Chapter 41: Sentiment and Obligation

Chapter 41: Affection and Obligation

"Jiu Niang!"

Knowing that Hua Changxi was off duty today, Hua Liulang had been waiting by the back gate of the Medical Bureau since early morning.

From several meters away, Hua Changxi could see her sixth brother's irrepressible good mood. As she approached, she couldn't help but tease, "Sixth Brother, you're so happy—are you already a Second-Rank Martial Artist?"

The smile vanished from Hua Liulang's face, replaced by surprise. "How did you tell? I wanted to give you a surprise."

Seeing that he had truly become a Second-Rank Martial Artist, Hua Changxi's face lit up with joy. "Your martial arts have improved. Congratulations, Sixth Brother."

Hua Liulang scratched his head with a smile. "I only became a Second-Rank Martial Artist thanks to you, Jiu Niang." As he spoke, he took the bundle from her shoulder.

Hua Changxi walked out with him. "Sixth Brother, this is nothing. I have Bone-Forging Pills with me; I'll give them to you when we get back. Keep working hard at your training. I'll cover all the medicinal pills you need."

Hua Liulang stopped in his tracks, staring at her with wide eyes. "Jiu Niang... are you serious?"

It was only because he had used the Body-Tempering and Blood-Qi Pills she gave him that he had reached the Second Rank in just over a month. If he truly had a continuous supply of pills, wouldn't he actually have a chance to become a Grandmaster one day?

Hua Changxi pulled a porcelain bottle directly from her bundle and stuffed it into his hands. "There are 50 Bone-Forging Pills in here. I don't know exactly how far a martial artist needs to go with bone forging, so just use these for now. If they aren't enough, tell me."

Holding the bottle, Hua Liulang felt a sense of shock. A single Bone-Forging Pill cost ten taels of silver at a pharmacy; fifty pills meant five hundred taels.

Last time, Jiu Niang had given him over five hundred taels worth of pills, and it hadn't been long since then. To produce so much again made Hua Liulang very worried.

If being a handyman was this lucrative, everyone would want to be one.

"Jiu Niang, what exactly are you doing in the Handyman Hall?"

She hadn't explained it clearly to him last time, and it had been weighing on his mind ever since.

Seeing her brother looking at her with an expression that said *'don't go astray,'* Hua Changxi felt helpless and could only say, "I know how to refine medicine, don't I? I'm secretly helping an eunuch refine medicine. The pills I gave you are my earned compensation."

Hearing this, Hua Liulang breathed a sigh of relief, though the worry remained on his face. "What if you get caught secretly refining medicine?"

Hua Changxi dismissed it nonchalantly. "If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. I'm just a little handyman following orders."

Hua Liulang was still concerned. "You'd better be careful. Didn't Father go out on official business last time? He was away for over a month, not only was he injured, but he also had to face punishment upon his return."

Hua Changxi was startled. "Is Father's injury serious? How is he now? Sixth Brother, why didn't you mention this when you came to see me before?"

"Don't worry, Father's injury wasn't heavy, and he's fine now. It was Father and Mother who told me not to tell you, fearing you'd worry."

Hua Changxi looked at him seriously. "Sixth Brother, whenever I'm not home, you must tell me if anything happens in the family."

"Especially things like injuries or illnesses. I might not be able to help with other matters, but I am definitely better than an average doctor when it comes to treating wounds and illnesses."

Hua Liulang nodded repeatedly. "Alright, I'll definitely tell you if anything happens in the future." Once Hua Changxi's emotions settled, he continued.

"Father was punished not because he did something wrong, but because he took the fall for his superior."

"Jiu Niang, Father is a veteran of the Six Doors. If even he can't avoid being pushed forward to take the blame, much less you."

"You've only just entered the Medical Bureau. You're collaborating with someone to refine medicine before you've even figured things out. I'm afraid if something goes wrong, that eunuch will push you forward to take the bullet."

"Father said that the thing people in officialdom are best at is shifting responsibility."

Knowing her brother was worried, Hua Changxi didn't interrupt him. She listened patiently until he finished, then said, "Don't worry, Sixth Brother, I'll be careful."

Just as the siblings were about to walk out of the back street, a carriage came speeding toward them.

