Chapter 218: Liu Ye’s Marriage
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The commoners happily harvested the autumn crops. Just as they sowed the seeds, it seemed the heavens were compensating for the people, letting a good rain shower fall.
In a matter of days, the wheat sprouted, lush and beautiful.
The weather finally returned to normal. In early November, snowflakes began to fall to the north of Wei City.
When it’s not snowing, people hope for snow. When it snowed, people were afraid of it.
Yuan Jiaqi had convened meetings with village heads and town leaders to prepare for snow-related disasters. Dilapidated houses had to be addressed in advance. Villages and towns without the capability had to raise funds collectively to resolve these issues.
Those facing difficulties could apply to the county government, and officials would verify house by house.
The money collected from various households was recorded. With the remaining funds, they purchased food and firewood to distribute to each family. Anyone caught embezzling even a single copper coin would be severely punished.
With these two measures, Yuan Jiaqi’s reputation as a fair and upright official spread far and wide.
Upon hearing this, the county governor of Yi County rolled his eyes. “Your wife can make money, and you are certainly not short of silver. You can help the commoners in any way you like. Not to mention, you have the support of the Wang family. Without them, you’d have a hard time.”
He sighed, recalling that when Yuan Jiaqi wasn’t the county governor of County Shu, he could still bask in their glory. At the very least, he didn’t have to worry about the people in Tianshui Town with Mayor Qian and the Qiao family behind them.
But now, the Qiao family seems to be in two places at once, and he doesn’t know if they will still help this year.
Mayor Qian returned to town in October but became thin due to his mourning period. He had been staying at home to recover. Lu Sanniang was taking care of him daily.
Qiao Mai visited him once. Despite the anger he had previously felt, he couldn’t forget about his father. It was hard not to be saddened by losing him.
Seeing his haggard appearance and the swollen eyes of Lu Sanniang, Qiao Mai’s heart softened.
She brewed two batches of low-grade elixirs and gave them to Mayor Qian.
“These are spiritual herbs I acquired with the help of a friend overseas. Take one every three days. Here are two boxes, a three-month supply. After taking them, your health will improve.”
Lu Sanniang wiped away tears and said, “Sister, thank you!”
Mayor Qian lay on the bed, managing a forced smile. “Thank you, I know my condition. There might not be much time left. If something happens to me, can you look after Sanniang for me?”
Qiao Mai smiled. “You can’t have anything happen to you. Otherwise, what will happen to Sanniang? You’re still planning to marry her, aren’t you?”
Mayor Qian glanced at Lu Sanniang and said, “I… I’m afraid I’ll disappoint her…”
Qiao Mai couldn’t bear to see this and handed him a pill.
“Take one first and see the effect.”
She knew that spiritual pills rarely disappointed. Lu Sanniang kept a close eye on Mayor Qian. She watched his lips regain some color, and his complexion became healthier.
Excitedly, she exclaimed, “Sister, it works! This medicine works! He’s been taking medicine from the clinic for over a month with no improvement. I didn’t expect your pill to have such a significant effect.”
“Trust me. Take one pill every three days, and I guarantee he’ll be even livelier than ever. Maybe after you two get married, you’ll even have a chubby little boy for Mayor Qian.”
Lu Sanniang gently tapped her and said, “Stop talking nonsense. I’m getting old.”
“If I say you can have a child, you can have one. Just like I said Mayor Qian would get better, and he definitely will.”
Mayor Qian felt his body becoming more comfortable. He let Lu Sanniang support him as he leaned on the raised bed.
“Can I really get better?”
“Absolutely!”
“If I do get better, we’ll have our wedding next spring. How about being our matchmaker then?”
“Sure, that’s a deal.”
With no bright sunshine, no people were sunbathing across from Lucky Garden in the middle of winter.
The Liu family’s shop had almost been trampled to the ground by matchmakers. Madam Liu Qiao was worried, so she went to find Qiao Mai.
