Chapter 111

Pan Yun stood waiting at the mountain gate; soon, Xuanmiao and Tao Ji arrived with Miao He and Seeing Miao Zhen, Tao Yanbai carrying a cat in his arms.

Pan Xiaohei was filthy all over; as soon as he saw Pan Yun, he bristled like a startled cat and let out an angry meow, just as he was about to protest, Pan Yun ran up and snatched him into her arms. "Yanbai, thanks for bringing him up—I couldn't find him anywhere. Where did you find him?"

Tao Yanbai: "As soon as Grandmaster brought you up the mountain, he jumped out of the grass and landed in my arms."

Pan Yun stroked the top of Pan Xiaohei's head. "You nearly got lost. Don't wander off again when you go out."

Pan Xiaohei was less angry now, but still mewed plaintively. "How could I get lost? I don't believe you didn't feel me lagging behind."

Of course she felt it—that's precisely why she remembered she had a cat. Otherwise, why would she remember him at all?

Because he always bickered with her? Because he climbed onto her bed without washing?

Pan Yun carried him back to the backyard, boiled a pot of warm water, poured it into the wooden tub used for laundry, and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dropping him in.

Miao He watched with envy, rushing over eagerly to fetch the soap used for laundry. "Use this—it's new, just bought yesterday by Senior Brother."

Pan Yun rubbed her hands full of suds and scrubbed them over him.

Pan Xiaohei flinched slightly when he hit the water, then settled in, clearly enjoying the attention from Pan Yun and Miao He.

Today Pan Xiaohei had run all over the village with the children—he was utterly filthy, and the water turned gray-black from the grime she scrubbed off.

As she scrubbed, Pan Yun said, "You're not like a cat—you're more like a dog."

Nearby, Xuanmiao and the others were also doing chores.

Tao Ji washed his hands, cut off the meat for tonight's meal, and began curing the rest to store it.

Wang Cong chopped firewood beside him. "Third Master, yesterday in the county town, I made an arrangement with the Shopkeeper at Ren De Medical Hall to buy herbs at eighty percent price."

Tao Ji frowned. "Ren De Medical Hall?"

Xuanmiao beside him said, "Fine."

Wang Cong studied their expressions. "Is there a problem with Ren De Medical Hall?"

Tao Ji: "No real problem—just the Shopkeeper's mother once muttered unpleasant things to Fourth Sister."

Wang Cong immediately said, "Then we won't go."

Tao Ji: "!!!"

"You made a promise—how can you break it?"

Xuanmiao also frowned tightly.

Wang Cong: "No contract was signed."

Tao Ji stared. "Just buying herbs—do you need a contract?"

Wang Cong: "In business, business is business. Without a contract, who knows if a verbal promise is broken? The magistrate won't recognize it."

Tao Ji's lips trembled; he turned to find Wang Feiyin. "Big Brother, look what Cong'er has learned out there…"

Wang Feiyin still sat on his big rock; he replied indifferently, "What's wrong with what he said?"

Tao Ji was speechless.

Xuanmiao continued picking vegetables, frowning.

Wang Feiyin warned the four younger ones: "You heard him. When you encounter someone like Wang Cong in the future, to avoid being cheated, anything worth agreeing to must be put in writing—if the other party reneges, they pay the penalty. That's how you make them keep their word."

Wang Cong nodded with a smile. "Exactly. When you go out to do things, if it's time to sign a contract, sign one. Otherwise, if you get cheated, you'll have nowhere to appeal."

Seeing Miao Zhen, Miao He, and Tao Yanbai stared wide-eyed, utterly incredulous at the father and son.

Pan Yun's eyes sparkled. "Big Nephew is right."

Wang Feiyin glanced at her. "Of all of you, I trust you the most."

Xuanmiao said: "Since you promised them, when you go to the county town next time, still go to Ren De Medical Hall."

Everyone turned to stare again. Wang Feiyin looked exasperated, about to speak, when Xuanmiao quickly added: "Ren De Medical Hall is cheaper than the herb shop—think of it as saving money."

Wang Feiyin swallowed his words, grumbling inwardly: if Pan Yun had said that, he'd believe it. But Xuanmiao…

Xuanmiao didn't want Wang Cong to break his word.

Pan Yun asked curiously, "Aren't the herb shops cheaper?"

"No, but they treat us well—they sometimes give us things," Tao Ji said. "The dried jujubes you love most? They gave them to us. Not expensive, but every time we buy herbs, they slip us something—brown sugar, too."

Miao He chimed in quickly: "And malt sugar! Once, the shopkeeper even bought us sugar-coated haws!"

Wang Cong felt a pang of regret. "I only knew we got no discount at the herb shop—I didn't realize they nurtured this relationship. If so, we really shouldn't just abandon them."

Wang Feiyin asked from the side, "So what do we do?"

His tone was like a cool breeze—chilling the heart.

Wang Cong thought briefly, then said: "No problem. When I go to buy supplies, I'll go to the Medical Hall. When Third Master and Fourth Master go, they can choose whichever shop they prefer."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Then aren't we turning into fence-sitters?"

Pan Yun: "No—we're turning into a prized commodity."

She said: "If the herb shop is smart, they'll come to Third Master and Fourth Master and offer us a better price. If they match the Medical Hall's discount, we'll switch entirely to the herb shop. Then the Medical Hall will come back, offer an even better deal, and we'll switch back. The herb shop will come again, and so on—until one day…"

"Until one day, you'll single-handedly crush the only two herb shops in Yushan County, and all the townsfolk will throw rotten eggs at you," Wang Feiyin smacked her head. "Go wash your cat. Stop thinking up nonsense. You're too young to have such a twisted mind."

