extorter

Shuiyun County.

Recently, it had been raining heavily, and the people in the county had become much more active. In the afternoon, many people came out to stroll around and eat ice cream bars. They enjoyed the gradually cooling summer wind.

At this moment, many people were gathered at the entrance of Pure and Gentle Women’s Clothing Shop, watching the commotion.

There was a simple stretcher placed at the entrance of the shop. On the stretcher lay a thin girl.

The girl was wearing a dress from Pure and Gentle Women’s Clothing Shop. She was curled up slightly, her face pale and in pain.

Beside the stretcher stood a peasant woman in her forties. Iler cheekbones were high and fleshless. Iler eyebrows were raised, and her chin was sharp. She looked very mean.

At this moment, she was cursing, “Damn it, why didn’t you check when you sold the clothes? There were embroidery needles in the clothes. You harmed my daughter.”

Sang Wanlu was not around, and Chu Qingyue was in charge of the shop. She had never encountered such a situation before. She was very afraid, but she still mustered her courage and said, “How can there be embroidery needles in the clothes? Don’t malign us!”

The peasant woman threw a thick and long embroidery needle to Chu Qingyue and said fiercely, “There’s no embroidery needle? What is this then? It’s this embroidery needle that paralyzed my daughter.”

Upon hearing that the girl on the stretcher was paralyzed, the onlookers immediately expressed their sympathy for her.

From the looks of it, if the compensation was not satisfactory, the woman wouldn’t let this matter rest.

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There was still blood on the needle tip. When she heard that the girl was paralyzed, Chu Qingyue was even more afraid. “No, impossible. We checked every dress we sold carefully. It must be your own embroidery needle.”

The woman pointed at Chu Qingyue fiercely. “Are you saying that I was the one who paralyzed my daughter with an embroidery needle?”

No matter how vicious a mother was, she would not paralyze her own daughter. Chu Qingyue didn’t know what to say.

Seeing that Chu Qingyue was silent, the woman thought that she had the upper hand. “You’re the owner of this shop. Just tell me how you plan to resolve this matter.”

Chu Qingyue still felt that it was not the shop’s fault. She had been very serious and careful. “Based on your one-sided story, 1 won’t compensate a dime.”

Upon hearing that she would not compensate, the woman immediately started to make a scene.

“Damn it, you’ve harmed my daughter to this extent and now you want to extricate yourself from the responsibility. How can you do business like this? Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning”

“My poor daughter has been harmed by you. Now that she’s crippled, who would want to marry her? Her life will be ruined. You evil people will die a horrible death!”

“My daughter, my poor daughter. If I had known, 1 wouldn’t have come to your shop to buy clothes.”

“You have to pay a hundred taels of silver today. Otherwise, we’ll stay here and not leave. Don’t even think about doing business!”

What happened in the Pure and Gentle Women’s Clothing Shop spread to the county city like a gust of wind. More and more people came to watch.

The onlookers hadn’t had a good show to watch in a long time.

Chu Qingyue was very nervous and afraid. The clothes on her back were wet, but when she heard the woman asking for a hundred taels of silver, she perked up. “If anyone can accuse us and extort our money without evidence, we’ll go bankrupt in no time.”

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The woman cried and said, “The dress belongs to your shop, right? The embroidery needle belongs to your shop, right? There are special patterns on the embroidery needle. It’s different from the ones sold at other places.”

Chu Qingyue picked up the embroidery needle from the ground and took a closer look. There was a pattern that looked like a ripple engraved on the embroidery needle. This was their trademark.

This was Sang Wanlu’s idea to prevent troubles. She did not expect it to become evidence now.

Seeing this, Chu Qingyue’s expression changed.

When the woman saw Chu Qingyue’s reaction, she thought it wouldn’t be long before she could go back home with a bagful of silver.

At this moment, a refined man in green and white clothes squeezed in from the crowd. He walked to Chu Qingyue’s side and said, “Qingyue, don’t worry.”

