Because the settlement method has changed, the herbs that originally took two months to harvest can now be harvested in just one month.
Jin Shanyao specially set up a drying ground at the Lush Mountain to dry all the herbs separately according to their medicinal properties.
In the sunny and dry autumn, most of the herbs were dried in just seven or eight days.
That day, Jin Shanyao just finished bagging the dried medicinal herbs and taking them into the warehouse when she heard a knock at the door, " Qing He..."
"Oh... here it comes..."
Qing He came out of the kitchen, pulling on her apron, and walked towards the courtyard gate while wiping her hands. When she opened the gate, she saw a tall man standing in front of it.
Madam Shi and Shiyan stood beside him, the three of them carrying large and small bags. Before Qing He could speak, Shi Chang'an asked, "Miss, Shopkeeper Jin here?"
"Oh, yes..." Qing He paused slightly, then turned to look into the courtyard, "Master, the Madam Shi is here."
Jin Shanyao's heart skipped a beat. The words "Madam Shi" were like a thunderbolt, especially since she cried endlessly. She wondered what had brought her here this time.
She handed the bag to Lu Chi and walked towards the courtyard gate.
The Shi Chang'an stood there like a small mountain. Jin Shanyao his head and made a buzzing sound. The image of his first wife bringing their child to his door automatically surfaced in his mind.
She was startled and quickly cleared her mind of all the chaotic thoughts. She immediately questioned the child's father.
" Shopkeeper Shi, what's going on?"
Shi Chang'an laughed heartily, " Shopkeeper Jin, I was able to deliver the goods safely this time entirely thanks to your rescue. I've brought my family here today to express my gratitude."
Jin Shanyao thought to herself, "You've come, so why did you bring these two along?" When Shiyan met Jin Shanyao's gaze, it was like a firecracker meeting a tinderbox—it ignited instantly.
" Aunt Yao, are you happy to see me...?" Before she could finish speaking, there was a loud slap as Madam Shi slapped Shi Yan hard on Shiyan head, making him wince in pain.
The Madam Shi laughed awkwardly; she thought her silly son was about to call her "Mother," but she had misunderstood...
Jin Shanyao couldn't bring herself to say anything against her will, only managing a dry laugh, " Shopkeeper Shi Manager, you're too kind. Madam Shi has already paid for the divination; you don't need to come all the way here to thank me."
Shi Chang'an had long wanted to befriend Jin Shanyao, but his wife had a falling out with her before, and he was afraid that instead of befriending her, they would become enemies.
So he hadn't dared to take action until now, but with such a ready opportunity presented to him, how could he possibly miss it?
" Shopkeeper Jin, you're too kind. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead by now."
He handed the gift to Qing He and continued, "I heard you were going to send medicinal herbs to the capital, so I came to check how many there were, just in case we don't have enough manpower."
"This year's harvest is a little less, so we shouldn't need many people," Jin Shanyao, leading Shi Chang'an to the warehouse.
The Mancang of medicinal herbs came into view, Shi Chang'an was completely stunned. These were medicinal herbs destined for the imperial court, so why were they piled up so casually?
He was about to remind Jin Shanyao when he saw his silly son, huffing and puffing, carrying the bag and grinning foolishly, "Sister, am I strong?"
Meng Anzhi smiled and said, " Shiyan, put it down quickly, leave these to the workers."
"It's alright, they're just herbs, they're light and won't sink."
After saying that, he stumbled and fell forward uncontrollably, just as he thought he was about to lose face.
Shiyan's belt was suddenly grabbed, Shiyan turned his head to look, exclaiming happily, "Dad, why are you out here?"
Shi Chang'an took a deep breath. "This silly son of mine doesn't even feed the dog at home, yet he's running around carrying heavy bags at the Anzhi Hall. Fine, fine, you have too much energy to do, huh? When we get back, I'll make you squat in a horse stance for an hour."
Where is Anci?
Shiyan wiped his forehead, his eyes sparkling. "He's in the study; he hasn't finished his homework."
