Chapter 40: Reversing the Natural Order

【Encyclopedia of Processing (Perfect): Processing medicinal materials 6543/】

Hua Changxi glanced at the data, then looked at the thirty-plus baskets of Ironwood Root piled up in the courtyard, and said to Steward Qin, who was still telling her "the task is heavy, you must process all these Ironwood Roots today": "I'm going to work."

It was obvious that yesterday she returned to the Sixth Bureau to rest at the hour of You (18:00) and didn't work overtime until midnight, which made Eunuch Bao feel that he hadn't squeezed her dry yet, so today he increased the task volume again.

The apprentices from the Apprentice Hall in the same group looked at the Ironwood Roots that were even more numerous than yesterday in the courtyard, their expressions solemn. But thinking that most of the Ironwood Roots yesterday were processed by Hua Changxi, they didn't immediately show any emotions.

This day, Hua Changxi accelerated the speed of processing Ironwood Root again. Yesterday she still thought about leaving some Ironwood Roots for the apprentices from the Apprentice Hall to process and intentionally controlled her speed, but today it wasn't necessary.

At the hour of You (18:00), the Ironwood Roots in the courtyard were processed empty again.

Under Steward Qin's somewhat numb gaze, Hua Changxi got off work on time and returned to the Sixth Bureau to eat and rest.

The expressions of the apprentices from the Apprentice Hall were also a bit stiff, but they still followed her and left the First Bureau quickly.

"What, Hua Changxi's group left early again?"

Eunuch Bao looked at Steward Qin in surprise. Even if it wasn't the end of the year, the time for other menials in the First Bureau to get off work on weekdays was generally around the hour of Hai (21:00).

This Hua Changxi was having too easy a time as a menial.

"More than thirty baskets of Ironwood Root, more than 1,500 stalks, were all processed?"

"Hua Changxi and the others didn't do a perfunctory job, did they?"

Steward Qin shook his head: "They were all processed, and every stalk processed met the standard."

Eunuch Bao was silent, then sighed: "Little Lu is really lucky to have obtained such a capable menial."

Steward Qin: "Eunuch, the Ironwood Roots processed by Hua Changxi in the past two days are almost 2,000 stalks. Added to the ones we processed before, it's enough to hand over to the Heaven Department."

Eunuch Bao thought for a moment and asked: "How many Ironwood Roots are left unprocessed in the warehouse?"

Steward Qin thought for a while: "There are probably more than 2,500 stalks left."

Eunuch Bao smiled: "Send them all to Hua Changxi tomorrow, and still tell her the same thing: she is not allowed to leave until the work is finished."

"I want to see if she can still increase her processing speed."

"If she really processes all the Ironwood Roots tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, you will hand over all those difficult-to-process medicinal materials stored in the warehouse to her to do."

Steward Qin quickly glanced at Eunuch Bao, understanding that Eunuch Bao was going to "use" Hua Changxi to the maximum extent, must achieve the best use of people.

The next day, Hua Changxi arrived at the First Bureau at the end of the hour of Mao as usual.

Stepping into the courtyard, looking at the Ironwood Roots piled up basket by basket in the courtyard, piled up so high there was almost no place to stand, she understood Eunuch Bao's insatiable and squeezing nature a bit more.

【Encyclopedia of Processing (Perfect): Processing medicinal materials 7892/】

Glancing at the data, Hua Changxi didn't say anything in front of Steward Qin and walked directly into the room to start working.

The apprentices from the Apprentice Hall in the same group looked at this scene, their expressions extremely complex.

"This is a menial. After showing her skills, what she gets is not appreciation, but being squeezed to death."

"Isn't it said that this Hua Changxi has a very bad temper? Whoever dares to provoke her, she dares to beat them. Eunuch Bao is using her like this, obviously squeezing her, why doesn't she refuse?"

"You don't look at who the people Hua Changxi beat before were. Those people were the same as her, all low-status menials. Facing Eunuch Bao, who has a higher status than her, of course she doesn't dare to let out a fart. Are there few such people?"

