Chapter 32: Levels

After the misunderstanding with Yu Gui was cleared up, Hua Changxi went to the warehouse to collect medicinal herbs, and the types of herbs she collected increased.

"Sister Changxi, you only take a few of each herb, don't you find it troublesome?"

Yu Gui looked at Hua Changxi in confusion. You know, other menial servants came to collect herbs, wishing they could only collect one kind, so that it would be easier to clean.

Hua Changxi shook her head: "I don't find it troublesome."

Yu Gui asked again: "Is there any intention for you to collect herbs like this?"

Hua Changxi looked left and right, and seeing that others didn't pay attention to them, she whispered: "The Medical Department has a wide variety of medicinal herbs, many of which I can't even come into contact with outside. Now that I have encountered them, of course I have to study them well."

Yu Gui: "Menial servants are not allowed to damage medicinal herbs. How do you study?"

Hua Changxi pointed to the medicinal herbs on the cart: "For herbs with many roots, I will pinch a small section of the root to taste; if there are many leaves, I will taste the leaves. In this way, I understand the medicinal properties of the herbs without damaging them."

Yu Gui touched his chin: "It's too troublesome for you to collect herbs like this. How about this: when Wan Xiaozhou, Li Meng, and I are on night duty, you come to the warehouse to study."

"But we have to agree in advance: you are not allowed to damage the medicinal herbs, otherwise, both you and I will be in big trouble."

Hua Changxi's face was full of joy: "Brother Yu, don't worry, I promise not to add trouble to you."

Seeing Hua Changxi's excited look, Yu Gui also smiled and said: "Tomorrow is the monthly allowance. After you finish breakfast, don't come to collect herbs first. Go to the Internal Affairs Court to collect silver first. If you go late, I don't know how long you will have to queue."

Coming to the warehouse to collect herbs, the only people queuing were menial servants of the Third Bureau.

But going to the Internal Affairs Court to collect silver, the people queuing included all menial servants of the First Bureau and the Second Bureau.

Hearing that she could collect wages, Hua Changxi was also very happy: "How much silver can we collect?"

Yu Gui looked surprised: "You don't even know this?"

Hua Changxi smiled awkwardly: "I was too embarrassed to ask." Mainly, her relationship with her roommates was not very good, and no one told her.

Yu Gui didn't go into it and began to introduce: "All the big stewards have a monthly allowance of ten taels. The second stewards, third stewards, and menial servants' monthly allowances are divided by gender."

"The male second steward and third steward have monthly allowances of eight taels and five taels respectively, and male menial servants have three taels of silver per month."

"The female second steward and third steward have monthly allowances of five taels and three taels respectively, and female menial servants have two taels of silver per month."

"As for the three eunuchs who manage the Menial Hall, I don't know how high their monthly allowance is."

Hua Changxi: "Why are the monthly allowances for men and women different?"

Yu Gui smiled: "Of course they are different. Men contribute much more than women."

Hua Changxi: "But the number of medicinal herbs that male menial servants and female menial servants are responsible for cleaning every day is clearly the same."

Yu Gui: "Male menial servants are sometimes assigned other tasks, such as going to the Medicine Manor and Medicine Valley to transport medicinal herbs. Female menial servants can't do these."

Hua Changxi said "Oh" and didn't say anything more.

On the thirtieth of October, before the sky was completely bright, a long queue had already formed in the Internal Affairs Court of the Menial Hall. Hua Changxi came over after breakfast, and people couldn't get into the courtyard anymore.

"Qingluo, come quickly, I stood in line for you."

Hua Changxi stood at the courtyard gate and heard Wang Yunchu's voice inside. She turned her head and saw Lu Qingluo pulling another young lady and walking into the courtyard quickly.

When the two passed the courtyard gate, they saw Hua Changxi and were stunned.

And Wang Yunchu, who was queuing very early in the courtyard, also saw Hua Changxi, but she didn't call Hua Changxi, but turned to talk to Sister Shi and the others who were queuing together.

Sister Shi and the others also looked at Hua Changxi and didn't speak either.

Hua Changxi quickly moved her gaze away, looked at the crowded Internal Affairs Court, thought for a while, and decided to go to the warehouse to collect medicinal herbs first.

Watching Hua Changxi leave, Lu Qingluo looked at Wang Yunchu and the others: "Is it not very good for us to do this?"

Wang Yunchu hummed: "What's not good? It's normal that we don't call her, given Hua Changxi's usual attitude of not wanting to associate with us much."

Paused, "If she took the initiative to come over, would we refuse her?"

Everyone didn't talk about this anymore, and soon they happily talked about what they were going to buy after collecting the monthly allowance.

On the other side, Hua Changxi cleaned all 500 medicinal herbs, pulled the medicinal herbs to the Second Bureau to hand in her work, and came to the Internal Affairs Court again. There were not many people inside.

Hua Changxi glanced at the sky, and seeing that it was almost noon, she went directly to the canteen to eat.

