Shen Qingwan was actually very fortunate that she had gone to Yongzhou this time.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have met her own mother.

Her mother was mentally unstable and would not have been able to survive in Yongzhou City.

If she had arrived any later, she might not have found her at all.

Luckily, there weren’t too many refugees in Yongzhou, and even fewer within the city.

Otherwise, given her mother’s state of mind, she might have already fallen victim to them.

Although her mother’s mind was unclear, her appearance remained striking.

Even at her age, if she had encountered someone with ill intentions, she might not have been able to protect herself.

The mere thought of these possibilities made Shen Qingwan break out in a cold sweat.

She was even more determined to find out how her mother had ended up like this and why she had been abandoned in Yongzhou City.

She also needed to take her mother to seek medical treatment, to find the best physician to cure her.

Shen Qingwan instructed Rong Yunshuang to stay by her mother’s side and never leave her unattended, while Rong Yunfei was tasked with searching for a highly skilled doctor.

No matter the cost, Shen Qingwan was determined to cure her mother.

When Rong Yunfei heard that Shen Qingwan was looking for a miracle doctor, one person immediately came to mind.

If there was anyone in Daxia whose medical skills could truly be called miraculous, it had to be that man.

“Master, I know of a divine physician who might be able to cure Madam’s illness. He is the most skilled doctor in all of Daxia—Chu Fengchun, also known as the Ghost-Handed Medical Immortal.”

Shen Qingwan eagerly asked, “Really? Do you know where he is?”

Rong Yunfei shook his head. “This man is elusive and moves unpredictably. He won’t be easy to find. But I can start making inquiries and see if we can locate him.”

“Alright. Look for him first, and in the meantime, also check with other skilled physicians. Maybe my mother’s condition isn’t too severe, and another doctor might be able to treat her. We have to try.”

Shen Qingwan was not the kind of person who would stubbornly cling to only one option.

If her mother’s condition could be treated by another capable physician, then that was worth trying.

After settling her mother, Shen Qingwan headed to an estate outside the city.

The main gates were tightly shut, and no one was inside.

She unloaded 5,000 shi (stone) of grain into the estate, planning for Da Chuan and Meng Hangzhou to bring people over in the afternoon to transport the grain.

It had been over ten days since Meng Hangzhou last saw Shen Qingwan, and he was delighted to see her again.

Unfortunately, she was too busy to chat with him.

When he heard that she needed his help transporting grain, he was more than happy to oblige.

Thankfully, despite his simple-minded nature, he was reliable in his work.

During his time at the shop, he had not caused any trouble.

Shen Qingwan planned to allocate 2,000 shi of grain to Jin Qianqian for porridge distribution, while the rest would be sold at low prices through Tianxia Grain Store.

With Tianxia Grain Store selling cheap grain, the other grain shops in Suzhou City were struggling.

One shop sold grain at 8 wen per jin, while others were selling at 40 wen per jin—a price five times higher.

Any rational person would choose to buy from Shen Qingwan’s store.

Most of those buying grain at this time were ordinary citizens, who were highly sensitive to price differences.

Wealthier households, on the other hand, had at least a year or two’s worth of stored grain.

Even in times of scarcity, they wouldn’t go hungry, let alone rush to buy grain.

As a result, apart from Tianxia Grain Store, nearly every other grain shop in the city saw a drastic decline in business.

Two rival grain shops on the same street—Zhou Family Grain Store and Shunping Grain Store—had their shopkeepers standing outside early in the morning, anxiously watching the endless line of customers at Tianxia Grain Store.

There was nothing they could do.

They couldn’t compete in volume, nor could they match the price.

They were completely helpless.

The shop owners were also growing anxious, staring at their warehouses full of unsold grain.

They had been hoping to make a fortune, but Shen Qingwan had left them no opportunity.

They regretted not selling their stock earlier when grain was still going for 30+ wen per jin.

At that time, they had held back, hoping to sell at even higher prices.

Now, other merchants had already sold off their grain, but Tianxia Grain Store had appeared out of nowhere, leaving them with no buyers.

Among them, Shunping Grain Store’s owner was an honest businessman with relatively little leftover stock.

But Zhou Family Grain Store had hoarded the most grain and was the most anxious.

Seeing their business stolen away, Zhou Buren, the owner, was growing desperate.

However, being a businessman, he knew that it was best to resolve conflicts amicably rather than create enemies.

So, he decided to try diplomacy before resorting to other means.

That afternoon, Zhou Buren couldn’t hold back any longer and went to find Shen Qingwan.

But the moment he arrived at Tianxia Grain Store, he was shocked to see them unloading even more grain.

Watching cart after cart of grain flow into the store, he was stunned.

Where was all this grain coming from?

With all the refugees and bandits on the roads, it was nearly impossible to transport large amounts of grain.

Even if someone managed to transport it, the cost would be exorbitant.

Yet, Tianxia Grain Store was selling at just 8 wen per jin. What was their goal?

Zhou Buren refused to believe that someone would be so selfless as to sacrifice their wealth for the greater good.

Unless… was this young man just a fool?

But if he were truly a fool, how could he have managed to obtain so much grain?

Zhou Buren racked his brain but couldn’t figure it out.

Just then, he spotted Shen Qingwan overseeing the transportation of grain and hurried over.

“Master Shen,” he called out.

Although the other party was young, he was still the owner of a major grain shop, so Zhou Buren showed due respect.

Hearing someone call her, Shen Qingwan turned to see Zhou Buren.

She was somewhat surprised.

By now, she was familiar with the key figures in Suzhou City, as she planned to establish herself there.

But she hadn’t expected Zhou Buren to seek her out. Was he here to buy grain?

“Master Zhou,” Shen Qingwan cupped her hands in a polite greeting.

Seeing that she was well-mannered, Zhou Buren softened his expression. “Would Master Shen have time to talk? I’d like to discuss something with you.”

Shen Qingwan glanced at the workers still unloading grain and gestured, “Please, Master Zhou, come inside.”

Zhou Buren followed her in.

As they entered the courtyard, he was astonished to see towering stacks of grain, at least 4,000 shi in total.

He hadn’t expected the young man to possess such a vast supply.

Shen Qingwan led him into the back hall. With no servant girls present, she made no effort to serve tea.

Zhou Buren didn’t mind and got straight to the point.

“I’d like to buy some grain from you, Master Shen. Recently, transportation has been difficult, and many grain shops in the city have run out of stock. My Zhou Family Grain Store is also running low, so I was hoping to procure some from you. I trust you wouldn’t mind, would you? Rest assured, I’ll pay you fairly—whatever the price, I won’t bargain.”

Zhou Buren, a seasoned businessman, spoke smoothly, his words laced with the craftiness of a shrewd merchant.