Edict of Peace 28
Chapter 28: A Tit for Tat
Within the Xue family mansion, Xue family members and their female relatives all turned to look.
A girl in a goose-yellow dress walked ahead, beside her a boy of similar age. He was growing tall, his brows handsome and valiant. He wore a blue shirt, a leather belt with a hook holding a heavy sword with a dark-patterned scabbard and copper inlay. A war bow, interwoven with gold thread, was strapped to his back, making him appear incredibly valiant.
The Xue family didn’t know when this boy had arrived.
They had initially planned to get to know him, but seeing him with Xue Shuangtao, they changed their minds.
Xue Shuangtao said, “Bow and arrow, heavy sword, then let’s go to the pharmacy.”
“Armor is impossible to provide you with. Grandpa said the Xue family doesn’t have any armor.”
“Armor violates Chen Kingdom’s laws.”
Li Guanyi nodded.
But recalling the imposing manner of the old man, for some reason, he only believed half of the girl’s words.
He believed Xue Shuangtao truly thought this way.
As for Old Master Xue Daoyong’s words…
He wouldn’t believe a single punctuation mark.
Thanks to at least nine years of compulsory education and historical learning from his previous life, Li Guanyi possessed a concise historical perspective. When the world descended into chaos, powerful families like the Xue family would definitely have private armies and armor. When the world changed, some local powerful families would rise and become princes and ministers.
The Xue family pharmacy was much larger than Huichuntang. Huichuntang was the largest pharmacy in the south of Guan Yicheng. Previously, they would send specific herbs to the Xue family every year. After pushing open the door, a wave of medicinal fragrance filled the air. Li Guanyi felt a sense of comfort and relaxation. His gaze swept across the shelves, recognizing many herbs:
Dragon bones, Polygala, and Fo-ti vine—herbs for calming the spirit.
Angelica, Fo-ti, and cooked rehmannia—blood-tonifying herbs.
Ginseng, atractylodes, and sedum—qi-tonifying herbs, and…
The young pharmacist’s gaze casually swept across the shelves, then paused. He noticed some unlabeled herbs on a cabinet marked for the pharmacist’s personal use. Ordinary people couldn’t identify them, but Li Guanyi, who had been dealing with herbs since the age of five and had studied medicine for eight years, recognized them instantly.
Morinda officinalis, Curculigo orchioides, Dipsacus asper, Cuscuta chinensis, Cynomorium songaricum, Astragalus propinquus, Asparagus cochinchinensis, Eclipta prostrate.
Yin-nourishing and Yang-tonifying aphrodisiacs? With this strength and formula…
Tonifying kidney Yang, benefiting essence and blood.
Strengthening muscles and bones, stopping metrorrhagia? It seems…
The old doctor with a goatee noticed the young man’s gaze. He coughed, calmly shifted his position to block Li Guanyi’s view, and chuckled amiably, “Hmm, Miss Xue, and this young master, what brings you here?”
Xue Shuangtao smiled gently, her tone as usual, “Old Zhang, we need some cultivation materials.”
The old man produced them with lightning speed, placing them on the table.
“Thirty portions of Salvia miltiorrhiza drink, it can aid Qi circulation, and can also temporarily relieve angina pectoris.”
“Ten portions of Shengmai Lianhua Dan, which replenishes Qi and blood.”
“Five portions of hemostatic medicine, thirty portions of nourishing herbal packs for bathing; after practicing martial arts, these packs promote blood flow, relieve soreness, and are for bathing every morning to ensure a full Yuan Qi; at night, use the second type to ensure no hidden injuries are left behind.”
“Also, I feel a connection with this young brother, this is a personal gift from me.”
The usually frugal old man, known for squeezing every drop out of a toad, placed a small package on the table. The young man looked shy, smiling slightly, “Thank you, senior. Your medical skills are superb, but with so many herbs unlabeled, it’s difficult to identify them. I’m quite overwhelmed.”
“Perhaps organizing them would be better?”
A relieved smile appeared on the old man’s face. “The young master is right.”
“I will definitely organize them next time!”
The old and young man understood each other perfectly.
The old man added a few more pills to the medicine.
Then he sent Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao out, letting out a sigh of relief and wiping his forehead.
“How did such a clever little fox end up in the Xue family? He also understands medicine and prescriptions?”
Xue Shuangtao said, “Old Zhang is always… thrifty, but he’s surprisingly generous to you today.”
Li Guanyi said, “Perhaps it’s because I used to be a pharmacist.”
Xue Shuangtao looked doubtful but didn’t press further. “Pills and weapons are different from armor. You can come to collect your monthly allowance every month; although pills are beneficial to cultivation, Grandpa stipulates that you can’t take more than your monthly allowance, cultivation still relies on oneself.”
“Alright, let’s go to the tailor shop.”
The tailor shop’s manager, Qu, was dealing with some matters. Upon seeing Xue Shuangtao and Li Guanyi arrive, she was surprised. Then, she saw the jade pendant around Li Guanyi’s waist, her alluring eyes widening slightly, stammering, “This… young master Li…”
Xue Shuangtao said, “I’m here with Guest Li to get his Guest’s attire.”
Manager Qu murmured, “Guest…?”
She looked at the young man, somewhat lost in thought, then a respectful expression appeared on her face, “Yes, Miss, Guest, please wait a moment.”
Li Guanyi bowed slightly, his voice gentle, “Thank you, Sister Qu.”
Manager Qu’s expression froze for a moment. Seeing Li Guanyi’s expression, the smile on her face became more sincere, “Guest, your mouth is still as sweet as ever. Leave it to me.”