Because she cured the illnesses of several women in the canteen, Hua Changxi was very popular in the canteen. Besides the original big pot of rice, she could occasionally eat some small stove meals.

After eating lunch and going to the Internal Affairs Court, there were not many people.

Hua Changxi queued for a while and collected two taels of silver, but she didn't leave immediately: "Accountant, I entered the Menial Hall on the twenty-first of the ninth month. I haven't collected my monthly allowance for September yet."

The accountant who issued the monthly allowance looked at Hua Changxi: "It has already been collected."

Hua Changxi: "Impossible, I haven't come to collect it."

The accountant was a bit impatient: "Go back and ask your steward, next one."

Hearing the urging of the people behind, Hua Changxi had to step aside and quickly returned to the Sixth Bureau. She found Du Ruo at the end of the ditch: "Steward Du, the accountant said that my monthly allowance for September has already been collected, but I didn't collect it. What's going on?"

Du Ruo saw Hua Changxi's look of having to know, and didn't hide it: "Your monthly allowance for September was 600 wen, and it was collected by Steward Leng."

Hua Changxi: "But she didn't give it to me." Paused, "She might have forgotten, then I'll go find her now."

Hearing this, Du Ruo and Wang Yunchu and others not far away looked at her with the eyes of looking at a fool.

Hua Changxi saw them like this and knew there must be something tricky here, so she turned to find Steward Leng.

Du Ruo saw Hua Changxi was serious and quickly stopped her: "Are you really not knowing or pretending not to know?"

Hua Changxi frowned: "What do you mean?"

Seeing her like this, Du Ruo sighed: "You haven't worked as a servant before, right?"

Hua Changxi: "Yes, this is my first job."

Du Ruo: "Every menial servant has to pay a filial piety fee of 600 wen every month. This is a rule that has been in the Menial Hall for many years."

Hua Changxi's eyes widened: "Filial piety fee? Filial piety to whom?"

Du Ruo didn't answer this, but Wang Yunchu solved the puzzle for Hua Changxi: "Of course, it's filial piety to the stewards."

Hua Changxi was silent. After a while, she looked at Wang Yunchu and the others: "Working hard from early morning to late night every month to earn two taels of silver, and actually having to pay nearly one-third of the filial piety fee, no one opposes it?"

Wang Yunchu looked at Du Ruo and said quickly: "Someone opposed it, but in the end, they were all driven out of the Menial Hall."

Du Ruo saw Hua Changxi's unconvinced look and didn't want her to make trouble, so she persuaded: "After paying 600 wen, there is still 1,400 wen left, which is already more than the money earned from jobs outside."

"People, learn to be content, don't be too calculating about the gains and losses in front of you."

"If you want to continue working in the Menial Hall, you have to follow the rules of the Menial Hall."

Hua Changxi exploded with a swear word in annoyance: "Bullshit rules."

Du Ruo saw her like this, and her tone was a bit bad: "If you have the ability, change this bullshit rule. If you don't have the ability, complain less."

Hua Changxi was very aggrieved, but she also knew that she couldn't fight against the rules of the Menial Hall, so she prepared to return to her room with a gloomy face.

"Wait!"

Du Ruo called her: "You haven't paid the filial piety fee for this month yet."

Hua Changxi took several deep breaths before taking out 600 wen from the monthly allowance she had just received. After giving it to Du Ruo, she left without looking back.

Seeing Hua Changxi actually dare to give Du Ruo a cold face, Wang Yunchu said to Lu Qingluo and others curiously: "With Hua Changxi's stinky temper, her family actually dared to let her come out to be a menial servant."

Lu Qingluo looked at Hua Changxi's distant back with some envy: "Changxi's family should love her very much, otherwise, they wouldn't raise a temperament like hers."

Having her wages deducted, Hua Changxi's heart was not smooth, and she couldn't calm down to cultivate, so she went to the warehouse to find Yu Gui.

"Brother Yu, do you have to pay the filial piety fee?"

Yu Gui saw that Hua Changxi was in a bad mood and guessed what happened. It happened that there was nothing to do at this time, so he chatted with her.

"Giving the stewards a filial piety fee is a rule that has been in the Menial Hall for many years."

"Menial servants pay 600 wen every month, 100 wen for the third steward, 200 wen for the second steward, and 300 wen for the big steward."

"And the big steward is not only entering but not exiting, and also has to pay filial piety to the eunuchs above."

"This is the rule, we can only follow it. The first time you pay the filial piety fee, no one will feel comfortable, but you will get used to it later."

"The treatment in the Menial Hall is still much better than jobs outside. You have to pay filial piety fees when working outside."

"So sister, think about it, no matter where you go, it's this rule."

Hua Changxi: "But this rule is unreasonable."

Yu Gui shrugged: "The world is like this, what can you do." As he spoke, he lowered his voice, "I tell you, not only the Menial Hall, but also the Apprentice Hall and the Disciple Hall are all this rule."

