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Xingchen Cosmetics is booming, because Qing'er can take a day off and return to the West Courtyard tomorrow. Also, considering that Luo Yao may not be there for the Queen Mother's birthday banquet in three days, they have been working hard for two days in a row.

The cosmetics production base in Xixiaoyuan started working early in the morning.

Little Tuanzi finally took on the responsibility of supporting the family. Yesterday morning, he was watching fish with his good brother Shi Xiaomao, but in the afternoon he became a worker in a black den.

I was called up early this morning to pack boxes. I was so sleepy.

"Seventy-nine is sixty-three, eighty-nine is seventy-two, seventy-nine is sixty-three, sixty-nine is fifty-four, fivety-nine is forty-five..."

Learning never stops. Even though he was exploited and was caught by his brother early in the morning to pack boxes at a young age, and he was tired and sleepy, Tuanzi still worked hard and recited the multiplication table backwards while packing the boxes.

"As agreed, we've bought all the food for Aze. Qing'er will be back tomorrow and we'll have hotpot. Let's work harder!"

What supported Ah Shi was tomorrow's hot pot. When he heard his eldest master talking about hot pot and thought of the various side dishes prepared early in the kitchen, his hands moved faster.

-

In the laundry room, three maids were hanging clothes in the backyard.

"Sister Qing'er, it's your turn to rest tomorrow. What are you going to do? Are you going back to Yong'an Garden?"

"I plan to go out and buy some things tomorrow. If you need anything, I will bring it back." Qing'er answered while hanging clothes.

"Oh, I want to eat the crispy cakes from Zhang's Pastry Shop near Baoci Hall." The little maid thought for a moment and added, "And their Heyin Pastry Shop!"

Qing'er remembered it and turned to look at another maid.

The other maid thought for a moment and shook her head: "Sister Qing'er, I don't want to buy anything, but I would like you to bring me a set of needlework. I have a torn piece of clothing that I want to mend."

"Okay, I'll leave the house early tomorrow morning and bring it back to you."

In the afternoon, after all the clothes were washed and dried, the day's work was over and Qing'er returned to the house alone.

The house was very tidy, and there was a box of cakes and a new dress on the wooden cabinet beside the bed.

That was a reward given to her by Wang Guangcheng. She glanced at it casually without any extra emotion and lay down on the bed.

Unlike last night when she was shivering while sleeping in this bed, a strange curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The next morning, when the two maids got up, they lowered their voices tacitly for fear of disturbing Qing'er's rest because they got up too early.

But after noon, no one came out of Qing'er's room.

"Sister Qing'er is not still sleeping, is she?"

"Maybe I've been too tired recently. Even when I was on leave, I couldn't wake up until noon."

The two of them had no idea that Qing'er had left the laundry room as soon as they got up.

At this moment, Qing'er was disguised and looking for a pharmacy on a dilapidated street.

She had a clear mind and was determined to find a black shop to buy medicine, because what she was going to do was very dangerous and she must not implicate the eldest young master!

According to a nearby beggar, the shady shop called Huanling was nearby. Qing'er lowered the brim of her hat, revealing only her eyes as she searched for the shop called "Huanling".

The shops here are very strange, with small and narrow floors, and some shops are not open at all.

I searched for a long time but didn't see the word "Huan Ling". There was a dead end in front of me. From a distance, there were no shops around the alley. Could it be that the little beggar lied to me?

Standing in front of the last shop, Qing'er looked at the empty alley hesitantly.

Since we are already here, we might as well go over and take a look. The little beggar said it is at the very end of this alley, so Qing'er walked into the alley.

Only when she reached the innermost part did Qing'er discover the strangeness of this alley. From a distance, it looked like a dead end, but in reality, it wasn't. The wall on the right was actually separated from the wall in front, and the distance was even a bit wide. The reason it looked like a dead end from a distance was because the wall had a strange curvature, making it look like it was connected from a distance!

Qing'er walked into the alley that branched off, and as soon as she entered, she saw four black words "Huanling Pharmacy" written on a curtain.

It was a very small shop, with only one window, and the owner was an old woman with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks.

Qing'er swallowed her saliva and stepped forward bravely.

"What do you want to buy?" The old woman was smoking something, and the smoke was very pungent.

"Excuse me, grandma, do you have any medicinal herbs in your shop?"

