Old Woman Zheng said happily, "My womb is so uncooperative... I only have this one son. Ever since he got married, I've been hoping to hold a grandson. After four or five years, I'm finally pregnant."
Meng Anzhi smiled but didn't say anything.
Old Woman Zheng helped Chen Maimiao to her feet. "Be careful... We can't be careless these days. I'm going to buy some fine cloth to make two small quilts. You wait for me at the door, and don't go anywhere, understand?"
Chen Maimiao nodded, "No need to buy anything too expensive, Fourth Brother doesn't earn money easily..."
Before she could finish speaking, Old Woman Zheng interrupted her, "You're carrying our only child, you have to take it seriously. Alright... just wait for me, I'll be right back."
As she spoke, she helped Chen Maimiao out of the shop. Seeing a chair placed outside the Anzhi Hall's door, she looked around and muttered, "I don't know who this chair is for. You sit here first, and if someone comes, you can give it to them."
Chen Maimiao didn't explain. She slowly sat down in the chair, supporting her back, closed her eyes, and tilted her face slightly up to let the warm sun shine on her.
Boss Zheng was lucky today; he not only broke even but also made a fortune. He left the gambling den and hadn't gone far when he saw Chen Maimiao sitting outside the Anzhi Hall.
He stopped in his tracks, staring thoughtfully at Chen Maimiao's belly. He had heard from his family that Chen Maimiao was exactly nine months pregnant.
If we count from the timeline, this child... Thinking of this, the corners of his lips curled up, and he looked through the window of the Anzhi Hall, but he didn't see the shadow of Jin Shanyao.
Boss Zheng grew bolder, stepped forward, and placed his large hand on Chen Maimiao's stomach.
Chen Maimiao suddenly opened her eyes, facing Boss Zheng's head, who was staring greedily at her stomach.
Terrified, she cried out in panic, "What are you going to do?"
Boss Zheng smiled and said, "Fourth Sister-in-law, you kept it a secret so well... Tell me the truth, when were you pregnant and when was the baby born?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Maimiao's face turned ashen. She hurriedly looked into the Anzhi Hall, but there was only one servant in the shop, and no sign of Jin Shanyao.
Boss Zheng turned her face to the side and said in a nasty tone, "What are you looking at? I'm asking you a question? Are you mute??"
Chen Maimiao shoved Boss Zheng away, "Stay away from me. If you dare to lay a hand on me again, don't blame me for telling Fourth Brother."
"Fourth Brother... you call me that so affectionately," Boss Zheng said playfully, his hand circling her round belly, "That coward could get you pregnant... I don't believe it."
"Get out of the way... get out of the way, or I'll call for help," Chen Maimiao warned in a low voice. Seeing her restrained demeanor, Boss Zheng's eyes lit up with excitement.
Just as he was about to get closer, a voice suddenly shouted in his ear, "Hey... who are you?"
Boss Zheng turned his head and saw that it was an old man in his forties or fifties. His face darkened. "This is none of your business. Get out of here."
Shopkeeper Wang said unhappily, "I know this woman. She's sitting here waiting for her husband. You'd better leave now, or I'll report you to the authorities."
Boss Zheng sized him up, then looked at the shop behind him. "Old man... I think you're tired of living. What, you don't want to do business anymore? Need me to help you clean up the shop?"
He was about to walk towards the rouge shop when Shopkeeper Wang blocked his way, shouting, "Help! Some thugs are robbing us!"
Hearing the commotion, Zhou Xiaosi ran out. "What's wrong, Shopkeeper Wang?"
Shopkeeper Wang pointed at Boss Zheng, "He harassed respectable women and tried to smash my shop! You should report him to the authorities immediately!"
Fearing things would escalate, Boss Zheng summoned Jin Shanyao, who pointed at Shopkeeper Wang with a grim expression, "You're something else... I don't think you want to keep this shop open anymore. You just wait..."
After saying that, he left, grumbling and cursing.
