Chapter 86: Live for Yourself

The holiday started on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and many people went home on the 28th. Hua Changxi returned to her residence and saw Du Ruo waiting for her, feeling surprised.

"Manager Du, is something the matter?"

Du Ruo looked at her: "After the monthly allowance is issued every month, the managers will go to see Manager Leng together. The other managers are all waiting for you."

After Hua Changxi understood what it was about, she shook her head: "Our group won't pay the filial piety fee anymore."

Hearing this, Du Ruo's expression changed: "Hua Changxi, don't act recklessly. This is a rule of the Servant Hall for many years. People who break the rules won't have a good end."

Hua Changxi was unmoved, but still expressed her gratitude: "Manager Du, thank you for your reminder, but I haven't collected the filial piety fee, and I won't collect it. If Manager Leng blames it, at worst, I won't be this Third Manager."

Seeing this, Du Ruo was very troubled. She just couldn't understand why this Hua Changxi was so unique, and said with patience: "Some rules are unreasonable, but the fact that the rules have continued to exist shows that there is a reason for them."

"If you don't collect the filial piety fee, it's noble, but what does it make other managers do? How do you make them face the people under them?"

"If you do this, you will not only offend Manager Leng and Eunuch Lu, but also offend the other managers as well."

Hua Changxi knew Du Ruo had good intentions, but didn't agree with her words, looking at her: "When Manager Du first entered the Servant Hall, she was also just a servant, right? When you knew that you worked hard for a month, and nearly half of the monthly allowance you earned had to be handed over, do you remember what you thought in your heart?"

Du Ruo was stunned by the question and remained silent.

Hua Changxi: "Manager Du, thank you for your kind reminder, but I have my own principles in doing things."

Du Ruo looked at her: "Hua Changxi, I know you are different from others, but I still want to remind you that offending too many people is not a good thing."

Hua Changxi: "I didn't offend many people. Manager Leng, Eunuch Lu, plus nine Third Managers, that's only ten or so people. And the nine Third Managers might not necessarily blame me, so where did I offend many people?"

Du Ruo choked and said helplessly: "You broke the rules. What's involved is not just the Sixth Bureau, but the entire Servant Hall."

Hua Changxi smiled: "Manager Du, you think too much. It's not that serious." As she spoke, her smile faded, "You know, if I could really destroy the cannibalistic rules of the Servant Hall, it wouldn't be in vain for me to come to the Servant Hall."

Du Ruo looked at Hua Changxi, who was not afraid but proud, and really didn't know what to say.

"Are you really determined to be so headstrong?"

Hua Changxi saw that she still wanted to persuade her, and was also quite helpless. This kind of persuasion under the banner of being good for her was really a headache when she couldn't get angry and drive people away.

"Manager Du, what kind of person do you think I am?"

Du Ruo didn't leave any face for Hua Changxi and said directly: "Unruly and lawless."

Hua Changxi laughed out loud: "I didn't expect that I would be so powerful in your heart."

Seeing her looking like she was being praised, Du Ruo was very speechless. Was this a compliment? How could she not understand good or bad words?

Hua Changxi put away her smile and looked at her seriously: "I do things, either I don't do them, or I do them to the end. But once I make a decision, I am also prepared to pay any price."

"I'm not afraid of offending people, I'm afraid of... living as someone else."

Du Ruo frowned: "No one is asking you to become someone else."

Hua Changxi looked at Du Ruo with sharp eyes: "But your 'kind reminder' just now is asking me to live as you, asking me to become a Third Manager like you."

Du Ruo's lips trembled, wanting to refute, but didn't know how to refute.

Hua Changxi: "Manager Du, you are a good person. You care about other people's views, consider this and that, and try to be comprehensive in everything. However, not everyone wants to be a 'good person' like you."

"You don't like conflict. To avoid trouble, you are willing to endure, compromise, and retreat. But if I were willing to compromise and retreat, I wouldn't have come to the Servant Hall to be a servant."

Du Ruo didn't know why, but she didn't dare to look directly into Hua Changxi's eyes, and said in a hurry, "It was my own wishful thinking," and walked away quickly.

Seeing that she finally sent Du Ruo away, Hua Changxi breathed a sigh of relief and started to tidy up her things. Looking at the dozens of taels of silver, she felt a bit troubled.

So many days had passed, and she didn't know how Pucao and Niu were doing with the shop?

One hundred taels of silver was definitely not enough for renovation, so she had to find a way to get more silver.

There was a pile of spirit pills accumulated in the Shennong Cauldron, but there was no channel to sell them.

Hua Changxi found that her channels for cashing in were too few, only one Yu Gui, who could help her sell martial artist pills. The choices were too few.

In the final analysis, her circle of contacts was too narrow.

Hua Changxi took out a portion of the martial artist pills she had refined and went to the warehouse to find Yu Gui again.

Seeing the pills, Yu Gui was overjoyed: "Little sister, don't worry, I will sell these pills as soon as possible."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Big Brother Yu, I want to change the way I cooperate with you."

Yu Gui was stunned: "What way?"

