Chapter 106: Exceptional Elegance

Matters at Yongfeng Zhai were straightforward. Sang Luo, accompanied by Shen An and Shen Ning, stayed there for a bit more than half an hour to sort out the goods and receive the payment.

Having known Shopkeeper Yan for quite some time, Sang Luo gave her a private tip before leaving: there would definitely be rumors in the county within a few days. She didn’t mind doing Shopkeeper Yan a favor by sharing this information. As for the two female employees in the shop, they were under contracts with the owner of Yongfeng Zhai, so Sang Luo didn’t need to worry about their food supplies.

When they returned to Dongfu Restaurant, Shopkeeper Xu hadn’t gone out yet. A young employee familiar with Sang Luo had just returned home and then saw Sang Luo sitting on a bench in the alley behind the kitchen, with the two children. The young man quietly inquired about the situation in the north.

From this, Sang Luo realized that Shopkeeper Xu had already informed the staff at the restaurant. She didn’t hide the truth and explained in a low voice.

The young man sighed dejectedly, “Let’s hope it doesn’t get chaotic. Rising grain prices are one thing; it just means using up our savings and eating worse. But if chaos breaks out, having stored grain won’t help. If the county is overrun by rebels, having grain won’t save our lives.”

Sang Luo agreed, “Indeed.”

In chaotic times, human lives are worth less than grass.

The young man, evidently very tense, took a long breath to calm himself. “Alright, Mrs. Sang, you stay here. I’ll go inform our shopkeeper.”

Their family only needed 60 kilograms of rice; they couldn’t afford more. His father had already gone to buy mixed grains.

Sang Luo nodded and then called him back, “Dong.”

The young man, named Dong, had helped Sang Luo before, so she knew his name.

He stopped and looked at her.

Sang Luo whispered, “Talk it over with your family. See if there’s a hidden, inconspicuous place to dig a tunnel or pit. If you can conceal it well, with food and water stored inside, it could be a refuge if chaos erupts.”

If the county isn’t overrun, it’s fine. But if it is, this might be the only way to stay safe. She added, “Make sure it’s well hidden. Otherwise, you could all be discovered. Rebel soldiers are good at looting; you don’t want your whole family caught.”

Dong blinked, seeing a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation. He nodded vigorously, “Thank you, Mrs. Sang. I’ll discuss it with my family after work. You’re a true benefactor to us.”

Sang Luo smiled, “Not at all. Your family would figure something out on their own.”

People always find incredible strength to survive.

She waved him off to go about his tasks.

Dong left with a much lighter step.

Seeing Dong go inside, Shen An asked his sister-in-law, “Is war very scary?”

Shen Ning also looked at Sang Luo.

The siblings had little concept of war before. Sang Luo and Shen Lie rarely discussed it at home. Though they knew their brother and sister-in-law were preparing for something, they hadn’t been too worried until now, seeing Dong’s reaction.

Sang Luo patted Shen Ning’s head. “As long as we’re prepared, we’ll be fine.”

They’d do what they could and leave the rest to fate.

The siblings didn’t fully understand but didn’t stay anxious for long, because Shen Lie and the others returned with several carts of grain after they had been waiting in the alley behind Dongfu Restaurant for just a short while.

Sang Luo stood up with the two children to greet them. “So quickly?”

Chen Youtian and the others were all smiles. Shen Lie explained, “The grain shop had many assistants. We bought in bulk, so they loaded the carts quickly.”

In fact, they had set out early. Even after waiting a bit in the alley, they reached the grain shop early. Villagers and clan members were probably just starting their trips to the county. The lazier ones might not have even had breakfast yet. Dongfu Restaurant’s staff also needed time to notify their families, so they were among the first to buy grain in bulk.

Thus, even though they were buying several hundred kilograms each, the grain shop assistants saw them as poor farmers in worn clothes and old straw shoes, knowing they were from nearby villages.

With two rounds of taxes and rising grain prices, it wasn’t surprising that poor farmers couldn’t afford rice and had to rely on mixed grains. So, the assistants didn’t question much and just loaded whatever they asked for.

