Chapter 39 One insisted on buying, the other insisted on giving it away...

Shen Qingtang pursed her lips, glanced at Qin Sumiao who was constantly drinking water, and said, "There must be some misunderstanding here." She paused, remembering Qin Sumiao's guilty expression, and added, "Just tell me these things, the rest..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Haoren patted his chest confidently and said, "Sister Chen, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll also make sure A Jin keeps his mouth shut." For a girl, reputation is undoubtedly very important, especially since the other party's surname is Qin and he comes from a top-tier wealthy family.

He was clumsy with words, but he was very perceptive, which is why he avoided the crowd and questioned Shen Qingtang alone.

Shen Qingtang patted Liu Haoren on the shoulder and thanked him, then quickly walked up to Qin Sumiao and looked her up and down.

Qin Sumiao, who was gulping down her water, noticed Shen Qingtang's gaze and awkwardly put down the bottle. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she shrank back, her heart pounding as she nervously considered how to answer the other's question, her mind racing.

But even after the rest was over, Shen Qingtang didn't ask her a single question. She simply walked past her and said to the others, "We've rested enough. Let's continue looking for people. Head this way."

Hearing this, Qin Sumiao breathed a sigh of relief, but her guard remained. She knew perfectly well that Shen Qingtang wasn't refusing to ask, but rather that there wasn't a suitable opportunity.

But no matter what, being able to escape for a moment made her feel much more relaxed.

Qin Sumiao followed closely behind Shen Qingtang, when she suddenly noticed that the surrounding trees and vegetation were becoming increasingly sparse, revealing faint traces of paths trodden by those who had walked before. She scratched the back of her head, somewhat puzzled, and said, "Sister Shen, have we taken the wrong path? Aren't we supposed to be searching for the little girl who was carried off by wolves?" Wolves usually live deep in the forest, where the trees are tall and dense, like a dark green barrier that swallows up even the last ray of sunlight.

Naturally, no proper paths appeared.

The others also noticed this oddity, but because they trusted Shen Qingtang, they only cast questioning glances at her without taking any steps.

Shen Qingtang nodded and said, "Yes, we are looking for someone, but our search efficiency is too low." Although most of the villagers in Qinghe Village have come to help search for someone in the back mountain, it is still a drop in the ocean compared to the vast area of ​​the back mountain.

For such a small group, finding the elusive wolf and the kidnapped little girl was like looking for a needle in a haystack, a complete waste of energy. This was evident from the fact that they had been searching for two or three hours straight since the morning without any progress.

Liu Haoren sighed softly and said, "There are still too few people in our village." Qinghe Village is no different from other underdeveloped villages. Most young people choose to leave their hometowns to make money elsewhere, while the elderly and children stay in the village to make a living by selling Chinese medicinal herbs.

Looking at Shen Qingtang's intelligent eyes, Cui Mingyue asked, "Sister Shen, have you thought of a good idea?"

Shen Qingtang's gaze lingered on the lush green plants and herbs nearby for a quarter of an hour before she said, "That's right, as the saying goes, if I don't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to me. Since we can't find the wolves, let them come to me."

With time running out and everyone looking on with curiosity, Shen Qingtang didn't keep them in suspense and directly revealed her solution: "So I plan to create a scent that wolves will like. The younger the wolf, the less it will resist it, and maybe it will bring Xiaolan over on its own."

"Will this work?" Qin Sumiao asked, somewhat dumbfounded. Although it would be more efficient for wolves to come to them than for them to search aimlessly in the back mountains, she had only ever heard of using strongly scented sachets to repel insects and wolves, but she had never heard of a scent that attracted wolves.

She touched her nose and looked at Shen Qingtang, saying, "Sister Shen, I didn't mean to discourage you, but saving lives is the priority right now." She knew the other person was a skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor, but traditional Chinese medicine doctors and incense makers are completely different professions. If she ended up wasting her time and energy, she would only suffer the consequences.

She glanced around, trying to win over the others, but everyone burst into laughter at her words.

"Miss Qin, you underestimate Sister Chen too much."

"Miss Qin, don't you know that all the pills sold in our clinic are prepared by Sister Shen?"

"It's just using Chinese herbs to adjust the flavor, Sister Shen can definitely make it."

...

Seeing everyone praising her and looking at her with complete trust, Qin Sumiao felt her ears burning and coughed awkwardly twice: "So Sister Chen is that amazing."

