NCCnovel Chapter 505: This pill really works!
Chapter 505: This pill really works!
"Madam Fang, are you... are you telling the truth?" Madam Li Fu's voice trembled slightly.
Fang Xiaoxiao nodded solemnly, her eyes full of confidence: "Madam, how could I dare to lie to you? This is my exclusive secret recipe."
Li Wan'er, who had been listening intently, became curious and leaned over to ask, "Sister Fang, is this pill really that miraculous?"
Fang Xiaoxiao gently tapped Li Wan'er's forehead: "Princess, you are an unmarried girl, so you shouldn't pry into such private matters."
Li Wan'er blushed and said coquettishly, "Sister Fang, I was just curious."
Hongxiu was trying hard to suppress her laughter, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to hold it in.
Madam Li Fu regained her senses, a blush rising to her face. Her gaze was fixed on the small blue pill in the glass bottle, as if she were deep in thought.
"Madam Fang, is this... is this pill really effective?" Madam Li Fu was still somewhat incredulous.
Fang Xiaoxiao smiled slightly: "Madam, you'll know once you try it. But you have to be careful with the dosage; one pill each time is enough."
Madam Li bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and finally took the small glass bottle.
"Then... thank you very much, Madam Fang," said Madam Li Fu.
Fang Xiaoxiao waved her hand: "You're too kind, Madam. I hope this will be helpful to you."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Madam Li Fu hurriedly left with her maid.
After Madam Li Fu left, Li Wan'er pulled Fang Xiaoxiao aside and asked, "Sister Fang, where did you get the secret recipe for these pills?"
Fang Xiao smiled and said, "Princess, this is a secret."
Li Wan'er persisted, "Sister Fang, just tell me!"
Fang Xiaoxiao said helplessly, "Okay, okay, actually this is a recipe I found by chance in an ancient book, and it only worked after many trials."
Li Wan'er blinked: "So that's how it is. Sister Fang, you're really amazing."
At this moment, Hongxiu finally couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Miss, look at Madam Li Fu's appearance, it's really hilarious."
Fang Xiaoxiao laughed too: "Alright, alright, stop laughing, or someone might hear us."
However, what they didn't know was that after returning home, Madam Li Fu was filled with unease. That evening, after much hesitation, she finally decided to let Li Fu try the pill.
Li Fu was initially skeptical, but after being persuaded by his wife, he took one.
Unexpectedly, the effect was surprisingly good, and Li Fu's attitude towards his wife became even more gentle and considerate.
Madam Li was overjoyed and deeply grateful to Fang Xiaoxiao.
Meanwhile, Fang Xiaoxiao's improved relationship with Li Fu's wife allowed her to gain a deeper understanding of Li Fu's business dealings.
She discovered that a huge conspiracy was hidden behind Li Fu's medicinal herb business.
That is, Li Fu had actually added Five-Stone Powder to the prescriptions he gave to the people. This discovery made Fang Xiaoxiao secretly click her tongue in amazement. After returning to the courtyard, Fang Xiaoxiao told Hongxiu and Li Wan'er about it.
Li Wan'er was terrified. She wasn't particularly brave to begin with, and when she heard that the prescription from Li Fu Pharmacy contained Wushi Powder, she almost fell off her chair. Hongxiu was the same, but fortunately Fang Xiaoxiao caught them both.
Li Wan'er stood up, deciding to personally tell her father and have him submit a memorial to the court. Fang Xiaoxiao, however, stopped her, saying that this was not allowed.
Li Wan'er asked anxiously, "Sister Fang, why not? Li Fu has committed such evil deeds, are we just going to let him get away with it?"
Fang Xiaoxiao calmly analyzed, "Wan'er, don't rush. Li Fu has a complicated network of relationships. If we act rashly, we might not only alert him but also put ourselves in danger."
Hongxiu chimed in, "Yes, Princess, what Miss said makes sense."
Li Wan'er frowned: "Then what should we do? We can't just stand by and watch him continue to harm people!"
Fang Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment: "We need to collect more evidence and find his chain of crimes so that we can bring him down in one fell swoop."
Li Wan'er nodded: "But how do we collect the evidence?"
Fang Xiaoxiao said, "We can start with Li Fu's pharmacy and secretly investigate those prescriptions to see if there's anything else fishy going on. At the same time, we should also keep an eye on his interactions with other powerful figures; we might be able to find out who his backer is."
Hongxiu said worriedly, "Miss, this is too dangerous. What if we're discovered..."
Fang Xiaoxiao said firmly, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. As long as we act carefully, there shouldn't be any problems."
Li Wan'er also mustered her courage: "Sister Fang, I'll listen to you, let's act together."
