When the ?? family heard that the visitor said that the clan leader had invited him, he was startled, and there was a bit of uneasiness on his face.
She hesitated, and the maid on the side noticed it, and immediately said, "I'll go tell the young master."
Mrs. Cao had this intention, but after all, her mother's identity was there, and she felt a little embarrassed to ask her son for instructions when entering and exiting, so she took advantage of the situation and nodded.
"I wonder why the clan leader is looking for my mother?" Gu Hai, wearing an evergreen cotton robe, walked in and asked Yan.
The visitor first bowed respectfully and called Duke Jie Yuan.
This time there were many talents in the examination, but there was only one Jie Yuangong, which meant that Gu Hai would have much more chances to become a Jinshi in the future than others.
Nowadays, even the county magistrate and the government would not dare to treat Gu Hai lightly when he saw him.
"I don't know." I'm respectful, but the person who came here really doesn't know the whole story.
"In that case, I will go with my mother." Gu Hai said with a smile.
"It's not a big deal after all. Don't delay your studies..." Ms. Cao said hesitantly, feeling a little regretful.
"Three feet of ice is not a day's cold," Gu Hai said with a smile, reaching out to take the cloak handed to him by the maid, and put it on Mr. Cao.
The brothers and sisters had agreed that no matter what, Cao would not be allowed to go out alone, especially to the clan. They didn't know if Gu Baoquan was destroyed, Gu Beiquan, Gu Baoshui and the like would emerge.
The seemingly uneventful life is actually full of undercurrents, and every step of the way is frightening, fearing that one wrong step will lead to catastrophe.
Gu Changchun and others were a little surprised that Gu Hai came together.
"Grandpa." Gu Hai gave a simple salute without being polite, "What's the matter?"
Gu Changchun didn't show any politeness and asked everyone's questions just now.
"So, the Eighteenth Niang actually became a master of a craftsman?" He looked at Mr. Cao with a stern look.
There is such a mother in the world who lets her daughter do what she wants.
Cao and Gu Hai naturally knew whether he was a disciple or not. Cao was a little uneasy and wanted to stand up, but Gu Hai gently pulled down his clothes.
"Grandpa Patriarch." Gu Hai stood up and smiled, "I'm sorry we can't tell you about this."
No one expected him to answer like this.
Gu Changchun sneered, "What? Is there anything you can't say?"
Gu Hai just smiled, "This matter will be revealed eventually, but please forgive me, Grandpa Patriarch, we can't tell."
It will eventually be revealed, and when it is finally revealed, it will be too late. Gu Changchun is very angry.
"Brother Hai," he looked at Gu Hai with a solemn expression, "do you know the rules of our Gu family?"
Gu Hai nodded and said respectfully, "I know."
"Then you naturally know the consequences of committing adultery and committing crimes?" Gu Changchun said in a deep voice.
"Yes, this junior knows." Gu Hai said with a calm smile without changing his expression.
Seeing that he was always keeping his teeth tightly shut and looking calm, everyone was confused and helpless. Anyway, they had been warned of the consequences, so they had no choice but to leave.
It wasn't until he entered the house that Gu Hai's expression suddenly darkened.
"Brother Hai, is it true that something happened to your sister?" Cao asked with a pale face, her hand holding Gu Hai's arm trembling slightly.
"It's okay, it's okay." Gu Hai comforted Mrs. Cao, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll go to the drug store to check. Mom, don't go out."
Ms. Cao watched Gu Hai striding away with a worried look on her face, her heart in her throat.
She knew that she had been too happy recently, and the happiness was not real, like a bubble, it seemed that it would break at any time.
The consequence of committing an adulterous crime is to be expelled from the family. What does it mean to be expelled from the family? She naturally knows that when selecting people for the court, loyalty and filial piety come first, and talent and learning come second. Even though Brother Hai is extremely knowledgeable, he still It is destined not to be an official. No matter how much money the Eighteenth Mother can make, she will be despised by others. In this vast world, there will no longer be a place for them, mother and son.
