Lin Wan skillfully skinned and gutted one of the wild rabbits, then skewered it on a thick branch over the fire.
Before long, fat dripped onto the glowing coals, sizzling loudly.
The rich aroma of roasting meat quickly filled the ruined temple.
Lin Yulong squatted nearby, swallowing hard, his eyes glued to the golden-brown rabbit.
Lin Wan tore off a juicy rabbit leg, blew on it to cool it down, and placed it in her brother’s hands.
“Eat slowly. Don’t burn yourself.”
Lin Yulong nodded repeatedly and devoured it without hesitation.
After they had eaten their fill, Lin Wan wrapped the remaining wild chicken and rabbit in large leaves and hid them inside the haystack.
She found an old bamboo basket.
Carefully, she placed the wild He Shou Wu inside and covered it with a thick layer of dry grass.
“Yulong, block the door tightly. No matter who comes, don’t make a sound unless it’s me.”
After reminding him several times, Lin Wan slung the basket onto her back and strode out of the ruined temple.
From Apricot Blossom Village to Qingshi Town, the journey had to be made entirely on foot, taking a full two hours.
By the time Lin Wan entered Qingshi Town, the sun was already high overhead.
The town was bustling with life. Stalls lined both sides of the stone-paved streets.
The cries of vendors, the clatter of horses’ hooves, and the laughter of children blended into a lively marketplace.
Lin Wan didn’t waste time wandering around.
She knew exactly where she was going.
Ignoring the small herbal shops at the entrance that only bought common medicinal herbs, she headed straight toward the most impressive three-story building in the center of town.
Above it hung a huge black plaque with gold lettering:
Huichun Hall.
It was the largest pharmacy in Qingshi Town—and the only one capable of purchasing truly valuable medicinal herbs.
Crossing the tall doorway, she was greeted by the rich scent of countless medicinal ingredients.
The assistants were busy preparing prescriptions and weighing herbs, while several well-dressed patients sat on benches waiting to see the physician.
“Hey! Where did this beggar come from? Get lost! Go beg somewhere else!”
A skinny shop assistant with a pointed face spotted Lin Wan and immediately waved her away in disgust.
To be fair, Lin Wan looked miserable.
She wore patched coarse clothes stained with blood and mud.
Her hair was tied carelessly with a piece of straw rope, and her cheeks were hollow from long-term malnutrition.
She looked exactly like a starving refugee who had wandered into town.
Seeing that she didn’t move, the assistant frowned and stepped forward to shove her.
“Didn’t you hear me? Stop blocking business at Huichun Hall!”
Lin Wan casually shifted to the side, effortlessly avoiding his hand.
Her expression remained cold and fearless.
“I’m not here to beg.”
“I’m here to sell medicine.”
“Call your manager.”
The assistant looked her up and down before sneering.
“You? Selling medicine? I bet that basket is full of rotten tree roots you dug up from the back mountain.”
“Huichun Hall only buys top-quality herbs. Get lost.”
Lin Wan ignored the snobbish assistant.
She walked straight to the redwood counter and set the basket down with a loud thud.
Bang!
Everyone in the shop jumped and turned to look.
“How dare you! Is this a place for you to cause trouble?”
The assistant grew furious and grabbed the abacus from the counter, ready to strike her.
“Stop!”
An old, authoritative voice came from the back room.
Moments later, an elderly man wearing a silk robe and sporting a neatly trimmed goatee walked out slowly.
It was Shopkeeper Sun of Huichun Hall.
Even from a distance, he had already caught the faint scent of freshly turned earth clinging to the girl’s clothes, making him frown slightly.
“Young lady, we truly don’t buy ordinary herbs here.”
“You should try another shop.”
His tone remained polite, but his attitude was clearly dismissive.
Lin Wan didn’t waste words.
She reached into the basket and brushed aside the thick layer of dry grass.
Instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance spread throughout the spacious pharmacy.
The elderly physicians who had been preparing herbs all twitched their noses and turned around at once.
Even Shopkeeper Sun’s expression changed immediately.
Lin Wan carefully lifted out the He Shou Wu and placed it on the counter.
Its deep purple-black root was about the size of a baby’s fist, covered with intricate natural patterns.
Its roots were perfectly intact, without the slightest damage, and still carried traces of the morning dew.
The entire pharmacy fell into complete silence.
Shopkeeper Sun’s goatee trembled violently.
His cloudy old eyes widened with excitement.
He rushed to the counter in only a few steps, practically throwing himself over the herb.
“Th-this…”
His voice trembled.
He hurriedly pulled a Western magnifying glass from his robe and examined it closely.
“Deep purple-black color… turtle-shell-like patterns… vines as thick as a little finger…”
He sucked in a sharp breath before looking up at Lin Wan in disbelief.
“Young lady… this is genuine wild hundred-year-old He Shou Wu!”
“Where did you dig this up?”
The surrounding customers gasped the moment they heard “hundred-year-old He Shou Wu.”
“My goodness! A hundred-year-old He Shou Wu? That’s a life-saving miracle medicine!”
“What incredible luck! She actually found something this valuable!”
The assistant who had tried to chase her away turned deathly pale, shrinking into the corner of the counter in fear.
Lin Wan remained expressionless, not even blinking.
“Where I found it isn’t your concern.”
“I only want to know one thing.”
“Is Huichun Hall buying it or not?”
Her tone was calm, as though she had placed an ordinary white radish on the counter instead of a priceless medicinal treasure.
Having spent decades in business, Shopkeeper Sun immediately realized this girl was anything but ordinary.