Hua Changxi: "I opened a medicine shop. Every month I can provide you with a batch of pills. I will give them to you at 80% of the market price. You decide how to sell the pills you take, how about it?"

She had no one in her hands, and most of her time needed to be used for practice. The best sales method was to find a wholesaler.

Yu Gui was surprised: "Little sister, you opened a medicine shop? Did you solve the problem of medicinal material supply?"

Hua Changxi smiled and nodded.

Yu Gui looked enlightened. No wonder Hua Changxi didn't want to continue cooperating with his godfather. After thinking carefully about Hua Changxi's proposal.

Two percent profit, not a little, and he didn't need to pay anything, just sell the pills, which could be said to be a business without capital.

"Little sister, thank you for taking care of me. I'll follow you."

Hua Changxi smiled: "My medicine shop is still under renovation. When the renovation is finished, I will take Big Brother Yu to recognize the door. At that time, we need to sign an agreement."

Yu Gui agreed readily: "Alright, I'll listen to little sister."

Subsequently, Yu Gui counted the pills Hua Changxi brought over this time, totaling three thousand taels of silver: "Little sister, I don't have that much silver now. I'll give you five hundred taels first, and the rest after I sell the pills."

Hua Changxi: "Alright, but this is the only time. After my medicine shop officially opens, how much silver you take, I will give you how many pills."

Yu Gui's expression paused: "With our relationship..."

Hua Changxi interrupted him: "It is precisely because I cherish the relationship with you, Big Brother Yu, that I do this. Big Brother Yu, your knowledge is broader than mine. You should know that as long as it involves money, if one is not careful, own brothers will become enemies."

"We handle things according to the contract like this, which is the least harmful to our feelings, don't you think?"

Yu Gui couldn't refute and laughed sheepishly: "Little sister is right."

After Hua Changxi got the silver note, she talked to Yu Gui for a while and then took her luggage and went directly to the Feng'an Ward medicine shop.

Pucao and Niu were both diligent and capable. In a few days, they had cleaned up the three storefronts and the rooms in the backyard.

Everything that needed to be added in the backyard had been added. As for the decoration style of the three storefronts, Pucao and Niu had visited the medicine shops in the East and West markets and drew several simple decoration drawings, just waiting for Hua Changxi's instructions.

After Hua Changxi came over, she looked over the front shop and back courtyard, showing satisfaction. When she saw the decoration drawings brought by Pucao, she was a bit surprised.

After reading the account book kept by Pucao, every expense was recorded clearly. Hua Changxi looked at Pucao: "Have you read books?"

Pucao shook her head, a look of reminiscence appearing on her face, her voice a bit low: "My Liulang went to school for a few years. He taught me."

Hua Changxi: "... My condolences."

Pucao smiled: "Liulang just hoped that I would be well. Now that I am living so well, he must be happy watching from heaven. I am not sad."

Hua Changxi didn't continue this topic, picked up the decoration drawings to look at, and made some changes.

During this period, Pucao went to the kitchen to cook, and Niu helped fetch water and chop wood.

Both were very satisfied with their current life. Pucao was no longer afraid of harassment from men, and the whole person was glowing. Niu also had a full stomach and warm clothes, and his worried face was smoothed out.

Hua Changxi finished changing the decoration drawings, and Pucao and Niu had also finished cooking.

Seeing Pucao put the food on the table and about to return to the kitchen, Hua Changxi called her: "Eat together, and call Niu over."

Pucao looked at her and smiled: "Alright, I'll go call Niu."

Niu came over with a rice bowl, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Hua Changxi didn't deliberately say anything. After dinner, she handed the five hundred taels of silver note from selling the pills to Pucao: "After the New Year, the three medicine shops must be renovated as soon as possible."

Pucao took the silver note: "Changxi, don't worry, I remember this. Niu and I have already met several craftsmen, and those people also take work during the New Year."

Hua Changxi nodded and said to the two: "When you are idle, you can read more medical books. In the future, the medicine shop will be watched by you. You can't know nothing about pharmacology."

Pucao and Niu nodded in agreement.

Hua Changxi didn't leave that night, but stayed directly here.

In the backyard rooms, there were three main rooms. The west room was the alchemy room, the middle room was the living room, the east room was Hua Changxi's residence, and two side rooms were used to store medicinal materials in the future.

Two east wing rooms, Pucao and Niu each lived in one. Niu didn't mind the Green Ox demon and let the Green Ox demon live in a room with him.

West wing room, one was the kitchen, one was used to process medicinal materials.

The rooms in the backyard could be said to be just enough.

That night, Pucao, Niu, and the Green Ox demon all smelled the fragrance of pills. They knew it was Hua Changxi refining pills. When they woke up the next day, they also found that the west wing room and the two side rooms were filled with various medicinal materials.

"After I leave, you go and buy some New Year's goods and have a good New Year. I'm going home."

After Hua Changxi left the medicine shop, she went directly back to the Hua residence and bought some New Year's goods on the way.

As soon as Hua Changxi entered the Main Room Ward, someone recognized her.

"Jiuniang is back, hurry home, you have a distinguished guest at home."

Hua Changxi was a bit surprised. What distinguished guest did the Hua family have?

