This was not the time for casual conversation, so Xu Errui suppressed his excitement, his face turning red.
On the other hand, Magistrate Zhang personally tasted the Qinggang rice flour paste that the yamen runners dared not eat, and gave it a very high evaluation: "Enough to save a life!"
He promised to write to King Zhou as soon as possible and also to send an official letter to the Chu general in charge of the military camp, requesting that Zhang be promoted and given a raise.
Zhang Juntou was overjoyed; he needed such a reward.
As for Jiang Zhi...
"Jiang family, what reward do you need? However, the official granaries are empty right now, and gold and silver are scarce. The reward will have to be distributed later!" Magistrate Zhang made no attempt to hide the poverty of Pingchuan County, and even wrote a blank check.
Jiang Zhi needs money, but she doesn't want empty promises like this; she might end up saying she'll donate it all.
Since they're all empty anyway, let's just have Zhang Zheng give us one right now.
Sometimes a good name is good: "I don't understand any grand principles, I just feel that I'm fed and watered, and it's against my conscience that everyone else is starving and freezing. Why not give me a good name so I can show off in the village?"
Zhang Zheng smiled and nodded: "That's only natural! How about I give you a piece of calligraphy?"
Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes, displaying the ignorance of a village woman: "Is the county magistrate more powerful than the Prince of Zhou? Could you please ask the Prince of Zhou to write a piece of calligraphy for this humble woman?"
Zhang Zheng smiled wryly: "Of course, the King of Zhou has a higher rank. Fine, since you have contributed to the country, then please ask the King of Zhou to write it for you."
Jiang Zhi immediately thanked her with delight.
The current Zhou king is merely a prince, and also a rebel king. With the outcome uncertain, it wouldn't be difficult to obtain his writings.
As I left the county government office, the sun was already setting, and the already deserted streets were even more desolate.
Zhang Juntou needed to return to the village immediately, but that would be difficult for Jiang Zhi.
Sixty li is a long distance. If it weren't for the mules and horses pulling the cart, it would take a whole day to travel that distance.
The journey to the county town was so bumpy that her butt hurt, and now she's going back, which will be exhausting.
Moreover, it would be dark by the time we got back by car, and we would have to climb the mountain in the dark.
Since she had come all this way, she decided to stay overnight and go home the next day.
Jiang Zhi told Zhang Juntou about her plan, and Zhang Juntou said, "Okay, I will instruct my men to pay more attention to the mountain and prevent the refugees from coming up there to cause trouble again."
Although the banditry mission was lost, the trip yielded even greater gains.
Zhang Juntou's attitude towards Jiang Zhi, this village woman, changed drastically, especially since there would be a personal letter from King Zhou.
Tsk tsk tsk!
This is more useful than a hundred taels of silver; we must protect this road from now on.
Zhang Juntou and his men left the city, while Jiang Zhi took Errui and Xiaoman to find a pharmacy.
Xiang Dejin and Wu Hongmao were injured and needed to rest, even though they had taken turns riding in the mule cart. So they were told to take the mules and horses from the medical tent to an inn to book a room first.
Inside the county government office, Xiaoman and Errui had already inquired about the situation in the county town from the yamen runners.
Pingchuan County experienced a brief period of chaos at the beginning of the year. Now there is a curfew in the city. Once it gets dark, shops close and people are no longer allowed to linger or wander around the streets.
Seeing that it was getting late, Jiang Zhi and the other two quickly asked passersby on the street for directions to Huo Family Pharmacy.
The Huo Family Pharmacy was mentioned by those yamen runners, and Jiang Zhi had also heard about it from Xu Dong, knowing that it was the largest and most comprehensive pharmacy in Pingchuan County.
When the three arrived, the staff inside were already checking the goods and preparing to close, but there were still a few customers selecting medicinal herbs.
When the shop assistant saw three more people arriving, dressed in coarse cloth jackets and carrying baskets, he hurriedly said, "We're closed now. Come back tomorrow to buy or sell medicine."
Jiang Zhi didn't say much to the shop assistant, but went straight to the shopkeeper who was settling accounts: "Shopkeeper, we can't wait until tomorrow, can we take the medicine now?"