“I will prepare the best clothes for you.”
She swayed her waist and gracefully left. Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao sat in the tailor shop’s guest area and drank tea. The tailor shop’s maids served some desserts. Li Guanyi, practicing the “Breaking Formation Melody” internal energy to temper his body, was easily hungry and ate some slowly.
Xue Shuangtao was curious, looking up and down at Li Guanyi, “Did you know Manager Qu before?”
“Yes, I met her yesterday when I picked up clothes.”
Xue Shuangtao was even more puzzled, “Then why did you call her sister?”
Li Guanyi wiped a crumb from his mouth, put it in his mouth, thought for a moment, and said:
“Because she’s older than me.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s always good to be polite.”
Their brief conversation ended.
Li Guanyi ate the dessert. A small table was between the two red wooden chairs; Xue Shuangtao sat on the other chair. The desserts were small and cute, soft and chewy, with red bean paste inside. The girl suddenly asked, “How old are you, Guest?”
Li Guanyi replied, “A little over thirteen, my birthday is in about two months.”
Xue Shuangtao looked ahead, “Hmm, I just turned fourteen.”
Li Guanyi nodded.
Xue Shuangtao said, “I’m older than you.”
She paused, her gaze falling on Li Guanyi’s face, “I’m also older than you.”
Li Guanyi seemed to understand something. The girl also wanted him to call her sister?
He chuckled, thinking she was a really cute girl. At that moment, footsteps were heard, Xue Shuangtao immediately sat back, her skirt falling, her hands resting quietly on her knees, her demeanor gentle, the elegance of a lady of impeccable manners.
Manager Qu chuckled, “Isn’t this convenient! My tailor shop just happens to have a garment similar to the Guest’s size, and coincidentally, there’s also a jade-inlaid leather belt. Young Master, would you like to try it on?”
Li Guanyi put down the dessert and followed Manager Qu to change clothes.
The new blue shirt was of a completely different material, with dark patterns that weren’t overly flamboyant yet possessed a dignified air befitting a prominent family. A fragrant sachet hung from his waist, and the leather belt was also better made, with a smooth jade piece as decoration.
In the Southern Chen Dynasty, decorations were exquisite.
Even belts came in various styles—immortal flowers, lychees, barbarians, children playing—and materials ranged from leather to gold, iron, jade, and rhinoceros horn. In the past, it symbolized status, but now the control was gradually loosening. Decorating belts with jade was no longer a concern for the court.
Manager Qu clapped her hands and laughed, “Such handsome looks, such bearing.”
“Such a fine young man.”
Xue Shuangtao glanced at him, and had to admit that even among the Xue family and their allied families, there might be some who were more handsome than this young man, but his composure and bearing were unparalleled. With a sword at his waist, a bow in hand, and raised eyebrows, he embodied the youthful spirit of spring willows and galloping horses.
Manager Qu sent the two young people away with a smile, standing by the doorway. A maid beside her said, “Manager, isn’t this the outfit that the young master ordered before?”
“Giving it to this guest first, isn’t that inappropriate?”
Manager Qu lazily replied, “This tailor shop listens to me. That young master was arrogant and bossy here, it’s fine if it’s a bit late. Handing it over before the deadline is fine.”
The maid said, “But the young master’s status is higher.”
She smiled faintly, “If we’re talking about status, the young master’s is indeed higher.”
“But that ‘sister’ was so pleasing to hear, and his eyes showed no contempt, so I was willing to be more accommodating. People in this world must have some strange temperaments.”
“I just want those who make me feel comfortable to have the most comfortable life.”
………………
“The pills, bow, weapons, and clothes have all been changed.”
“I will take you to the library tomorrow.”
“Also, the Guest can use the Xue family carriage, and we can arrange two maids to help you with your courtyard and take care of the household matters. Remember to come early tomorrow.”
The coachman Zhao Dabing, having heard that a guest needed a carriage, hurried over. When he saw Li Guanyi’s clothes, he was stunned for a long time. He said, “Young brother… no, Guest, didn’t you say yesterday that becoming a guest was a distant prospect?”
How could this have happened? He became a guest overnight.
He himself hasn’t seen a shadow in ten years.
Did I get drunk yesterday and sleep for ten years?
Li Guanyi pondered and smiled slightly, “Brother Zhao, it’s an old saying.”
“Time flies.”
Zhao Dabing opened his mouth. After realizing the subtle humor in this saying, his envy and self-reproach dissipated, he helplessly shook his head, and smiled enviously, “Guest, you’re truly talented.”
“Please get in the carriage!”
The young man paused and asked again:
“Brother Zhao, do you still have the salted roasted peanuts? I’ve never tasted such delicious snacks.”
“I’m a little hungry.”
Zhao Dabing froze for a moment, then felt a bit proud, laughing, “Haha, of course I do!”
“If you want to eat them, I’ll always have some prepared for you.”
Xue Shuangtao, observing the thirteen-year-old’s social skills, reminded him, “Guest, remember to come early tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
Li Guanyi had already stepped into the carriage, but suddenly remembered something and got out.
Xue Shuangtao: “Huh???”
Li Guanyi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but hesitated. He simply said,
“Wait a moment.”
For some reason, Li Guanyi also found it hard to say it. He turned around, patted his face, adjusted his demeanor, and turned back, bathed in the warm sunlight. With Xue family members passing by, the handsome young man’s face had a shy, pure smile.
“Thank you today.”
He paused:
“Sister Xue.”
(End of Chapter)
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