Hearing the sound of hooves, Hua Liulang quickly pulled Hua Changxi toward the wall. Hua Changxi glanced at the carriage, and her expression immediately turned to surprise.

"Sister Changxi!"

The driver was Yu Hui, accompanied by Wan Xiaozhou and Li Meng. The three of them were also surprised to see her.

"Whoa!"

Stopping the carriage, Yu Hui jumped down and walked toward Hua Changxi with a smile. "Sister Changxi, the people from the Handyman Hall left long ago. It's almost noon; why are you only leaving now?"

Hua Changxi smiled. "I was delayed by some things. What about you? Why are you leaving so late?"

Yu Hui rubbed his nose and looked around. Seeing that the back street was empty, he said to Wan Xiaozhou and Li Meng, who were still sitting in the carriage, "Bring some New Year goods down for Sister Changxi."

Hua Changxi glanced at the items in the carriage. Since it didn't have a covered cabin, everything on top was visible.

The carriage was full of various New Year goods.

Soon, Li Meng and Wan Xiaozhou each brought over a large bag of items.

Hua Changxi quickly declined. "Brother Yu, I cannot take your New Year goods."

Yu Hui laughed. "These aren't my New Year goods; they are the New Year goods the Medical Bureau distributed to the Handyman Hall."

Wan Xiaozhou also chimed in, "Sister Changxi, if Brother Yu is giving them to you, just take them."

Hua Changxi looked at Yu Hui in confusion. "New Year goods for the Handyman Hall? We handymen get New Year goods too?"

When she went to the First Bureau to collect her silver, she had seen the apprentices from the Apprentice Hall carrying large bundles, saying they were New Year goods from the Apprentice Hall. She had been quite envious at the time.

Yu Hui felt a bit awkward and said vaguely, "The Handyman Hall has never distributed New Year goods."

The New Year goods sent to the Handyman Hall had always been split among several eunuchs. Yu Hui was able to get a carriage only because of Eunuch Yu.

Having helped at the Hua Family Pharmacy for several months, Hua Liulang had developed some social intuition. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, he immediately smiled and asked, "Jiu Niang, this gentleman is...?"

Hua Changxi didn't press the matter of the goods and introduced him to her brother with a smile. "Sixth Brother, this is Brother Yu. He is the warehouse manager and looks after me very well."

"Brother Yu, this is my sixth brother, Hua Hongming."

Yu Hui smiled and exchanged greetings with Hua Liulang. After some small talk, he took his leave.

Watching the carriage drive away, Hua Liulang bent down to rummage through the two large bags Yu Hui had left behind.

One bag of ten catties of white rice, one bag of ten catties of white flour, a package of white sugar, a package of salt, a package of red dates, and a package of tea leaves.

"Jiu Niang, this is quite a lot of New Year goods. It seems that Yu Hui really treats you well."

Hua Changxi's mood was low. "But these things were originally meant to be distributed to the handymen; now they've become a personal favor."

Hua Liulang fell silent for a moment. "...All government offices are like this."

Not wanting to continue the topic and ruin her mood, Hua Changxi picked up a bag of goods. "Sixth Brother, let's go home."

Hua Liulang quickly grabbed the other bag and smiled. "It is time to go back. We should walk a bit faster; Father and Mother are eagerly waiting for you."

"By the way, Jiu Niang, Eldest Brother is back."

"Really? When did he return?"

"The day before yesterday. I'm telling you, Eldest Brother is already a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist now. He's even more powerful than Father. Grandfather and Grandmother were overjoyed."

"Then while Eldest Brother is here, you should take the opportunity to learn from him."

"Mhm, that's what I was thinking too. As soon as I have time, I'll definitely ask Eldest Brother to guide my martial arts training."

*Huff... puff...*

Hua Liulang was slightly out of breath. Seeing that Hua Changxi was perfectly fine, he couldn't help but say, "Jiu Niang, I've noticed not only that your strength has increased significantly, but even your pace is faster than mine."

"Maybe it's because I do more work in the Handyman Hall; my hands and feet are more agile than before. Sixth Brother, you have to work hard at your training, so you don't end up being unable to keep up with me later."

"Impossible! How could I not be able to keep up with you? Absolutely impossible."

The siblings chatted while competing in pace. The journey that should have taken over an hour was completed in less than half an hour.

