Chapter 108

Chen Jue looked at the excited faces around him, raised his wine glass, and continued to the crowd:

"Today is a family feast, everyone, please don't be formal. Jilin and I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"

He raised his glass, and only then did the others raise theirs.

"Doctor Chen, we'd also like to toast you. Without you, there would be no Chen's Pharmaceutical, none of the good days we enjoy now, and no victory over the epidemic today! We also wish you and General Huo a happy Mid-Autumn Festival."

They used honorifics, addressing Huo Jilin as General, but Chen Jue's title remained unchanged. In their eyes, the title Doctor Chen was even higher than that of a third-rank marquis's wife. Of course, they had no idea what a third-rank marquis's wife even was.

In their hearts, the title Doctor Chen was more solid than anything else.

Those three words carried extraordinary significance.

Chen Jue had not only provided them with a means of self-reliance, nor just overcome the epidemic—he had shown them a kind of strength, a power to overcome anything, a power of independence and self-reliance.

This power was more precious than anything else, enabling them to rise and start anew no matter the peril.

This was also why Chen Jue was so renowned among the people.

The common folk harbored a deep wariness of officials. Although Huo Jilin had done more, in their eyes, that was expected of him.

Moreover, Huo Jilin had never shown any excitement—like the imperial decree a few days ago, he hadn't jumped for joy the way others would. His expression hadn't changed at all, leading them to suspect the decree was a fake.

But after everyone had eaten their fill, when Huo Jilin announced that he would be going to the capital, they finally confirmed that everything in the decree was true. They looked at Huo Jilin and thought, Dalin sure knows how to keep his cool! A true heir to a general's bloodline!

Remembering the imperial decree from a few days ago, everyone's excitement surged again.

Huo Jilin was a descendant of the Huo family of the Beiping General's Mansion—that made him a big deal in their village! In all these years, the village hadn't even produced one scholar, let alone a descendant of a great general.

They all conveniently forgot the Huo family's demotion and exile.

Every dynasty has its own favorites—nothing unusual about that.

Village Head Zhou's hands trembled as he held his wine glass, thinking how lucky he was to have redeemed himself these past days by diligently helping Huo Jilin and Chen Jue run the pharmacy. Otherwise, he'd regret it for the rest of his days.

He truly never imagined that the person bringing such honor to their village was Huo Jilin, and that the one who built a memorial archway for their village was Chen's Pharmaceutical.

And it was personally inscribed by His Majesty! What immense honor for generations to come!

Village Head Zhou raised his glass toward Huo Jilin: "General Huo, I toast you. Thank you for your contributions to our Pingshan Village during this time. I'll take good care of our pharmacy from now on, and I won't let anyone lay a finger on it!"

Huo Jilin shot him a glance—that much he could believe. Village Head Zhou was a stiff, old-school man who set great store by family honor, so he'd surely want Chen's Pharmaceutical to stand firm and unshaken.

Even if he had other ideas, with the imperial decree in place, he wouldn't dare try anything.

Huo Jilin smiled and clinked glasses with him: "Then I thank Village Head Zhou for his stewardship. This pharmacy was personally granted by His Majesty, and in the future, imperial guards will be dispatched to help manage it alongside you. No need to worry too much—the pharmacy will flourish with everyone working together."

Huo Jilin said this just to borrow the emperor's authority. He had no intention of letting the emperor interfere—the people he'd send later would be his own trusted men.

This was a pharmacy he and Chen Jue had built together, and in the future, it would grow into the largest pharmaceutical company in Great Liang and beyond.

So from the start, it had to be staffed by his own people.

He'd already talked this over with Zhou Qingshan, Zhou Qingzhu, and Zhou Shun.

These three were the trusted allies he'd cultivated in the village. But because they lacked deep roots in the village, if he didn't give them a heavyweight backer, they might eventually have trouble keeping the villagers in check.

The clan system in this day and age was too strong.

Even though Village Head Zhou wouldn't dare mess with his pharmacy, Huo Jilin still wanted to nip any such possibility in the bud.

So Village Head Zhou wouldn't even get the idea.

Sure enough, Village Head Zhou wasn't taken aback and nodded eagerly: "Yes, yes! Then I can set my mind at ease about the pharmacy!"

He then clasped his hands toward the sky and declared, "His Majesty is sagely! Truly sagely!"

Village Head Zhou had only ever known about county magistrates before, but now he'd finally learned about the top official. These past few days, that phrase had been on his lips nonstop.

Aunt Zhang had stopped scolding him about it. She looked at Huo Jilin and let out a silent sigh of relief.

Huo Jilin's move set her mind at ease as well. She'd genuinely been afraid her husband might get some treasonous ideas. Now that Chen's Pharmaceutical belonged to the emperor, nobody would dare touch it.

Her second sigh of relief came because Dalin had finally made good—their family had finally been cleared of wrongdoing, and he'd be leaving the village with his husband. Her good-for-nothing son would finally stop chasing pipe dreams.