Any normal village girl who found such a treasure would be too excited to speak.
But the girl before him remained calm as still water.
Everything about her carried the composure of someone accustomed to standing above others.
He instantly abandoned any thoughts of looking down on her.
“We’ll buy it!”
“Of course we’ll buy it!”
He stroked his goatee, his eyes darting about as his merchant instincts surfaced.
“Young lady, this He Shou Wu is indeed rare…”
He deliberately dragged out his words before shaking his head.
“But it was only recently dug up. It contains too much moisture, and processing it results in significant loss.”
“I can see you’ve had a hard life.”
“How about this? I’ll offer you a generous price.”
“Ten taels of silver.”
“What do you think?”
Ten taels?
The surrounding crowd gasped.
In the countryside, ten taels of silver could support an entire family comfortably for several years.
Everyone assumed the poor girl would gratefully accept.
Even Shopkeeper Sun believed his offer was more than sufficient.
“Ten taels?”
Lin Wan let out a cold laugh.
A trace of ridicule flashed across her eyes.
Not only did she refuse, she reached out to pick up the He Shou Wu, preparing to place it back into her basket.
“Do you think I’m a three-year-old child?”
Her movements were crisp, and her voice was as sharp as an unsheathed blade.
“This He Shou Wu has seven connected vine segments.”
“Each segment is perfectly linked together—it’s the finest of its kind.”
“The root retains concentrated spiritual energy without dispersing, making its medicinal properties exceptionally potent.”
“If combined with ginseng and deer antler, it can be refined into a Consolidating Essence Pill, a medicine capable of saving lives.”
“Forget its moisture content—even a single root hair from this plant is worth ten taels in the prefectural city.”
She stared directly into Shopkeeper Sun’s eyes.
“You think I don’t know what it’s worth?”
“Fine.”
“I’ll take it across the street to Jishi Hall and ask them instead.”
Her professional analysis struck Shopkeeper Sun like a hammer.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across his forehead.
This wasn’t an ignorant village girl.
She understood medicinal herbs even better than he did.
Jishi Hall across the street was Huichun Hall’s greatest rival.
If such an extraordinary treasure ended up in their hands, he could forget about keeping his position as manager.
“Wait! Young lady, please wait!”
Shopkeeper Sun hurriedly pressed his hand onto the He Shou Wu, his old face flushed bright red.
“My mistake.”
“I failed to recognize its true value.”
He quickly replaced his previous arrogance with an ingratiating smile.
“Since you’re clearly an expert, I’ll stop beating around the bush.”
Grinding his teeth, he raised five fingers before her.
“Fifty taels.”
“Fifty taels of silver.”
“And a VIP wooden token from Huichun Hall.”
“In the future, you’ll receive a twenty percent discount on all medicine purchased here.”
“That’s the highest price I can offer.”
“Any more than that, I’d need the owner’s approval.”
Fifty taels!
The crowd erupted into even louder cries of astonishment.
Some people even pinched themselves to make sure they weren’t dreaming.
Fifty taels of silver was enough to buy a large brick house with its own courtyard in Qingshi Town.
Lin Wan stared at Shopkeeper Sun for several seconds.
Her assassin’s instincts told her this was his absolute limit.
Pushing any further would only create unnecessary trouble.
“Deal.”
She released the herb and answered cleanly.
Shopkeeper Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ordered an assistant to fetch the silver from the accounting office.
Before long, the assistant returned carrying a redwood tray.
On it were five crescent-shaped silver ingots, each worth ten taels, gleaming brilliantly.
Beside them lay a small purple sandalwood token engraved with the three characters:
Huichun Hall.
Personally pushing the tray toward Lin Wan, Shopkeeper Sun spoke with obvious goodwill.
“Young Lady, here’s your payment.”
“May I ask your name?”
“And where do you live?”
He had a strong feeling this girl was no ordinary person.
She might bring more rare treasures in the future.
“Lin Wan.”
She casually tucked the five heavy silver ingots into her clothes.
She also slipped the wooden token into her sleeve.
“As for where I live…”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“If I find more valuable goods, I’ll naturally come back.”
With that, she picked up her now-empty bamboo basket and walked out without another glance.
Her departure was clean and decisive.
Shopkeeper Sun watched her leave while stroking his goatee thoughtfully.
“Find someone clever to follow her.”
“But don’t let her notice.”
He quietly instructed the assistant beside him.
The assistant had just started to move.
At the doorway, Lin Wan suddenly stopped.
She slightly turned her head, her eyes flashing like lightning as they swept back toward the pharmacy.
“I have a bad temper.”
“I hate people following me like dogs.”
“If you really push me…”
“I can sell medicine to you…”
“…and I can also put a knife into someone else’s throat.”
Her voice was calm.
Yet those casual words carried the overwhelming killing intent of someone who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The entire pharmacy was instantly enveloped by an icy pressure.
The assistant’s legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed onto the floor.
Even Shopkeeper Sun’s heart skipped a beat.
Forcing an awkward smile, he quickly waved the assistant back.
This girl…
was not someone they could afford to provoke.
Lin Wan withdrew her gaze and walked out of Huichun Hall.
Standing on the bustling Vermilion Bird Street,
she felt the satisfying weight of the fifty taels of silver resting against her chest.
At last, a genuine smile appeared on her face.
Her first pot of gold had finally been earned.
She patted the silver in her clothes and looked at the many shops lining the street.
The grain store.
The cloth shop.
The blacksmith.
…
Now that she had money,
it was time for a massive shopping spree.
“Yulong…”
“Your sister is finally going to give you the good life you deserve.”