Chapter 351 The Qi Family Is a Big Trouble
Min Hang said this to avoid being blamed if they couldn't find the medicinal herbs. After all, these two were now considered Ye family members, and he didn't want his friend to be put in a difficult position. If Uncle Ye hadn't come along this time, he might have refused.
"Besides, finding medicinal herbs is not a simple matter. I haven't even heard of the five herbs listed here. You can imagine how difficult they will be to find."
Qi Xuan was very disappointed. She had thought her grandfather was saved, but now it seemed even more difficult.
Qi Luquan, however, was more accepting. He was over sixty and felt he had lived a full life. He patted his granddaughter's hand to comfort her.
"Xuanxuan, not everything can be forced."
Tears welled up in Qi Xuan's eyes, and she tried to hold them back, but it was in vain.
"Grandpa, why don't we go back and try the doctors in Mi Province again?"
Dad Ye remained silent. These life-and-death matters were for the involved parties to decide.
"Nonsense, we've come all this way, how can we go back now?"
"But what if a doctor in Mi Province recognizes the remaining five herbs? This is a chance, we can't give up."
Qi Xuan was starting to doubt the abilities of the two doctors from the Ye family, and even all the doctors here. After all, if even the biggest herbal medicine merchant here didn't know about these herbs, could they rely on others to find them?
Min Hang glanced at Dad Ye and saw no emotion on his face, so he patiently sat there. It would be better if he didn't have to get involved because this Qi Xuan was not to be trifled with, and he didn't want any trouble.
"Don't talk nonsense. The doctors in Mi Province had already given me a death sentence. If there was a way, I would have treated it long ago."
After speaking, Qi Luquan looked at Min Hang with sincere eyes.
"I would like to trouble Mr. Min to help me find the herbs, but no need to force anything, just do your best. You can name your price."
Min Hang glanced at Dad Ye again. When he saw Dad Ye nod, he smiled and agreed.
"Alright. My fee for searching for herbs abroad is very high, and the money still has to be paid even if we don't find them. For the first six herbs, I'll charge you two thousand yuan for each as a running errand fee. For the remaining five, it will be three thousand yuan each. As for the cost of the herbs themselves, you'll pay for them after they are found. We can discuss the price then."
Qi Luquan hadn't expected the price to be so high. Even in Mi Province, this price would be considered expensive. Although it was insignificant compared to his life, he hadn't brought his money back and was currently relying on the Ye family for food and lodging.
Qi Luquan could only look at Old Ye, but he was worried that Old Ye might not have this much money either.
Min Hang was a businessman. Unless he was willing to pay for something, everything was a transaction, devoid of personal feelings.
Dad Ye sighed. He truly didn't have this much money. After all, the original owner's salary wouldn't have allowed him to save tens of thousands of yuan.
"We'll have to borrow this money from Shengge first. She's the only one in the family who can come up with it."
"Okay, okay, I'll repay Shengge the moment my money is back."
Qi Xuan was surprised that the wealthiest person in the Ye family was their aunt, and such a large sum of money at that. She thanked the Ye family again in her heart for their help. She understood the average income here, and in the countryside, a family that could save a hundred yuan a year was considered very well-off.
"Alright, I can have people set off to search immediately. I hope this trip goes smoothly for all of us."
In fact, running an herbal medicine business also involved risks. Many rare herbs not only had to be purchased but also personally harvested by their own herbal medicine teams, which carried significant risks and potential losses of personnel.
"Thank you, Mr. Min. I hope it goes smoothly for all of us."
As Min Hang was seeing Dad Ye and the others off, he casually asked where Zi Yisheng was. He hadn't expected his friend to be so disloyal as to go out for a meal without inviting him.
"I'm going too. Min De, let's hurry to the city."
Qi Xuan had been silent the whole time. She still wanted to pursue two avenues simultaneously and return to Mi Province with her grandfather.
How could Qi Luquan not know his granddaughter's thoughts? They would definitely go back to Mi Province, but not for the herbs, but to find the cause of his poisoning. If it was done by the people of Wubing Mountain, then he would have to cleanse their house.
However, none of this could involve his granddaughter. He had finally managed to get her away from everything related to Wubing Mountain, and he would never let his granddaughter get entangled again, no matter what.
"Xuanxuan, let everything take its course. And Grandpa hopes you can promise me one thing, which is to never return to Mi Province or Wubing Mountain for the rest of your life."
Qi Xuan was about to retort, but upon seeing her grandfather's solemn expression, she could only agree.
"I understand. Grandpa, I'll hang on for you too."
"I will, Grandpa still wants to see you get married and have children."
By the time Min Hang arrived in the city, it was almost noon. He immediately rushed to the largest shopping mall in the city.
As expected, upon entering the mall, he saw a conspicuous crowd of men surrounding a stunningly beautiful girl. Min Hang once again offered silent condolences to his friend. It was truly not easy to win over a girl from the Ye family.
"Brother Zi, you're really disloyal. You don't invite me out for meals."
