A master of metaphysics is farming.

Chapter 165 Towards Lotus

Back at the He residence, everyone was busy with their own things, except for He Sui'an and Xing Ji, who stayed at home.

Mirror Flower Water Moon ran off to play in the mountains, and Chu Crow followed him everywhere. The only demon in the house was that snow-white rabbit.

Xiang He packed up the cloth bag, and He Suian brought over the fruit and sat down.

She glanced up briefly, "Guess who I saw?"

"Can't guess."

Xiang He carefully reworked the ink line, winding it around little by little. "I've encountered the original owner's biological family members; they're in the capital."

He Sui'an's brow remained unmoved. "Really?"

"What a coincidence, I also went to exorcise evil spirits for his eldest son."

Picking up the fruit, He Sui'an leaned back in the rocking chair and lay down, "No wonder I haven't seen you for so long."

He handed Xiang He a piece of fruit, "Then guess what I heard?"

"Can't guess."

“Hehe,” He Sui’an picked up another one and shook it in front of his eyes, “As long as I don’t participate in the palace examination, you’ll let me return to my ancestral home. How ridiculous.”

Xiang He opened her mouth and bit him, "How vicious! She doesn't want you to succeed. Even if you acknowledge your ancestors, she might just send you somewhere and you'll never be able to return to the capital in this lifetime."

"you guessed right."

Xiang He looked up and met his gaze, then burst out laughing.

-

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Soon after, the medicinal cuisine shop opened, with the signboard inscribed by Xiang He.

——[Chao Food Notes]

The plaque was a gift from He Sui'an as a business opening present.

Xiang He didn't need to prepare anything. Ever since Jiang Xinyue decided to open the shop, Xiang He personally provided the plans for researching medicinal cuisine. Even the selection of the shop's servants had to be approved by Xiang He.

Outside the breakfast stall, a large crowd had gathered in a big circle.

Jiang Xinyue was wearing a festive pink outfit, which Xiang Huiying had sewn for her herself, and she could wear it out today.

She kept saying things like "May your business prosper," and then a waiter went to hang up firecrackers.

The noise made the store even more lively. Xiang He covered her ears and sat in front of the counter, looking up at the wooden sign behind her. It had many names of medicinal dishes written on it, as well as their signature pearl duck.

She turned and walked to the shop entrance, where a table was set up with several medical books, writing brushes, ink, paper, and an old doctor sitting there waiting.

Jiang Xinyue, standing at the door, clasped her hands together several times, announcing, "Grand opening! Three days of free medical consultations!"

The surrounding crowd burst into applause, and Xiang He joined in.

At this moment, several people emerged from the crowd. Qin Fuhua and Yuan Qingqiu walked over, accompanied by maids carrying gifts.

Jiang Xinyue immediately went to greet her, "Greetings, Princess. What brings you here?"

"Don't be so polite with me now," Qin Fuhua said, lifting her skirt as she walked in. "I've come to support your shop."

"Thank you, Princess!"

Jiang Xinyue arranged a good seat for them, and people began to enter from outside, most of them queuing up to see the doctor.

Free medical consultations are certainly rare, and we should test their authenticity before deciding whether to go in for a meal.

Many people came because of the doctor's reputation. After all, Jiang Xinyue had already put up a sign before the opening, and many people came early this morning with a clear purpose.

He Sui'an walked in from outside the door, sat down with Xiang He, and talked to the two of them for a while.

"Now that the shop is open, I want to see if it has improved at all."

Yuan Qingqiu smiled and said, "It seems that the princess often visits the He residence. Your friendly interactions make my daughter seem lonely."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't I bring you along today?"

The two chatted and laughed, Xiang He got up to help, while He Suian went to the counter.

There are many people in the morning. The shop has enough staff, but it can't handle the crowds.

She was busy for most of the day, and Xiang He's hands were almost sore from preparing the food. She leaned on the counter to relax, and He Suian put down the brush and gently massaged her forearm.

"Take a break. Xing Ji and Zhu Nan are helping out, so we don't need you for the time being."

Xiang He waved her hands and looked up at the people dining in the shop; there were too many to count.

Qin Fuhua and Yuan Qingqiu had already left. She glanced casually at the doctor's side, where people were still queuing up, behaving very orderly.

Just as she was about to look away, a green dress caught her eye.

The woman was masked, with only her eyes and forehead showing, and she peeked out from the back of the line.

Xiang He straightened up, a faint smile playing on her lips. "What a coincidence, she actually came."

He Sui'an looked up and saw that the young lady from the Shaojian Mansion had actually appeared here. In the blink of an eye, Xiang He had already walked out, and he was sitting at the counter watching her.

"Miss, are you here for a diagnosis or a meal?"

The woman's eyes flickered, and she looked at her with a smile in them. "Diagnose the illness first, then we'll have a meal."

Xiang He's eyes also lit up with a smile. Unlike the day I saw her, her eyes were bright and she looked much more energetic today.

"Excuse my bluntness, but why does Miss wear a veil?"

The woman smiled as always, her delicate hand stroking her face. "I haven't been looking too well lately, but I still want to go out, so I'm wearing a veil to avoid startling others."

"Is Miss ill? I know a little about medicine, perhaps you could tell me about it?"

The woman's eyes lit up with delight. "That's wonderful! Shall we go inside and sit down to talk?"

He was more than happy to hear her words, so Xiang He turned around and led her inside, finding an empty table to sit down.

Jiang Xinyue glanced at the woman and immediately went to prepare tea. When she brought it over, she made a point of looking at the woman.

"What would you like to eat, Miss?"

The woman waved her hand, "Let this young lady diagnose my illness first."

"Okay, you can call for help in a bit."

After Jiang Xinyue left, a maidservant poured tea and then retreated.

Xiang He had already extended her hand. "May I ask your surname, Miss? Let me take your pulse."

She placed her hand on the table. "Ye Shuyao, just call me Shuyao."

“Miss Ye,” Xiang He gently pressed her pulse, “Miss Ye’s pulse is weak and faint, which is the root cause of her deficiency in both qi and blood. She should take good care of herself and nourish her body.”

"Young lady, you are truly remarkable. Even the doctor said I have a deficiency of constitution."

Ye Shuyao lightly touched behind her ear with her fingers and casually pulled down her veil.

A pale face appeared, with white lips tinged with vermilion, cheekbones not particularly high, and eyes slightly upturned at the corners, giving off a seductive quality when the eyes turned.

As she raised her entire face, Xiang He pressed the large umbrella on the table, leaned forward, and stared at her with eyes sharp as knives. "Who exactly are you?"

Despite the chilling tone, Ye Shuyao was not frightened at all. Instead, she smiled and leaned closer, saying, "So it's true... You really did change your core too."

Upon hearing this, Xiang He tightened her grip on the umbrella. "Also?"

Her brows furrowed and her lips tightened. Her left hand, hidden under the table, moved slightly. "Did the Imperial Advisor replace you?"

Hearing this, Ye Shuyao laughed even harder, covering her lips with her delicate fingers, "Aren't you very capable? You can just do a simple calculation and you'll know, right?"

With an arrogant expression, she pulled out a handkerchief. Behind her, a maid placed a tael of silver. She stood up gracefully and said, "This is the consultation fee. Please keep it safe."

As she swayed her hips and turned around, she gave Xiang He a disdainful look before she finished.

Xiang He's heart skipped a beat. Her fingertips, hanging by her side, twitched slightly. She murmured something, then suddenly her eyes widened. "Though dead, you are still alive... You are Xiang Lianhua!"