Interstellar Pharmacist Chapter 4
Bagua (Eight Symbols)
With his hands folded behind his back, Tang Jingnan stood facing the window silently. He was about to celebrate his sixtieth birthday soon, but he appeared to be only in his forties.
The butler stood side, bowing politely. Although the master had his back turned, the butler still didn’t dare to make a sound. In this posture, he waited quietly for his orders.
“The Eighth really said that?”
The butler replied formally, “I would never dare to deceive you, Master. Indeed, those are the words of Eighth Miss herself.”
Tang Jingnan repeated Tang Xin’s words, “’Stay at home, take a gene test, do a level assessment and choose the new head of the household based on the results. As long as she can handle her Tenth Brother’s revenge, she’s free to select his guard as her own’—listen to this, my man. Isn’t that girl something?”
The butler smiled and replied, “Of course. Eighth Miss is the Master’s daughter. So it’s only natural that she should be remarkably intelligent.”
“This has nothing to do with intelligence. It’s about bravado,” Tang Jingnan walked briskly to his desk and sat down. “Everyone knows my tenth child is the most probable successor to my position, but only my eighth child refuses to recognize him as such. Hah, her temperament reminds me of myself when I was her age.”
The old master couldn’t help but recall the days back when he first left home himself, “There were many talented people among my half-siblings too. In terms of fighting skills or resources, I was merely average. But you see, the top three favorites were all defeated by me in the end. So, like my Eighth said, it’s not necessarily the ones with the best genes or highest levels who will have the last laugh.”
The butler hesitated before saying, “But the Eighth Miss is only at level 2. Back when you left home, Master, you were already at level 4.”
Tang Jingnan chuckled, “If one is unsure of oneself, then one has already lost before one even begins. If a competitor is so terrified of my Tenth that they can’t even snatch his employee, then how can they fight for the family title against him? As long as the battle is on, there will always be chances for attack.”
The butler’s heart was pounding wildly now. Was the master permitting the Eighth Miss to act this way? Perhaps deep down, he didn’t really want the Tenth Young Master to win? “The Tenth Young Master is a rare type A. It will be difficult for the Eighth Miss to overtake him, I’m afraid,” he ventured.
To his surprise, the old master laughed, “That goes without saying. How many type As have we had in the family over the generations? Whenever there’s been one, they’ve managed to become the head of the household, without exceptions. Luck and strategy play a crucial role, but of course, they are still secondary compared to talent. So if my Eighth loses, that’s expected. But no daughter of mine shall lose without even putting up a fight! To be honest, I’ve overlooked my Eighth all along. I hadn’t noticed that she could be so ambitious.”
A spark lit his eyes as he continued, “My Tenth is immature for his eighteen years of age. Even though he has superior genes, he’s careless and too full of himself. Apart from his superior fighting abilities, he’s falling behind in terms of strategy, planning, and social skills.”
The butler smiled, “The Tenth Young Master is head and shoulders above the rest in fighting ability alone. So it’s no surprise that he doesn’t waste his energy planning and strategizing.”
But the old master shook his head, “He’s not ready to take over the household in his current state. He needs to work on himself.”
After a moment’s thought, he instructed the butler, “As far as I understand, my Eighth hasn’t claimed her resources yet? Let’s increase her allowance to 80,000 credits.”
This stunned the butler. “And what about the guard?” he asked cautiously.
Tang Jingnan waved his hand dismissively, “We have quite a few type-B guards, no need to fuss over this one in particular. If she wants him, she can have him. Case closed. When the time comes, I will select an even better one for my Tenth.”
But the butler still had his doubts, “Wouldn’t this be embarrassing for the Tenth Young Master?”
“If he’s so embarrassed, he can fight to reclaim his dignity. It’s about time he gets a taste of what setback feels like,” said the old master solemnly, looking the butler straight in the eye.
“I understand,” the butler gave a slight bow and left.
After he had gone, Tang Jingnan muttered to himself, “My Tenth had been too carefree before. Now that he has a serious competitor, it’s time for him to step up his game.”
After Tang Ningyi left the room, Tang Xin had a surprise visitor.
“Ninth Sister? What brings you here?”
Tang Jing entered the room and—glancing around to make sure that no-one else was around—she closed the door cautiously and scurried to Tang Xin’s side. “Have you gone mad? Snatching Tenth Brother’s personal guard?” she whispered.
When she first heard the news, she thought it was just a rumor. But when she found that her Eighth Sister had indeed done the unthinkable, she was scared stiff and hurried over immediately.
“So what? He’s just a spoiled child,” replied Tang Xin offhandedly. She had originally thought that Tang Ningyi chose Yan Hao because he knew about his genes. But upon discovering that her younger brother was only after his good looks, Tang Xin realized that perhaps she had overestimated the little bastard.
Tang Jing was shocked by her nonchalance.
“Look, I wish I could back you up on this, but have you forgotten? Our Tenth Brother is special. He’s the son of our father’s favorite wife. And besides, he’s extremely talented. In our father’s eyes, we simply can’t hold a candle to him. You’re gonna get into big trouble! You’d better pray that he will forgive and forget in time.”
“Favorite wife?” Tang Xin was puzzled, “Doesn’t our father have six wives? Why did he marry so many times then, if he already has a favorite?”
