Chapter 78: The Medicine Field

Tian Chongxi’s words struck Zhang Xiaohua like a bolt of lightning, leaving him stunned on the spot. What... what’s going on?

Zhang Xiaohua turned to look at Ma Jing, who was eating and laughing, seemingly already hiding Little Peach Red in a golden house. The smile on his face was deeply buried behind his dark, thin wrinkles. In the light of the dining hall, one could see the excitement in his eyes, and a flush of red even appeared on his forehead.

Zhang Xiaohua seemed to understand something, and his heart was filled with rage. Although he was a young man from the countryside who had seen little of the world, he was not someone to be easily manipulated or bullied. He hadn’t offended Ma Jing in any way; it was just that he had advised him to wash his feet and pay attention to personal hygiene. For this, Ma Jing had used his cunning to manipulate him, making Tian Chongxi look down on him. This was truly hateful.

Zhang Xiaohua gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and walked towards Ma Jing. However, after just a few steps, seeing Ma Jing’s fearless demeanor, a thought suddenly arose in his mind, instantly extinguishing the burning anger in his heart. If he went over, Ma Jing would naturally deny everything. How could he have a leg to stand on? Besides, the people around him were usually rascals, and they knew who was close and who was distant. How could they possibly help him? Furthermore, even if he beat up Ma Jing, what would be the result? Would he be kicked out before he even learned any martial arts?

A series of questions made Zhang Xiaohua calm down. He stopped, looked at Ma Jing, and said nothing, returning to his seat to eat quietly.

All of this, except for Ma Jing who was secretly watching, the others in the green-capped group were gossiping about some unknown rumors, and no one paid much attention. The middle-aged man in the tight-fitting clothes, however, heard everything clearly and saw Zhang Xiaohua’s later actions. After Zhang Xiaohua sat quietly, he withdrew his gaze and continued eating.

After dinner, Zhang Xiaohua moved the things he had packed from Tian Chongxi’s room back to Ma Jing’s room. However, he didn’t foolishly ask Ma Jing why he did this. That night, he didn’t listen to Ma Jing’s boasting, but instead went to the courtyard, walking slowly and thinking.

Although this matter was not significant, it gave Zhang Xiaohua a profound lesson, making him have a special understanding of the world. People are not just harmonious or hateful; there are many strange things. Different people do different things, perhaps out of kindness, perhaps out of malice, perhaps just to play with you, or perhaps just to watch your reactions. In short, people’s hearts are hidden behind their faces, and you can’t know their true intentions. You must carefully consider everything before believing it. Not all bad people have the face of a bad person!

However, since that day, Zhang Xiaohua always opened the window before going to bed, whether it was sunny or rainy.

A few more days passed, and Zhang Xiaohua’s lazy, free life came to an end. He didn’t like this kind of life that others envied, so he happily accepted the task given to him by Tian Chongxi.

This task might be difficult for the group of green-capped servants, but for Zhang Xiaohua, who had grown up in the fields, it was not a challenge at all.

Early one morning, Zhang Xiaohua, wearing the green clothes and cap given to him by Tian Chongxi, followed Ma Jing out with high spirits. His task was to learn everything about the medicine field as quickly as possible from Ma Jing.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s enthusiastic appearance, Ma Jing couldn’t help but secretly look down on him. Truly a country boy, he itches to work every day, and he’s only fit for a lifetime of farming. Thinking about the pranks he played on Zhang Xiaohua a few days ago and recalling his embarrassed look, Ma Jing felt secretly amused. Hmph, who says that I, Ma Jing, am the only one in Huaxi Manor who is laughed at? Here comes another little mudfoot, and isn’t he still being toyed with by me?

Ma Jing had a sense of contempt and could tease Zhang Xiaohua in daily life, but in the medicine field, he was not the least bit careless. He meticulously instructed Zhang Xiaohua on what to do and what to pay attention to. He knew very well that the herbs in Huaxi Manor were of utmost importance. If he gave Zhang Xiaohua a small trip-up or left out a small detail, and something went wrong in the future, not only would Zhang Xiaohua be punished, but he himself would also be held responsible. Ma Jing was very clear about this, so he did not hide anything.

Zhang Xiaohua, of course, did not know what Ma Jing was thinking. He thought that tending to the herbs would be difficult, but after listening to the instructions, he found that it was not much different from farming, just with some subtle differences. He carefully noted everything down and followed Ma Jing, using a small medicine hoe and a small medicine spade to loosen the soil and weed, which was quite easy. By the end of the day, when Ma Jing asked, Zhang Xiaohua answered to his satisfaction, and seeing how skilled Zhang Xiaohua was at work, Ma Jing felt a bit more at ease.

