Chapter 51 Reunion with an Old Friend

Half an hour later, Dr. Feng returned as promised.

He stepped into the backyard with a beaming smile, saying to Qin Ruo, “Miss, I’ve informed the owner. We at the Apricot Forest Hall will take both of the medicinal herbs you brought today.”

“Our owner offers a total of eight hundred taels of silver for these herbs. Would this price be satisfactory to you, Miss?”

“Furthermore, our owner has instructed that if you have any medicinal herbs you wish to sell in the future, please bring them to the Apricot Forest Hall. As long as the quality is good, we will purchase them all.”

“Do you also purchase common herbs? For example, Atractylodes macrocephala, Gastrodia elata, and the like?”

Qin Ruo’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly, but her expression remained unchanged.

She didn’t answer Dr. Feng’s question about whether the price of the herbs was satisfactory. The eight hundred taels offered by Dr. Feng was far beyond her expectations.

Her initial price for the Polygonum multiflorum was around 150 taels, and the Dendrobium candidum at 100 taels was already exceeding her expectations.

Could the owner of the Apricot Forest Hall be doing charity?

Something unusual must be happening.

“Yes, yes, we do. Miss, if you ever harvest any medicinal herbs, feel free to bring them to the Apricot Forest Hall.” Dr. Feng responded with a wide smile, his eagerness evident.

He was also quite puzzled by his master’s actions.

Three hundred taels for the Polygonum multiflorum and Dendrobium candidum in Taihe County was already considered a fair price.

Of course, if they were taken to the capital, the price could be even higher.

The owner of the Apricot Forest Hall was publicly known as Master Xie. If Master Xie were present, he could have handled this transaction himself.

However, Master Xie 1happened to be away from Taihe County these days, and Dr. Feng truly didn’t want to miss out on the good things in Qin Ruo’s possession.

So, he rode his horse to Xie Mansion on East Street to seek advice from the true owner of the Apricot Forest Hall, Si Heng.

When he arrived at Xie Mansion to report, Si Heng’s initial attitude was indifferent.

Upon hearing that the person was selling Polygonum multiflorum and Dendrobium candidum, he initially instructed Dr. Feng to simply trade at the market price.

If the seller was dissatisfied, the price could be slightly increased.

Until Dr. Feng mentioned that the seller was a young lady, seemingly not very old.

Master Si Heng suddenly became interested. He not only inquired about the lady’s appearance in detail but also asked about her surname and place of origin.

Dr. Feng’s initial attempt to probe Qin Ruo had displeased her.

He hadn’t actually asked about Qin Ruo’s identity information before coming to Xie Mansion.

But since his master had asked, he could only describe her based on his impression.

At that time, after listening, his master pondered for a moment and then instructed him to offer Qin Ruo eight hundred taels of silver directly.

His master also said that if she was dissatisfied, they could negotiate further.

Logically speaking, based on his master’s reaction, he shouldn’t know the lady.

Dr. Feng had doubts in his heart but dared not overstep and interfere with his master’s affairs.

Having received the instructions, he immediately rushed back to the medical clinic. Upon returning, he diligently relayed Si Heng’s words.

“Thank you, Dr. Feng, but this price… is truly beyond my expectations. Would it be possible to inquire about your owner’s surname?”

The thought that had sprung up in Qin Ruo’s mind a moment ago had been circling in her head.

Her first thought was, could the Apricot Forest Hall be owned by Xie Mansion?

Was this a deliberate price increase arranged by Old Master Xie in return for the ginseng she had sent earlier?

“I believe you are not from Taihe County, Miss. Our owner of the Apricot Forest Hall is surnamed Xie. This is not a secret.”

Dr. Feng readily answered Qin Ruo’s question. The fact that Master Xie was the owner of the Apricot Forest Hall was indeed no secret in Taihe County.

Before he came, his master had also instructed him that if she asked about the owner of the Apricot Forest Hall, he should tell her without hesitation.

Dr. Feng secretly marveled at his master’s foresight.

He had even anticipated what questions this lady would ask.

“My surname is Qin, and I live at the end of Changhe Village in Datong Township. Thank you for your owner’s generosity. I will accept the price your owner has offered.” Qin Ruo smiled and nodded.

Hearing Dr. Feng say that the owner of the Apricot Forest Hall was surnamed Xie, she didn’t think much of it.

Since the other party was willing to pay a high price, perhaps they wanted to offer a favor, and wouldn’t it be unreasonable to refuse the money they offered?

As for their motives, she would find out sooner or later.

“Then, Miss Qin, we’re settled then.” Dr. Feng chuckled, pulling out several silver notes from his sleeve and handing them to Qin Ruo with both hands.

“On my way here, I thought that with so much silver, Miss Qin might find it inconvenient to carry. I specially brought silver notes. These notes can be exchanged at any money house in our Great Sheng.”

“You’re thoughtful. Thank you, Dr. Feng.” Qin Ruo stood up, took the silver notes, and thanked him with a smile.

The feeling of a poor person suddenly becoming rich was quite good.

Qin Ruo thought that she would go to the money house to exchange the notes as soon as she went out.

Those light and flimsy paper notes, how could they compare to the feeling of heavy silver?

This was the first big sum of money she had earned in the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Dr. Feng gave Qin Ruo notes of one hundred taels each, a total of eight notes.

Qin Ruo confirmed that they were correct and quietly put the notes into her spatial pouch.

Then, she bid farewell to Dr. Feng. She planned to go out, exchange the money, and then return to Datong Township.

She had only six taels left on her, and now she had earned eight hundred taels. Qin Ruo was in a very good mood.

While Qin Ruo was looking at the silver notes, she completely failed to notice Dr. Feng discreetly looking up at the second floor of the backyard, towards a slightly ajar window.

The person standing by the window gestured to Dr. Feng.

Dr. Feng nodded subtly. The person was Si Heng from Xie Mansion.

He had followed Dr. Feng here and quietly went up to the second floor through another door.

He had witnessed the entire scene in the backyard of the Apricot Forest Hall.

“Miss Qin, please wait. One of your old acquaintances would like to invite you for a cup of tea. Would you be willing to go upstairs to the second floor, Miss Qin?”

Dr. Feng quickly stepped forward and called out to Qin Ruo, who was about to leave.

Qin Ruo seemed to sense something and looked up towards the second floor. She saw a young gentleman wearing a crimson cloak, with hair as black as a waterfall and a face as beautiful as a demon.

He was leaning against the window, his body as boneless as a willow branch, with half his head protruding outwards, a strange smile on his face.

“Long time no see! Miss Qin, I hope you are well. Would you grace me with your presence for a cup of humble tea?”

Qin Ruo’s head buzzed. Wasn’t this young gentleman one of the two people she had encountered in the forest?

“Long time no see!”

This person in front of her was indeed an “old acquaintance.”

“Since you are so kind to invite me, I wouldn’t dare decline.”

Qin Ruo’s expression was unclear. She smiled slightly at the person upstairs and quickly withdrew her gaze.

“Miss Qin, this way please.”

Qin Ruo nodded slightly and followed Dr. Feng slowly up to the second floor of the Apricot Forest Hall’s backyard.

Her lowered brows and eyes perfectly concealed the flash of coldness in her eyes.