Chapter 48

Chen Jue actually understood his meaning at this point and shook his head. "I've never done business. You decide."

There was a very famous movie called *Dying to Survive*. The moment it was released, it almost sparked nationwide protests against pharmaceutical companies.

Why was a small anti-cancer drug so expensive?!

Was there gold in that medicine? Was it some life-saving miracle pill?!

Did taking it immediately eradicate the disease, make you bounce around, and turn you twenty years younger?

No. And it didn't contain any exorbitantly priced thousand-year ginseng either.

Why was it so expensive? Because research and development were expensive. Because bringing a drug to market took years, even over a decade of experiments—countless failures, countless trials on lab mice and rhesus monkeys, and finally several rounds of human trials before it could be finalized. The difficulty lay in that process.

Only after hundreds and thousands of experiments would they dare to release it to the market—the cost behind it was too great. Ordinary people might not understand, but Chen Jue, as a doctor, did.

That was also why he had so firmly opposed Huo Jilin's research on in-vitro embryos back then.

No one knew how many years it would take to succeed; what was certain was that they would pay a heavy price for this uncertain research.

And in the end, that research would lead to the extinction of the entire human gene pool.

Chen Jue slowly came back to his senses and stopped dwelling on the past.

Huo Jilin peeled a chestnut, popped it into his mouth, chewed slowly, and after swallowing said, "Birds die for food, people die for wealth. This little mountain village has been poor for too long; it can't handle sudden wealth. Tucked away in a corner and peaceful for too long, it's also not suited to guarding a city. Wealth you can't protect will never truly be yours."

Living off the mountains, the villagers of Pingshan Village relied on the rolling peaks to live in peace during wartime. But if a medicine sold for an astronomical price, the consequences would be no less severe than war. The Tartars from the northwest invaded to plunder food and supplies, but if someone with ulterior motives came, they wouldn't just steal medicine—they'd take the territory itself.

At that point, this village would never be peaceful again.

Huo Jilin didn't say the rest. If he had, Chen Jue might have thought he was overthinking things. He was a modern man with a modern way of thinking.

But Huo Jilin, thinking about the information he'd gathered during his months in the military camp, and his own—or rather, the original body's—background, knew that this world's imperial rule was far more brutal than in their modern era.

As the person at the top of the pyramid, he would obtain whatever he wanted at any cost. Anyone who blocked him would be cut down with a single stroke—more autocratic than even Huo Jilin himself. At least Huo Jilin would democratically hold a meeting; if someone didn't listen, the worst was getting fired.

But the person at the top of the imperial power wanted to wipe out your entire family line—all nine generations.

Huo Jilin didn't want to expose himself to that person yet. Of course, exposure was inevitable; he was just waiting for the right moment. Until that moment came, he needed to keep a low profile for now.

That was why he was recuperating from his injuries instead of immediately reporting to the Regional Commander.

Chen Jue watched him casually cracking chestnuts while talking about something as grave as the destruction of Pingshan Village, and it felt surreal. Huo Jilin's expression was completely nonchalant, so Chen Jue nodded perfunctorily. "Alright, I understand."

"Good, wash up and hit the hay." Huo Jilin carried his chestnuts, kiwi berries, hawthorns, and other snacks to the kitchen.

Chen Jue soaked his feet, washed up, and after getting onto the heated bed, fell asleep before long.

Running around the mountain all day was tiring, even though Huo Jilin had dug up most of the herbs for him.

Huo Jilin took even longer to wash up. Even if he was just showering in the yard, by the time he came back, Chen Jue was already asleep.

Huo Jilin looked at him for a while, confirmed he was asleep, then got onto the bed himself. He blew out the lamp on the kang table, moved the table to the side, and lay down next to Chen Jue.

The next day, the two prepared to return to Chen Jue's maternal home. Huo Jilin simply cooked a vegetable porridge and boiled four eggs.

Now their chickens could lay four eggs a day.

Huo Jilin said to Chen Jue, "Drink a bowl of porridge and eat two eggs to have something in your stomach first. We'll have wontons in the county town this morning."

Chen Jue's maternal home was in Chen Family Village, on the other side of Dongling County, so they could pass through Dongling County on the way.

Chen Jue nodded. Yesterday they'd discussed going to Dongling County first to deliver the cordyceps to Shopkeeper Dong, but they hadn't mentioned eating wontons this morning. Huo Jilin was completely letting loose now—with a horse, he'd just set off whenever he craved something.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a major holiday. For Qingming and Dragon Boat, Chen Jue could skip visiting his maternal home, but for a big holiday like this, he needed to go back once to see his parents.

In ancient times, filial piety was paramount, even if the original body hadn't lived in that home for long.

Huo Jilin harnessed the carriage and loaded the bolts of cloth meant as gifts for Chen Jue's maternal family onto it. Seeing Chen Jue standing nearby with a cloth bundle on his back, still dressed in coarse hemp clothes, he lifted his chin. "Go change into the new clothes. Return home in style."

Going back to his maternal home, wouldn't Chen Jue dress up nicely for him?

Chen Jue shot him a look. "If I change too much, they might get suspicious."

After all, when the original body had married Huo Lin, Huo Lin had only paid one tael of silver—the cheapest bride price in the entire region. Back then, the Huo family was so poor their pots were rattling.

The carriage could be said to be borrowed, but what about the clothes and cloth? Could those also be claimed as borrowed?

Chen Jue hadn't thought about this problem before; it only occurred to him when they were about to leave. He really didn't want to go back to that so-called maternal home, so he hadn't given it much thought.

