The Poison Elder did not expect Nan Shiying to not only reveal her identity directly but also send people from the Medicine King Valley to Tongji Pharmacy. He felt uneasy in the prince's mansion.
Gouzi was still staying at Tongji Pharmacy!
What was this? Was she inviting trouble into her own house?
Tongji Pharmacy.
Gouzi brought the brewed tea into the room and placed it on the table. The people from the Medicine King Valley were all dressed in green. Among them, Qing Zhu stood the tallest, and the green color suited him best.
However, seeing the green robes on the painted-doll-like child made it somewhat incongruous, like Er Hua from next door secretly smearing her mother's rouge. It was rather amusing.
Gouzi couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.
The corners of his lips curved slightly.
Seeing Gouzi's strange expression, Qing Yuan turned and glared at him fiercely.
Gouzi made a face at Qing Yuan and, before Nan Shiying could see, quickly walked out of the room.
With Gouzi gone, Qing Yuan had no one to vent her frustration on. Her already plump cheeks puffed out even more, like a small squirrel with two pine nuts stuffed in its mouth.
Qing Zhu pressed her head, signaling her to behave.
Qing Yuan became even more annoyed.
"Sit!"
Nan Shiying suppressed the smile that escaped her lips and invited Qing Zhu and the others to sit and talk.
Qing Zhu and the others readily took their seats. The Medicine King Valley had sent a total of twelve disciples down the mountain, all fourth-generation disciples of the Qing generation.
Nan Shiying looked at them one by one. Among the twelve, Qing Yuan was the only girl. Was the Medicine King Valley's current generation experiencing an imbalance of yang over yin?
Nan Shiying muttered, but she didn't dwell on it too much.
The shop assistant brought the breakfast sent from the prince's mansion into the room. After arranging it neatly, he withdrew. Nan Shiying called out to everyone to eat, "You've just arrived in the capital, so you probably haven't tasted the food from Dongpo Tower. Try their breakfast today. Tomorrow, come back a bit later, and I'll take you to the shop to try."
"Thank you, Junior Aunt!"
Qing Zhu and the others didn't stand on ceremony and picked up their bowls to eat. Qing Yuan picked up a milk-flavored bun and stuffed it into her mouth. As the bun entered her mouth, her eyes narrowed in happiness.
She ate the most at the table.
Seeing Nan Shiying looking at her, Qing Yuan explained, "I'm still young and growing."
Nan Shiying nodded and gave her a chicken leg.
Qing Zhu covered his forehead.
After breakfast, Nan Shiying switched to teaching mode. Whether it was one sheep or two, the task remained the same. She had originally just wanted to teach Qing Zhu acupuncture techniques, but now she decided to teach them all.
Gouzi moved a small stool and sat on the outer edge.
Qing Yuan saw her senior brother listening intently and figured he wouldn't have time to bother with her. She moved her stool to sit next to Gouzi and glared at him.
Gouzi scratched his head and took out a handful of peanuts from his pocket, placing them in her palm.
The painted-doll-like child's face lit up with joy as she took the peanuts. Her smiling eyes were like vibrant wildflowers blooming by the stream in early spring.
Gouzi then rummaged through his bag and pulled out two peanut candies, handing them to her.
Qing Yuan not only stopped being angry with Gouzi but also found him more and more pleasing to the eye. While eating the peanuts, she quietly asked, "Are you Junior Aunt's disciple?"
Gouzi shook his head. "I'm considered a registered disciple of the Poison Elder."
"What?"
A registered disciple of the Poison Elder, wouldn't that mean he was also her Junior Uncle?
Qing Yuan's entire world collapsed. The peanuts in her hand no longer tasted good, and the candy in her mouth was no longer sweet. She felt as though life was bleak, with no beautiful tomorrow!