Collecting Rent From All Realms, Even Empresses Must Pay Tribute
Ch. 62 - The Ye Family's Ancestral Medicine

After finishing the super-sweet, extra-chewy breakfast specially made by Bai Qianshuang, Ye Chuan headed out for school.

"Ah, ChuanChuan!" Luo Xi was waiting at Ye Chuan's doorstep. Seeing him emerge, she excitedly rushed over.

"Morning!"

She seemed to be in a good mood, a faint smile playing on her lips, her eyes curved like crescents.

Ye Chuan was a little surprised to see Luo Xi at his door.

"What are you doing standing here? Come in."

Luo Xi had a key to his apartment; she could have come in directly instead of waiting outside.

Of course, Ye Chuan also had a key to Luo Xi's place, as he often went there to help out. Mother Luo had given him a key for convenience.

"I just got here. I didn't come in because it wasn't time yet," Luo Xi said.

Ye Chuan grunted and took out the medicine he had refined last night.

"Here, our Ye family's ancestral secret recipe."

Luo Xi carefully took the medicine and put it in her pocket.

This medicine was effective for her mother; she didn't want to lose it due to carelessness. 

If possible, she even wanted to run home and put it away safely.

"Is this medicine very precious?" Luo Xi asked. She felt like every dose was valuable. She touched the medicine in her pocket.

"Should I go home first?"

"It's alright, not too precious, just the ingredients are a bit expensive," Ye Chuan chuckled.

"How much?"

Ye Chuan held up a finger. "One hundred million, not a penny more, not a penny less."

Luo Xi rolled her eyes at him.

As if remembering something, she said, "ChuanChuan, my dad is taking my mom for a checkup today. He's not sure about your medicine, worried it might have strong side effects."

"Aren't you afraid I'll be upset with your dad for telling me this secretly?" Ye Chuan asked, seeing Luo Xi siding with him.

Luo Xi just snorted softly. "I just don't think there's any need to hide this from you."

Ye Chuan didn't mind. After all, it was a potent medicine; it was normal for Father Luo to be concerned.

"Give me your hand."

"My hand?" Luo Xi was puzzled, but she still extended her hand. Ye Chuan held her hand and squeezed it gently. "So-so, not soft enough."

"Jerk!" Luo Xi raised her other hand to hit Ye Chuan, then noticed a silver bracelet on her wrist.

"This is…" Luo Xi looked at the bracelet in surprise. The craftsmanship was exquisite, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

Ye Chuan grinned. "An early birthday present for you. Just something random from Taobao, make do with it."

"You even got me a birthday present? You actually have a conscience." Luo Xi touched the bracelet and said coquettishly,

"You just bought it online? Couldn't you put in a little more effort?"

"Oh, give it back if you don't like it."

"No way." Luo Xi quickly pulled her hand back when Ye Chuan reached out, clearly liking the bracelet.

Last year, Ye Chuan had given her a hair tie, which she still used to tie her ponytail.

She claimed she would use it until it broke.

"Let's go, beautiful Luo Xi," Ye Chuan tugged her ponytail gently.

"Okay."

…

-People's Hospital-

In the pristine white corridor, Father Luo and Mother Luo sat on chairs in the waiting area.

They were both a bit nervous. If the medicine was truly effective and had no side effects, that would be wonderful.

But if it was a potent drug with serious side effects that only provided temporary relief, that would be disastrous.

"Even if it's a bad medicine, don't blame Ye Chuan, okay? He meant well," Mother Luo said.

Father Luo nodded. "I know."

Mother Luo looked at Father Luo's weary face, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm so unwell, making you work so hard to take care of us."

"And I can't even give you a son."

Father Luo shook his head. "Even if XiXi isn't my biological daughter, she's no different from my own. I promised I would take care of you both."

Father Luo had fallen in love with Mother Luo at first sight, even knowing that she was divorced and had a daughter. He had pursued her wholeheartedly.

Love was beautiful, but life was cruel.

As Mother Luo often said, if it weren't for her being a burden, Father Luo, with his decent income, could have lived a much better life.

"Calling Luo Qin to Examination Room 11, please…" a voice announced from the speakers.

Soon, it was their turn.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

Father Luo had made an appointment with a specialist, which cost two hundred yuan. 

This was one of the reasons why his expenses were so high despite his decent income.

The doctor in the examination room seemed to recognize Father Luo and Mother Luo.

"Have a seat. Are you here for a refill?"

"No, doctor. My wife's health has improved significantly after taking some ancestral medicine," Father Luo said.

His words made the doctor frown.

Ancestral medicine?

"Most of these so-called ancestral remedies are scams. Don't be fooled. Resorting to such things in desperation often leads to losing both your money and your health."

"It's from our neighbor, it's free."

Hearing that it was free, the doctor's tone softened a bit. 

"Those folk remedies usually have no scientific basis. And you should know that traditional Chinese medicine focuses on gradual healing; it's much slower than Western medicine. How could there be an ancestral remedy with immediate effects?"

Father Luo agreed with the doctor's reasoning. "That's why I wanted to get a checkup."

The doctor nodded and opened Mother Luo's medical records on his computer. After carefully reviewing the data, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise,

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?" The doctor's surprised expression made Father Luo's heart skip a beat. "Is something wrong?"

"All her indicators are much better than before," the doctor said, surprised. "When did she take the medicine? Did she take the medicine I prescribed?"

"She only took the medicine from our neighbor."

Most ancestral remedies were ineffective.

Could this be the real deal?

"What does your neighbor do?" the doctor asked curiously.

"They used to sell fruit. Then the child's parents and grandparents died in a car accident."

"That's terrible."

"Yes…"

The doctor thought for a moment, then said to Father Luo and Mother Luo, 

"Continue taking the medicine from your neighbor, and come back for a checkup every three days. If anything unusual happens, stop taking it immediately."

(SHMOLL: I like this doctor! Usually they screech when you don’t take their medicine.)