Looking at the still very fresh herbs, the shopkeeper nodded with satisfaction. Pei Luo reluctantly nodded back, saying,
“Mm, I picked them early this morning to sell.”
Although she had taken a small piece of Bletilla to make medicine for Xiao Man, and kept some Dendrobium for the two little ones, the plants had now grown to twice their original size. The other herbs had also grown at least double, and even the wild ginseng had grown considerably. After calculating, the shopkeeper gave her a total of sixty-eight taels of silver. The wild ginseng was the most valuable, priced at forty taels; the Dendrobium and Bletilla together were valued at twenty-five taels; the rest, though inexpensive, were numerous and counted for three taels.
Pei Luo was very satisfied with the price. However, she still needed to purchase other herbs and seeds. Instead of taking the silver immediately, she selected the herbs and seeds she needed first, then settled the account. Initially, she had thought she was now wealthy, but after payment, the sixty-plus taels were not enough. Pei Luo added five more taels to buy all the herbs she needed. The seeds were not counted, as ancient cultivation techniques were not advanced, and most seeds, even if preserved, could not be grown—hence their low value.
Looking at the large bundle of herbs, she sighed. Indeed, making medicine was a costly endeavor. Once the medicine was prepared, she could make a good profit. She had bought these herbs specifically to make medicine—being a skilled Chinese physician, preparing medicine was simple; the real challenge was developing new formulas.
Exiting the pharmacy, she found an empty alley and quickly stored the herbs in her space before heading back out. Worried about the two children at home, she hurried through the streets to buy household necessities. Her third uncle’s ox cart would return at noon, so she needed to move quickly.
After purchasing the herbs, she had twenty-five taels of silver left. She bought two sets of clothing for each of the children and two sets for herself, spending three taels. The clothing was not of fine material, just common gauze garments, but they were lightweight and suitable for summer. She chose a pink set for Xiao Man and a green set for Xiao Chen, knowing the little girl would love it.
Pei Luo realized that there were still many things the household needed, but clearly she couldn’t buy everything in one day. She focused on essentials, purchasing buns for the children, rice, flour, oil, seasonings, and various vegetable seeds. Before heading home, she even bought a candied hawthorn for each child, imagining their delighted expressions and feeling cheerful.
Though she hadn’t been out long, she had bought a lot. Without her space, she could hardly have carried it all. Only light items and some food were kept in her basket for appearances; heavier items went into her space. Her basket looked full but couldn’t hold much.
By the time Pei Luo arrived outside the county gate, her third uncle was waiting under the old locust tree. Everyone else who had gone with her was already there. Seeing her approach, they began boarding the ox cart.
“Third aunt, you sold the fox skin? Looks like you made quite a bit of money, buying all this stuff,” a few village women remarked, eyeing the basket behind her. Villagers often couldn’t bear to see others fare better and had a natural tendency to compare.
“Oh, bought a lot, even candy? Spending money like this isn’t wise. Money should be used carefully,” one woman commented.
Third Uncle Lu immediately interrupted them,
“Enough, quiet down. Third aunt, don’t take Li Auntie’s words to heart. What she said is harsh, but truthful. You have little grain at home—before winter, you must prepare for your two children. Every household is tight this year. You must plan ahead.”
Pei Luo smiled warmly, her eyes curved in reassurance.
“Don’t worry, Third Uncle. I’ll make sure the two kids don’t go hungry.”
Third Uncle Lu nodded, telling everyone to sit down. He patted the ox, and the cart slowly made its way back to Dashivillage.
He was one of the few in Dashivillage with the surname Lu. The village had only about fifty households, six of which were surnamed Lu, descendants of ancestors who had fled famine and settled here. Because most residents had different surnames, there was a quiet undercurrent of rivalry and comparison.
Once the ox cart finally returned after half an hour, Pei Luo stepped off, stretching her stiff limbs. The ride had left her waist and back sore. She thought to herself that once she had more money, she would buy a proper carriage.
“Third Uncle, I didn’t pay you for the ride before because I had no money. Now that I do, here’s your fare.”
She pulled two copper coins from her pocket and handed them to him. Third Uncle Lu waved them off:
“Forget it this time. You finally earned some money and bought so many things today. You probably don’t have much left anyway, and you’ll need to buy more grain for home. Keep your silver; I’m not short of a few coins.”