Ch66 - Hello, Major General

The commoners here were talking enthusiastically, and inside Pingping’s house, a group of people was also engaged in deep discussion.

At first, Shen Huai had been tricked and taken advantage of, but Jian Mei was an honest person. As more of his herbal medicine packets sold and generated steady profits, he not only shared the earnings with Pingping’s family but also began dividing some of the income with Shen Huai.

Although Shen Huai was a priest, his family wasn’t wealthy, which was why he had to work at the mayor’s estate, planting flowers. But now, with Jian Mei’s share of the earnings, his life had improved considerably. He no longer resented the farming work and was even more eager to do it.

Pingping’s mother was cooking in the kitchen while the children chatted outside.

At the table, Pingping was doing his homework when he looked up and grinned. “Mei-gege, ever since your herbal medicine packets started selling well, Mom’s been able to buy me meat!”

For commoners, having a proper meal was a rare luxury—most of the time, they survived on nutritional drinks. Only on big holidays like the New Year could they afford meat and vegetables. While the herbal medicinal packs didn’t make them rich, they did provide enough income to improve their meals, making daily life much more comfortable.

Jian Mei smiled and said, “Don’t say that. It’s really thanks to your mom. Her hard work played a big part in making the herbal medicine packets sell.”

Pingping pursed his lips and smiled as he watched his mother come out from the kitchen. “Mom, you’ve worked hard.”

The woman brought in the food she had prepared and said, “Don’t be too modest. This wouldn’t have happened without everyone contributing.”

Once the meal was ready, Pingping’s father came home, and the whole family gathered around the table. Usually, they would also discuss more serious matters at this time.

Pingping’s mother spoke first. “Meimei, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Jian Mei looked puzzled. “What is it?”

“A few days ago, the owner of the pharmacy came to see me and wanted to work with us,” Pingping’s mother said. “You know, besides the medical clinics, there are also pharmacies in the city.

This was the same place where Pingping used to buy that red liquid. The pharmacy mainly made affordable medicinal liquids, but they were mostly effective only for treating minor inflammation and wounds. The results weren’t very good, and their prices were only slightly lower than what you’d find at the hospital. But with the arrival of these herbal medicine packets, the pharmacy’s business has taken a hit. So, naturally, they came to discuss a potential partnership.

Jian Mei then asked, “So, how do they want to work together?”

“They actually want to sell herbal medicine with us,” Pingping’s mother explained. “We don’t have an official store, but the pharmacy is a nationwide chain. They want to sell not only in our town but also in other places.”

Jian Mei wasn’t opposed to the idea. On one hand, he wanted to help more people, especially those who couldn’t afford treatment. On the other hand, with more and more people seeking medical help, he realized that Pingping’s family might be getting overwhelmed. If the pharmacy could share some of the load, it would definitely make things easier.

But since he valued everyone’s opinion, he asked, “What do you think?”

Surprisingly, only Jian Mei, who didn’t really understand social cues, seemed optimistic, while the others were quiet and hesitant.

Shen Huai was the first to speak. “Jian Mei, I think if we partner with the pharmacy, the required quantity will be too large, and it won’t just be about these two acres anymore. Besides, the herbs we sell are carefully selected by us, but they might not be the same. This business often sells substandard products.”

Even Xiao Ban chimed in. “Mei, it’s true. The owner of this pharmacy sometimes sells expired red water.”

Jian Mei hadn’t expected this side of the issue. He was open to advice and everyone else had agreed. Henodded and said, “Alright, we won’t partner with them then.”

However, Pingping’s mother sighed and said, “Mei, I have a feeling they won’t give up so easily.”

Seeing everyone looking a bit worried, Jian Mei reassured them, “It’s okay, don’t worry. Winter’s almost here, and the flu season will be over soon. After that, we’ll lay low and avoid any contact with them.”

The others could only agree.

Later, Jian Mei returned to the mansion. The first thing he did was check on the young master. Over the past few months, the young master had been very cooperative with his treatment, and his condition had improved. When Jian Mei arrived, the young master had just finished lunch.

