Chapter 119– All Favors Are Gone (1)

On their way to Gu Xiao’s place, they brought along with them a few elders and figured they’d clarify everything once and for all to stifle Mrs. Gu’s effort to keep on causing troubles with them every 2-3 days.

They didn’t expect that they’d hear Mrs. Gu demanding Gu Xiao to pay her 200 taels of silver to compensate for her raising the two children. Has she lost her mind? Two hundred taels of silver would be more than enough for 20-30 children, let alone two!

For the sake of money, Mrs. Gu didn’t care about anything else. She even talked back to the Patriarch, “What do you mean by ludicrous? I have raised the kids all these years; kids that could make money no less. All I am asking for is 200 taels of silver. How is that not a fair amount? That little fart earned 160 taels of silver from just one trip to town, she could make that amount back in just two trips!”

Of course she was here because of the money that Gu Ye had made. Gu Xiao snickered and said, “Okay, so you’ve heard about how much Xiao Ye-zi had earned but did you know how she earned those money?”

“Of course I do! I’ve learned all about it!” Mrs. Gu’s expression clearly stated don’t-you-even-try-that-on-me. “That’s the little fart’s profit from selling her medicinal herbs and repayment for her saving that man in town!”

“What nonsense! That Wu Dongguai also went to sell his medicinal herbs in town. Even with his tens of years of experiences, you didn’t see him bringing in tens of taels of profit! Xiao Ye-zi had only been getting her hands wet for a month. Are you saying that the herbs that she had processed were better than that of Dr. Wu’s? Do you think she’s a godsend?” Even the head of the village couldn’t help but rebutted her words.

Gu Xiao nodded at the head of the village and said, “The village head was right! Of the medicinal herbs that we have brought with us, the most valuable ones were those made by Xiao Ye-zi’s master. Those were the ones that fetched the high prices!”

He paused, then carried on, “As for the 100 taels of silver in repayment, that’s all pure rumor! The Landlord Ding had difficulty breathing for a moment there and his servant breathed into his mouth and saved him that way. Xiao Ye­-zi put a pill into his mouth that happened to treat his symptoms. Young Master Ding merely paid us 100 taels of silver for the sake of buying more of these medicines, which also belong to Xiao Ye-zi’s master. Ergo, we have given all the taels of silver to Xiao Ye-zi’s master as soon as we got back.”

“That’s impossible! All 160 taels of silver went to her master? Are you telling me that everything that she made was worthless?” Mrs. Gu expressed her doubts as she stared intently at Gu Xiao, trying to pick up some clue from his look whether he was lying to her.

Gu Xiao had been around the blocks for years, would he really let any village woman see through him? With a slight smile on him, he said, “Who said my Ye-zi’s medicines were worthless? Anything besides that 160 taels of silver were all her profit. Xiao Ye-zi, show what you’ve made to your ‘Seventh Aunt’. We don’t want her calling you a worthless girl who could do nothing but eat.”

Gu Ye tried not to laugh as she produced five taels of broken silver from her chest and said, “Here. That’s what was left after I’ve bought stationaries for my brother and winter clothing for my master. Six taels of silver for four baskets of raw herbs, no wonder Dr. Wu said it’s better to pick herbs than to farm. Life can be quite comfortable. Processing medicinal herb is such a profitable trade!” As she was saying, she purposefully put on a prideful grin.

Normally, six taels of silver in less than a month was still pretty decent income, but Mrs. Gu was here with the 160 taels of silver in mind. She didn’t care about merely five taels of silver.