When the old woman heard the name "Grandma", she tilted her head and glanced at Qing'er, then hesitated for a moment and asked, "Yes, how much do you want?"

"Eight taels."

The old woman narrowed her eyes and said, "That thing is poisonous."

"I know."

"Tsk tsk, alright, I don't have any eight ounces here."

"And how many do you have?"

"One bottle at most." The old woman made a one-pointed gesture and added, "Don't think it's too little. This purity is enough for killing people..."

The first half of the old woman's words suggested she had it but wouldn't sell it to her. Then, hearing the second part, Qing'er's heart began to pound. This old woman actually knew she was going to kill someone?!

"If you want it, girl, give me the money and I'll give you the goods. I won't cheat anyone, young or old." The old woman blew a puff of smoke on Qing'er's face, and Qing'er stepped back repeatedly after being choked.

After some negotiations, Qing'er finally got a bottle of medicine for fifty taels.

They returned the same way, and when they got out of the alley and blended into the crowd, Qing'er's disguise was no longer on her.

After buying some cakes and needles and thread, Qing'er prepared to return home.

The guards at the gate of the palace routinely checked the cakes he was carrying and searched him casually. There was nothing unusual, so Qing'er entered the palace smoothly.

Back in the laundry room, before noon, two maids were pedaling in the yard. They saw Qing'er coming back from a distance and came down to greet her.

"Sister Qing'er, we thought you were staying in bed. When did you go out?"

"I was a little excited during rest today. I couldn't sleep all night and woke up early. I brought you everything you wanted!" Qing'er handed the pastries and needlework to the two little maids.

The two maids looked excited, their attention distracted. They were given things and chattering while carrying their own things.

The little girl who bought the cakes gave each of them two pieces of cakes. Qing'er took the cakes and went back to the house and closed the door.

Qing'er returned to the house and took out a wooden doll from her footwear. She had put the wooden doll in her footwear when she brought it in.

After turning the wooden doll's head a few times, Qing'er found medicinal stones the size of a fingernail inside. She quickly took out three pieces and closed the wooden doll's head.

The design of this wooden doll is very exquisite. When it is closed, you can't tell that the head and body are separate. It looks like it was carved from a whole piece of wood.

Qing'er took out a handkerchief, put the three medicinal stones into it, wrapped it up, and gently crushed it into powder.

"Sister Qing'er? Sister Qing'er?" The maid knocked on the door, frightening Qing'er so much that she almost dropped the handkerchief in her hand. She quickly wrapped up the medicinal powder and hid the handkerchief in her arms. Qing'er went to open the door. As soon as the door opened, a little girl immediately squeezed into the room.

"Sister Qing'er, my brother and I saw that you didn't come home for a long time, so we came to pick you up." Luo Xinchen glanced around the house cunningly, and his eyes were instantly attracted by the wooden doll on the table. The doll was chubby, and its body was like a small pillar. It was very cute.

"The sisters said that you went out shopping. Is this little doll bought for Chenchen?" Luo Xinchen ran to the wooden table, approached the little doll, turned his head and looked at Qing'er eagerly.

That little look almost has "want" written on his forehead.

The word "no" on Qing'er's lips was stuck in her throat, and before she could utter it, the little girl reached out and touched the head of the wooden doll, obviously liking it.

"Young Master, this... Sister Qing'er will give it to you next time..."

"Hey, it's really cute!" The little maid who brought Luo Xinchen in interrupted Qing'er and said in surprise: "Sister Qing'er, so you went out specifically to buy this little doll for the young master. It's really cute."

When Luo Xinchen heard that the doll was bought for him, he immediately bowed to Qing'er to thank her, then ran out happily with the wooden doll.

Qing'er reached out to catch the young master who ran away, but Luo Xinchen's sleeve slipped out of her palm.

"Young Master..." The words were stuck in his mouth. The maid beside him urged: "Sister Qing'er, please hurry up. The princess is waiting for you at the door of the laundry room... I envy you so much that the master actually came to pick you up in person."

Qing'er looked at the wide-open door, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

I hope that little master won't get hurt...

Probably not...

When the old woman handed her the wooden doll, she didn't know it was a medicine bottle. The young master wouldn't notice it and wouldn't get hurt...

Qing'er comforted herself in this way, and felt a little relieved. She packed up her things and said goodbye to the two maids.