While loading the grain onto the cart, the young assistant whispered to Shen Yu, “Miss, maybe you should buy a little more. Grain prices are still going up. If you wait three more days, our boss will close the shop and won’t sell anymore.”
Shen Yu handed the assistant a handful of copper coins and asked quietly, “Why have the grain prices gone up so much? Have you heard anything?”
The assistant accepted the coins, feeling pleased. “The boss said some barbarians are coming to attack. Grain in town is already more expensive, and tomorrow, who knows? Since most people don’t know yet, Miss, you might want to check other shops too.”
Shen Yu thanked him, drove the cart to the other two grain stores, and, as expected, the situation was the same. She bought 100 jin of sorghum and 100 jin of millet from each store.
Then she went to a general store to pick up a few bundles of oilcloth, several wooden basins, a few large wooden barrels, dozens of pickle jars, some sleeping mats, and dozens of grain sacks—items that might come in handy once the “black soil” space could be used for planting.
She loaded everything onto the donkey cart and, in an empty alley, placed it all into her storage space.
Considering how harsh the journey ahead would be, and how people would inevitably get sick, Shen Yu decided to buy herbs to treat common illnesses.
She led the big blue donkey past two clinics and stopped at one called Huichuntang, noticing a long line of ragged townsfolk outside. She didn’t hesitate and walked in.
The assistant at the door stepped forward: “Miss, please wait outside and line up. We’ll serve you when it’s your turn.”
“You’ve misunderstood,” Shen Yu replied. “I’m just here to buy herbs.”
The assistant’s eyes lit up. “Then please, Miss, come in. What kind of herbs do you need?”
“I need herbs for colds and fevers, external injuries, inflammation, and diarrhea,” Shen Yu said.
“Do you know how much of each you need?”
“Quote me a price first. If it’s reasonable, I’ll buy a lot of each.”
The assistant grinned at the prospect of a big sale. “Please wait a moment, Miss. I’ll get the shopkeeper. He might even give you a further discount.”
The shopkeeper, Mr. Wang, had been told by the owner that the clinic would close in two days and that they needed to sell off the remaining stock. In the past, selling to large households wasn’t profitable because they had their own physicians, and common folk only bought small amounts. Hearing that someone wanted a large quantity of herbs, he hurried from the back to the counter.
“Miss, how much do you intend to buy, and which herbs?” Mr. Wang asked politely, although he was slightly disappointed by Shen Yu’s modest appearance.
Shen Yu repeated the list of herbs and casually handed over a 100-tael silver note.
Seeing the silver, Mr. Wang relaxed. He gave her the lowest price on each herb: “Normally, we wouldn’t sell at this price, but our owner said the shop will close in two days. I’m just charging cost price for you.”
Shen Yu saw an opportunity. Buying at cost meant she could stock up—maybe she’d open a clinic later.
After some haggling with Mr. Wang, Shen Yu purchased almost the entire stock of Huichuntang (except for the expensive ginseng and lingzhi) for 350 taels of silver. She instructed the assistant to organize and mark everything, leaving it at the back door of the clinic for later collection.
Packing the herbs took some time. Shen Yu drove the cart to the back entrance of Juxianlou to pick up a meal. The assistant had already packed the food boxes and waited.
Seeing Shen Yu arrive with the donkey cart, he hurried over, loading the boxes while admiring her: “Miss, you’re amazing! You already bought a donkey cart?”
“You flatter me,” Shen Yu replied, sensing a twinge of envy. “The cart is borrowed.” The assistant’s smile stiffened briefly before he continued cheerfully.
Shen Yu checked the food boxes, noting that the dishes were neatly separated and clean. Pleased, she gave the assistant another handful of copper coins.
After leaving Juxianlou, she secretly stored the food in her storage space and returned to the clinic’s backyard to load the herbs onto the cart. By the time she finished, the cart was completely full.
On the way back to the village, Shen Yu used her hand gesture to instantly move all the herbs into her storage space, unseen, as the sun set.
She placed a large iron pot and a small iron pot on the donkey cart and this time didn’t bother hiding from the villagers. After all, the cart would eventually be seen, and there wasn’t time to worry about jealousy.
The village gossips erupted when they saw Shen Yu returning with the cart:
“Yu girl, you actually bought a donkey cart? And two iron pots too? Didn’t your family leave with nothing?”“That big blue donkey looks strong. How much did it cost?”“My pot broke. I was planning to buy a new one in town. Yu girl, your pot looks sturdy, not cheap at all.”“Anzi’s family has been making silver lately—cart and iron pots too! I envy them.”“Oh, you’re just jealous!”
The bickering gave Shen Yu a headache.
One notorious gossip, Sun Zhaodi—the wife of the village troublemaker Shen Laizi—looked at the cart with envy and sneered:“You must’ve done something shameful to earn that silver. You were kicked out of the Shen family just a few days ago, and now you have a cart? Must’ve been easy money!”
Shen Yu hadn’t wanted to respond, but before she could ignore the woman, she jumped down from the cart and slapped Sun Zhaodi across the face.
Sun Zhaodi spun and fell to the ground, stunned. She touched her swollen face, screaming and rolling on the ground:“Wicked girl! How dare you hit me? You didn’t steal, so where did the silver come from? If you don’t pay, you can’t leave! I’ll die in front of your house if I have to!”
Shen Yu, eager to return home, kicked her several meters away, knocking her unconscious.
The village went silent. The other women, seeing Shen Yu’s ferocity, scattered immediately, except for one friend of Sun Zhaodi who ran to complain to Shen Laizi’s house.
Shen Yu drove the big blue donkey home. Little Shen Hao ran out first, excitedly jumping:“Sister! Whose donkey cart is this? Can I sit on it? Please let me sit!” He reached toward the donkey.