Chu Qingyue had always been strong. When she saw Ning Yuting, her eyes turned red and quickly filled with tears.

The person beside her was as warm as the spring sun. He appeared when she needed help the most and told her not to worry…

She looked away slightly, and her heart beat abnormally fast.

Ning Yuting took out a handkerchief and handed it to Chu Qingyue. “Wipe your tears. Leave the rest to me.”

Chu Qingyue nodded. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ning Yuting took the embroidery needle and looked at it. “The dress and the embroidery needle indeed belong to our shop, but it doesn’t know we did it. Your evidence is not enough.”

Seeing that someone had come to support Chu Qingyue, the woman was furious. “Who are you? What right do you have to talk here? If it’s not your fault, then why did my daughter get paralyzed?”

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“Are you saying she paralyzed herself?”

“Or are you bullying us because you have so many people?”

“You have to give me an explanation today. Otherwise, you can forget about running the business.”

Ning Yuting waved at the shop assistant. “Go and get a doctor to check if that girl is really paralyzed.”

The shop assistant replied quickly, “Yes, Young Master Ning.”

The peasant woman cursed, “If you want to check, so be it. My daughter was fine yesterday, but she can’t even get up today. You can do whatever you want. If I lie, let lightning strike me”

Ning Yuting observed the peasant woman. She did not look guilty at all. Could it be that what she said was true?

“How much is your daughter’s dress?”

The peasant woman glanced at Ning Yuting and said unfriendly, “This dress cost me five hundred copper coins.”

Chu Qingyue nodded at Ning Yuting. It was indeed priced at five hundred copper coins.

Ning Yuting asked again, “When did you buy it? We keep a record of every dress we sold here. Let me take a look.”

The peasant woman sneered and stared at Ning Yuting. “A girl named Zhang Juan came to buy it the morning before yesterday.”

Chu Qingyue immediately went to bring the account book to Ning Yuting. Ning Yuting flipped through the account book. There was really someone called Zhang Juan.

He frowned slightly. This matter did not seem so simple.

He frowned and asked, “Why didn’t you send your daughter to the medical center immediately when she was paralyzed? Instead, you came here to ask for money?”

This was suspicious.

The peasant woman bared her teeth. She said very rudely, “We don’t have money. Do you think we are like you rich people?”

Her voice was filled with resentment and dissatisfaction towards life.

Ning Yuting frowned. “Even if we’re rich, our money didn’t come from nowhere. We worked hard to get it..

Chapter 158: Compete in Medicine

The peasant woman’s sharp voice was filled with resentment. “A well-fed man doesn’t know the hunger of a hungry man. It’s pointless for me to tell you my difficulties.”

Ning Yuting did not want to argue with a peasant woman.

The peasant woman thought that Ning Yuting was afraid of her and kept cursing. It made people want to sew her mouth shut.

The doctor was brought over by the shop assistant.

Ning Yuting quickly went forward. “Doctor, please check and see what happened to this girl.”

“Okay.” The doctor half-squatted down and took the pulse of the girl on the stretcher.

There were two rough men standing beside the stretcher. They had not spoken all this time. At this moment, one of them suddenly said, “Doctor, you have to be careful.”

The doctor ignored the man. He had lived in this county city for decades and was well-respected.

When Ning Yuting heard this, he looked up at the rough man. A threat? It seemed that this matter was really not as simple as it seemed!

When the onlookers saw the doctor taking the girl’s pulse, they could not help but quieten down.

Soon, the doctor finished the diagnosis. He looked up at Ning Yuting and said, “She’s indeed paralyzed, but this girl’s body has always been weak.”

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At this point, the doctor sighed and shook his head. “What a pitiful child.”

Seeing the doctor like this, the peasant woman said fiercely, “What do you mean my daughter’s body is weak? She has always been in good health. Originally, she was fine. She only collapsed because she was stabbed in the back by that needle. Doctor, don’t go against your conscience just because they have money!”

