The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

I always feel like something is off in this chapter, no matter how many times I revise it. Let me post it first and make some minor adjustments later after contemplating it further. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them.

He’s no longer an apprentice?

Zhuang Qingning was somewhat surprised, “I thought Brother Wencheng said he wanted to become a good doctor. Why isn’t he at the pharmacy anymore?”

“Wencheng said he doesn’t want to be an apprentice anymore and wants to try something else. He thought about learning from me at my cloth shop and doing some small business in the future. However, the way I see it, it seems like he

was driven out.”

Zhuang Yutian said, “I asked around and, just as I suspected, Zhuang Wencheng was expelled from Doctor Ge’s pharmacy.”

Expelled?

Zhuang Qingning immediately pursed her lips.

She instantly remembered that Zhuang Wencheng had been reprimanded by Ge Tonghua when they first went to the county town to promote the mosquito repellent herbs.

At that time, she was already worried about the relationship between Zhuang Wencheng and Doctor Ge. She didn’t expect problems to arise so soon.

Plus, with all the fuss that Zhuang Qinghe had caused, it probably left a bad impression of Zhuang Wencheng on Doctor Ge.

Moreover, that Han Hu didn’t seem like a particularly good person. He might have been behind all the trouble in the pharmacy.

Zhuang Yutian sighed again before continuing, “Here’s why Wencheng was driven out…”

“I heard that the mosquito repellent herbs prepared by Doctor Ge himself didn’t sell well, but the ones from my shop were in high demand. Given my kinship with Wencheng and him visiting my shop the day you came over for dinner, it’s clear that the success of the herbs is due to his prescription,” he explained.

“Doctor Ge was unhappy, thinking Wencheng was benefiting at the expense of the pharmacy. He believed it was unjust for Wencheng to only think of making money for his family, rather than sharing the effective prescription with the pharmacy. Coupled with the troubles Zhuang Qinghe had caused earlier, he felt that Wencheng was tarnishing the pharmacy’s reputation, so he decided to

expel him.”

“Wencheng’s expulsion wasn’t entirely due to the mosquito repellent herbs, but it was part of it. The misunderstanding created trouble.”

“I was wondering if I should explain the situation to Doctor Ge and clear up the misunderstanding, so that the teacher-student relationship can be saved.

Wencheng has studied medicine for many years, it would be a pity if it all went to waste…”

Zhuang Yutian turned to Zhuang Qingning and said, “So, I wanted to discuss this with you. I thought maybe we could go together to Doctor Ge and explain the situation, with the aim of clearing up the misunderstanding and persuading him to let Wencheng resume his studies.”

“Uncle Yutian,” Zhuang Qingning paused to sip her tea before saying, “this issue originally started with us, so we should clarify things. However, I suspect it’s not as simple as it seems.”

“Uncle Yutian,” Zhuang Qingning mused after considering for a moment. “As this issue initially arose because of us, we should be the ones to clarify it.

However, I suspect it’s not that straightforward.”

“Previously with the affair involving Zhuang Qinghe, Aunt Wang had my great- uncle specifically go to the county town to clarify things, but Doctor Ge didn’t listen and prejudged Brother Wencheng’s character. As for this mosquito repellent herbs incident, in reality, Doctor Ge had no concrete evidence, just groundless suspicions, yet he had already finalized his beliefs about Brother Wencheng. This suggests that Doctor Ge had long been planning to dismiss Brother Wencheng, using this incident as just an opportunity to do so.

“Considering the rumors already circulating, when Brother Wencheng left the pharmacy, I presume Doctor Ge spoke plainly with him. If Brother Wencheng had disputed the matter then, it suggests his words were useless. If he hadn’t bothered to explain, it means he felt it was pointless and didn’t want to make any counter-argument. If we were to go now, it might embarrass Brother Wencheng.”

“Hence, I think it’s best to consult with Brother Wencheng about this. If he still wants to return to the pharmacy, then it’s fine for us to help clarify things. If Brother Wencheng doesn’t want to defend himself, doesn’t want to clear things up, and most importantly, doesn’t want to return to the pharmacy, then we should not interfere. If Doctor Ge gets hold of this and accuses Brother Wencheng of not letting go, it would make things even worse.

“Instead, we can look for better alternatives for Brother Wencheng.”

Zhuang Qingning said, “However, this is just my speculation. In the end, we still need to respect Brother Wencheng’s decision.”

“That’s true,” Zhuang Yutian nodded in agreement. “The main point lies in what Wencheng thinks. If there’s more to the story that we don’t know about, us going to the pharmacy to talk might unintentionally stir up more trouble, which could potentially make it even worse for Wencheng.”

“Uncle Yutian, based on our conversation, I don’t think Wencheng should return to the pharmacy…”

Zhuang Qingning then told Zhuang Yutian about her previous encounter with Zhuang Wencheng at the pharmacy when Doctor Ge chastised him for a mix-up with the herbal medicine.

“I immediately thought something was fishy then. Brother Wencheng wouldn’t do such a thing. The culprit is either Doctor Ge or a man named Han Hu. No matter who it was, life at the pharmacy must have been difficult for Brother

Wencheng.”

“A doctor should have a benevolent heart, yet it seems like some people only have dark intentions. If this continues, there could be serious consequences in the future. Brother Wencheng leaving that place might actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”

“I wasn’t aware of this earlier,” Zhuang Yutian said, quite shocked. “Knowing this now changes things. The pharmacy really isn’t worth returning to. When I get a chance, I’ll ask Wencheng if he still wants to study medicine. If he does, I’ll also ask the Cheng family’s herbal shop if they need an apprentice. Maybe because of our business relationship, we can help pave the way for Wencheng.

“If he doesn’t want to study medicine and is interested in doing business instead, he can start learning it with me. Later, whether he wants to set up a shop or do small-scale trading, he can decide for himself. Currently, due to the mosquito repellent herbs, my shop is busy and short of hands, so it would be beneficial for him to familiarize himself with it.”

Since Zhuang Wencheng had often been with Mrs. Wen from a young age and she treated her nephew well, Zhuang Yutian couldn’t afford to slack off concerning him.

Zhuang Qingning saw Zhuang Yutian’s concern for Zhuang Wencheng and smiled faintly. Thinking about the impulsive Doctor Ge and Zhuang Wencheng, who was innocently involved in the mosquito repellent herbs affair, her brows furrowed.

“Come to think of it, I’ve been meaning to go to the county town to buy some things for a few days now but haven’t had the time. Since Uncle Yutian is coming back today, why don’t Qingsui and I go to the county town with you in your carriage?”

As it happens, today was Qingsui’s day off from her writing practice. Taking her to stroll in the county town would be a nice break for her.

Moreover, it would also give her a chance to buy some books to read.

The most important thing was to see Zhuang Wencheng and ask about his thoughts.

No matter which path Zhuang Wencheng decides to follow, she wants to help out her childhood friend.

“Okay,” Zhuang Yutian quickly nodded in agreement.

Originally, he planned to get the herbs then head to the county town in the afternoon. But since Zhuang Qingning wanted to go there, ostensibly for a leisure visit but in reality to check on Zhuang Wencheng, Zhuang Yutian decided to head back early in the morning.