bayedsolid Chapter 46 Encountering an 8-Corner at the Pharmacy
Chapter 46 Encountering an 8-Corner at the Pharmacy
Liu Xi looked at Doctor Chen with a troubled and uneasy expression: "Doctor Chen, is this...is this okay? Isn't it too much? We have plenty of these things on our mountain."
Dongfang Jin perked up immediately: "You mean you have plenty of this where you live?"
At this moment, the woman on Liu Xi's back said, "Yes, piece by piece, nobody wants them. My family... because of my health... we really have nothing to eat... that's why..."
Having nothing else to eat, she went up the mountain to dig these things to fill her stomach. Actually, she was thinking of poisoning herself, but to her surprise, not only did she not die after eating them, but they were also delicious, like meat.
After that, her family would pick some every day, and besides eating them, they would dry the rest to see if they could sell them to supplement their household income.
Unfortunately, every time they came to the county, no one wanted them, including the merchants who came and went. They even said they were desperate for money. Once, her husband was almost beaten up.
She wanted to throw it all away, but her husband always carried it with him whenever he brought her to the doctor, saying that someone would recognize it… And now… today…
Dongfang Jin looked at the couple and said, "Here's what you'll do: go home and pick some fresh things. Take a little of everything you can find on the mountain. But keep them separate, because I'm afraid some mushrooms might be poisonous and contaminate the others."
After saying that, she thought about where to send him, since she probably couldn't go back to Lingwu Village right now: "Well, send him to the county government office."
When you arrive, go to the yamen and find Li Xiuwen and Li Fengshou. Tell them you are looking for Gu Chenglin's family, and they will notify me.
"Once I see what I need, you can harvest a large quantity then, how about that?"
Liu Xi, his body trembling with excitement, asked, "Really...really...really?"
If that's the case, that would be wonderful. His wife would be saved, saved! He wouldn't have to sell himself anymore, and his family would still be whole, whole!
Ah Dong then spoke up, "She wouldn't lie. Bring everything she wants; she'll definitely take it."
Doctor Chen laughed and said cheerfully, "Go on, this way you won't have to sell yourself. You've met a benefactor!"
He had no idea a young woman had arrived at the county office. Judging from her attire, she didn't seem to be a member of the county magistrate's family. Could it be...?
Liu Xixi, overjoyed, smiled again, a smile she hadn't shown in a long time: "Yes...yes...I'll go back and gather them right away. Doctor Chen...I...I have money now...that medicine...that medicine, what do you think?"
Doctor Chen looked troubled: "Liu Xi, let me give you a heads-up, to cure the poison in her body, it will take at least thirty-five taels."
This amount of money might not be much for a wealthy family, but for the Liu family, it was an astronomical sum.
It wasn't that he was heartless and wouldn't help; it was because he was powerless to do so. If it weren't a large sum of money, he could refuse to accept it, but this amount was considerable. His shop needed to operate, and he needed to purchase more goods.
Dongfang Jin stood aside watching and listening, and she understood that it would cost thirty-five taels of silver to completely remove the poison from Liu Xi's wife's body.
I glanced at Liu Xi and his wife's clothes. It was already autumn, but they were still wearing only thin clothes, and their clothes were patched upon patched. Then I looked at their shoes... Good heavens... straw sandals! They really were straw sandals!
Just as she was about to take out her money, Ah Dong pulled her back and shook his head at her.
"What should we do?"
Just as Liu Xi was emitting a mournful sound, the large blue bowl in Dongfang Jin's mind emitted a faint light again.
But she didn't care why it had reappeared, because she saw something familiar in the basket and bent down to pick up a string of green things to examine them closely.
When Liu Xi's wife saw what Dongfang Jin was holding, she said apologetically, "This is also from the mountains around here. It's everywhere, and I don't know what it is."
This is probably something my child got to play with, and his dad accidentally put it inside.
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Jin realized that there were plenty of these in the mountains, but no one knew what they were.
