The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 214 A good start

After discussing it, Xiao Huan and Shi Tou went to find Lu Chengjing and said in unison, "Brother-in-law, let's recruit a few more people."

They couldn't accept rewards without merit; they really couldn't hold on any longer!

Lu Chengjing stopped writing and handed the half-written paper to the two of them.

There were about ten names on the paper, all of which were selected by Lu Chengjing from the list he had discussed with Old Man Wu and others.

"Choose twenty people first. Shi Tou, you will make a trip every now and then. Whether they want to do it or not, write them down and tell those who are willing to do it to go to the Yuan family for a lesson after breakfast tomorrow."

Before the busy farming season, Lu Chengjing planned to stock up on more medicinal herbs so that he wouldn't be unable to find help when he needed it.

There is enough space on both sides of the Shangwan Pavilion to store the medicinal herbs, so there is no need to worry about them being infested by insects or getting damp if stored for too long.

Shi Tou and Xiao Huan both breathed a sigh of relief; at least they could finally have an explanation.

They're so busy receiving gifts that they're almost afraid to go out, lest people think they're out collecting presents. How could they have such a bad reputation?

·
News travels fast in the village. Those who receive the notice are naturally happy, while those who don't are disappointed and can't help but reflect on their actions.

How did she manage to catch the eye of the scholar?
Is it because we didn't send enough or good enough gifts?

Some people even reflected on it in great detail.

I missed out on the job of washing clothes for Xiao Huan the other day, so I need to be quicker next time and make sure she sees my efforts!

The vegetables in the field can still be harvested; I'll send them to the Lu family later.

I'm going to the mountains to chop firewood later, and I'll also deliver a bundle to the Lu family while I'm at it.

[The Lu family's land should be tilled by now, no, it was just tilled yesterday. We should water it first. Go early, before someone steals it.]

Some reflected on their actions, while others were dissatisfied, feeling distressed and frustrated because their efforts to please were not reciprocated.

When someone came to question her, Xiao Huan didn't bother arguing with him. She simply gave him two coins and then crossed his name off the list in front of him.

She didn't beg these people to give her anything. They even got angry with her when she tried to return it, but now she feels like she lost out.

My brother-in-law is right; this alone can filter out a lot of people.

People with the same idea, knowing they could get money, all came to question her. Xiao Huan didn't want to waste her breath and simply handed over the money and put her name on it.

Those who received the money were secretly pleased with themselves and even spread the word in the village, telling people to go to the scholar's house to collect their money.

"A few words of insult will do, and you can get two coins in return."

Some people were tempted, while others saw through the scheme, but in reality, only a few were actually persuaded to go.

Those who understood the trick shook their heads, secretly cursing these people for being short-sighted.

If the scholar's family's pharmacy is doing well, they can make money by following the scholar's family, a steady stream of income that is more than just two coins.
Besides, what they gave away weren't anything valuable, yet they had the nerve to accept money from people offering it. From now on, they won't get any good things from the scholar's family.

·
In the evening, Shang Wan returned from the city and heard about this. She reached out and pinched Xiao Huan's puffed-out cheeks, and laughed, "Silly girl, it only cost a few taels of silver to see through people. We not only didn't lose out, but we made a fortune."

Xiao Huan pouted, still unhappy.

She wasn't upset about the money; she just couldn't believe how quickly people could change their minds. One moment they'd be smiling at you, and the next they'd be cursing you out.

She even paid for a lot of things out of her own pocket, planning to make four kinds of desserts to give back to everyone.

"Those people are just unlucky," Shang Wan teased the sulking girl with a smile. "It's been almost five hours since we last met, and this is the look on our little beauty's face when she greets me?"

"Sister!" Xiao Huan smiled slightly.

Yuanyuan clapped her little hands and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Auntie! Matchmaker!"

Xiao Huan burst out laughing, and the gloom in her heart vanished.

She reached out and hugged the little one, correcting her, "Sweetie, you're a beauty, beautiful."

"Matchmaker!"

"It is beautiful."

"sister!

"Not a sister, but a beauty."

"Her eyebrows...are beautiful."

"Yes, beautiful." Xiao Huan kissed the little one's soft little face. "Yuan Yuan will definitely be a beauty when she grows up." "That's not necessarily true," Chu Xu interjected. "What if Yuan Yuan is still chubby when she grows up?"

The child's brow was furrowed, showing genuine worry.

Are there any chubby beauties like dumplings?
Shang Wan reached out and ruffled his hair. "A-Nian, don't say girls are chubby. You can say cute instead."

Chu Xu blinked in confusion, "Why?"

“Because…” Shang Wan tapped his forehead, “If we follow the previous logic, it’s easy for him to have trouble finding a wife.”

Chu Xu: "..."

He still wants to get married.

"I will not say anymore."

Young Master Chu decided that from now on he would always compliment girls on their cuteness, and that should help him find a wife, right?

That's very forward-thinking!
The young master immediately put his knowledge to use, turning to Xiao Huan and saying, "Aunt Xiao Huan, you are very cute."

Xiao Huan: "..."

Knowing the whole story and then being praised like this, I'm not happy at all, okay?

·
Half a month later, the pharmacy was renovated and all kinds of medicinal materials were ready.

Shang Wan rarely indulged in superstition, so he spent ten coins to have a blind fortune teller calculate an auspicious day for the opening, setting the date for three days later.

Shang Wan knew the importance of publicity. Since paper was too expensive to distribute flyers, she asked Lu Chengjing to compose a nursery rhyme and then bribed a little beggar to sing it along the street.

The nursery rhyme's lyrics resonated deeply with people, so much so that many people came to watch the pharmacy's opening day.

Everyone was talking and talking.

"Is that multi-purpose ointment from this shop?"

"Is this the place mentioned in the nursery rhyme?"

"Is there really a wound medicine that can stop bleeding immediately when applied?"

"Is it true that the medicinal herbs here are better than those from other places?"

"I'm here to buy Yu Rong San (a traditional Chinese medicine)."

Is the White Jade Cream expensive?

……

Stone stared intently at the water clock, and when the appointed time arrived, he immediately struck a gong and set off firecrackers.

The crackling sound of firecrackers was deafening, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing stood on either side of the plaque, grasping the hemp rope tied with red silk, and pulled down at the same time.

The bright red silk fell to the ground, revealing the three gilded characters "Lingyao Pavilion" on the ebony plaque.

Shang Wan had certainly considered names like "Wanxintang," "Renkangtang," and "Jirenzhai," which sounded like pharmacies, but she felt these names were too euphemistic and didn't reflect the unique characteristics of her pharmacy.

After much deliberation, the family struggled to choose between "Spirit Pill Pavilion" and "Spirit Medicine Pavilion," and ultimately voted to select the name "Spirit Medicine Pavilion."

Amidst the cheers and commotion, friends presented their gifts.

Qiao Yu'an squeezed to the front, and the gift boxes behind him were stacked higher than Ah Le's.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing, saying, "Congratulations on your grand opening!"

Lu Chengjing returned the greeting, "Thank you for your kind words."

Shi Tou was in charge of collecting the gifts, while Xiao Huan invited people inside.

The second person to present a gift was Chen Cai. He placed the gift on the table, congratulated Shang Wan, and then went inside for a visit.

The third person to present a gift was Manager Zhong from Linglong Casino. He said "Congratulations," put down the gift, and went inside.

Next, Shan Dajun, He Sizhi, Gao Yan, Ma Jieyong, the restaurant owner, Old Man Wu, Yuan Musheng, Liu Cheng...

Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed, pointing to the man delivering the gift at the door, "Look, isn't that Wu Ba? How come the scar on his face is gone?"