Chapter 100: Yao Han's Doubts
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe
When Zhang Xuan was still at the Apothecary Guild, Zhao Ya returned to her living quarters.
"Finally, I am able to solve this problem of mine!"
Holding the medicinal herb that Zhang laoshi gave her in her hands, her excitement was apparent on her clean jade-white face.
Discomfort had been torturing her since childhood, and she was already finding herself unable to endure it any further. Upon hearing that there was a solution to her problem, she could no longer sit still.
"I have to grind this medicinal herb into powder before swallowing it with water..."
Just as she was about to find something to grind the medicinal herb, she heard footsteps and Butler Yao Han walked over sneakily.
"Xiaojie, I'll... be leaving. No one has brought you any trouble, right!"
Xiaojie -> Young mistress
After offending the grandson of Elder Shang Chen and fighting with several teachers in the academy, he decided to leave the academy to avoid unnecessary trouble. Upon seeing that it was about time for Zhao Ya’s classes to end, he came back to find her.
"Brought me trouble? Who would bring me trouble?" Zhao Ya stared at Yao Han, "I say, Uncle Yao, you should stop being so sensitive. Zhang laoshi truly treats me well, and he is actually a capable teacher at that. Please stop troubling him!"
She knew her father’s butler didn't trust Zhang laoshi, thus she tried to persuade him otherwise.
"Treat you well? Hmph, xiaojie, you have been living in the city since young, so you have never seen how vile a human's heart can be..." Yao Han harrumphed. Before he could finish his words, his eyes happened upon the medicinal herb in Zhao Ya's hands. His entire body froze before he started trembling uncontrollably.
"Xiaojie... That medicinal herb in your hands... Where did you get it from?"
"This?"
Lowering her head to ascertain what Yao Han was looking at, Zhao Ya lifted the medicinal herb up and said, "Zhang laoshi gave me this. I have been feeling unwell recently, so he passed me this to have me grind it and consume it!"
"Zhang laoshi gave you this? How is this possible? How can a poor teacher like him..." Yao Han was unable to believe the situation unfolding before him.
"What's wrong, Uncle Yao. Is there something wrong with this medicinal herb?" Zhao Ya knew the other party was of reliable character and there had to be a reason for that expression of his.
"No, it's not that there's something wrong with the herb but that it is... too valuable! If I'm not wrong, this is... Frigid Sun Mother Grass!" Yao Han exclaimed.
"Frigid Sun Mother Grass?" Zhao Ya was lost.
"It’s the mother grass of Frigid Sun Grass. Its effects are ten times greater than that of Frigid Sun Grasses! Frigid Sun Grasses aren't valuable, but this thing is extremely expensive! Back then when I was traveling around the kingdom alongside the city lord, I once had seen one and a single stalk was priced above hundred thousand gold coins!"
Upon hearing how valuable the herb was, Zhao Ya was taken aback. "Uncle Yao, are you not... mistaken?"
"I am not mistaken, this is definitely Frigid Sun Mother Grass! It is the most valuable medicinal herb that I have ever seen, so I have a deep impression of it! How can I possibly be wrong about it!" Yao Han took another glance at it to confirm his conjecture.
"Frigid Sun Mother Grass? Hundred thousand gold coins?"
Zhao Ya's slim body trembled.
"You said... that Zhang Xuan... Zhang laoshi gave it to you?"
Yao Han dared not to believe it at all. As he spoke, he even changed his method of addressing the other party from Zhang Xuan to Zhang laoshi.
[Isn't he the worst teacher in the academy? Isn't his wages the lowest among the teachers?
To gift such a valuable medicinal herb so simply…]
"Indeed!" Zhao Ya nodded her head.
Back then when Zhang laoshi passed her the herb, he threw it casually to her as though it wasn't anything valuable at all. In fact, it wasn't even packaged, so all along, she thought of it as such... [Hundred thousand gold coins! That is sufficient to buy a residence in the capital.
Furthermore, a huge one.]
