Chapter 75: Senior Sister's Love

Bao'an Hall.

Su Qingling sat alone behind the counter, her chin resting on her hands, dozing off.

The morning sunlight spilled inside.

That simple white dress, jet-black hair, and the beautiful face that remained cold even while dozing were the most beautiful scenery in this Pharmacy.

When Luo Zijun entered, her chin happened to slip from her hands, and with a "bang," it knocked against the counter, waking her up instantly from the pain.

Just as she raised her head, she met his mischievous gaze.

"Senior Sister, does it hurt?"

Luo Zijun asked, feigning concern.

Su Qingling rubbed her chin, her pretty face maintaining its aloof expression, and ignored him.

Luo Zijun said, "Let me help you rub it."

Saying this, he walked over.

Su Qingling looked at him coldly with her beautiful eyes, one hand already quietly reaching under the counter to grip that thick Rolling Pin.

Luo Zijun stopped in front of the counter, staring at her very earnestly.

Su Qingling narrowed her eyes, staring back at him without showing any weakness.

"Senior Sister, you say you're so pretty, can you be a bit gentler in the future?"

Luo Zijun offered his suggestion.

This girl, from childhood to now, had always been this fierce.

Then he added, "In the future, if I hit you, can you just beg for mercy delicately instead of fighting back? Aren't other girls like that?"

"Bang!"

As soon as Luo Zijun finished speaking, he immediately stepped back.

Just as expected.

That thick Rolling Pin had already slammed heavily onto the counter where his hands had just been resting.

"Look at you, still so fierce. If you're like this, who will play with you in the future?"

As Luo Zijun spoke, he retreated a few more steps to prevent her from suddenly throwing the Rolling Pin in her hand like a hidden weapon.

Su Qingling looked at him coldly, seemingly sensing he had something to say, and asked coldly, "Something up?"

"Nothing."

Luo Zijun suddenly decided it was better not to ruin their current relationship.

What did it matter if they were childhood sweethearts?

After so many years, and with him currently under someone else's roof, if he suddenly brought up that connection, this girl might even suspect he had ulterior motives.

Forget it, things are fine as they are.

He walked toward the inner room.

The inner room had two chambers; one held medicinal herbs, and the other held a chair and a bed, used for seeing patients.

However, most of the time, it was the Master who went out for house calls.

"Senior Sister, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Luo Zijun came to the front and brought up the real business.

Su Qingling still held the Rolling Pin, her beautiful eyes watching him vigilantly.

"I want to come over at night and use that room."

Luo Zijun pointed to the second room.

Although it was a bit small, it would barely suffice.

He had no money for the time being.

Aside from here, he couldn't find anywhere else to take a Medicine Bath.

"I want to learn martial arts recently, and learning martial arts requires a Medicine Bath, so I want to use that room every day. Also, I want to boil hot water here and bring over a bathtub. Of course, if someone comes for a consultation, I won't use it."

Saying this, he felt a bit embarrassed.

"Also, the fifty wen the Master promised to give me every month, I don't want that anymore."

Actually, he was attending the Academy now and rarely came to accompany the Master to see patients, nor did he stay in the shop much, so he shouldn't be taking those fifty wen anyway.

But at this moment, he didn't know how to say it.

In truth, he had thought about taking the Medicine Bath here the whole way over before deciding to come and ask with a thick skin.

To be honest, he also felt he was being a bit excessive.

But practicing martial arts was imminent, and he truly had nowhere else to go.

If he had money it would be fine, but the main thing was that he really had no money now.

"Senior Sister, um... whenever I'm on break, I'll come over to help. Moving herbs, grinding medicine, cleaning, and other chores, I'll take care of them all, okay?"

Seeing the girl remain silent, he felt even more embarrassed.

He knew that as long as this girl agreed, there would definitely be no problem with the Master.

This girl was the Master's little ancestor.

"You want to practice martial arts?"

Su Qingling looked at him as if she didn't recognize him, examining him anew.

Luo Zijun nodded: "I want to try."

Su Qingling stared at him for a while longer, put down the Rolling Pin in her hand, and said coldly, "Suit yourself, just don't make the room dirty."

"Thank you, Senior Sister!"

Luo Zijun thanked her hurriedly.

Su Qingling looked at him again and said, "I won't give you any more money from now on; not even a single wen."

"Alright!"

This was as it should be.

He hadn't really done anything here to begin with, and his master even frequently taught him medical skills.

It was indeed not right to ask for money.

Su Qingling added, "If there is anything to do in the shop later, and I need you, you must come over at any time."

Luo Zijun nodded in agreement.

Seeing him so easy to talk to, Su Qingling immediately added another sentence: "From now on, if I pinch you, you are not allowed to fight back."

"That won't do!"

Luo Zijun immediately refused: "For things like personal injury, I will certainly fight back."

This girl, she wanted to bully him again!

Did she still want to pinch his little brother?

No way!

