Most pharmacies cost three to four hundred taels of silver, while better ones could cost five to six hundred taels, or even more.
Pharmacies in prime locations were even more expensive.
Tao Lengshuang: "..." Was this truly the capital? The prices were terrifying.
At this moment, she finally understood the meaning of "every inch of land is worth an inch of gold."
She suddenly thought of a slightly more remote place where the same amount of silver could buy a mansion and a pharmacy.
Unable to go to a remote place, Tao Lengshuang returned to the pharmacy with Xiao Feng, contemplating whether to just open this one.
However, the thought of having no contact with Mo Lingxi afterward and needing to hide made her dismiss the idea.
"Mother, are we opening this pharmacy?" Xiao Feng patted the counter, saying excitedly.
The child was still young; despite his intelligence, he couldn't grasp many things. In his opinion, since they already had a pharmacy, there was no need to buy another.
Just as Tao Lengshuang was about to explain, she heard Mo Lingxi's voice.
"Want to open a pharmacy?"
Mo Lingxi first examined Tao Lengshuang and her son, then asked them to wash their faces: "This makeup is truly an eyesore."
Tao Lengshuang rolled her eyes at him and took Xiao Feng to wash their faces, restoring their original appearances.
When the mother and son returned to the side room, they saw several pastries and candies placed on the small table.
"Pastries!"
Xiao Feng leaped onto the chair and happily picked up a pastry to eat: "This is so yummy, much tastier than what we ate earlier."
Mo Lingxi, who was pouring tea, paused. He glanced at Tao Lengshuang and then asked Xiao Feng gently, "Xiao Feng, where did you eat pastries?"
"At..." Xiao Feng heard his mother's cough and suddenly realized he had said something he shouldn't have. He covered his mouth and shook his head, pretending he didn't know anything.
Mo Lingxi immediately knew Tao Lengshuang was hiding something significant from him. "Xiao Feng, tell Daddy, what were you and Mother doing just now?"
Xiao Feng stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth and pointed at his mouth, indicating he couldn't speak for the moment.
"Eat slowly, no one is snatching it from you."
Tao Lengshuang handed him a cup of water and gently patted his back.
Xiao Feng took a big gulp of water, glanced at Tao Lengshuang, and secretly picked up two candies, popping them into his mouth.
Tao Lengshuang noticed his small actions and smiled, lightly tapping his forehead: "Eat fewer sweets, too many will be bad for your teeth."
Xiao Feng covered his mouth with both hands and nodded repeatedly with a sweet smile, "Mmm, mmm, mmm." These candies were so sweet.
"Tao Lengshuang, where did you just go?" Mo Lingxi asked Tao Lengshuang directly.
Tao Lengshuang replied that she hadn't gone anywhere, just taken Xiao Feng to see a patient.
Mo Lingxi could tell she wasn't telling the truth, and he knew that if she didn't want to say something, no one could force her.
"Can you not hide things from me?" he softened his tone.
Tao Lengshuang said lightly, "It's not about hiding or not hiding. I can't tell you everything, just as you won't tell me everything."
Mo Lingxi wanted to retort but had no grounds to. Yes, as Tao Lengshuang said, he couldn't tell her everything.
Some things he didn't say because she couldn't know them.
Tao Lengshuang didn't care about his silence. She reminded Xiao Feng to eat less and sent him back to his room to study: "You have martial arts practice later, don't forget."
"Mother, Xiao Feng remembers." Xiao Feng took a plate of pastries back to his room.
Tao Lengshuang picked up a pastry to eat and then heard Mo Lingxi speak.
"Tao Lengshuang, you make me very uneasy like this."
Tao Lengshuang put down half the pastry and picked up her teacup to take a sip: "Why are you uneasy?"
Mo Lingxi couldn't quite explain it, but he felt restless, as if Tao Lengshuang would leave him at any moment and he would never find her again.
Tao Lengshuang smiled faintly: "Prince Ming Rui, your words are truly strange. In the future, you will be a close minister to the Emperor, while I am merely a passerby in your life. Why should you care about what happens to me in the future?"
Mo Lingxi grabbed her hand, his gaze turning a bit cold: "What do you mean by that? Are you really going to stay away from me?"
Tao Lengshuang forcefully pulled her hand back and raised her eyelids: "Then let me ask you a question in return, will you not stay away from me in the future?"
"I advise you to think carefully before you speak, and don't make promises lightly."
Mo Lingxi, who had intended to say no, fell silent for a long time after hearing this: "I understand what you mean."
Tao Lengshuang: "No, you haven't truly understood. Mo Lingxi, you are the esteemed Prince Ming Rui, with an immeasurable future."
"In your eyes, I should stay by your side and live according to your wishes."
Mo Lingxi slowly shook his head, indicating he had never thought that way: "I don't know why you think of me like this, but I have never had such thoughts."
"I had intended to marry you grandly after all matters were resolved, making everyone envy you..."
Tao Lengshuang raised her hand to interrupt him, suppressing the slight ripple in her heart: "Mo Lingxi, do you know that your promises to me are based on your status and position?"
Seeing Mo Lingxi frown in confusion, she explained: "Your talk of a grand wedding, of giving me a good life, everything you've said, is based on your status and position."
"But you always forget one thing: I am just an ordinary village woman. Even if I were to become General Sheng's daughter in the future, or achieve great things, my years in Shili Po Village cannot be erased, and people will still gossip about it."
She softened her tone and continued, "Even if I don't care, and you didn't care at first, what about over time?
Furthermore, those people will use this to humiliate and curse Xiao Feng. He is so young; can a child bear all this? He shouldn't have to endure it."
These were things Mo Lingxi had never considered. As Tao Lengshuang analyzed them now, he truly realized that what he considered doing for their good was actually out of his own selfishness.
"I... I apologize. I never considered these things, always thinking that what I did was for you and Xiao Feng."
Tao Lengshuang waved her hand, indicating it was alright: "Although you were not favored since childhood, you are still of royal blood. Your thoughts and considerations are sometimes different from ordinary people like us."
"Until you've thought it through, don't bring these things up again."
Mo Lingxi nodded heavily, gazing at her intently: "Tao Lengshuang, you promised to give me time to think."
Tao Lengshuang let out a sigh: "I can't spend my entire life waiting for you to figure this out."
She held up a finger: "One month. If you can't figure it out within a month, then we..."
"Don't talk about divorce!" Mo Lingxi's face turned grim, his eyes burning with anger: "I've said it before, divorce is impossible in this lifetime."
Tao Lengshuang didn't want to dwell on this fruitless topic: "Alright, let's talk about this after you've thought it through, okay?"
Mo Lingxi refused, his eyes fixed on her with ferocity: "Tao Lengshuang, I will only say this once: in this life, I will only experience widowhood, never divorce!"