CH 8

The Zhou Family’s herbal store had cooperated with Boss Qian, who provided their goods, for many years. This exchange, although unreasonable, made Boss Qian eventually agree.

Yu Fu took Jiang Qian and Wu Bo and stacked several carts of cloves in the warehouse. They were frantically busy. Wang Lu stood on the side, watching coldly, and had no intention to give a hand.

Wang Lu was the eldest apprentice of Father Zhou and was also a senior in the herbal shop. At this moment, when he met his unkind eyes, Jiang Qian smacked his lips and felt a chill on the back of his neck.

“Brother Fu, Wang Lu bought all the sandalwood before. Look at his stinky face, when we exchanged the goods, it was like someone owed him a few hundred taels of silver.”

Yu Fu also held his anger in his heart. He was adopted by the master since he was a child, and he has long regarded the Zhou Family’s herbal store as his home. Seeing Wang Lu tossing back and forth, how could he feel better?

When Zhou Qing came over, the warehouse door had just been locked. Yu Fu handed her the key, secretly glanced at Wang Lu, and finally said nothing.

What happened in her last life, Zhou Qing remembered very clearly.

When there was an accident in the warehouse, Yu Fu rushed in to put out the fire, but his mortal body couldn’t compete with the blazing fire. Not only did he fail to put out the fire, he was also burned to the bone. Within a few days, he perished.

Thinking of that scene, Zhou Qing’s throat felt suffocated as if stuffed with cotton wool.

Turning back to the courtyard, she first went to the kitchen and brought a bowl of lotus seed soup, and then went into the study. Because the autumn exams were approaching, Zhou Liangyu would get up earlier than a chicken and sleep later than a dog every day. It was grueling.

The porcelain-like hand pushed open the carved wooden door, Zhou Liangyu looked up at the sound, the man’s black eyes were covered with dense blood, the bottom of the eyes were also colored in blue-black.

Zhou Qing frowned fiercely. She put the bowl on the table and couldn’t help but ask, “Is brother not resting well?”

Long fingers pinched his brows as Zhou Liangyu smiled, “It is indeed difficult to sleep recently.”

It was no wonder he was so out of shape. The importance of autumn exams for scholars was self-evident. If he couldn’t get a ranking, all his hard work for so many years would be a complete waste. Even if they were more open-minded, she feared they wouldn’t treat him with common sense.

Zhou Qing quietly listened. Seeing her brother downhearted and frustrated, she couldn’t help but let her worries rise, clutching her cuffs; it was close to poking a hole in the material.

Suddenly, she remembered that she had made a calming incense, which had an excellent effect on the concentration and calming of the mind, so maybe it could be of some use.

With this thought in mind, Zhou Qing took out the herbal apparatus from the wooden shelf, turned her back to where Zhou Liangyu couldn’t see, bite the flesh off of her finger, and beads of crimson blood gushed out, winding like small snakes and moistening the dried Xuan Ginseng.

With the herbal spoon in hand, the various materials were crushed and processed efficiently.

After the calming incense was lit, the fragrance diffused in the study as if one were in the mountains and the forests, clear water gurgling in the ears. It was extraordinarily peaceful.

Zhou Liangyu’s tightly furrowed brows quietly relaxed, he put down the pen, and closed his eyes. His handsome face was still a bit pale, but not as depressed as before.

The pain from her fingertips was no longer uncomfortable because the wound wasn’t deep and the bleeding quickly stopped.

It took a long time for Zhou Liangyu to open his eyes. He regained his previous warmth and couldn’t help but praise, “Qing’er’s herbal blending skills are exquisite, really out of the blue and even better than father.”

Zhou Qing’s red lips were hooked and she laughed, “How can I compare to father? If my brother praises me so much, what if my tail reaches to the sky?”

“My sister is the best girl, why is she so modest that she can’t even hear the truth?” Poking at the tip of her nose, Zhou Liangyu wasn’t coaxing her but really felt that way.

The two siblings were sitting in the study when the voice of an old woman suddenly came from outside the door.

“Young master, young lady, your female cousin has arrived at the house. The madam asked you to go over.”

Zhou Qing did not have half a good feeling towards Jiao Ru and could even be said to be disgusted. Her face sank as she deliberately lowered her voice, “Brother, I don’t like that cousin. You have to stay away from her.”

After giving her a profound look, Zhou Liangyu nodded his head, “Qing’er, don’t worry. I promised you. Has there ever been anything that your brother couldn’t do?”

He wasn’t sure why Qing’er was vehemently rejecting Jiao Ru. But it was clear, between his own sister from the same mother or a strange woman, who was more important.

Zhou Liangyu didn’t even contemplate it and sided with Zhou Qing.

The two of them walked together to the hall, and before they could enter the door, they heard the woman’s gentle voice, as if a yellow warbler was emerging from the valley, which was very delicate.

When Mother Xi saw the two of them, she hurriedly waved and pointed to a girl in plain clothes, saying, “This is Ru’er, half a year older than Qing’er. She rushed to the capital from her hometown some days ago and has suffered a lot, so you must take good care of her.”

Jiao Ru’s face revealed just the right few points of sorrow and eagerness, and her beautiful eyebrows slightly knitted. Although her features weren’t exquisite and captivating, her eyes were quite charming. No wonder, after the fall of the Zhou family, Liu Zhaoqu’s master was still willing to take her as his concubine.