The shopkeeper frowned, pushed aside the abacus, and said wearily, "I'll take it, only the good stuff."
Good product, I've never heard of that term before!
Jiang Zhi asked Er Rui to bring over the several large cloth bags from the basket: "These contain red vines, mimosa flowers, and night-blooming jasmine."
Since it was her first time in the city, Jiang Zhi only brought some commonly used medicines.
The shopkeeper opened the cloth bag, paused for a moment, and then looked at Jiang Zhi with a puzzled expression: "Are you selling herbs or buying medicine?"
"Selling medicine! What's wrong?" Jiang Zhi was also puzzled. What did this mean?
The shopkeeper glanced at her again before opening the cloth bag to examine it once more.
Inside were neatly cut and clean pills and pieces of medicine, leading him to mistakenly believe that Jiang Zhi had bought them from a pharmacy.
The shopkeeper fell silent. The expert picked up the red vine, touched it, smelled it, and looked at it. He was very satisfied with the pattern on it. He put it down and then carefully examined the other herbs.
Jiang Zhi and the other two watched him examine the medicine.
These red vines were found on the mountain. Red vine, also known as blood vine or large blood vine, is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to ten meters long. It is mainly used to treat blood stasis, relieving menstrual blockage, and also for bruises and sprains.
Blood Circulation
Jiang Zhi also found red vines for Xu Dazhu to use, and there was still a lot left that could be exchanged for money.
Finding mimosa flowers is even simpler; you can just pick them up from under the tree in spring. However, Jiang Zhi picked up mountain mimosa, not the common night-blooming jasmine.
The shopkeeper was unsure about this, so he pondered it over and set it aside.
The most common type of Polygonum multiflorum vine is the night-blooming jasmine vine. The ones Jiangzhi sent were all thick vines, with a diameter of up to 5 millimeters.
Moreover, the freshness and cleanliness of these medicinal materials are beyond reproach.
Sure enough, without saying a word, the shopkeeper called over a shop assistant and handed him the red vine and night-blooming vine: "Weigh these two herbs and buy them as top grade."
After saying that, he turned to Jiang Zhi and said, "Sister-in-law, your medicinal herbs are not only clean, but also cut into slices and sections in accordance with regulations. If I really can't find any mistakes, I will buy them at the highest price."
But... this medicine is wrong, we can't accept it.
It was indeed the mimosa tree that was wrong.
Jiang Zhi smiled faintly and said, "Shopkeeper, there are two kinds of mimosa flowers. One is the mountain mimosa, which is pale yellow in color."
Albizia julibrissin
One is the mimosa tree, which is the pale red variety you often see. Both have similar medicinal effects; both can calm the nerves, relieve depression, and alleviate insomnia and irritability.
Albizia
The shopkeeper was still hesitant, but he was no longer as resolute as before.
This year, due to the chaos of war, no herbalists dared to collect medicinal herbs, resulting in a shortage of various medicinal materials, especially those harvested in spring. These herbs need to be purchased from other places, doubling the transportation costs.
More importantly, if he admitted his mistake, he would not only lose money, but also the reputation of the pharmacy.
But he did not refute it, instead saying, "Wait a moment."
As he spoke, he picked up a small bunch of mimosa leaves and hurriedly went to the back room.
There are hundreds and thousands of medicinal herbs, each with a different shape. Not to mention that doctors can identify them all, even the shopkeepers of these pharmacies sometimes make mistakes.
Jiang Zhi knew that large pharmacies all had their own experienced pharmacists, relying on their rich experience.
A moment later, the shopkeeper came running out again, looking at Jiang Zhi apologetically, "I'm sorry, sister-in-law, it is indeed usable. Our business still buys it as top-grade."
It was just a small matter, and Xu Errui and Xu Xiaoman learned from it.
The shopkeeper brought over a silver ingot and some copper coins: "Sister-in-law, from now on, our shop will buy your herbs at the highest price."
Jiang Zhi was also very satisfied; she enjoyed dealing with such a capable opponent.
If this were a regular pharmacy today, they would definitely argue about the herb *Albizia julibrissin*, not only would they not be able to sell it, but they would also be scolded as fraudsters.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com