With doubts, Hua Changxi walked quickly toward the Hua residence. From a distance, she saw two magnificent carriages.

There really was a guest!

The Hua courtyard gate was wide open. Before walking in, she heard lively laughter coming from inside. As soon as she entered the door, she saw several people dressed as servants sitting in the courtyard, with Hua Sanlang leading Hua Liulang to receive them.

Hua Liulang had sharp eyes and was the first to see Hua Changxi: "Jiuniang, you're back." As he spoke, he walked quickly to take the luggage on her shoulder and the New Year's goods in her hand.

"I originally wanted to go to the Medical Department to pick you up, but who knew there were people at home, so I couldn't leave."

Hua Changxi: "Who came?"

Hua Liulang: "The manager of the Wu Yi Hou Fu, and Uncle Hua Tai."

Hua Changxi looked surprised: "What are they here for?"

Hua Liulang: "To pay a New Year's visit and send New Year's gifts."

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered: "The Hou Fu and the Great Clan Elder's family didn't send New Year's gifts to our house last year. It's strange this year, and they even came in person."

Hua Liulang agreed: "I also think it's strange."

Hua Changxi looked at the main hall and found that Hua Silang, Hua Eleventh, Hua Qiniang, and Hua Shierniang were all sitting inside. She immediately looked at Hua Sanlang, who was receiving the servants, and frowned: "Sixth Brother, why didn't you and Third Brother go in to accompany them?"

Hua Liulang pursed his lips: "They look down on us. Fourth Brother and the others were called in by Uncle Hua Tai himself."

At this time, there was movement in the main hall. The Hou Fu manager and Hua Tai were leaving. Old Master Hua and Hua Minghe and others sent them out with smiles.

As soon as everyone came out of the room, they saw Hua Changxi standing in the courtyard.

For Hua Changxi, the Hou Fu manager and Hua Tai could be said to have fresh memories, and they all looked at her with leisure.

Old Master Hua saw that Hua Changxi didn't take the initiative to greet the guests when she saw them, and was somewhat displeased: "Jiuniang, why don't you hurry over to pay respects to your Uncle Hua Tai and Manager Kong."

Hua Changxi walked over, bowed to Hua Tai as a junior, and just nodded slightly to Manager Kong.

Seeing this, Hua Tai raised an eyebrow, and Manager Kong's smile remained unchanged.

Old Master Hua felt that her attitude was not respectful enough and just wanted to scold her a few words, but Hua Tai spoke first: "Jiuniang, how are you doing in the Servant Hall of the Medical Department?"

Hua Changxi: "Quite good."

Hua Tai smiled: "The Fifth Young Lady of the Count's Mansion and your sister Wanyue just entered the Apprentice Hall of the Medical Department not long ago. If you encounter anything, you can go find them."

Hua Changxi showed a look of surprise in her eyes. Yu Gui said that powerful people had inserted many people into the Medical Department in the past two months. She didn't expect the Hua Count's Mansion to have already participated.

Seeing that Hua Changxi didn't answer, Hua Tai was a bit annoyed. He thought she hadn't participated in the spiritual measurement yet, and originally wanted to give her a chance. Seeing her so arrogant, he gave up the idea.

Hua Tai stopped ignoring Hua Changxi, made a gesture of invitation to Manager Kong, and the two walked out while talking.

Old Master Hua glared at Hua Changxi and hurriedly followed to see them off.

"Jiuniang, just now Manager Kong said that Fifth Sister is pregnant."

Hua Qiniang happily came forward to share this good news with Hua Jiuniang: "Originally Fifth Sister wanted to come back in person, but she was inconvenient. Manager Kong said that when Fifth Sister gives birth, she can let her family go over to accompany her."

Hua Changxi looked at the fourth branch full of joy and smiled: "That's really great."

Hua Qiniang put her hands together and prayed: "Thank heaven and earth, with a child, Fifth Sister can finally stand straight in the Hou Fu."

Hua Changxi didn't know how to answer this. At this time, Hua Shierniang walked over, raised her chin and said proudly: "Jiuniang, after the New Year, Fourth Brother, Seventh Sister, and I are going to the Count's Mansion."

Hua Changxi was confused: "What are you going to the Count's Mansion for?"

Hua Shierniang: "Uncle Hua Tai said that the Count's Mansion has invited cultivators to guide the clansmen who have measured spiritual roots on how to practice, and they will also give us spirit stones."

"Do you know what spirit stones are?"

"Look, it's this."

Hua Changxi saw it and wanted to reach out to take a look, but Hua Shierniang took it back: "You are not a cultivator, so you'd better not look."

Hua Qiniang glared at Hua Shierniang and handed her spirit stone to Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi took it and looked: "It was given by the Count's Mansion?"

Hua Qiniang nodded: "The four of us, including Fourth Brother, because we have already guided Qi into our bodies, were each divided a hundred."

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered. The Count's Mansion was capable. Distributing spirit stones to the cultivators in the clan meant that the Count's Mansion must have spirit mines in its hands.

These powerful people really knew much more news than ordinary people. ===== CHAPTER 87 =====