Chapter Seven: Recognize

  This man was Shen Zhongshuo, the auxiliary general who had just returned triumphantly, and also the husband of Zhen Shining, whom he had not seen for five years. Today, he came out to handle some business and took a detour here to buy donkey hide gelatin for his aunt, Chu Xinyi.

  "Promotion is not to be taken lightly!" Seeing only these two sentences, Rong Sheng brought out his name, with a strong tone of bullying, Shen Zhongjie opened his mouth to stop him.

  Although his voice was not loud, it was extremely authoritative. Rong Sheng did not dare to say more and stood obediently on one side.

  Assistant General of the Imperial Guard?!!

  Li Qi was taken aback, and then his eyes lit up, "...Are you the Auxiliary General of the State who presented captives at the Meridian Gate and shook the Great Zhou?" He bowed respectfully to Shen Zhongjie, "It's all my fault for not recognizing a great mountain. Please forgive me, General. Please take a seat." Turning around, he instructed the stunned medicine shop assistant, "Quickly serve tea to the general, brew that package of Da Hong Pao that Fu Baiwan just sent!"

  "The shopkeeper was being polite......" Shen Zhongke stood still and said with a warm expression, "I heard that your Jianji Agarwood is very good, can the shopkeeper give some out?" He also thought Li Qi's claim of no stock was a scam.

  Such a best-selling medicine, no one would miss the opportunity, even if it's really out of stock, it should be replenished in a few days, and it can't be delayed until next month.

  Li Qi's forehead was sweating, "I really didn't deceive the general." He swallowed his saliva, "This Jian Ji Agar is from the famous Jian Dafu in Wutong Town. You don't know, General, that Jian Dafu's body is too weak and can't exert great force. At most, he can only make 70 or 80 kilograms per month. Once it arrives, it sells out in a few days... If you want to buy more, you have to wait." He rubbed his hands and looked at Shen Zhongjie, "If the general really wants some, please leave an address. When next month's goods arrive, I'll personally deliver them to your mansion..." After finishing speaking, Li Qi looked at Shen Zhongjie with a sincere expression.

  If we can get this General of the Auxiliary Nation on board and pull him into our medicinal materials business in the army, that would be a lucrative venture!

  "Oh, I see...". Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Shen Zhongke nodded disappointedly.

  He just heard Chu Xinyi mention it when he was about to leave, and since it was on the way, he came over. It wasn't a must-buy, and seeing that the medicine hall didn't have it either, he didn't linger and turned around to head out.

  He saw him turn around and leave, Li Qi was greatly disappointed, suddenly remembered that Zhen Shining was in the medicine hall, and hurriedly called out to Shen Zhongjie, "Right, General Shen, Jian Dafu is..." As he shouted, he turned his head back, where was Zhen Shining's shadow?

  Li Qi was shocked, and his words got stuck in his throat. He stared blankly at Shen Zhongjie, who slowly turned around.

  "...what?" Shen Zhongke also followed his gaze towards the chief physician Feng Xi.

  "Little... little... I was saying that Dr. Jian lives in the east of the town, would you like me to take you to see her? She still has some donkey hide gel... The general doesn't know, this Dr. Jian is highly skilled and specializes in treating all kinds of difficult diseases..." Li Qi's soul had not yet returned to his body as he rounded out what he was saying, his eyes searching around everywhere, thinking to himself, "This month's account for the donkey hide gel hasn't been settled yet, where did she run off to this time?" Recalling Zhen Shi Niang's stunning beauty, he secretly hoped that she could use this opportunity to climb up to the great general in front of him, and unknowingly brought a few parts of flattery into their conversation.

  I heard that this general has five concubines at home, each one more beautiful than the last. He's obviously a lustful man, and with Jian Dafu's stunning looks, it would be strange if he didn't take a liking to him!

  Looking thoughtfully at the seat where Zhen Shining had just sat, Shen Zhongge shook his head and said, "No need..." He took a step out of the medicine room, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and exclaimed, "I remember now!"

  "What's on your mind, old man?" Rong Sheng asked in confusion.

  "That patient just now!" Shen Zhongqiu said, lifting his foot and heading out.

  He didn't know that Zhen Shiniang had come to sell medicine, and he thought she was a patient who had come to see him. He suddenly remembered that she seemed familiar the moment she entered the room, and it dawned on him that she was probably his wife whom he had abandoned in their ancestral home five years ago. Especially those calm eyes, which had left a deep impression on him that night five years ago.

  So he was slightly taken aback by her gaze just now.

  Although five years may not be long, from a thirteen-year-old girl to an eighteen-year-old woman with a mature charm, especially after changing her soul, Zhen Shiniang's change is quite big. Now she wears simple clothes and hairpins, completely different from the luxurious clothes she used to wear. It's normal that Shen Zhongshu didn't recognize her at first glance.

  She vaguely remembered that she had slipped out quietly while he was talking to Li Qi, and Shen Zhongjie quickly chased after her outside.

  The streets are empty, where is her shadow?

  "What's wrong with her? What disease did she get?" Shen Zhongge furrowed his brow, looking at the empty street with a puzzled mind.

  He suddenly turned around and walked back into the pharmacy with a few quick steps.

  "General, what are you going to do?" Rong Sheng followed up in confusion.

  Suddenly emerging from behind a pillar not far away, Zhen Shining gazed at the back of Shen Zhongge disappearing into the medicine hall and let out a long sigh.

  How embarrassing!

  In her two lifetimes, she had never been moved by any man. Today, she finally met someone who could be considered as having a crush on at first sight. Unexpectedly, it was that poisonous-tongued husband of hers, with a heart blacker than his outward appearance!

  Five years ago, that night he stood in the dark corridor, separated by a beaded curtain, she didn't see his face at all. She couldn't believe he was so handsome, no wonder the original owner of this body would die for him. Thinking about her family's reputation, she wanted to go forward and chat with him, asking him to follow her home to get some donkey hide gelatin. Zhen Shi Niang hated that she couldn't dig a hole to bury herself.

  As she walked eastward, Zhen Shiniang furrowed her brow and pondered, "What did he just rush out to do?"

  "Did you recognize me?"

  He is different from her, he has neither lost his memory nor changed his soul. Even if it's been five years and he didn't recognize her at first glance, after thinking about it, he should be able to recall, right?

  As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Zhen Shiniang secretly said it was not good, touched the remaining money in her pocket, and hastily hired a horse-drawn carriage to rush to the Shen family's ancestral mansion.