The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

“Little Sister Ning, don’t overthink this, I am not too keen to apply for an apprenticeship in the pharmacy anymore. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have explained myself to my master? It has nothing to do with you or my cousin. I specifically explained myself to you so you wouldn’t worry over it.”

“Since Brother Wencheng has said so, I understand what you are thinking.” Zhuang Qingning smiled, “On the way here, Uncle Yutian and I were talking about this matter, ultimately, it depends on your intentions.”

“If Brother Wencheng, you no longer wish to learn medicine, the cloth shop is short of staff. You can practice and further improve your skills there too. There is also a shortage of herbs for the mosquito repellent packs. I am thinking, if we’re going to buy the herbs from the herbal shops, Brother Wencheng, you would be of great help in spotting any potential issues.”

“If Brother Wencheng, you still want to learn medicine, Uncle Yutian suggested that we might explore further opportunities to find you a better-suited teacher, although, we may have to wait a bit longer, and you should not be too anxious about this.”

“Ah, to learn or not to learn. Medicine is something that can be understood best by diagnosing patients and reading medical books. Since I already have some basic knowledge, further learning largely depends on my own research. I think I can handle common illnesses like headaches and fever after so many years of studying.”

Zhuang Wencheng replied, “When I first left the pharmacy, I didn’t know what else to do, and I was afraid to go home abruptly to face all the inquiries from my family. You probably know about my mother’s temperament. I was clueless as to what to do next, so I figured I’d stay with Uncle Yutian for a while and figure out what to do next.”

“Regarding what you just mentioned about checking the herbs used in the mosquito repellent packs, I believe that the herbs supplied by the herbal shops should be inspected. It’s risky for experienced herbal shops to damage their reputation by providing counterfeit or inferior-quality herbs. The herbs collected locally from the village, while not necessarily adulterated or intentionally spoiled, could easily lose their efficacy due to many people’s lack of understanding about medicinal herbs and inappropriate drying and storage practices.”

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I should head back to my hometown and practice medicine. Firstly, I can help the local villagers with medical care, which will give me more opportunities to improve my skills. Furthermore, I can also help you inspect the herbs collected for these mosquito repellent packs. As time goes by and my skills improve, I might consider setting up a medical clinic.”

“Brother Wencheng, your plans seem promising.” Zhuang Qingning nodded approvingly on hearing Zhuang Wencheng’s clear and well-thought-out plans, “yet, upon your return, I’m afraid you’ll have to do a lot of explaining.”

When he went back home previously, Mrs. Wang would probe him about the reasons, and this time would be no different.

“These past few days I’ve been thinking over this. If it doesn’t work out, I could say that the life was too hard and unbearable for me, or perhaps that my master’s medical skills weren’t advanced enough for me to learn from. Despite my mother’s dominance, she might eventually give in if I persist.”

Zhuang Wencheng laughed, “I’ll head home in a few days. I’ll also have a good talk with Uncle Yutian about this.”

“Alright.” Zhuang Qingning nodded, and they shifted the conversation to other topics.

The two of them had been closely acquainted since childhood. Having now clarified their feelings to each other, they felt refreshed and began chatting casually.

Talking about your recent interesting experiences, telling each other about the happy events encountered a few days ago, they both had smiles all over their faces.

The curtain was gently lowered. Mrs. Meng, standing straight, had a full-faced grin, “Don’t you say, Wencheng and Little Sister Ning, they really do hit it off well.”

“More than that, they seem pretty well-suited to each other.” Zhuang Yutian lowered his voice slightly, leaned towards Mrs. Meng, and laughed, “You probably don’t know, but my mother thinks very highly of Wencheng and Little Sister Ning. She had mentioned this to me before.”

“Little Sister Ning and Wencheng are both good people. If they can end up together, that’s really like icing on the cake.”

“True that…” Mrs. Meng raised an eyebrow at Zhuang Yutian’s broad grin, “but this matter ultimately depends on the children’s thoughts.”

“For Wencheng, I can see that he’s been fond of Little Sister Ning since he was a young boy. At this moment, he can barely take his eyes off her. The question remains about Little Sister Ning… ”

“I always feel like… she might not have thought about that.”

“Huh?” Zhuang Yutian was taken aback.

“To add to that, Little Sister Ning is capable and determined. She might not want to stay in the village in the future. Wencheng may be great in our eyes, he’s still just a young doctor and may not be to Little Sister Ning’s liking.”

“What I mean is not to suggest that Little Sister Ning despises poor and loves wealth, but a couple must be able to connect well to build a long lasting relationship. Like the saying goes ‘read poetry to the red sleeve’. Little Sister Ning has quite an imposing manner and she might not be impressed by an ordinary person.”

Zhuang Yutian nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, “You make a valid point. Few men can tolerate their wives being stronger than themselves and it’s not easy to say how this will turn out.”

“That’s why, as much as my mother wants to see them together, things may not go as per her wish. It would not be pleasant for Little Sister Ning if she felt annoyed by the situation”

Mrs. Meng spoke gravely, “I’m not in a position to say much as it might seem like I’m plotting something behind her back. But if you can find a chance, you should talk to mother. Don’t be too pushy, it’s always better to figure out Little Sister Ning’s feelings as well. If she is similarly inclined, everyone will be pleased. Otherwise, constantly talking about it might just annoy Little Sister Ning.”

“Though our business was doing well in the past, it has been thriving largely due to Little Sister Ning. There’s still a lot more we can earn in the future. If we force a match without considering Little Sister Ning’s feelings, outsiders might accuse us of eyeing her riches, hoping to tie her to our family and make money off her. She might not feel comfortable about this.”

“You, being a man, might overlook some issues, but it’s critical to pay attention to such matters. If you don’t, things might just go sour.”

“If you hadn’t brought it up, I wouldn’t have thought about it from this perspective…” Zhuang Yutian scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, “Your point is valid. Next time I go home, I must talk to mother about it and keep her from getting ahead of herself.”

“Regarding Little Sister Ning’s thoughts, as her uncle, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to ask. Being her aunt, you may find it easier to bring up this topic casually during a conversation. Could you ask her about it and figure out her thoughts, what do you think?”