The doctor was angry. “What nonsense are you talking about? I’ve been a doctor for decades. Everyone in this county city knows me. You don’t love your daughter, and you’re blaming others. I’ve never seen a mother like you.”

The peasant woman refused to give up and said righteously, “I don’t love her? I’ve raised her since she was young. You’re full of nonsense. How can someone like you be a doctor? You don’t have any ethics!”

The doctor had obviously never encountered such an unreasonable shrew before. He couldn’t out-talk her, so he didn’t continue to argue.

He turned to Ning Yuting and said, “This girl had a miscarriage recently. Her health is especially poor. Although she’s paralyzed, she might not have been stabbed by a needle. She might have fallen or something.”

The peasant woman roared, “What nonsense are you talking about? My daughter is not married yet. How can she have a miscarriage?!”

The doctor ignored the peasant woman and continued to talk to Ning Yuting. “This girl has given birth to at least four children…”

When everyone heard this, they looked incredulous. That girl looked to be in her early twenties. Moreover, just now, her mother said that she had never been married. Now, the doctor said that she had given birth to four children…

Seeing that everyone was looking at her differently, the peasant woman’s heart skipped a beat and she immediately shouted, “He’s spouting nonsense. He’s been bribed. He’s deliberately maligning my daughter.”

The doctor was really angry and replied, “What’s there to malign?!”

The peasant woman pointed at the doctor. “You want to make things difficult for us and force us to go back, right?”

Ning Yuting’s expression was extremely ugly. His gaze swept past the girl on the stretcher and landed on the peasant woman. He said in a low voice, “Since you are not unconvinced, let’s report this matter to the authorities.”

“No!” The peasant woman shouted, her guilty look obvious. “Report to the authorities? You rich people have long bribed the authorities.”

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Ning Yuting’s gaze was cold. “No one dares to bribe the county magistrate. What you just said just now can get you 20 floggings. Do you know that?”

The peasant woman was a little afraid, but she still insisted on not reporting it to the authorities. She hesitated for a while. “As long as you give me ten taels of silver, we’ll leave immediately.”

The burly man beside her stepped forward and grabbed Ning Yuting’s collar. “Are you going to pay? If not, I’ll smash your shop!”

Ning Yuting’s eyes darkened. He reached out, grabbed the burly man’s wrist, and twisted it. The burly man let go in pain. Ning Yuting raised his leg and kicked the burly man to the ground.

Another burly man held a wooden stick in his hand and hit Ning Yuting’s neck when he was not paying attention.

When Chu Qingyue saw this, she rushed towards the burly man without thinking and pushed him hard. The burly man was caught off guard and pushed to the ground.

Ning Yuting looked sideways. Was Qingyue protecting him just now? He had an indescribable feeling.

He pulled Chu Qingyue over and shielded her behind him. “Shopkeeper, go and report to the authorities. Tell them that there is a murder case here.”

“Yes, Young Master Ning.” The shopkeeper was a little afraid when he saw the scene just now. When he heard Ning Yuting’s words, he hurriedly ran away.

Seeing this, the peasant woman immediately went forward to stop the shopkeeper. If it was reported to the authorities, this matter would blow up. “Stop, you’re not allowed to go.”

How could the shopkeeper listen to her? He scurried away like a frightened rabbit.

When Chu Qingzhi returned, she took a detour to the clothes shop to see Chu Qingyue. She did not expect to see so many people surrounding the entrance of the shop.

She dismounted. “Jinghong, I’ll go take a look.”

Tang Jinghong also got off the horse. “I’ll go with you.”

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Big Dreams, Bigger Bank Account: AI Made Her Rich At 25! Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang followed closely behind and walked towards the shop.

Chu Qingzhi had just walked to the back of the crowd when the shopkeeper rushed out, followed by a peasant woman… n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

She pushed through the crowd. “Second Sister.”

When Chu Qingyue saw Chu Qingzhi, she was pleasantly surprised. She hurriedly rushed over and hugged Chu Qingzhi. “Fifth Sister, you’re finally back. I miss you so much.”

