Financial Crisis

Wei Lan crouched in the medicinal herb garden of the clinic, holding a head of garlic in her hand, carefully burying each one into the soft soil.

As she worked, she explained, “Garlic is a great thing; it not only adds flavor, but also has medicinal properties. You see, bury it like this, with the pointed end facing up, and the soil shouldn’t be too thick, otherwise it won’t grow.”

Honghua nodded, imitating Wei Lan’s actions and buried a clove of garlic. But Jiu’an remained quiet, scribbling aimlessly on the ground with a stick.

Wei Lan glanced up at him, smiling and asking, “What’s wrong? Do you find planting garlic boring?”

Jiu’an nodded and gestured with his hands. Wei Lan understood: he had previously managed the herb garden well, but after a heavy rain, everything was destroyed.

“Ah, Xiao Jiu,” Wei Lan teased, poking his puffed cheek. “Don’t be discouraged. Garlic is a lifesaver. When the flood came, we didn’t have any alcohol, so we used garlic extract to treat the wounded. You can imagine, I used up all the garlic in Changsha City, and now I have to plant a lot to pay back the debt!”

Honghua couldn’t help but laugh. “Xiao Lan, the way you say it, it sounds like we owe all the garlic in the city!”

Wei Lan nodded solemnly. “Exactly. If one day someone chases me down for garlic, you two have to help me fend them off!”

Jiu’an watched them, a faint smile appearing on his face as if amused. He crouched down and buried a clove of garlic into the soil.

Wei Lan was pleased and nodded approvingly. “That’s the spirit. Let’s plant together. When the garlic harvests well, we can sell it for a good price.”

Just then, the bamboo fence creaked, and Shun Xing approached with quick steps, but his face bore a trace of seriousness. He whispered a few words into Wei Lan’s ear. After listening, Wei Lan frowned slightly, set down the garlic head, and said to Honghua and Jiu’an, “You two continue, I need to go to the account room.”

Honghua nodded, and Jiu’an went back to his work.

Wei Lan followed Shun Xing to the account room. Shun Xing took out a ledger and handed it to her. “Sister, the rent for the second shop of the pharmacy… the landlord says it must be paid in cash.”

Shun Xing was very skilled with finances, and whenever Wei Lan needed money, he was always able to provide it promptly. He kept the accounts clear and precise. But due to the flood, Wei Lan had not only exhausted the entire stock of medicinal herbs, but also spent a lot of her own money buying supplies. Now, aside from the clinic and the courtyard, she was back to square one.

Wei Lan opened the ledger and took a close look, sighing. “Is there enough money?”

Shun Xing quickly moved the beads on the abacus, and after a few moments of clattering sounds, he pressed the abacus down and shook his head. “Only seven taels and two qian left.”

Looking at the dense numbers on the ledger, Wei Lan felt a pang in her heart and sighed softly. “Let’s give up the pharmacy…”

Shun Xing was silent for a moment, then looked up at Wei Lan with a pained expression in his eyes. He said softly, “Sister, I… I’ll think of another way.”

Wei Lan waved her hand with a bitter smile. “What other way is there? This flood has been tough on us. It’s a miracle we’ve made it this far. The pharmacy thing can wait.”

Shun Xing raised his hand slightly, as if wanting to embrace her, but then suppressed the impulse. He withdrew his hand and comforted her softly, “Don’t be too upset. If the pharmacy closes, we can always open it again.”

Wei Lan lowered her gaze. “Yes, it’s just a bit hard to let go.”

Shun Xing bit his lip, his eyes flickering as if struggling with something in his heart. The pharmacy had been Wei Lan’s hard work. How could he bear to see her lose it? He stared at the delicate curve of her neck, his throat tightening slightly. In his mind, images of bulging purses in dark alleys flashed—those of the county magistrate’s scribe, the rice shop owner, and the housekeeper from the Wang family, with jade ornaments hanging from their waist.

“I’ll talk to the landlord,” Shun Xing suddenly smiled, his eyes narrowing. As he turned, a cold gleam passed through his eyes, and he thought to himself, “If we’re going to blame anyone, let’s blame this disaster.”

Wei Lan passed through the clinic’s front hall and lifted the blue cloth curtain to enter the treatment room. The room was filled with papers, medicinal herb specimens, and various tools. Ming Yi and San Qi were busy working, their minds full of excitement, knowing that once the colored version of Compendium of Materia Medica was published, it would bring in substantial income.

Ming Yi was focusing on making plant specimens. After Wei Lan explained the principles of making plant specimens in detail, Ming Yi quickly understood and applied them. He was mainly responsible for sketching the characteristics of the herbs, ensuring that they were unique and easy to identify later.

San Qi, on the other hand, was pressing the paper with wax-sealed herbal molds. The desk was piled with dozens of herb prints, the ink still not dry. He had long been used to multitasking, and could prepare ten pots of medicine at once without difficulty.