In the end, she tried to justify herself in her mind: Shen Qingtang was a freak. Not only did he know acupuncture, but he also knew how to concoct elixirs. Among the people she had heard of, only Liao Qinghe, known as "Little Huang Lao," was as skilled. Besides, she wasn't a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, so ignorance was no excuse.

Qinghe Mountain is rich in medicinal herbs, and Shen Qingtang already has many prescriptions in his mind. With a few minor modifications, he can quickly come up with a prescription that can attract the scent of wolves. For safety, Shen Qingtang also added a muscle-weakening powder for animals, which can make them weak all over.

The group quickly helped Shen Qingtang gather all the herbs, then lit them with lighters in an open area.

"Wolfsbane, Sophora flavescens, Sichuan pepper, chili pepper..." As Shen Qingtang named each herb, the others threw in the corresponding herbs. Because it was daytime, the flames were not very bright, and all that could be heard was the crackling sound of the herbs burning. Soon, a smell similar to a mixture of paint and gasoline fumes was emitted.

Shen Qingtang sniffed and said, "It's done."

The aroma also attracted many villagers who were searching, their faces showing a mixture of disbelief and doubt, their eyes full of questions.

Will wolves really be attracted by this scent? Will the wolves really come?

With these questions in mind, everyone's expressions became serious. Suddenly, Ah Jin's ears twitched, and he immediately knelt down, pressed his ear to the ground, and spoke in a string of words with a joyful expression. Then, in an extremely awkward Mandarin accent, he said, "I can already hear the wolf running and jumping. Doctor Shen's prescription is very effective."

It had only been burning for five minutes, yet it had already attracted the wolves. Thinking of this, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

Shen Qingtang nodded and said, "That's good, let's hide quickly."

Ah Jin quickly chimed in, "Yes, listen to Sister Chen. Let's quickly hide in the nearby bushes and grass, hold our breath, so as not to scare away the wolves." Wolves are, after all, highly intelligent creatures, possessing intelligence and an extraordinary level of vigilance. There are about a dozen of them standing here; if the wolf scouts see them, they will definitely suspect a trap and signal their companions to leave immediately.

Ajin was a local of Qinghe Village and often traveled through the Qinghe Mountains, so his words were naturally very convincing. The villagers quickly found places to hide.

Almost as soon as it hid, the wolf scout arrived. Perhaps the human scent in the air hadn't dissipated yet, because it sniffed the air, seeming somewhat hesitant. But soon a breeze blew by, intensifying the smell of burning herbs, and the wolf scout couldn't help but step forward and take a few deep sniffs.

Despite being an animal, its fierce wolf face displayed a remarkably human-like expression of infatuation. It relaxed from its tense state, twirling its tail and lazily issuing a signal.

The next second, dozens of wolves arrived, circling the burning fire and panting heavily. If the flames weren't so hot, they would have pounced on it.

Shen Qingtang was hiding in a spot carefully chosen by A Jin, a location with the best view. She immediately spotted the little girl riding on a silver-black wolf. Aside from her slightly disheveled hair covered in grass clippings, the little girl showed no signs of injury. She smiled brightly, revealing her white teeth, and occasionally lowered her head to talk to the wolf, behaving affectionately.

She lowered her voice and asked, "Is this Xiaolan?"

Ah Jin nodded without hesitation and said, "Sister Chen, this is Xiao Lan." He had brought the two of them to the back mountain to see the wild orchids several times, so he naturally remembered them clearly.

Shen Qingtang nodded and said, "That's good." At the same time, it also verified her previous conjecture in her mind. A man and a wolf being friends might sound a little strange, but if it were a wolf cub and a child, it was possible.

But Ah Jin clearly didn't think that way. He couldn't wait to ask, "Sister Chen, when will the muscle relaxant take effect?" He clenched his fist, his eyes blazing with anger: "These beasts are getting bolder and bolder. Now they even dare to grab people. We have to teach them a lesson."

Shen Qingtang shook her head and said, "Things aren't as you think." She paused and said, "We'll go out in five more minutes. Don't make any rash moves."

Having witnessed Shen Qingtang's abilities, Ah Jin's words carried considerable weight, so he nodded and said, "Okay, Sister Shen."

Five minutes later, the wolves, who had absorbed enough softening powder, realized something was wrong. They felt completely limp and powerless and could only lie on the ground.

