The two women hurried down the mountain.
If they lingered any longer, more villagers would certainly ask them to bring things back from town, and it would be awkward to refuse when everyone was a neighbor.
Fortunately, both of them were already familiar with the road leading to the county. Laughing and chatting along the way, they quickly arrived at their destination.
Qingtian County sat on the plains between two great mountain ranges. Because of the high elevation and abundant sunlight, most of the locals had dark, healthy-looking skin.
As a result, Li Xiyue and Zhu Qinghe stood out strikingly among the crowd with their fair complexions.
Thankfully, the attention they received was mostly harmless admiration.
Women in this era were not strictly confined indoors. Compared to certain dynasties Li Xiyue knew from history, society here was considerably more tolerant.
Li Xiyue first planned to inspect the perfume and cosmetics shop Li Dong had left her on Baoping Street.
The street got its name because it resembled a treasure bottle, narrow at the entrance but widening toward the back.
Her shop happened to sit right in the middle of the “bottle,” a fairly good location with heavy foot traffic.
When the two entered the store, only a few customers were browsing the lip rouge selection.
One woman in her twenties held two cosmetic boxes in her hands, one delicate and expensive-looking, the other plain and ordinary. She looked deeply conflicted.
A shop assistant with a large mole on his face had clearly grown impatient from watching her hesitate for so long.
“If you’re buying, then buy it. If not, leave already,” he snapped rudely. “If you dirty the products, how am I supposed to sell them to the next customer?”
The woman’s face instantly turned red with humiliation.
“You… you…” she stammered for a long time without managing another word.
“Hurry up and get out. What rotten luck first thing in the morning,” the assistant muttered while waving her away.
The woman looked so angry her eyes nearly filled with tears.
The other two young ladies nearby exchanged glances and quietly put down the rouge they were holding, clearly preparing to leave as well.
Although the insults had not been directed at them, the assistant’s attitude was simply too hateful.
Besides, there was more than one cosmetics shop in the county. Why stay here just to be insulted?
Seeing this, Li Xiyue immediately stepped forward to stop them.
“Please wait a moment,” she said politely. “Our shop failed to treat you properly today, and I sincerely apologize on behalf of the store. As compensation, everything the three of you choose today will be sold at thirty percent off.”
The women stared at each other in confusion.
Cosmetics were expensive. A thirty percent discount would save them a considerable amount of money.
But who exactly was this young woman?
Why was she speaking as though she owned the place?
The shop assistant burst into mocking laughter.
“Crazy woman, who do you think you are? Thirty percent off for everything? Keep talking nonsense and I’ll report you to the authorities!”
Li Xiyue smiled coldly.
“Instead of asking who I am, perhaps you should ask your shopkeeper. Actually, no, he won’t remain a shopkeeper for much longer. Truly, this store hires just about any random stray these days.”
“You…” Furious, the assistant raised his hand as though ready to strike her.
Zhu Qinghe and even the three female customers immediately stepped protectively in front of Li Xiyue.
Warmth instantly filled Li Xiyue’s heart.
Zhu Qinghe defending her was one thing, but these strangers stepping forward as well genuinely moved her.
“What’s all this noise?”
A plump man dressed in expensive brocade pushed aside the curtain and emerged from the back room.
“Issue, Uncle!” the assistant cried out excitedly.
Ah.
So this shop had become a family business.
Li Xiyue finally understood.
“And who exactly is making such outrageous claims?” the shopkeeper demanded arrogantly.
Li Xiyue looked at him with amusement.
“Shopkeeper Deng, do you still remember whose surname this shop carries?”
The man froze slightly before quickly forcing out a smile.
“So it’s the young mistress. Please forgive this old man, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. I failed to recognize you at first glance.”
Though Deng Li apologized verbally, his expression clearly revealed that he did not take her seriously at all.
Li Xiyue had no patience for pointless games.
“Since Shopkeeper Deng can’t even recognize the owner of the shop anymore, it seems your age has finally caught up to you. You’re no longer suitable for managing the store.”
“I’ll generously provide you with three extra months of wages. Go home and retire peacefully.”
The moment Deng Li realized she was serious, panic flashed across his face.
“Young Mistress, that won’t do! Back then, the old master signed a twenty-year contract with me. The term hasn’t expired yet. The agreement is written clearly in black and white.”
“If you insist on forcing me out, then I’ll have no choice but to report this matter to the magistrate!”
Li Xiyue’s smile vanished.
“Shopkeeper Deng, I already gave you enough dignity.”
“For all these years, the accounts have shown almost no profit despite the store doing quite well. You know perfectly well how much profit each box of cosmetics brings in.”
“So tell me, why are the profits so low?”
