Chapter 491: Doing Good Deeds
Chapter 491: Chapter 491: Doing Good Deeds
Initially, Gu Yeshi felt that Gu Kaiyuan lacked tact, but now he believed such banquets should be held more often. Thus, no longer disdaining the other party for being a mere commoner, he began treating him like a brother.
Naturally, Gu Kaiyuan turned no one away. Besides making a fortune, he also wanted to expand his network. Now that opportunities were delivering themselves to his doorstep, he would be a fool not to accept them.
After seeing off the lingering guests, Gu Kaiyuan finally carried the wooden chest to the backyard.
He had intended to show off his earnings, but he forgot that Bai Suihe had already gone to the medicinal herb shop.
"Did Madam not come back for lunch today?" Gu Kaiyuan found it rather strange. It was already past mealtime, and Bai Suihe usually took a midday nap, not to mention she had Gu Xingyang—that little lazybug—with her.
"To answer you, Sir," Mrs. Song Liu, Song He’s wife, stepped forward to reply. "Madam didn’t return at noon. Things were a bit busy at the shop, but we’ve already sent meals over."
"Is it really that busy?" Gu Kaiyuan muttered. If he remembered correctly, the pharmacy had only recently opened, and they had already hired a shopkeeper and assistants.
"Yes, there’s quite a crowd today. We originally wanted to bring the young miss back, but she refused and kept crying and making a fuss," Mrs. Song Liu hastily added, fearing that her master would blame her.
"It’s fine." Gu Kaiyuan knew that although Gu Xingyang was small, she was very opinionated. He just couldn’t understand why such a young child refused to sleep properly and always wanted to be where the crowds were. After a moment of thought, he still felt uneasy and decided to head over and take a look.
Just as he was about to leave, another guest arrived at the door, forcing him to stay behind.
Meanwhile, Bai Suihe was busy working alongside everyone else. The collected medicinal herbs all had to be sorted and processed according to their specific properties; they couldn’t afford to be careless.
Today happened to be market day, so there was quite a number of people coming into the city to sell herbs. A free medical consultation stall had been set up at the entrance, and a long queue had already formed.
They had previously spread the word that although they weren’t selling herbs yet, they were offering free medical consultations. Hearing the news, folks from all the surrounding villages had come to take advantage of the market.
The few doctors who had come to purchase herbs today didn’t step forward to help. Instead, they stood quietly to the side, openly observing and learning her techniques.
The county town wasn’t that big, and the local commoners knew who the local doctors were. Seeing these established physicians humbly learning here gave the crowd even more confidence, causing the queue to grow even longer.
Bai Suihe sat at the front with Nanny Pang right behind her. After Bai Suihe finished examining a patient, Nanny Pang would take over to verify the diagnosis and point out any shortcomings. Such rare on-the-spot teaching made the doctors even more reluctant to leave.
They even wanted to take Bai Suihe’s place to gain some solid experience. However, since this was someone else’s territory, they had no choice but to quietly observe from the sidelines.
Bai Suihe’s spiritual power had been constantly focused, and her pace gradually slowed down.
However, her diagnostic accuracy was getting higher and higher. Seeing this, Nanny Pang finally had an extra station set up nearby, allowing the other doctors to sit there and help with taking pulses.
As for Gu Xingyang, she was quietly held by Zisu, her little eyes darting around curiously.
Zisu and Fucen had been ordered to protect the young miss at all costs, so they didn’t dare wander around.
However, with so many people gathered, the smell inevitably became a bit unpleasant. It didn’t take long for Gu Xingyang to find it unbearable. She began begging Bai Suihe, "Mother, the smell is too strong! I want to go to the backyard."
She had no other choice. She was still just a baby; if she dared to speak out loud, she would be treated like a monster.
Taking a glance at the noisy scene, Bai Suihe told Zisu and the others to wait in the backyard. There was a small courtyard behind the pharmacy where herbs were currently drying in the sun, and the medicinal fragrance there was much better than the stench outside.
When Gu Kaiyuan arrived, this was the scene that greeted him. The long queue stretched on endlessly. If this continued, how could Bai Suihe’s body handle it?
"Madam, how about letting the other doctors help?" With so many doctors waiting around, there was no need for Bai Suihe to work so hard.
Bai Suihe declined his good intentions. "It’s fine. I can do it, and I learn faster this way."
With Nanny Pang acting as a safety net behind her, Bai Suihe felt much bolder, and her diagnostic accuracy was steadily improving. She was thoroughly enjoying this sense of accomplishment and was loath to give it up.
Since Gu Kaiyuan was here, she asked him to take the baby home. After all, given this noisy environment, even if Gu Xingyang was a heavy sleeper, she would probably still be affected.
In any case, the city gates would be closing soon. These people would leave before that happened, so she could definitely hold on a bit longer.
The free medical consultations on Bai Suihe’s side also attracted the attention of Xu Zitian, who had just finished his shift at the government office. Upon learning what they were doing, Xu Zitian couldn’t help but praise them. If everyone possessed such a benevolent heart, why worry about the Rong Dynasty not prospering?
Wu Xingshun said, "The Gu Family has made quite a good income today. Since they are already offering free consultations, why not go all the way and provide the prescribed medicines for free as well?"
Xu Zitian didn’t turn his head to look at him. "A person must know how to be content. Only through contentment can one find lasting happiness."
Wu Xingshun puffed out his cheeks. "You really don’t know what’s good for you. Who do you think I’m doing this for?
"If the Gu Family couple were to also distribute free medicine, it would count as a major political achievement for you."
"Those are two entirely different matters. Look at how many people there are. Do you know how much silver it would cost to give away medicine to all of them?" Xu Zitian asked.
"But Gu Kaiyuan made a killing today! The price he bought those properties at was incredibly low. This time, he’s practically doubled his money, and in some cases even more. I’m telling you, even picking money up off the street isn’t this easy. Taking out a little to do some good deeds can be considered as helping him accumulate good karma."
Only then did Xu Zitian turn to look at him. "Is this what you truly think?"
Wu Xingshun puffed out his chest. "Of course it is! Didn’t our teacher used to say, ’take from the people, give back to the people’? What he scraped together is the hard-earned wealth of the commoners—"
"Stop talking. If you don’t know how to speak, then keep your mouth shut," Xu Zitian scolded.
"That wasn’t what our teacher meant when he taught you that.
"Besides, how is this ’fleecing the people’?
"Business is business; buying low and selling high is the fundamental principle of commerce.
"Them being able to earn this silver is a testament to their own capability.
"Back when Lingnan was in such chaos, they spent lavishly to purchase other people’s properties, which proved that they had great foresight. They earned this silver through sheer strength and competence.
"By releasing so many farming estates and plots of land into the market, they are actually helping to stabilize Lingnan and solving a major hidden threat for us.
"We should be grateful. Keep a closer eye on the Gu Family’s affairs from now on and make sure they are looked after."
"Are you mistaken?" Wu Xingshun asked, bewildered. "How did he end up doing us a favor?"
"Think about it carefully. What is the ultimate goal of those prominent families that have come to Lingnan recently?"
"To buy up properties, of course. They’re optimistic about Lingnan’s development."
"Isn’t it obvious then? If they can’t buy any properties, what would happen?"
"What would happen?" Wu Xingshun began to ponder seriously. They would either resort to plundering by force or give up on Lingnan entirely.
"Have you figured it out yet?" Xu Zitian asked. To develop a region, besides population and stability, large injections of capital were also required.
Wu Xingshun remained somewhat stubborn. "Even so, we can’t possibly attribute the credit to them. After all, they’re the ones who earned the silver."