Lu Qingling listened to the chatter of her classmates, looked at Hua Changxi who was burying her head in hard work, and disappointment appeared in her eyes.

Most people in this world are like this, only daring to take action against people around them. Once facing people with high status, they immediately become spineless.

Before hearing about Hua Changxi taking action to teach people a lesson, although she felt she was too impulsive, she still admired her courage in her heart. Now it seemed that she was also just a person who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

【Encyclopedia of Processing (Perfect): Processing medicinal materials /】

At the hour of You (18:00), Hua Changxi put the last processed Ironwood Root into a special wooden box. Looking at the data change in her sight, the corners of her mouth couldn't stop rising.

The *Encyclopedia of Processing* was finally completely inherited. Now she understood the processing theories and methods of ordinary plants, spirit plants, god plants, and Dao plants.

Next, there were only:

【Encyclopedia of Meridian Mapping (Perfect): Disassembling and grinding medicinal materials 5511/】

【Fusion Art (Perfect): Modulating and fusing pills 4672/】

【Condensation Art (Perfect): Condensing pills 4672/】

【Sealing Art (Perfect): Sealing pills 4672/】

As long as these four were upgraded to perfection, her alchemy inheritance would be considered completely inherited.

Hua Changxi was thinking about data upgrading when she didn't notice Eunuch Bao coming over.

Eunuch Bao looked at all the processed Ironwood Roots, his gaze toward Hua Changxi brightened a bit more, and he said directly: "Hua Changxi, I have some medicinal materials here that need to be processed. Come with me."

From the first day she came to help, Hua Changxi got off work on time at the hour of You (18:00). Now that Eunuch Bao came in person to let her work overtime, the apprentices from the Apprentice Hall were all curious about what reaction Hua Changxi would have.

Hua Changxi looked at Eunuch Bao and said directly: "Eunuch Bao, I'm afraid I can't help you." As she said this, she raised her hands.

"Today, in order to finish processing the Ironwood Roots quickly, I couldn't help but be in a hurry during the processing. Look, I was pricked by the Ironwood Root."

Everyone then saw Hua Changxi's hands were bright red, which looked like they were burned by medicinal materials due to improper processing.

It was just that when others were pricked by Ironwood Root, they would sweat coldly and shiver. Why was she "poisoned" and only her hands were bright red?

Compared with the confusion of the apprentices from the Apprentice Hall, Eunuch Bao saw Hua Changxi's deliberateness directly. Hua Changxi was deliberately making her hands like this.

Everything before—doing whatever she was told—was fake. She wasn't not resisting him, but she struck at the vital point as soon as she took action, making him unable to find any reason to use her again.

What shocked Eunuch Bao the most was Hua Changxi's control over the "toxins" of the medicinal materials, which was so precise that it only made her hands bright red, and there was nothing wrong above her wrists.

Having managed the First Bureau for many years, Eunuch Bao also understood pharmacology, even better than those apprentices in the Apprentice Hall, so he could realize Hua Changxi's power even more.

"How could you be so careless? You were injured in the First Bureau, and I, the First Bureau, will definitely be responsible."

Looking at Eunuch Bao, who was looking at her with concern, Hua Changxi was full of emotion, and then reported several names of medicinal materials without hesitation.

"Knowing that Eunuch is a busy person, I won't delay your time. You let Steward Qin give me the medicinal materials, and I will take them back and boil them myself."

Eunuch Bao's mouth twitched. The First Bureau had the medicinal materials Hua Changxi wanted, but those medicinal materials were all expensive. Buying them in outside pharmacies would cost at least several dozen taels of silver per stalk.

This Hua Changxi, her heart was black!

"Steward Qin, go and get the medicinal materials Hua Changxi wants and give them to her."

Since the words were spoken, Eunuch Bao couldn't slap his own face, so he could only let Steward Qin get the medicinal materials with heartache.