What will happen
Gu Shiba Niang didn't know what happened at home. She sat in the medicine shop and tried to prepare Atractylodes. According to Liu Gong's book, stir-fried with charcoal, stir-fried, simmered, stir-fried with soil, roasted with vinegar, wine, salt and bran, every kind of preparation was possible. Atractylodes prepared by different methods has different dryness and properties, which is really magical.
"Miss..." Lingbao said from outside, "Shopkeeper Wang from Baohe Hall said he wants to see you..."
Gu Shiba Niang was staring at the fire. With Lingbao's words, a flower burst out of the coals. Fortunately, she dodged in time and did not hurt her eyes. She rubbed her face gently, feeling a little uneasy.
"Okay, please ask him to sit in the back hall." Gu Shiba Niang said.
After cleaning up here, he locked the door, washed his hands briefly, and came to the back hall. Wang Huabin was restless in the hall. The brazier had been removed from the room, but there was a thin layer of sweat on his head.
"Ms. Gu..." Seeing Gu Shiba Niang come in, he hurriedly stepped forward to give her a gift.
"There's no need to be polite, Shopkeeper Wang." Gu Shiba Niang returned the courtesy and looked at his face, "What's wrong with Shopkeeper Wang?"
Wang Huabin seemed to dare not look into her eyes, lowered his head, and said with determination: "I want to trouble Madam Gu to go there... The president of the Medicine Store Business Association, shopkeeper Huang Qingming of Wan Shenglong, wants to meet Madam Gu. you…."
Since being considered to be Liu Gong's disciple, this is the first time that someone wants to see him by himself, instead of sending a greeting card to see him.
Gu Shiba Niang's heart suddenly sank. She looked at Wang Huabin, "Oh? I wonder what's wrong?"
Her voice was calm and calm. Wang Huabin felt that a pair of eyes seemed to penetrate him, and he did not dare to look up.
Is this something not done right? I can't wait for the reply from the old man in Beijing... Thinking of Baohe Hall's current predicament, as most people said, this is the only way to do it.
"Old shopkeeper Huang wants to ask Mrs. Gu something...something..." he said, finally raising his head to look at Gu Shiba Niang.
The day finally came. Gu Shiba Niang looked at Wang Huabin, but she did not expect that the first person to push her out would be Baohe Tang and Wang Huabin.
There was an awkward silence.
"Okay, let's go." Gu Shiba Niang turned around and stepped forward.
When she was a child, Gu Shiba Niang once saw a street juggling. A long rope was suspended in the air, and a lithe girl was walking, jumping or flipping on it. It was frightening and exciting to watch.
Since she was considered to be Liu Gong's disciple, she felt like she was walking on a suspended rope in the air, and she was walking without any skills to rely on. However, she had no way out but to keep going. If she went forward, she might be doomed, but if she retreated, she would be doomed. There is no recovery.
"Mrs. Gu..."
The carriage stopped, and Wang Huabin's voice sounded outside.
Lingyuan lifted the curtain and reached out to help her, with worry on his face and determination in his eyes.
Gu Shiba Niang got out of the car, looked at the gate tower of Baohe Hall, and then looked at Wang Huabin.
Wang Huabin looked away.
"Ms. Gu, we have no choice but to do this..." he whispered.
Gu Shiba Niang looked at him and said nothing.
You have no choice but to force me? She passed Wang Huabin and stepped into the door.
The business of Baohe Hall was still going on. They walked through the hall and came to the reception hall in the backyard. The hall door was wide open, and they could see that there were many people inside, sitting or standing.
"Ms. Gu is here." I don't know who shouted first. There was a commotion in the room, and all eyes were turned over.
Different from the past when everyone rushed out to greet her when they saw her, the people in the hall looked at each other very hesitantly.
"Ms. Gu," an elegant and gentle voice came from the hall.
Gu Shiba Niang felt her eyes light up when she saw a young man in white clothes stepping out, with black hair in a hairpin, a jade belt on his waist, and a smile on his face.
"Mrs. Gu, please come quickly." He cupped his hands and saluted.
He was the only one in the room full of people to come out, and Gu Shiba Niang couldn't help but have a smile on her face.
"Young Master Xin, you are polite." She lowered her eyes and returned the courtesy, saying with a smile.
