The next morning, Yingbao followed her second brother down the mountain.
Zhang Min was familiar with the city, so he hired a donkey cart before going down the mountain and soon found Kang'an Pharmacy.
Yingbao stood at the door of the pharmacy and looked before stepping in.
The shop seemed to have just opened. The young man was cleaning the counter with a feather duster. When he saw two children in medical gowns coming in, he couldn't help but look at them a few more times.
"Excuse me, does Sister Wen Shu live here?" Ying Bao asked.
The medicine shop was not big, with only two rooms, but it had a courtyard at the back. Wen Shu had written that her family lived in the backyard of the shop, and her younger brother Wen Hengyin also came from Yuzhou and was studying in the city.
The boy asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"
"I'm her good friend Jiang Yingbao, go and call her over!"
The waiter had heard of Jiang Yingbao's name, and nodded quickly: "I'll go and call her right away." Then he quickly ran to the back door and shouted inside: "Cousin Wenshu! Jiang Yingbao is here!"
After shouting, the boy came back with a smile and introduced himself: "My name is Xiao Liang, I'm Wen Shu's cousin, and I've heard a lot about Jiang Yingbao's name."
Yingbao blinked: "It turns out to be Brother Xiao Liang." She had heard Wen Shu mention this once, saying that her distant cousin's family had fallen on hard times and he was working as an apprentice in her family's pharmacy.
After a while, footsteps were heard and Wen Shu and his younger brother Wen Hengyin appeared at the back door.
"Yingbao!" Wen Shu came out from behind the counter and hugged the seven-year-old girl. "I am glad to see you. When did you come to the city? Where are you living now? Why don't you stay at my house and stay with me at night?"
Ying Bao also hugged Wen Shu back: "Master and I live in the Jinding Taoist Temple." She pointed at Zhang Min and said, "He is my second senior brother Zhang Min."
Wen Shu bowed to Zhang Min and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Zhang."
Zhang Min scratched his head and returned the greeting.
At this time, Wen Hengyin squeezed over, looked at the little girl, and asked, "Yingbao, why are you wearing the student gown of the medical department?"
"Because I entered the Yin-Yang Department of the County Medical Bureau." Ying Bao hasn't told Wen Shu about this yet, so she doesn't know.
Wen Shu was shocked: "Why are you studying Yin-Yang?" The concepts of Yin-Yang are completely different from those of medicine. She didn't understand why Ying Bao wanted to study it.
Yingbao sighed, "It's a long story."
Wen Shu grabbed Ying Bao and said, "Let's go inside and talk slowly."
Wen Hengyin also invited Zhang Min to the backyard.
The group came to the flower hall in the backyard. Xiao Zhenniang just came out and took Yingbao's hand and sat down on the couch: "Yingbao, why did you come to the city?"
"I came here with Master Zhou." Yingbao told the whole story: "Master Zhou said he would stay in the city for a month and then travel to other places."
"Is your master Master Zhou Wuchang?" Xiao Zhenniang asked.
Yingbao nodded: "Yes."
Xiao Zhenniang smiled, "Yingbao is so lucky to be able to become Master Zhou's disciple."
Everyone in the world respects forbidden spell masters, and those who are highly respected are even more sought after, and Master Zhou is the most outstanding one among them.
Yingbao didn't expect that Mrs. Wen also knew Master Zhou, and couldn't help but be curious: "Do you know him too?"
"Who in the whole prefecture doesn't know him?" Xiao Zhenniang said with a smile, "The master is not ordinary, and he is also a great forbidden spell master. Many people want to see him cast spells."
She glanced at her son and said, "If the master hadn't stopped accepting disciples, I would have sent Heng Yin to be his disciple."
Wen Hengyin:...
Yingbao talked to Madam Wen for a while, and then heard Madam Wen say, "Yingbao, you can stay here and wait until the altar ceremony is held at Jinding Mountain before going back. I have to go to Wei Mansion now to see Madam Wei."
