After the elders confirmed her relationship with the Nuwa clan, they thought that they could build a relationship with the mysterious clan and earn money.

Who knew that they were not only unable to hold onto the big thigh, but they even had to hand over their money.

Even though they were feeling unhappy, they could only take out their money obediently. Otherwise, if she complained to her father, the Patriarch would make their life difficult just because they made his daughter cry.

As the elders of the Xue family, it would be embarrassing if they gave her only a few hundred taels. To keep their dignity, they gritted their teeth and gave her a stack of banknotes, with the lowest amount being 5,000 taels of silver.

Xue Ya’er counted the money for a while before she glanced at the elders and said, "Elders, thank you for your support. It’s just that I don’t know when I will be able to return the money. How about you ask my father for it?"

The moment they heard this, the elders quickly waved their hands and said, "There is no need for that."

The Third Elder endured his heartache and said through gritted teeth, "Eldest Miss, you are the most promising junior in our entire Xue family."

"It is only right for us, the elders, to help you during your hard time. I just hope that when you enjoy your wealth and glory, you won’t forget us."

Satisfied with the Third Elder’s words, Xue Ya’er smiled and replied softly, "Ya’er thanks the elders for their help and promises to remember this kindness."

Everyone was a shrewd merchant, but they were almost unable to keep their composure.

They might be cunning and use underhanded methods in business, but they all understood the bottom line. Since she had promised them, she would fulfill her words. For merchants, trust and credibility were the most important things.

After she finished her words, Xue Ya’er handed the banknotes to Dong Mei and said, "Serve the nourishing soup."

Dong Mei curtsied and went to handle the task. She stored the money in her Mistress’s personal vault before going to the kitchen. The nourishing soup was cooked personally by the Madam and used several rare and valuable herbs.

When she arrived, Chun Hua was still guarding the pot of soup. Seeing her face flushed from the heat, Dong Mei walked over and wiped the sweat on her forehead.

"Sister Dong Mei, does Madam want to serve the soup now?" Chun Hua asked.

Dong Mei nodded and said, "You have worked hard. Thank you." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Chun Hua shook her head and replied with a smile, "Madam trusts me with this important task. It’s not hard at all."

Guarding the soup was important because it would be served to the elders.

There were a lot of people who wanted to sow discord between the General and the Xue family. So, they couldn’t be careless and let people scheme against them.

To ensure the safety of their meal, Chun Hua had been appointed to supervise the preparation personally. So, she had been staying in the kitchen since the elders arrived.

As for those responsible for delivering the meal, it was Xia Qing and Qiu Yue’s responsibility. Dong Mei, as the head maid, served the Madam.

After they poured the soup into small, delicate bowls, Dong Mei put on the lids and carried the tray. Besides her, there were two more maidservants helping her carry the rest of the soup.

These maidservants were trained personally by Dong Mei and were loyal to her and the Madam. Therefore, she was at ease using them.

When the nourishing soup was served, the elders took a glance at the ingredients inside and nodded. After Xue Ya’er cried about how poor she was, the elders didn’t hold much hope for the nourishing soup.

Unexpectedly, despite her ’poverty,’ she still served them with the best ingredients. This showed her sincerity and eased the elders’ heartache over losing a lot of money.

"Elders, the ingredients are bought from Liuhua Pavilion. Please have a try."

Hearing that it was bought from the most famous medicinal herb store in the entire Great Yan Kingdom, they were eager to taste the soup.

They took a sip, and their eyes lit up instantly. The moment they swallowed it, they felt warmth spreading through their entire bodies. It dispelled their fatigue and soreness from the long journey.

"Good ingredients!" the Third Elder praised.

The Second Elder nodded and added, "It’s very delicious. I have never drunk anything like this before."

Only the First Elder said nothing, but from the speed at which he drank the soup, Xue Ya’er knew that he liked it. She smiled and said, "I’m relieved that the elders enjoyed the soup. There is still more. Please don’t be polite and have more."

The elders agreed readily and enjoyed their soup to their hearts’ content.

Xue Ya’er also drank a bowl of soup in a good mood.

Added with the delivery cost, she spent a total of 13,000 taels of silver on these medicinal herbs. But she earned a total of 358,000 taels of silver from the elders.

She earned enough money to buy medicine and supplies for the soldiers that would last 3 months with just one meal. How could she not be in a good mood?

Standing on the side, Dong Mei praised her mistress’s wisdom in her heart. Fortunately, she had learned how to control her expressions. Otherwise, she might offend the elders by laughing out loud.

After the meal, the elders returned to their rooms in satisfaction, no longer holding any resentment toward Xue Ya’er over the money they were forced to hand over.

Feeling refreshed, the elders wrote letters to their families and included a copy of the waterway and drip irrigation method.

This time, they no longer thought of scheming against Xue Ya’er to cover their losses and reminded their sons and grandsons to supervise everything personally.

While everyone was busy that night, Physician Mu and his disciple were working harder than a slave.