A trace of surprise flashed across Xin Chaoyang's face. This must be the first time they met. He Xin Chaoyang was well-known at home, but Da Yousheng was not a leader in the Jiankang medicine industry, and he was the one in power externally. Father, plus he has always been low-key...
Xin Chaoyang had once again sorted out his memories and was convinced that they had indeed never met.
Why did she call him out at a glance, and in a very calm tone, it seemed that she was no stranger to him
She is young, delicate in appearance, and elegant in temperament. If you meet her elsewhere, you will never associate her with a pharmacist who works with medicinal materials in pots all day long.
"Master Xin, aren't you afraid of standing alone in the forest?" Gu Shiba Niang passed by him and laughed in a low voice.
"Why should real gold be afraid of fire?" Xin Chaoyang replied with a smile.
Gu Shibaniang smiled and had to admit that she was somewhat grateful for Xin Chaoyang's treatment of her in such a situation, but she had to be more cautious about Xin Chaoyang's intentions.
She glanced at Xin Chaoyang. There was no difference between this man ten years ago and ten years later. Presumably his title of Smiling Man would not change either. In that life, he was the one who set up the chain while talking and laughing. He didn't know how many of them he had caught. The merchants suffered from serious injuries at first and all their wealth at worst, which led to the creation of a master of medicine who rose to the top of Jiankang.
Xin Chaoyang could naturally see the profound meaning in Gu Shiba Niang's eyes, and was even more surprised. But he couldn't understand it, so he had to suppress his thoughts for the time being and follow Gu Ba Niang into the house.
When she came in, many people greeted her.
The hall is very spacious, and at a glance, most people are kind-hearted, but that kind-heartedness comes from the memory of the previous life, and they have not interacted with them in this life.
Gu Shiba Niang's eyes fell on the people at the top, all of whom were old men in their fifties.
They all looked over, and one of them, an old man with small eyes, frowned slightly.
"Are you Liu Gong's disciple Gu Shiba Niang?" he suddenly said.
Gu Shiba Niang looked at him and noticed the disdain and a little anger in his words.
"This is Mr. Huang, the president of Jiankang Medicine Company." Wang Huabin introduced in a low voice at the side, with a very embarrassed look on his face.
This old man Huang really doesn't give me any face.
Gu Shiba didn't recognize her. After all, after Shunhetang became prosperous in that life, there were always managers involved in external affairs. As a housewife, she rarely met these people. She nodded and said with a smile: "I am Gu Shiba. mother."
Didn't answer the first half of the sentence.
"You said you are a disciple of Mr. Liu?" An old man sitting next to Mr. Huang asked with a knowing smile on his lips.
Gu Shiba Niang looked at him and saw that he was slightly fat and had a kind face.
"This is... Mr. Dong..." Wang Huabin whispered.
Is he Mr. Dong? Gu Shiba Niang looked at him.
"I have long admired your name." She said hurriedly and gave a slight salute.
Seeing how polite she was, Mr. Dong nodded.
Gu Shiba Niang then asked, "I wonder why you called me here today, little girl?"
"Someone accused Bao Hetang of committing fraud and selling Liu Gong's medicine," President Huang said calmly. He stretched out his hand and four or five people stood up, holding plates in their hands with porcelain bottles inside.
"These are fake"
"We spent a lot of money, but in the end these are not Liu Gong's secret products at all."
"...Bah, what Liu Gong's purple golden elixir..."
The people present at Baohe Hall looked uneasy, and several young people among them shouted angrily at those people unconvinced.
"Who says these are not? These are all done by Mrs. Gu..."
"Ms. Gu, you must bear witness."
Gu Shiba Niang looked at the medicines and smiled bitterly in her heart. She had taken every precaution, but she didn't expect that she couldn't prevent them.
"Shopkeeper Wang, what do you say?" She looked at Wang Huabin and asked.
Hearing her question, Wang Huabin's expression changed and he looked at her with a bit of panic.
Things seemed to be different from what they imagined.
In the previous period, Baohe Hall could no longer withstand the pressure and questioning, and several young people proposed to bring out Liu Gong's name. He hesitated for a moment, let the young people do their thing, placed half of the Purple Gold Pill in the lobby, and publicized it.