Beans were common here, not given much thought.

Sang Luo looked at the grain sacks on the carts and felt relieved that everything had gone smoothly.

“Shopkeeper Xu will take a little longer. You all can sit for a bit. Shen Lie and I need to go to the pharmacy to buy some herbs. Do you need any?” she asked.

They all shook their heads. Medicines were too expensive, and they couldn’t afford them. Chen Youtian said, “We don’t have the money. Maybe later.”

However, Zhou Dalang had a task. He took out two taels of silver from his purse and handed them to Shen Lie. “A Lie, can you get some herbs for our family too? My father gave this money to buy specific herbs. You and sister-in-law decide what to buy. We’ll pay half the consultation fee.”

His father had instructed them to follow Sang Luo’s lead for buying herbs, so Zhou Dalang handed the money to Shen Lie instead of Sang Luo.

Shen Lie, recognizing the Zhou family’s trust in Sang Luo, accepted the money and handed it to her.

With Chen Youtian and the others watching over the grain, Sang Luo informed the kitchen staff before bringing out a bench for them to sit on. Then, she and Shen Lie, with Shen An and Shen Ning, headed to the pharmacy.

Pharmacies were always interested in ginseng, especially if it was of good quality. It was just a matter of who offered the best price.

The two of them visited all the pharmacies and medical clinics in the county with the ginseng, and it turned out that the clinic offered the highest price at thirty-nine taels.

Neither Sang Luo nor Shen Lie knew much about the market price of ginseng, but they needed money urgently. Apart from the few pharmacies and clinics in Qiyang County, they couldn’t find other buyers quickly. Selling a ginseng of over thirty years for this price satisfied both of them.

The clinic’s shopkeeper handed the money to Shen Lie. Remembering his promise, Shen Lie said, “I’ll hold onto it for you first.”

Sang Luo found this amusing and nodded in agreement.

After selling the ginseng, they didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they inquired with the shopkeeper and then lined up at the clinic.

There was only one woman ahead of them, so they didn’t wait long. When it was their turn, the old doctor looked at the four of them and asked who was unwell. Sang Luo smiled and shook her head, “No one is unwell, doctor. We are preparing for a long journey, which will involve crossing mountains and ridges. We want to stock up on some medicines for the trip.”

“Oh,” the old doctor nodded. It wasn’t common for poor families to prepare medicines for travel, but it was usual for wealthy households. The counties in Daqian were far apart, making travel difficult. Falling ill between distant counties meant having no access to medical help.

He glanced at the group, noting their modest clothing, and deduced they weren’t well-off. Seeing that Sang Luo was the one in charge, he pointed to the stool in front of the desk, indicating for her to sit. “What specific medicines do you need?” he asked.

This required some thought. Drawing on her modern knowledge of home medicine kits, Sang Luo described their needs, including medicines for colds, fevers, stomach issues, diarrhea, injuries, and snake bites. After thinking further, she added hemostatic powder.

The old doctor, seeing that they had just sold ginseng, didn’t mention how expensive the medicines could be. He listened to Sang Luo’s list and then explained each one using medical terms that left her a bit confused.

That wasn’t a problem; she asked the doctor to write down the corresponding symptoms for each prescription, similar to modern medicine instructions, and requested two sets since they were for two families.

The old doctor, surprised, asked, “Young lady, do you know how to read?”

Sang Luo nodded, “I can read common words.”

“That’s rare,” the doctor smiled. He asked how much they needed, and seeing that Sang Luo requested large quantities, he estimated the total cost to be about nine taels of silver. Considering them good customers, he wrote down the symptoms and had his apprentice label each package.

The doctor’s handwriting was somewhat elaborate, but the symptoms and usage instructions were clear enough for her to understand. She thanked him with a smile.

Packing the medicine took time, especially with the large quantity Sang Luo ordered. The pharmacist separated the Zhou family’s medicine from Sang Luo’s, with the Zhou family’s costing a little over 1.9 taels, and Sang Luo’s nearly eight taels.

