The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 2349: Chapter 2324: Sacred Heart

Zhou Lijun and Xiang Mingxue: ...How come they never encountered a bandit hideout?

No, wait, shouldn’t encountering a bandit hideout mean getting robbed?

Manbao and Bai Shanzheng introduced their smallpox vaccination results to Yang Heshu bit by bit.

Yang Heshu, looking at the data, couldn’t help but be moved, "About how long until it can be implemented among the populace?"

Manbao thought for a bit and said, "We need to go back and discuss it with Director Xiao and the others, but we should experiment a few more times to ensure there are no other bad effects before proceeding."

Yang Heshu, suppressing his excitement, nodded slightly and said to her, "If the success rate is confirmed to be this high and there are no adverse effects, Xiazhou is willing to be the first prefecture to implement it."

Manbao was stunned and asked, "Can the people accept it?"

Yang Heshu: "Xiazhou has a more suitable public opinion compared to other prefectures. First, Xiazhou recently experienced smallpox, so the memory is fresh, making it easier to persuade them; second, your Imperial Doctor Institute has a great reputation in Xiazhou."

He smiled and said, "You don’t know, but quite a few people privately offer longevity tablets for you, Imperial Doctor Lu, and Imperial Doctor Zheng in Xiazhou."

Manbao exclaimed, "I have a longevity tablet?"

"Of course," Yang Heshu laughed, "as far as I know, you have the most."

Manbao became happy, "It must be because I’m the most approachable."

Yang Heshu smiled and nodded. Not only is she the most approachable, but the patients who survived under her care are also the most numerous, so naturally, more people offer to her.

Manbao really wanted to go see it. Seeing this, Yang Heshu said, "It’s not appropriate to barge into others’ homes. If you want to see, you can visit the temples and Daoist monasteries on the mountain, where many families also place longevity tablets, praying for your peace and longevity."

Manbao became excited and looked at Bai Shan.

Bai Shan said, "Then let’s go and take a look."

Yang Heshu also said, "Although you’re in a hurry to return to the capital, I doubt you can make it back before the end of the year. Why not stay a few more days in Xiazhou, to first sell some goods, and also to take a break? You can depart on the twenty-seventh or twenty-eighth. If you travel quickly, you should be back in the capital by the fourth or fifth of January. When the emperor sees you returning during the New Year, he’ll likely realize you spent New Year’s Eve on the road and might forgive you."

Thinking about it, it’s quite pitiable and might ease the emperor’s anger.

Manbao and Bai Shan thought that Yang Heshu, who was smiling gently at the moment, seemed a bit cunning. They couldn’t help but agree in their hearts, no wonder Senior Brother Tang always said he was the one being bullied; they didn’t quite believe it before, but now they kind of do.

As the two walked towards their residence, they heard a commotion next door and couldn’t help but go over to see Bai Erlang and the others showing Zhou Lijun the things they brought back.

The two stood by and listened. When Xiang Mingxue looked back and saw them, he said, "Zhou... little aunt,"

He paused and then said again, "Little aunt."

Then nodded at Bai Shan.

Bai Shan also nodded in return.

Zhou Lijun turned her head, saw Manbao, and delightfully rushed up to hug her, looking at the items they brought back and said, "Little aunt, you all struck it rich this time."

Manbao modestly replied, "Not that much, just so-so."

She said to Zhou Lijun, "I was just looking for you. We can’t take all of these things back with us, so we only plan to bring some. The rest will be sent back to the capital by you, and we’ll figure out how to sell them later."

Zhou Lijun asked, puzzled, "Don’t you have soldiers accompanying you? Wouldn’t it be safer for them to escort the goods?"

There are so many of them and they are officials, so long as no one is blind, they wouldn’t dare attack you on the road, would they?

Manbao sighed and said, "Right now, our concern isn’t the bandits on the road, but rather the censors and the emperor in the capital. Anyway, in a couple of days, we aim to return to the capital with a light load, and we’ll take only a few carts of luggage. The rest will have to be entrusted to you."

She curiously asked, "Aren’t you going home for the New Year?"

Zhou Lijun laughed and said, "Not knowing when you’d return, we especially waited here for you, little aunt."

After thinking, Zhou Lijun said, "If you entrust these things to us, we’ll travel with you, at most entering the city a day after you."

Bai Shan immediately said, "Entering the city on the same day isn’t a big deal. You’re a trading caravan, and we’re an envoy, it’s fine to enter the city at a distance from each other."

He added, "When you return, temporarily store the items in my family’s courtyard in Elms Alley, and then slowly move them home bit by bit."

He turned to Manbao and said, "There’s no need to be overly cautious either. If a censor even spots the courtyard under our family’s name, then hiding won’t help."

Because their matter wasn’t big, officials who bring back a bit more specialty goods from a public trip is quite normal. If in favor with the emperor, it might just be seen as a trivial matter, or even a source of pride. Only when out of favor does it seem like everything they do is wrong.

Bai Shan didn’t feel they had fallen out of favor, only that the emperor might be a bit angry because they were delayed on the road.

Manbao thought, agreed that he made sense, and thus planned for Zhou Lijun to travel with them and entrusted most of the luggage to them for safekeeping back to the capital.

Manbao said, "By the way, introduce me to a few merchants capable of buying spices and gems from the Western Regions."

Xiang Mingxue was surprised, "Little aunt is planning to sell these items in Xiazhou?"

Then what are they escorting?

Zhou Lijun’s eyes sparkled and asked, "Little aunt, did you bring other Western Region merchants back with you this time? Are they planning to sell their goods in Xiazhou?"

Manbao replied, "Not merchants, but some... escorts who accompanied us to the Western Regions. They brought some spices and gems back, and since the prices offered in Shazhou were a bit low, they’re following us to Xiazhou."

Zhou Lijun felt a pang of disappointment, "So it’s a one-time deal?"

Manbao curiously asked, "Are you hoping to make contact with Western merchants? Do our family have enough money to dabble in the spice and gem trade?"

Zhou Lijun laughed, "Forget about the gem business, but the spice trade is something we can work on, and I want to sell the skincare ointments our family makes to them. Also, some medicinal herbs. I heard the environment over there in the Western Regions differs from ours, and many herbs we have here they likely don’t have."

"But raw herbs are quite cheap, so I want to sell processed medicines," Zhou Lijun said, "Besides ointments for face care, whitening, and acne treatments that you’ve taught us before, it would be great to make some ready-to-use medicines for colds and fevers."

Manbao was wide-mouthed, "You want to compete with Jishi Hall in business?"

Zhou Lijun said, "Not competing in business, the pills or processed medicines I still get from Jishi Hall."

She had never planned to make processed medicines herself. The family was already busy making ointments, and making pills requires even more meticulousness, with higher costs. Not to mention her, even Fifth Aunt might not be able to strictly follow the recipe.