For a while, the situation really improved, but unexpectedly, within two days, someone reported it to the Pharmaceutical Business Association, and many well-known pharmacists came to make an appraisal.
This purple golden elixir only somewhat resembles Liu Gong's skills, but it is definitely not the real thing.
This has caused trouble, and the Jiankang Medicine Store Commercial Association can use this to expel them from Jiankang, and it will definitely affect the reputation of the entire Baohe Hall.
"Third uncle, what's the point of worrying about this? Just ask Mrs. Gu to come out and say no. This is indeed the medicine she made. She will never deny it." Everyone said one after another, not paying attention to this matter.
"But everyone says these medicines are not Liu Gong Pharmaceutical..." Wang Huabin hesitated.
"Then don't worry about our business and let Mrs. Gu argue with them." Everyone said.
Thinking of what Mrs. Gu said when she was selling medicine, Wang Huabin was very hesitant and told the old man in the capital everything. However, due to the journey, he did not receive a reply for a while. The Medicine Store Business Association came to the door with everyone. , he had no choice but to ask Gu Shiba Niang to come.
Since Gu Shiba Niang is Liu Gong's disciple, she can naturally prove herself. In fact, this is a very simple thing. I think Gu Shi Niang doesn't mind, Wang Huabin thought in his heart.
But at this time, it seemed that something was wrong.
Before he had time to answer, Gu Shiba Niang had already looked at those people and asked, "May I ask how much you paid for this Purple Gold Pill?"
"Fifty taels a bottle"
"I'm okay, I only spent thirty taels"
Wang Huabin's heart sank completely, his ears were buzzing, and Gu Shiba Niang who heard vaguely asked, "So, Shopkeeper Wang, can you tell everyone how much I paid to sell these Purple Gold Pills to you?"
Wang Huabin felt his throat was dry and moved his lips, but no sound came out.
"Okay, if you don't tell me, then I will." Gu Shiba Niang smiled coldly and spoke out loud what she said at that time.
All the people in the place changed their minds.
Baohe Hall was even more uproar.
"Gu, you are lying"
"If you weren't Liu Gong's disciple, how could we ask you to make medicine?" Several young people jumped out and shouted with red eyes.
This was true, and everyone's attention returned to Gu Shiba Niang.
"Who said I was Liu Gong's disciple?" Gu Shiba Niang raised her chin slightly and looked at them.
Xin Chaoyang, who was standing behind the crowd, kept looking at the field with a smile and did not follow everyone's comments.
"Young Master..." Someone whispered curiously, "What is this Madam Gu going to do?"
Xin Chaoyang smiled, raised his hand slightly to cover it, and whispered: "The fight between trapped beasts."
The man didn't understand. Xin Chaoyang said no more and turned his attention to the thin little girl in the field. Her eyes were sparkling and her pretty face showed strong spiritual willpower.
The beast is trapped and has no way to escape. It can only bite the nearest person, and even if it dies, it will not be as easy as the person who put her in the trap.
"It's always you who say it, you guys say it." Gu Shiba Niang looked around and looked at the people in the field.
"Did I say that?"
"One person robs and many follow. You can't tell the difference. How can you blame me?"
"Shopkeeper Wang, what did I ask you when you asked me to make Zijin Dan?"
Wang Huabin moved his lips, but was silent.
"I asked you, do you want medical efficacy or reputation? You said you want medical efficacy..."
"I dare to ask Mr. Dong, how effective is the Purple Gold Pill I made? Is it a defective product?"
Mr. Dong smiled when he heard this, shook his head, nodded, turned around and whispered a few words to the old men beside him before turning around.
"Top grade," he said.
"Then first I didn't sell the medicine at a high price, secondly I didn't sell defective and fake medicine, and thirdly I didn't say it was secretly made by Liu Gong. So, do you dare to ask me to come here today to prove that Baohe Tang is committing fraud? "Gu Shiba Niang said with a smile.
Wang Huabin stepped back a few steps, his face turned gray.
Everyone in Baohe Hall was in an uproar.
"You, you" several young people rushed out and pointed at her and glared at her.
"What about me?" Gu Shiba Niang did not back down, "Did I say anything wrong?"