The most expensive items were the hemostatic powder and antidote pills. Hemostatic powder was necessary due to potential animal attacks in the mountains and possible encounters with bandits. The antidote pills were the doctor’s recommendation, costing a tael each but capable of saving lives from severe poison.

Sang Luo, determined, bought three pills. The difference in their expenses was mainly due to these items, with the hemostatic powder and antidote pills costing nearly five taels, and the rest three taels for common medicines.

Shen Lie wanted to say something about the high cost of the hemostatic powder and antidote pills but decided against it. They needed to be well-prepared for the dangers of the deep mountains.

The medicines were finally ready, packed in two large cloth bags, separating the Zhou family’s and Sang Luo’s.

Shen Lie carried both bags, occasionally glancing at Sang Luo.

The Zhou family bought more medicine due to their larger household, while Sang Luo’s family was only four people. She had clearly considered the needs of other families who might require emergency medicine but couldn’t afford it.

“Where to now? Back to the alley behind Dongfu Restaurant?” Shen Lie asked Sang Luo as they left the clinic.

Sang Luo shook her head, noting his thin autumn clothes and fur wrap. “To the clothing shop.”

Shen Lie, unsure why, followed as she led Shen An and Shen Ning to the shop nearby. Inside, Sang Luo chose a thick winter coat, pointed to Shen Lie, and asked the shopkeeper, “Do you have one in his size?”

The shopkeeper, after a glance, confirmed, “Yes.”

He retrieved a coat matching her description. Sang Luo, seeing Shen Lie’s hands full, took the coat herself, measuring it against him for shoulder width, length, and sleeve length.

Shen Lie’s ears turned visibly red.

Sang Luo’s attention was focused on the clothes. After checking the sleeve length and ensuring everything fit, she picked up the cotton trousers, looked them over, and signaled to Shen Lie, “Do you want to try these on yourself?”

Shen Lie’s face instantly turned beet red. “I’ll do it myself.”

In a fluster, he placed the two large bags of medicine on the counter. When he took the trousers from Sang Luo, he didn’t even dare to meet her eyes.

He quickly tried them on, trying to appear calm. “They fit.”

Sang Luo also thought they fit well. She turned to the shopkeeper and said, “Could you please find him a pair of thick cotton shoes too?”

The shopkeeper smiled and, taking a wooden ruler, gestured to Shen Lie, “Young man, come sit here and take off your shoes so I can measure your feet.”

Feeling awkward, Shen Lie sat down on the wooden bench indicated by the shopkeeper and asked for the ruler. “I’ll measure myself.”

The shopkeeper handed him the ruler and explained how to measure. Shen Lie, with his back to Sang Luo, quickly took off his shoes, measured his feet, and reported the size to the shopkeeper, swiftly putting his straw shoes back on.

The shopkeeper then brought out a pair of shoes for Shen Lie to try. They fit perfectly.

Buying ready-made clothes was more expensive than purchasing fabric to make them. Given Shen Lie’s tall stature and Sang Luo’s choice of thick, durable garments, the total cost for the outfit came to two strings and nine hundred cash.

Sang Luo haggled with the shopkeeper and managed to get two pairs of cloth socks thrown in for free before the deal was done.

She borrowed a small room at the back of the shop for Shen Lie to change into his new clothes and shoes. When he came out, he looked entirely different.

He looked much better than when he was wrapped in that shabby fur. The new clothes, though simple, made him appear exceptionally handsome and elegant.

Wearing his thick new clothes, Shen Lie still felt a bit uncomfortable. Holding his old fur in one hand, he fussed with his outfit, looking at Sang Luo, who was eyeing him up and down, causing his ears to warm up again.

“How do I look?”

Sang Luo smiled, “You look great.”

She happily paid the shopkeeper without noticing that Shen Lie was grinning ear to ear from her compliment.

Shen An and Shen Ning, watching their big brother, covered their mouths and giggled on the side.