Chapter 003: Restriction Order

Turning back, he drove away the crowd that had come to watch, saying: "It's over, it's over! There's nothing to see, everyone go back."

What does this even mean

Master Fu paid no attention to Wang Po's flirtation, and stepped forward to take the calming soup from Pan Jinlian's hands. He brought it to his nose to smell, examined the color of the medicinal soup, and with a frown, coldly laughed, "Although your recipe for the calming soup is generally correct, the materials used are far too inferior. Even the main ingredient, ginseng, is merely of ordinary quality. How can it be given to the master? One must know that the calming soup prepared at home is made with ginseng that is over ten years old, not to mention that it is also supplemented with high-quality pearl powder"

Ximen Qing secretly murmured to himself upon hearing this: how could Pan Jinlian also be so emotionally agitated? What compensation is there to speak of? Does it mean that Pan Jinlian should offer her body as compensation? Wouldn't that be precisely following the path of an adulterous couple? How can this be allowed? Can your little brother-in-law let me off the hook?

At this point, Ximen Qing suddenly raised his voice, extending a hand with five fingers spread wide, shaking it in front of everyone: "No, it's a distance of fifty paces!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Pan Jinlian, who was nearby, saw that Ximen Qing was about to leave, and instead stepped forward to say: "It was all my fault just now; I accidentally dropped the fork, which caused the esteemed sir's old ailment to flare up again. It is fine if you do not wish to drink the calming potion; as long as the esteemed sir speaks, whatever compensation you desire, I will comply with it all."

Yun Ge sat down on the nearby bench and scratched his head: "This is indeed puzzling. I only remember that last year, a servant from the East Street Inn came out to fetch water, just as the esteemed official from the West Gate rode by. He accidentally splashed some water on the horse's hooves. Not only was the person whipped half to death, but the entire inn was almost torn apart. They even sent people to occupy the entrance of the inn every day. How could business possibly continue like that?"

Ximen Qing was momentarily unsure of what was happening, when Pan Jinlian stopped and greeted him: "So it is Brother Yun. I have no way to escape from this situation, and I kindly ask Brother Yun to help me find my husband, Da Lang, on the street and bring him back to take charge."

Furthermore, this Master Fu is merely the owner of a small herbal medicine shop. Just by smelling a few times and observing the color of the decoction, he can determine the efficacy of the medicinal materials. Such a skill is something none of the medical professors I know can achieve.

Having served as the manager of the herbal medicine shop for such a long time, I am truly ashamed that I failed to recognize such an old ailment. Fortunately, someone was able to report to the household, and the lady of the house sent someone to the shop to look for me, which is how I learned that the owner had suffered from an old illness on Zishi Street

This request made by the esteemed Sir Ximen is quite perplexing: what kind of compensation does this count as? It leaves one utterly confused

Yun Ge pondered for a moment and then opened his mouth to decline

Ximen Qing watched as Pan Jinlian gracefully approached him, holding a calming potion, akin to the Grim Reaper; no, it was like the messengers of death bearing poison coming toward him. As for what Pan Jinlian said, he could not hear clearly at all, stammering, "This..."

Isn't this Manager Fu from the herbal medicine shop

Pan Jinlian resolutely shook her head: "Stepmother, my mind is made up, there is no need for further discussion"

After speaking, she gazed at Ximen Qing with a pair of beautiful eyes, not blinking at all

Master Fu respectfully helped Ximen Qing to his feet and casually felt his pulse: "How does the master feel?"

Manager Fu originally thought that his employer would definitely make some demands, even if it meant coercing Pan Jinlian into drinking and making amends through intimate relations, there would be nothing surprising about it. However, he did not expect his employer to let Pan Jinlian go so easily. Although he did not understand the situation, Manager Fu snorted and waved his sleeve as he left, leaving behind Pan Jinlian, Wang Po, and Brother Yun, who exchanged glances in confusion.

Wang Po smiled broadly and said, "Since there is a better calming soup at your residence, why should this old woman insist on keeping the esteemed official here?"

