Chapter: Chapter 62, Fought with a Woman?
Fought with a Woman?
Wang Que left, his departing back looking slightly awkward.
Accompanying him was Qin Shou’s quiet muttering. “Damn it, these scammers nowadays are too much. It’s one thing to scam people in the countryside, but they even go to orphanages to swindle. They really have no conscience…”
Chen An patted his shoulder and sighed, “Perhaps, it was just a well-intentioned lie?”
Qin Shou was about to retort when he suddenly noticed Chen An’s tattered clothes. His expression changed, and a surge of anger erupted within him. “Damn it, Anzi, who beat you up?”
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, looking valiant and ready to avenge his brother.
Chen An quietly watched his performance. Thus, Qin Shou’s imagined heroic speech, “Don’t stop me, I’ll get justice for my brother today,” died on his lips. He asked somewhat sheepishly, “Are you really okay?”
Chen An shook his head, “I’m fine.”
But Qin Shou remained skeptical. “I was only gone for the time it takes to use the restroom, and you’re already this disheveled?” He rubbed his chin in thought, still believing Chen An had likely been bullied by someone but was too embarrassed to admit it.
Chen An ignored him and turned directly towards the small figure on the steps. The girl was staring blankly ahead. She heard the movement and turned her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just ran into a little trouble and was delayed.”
Chen Xi didn’t ask for details about the trouble. Instead, she suddenly leaned closer, her small nose twitching slightly. “Brother Chen An, did you fight with someone?” She had obviously overheard Chen An and Qin Shou’s earlier conversation.
Chen An said helplessly, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. You know my personality, how could I possibly fight with someone?” Chen Xi let out a soft “Oh” and fell silent.
Chen An sat down beside her, reached out to gather a lock of her soft hair, and continued braiding the unfinished braid. For a moment, only the sound of their light breathing filled the air. After a while, Chen Xi suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of melancholy. “Did you fight with a woman?”
…
…
The next day, Chen An woke up very early. He went to Qin Shou’s bedside and, ignoring the latter’s protests, forcefully dragged the young man out of bed.
Qin Shou, with his messy hair and dark circles under his eyes, was yawning uncontrollably. It was clear he had been playing on his phone until late last night and refused to sleep.
“Hey, Anzi, I mean, we finally have a break, can’t you let me sleep in?” Qin Shou rubbed his hair irritably, his voice full of complaint.
Chen An glanced at him, “Don’t you have a car? Accompany me somewhere.” He could have used his abilities to get there himself, but as Luo Cong’an had said, traveling by car was more practical. However, if he were to refine a magical artifact in the future, it could serve as a means of transportation.
Hearing this, Qin Shou blinked, a hint of curiosity piqued in his heart. He asked, “Where are we going?”
“To the Seven Stars Medicinal Materials Market in the next city.”
…
…
Adjacent to Qing City lies a smaller city, Qixing City. The two cities are about a hundred kilometers apart, and it takes about an hour to drive there on the highway. Qixing City is a nationally renowned center for Chinese medicinal herbs trading and cultivation, with its products receiving widespread acclaim. Chen An had come here to find some necessary medicinal materials. He intended to refine a pill called the “Beauty-Nourishing Pill” to help Chen Xi restore her complexion. This idea was not sudden; ever since he first learned about cultivation, Chen An had kept it in his heart.
Standing before the plaque emblazoned with the words “Seven Stars Medicinal Materials Market,” Qin Shou scratched his head in confusion. “Anzi, you dragged me out of bed early this morning and drove over a hundred kilometers just to buy traditional Chinese medicine?” He couldn’t help but complain, “Did some old TCM doctor trick you? And besides, if we need to buy something, we can just order it online. Why do we need to come here in person?”
Chen An did not explain. He simply took a step forward and entered the market. A strong aroma of traditional Chinese medicine filled the air. Although it was still early, the market was already bustling with people, and the dense flow of traffic and the occasional shouts indicated its lively atmosphere. Most people who specifically came to the Seven Stars Medicinal Materials Market were there for bulk wholesale business. Retailers like Chen An were relatively rare.
Shops lined the roadside, with many small stalls extending out from their entrances, displaying neatly arranged medicinal materials of all kinds. The Beauty-Nourishing Pill was not a high-level pill in the cultivation world, and the medicinal materials required were relatively simple. Chen An’s gaze swept over them, and he could tell the approximate age and efficacy of these materials at a glance.
“Too poor.” He frowned slightly. Even for the “low-level” Beauty-Nourishing Pill in Chen An’s eyes, the medicinal materials here did not meet the minimum requirements. Although the variety was complete and abundant, the quality was truly worrying. However, anything displayed in the open would not be of good quality anyway.
So, Chen An went directly to a stall owner and inquired if they had any better aged or higher quality materials. The stall owner was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a stubble. When he heard Chen An’s request, he looked Chen An and his companion up and down. Seeing two young lads who were barely out of their teens, the stall owner’s enthusiasm waned considerably. He yawned and said listlessly, “Of course, we have them. The question is, can you afford them?”
Upon hearing this, Chen An did not get angry. Instead, he looked back at Qin Shou. Qin Shou, being young and spirited, immediately raised his eyebrows, stepped forward, and slapped his sports car key in front of the stall owner. The stall owner was startled and was about to curse when his gaze fell upon the distinct logo on the car key. His tone immediately changed. “You f… are actually a VIP!”
“Come, come, two distinguished guests, please come inside.” The stall owner’s expression changed with remarkable smoothness, and he enthusiastically led Chen An and Qin Shou into the shop with a smile. Qin Shou maintained a stoic expression, giving a deliberate “hmph.” Inwardly, however, he was inwardly delighted. “Damn it, these classic ‘show-off’ scenes from novel protagonists really need my personal touch to feel right.”
They entered the inner room, and the stall owner brought out a premium brand of tea specifically prepared for VIP guests and brewed a pot. After that, they discussed the medicinal materials. Hearing that Chen An was looking for quality rather than quantity, the stall owner led them to a secluded corner of the market. There was another stall there, but compared to the one at the main entrance, it looked much quieter and smaller in scale.
The stall owner introduced, “This is my cousin. We’ve been in the medicinal herb business here in Qixing for decades. While my stall mainly deals with artificially cultivated herbs, my cousin’s are genuine wild medicinal herbs…”
Chen An nodded and casually scanned the stall. He pointed with his finger. “This one, this one, this one, and this one.”
The stall owner and his cousin beamed with joy, their old faces blooming like chrysanthemums. “Okay, we’ll pack them up for you.”
But the next moment, their smiles froze. Because Chen An’s voice continued. “Hmm, we don’t need these four. Pack everything else.”
(End of this chapter)
