Chapter 47: Sweeping Away

  The Second Master didn't even look at him, but instead stared at Zuo Gui. Zuo Gui also felt uncomfortable upon hearing the Second Master's words and furrowed his brow, stroking his beard in silence.

  The second shopkeeper clapped his hands and coldly snorted: "Left Langzhong, there's a saying that goes 'once you've passed this village, there's no more store'. Now it's me personally coming to your doorstep to buy, if you don't sell, after I leave, you'll regretfully come find us wanting to sell. Whether or not we'll buy is another matter, but the price won't be this price anymore!"

  Zuo Shaoyang suddenly jumped up with a fiery temper, just about to speak, when he heard someone outside the door calling out: "Is Mr. Zuo at home?"

  By the sound of it, it's Zhao San Niang, the landlady!

  It just so happened that at this time, Zuo Shaoyang, who was holding his breath, responded with a grunt and ran over to open the door. He took a look and indeed it was Zhao Sanniang, holding some snacks in her hands, but they were no longer hawthorns, but rather roasted melon seeds. Behind her followed a sturdy and burly man.

  Zhao San Niang glanced at Zuo Shao Yang and coldly said: "Where's your dad?"

  At this sight, Zuo Shao Yang couldn't help but feel a surge of anger in his chest and coldly replied: "Inside the house."

  Zhao San Niang swaggered in with the big man, Zhao San Niang's hand holding a handful of melon seeds, and upon seeing Er Zhanggui beside her, immediately changed to a smiling face: "Ah, it's actually Er Zhanggui from Hui Min Tang! What brings you to Gui Zhi Tang? Are you here to see a patient? Ah, tut, tut, what nonsense am I talking about? Your Hui Min Tang is a pharmacy and clinic, isn't it? And a famous one at that. How could you possibly come to Gui Zhi Tang to see a patient? Hehehe!"

  "That's not possible." The second shopkeeper snorted, saying a sentence with a sharp tone, looking up and down Zhao San Niang again, and then seeing the big man with a face full of flesh standing behind him, he let out a burst of laughter and said: "I was wondering who it was, turns out it's you, San Niang ah, haha, what a coincidence, we were just talking about you earlier."

  "What about me?" Zhao San Niang asked strangely, "What were you saying about me?"

  The Second Master glanced at Lefty with a slanted eye: "I heard that Gu Zhitang owes you guys a large sum of rent, but he's been dodging and hasn't paid up, is that right?"

  Zhao San Niang was a big mouth, and she would tell anyone about this matter, wanting to show off her own great kindness and righteousness. She also wanted to use other people's ridicule of Zuo Gui and his family to increase the pressure on them, so that they would pay their rent as soon as possible. Therefore, many people knew about this matter, including the second shopkeeper who ran a pharmacy, where patients came and went frequently, and naturally he had also heard about it.

  Zhao San Niang twisted her fat buttocks and rolled her eyes, saying: "That's not all, not only did he owe me several thousand wen, but also, the rent for these years hasn't been paid a single coin!"

  "Three Niang, over the years we've paid half of the rent bit by bit and still owe nine taels. In the past few days, we've made two more payments totaling 3,900 wen. Now we only owe 5,100 wen. Besides, you already agreed to let us pay in two installments: 2,100 wen on New Year's Eve and 3,000 wen on the fifteenth of the first month."

  "That's right." Zhao San Niang nodded and stretched out a white, plump hand: "Today is the 30th of the lunar year, here are two thousand one hundred coins, take them!"

  Zuo Gui picked up the one or two taels of silver on the table and handed it to Zhao San Niang: "San Niang, this is one tael of silver. The time was too short, and there was not enough money left over. Can't we slow down for a few more days?"

  "No way!" Zhao San Niang said resolutely, "I've already made it clear before, on the 30th of December, you must pay the 2,100 yuan in full. If not, you'll have to leave by yourself! Since you can't afford it, don't blame me for being ruthless. Are you leaving by yourselves or do I need to get someone to help you move? My cousin is a rough person and has the strength to move things, but his eyesight isn't good, so if he breaks or damages anything, don't blame us!"

  The big man behind her took a step forward, rubbed his shiny head, and glared at the Left family with a ferocious expression.

  Zuo Gui shook his head and sighed, saying to Liang Shi: "Forget it, let's move!"

  Zuo Shaoyang was also helpless, unable to pay the rent on time, and had been dragging out the debt for so long that it was only natural for the landlord to take back the house. He hung his head in shame and prepared to return home to pack up his belongings.

