Chapter 50 Precious Herbs

After leaving the county office, Qin Ruo only had six taels of silver left.

Twenty acres of wasteland for six taels of silver was indeed a bargain.

But it had cost her half of her fortune, and Qin Ruo still felt a pang of regret.

She didn’t immediately return to Datong Township. Instead, she strolled along the street for a while before stopping in front of a medical clinic called “Xinglin Hall.”

Before coming to Taihe County, she had planned to visit a medical clinic.

On her last trip to Humpback Mountain, besides wild animals, she had also discovered a large amount of herbs in the mountains.

Humpback Mountain was a treasure trove.

Xinglin Hall was the largest and most reputable medical clinic in Taihe County. In the past, there were three doctors on duty every day.

Qin Ruo stopped at the entrance of Xinglin Hall, but she wasn’t in a hurry to go inside.

There weren’t many people in the clinic today. Only one doctor, about fifty years old, wearing a white robe, was examining a patient.

Several young medicine boys, around eleven or twelve years old, were busy fetching and preparing medicine.

After half an hour, when the last customer left, Qin Ruo entered the clinic.

A quick-witted medicine boy saw Qin Ruo and immediately greeted her enthusiastically.

“Miss, are you here to get medicine or see a doctor?” The medicine boy smiled and asked Qin Ruo.

“I heard that Xinglin Hall buys herbs, so I came to inquire.”

“Yes, Miss, we do buy herbs. But we have very high quality standards, and we don’t buy ordinary herbs for now.” The medicine boy replied with a smile, his expression unchanged.

“But if you walk along this street, about a cup of tea’s time, you’ll see a pharmacy that buys herbs. You might want to ask there.”

The medicine boy was polite and enthusiastically added a suggestion.

He had seen many people come to Xinglin Hall to sell herbs, and most of them brought ordinary herbs of low quality, and only a few were actually bought.

Therefore, he didn’t ask what kind of herbs Qin Ruo wanted to sell.

“Then I wonder if your clinic buys this thing I have.”

Qin Ruo calmly took two packages wrapped in coarse cloth from her backpack and placed them on the counter.

She casually opened the packages and pointed to the contents.

Qin Ruo knew about the pharmacy on this street that the medicine boy mentioned. She had just come from there.

“Is this He Shouwu? And Tie Pishihu?” The medicine boy clearly recognized the herbs and exclaimed in surprise.

Dr. Feng, who was bent over at a table, organizing prescriptions, hadn’t noticed Qin Ruo.

Hearing the medicine boy’s voice, he immediately stood up and walked over quickly.

Without saying a word, he picked up the two items on the counter and examined them carefully, his expression slightly excited.

The He Shouwu weighed five pounds. For a He Shouwu to grow this large, and in a human-shaped form, it must be at least a hundred years old.

In the Great Sheng Dynasty, He Shouwu was known as one of the “Four Immortal Herbs.”

This was the first time he had seen such a large He Shouwu.

As for the small bundle of Tie Pishihu, it was equally rare.

Tie Pishihu is a high-quality Chinese medicine and is known as the “Life-Saving Immortal Herb” among the people.

He had been in Taihe County for so many years, and this was the first time he had seen someone bring Tie Pishihu here to sell.

“Miss, are you really willing to sell these herbs?” Dr. Feng asked Qin Ruo seriously, suppressing his excitement.

Qin Ruo nodded and smiled, “Of course. I just wonder if your clinic buys He Shouwu and Tie Pishihu…”

“We do, of course. Please come with me, Miss.”

Dr. Feng gestured with a “please” and led Qin Ruo towards the back of the clinic, while giving the medicine boy who was still standing there in a daze a glare.

“Kong Qing, you little fool with no eyes, why haven’t you brought tea to this esteemed guest?”

“Oh, oh, yes, yes, Master Feng.” Kong Qing, as if waking from a dream, wiped his sweat and quickly followed.

Dr. Feng fumed, thinking to himself that it was a good thing he was there today.

With Kong Qing’s wooden head, he almost sent the esteemed guest to another place.

Qin Ruo followed Dr. Feng into the back courtyard of Xinglin Hall.

The environment here was quiet, a stark contrast to the front hall.

Several medicine boys were standing in front of wooden shelves, carefully drying baskets and baskets of herbs.

The entire courtyard was filled with the aroma of medicine.

“Miss, may I ask where you obtained these herbs?”

After leading Qin Ruo to a seat, Dr. Feng’s first question was about the source of the herbs.

“They were found by chance in the mountains, and the source is legitimate. I’m here to sell the herbs sincerely. You don’t seem like you’re really interested in buying them, Dr. Feng…”

“If that’s the case, I’ll disturb you no further.”

She saw through his probing immediately.

Qin Ruo’s smile didn’t falter, but she pretended to get up and leave.

“Miss, please stay. It was my curiosity that led me to speak rudely. These two items are of excellent quality, and Xinglin Hall is sincerely interested in buying them. What price are you hoping to sell them for?”

Dr. Feng put away his probing and quickly stood up, bowing to Qin Ruo.

“I don’t know what the price should be. Why don’t you offer a price first, Dr. Feng? If the price is right, our future cooperation will be long and prosperous.”

Qin Ruo sat back down, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip, implying something.

The herbs she brought were from Qin Tiaotiao, a test run.

Before coming to Xinglin Hall, she had walked around the streets of Taihe County, familiarizing herself with the number and scale of pharmacies and medical clinics.

She chose Xinglin Hall because it was the largest and most reputable.

Xinglin Hall in Taihe County was the most powerful and had a deep foundation. It was undoubtedly the best choice for long-term and stable cooperation.

But business was about mutual consent.

Asking about the source of the herbs was not something she was obligated to answer.

“Miss, could you wait for me for half an hour? These herbs are rare, and I can’t decide on the price myself. I need to report to the owner before making a decision.”

Dr. Feng’s attitude was sincere, and he got straight to the point.

He had noticed that Qin Ruo’s clothes and appearance were no different from ordinary people, yet she brought such precious herbs, so he had some doubts.

Qin Ruo’s performance, however, made him uneasy.

Although she was young, her negotiating style was not inferior in the slightest. His attitude immediately became respectful.

He understood the meaning behind her words.

If this deal went through, there would be opportunities for future cooperation.

Since she could bring such precious items, it was possible that she had other rare herbs.

If the clinic had these two items as its main attractions, Xinglin Hall’s reputation would be even greater.

Therefore, when he saw Qin Ruo getting up to leave, Dr. Feng was genuinely anxious.

Regardless of her identity, the two items alone were enough to make Dr. Feng excited.

“No problem. I’ll wait here for your news, Dr. Feng.”

Qin Ruo smiled and waved her hand. It was still early, and she had nothing else to do. Half an hour was nothing.

“Kong Qing, take good care of this esteemed guest.”

Dr. Feng turned back and instructed Kong Qing before rushing out of the clinic.

He personally drove his carriage towards the Xie family’s residence on East Street.