Shi Chang'an really wanted to kick him back into his mother's womb. Meng Anci was reading in the study, and you were huffing and puffing while carrying heavy bags. How did I give birth to such a brainless idiot?
"Go find Anci to play with."
"No, I want to play with Anzhi." All the children in the Shi Household are boys, and there are no girls at all. When Shiyan saw that Meng Anci had an older sister, she wanted to call her that too.
Most importantly, Meng Anzhi's smile is especially beautiful, hehehe... hehe my ass, Shi Chang'an couldn't help but kick Shiyan's butt.
Shiyan cried out in pain from the kick, his face turning bright red. He instinctively looked at Meng Anzhi, and only secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she hadn't noticed him.
He glared at Shi Chang'an. He'd have to have a good talk with his father when he got back. Shi Chang'an was already eight years old by the New Year; he couldn't just kick him all the time—it would be so embarrassing.
Shi Chang'an looked away, not wanting to see his foolish appearance. "Don't worry, Shopkeeper Jin, our Shi Household Escort Agency will definitely deliver these goods on time!"
This is an order from the imperial court. If they can deliver it safely, the status of these Shi Household Escort Agency in the industry will be completely different from what it used to be.
Even if they can't become the top leader, they can at least establish a solid reputation.
Thinking of this, Shi Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the loss of the jade Buddha and his own kidnapping were all for the sake of this one deal.
This truly proves the saying, "Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be a harbinger of good fortune."
With the matter settled, Shi Chang'an exchanged a few pleasantries and then, pulling Shiyan along, took his wife home.
On the night before his departure, Jin Shanyao prepared a feast for Lu Chi, and the whole family sat together to bid him farewell.
Lu Chi, who is usually eloquent, was unusually silent. On the table were his favorite braised pork, as well as braised pork hock and sweet and sour pork ribs.
Qing He spoke up first, " Lu Chi, I didn't know your identity before, so please don't take it to heart if I did anything wrong."
Lu Chi raised his eyes slightly. She had made him throw away the swill while he was cooking, so you can't trust what women say.
Qing Yang chuckled awkwardly, "Once you leave, we probably won't see each other again in this lifetime."
"Pah, pah... I'm going back to the capital, not to die," Lu Chi quickly interrupted her.
Meng Anci sighed softly, "What's the difference between going back to the capital and going to your death? We used to protect you, but from now on, you'd better be more careful."
Meng Anzhi, "Your father is a bad person. Go back and investigate how your mother died."
Seeing that everyone was talking, Jin Shanyao felt it wouldn't be right for her not to speak, so she coughed lightly twice to draw everyone's attention.
"Well, divination will cost 1,000 taels, finding the cause of death 2,000 taels, and finding clues 3,000 taels."
Lu Chi laughed in exasperation, "Master, others only pay ten taels for a mistress."
Jin Shanyao her tongue. "Doesn't that vary from person to person? You charge seventy taels for a meal, so a fortune-telling session wouldn't be worth a thousand for someone of your status."
Lu Chi's lips twitched. Why was she so vengeful?
At the end of the meal, Lu Chi actually cried. He didn't want to leave Willow and Poplar County, he didn't want to leave Anzhi Hall, and he especially didn't want to leave Jin Shanyao.
He doesn't have to worry about backstabbing and intrigue here; he can just be himself, provided, of course, he can take a beating...
Lu Chi cried silently, his tears falling silently, as if he had suffered a great injustice. Jin Shanyao placed a bottle of ginkgo seeds in front of him.
"This is for you; it could save your life in an emergency."
Lu Chi, with tears in his eyes, looked up at her and asked, "Master, this bottle is free, right?"
He was completely swindled out of his money by Jin Shanyao and had no money left.
Jin Shanyao patted his head without saying a word. This child is so young and already so dim-witted. How will he manage in the future?
She suddenly remembered a folk song she had heard.
Little White, turning yellow in the field, two or three years old, lost its mother.
It's alright living with my father, but I'm afraid he might take a stepmother.
He married a stepmother, and after three and a half years, she gave birth to a younger brother who is better than me.
Jin Shanyao sighed and comforted her, "Don't cry, it's okay if we don't live anymore."