Chapter 397: Instructions
Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Instructions
Bai Suihe stared at the bottles. These were the stuff of legends! She never expected to come into such close contact with them in this life—and in the near future, she might even be able to formulate them herself.
Just as she reached out to take them, Gu Kaiyuan stepped between them. "Nanny Pang, these are far too dangerous. There’s no need to bring them..."
"How about you keep them, sir?" Nanny Pang suggested. "They’ll be of great use in times of real danger."
"Alright, I’ll hold onto them for now," Gu Kaiyuan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, he wasn’t the petty sort.
Bai Suihe stared at the assortment of jars and bottles on the table with shining eyes. She had only learned the basics, so she absolutely had to master this. "Nanny Pang, can I learn to make these?"
Nanny Pang hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course. However, we must only use them to protect ourselves. They absolutely cannot be allowed to circulate in the market."
If these fell into the wrong hands, there was no telling how many innocent people would suffer.
"Don’t worry, Nanny Pang," Bai Suihe promised. "I’ll just make them for my own amusement. I won’t give them to anyone else."
Gu Kaiyuan smiled wryly and shook his head, adding his own reassurance. "You can rest easy as well, Nanny Pang. I’ll only take a few of the harmless ones my wife makes for self-defense. I won’t take any more than that."
"It’s not that I don’t trust you," Nanny Pang said, looking at them with a solemn expression. "But if this kind of drug falls into the hands of those with ulterior motives, it will be a disaster.
"Although medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin, our primary focus has always been on healing and saving lives. Even if the concept of karma seems esoteric, we must never harm an innocent person."
For the past few days, Nanny Pang had been wanting to warn Bai Suihe. The young woman was becoming far too obsessed with pharmacology—especially with what Nanny Pang considered to be unorthodox methods. Nanny Pang had created these concoctions herself, but solely for self-defense and to teach a small lesson to anyone who dared to disrespect her. However, the two drugs she brought out today could endanger lives, which was why she was being particularly grave.
Of course, compared to her young miss’s life, the lives of others were worth nothing.
Her warning was meant less for Bai Suihe and more for Gu Kaiyuan. Men were always so obsessed with building careers and making a name for themselves; she worried that seeing these drugs might give him other ideas. But seeing that he understood her meaning, she was satisfied.
Once Nanny Pang left, Gu Kaiyuan let out a bitter laugh. "Am I really that unreliable?"
"Actually, Nanny Pang is right," Bai Suihe admitted. "I’ve been a bit too fixated on this lately. We have enough for self-defense now. I should focus more on reading medical books from now on."
Gu Xingyang listened quietly and yawned again. "Don’t forget to take me with you, Daddy and Mommy. I’m going to sleep now."
No sooner had she spoken than Bai Suihe and Gu Kaiyuan watched their baby close her eyes. In the blink of an eye, she was fast asleep.
"She’s so easy to raise." Gu Kaiyuan couldn’t help but envy Gu Xingyang. She ate, slept, woke up, and ate again, completely free of worries.
Since Bai Suihe had decided to accompany him to the neighboring county, they needed to start packing. Gu Kaiyuan’s luggage would have only consisted of a few changes of clothes and some dry rations, but traveling as a family was different. Taking a baby on a journey required meticulous planning for every little detail.
All things considered, they would need an extra carriage. "Are we sure we want to travel with the men from the county office?" she asked.
"We can always set out on our own. I’ll send someone to let them know later," Gu Kaiyuan replied.
Traveling with his wife and child meant they would inevitably need to take more rest stops. The constables from the county office were on a mission to bring their superior back and likely wouldn’t have the time to dawdle. It would be best to travel separately.
"Would that be inappropriate?" Bai Suihe asked.
She wasn’t afraid of the hardship; after all, nothing could be worse than the suffering they endured during their exile. But they had a tiny baby with them, and Bai Suihe had to consider her needs. Who knew if the constables would whip their horses into a frenzy to make good time? It was better to split up and avoid offending anyone down the road.
"It’s no big deal," Gu Kaiyuan assured her. "I’ll have someone send over some extra supplies as an apology."
The constables hadn’t specifically invited him anyway; it was just brought up casually in conversation. A group of grown men traveling together wouldn’t have been an issue, and it would have provided some company on the road. Their absence wouldn’t affect the constables in the slightest. A simple notification and a small gift would smooth everything over.
The matter was quickly settled. Gu Kaiyuan went out to inform them, and Tian Zhuang and his men didn’t object. After all, a man traveling with his wife and child would find it highly inconvenient to keep pace with them.
The two groups left the city one after the other. Gu Kaiyuan’s party was initially in the lead, but Tian Zhuang and the constables quickly spurred their horses and overtook them. Gu Kaiyuan was even more relieved they hadn’t traveled together. At that breakneck speed, he might have been fine, but anyone riding in the carriage would have been rattled to pieces.
"Is County Magistrate Mr. Xu still in Shao County?" Bai Suihe asked curiously. "Is he badly injured?"
"I heard it’s quite serious, but as for the specifics? Tian Zhuang and the others aren’t entirely sure either. They just received orders and are rushing over to pick him up."
"Why on earth is he involved?" Bai Suihe frowned. "What does the neighboring county’s business have to do with him?"
Every county magistrate had their own jurisdiction to manage. Was it really okay for him to abandon his post so rashly?
"He had no choice. Because of the local terrain, news travels slowly around here. Neighboring counties are forced to support one another. If an emergency occurs and isn’t handled promptly, the adjacent magistrates bear joint responsibility."
"So, is it peaceful in Shao County right now?" Bai Suihe blinked her eyes, looking at Gu Kaiyuan with a hint of anticipation.
Gu Kaiyuan fell speechless. Did she want it to be peaceful, or did she secretly hope it wasn’t? He rubbed his temples. Lately, Bai Suihe genuinely seemed eager for someone to provoke her.
"It might not be very peaceful," Gu Kaiyuan said, offering her a sliver of hope before immediately snuffing it out. "However, after all this time, the combined efforts of the other magistrates should have resolved any major issues. I’ve also heard that government troops have arrived to garrison the area and suppress the bandits.
"There shouldn’t be any bandits left, but the rioting commoners might still cause trouble."
"Then why are you thinking of going over to buy land right now?" Bai Suihe asked.
"Going now is exactly how I’ll find a bargain," Gu Kaiyuan explained. "Besides, I won’t deliberately lowball them. There are plenty of people desperate to escape that quagmire. The timing is perfect."
A few days earlier, the rioters certainly hadn’t been suppressed yet. But now that County Magistrate Xu was preparing to return home, the situation must be mostly under control. Going now wouldn’t be too risky.
As the couple chatted, the carriage rocked back and forth. Gu Xingyang, lying on a soft quilt, opened her eyes. Hearing her baby’s cries, Bai Suihe immediately called for the carriage to stop. By the time they finished attending to the little tyrant, their journey had been delayed yet again.