On the way back to Baichuan Market, Zou manager traveled with the wind at his heels.
He was secretly pleased with himself for personally coming to He Wan village today. Otherwise, he might have lost this lucrative business deal to someone else.
From now on, he wouldn't bother selling rouge and face powder anymore. This grass ointment alone could make him rolling in money.
Planning his new store's layout and operations along the way, Zou manager soon returned to his shop and immediately got to work setting up the new store.
In He Wan village, Zhu Yougui didn't rush to learn how to make the grass ointment after getting silver from Hong Shan. Instead, he first bought good wine and meat to eat and drink his fill.
Drunken from the revelry, he fell into bed and slept soundly. When he awoke, the sky was already dark and only then did he remember to get down to business.
He had decided that going himself would definitely not work if he wanted to get the method for making grass ointment. But he knew Du Xiao Hui was currently working as a long-term laborer for Li Yao's family, and Du Jia Qing was preparing to find a daughter-in-law for his eldest son and was surely short on money.
Therefore, he could definitely get Du Jia Qing's full cooperation if he promised him a cut of the money after the deed was done.
So under the cover of night and reeking of alcohol, he went to Du Jia Qing's home.
Everyone knew Zhu Yougui was a scoundrel in He Wan village, so seeing him show up drunk put Du Jia Qing on guard that he was up to no good.
"Du, brother, I've come to make you rich."
Pulling Du Jia Qing behind his house, Zhu Yougui whispered mysteriously for a while. Du Jia Qing's brows furrowed into a frown.
Their family had just received a huge favor from Li Yao. To now turn around and ask Du Xiao Hui to steal the method was not something a decent person would do.
"Don't rush to reject me," Zhu Yougui said. "Go discuss it with your mother first, then give me an answer slowly. But I can tell you now, if this succeeds, I can get at least 50 taels of silver! I'll split it with you fifty-fifty!"
After seeing Zhu Yougui off, Du Jia Qing returned home.
"What did he want?" Xu asked.
Du Jia Qing was an honest man and told Xu everything Zhu Yougui had said verbatim.
Upon hearing they could get 25 taels of silver, Xu was speechless for a long time. Du Jia Qing knew his old mother must have been tempted.
"Mother, we can't do this. Heaven will strike us down with lightning."
"It's not you doing it, it's your maid. What are you afraid of?" Xu said. "Besides, 25 taels of silver, how many years would it take you to earn that much?"
"But..."
"Don't worry about this anymore. I'll talk to Xiao Hui," Xu said coldly. "Keep your mouth shut. Don't tell your wife either."
Du Jia Qing sighed. He shouldn't have told her.
Now what could he do?
Not long after, Du Xiao Hui returned from Li Yao's home. Her eyes were red and swollen when Xu called her alone into the bedroom.
"If you do as I say, I'll find you a good family to marry into. You won't have to suffer poverty in your later years," Xu said. "Otherwise I'll marry you off to an old widower next year and you can suffer your whole life. It's up to you."
Du Xiao Hui was stunned.
Was this really her grandmother?
To use such methods just for some silver, she must be truly desperate from poverty.
Du Xiao Hui absolutely did not want to betray Auntie Li, but if she married an old widower, what could she do?
Thinking of this, Du Xiao Hui felt her nose turn sour, but she remembered Auntie Li's words and managed not to cry.
Sleepless all night, her eyes were still red and swollen when she arrived at Li Yao's home the next day.
Seeing her like this, Li Yao knew she must have suffered more mistreatment after returning home, and asked, "Tell me what's going on."
"Auntie Li, I... I probably can't work for you next year," Du Xiao Hui said, biting her lip.
"Why?"
"My grandmother said she's marrying me off to an old widower next year."
Li Yao: ...
She understood Du Xiao Hui quite well and knew there was something she didn't feel right telling her, so she was putting herself in a difficult spot instead.
"You don't have to tell me. You can bear it yourself," Li Yao said. "But if you do tell me, we may be able to find a solution. It's up to you."
After hesitating a moment, Du Xiao Hui finally told her the whole story.
"What are your parents thinking?" Li Yao asked.
"My father doesn't dare oppose my grandmother. My mother doesn't know."
So this was Xu's idea.
Li Yao didn't have a very good impression of the old woman.
But greed for profit, especially for poor people terrified of poverty, could be understood as the reason for making this choice.
And the root of this matter was still Hong Shan and Zhu Yougui.
"Even if I knew how to make the ointment, I would never tell anyone, Auntie Li," Du Xiao Hui said. "Let my grandmother marry me off if she wants. I'm not afraid."
"No, promise her."
"Huh?"
Du Xiao Hui was dumbfounded.
If she told others how to make the ointment, they could make it themselves. How would Auntie Li earn money then?
"Don't worry," Li Yao said. "When the time comes, I'll write down the method for you to give them. Just say you took it from my home."
...
The next night, Zhu Yougui came calling again.
"Well? Did you get it done?"
"Done," Xu took out the method Du Xiao Hui had "stolen" and gave it to him. "But none of us can read, so we don't know if it's right."
Zhu Yougui was also illiterate, but this wasn't a big issue.
"I'll find someone to take a look. Then I'll know."
The next morning, Zhu Yougui went to Baichuan Market early. He found a scholar outside the market who could write and read letters, and had him look over the method.
Hearing it was the method for making grass ointment, he immediately went to Lai Fu Inn to find Hong Shan.
"Got the method!"
"Really?"
"Would I lie about this?" Zhu Yougui said smugly. "When has Zhu Yougui ever failed to deliver on a promise?"
Hong Shan looked over the method and it did seem promising.
But he was a cautious man, so he had to validate it first before paying out.
"According to the method, it should take at most half a day to make. Wait here a bit, I'll have my men go buy the ingredients to make it now. If it really works, I won't shortchange you a single penny."
"Sure, I'll take you to the medicine shops to buy ingredients."
Led by Zhu Yougui, Hong Shan brought his servants to the medicine shops in the market to buy ingredients according to the method.
Everything went relatively smoothly and they bought most of the ingredients, only missing two types.
One was pinellia tuber, which was out of stock at all the shops.
The second was honey.
It was hard to find any honey this season on short notice.
Unable to buy all the ingredients, the three men were anxious. Zhu Yougui was a local after all, and quickly came up with a good idea.
"Why don't we go to the market and take a look. Sometimes people sell assorted goods there."
Hong Shan had no choice but to go to the market, and surprisingly they did find both items for sale.