Seeing Hua Changxi really get the medicinal materials from Eunuch Bao's hands, the apprentices from the Apprentice Hall were all very impressed. Who didn't know that Eunuch Bao of the First Bureau was a stingy person.

Lu Qingling glanced at Hua Changxi, who had slaughtered Eunuch Bao in public, and knew that her previous evaluation of her was a bit premature. This person's boldness exceeded her imagination.

After giving Hua Changxi the medicine, Eunuch Bao definitely wanted to recover his capital: "Hua Changxi, after you take the medicine, hurry back to rest, and come earlier tomorrow morning."

Hua Changxi shook her head again: "Eunuch Bao, my hands are like this, I'm afraid they won't be better for a few days."

The *Encyclopedia of Processing* was perfect, so she didn't need to continue processing medicinal materials.

Hearing this, Eunuch Bao performed a Sichuan opera face-change on the spot, his face instantly gloomy.

Hua Changxi didn't want to offend Eunuch Bao to death, so she continued: "My hands are like this, it's really inconvenient to process medicinal materials. I'm fine, I'm mainly afraid that improper processing of medicinal materials will cause trouble for Eunuch Bao."

"If Eunuch Bao feels I'm still usable, why not send me to cut medicinal materials or grind medicinal materials? I can do this even with my hands bandaged."

Hearing her say this, Eunuch Bao's face improved a bit. Cutting medicine was a technical job, and grinding was a physical job. He had the heart to discipline Hua Changxi. After thinking about it, he let Hua Changxi go to cut medicine.

He thought that Hua Changxi's hands were injured, so it must be inconvenient to move. Tomorrow he would assign her more tasks and let her work all night.

Seeing that her goal was achieved, Hua Changxi smiled: "Eunuch Bao, I will definitely come earlier tomorrow."

After taking the medicinal materials taken by Steward Qin, Hua Changxi returned directly to the Sixth Bureau.

The medicinal materials Hua Changxi wanted were all for strengthening qi and blood and replenishing vitality. The New Year was coming soon, and she wanted to refine some body-strengthening pills to give to her family as a coming-of-age gift.

The next day, Hua Changxi arrived at the First Bureau at the end of the hour of Mao. Steward Qin had been waiting for her for a while: "Let's go, I'll take you to the cutting room." As he spoke, he looked at Hua Changxi's hands, which were tightly bandaged with cloth strips.

"Are your hands alright?"

"Thank you for your concern, Steward Qin. The medicine you gave me yesterday was very useful. My hands should be fine after a few days of rest."

Steward Qin was a bit worried: "Your hands are bandaged like this, can you cut medicinal materials?"

Hua Changxi said confidently: "No problem."

While speaking, Steward Qin took Hua Changxi to another courtyard. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she could hear the "bang, bang, bang" sound of cutting medicine.

Steward Qin led Hua Changxi directly into a side room. In the side room, there were only two middle-aged male menials, and the two were cutting medicine very quickly.

Steward Qin didn't assign chores to Hua Changxi immediately but let her watch the work process of the two middle-aged male menials for a while.

The two cut a basket of medicinal materials, and someone immediately came in to take them away, and then other menials carried medicinal materials that needed to be cut into slices. There was no idle moment in between.

Hua Changxi looked at Steward Qin: "Steward Qin, how many medicinal materials do I need to cut a day?"

Steward Qin knew that Eunuch Bao wanted to discipline Hua Changxi, so he thought for a while and said: "3,000 stalks."

As soon as these words were spoken, the two middle-aged menials who were concentrating on cutting medicine raised their heads in unison, their faces showing undisguised surprise.

They were the most capable menials in the cutting room. Depending on the size of the medicinal materials, it was the limit to cut 1,000 to 2,000 stalks of medicinal materials a day.

Steward Qin actually let a young lady cut 3,000 stalks of medicinal materials. This was too much!

Hua Changxi didn't bargain and nodded directly in agreement.

Her reaction instead made Steward Qin hesitate. There was no way around it; Hua Changxi's speed of processing medicinal materials simply refreshed his previous cognition.