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In such a huge mansion, Jian Mei was probably the only one who would think of something like this for him.

The young master poked his head out and said, “You really have a lot of good ideas.”

Jian Mei looked outside. The sun hadn’t set yet, and the weather wasn’t too cold. He rubbed his forehead and softly said, “Young master, how about a walk in the garden? I’ll support you while you try walking.”

In truth, the young master wasn’t completely unable to stand or walk; his legs were simply weak. All of Jian Mei’s work so far had been focused on improving circulation and helping the young master regain strength in his legs.

The young master nodded. “Alright.”

Grandma Li had actually suggested a walk a while ago, but the young master hadn’t agreed until Jian Mei returned.

Jian Mei pushed the young master’s wheelchair through the garden. When they reached a quiet path, he let the young master lean gently on him. Then, he supported him as the young master stood and tried walking. It was a bit of a strain for Jian Mei, but the young master was so thin that Jian Mei could manage.

The young master took slow, small steps, clearly struggling.

Jian Mei encouraged him. “Just a little more, young master. You can do it.”

The young master said, “You really have a lot of confidence in me.”

“You should have some faith in yourself, young master,” Jian Mei said, noticing the young master often gazing outside from the window. “Once your leg is healed, you’ll be able to go wherever you want. The world is wide and full of possibilities.”

Living in this mansion for too long was suffocating. No one would want to stay in such a place forever.

Upon hearing this, the young master looked toward the mansion’s outer walls and asked softly, “Mei, do you have a place you want to go?”

“Yes,” Jian Mei instinctively replied. “I want to go home.”

The young master glanced at him and realized that Jian Mei hadn’t been home for almost half a year since coming to the mansion. He said, “I’ll give you some time off at the end of the year. Do you want to go home?”

Jian Mei then understood that the young master’s offer and his own wish were two different things.

He paused for a moment before replying softly, “Mm…Thank you, young master.”

Despite this, there wasn’t much joy on Jian Mei’s face. As the setting sun cast its light on the child, a rare and unmistakable sense of sadness appeared on his face.

The young master looked at Jian Mei’s face and suddenly spoke up. “Mei, besides going home, have you ever thought about where you want to go or what you want to do in the future?”

This wasn’t hard for Jian Mei to answer. “I have.”

“I want to go to the capital to find someone,” Jian Mei shared his current plan. “I made an agreement with someone before, and when spring comes next year, I plan to go to the capital.”

The young master’s hand instinctively tightened. He forced himself to sound normal as he asked, “What will you do after you find them?”

Jian Mei hadn’t thought about that.

All he wanted was to see Dazhuang-ge again. After years together, he had grown so accustomed to Dazhuang-ge’s presence that he instinctively relied on him for almost everything.

Now, in this strange new world, he couldn’t deny the fear he felt. But he had no choice—he had to force himself to adapt, to stop thinking about it. He appeared brave at times, but in reality, it was just sheer willpower pushing him forward.

He couldn’t show weakness in front of Xiao Ban, or he would burden him with worry. He couldn’t let others see his struggles either, for fear they’d notice something was wrong.

Without Lu Dazhuang by his side, he had no choice but to grow up and become independent. He didn’t dare be willful, not even a little—because now, there was no one left to back him up.

The young master asked softly, “What if his identity is sensitive? Or what if, when you meet him, you realize he’s not the person you imagined?”

It was a question that really made him think.

Jian Mei seemed at a loss for a moment, lowering his head as though he were genuinely considering the question. Just when the young master thought Jian Mei had come to a realization, Jian Mei looked up and said gently, “I never really thought that far.”

“I just feel… if I could meet him, talk to him, that would be enough,” Jian Mei continued, smiling. “No matter who he is or how things turn out, my only regret is not being able to say a proper goodbye back then. So many things were left unsaid, so many words left unfinished.”

No matter what happens when they finally meet, those feelings that were never fully expressed, the companionship and solace of their youth—he just wanted to sincerely thank him and finally say, “Long time no see.”

……

The next day.

Early in the morning, Xiao Ban and Shen Huai dragged Jian Mei out.

