Chapter 19: Making Money

Luo Qiao took out the gathered bupleurum root from her basket. Since it hadn’t been processed yet, the young man in the shop said, “The bupleurum root that hasn’t been processed is 20 cents per kilogram. The processed ones are 35 cents.”

Looking around to ensure no one was paying attention, Luo Qiao took out a ginseng wrapped in a handkerchief from her basket and handed it over.

The young man glanced at it quickly and handed it back. At the same time, he subconsciously glanced around the shop. He lowered his voice and said, “Please wait a moment, I’ll go to find the manager from the back.”

In a short while, the young man returned from the back room and said, “Miss, please follow me to the backyard.”

Knowing that it was inconvenient with customers coming and going in the shop, Luo Qiao followed him to the backyard, where a middle-aged man in a Chinese tunic suit was inspecting the collected herbs.

The young man said, “Manager, I’ve brought her here.”

He then turned to Luo Qiao and said, “This is our manager, surnamed Geng.”

Luo Qiao politely greeted the middle-aged man, “Hello, Manager Geng.”

Manager Geng nodded at Luo Qiao, quickened his inventory check, and said, “Please wait a moment, I’ll be done shortly.”

Seeing that there was nothing else for him to do, the young man said, “You two can talk. I’ll go attend to the customers up front.”

Luo Qiao nodded and thanked him, “Thank you.”

Manager Geng finished his tasks and registrations, then somewhat impatiently said, “Sorry for the wait. Follow me inside.”

They entered the room one after another. Manager Geng said, “Take out the items and let me have a look.”

Luo Qiao observed that Manager Geng’s eyes were clear and he didn’t seem like a bad person. She set down her basket, took out the ginseng wrapped in a handkerchief, and handed it over directly.

Manager Geng received the handkerchief carefully, opened it gently, and upon seeing the contents, his eyes lit up. He quickly fetched a magnifying glass from the nearby shelf and examined it closely, and said, “This is truly a fine item. The quality is excellent and it’s perfectly intact.”

Excitedly, he examined it several times with the magnifying glass before looking up at Luo Qiao earnestly and asking, “Did you gather this yourself?”

Luo Qiao nodded. Fortunately, her tall stature and the disguise she wore upon entering ensured she wasn’t immediately recognizable. Manager Geng appeared genuine and not someone who would deceive others.

After another careful examination, Manager Geng reluctantly said, “This ginseng is approximately seventy years old. If taken to the city, it would fetch a higher price than what our commune can offer.”

Luo Qiao thought for a moment and said, “Manager Geng, give me your best offer, the highest you can go. If it’s close enough, I’ll sell it to you. It’s troublesome to go to the city, and this ginseng came unexpectedly anyway.”

Manager Geng remembered that a friend’s father was critically ill and urgently needed ginseng to sustain his life. He thought for a moment and replied, “Five hundred yuan.”

After a brief consideration, Luo Qiao nodded and said, “Deal.”

This ginseng was carefully selected by Luo Qiao in her spatial storage. If it was too small, it wouldn’t be valuable; if too large, it might attract unwanted attention. Earlier that morning, she had even staged a disguise in case of unforeseen circumstances.

She understood that selling in the city would definitely fetch a higher price than in the commune, but she needed money to buy the assigned house in the educated youth courtyard and to continue her education.

Medicinal herbs provided the perfect opportunity. Villagers would certainly inquire, and there had to be a place to satisfy their curiosity—the local drugstore was ideal.

Manager Geng smiled and said, “My name is Geng Ming. You can call me Uncle Geng.”

Luo Qiao smiled back and said, “Then I won’t stand during the ceremony. Please take good care of me in the future, Uncle Geng.”

Geng Ming smiled and poured a cup of tea for Luo Qiao, saying, “Let me prepare the money. Please have some tea.”