Li Man'er waited for several days, but she did not receive an invitation from Xiao Rudu. Instead, Xiao Qiniang came to visit.
"Xiao Qiniang, you seem to have lost a lot of weight in a few days."
Xiao Qiniang took the hot tea but did not drink it, only cradled it in her hands. With a weary expression, she said, "There have been many things to do these past few days, and much to prepare. The snow has been too heavy; the people's roofs must be cleared promptly, or their houses will collapse. The streets also need clearing... in short, there is a lot to do."
Li Man'er asked in surprise, "Are the affairs of the prefectural yamen so trivial? Yet, from what I know, these matters should be managed by the yamen itself. Why is Xiao Qiniang coordinating them? Is there no one in the court?"
Only Li Man'er dared to say such a thing, and Xiao Qiniang wished she could pounce on her and strangle her.
"Young lady, speak with caution." Xiao Qiniang's face was darker than the bottom of a pot. She knew very well that Li Man'er intended to be difficult and provoke her. Thus, suppressing her anger, she stabilized her emotions before speaking again, "This place, Mobei, is vast and sparsely populated, and communication is inconvenient. We also have to guard against foreign spies. Managing it is not easy. My Xiao family has been stationed here for three generations, and we have long shared the fate of Mobei."
Li Man'er responded with an "oh" and remained silent, as if she did not believe Xiao Qiniang's words.
"This year, the weather is exceptionally cold, and the snow is heavy. The barbarians could breach the pass at any moment. There are many tasks we must undertake: appeasing the populace and strengthening defenses. We cannot afford a moment's idleness. Young lady, from birth, you have known the prosperity of the capital and are unaware of the hardships in Mobei. I hope you will not speak such words in the future."
Was Li Man'er someone who would accept blame? Accuse her of not knowing human suffering? Well, in this life, she had indeed seen little of it, but in her previous life, many Xuanyi practitioners from her Xuanyi sect had served as doctors without borders and had witnessed a great deal of human suffering.
Even in the technologically advanced future, some people still went hungry and cold. She had seen plenty of backward productivity, sloth, warfare, and plagues.
"Does the young lady imply that I am taking advantage and have not contributed to Mobei?" Li Man'er raised an eyebrow, showing no signs of anger.
Liu Ya was quite angered, but as her mistress had not spoken, she, a mere maid, naturally could not utter a word.
Xiao Qiniang offered a polite and distant smile, conveying an unspoken message: *You are quite self-aware.*
"It's not that I don't want to contribute, but I have no outlet for my strength." Li Man'er said with a mocking smile. "Since arriving in Mobei, my servant and I have lived like prisoners, confined to our quarters, never stepping outside. We don't even know which way the prefectural yamen door opens. Contribute? Qiniang, please tell me, how are we supposed to contribute?"
Liu Ya silently praised her mistress. When it came to arguments, ten Xiao Qiniangs tied together would not be a match for her lady. Most importantly, her mistress never spoke unreasonable words; every utterance was a well-reasoned point that could shut down any opposition.
Xiao Qiniang felt cornered by these two sentences. "Young lady Li, you misunderstand me. You are a guest, how could we trouble you! Oh, right, this visit is to deliver medicinal materials and supplies to you, young lady Li."
Xiao Qiniang did not want to argue with Li Man'er any further. She knew she was no match for her, so she quickly changed the subject.
"The list of items you requested is too extensive to find all at once. Fortunately, we have time, so I have brought what is easiest to procure." After speaking, she winked at Zhu Yu, who quickly instructed people to carry the goods inside. Boxes and baskets filled the room in no time.
Li Man'er circled the delivered items twice and nodded with satisfaction.
"Qiniang, your efficiency is indeed reliable. I now understand why the elders of the Xiao family would entrust you alone to manage the prefectural yamen; your abilities are truly outstanding."
Li Man'er's words brought Xiao Qiniang some surprise, but before she could bask in the joy for too long, she heard Li Man'er continue, "It's a pity, though, your potential is capped; you can only be a steward, never a master."
Not only Xiao Qiniang, but even Liu Ya felt her mistress had gone too far. Xiao Qiniang was the master of the Xiao family, yet her lady called her a steward who could never be a master...
Xiao Qiniang truly did not wish to share the same roof as Li Man'er anymore. She feared she might lose control and, like a shrew, roll up her sleeves and fight her. Thus, after exchanging only a few words, she left in a hurry.
Liu Ya watched Xiao Qiniang's hasty retreat and couldn't help but give her mistress a thumbs-up. Her lady's combat power was truly formidable; with just a few words, she had managed to anger Xiao Qiniang into fleeing.
Li Man'er, looking at the abundance of medicinal herbs, was overjoyed. This was a significant amount of money, and she had managed to swindle the Xiao family quite well.
"Mistress, with so much medicine, how long will it take us to process it?"
"We'll take our time. We have plenty of it," Li Man'er would not tell her that she had machines in her spatial dimension capable of slicing or steaming anything. However, to be safe, she needed to be cautious. Important herbs would be processed in her spatial dimension, while simpler ones would be handled by Liu Ya.
"Alright!" Liu Ya said, "Mistress, I notice the Xiao family doesn't seem to be asking you to treat their elder's leg."
"They are wary of me! Afraid I might harm him as an opportunity," Li Man'er flicked Liu Ya's forehead. "You worry too much. Do you want to age faster?"
Liu Ya rubbed the spot where Li Man'er had flicked her, thinking her mistress's touch was quite strong.
"If you have nothing else to do, help me process these medicinal herbs. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can relax."
"I don't know how."
"It's very simple; I'll teach you." Li Man'er asked her, "Has the stove been set up in the side room? They've sent steaming baskets, so some of the medicinal herbs that can be steamed can be processed first."
Liu Ya quickly replied, "It's already done. The pots are ready, and we can start immediately. As per your instructions, several water vats have been prepared inside and filled with water."
Li Man'er grew more pleased as she listened. "Good. Indeed, Xiao Qiniang's ability to manage affairs is quite commendable. It's a shame, though; she's destined to be a steward."
Liu Ya was speechless. Why did her mistress bring this up again?
Xiao Qiniang: I thank you...
Both mistress and servant were doers, and they immediately began their work.
First, they put away the finished products: pills, powders, ointments, and dried herbs. Then, they stored a portion of the processed medicinal slices. Finally, there were the unprocessed herbs, which were the main focus.
"Let's get to work!" Li Man'er patted Liu Ya on the shoulder, indicating the task was arduous.
Liu Ya looked at the baskets and baskets of medicinal herbs and felt like crying.
With so much medicine, involving steaming, sun-drying, slicing, and boiling, how long would it take her to finish?
As expected, by the time the mistress and servant rested that day, they fell asleep instantly.
The workload was too heavy; they were exhausted.
Liu Ya's last thought before falling asleep was: is my mistress's action a trap for the enemy or for her own allies?