“How much do I need?”
Zhang Zhuan asked directly.
He had been chained together when he first chose to work with the two people in front of him, not to mention needing herbs, even if he wanted this medicine shop he would have to give it to him.
“Five large carts, I think.”
Zhang Zhuan doubted he had heard wrong, five big carts of herbs, even if all the people in Qingping County cooked them for dinner they could eat them for two meals.
He dared not ask Song Wangyue what she was doing with so many herbs and said, “You want too much, I don’t have so much in my pharmacy.”
“Sell us as much as you have in this pharmacy first, and ask Mr. Zhang to help us think of a way to prepare the rest for us as much as possible, yes, there are also some great tonic medicines.”
Song Wangyue told him the names of the herbs she needed. After hearing this, Zhang Zhuan’s heart was in shock.
“Still, is there more?”
“That’s all, Mr. Zhang, see when you can get me all of them?”
Zhang Zhuan also took over the medicine shop only after Master Zhang disappeared, but at that time the news of Zhang Huai’s death had not yet come back, so he did not dare to be too much in charge, just checking the books and then ordering the shopkeeper to import some necessary herbs to keep the medicine shop afloat first. It was not until a few days ago that the news of Zhang Huai’s death came through that he really took charge, but not having dealt with the merchants who sold the herbs, he didn’t really know when they would be ready.
“This way, I’ll call the shopkeeper over and ask.”
He was overjoyed to hear that Song Wangyue and Gu Yi wanted so many medicinal herbs at once. But it will cost a lot of money, so it would be best if you could give us a portion of the money up front.”
“That’s fine.”
Song Wangyue took out the silver cheques and put them on the table, “This is 20,000 taels of silver.”
The shopkeeper’s face was pleased.
“I want so much, are you also giving a discount with me on the price?”
The shopkeeper looked at Zhang Zhuan, waiting for him to make up his mind.
Zhang Zhuan nodded, and only then did the shopkeeper dare to speak, “We will let you have 10% at the market price.”
“Okay, deal.”
Song Wangyue pushed the silver ticket in front of Zhang Zhuan, “How much you have in your medicine shop now, load it all up on our carriage.”
The shopkeeper happily responded and turned around to head out.
“Wait a minute.”
The shopkeeper turned around again instantly, “What else does the girl have to order?”
“I hope you can keep today’s incident a secret and not spread the word, if you do, I will come to you every month in the future to buy herbs, it won’t be as much as this time, but it won’t be too little either.”
“Don’t worry, girl.”
Having a regular customer is the same as having a regular income, the shopkeeper would be foolish to say anything about it, so that other peers would know and grab it.
Song Wangyue nodded her head.
The shopkeeper went out and ordered his men to move the herbs out of the storehouse, cleaned up the numbers and put them on the carriage outside.
Zhang Zhuan saw Song Wan Yue and Gu Yi out and watched them get into the carriage and walk away before he let out a long breath.
Song Wan Yue instructed the carriage driver to send the herbs to Dr. Yao’s place, while she and Gu Yi went back to the mansion.
Meng had just drunk a bowl of herbal tea and was praising it. When she saw them enter, she was all smiles.
“I asked your mother just now, and she said that you worked out all these recipes by yourself. Grandma is curious to know how much more you have in your little head that we don’t know.”
“A lot.”
Song Wangyue shook her head in triumph.
It made the room laugh.
Meng had never been so happy before, and the wrinkles on her face were stretched out.
The people talked and laughed until half-past mid-afternoon, when Grandma Song went back, leaving Song Lin and Xu here to keep the old man and Meng company.
On the way back, Master Song was very happy; he had not expected the old gentleman to be so approachable and did not look down on him in the least because he could not read or write.
“The oldest is really blessed.”
“Who says otherwise.”
Grandma Song also sighed, they wouldn’t have dreamed that Xu was the daughter of a great Confucian family.
The carriage had just entered the village, and before it reached the doorstep, Song San Xiao had already come running over impatiently, not following the stall today, waiting for news at home, apprehensive all day, afraid that Grandma Song would reject the marriage.
He jumped onto the carriage and lifted the curtain, “Mother, how did it go?”
Grandma Song gave him a blank look, “If you have such an indolent nature, it’s bad luck for Qi to marry you.”
“How could it be bad luck, I ……”
Song Sanxiao had not finished his sentence when he came back to his senses and called out, “Mother, you have agreed.”
Grandma Song covered her ears, “What’s the point of saying it so loud, do you want to deafen me and your father?”
Song Sanxiao immediately lowered her voice and poked her body in, “Mother, do you agree?”
Grandma Song pushed his head away from her, “When Miss Qi has recovered a bit, Mother will go and find a matchmaker to propose a marriage.”
“Excellent.”
Song San Xiao scurried up, forgetting that he was on the carriage, and hit his head on the roof with a thud, immediately wailing and covering his head with tears of pain.
“Serves you right!”
He said, “You’re going to have a daughter-in-law now, so behave yourself, don’t be so stubborn.”
Song San Xiao couldn’t even say the words that hurt.
Song Wan Yue laughed at him, “Third Uncle, you are having fun.”
Song Sanxiao looked up with “teary eyes”, “Yue’er, look at how pitiful Third Uncle is, shouldn’t you give me some silver to comfort me?”
Song Wan Yue, ……
Song grandmother glared at him, “What do you need silver for?”
“Since I’m going to be betrothed to Miss Qi, I naturally have to go see her, I can’t go empty-handed.”
“What are you going to do? I’m warning you old man, you can’t go even once until you’re engaged to Miss Qi, lest you ruin her reputation, if you dare disobey me, see if I don’t break your legs!”
Song San Xiao “wiped his eyes” in aggression, and when he glanced at Gu Yi, his eyes darted around a few times.
The carriage was stopped by Song San Xiao who climbed up on his hands and knees.
Gu Yi instantly guessed his intention and did not move his face, “Third Uncle, something wrong?”
Song Sanxiao told the coachman to continue walking slowly as he sat down in the carriage, “Yi’er, you have returned from the capital, I see that Yue’er is treating you better now.”