Chapter 32: Stability

Chapter 32: Stability

Xun Mei arranged for a simple two-room courtyard near the training ground.

The area around the training ground was on the outskirts of the imperial mansion, not far from the stables, making it convenient for coming and going.

The rooms were already tidy, and Meng Yuan left Big Head Zhao and Elder Jiang to chat while he took Jiang Tang to purchase some items.

The imperial mansion provided food and accommodation, but Meng Yuan currently had higher standards for his meals, so he planned to set up a separate kitchen.

He didn't insist on having a separate kitchen for every meal, but at least once a day.

Moreover, Elder Jiang's health wasn't the best, and he needed to take medicinal baths to regulate his body. The little maid should also eat well.

They purchased cookware, bedding, and ten catties of mutton, half a catty of sesame candy, and some dried fruit.

"Today is our housewarming, Big Head Uncle, Iron Bull, and two new friends are here. Let's have a good meal at home," Meng Yuan said as he pinched a piece of sesame candy from an oil paper package and put it into Jiang Tang's mouth, asking, "Does it taste good?"

"It's delicious!" Jiang Tang chewed lightly, and her big round eyes lit up. With a satisfied look, she asked, "Brother, what is a housewarming?"

"It's moving to a new house," Meng Yuan replied, putting the paper package into Jiang Tang's hand and tapping her forehead. "Tonight, you'll read and learn characters with me."

As they talked, Meng Yuan made a firm decision and went to buy writing utensils and several textbooks for beginners.

Upon returning to their residence, they tidied up briefly, and after boiling water, Meng Yuan called over Zhao Tieniu, Wu Changsheng, and Hu Qian.

Big Head Zhao saw that Hu Qian was beautiful and tall, and she seemed to be from a decent background, clearly carrying herself like a young lady. Usually, he was quite talkative, but now that he was in the presence of a noble, he became polite and respectful, offering her a drink.

"Miss Hu, my son Tieniu is dull and doesn't know how to speak. Please take care of him. If you know of any suitable maids, please keep them in mind. We don't care about background or appearance; as long as they can live a stable life, that's fine." Big Head Zhao smiled apologetically.

Now that Tieniu had a place to learn martial arts and no longer had to worry about food and drink, Big Head Zhao had no other desires. He just wanted to find a bride for Tieniu as soon as possible.

This was how poor families were; when they were young, they worried about their own marriages, and when they grew old, they worried about their children's marriages. They worried all their lives.

Generation after generation, until one generation couldn't go on, and the bloodline was cut off, then they didn't have to worry anymore.

However, Hu Qian was a well-mannered person and didn't show any disdain for the commoners. She only said, "I'll keep an eye out for him."

After cooking the ten pounds of mutton, only seven or eight pounds remained, and everyone gathered around to eat.

The best combination was the mutton with leek flower sauce, although it had a slightly spicy taste. Hu Qian took a few bites, but seeing that her presence made everyone uncomfortable, she said she was going to wash clothes and then took her leave.

Only after Hu Qian left did Big Head Zhao relax a bit, and Wu Changsheng could finally eat the meat heartily.

"Xiao Meng is sensible and capable. How could Master Nie not like him? He even made him your leader," Big Head Zhao said as he raised his cup to Wu Changsheng. "You also help take care of Tieniu's marriage."

"Cheers, Big Head Uncle!"

The two of them kept chatting, but Meng Yuan didn't say much; he just ate with Tieniu.

Wu Changsheng and Zhao Tieniu had already been reminded by Meng Yuan not to mention the fight or their outside work.

After a while, the mutton was gone. After some more small talk, Meng Yuan sent off Tieniu and Wu Changsheng, then went to Jiang Tang's room to teach her characters.

"Brother, you and Grandpa both have jobs. What about me?" Jiang Tang asked while writing her name.

"Wait a bit, I'll think of something," Meng Yuan replied, as he hadn't figured it out yet. For now, he planned to have this maid stay home, read books, and learn characters. In the future, if she needed to be assigned work, Xun Mei would be the one to arrange it. However, Meng Yuan didn't want this maid to do menial tasks like serving tea. Since they had money now, they could afford to keep her for the time being.

The next day, after seeing off Big Head Zhao, Meng Yuan took Elder Jiang and his granddaughter to the clinic.

Upon arrival, they saw that many people were already waiting, and the doctor was inside taking pulses.

This clinic was called the Jimin Clinic, introduced by Hu Qian, who said it was quite famous, and her mother came here every month to have her pulse checked.

Meng Yuan had experience dealing with touts and always liked to ask about prices first. So, he directly grabbed an apprentice and asked about the fees.

"The consultation fee is five taels, and the prescription and medicine are extra. House calls depend on the distance; ten taels for the south and twenty taels for the north, with an additional fee for rainy or snowy days, and double for midnight calls. We don't offer credit," the apprentice said.

"Five taels just for a pulse diagnosis?" Meng Yuan was already considering changing careers.

Yesterday, he had spent money on wine, meat, and various items, and the writing utensils were quite expensive, totaling over eight taels, leaving him with only twenty-one taels left.

However, since they were already there, they might as well pay the price. Money was earned, not saved.

After waiting for more than half an hour, it was finally Elder Jiang's turn.

