Chapter 29: Purchasing Ginseng
"Please wait a moment..."
Seeing Li Wanqing and Gu Yan turning around and about to leave, Manager Liu quickly spoke.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yan immediately protected Li Wanqing behind him and looked at Manager Liu vigilantly, as if he was determined to protect his wife at the risk of his life.
When Shopkeeper Liu saw that they had misunderstood, he quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand me. I have no ill intentions. I just wanted to ask if you have any hundred-year-old ginseng."
Gu Yan was relieved after hearing the explanation. He had just thought that Manager Liu was going to do something bad to them.
Li Wanqing also came out from behind Gu Yan: "Manager Liu, are you going to buy a hundred-year-old ginseng?"
"Yes, little girl, do you have it? Don't worry, price is not a problem." Shopkeeper Liu said anxiously.
Li Wanqing remained silent. She originally wanted to sell ginseng, but now the red Ganoderma lucidum was sold for four hundred taels of silver. She was afraid that it would be too conspicuous, so she didn't take it out.
However, she originally planned to sell only a fifty-year-old ginseng, and she planned to keep the hundred-year-old ginseng for her own use in the future.
Seeing that Li Wanqing was silent, Shopkeeper Liu thought she was afraid of giving too little silver, so he continued, "I'll give you eight hundred taels of silver for one hundred-year-old ginseng, no, one thousand taels. What do you think, little girl?"
One thousand taels is indeed a lot, but in Li Wanqing's opinion it is still not enough. Seeing that Manager Liu is so anxious, there must be an important person who needs ginseng.
She would be doing herself a disservice if she didn't take advantage of the opportunity to make some money.
However, they also wanted to live in the county town in the future, and since Manager Liu could run such a large pharmacy here, he must have a lot of connections.
If I could establish a relationship with him, I'd have someone to help me with anything I needed. But one thousand taels of silver wouldn't be enough; it had to be at least fifteen hundred.
Li Wanqing seemed to have thought a lot, but in fact, it only took a moment for her to figure it out. She looked up and said to Shopkeeper Liu, "Shopkeeper Liu, I won't hide it from you. We do have a hundred-year-old ginseng.
But I don't plan to sell it. You know that 100-year-old ginseng is rare, and I'm saving it for my life."
Li Wanqing doesn't know how to do business, but she knows that people won't cherish things that are easily obtained.
She had to find a way to make Manager Liu owe her a favor, and she couldn't give in easily.
Shopkeeper Liu also knew that century-old ginseng was hard to come by. If a family had one, unless the family was really struggling to make ends meet, they would keep it as a family heirloom and pass it down from generation to generation.
It is obvious that the young couple in front of us are not short of money. Didn’t you see that the red Ganoderma lucidum was sold for four hundred taels just now?
He also accepted a few ordinary Ganoderma lucidum, which weighed about ten taels.
With so much silver, an ordinary family could use it for more than ten years if they were frugal.
"I know, but I really need it urgently. So, let's go in and talk in detail." Shopkeeper Liu said when he saw the patients who came to see a doctor and get medicine looking at them from time to time.
Since Li Wanqing planned to make friends with Manager Liu, she did not refuse his invitation.
A few people sat down in the house and the waiter brought them hot tea.
"Please have some tea, both of you," said Shopkeeper Liu.
Li Wanqing picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down.
"Gentlemen, please give up your possessions. I really need the ginseng to save my life. How much silver do you want? If not, I'll owe you a favor." Shopkeeper Liu said.
"Shopkeeper Liu, I'm not exaggerating. I did intend to keep the ginseng for myself, but Shopkeeper Liu spoke up.
"I have to give you this face, right? I want 1,500 taels for the price. Also, I want to buy a farm. Does Manager Liu have a good agent to recommend?" Li Wanqing said slowly.
When Shopkeeper Liu heard Li Wanqing's agreement, he immediately stood up happily and said, "Okay, okay, now the old lady is saved. I'll get the money for you right away."
"Wait, Manager Liu, there's no rush for the money, and the ginseng is not with us." Li Wanqing said.
The ginseng was kept in the space and could be taken out at any time. However, Li Wanqing had already said that the ginseng was to be kept as a family heirloom, so of course it was impossible to carry it with you.
Shopkeeper Liu also remembered that they were out selling medicinal herbs. Judging from their clothes, they should be from the village below. Seeing that they could bring out medicinal herbs that were only found in the deep mountains and old forests, they might be hunters from the mountains.
"I'm sorry, I was too anxious. Well, when will you go back? I'll send someone to go with you to get it." said Manager Liu.
"Well, we are hunters in the mountains, about seventy or eighty miles away from here. Even if we rush back today, we won't be able to return.
We have something to do this afternoon, so how about tomorrow? Send someone to go back with us tomorrow." Li Wanqing said.
Shopkeeper Liu slapped his forehead, wondering how he could have forgotten that their home was far away from the county town.
But this did not pose a problem for him. Their pharmacy had a horse-drawn carriage. If they set off now, they would reach Qingmu Town where Li Wanqing and the others were in the evening.
They drove a horse-drawn carriage to send Li Wanqing and the others home to get ginseng, and then they stayed in Qingmu Town for one night. They would be able to bring back the ginseng and send it to the capital early the next morning.
As for the middleman that Li Wanqing and the others want to find to buy the farm, they can just let Li Wanqing and the others follow the carriage tomorrow.
It just so happened that the man he knew, Li Zhong, was a kind person and fair in his dealings, so he would introduce them to each other tomorrow.
This saved a day. After making up his mind, Manager Liu discussed with Li Wanqing, "How about this? Let's go get the ginseng now. I'll go back with you personally."
The pharmacy has a carriage that will take you back first. I will stay in Qingmu Town for one night, and we will come back together tomorrow.
As for your desire to buy the farm, I know a man named Li who is fair in his dealings and honest in his conduct. I'll personally take you to him tomorrow. What do you think?"
What else could he do? Of course he agreed. Manager Liu had considered everything so thoroughly. If Li Wanqing and the others refused again, it would be like they were deliberately making things difficult for him.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, Manager Liu." Li Wanqing agreed readily.
"Bighead, go and harness the cart." Hearing Li Wanqing's ready agreement, Manager Liu was happy and gave his orders to his men to harness the cart.
He turned around and said to Li Wanqing and the others, "Why call me Manager Liu? Call me Uncle Liu from now on."
Once these words were spoken, it meant that Manager Liu wanted to interact with them in the future and wanted to be close to them.
Li Wanqing was not vague and called out directly: "Uncle Liu, my name is Li Wanqing, and this is my husband Gu Yan. My husband said he is a hunter in the mountains."
"Hey, then I'll call you Wanqing. You two just got married, right? I think you have a cold body, and if you don't take care of it, it might affect your fertility.
"If you trust Uncle Liu, he'll take your pulse tomorrow and prescribe some Chinese medicine for you," Shopkeeper Liu said, looking at Li Wanqing.
"That's great. I'd love to have Uncle Liu take care of my body." Li Wanqing said.
Li Wanqing didn't know, and Gu Yan didn't come to the county town often, so he didn't understand. Shopkeeper Liu was no ordinary drugstore owner.
His master was the imperial physician Liu Xixin. He didn't want to get involved in the capital's disputes, so he hid here.
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