Chapter 70 Yichun Hall
Mengxi didn't know that the second master had stopped drinking the porridge she sent over. She just followed her professional ethics as a doctor in the 21st century and prescribed medicine to the patient on time. It was none of her business whether the patient drank it or not. Anyway, no one would die. She was very busy these days. Yichuntang had just opened, and many medicines were being prepared in a hurry.
Fortunately, the Second Master is at his aunt's place every day, so she doesn't have to serve him three meals a day as per the rules. Now she only goes to the Old Madam to pay her respects as a routine, occasionally making some delicious meals and pastries and sending them over. Sometimes she sits for a while, tells the Old Madam jokes, and rubs her back. Sometimes when she meets the Second Master at the Old Madam's place, they just exchange greetings and the two of them have almost no interaction anymore.
Mengxi spent most of her time preparing medicines and developing new drugs in the pharmacy in the backyard of the east wing. She didn't even have time to practice calligraphy these days. When the concubines and girls came to pay their respects, she only said a few words and sent them away. She simply told them not to pay their respects at noon and in the evening, and even didn't want the concubines to serve her at meals. Occasionally, when the eldest concubine asked about the affairs of Xiaoxiang Courtyard, the second wife only grasped the key points and briefly mentioned a few key points. Most of the time, she let the eldest concubine make her own decisions. The affairs of the courtyard were always managed by the eldest concubine, and Mengxi was too lazy to intervene. The four concubines were also happy to be idle. During this period of time, the wives and concubines in Xiaoxiang Courtyard were harmonious and peaceful.
It was a month later that Yichuntang gradually got on the right track. Mengxi secretly sighed that in ancient times, people couldn't hold advertising conferences or promotional conferences for new and special medicines like in modern times. The pills she formulated were absolutely rare in Da Qi and could be called unique, but her medicine was like a little woman in a deep mansion, who was ultimately kept in the boudoir and unknown to the world.
Mengxi is currently completely in the dark in Daqi. Apart from the Xiao Mansion and her adopted father's family, she doesn't know anyone. It is said that it is easier to be an official if you have connections in the court, and you have to find a backer to do business. But Mengxi is determined that Yichuntang will never get involved with the Xiao family. As for her adopted father, a man who can send his daughter into the fire pit with his eyes open, he wants her to help his daughter build up power to fight the Xiao family? Don't even think about it.
Mengxi was worried these past two days. Where could she find another big tree to take shelter from the heat? Even if she only provided the technology for the profit share, she had no money, no manpower, and no backing. In a word, she was penniless! It was good enough that Yichuntang could be organized. How could she hold a grand and magnificent publicity meeting like many colleagues who traveled through time and space to make the whole Daqi people look at her with admiration?
Finally, she decided to follow the local customs and not do anything too outrageous. Not to mention that she didn't have the manpower, financial resources, and energy, it was hard to say whether she would be accepted by the people of Daqi. She didn't want to be thrown into a pig cage as a goblin in the end. That would be a big loss. Didn't the great leader Chairman Mao say, "A single spark can start a prairie fire." Since this medicine hall has been opened, it will eventually become a prairie fire. Then, won't Yang Yuhuan also have the time to "be chosen by the emperor's side"? She was not in a hurry. Anyway, the Xiao family was big and prosperous, and they didn't need a parasite like her for the time being.
Fortunately, the business had been open for more than a month, and Zhiqiu said that the business was able to break even. Although it was not as booming as she had expected, the number of customers was increasing day by day. This made Mengxi feel a little relieved, and she made up her mind to find a way to sneak out of the house to check out the business of the pharmacy to see if she could make some improvements.
These days, Mengxi is no longer as busy as when the business first opened, and has time to read books and practice calligraphy.
The Qiqiao Festival was approaching. Zhiqiu had already embroidered purses for the girls and was worrying about spices. The share of spices given to the Second Mistress by the mansion had not come down yet. The spices used by the Second Mistress herself were very light. The Second Master liked exotic spices by nature, which made the people in the courtyard sensitive and picky about all kinds of spices. They put some spices in the purses casually, but they were afraid that the girls would not like them. They were afraid of being laughed at if they went to the aunt's room to ask for such a small amount of spices. One day, seeing that the Second Mistress finally had time, she talked to her about this and discussed going out of the mansion to buy some spices. Mengxi thought for a while and said:
"It's the flower season now, there are plenty of flowers in the backyard, just pick some and mix them together. Is it that much trouble to use something that's already there?"
"If Second Grandma really knows how to make spices, then won't we be rich?" Zhiqiu opened his eyes wide and looked at Second Grandma with bright eyes.
Mengxi rolled her eyes at her and said, "We have almost picked all the flowers and plants in this garden. Let's go outside and pick some fresh ones to relax. We have been busy with the affairs of the medicine hall these days and have not left this garden for a long time."
Zhiqiu now absolutely believes in the craftsmanship of her second grandmother. Even if the second grandmother says that she can make the elixir of immortality, she will be the first to believe it. Now that she hears the second grandmother say that she can mix spices, she imagines taking the spices mixed by the second grandmother to Yichuntang to sell, and the money will flow like water. Her eyes are shining green with excitement, which makes Mengxi shudder. Zhiqiu has become an absolute money-grubber since her family opened the pharmacy. As long as she hears that there is something that can make money, she wants to take it to Yichuntang to sell, as if Yichuntang is a grocery store. I really don't know if Zhiqiu will just sell her if she hears that reselling people can make a lot of money one day.
Ignoring Zhiqiu's excitement, she stood up and sat down in front of the dressing mirror. Zhiqiu then came to her senses and hurriedly helped the second lady to wash and comb her hair. She helped her out of Xiaoxiang Courtyard and walked towards the garden of the concubines at the back.
It had been almost two months since Mengxi got married, but this was her first time to come to the backyard. She and Zhiqiu were not familiar with these gardens, so they just wandered around casually and unknowingly came to a small flower shop. Mengxi was attracted by the flowers and plants inside. Looking at the flowers in the garden competing for splendor, she couldn't help but walk in. Just as she was about to ask Zhiqiu where this was, she heard Aunt Li's voice:
"Oh, who was it? It turned out to be Second Madam. I pay my respects to Second Madam. Second Madam, you are in such a good mood today that you came to visit the garden."
I saw Aunt Li dressed up beautifully and walking towards me. She leaned slightly while speaking, and before the Second Madam could say anything, she stood up straight.
It turned out that Aunt Li had been relying on the Second Master's favor these days and had become more and more spoiled. Today, she wanted to go out for a walk, but when she saw the Second Madam from afar, she felt uncomfortable. No matter how much the Second Master doted on her, she was just a concubine and there was always a wife above her. Although the Second Master did not like this wife, Aunt Li was becoming more and more unsatisfied. These days, the Second Master was in her Chrysanthemum Garden every day, making her feel that she was the Second Master's only one. It was too unfair to have a wife above her who asked her to pay her respects and serve her every day. She hoped that she could stand above his wife. Recently, she heard that the First Madam was also suppressing the Second Madam in every way. She became bolder and had other thoughts. Today, she saw the Second Madam coming to the backyard, which was rare, and she walked up from afar.
