Chapter 457 - 455: Jing Single-Minded About Making Money (Part 1)

Chapter 457: Chapter 455: Jing Single-Minded About Making Money (Part 1)

Before Xu Jing got off the carriage, she heard Xiao Huai’an excitedly calling from outside, "Mom!"

Xu Jing couldn’t help but smile as she got off the carriage and immediately picked up the Little Point who ran straight to her, and said, "Has Chang Xiao been good these days?"

She had been away from Anping County for a total of six days, and she had initially been worried that Little Point might be anxious.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Huai’an smiled and said, "Of course I’ve been good. Shen said you would be back today. I almost thought she was lying to me. Mom, you’re back so early this time, that’s great."

As he spoke, he happily snuggled his head against Xu Jing’s shoulder.

Xu Jing couldn’t help but laugh.

This kid, it seems he’s grown resilient from her and Xiao Yi frequently going out.

Xu Jing patted Xiao Huai’an’s little head and said, "With Chang Xiao here, Mom will make every effort to come back sooner."

On the side, Shen laughed and said, "During the time you were away, Lady Cheng often took the young lord to Xinglin Hall. The young lord has recently taken a great interest in various herbs, and Lady Cheng taught him to recognize some. Lady Cheng has been praising how smart the young lord is."

Xu Jing looked at Xiao Huai’an in some surprise, and Xiao Huai’an immediately nodded proudly and said, "Qingqing said I’ve learned much faster than she did back then. Mom, I can recognize many herbs now. You can test me anytime!"

Xu Jing couldn’t help but smile and pinched his little cheeks, saying, "Then I won’t worry about having no one to pass down my skills to in the future."

She had previously considered taking some time to teach this Little Point some medicine skills, as it’s a great means of self-protection no matter what path he takes in life.

She thought he was still young and wanted him to play carefree for a few years first.

Unexpectedly, this little one is ambitious. Well, during this time, while she stays in Anping County and has no other tasks, she can teach the little tyke properly.

After Xu Jing and Xiao Huai’an finished their affectionate reunion, she turned around and discovered Xiao He and Song Qingyun were whispering about something not far away.

She refrained from going over as an unwelcome third party and stood there waiting for them to finish talking and come over.

After they came over, Xu Jing smiled and asked, "Qingyun, do you plan to continue staying in Anping County?"

Song Qingyun was slightly taken aback, paused, and nodded, "I want to stay a bit longer. Would that be a bother to you?"

Being around Jing, she could experience many things she hadn’t seen before.

She wanted to stay by Jing’s side for a while longer.

Xu Jing smiled, "Where you want to stay is your freedom. Anping County isn’t mine alone. How could you be a bother?

Honestly, having you stay means an extra person to chat with. I couldn’t be happier."

Song Qingyun couldn’t help but pursed her lips and smiled slightly.

Xiao He secretly glanced at Song Qingyun and then turned to Xu Jing and said, "I’ll return to the Western Capital first. The Holy Emperor is waiting for my report. If you need anything, send someone to send a message to the Western Capital. Both Chang Yu and I are there, so coming over would be convenient."

Xu Jing nodded and said, "Thank you for making this trip."

Xiao He smiled, patted Xiao Huai’an’s little head, turned around, and swiftly mounted his horse, leaving with his soldiers.

Song Qingyun subconsciously watched his gradually fading figure and suddenly said softly, "Jing, I feel Xiao Erlang has changed. Before, I didn’t even know what to say to him."

When she had asked Jing those two questions in the carriage, she had also mentioned them while discussing the case details with Xiao He.

She thought those two seemingly irrelevant questions wouldn’t catch his attention. But as soon as they got off the carriage, he came to ask if she had understood those questions. He had been thinking about them along the way, having some guesses, wanting to discuss them with her.

Although Jing had already given her answers, Song Qingyun was very interested in Xiao He’s thoughts and chatted with him.

Previously, when talking to Xiao He, she had always felt an inexplicable pressure, probably originating from a shadow left in her heart when Xiao He teased her for reading romance books as a child. Later, knowing about Xiao He’s feelings for her added to the pressure.

She had never spoken or discussed issues with him so frankly and without distractions before.

Xu Jing looked at her with a slight smile and said, "Really? But in my eyes, Xiao He has always been like this, never changed. Maybe it’s just that you never really understood him before."

Song Qingyun was slightly dazed, a trace of confusion and contemplation flickering in her eyes.

Xu Jing said nothing more, only asking, "Our family plans to have barbecue tonight. Would you like to stay and join us for dinner?"

Some things cannot be rushed.

But fortunately, they still have time; there’s plenty of time.

Half a year passed quickly.

After that, the court had Xu Jing and others prepare three more batches of medicine. Each time, when things got busy, Xu Jing had to be personally involved, so she spent most of that half year in Anping County, only returning to the Western Capital during the holidays.

What comforted Xu Jing was that although the court required a large amount of medicine each time, by the third batch, the quantity clearly began to decrease. The last batch was only half of what was before.

This indicates that the war at the front lines has gradually stabilized.

The war is about to end.

One evening, Cheng Qingqing stayed over at Xu Jing’s house to help her with the accounts. Seeing the unabashed joy on Xu Jing’s face, she couldn’t help but exclaim, "Jing, you’ve changed. We’re receiving less and less money from the court, yet you seem happier and happier. You’re no longer the Jing who only cared about making money!"

Xu Jing glanced up at her and smiled, "Nonsense, profits from wartime are easy to make, but the underlying burden is too heavy. More of such silver isn’t as worthwhile as less. Besides, haven’t the profits made from the initial batches been enough for you? Remember when you and your brother saw so much silver for the first time; you were both wide-eyed, saying you’d never spend it all in this lifetime?"

Thinking about their previous naive behavior, Cheng Qingqing blushed a little and coughed, "Well, that was indeed our first time seeing so much gold and silver! At least I adjusted; my brother still thinks it’s a dream that he’s among the wealthy in Anping County!

Haha, but Jing, you’ve been opening Xinglin Hall branches everywhere these days, spending most of the earned money, and my brother started to feel down again. Luckily, you promised not to touch our little treasure stash. He’s been hugging his possessions to sleep every night lately."

The profit from selling medicine to the court was thin, but due to the sheer quantity, it added up to a significant amount.

Xu Jing seized the moment to implement her previously planned Xinglin Hall branch expansion. In just a few months, they opened three branches around Anping County.

The news of Xinglin Hall supplying medicine to the army spread swiftly across Great Chu during the war, bringing instant fame, ensuring the new branches wouldn’t lack business.

Xu Jing couldn’t help but laugh, "How did I not notice before that your brother is so tightfisted? You should talk to him about it. With this attitude, what good family maiden would be willing to marry him?"

Mentioning this point, Cheng Qingqing felt a little troubled. After all, her brother still bears the responsibility of continuing the family line while he has the nerve to urge her to marry.

She puffed her cheeks, temporarily tossing aside the bothersome topic, and said, "But I’m truly happy the war is ending so fast. We have Vice Minister Xiao to thank for that!

Ah, should I call him General Xiao now?"