"Who the hell is she?" Xie Heng wondered.
Xie Heng looked blankly around him. No one knew what he was thinking, including Zhao Chuchu.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The young and strong villagers who drank the soup had mostly recovered. The weaker villagers, like Xie Heng and Xie Jun, were still coughing.
Li Jiang was ecstatic.
"Chuchu, your prescription really works!"
"Yes, those who have taken the medicine have recovered. With a few more days of rest, they should be able to get back to their normal lives."
"I plan to submit this prescription to the court. As for the rest of the people in your village, what do you intend to do with them?"
"You can let them have the prescription, but they have to pay for it."
Zhao Chuchu was never a saint.
Those people had kicked up a big fuss, demanding her life. She was already doing them a great favor by sharing the cure with them. However, she could not possibly give it to them for free.
No way was she going to let them have it so easily.
Li Jiang understood what Zhao Chuchu meant.
Li Jiang apologized to Zhao Chuchu, "Previously there were many prescriptions which were of no help at all. The court had to be cautious in dealing with this. I ask for your forgiveness, Chuchu."
"My lord, you're not to blame. I'm already very grateful that you're willing to trust me. How can I possibly blame you? You'd better submit the prescription to the court since it's effective. Spring is approaching soon, and the villagers have to start harvesting. Don't delay any further, otherwise, things will get more complicated."
"Okay, I'll go back now. But no one should leave Lengshui Village freely even now."
"Yes, I know."
The villagers already knew that Zhao Chuchu's prescription could save their lives. When they saw Zhao Chuchu appear in front of them, they went berserk. All of them rushed up to her, crying, "Chuchu, give me the cure!"
"Chuchu, quick, give me the medicine. I don't want to die!"
"I want the cure. Quickly, give it to all of us."
"We are all from the same village. How can you be so selfish and keep the prescription for yourself?"
Among the cries, Madam Yang's voice was exceptionally shrill and loud. "Zhao Chuchu, this cure belongs to the Zhao family. Quick, give it back to us. If you don't hand it over to us, you'll be an unfilial child. I'll go to the courts and sue you."
Li Jiang's face darkened and he hollered, "I will kill whoever shouts again."
On seeing that Li Jiang was using force instead of trying to placate them, the villagers immediately stopped shouting.
Zhao Chuchu stood in front of them. She looked around and smiled. "Now you want the prescription? Now you want the medicine? Very well, it costs each family two pieces of silver."
She scoffed inwardly, "Why should I offer them the prescription when they want to kill me?"
The villagers smoldered with resentment.
"What do you mean by that? How dare you ask for two pieces of silver for a mere prescription?"
"Are you still a human? Aren't you afraid of retribution? You're making money in such a cold-blooded way."
"My lord, Zhao Chuchu wants all of us to die. Please fight for us. Make Zhao Chuchu brew the medicine for us."
"Why should I? Why should I save you for nothing in return?" The girl's voice was clear and crisp.
She spoke again, more determined and with a stronger accusing tone. "Two days ago, you wanted to put me to death because of what Zhao Zhizhi said. You can't wait to tear me to pieces. Why should I save you now? I remember what all of you did back then. I will never forget what happened."
She continued, "You want to kill me as you wish. And now you want me to save you as you please. What justice is there if I allow this to happen? I can give you a chance to save your life. But I will not save you for anything without asking for any payment. Either pay me with money or give me food or land in exchange for the medicine. I'm a very easy-going person. Once you pay me, I am willing to help you. But don't force me to save the people who wanted to kill me in the first place. That's not possible."
Zhao Chuchu's last sentence sounded firm and forceful.
When Li Jiang saw the look in Zhao Chuchu's eyes, he could not help but shudder slightly.
"Why does this girl have such a strong murderous intent?" he wondered.
Everyone was so silent that one could hear a pin drop on the floor.
A few moments later ---