Pointing to the star anise in his hand, he showed it to the couple: "I want this too, as much as you have."
However, I don't want this light green one; I want this dark green one, preferably the kind that has turned into an even darker shade.
Air-dried ones, I'll give you... ten... no, twenty coins a pound. Freshly picked ones, damp ones, are eight coins a pound.
If your mountains still have something green like Sichuan peppercorns, I'd like some too. Dried ones are twenty-five coins a pound, damp ones are ten coins a pound.
After Dongfang Jin finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned.
Doctor Chen looked at her as if she were a fool. This stuff is neither edible nor medicinal. Even the livestock at home won't eat it. What does she want it for?
Seeing that even the guards around the magistrate didn't try to dissuade him, he... decided to keep quiet.
Liu Xi and his wife were dumbfounded. This stuff could be sold for money? Twenty coins when dried? That's the price of a bushel of rice.
You know, there are plenty of these things in the mountains over there, they grow in large patches, and nobody wants them.
Freshly picked fruit is so cheap that people would fight to sell it even if it were eight coins a pound, or even a hundred pounds for eight coins.
What do they lack now? Money? The couple wept with joy.
Liu Xi, a grown man, started crying without any regard for his image.
Their crying startled Dongfang Jin.
He placed the silver in the woman's hand, walked quickly to A Dong's side, patted his chest, and exclaimed, "What the hell is going on?"
It is said that men do not easily shed tears, but only when they are deeply saddened. This is something she has truly witnessed.
In the end, Dr. Chen agreed to give them the medicine on credit, and the couple kowtowed to Dr. Chen before leaving.
Before leaving, she specifically asked Dongfang Jin again if she really wanted those things.
Dongfang Jin told them definitively that she would accept whatever amount he gave her.
After receiving an affirmative answer, Liu Xi and his wife happily left with the medicine that Doctor Chen had given them on credit.
On the way back to the county government office, A-Dong curiously held up the string of star anise and asked Dongfang Jin what it was and why he had to pay money to buy it.
Dongfang Jin explained to him: "Star anise, also known as anise or star anise, is scientifically named star anise.
It helps relieve spasms and reduce pain.
It can be used to improve symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, stomach pain due to cold, and abdominal pain due to cold.
It's not only a traditional Chinese medicine, but also a seasoning; adding it to stir-fries can enhance the flavor.
"So, are all these things you bought seasonings?" A-Dong asked curiously, pointing to the medicinal herbs he had just bought from the pharmacy in his basket.
Dongfang Jin nodded: "Yes, these are both medicine and seasonings."
When the two arrived at the county government office, Dongfang Jin went to the kitchen, while A Dong went to find Lu Yunqing and told him what had happened at Yonghe Hall.
He also gave his master a packet of seasonings that Dongfang Jin had bought.
When the master and servant arrived at the kitchen, before they even went inside, they heard people inside saying how delicious it smelled.
The master and servant smelled the fragrance, exchanged a glance, and then went into the courtyard.
Lu Yunqing saw a large pot in the courtyard, bubbling away, simmering lamb bones in a broth as white as milk.
Everyone gathered around to watch Sun Hu and his mother. One of them was shaking the small millstone, while the other was putting roasted sesame seeds into the millstone hole.
On the small stool under the millstone was a small bowl containing sesame paste.
“My lord,” Cuiying said, half-crouching in greeting.
As soon as she spoke, everyone else immediately bowed or knelt down.
Only Dongfang Jin stood there, stunned. This...
Upon seeing this, Lu Yunqing gestured for them to stand up and warned them not to bow in the government office in the future.
Those people rose nervously, all wondering why the magistrate had acted this way today. Then, when they saw Dongfang Jin standing by the sesame paste basin, they suddenly understood.
Lu Yunqing saw what was in the basin and asked Dongfang Jin, who was still in a daze, "Is this sesame paste?"
Dongfang Jin nodded and pursed her lips: "Yes."