Ximen Qing saw Wang Po and Pan Jinlian whispering to each other, so he went to the back to prepare the calming soup. Just as he was about to get up and leave, Yun Ge was unwilling to let him go. He gently urged Ximen Qing, saying: "My lord, please do not be in a hurry. Liu Niang has gone to prepare the soup; it will be ready shortly. It is better to wait until after you have had the calming soup before leaving."

Everyone knew that it was the servant from Ximen Qing's household who had come to look for his master, and seeing that the whip was about to fall upon his head, they certainly lost interest in the commotion, inevitably dispersing in a rush, leaving the teahouse suddenly quiet.

Many onlookers, upon hearing this, could not help but slowly edge towards the door. Seeing that the official was in a fit of anger, no one wanted to provoke this bad luck.

Upon seeing the visitor, Wang Po hurriedly stepped forward to pay her respects: "Sir Ximen happened to pass by here and suddenly fell ill. This old woman and the daughter of the Wu family merely assisted him into the tea house to have a bowl of calming soup. How can this be considered as forcing him to stay? This is a recipe that has been passed down from the palace, and it is the best for calming the mind and soothing the spirit"

Yun Ge was taken aback by these words. How could Liu Niang speak so carelessly? Was this statement an apology or a threat to the esteemed Ximen Da Guanren?

A joke! I was just passing by to buy some soy sauce when I was inexplicably hit on the head by Pan Jinlian. After lying on the chair for a while, I inadvertently touched Pan Jinlian's soft bosom. Then, after a while, I was fed some calming soup or something. Who knows if Wu Song will suddenly appear later! Do I still want to keep this head of mine? I cannot just sit and wait for my fate!

Wang Po hurriedly stepped forward to mediate, saying: "My lord, the calming soup is ready; it would be best to have some before you leave. Liu Niang speaks without thinking, so please do not take it to heart..."

Sister Liu, you may not be aware, but I just returned from the street. I did not see Brother Wu along the way, and I fear he may have been summoned by some wealthy family, along with his burden. For the time being, where can we look for him? Moreover, with the official present, I must focus on serving him diligently.

At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed as a shopkeeper entered the door, his face darkened as he said: "I would like to see who has the audacity to defy the master of the house!"

Pan Jinlian, disregarding Wang Po's warning, lightly bit her lip and said

Who is it, so bold?

Manager Fu wore a look of deep sorrow and despair, as if he wished to find a block of tofu to end his life, which startled Ximen Qing and made his heart race. He thought to himself, could it be that people in ancient times are all so emotionally charged? He quickly forced a couple of laughs and said: "Manager Fu, why must you be so upset? This old headache has not troubled me for many years, I had even forgotten about it myself"

Immediately following, there was a commotion among the crowd as two young attendants wielding riding whips pushed their way in at the entrance, cursing as they began to disperse the onlookers: "What kind of people are these, gathering here? If you linger too long, be careful of the whip that has no eyes."

Is my master here?

Isn't it true that the hunter who bought medicine had his human whip cut off by the official Ximen due to a certain incident?

Yun Ge saw Pan Jinlian gesturing with her voluptuous bosom while speaking, and only then did he realize that Ximen Qing had taken the opportunity to extend his claws like Lu Shan's, swallowing hard: "This fellow has chosen a good moment; I've been eyeing this fine bosom for two or three years and haven't dared to make a move..."

Yun Ge was wholeheartedly selling the favor of taking care of others to Ximen Qing, and he readily replied: "Liu Niang, just go ahead; I will take care of things here."

Ximen Qing, taking advantage of the situation, nodded slightly and said: "It was just an old ailment acting up, causing some headache. It is manageable now. Thank you for your hard work, Manager Fu"

"Sir Ximen, today all the mistakes are mine. It was an accident that the fork fell. If you, Sir, choose to leave without this bowl of calming soup, I will be truly unsettled. Therefore, I can only bring my eldest son to your door every day to bow and apologize."