“Mai Mai.”
“Aunt, it’s a rare visit.”
“I’m afraid of bothering you. Otherwise, I would come to your house several times a day.”
“Can you bear to stop doing business?”
“Liu Hai hired two assistants for the winter, and they sleep in the shop at night.
I’m not that busy now.”
“That’s great! You’re managing people now.” “It’s all thanks to what I learned from you.” “Aunt came this time to ask for your advice.”
“What’s the matter?”
Qiao Mai poured her a cup of tea. Madam Liu Qiao was delighted as she held the cup with both hands.
Now, Qiao Mai was not only wealthy but also the wife of the county governor. With several layers of status, pouring a cup of tea for someone was seen as a sign of respect.
“It’s about Liu Ye’s marriage.”
“Oh, I see. You’ve been here for several years. Liu Ye is about sixteen, right?”
“Yes, I don’t want to pursue wealth or prestige, but I want Liu Ye to find a good family. However, several families are aiming for you.”
“Aiming for me?”
Qiao Mai smiled, understanding Madam Liu Qiao’s meaning.
“You’re afraid they’re not sincere about Liu Ye and are only trying to please me, which is why they’re discussing this marriage, right?”
“Yes.”
“In matters of fate, it’s hard for me to advise. My former disciple made a poor choice in a marriage, and it ended in separation.”
“What should I do then?”
“Go to the places where the prospective groom’s families are and inquire personally. Some families may appear good on the surface but have issues behind closed doors. Character is most important. As long as his character is good, it won’t matter if they want to bask in my influence.”
“So I shouldn’t just rely on the matchmaker’s words.”
“In the matchmaker’s mouth, they can turn the short into the tall and the thin into the plump just to make a match. You can’t hear the truth. It’s better to investigate personally. Your family is well-off now, and with me behind you, there’s no need to flatter others. Strive to find a respectable family for Liu Ye.”
“With your advice, I feel more assured. I haven’t been doing anything these days. I’ll take Liu Ye to inquire about the families the matchmakers mentioned. They all sound good, but I need to investigate further.”
“Good. How is Liu Mei doing?”
“Her husband’s family is fine, just not wealthy. But we can support them occasionally. They’re living comfortably now.”
“Has she visited you during the New Year in the past couple of years?”
“She has!”
“This year, have her come to my house on the second day of the New Year. Let’s have a meal together.”
Madam Liu Qiao hesitated and then said with excitement, “Alright, let’s have a meal together.”
“After the New Year, your family should buy a house in town. Don’t keep squeezing into the shop. It would sound better for Liu Ye when she gets married.”
“Thanks to your blessings, we’ve earned quite a bit these past years. We can afford a decent house in town.”
“If you’re buying one, get a good one. Don’t skimp.”
Madam Liu Qiao saw Qiao Mai pick up a book to read and stand up.
“You read your book; I’ll leave now.”
“Then I won’t send you off.”
Madam Liu Qiao left. Qiao Mai lowered her head to look at the book in her hands. She had read all the comprehensive guides on herbs, the alchemy manual, and all the pill formulas.
She realized she needed to continue learning. To create a good pill and refine excellent elixirs, she needed to remember the names and properties of herbs and their interactions and effects when combined.
So, she purchased essential books for pharmacists on the platform.
She didn’t know that she was gradually becoming a physician. Once she mastered the knowledge of herbs and medicines, she would need to delve into medical theory because the more advanced elixirs contained intricate medical concepts.
In the future, she wouldn’t only have to learn medicine but also study poisons and even explore unusual and bizarre subjects.
She never thought she would become a physician. In her view, she wasn’t cut out for it.
Going from a special agent to a cold-blooded killer to a physician seemed ridiculous.
But what she was doing now was gradually leading her down the path of a physician.
She was even surpassing that path, thanks to her enhanced memory and perception since her cultivation began. While it might take others five years to become a physician, it might take her only a year or maybe even less..
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