Chapter 35: The Mysterious Apothecary

The next day.

Before dawn, Guyue Village was already bustling with activity.

Just as during the summer harvest when they handed over the public grain, Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai followed behind Hu Dashan and Accountant Hu, leading the procession. Behind them trailed villagers from Guyue, carrying loads and pushing carts.

The procession set out in grand fashion, while Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai huddled sleepily in the donkey cart. Such an important matter as delivering public grain could not do without the village’s only donkey cart.

With Accountant Hu present, the silly donkey, no matter how much it disliked Tang Banxia, wouldn’t dare act up. It could only obediently carry the pair toward the commune.

By the time they arrived, the grain station already had a long queue.

Familiar with the process by now, they lined up. Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai found a corner, sat down, and closed their eyes to rest.

After daybreak, Tang Banxia gazed at the line ahead. She stomped her foot and said, “Let’s go. Tell the brigade leader we’re going to look around the commune.”

Wen Mubai, eager to avoid acquaintances, nodded quickly. “Yes, yes.”

Tang Banxia glanced at him sideways. “Let’s go.”

Hu Dashan naturally didn’t refuse, but reminded them, “Come back early.”

Tang Banxia nodded.

After spending a month with Aunt Hu and Old Lady Song, she had learned more about Wen Mubai’s standing in the village.

Given Wen Mubai’s reputation, his ability to live well in the village was not only because he was the orphan of a martyr, but also because he had ties with Station Chief Xia at the grain station.

With his connection, Guyue Village’s handover of public grain each year went much more smoothly.

In rural areas, the greatest fear was offending the grain station staff. If the workers decided to sabotage things, insisting your grain was of poor quality, the village would have to pay much more public grain, leaving the villagers hungry.

On the other hand, if you knew someone at the station who would declare your grain as high quality, you could hand over less public grain, and more would be left for the villagers.

This was why Wen Mubai could stir things up in the village without being beaten—because he had such a valuable connection.

Yet Tang Banxia noticed that Wen Mubai seemed to avoid Station Chief Xia as much as possible, and she guessed there was more to the story. She didn’t press him.

For now, their relationship was growing closer, and she believed that one day Wen Mubai would be willing to confide in her.

First, the two headed to the commune’s pharmacy to sell the medicinal herbs Tang Banxia had brought.

When they arrived, there were others in the pharmacy, so Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai waited nearby. When Lü Xun finished his work, he came out from behind the counter, smiling. “You haven’t been here in ages. I thought you’d run off with my medicinal herbs.”

Tang Banxia rolled her eyes at his words. “Your herbs? I paid for them, didn’t I?”

Lü Xun walked over, intending to take the basket from Tang Banxia’s hands, but another hand reached out first. Only then did he notice the handsome young man standing by Tang Banxia. “And this is?”

“My husband,” Tang Banxia replied succinctly, then emptied the basket of herbs for him. “Check their quality.”

Lü Xun withdrew his gaze and inspected the herbs one by one. After examining them all, he said, “You, I trust. We’ll take all these at the pharmacy.”

Tang Banxia nodded, straightforward as ever. “Let’s settle the bill.”

Lü Xun shook his head with a wry smile. “You certainly don’t stand on ceremony.”

Tang Banxia looked at him in confusion. What’s there to be polite about?

Lü Xun smiled quietly, returned behind the counter, took out the scale, weighed the herbs, and then paid Tang Banxia.

She took her hard-earned wages for the month, tucked them into her pocket, and asked, “Any other herbs you need?”

Previously, she had only handled simple herbs, but this time she wanted to try something more challenging.

Lü Xun smiled. “Finished reading that book I gave you?”

“Yes,” Tang Banxia replied.

The book he had given her was about processing medicinal herbs. She had finished it in just a few days after bringing it home. “I brought it back for you. Thanks for lending it.”

She also explained, “I was busy with the autumn harvest and hadn’t come to the commune. Today I came along with the brigade delivering grain, so I brought the book back and wanted to take some new herbs.”

Lü Xun nodded indifferently. “Wait here, I’ll fetch the herbs.”

He seemed to trust the couple, leaving them at the front while he went to the back to get the herbs.

Once he had gone, Wen Mubai openly looked around the pharmacy and wondered aloud, “How did I never know there was a pharmacy here?”

He had been in Guyue Village for over a year. If not for his wife leading him, he wouldn’t even know this place was a pharmacy.

“Maybe you never paid attention to these things,” Tang Banxia replied casually. “After all, you don’t know much about medicinal herbs, so you wouldn’t care about a pharmacy.”

Wen Mubai stroked his chin. Was that so?

He wanted to ask more, but Lü Xun returned and pointed to the basket. “I picked these herbs for you—see if any aren’t suitable.”

Tang Banxia crouched down to look and, after checking them, was quite satisfied. “Very suitable, thank you.”

The batch Lü Xun had selected was much more challenging to process than the previous one, matching the content of the book he’d given her.

Tang Banxia was a bit puzzled—was Lü Xun training her?

She put aside her doubts for now. She was practical; as things stood, she could learn and earn money. As for anything else, she felt she had nothing worth scheming over—so she would take things as they came.

Perhaps Lü Xun really did see her as a diamond in the rough.

Having collected the herbs and paid, she greeted Lü Xun and left the pharmacy with Wen Mubai.

Watching their figures recede, Lü Xun’s smile faded. He locked up the shop and headed to the backyard.

In the backyard, the old lady from the purchasing station was focused on grinding something. She didn’t even look up when someone entered, asking blandly, “They’re gone?”

Lü Xun nodded. “They’re gone.”

The old lady didn’t understand why he suddenly seemed so downcast. “What’s wrong? You were quite happy just now.”

Lü Xun’s face fell. “Comrade Tang is married.”

The old lady couldn’t help but glance at him, sharp as a needle. “You like her?”

Lü Xun jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Of course not!”

The old lady withdrew her gaze. “If not, then not.”

Her attitude left Lü Xun unsure how to respond. He stood stunned for a moment, then decided to explain, “I just think she’s talented, and I’m afraid she’ll be worn down by family life, like Sister Fang.”

At the mention of Sister Fang, the old lady’s face darkened as well. After a long pause, she said, “That’s their choice. We have no right to interfere.”

Besides, she observed that the girl was not someone who would be content with domestic life.

Lü Xun said no more, and the backyard fell silent except for the old lady’s grinding of herbs.

Meanwhile, Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai went to the supply store to pick up some daily necessities—needles, thread, soy sauce, vinegar—before heading back to the grain station.

Arriving at the station, Guyue Village’s queue was already there. Wen Mubai, seeing a figure chatting with the brigade leader, suddenly let his smile fall...