OBS Chapter 12 Chili Peppers
Chapter 12 Chili Peppers
Song Jiaojiao stepped inside. Several apprentices were busy, some fetching medicine, others decocting it, seemingly without a moment's rest. Behind the medicine cabinet, a man around forty-five years old was using an abacus; judging by his clothes, he was undoubtedly the manager.
"Shopkeeper," Song Jiaojiao called out.
The pharmacy owner looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Is there something you need, young lady?"
"Do you buy medicinal herbs here?" Song Jiaojiao put her basket on the ground, took out a piece of Polygonum multiflorum wrapped in banana leaves, and showed it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper glanced at it and was overjoyed. "Miss, let's talk inside. Erniu, brew some tea and bring it in."
As he spoke, the shopkeeper emerged from behind the medicine cabinet and led Song Jiaojiao into the backyard. Judging from the shopkeeper's appearance, this he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum) could fetch a good price.
After Erniu finished setting out the tea, the innkeeper poured Song Jiaojiao a cup of tea and said, "Miss, please have some tea. May I ask your surname?"
"My surname is Song. I am married, so you can just call me Madam Song." Song Jiaojiao picked up her tea and spoke calmly.
Seeing Song Jiaojiao's composure, the shopkeeper knew that the price couldn't be too low: "Madam Song, my surname is Liu, and everyone calls me Shopkeeper Liu."
"Manager Liu," Song Jiaojiao called out casually, then fell silent.
Up until this point, both sides were waiting for the other to make the first move, but unfortunately, the old fox met the young fox and ultimately failed.
In the end, it was Manager Liu who asked first: "Miss Song, could you please take out the medicinal herbs from earlier so I can take a closer look?"
“Of course,” Song Jiaojiao placed the he shou wu on the table. “Please make yourself at work, Manager Liu.”
Manager Liu quickly picked up the Polygonum multiflorum, lifted the banana leaf, and looked at the brown root that was bigger than a bowl. He leaned closer to smell it and his expression became excited. Sure enough, he hadn't been wrong. This was a hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, just what the boss needed.
Manager Liu put down the he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum) and calmed his excited emotions. "I wonder, Madam Song, what price are you willing to sell it for?"
"How much are you willing to pay, shopkeeper?" Song Jiaojiao silently passed the buck back to the shopkeeper.
Manager Liu looked at the Polygonum multiflorum and said, "This herb is indeed better than the Polygonum multiflorum I've bought before. I bought the previous one for ten taels of silver. How about this, considering my connection with Madam Song, thirty taels?"
"It seems the shopkeeper doesn't want to do this business anymore. In that case, I won't bother you any longer." With that, Song Jiaojiao got up and was about to leave with the he shou wu.
"Hey... Madam Song, let's talk this out. If the price isn't right, we can discuss it again. How about this: fifty taels?" the shopkeeper quickly stood up and called out.
Hearing this, Song Jiaojiao didn't stop and was about to leave the backyard. The shopkeeper quickly stepped forward and said, "Madam Song, don't rush. How much would be suitable?"
“Since Manager Liu wants it so badly, I’ll give you a straight answer: one hundred taels,” Song Jiaojiao said, retracting her leg that was about to step out.
"This... although the herbs are good, the price is too high. I won't make any profit if I buy them back. I can only offer eighty taels at most," Manager Liu said with a pained expression as he looked at the He Shou Wu.
"Deal made," Song Jiaojiao said happily. She thought it wouldn't exceed sixty taels at most, but she didn't expect to sell less than twenty taels more, which was still a pretty good result.
When the shopkeeper saw that Song Jiaojiao agreed so readily, he knew that the price was still too high. However, he then thought that his master urgently needed this medicinal herb, so it was worth the price.
"Alright, Madam Song, I'll go get the money for you right away."
"Manager Liu, could you please exchange these for seventy taels and ten one-tael coins?" Song Jiaojiao said, thinking it would be more convenient.
"I understand, Madam Song, please wait a moment." With that, the shopkeeper left the backyard, and Song Jiaojiao sat back down at the table, lost in thought.
It seems that medicinal herbs are still valuable. I wonder if this pharmacy has any medicinal seed seeds. I can ask Manager Liu later.
A moment later, Manager Liu came in carrying a box. "Madam Song, here is eighty taels. It has been exchanged according to your request. Please count it."
"No need to look, I trust Manager Liu's work. I wonder if your shop sells medicinal herb seeds?" Song Jiaojiao smiled and put the box in her basket, covering it with a banana leaf used to wrap the Polygonum multiflorum.
"Our shop only sells processed medicinal herbs, not the seeds that Madam Song needs. Madam Song can try asking at the general store not far from the city gate. However, although we don't have seeds, we buy medicinal herbs regularly. Next time Madam Song comes across any good herbs, please think of Huichuntang first; the price won't disappoint you," Manager Liu said after thinking for a moment. He had a feeling that this young lady of the Song family would definitely bring some other good herbs.
"No problem, no problem. In that case, Manager Liu, I'll be going now. No need to see me off." Song Jiaojiao replied with a smile, carrying her basket as she left Huichuntang and headed towards the general store that Manager Liu had mentioned.
Passing by a butcher's stall, I bought two jin of pork belly, two jin of pork fat, and a portion of offal, which cost me sixty-five coins.
Arriving at the general store, I found it nearly empty; it was the busy farming season, and few people were buying grain. The shop assistant leaned listlessly against the doorway.
Seeing Song Jiaojiao enter, he quickly asked, "What does the guest need?"
"Do you have any medicinal herb seeds here?" Song Jiaojiao looked inside and, not seeing any seeds, asked.
"Medicinal herb seeds? Let me think... I've got it! Last time the boss bought some, there was a packet of seeds mixed in with the goods. I don't know what kind of seeds they are, but I'll bring them over for you to see."
"Okay, go get it. I'll check if the store has what I need," Song Jiaojiao said with a smile.
Song Jiaojiao wandered around the store casually when suddenly something red in the corner caught her eye.
chili!!!
That's right, it's definitely chili pepper, and it's even Erjingtiao chili pepper.
"Sir, do you have the seeds you're looking for?" The waiter approached with a half-full cloth bag weighing about two pounds.
Song Jiaojiao looked at it but couldn't figure out what it was. Since she was already here, she figured she might as well take it with her. What if she stumbled upon some rare seed by sheer luck?
"Alright, just wrap it up for me, and wrap that red thing up too," Song Jiaojiao said, pointing to the chili pepper.
"Alright, sir, that red stuff is really spicy. It's been here for a while and nobody's wanted it. Here's what we'll do: there's about ten pounds of it. If you take it all, we'll give you the imported price, one hundred coins. And this packet of seeds will only cost fifty coins," the waiter said, looking at the chili peppers.
"Okay, wrap it up for me. Also, give me twenty catties of refined rice and ten catties of refined flour. Let's calculate the price."
"Alright, sir, please wait a moment. This is exactly seven qian of silver." The waiter quickly packed up the items Song Jiaojiao wanted and placed them in her basket.
Song Jiaojiao glanced at it, then handed one or two taels of silver to the shop assistant. After the shop assistant gave her the change, she carried her basket and left the general store.
He found a deserted alley and put the pork he had just bought, along with the seeds and grains he had purchased from the grocery store, into his spatial storage. He left only the pig offal in the basket on his back.