That maternal home hadn't cared about him either. Three months ago when news of Huo Lin's death arrived, none of them had come to see him—probably afraid he'd follow them back to their home.

Huo Jilin didn't care at all about what the villagers thought. He said calmly, "Can't I make a fortune? Can't my hundred taels of military merit buy my husband some nice clothes?"

Chen Jue couldn't stand hearing him say the word "husband" at all. He immediately turned and went back inside—listening to Huo Jilin talk was enough to shorten your lifespan.

"What about the silver bracelet I bought you? Wear it." Huo Jilin looked at Chen Jue's wrist and found another fault.

The wealthy husbands in this area all wore them. Chen Jue ought to give him some face.

This time Chen Jue refused. He hadn't known the silver bracelet was bought for him anyway—why would a grown man wear a silver bracelet?

Seeing his firm stance, Huo Jilin had to concede. "Fine, put it in your bundle and give it to your mother to wear."

Chen Jue glanced at him. "I don't think that's a good idea."

The original body's mother might not even be able to wear that bracelet, and it could stir up all sorts of trouble. With too many daughters-in-law in that household, just thinking about all the petty family squabbles made Chen Jue not want to go.

But he had to go whether he wanted to or not.

In the end, the two finally reached an agreement and set off. They delivered the cordyceps to Shopkeeper Dong first. Shopkeeper Dong came out personally to greet them. Watching Huo Jilin help Chen Jue down from the carriage and the two standing side by side, he couldn't help but sigh—clothes truly make the man. He'd underestimated them before, partly because they'd arrived in coarse hemp clothes.

But now, dressed in fine silks and satins, the two truly looked like people of status.

Judge a person by their clothes first—that saying held true everywhere.

"Oh my, the magpies were chirping outside my window this morning—I knew a distinguished guest would be coming today! Brother Huo, Young Master Chen, please, come in!"

Shopkeeper Dong's form of address was based on his own generational calculations; in reality, Chen Jue and Huo Jilin were the same age.

Same age here, and the same age in the real world—which was why they'd been at odds for so long.

Shopkeeper Dong received the two warmly. While Huo Jilin drank tea, he also shared some plans for promoting the cordyceps.

For example, first introduce it at Madam Ge's tea party, placing one cordyceps next to each bowl of bird's nest. Have Shopkeeper Dong's wife casually mention it.

Don't advertise it loudly—reveal only half and hold back the rest. Just mention that it comes from the capital—that's enough, since the nobles and palace ladies drink it that way.

Don't push the price right off the bat—be partially hidden, partially revealed, and use scarcity marketing, both tactics at once. What's unattainable is desirable; what the palace likes is desirable...

Shopkeeper Dong, an expert in this trade, his eyes lit up as he listened.

His gaze at Huo Jilin was no longer merely admiration. The fact that Huo Jilin could speak with such detail suggested his birth must be high—nothing less than a prince or noble.

One could also make guesses about the consort beside him. Though he was a male consort, there were few in the world with such looks.

Perhaps Huo Jilin simply preferred male consorts; there were indeed men in this world who preferred only male consorts. Shopkeeper Dong, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, didn't find it beneath Huo Jilin's status to marry a male consort.

Huo Jilin mentioned that he still needed to visit his consort's natal family today, so he wouldn't stay long. Now that they had a carriage, it would be convenient, and he would come to the county town within a day or two to help Shopkeeper Dong with this venture.

Shopkeeper Dong saw the two off with a face full of gratitude. This time, the pharmacy apprentice respectfully held the reins for them.

The apprentice hadn't expected that in just one day, these two had gone from the ground to the sky.

How could this man be so quick to act? The silver they'd taken from here the day before yesterday hadn't even warmed up in their hands.

Shopkeeper Dong said calmly, "In the future, be more courteous to Boss Huo. He's no fish in a small pond—you'll understand in time."

The two left Shopkeeper Dong's Wanchun Hall and cut loose. Huo Jilin flicked the reins: "South Street wontons!"

Food is the people's heaven—eating came first.

A big bowl for each of them. Chen Jue's bowl had extra cilantro added; Huo Jilin wanted none.

He glanced at the cilantro in Chen Jue's bowl and shook his head inwardly. No wonder there was cilantro growing in the vegetable patch—so he loved it.

By the time they finished the wontons, it was already late. They bought two jars of wine, two catties of meat, and sealed up two packages of pastries before finally heading toward Chen Family Village.

Chen Family Village was very close to the capital. In modern terms, it was like a small town under Tianjin.

And Pingshan Village was like Cangzhou, Hebei.

Don't think the Huo family's exile was far. The farthest exile destination was Ningguta in Heilongjiang, no more than a thousand li from the capital.

In this era, exile destinations weren't that remote. Cangzhou was common—it sat right before the capital, with mountains at its back, serving as a natural barrier for the capital.

Huo Jilin knew the general direction of Chen Family Village but not Chen Jue's specific home, so as they approached, he asked, "Are you familiar with your parents here?"

He rarely went into battle unprepared. Though this wasn't a battle, it was meeting his in-laws—Chen Jue's parents.

Huo Jilin wanted to be thoroughly prepared.

At times like this, he appreciated the advantage of being an orphan—no parents to appease.

Huo Jilin coldly reflected on his own family, wiped out in one fell swoop.

A family branded as imperial criminals, exiled in full—faction of the Crown Prince.

A background indeed, but one better off absent.

He wondered what kind of parents Chen Jue had.