Chu Qingzhi gently patted Chu Qingyue’s back. She also missed her family very much. “What’s going on here?”

Chu Qingyue hurriedly told Chu Qingzhi the ins and outs of the matter. “Fifth Sister, not only do they want to extort money, but they also want to hit us.”

Chu Qingzhi turned to look at the troublemakers. There was nothing to say. “Let’s wait for the authorities to come.”

Chu Qingyue nodded. “Ok.”

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang also heard Chu Qingyue’s words. The two young men went forward and took the pulse of the girl on the stretcher.

Yuan Hongjun looked up. “She’s 20 years old this year. About 45 days ago, she had a miscarriage.”

Bao Linjiang was not to be outdone. “She has given birth to four children and had a miscarriage twice.”

Yuan Hongjun added, “She was first pregnant at the age of 15.”

Bao Linjiang continued, “On her first childbirth, she almost died from difficult labor.”

Yuan Hongjun raised his eyebrows. The young man’s handsome face was filled with confidence. “She was stabbed by something sharp on the back, causing her lower body to be paralyzed.”

Bao Linjiang smiled with a hint of provocation. “With acupuncture and medicine, there’s a 60% chance of treating her.”

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang turned the girl over together. Then, they took off their bags and opened them.

Bao Linjiang carefully took out a pair of gloves made of very soft material. Only then did he begin to perform the acupuncture.

The onlookers fell silent again and watched the two young men compete in medicine.

Chu Qingzhi looked at the two young men and raised her eyebrows.. Did they not like each other so much?

Chapter 159: Vicious Plan

Chu Qingyue gently tugged at Chu Qingzhi’s sleeve and asked softly, “Fifth Sister, who are they?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “They’re my two little disciples. One is called Yuan Hongjun, and the other is called Bao Linjiang. They’re learning medicine from me. Just treat them as your younger brothers.”

Chu Qingyue was shocked.

She looked at the two young men curiously. They looked outstanding and had extraordinary temperaments, like young masters in the city.

She turned to look at Chu Qingzhi, thinking to herself, Fifth Sister can actually find such outstanding disciples. She is too amazing.

“Fifth Sister, I understand.”

Ning Yuting looked at Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang with shock written all across his face. He had grown up in the capital, so he naturally recognized the two of them. One was the beloved grandson of Yuan Zheng, and the other was the beloved grandson of Bao Chuanli.

The two of them had something in common, which was that they were proud and arrogant. He did not expect them to acknowledge Chu Qingzhi as their master.

Then how good was her medical skills?

He could not help but look at Chu Qingzhi. This girl seemed to be more impressive than he had imagined!

The peasant woman and the two burly men wanted to stop the two young men from performing acupuncture, but with Tang Jinghong and Ning Yuting standing at the side, they didn’t dare to make a rash move.

Especially Tang Jinghong. He was dressed in a black robe and exuded an aura that made others not dare to look him in the eyes.

After a while, the head constable came with ten constables.

The constable knew Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong and immediately bowed to them. However, when he was about to bow to Tang Jinghong, Tang Jinghong stopped him. “Deal with the case first.”

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The head constable cupped his hands. “Yes.”

Then, he asked the people present about the situation…

The peasant woman and the two men were outwardly strong and inwardly weak. When they saw the head constable, they immediately shrank back like rats seeing a cat. They couldn’t help but tremble with fear.

After asking around and getting a rough understanding of the situation, the head constable prepared to bring everyone to the county office for interrogation.

At this moment, Yuan Hongjun turned around and said, “Wait a little longer. The acupuncture will be over in a while.”

The head constable looked at Tang Jinghong, who nodded slightly. He did not say anything and waited at the side. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Not long after, Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang removed the needles. The two of them turned the girl back. Bao Linjiang said to the girl, “Get up and try.”

Everyone was also looking forward to the girl’s reaction. After all, they felt that the two young men’s medical skills were not bad.

