"Cai Qing, go tell Ling Muzhu that I'll take him to the market this afternoon."
"Yes, young madam."
Feng Jin had already devised a plan to deal with Ling Muzhu. Dealing with a brat like him, how difficult could it be?
...
In the afternoon, Ling Muzhu appeared before Feng Jin with a look of reluctance, standing there listlessly, not saying a word.
"What's wrong? Have you stuffed all your classics into a dog's belly? I am your elder sister-in-law. Don't you have anything to say when we meet?"
Feng Jin gently sipped her tea, speaking with displeasure.
"Greetings, elder sister-in-law," Ling Muzhu said with a hint of resentment.
Putting down the white glazed teacup in her hand, Feng Jin slowly rose and walked to Ling Muzhu's side, her voice stern as she said, "Since grandfather has asked me to guide you, I will teach you a lesson today. Even if you are facing your enemy, as long as you are not capable of defeating him, you must greet him with a smile. You must not let him see even a shred of hatred in you. Only then can you succeed."
Ling Muzhu's expression changed. He looked at Feng Jin in disbelief. Could she really be this kind? However, he still nodded in agreement, as no one had ever taught him such things before.
"Let's go. I'll take you out for a stroll today."
Feng Jin stood up and walked out. The carriage had been prepared and had been waiting outside for a long time.
"Elder sister-in-law, you're finally here," Ling Wan said from inside the carriage, having waited for a long time.
When Ling Wan's gaze fell upon Ling Muzhu, her expression gradually dimmed.
"Didn't I teach you how to greet people?" Feng Jin said sternly.
"Sister is well," Ling Muzhu said in a low voice, then lowered his head. Ling Wan was only a few months older than him, but he had always subconsciously known that children born of concubines were not as noble as him.
Therefore, he had always looked down on Ling Wan and had never called her sister.
Ling Wan had suffered much bullying from the second branch of the family and had always detested them. However, this time, Ling Muzhu had taken the initiative to call her sister, so she nodded in agreement.
"That's right. You must learn to be polite and respectful in the future. It's getting late, let's all get into the carriage."
Feng Jin got into the carriage first, followed by the others in succession.
The carriage was not very spacious, but it was barely enough for the four of them. Ling Muzhu was squeezed to the side.
Along the way, Ling Wan chattered endlessly with Feng Jin, while Cai Qing ate pastries and chimed in occasionally. Ling Muzhu, on the other hand, kept his head down, appearing rather out of place.
Upon arrival, Feng Jin and her companions alighted from the carriage.
Feng Jin stepped into the house and looked at the well-prepared rooms, a smile playing on her lips. "This batch of workers is quite fast. To have achieved this in such a short time is truly impressive."
"Young madam, I hired the best carpentry crew in the entire capital. These cabinets, tables, and chairs were all built according to your drawings," Cai Qing said as she stepped forward. The young madam's drawings were very unusual, and it took searching the entire capital to find a carpentry crew willing to take on the job. The price they quoted was more than double that of others.
"Pay them the remaining balance, and give them an additional twenty taels of silver."
It wasn't that Feng Jin was ostentatiously wealthy and had nowhere to spend her money. It was mainly because the craftsmanship was indeed excellent. There would be many opportunities for cooperation in the future, and paying a little more would facilitate future collaborations.
All the equipment for the clinic was in place, and they were just waiting for an auspicious day to open.
Feng Jin flipped through the almanac and found that the sixteenth of this month was a good day.
"Cai Qing, put up a notice announcing that our clinic will open on the sixteenth. We will offer free consultations for three days on the opening day, and all medicinal ingredients will be half-price."
She needed to create a buzz. She also had her exclusively developed Qingfeng Yulu Ointment, a miraculous medicine for healing wounds and fading scars, which was exceptionally effective.
"I understand, young madam."
"Ling Muzhu, go to the backyard and sort the medicinal ingredients, categorizing them and placing them all into the medicine cabinets."
Feng Jin had brought Ling Muzhu out this time specifically to have him work diligently. She didn't trust him with any other tasks, so she assigned him this simplest of jobs. As long as one could read and had a functioning brain, they could do it.
To Feng Jin's surprise, Ling Muzhu did not argue this time and obediently began sorting the medicinal ingredients.
After finishing the task, Ling Muzhu was covered in sweat, his clothes soaked. He sat on a chair, panting heavily. Since childhood, he had never even moved a stool himself, and doing such work felt like it had taken half his life.
"Here, wipe your face," Feng Jin handed a clean towel to Ling Muzhu. She had inspected the medicine cabinets earlier and found them to be well-organized without any errors.
She truly hadn't expected Ling Muzhu to be so meticulous when working. It seemed he wasn't entirely without merit. "Cai Qing made some hawthorn water to relieve heat and stimulate the appetite. Drink some first, and we'll have dinner later."
"Understood," Ling Muzhu replied listlessly. He scooped a bowl of hawthorn water and gulped it down. Finding it not enough, he drank another bowl. Just as he was about to reach for more, Feng Jin stopped him.
"Hawthorn water is cooling. You've been sweating a lot. Drinking too much might cause stomach discomfort. If you're thirsty, drink some hot water to warm your stomach." She thought that if he had stomach issues, he would blame her for poisoning him again.
Ling Muzhu stood there for a long time, holding the bowl, unsure whether to drink or put it down.
Cai Qing couldn't bear to watch and reached out to take the bowl from Ling Muzhu, giving him a cup of hot tea. "Young master, drink some tea first. Drinking too much hawthorn water might cause stomach discomfort." This young master, who had previously appeared arrogant and willful, seemed rather foolish and cute when dealing with the young madam.
Ling Muzhu kept drinking from the teacup. He quickly finished a whole pot of tea, and the dryness and discomfort in his mouth finally eased considerably.
"Elder sister-in-law, this medical book... could I take a look at it?" Ling Wan asked hesitantly.
Feng Jin, who had been looking at the medical book, looked up at Ling Wan. "Are you interested in medical books?"
Ling Wan quickly nodded. "I previously obtained a copy of the Huangdi Neijing and found it very interesting, so I wanted to ask elder sister-in-law for a medical book to read."
"Do you know what a 'xu mai' (empty pulse) is according to the Huangdi Neijing?"
"'Xu mai' is characterized by weakness, appearing floating, large, soft, and without roots. A weak pulse with body heat indicates heatstroke, while qi deficiency and waning strength result in general weakness."
Seeing Ling Wan answer fluently, Feng Jin showed a hint of surprise. Ancient sayings claimed that a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent, and it was rare for Ling Wan to understand medical texts.
"Elder sister-in-law, did I say something wrong?" Ling Wan asked nervously, seeing Feng Jin remain silent for a long time.
Feng Jin snapped back to attention and smiled. "You answered perfectly. I was just surprised that you could understand medical books."
"When I have nothing to do, I often read medical books. Over time, I've managed to remember some of it."