When Qi Zekai heard this, he thought it was reasonable and immediately advised: "Yes, the old man's body and bones are important. There happens to be a free place in the pavilion, so you can stay."
The eldest grandson had a meal.
He looked at his "mother" and squinted his eyes sinisterly at an angle that no one could see. Then when he turned to face Ling Yutong and the others, he had a troubled look on his face.
"This... is too much trouble for you. We have already caused trouble and we don't dare to..."
As he said that, he would carry the old man on his back and quickly disappear from them.
Ling Yutong's eyes flashed and he stepped forward, blocking the opponent's way in advance. He narrowed his eyes and looked particularly friendly.
"Third brother's friends are my friends. Staying in the pavilion is also a matter of peace of mind for the old man's health. This is not polite. It is truly that the condition is wrong and cannot be delayed."
"It's also... our Xingyue Pavilion's signature."
Qi Zekai's eyebrows skipped a beat. Some intuition made him feel that something was wrong with the current situation, but he didn't think much of it and started to persuade his friends again.
Changsun Mu secretly gritted his teeth.
When he saw Qi Zekai's eyes full of concern, he almost spit out blood.
And Ling Yutong's slightly curved eyes also made it difficult for him to see through his true thoughts.
Can he leave this old woman here?
Absolutely not! If this was exposed, how could he carry out his subsequent plans, and how could he rely on Qi Zekai to secretly harm him.
His expression was straight, and his eyes were more determined and moved than ever before.
"No, no, my mother and I have been struggling all our lives. It's precisely because you and I are friends that we can't be a drag on you."
"Girl, it is a great gift to our family that my mother's illness can be solved. I will bring my mother over again when the acupuncture is performed tomorrow."
The old man's body trembled slightly, he bowed down and responded in a low voice: "Yes, yes."
"Thank you very much. We will come back tomorrow."
Ling Yutong's heart sank.
She knew that she would not be able to keep the old man by force this time.
So, she took advantage of saying goodbye and secretly slipped a pill into the old man's hand, her eyebrows still bent.
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
"If you feel unwell, don't be stingy with the medicinal soup. It doesn't need to be boiled. You can just cut it open and drink it. It's indispensable."
She handed a packet of medicine wrapped by Ting Yue to Changsun Mu.
"You must put it away. This medicine is expensive and will be of great use to your mother's illness."
Changsun Mu took it with a grateful face and left with the old man.
Watching them walk away, Qi Zekai sighed softly, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Ling Yutong looked solemn and turned around to order: "Shopkeeper Liu, let everyone in the queue take a break. I have something to deal with. It will take about a cup of tea."
Shopkeeper Liu hurriedly responded and went to make arrangements.
"Tingyue, come here."
Qi Zekai looked at Ling Yutong's busy work and was a little confused. He subconsciously asked: "What's going on?"
Ling Yutong looked back, helpless.
"Didn't you find it?"
Qi Zekai: "???"
Seeing that his face was full of doubts, Ling Yutong was speechless for a moment. She reluctantly came closer and told him everything she had just seen in a low voice.
Then, Qi Zekai's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How could it be? Brother Changsun has always been..."
He suddenly got stuck and his eyes became anxious.
He couldn't recall the scene where the other party mentioned his family for a while, so he looked at Ling Yutong at a loss.
After a long pause, he saw Ting Yue and said, "Then...the precious medicinal materials sent by Ting Yue..."
Ling Yutong was startled and then smiled.
It seems that the third brother still cares about his family.
She patted Ting Yue on the shoulder and tilted her head: "Apprentice, tell me, what is in the medicine bag you just brought over?"
Ting Yue smiled shyly, the young man's voice was slightly hoarse, and said: "Inside the medicine bag, there are medicine residues that were used yesterday but were not lost. Although they are precious medicinal materials, they have been cooked many times and have lost their medicinal properties."
Qi Zekai opened his lips slightly and was stunned for a long time, then suddenly laughed out loud!
He smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed, and he lost his nerdy energy just by looking at it.
"I think it will work."
However, after laughing, Qi Zekai's expression could not hide his loneliness.
Changsun Mu is really his best friend.
Ling Yutong pursed her lips and patted his shoulder gently.
"There is always a chance to ask the other person in person why."
Qi Zekai nodded heavily.
Xingyue Pavilion was crowded with people, and the heat was so hot that it burned my body and made me feel peaceful in my heart.
At this time, outside the capital, Qi Yan expressed surprise that Magistrate Gao came closer to speak again.
He raised his eyebrows and his tone was slightly businesslike and teasing.
"I am surprised that Magistrate Gao is so approachable."
"But, is this too close? Could it be that... Magistrate Gao is..."
"Broken sleeves?"
Magistrate Gao suddenly froze.
He took a big step back and immediately left Qi Yan two steps away. The two patches of beard on his lips were blowing, and he waved his hands righteously.
"There's no way I can!"
"Master Qi, this is not a topic that can be joked about casually. If the Holy One finds out about it, his head will be lost!"
"When the time comes, I won't even be able to protect my black gauze hat."
Qi Yan raised his eyebrows, and there were tiny shadows in his deep black eyes. It was a light that could make people's hearts skip a beat just looking at it.
He said unclearly: "Oh, really?"
"Then it seems that you are used to talking to people. But I am not used to it, so please go ahead and talk to me at this distance."
He glanced at Magistrate Gao's feet with a half-smile, making him tremble.
Then, he gently stroked the folds of his clothes and started talking about business.
"The issue of taxation caused the most serious riots in the local area last year, but in less than a month, the unrest was suppressed. I wonder what method County Magistrate Gao used?"
Magistrate Gao was talking to him at this moment, and frowned when he heard this: "What else can I do? Pay the tax, appease him, and then there will be no more trouble."
"oh?"
Qi Yan narrowed his eyes and said, "The people who are causing trouble must not be able to pay taxes. In that case, where do they get the money to pay taxes, and how can they be appeased?"
Magistrate Gao froze.
He wanted to be vague, but Qi Yan didn't give him a chance.
Let’s just say this lightly:
"I remember that the number of people in the local area counted this spring has dropped sharply."
"Why is that?"
County Magistrate Gao saw sweat on his forehead, scratched his neck and said, "This, last winter was so cold that it was almost freezing to death. Many old people and children couldn't bear it. It's so normal."
"Young master Qi should know that medicine in this area is lagging behind. Even in the coldest months of winter, doctors' medical skills are mediocre. People often die before they can save them."
Qi Yan's eyes were slightly cold.
"Yeah?"
"But Magistrate Gao, I'm telling you about taxes, are you going too far?"
"Or, the sharp drop in the number of people last year was not a normal death at all, but... people who could not afford to pay taxes were 'pacified'."
Qi Yan's eyes were dark, and he always felt creepy when he looked at people quietly.
Coupled with his orchid and jade tree posture, he is as handsome as a god.
Saint and darkness intertwined and merged to make him what he is now.
Magistrate Gao's back was dripping with sweat, and he took a step back in fright. Then he suddenly realized that he was shocked by the person in front of him.