Tang Zhuojun gritted her teeth and tried to bargain. But then an aged- looking hand reached out from behind and pushed her items back toward her. “Go try another shop!”
Tang Zhuojun grabbed that hand immediately.
The shopkeeper was stunned. After all these years, it was the first time anyone had “disrespected” him like this!
Taking advantage of his momentary shock, Tang Zhuojun traced his pulse.
A secret thrill ran through her— just as she suspected.
Before the shopkeeper could get angry, she spoke in a fragile voice: “Shopkeeper, do you wake up in the morning with stiffness, swollen joints, and unbearable pain?”
Just now, when she saw the shopkeeper’s deformed fingers, she had already guessed something, which gave her the courage to boldly check his pulse.
The shopkeeper froze, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes. “How does this little girl know? You must have heard it from someone, right? Many people know about this old ailment of mine. If you’re trying to bargain, forget it!”
As expected, a businessman was naturally suspicious.
Tang Zhuojun, unhurried, said, “Lean closer. I’ll tell you something others don’t know.”
The shopkeeper, half-believing, lowered his head.
Tang Zhuojun whispered something in his ear. The shopkeeper’s face flushed, and his gaze toward her grew more scrutinizing and serious.
“My ancestors were renowned doctors,” Tang Zhuojun said offhandedly, “Your pulse is weak and floating, your blood stagnates—surely you’ve taken a lot of medicine.”
“I have, but none of it works,” he said.
“You should try my prescription,” Tang Zhuojun said confidently.
“You—” The shopkeeper looked incredulous. “Do you really know how to treat illness, or are you just putting on airs?”
Tang Zhuojun smiled. “You can show the prescription to any other physician. If they say it’s no good, then I admit I’ve deceived you.”
A young clerk nearby said, “Shopkeeper, why don’t you try it? Your condition is unbearable when it flares up!”
The shopkeeper slapped him on the head. “Get lost!”
Tang Zhuojun knew he didn’t want her to get smug, so she pretended not to notice and waited for him to speak first.
Sure enough, the shopkeeper said, “Alright. You write the prescription. If it really works, I’ll give you ten taels of silver as consultation fees! As for the pawned items, their value stays the same.”
“Twenty taels,” Tang Zhuojun said without even raising an eyelid. “One fixed price. You pay only if it works.”
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth. “Fine! Someone, get the writing supplies!”
When his condition flares, the pain is unbearable. If she could truly cure it, he would gladly pay even fifty or a hundred taels, let alone twenty.
“Now, you write,” Tang Zhuojun said.
Embarrassingly, the original owner didn’t know many characters, and her handwriting was atrocious. Tang Zhuojun, new to this world, also didn’t recognize the characters here, which were almost like seal script— so she felt a little awkward.
The shopkeeper assumed she simply didn’t want to leave her handwriting and took the brush himself.
“Epimedium, Salvia, Rehmannia, Qingfeng vine, two qian each…” Tang Zhuojun recited slowly and confidently.
When she finished giving the prescription, Tang Zhuojun took a one-hundred-tael silver note from her bundle. “To show my sincerity, I’ll come back in ten days to collect the consultation fee.”
The shopkeeper said, “Shall we write a contract—?”
“No need,” Tang Zhuojun said as she walked out. “I trust you.”
Mainly, her handwriting was too ugly, and besides, ten days would only relieve the symptoms. Further treatment would require a new prescription,she has to rely on herself— no risk of him cheating her.
“Wait!” The shopkeeper ran after her, pulling out two taels of silver from his sleeve and handing it to her. “This is a deposit. Since you trust me, I trust you too.”
Tang Zhuojun smiled faintly and accepted the silver calmly.
It seemed the shopkeeper had already begun to trust her a little and wanted to maintain good relations in the future.
After she left, the young clerk leaned toward the shopkeeper. “Shopkeeper, what did that little girl whisper to you?”
The shopkeeper’s face turned red. “Go, go, go! Don’t pry!”
Could the things that happened inside the room be told to anyone? That little girl— he wasn’t sure if it was a lucky accident or if she truly had some skill. He would wait and see.