The heavy weight on her heart had finally been lifted.

They feasted from afternoon to evening, then left with the red envelopes Huo Jilin had prepared for each of them.

Zhou Qingshan's family and Zhou Shun stayed to help with the cleanup.

They also took the chance to talk—this was the management crew.

Huo Jilin had already confirmed their management roles in front of all the staff earlier. Now he needed to go over pharmacy matters for after they left.

"Now we're all among our own people. Speak freely, voice any concerns directly. But I believe that even without the two of us here, you can handle things independently."

Huo Jilin smiled and said, "During these three months of the epidemic, Chen's Pharmaceutical relied on you all to keep running smoothly."

"Dalin, don't say that. The two of you were out there saving so many people, facing life and death every day—we all saw it. If we didn't do our part with the pharmacy, I wouldn't have the face to see you."

Zhou Qingshan grew emotional as he spoke.

Before, he hadn't dared to think about what would happen if something happened to the two of them. Now that they were safe and sound, he finally dared to say it.

He didn't know how he had gotten through those three months.

Huo Jilin smiled: "I'm telling the truth. You all did an excellent job these three months."

During the three months of the epidemic, he and Chen Jue were away. Aside from formulating the medicine production plans, everything relied on them. Zhou Qingshan, Zhou Qingzhu, and Zhou Shun were forced to make decisions and plans on their own. When pushed to accomplish these tasks, they grew without realizing it, developing the ability to handle things independently.

Huo Jilin looked at Zhou Qingshan and smiled: "You really did well. During those days away, I never once worried about the pharmacy, because I knew you were here. Keep doing it this way in the future."

Zhou Qingshan took a deep breath: "Really?"

Huo Jilin nodded: "Absolutely true."

Zhou Shun also teased him with a smile: "Exactly, Brother Qingshan. In the future, you'll be the production manager—not just managing Pingshan Village, but also traveling around to different places, right? Isn't that so, Doctor Chen?"

Zhou Shun asked Chen Jue.

Chen Jue nodded: "That's right."

Chen's Pharmaceutical originated here, and in the future, the pharmacies established in the capital and throughout the country would all follow the same standard.

Chen Jue smiled at Zhou Qingshan: "In the future, all new pharmacies will be modeled after this one, and the managers selected will be modeled after you. We'll even invite you to train them."

Zhou Qingshan's eyes grew red; earning Chen Jue's approval was his greatest achievement.

He touched his leg, having nearly forgotten he was crippled.

Chen Jue and Dalin treated him like a normal person, even giving him important responsibilities, and so he slowly started to see himself that way too.

Chen Jue and Huo Jilin had lit the way he'd come and paved the road ahead of him.

Since they trusted him this much, he would carry that weight for them.

He was no longer the man who fretted over everything and never dared to try. After three months of racing against the plague, he could hold his own now.

"There's no trick to making medicine—just dedication."

"Make medicine with a clear conscience, save lives with a sincere heart." "Produce with rigor, and always remember that life comes first."

These were the words Dalin had written in the workshop, and now he finally understood them.

He would run this workshop well so that when the two of them left for the capital, they wouldn't have a thing to worry about back home.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Huo Jilin and Chen Jue stuck around for two more months.

Heading to the capital was a done deal, but there was no rush. Chen's Pharmaceutical had only been open for a year and was just getting on its feet.

Even if Chen Jue would come back to check on things regularly, everything still had to be set up in advance.

That included buying more land and planting it all with medicinal herbs. They'd also worked out purchase prices with the villagers who grew herbs. They kept Chen's father's existing supply channels. On top of those, Huo Jilin had him and his three brothers-in-law keep expanding new routes—precious herbs from the local mountains, the southern ranges, the snowy highlands of the northwest, and deer antler and ginseng from the northeast.

Chen's Pharmaceutical was already an Imperial Merchant. The road ahead was only going to get longer, so they just needed to keep expanding as far as they could.

Chen's father didn't need to say how excited he was. The day the imperial decree came down, he'd been out buying herbs and couldn't get back in time. He'd been slapping his thigh in regret for days.

Sure, he'd missed the ceremony, but his son being made a third-rank marquis's wife, and the son-in-law he'd once looked down on becoming Marquis Huo—it was like a pie dropping out of the sky and nearly knocking him silly.

These days, he was one step away from carving a sign that said "General Huo's Father-in-Law" and hanging it around his neck.

Just bragging out loud everywhere he went never felt impressive enough.

So, of course, he agreed to everything Huo Jilin laid out, thumping his chest hard: "Don't worry! I'll personally handle the northern border connections! I used to travel that route all the time when I was young! I know it like the back of my hand—could go there with my eyes shut, and I know all the medicine dealers over there too!"

Chen's mother snorted: "That was thirty years ago. You still remember the way? Even if you do, do those merchants still remember you?"

