TMBIABHL: Chapter 18

Glossary

·Ye Chutang (叶初棠): Female Protagonist. Heir to an ancient medical family. "Black-Headed Lotus." Runs a clinic in Jiangling.

·Ye Jingyan (叶璟言): Third Brother (阿言). Calm, studious.

·Ye Yunfeng (叶云风): Fourth Brother (阿风). Impulsive, protective.

·Little Five / Xiao Wu (小五): Youngest sister. ~4 years old. Non-verbal but expressive.

·Zhao, the Shopkeeper (赵掌柜): Owner/manager of a medicinal herb shop.

·Cao Deping (曹德平): Owner of Caoji Restaurant. Father of Cao Chengwen and Cao Chengwu.

·Cao Chengwen (曹成文): Eldest Young Master of the Cao family.

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Chapter 18: Exclusion

The affair of the Cao family spread like wildfire throughout the entire Jiangling. Wherever Ye Chutang walked on the street, she could always hear people discussing it.

As she walked and listened, she managed to piece together most of the story.

Cao Chengwen had been taken away by the yamen early in the morning and was probably being interrogated now. The entire Cao residence had also been sealed off by the officers, and no one was allowed to enter or leave freely.

Three human lives—this absolutely counted as a major case. No one dared to be negligent.

Ye Chutang walked around two streets and finally stopped in front of a medicinal herb shop.

Seeing her arrive, the shop assistant hurriedly came forward to greet her warmly. "Physician Ye! You're here! Please, come in!"

The clinic Ye Chutang ran was very small. The three younger ones at home were still young. Apart from the very few herbs they dug up themselves from the mountains, most were purchased by her from larger medicinal shops.

It was mainly for convenience.

Ye Chutang went inside, greeted Shopkeeper Zhao, and, as usual, handed him a procurement list.

"Just these this time."

Recently, she had been treating Shen Yanchuan, which used up quite a lot of supplies. She thought it was time to come and restock.

However, after looking at the list, Shopkeeper Zhao wore a troubled expression.

"Physician Ye, several items on this list... we don't have them either."

Ye Chutang was taken aback. "What?"

Shopkeeper Zhao pointed at the list for her. "As you know, it rained a couple of days ago, making the roads difficult to travel. The scheduled herb delivery has been delayed! We have no Chinese Angelica, White Poria Cocos, or Taiwu Grass!"

Ye Chutang faintly sensed something was amiss, but nothing showed on her face.

"Then, just give me whatever you have of the rest," she said calmly.

Shopkeeper Zhao shot a look at the assistant.

After a while, the assistant returned with the herbs. Ye Chutang took one glance and laughed.

"Shopkeeper Zhao, it's not my first time coming to your shop. You know perfectly well I wouldn't want goods of this vintage and quality."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Not only were the items she wanted unavailable, but what was finally brought out were all defective products. It was clearly meant to slight her.

Shopkeeper Zhao opened his mouth, then had no choice but to say, "Physician Ye, this is truly all we have left. If you don't fancy these, perhaps—try another shop?"

Ye Chutang lifted her gaze slightly and looked at him quietly.

But Shopkeeper Zhao had already guiltily averted his eyes, deliberately shouting at the assistant, "What are you standing around for! There's a layer of dust on the medicine cabinets! Don't you know to wipe them clean! What will people think if they see this!"

Ye Chutang simply took her leave.

She went to another medicinal herb shop on the same street and, as expected, received a very similar response.

—The herbs weren't complete; they couldn't sell to her.

After coming out empty-handed from the third herb shop, Ye Chutang didn't waste any more time and went directly home.

In the evening, after brothers Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng finished their classes for the day, Ye Jingyan went straight to the pharmacy as soon as they got home.

But soon, he walked out with a surprised look and asked Ye Chutang, who was in the courtyard tidying up the drying herbs, "Elder Sister, didn't you buy any new herbs today?"

His elder sister had clearly mentioned it this morning, so he had prepared to sort the new supplies upon returning, only to find nothing had been added.

Ye Chutang briefly recounted what had happened earlier.

