The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 248 - 148 Teach a Man to Fish (Part Two)

Chapter 248: 148 Teach a Man to Fish (Part Two)

Li Xianyun looked at Zhuo Ma, "From now on, it’s up to you, no need to hold back."

"Yes!"

Zhuo Ma walked towards Little Huzi and the thugs with a smile.

Zhuo Ma had the typical physique of a Khitan woman, tall and sturdy, but even so, she was no match for a man.

Little Huzi didn’t take Zhuo Ma seriously at all, his face full of scorn and ridicule.

But when Zhuo Ma knocked down a man over seven feet tall with a punch, these men no longer dared to underestimate her.

Soon, Zhuo Ma had beaten Little Huzi and his men to the ground, a total mess.

Li Xianyun and Youlan were sitting on a stone stool at the street corner, watching Zhuo Ma fight. Left hooks, sweeping kicks, every move hit the vital points, fast, accurate, and ruthless—truly someone who had once followed Yelu Yan.

Youlan teased, "My lady, I didn’t expect Zhuo Ma to be so formidable in a fight. I won’t dare to provoke her again."

The two of them had lived together for a long time and their relationship had grown deeper. Joking and scolding were common occurrences.

Li Xianyun looked at Youlan with a smile, "Zhuo Ma is clear about grievances and won’t hit one of our own. Besides, she’s all bark and no bite, you can rest easy."

Youlan replied with a chuckle, "Watching her fight is quite satisfying."

The corners of Li Xianyun’s mouth curled with a gentle and charming smile, revealing faint dimples, making it hard to associate her with the brutal scene of the beating taking place before them.

Little Huzi, seeing that his men were no match for Zhuo Ma, got up to run away. After only two steps, a big and strong man appeared from around the corner, watching him with folded arms and a cold gaze.

Little Huzi then realized he had been tricked. Li Xianyun had lured him to a secluded place on purpose to teach him a lesson.

While he was still in shock, Zhuo Ma approached from behind and delivered a kick that sent him sprawling face-first into the dirt.

Before Little Huzi could get up, Zhuo Ma started kicking him mercilessly.

Until he was vomiting blood, seeing stars, and all his organs felt dislodged.

Just when it seemed like Little Huzi would be beaten to death, a rough hand grabbed her arm, "That’s enough."

Zhuo Ma looked up at Bater, then gave Little Huzi one more kick before stopping. She walked over to Li Xianyun with a beaming smile, "My lady."

"Feel better?" Li Xianyun asked with a smile.

"Most satisfying!"

Li Xianyun stood up from the stone stool, smiling, "Let’s go to the Northern Region of Tianshui County to see patients."

"Yes."

Upon returning to Tianshui County, Li Xianyun and her group found a place to eat first, then bought a lot of sugar cubes intended for the children who came to see the physician, so they wouldn’t cry during the acupuncture.

They say the children of the poor have to be self-reliant early, and the children of Tianshui County were truly pitiful. At such a young age, they had to do a lot of work.

The adults who came to see the physician brought their children along because there was no one at home to watch them. The children sat quietly by, tugging at the heartstrings of anyone who saw them.

Li Xianyun was very fond of children and was always extra gentle with them.

She planned to give some of the sugar cubes to the children accompanying their parents for treatment as well.

When they arrived at the Northern Region of Tianshui County, there was already a long line of people waiting.

Yesterday, Li Xianyun handed out numbers for the queue, and everyone lined up conscientiously. Many children weaved through the crowd.

Li Xianyun instructed Youlan to distribute a piece of candy to each child.

The children who were waiting to see the doctor would get an extra piece when it was their turn.

The kids were delighted, and the adults watched on happily.

As Li Xianyun treated patients, she occasionally engaged in small talk to ease their anxious moods.

"Our families here all grow walnut and jujube trees, so there must be a lot of walnuts and red dates, right?"

The patient replied, "Yes, our area is abundant with walnuts and red dates."

"How do they sell?" asked Li Xianyun.

Someone in the queue let out a sigh, "They don’t sell well. There are walnuts and red dates everywhere, so they’re not prized, leading to low prices and little profit."

"It seems that not everyone has realized the great health benefits of walnuts and red dates," Li Xianyun said with a smile.

She paused and asked, "How do you usually sell the walnuts and red dates?"

"We sell shelled walnut kernels and fresh dates when they’re in season; after the season, we dry the red dates to sell."

Li Xianyun, who was writing a prescription, paused and looked up at the person speaking, "Is that it?"

"That’s it."

Li Xianyun continued writing the prescription, "Actually, there are many ways to sell walnuts, and there are many ways to sell red dates too. If you use the right methods, you can surely make a lot of money."

Everyone’s eyes lit up at this, "Does the young gentleman have any good suggestions?"

They had fallen into the habit of addressing Li Xianyun as "young gentleman," just like Huye’s wife did, rather than as "physician."

Li Xianyun’s mouth curved into a smile, "There are many ways to sell walnuts. Other than selling shelled walnut kernels as you mentioned, you can also process them before selling. Eating walnut kernels on their own can taste rather bitter and astringent, but if paired with other things, the taste becomes quite different. For example, you can coat them with a layer of sugary syrup, or roast them in a pan with salt to make five-spice flavored nuts, and you can sell them along with red dates. You can split a red date, remove the pit, and stuff a walnut kernel inside—combining the fragrance of the walnut with the sweetness of the red date. Walnuts can also be made into walnut crisps or walnut soft cakes; all these forms taste better than plain walnut kernels."

After a short pause, she continued, "Actually, apart from being eaten, walnuts can also be used to make bracelets and lion heads."

"Lion heads?" They had never heard of such a thing.

Li Xianyun, ever patient and willing to impart knowledge, spoke with a gentle smile that made her endearing to others.

"From what I know, in Houliang and Houtang, many of the well-to-do young masters like to play with walnuts, rotating two walnuts in one hand. These walnuts are commonly known as lion heads, and good-quality lion heads can sell for a high price."

Their eyes shone with interest, "How do you make lion heads?"

"You have to pick two walnuts of similar appearance and fine quality and play with them in your palm. It takes years of handling to achieve the desired texture; making a quick profit might be difficult. However, if you’d like to explore this idea, you should gather more information. Maybe you’ll be successful."

Li Xianyun paused again, "Actually, red dates also have many ways to be sold. Aside from partnering them with walnuts, you can turn them into crispy dried dates to sell, or combine them with sesame and walnuts to make pastries. With a bit of processing, these items can sell for much more than the raw ingredients."

Seeing the eager looks on their faces, Li Xianyun said, "How about this, today I will see patients, and tomorrow I’ll teach you various methods to sell walnuts and red dates. You can try these at home in advance. Everybody is nearby the Border Market, an ideal condition to make a good profit."

Hearing this, their hearts surged with excitement, and their admiration for Li Xianyun grew even greater.

Despite her delicate appearance, she was knowledgeable and confident, inspiring belief and admiration.

While Li Xianyun was busy with patients, she heard the excited voice of Huye’s wife from afar, "Young gentleman!"

Upon looking up, Li Xianyun saw Huye’s wife approaching with a child in her arms, followed by two tall, sturdy men—one younger and one older, clearly differentiating Huye from Maimaiti.