"You said your master's surname is Liu," one of the young men shouted with a blushing face.
This young man was the one who sold braised kudzu root for the first time, but Gu Shiba Niang did not remember him. She smiled when she heard this and said, "Yes, my master's surname is indeed Liu." Without waiting for the young man to speak again, he looked at everyone and shouted He said, "I wonder if there is anyone here with the surname Liu, or if there is a pharmacist surnamed Liu at home?"
After everyone was stunned for a moment, they quickly understood what she meant and burst into laughter.
"Yes" someone shouted.
"I have one at home too" more people shouted.
"Why, except Liu Gong, no pharmacist in the world can be named Liu?" Gu Shiba Niang looked at the young man and said with a smile.
The young man's face turned red, his eyes were on fire, and he wanted to reach out and strangle the person in front of him to death.
"You... are cunning and cunning," he said through gritted teeth.
"Business, business, you love me and I love you, I love you and I love you, so why should we quibble?" Gu Shiba Niang said calmly.
"Who sent you to harm me, Baohe Hall?" the young man shouted.
"No one wants to harm you, you are harming yourselves." Gu Shiba Niang looked a little sad.
Baohetang is unable to stand up, and as for herself, there will be no good results this time. Even if she escapes the responsibility of fraud with her words today, she will not have a foothold in this medicine shop in the future.
Baohetang's way of survival was cut off, and so was her own. All of this could have been avoided. She raised her head and looked at Wang Huabin with a wry smile on her lips.
Wang Huabin lowered his head, his energy already lost.
At this time, the several old people sitting in the upper seats looked at each other and exchanged meaningful glances.
"Ms. Gu, although Baohe Hall is at fault, you cannot escape the responsibility of fraud." President Huang coughed, raised his hand to stop the chaos in the hall, and said, "You know full well that Baohe Hall misunderstands your identity. But it doesn’t mean it’s fraud or something?”
"I have said before, what we are selling is the efficacy of the medicine, not the name of the master." Gu Shiba Niang said calmly.
Mr. Dong sneered, "Mrs. Gu, if you don't use Mr. Liu's name, who will see the efficacy of your medicine?"
Gu Shiba Niang's face was pale, but she still raised her chin and did not speak.
"Me." Someone in the crowd said loudly.
This statement was unexpected, and everyone couldn't help but look around and saw the young man in white smiling gracefully.
"I believe in the efficacy of medicines. As Mrs. Gu said, when making medicines, it depends on the efficacy of the medicine, not who makes the medicine." Receive them all.”
Gu Shiba Niang did not look at him, but stood still. She did not dare to turn her head and lower her head for fear that tears would fall.
Her rope walk finally came to an end, and she fell in an awkward posture. Facing the laughter and ridicule of the audience, she wanted to maintain the last bit of pride when she landed.
"Ms. Gu, I have something to ask you. Please speak here." Mr. Dong suddenly stood up and walked away.
Gu Shiba Niang hesitated for a moment, then President Huang nodded to her and said calmly: "Mr. Dong wants to ask you about some medicinal materials, please go and listen."
After finishing speaking, he added, "Ms. Gu... your qualifications are commendable. What happened this time is a bit of a pity."
Gu Shiba Niang's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at President Huang with a bit of unconcealed joy. He meant that things could turn around this time.
It is undeniable that as the president of Jiankang Pharmaceutical Company, if he wants to help himself, it will not be difficult, and he will eventually be able to overcome this difficulty. As for Baohetang, since they ignored the agreement and took the Purple Golden Pill When you sell in a high-profile way, you are already asking for your own death.
She has never been a compassionate Bodhisattva.
Without hesitation, Gu Shiba Niang lowered her head and said yes, walked over, and stood with Mr. Dong in front of the long table at the end of the hall. The table was filled with medicinal materials. From the outside, it seemed that they were indeed having a conversation about medicinal materials.
"Ms. Gu, I'm afraid this medicine industry won't tolerate you." Mr. Dong said straight to the point, picking up a piece of braised kudzu root.
Gu Shiba Niang bit her lower lip and whispered: "Please give me some advice from Mr. Dong."