“And why is a man earning barely one tael a month able to wear silk robes and jade thumb rings?”
The barrage of questions left Deng Li utterly speechless.
Only after realizing what she meant did he hurriedly hide his right hand inside his sleeve.
Unfortunately, everyone had already seen the jade ring.
“This… this was bought with my savings accumulated over many years…” Even he sounded unconvinced by his own excuse.
Li Xiyue snorted lightly.
“I don’t care about older accounts. I’ll calculate using one hundred taels of profit per year. As long as you repay the missing five hundred taels from the past five years and leave together with this assistant voluntarily, I won’t pursue the matter further.”
“Otherwise, the money you embezzled over the last decade will be more than enough to cost you your head.”
She looked directly into his pale face.
“Remember this carefully. By the time I return from the flower market, I expect to see five hundred taels and both of your resignation letters.”
Ignoring the completely stunned expressions of the uncle and nephew, Li Xiyue turned back toward the three customers.
“If you have time, come back in two hours. I keep my word.”
On the way to the flower market, Zhu Qinghe kept staring at Li Xiyue nonstop.
Finally unable to endure it anymore, Li Xiyue sighed.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“Because you were incredible just now!” Zhu Qinghe exclaimed, her eyes sparkling brightly. “Sister Li, I admire you so much. I wish I could be that confident someday.”
At that moment, Li Xiyue felt even more reliable in Zhu Qinghe’s eyes than Zhu Qingshan himself.
The two visited several flower shops and bought all sorts of flower seeds along with several rose plants for propagation.
When Li Xiyue noticed fruit tree saplings for sale, she purchased several kinds as well.
Most modern fruits in her space already had seeds available. Once those seedlings matured enough inside the medicinal field, she could eventually replace these current varieties.
After all, compared to modern fruit, the fruits of this era were tiny and lacking sweetness.
After finishing their flower and sapling purchases, they bought all the items the villagers requested.
By the time they finished, it was nearly noon.
The two headed to Zhang Family Restaurant where Zhu Qingmu worked in order to eat lunch.
Neither of them lacked money.
They ordered squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, half a pound of braised pig head meat, and spinach egg drop soup.
By the end of the meal, both women were completely stuffed.
Unfortunately, Zhu Qingmu was too busy to spend time with them. He only managed a quick greeting before rushing back into the kitchen.
“Help! Somebody help!”
“Quickly, fetch a doctor!”
“Wenxuan! Wenxuan, wake up! Please, heavens, save my child!”
Suddenly, panicked screams erupted from the street outside.
A carriage had become completely surrounded by a crowd.
Crying and frantic shouting filled the air.
“Help! Is there a doctor nearby? Our young master is dying!”
The desperate voice sounded utterly hopeless.
“The nearest clinic is still half a quarter-hour away,” someone in the crowd muttered sympathetically. “Who knows if they’ll make it in time? That child’s been choking for quite a while already. His face has turned purple.”
Li Xiyue immediately forced her way through the crowd.
Two elegantly dressed noblewomen clutched a child around three or four years old while crying hysterically. Several maids nearby sobbed loudly for help.
“Everyone, move aside and make room!” Li Xiyue shouted decisively. “Coachman, take the carriage and fetch a doctor immediately!”
The noblewomen were far too panicked to care that a stranger had suddenly taken charge.
After hesitating briefly, the coachman obeyed and hurried off.
“Madam,” Li Xiyue said quickly to the older woman holding the child, “I think the young master choked on food. Let me try helping him. Even the fastest doctor will still take time to arrive.”
“Please… please save my son,” the woman cried desperately. “He’s still so young. I can’t lose him…”
Li Xiyue immediately took the limp child into her arms.
She positioned one leg between his legs, stretched the other behind her, formed a fist with her right hand above the child’s navel, then wrapped her left hand around it.
She began delivering quick upward thrusts.
The two women and surrounding servants hardly dared breathe.
Seeing Li Xiyue repeat the motions over and over without immediate success, many onlookers began shaking their heads regretfully.
This young woman truly had a kind heart.
But if the child died, she would almost certainly become the target of blame.
Li Xiyue ignored everything around her and focused entirely on performing the Heimlich maneuver.
Beside her, Zhu Qinghe was so nervous she nearly cried.
Please let Sister Li succeed…
After what felt like an eternity, just when everyone believed hope was lost, a peanut suddenly flew out of the little boy’s mouth.
A moment later, loud crying erupted from the child.
From weak sobbing to full-blown wailing.
The noblewoman rushed forward and hugged her son tightly while the surrounding women burst into tears together.
“Move aside! The doctor’s here!”
Li Xiyue quietly grabbed Zhu Qinghe’s trembling hand and slipped silently out of the crowd.