"The pharmacists and physicians in the back streets of the nine streets in front of the Medical Department also have to flatter and please the pharmacists and physicians in the front streets."

Hua Changxi was the first to know about this: "Why, do the physicians and pharmacists of the Medical Department have to be divided into levels?"

Yu Gui: "Of course. The first street of the Medical Department is the office of the director and other officials. After the second street, it is the medicine halls of various pharmacists and physicians."

"The Medical Department usually doesn't treat patients. Most of the time, pharmacists and physicians are researching new drugs and medical skills."

"With so many pharmacists and physicians, how to distribute medicinal herbs, medicine tools, and personnel? It depends on the street where the pharmacist and physician are located."

"The pharmacists and physicians on the second and third streets have the highest status, and the medicinal herbs, disciples, and apprentices in the Medical Department are supplied to them first."

"Of course, their refining technology and medical skills are also the highest. The drugs used by eighth-grade and ninth-grade martial artists are only refined by them."

"By the way, the pharmacists on these two streets are also responsible for the research of new drugs."

"Next are the physicians and pharmacists on the fourth and fifth streets. Their medical skills are also good, and the pills needed by seventh-grade martial artists have to rely on them."

"Then there are the sixth and seventh streets, responsible for refining and developing pills for fourth to sixth-grade martial artists."

"Finally, the eighth and ninth streets, responsible for the drug research for first to third-grade martial artists and ordinary people."

Hua Changxi: "I feel like the levels of pharmacists and physicians are determined according to the martial artist grade?"

Yu Gui: "You didn't feel wrong, it is like this. Do you know what one of the main tasks of the Medical Department is?"

Hua Changxi: "What?"

Yu Gui: "Provide the drugs needed for martial artist cultivation for all martial arts academies in the Great Jin."

"Otherwise, the Menial Hall wouldn't be so busy. Calculate it yourself, how many medicinal herbs does the Menial Hall clean and process in a month?"

"These medicinal herbs, as well as the pills refined by pharmacists and physicians on the nine streets, will eventually be sent to the Kyoto Martial Arts Academy and various local martial arts academies."

"Of course, all medicinal herbs in the nine states of the Great Jin will also be escorted to our Medical Department."

Yu Gui glanced at the gate of the warehouse. After the monthly allowance was issued today, several people guarding the warehouse were relaxed, so they gathered together to gamble.

"Go, a batch of medicinal herbs was sent from Jiaozhou yesterday. It must be something you haven't seen before. Don't you like to taste medicinal herbs? I'll take you into the warehouse."

"Thank you, Brother Yu."

The unhappy mood in Hua Changxi's heart because of the deduction of wages was swept away instantly.

After entering the warehouse, Hua Changxi's gaze instantly fixed on the pile of medicinal herbs in the corner that were abandoned because of improper storage and serious damage during transportation.

Hua Changxi walked over and picked and chose: "Brother Yu, many of these medicinal herbs can still be used. Are they all going to be thrown away?"

Yu Gui shook his head: "They won't be thrown away. The medicinal herbs abandoned by the Medical Department every day are countless. The Menial Hall is still considered good. The medicinal herbs abandoned by the Apprentice Hall and the Disciple Hall are even more."

"These abandoned medicinal herbs will be pulled away by designated merchants. These merchants all have backgrounds and very deep backgrounds. It is said that there are nobles behind them."

As he spoke, he lowered his voice, "I tell you, some inferior pills sold in some medicine shops outside are refined from the abandoned medicinal herbs of the Medical Department."

Listening to Yu Gui's words, Hua Changxi looked at the abandoned medicinal herbs and was moved. She thought for a while and said to Yu Gui in a low voice: "Brother Yu, I can refine blood-Qi pills for first-grade martial artists, bone-strengthening pills for second-grade martial artists, organ-strengthening pills for third-grade martial artists, meridian-clearing pills for fourth-grade martial artists, marrow-washing pills for fifth-grade martial artists, and shackle-breaking pills for sixth-grade martial artists. I can refine all these pills."

Every time Hua Changxi said a type of pill, Yu Gui's face shook a bit. After she finished speaking, he was so excited that he grabbed Hua Changxi's arm directly.

"Sister, you didn't lie to me?"

Hua Changxi smiled at him: "Brother Yu, you have personally experienced my medical skills."

Yu Gui was so excited that his face turned red. As a beggar, he dreamed of strengthening himself and never being bullied again. Unfortunately, even if he recognized Eunuch Yu as his father, the money he earned was not enough to support his martial arts practice.

"Sister, I tell you the truth, the abandoned medicinal herbs in the warehouse are not counted. As many as there are, they are pulled away. As long as you are careful, it's no problem for me to use some."

Hua Changxi smiled: "Brother Yu, let's cooperate. You provide abandoned medicinal herbs, I provide technology, and you and I will split the refined pills fifty-fifty."

Yu Gui wanted to become stronger too much, so he nodded and agreed directly: "Good." ===== CHAPTER 33 =====