Mrs. Wei's health is particularly weak this year. She catches cold and fever easily. Now she can't even get out of bed. Even if I give her golden fungus from the Jiang family, it is of no use.
Yingbao: "Master, please go ahead and talk to Sister Wen."
Xiao Zhenniang touched Yingbao's head and got up to get the medicine box.
Finally, she went out with a maid and went straight to the Wei family.
The Wei family’s home is not far from here, and it only takes two minutes to walk there.
Xiao Zhenniang was just walking into the side door with her skirt lifted up when she saw Wei Zhanzhen running towards her in a hurry.
"Auntie Wen, is Wen Hengyin home?" Wei Zhan stopped immediately when he saw Xiao Zhenniang: "I want to play with him."
After Wen Hengyin came to the city, he studied at the best school in the city and became classmates with Wei Zhan.
Xiao Zhenniang smiled: "At home, but Yingbao is here, and he is playing with Yingbao."
"What? Yingbao is here?" Wei Zhan's eyes lit up and he ran out the door like a fly: "I'll go take a look!"
Xiao Zhenniang shook her head, and followed her maid into the inner courtyard with the Wei family's servant.
Wei Zhan ran all the way and soon arrived at the Wen family shop.
The two servants followed behind him, panting tiredly: "Young Master, you...you should slow down."
Wei Zhan ignored them and rushed directly to the back of the Wen family shop. He stood in the yard and shouted, "Yingbao! Yingbao!"
Ying Bao, who was talking to Wen Shu, was startled by the loud voice and saw Wei Zhan running into the flower hall.
"When did you come? Why didn't you come to see me?" Wei Zhan looked at the little girl with surprise.
Yingbao said unhappily, "I would like to visit you, but I can't find your house."
Wei Zhan's eyes smiled like crescent moons: "Then I will take you to find it now."
Wen Shu smiled and said, "Yingbao just came to my house. Let's go to your house in two days."
Wei Zhan rubbed his nose and hummed.
At noon, the Wen family invited them to dinner, and Wei Zhan also stayed for dinner.
After lunch, Zhang Min was pestered by Wen Hengyin and Wei Zhan.
The two men begged Zhang Min to draw a talisman for them.
Zhang Min was so annoyed that he took the paper and pen they handed over and drew a talisman.
"Wow! This is really interesting. I want to learn forbidden spells too!" Wei Zhan kept nagging, "I will learn to draw talismans with Ying Bao from now on."
Wen Hengyin frowned when he heard this.
The children played for a while, then followed Zhang Min to the street to buy blank talisman paper, brushes and cinnabar, and learned to draw talismans.
Two nine-year-olds and a twelve-year-old boy scribbled a few scribbled symbols and soon lost their patience.
Wei Zhan suggested going to the ditch on the Xiao family's side to catch fish and then grilling them for dinner in the evening.
The boys naturally had no objection, so they rushed out, found branches and bamboo poles, and asked the servants to dig up earthworms to use as fishing bait.
As a result, no fish was caught, but a lot of big crabs and shrimps, and an old turtle were caught.
Wei Zhan was so happy that he quickly asked the servant to prepare these things and take them to the Wen family later.
"Let's have crabs tonight. Fried ones are best." Wei Zhan was still thinking about the fried fish and fried prawns he had eaten at the Jiang family.
"Okay! Fried!" Wen Hengyin nodded in agreement.
A few people were having fun when they suddenly saw a young man coming towards them from a distance.
"Wei Zhan, what are you doing here if you're not going to school?" the young man asked.
Wei Zhan: "It's a day off today, so we don't have to go to class."
The young man walked closer, looked at Zhang Min, and suddenly his eyes became stern.
Zhang Min also saw him and slowly stood up. "Xiao Chengjun."
Xiao Chengjun sneered: "Zhang Min, you caused me to be injured, and you still dare to come to the capital city. You are so brave!"