Seeing the little wolf howling incessantly, Xiao Lan asked anxiously, "Little wolf, little wolf, what's wrong with you?"

Shen Qingtang then stepped out of her hiding place and said, "Don't worry, they're fine. They just suddenly lost their strength, and it will probably last for about half an hour." As she spoke, she went forward to put out the burning fire to prevent it from starting a forest fire.

Seeing the little girl standing there in a daze, she pursed her lips and introduced herself again: "I am Shen Qingtang, the owner of Renxin Medical Clinic. Xu Xiaosheng and Xu Xiaoxun are my apprentices."

Unexpectedly, the other party said, "Sister Chen, I know you."

"I saw you when I delivered mooncakes to Xiaoxun and Xiaosheng. You're so beautiful, even more beautiful than a big star." As she said this, two blushes rose on her face, and she lowered her head, very embarrassed.

The two children, Xu Xiaosheng and Xu Xiaoxun, also rushed up in a hurry.

"Sister Xiaolan, are you alright?"

"Sister Xiaolan, did this wolf carry you away? I'll teach it a lesson for you."

Upon hearing Xu Xiaosheng's words, a look of shock flashed in Xiaolan's eyes. She quickly stood in front of him and said, "I'm fine. It wasn't the wolf that carried me away. It just wanted to play with me."

After saying that, she said rather embarrassedly, "I forgot to bring apples for Little Wolf this time. Not only was he not angry, he even let me eat some red fruit."

Upon hearing this, everyone understood the truth of the matter. Ah Jin muttered under his breath, "No wonder Sister Chen stopped me earlier and said there was more to this than meets the eye." After saying that, he gave the wolf pack a guilty look.

Shen Qingtang looked at Xiao Lan in front of her, half-squatted down and patted her head, saying, "Xiao Lan, you and Xiao Lang are going to play together, why didn't you tell your father about this?"

Xiaolan lowered her head, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, and whispered, "I'm afraid Dad won't agree."

Shen Qingtang patiently continued to guide her: "Xiao Lan, your father thought you had been carried away by a wolf cub and was going to eat you, so he was very anxious."

Xiaolan kept shaking her head and said, "No, no, the little wolf won't hurt me. We're good friends."

"But your father doesn't know about this. He injured his right leg while looking for you, and many villagers have come to the back mountain to look for you." Hearing this, Xiaolan felt both guilty and flustered. Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up and finally streamed down her cheeks. She grabbed Shen Qingtang's clothes and anxiously asked, "Sister Shen, is my father alright now? Is he in pain?"

Seeing that Xiaolan had finally realized her mistake, Shen Qingtang said, "You'll understand when you come down the mountain with me now. Go and say goodbye to Little Wolf first."

Xiaolan nodded, turned to Xiaolang and said, "Xiaolang, my dad is injured, I need to go see him. I'll come back to play with you later."

The little wolf howled twice reluctantly, stuck out its tongue and licked Xiaolan's face, its eyes full of longing. But the next moment, it stretched out its front paw and pushed Xiaolan, as if to say, "Go quickly."

Sun Wukong clicked his tongue in admiration and said, "I didn't expect this little wolf to be so intelligent. It would be great if we could take it back to our clinic to raise it."

Hearing this, Cui Min rolled her eyes speechlessly and said, "This is a wolf, not a dog!" Just as a soaring eagle ultimately belongs to the sky, a nimble wolf belongs only to the forest. If someone takes them away from their birthplace for their own selfish reasons, that is a crime.

Shen Qingtang also said with a serious expression, "Little Wolf belongs here, we have no right to take him away."

Sun Wukong chuckled twice and said with a fawning smile, "Master, Sister Chen, I was just joking. I absolutely did not have such intentions."

Getting back to the main point, Shen Qingtang found Xiao Lan, and A Jin lit a firework.

A loud bang echoed throughout the entire mountain, signaling the end of the search. Anyone who had reached the mountain had to descend immediately upon hearing it.

Ma Guoqiang, who lived in the village, also heard the sound, feeling both nervous and expectant.

The purpose of this firework is to let everyone know that the person has been found and that the search no longer needs to be conducted. However, whether the person is alive or dead is another matter entirely.

Therefore, Ma Guoqiang felt uneasy and anxiously looked towards the door, trying to get out of bed by pushing off the ground with one leg.

Seeing this, the old lady who was taking care of the bed hurriedly stopped him and said, "Doctor Ma, you can't get down now. They say it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. Just lie still."