This little girl in front of him couldn't be judged by ordinary people.

Worried about assigning too few tasks to Hua Changxi, Steward Qin called the menial specifically responsible for delivering medicinal materials to the side room: "The medicinal materials sent to that girl must be large pieces."

In the side room, not long after Hua Changxi sat down in front of the guillotine for cutting medicine, the menial delivering medicine carried a basket of medicinal materials over.

The medicinal materials in the basket were all very large, and they were all relatively hard root-stem medicinal materials.

The two menials in the same room saw this and gave Hua Changxi a look of sympathy. Seeing her bandaged hands, they shook their heads directly.

This girl, she didn't know how late she would be busy today.

As for Hua Changxi, she had already started working. Although her hands were bandaged, it didn't affect the movement of her five fingers.

The first basket of medicinal materials was cut a bit stumbling, but from the second basket, her speed of cutting medicine came up.

For other menials, root-stem medicinal materials were not easy to cut and required great effort, but for Hua Changxi, whose realm points had exceeded 5,000, even hard stone could be crushed into powder with a light squeeze, so root-stem medicinal materials were even less of a problem.

The two middle-aged menials in the same room saw Hua Changxi cutting root-stem medicinal materials like cutting tofu, and her speed was getting faster and faster, and expressions of astonishment appeared on their faces.

At noon, Steward Qin also came secretly to see Hua Changxi's progress. When he learned that Hua Changxi had already cut more than 1,000 stalks of medicinal materials, his chin almost fell off in shock.

After repeatedly confirming that the menial delivering medicine was completely following his instructions and sending large and hard root-stem medicinal materials to Hua Changxi, Steward Qin went to see Eunuch Bao with a stiff face.

At the hour of You (18:00), under the somewhat dazed gazes of the two middle-aged male menials, Hua Changxi got off work on time and returned to the Sixth Bureau. When she left, there was still a smile on her face.

【Encyclopedia of Meridian Mapping (Perfect): Disassembling and grinding medicinal materials 8511/】

Very good. After helping in the First Bureau for a few days, the *Encyclopedia of Meridian Mapping* was also about to be upgraded to perfection.

Come back tomorrow to cut medicine for a day, and the *Encyclopedia of Meridian Mapping* would be perfect.

On the other side, Eunuch Bao, who learned that Hua Changxi had completed the chores, was also a bit dazed, then sighed again: "Little Lu is really lucky. This Hua Changxi is born to be a menial."

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Hua Changxi cut medicinal slices for another day and successfully inherited all the knowledge of the *Encyclopedia of Meridian Mapping*.

At this moment, the meridian trends of ordinary plants and beasts, spirit plants and spirit beasts, god plants and god beasts, and Dao plants and Dao beasts were all engraved in Hua Changxi's mind.

This year's twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month was New Year's Eve. After Hua Changxi got up early, she came to the First Bureau again. She didn't come to help today, but to get silver.

The apprentices from the Apprentice Hall who came to help lined up in one row, and the menials who came to help lined up in another row.

The apprentices received ten taels of silver, while the menials only had two taels of silver.

After Hua Changxi got the silver, seeing that the person distributing the silver was Steward Qin, she couldn't help but ask: "Doing the same work, why is the silver distributed so different?"

Steward Qin didn't want to answer, but thinking that the First Bureau might borrow Hua Changxi in the future, he explained: "Apprentices have a higher status than menials. Apprentices understand pharmacology and medical skills, and they also guide the menials of the First Bureau when they come to help."

"And menials are just doing hard labor. In the process of helping, they can also learn the technique of processing medicinal materials for free. The First Bureau can give menials an extra two taels of silver, which is already a favor from the steward above."

"People must learn to be content, don't always think about comparing with others, and work in a down-to-earth manner. Do you know?"

Seeing Hua Changxi looking at him expressionlessly, Steward Qin also knew that she didn't do worse than the apprentices, and even better, so he could only lower his voice: "Eunuch Bao wants you to go over and talk." As he spoke, he winked at her.

