Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Chan Yi, Quan Shu Yu, and Fu Jiu hurried forward and helped everyone up one by one.

After helping the oldest woman to sit on a chair and wiping her tears with a handkerchief, Chan Yi softly advised, "Grandma, if you have any grievances, just tell us. Our young master will take care of everything for you."

Quan Shuyu poured a cup of tea for everyone and advised, "If you have any grievances, just speak up slowly. There is no need to rush. Since our Master has gone through so much trouble to find you, he wants to make the decision for you."

After a pause, he continued, "You haven't heard about me before, but you must have heard a lot about me during the past two days living in the restaurant. I was in such a difficult time back then, but you made the decision for me and kept me by your side. You can rest assured."

"Although we hid in Qingyu Mountain, we also heard a lot of things about the adults. We know that the adults care about us ordinary people and we also know that the adults are dedicated to benefiting us ordinary people," Liang Ge, who is only in his early twenties this year and has been hiding in the mountains for many years, but his face and clothes are clean, said with great effort, "We have been hiding and dare not come out to see the adults. It's not that we don't trust the adults, but it's really that the adults in the prefectural government were too cruel back then. Grandma, aunt, and parents can no longer withstand such torture, so they have been dragging their feet and have not come to the adults to seek justice."

"It's not too late now." Fu Jiu said.

Chen Shao also spoke at the right time: "I didn't do my job well. I didn't know about your family's experience until I came to Hongyuan County for such a long time. Fortunately, nothing happened to you. I heard Chai Chaonan and others briefly talk about your family's experience. What is the specific situation? I would like you to reveal the scars and tell me again."

"Let me tell you." Seeing his grandmother, aunt, and parents crying, Liang Ge stepped forward, bowed very politely, and told them the whole story. What he said was not much different from what Cen Yuanzhi and Chai Chaonan said except for the details.

Chen Shao asked Fu Jiu, "Have you asked the village chief of Yunhe Town whether their house and land have been returned to them?"

"It's back." Liang Ge replied, "It came back two or three months ago."

"Hu Qinglu has committed suicide." Seeing that he was very reasonable, Chen Shao chose to tell the truth. "The Si Hu Cao and his accomplices, Zuo, Shi, and Zhang Shi, need to find out all the crimes they have committed in the past before they can be convicted. Your grandfather and uncle were forced to commit suicide by them. I am ashamed, but I can't make up for it. All I can do is to give you a certain amount of compensation within my ability and a little subsidy for your fear over the years."

After a pause, he continued, "Look, there is nothing else I can do for you. You can ask for it."

"It's already very good, it's already very good," Liang Ge's grandmother cried, "This is all we want, and now that adults have given it to us, we have nothing else to ask for."

The rest of the Liang family nodded.

Chen Shao asked Fu Jiu again: "Can their original house still be lived in?"

"It's collapsed beyond recognition," Fu Jiu said quickly, "It's almost like a ruin."

Chen Shao glanced outside and said, "The weather has been getting colder day by day. If we go back like this, grandma and auntie might not be able to hold out. How about this, you continue to live here, I'll arrange for someone to clean up the house, and then you can go back."

"We appreciate your kindness, sir." Liang Ge said with emotion, "When our former neighbors learned that you were going to seek justice for us, many of them came from the town to visit us in the past two days. They also tried their best to invite us to stay at their homes after we return. Some families have even vacated a few rooms and are waiting for us to return. We have already troubled you a lot, and we cannot continue to trouble you."

"You can live here. I won't cause any trouble." Chen Shao said gently, "If you want to go back, you can. I'll let Shopkeeper Zhou keep the room for you. If you don't get used to it, you can come back. You don't have to worry about the house at home. I'll arrange for someone to repair it."

"Thank you, sir." Liang Ge bowed again.

Liang Ge's grandmother and aunt were about to kneel on the ground again, but were stopped by Chan Yi and Quan Shu Yu.

After talking for a while, Chen Shao told Fu Jiu, "Go tell Shopkeeper Zhou to prepare two carriages for them. You have to take another trip to escort them back. See if there's anything they need and prepare it for them."

"We can just go back by ourselves, no need to..."

"No." Chen Shao interrupted Liang Ge and patiently explained, "You were forced by the government to hide in Qingyu Mountain. Now it is natural for the government to take you back. This matter has been decided."

"Thank you, sir." Liang Ge bowed deeply again. He was not a fool, so he knew that Chen Shao's request for Fu Jiu to escort them back was not as simple as she said, but he could not refute it. He knew she was very busy, and he could not cause her any more trouble.

"That's right." Chen Shao smiled. "It's getting late. Let's have a meal together. I heard from Shopkeeper Zhou that a lot of good fish have come to the restaurant recently. Let's take a look at them and see if they are worthy of their reputation. Fu Jiu, go ask Shopkeeper Zhou if he's ready."

Fu Jiu left.

Seeing that she had already made all the arrangements, Liang Ge couldn't refuse.

After a lively and sumptuous fish feast, Chen Shao left Juxian Building and headed for Huimin Pharmacy after watching Fu Jiu and her men escort Liang Ge's family away.

Huimin Pharmacy is crowded with people.

A thatched hut was built outside the pharmacy.

There was a charcoal fire burning in the thatched hut.