After two more days, Ma Jing informed Tian Chongxi that Zhang Xiaohua was ready to work independently. Tian Chongxi found it hard to believe his ears. In the past, new servants in his team had to be trained for a long time before he could let them work alone. Was Ma Jing just fooling around? Thinking about Ma Jing’s usual behavior, he became even more convinced.

However, after he took Zhang Xiaohua out for a day, he really believed that Zhang Xiaohua could work independently and felt a bit guilty for wronging Ma Jing. After asking Zhang Xiaohua in detail, he discovered the reason. These herbs were not much different from farming. In the past, the servants recruited by Huaxi Manor were mostly from nearby Pingyang City, with good family backgrounds. Poor peasant children had no chance of being recruited by Huaxi Manor. Zhang Xiaohua was an exception, a poor child who had farmed before. The green-capped servants under him were all from families with high standards and had never done field work. This created the illusion that the work in the medicine field was complex and difficult.

Realizing this, Tian Chongxi couldn’t help but sigh. Inert thinking can be deadly.

After that, Zhang Xiaohua finally escaped the lazy and decadent life and returned to the familiar fields. The small medicine hoe and spade were truly adorable, much more convenient to use than the large hoe at home. Now, with his strength, he could easily complete a day’s work, and life was truly pleasant.

However, more surprises awaited Zhang Xiaohua.

One morning, Zhang Xiaohua was still watching the middle-aged man in the tight-fitting clothes practicing boxing. However, after finishing his practice, the man did not leave immediately but walked up to Zhang Xiaohua and said, “You’re Zhang Xiaohua, right?”

Zhang Xiaohua blinked and nodded, then heard a very pleasant voice. “The young miss has instructed me to teach you martial arts when I have time.”

Zhang Xiaohua opened his mouth wide and said, “Really?”

The man smiled and said, “Yes, I’m He Tianshu. You can call me Captain He. Wait for me here after dinner tonight, and I’ll start teaching you.”

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned again, clearly overjoyed.

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua didn’t speak, He Tianshu knew his feelings and patted his shoulder before turning to leave, leaving Zhang Xiaohua to digest this most desired news of his life.

This young miss is truly a good person. Zhang Xiaohua almost wanted to rush into the inner courtyard to prostrate himself before the young miss, but thinking about the complexity of the inner courtyard and the risk of being chased out as a peeping tom, he suppressed the thought. In any case, his gratitude to Ou Yan could not be expressed in words, and he instantly placed this unknown young miss on the same level as his sister-in-law Liu Qian in his heart.

Zhang Xiaohua spent the whole day in anxious anticipation and excitement. Even in the medicine field, he almost made a few mistakes, which immediately made him realize that he couldn’t lose himself in this small beginning. He warned himself to stay calm and worked hard, often looking up at the sky, wondering why the sun was moving so slowly today.

After a long wait, the sun finally set, and the distant call of Tian Chongxi could be heard. Zhang Xiaohua immediately rushed out of the medicine field, completely forgetting about staying calm. This state of not being affected by external things or personal emotions was still far from him.

Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly finished dinner and came to the outer gate early. The moonlight was like water, but Zhang Xiaohua’s heart was boiling. He was so excited, and the long-awaited wish was about to come true. Who could remain calm? But why wasn’t He Tianshu here yet? He had almost finished eating just a while ago and usually came out early. Why was he so slow today?

Zhang Xiaohua walked back and forth under the moon, anxiously waiting.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally heard footsteps coming from the courtyard. Zhang Xiaohua quickly went to meet him, and sure enough, it was He Tianshu. Zhang Xiaohua said happily, “Captain He, you’re here.”

He Tianshu looked at Zhang Xiaohua and said sternly, “Xiaohua, although I’m teaching you martial arts, I’m not your true master. Captain He is just a title. Do you understand?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded blankly, and He Tianshu continued, “Although I’m not your true master, I will teach you everything I know. It’s up to you how much you can learn.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded again, and He Tianshu said, “Today, I’ll tell you the first thing: practicing martial arts requires a calm and composed mind. Avoid being impatient and restless. Look at you now; how can you focus on practicing?”

Zhang Xiaohua immediately understood a lot. Yes, what had he become today? He was completely overwhelmed by the good news. He immediately calmed his mind and said to He Tianshu, “Thank you, Captain He, for teaching me.”

At this, He Tianshu nodded in satisfaction and said, “That’s good. No matter what happens in the future, you should remain as calm as a well, without any ripples. Follow me.”

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