Hua Changxi heard this, then took the two taels of silver and went to find Eunuch Bao.

When Eunuch Bao saw Hua Changxi, he first praised her greatly, and then, as if bestowing a favor, took out five taels of silver and threw it directly to Hua Changxi.

The angle of throwing was also very tricky. Eunuch Bao's purpose was to want Hua Changxi to bend down to pick up the silver from the ground.

Hua Changxi glanced at Eunuch Bao, hooked her foot, and with a light lift of her leg, kicked the silver up like kicking a shuttlecock, and then grasped the silver in one hand.

"Thank you, Eunuch. I have something else to do, so I'll go first."

Eunuch Bao was a bit unhappy because he didn't achieve his goal, but what made him even angrier was Hua Changxi's attitude.

Hua Changxi was also unhappy. She knew that the status of menials was not as good as apprentices, but she didn't expect the difference to be so great.

What she didn't expect was that what made her even more unhappy was still to come.

Just as Hua Changxi returned to the Sixth Bureau, Du Ruo let her go to see Steward Leng.

When Steward Leng saw Hua Changxi, she had an expression of "congratulations on earning extra money": "Eunuch Lu recommended you to help in the First Bureau. Today is the New Year, shouldn't you show some appreciation?"

Hua Changxi was really speechless about their means of squeezing people. She took a deep breath, thinking that today was New Year's Eve, and she should go home for the New Year with a good mood, so she tried to speak in a gentle tone:

"Steward Leng, if there are such good things in the future, please be sure to tell Eunuch Lu, please don't think of me, I'm not worth it."

Steward Leng was stunned, looking at Hua Changxi with an expression of disbelief: "You... what did you say?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "Steward Leng, I wish you a Happy New Year. I still have to go to the Internal Affairs Bureau to collect my stipend, so I won't disturb you." As she said this, she walked away directly.

Steward Leng looked at her departing back and didn't react for a long time. After regaining her senses, she was furious: "This Hua Changxi, is she trying to reverse the natural order?"

The Menial Hall had a seven-day holiday for the New Year, from New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month.

Because Hua Changxi went to the First Bureau, by the time she collected her stipend and returned, the others in the same dormitory had almost all left, leaving only Wang Yunchu.

"Hua Changxi, Happy New Year. This is a Ruyi knot I braided myself and a window flower I cut. I give it to you, don't dislike it."

Hua Changxi looked at the Ruyi knot and window flower handed over by Wang Yunchu, was silent for a few seconds, reached out and took them: "Thank you." Thinking for a moment, she took out a porcelain bottle from the packed luggage and poured out two body-strengthening pills.

She had heard Sister Shi and the others chatting and said that Wang Yunchu's mother died in dystocia when giving birth to her younger brother, and her father remarried a stepmother. After the stepmother gave birth to a child, she was very bad to her and her younger brother. The two sisters and brothers almost starved to death when they were young, and they had been hungry and full for these years, until Wang Yunchu came to the Menial Hall to work, and the situation improved a little.

"Happy New Year."

Hua Changxi wrapped the body-strengthening pills in paper and handed them to Wang Yunchu.

Wang Yunchu knew the preciousness of the pills and didn't want them. She gave things to Hua Changxi entirely because she wanted to thank her for her previous help, but looking at Hua Changxi's calm eyes, she couldn't say words of refusal and reached out to take the pills.

"This is a body-strengthening pill, for strengthening the body."

Hua Changxi said while quickly packing her things: "You and your younger brother should take good care of your bodies. You can make up for the deficiencies of your childhood."

Hearing these words, Wang Yunchu regretted it extremely. Why did she think Hua Changxi wasn't a good person before?

Hua Changxi's things were packed. Seeing Wang Yunchu looking at her with a hesitant look, she didn't have the intention to be a heart-to-heart sister, so she carried her luggage and said: "I'm going home, you should go back early too." ===== CHAPTER 41 =====