Dust Settles

Jiang An Tai was indeed angry when Li San Lang suggested that the Shi family move out of the Shi residence. However, this time he didn't ignore Li Chang Sen's family as he did before.

"Prepare some food and essentials and take them to the Chang Sen family."

Jiang An Tai instructed Lady Jiang.

Lady Jiang wasn't surprised and responded, "We don't even know the Shi family's stance yet. Isn't it a bit too early to take action so soon?"

Jiang An Tai smiled confidently, "The Shi family will agree."

As long as his younger sister and her husband, as well as the Shi family, were determined to revive their family's reputation, they knew how to make the right choice.

"Even if we consider the worst-case scenario, and they don't agree, we're still the maternal family of the Chang Sen family. It's only right for us to maintain contact."

"By the way, bring the younger ones from our family as well. Let them spend more time with San Lang and the others."

"When we receive a letter from the Shi family, it'll be time for the Chang Sen family to return to the capital. We won't have much time to build a relationship with them."

Lady Jiang understood and nodded, then left to make preparations.

The next day, Lady Jiang brought many things to the Li family and also had some of her grandchildren come to pay their respects to Li Chang Sen and Jin Yue E.

Li Chang Sen and Jin Yue E were surprised by this, while Li San Lang and his siblings remained composed.

"Sister, starting tomorrow, I won't go to Madame Qiao's for lessons anymore. You can go alone."

Li Er Ya looked at Li Wu Ya in surprise, "Why? Why aren't you going?"

Li Wu Ya, busy writing down prescriptions, said, "Haven't you noticed? The Jiang family's frequent visits suggest their attitude, as well as that of the Shi family. If I'm guessing correctly, we might be going to the capital very soon."

"Before we go to the capital, I need to get Shennong Hall's affairs in order."

Li Er Ya wasn't as certain as Li Wu Ya, "Will the Shi family really kick out the members of the Li family?"

Li Wu Ya smiled, "People gather where there are benefits; they scatter where there's danger. There's nothing impossible about it."

Li Er Ya furrowed her brows, "Even though our requests have been fulfilled, why does this situation feel so uncomfortable?"

Li Wu Ya raised her head, "Are you uncomfortable because you think the Shi family brought us back for their benefit?"

Li Er Ya nodded, "Yes."

Li Wu Ya chuckled, "There's no reason to be uncomfortable about that. The fact that the Shi family chose us means we have the ability. That's something to be happy about."

Li Er Ya looked down, "But what if we don't have the ability? If we didn't know General Cai, would the Jiang family and the Shi family still have driven us out of the residence?"

Li Wu Ya laughed softly, "Sister, you're worrying needlessly. There's no 'what if' in this world. Just believe in the facts."

"The fact is that we know General Cai, saved his son, and because of this connection, the Jiang family and the Shi family see our value. That's enough."

"As for emotions, we can't expect the Jiang family and the Shi family to unconditionally lean towards us just based on a bit of blood relation. Everyone seeks benefits and avoids harm."

Li Er Ya sighed, "I understand the logic, but for Dad's sake, it's just that..." She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Li Wu Ya, "Is there anything related to Shennong Hall that I can help with?"

Li Wu Ya shook her head, "No need. Shennong Hall's affairs are simple. Leave everything from procuring herbs to making pills and running the medicine shop to Shang Lao Jiu."

Li Er Ya furrowed her brows, "You're leaving all the operations of the medicine shop to Shang Lao Jiu, and we'll be far away in the capital. Won't Shennong Hall become entirely his over time?"

"Currently, it's just a medicine shop, which isn't a big deal. But don't you still plan to open branches in other border cities? If we expand the number of shops, without anyone to restrain Shang Lao Jiu, he might become greedy. Do you have a way to control him?"

Li Wu Ya wasn't too worried, smiling, "If Shang Lao Jiu dares to have any ill intentions, I'll make sure he understands my capabilities. However, letting him dominate alone and fully control Shennong Hall is indeed not feasible."

With a sigh, she continued, "As always, no matter when, talented individuals are the foundation. If I had other capable people on hand, I wouldn't be worrying about this."

"For now, let's temporarily set aside the matter of opening branches. I'll ask the second senior brother to help oversee Shennong Hall. There shouldn't be any issues in the short term."

Seeing that she couldn't really help Li Wu Ya, Li Er Ya went to Madame Qiao's place on her own the next day.

Nine Borders Trading Company.

After hearing Li Wu Ya's explanation about Li Chang Sen's background, Shang Lao Jiu was both shocked and delighted.

He was shocked to learn that the son of the Marquis had been switched with the son of a common military family, and he felt a deep sympathy for Li Chang Sen.

He was delighted because his luck had indeed favored him. With Li Wu Ya's status as a young miss from the Marquis's family, his position was even stronger.

"The Shi family has sent someone to take my father. Our family will likely be heading to the capital soon. I'm here to discuss Shennong Hall's affairs with you."