"But Xiaolan..." As a doctor, how could he not know these simple truths? He was just too worried and couldn't care less about his own health.

The old woman, speaking with the air of someone who had been through it all, said, "Don't worry, Xiaolan is a well-behaved and clever child. She also shares a birthday with Guanyin Bodhisattva, so she'll definitely receive more protection than others." As she spoke, she saw people rushing over from outside the window and immediately smiled, saying, "Speak of the devil, and he appears! Ah Jin has already brought Xiaolan over."

Just as the old woman finished speaking, Ah Jin's voice came from outside: "Dr. Ma, Dr. Ma, Xiao Lan has been found! She's safe and sound."

"Dad, I'm sorry, I wasn't carried away by the wolf cub, I just went to play with it." After entering the house, Xiaolan crawled out of Ajin's arms and said weakly. After speaking, she looked at the wooden board tied to his right leg for setting the bone, her eyes were red as if they had just been burned by chili peppers, and her face was full of self-blame and shame.

Hearing this, Ma Guoqiang was both angry and relieved. He slammed his hand on the bed and scolded, "Xiaolan, you really have gone too far! Your uncles and elders have always praised you for being well-behaved and sensible, but now you've run off to play with a fierce wolf without even saying goodbye. Do you know how many people have wasted their time that should have been spent resting, eating, and working because of you? How can I face your mother who died young? How can I face your grandparents' wishes?"

"I'd rather you spend your whole life in the mountains with your wolf friends! I'm not going to care about you anymore." Ma Guoqiang became increasingly angry as he spoke, and his words became increasingly reckless.

Xiaolan was already feeling guilty, and upon hearing this, she immediately burst into tears, grabbing the other person's trouser leg and sobbing uncontrollably, "Dad, I was wrong, I was wrong, I'll never do it again, I'll never do it again."

Seeing this scene, the villagers who came to watch couldn't bear it. Seeing Xiaolan apologizing and crying, they all felt that there was no need to investigate the matter further, and they all started to speak up for her.

"Dr. Ma, children always make mistakes. Just talk to them gently and coax them."

"That's right, Xiaolan is usually a very well-behaved child, she must have forgotten by accident this time."

Of course, there were also people who hugged Xiaolan and counseled her, "Xiaolan, next time you go, you must tell your father where you are going. He is almost worried to death."

"Yes, this is the first time I've ever seen him so anxious."

"Your dad broke his right leg while searching for you."

......

After all, she was his deceased wife's child. Ma Guoqiang finally sighed softly, held Xiaolan in his arms, and comforted her, "Do you know you were wrong? Will you do it again next time?"

Xiaolan cried and hiccuped, shaking her head repeatedly, saying, "Dad, I'll never do it again. I'll tell you wherever I go from now on."

Seeing that the atmosphere had finally eased, Ah Jin breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward, saying, "Dr. Ma, let me introduce you. This is Sister Shen Qingtang. We were able to find Xiaolan this time thanks to Sister Shen." He said with admiration, "We were all thinking of going to find the wolves, but Sister Shen concocted a flavor that attracted the wolves. She's really too clever."

Shen Qingtang... He felt a sense of familiarity upon hearing this name.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed excitedly, "So you were the one who saved people at the market entrance that day! What a coincidence, it really is fate!"

After saying that, he touched his head and said, "You saved my daughter today, I really don't know how to thank you." As he said this, Liu Haoren suddenly stepped forward and whispered something in Shen Qingtang's ear.

Shen Qingtang pursed her lips and said, "Dr. Ma, I happen to need your help with something, I don't know..." Before she could finish speaking, Ma Guoqiang patted his chest and said, "Help, I'll help."

Seeing the other party's cheerful demeanor, Shen Qingtang was somewhat amused and exasperated: "Dr. Ma, what is it that I haven't told you yet?"

Ma Guoqiang said calmly, "You're such a good person; if it were something to make things difficult for me, you certainly wouldn't have said it. Since I can help, I'll definitely help you to the end." He then asked, "Do you need some herbs?"

He was older and more experienced, and he knew that Shen Qingtang's presence in Qinghe Village instead of her clinic meant she needed something there. And in the impoverished Qinghe Village, only traditional Chinese medicine was available.

Dealing with intelligent people certainly saves a lot of trouble. Shen Qingtang nodded frankly and explained that he wanted to purchase a large quantity of Yuexi Poria cocos. Liu Haoren had just told him that Doctor Ma bought up all the Yuexi Poria cocos from the village every year, so he should have quite a bit left over.

