Smiling Under Lanter Chapter 64 - 53 Marshal Borrows Money3

Chapter 64: Chapter 53 Marshal Borrows Money_3

At that ti, she was still young, and spoke without a filter, thoughtlessly replying, "Sure, when I encounter a young man I fancy, I’ll bring him to visit you together, Sister, and you must keep your word."

Their mother glared at the two of them: "Shaless."

Lu Rou couldn’t straighten up from laughing as she teased her by pinching her face: "No problem, when the ti cos, bring him to , I want to see which young master would have such an honor, to be so specially regarded by my sister."

There was wind outside the window, causing the candlelight to flicker. Lu Tong ca back to her senses and put the hairpin in her hand into the box.

Yin Zheng entered with a basin of water from outside. Lu Tong handed over the remaining silver bracelet and Bamboo Joint Hairpin to her: "This is for you."

"For ?" Yin Zheng was surprised, "Aren’t you going to use it yourself, Miss?"

"I bought it in the first place to divert attention." Lu Tong said, "I don’t need it on ordinary days."

Yin Zheng held it in her hand, paused for a mont before speaking: "Then should I pawn it at another shop? We spent a hundred Silver today at the pawnshop, and not to ntion Lord Pei’s fifty Silver, we still owe Shopkeeper Du. It’s not a solution to keep borrowing money from Shopkeeper Du every day; it looks like he doesn’t have much left himself."

"As you wish."

Yin Zheng looked at Lu Tong, who was sitting in front of the desk, like a callia on a sumr night waiting to bloom, even fresher than the flower pinned beside her temple.

Just by appearances, she indeed invoked pity.

"Miss," Yin Zheng started hesitantly, "Lord Pei has helped you out several tis, and today he said he didn’t want you to repay the silver... Could it be that he likes you?"

Seeing that Lu Tong didn’t respond, Yin Zheng pondered and said: "He is the Princely Heir of Lord Zhao Ning, good-looking and skilled, if he really has feelings for you..."

"It’s not that." Lu Tong interrupted her.

"He doesn’t like ; he’s testing ."

There wasn’t the slightest hint of affection in the Princely Heir’s eyes when he looked at her; it was more like he understood all her secrets, which was alarming.

However, no matter what Pei Yunng’s purpose was in testing Lu Tong, she didn’t have the ti to worry about it.

In the following days, Lu Tong was busy preparing dicine for Dong Lin.

In the Minister of Imperial Treasury’s residence, Renxin dical Hall couldn’t afford to offend anyone for the ti being, and since Dong Family was paying a generous fee for the consultation and dicine, Du Changqing couldn’t say much. After being busy for a few days, Lu Tong finished the dicine and had Du Changqing deliver it personally to the Minister of Imperial Treasury’s residence.

No sooner had the dicine been delivered than soone from the Official dicine Bureau arrived.

The apothecary from the bureau stood before Lu Tong and respectfully said: "Doctor Lu, Chun Shui Sheng’s prescription has been revised by the Imperial Apothecary, and it’s been made an official dicine. From now on, Chun Shui Sheng dicine tea can only be purchased from the Imperial Apothecary and the Official dicine Bureau. Other dical halls and rchants cannot continue to sell it."

Du Changqing had just returned from the Dong Residence and was greeted with this news. Unable to contain himself, he grabbed the ssenger by the collar: "What did you say?"

The young apothecary stuttered: "...This is a good thing, having a prescription taken up by the Official dicine Bureau is an unparalleled honor, you should be happy."

"Happy my ass!" Du Changqing cursed without restraint: "He’s taken the prescription away, how am I supposed to make money? Is Lou Si doing this on purpose? Damned bastard, isn’t he listening to the Minister of Imperial Treasury anymore?"

"This is... this is the decision of the Imperial Apothecary," the apothecary said helplessly: "I am not in charge. Please, Shopkeeper Du... calm down..."

Lashing out at a junior apothecary was not the way to handle the situation, so Du Changqing let go, his face flushed with anger, and he gritted his teeth: "Shaless!"

Lou Si didn’t dare to offend the Dong Family and agreed that the dical hall could continue to sell dicine, but he pulled the rug out from under them at this critical mont by making Chun Shui Sheng’s prescription an official dicine of the Official dicine Bureau. This move might look good to ordinary dical halls, but for Renxin dical Hall, which now relied on Chun Shui Sheng for its main inco, it was not a good thing.

When finances were tight, reputation was less valuable than profit.

Ah Cheng and Yin Zheng exchanged glances, and Ah Cheng cautiously looked at Lu Tong: "Doctor Lu, what should we do now?"

If they could no longer sell Chun Shui Sheng, Renxin dical Hall would lose its most important source of inco, plunging back to square one.

Lu Tong remained silent, accepted the official seal from the apothecary, and watched the junior apothecary leave before turning around to go back inside, saying: "Don’t worry."

Three pairs of eyes were fixed on her, Du Changqing’s gaze flickering with a glimr of hope.

"A dical hall can only have one of its redies taken up as an official dicine. Since Chun Shui Sheng has been taken by the Official dicine Bureau, it ans that all the redies Renxin dical Hall makes and sells will no longer be taken over by them." Lu Tong said, "Shopkeeper Du, you are now free."

"Freedom is useless to

now," Du Changqing responded irritably: "Without any silver, I’d rather be a prisoner of wealth!"

"Silver can be earned again," Lu Tong said calmly: "If one redy is taken away, just create another."

"Create another?" Du Changqing looked at her, skeptical: "That’s easier said than done, can you really create another?"

Lu Tong didn’t speak.

A mont later, she said, "I can."