Li Lixing also recognized Mu Yuanxiu’s voice.
He immediately said, "His house has a lot of mosquitoes, but he’s very good at hunting. Mother, let him come along. I want to learn hunting from him."
Previously on Niu Tou Mountain, Mu Yuanxiu often laughed at him, calling him useless and saying he couldn’t do anything.
In fact, he knows a lot.
But all these skills are at home.
He wants to take Mu Yuanxiu home and show him his talents.
For example, playing glass marbles and pitch-pot, Mu Yuanxiu definitely won’t be able to beat him.
The County Magistrate’s Wife smiled kindly, "Alright, let him come along." After all, he’s just a child of ten years or so.
She immediately nodded to the maid, "Give the orders."
Her son at home, due to his status, everyone indulged him, making him aloof, lazy, and arrogant. But ever since he went to the Li Family, he became polite.
The children of the Li Family and their neighbor are all well-mannered. Letting her son spend more time with them would help him learn etiquette, the County Magistrate’s Wife thought.
The maid raised the curtain and told the government official outside the County Magistrate’s Wife’s intention.
The government official immediately responded, nodding to Mu Yuanxiu, "Just follow along, but don’t get too close. Be careful not to startle the lady’s horse."
Mu Yuanxiu pulled the rope on the mule’s mouth and said, "Understood."
Li Yuzhu poked her head out of the carriage, glanced at him, and then withdrew her head. Chapters first released on novel⸺fire.net
Mu Yuanxiu saw her and lightly curled his lips.
Li Yuzhu headed to the county, and Li Lixing was also picked up by the County Magistrate’s Wife. Pei Shenyan, who was staying temporarily with the Li Family, didn’t hurry to leave.
The Great Princess was so anxious that she wanted to chase him away with a stick.
Prince Luling said to her, "He hasn’t done anything wrong, why do you dislike him so much?"
"I suspect he has ulterior motives," the Great Princess snorted coldly.
"That’s utter nonsense, he had the pond dug in front of our house. Is that also an ulterior motive?" Prince Luling shook his head, saying in displeasure.
"Who knows if his digging was to do something bad? Humph!" The Great Princess was speechless, her father had always doted on her, yet today he’s speaking for an outsider.
That man even has the surname Pei!
"He said he’s digging the pond to plant lotus flowers. Yu Wen, don’t you like lotus flowers? Why oppose this?" Prince Luling expressed his confusion.
"Father, I like lotus flowers, but not the ones he plants."
"Isn’t it all the same? Lotus flowers, right?"
"Not the same!" The Great Princess stomped her foot, not wanting to argue with her father anymore, "I’ll talk to mother."
She explained the situation to Princess Consort Luling.
Although Princess Consort Luling didn’t like Pei Shenyan much, she couldn’t find an excuse to chase him away over this.
Because the pond Pei Shenyan dug was in the area of swamp land in front of the property.
That swamp land, possibly tens or even a hundred acres, was an unclaimed area.
Whoever has the capability to utilize the swamp land gets to use it.
Others can’t interfere.
Princess Consort Luling said they couldn’t manage it, and the Great Princess went to sulk in her room.
By evening, Second Young Master and Second Princess returned from the market.
They heard the County Magistrate’s Wife had come, taking Li Lixing away, according to the plan, they were given reward money, and they were delighted.
Upon hearing Li Yuzhu also went, they exclaimed in surprise, "Why did Third Sister go?"
"The County Magistrate’s Wife fell seriously ill and needed urgent treatment, so your Third Sister went along. Don’t worry, with the third child accompanying, nothing will happen," said Prince Luling.
Second Young Master regretted not being home, otherwise, he would have been the one to go to the county.
"Lucky third one," he grumbled.
The County Magistrate’s Wife’s carriage returned to the county as evening fell.
No one knew what hour it was at night, as the city gates had closed.
However, this was the County Magistrate’s Wife coming; the soldiers on guard, seeing the accompanying officials, quickly opened the city gate.
The carriage easily entered the county.
At night, only a few shops on the county street were open, most had closed, leaving the street enveloped in darkness.
Li Yuzhu observed the open shops and noticed there was a storytelling teahouse, a tavern, and of course, a brothel.
It was expected by Li Yuzhu.
Even ancient texts mentioned that such shops wouldn’t close until past midnight.
And the brothel, the night is its stage.
However, one open shop was quite peculiar.
The indigo signboard had a large character for medicine written on it.
The pharmacy was quite small, likely less than ten square meters.
Inside, shelves lined the walls with boxes of medicine on them.
An old man with graying hair sat under the shop’s lamp, grinding medicine powder.
Given his age, still guarding his shop at night, it suggested he was living in hardship.
Still, this shop gave Li Yuzhu inspiration.
She could also open a pharmacy in town.
She had originally thought of opening one in the countryside, but after investigating, she realized it wouldn’t earn much.
Because that small marketplace already had two pharmacies, and each village had its own pharmacy selling medicines.
Moreover, countryside people tend to save money, even when ill, preferring to concoct herbs rather than see a doctor, opting to endure till death to save money for their descendants instead of spending it on their own sickness.
In town, however, people had relatively higher incomes, and places were larger, with more people willing to spend.
This was the suitable place to open a pharmacy.
Li Lixing saw Li Yuzhu continuously watching the street market outside, saying, "It’s so dark now, most shops have closed. There’s nothing to see. Tomorrow, I’ll take you shopping, I know where to find interesting things."
His expression was proud as he spoke.
Children are ; in familiar places, they become quite lively.
Li Yuzhu shook her head with a smile, "Tomorrow we have to treat the lady’s illness, there won’t be time."
Li Lixing then realized there were important tasks yet to be done.
He looked at his mother with some guilt, "Mother, I’m sorry, I forgot your illness."
The County Magistrate’s Wife smiled kindly, "It’s alright, you’re a child, don’t worry about adult matters, just mind your words and actions."
Li Lixing nodded obediently, "Okay."
The County Magistrate’s Wife looked at Li Yuzhu again, her expression gentle.
She pondered inwardly about what kind of family the Lis were, having such well-mannered children.
Even a little daughter just over ten years old could treat illnesses?
The couple in their forties wore simple clothing, but their demeanor and mannerisms were nothing like rural farmers.
It’s not uncommon for a poor family to have one or two educated people with proper conduct, but it’s unusual for the whole family to be so knowledgeable about etiquette.
That entire family, from top to bottom, were literate, surely they came from a remarkable background.
The carriage gradually slowed down as it moved along.
The driver outside said, "Madam, we’ve arrived."