There were circles of people surrounding the charcoal fire.

Perhaps it was because it was winter, there were piles of old people and children with colds and fevers. Even though Chen Shao had left behind the fourteen village doctors from the last pharmacy discussion, there were still not enough staff.

Looking at the people shivering in the cold wind, Chan Yi said "I'll go to help" and then crowded into the lobby of the pharmacy.

"My lord is here."

"grown ups."

"It's windy outside, come over and warm yourself by the fire."

Chen Shao got off the carriage, and the people waiting to see the doctor in the straw hut immediately greeted her. Chen Shao responded while walking into the nearest straw hut. After reaching out to feel the warmth in the place made by the people, she looked at the biting cold wind that penetrated into her bones and quickly ordered Li Tianliu: "Arrange someone to weave some straw curtains to block the wind. The wind is so strong that this little charcoal fire is useless."

Immediately, a commoner said, "Seventh Master has arranged for people to weave straw curtains."

Another commoner echoed, "There are so many people coming to see the doctor today that Master Qi and his men are almost overwhelmed."

Another citizen responded: "It got cold earlier this year than in previous years. Everyone was not alert yet, and it suddenly became cold."

Listening to the various voices talking, Chen Shao asked Li Tianliu to arrange for someone to urge the Seventh Master. Then he glanced at the faces of everyone in the straw hut. Seeing that there were no seriously ill patients, he felt relieved and started chatting with them.

"Where did you all come from? Is it far?" Chen Shao asked casually after sitting down on the stool they vacated.

There were a lot of responses. Some said they were from Zhougong Village, some said they were from Pinggao Township, and some said they were from Qingshui Town. There were people from all over the place.

Chen Shao asked again: "How did you get here?"

"I came here on foot."

"Take a bullock cart."

"Take a donkey cart."

There are still various answers.

Chen Shao sighed, "It's so cold, even riding in a bullock cart or a donkey cart is not easy."

"It's not easy, but the prices at Huimin Pharmacy are fair, and the doctors are good. Basically, you can get better after just one visit."

"Not only is Huimin Pharmacy's price fair, but when we came to see a doctor, the people in the pharmacy saw that we were cold, so they immediately set up a tent, started a fire, and brought hot water. You can't get such treatment if you see a doctor elsewhere."

"Yeah, yeah."

"This is what they should do." At this point, a waiter came over to bring hot water. Chen Shao also took a cup, nodded and greeted the waiter, took a few sips, and continued, "It should be ready next year. Next year, we will try to open branches of Huimin Pharmacy in every town, so that it will be much more convenient for everyone to see a doctor."

"It would be much more convenient if there was a Huimin pharmacy in the town."

"It is convenient, but we cannot invite the shopkeepers or doctors from other pharmacies to take charge. Other pharmacies..." A person nearby poked the person who was speaking with his elbow, signaling him to stop talking nonsense.

Chen Shao saw it and said with a smile: "If you have anything to say, just say it. Huimin Pharmacy is our own pharmacy. Naturally, we ordinary people have the final say on what to do."

"Since you said so, I will speak frankly too," the person who had spoken earlier raised his voice intentionally, "I heard that many of the pharmacies in Hongyuan County are swindlers. No matter if the illness is serious or minor, the disease will not be cured until the family is ruined. If you really want to open a Huimin pharmacy in the town, you have to have someone like the Seventh Master as the shopkeeper. If you let those swindlers be the shopkeeper, I'm afraid no one will dare to go to see a doctor!"

After Chen Shao entered the hut, many people from other huts gathered around him. After hearing these words, many more people gathered around him. After asking what was going on, everyone agreed with him.

Chen Shao waited until they had finished talking before raising his hand to calm them down. When they stopped talking one after another, he spoke again, "Please rest assured, I have also learned about the situation of other drugstores in the county. Now, from the shopkeepers to the clerks, all of them have been arrested and put under surveillance. They will be convicted as soon as the facts of fraud are verified. As for the shopkeepers of the Huimin drugstores that have opened in the town, you are welcome to recommend me people who are as respected as Master Qi."

"Uncle Wang in our village is pretty good."

"My second master is also very good."

"Everyone, listen to me," Chen Shao hurriedly stopped another big discussion. "It's freezing cold, and everyone is sick. Huimin Pharmacy won't open in every town so quickly, and there's no rush to choose a shopkeeper. Everyone, hurry up and warm up in the empty straw shed. Don't come to see a doctor once, or your condition will get worse later."

After saying this, seeing that the crowd had no intention of leaving, Chen Shao simply chased them away, saying, "Hurry up and leave. Don't crowd here. If you really want to recommend someone, I'll come and ask everyone later."

Perhaps she was too easy-going, so the braver people smiled and said, "Then let's put it this way. We'll all wait for the adults to come."

"Then just wait." Chen Shao replied.

After sending everyone away, Chen Shao saw that Qi Ye's second son Zhou Ernian also brought people to carry straw curtains and install them one by one. After he breathed a sigh of relief, he told Quan Shuyu: "Go to the carriage and get some paper and pen. Since you promised them, you can't break your promise."

When Quan Shuyu was about to leave, Chen Shao stopped her again and said, "Please bring two inferior green jade pendants. While there are so many people here, you can tell them about the green jade scam."