When others presented a gift, they would make a big fuss over it so as to make the whole world know how valuable their gift was. Yet, this Zhang laoshi created a cultivation technique just for her and gifted her such an expensive gift without demanding credit for it. He was completely nonchalant about it and if it wasn't for Uncle Yao recognizing the herb, she would’ve just treated the herb as something invaluable and consumed it just like that...
Zhao Ya felt moved and her eyes reddened slightly.
"I can't accept this. It’s too valuable!"
Zhao Ya's slim body straightened and resolution appeared in her eyes.
She hoped to solve the problem plaguing her, but as a student, she couldn’t bear to receive continuously from her teacher without repaying him!
Usually, it was the students who gave their teachers gifts to please them. Yet, Zhang laoshi had given so much to them. It was one thing if she didn't know about it, but now that she realized it, she wouldn't be a human if she accepted his gifts nonchalantly!
"Uncle Yao, how much money do you have on you?" Zhao Ya turned around and asked.
"Only twenty thousand!" Yao Han flipped through his pockets and retrieved several notes.
He might be the butler of Baiyu City, but his mission this time was only to escort xiaojie to the academy, so he didn't bring much money.
"Give it to me!" Grabbing it over, Zhao Ya didn't hesitate and dashed out.
Feeling fretful, Yao Han hurriedly followed behind her.
Soon, they arrived at the classroom, but no one was in sight.
There was also no one at Zhang Xuan's dormitory.
Upon seeing xiaojie so panicked, Yao Han utilized some of his connections and swiftly, he was informed that Zhang laoshi was at the Apothecary Guild.
Before leaving, Zhang Xuan didn't try to conceal his destination. As the butler of the City Lord Residence, it was normal for him to possess such connections to gather information.
"Apothecary Guild? Could it be that... Zhang laoshi bought this medicinal herb there?"
Zhao Ya clenched her fist. After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her jade teeth and said, "Uncle Yao, let's go and find Zhang laoshi!"
If she didn't pass this money to the other party, she would feel too embarrassed to accept this herb.
If someone treated her so selflessly, she would do the same to him!
How could she, Zhao Ya, consume such an expensive medicinal herb nonchalantly now that she knew of its value?
Soon, she arrived at the Apothecary Guild.
Now that they were here, it was easy to find news on him. It didn't take long for the duo to find Wen Xue, who still had an awful look on her face.
"You mean... Zhang laoshi is currently taking the apprentice apothecary examinations?"
"Zhang laoshi? You're saying that playboy... Zhang Xuan is a teacher?" Wen Xue was bewildered. After a moment, she recovered and nodded her head. "Un, he is currently taking the apprentice apothecary examination!"
"Apprentice apothecary?"
Zhao Ya and Yao Han exchanged gazes.
Disbelief was especially apparent on Yao Han's face.
"An apprentice apothecary has to memorize the properties of medicinal herbs, and there is at least a hundred thousand medicinal herb they have to remember for the examination. Without several years of studying, it is impossible for one to pass the examination..."
Zhao Ya might not know too much about apothecaries, but as the butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence, Yao Han was well aware of it. Naturally, he understood the difficulty in becoming an apprentice apothecary.
A young and incapable teacher went to take the apprentice apothecary examination?
"He probably failed right... I know that this examination is difficult..." Yao Han couldn't help but ask her.
"Fail? Initially, I shared your thoughts!” Upon recalling the earlier occurrence, Wen Xue still felt incredulous. She bit her lips and harrumphed, "There are three rounds to the apprentice apothecary examinations. The first round is Written Paper, and not only did he pass, he even achieved a perfect score. Currently, he is undergoing the second round!"
"Perfect score?" Yao Han's body swayed.
The first examination assessed a candidate's understanding of the traits and properties of medicinal herbs. Many people found themselves halted by this barrier. Yet, this teacher whom he had always thought of as a trash successfully passed the examination, achieving a perfect score even...
[To casually gift someone a medicinal herb worth a hundred thousand gold coins, to induce xiaojie to become his student so willingly and to achieve a perfect score in the first round of the apprentice apothecary examination...
Is he really the trash of the legends?]
For the first time, Yao Han doubted the rumors circulating around outside.
