“Ping An… is my husband.”
When Wan Ji Cang heard this confirmation once again from Pei Qingxuan’s mouth, he was completely stunned.
Even after Xu Ping’an had already left with Pei Qingxuan, Wan Ji Cang still stood there dumbfounded.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard clearly.
Although he was eighty-eight years old, he prided himself on having neither poor eyesight nor hearing loss.
He might not be as vigorous as young men, but he was far healthier than most elderly men his age.
He simply couldn’t believe it.
Even when Pei Qingxuan had bowed to him—a younger generation’s courtesy—he forgot to respond.
Only when the two had left did the room fall silent.
Wan Ji Cang sat there blankly until nightfall before he finally came to his senses.
His gaze fell on the porcelain bottle on the table. It was Pei Qingxuan’s gift to the elder, a single Yanshou Dan.
Though in this era, a Yanshou Dan that could extend life by thirty or fifty years was already extremely rare.
Yet to many, it remained as precious as a priceless treasure.
Looking at this tiny porcelain bottle, if he took it outside now, one pill alone could easily buy an entire city—no exaggeration.
Only when he saw this pill did Wan Ji Cang truly understand that what had just happened was no dream.
Instantly, the old man who had been stern all this time burst out laughing.
“Heh heh… hahaha~ What a good kid! What a good kid, <hahaha~”
In the dead of night, his hearty laughter echoed through the backyard, startling even the women there.
But soon, his smile faded.
Because a sudden thought crossed his mind.
There’s a saying: marriages and funerals—none come without expense.
Even if you’re marrying a common wife, setting aside the dowry she brings, at least the bride price on your side has to meet the standards, right?
Even if the standard can’t be met, the money has to be enough, right?
But this penniless bastard? What proper bride price could he possibly have?
“How… how much bride price would that take?”
The old man was instantly dumbfounded. After a quick calculation, just the gift of this single pill alone was worth a city, right?
Even if he sold Wan He Tang, it probably wouldn’t be worth a tenth of that pill.
And that was just the meeting gift. When the wedding happened properly, with the sedan chair carried on eight poles, the procession would stretch for ten miles!
He was just a lousy doctor. Though considered a top physician in Great Qi, how on earth did he have that kind of money!?
“It’s over, it’s over… I can’t let that kid lose face. What has to be, must be… hmm, I need to think of a way to get some money.”
The old man made up his mind and stood up, heading straight to the side room in the second courtyard, pushing the door open.
“Starting tomorrow, all medicine prices will be adjusted. For medicines priced under one tael, prices stay the same. For those over one tael, double the price. Everyone, go out on house calls. Hang up the sign and tell everyone that starting tomorrow, I’ll be attending the hall at Wan He Tang all day long!”
A group of disciples stared at their Sect Grandmaster in disbelief.
Among them, the young Shen Li—who had greeted Xu Ping’an earlier that day—stood up carefully.
“Teacher… what’s gotten into you? Didn’t you say you were going to retire? Why suddenly go out on house calls again? Besides, Wan He Tang now has nearly eighty people, masters and disciples combined. Are you seriously sending everyone out on house calls?”
House calls basically meant going out on the streets, barefoot doctors wandering through alleys.
But Wan He Tang had stood proudly in the City of Zhaoge for over a century. When had it ever done such a humiliating thing?
“Just leave seven or eight disciples with me. The rest of you go out and train them. Sitting around every day, no progress at all. This will be good to get them out, broaden their horizons.”
When the old man spoke, there was no room for argument.
Wan He Tang was the Wan Family’s business—a great pharmacy passed down for over a hundred years.
And Wan Ji Cang was the most senior generation member now, as well as the previous family head.
Even the current head couldn’t argue with him.
“Teacher, you’re doing this all of a sudden… is it because of Little Junior Brother X?”
Although he hadn’t officially taken discipleship—no three kneels and nine kowtows, no formal offering of the shuci bundle, no formal third master—the whole of Wan He Tang knew this nameless young man was their Little Junior Brother.
Among those of the same generation as Xu Ping’an, the youngest was Shen Li, who was already fifty-five.
One could imagine how old the elder senior brothers were.
The old man frowned, hesitating as he glanced at Shen Li.
Among the many direct disciples, aside from Xu Ping’an, the one Wan Ji Cang valued most was this second-to-last disciple, the once final disciple, Shen Li.
First, he was serious and meticulous, never making mistakes.
Second, he respected the teacher and was kind by nature.
Though his talent was only middle to upper among the disciples, he was diligent and studious, now one of the top few in medical skills.
“Hmm, come with me.”
The old man turned and left without saying more inside. After all, there were many people around.
From what he could tell, the relationship between Xu Ping’an and Pei Qingxuan hadn’t been exposed yet—there must be some reason behind it.
Wan Ji Cang didn’t want to bother with that now.
What worried him most was how to handle the wedding day.
Stepping outside, the night breeze was cold. Wan Ji Cang stood with his hands behind his back.
“Your Little Junior Brother is getting married.”
“Little Junior Brother is getting married? That’s good news… is it the woman from earlier today?”
“You don’t need to ask. Just know her status is very high. I’m afraid that bastard won’t be able to offer proper gifts and will be ridiculed.”
“So… Teacher, you’re planning to save up some capital for Little Junior Brother?”
“Exactly! That bastard wastes his talent day and night. Even I’m envious, but he won’t make good use of it. But no matter what, he’s my disciple. Once a teacher, always a father. His parents are long gone. Now I can’t just sit back and watch. You understand?”
“Teacher loves his disciples like sons. I understand.” Wan Ji Cang had done this many times before.
In fact, whenever his disciples married, he’d never failed to lend a hand.
But this time, it seemed that the person Little Junior Brother was marrying was extraordinary.
The whole of Wan He Tang had to mobilize. Even the old treasure who had already retired and only appeared in the mornings for an hour had to show up again.
“Teacher, if that’s the case… why not write to the other senior brothers, have them help out? Maybe raise some money. Even if not enough… maybe a hundred or two hundred thousand taels would be possible.”
“Not enough.”
“Then… what about counting all the assets Wan He Tang has now? There should be more than three hundred thousand taels in capital. That should be enough, right?”
“Not enough.”
Shen Li’s brow furrowed deeper, his aged face full of difficulty.
“Teacher, even five hundred thousand taels isn’t enough? Five hundred thousand! That should be enough to buy a county, right? Even if he’s marrying a princess, a bride price of five hundred thousand taels isn’t little. Teacher… may I ask, whose daughter is Little Junior Brother marrying to demand such extravagance?”
The old man frowned.
“Whose? Immortal Clan’s.”
“Ah?”