Shang Lao Jiu immediately became serious, "Big sister, rest assured, I promise to manage Shennong Hall well."

Li Wu Ya said, "From Rong City to the capital, it's a journey of several thousand miles. I won't make it hard for you. Every six months, have someone send me the accounts of the medicine shop. Additionally, I'll send people periodically to audit the accounts."

Shang Lao Jiu felt a greater sense of responsibility. He understood that Li Wu Ya wasn't entirely at ease letting him handle Shennong Hall alone, fearing he might hide things from her.

And it made sense. With the collaboration between Shennong Hall and the border army, the considerable number of pills they supplied to the army would undoubtedly bring in a substantial income each year. Li Wu Ya's lack of complete trust was reasonable.

However, looking at Li Wu Ya's youthful face, he couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.

If he were discussing this with peers who were experienced and astute, he wouldn't think much of it. But facing a girl who was even younger than his own children, he felt strangely out of place.

Li Wu Ya then handed him a golden eagle token, "If you encounter any tricky situations, like being intercepted by ninth-tier experts, tie a distress message to the eagle's claw. Someone will intervene."

Shennong Hall's reputation was growing in Rong City, and the fact that it had attracted the interest of Cui Yong Feng meant it would likely attract others as well.

Especially since Rong City was located on the border, they had to deal with people from both Da Chu and the northern kingdom, Bei Yan.

With no one on her side, she had to rely on her second senior brother to take on the extra responsibility of overseeing Shang Lao Jiu.

Shang Lao Jiu immediately stood up, happily accepting the golden eagle token.

The border region was plagued by bandits, and while his trading convoy had its fair share of experts, who knew when they might encounter formidable opponents.

He knew that the golden eagle was connected to the sturdy man who lived in the Tianshan Mountains, a high-tier expert for sure.

With such a formidable figure backing him up, he felt much more at ease.

Li Wu Ya continued, "By the way, are there many wandering children in the border cities?"

Shang Lao Jiu nodded, "Yes, the beggars' community is mostly comprised of children and elderly."

Li Wu Ya pondered for a moment, "Once Shennong Hall becomes profitable, set aside one-fifth of the profits and use it to train some clever street children."

Shang Lao Jiu was taken aback, "Train them for what?"

Li Wu Ya replied, "To become medical apprentices and herbalists, of course." She paused for a moment, "Train them in medical techniques. When your people bring the account books, I'll have them bring back some training materials."

Shang Lao Jiu's interest was piqued, and he asked, "How many do we need to train?"

Li Wu Ya thought for a moment, "Let's start with fifty. We can decide on the number based on the situation later."

Shang Lao Jiu was astonished. Training fifty individuals would indeed be quite an endeavor. Considering Li Wu Ya's previous mention of opening branch stores, his enthusiasm started to rise.

These people were being prepared for the branch stores, weren't they? Fantastic! Training more of them would secure his position as the visible manager of Shennong Hall. The more branches Shennong Hall had, the more benefits he would reap.

Shennong Hall currently had six main types of pills. Li Wu Ya handed over six prescriptions to Shang Lao Jiu.

Seeing the prescriptions, Shang Lao Jiu's heart started to race. The son of the Commander-in-Chief had lost everything trying to get these prescriptions. Yet now, he had obtained them effortlessly!

Excited, he reached out to take the prescriptions, but just as his hand was about to touch them, Li Wu Ya suddenly pulled them back.

Confused, Shang Lao Jiu looked at Li Wu Ya.

Li Wu Ya smiled gently, "I'm giving you the prescriptions because I trust you. But are you worthy of that trust?"

Shang Lao Jiu's expression immediately turned serious, and he earnestly said, "Big sister, rest assured, I might not have any outstanding qualities, but there's one thing I believe I can do well. I have self-awareness."

"I understand very clearly that if I rely solely on myself, my life would probably consist of running a few dentistry practices and leading some trading caravans. If I want to progress and experience more, I need someone influential to support me. And big sister, you are that person for me."

"You not only saved my life but also entrusted me with the management of Shennong Hall. I won't disappoint your trust."

Li Wu Ya smiled and handed over the prescriptions again, looking at Shang Lao Jiu, "I'm not one to tolerate any nonsense. For me, there's only a difference between doing and not doing. If you cross my bottom line, there's no room for begging. So think twice before you act in anything."

Shang Lao Jiu hesitated for a moment and then took the prescriptions with both hands, "Big sister, I'll do my best."

Li Wu Ya nodded with a smile, "I'll be watching." With that, she stood up, "Let's go, come to my house. I'll teach you how to make the pills."

"After you learn all the steps for compounding the medicines, divide them into different preparation lines and assign them to different people."

"Our pharmacy's most important asset is the prescriptions. Make sure no one else learns them."

"Rest assured, big sister, I'll guard them closely."

For the following period, Li Wu Ya focused on teaching Shang Lao Jiu how to prepare the pills. Li Er Ya continued her studies under Madame Qiao, Li Qi Lang attended the government school, and Li San Lang stayed at the security agency, learning and strengthening his bonds with the head of the agency.