Pan Yun muttered, "You say it's fine when your son breaks his word, but why can't I?" Pan Yun was beaten again with Wang Feiyin's bamboo stick, ran two laps around the mountaintop, fell twice, and added fresh bruises to her already sore knees and arms—only then did Wang Feiyin let her go.

Pan Xiaohei was already washed, dried, and now sat on a rock grinning at her, while Miao He crouched beside him, watching intently.

Seeing Pan Yun limp over, she exclaimed in wonder: "Little Master, this cat's become a spirit—it's laughing at you."

Pan Yun swatted at it.

"Meow—" Pan Xiaohei leapt away, dodging her hand, then turned and meowed at Miao He. "Meow, tattletale."

Miao He didn't understand cat speech; seeing it meow at her, she thought it wanted to play, lunged to catch it, and the two dashed wildly around the courtyard.

Pan Yun sat on the rock. "Play, play. When you get dirty again, we'll wash you once more."

Pan Xiaohei stiffened, leapt three quick bounds onto the roof, and vanished with a swift slide—no more teasing Miao He.

Though bathing was truly pleasant, he truly hated it before the water touched him.

Tonight, Tao Ji was cooking; besides him and Tao Yanbai, who tended the fire, everyone else sat comfortably in the courtyard.

!. Read

Seeing Miao Zhen brought medicine to apply on Pan Yun's wounds.

The injuries she sustained yesterday, after moving all day, had already healed seven or eight out of ten.

Pan Yun exclaimed, "Third Senior Brother's ointment is very effective."

Seeing Miao He squeezed over and said, "I made it."

"You make ointments?"

"Of course I do—I know so many things. I can't yet accompany Master on medical rounds, but I can make ointments, pills, and all kinds of medicinal waters."

Pan Yun admired her; in her past life, she had only begun cultivation at age eight, just starting to learn the basics. Seeing Miao He already knew so much at eight. "When did you start learning?"

Seeing Miao He counted on her fingers: "I watched the fire at two, tended it at three, began identifying herbs at four, and could handle them myself by six."

Pan Yun looked up at the sky and asked Wang Feiyin, "Big Senior Brother, do you see a cow in the sky?"

Wang Feiyin: "She's telling the truth."

Seeing Miao He finally realized and pouted, "Little Auntie, you're saying I'm boasting."

"Because it's just too incredible—I didn't realize a big shot was right beside me."

"Big shot?" Seeing Miao He brightened again. "Yes, I'm a big shot! Seeing Miao Zhen is a big shot too!"

"Tell me, tell me, hurry up and tell me," Pan Yun nudged her shoulder.

Seeing Miao He said solemnly, "Seeing Miao Zhen has already finished studying one copy of the Dao Fa Hui Yuan."

Pan Yun, upon hearing this, stared at Seeing Miao Zhen in shock, raised a thumb in admiration, and sincerely praised, "Incredible—you're only eight."

Wang Feiyin walked over with his hands behind his back and asked the three, "Will you take the Guangxin Prefecture exam next year?"

Pan Yun: "Can we even take it?"

"You have no parents anyway—you won't get beaten if you go. Give it a try."

Pan Yun: "I thought Big Senior Brother would have us train more, temper our temper, things like that."

"Why temper your temper? Geniuses must walk ahead of ordinary people. Forcing yourselves to walk the same path as them is wasting time, wasting the wisdom Heaven granted you."

Wang Feiyin said, "You're eight and already doing what others can't do until sixteen—you've gained eight extra years. By fifty, you'll have accomplished what others only achieve at a hundred. Think about it—isn't that worth living for?"

Seeing Miao He and Seeing Miao Zhen nodded vigorously.

Pan Yun paused, then nodded too, murmuring, "Exactly right."

Wang Feiyin smiled brightly and encouraged, "So work hard—you might actually pass the Guangxin Prefecture exam next year and go to Jingcheng to get your official license."

The three's eyes blazed with determination; they wished they could take the exam tomorrow.

Tao Yanbai, watching from the kitchen, felt immense envy and looked up at Tao Ji. "Third Uncle, should I take the exam too?"

Tao Ji: "Can you draw talismans? Can you perform rituals?"

Tao Yanbai slumped his shoulders and shook his head sadly. "No."

Tao Ji turned the spatula as he spoke: "So don't waste effort on what you're not good at. Your strength lies in alchemy and medicine—focus on mastering that."

Tao Yanbai glanced outside again. "I just feel the gap between me and the little aunts is growing wider."

Tao Ji: "You envy them, but they envy you too. The world works this way—people are never satisfied with what they have; they always stare enviously at what others possess."

Tao Yanbai opened his mouth wide. "Am I like that too?"

"Your Master and I are the same—what about you?" Tao Ji said carelessly. "It's fine. This is just another form of greed. Cut it off later."

Tao Yanbai immediately asked, "How do you cut it off?"

Tao Ji: "I'll tell you when I've cut mine off."

Since Tao Ji hadn't cut off his own greed, Tao Yanbai's heart instantly felt balanced.

Outside the house, Pan Yun pulled out her money and said, "Seeing Miao He, Seeing Miao Zhen, would you like to borrow some money from me?"

Today's lucky number is any ending in 6—screenshot as proof.

(End of Chapter)