Chen's father huffed: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Chen's mother sighed: "You know what kind of position your son-in-law is in now. You can't just get all hot-headed and promise him the world. You've got to think about him too. He and Chen Jue didn't get here easy. Going to the capital where they don't know a soul—this Chen's Pharmaceutical is their safety net. You'd better take good care of it. Don't go strutting around and let someone find a crack to slip through and take advantage of them..."

Chen's father waved a hand: "I know! Am I the type to have no sense of proportion? All these years, haven't I only bragged a little when I talk? Have you ever seen me do anything out of line?"

Chen's mother said: "Just see that you do."

Huo Jilin laughed from the side: "Father-in-law knows his limits. I trust him."

Over the past year or so, he'd gotten a good read on Chen's father. Sure, he liked to talk big, but the sharp instincts of a businessman were baked into his bones—nobody was going to get one over on him.

He'd been in the medicine trade for over thirty years and knew every herb inside and out, so Huo Jilin cut him plenty of slack.

Chen's father was a man who cared about saving face, and Huo Jilin gave him that much.

Sure enough, Chen's father was pleased as punch and said to Huo Jilin: "Don't you worry, good son-in-law. With all my years of experience, I'll make sure those herb channels are well managed—nobody knows the prices better than I do."

Huo Jilin nodded and went on: "Father-in-law should also train the three brothers-in-law. They're young and pick things up faster, and it'll serve them better to grow in the capital later. And not just them—train more people too. Our workshop isn't just for this little county; it's for the whole country."

Chen's father's sharpness and experience were good for the old days and small shops, but Huo Jilin was aiming higher and wider.

But there was no hurry—you eat a meal one bite at a time, and walk a road one step at a time.

Sure, this era couldn't hold a candle to the modern world of later generations, but it was still a fresh start. The history of medicine was a blank page, and he could fill it in steadily, line by line.

Besides getting Chen's Pharmaceutical squared away, Huo Jilin also had to go through the handover process for his post as Regional Commander. The capital sent another general to take over from Huo Jilin—one of his own men, which sort of made him Huo Jilin's man too.

That was Huo Jilin's doing, because Chen's Pharmaceutical was still here.

It needed the right people watching over it.

By the time everything was squared away, two months had gone by. In mid-October, Chen Jue and Huo Jilin set out with Huo Yu.

With them were the four captain bodyguards who'd stayed behind last time waiting for them to leave, plus Huo Jilin's own guards—he was now a third-rank general, so he could have his own guard unit.

Li Jun, Zhang Chi, Zhang Jun, and dozens of others followed him to the capital to build their futures.

The capital was only three hundred li away—a day and a night's ride.

Huo Jilin and Chen Jue weren't in any rush. Huo Yu was now a year and a month old, curious about everything, and had grown himself a pair of little legs.

Once he got tired of sitting in the carriage, he wanted to get out and see the world.

Huo Jilin and Chen Jue took turns keeping an eye on him in the carriage. When he really couldn't take it anymore, they'd let him sit on a horse for a bit.

When the sun was nice and warm at noon, they'd stop, light a fire, and cook. Li Jun was a dead shot with a bow—he'd duck into the woods and come back with a couple of chickens and a couple of rabbits.

Sure, he'd taken a beating with the military rod, but he was capable, and Huo Jilin didn't hold it against him. Last time he'd asked for a military pledge, Huo Jilin had granted it.

In just a few months, Li Jun had become Huo Jilin's most loyal soldier, swearing to follow him to the death no matter where he went.

Huo Jilin had plenty of soldiers like that, just like in his past life—a lot of brothers who'd followed him through thick and thin.

He was a pretty cold guy, but rock-solid when it counted, and he always kept his word—so these men were willing to follow him.

Li Jun plucked the prettiest feathers off the wild chicken and made a shuttlecock for Huo Yu. Huo Yu, flashing his four little teeth, called out: "Uncle... hold..."

Delighted, Li Jun hoisted him up and spun him around, laughing big and loud: "Hahaha."

Huo Yu copied him: "Hahaha."

He copied anything he thought was funny, and Li Jun had laughed like that a lot on the road, so he'd caught on.

His kind of fake, over-the-top laugh scared the sparrows right out of the woods.

Chen Jue sat by the fire and traded a look with Huo Jilin, both of them shaking their heads and smiling. Kids really were happy—no cares, no worries.

Huo Jilin was glad Huo Yu was so cheerful, too. He and Chen Jue were already set in their ways—both thirty years old in their heads, not easy to change.

Though nature is hard to change, one's environment greatly influences character. He was born into the Huo family, facing the struggle for inheritance from the very start, destined never to have an easy environment.

Chen Jue was similar—an orphan adopted by Dean Chen, inheriting Zhonghai Hospital under everyone's watchful eyes. The pressure was unimaginable.

If conditions allowed, the two of them would naturally provide Huo Yu with a relaxed, happy environment, letting him grow up without a care.

After the meal, Huo Yu had burned off his energy, and the group continued on, arriving at the capital at noon the next day.

People were already waiting for them at the city gate.