The girl was a fool. She looked at the two of them, laughing foolishly, but the look of pain on her face was gone. After laughing for a while, she got up and ran around the stretcher. “Flying, flying…”

When everyone saw the girl running, they were first amazed by Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang’s medical skills. They could even treat paralysis with acupuncture. Then, they were surprised to find that the girl was actually a fool. Then, they thought of the diagnosis of the two young men just now and realized that the peasant woman in front of them was actually a demon!

“Officer, hurry up and arrest this ruthless old woman!”

“She’s so inhuman!”

“You must punish her severely. She’s too heartless. She even harmed her own daughter!”

No matter how mean and thick-skinned the peasant woman was, she could not withstand the criticism of the crowd.

The two burly men were also dispirited. They shrunk their necks and did not dare to speak.

The head constable waved his hand. “Take everyone back.”

The onlookers also wanted to know what was going on, so they followed them to the county office.

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At the county office.

When the county magistrate saw so many commoners, he knew that the matter was serious, so he immediately held a court trial.

The county magistrate put on a dignified expression. “Speak your name.”

The peasant woman trembled and immediately said in fear, “Madam Wang from the He Village. This is my daughter. She doesn’t have a name and is called He Fifth.”

The two men were tall, but they were not bold. They quickly said.

“I’m He First from He Village.”

“I’m He Second from He Village.”

The county magistrate said, “Head constable, tell me what happened.”

Chu Qingyue stood up. “My lord, can you let me recount what happened?”

The county magistrate said, “Alright, go ahead.”

Chu Qingyue told him everything about how the peasant woman had asked He First and He Second to carry He Fifth to her shop and how they wanted to extort money from her. “My lord, that’s what happened.”

The county magistrate frowned. Today’s case sounded infuriating. He pointed at the peasant woman. “Why are you extorting money from her?”

A flash of light entered the peasant woman and the two men’s bodies.

The peasant woman said excitedly, “My daughter is going to die. I raised her for so long. What’s wrong with us squeezing the last bit of value from her?”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The two men looked at the peasant woman strangely. Had she been possessed? Why did she tell the truth?

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The magistrate looked serious. “How can you be so sure that she’s going to die?”

The peasant woman said, “Ever since He Fifth had a miscarriage, she has been bleeding and can’t even get out of bed. She will definitely die soon.”

The magistrate asked, “Why didn’t you take her to see a doctor?”

The peasant woman said, “See a doctor? 1 lent her to other families to help them give birth to a child. For each child she gives birth to, 1 can only earn one taels of silver. How can I have the money to take her to see a doctor?”

Everyone was stunned.

How infuriating! She actually lent her daughter to someone else to have a child?

The county magistrate’s face darkened. This mother was too cruel. Without waiting for him to ask further, the peasant woman continued, “She was played by a man. After the man dumped her, she went crazy. I didn’t expect her to be pregnant. 1 sold the child and earned a tael of silver. After that, I kept making her pregnant and selling the children.”

“But after the fourth child, her body started to debilitate quickly. After that, she had two miscarriages. What’s the use of keeping her?”

They had seen vicious people, but they had never seen anyone so vicious. Those words were beyond everyone’s imagination.

Chu Qingzhi was also dumbfounded. She was considered experienced, but this was the first time she had heard of such an inhuman act.

The county magistrate’s face darkened. This evil woman was too hateful. “What happened to your daughter’s back?”

The peasant woman said, “The village chief’s wife bought a dress for her daughter. I thought it looked really good, so I stole the dress. Then, I saw a needle on the dress.”

“So I thought that since He Fifth was going to die anyway, I might as well take the opportunity to extort some money. I stabbed her while she was sitting on the threshold and not paying attention. 1 didn’t expect the heavens to be on my side. She was paralyzed.”

“I’ll immediately get my two sons to carry her to the shop to make a scene.”

Her two sons turned pale and collapsed on the ground. What should they do? Their mother had told everything.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

What a vicious plan! What a vicious mother!!