Xiaohua's mother dragged Shopkeeper Wang into the house and immediately started scolding him, "Why did you meddle in other people's business? Now look what's happened, you've made people hate you..."
Xiaohua poked Shopkeeper Wang's forehead hard with her finger. "You're getting more and more senile as you get older. I wonder how you're going to keep this shop running."
Shopkeeper Wang said firmly, "I can't just stand by and watch a woman be bullied. She's heavily pregnant; if anything happens to her, it'll be two lives lost."
Xiaohua was at a loss for words. Shopkeeper Wang pushed her aside and walked behind the counter. "We're all neighbors, I don't believe he dares to do anything to me."
In the Anzhi Hall backyard, Jin Shanyao was teaching Meng Anzhi how to make deer antler glue. The whole deer antler was cut into small pieces, soaked to remove the blood, and then put into a large pot to boil. The water in the pot was boiling.
Qing He used a ladle to skim off the foam from the pot, while Qing Yang processed the deer antlers while keeping an eye on the heat.
The two were both very serious. "Master, how long are we going to have to wait?" Qing He put down the water ladle, replaced it with a wooden spatula, and stirred vigorously.
"It will take four or five days to cook... During this time, you need to keep adding water and stirring to prevent it from sticking to the pot." Jin Shanyao said, wiping her hands and walking into the shop.
Zhou Xiaosi was leaning on the counter reading a medical book. Chen Maimiao had left sometime earlier. Jin Shanyao tapped on the counter. "What just happened?"
Zhou Xiaosi looked up and said, "A man was harassing Madam Chen, but Shopkeeper Wang came out to stop him... The man was yelling that he would smash up his shop, but when he heard that we were going to report him to the authorities, he ran away."
Jin Shanyao roughly guessed who it was. The only person who could bully the Zheng Household couple was someone who had spent Five Hundred Wen... They really don't learn their lesson and still dare to cause trouble at the entrance of the Anzhi Hall.
No... I have to find Ghost One to scare him tonight.
Jin Shanyao her head, then, seeing Zhou Xiaosi watching intently, smiled and asked, "Is there anything you don't understand?"
Zhou Xiaosi shook his head. "The medicinal herbs listed in the book are all available in our shop. You can remember them with just a glance." He hesitated for a long time, touching the corner of the page. "Master, do you really think I can be a doctor?"
"Of course you can! You're the smartest person I've ever met, believe me... As long as you're willing to learn, you'll definitely succeed..."
Zhou Xiaosi blushed with pride at the praise. He had never even touched a book before coming to the Anzhi Hall, and only began learning to read after arriving Anzhi Hall.
He signed twenty-year contracts with the Qing Household sisters. His master was generous and willing to teach them anything as long as they were willing to learn.
Zhou Xiaosi thought that after twenty years, if his master still needed him, he would stay at the Anzhi Hall and continue working as a servant. If his master thought he was too old, he would go home and, with his skills accumulated over the years, still be able to make a living.
He just lacked confidence. "Miss, I've been studying medicine since elementary school, and I'm so young... Master, is it too late for me to learn now?"
Jin Shanyao patted his shoulder encouragingly, "It's never too late to learn medicine. Just do a little more each day than others... Once you're skilled, I'll make you a practicing doctor."
Zhou Xiaosi exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
"Of course... when have I ever lied to you?"
Zhou Xiaosi was overjoyed, holding the book and chuckling to himself... How lucky he was! While others had to give gifts to their apprentices to study medicine, he was practically immersed in medicine.
He could read medical books at will, and he knew every step of the process from planting to harvesting medicinal herbs. Most importantly, his master was willing to teach him, something Zhou Xiaosi never dared to dream of.
Jin Shanyao also had her own selfish motives: firstly, she wanted to find a reliable helper for Meng Anzhi, and secondly, she wanted Meng Anzhi to teach Zhou Xiaosi medicine, which would force her to consolidate her knowledge.