Chapter 3428: Extra Chapter 7
The head of the village was very happy and generously passed on the two prescriptions left by Zhou Man.
Upon hearing that this prescription was created by Zhou Man specifically for the people of Lingnan, the scholars and doctors who came were deeply moved and helped to spread it.
So without Zhou Man knowing, her fame soared significantly.
Zhou Man and his team went directly to Liuzhou.
Liuzhou was much more prosperous than the small town they had lived in before, with many more shops on the streets. As soon as they entered the city gate, they were faced with a bustling street.
After living in a secluded mountain for a long time, I suddenly came to a bustling city. I have to say, it feels pretty good.
An oxcart was coming from the opposite direction. Zhou Man noticed that there were many carriages and horses on their side, occupying half of the street. He kicked the horse's belly, easily passed the carriage in front, and went around to the front to make way.
This made the people on the ox cart look up at Zhou Man in surprise. Zhou Man also tilted his head slightly to look. Their eyes met immediately, and as they passed each other, one of them asked in a half-fluent Mandarin, "Want to buy some fruit?"
One of them also asked in a dialect he was not very proficient in: "Are you selling the fruit in your basket?"
The two agreed as soon as the question was asked and both smiled.
The ox cart stopped, Zhou Man also stopped the horse, threw the reins to Bai Shan, and ran to take a look at the fruit in the basket.
Zhou Man was sure he had never eaten an ugly orange before, so he happily said to him, "Let's find a spacious place to talk."
The other party was surprised, "Are you buying a lot?"
Zhou Man said: "Another business."
The other party followed her in confusion and found a spacious place. He saw people getting off the two carriages, and together with the people on the horses, they surrounded his ox cart.
He couldn't help swallowing and said nervously: "My father is the clan leader, are you outsiders?"
Zhou Man nodded, "Yes, we are from the capital, did you figure it out?"
Seeing that she was quite kind, the other party breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Man reached for an orange in the basket and asked, "This orange is so ugly. What is it called?"
"Let's call it Orange," he said. "Although it looks ugly, it's delicious and sweet."
He said generously: "I'll give you one to try. If it's not sweet, you don't have to pay."
Zhou Man peeled one and tasted a piece, his eyes slightly brightening as he shared it with Bai Shan and the other three, "It's no worse than a tangerine."
It’s true.
Mingda looked at the peel in Zhou Man's hand and wondered, "Since the peel is thick, it should be easier to transport than tangerines. If it's as good as tangerines, why isn't it being offered as tribute?"
Zhou Man looked at the leather in his hand and asked, "Because it's too ugly?"
The young man selling fruit didn't quite understand what they were saying and urged, "Are you going to buy it or not? No, how many pounds do you want to buy?"
Bai Shan couldn't help laughing and asked softly, "What's your name?"
Seeing that he was wary and didn't answer, she softened her voice and explained, "We are from other places. We have never seen orange trees like this in our area, so we wanted to learn more."
He said, "We want to pick the fruit ourselves."
Bai Shan took out a dime from his purse and gave it to him.
The young man took a look and shook his head, not accepting it. "My Am said we only want money, not silver. The silver is likely fake."
Bai Shan raised an eyebrow and poured out all the copper coins in his purse to him. There weren't many, just about forty coins strung together in a small string.
But in the young man's opinion, this was already a lot, enough to buy his half basket of oranges.
For the sake of money, the young man said, "My name is Ashan. My home is in Niuwei Village, which is a bit far from the city. You will have to walk a long way to pick the fruit."
He couldn't understand their behavior, so he urged them, "Don't go. No, there are ready-made ones here, all of which are good. You paid more, so I'll give you a little more."
Bai Shanxiao asked, "Is it very far away?"
"It's far. I have to stay in the wild for one night," he said, pointing to the sun in the sky. "So I have to leave the city quickly so I can stay in a mountain temple at night and go home the next day."
Bai Shan said, "Okay, you go back first. We've bought these fruits too. We'll go to Niuwei Village to pick some for you in a few days."
Zhou Man asked, "Besides these ugly oranges, what other fruits do you have there?"
Ah Shan said, “There were also beautiful oranges, pears, plums, and longans, but these three are gone. There are only beautiful oranges and ugly oranges.”
Zhou Man: "No tangerines?"
Ah Shan glanced at her and shook his head, "No, we don't grow that."
He paused, and considering their generosity, he reminded them: "That is for the noble to eat. It is not sold outside, so don't look for it."
Zhou Man nodded to show that he understood.
After agreeing with Ashan that they would go to Niuwei Village, the group carried the ugly oranges they had just bought and went to find a place to stay.
A servant had gone into the city in advance and had already made arrangements for them. "The post station is small, so I found an inn in the city and booked their second and third floors."
The inn is quite clean. There are many restaurants and hotels nearby. It looks prosperous and lively, but it is on the corner of the street, so it is quiet.
Also because it is on the corner of the street, the servants can directly book the entire inn. Other inns are already occupied by guests and are difficult to book.
The servant said, "I've inquired with the shopkeepers. Since the opening of the Grand Canal, the journey time from south to north has shortened, and many people have come to Lingnan to purchase goods."
He said, "The medicinal herbs, tea, and fruits here are extremely popular in the north, which is why so many merchants come here at this time of year."
Zhou Man was surprised, "There aren't many fruits now, right?"
Upon hearing this, the innkeeper who came to entertain them immediately asked with a smile, "Are you not a merchant here to purchase goods?"
Zhou Man smiled and said, "We are here to have fun. Of course, if we come across any rare goods, we will sell some of them."
Seeing that he spoke Mandarin well, and that he didn't have a local accent, but rather a Shandong accent, she asked, "Is the shopkeeper from Shandong?"
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up slightly, and he said hurriedly, "Exactly. Has your distinguished guest been to Lu?"
Zhou Man smiled and said, "I lived in Qingzhou for a few years."
"Then we're old friends. Please take a seat, distinguished guests," he said with a smile. "There aren't many fresh fruits right now, just some oranges and tangerines. The rest are all dried fruits. However, Lingnan is mountainous, and there are many medicinal herbs in the mountains. Many vendors come here for these."
Zhou Man was thoughtful. "In recent years, a lot of medicinal herbs have indeed been exported from Lingnan. Two local medicinal herb merchants have even been selected to supply the Imperial Medical Bureau."
The shopkeeper looked at Zhou Man in surprise, nodded, and smiled, "Exactly. That happened two years ago. When those two families were chosen, the whole of Liuzhou was abuzz with activity. The city celebrated for three days, and the banquet lasted for five days."
Zhou Man: "...So grand?" The prices of their medicines are not very high, clearly within the normal range.
It was such a grand occasion that she felt she had given the wrong price.
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