Fifth Brother pouted, clearly dissatisfied.
“When I grow up, I’ll be stronger than Second Brother for sure.”
Because nobody in the village recognized herbs, hardly anyone went to collect them. This meant the herbs on the mountain were extremely abundant.
By this day, the family had accumulated quite a bit of processed herbs ready for sale.
Tang Yunshu said to her parents,
“Father, Mother, I want to take these herbs to the town and try selling them. If they sell well, we can continue gathering; if not, we won’t waste everyone’s effort.”
Tang Dashan replied,
“Yunshu, tomorrow just happens to be market day in Huanling Town. We can sell the herbs and, at the same time, I’ll take you around to see the big market.”
“Big market? Market day! I’ve never been to town before—how wonderful!” Tang Yunshu said excitedly.
Fifth Brother shouted, “Dad, I want to go too!”
The other brothers’ eyes lit up as well—they all clearly wanted to go.
Tang Yunshu quickly pleaded,
“Father, let’s all go. It’ll be lively with everyone, and we can take a day off from work.”
“Alright, we’ll follow our daughter’s suggestion.”
The brothers were grateful, looking at Tang Yunshu with admiration. From youngest to eldest, their father always listened to her.
The next morning, after breakfast, the father and sons carried the processed herbs and set off with Tang Yunshu.
People from their village always walked to town. It was about thirty li away, so they left early.
The men were used to walking long distances, but Tang Yunshu’s physical fitness wasn’t strong, and soon she struggled to keep up.
One by one, the brothers took turns carrying her as they hurried along. After nearly two hours, they finally arrived in town.
The wide dirt road through the town center was lined with all kinds of stalls.
At the cloth stalls, neatly arranged were coarse and fine fabrics of every color.
Merchants shouted, “Look at this cloth, feel the quality! Strong and durable—you can wear a garment for years!”
Shoppers ran their hands over the fabrics, bargaining loudly.
Nearby, food stalls sent out tempting aromas.
Steam rose from bamboo baskets, and the scent of freshly steamed meat buns filled the air.
A noodle stall was crowded with people enjoying chicken noodle soup and meat broth noodles, expressions of delight on their faces.
Other food stalls were packed too. The market was bustling, with both farmers in rough hemp clothes and wealthy people in silk.
Everyone wandered the streets, picking up items. At a stall selling women’s accessories, a row of women inspected hairpins, combs, bracelets, and earrings, with the owner smiling and helping them choose.
The chatter of vendors, bargaining, and children playing blended together, resembling a lively scene straight out of a northern town’s “Qingming Riverside” painting.
It was Tang Yunshu’s first time visiting a market of this era, and she was fascinated.
Her brothers were equally enthralled, looking here and there—they rarely came to town.
Tang Dashan said,
“Yunshu, let’s go to the pharmacy first, then explore the market.”
“Alright, Father.”
The town had only one pharmacy, with a main hall inside.
A young pharmacy assistant saw several people arrive and hurried out to greet them, asking,
“Are you here to see a doctor or buy herbs?”
Tang Yunshu asked politely,
“I want to speak to your manager. I have some processed herbs and would like to know if you’d buy them.”
“Please wait a moment, miss. I’ll fetch the manager.”
Soon, a middle-aged man appeared. He had a trustworthy and honest appearance. He asked,
“I’m the manager. Are you here to sell herbs?”
Tang Dashan replied,
“Yes. These herbs come from our mountains, and my daughter processed them herself. Would you buy them?”
He placed the herbs on the counter. The manager carefully examined them, picking up a handful to smell. He praised,
“These herbs are excellent, processed perfectly. Your daughter knows how to handle them so carefully—impressive! Is all of this the same quality?”
Tang Yunshu said,
“All our herbs are good quality; anything inferior has been sorted out. We have licorice, wild ginger, Banlangen, and more, all processed. We also have some raw licorice slices—what price can you offer?”
The manager asked,
“May I ask if you understand medicine?”
Tang Yunshu replied modestly,
“I’ve studied a bit with a teacher—just some basic knowledge.”
“Hmm, it’s rare to find someone who understands medicine, even rarer for a woman. Very well, I’ll buy all these herbs, and the price will satisfy you. Normally, we have standardized purchasing, but since these are high quality, we can continue buying from you. Banlangen: six wen per liang, Licorice: ten wen per liang, Bupleurum: fifteen wen per liang, Yu Zhu: nine wen per liang, Red Peony: nine wen per liang, Wild Ginger: sixty wen per liang. This is northern wild ginger, which is higher quality than southern, so the price is higher. How does that sound?”
Tang Yunshu, not fully familiar with market prices, didn’t want to show weakness. She calmly said,
“Uncle, the prices for most herbs are fine, but this northern wild ginger seems a bit low. Look at the quality—I spent a lot of care processing it.”
The manager laughed,
“You really know your stuff, young lady! Fine, I’ll add 5 wen to the price for the ginger. That’s the most I can offer in this town.”
“Alright, Uncle. Please have someone weigh it then.”
After the transaction, the total came to 10 liang and 100 wen in silver.
The manager handed the money to Tang Dashan. The men stared in disbelief as they left the pharmacy.
“Little sister, pinch Fifth Brother—this is real?” Fifth Brother shouted.
“Ouch! Little sister, that hurts! Why are you so strong?” he complained, then excitedly exclaimed,
“It’s real! Little sister, you’re amazing!”
Tang Dashan was equally thrilled.
“Herbs are worth so much! Tomorrow, we must go gather more.” The brothers nodded eagerly.
Tang Yunshu said,
“Father, brothers, let’s go buy some pastries for Mother, some cloth for new clothes, and a pair of shoes each. Also, our quilts are too thin—sleeping on the kang is uncomfortable. We need to buy more. And let’s get some pork to give to Uncle Su—you know, he helped make a wheelchair for my eldest brother.”