***

The Hua Family Courtyard.

When Hua Changxi and Hua Liulang returned, the men of the Hua family were sitting in the living room chatting. The women were either busy in the kitchen or were pasting couplets, New Year pictures, and window flowers.

"Jiu Niang is back!"

Hua Qi Niang was the first to see them and immediately shouted toward the main hall.

"Sixth Brother, what did you bring back?"

Hua Ba Lang ran out from the main hall. Seeing the items in Hua Liulang's hands, he rushed over immediately.

Hua Liulang smiled. "These are the New Year goods Jiu Niang brought back."

At that moment, Lady Yao also came out of the kitchen, looking at her daughter in surprise. "Isn't the Handyman Hall busy? How do you have time to prepare New Year goods?" she asked while rummaging through the bags.

Hua Changxi replied, "They are the New Year goods distributed by the Handyman Hall."

Second Aunt Hua also walked out, saying in surprise, "Handymen get New Year goods too?" She then joined Lady Yao in looking through the bags.

After seeing the contents, she was instantly amazed.

"No wonder everyone wants to work in the government offices. Even a lowly little handyman in the Medical Bureau can bring back so many New Year goods."

Old Lady Hua walked out of the main hall. Seeing the crowd gathered in the courtyard, she said displeasedly, "What are you all crowding around for? Look at the time. Is the New Year's Eve dinner ready?"

Lady Yao smiled quickly. "It's almost ready, Mother. Jiu Niang brought back New Year goods to honor you; come and take a look."

Old Lady Hua glanced at the two large bags the crowd was surrounding. "What's there to see?" she said, turning back into the main hall.

Seeing this, the smile on Lady Yao's face froze. Just as she was about to say something to Hua Changxi, she heard her eldest son's voice.

"Jiu Niang, hurry and go inside to pay your respects to Grandfather and Grandmother."

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Da Lang standing at the entrance of the main hall. Seeing his serious expression directed at her, she felt a bit uneasy.

This eldest brother truly cared for his siblings—he would always be at the forefront when trouble arose—but he was simply too rigid and bound by rules.

Hua Changxi had Hua Liulang take her bundle to her room, then walked over dejectedly. "Eldest Brother."

Hua Da Lang looked at his sister, feeling both a headache and dissatisfaction. "Jiu Niang, you are not a child anymore; you should understand certain rules. Upon returning home, the first thing you should do is pay respects to Grandfather and Grandmother. Why did you start making a commotion in the courtyard immediately?"

Hua Changxi looked at the stern Hua Da Lang and gave up on arguing with him, walking straight into the main hall. "Grandfather, Grandmother, I am back."

Seeing that she did not kneel, Old Lady Hua said sarcastically, "Oh, I wondered who it was. It turns out it's the Hua family's little handyman returning."

Hua Changxi looked at her. "Grandmother, don't look down on handymen. Perhaps in the future, I will become the most successful person in our family."

Old Lady Hua wanted to sting her with more words, but Grandfather Hua spoke up from the side. "Get to business." He then looked toward Hua Minghe, who was sitting to the side.

Hua Minghe cleared his throat. "Jiu Niang, is the Foundation-Stabilizing Pill that Liulang gave me truly refined by you?"

Seeing her father ask this in front of the entire family, Hua Changxi knew that her medicine refining was no longer a secret in the Hua household.

Just then, Hua Liulang walked in. Hua Changxi immediately shot him an angry look.

Hua Liulang hurriedly explained, "It wasn't that I wanted to say anything, but Father was worried about you and said he was going to the Handyman Hall to ask you clearly, so I told him about your ability to refine medicine."

Hua Minghe looked at Hua Changxi. "Don't blame your sixth brother. Since he gave me the Foundation-Stabilizing Pill, I certainly had to ask about its origin."

Second Uncle Hua added, "Exactly. There's nothing a family can't discuss."

Hua Changxi had never intended to hide her ability to refine medicine from her family, so she didn't bother concealing it. She gave a brief explanation of her collaboration with Eunuch Yu: "Those pills were refined by me. I provide the technique, others provide the ingredients, and once refined, we split the profit four-to-six."

Grandfather Hua asked urgently, "Jiu Niang, do you know how to refine Shackles-Breaking Pills? Your eldest brother is now a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist. As long as he breaks through the twenty-four shackles in his body, he can become a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist."

