Volume One, Chapter 1: Setting Up a Stall!
Located three thousand miles away in Peach Blossom Town within the Qing Shan Empire.
“I’m heading out now to earn money and support you all. You behave and keep the house safe, okay?”
The girl speaking appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. When she smiled, two small tiger teeth peeked out, and her eyes curved like crescent moons, making her irresistibly charming.
Qing Yi’s ancestors were all physicians.
So from a young age, she followed her father and learned the art of refining medicine.
After her parents passed away, she survived by selling medicines.
She could have just given up and taken it easy.
But a heavy rainstorm a few days ago had collapsed half of the courtyard wall, urgently needing repairs, and her resources were stretched thin.
She had to set up her stall quickly!
In the small courtyard, there was only one hen, a willow tree, and a small stone pond.
The hen tilted its head as if listening to the girl’s words.
The courtyard door was locked from the outside.
The girl had just left.
Suddenly, the hen transformed into a stunning woman dressed in red. “What to do? This is already the ninth lifetime, but the master still shows no sign of awakening.”
From the corner, the willow tree emitted a faint spiritual glow, transforming into a man from Qing Shan. “How about we help the master recover her memories together?”
From the pond, a small silver-shelled turtle crawled out slowly and spoke in human language, “The master said she has a calamity destined to happen. Only when this ordeal passes will she return. You need not worry about her.”
Red Luan poked the turtle’s shell and suddenly looked up sharply. “Not good, someone’s coming!”
The turtle quickly dove back into the pond.
The willow tree returned to its usual form.
The woman in red reverted to the hen, pecking absentmindedly at the stones on the ground.
A masked thief peeked over the courtyard wall. Seeing no one inside, he nimbly climbed in.
“What a plump hen!” The thief eyed the seemingly foolish hen on the ground and swallowed hard.
This hen would be perfect to take home for soup to nourish the body.
But before that—
He needed to see if there was any silver or valuables first.
He did not want to leave empty-handed!
Red Luan raised her head, spat out a stone, and glared fiercely at the uninvited thief.
How dare this little thief call her a hen!
She was a true phoenix!
The thief didn’t notice that as he turned, one of the willow tree’s branches silently wrapped around his ankle.
“Ouch!” The thief fell flat, looking back in shock. “What the hell is this?”
Suddenly, countless willow branches danced wildly in the air. The thief’s pupils dilated instantly as he was tightly bound. “Oh no, a monster!”
---
“Smack!”
A willow branch cracked against the thief, tearing his clothes to shreds.
“Cluck cluck cluck.” Red Luan jumped onto the thief’s head, clawing at his hair with both paws. “You’re the hen! Your whole family are hens!”
“Th-the hen talks!” The thief was so terrified he knelt and crawled away.
When the talking hen lunged at him again, he didn’t care he was naked, screamed, and dove headfirst into a dog hole in the corner of the wall.
“Monster! Help! Help me…”
As the cries faded, Red Luan transformed back into human form and snorted coldly, “If I catch you again, I’ll swallow you whole!”
…
On the streets of the small town.
The girl had just set up her stall.
The vegetable-selling aunties on the street swarmed around her like flies spotting a crack in an egg, grabbing her hands to chat about family matters.
“Qing Yi, you’re just fifteen, right? How about I introduce you to my nephew…”
“Get lost! Your nephew’s so old, he’s uncle-level compared to Qing Yi. Marry my son instead, be my daughter-in-law, and we’ll all listen to you!”
Qing Yi was famously beautiful and lively in this small town.
Everyone adored her.
With no elders left in her family, these women had basically watched her grow up!
Now Qing Yi had blossomed into a graceful young lady, with fields and a house at home.
It was said her parents left a dowry when they passed.
Pretty and without burdens.
Who wouldn’t envy such a good girl?
Countless young men in the town coveted Qing Yi’s beauty!
If it weren’t for the strict rule that only women aged sixteen and above could marry, these women would have already introduced her to every eligible bachelor.
The threshold of Qing Yi’s home might have been worn down by the footsteps of those young suitors!
Qing Yi struggled with all her might to break free from the aunties’ siege. “Aunties, I’m still young!”
“Oh, what’s there to be afraid of? When I was your age, I was already a mother.”
“This naughty girl’s even shy now!”
Qing Yi’s big eyes darted around. “Aunties, haven’t you bought my medicine in a long time?”
At the mention of “medicine,” the aunties’ faces turned sour.
Medicine? What she sold wasn’t medicine.
They had tried it once, and it caused severe diarrhea!
It was like a super-strength laxative!
And it smelled terrible.
Their husbands wouldn’t even come near them.
They had to wash for days to get rid of the stench!
Eat it again?
That would be deadly!
“Qing Yi, better forget it!”
“Yeah, the stuff at home hasn’t even been finished yet!”
Qing Yi refused to give up, picking up a bottle from her stall. “Aunties, this is an improved formula this time. It really works. If you’re sick, one pill cures the illness; if you’re healthy, one pill strengthens the body!”
“Really effective? How much?”
Qing Yi’s eyes brightened. This auntie seemed unfamiliar! A newcomer?
“Auntie, just two taels of silver!”
“Two taels? That’s expensive!”
“It’s not expensive. I use only the finest herbs!”
“Still no, thanks!” The auntie waved her hand and stepped back.
She had hoped this girl would be fruitful, but she turned out to be a spendthrift!
Marrying her off would be a disaster!
Watching the last potential customer walk away, Qing Yi felt a little disappointed.
Why wouldn’t anyone believe her?
She shouted all morning, but as the street emptied, Qing Yi hadn’t sold a single bottle.
At this rate, she didn’t know when the courtyard wall could be repaired.
She sighed deeply.
Yet she firmly believed that as long as she refined medicine diligently, she would earn a fortune someday!
With this hope, after packing up, Qing Yi went to the pharmacy to buy a batch of herbs.
“Qing Yi, these dried leaves were just picked today, four wen per bundle!”
“I’ll take some. Please wrap them up for me.”
“Got it.”
Besides the dried leaves, Qing Yi also purchased ginseng roots and lingzhi leaves. She had her own herb garden, so she didn’t need to buy much.
Her ginseng and lingzhi plants were still immature and couldn’t be harvested.
Buying these roots and leaves was simply to increase her success rate in refining medicines!