  "Hold on!" Second Master said with a smile, the smile mixed with an undisguised joy. "Left Langzhong, I'll propose it once again, sell the prescription to our Huimin Hall, and you'll have 900 coins. Then, make do with some tattered cotton-padded jacket or something, swallow your pride and borrow a bit from someone, and you'll have another 200 coins. Won't that be enough for the remaining 1,100 coins?"

  Zuo Shaoyang angrily said: "You are taking advantage of someone's misfortune!"

  "Hmph, you can't sell it?!" The second shopkeeper tidied up his robe and shook out the hem. "Get it straight, Zuo Langzhong! Our Huimin Hall is being kind to you, offering you a big fat piece of meat right in front of your mouth, but you won't eat it?! What do you want to eat?! Hmph, I'm really going to slap my thigh and leave! You can just go drink the northwest wind!"

  Zhao San Niang asked strangely: "You Huimin Hall want to buy their prescription?"

  "Yes, ah no, who bought their prescription!" The second shopkeeper stiffened his neck and said: "Our big shopkeeper is a famous doctor, he has treated illnesses for princes and ministers in Chang'an City! Does our Huimin Hall need to buy prescriptions from his Guizhi Hall?"

  "What did you just say?"

  "Our boss has a kind heart, seeing their miserable situation, he opened a pharmacy to help them, but they're in debt and can't even pay the rent. On New Year's Eve, they were about to be evicted. As fellow doctors, we wanted to help them out, but it wouldn't be right to just give them money for free. So, we came up with an excuse to buy their prescription, and the price was enough for them to pay the rent in advance. But those people are being arrogant, putting on airs and asking for a higher price! They're complaining that our offer is too low!"

  The second shopkeeper became more and more pleased with himself, tilting his face to one side as he pointed and gestured: "Third Madame, you also saw it, they're not even making money but still won't make a deal. In my opinion, they think you're soft-hearted and easy to talk to, so they're intentionally trying to swindle you! Tsk tsk, people like this deserve to be swept out the door and left to freeze in the northwest wind! —Forget it, I'm too lazy to keep talking. Left Gentleman, my price is already out, whether Fangzi sells or not is just one sentence; I don't have time to waste grinding teeth with you!"

  Zuo Gui slowly got up, staring at the second shopkeeper and said slowly: "This prescription was originally sold to you without any problem, but you...you are too deceitful! 'A virtuous person does not accept food that comes from nowhere'! As long as this old man can still move around, walk through villages and towns to practice medicine and make a living, he doesn't need your charity. Even if this old man were to die on the streets, you wouldn't have to worry about it!"

  Second Master was scolded by Left Guizhen, his face turned red and white alternately. He lifted Second Lang's leg, brushed off his robe, and said with a hum: "Really, you don't want to give face. But it's worth it, this trip, I can see how Guizhitang goes bankrupt, it's not a waste of time! —— This medicine shop that treats illnesses and saves people, can also be made to go bankrupt by you guys, you really have skills, haha!"

  Hui Xiang's face turned iron-blue as he took a step forward, pointing at the second shopkeeper with his finger and shouting in a stern voice: "Get out! Get out of here!"

  The Second Master was startled, took a step back, lost his balance and almost fell off the chair. He stumbled a few steps before regaining his footing, looking rather disheveled. After adjusting his clothes, he sneered: "What makes you think you can kick me out? Hmph! Get it straight, you've already been evicted by your landlord Zhao San Niang. This isn't your precious Gui Zhi Tang anymore. Ha ha, didn't you two spend the last couple of days carrying a banner and ringing bells while pretending to be doctors? I heard you even set up a stall in Wa City to swindle people out of their money... why aren't you out there making money now?"

  Hui Xiang suddenly turned around, picked up the long-handled broom that Zuo Shao Yang had brought to sweep the snow from behind the door, and swung it at Er Zhanggui with all her might.

  The second shopkeeper was so scared that he ran out of the door, but was a few steps too late and got hit on the back with several brooms. Standing across the street with a red face, panting heavily, pointing at the parsley, wanting to scold but considering his image, he said incoherently: "It's really true that only women and petty men are difficult to raise!"

  The moment he saw the broom, Second Master turned his head and ran away. He didn't notice a patch of ice on the ground and slipped, falling flat on his face. His hat flew off his head and one shoe came off his foot. The crowd watching couldn't help but burst into laughter.

  Listening to the sound of scolding and rushing, the second shopkeeper didn't care about picking up his shoes and hat, scrambled up, hugged his head and fled, fortunately his hands and feet were still quite agile, after being hit by several brooms, he finally ran away holding his head.

  Angelica stood at the street corner with her hands on her hips and scolded the back of the second shopkeeper, then picked up the broom and returned to the store.