Ye Jingyan's brow gradually furrowed. "So, they're deliberately not selling to us? But why would they do that?"

Ye Chutang didn't even look up. "What else could it be? Naturally, it's because we've offended someone."

"Offended someone? But we—" Ye Jingyan suddenly thought of something, his expression shifting. "Could it be... the Cao family?"

But the Cao family should be overwhelmed with their own troubles right now. How did they still have the energy to make things difficult for them?

"I heard Shopkeeper Cao has returned to Jiangling," Ye Chutang said.

Cao Deping had been away previously. Upon receiving the news of Cao Chengwu's death, he had rushed back without stop. Who would have thought that as soon as he arrived home, Cao Chengwen would be implicated in a murder case?

It was quite a coincidence.

As for why he would target Ye Chutang as soon as he returned... Cao Chengwen's instigation undoubtedly played a significant role.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Considering the timing, Cao Chengwen had probably already colluded with these herb shops to target her. It was just that she had been busy the past few days and hadn't gotten around to purchasing herbs, so she only noticed the problem now.

The Cao family was a prominent household in Jiangling with extensive connections. Dealing with an outsider family like Ye Chutang's was all too easy for them.

If it weren't for Ye Chutang's exceptional medical skills and the respect she commanded, the situation today would likely be even worse.

She might not even have been able to enter the herb shops' doors.

Ye Jingyan grew worried. "If that's the case, what should we do?"

Running a clinic without medicine—wasn't that utterly ridiculous?

Ye Chutang, however, didn't seem to think the matter was too serious. "It's simple. At worst, we can stop selling medicine and only write prescriptions. Let the patients buy the medicine themselves from other shops. It amounts to the same thing."

Ye Jingyan pressed his lips together tightly.

Although his elder sister's tone was light, he understood clearly that this trouble was absolutely not minor.

If these herb shops truly united to target them, the subsequent problems awaiting them would undoubtedly be even more difficult to solve!

"Elder Sister! Dinner's ready!"

Ye Yunfeng had been busy in the kitchen and hadn't heard their conversation.

Ye Chutang put away the last batch of herbs.

"Let's eat first. We'll talk about other matters later. Go carry Xiao Wu over for dinner."

Ye Jingyan was still worried inside, but since his elder sister had said so, he could only comply.

However, just as he turned to leave, Ye Chutang's gaze suddenly focused.

"Wait. A-Yan, what happened to the injury on your hand?"

Ye Jingyan started, instinctively wanting to hide his hand, but meeting Ye Chutang's eyes, he stopped.

At that moment, Ye Yunfeng happened to walk over. Hearing this, he immediately said indignantly, "It was the Tutor!"

Of course, Ye Chutang could also tell that the two crimson marks on A-Yan's palm were left by a ruler.

In the past, such marks usually appeared on A-Feng's hands. But A-Yan was always intelligent and reserved, never stirring up trouble. How could this happen?

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Ye Jingyan explained, "It's nothing. During class, the Tutor tested me on a question. I couldn't answer it, so I was punished."

What question could he not answer?

It was blatantly the Tutor deliberately making things difficult for him!

Ye Chutang was quiet for a moment and asked no further.

"Alright, eat first."

Ye Jingyan nodded gently.

…

This meal did not sit well with Ye Chutang.

It was very clear that someone was deliberately targeting them.

And as for who was behind all this, Ye Chutang didn't need to think hard to guess—it must be the Cao family.

But that wasn't the key point. The key was how to resolve it.

The herb shopkeepers could sell to whomever they wanted. The academy tutor could discipline whomever he wished. Even if this were argued to the heavens, it was still a personal grudge.

They were making things difficult for you to the greatest extent within their power. What could you do about it?

However,not long after, something even more unexpected to Ye Chutang occurred.

—After being taken to the yamen for three days of interrogation, Cao Chengwen was released without charge.

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note: check out my other work— My Younger Sister Insisted On A Marriage Exchange Wanting To Make Me The Wife Of A Marquis and Rebirth as the Matriarch of a Noble Family (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～♡ 

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