Yu Banxia raised an eyebrow. It seemed this shop was indeed good, no wonder its reputation was so excellent.
The three siblings were dressed plainly, yet the clerk showed no hint of disdain. Yu Banxia’s favorable impression of the Spring Revival Pavilion instantly rose considerably.
Once inside the inner room, Yu Banxia took out the cloth-wrapped wild ginseng from Yu Mancang’s basket.
The ginseng was still covered in soil, its roots distinct and perfectly preserved—it had been unearthed flawlessly.
The clerk, who had initially seemed indifferent, widened his eyes the moment he saw what was wrapped in the cloth.
A wild ginseng over a hundred years old?!
No wonder they had come to the inner room to discuss this. If it had been opened outside, word would have spread quickly.
The elderly lady of the Mo family in the southern part of the city was currently relying on a ginseng to save her life. If this were known, it would be hard to say who would end up with this ginseng.
“Please wait a moment, all three of you. This item is too valuable for me to decide. I’ll go fetch the shopkeeper right away.”
With that, the clerk hurried out. Soon, another clerk entered, bringing tea and snacks.
Yu Banxia noticed that this clerk didn’t let his eyes wander.
After setting down the tea and snacks, he left directly. Yu Mancang and the other sibling appeared somewhat uneasy, while Yu Banxia elegantly picked up her teacup and took a sip.
She raised an eyebrow slightly—it was premium Longjing tea, harvested before the rains.
“Hahaha, my young friends, apologies for the wait,” a middle-aged man said with a laugh as he entered, first sizing up the three of them.
His gaze finally settled on Yu Banxia, who was calmly sipping her tea, though he didn’t stare at the young lady for too long.
Soon, his attention shifted to the ginseng.
“Young lady, I am Zhao Zhongxian, the shopkeeper of the Spring Revival Pavilion. May I take a closer look?” The shopkeeper clasped his hands in greeting and introduced himself to Yu Banxia.
Yu Banxia gestured for him to proceed and continued drinking her tea.
Zhao Zhongxian carefully examined the ginseng in his hands before setting it down with satisfaction.
“Young lady, how much are you asking for this ginseng?”
Seeing his inquiry, Yu Banxia directly held up two fingers.
Yu Mancang looked excitedly at Yu Banyue. Could this ginseng really sell for twenty taels of silver?
Zhao Zhongxian chuckled and nodded. “Your asking price is reasonable. For a ginseng of this quality, unearthed so perfectly, you must be well-versed in medicinal principles?”
“I know a little, but I’m not particularly skilled.”
“Otherwise, I would have processed it before bringing it here. In that case, it wouldn’t be something two hundred taels could secure.”
Upon hearing Yu Banxia’s words, Yu Mancang and his sibling were stunned on the spot. How, how much?!
Two hundred taels!
The siblings were overwhelmed by the enormous sum, so shocked they didn’t know where to put their hands and feet.
“Hahaha, it seems the young lady truly understands medicine and medicinal principles.”
“Indeed, if this ginseng were processed, it wouldn’t be something two hundred taels could secure.”
“Then I’ll take the liberty of purchasing this ginseng. If you have any other medicinal herbs in the future, you’re welcome to sell them here as well. You’re always welcome to visit.”
Zhao Zhongxian laughed heartily. With such a ginseng acquired, his master would surely be very pleased.
“Could you give me thirty taels in broken silver and the rest in ten-tael silver ingots?” Yu Banxia made her request to Zhao Zhongxian.
Zhao Zhongxian was momentarily taken aback. He wanted to say that carrying so much silver was unsafe but ultimately held back and nodded.
He called a clerk to fetch the money from the bank, then sat down to chat with the Yu siblings.Yu Mancang appeared somewhat uneasy, his words stumbling and hesitant.
Unable to bear seeing her brother and sister so ill at ease, Yu Banxia struck up a conversation with Zhao Zhongxian.
In a short while, the two of them found themselves getting along quite well, and Yu Mancang finally relaxed, taking a sip of tea.
Huh, so bitter.
Seeing how happily his younger sister had been drinking it earlier, he had thought it would taste much better.
“This Longjing tea picked before the rain is quite good, with a lingering sweetness,” Yu Banxia remarked, holding her tea bowl as the conversation somehow turned to tea.
Zhao Zhongxian chuckled, “Who would have thought that a small place like Yunshan Town would hide such a wise and intelligent young lady? If you were a man, you could certainly achieve great things.”
“Oh, so the shopkeeper believes women are unworthy of having a place under the sun?” Yu Banxia set down her tea bowl and raised an eyebrow, looking at Zhao Zhongxian.
Zhao Zhongxian was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Fair point, our Southern Jin does have female officials as well.”
“Young lady, you are well-versed in medicine, pharmacology, and even possess considerable knowledge. What’s more, you understand the art of tea. I truly admire you.”
“Shopkeeper Zhao is also quite remarkable,” Yu Banxia replied with a smile, returning the compliment.
Zhao Zhongxian laughed heartily, growing increasingly fond of this young lady.
“This is a small token of appreciation. I hope you won’t find it unworthy,” Zhao Zhongxian said, calling over a shop assistant to pack a tin of tea leaves for her.
Yu Banxia didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted it directly, expressing her thanks.
“Thank you, Shopkeeper Zhao. I also have a type of tea—not a famous variety, but rare in its own way. It’s called Cloud Peak Mist Tea. Next time my third brother comes to town, I’ll be sure to have him bring you some.”
Zhao Zhongxian grew curious and smiled, bowing slightly. “Then I shall await your brother’s visit.”
“Mhm,” Yu Banxia hummed, then turned her gaze toward the door.
Zhao Zhongxian followed her gaze curiously. Before long, he too heard footsteps, and a shop assistant entered.
Zhao Zhongxian mimicked her by raising an eyebrow. This young lady has sharp hearing, or perhaps she’s also trained in martial arts?
In truth, it was Xiao Bai who had alerted Yu Banxia.
“Young lady, here is the silver you requested. Please check if the amount is correct,” the shop assistant said, placing the silver on the table along with a small scale.
Yu Mancang stepped forward, with Yu Banyue assisting beside him.
After weighing the silver, he nodded to Yu Banxia and then bowed to Zhao Zhongxian. “Shopkeeper Zhao, the amount of silver is correct.”
“In that case, the transaction is complete,” Zhao Zhongxian returned the bow with a smile.
Yu Banxia also rose from her seat and gave a slight curtsy to Zhao Zhongxian.
The three siblings left the inner room and exited the medicine shop.
Zhao Zhongxian pushed open the window of the inner room, watching the three siblings chatting and laughing as they walked away. He chuckled softly, “How interesting. That girl may be dressed plainly, but her every gesture exudes nobility and refinement.”
“Yunshan Town has produced such a talented young lady.”
Yu Banxia reached into the basket on her back, and Yu Mancang clearly felt the basket lighten. He understood what had happened.
The reason they had requested broken silver was because Xiao Bai had mentioned that the Space could now store small items. After confirming that silver could be placed inside, Yu Banxia had asked for broken silver and coins.
This would make things more convenient in the future, as they didn’t live in town, and banknotes weren’t always practical.
“Where should we go now?” Yu Mancang asked, his entire demeanor brimming with excitement.
Now that the family had money, his nephew could attend school, and his sister-in-law would no longer speak sarcastically to his sister.”Go buy some things to bring back. I need to develop some soy sauce, and also get some food, like rice and flour.”
Hearing Yu Banxia say this, Yu Mancang and his sister didn’t think it was unreasonable, after all, the money was earned by her.