Zi Yisheng was quite happy to see Min Hang. He hadn't thought of him when he came out, but now he really needed this person.
Zi Yisheng quickly stepped forward and pulled him aside, his expression serious and earnest.
"Min Hang, your glorious and arduous mission has arrived."
Min Hang immediately felt a sense of foreboding, regretting that he had shown up.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
"See the seven people behind me? The rest of the time is yours. Your mission is to prevent them from pestering my wife any longer. There will be a reward upon completion."
Min Hang patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought it was something serious. You're having a tough time, choosing a girl with a bunch of brothers-in-law. Don't worry, it's all on me."
"You're a good friend. Let's move."
Ye Shengge raised an eyebrow at the two men who were whispering with their heads together. It was the first time she had seen Zi Yisheng so intimate with someone. It seemed their friendship was deeper than she had imagined.
"Shengge, this pastry looks good. Shall we buy some to take home?"
"Okay, let's buy some to try."
As Min Hang approached, he put his arm around Bai Lao Si's shoulder. Regardless of whether they were familiar or not, he started with enthusiasm.
"Are you picking out delicious food for Shengge? I know this area very well. Come, let me introduce you. I guarantee Shengge will be satisfied."
Min Hang's words did manage to draw away a few people, but Ye Muen, Bai Lao San, and Bai Chenxi remained unmoved.
Zi Yisheng's temples throbbed with pain. For the entire morning, he hadn't had a chance to get close to the little girl. Moreover, the little girl was so engrossed in shopping that she had completely forgotten his existence, making him feel dejected as he followed behind.
It seemed that Min Hang alone wasn't enough. When they returned, he had to have Ah Sen and the others interact more with the Bai family, preferably become good friends, so that they could each handle one person when they went out next time.
"Shengge, why don't we go for a meal first? Han Hao should have prepared something. We can continue shopping in the afternoon, or we can stay an extra day if needed."
Ye Shengge rubbed her stomach. She did feel a bit empty. She really missed Han Hao's cooking.
"Alright, hurry up and call my cousin and the others."
Zi Yisheng immediately took Ye Shengge's hand and left first, ignoring everyone else.
"Little girl, don't forget about me, your boyfriend. You've only said three sentences to me since we arrived in the city today."
"Pfft, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'll drag you along shopping with me this afternoon."
Her boyfriend was having an episode again. He didn't understand a woman's state when she was shopping, especially someone like her, who had missed out on so many shopping opportunities in her previous life. In a mall, her eyes were only on the merchandise, and she wouldn't notice anyone else.
"Okay, remember your words."
Han Hao had indeed finished preparing. Since the weather was cold, stir-fries couldn't be made in advance, only soups and stews could be prepared beforehand. Seeing Young Master Zi arrive, he quickly scurried into the kitchen.
"Oh my, so you're the one who's graduated and replaced your master, huh?"
Min Hang was very familiar with the master and disciple duo, Gong Wentao, and was a regular at the private kitchen. He hadn't tasted Han Hao's cooking yet, so he unceremoniously followed them into the kitchen.
Ye Muen had been here before, but the six Bai brothers hadn't.
"I didn't expect there to be such an elegant restaurant hidden here."
Bai Chenyi really liked the courtyard's decor. He usually preferred quiet and elegant environments, similar to the style of the courtyard he lived in before.
"Do people come here often?"
"Yes, only specific guests. Business is quite good."
Zi Yisheng didn't have many private kitchens; he mostly set one up in whichever city he stayed in. One was for convenience when receiving guests, and the other was to improve his own meals. In Spring City, it was definitely for the little girl, so he could treat her to a good meal when they went out.
The dishes were served quickly, including a grand Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The last time Ye Shengge had eaten it, it was made by Uncle Gong. This time, she would have to savor Han Hao's craftsmanship.
"A main course! It's been so long since I've had one."
"Me too. I haven't had it since I left Ming City. The chefs at home used to make it from time to time."
Bai Lao Liu, Bai Yuanhan, although the youngest, got along best with Min Hang. Both of them were food lovers.
Ye Shengge took the soup bowl handed to her by Zi Yisheng and ignored everyone else. As a spoonful of the fragrant soup entered her mouth, her eyes narrowed in contentment.
"Uncle Gong can really retire. Han Hao's cooking is just as good."
Halfway through the meal, Min Hang had the chance to talk about Qi Luquan's situation. Zi Yisheng didn't comment, but Ye Muen frowned.
"This is bringing a big trouble home. With the old man's salary alone, how could he afford to lend out thirty thousand yuan?"
Ye Shengge shrugged. Her father wanted to do something, so they should support him. Thirty thousand wasn't a lot, and it was also giving her father some face. However, she wondered how many more troubles like this there would be. If their mother, with her merchant's nature, wouldn't let their father keep making such sacrifices.
"What I'm more curious about now is what kind of bond Dad has with Uncle Qi. Dad has never been a warm-hearted person."