With each of the four children occupied with their own matters, ironically, Li Chang Sen and Jin Yue E were the ones with the most free time.

As the Jiang family frequently visited, the two of them also began to discern the situation.

Being chosen by the family made Li Chang Sen happy, but Jin Yue E felt anxious and uneasy.

When she thought her husband was the son of the Jiang family, she was nervous but still felt relatively secure. Although the Jiang family had high standards, they were, after all, a border family.

Growing up in the border region, even though Rong City had become busier and more prosperous, she was familiar with this place. Therefore, she didn't fear it as much.

But the Count's residence in the distant capital of Wuchang was a realm of wealth and privilege she had never even imagined. Seeing the determination of the Shi family to take her husband back, she felt not joy but deep insecurity and anxiety.

Her husband and all four children were part of the Shi family's bloodline, but she was the outsider. If the Shi family looked down on her, what would she do?

She could only rely on her husband and children, but she knew so little. What if she embarrassed them?

Thinking about these things, Jin Yue E was so anxious that she could hardly sleep.

Li Chang Sen noticed Jin Yue E's distress and understood her feelings. He was equally nervous and apprehensive, fearing that the Shi family might not accept him and that he would be looked down upon. All he could do was embrace his wife silently to comfort her.

Jin Yue E buried her head in Li Chang Sen's shoulder and muffled her voice, "When we return to the Shi family, will you still accept me, or will you reject me?"

Li Chang Sen smiled, "In my heart and in the hearts of our children, you will always be the most important. Wherever you are, that's our home. If I ever dare to reject you, I won't have a home anymore."

He knew very well that the Shi family's acceptance of him wasn't due to deep affection but mostly because he was part of their bloodline.

The two contrasting attitudes of the Jiang family's interactions with them had made him understand what the prominent families valued the most.

It wasn't him as an individual; it was what his family could offer to the Shi family.

And his wife, along with their four children, were the ones truly concerned about him.

Comforted by Li Chang Sen's words, Jin Yue E's emotions improved.

In this way, around ten days passed. On the 12th of July, the response from the Shi family finally arrived.

After reading the letter, Jiang An Tai sighed deeply upon learning that Shi Zheng Kun had voluntarily left the Shi residence, "There was no need for all this. Moving out of the Shi residence means it's just the two families now."

"Compared to Zheng Kun's sensible decision, the Chang Sen family…"

Even though the Li Chang Sen family knew Governor Cai and had an advantage, at this moment, Li Chang Sen was still leaning towards Shi Zheng Kun.

As the head of the Jiang family, maintaining the stability of the family was also his responsibility.

Shi Zheng Kun considered the bigger picture and didn't want to make things difficult for his parents and elders. On the other hand, Li Chang Sen lacked this awareness. Jiang An Tai could clearly distinguish between their priorities.

Jiang An Bang didn't agree, "Zheng Kun just did what he was supposed to do. There's nothing special about it. And as for Chang Sen, he's even more justified. He's just taking back what belongs to him."

Jiang An Tai didn't want to argue with his younger brother at this moment. He held the letter and said, "Since the Shi family's response has arrived, let's visit the Chang Sen family tomorrow."

The next day, Jiang An Tai and Jiang An Bang arrived at the Li residence early in the morning.

After Li Chang Sen finished reading the letter from the Shi family, Jiang An Tai began, "Zheng Kun has moved out of the Shi residence. Your requests have been met. Pack up and prepare to return to the capital with Chief Shi and Madam Xu."

Li San Lang asked, "What about the household registration?"

Jiang An Tai smiled, "I'll take care of that." Li Chang Sen was a son of the Shi family, and the Shi family was part of the Count's household. If their family transferred their household registration, no one would object.

Seeing that Li Chang Sen and Li San Lang had no further questions, Jiang An Tai left Shi Nian and Madam Xu behind, "You two stay here and help them pack their belongings."

Shi Nian and Madam Xu smiled and agreed.

After nearly two months at the border, things were finally settled.

Jiang An Tai and Jiang An Bang left after having lunch. Once they were gone, Shi Nian and Madam Xu enthusiastically helped Jin Yue E with the packing.

They had initially thought that there wasn't much to pack at the Li residence, and it could be done quickly. However, the next day, they heard Li Wu Ya say, "Mom, Dad, my brother and I are going to visit Uncle's house. We'll be leaving. You can stay in this house."

Li Chang Sen and Jin Yue E knew that Li Wu Ya wanted to bid farewell to the old man in Tian Shan and Tian Chi. They nodded and agreed, "Stay a few more days, there's no rush."

Shi Nian and Madam Xu exchanged a silent glance.

They had a sense that this family was in no hurry to return to the Shi family.

"It's been nearly two months, a few more days won't make a difference."

Having gotten used to life in the capital, they found it hard to adapt to the border's climate. However, what could they do about it? They were servants and had to follow their master's arrangements.