He was all grown up now, having changed from a little boy into a big boy, tall and sturdy; he would never let her knead and handle him at will again!

"Hmph." Su Qingling ignored him further and lowered her head to fiddle with the abacus.

"Many thanks, Senior Sister, I will go buy a bath barrel first."

Luo Zijun immediately went out.

This girl had a bad temper, but her heart was still very kind.

Just like his master.

After searching for a long time at the market, he bought a large bath barrel and had the owner help carry it into the Pharmacy.

"Oh no, the room is too small."

When he moved the bath barrel into the room, he suddenly discovered that the space inside seemed to be completely filled up all at once, and he couldn't even move his feet.

If a patient were to come, it would be somewhat awkward.

"Let's put it outside for now."

!

Luo Zijun and the owner placed the bath barrel in the corner nearby, and then he gave the money to the owner.

After the owner left, he went to check the room again.

It was indeed too small.

He could only move it in when he needed to use it, and move it out after he was done.

However, having a bath barrel sitting in the shop really didn't look very good.

As for the other room where the medicinal herbs were kept, he certainly couldn't go in there; if water were to splash around, that would be troublesome.

"Senior Sister, can I leave it here for now?"

Luo Zijun asked cautiously.

There was no help for it; when asking someone for a favor, one's attitude naturally had to be better.

Su Qingling lowered her head to fiddle with the abacus and said expressionlessly, "Whatever."

"Many thanks, Senior Sister."

Luo Zijun secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

He could only be thick-skinned and do it this way for now.

When he had money in the future, he would go buy a small courtyard, and then he could do his Medicine Bath and practice martial arts there as he pleased.

"Senior Sister, then I am going to the Academy; I will probably be back in the evening."

Luo Zijun waved his hand.

Su Qingling did not respond and continued to lower her head to fiddle with the abacus.

Luo Zijun went out the door and walked toward the Academy.

Not long after he left.

Su Qingling raised her head, glanced outside, paused, and then left the counter and walked toward the inner room.

Looking at the bath barrel placed in the corner, her gaze shifted, and she went into the second room.

After a while, she walked out from inside.

She stood in the shop for a moment, then locked the door and left the shop.

At midday.

Su Dafang returned to the shop carrying his Medicine Chest, sweating profusely from the heat.

He first poured two cups of tea and drank them in one gulp, only then noticing the bath barrel in the corner, and asked in surprise, "Ling'er, whose barrel is this?"

Su Qingling lowered her head to fiddle with the abacus and said, "He wants to practice martial arts, for a Medicine Bath."

"Ah? Who?"

Su Dafang was stunned for a moment before he realized: "Zijun? You mean, Zijun wants to practice martial arts?"

"Heh, this kid, has he gone crazy?"

"He is clearly a Literary Star, why would he suddenly want to practice martial arts? With his constitution, isn't he afraid of ruining himself?"

"Simply absurd. When he returns, I will have a good talk with him."

Su Dafang grumbled while walking over to look at the bath barrel.

"Such a big barrel, is the kid that big? A waste of money."

"Is he planning to take his Medicine Bath in this room?"

"Tsk tsk, buying medicinal ingredients is like spending money like water; just thinking about it is terrifying. Does that kid have money?"

While speaking, he entered the second room.

"Ah!"

He suddenly exclaimed: "Ling'er! Come quickly and look! How did our house crack? Such a big gap! No, wait, there are two!"

Su Qingling was still at the counter fiddling with the abacus, ignoring him.

"Ling'er, come look, it really cracked! Goodness, is this house about to collapse? Let's go, let's go, hurry out, we can't stay here, let's go find the landlord!"

Su Dafang rushed out from the inner room in a panic.

Only then did Su Qingling raise her head and say: "Is the house about to collapse?"

Su Dafang said with an anxious face: "Yes, it's about to collapse, let's get out of here quickly. We definitely can't live in this place anymore, we can only change to... hmm?"

Speaking up to this point, he suddenly stopped and looked suspiciously at his granddaughter.

Su Qingling met his gaze for a moment, lowered her head, and continued fiddling with the abacus.

There was no expression on her face.

"That... Ling'er, why does Grandpa suddenly feel that this matter seems a bit wrong?"

Su Dafang was stunned for a moment, looked her over with a suspicious face, and then suddenly went to check that room with the cracks and that bathtub again.

Su Qingling lowered her head to calculate numbers, ignoring him.

The shop fell into silence.

Not long after, Su Dafang came out from inside, looked at her meaningfully for a while, and suddenly sighed: "Forget it, let's move then. Let's change to a bigger shop so that in the future, someone can bathe comfortably, and someone else will feel happy watching."

"Let's go, let's go find a house."

Su Dafang sighed again and prepared to go out.

Only then did Su Qingling raise her head and say indifferently: "I have already found one."

Su Dafang's footsteps paused: "???"

A moment later.

A shrill wail suddenly came from the shop: "Ah, my little ancestor, my coffin savings, ah ah ah..."

(End of this chapter)