They left together, with Xiao Ban explaining the situation as they walked. Finally, when they reached Pingping’s house, Xiao Ban said, “Earlier this morning, people from the Imperial Hospital’s Pharmaceutical Council came and destroyed all the medicinal herbs we planted. On top of that, Pingping’s family was detained for a week.”

Jian Mei was shocked. “Why?”

Shen Huai explained, “It was the pharmacy owner who reported them. Since we refused to cooperate, he turned in Pingping’s family, accusing them of running an illegal operation. He claimed that the herbal medicine packets they sold hadn’t been properly reviewed or approved by the Ministry of Healing and Medicine before being sold to the public.”

“……”

This was absolutely ridiculous.

Jian Mei looked at Xiao Ban in confusion. “So there’s an approval process after all? Xiao Ban, why didn’t you tell me sooner? We could have just gone through the review.”

Xiao Ban sighed. “Meimei, it’s not that simple. Do you know that to get a new medicine approved by the Pharmacist Association, you need to have a pharmacist’s certificate? And to get that certificate, you have to actually be a pharmacist.”

Jian Mei suddenly realized—it was because of his qualifications.

“Becoming a pharmacist is extremely difficult. If you’re a commoner, you first have to get into university, and then you need perfect scores to even qualify,” Xiao Ban explained. “But you haven’t even started school yet.”

In other words, it wasn’t that they were skipping the review—it was that they didn’t meet the requirements.

Shen Huai, being the more mature one, spoke up. “Right now, we need to focus on getting Pingping’s family out. A detention office isn’t a place anyone should stay—spending even a few days there could cost them half their life.”

Jian Mei nodded quickly. “Right, right! Let’s hurry over.”

Xiao Ban didn’t react at all.

On the way to the detention office, everyone’s spirits were low. They had originally made the herbal medicine packets simply to help others. While the hospital charged a gold coin for them, theirs cost only a copper coin—barely anything. Their profits were meager, but they continued on.

Over time, as they began to earn a bit more, hope and expectation slowly grew in their hearts. Xiao Ban had even started planning their departure from the estate next month, preparing for their journey to the imperial capital. But now, it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.

By the time they arrived at the detention office, it was already afternoon. When the soldier learned their purpose, he didn’t let them in immediately. Instead, he said, “Please wait inside.”

The detention office on Stan Star was known for its strict regulations. To secure an early release, a ransom had to be paid—two gold coins per person, six gold coins for three.

Jian Mei immediately volunteered. “I’ll pay.”

They had earned seven gold coins from selling herbal medicine packets. After paying the ransom, they would still have one left, so paying for their release wasn’t a problem.

The soldier said, “Whoever is paying, come with me. The rest stay outside.”

Jian Mei nodded in acknowledgment and followed the soldier inside. The detention center was connected to the town’s military office, and along the way, he saw numerous vehicles coming and going, with soldiers marching in formation.

In front of the military office, several imposing vehicles were parked, and it seemed that some people had just stepped out. The atmosphere felt grand and imposing.

Jian Mei waited outside while the officer went in to bring the prisoners out. Around him, others who had come to visit detainees whispered among themselves, “Who are those people over there?”

Jian Mei couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

“I heard it might be the major general.”

“Oh my goodness, why would the major general come to our town?”

“No idea, but look at the one leading them. His uniform is deep blue, and he has golden epaulets on his shoulders. Only generals have those.”

“Could it really be the major general?”

“Is it Zuo Qingshan? We’re so lucky to run into him!”

Jian Mei listened in, feeling a bit confused, but he could tell the person they were talking about must be someone important. Curious, he glanced in that direction.

About ten meters away, a young man in military uniform stood on the stairs. Though he didn’t seem very old, he exuded a strong presence, radiating a natural aura of masculinity and authority.

As if sensing Jian Mei’s gaze, the young man on the stairs turned and looked back at him. Their eyes met, and both Zuo Qingshan and Jian Mei froze for a moment.

Translator’s Notes:

Here’s a bonus chapter this week since I have more free time! See you on Monday!