A Seventh-Rank Martial Artist was considered to have entered the ranks of the experts. If Da Lang became a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, it would not only benefit his future but also serve as a safeguard for the entire Hua family.

The other descendants of the Hua family would also be able to achieve better development in the capital with a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist standing behind them.

Hua Changxi glanced at Hua Da Lang, who was pretending to be calm but had nervous glints in his eyes, and nodded. "If the ingredients are available, I can refine them."

Hua Da Lang couldn't help himself. "You know the recipe for Shackles-Breaking Pills?"

Hua Changxi didn't know the recipe for the Shackles-Breaking Pills sold on the market, but she could formulate her own. "I do."

Hua Da Lang fell silent for a moment. "What ingredients do you need?"

Hua Changxi listed twenty-four types of medicinal ingredients in one breath. Each one was expensive, and several were herbs Hua Da Lang had never even heard of.

Seeing Hua Da Lang's silence, the rest of the Hua family grew anxious.

Grandfather Hua, most concerned about his eldest grandson's future, asked urgently, "Da Lang, how is it? Can you get the herbs Jiu Niang mentioned?"

He paused. "Don't worry about not having enough money. Your grandmother and I still have some coffin money. As long as it helps you become a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, the whole family will support you."

Of course, Hua Da Lang would not take the elderly couple's coffin money. He smiled and said, "Grandfather, I will find a way to get the herbs myself. I've met some people during my years at the martial arts academy. I'll take the opportunity during the New Year holidays to visit them one by one."

Hua Minghe glanced at his eldest son, then at Liulang and Jiu Niang, who were exchanging meaningful glances. He stood up and said, "Father, today is New Year's Eve, a day for family reunion. Let's discuss Da Lang's matters another day."

Grandfather Hua shot a sideways glance at Hua Minghe and said displeasedly, "Da Lang's matters are our family's greatest matter."

He then looked at Hua Changxi.

"Jiu Niang, you must also contribute to your eldest brother's matters. You should know that having a brother who is a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist will make your back stronger when you go out."

Hua Changxi replied, "Grandfather, I will contribute. As long as Eldest Brother collects all the ingredients, I will definitely help him refine the medicine."

Grandfather Hua fell silent. For the sake of the entire Hua family, he finally spoke. "Jiu Niang, since you collaborate with others to refine medicine, you must have quite a lot left over after giving those pills to Liulang, right?"

Hua Changxi instantly understood his meaning and smiled immediately. "Grandfather, do you know how much silver it costs to find a pharmacist who can refine Shackles-Breaking Pills?"

Hearing this, Hua Da Lang looked at Hua Changxi and frowned. "Jiu Niang, what do you mean by that? Do we, as siblings, need to be so calculating?"

Hua Changxi looked at him. "Eldest Brother, setting you aside, even with Father and Mother, some things should be clearly delineated."

"Helping you refine Shackles-Breaking Pills is based on the affection between us as siblings, but you must understand that this is not my obligation."

Hua Da Lang's brow furrowed. "Jiu Niang, how can you have such unfilial thoughts? You are a daughter of the Hua family; everything you have was given by the Hua family."

Hua Changxi's face instantly turned cold. "Eldest Brother, I admit that some things were given to me by Father and Mother, but if you say that *everything* I have was given by the Hua family, I absolutely do not accept that."

Hua Da Lang stood up abruptly, saying indignantly, "You've only been at the Medical Bureau for a few months, how have you become so ignorant of your place!"

Hua Changxi sneered. "Is it that I am ignorant of my place, or is it that you, Eldest Brother, want to take full advantage and reap the benefits without effort?"

Seeing his eldest brother and Jiu Niang arguing, Hua Liulang felt at a loss and quickly looked to Hua Minghe for help.

Hua Minghe's expression was quite grim seeing his eldest son and daughter arguing on New Year's Eve. He said to Hua Liulang, "Liulang, take Jiu Niang back to her room."

Hua Changxi scanned the Hua family members in the main hall and turned to leave.

Seeing her attitude, Hua Da Lang looked at Hua Minghe in confusion. "Father, how could Jiu Niang become so ill-mannered? You and Mother truly shouldn't have let her go to the Medical Bureau."