Renjitang Pharmacy was the city’s gold standard.
Carved beams, painted rafters, a classical, antique charm, and two massive red pillars at the entrance gave the place a sense of centuries-old history and gravitas.
In these times, the sales clerks at state-run shops carried an air of haughty disdain.
Su Ci parked the tricycle at the door, helped Lu Si down, and carefully wrapped the filthy pen holder in a cloth, tucking it into his arms.
“Old Lu, hold it tight. Once we’re inside, your job is simple: be an emotionless holding machine. Keep a stern face, don’t speak, and follow my lead.” She lowered her voice and straightened his collar.
Lu Si had no idea what scheme she was hatching, but seeing the crumbling, grimy pot in his arms, he twitched his lips and quietly hugged it tighter.
The moment they stepped in, heads turned.
A wheelchair-bound veteran pushing a young wife—handsome enough, but the combination somehow screamed… shabby.
Behind the counter, a middle-aged clerk, cracking sunflower seeds, lazily lifted an eyelid. “Buying medicine? Do you have a doctor’s prescription? No prescription, no sale.”
Su Ci wasn’t fazed. She walked up with a bright smile. “Comrade, we’d like some ginseng and the herbs on this prescription.”
She handed over the prescription from Old Chen.
The clerk glanced at it and scoffed. “Ha! Who wrote this? Scorpions, centipedes, hundred-year-old ginseng? You’re trying to brew an elixir, aren’t you? No way! These are all rare, special-supply items. Got a special permit?”
“No,” Su Ci admitted honestly.
“Then forget it.” The clerk tossed the paper back, spitting sunflower seeds onto the floor. “Out the left door. Don’t block the aisle.”
Lu Si’s face darkened, veins standing out on his hands resting on the wheelchair.
He hated being looked down upon more than anything.
Just as he was about to speak, a small, warm hand pressed gently against his.
Su Ci hadn’t left—she leaned closer to the counter, whispering conspiratorially:
“Comrade, it’s fine if the medicine’s unavailable. But I heard the pharmacy’s manager, Zhao, really knows his stuff. I have an old item I’d like him to take a look at.”
“Old item?” The clerk eyed her skeptically. “We’re a pharmacy, not a junk shop.”
“Whether it’s junk or not, you’ll see.”
Ignoring the clerk’s sneer, Su Ci gave Lu Si a subtle signal.
Though uneasy, Lu Si complied, holding out the cloth bundle.
Su Ci only peeled back a corner, revealing the warm purple clay and the partial plum blossom carvings.
At that moment, the back-room curtain lifted, and an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit with rolled-up sleeves appeared.
This was the legendary Manager Zhao. Though still behind the pharmacy counter, the glory of his youth was long gone, replaced with a cautious, almost timid gaze.
“What’s all the commotion?” Zhao asked, frowning, holding a steelyard.
“That girl brought some junk, claiming it’s valuable, and wants to trade it for medicine,” the clerk said with disdain, pointing at Su Ci.
Zhao glanced casually.
He intended to shoo them off—why invite trouble?
But when his eyes caught that splash of purple, his pupils contracted sharply.
That was…
He was a connoisseur; he instantly recognized the quality of the clay.
But in such a public setting, he couldn’t show it.
Zhao’s face changed, his shock hidden behind a mask of annoyance, and he walked over, blocking others from seeing.
“A pot for medicine? Nonsense!” he muttered, but his fingers moved deftly, brushing the exposed corner. The fine texture sent his heart racing.
It really was Yang Pengnian’s zisha!
Su Ci spotted his act, her confidence growing.
She switched to a pitiful, meek expression.
“Master Zhao, this is my family’s old pickle jar. My grandmother always said it makes the best pickles. We couldn’t afford the medicine, so I wondered if the jar could cover the cost?”
“Pickle jar?” Laughter erupted around them.
But Zhao’s face remained stern, scolding seriously: “What pickle jar can cover ginseng? That’s nonsense! But…”
His tone shifted; his eyes subtly swept Su Ci.
“Seeing as you two seem genuine, this prescription is complex. Some herbs require careful explanation. Come back with me; I’ll walk you through it to avoid mistakes.”
The clerk rolled his eyes. “Zhao, why bother? You’re too kind.”
“The heart of a healer is like a parent’s,” Zhao said, gesturing them to follow him. “Come inside. Don’t block the doorway.”
Su Ci smirked inwardly as she pushed Lu Si behind the curtain into the inner room.
Once inside, shielded from prying eyes and noise, Zhao’s impatience vanished.
His hands trembled as he closed the door, then he turned and bowed deeply, voice low but charged with excitement:
“Comrade, quick! Let me see that treasure properly! Out there, too many eyes. I didn’t want to cause trouble!”
Lu Si watched the old man’s rapid change in demeanor, then glanced at Su Ci, calm as ever. A wave of awe hit him.
Could this really be a treasure?
Su Ci placed the pen holder on the table.
“Master Zhao, you’re the expert. The value speaks for itself. I’m not short on money—I just need medicine. Life-saving medicine.”
She placed the prescription on the table again.
“I need double the amount of each herb on this sheet. That century-old ginseng must be authentic wild Changbai Mountain ginseng. Once the herbs are ready, this pen holder is yours.”
Zhao glanced at the prescription, gritted his teeth: “Fine! These herbs are tricky, but for this treasure, I’ll risk it! I have a secret stash of century-old ginseng—usually reserved for emergencies. Today, it’s yours!”
Soon, the herbs were packed—two generous bundles.
The ginseng came in a fine redwood box; Su Ci peeked inside. Full roots, long rhizomes—it was top-quality.
“Deal.” Su Ci handed over the pen holder.
Zhao held it reverently, unwilling to let go.
Before leaving, he handed Su Ci a bag of brown sugar and a rare meat coupon.
“Master, if you have treasures like this again, come straight to me! I won’t let you be cheated!”
Su Ci accepted, smiling.
Outside, she unwrapped the brown sugar, popping a chunk into Lu Si’s mouth.
“Sweet?”
Lu Si let the sugar melt, the taste spreading across his tongue. He looked at Su Ci, a mix of admiration and disbelief in his eyes:
“How do you know this stuff?”
Su Ci winked, a little foxy grin on her face: “Read it in books. Well, lucky for you, huh? Married a wife who can cook and appraise treasures!”
Lu Si turned his head, ears flushed, muttering under his breath: “A blind cat catching a dead mouse…”
Though stubborn, his hand on his lap quietly clenched the box of life-saving ginseng.