Out of consideration for Shen Qingtang saving his daughter, Ma Guoqiang naturally agreed, but the two argued over the price. Shen Qingtang wanted to buy it at the normal market price, but Ma Guoqiang insisted on giving it to her as a gift.

When the argument reached an impasse, Sun Wukong came up with an idea: to buy it at half price. That way, the purchase was made, and the gift was given away, making both sides feel at ease.

With the matter resolved satisfactorily, Qin Sumiao breathed a sigh of relief.

On the way back, she looked at Shen Qingtang sitting in the passenger seat, her whole body tense, as if there was a time bomb strapped to her.

Shen Qingtang, who was always calm, didn't say a word even after walking halfway. In the end, Qin Sumiao couldn't stand the silence and took the initiative to say, "Sister Shen, I really came here for tourism, not to see my boyfriend."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Qin Sumiao couldn't help but slap her own lips.

This is what it means to confess without being attacked.

Shen Qingtang hummed in agreement and nodded, saying, "I understand."

Qin Sumiao licked her lips and said, "Sister Chen, don't you want to tell me anything?"

Shen Qingtang blinked and said, "You're an adult now. Do you think you'll believe everything I say?" Qin Sumiao touched her nose and said, "Of course not." She was an adult with the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

After saying that, she asked with a curious look, "Then why do you insist on riding in my car?"

Shen Qingtang: "Because we're going the same way, we're both heading back to the Qin Mansion."

Qin Sumiao: "..." She twitched her lips speechlessly. The reason was too legitimate and there was no way to refute it.

Just before getting off the bus, Shen Qingtang suddenly said, "A Jin just told me that there's a young man in the village named A Tuan who's engaged to the village chief's daughter, but he's also getting involved in some romantic entanglements."

"I don't know the truth of the matter, so I can only repeat what he said to you verbatim."

Upon hearing this, Qin Sumiao gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her hands turned white, but she said, "Sister Chen, I don't know any young man named A Tuan."

"I believe in Ziqian." She said this with absolute certainty, but she herself was unaware of the tremor in her voice.

Shen Qingtang hummed in agreement and said nothing more. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and said before Qin Sumiao could speak, "Don't worry, I won't tell Aunt Su and Brother Qin about this."

Ma Guoqiang was an honest man. Knowing that Shen Qingtang urgently needed medicinal herbs, he had someone drive over to transport Yuexi Poria cocos as soon as he returned to the city.

One large blue truck after another instantly attracted the attention of many people, sparking a flurry of discussion.

Seeing this, Chen Li's brow suddenly twitched, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart. He squeezed out the words with difficulty, "Dad, those wouldn't be the Yuexi Poria cocos that Shen Qingtang bought back, would they?"

"How could that be? The yield of Poria cocos from Yuexi is already low, and we've bought up all the surplus. Shen Qingtang couldn't possibly have obtained any from the surrounding areas." Although he said this, Chen Maquan's tone was somewhat hesitant.

He pretended to smoke and quietly approached Renxin Medical Clinic, eavesdropping on the conversations of the unloaders and nearby residents.

"This is all Yuexi Poria cocos, and our boss Ma is giving it away for free."

"Haha, why is it so cheap? I heard that Dr. Ma's daughter was carried off by wolves, but luckily Dr. Shen came to her rescue."

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Ma also gave her an invitation to thank her."

"Oh dear, I'm just a roughneck, I can't really explain what's inside. Anyway, it's a gathering of big shots from the Chinese Medicine Association, and ordinary people can't get in."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Ma broke his leg, so only Dr. Shen can go, right?"

"I just glanced at the address, it seems to be in Yancheng."

...

Chen Maquan pieced together the truth from the snippets of conversation among the onlookers, growing increasingly jealous. He never imagined that Shen Qingtang would be so lucky to save Ma Guoqiang's daughter; all their troubles had ironically saved the other party half the cost of the medicine.

Most importantly, the other party was able to attend the 7th "Spiritual Medicine" Industry Conference in Yancheng. Their entire Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Association only received five slots. Even he couldn't attend the conference, but the young Shen Qingtang was able to participate.

A wave of acid churned in his stomach, and he felt utterly powerless to change anything. Looking at his son, whose eyes held a hint of expectation, he made a decision in his heart.