“What’s with the long face?” Liu Ming Yi set down his pen and saw that Wei Lan was holding the ledger so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

Wei Lan slapped the ledger onto the desk, looking gloomy. “The rent for the second pharmacy is due. Shun Xing says we only have seven taels of silver left.” She picked up one of the herb prints San Qi had just made and sighed, “If only the colored Compendium of Materia Medica could be published sooner…”

San Qi raised his head, his eyes lighting up. “Sister Wei, I can print three kinds of herbs on the same sheet of paper!” He held up the mold, showing the wax-sealed licorice, angelica, and bai zhi arranged on rice paper. “This way, we save paper and ink, and can print two more herbs on each page.”

Wei Lan’s eyes brightened slightly, but then dimmed again. “This is a good idea, but we still lack money.”

Ming Yi picked up the rough ceramic tea cup, took a sip of tea, and immediately felt the bitterness spread across his tongue.

“I’ll go borrow some money,” he suddenly said, the bottom of the cup tapping softly on the wooden table.

Wei Lan frowned, worried. “What would you use as collateral? With the rent, plus the skyrocketing prices of medicinal herbs after the flood, that’s not a small sum.”

“The ancestral house,” Ming Yi said casually, as if it were a trivial matter. “Once we have the money, we can buy it back.”

“No!” Wei Lan suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with shock. “That’s the house your grandfather left behind…”

“It’s just an empty house,” Ming Yi smiled slightly. “The old locust tree in the front yard is worth something. If we chop it down and sell it as firewood, it’ll bring in some money.” His tone was playful.

Wei Lan was moved by his words, feeling conflicted. She whispered, “What if you can’t buy it back?”

Ming Yi turned his face, the afternoon sunlight casting shadows across his nose. His eyes were filled with certainty. “We have to try. Don’t you believe that we can get through this together?”

Wei Lan softly said, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just can’t bear to see you risk the ancestral home. There has to be another way…”

Wei Lan thought deeply. If she encountered this kind of problem in the modern world, how would she deal with it? She stood up, pacing around the room. Suddenly, she stopped, her eyes bright. “I’ve got it! Let’s create a VIP recharge card!”

“Recharge… what card?” Ming Yi and San Qi exchanged puzzled glances.

Wei Lan grabbed a wooden sign from the desk and demonstrated. “We carve ‘For the People’s Clinic’ on it, and write the recharge amount, such as ten taels or twenty taels. People holding this card will not only be able to get priority treatment, but will also enjoy extra benefits, such as receiving pastries from time to time. This way, we can make it convenient for patients while providing the clinic with funding support.”

Ming Yi nodded slightly, impressed. “This idea is brilliant!”

San Qi, who had been listening eagerly, could hardly contain his excitement. “Great! I’ll go get some high-quality wood for it.” He was about to run out.

“Wait a minute.” Wei Lan stopped him. “Go through the past patients’ records and pick out the wealthy ones. We need to approach them first and see who might be willing to invest.”

San Qi immediately began searching through the patient records in the treatment room. Meanwhile, Wei Lan and Ming Yi sat down again to continue discussing the design details of the recharge treatment cards.

Ming Yi picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and after a brief pause, began sketching. Soon, a beautiful design for the wooden sign appeared on the paper. The top featured a blooming lotus flower, delicate and lifelike, with the words “For the People’s Clinic” written in seal script in the center, in an ancient, elegant style. At the bottom, in smaller text: “Priority Treatment, Shared Blessings.”

Wei Lan leaned in to take a look and couldn’t help but clap her hands. “Ming Yi, this design is perfect! But it’s still missing something.” She picked up the brush, dipped it in vermilion, and added the number “001” to the bottom right corner of the design.

“For the first fifty, they get a free pulse diagnosis,” she said, gesturing as she spoke. “This isn’t just a discount, it’s also a way to show our sincerity.” The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. “If we sell each sign for ten taels, and sell twenty, that’s two hundred taels!” She could already see the turning point for the pharmacy.

Ming Yi was also infected by her enthusiasm, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Two hours later, Ming Yi and Wei Lan arrived at the silk shop. The shopkeeper, Wang, picked up the wooden sign, running his fingers over the number, his face showing some hesitation. “This is a rare item, but how much is it really worth?”

Wei Lan explained, “Shopkeeper Wang, the clinic usually charges a few coins for simple consultations, or a couple of taels for more serious ones. This VIP card comes in ten-tael or twenty-tael denominations, and you can choose according to your situation. Our clinic has always been based on integrity, and we will never disappoint your trust.”

Wang the shopkeeper nodded. “So this card really allows me to get priority treatment?”

Ming Yi added, “You often have coughing and asthma problems. With this card, you can call me for a consultation anytime.”

Wang the shopkeeper seemed tempted. “What if I don’t use all the silver?”

Wei Lan replied, “If you don’t use all the prepaid amount, you can come to the clinic for a refund at any time, no problem. If you use it all up, you can continue to deposit more, and we’ll offer a discount.”

Wang the shopkeeper laughed heartily. “I trust you. I’ll buy a twenty-tael one to support your business.”

Wei Lan quickly thanked him. “Thank you, shopkeeper Wang!”

By nightfall, all fifty wooden signs had been reserved. Wei Lan held the box full of silver ingots, letting out a long breath. “Thanks to the good reputation the clinic has built up over time, everything went smoothly today.”

Ming Yi nodded slightly and added, “Yes, with this silver, the pharmacy rent is no longer a worry.”