Chapter 739 Agreement Reached
Wei Lan opened her mouth. She was rich, but money didn't grow on trees. She wanted to save money wherever possible. She chose Lin Yuesha to take the blame, but Lin Yuesha didn't accept it.
She glanced at her husband, Bai Dingfeng, and noticed that he remained lost in thought, not joining her in expressing his opinion. She felt increasingly aggrieved.
The two had been in a cold war for several days. Wei Lan was waiting for Bai Dingfeng to back down, even if it was just to say some gentle words to coax her. However, Bai Dingfeng remained unmoved, seemingly determined to fight her to the end.
Wei Lan was embarrassed and turned away with a snort, saying nothing more.
"How about this, let's move on to the next step first and purchase the medicinal herbs."
As agreed upon before the trip, Licheng is a place where medicinal herbs are produced and a hub for trade between the north and south. Medicinal herbs are relatively cheap there. Our side needs a large quantity of medicine to treat colds and stop bleeding when purchasing military supplies.
With the war at the front lines in full swing, the need for medicinal herbs is even more urgent than for cloth.
Bai Youran took out her notebook and asked for everyone's opinions.
"I agree. We shouldn't let the fabric delay important matters."
Lin Yuesha reminded Wei Lan, "I suggest we find a larger, more reputable local escort team to transport it. Otherwise, if it gets lost again and the other party refuses to compensate us, we won't be able to afford to replace it."
After saying that, she took out her purse and emptied it, and several copper coins rolled on the table with a clatter.
"Lin Yuesha, what do you mean?"
Wei Lan was very sensitive and thought Lin Yuesha was implying something about her. She angrily said, "Are you saying that the fabric was stolen by our Wei family?"
Did I say that?
Lin Yuesha was not involved, and she guessed that the possibility was very small, not to mention troublesome and thankless.
"you……"
Wei Lan was furious at Lin Yuesha's depravity and her blatant lies. She accused the Wei family of embezzling from their own quarters, but they would still have to take responsibility for the lost military supplies. There was no need for them to pull this stunt.
The group parted on bad terms, and Lin Yuesha turned and went out, wandering around with Qingxing and Baicha.
In the inn, her room was right next to Bai Youran's, and since it was inconvenient for the mistress and servant to talk, they had to go outside.
The best way to avoid being overheard is to walk down the street and immediately see who is around you and who they are.
"Miss, are we going to do some shopping in Licheng?"
Licheng has a special street of pharmacies that cater to larger merchants, where prices are relatively cheaper.
The best way to purchase herbs is to buy them directly from herb gatherers, but they will be delayed on their journey and will not stay in Licheng for long, so there is not enough time.
"There is a branch of Shennong Baicaotang here."
Lin Yuesha estimated that there would be some risks involved in having the Liao family transport the medicinal herbs. She needed a large quantity, and ordinary merchants might not be able to transport them to the Northwest, while the Liao family had its own caravans and manpower.
"That group is still following us."
Qingxing was in a real bind, but she had to pretend she didn't know anything.
The Wei family is acting so brazenly, treating everyone like fools; they might have other ideas in mind.
"I have a feeling that these people are waiting to make their move in Qincheng. Until then, we are still safe."
Lin Yuesha pointed to the Fuyuan Teahouse in front of her and said, "It's already noon, let's go have some tea and snacks to rest."
The three of them, master and servants, entered the teahouse. The Wei family members did not follow, but instead waited at a stall selling large bowls of tea downstairs.
Once inside the teahouse, Lin Yuesha took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and gestured to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper, who had been nonchalant, immediately perked up upon seeing the jade pendant and said, "So you are a distinguished guest, Miss. Please take a seat."
Qingxing and Baicha looked at each other, puzzled. It seemed that their young lady was exchanging secret signals with the shopkeeper, but neither of them knew this before they came.
The innkeeper led the way, taking the three of them, mistress and servants, to the third floor. After the door closed, he said eagerly, "Miss, are you our young master's fiancée?"
As he spoke, a gossipy glint flashed in his eyes as he looked Lin Yuesha up and down. What he said was somewhat impolite, but not malicious.
If she were a noblewoman, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand it, but Lin Yuesha grew up in the countryside and didn't care about rules, as if the other party was an elder.
"Sir, you've mistaken me for someone else."
Lin Yuesha smiled and said, "Your young master is not engaged yet."
"I see."
The shopkeeper sounded very disappointed. "Young master is not young anymore."
"Don't rush, it'll be quick."
Lin Yuesha first chatted with the shopkeeper about gossip, then got down to business: she needed a large quantity of medicinal herbs to be transported to the Northwest as military supplies.
"It mainly consists of hemostatic herbs, with small amounts of herbs for treating colds and other commonly used herbs."
While Lin Yuesha was discussing business with the shopkeeper, Qingxing Baicha realized that someone was following them. Their young lady couldn't go to Shennong Baicaotang, and the teahouse was a relatively secret meeting point for the Liao family, with the old shopkeeper being a trusted confidant of the Liao family.
"Having heard that war has broken out in the Northwest, we have hastily gathered a batch of wound medicine, which is worth about 80,000 taels of silver."
The Liao family barely made any profit from this batch of medicinal herbs, after deducting the cost of processing them, and they even gave away a significant amount.
“We purchased fabric in Cangzhou before, but we were robbed en route. There may be some unscrupulous people who want to steal our military supplies.”
Money wasn't the problem; the real challenge was getting the goods to the Northwest, where demons and monsters roamed everywhere.
The escort team hired by the Wei family already included skilled martial artists, but they still couldn't escape being robbed, and not a single box was left.
Lin Yuesha trusted the Liao family to handle things, but she was unsure about the transportation.
"Miss, don't worry, I have a way."
The old shopkeeper gestured for Lin Yuesha to calm down. The Liao family ostensibly dealt in medicinal herbs, but in reality, they also had a tea business. "Every few days, a team from the Liao family would set off to the Northwest to transport tea."
Replacing tea leaves with medicinal herbs would be perfect, but since there are many herbs, it would probably require more than a dozen separate trips to transport them.
"This is a safe bet."
Lin Yuesha nodded repeatedly. Transporting them together would make the target too big, but if they were split up, the tea would provide cover, making things much easier.
Although the speed was slower, it reduced the danger and ensured that the medicinal materials could be safely delivered to the soldiers in the Northwest.
After Lin Yuesha reached an agreement with the old shopkeeper, a huge weight was lifted from her heart.
After strolling around the streets, Lin Yuesha learned about the local customs and traditions of Licheng. Everyone in the town knew about medicinal herbs, a skill passed down through generations, and almost everyone was a part-time doctor.
There are very few clinics on the street, so people can treat minor ailments like headaches and fevers by prescribing medicine themselves.
After noon, the streets began to fill up with people, and everywhere you could see elderly people with gray hair, well past seventy, greeting and chatting with each other in good spirits.
"This shows how important it is to have some basic medical knowledge."
Lin Yuesha sighed that when she lived in Chenjia Village, people would first endure illness. If they couldn't bear it, they would use folk remedies. If that didn't work, they would seek out the village's barefoot doctor, which would lead to a more serious condition.
The villagers always felt lucky after recovering from a serious illness, and were happy that they had saved money on seeing a doctor.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