So, the three began planning their next move. Fang Xiaoxiao decided to first send someone to infiltrate Li Fu's pharmacy to secretly collect prescriptions. She herself, along with Li Wan'er and Hongxiu, would contact influential figures who had dealings with Li Fu, attempting to obtain some useful information from them.
However, their operation did not go so smoothly. The people they sent to the pharmacy were almost discovered, and the powerful and influential were wary of their probing.
At the Li residence, Li Fu was having dinner with a group of powerful nobles. One of them, the son of the Minister of Rites, expressed his dissatisfaction with Fang Xiaoxiao's recent actions, and the others echoed his sentiments.
"I wonder who this Fang Xiaoxiao is. She acts so furtively; she must have some ulterior motive," said the son of the Minister of Rites, pursing his lips.
The others joined in the discussion, chattering amongst themselves.
"Exactly, she doesn't seem like the type to stay put."
"Maybe it was sent by one of our enemies to cause trouble."
Li Fu also felt that Fang Xiaoxiao's behavior had been too strange lately, and secretly wondered if he should find someone to secretly monitor Fang Xiaoxiao.
At this moment, Madam Li Fu entered with her maid. Upon hearing their discussion about Fang Xiaoxiao, Madam Li Fu patted her chest and assured them that Fang Xiaoxiao was definitely not the kind of ungrateful person.
"My lord, gentlemen, please don't misunderstand Fang Xiaoxiao. She is a good person, and the previous misunderstandings have been cleared up. She wouldn't do anything to harm us," Madam Li Fu said anxiously.
The son of the Minister of Rites snorted coldly: "Madam, don't be fooled by her appearance. You can't see into someone's heart, so you have to be careful."
Madam Li Fu glared at him: "Young master, don't talk nonsense. I have dealt with Fang Xiaoxiao before, and she is a sincere person."
Li Fu frowned: "Madam, please don't act on emotion. Fang Xiaoxiao's behavior is indeed unpredictable."
Madam Li stamped her foot and said, "Master, if you don't believe me, you can investigate, but I trust Fang Xiaoxiao's character."
Everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
At this moment, a man who looked like a strategist stepped forward and said, "Master, what the madam said makes sense. But just in case, we can secretly observe Fang Xiaoxiao's movements. If she really has no problems, that would be best. If she has any ill intentions, we can deal with them in advance."
Li Fu pondered for a moment and nodded: "Yes, as you say. Send someone to keep an eye on her and see what she's up to."
Madam Li sighed helplessly, secretly praying that Fang Xiaoxiao would not be misunderstood.
However, just to be on the safe side, Mrs. Li decided to meet with Fang Xiaoxiao in person and tell her what had happened that day.
In the Fang family courtyard, Fang Xiaoxiao sat in front of the stone table, lost in thought, wondering how she could bring down Li Fu and the powerful figures behind him.
Madam Li suddenly arrived, and Fang Xiaoxiao quickly got up to greet her.
When Madam Li explained her purpose, Fang Xiaoxiao immediately sensed something was wrong, but she remained calm on the surface, shaking her head and saying that she would never do such a thing. She also said that Madam Li was so good to her, that she was like a confidante and best friend, even closer than sisters. After this round of rambling, Madam Li finally felt relieved.
After seeing Madam Li off, Fang Xiaoxiao called Li Wan'er and Hongxiu over and told them that they could no longer investigate the matter of Wushi Powder being adulterated in Li Fu's pharmacies in the next few days. She also informed the two of Madam Li's arrival.
Li Wan'er said anxiously, "Sister Fang, are we just going to let Li Fu go like this?"
Fang Xiaoxiao comforted her, "Wan'er, don't worry. The situation has changed, and we can't act rashly. Li Fu has already become suspicious of us. If we continue to investigate, we might alert him."
Hongxiu said worriedly, "Miss, what should we do next? We can't just keep waiting."
Fang Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment and said, "For the time being, let's hold back and see what Li Fu does. At the same time, we can also look for new clues from other angles."
Li Wan'er asked, "For example?"
Fang Xiaoxiao wrote: "For example, investigate those patients who had previously obtained medicine from Li Fu's pharmacy to see if they had any abnormalities."
Hongxiu's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea."
Fang Xiaoxiao continued, "Also, we can try to contact Li Fu's competitors; maybe we can get some useful information from them."
Li Wan'er nodded and said, "Sister Fang is right, then let's split up and do our own thing."
So the three of them temporarily abandoned their direct investigation of Li Fu's pharmacy and turned to looking for a breakthrough in other directions. However, what they didn't know was that Li Fu had already sent people to secretly monitor their every move.