Jiang Ling thought for a moment. Fifty bars of soap wasn’t a small number, and this type of extra-fragrant soap was quite niche. It might not be possible to buy them all from the same store.
“Hmm, at least ten days.”
Wang Yue calculated. If she used the soap sparingly, it could last until the tenth day.
“Alright, ten days it is! Xiaocui, pay up!”
Xiaocui immediately placed a silver ingot on the counter.
Wang Yue urgently grasped Jiang Ling’s hand. “Shopkeeper, I’m paying the full amount upfront. You must be open on the tenth day!”
Jiang Ling’s hand ached from the grip. Faced with such a major customer, she couldn’t afford to offend her.
“Madam Chen, don’t worry. Honesty is paramount in business. I, Jiang Ling, will not break my word! Please come to the shop on the tenth day to collect your goods.”
Second Madam Chen sighed in relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted after many days!
She didn’t have time to linger and immediately boarded the carriage, heading toward the Chen residence.
The banquet time was approaching. Originally, she had planned to go directly to the banquet venue but couldn’t resist taking a detour to check the grocery store.
She happened to find the store open for business and was overjoyed!
With Jiang Ling’s promise, she no longer feared running out of soap.
She happily returned to the Chen residence to bathe!
As soon as Second Madam Chen left, a figure emerged from the corner.
It was a woman around fifty years old.
She was the wet nurse of the Chen family’s First Madam, née Zhou—Nanny Zhang.
She approached the grocery store and glanced at the signboard above.
Jixiang/Auspicious Grocery Store.
Right, didn’t Second Madam mention a grocery store last night?
Could this be the one!
At that moment, Jiang Ling was tidying the shelves. Just after moving items from the storeroom, she saw another customer at the door.
It seemed hanging the signboard was really effective.
“Auspicious Grocery Store—grains, oils, rice, flour, daily necessities, everything you need. What would you like, madam? Why not come in and take a look?”
Nanny Zhang stepped inside and couldn’t help but be startled. The shop had seemed unremarkable from outside, but upon entering, she realized there was much more to it!
Which village grocery store was so tidy and well-stocked?
And the shopkeeper was a young woman!
“May I ask, shopkeeper, what did the madam just now buy here?”
“Well… the shop prefers not to disclose customer-related matters. My apologies!”
“You misunderstand, shopkeeper. This old woman is a servant of the Chen family. The lady earlier was our Second Madam. I don’t mean any harm—I just want to know what she bought from you?”
Jiang Ling looked her over. She didn’t seem like a bad person. “That madam just bought a few bars of fragrant soap from the shop.”
Nanny Zhang’s eyes brightened. “How coincidental. I’d also like to buy a few bars of fragrant soap. Please give me the same type that Second Madam Chen just bought.”
“Unfortunately, the fragrant soap that madam just bought was the last of its kind in our store. If you want the same type, you’ll have to wait ten days for new stock.”
Nanny Zhang’s expression instantly darkened, as if disappointed.
She hadn’t expected Wang Shi to have bought all the fragrant soap.
How was she supposed to report this to her madam?
Ten days? Too long. If Wang Shi was lucky, she could be pregnant in ten days!
“To be honest, my First Madam urgently needs this type of fragrant soap. Shopkeeper, are you really completely out?”
Jiang Ling smiled. “Auntie, you may have been misled. That type of extra-fragrant soap is only suitable for those with strong body odor. Ordinary people using it might have the opposite effect. Our store carries other scented soaps. Would you like to take a look?”
“Really?”
Jiang Ling led her to the personal care shelf.
“Here we have mint, lemon, and frankincense scents—all fresh, elegant, and long-lasting. They are generally suitable for most people.”
“If you prefer a more prominent fragrance, we also have rose, osmanthus, and peach scents to choose from. Which one do you prefer, Auntie?”
Nanny Zhang hadn’t expected the store’s fragrant soaps to come in so many varieties!
Each scent was unique, and the fragrance could be detected even through the packaging!
The town also had osmanthus-scented soaps, but compared to these, they seemed almost scentless!
With so many choices, she couldn’t decide right away.
She picked up each one and sniffed them.
Hey, this one is nice! This one too!
Then, with a sweep of her hand, she decided to take one of each scent!
The Chen family wasn’t short on money!
…
Meanwhile, at the Crown Prince’s side, as he was about to mount his horse, a hurried shout came from a soldier.
It was said that among the villagers in the military camp, there was someone with a life-saving miracle pill!
A man on the brink of death had been revived after taking just one!
The Crown Prince’s hand, holding the reins, paused.
“A life-saving miracle pill?!”
That sounded utterly absurd!
Cheng Fang, who had just stepped out of the Crown Prince’s tent, also found this impossible upon hearing the news.
One does not speak of supernatural forces lightly. He said coldly, “Human lives are at stake—how can this be treated as a joke? Has the matter been verified before being reported?”
The soldier kowtowed, his voice trembling. “This humble soldier is not speaking nonsense. Even the military physician said the man was beyond saving. Then, a woman claiming to be his sister came and fed him a ‘miracle pill.’ Miraculously, the man woke up. Commander Zhao witnessed the entire process and knows all the details.”
Cheng Fang and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance.
They still found it hard to believe.
As the Crown Prince, his foremost concern was naturally the nation and its people!
As for the shop, it would have to wait for another time.
“Lead the way!”
…
The Crown Prince and Cheng Fang arrived at the disaster victims’ settlement area.
The foul air, carrying the stench of decay and blood, hit them as they entered. Makeshift shelters stood crookedly, and people in tattered clothes huddled in the mud, their eyes vacant. From deeper within came the sound of suppressed coughing.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince, Zhao Jingxing immediately stepped forward.
“Your Highness, this is the disaster victims’ settlement area—a mix of people and livestock, in wretched conditions! Many have caught chills, and there is a risk of epidemic! For Your Highness’s safety, please return to the camp!”
Cheng Fang was startled. He had forgotten to dissuade him earlier!
The consequences of a post-disaster epidemic were unimaginable!
He quickly added, “Indeed, Your Highness. This place is dangerous, with the risk of contagious disease. Please return to the camp. Allow us to investigate the situation and report to you in detail later!”
Crown Prince Qin Zhao raised a hand to stop them.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, but the idea of a life-saving miracle pill was too extraordinary. He had to see it for himself.
“Commander Zhao, is it true, as the soldier said, that there is a life-saving miracle pill?”
Zhao Jingxing replied, “Your Highness, this general has been patrolling the disaster area all morning. There is indeed a villager named Liu Ji. He was swept away by the floodwaters and, though rescued, has been running a high fever for two days. Medications administered over several days had no effect. The military physician declared that if the high fever persisted, there would be no hope.”
“This morning, a woman claiming to be his sister came to deliver medicine. This general personally witnessed her dissolve a white pill, about the size of a red bean, in water and give it to Liu Ji. In less than half an hour, Liu Ji’s fever broke. He has since woken up and is now able to take rice porridge. The patient’s pulse is now steady, and even the military physician cannot explain it.”
“It truly has such miraculous effects? Where is the villager involved? Take me to see him!”