"I think this alchemy furnace is quite good!" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "I cured the patient, so this alchemy furnace should be mine!"
"It's good that young master fancies it, it puts our minds at ease," the old woman said with a smile, handing the alchemy furnace to Lu Fan.
Gu Wen felt a bit awkward. He had been politely declining, and Lu Fan had accepted it in the blink of an eye. It left him in a difficult position.
"Everyone, we are poor and have nothing to offer," Uncle Zhang said, getting out of bed. "This alchemy furnace has been passed down in our family. It's of no use to me now. If it's useful to you, it will be put to good use!"
"No wonder there's such a strong medicinal aroma," Lu Fan chuckled. "It's an heirloom, so your ancestors must have been quite accomplished, Uncle Zhang?"
"Indeed, it's not bad!" Uncle Zhang nodded. "My ancestors did include some famous physicians, even imperial physicians. Unfortunately, our family has declined, and the alchemy furnace is now useless!"
"Then it's perfect, the alchemy furnace is useless here," Lu Fan nodded with a smile. "I won't be polite then!"
"Cough, cough..." Gu Wen coughed lightly. "Master, isn't this inappropriate!"
"What's inappropriate about it?" Lu Fan glanced at him. "I saved Uncle Zhang, and besides, the alchemy furnace is useless here, but it's very useful to me."
Gu Wen rolled his eyes and didn't say anything more. He had promised a free clinic for this trip.
As they were leaving, Lu Fan took out one hundred thousand yuan and left it at Uncle Zhang's house, treating it as payment for the alchemy furnace.
Upon hearing this, Gu Wen felt a sense of admiration for Lu Fan. He had initially thought Lu Fan was greedy for small gains, but now he realized he had misjudged him.
"What exactly is Mr. Lu's background? He spent thirty thousand on medicinal herbs and then gave away a hundred thousand for a consultation!" Shen Xiaoxiao was bewildered. "Isn't this too much?"
"What's too much about it!"
Lu Fan shrugged. "If this alchemy furnace were auctioned, it would be worth far more than a hundred thousand. I actually made a small profit today!"
"Just a broken alchemy furnace," Shen Xiaoxiao said disbelievingly.
Lu Fan didn't explain further, but Shen Xiaoxiao's stomach suddenly rumbled, and everyone looked at her with strange expressions.
"Cough, cough... I'm suddenly a bit hungry!" Shen Xiaoxiao said. "Why don't we go for a meal!"
"To the World's Renowned Chef?" Lu Fan chuckled. "The food there is good."
"Then let's go there!" Shen Xiaoxiao nodded. "But this time, he has to treat. After all, successfully becoming a disciple, treating the master to a meal shouldn't be too much to ask."
"No problem!" Gu Wen nodded, a smile appearing on his face.
His Gu family was never short of money. Being able to treat Lu Fan now was something he eagerly desired.
Not long after, they arrived at the World's Renowned Chef. As soon as they entered, Shen Xiaoxiao's expression changed. In front of them sat two men, whom she was quite familiar with.
"Perhaps we should change to another place!" Shen Xiaoxiao quickly said.
The two men in front were her father, Shen Guofeng. Shen Guofeng was always strict with her. If he knew that his daughter was constantly associating with a group of men, she didn't know what he would think.
After all, she had almost been kidnapped not long ago.
Just as she was about to hide, Shen Guofeng saw her. "Xiaoxiao, why are you here?"
Following this voice, Boss Qian also looked towards Shen Xiaoxiao, a smile appearing on his face. "I didn't expect Miss Shen to be here as well!"
"Hello, Uncle Qian!" Shen Xiaoxiao quickly bowed. The man in glasses was Boss Qian, a person who had seen much of the world, collaborated with many influential figures in Jiangnan, and was doing very well in Chu Zhou.
"You've grown so tall in just a few years," Boss Qian said with a smile.
"What's wrong with you?" Shen Guofeng said coldly. "You associate with all sorts of disreputable people every day. How can I be at ease entrusting the Shen family to you in the future!"
"They are not disreputable people!" Shen Xiaoxiao quickly introduced. "This is Mr. Lu. He saved me on the bus before!"
"It's him?" Shen Guofeng glanced over and then said softly, "Thank you for saving my daughter!"
"It was just a small matter!" Lu Fan said indifferently.
However, when Boss Qian looked at Lu Fan, his neck instantly felt cold, and his expression changed drastically.
Lu Fan's familiar silhouette, how could he not recognize it? Lord Lu of Jiangnan, who managed numerous enterprises in Jiangnan and had even killed a master-level expert. These achievements were unforgettable.
Boss Qian, who had close ties with many influential figures in Jiangnan, naturally knew what Lord Lu looked like. The moment he saw Lu Fan, he recognized him.
"Brother Qian, what's wrong?" Shen Guofeng asked. "Is the reception not up to par?"
"Of course not!" Boss Qian waved his hand and quickly looked at Lu Fan. "So it's Mr. Lu. Meeting you is like meeting a friend. Why don't we have a meal together?"
Boss Qian's words were flattering, and his gaze was attentive, not daring to show any disrespect.
"Brother Qian, don't joke. We are discussing a collaboration," Shen Guofeng glared at Shen Xiaoxiao. "Take your friends to another table."
Shen Xiaoxiao looked embarrassed and led Lu Fan and the others to another table. "Please don't mind, my father is like this. He dislikes me associating with men. He's being quite polite today."
"Of course, we don't mind," Lu Fan said directly. "You don't need to feel too much pressure. You still have to accompany me to Niutou Mountain tomorrow!"
Shen Xiaoxiao nodded, but a wry smile appeared on her face. Niutou Mountain was extremely dangerous. If she hadn't promised Lu Fan, she wouldn't have been willing to go.
Meanwhile, Han Yunhai frowned and glanced back at Boss Qian. He felt that this person looked familiar, and more importantly, Boss Qian's gaze towards Lu Fan was clearly not right.
"Brother Qian, let's toast to this," Shen Guofeng raised his wine glass. "Don't let those few people spoil our mood!"
Boss Qian looked wary and then approached Shen Guofeng. "My dear brother, you might have caused big trouble today!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Shen Guofeng glared. "My Shen family has some standing in Chu Zhou. When have we ever caused trouble?"
"That Mr. Lu just now is Lord Lu of Jiangnan," Boss Qian said directly. "You were just speaking so rudely. If he holds a grudge, won't the Shen family be in great trouble?"
"Lord Lu of Jiangnan?" Shen Guofeng frowned. "How is that possible? Lord Lu is extremely busy, and he's in Jiangnan. How could he be in Chu Zhou?"
"I don't know the specifics!" Boss Qian said with a wry smile. "But one thing is certain, that person is the renowned Lord Lu of Jiangnan."
Shen Guofeng instantly panicked. Boss Qian wouldn't joke with him about such a matter. This was most likely true. If that were the case, and given his previous attitude, if Lu Fan held a grudge, their Shen family would face a disaster.
"No, I need to go and apologize!" Shen Guofeng stood up abruptly.