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang looked at each other. How could there be such a mother in the world?

Yuan Hongjun leaned closer to Bao Linjiang and whispered, “Little Abalone, now you know how evil people are. Don’t be so naive in the future. Be careful not to be kidnapped!”

Bao Linjiang pushed Yuan Hongjun. “Get lost. You’re the one who will be kidnapped!”

Yuan Hongjun glanced at Bao Linjiang. “Little Abalone, I’m reminding you out of kindness. Otherwise, if you’ll be sold and help others make money.”

“Thank you for your kindness. You should take care of yourself first.” Bao Linjiang snorted..

Chapter 160: Handing Over the Shop

The county magistrate patted the table to silence the noisy hall. “Someone.”

The head constable cupped his fists. “My lord.”

The county magistrate ordered, “Go and summon the wife of the village chief of the He Village.”

A woman in the crowd raised her hand and replied, “My lord, I’m here.”

The crowd made way for the woman to enter the hall.

The woman knelt down. “Greetings, Your Lordship.”

The county magistrate asked, “Where’s the dress you bought for your daughter.”

Zhang Juan said, “My lord, the dress 1 bought was for my daughter’s birthday. A few days ago, it rained heavily and the dress was damp. JVIy daughter took it out to dry. In the end, it disappeared when I was collecting the clothes in the afternoon. My daughter cried for a long time.”

She looked at the peasant woman with anger in her eyes. “I didn’t expect her to steal it.”

The peasant woman was regretting telling the truth. She lowered her head and trembled.

The county magistrate asked, “What’s with the needle she mentioned?”

“That needle…” Zhang Juan stammered. “When I was picking out the dress in the shop, I saw a needle fall to the ground. 1 picked it up and took it away. When I got home, I placed it on the table. My daughter said that she wanted to embroider a flower on the dress, so I gave it to her.”

So that was what happened!

The county magistrate’s gaze landed on He First and He Second. “Do you know what your mother did?”

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The two of them replied together, “We do.”

Just as the county magistrate was about to speak, an old man in his fifties barged in. As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt down and begged, “Your Lordship, my wife and two sons are possessed. There’s something wrong with their brains. They didn’t do it on purpose. Please show mercy!”

The county magistrate was unmoved and continued to announce the order. “Madam Wang is the mastermind behind this matter. She deliberately injured her daughter to extort money. This can not be allowed to happen in my jurisdiction. Therefore, I sentence Madam Wang to five years of imprisonment and a fine of ten taels of silver.”

When Madam Wang heard the verdict, she was terrified. She cried bitterly and hurriedly pleaded, “Lord, please show mercy! I won’t do it again. 1 won’t do it again. I don’t want to go to jail. 1 don’t want to go to jail!”

The county magistrate ignored her and continued to give the order. “He First and He Second are accomplices. You will both be punished to three years of imprisonment and a fine of five taels.”

He First and He Second’s faces were ashen. They felt despair and hurriedly begged for mercy, but the county magistrate refused to listen to them.

People had to pay the price for what they did. It was the same for everyone!

“Put them in jail.”

The old man looked at the three of them being dragged away, leaving behind a silly daughter. For a moment, he cried uncontrollably. If he had known, he would have stopped them, but it was too late now.

The county magistrate said, “Head constable, send people to the He family to collect the fine.”

The head constable cupped his fists. “Yes, my lord.”

“Court ended!”

After the court trial, the commoners dispersed one by one. Soon, this case spread throughout the county city.

They all scolded the peasant woman for being heartless and vicious!

At the same time, they sympathized with that girl. It was really too painful to be born in such a family.

On the other side, Chu Qingzhi, Tang Jinghong, and the others walked towards the shop in silence. They had yet to come back to their senses from the atrocities Madam Wang had done.

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Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang walked to Chu Qingzhi’s side. Yuan Hongjun said, “Master, where is your house? Let’s go back quickly.”

Bao Linjiang quickly echoed, “That’s right, Master. I’m already looking forward to it.”