The three of them entered, and they saw that the doctor was an old man who looked like an immortal, appearing very reliable at first glance.

"You've endured hardships when you were young, and recently, you've injured your body. As you age, it's only natural to have more ailments. From now on, avoid heavy labor and let me prescribe you some medicine to nourish your body." The elderly doctor swiftly wrote a prescription, demonstrating his efficiency.

Meng Yuan pondered, "Since we're already here and have spent the money, I might as well have my pulse checked as well."

"Your pulse is vigorous and powerful, and your blood qi is robust. The hardships you endured in your youth have strengthened your muscles and bones, which isn't a bad thing. You should marry a wife to alleviate your fiery temperament." The old doctor made his diagnosis.

Next was Jiang Tang's turn.

"The young lady doesn't have any ailments. She's just a bit too thin, probably due to hunger, or her first menstruation has arrived early. Eat more nutritious food and chat more with your aunts and uncles." The old doctor, with his years of experience, didn't shy away from discussing gynecological matters.

Meng Yuan, seeing that the doctor's assessment wasn't off, recognized his expertise and sincerely thanked him.

After purchasing the medicine, along with the consultation fee, Meng Yuan spent a total of eleven taels of silver.

Old Man Jiang was in pain, and as the head of the family and the main provider, Meng Yuan couldn't show weakness. He maintained a calm and collected demeanor.

Meng Yuan's heart ached for the money spent, but he still bought two bolts of cloth, intending to sew two new sets of clothes for the young lady.

Now, he only had seven taels of silver left.

The three of them returned to the Prince's Mansion together. Old Man Jiang, in addition to his role as a horse doctor, specifically went to the stable to find the manager and introduce himself.

After a busy day, they finally settled down.

Back at the training ground, Meng Yuan resumed his practice of the Gale Blade Technique, focusing on building his strength.

Even as night fell, there was still no sign of Nie Shi. Meng Yuan couldn't even find anyone to borrow money from, so he immersed himself in his training.

As the night deepened, Meng Yuan returned to their residence and found Jiang Tang still studying by candlelight. He felt a sense of relief.

But when he opened the door, he saw the young lady sewing the inner garment, specifically his own.

"Brother," Jiang Tang noticed Meng Yuan's arrival and stood up, holding the garment. "How did this garment get torn?"

She didn't seem concerned about the garment but curiously circled Meng Yuan twice, as if examining him for injuries.

Apparently, this young lady wasn't foolish and had noticed something amiss.

"The medicine shop's dog ran away, and I went into the mountains to look for it. That's how it got torn," Meng Yuan explained.

"You must be careful. There are many wolves in the mountains!" Jiang Tang didn't believe him and grabbed Meng Yuan's hand, lifting his sleeve to look inside, then reaching in to touch and feel around. Only after confirming that there were no abnormalities did she finally relax.

"There's still mutton stewing on the stove. I'll bring some for you." She happily went out and returned in a flash.

Meng Yuan still had money, so he planned to have a meat dish every night. Old Man Jiang and Jiang Tang also needed meat to nourish their bodies.

With this daily extra meal, Meng Yuan also didn't neglect the food at the training ground canteen. He estimated that within a month, his vital energy would be fully replenished.

Five days passed, and Meng Yuan was immersed in his martial arts practice, focusing on opening his acupoints. The acupoints on his right arm were already fully activated.

Nie Shi hadn't shown up for several days, and Meng Yuan hadn't gone to look for him either.

Previously, Zhang Guyan had hinted at seducing Nie Shi's widow, but Meng Yuan only thought about it briefly in the morning. Once he started practicing, he forgot about everything else.

What woman, no matter how beautiful or fragrant her body, could compare to the comfort of practicing the Gale Blade Technique twice!

Meng Yuan loved the 200-catty stone mill but scoffed at the 80-catty beauty.

Moreover, Meng Yuan considered himself a righteous gentleman, and seducing a young widow was inappropriate. Devoting himself to martial arts was the right path!

This morning, Meng Yuan woke up before dawn.

The February breeze was sharp, carrying a chill.

"Brother," Jiang Tang had already come out of her small room. "Getting up so early every day to practice is more tiring than shoveling cattle manure on the ranch!"

"Without enduring the bone-chilling cold, how can you expect the fragrance of plum blossoms?" Meng Yuan squeezed her hand and, seeing that it was warm, wrote a few words for her, "Today, we'll have mutton for dinner."

As he spoke, Meng Yuan also braided her hair.

"Brother, are we still having mutton for dinner?" Jiang Tang asked.

Recently, Meng Yuan had been eating two catties of mutton every night, always after returning from the training ground. It was his late-night snack.

Meng Yuan gave Jiang Tang five taels of silver, and the young lady took on the role of a housekeeper. Every day, she practiced calligraphy, read books, and went out for purchases, already adept at managing the accounts.

"Brother, don't worry about money. Spend it, and I'll give you more when it's gone. You must have a pig's trotter every day, understand?" Meng Yuan squeezed her little face.

Now, Nie Shi had been absent from the training ground for several days, and Meng Yuan couldn't even find anyone to borrow money from! Meng Yuan decided that if Nie Shi didn't show up today, he would go to the Intoxicating Moon Tower and eat and drink for free!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end