Mr. Dong nodded at her understanding and turned the stewed Pueraria root in his hand.
"Give me the book, and I'll guarantee that you will still be the great pharmacist in Jiankang City." He said suddenly, looking at Gu Shiba Niang.
Gu Shiba Niang was shocked and looked at him in shock.
"Why can't I understand what Mr. Dong said?" she said calmly.
"You have to know that since ancient times, pharmacists have been trained by masters. Of course, there are books passed down from generation to generation, but you can't learn the real skills by reading books alone," Mr. Dong said with a kind smile on his face, with a bit of insight. "Ms. Gu's medicine-making skills are quite different. Her level of medicine varies. She must be self-taught."
Gu Shiba Niang pursed her lips and said nothing, feeling like a turbulent wave in her heart.
"... Mr. Liu left a book. This book once appeared in the world, but disappeared soon. I wonder if Mrs. Gu got this book by chance?" Mr. Dong said slowly, with a question in his tone. But I already believe it.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled bitterly, exhaled, and said, "I don't know what Mr. Dong is talking about..."
Mr. Dong looked unmoved, "Oh? So Mrs. Gu doesn't understand?" He smiled faintly, "It seems that Mrs. Gu is not a member of my medicine industry. She has no chance."
He was a threat. Of course Gu Shiba Niang knew that handing over the book would really do no harm to herself. After this incident, even if she held the book in her hand, it would be of no use to her. .
Handing it over in exchange for the title of Mr. Dong's apprentice would be enough for her to travel in the medicine industry.
"Ms. Gu's qualifications are commendable. It's a pity that they have been lost like this." Mr. Dong said again. Seeing that Gu Shiba Niang was silent, he stopped for a moment and then said, "Baohetang's behavior is ridiculous and ignores my pharmacist's medicine." Even if he does not recognize the rules of medicine and pushes the young lady out to face doubts, our pharmacists will no longer have anything to do with him. Even if he falsely boasts about medicines, this Jiankang medicine store will not disfigure him. Baohe Tang has been operating in Jiankang for many years and discarded it. It’s such a pity. I wonder if the young lady is interested in taking over?”
Gu Shiba Niang raised her eyes to look at him, her expression unpredictable, she was obviously shocked by this other condition.
What a big deal. Can the current Baohe Hall be completely worth three Shunhe Halls? Give it to her? Give it all to her
As long as this condition is enough, she can have enough food and clothing. It doesn't matter whether she is a pharmacist or not. All she needs is this book. If she hands over this book, she can get it.
And not having to worry about food and clothing is exactly what she wants to get with this book
Gu Shiba Niang couldn't help but breathe quickly, and Master Dong's smile became thicker. He turned around and looked through the medicinal materials on the table casually.
When people on the other side of the hall saw this, they would only think that Mr. Dong was teaching Gu Shiba Niang, and had no idea that they had such an amazing conversation.
After what seemed like a long silence, Gu Shiba's face gradually returned to normal. She let out a breath, and Mr. Dong turned around to look at her, looking confident.
"It is indeed my fault for causing everyone to misunderstand. I am already the one who made the mistake. How dare I accept the Baohe Hall? Wouldn't it make the world laugh at me? Thank you Master Dong for your kindness," Gu Shiba Niang said lightly, but did not give Dong a The master had another chance to speak, "Goodbye."
Turning around and leaving, Mr. Dong's smile froze on his face, as if he was in disbelief. She actually refused
"Ms. Gu," Mr. Dong lost his previous composure and couldn't help but take a few steps to stop Gu Shiniang, "please think again, the book you want is useless, so why do you do this?"
At this moment, someone outside the hall coughed heavily and seemed to spit.
The person standing at the door frowned. Just as he was about to scold the servant for his lack of discipline, he saw a thin and hunched figure walking in.
"It's so lively. I heard Mr. Huang, what kind of trial meeting are you holding here? It seems to be related to me, Mr. Liu?" A dry voice laughed and passed into everyone's ears.
Gu Shiniang, who was walking in the middle, was startled when she heard the sound. She immediately felt her throat was burning, a sour smell rushed straight to her nose, and her eye circles suddenly turned red.