“We’ll go back immediately.” Chu Qingzhi then introduced everyone to each other.

The two young men hurriedly called Chu Qingyue Second Sister. They should have called her Martial Aunt, but it was too weird. Anyway, there was no need to be so particular in the village. Chu Qingzhi asked them to call Chu Qingyue Second Sister.

Chu Qingyue was naturally happy to have two additional young and handsome brothers.

When they arrived at the shop, everyone realized that Sang Wanlu had arrived and was getting out of the carriage. Her movements and expressions were very anxious.

Sang Wanlu’s servant girl quickly helped her down with a frightened expression. “Madam, be careful.”

Chu Qingyue quickly walked forward. “Wanlu, you’re pregnant. You don’t have to come.”

Sang Wanlu said worriedly, “I heard that something happened in the shop, so I came to take a look.”

Chu Qingyue smiled at her. “The case is over. The bad guys have been punished. It’s fine now.”

“That’s good.” Sang Wanlu heaved a sigh of relief. Her gaze swept past everyone and landed on Chu Qingzhi. Her eyes lit up. “Qingzhi…”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “Congratulations.”

Sang Wanlu bowed to Chu Qingzhi and said gratefully, “Qingzhi, I’m lucky to have met you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant.”

“I’m a doctor. It’s my duty to satisfy the needs of the patient.” Chu Qingzhi gave her good wishes. “I wish you a cute and healthy baby.”

Sang Wanlu smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

The servant girl stepped forward and said, “Miss Chu, can you prescribe a prescription for Madam to stabilize the pregnancy? Madam doesn’t trust other doctors.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Alright.” She walked towards the shop. There was a brush and paper inside. Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang hurriedly followed.

After she wrote the prescription, Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang hurriedly picked it up and looked at it. They were a little puzzled and asked Chu Qingzhi to enlighten them.

Chu Qingzhi doted on her two little disciples and explained to them patiently.

“I see. I’ve learned something new!”

“Learning is indeed a life-long journey!”

Chu Qingzhi couldn’t help but laugh. She walked out and handed the prescription to Sang Wanlu. “One bowl of medicine a day. Walking around more can also help.”

“Ok,” Sang Wanlu nodded happily. Then, her expression slowly turned serious. “Qingzhi, I want to discuss something with you.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Go ahead.”

Sang Wanlu looked at the shop. “I’m pregnant and it’s no longer convenient for me to manage the shop, so I want to give it to Qingyue.”

Chu Qingzhi looked at Sang Wanlu. “What do you mean?”

Sang Wanlu smiled and said, “i rented the shop and paid the rent for half a year. I hired the shop assistants and paid them every month. There are still some clothes in the shop. Now, I’ll give them all to Qingyue.”

Chu Qingzhi asked, “Then how much should we pay you?”

Sang Wanlu shook her head. “No need. Just treat it as my token of gratitude to you for treating me. My pregnancy is much more valuable than these. You don’t have to stand on ceremony. I’ve already thought about it.”

Chu Qingzhi thought for a moment. Everything San Wanlu said would amount to no more than 300 taels of silver. It was acceptable. “Then I’ll thank you on behalf of my Second Sister.”

“There’s no need to be so polite.” Sang Wanlu waved at Chu Qingyue. “Qingyue, let’s go to the shop. After handing over the shop, I won’t come anymore.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chu Qingyue was still in a daze. It was too unreal. “Are… are you really giving me the shop?”

Chu Qingzhi walked over and tugged at Chu Qingyue’s sleeve. “Second Sister, it’s really given to you. Go and take over the shop. In the future, that shop will be yours.”

Chu Qingyue nodded in a daze. “Oh, okay.”

Ning Yuting suddenly said, “Miss Chu, I’ll go help Qingyue. You guys go home first. Grandma and Aunt Li miss you very much.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “Alright, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Don’t worry. With me around, you can rest assured.”

The four of them mounted their horses and went home..