Jin Yuyu truly lived up to her name. The very next day, she sent someone with a message for Lin Yuan, informing her that everything concerning Shande Hall had been taken care of. Whenever Lin Yuan needed a doctor, she could send for one from Shande Hall at any time.
Lin Yuan was beyond thrilled. Business at Rice Flower Fragrance was already poor, and she urgently needed an opportunity to restore its tarnished image.
Now that all the preparations were done, all that was missing was a reputable doctor from Zhuma Town. Normally, this should have been Lao Fan without question. However, first, Lao Fan was hard to engage, and second, aside from a few privileged individuals who were aware of Lao Fan’s expertise, the common people had yet to witness his skills.
Therefore, after much consideration, Lin Yuan decided to partner with Shande Hall, the largest pharmacy in Zhuma Town. Even though there had been some unpleasantness with Shande Hall before, fortunately, the boss there was Jin Yuyu’s maternal uncle. With Jin Yuyu taking the reins, everything would be smooth sailing.
No sooner said than done.
Early that day, Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng arrived at Rice Flower Fragrance early to prepare. Since she had already arranged for Liuzi and the others to thoroughly publicize the event, the crowd gathered at the Entrance of Rice Flower Fragrance was indeed substantial, even larger than on the opening day.
Among them were other store owners from the same street, regular customers of Rice Flower Fragrance, and those who had heard the rumors about Rice Flower Fragrance and had come specifically to watch the drama unfold.
Lin Yuan spotted two nefarious-looking shop boys in the crowd and smirked to herself without bothering with them. Their presence was opportune—if they hadn’t come, she really wondered if today’s charade would achieve the desired effect.
Xia Zheng followed her gaze, the corners of his lips curling up. It seemed someone was in for some bad luck.
In the open space in front of Fuman Building, a large table was set up, covered with various cakes from the store. One side displayed the familiar selections, while the other side showcased some new varieties that were unfamiliar, fresh in style, and appealing in appearance, tempting people to step forward and try them.
Had it been the grand opening day, many would have approached with curiosity and delight to inquire about the taste and price of these cakes. But now, very few people dared to come close, some even haboring a visceral aversion.
People were whispering amongst themselves. Any child who reached out to grab a cake was quickly yanked back by an adult, as if the cake was poison.
Lin Yuan watched everyone’s expressions, knowing they were all frightened by the rumors. After all, the terrifying nature of Five Stones Powder was something everyone was aware of.
With so many people gathered at the entrance, it would spell trouble if someone with ulterior motives stirred up the crowd and Lin Yuan ended up hurt.
Xia Zheng approached her and indicated he would be the one to speak about today’s events. Lin Yuan declined with a smile, "Rice Flower Fragrance is my shop, and everyone knows I’m the boss. Although you have a special status, letting you speak might not be as effective as me taking the stage myself. Xia Zheng, don’t worry, nothing will happen."
Lin Yuan had anticipated that there might be troublemakers, so she had already stationed several guards on both sides of the table. With both Xia Zheng and Lin Yi present, unless they were faced with martial arts experts, she wouldn’t be harmed.
Seeing her determination, Xia Zheng said no more. The stubbornness and independence of this woman was something he had never seen before. He knew she didn’t want to be a caged canary, and she didn’t wish to be confined by her man.
Xia Zheng smiled and stood behind her. Since she didn’t want to be restrained by anyone else, then he would be the man behind her, silently protecting and supporting her.
Lin Yuan clapped her hands and stood in front of the cakes, her voice as resonant as it had been on the day of the grand opening, but today, she exuded an added gravity.