CHAPTER 395: CHAPTER 392: THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS, GOLD CANNOT COMPARE

Although Zhou Ning acknowledged Qin Liuxi’s medical skills, Zhou Wei was still not at ease and asked Qin Liuxi in detail about disease diagnosis. He found it a bit confusing, yet broadly understood.

But understanding aside, he retained some skepticism towards the assertion that one would recover in just ten days.

This illness of his sister’s, even Doctor Liang from the palace who is skilled in gynecology couldn’t cure it. Now, it could be cured within a few days by this minor Daoist doctor?

Zhou Wei took over the prescription, glanced at it, and said, "The ingredients for this Gui Pi Soup are easy to find, but these Yangrong Pills, I remember are only available from Changsheng Hall and are not easy to purchase."

Qin Liuxi, without raising her head, said, "Try asking in Changsheng Hall, if you can buy it then use it, if not, use the ginseng nourishing soup."

Zhou Wei looked at her thoughtfully.

Zhou Ning, thinking of the indispensable consultation fee, smiled and said, "I wonder how much should be given for this consultation fee?"

Qin Liuxi raised her head, smiling, and said, "Good people can give as they wish." She paused, then looked towards Zhou Wei, "That Daoist Room, because of the Array set up, really took much effort, so..."

"How much silver?"

"Twenty ingots per hour."

"What?" Zhou Wei almost jumped up, "Twenty ingots per hour?"

Just sitting inside costs twenty ingots, this is totally a rip-off, outright robbery.

Qin Liuxi continued smiling gently, "Good people may not know, my Daoist Room is arranged with the finest jade and a Spirit Gathering Array; practicing the Dao inside offers effects such as marrow-cleaning, bone-cutting, clarity of heart and mind, and total fatigue relief. Good people, having experienced it once before, surely understand its profound impact."

Just keep boasting, you’d claim cows could fly to the sky next, why not say sitting longer might transform the body to become immortal and achieve Ascension?

Yet, he truly felt a deep relaxation.

"No, previously you addressed [me] formally, how come now you’re calling [me] good people?" Zhou Wei suddenly picked on the manner of address.

Qin Liuxi: "In Taoist practice, followers are all referred to as good people." Especially when they give incense oil.

Zhou Wei: "..."

He took a bag of silver from a servant and passed it over, "This is part of the consultation fee, if my younger sister’s illness truly heals, there will surely be a generous reward."

Qin Liuxi did not look and handed it over to Chen Pi.

Zhou Ning then smiled broadly, "That place, if I come for acupuncture the day after tomorrow, can I also sit for meditation in that Daoist Room?"

"Naturally, you may."

Not earning from the provided incense oil would be idiotic.

Zhou Wei glanced towards his sister, feeling she might be a little too enthusiastic about the master. Was it just from a consultation?

He then looked towards Qin Liuxi, whose faced appeared too handsome compared to other Daoists with their white beards and white hair.

Could it be his sister was smitten by this face?

Zhou Wei’s face darkened.

"Sister, we should leave."

Zhou Ning nodded and even bowed to Qin Liuxi.

As the two were about to walk out, someone braving the snowflakes walked in, inadvertently making them step aside.

"Master, Master, I’ve arrived."

The man had a scruffy beard, thin cheeks, and was dressed rather thinly, but his eyes were bright and spirited.

Qin Liuxi looked up and saw him.

"Master, it’s me, Xie Chong." Xie Chong brushed back the hair falling over his forehead and moved closer to Qin Liuxi, trying to make himself more visible to her.

Qin Liuxi said, "I know it’s you."

In delight, Xie Chong quickly took out a cloth wallet from his chest, shaking hands placed it on the table, and said, "Master, I’ve earned twenty taels, just as you instructed, all by my own hard work, all here."

With a rustle,

He tipped the wallet over; two small ingots weighing five taels each, some pieces of broken silver, and a few copper coins.

"I’ve counted them personally, exactly twenty taels, not a single coin less, Master, please quickly break the evil magic that is threatening my life."

Qin Liuxi glanced at the small pile of money and asked, "How did you earn it?"

"I first worked at the docks as a laborer for two days, earned some wages, then used that as capital to buy some small trinkets, made a carrying pole, and went down to the villages to sell goods." Xie Chong narrated his recent experiences.

Selling goods, the profits were not much, but he was good at talking, convinced the young wives and aunties in the villages to patronize, and then seized the opportunity to ask if they had anything to sell, buying directly from them to resell or trade in the next village. Thus, by flipping goods for profit, the silver in his hands gradually accumulated.

What earned him the most was a few bolts of cloth he collected in the villages, well woven, complex patterns and very beautiful, which when flipped at the dock earned him a full ten taels.

Otherwise, how could he have gathered these twenty taels in such a short period? He also had some good luck.

"That’s not bad at all," said Qin Liuxi. "How does earning silver feel?"

Xie Chong made a wry smile, "Tiring, especially tiring. Wore out several pairs of cloth shoes. If it weren’t for my mother darning socks for me, I might have had to come see the Master barefoot."

As he spoke, he wiggled the toes sticking out of his cloth shoes.

Qin Liuxi glanced at them and said, "Other than being tiring, what about the money you walked the streets and lanes to earn, painstakingly saved coin by coin, just to give it to me, does it hurt?"

"To say it doesn’t hurt would be a lie, but even that can’t compare to the value of my life. Without life, what good is more silver?" Xie Chong chuckled openly, "But if I can keep my life, I can earn many more such twenties, right?"

"Oh, wouldn’t a push on the gambling table possibly bring unexpected fortune, better than walking the streets and lanes?"

Xie Chong hurriedly waved his hands, "Master, don’t make fun of me, I dare not gamble again. If luck is good, win; if not, the hard-earned money placed on the gambling table, losing it all would be labor in vain, that would hurt even more!"

What mattered most was that, carrying the load of goods and returning home weary, though his old mother complained, her eyes were filled with joy, joy that he had matured.

"Master, after this incident, I dare not behave recklessly or gamble again. When this matter is over, I will continue to be a peddler. Once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll find a wife to start a family, what could be better than a warm wife, children, and home?" Xie Chong grinned, "So, Master, please perform the ritual soon, I still need to go home and fix my mother’s washing basin."

"You go ahead, your magic has already been broken."

Xie Chong was stunned, "Broken?"

Qin Liuxi nodded, "It was broken on the day you arrived, otherwise, wouldn’t you have faced misfortune these past days, maybe even lost your life? I didn’t tell you because I wanted to see if you could change. From what I see now, although you’ve been reckless, you certainly haven’t reached the bottom yet. Remember your words today, turn over a new leaf and live well. Hereafter, just engage in good deeds, don’t question the future, accumulate yin de to prosper yourself and your descendants."

Xie Chong’s eyes welled up, and he bowed deeply, "Thank you, Master, for the enlightenment. I dare not forget the Master’s life-saving grace. Once I succeed in the days to come, I’ll definitely add incense oil to Qingping Temple to support the Master’s business."

Qin Liuxi once again glanced at the small pile of money, had Chen Pi hand over a peace charm and handed it to him, "A prodigal son turning over a new leaf is worth more than gold, this peace charm is for you, to ensure your safety."