“Love and marriage are two separate things. I mean, isn’t this why you’ve always called him a womanizing scumbag?” Tang Jing thought for a moment, “His favorite is the fourth wife. But he later married his fifth for business reasons. And once, when he was away from home, a lady saved him after he got injured, and he married her out of gratitude for her kindness.”
Tang Xin rolled her eyes, “He married his sixth wife to repay her kindness? That’s more like an attempt to ruin her life, in my opinion.”
This made Tang Jing laugh. “To be fair, she’s a real piece of work herself,” she quipped. “She came from a poor background, but after marrying into our wealthy family, she became a shopaholic. Not only that, our father even has to go to her room and attend to her from time to time. In any case, neither of them is in this marriage for love. So, who cares how many wives he has? What she cares more about is the spending limit on his credit card!”
Tang Xin was dumbfounded, “How could the fourth wife allow him to marry the other two then?”
“It’s no surprise. After she had her son, her future standing was pretty much secured. So her husband was of no more use to her,” sneered Tang Jing. “But—and don’t quote me on this—she thinks our father loves her very much, and that he only married the other two out of obligation. Nevermind how he treats his other kids, he’s at least somewhat of a real father to Tenth Brother.”
“So… he’s a stone-cold bastard to everyone else, but he acts slightly more like a normal person towards Tenth Brother. And somehow, in the fourth wife’s mind, that’s proof that she’s his favorite?” Tang Xin sighed, “What a bunch of twisted logic.”
“I agree. I mean, if she was sane, she would’ve divorced him long ago. After all, monogamy is the norm nowadays. Any smart woman would’ve chosen a loyal man, instead of one she has to share with five other women. Do you think a sane woman would’ve married into the Tang family when he already has three other wives? Luckily, marriage is very liberal these days—both monogamy and polygamy are allowed, as long as both parties agree with the arrangement. If this was back in olden times, our father would’ve been arrested by the federation for sure!”
Tang Xin laughed, Even though the Tang family is rich and powerful, its members nonetheless have to obey the federal laws.
Feeling thirsty after all the talking, Tang Jing poured herself a cup of tea and took a few sips. But moments later, she felt that something wasn’t quite right. “Wait a second, I came over here today to talk to you about the guard, not to gossip!” she said angrily.
“Relax, I was just curious. And besides, I don’t have all the inside scoop like you do. Come, drink up!” Tang Xin smiled flatteringly and refilled her cup.
Seeing Tang Xin’s cheerful attitude, the younger sister couldn’t help but feel frustrated: Shouldn’t she be the one who’s worried right now? Why am I the only one getting worked up here?
“Is it worth going to all this trouble just for a man?” the younger sister asked glumly.
Tang Xin nodded. For a type A, level 5 warrior, it was totally worth it.
Tang Jing fell silent. After a while, she asked, “Is this guard really so handsome that you’d risk everything for him just like that?”
Again, Tang Xin nodded. She couldn’t deny that he’s good-looking. Even she was a bit taken in when she first saw him.
Now Tang Jing was curious, “Where is he? Let me take a look.”
The older sister glanced at the clock, “We’re leaving here tomorrow. He went to pack his things. He should be here shortly.”
“Alright, I’ll wait here,” said Tang Jing, folding her arms. She seemed to have her mind set on taking a look at this handsome troublemaker.
A few moments later, Tang Xin heard a voice speaking so softly that she almost missed it.
“In the future, if Tenth Brother ever gives you trouble, you can come to my planet.”
Saying this, Tang Jing’s gaze darted all around the room, as if inspecting the décor. She was looking everywhere except at her sister.
“I’ll let you sleep on the couch. You can have rice porridge with pickled vegetables three times a day,” she continued.
Tang Xin smiled. It was one of the very few times when she was sincerely touched. “In return for your offer, I’ll definitely help you too if you run into trouble someday,” she said gratefully.
“Oh please, worry about yourself first. You’re the one who needs help right now,” replied Tang Jing condescendingly. She didn’t seem to realize the significance of her older sister’s promise.
“Well, my offer still stands. You can always contact me if you need,” Tang Xin said with finality.
Where did she get such confidence? thought Tang Jing, just as a man entered the room. He had a perfectly sculpted face, exquisitely straight eyebrows and sparkling eyes. He was tall and lanky—perhaps his outfit accentuated his figure. But in any case, he was smoking hot.
Tang Jing stared at him with her mouth hanging so wide open that it could’ve fit a train.
The man approached Tang Xin and bowed his head slightly. “I’m ready,” he said.
The younger sister pointed at the man, and then at Tang Xin, utterly speechless.
“This is my guard,” Tang Xin introduced.
After a long silence, Tang Jing finally regained her ability to speak, “A face that could launch a thousand ships. He’s absolutely worth the fall-out with Tenth Brother.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Hao’s hands curled into fists, and he had to restrain himself from smashing them into the Ninth Miss’s face. “A face that could launch a thousand ships”? Who does she think I am, Helen of Troy?!
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS
Mini drama
Tang Jingnan: Just because you’re a type A, you’ve neglected to work on strategy, planning, and social skills.
Tang Ningyi: …Okay, I’ll work on those.
TJN: As a type A, you’re wasting your time on these unimportant side skills!
TNY: …Why don’t you just be direct—what do you want me to do?
TJN: Everything! Fighting skills, strategic planning, and social prowess all have to be 10/10!
TNY: …Brb killing myself (/;A;)/