Ximen Qing coughed twice, just as he was about to find an excuse to leave, two loud shouts came from the entrance of the tea house and the bookstore: "Where is the master?"

After watching for a long time, the audience had only seen half of the performance; how could they possibly leave at this point? One by one, they said, "We are leaving now, we will leave immediately."

As everyone turned to look, Pan Jinlian emerged from behind, holding a steaming cup of calming soup, her delicate face tightly strained, while Wang Po beside her, panic-stricken, tugged at Pan Jinlian's clothing.

Even Ximen Qing himself was somewhat surprised by these words. Although Wang Po's tea house did not serve anything of high quality, Ximen Qing, being merely a local wealthy landowner from Qinghe County, already lived in such luxury and comfort, with even the bowl of calming soup being so meticulously prepared. How extravagant must the emperor of this world be?

The footsteps show no sign of movement whatsoever

Pan Jinlian recalled the actions of Ximen Qing just moments ago, especially the two touches on her chest, and could not help but feel two blushes rise from behind her ears, instantly reddening her entire face. She stamped her foot and said: "That Ximen Daren was truly disrespectful just now, taking advantage of the chaos to touch me... He must have had ill intentions, and who knows what schemes he might have in store... Mother, after thinking it over, I believe it would be best to take Da Lang with me to Ximen Daren's residence tomorrow to apologize..."

After a moment of wild thoughts, Ximen Qing straightened his face, let out a cold snort, stood up from his chair, and pointed at Pan Jinlian with his hand: "Today, I merely passed by your house, and you struck me with a rod. From now on, I do not wish to see you even once! In the future, wherever I, the master, appear, you are not allowed to come near! You must maintain at least thirty steps away from me..."

At that moment, there were two loud thuds at the door as a heavy object fell to the ground, and immediately after, a man with a dark expression barged in, cursing, "Nonsense!"

This Yun Ge is somewhat acquainted with Wu Dalang. On ordinary days, he sells some snow pears on the street, and seven or eight out of ten times, he waits in front of Ximen Qing's residence to sell the best ones at a good price. The remaining unsold ones are then hawked around the streets. Ximen Qing can be considered his own god of wealth, and since he often frequents the residence, how could he not be aware of Ximen Qing's methods? At this moment, hearing Pan Jinlian's call, he sees Ximen, the high official, lying there nonchalantly, not uttering a word, fearing that he might disrupt the affairs of the high official, and thus he does not dare to move.

Ximen Qing resolutely sat up from the recliner, first letting out a heavy grunt. Then, he glanced around at the astonished faces, rolled his eyes, and said in a determined tone: "I come when I want and leave when I want. What kind of bird's calming soup is this?"

They certainly would not know that this time-traveling Ximen Qing had a sudden inspiration, utilizing something learned from the American dramas of that era—a restraining order, issued by the court, specifically designed to limit harassment of the parties involved. Of course, in this era, there were neither courts nor such restraining orders.

The hearts of people are as distant as the belly, how could Pan Jinlian know that Yun Ge had so much to say? She could only respond: "Since it is thus, I shall bear it all myself. After all, it was my own carelessness that caused these troubles. Yun Ge has been taking such good care of me, bringing me and my foster mother the calming herbal soup."

Beside her, Wang Po exclaimed: "Liu Niang, that's not how it should be said. The esteemed Lord Ximen is magnanimous and would not seek any compensation"

At that moment, a voice came from somewhere, sounding firm and resolute: "The esteemed official cannot leave!"

Whether it was Yun Ge or the onlookers, upon hearing this harsh remark, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines. Indeed, how could they forget what kind of formidable character the official Ximen was in Qinghe County? His family operated a medicinal shop, and several thousand households in the county were either relatives or close friends. His connections within the government were solid, and with just a few stomps on the city tower, the entire Qinghe County would tremble. Who could afford to provoke him?

As soon as he finished speaking, Ximen Qing paid no attention to how Pan Jinlian would respond and strode towards the door. The two young servants put away the riding whips and respectfully led the way, saying, "Sir, the sedan chair is this way..."