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As the mother and daughter stepped outside, the siblings who were talking inside also followed them out.
“Comrade, please wait. I want to ask, do you want to sell ginseng?” Old Li urgently stopped them.
“Do you want to buy ginseng?” Wang Qian asked in response. In these times, while there weren’t many bad people, it was still important to be cautious, especially for those who had just come from the countryside and were not familiar with the situation. They couldn’t afford to reveal too much too quickly.
Upon hearing Wang Qian’s question, the siblings became excited and pulled them to a less crowded area before speaking. “Little friends, this old lady is in urgent need of aged ginseng. As long as your ginseng is old enough, we can negotiate the price.”
Zhang Lan carefully observed the other party. Their demeanor seemed genuine and not that of bad people. “Ma’am, do you really want ginseng? I have one here. I’m not sure if it’s what you’re looking for.”
Old Li and the old lady quickly pulled Zhang Lan and her daughter to a more secluded area. The old lady apologized, “Niece, please don’t mind. We can’t openly buy ginseng in public. It could lead to trouble if we’re seen.”
Zhang Lan understood the old lady’s explanation. In the current circumstances, free trade was restricted, and everyone was accustomed to such situations.
Mingcheng opened the package containing the ginseng, and the siblings became excited when they saw what the children were holding. “Sister, this ginseng is really old. It may not be over a hundred years old, but it’s around fifty to sixty years old. It’s more than enough to treat Zheng Yuan’s illness.”
The excited pair hadn’t forgotten that the ginseng didn’t belong to them. The old lady looked at Zhang Lan with tear-filled eyes.
“Niece, how much are you selling this ginseng for?” she asked.
The mother and daughter didn’t know the exact value of the ginseng, but Wang Qian looked up and asked Old Li, “Grandpa, how much do you think our ginseng is worth? Can you give us a price to consider?”
Zhang Lan and the children knew that the old man should understand the value of the ginseng, so they all looked at Old Li.
After carefully appraising the ginseng, Li Chengde spoke, “Niece, I won’t hide it from you. This kind of aged ginseng, when sold to the purchasing station, fetches around three hundred yuan. How about this: we’ll offer you four hundred yuan, plus twenty kilograms of grain coupons. Does that work for you?”
In Wang Qian’s impression, this kind of aged ginseng would fetch at least tens of thousands in modern times. However, in the 1970s, the value of this item was not significant, and their family needed the money.
Seeing Zhang Lan hesitate, the siblings quickly added, “Niece, if the price isn’t suitable, we can still negotiate.”
To their surprise, Zhang Lan’s response was unexpected. “Ma’am, it’s not that I find the amount too little, but I feel that you’re offering too much. There’s a patient in your family, and you shouldn’t give us all your money.”
Zhang Lan’s kindness touched the two elderly people deeply. However, the old lady insisted, “Niece, typically, the price for this kind of ginseng would be higher, but right now… Oh, I won’t say more. I don’t have that much money on me. How about this? Come with me to my home. Don’t worry, we’re not bad people. My brother is working here.”
The old lady was afraid that Zhang Lan and her children wouldn’t trust her, so she quickly explained. However, Zhang Lan didn’t have as many concerns as the old lady thought. “Ma’am, that’s not what I meant. If your home is far, I’m worried we might not catch the last bus. We live in the countryside, and there are only two buses a day.”
The old lady finally understood. It turned out that they were worried about not being able to return home in the evening. “Niece, my house is near the bus station. It’s not far. I assure you it won’t delay your plans.”
Zhang Lan led the children to follow the old lady back onto the bus and arrived at the place the old lady had mentioned. It was indeed very close to the bus station.
The siblings paid close attention to the route back.
The old lady led Zhang Lan and her children to a two-story building in the Suzhou style. “Niece, this is my home. Please come in.”
The group followed the old lady into the building. Wang Qian took a good look around. Despite the shabby exterior, the interior was tastefully decorated, showing that the owner had good taste. They waited in the living room while the old lady went to get the money.
When the old lady returned, the family sat properly in their chairs, just as they had been when she left. She had developed a fondness for the family, as people who understand manners are always likable. Unlike their relatives, who would rummage and snoop around without a second thought.
When the old lady handed the money and grain coupons to Zhang Lan, she only accepted three hundred yuan and ten kilograms of grain coupons. Zhang Lan wasn’t indifferent to money, but she also knew that the family needed to provide nutritious food for the patient. They took the grain coupons, and it seemed that the family would have a difficult month ahead.
“Auntie, I can’t accept the remaining money and grain coupons. Your family also needs it. It’s better to use it to take care of the patient,” Zhang Lan said.
Wang Qian also agreed with Zhang Lan’s decision. They couldn’t disregard everything for the sake of money. Although their family also needed money, they had a patient waiting for treatment. Despite the family’s comfortable living conditions, earning money was still difficult.
She took the old lady’s hand and said, “Grandma, please accept it. Although we can’t help you much, this is our token of appreciation.”
Tears welled up in the old lady’s eyes as she trembled while taking back the remaining money and grain coupons. She felt that she had encountered a benefactor today. They had brought the ginseng just in time to save her grandson’s life. Seeing their appearance, she knew they weren’t wealthy, but they still refused to accept extra money.
“Niece, thank you so much. I’ll accept this money and grain coupons. If you come to the city again, please visit me,” the old lady said.
She glanced at the clock on the table. “You have another bus to catch at 4:30 in the afternoon. You still have some time. Why don’t you stay here for a while? Let’s chat. It’s fate that we met today. With the ginseng, my grandson’s life can be saved.”
The family chatted for a while at the old lady’s house and learned that the family’s surname was Wu. Their grandson had a rare illness, and despite consulting many doctors, there had been no improvement. Recently, they had sought the help of a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. While the medicine was not difficult to prepare, the challenge lay in finding a medicinal herb, for which a ginseng of over fifty years was required. The family had been searching for the ginseng while using their savings, hoping to buy the ginseng to save their child’s life.
Upon hearing about the child’s illness, Zhang Lan, as a mother, also felt uneasy. “Auntie, if my family didn’t urgently need money to build a house, I shouldn’t have accepted this money.”
Zhang Lan briefly explained her family’s situation to the old lady, who couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. After the children had a drink of water and noticed the time, Mingcheng reminded Zhang Lan, “Mom, it’s almost time. We need to go buy the tickets in advance.”
Reluctantly, the old lady saw the family off, repeatedly urging them to visit again.
Zhang Lan carefully secured the money and hurried to the bus station with the children. After purchasing the tickets, they soon boarded the bus back home.