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Chapter 25: Liu Yuanwai
"Shopkeeper Wen, Madam Tan, has your pharmacy found He Shou Wu that is more than a hundred years old yet? I will buy it no matter how much silver it costs!"
Wen Nuan and Wen Chun are walking not far from the medicine store, but they stopped just after hearing this.
Tan Pan'er saw Master Liu coming in and immediately greeted him with a smile and said: "I found it, I found it. It took me a lot of effort. I sent someone to look for it up in the mountains, and they were able to find one. It hasn't been dug up yet, someone sent a letter back first. It's a big piece, they said it's more than a hundred and twenty years old! I should be able to bring it back tomorrow."
When Master Liu heard this, his eyes widened and they shone brightly, his face could not hide his joy: "You really found it? That's great!"
His son is going to participate in the highest level of imperial examinations in the capital this coming year, but his hair suddenly turned gray overnight. The doctor said that he needs He Shou Wu that is more than a hundred years old, preferably more than a hundred and twenty years old. He hasn't been able to find it anywhere in the whole county, so he is anxious!
A hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu is one of the nine celestial herbs, and it is as hard to find as century old ginseng!
Wen Jiagui frowned and glanced at her disapprovingly. He stood up and was just about to say something.
Tan Pan'er gave Wen Jiagui a warning look, and immediately said: "Yes, we did indeed find it. Only Master Liu, if you are busy today, go ahead and do your errands. As soon as the He Shou Wu is brought back tomorrow, I will send it to you personally.”
She knows Wen Jiagui, this brother-in-law is so stupid! Emphasizing not only love and justice, but also filial piety.
But you cannot run a good shop without selfishness. She has a way to let him take the initiative to collect that He Shou Wu from those two poor ghosts! Even if she just asks, he has to give in, so she dared to say she found it.
This first grade He Shou Wu must be given to Liu Yuanwai from her own hands.
In this way, Liu Yuanwai owes herself a favor.
"Okay, okay!" Liu Yuanwai was so happy that he couldn't help repeating himself. "Madam Tan, you really have done me a great favor. You are a great and noble person to our family. I have written down this benevolence!"
He does have something to do. He has to go back and tell his youngest son the good news. Recently, this youngest son has no thoughts of eating and drinking, and he has given up on himself.
"Liu Yuanwai is polite. My house runs a pharmacy. Isn't it right for us to take care of the patient's anxieties?"
"Madam Tan, you really have the heart of a Bodhisattva and the kindness of a healer. I will come back tomorrow then." Liu Yuanwai hurriedly walked out.
Wen Nuan came back at this time: "Second Uncle, we have the hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu you have been looking for. My father finally found it after a lot of hardship."
Liu Yuanwai stepped back: "Little girl, do you have a hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu?"
"Yes, my second uncle said that there was a master Juren whose hair turned gray overnight. But he is going to be the top scorer in the imperial examinations at the palace this spring, and his glory is going to shine on all of Ningyan County.
The top place scholar of our county must not be delayed because of this little hair matter, otherwise it would be a pity, so Second Uncle sent many people into the mountains to search for it. So many people looking at the same time are powerful!
When my father heard this, he also ventured deep into mountains to find He Shou Wu. He was almost taken by a wolf. It took a lot of hard work to dig up this hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu.
Thankfully the heavens have eyes! God must not want to lose a literary star in this world, let my dad find it for him. "
Wen Nuan already knew of this matter because she heard two women talking about it in a low voice while selling snails.
The woman said: “The Young Master has not eaten much for three days because of his hair turning gray overnight.
The other woman said: "Unfortunately, Young Master is the only Juren in the entire county this year. Liu Yuanwai is frantic!"
"Such a pity!"
Wen Nuan had just overheard this conversation earlier today, and just now this woman called him “Liu Yuanwai”, so she guessed Liu Yuanwai's reason for buying a hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu and said all this confidently.
Wen Jiagui: "…" When did he say this?
He didn't know about Young Master Liu's hair turning gray! He only knew that Liu Yuanwai was looking everywhere for a hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu. It turned out to be because of this, so it's no wonder!
But Sister Nuan told Liu Yuanwai openly that his son's hair had turned gray overnight!
Liu Yuanwai cares most about reputation. He cannot hear anyone say that the second son of Liu Family is not good. I am afraid he will not like it. It is not a good thing to offend Liu Yuanwai.
Wen Jiagui hurriedly said: "Master Liu, this is all my fault! Blame me for saying too much, don’t blame this kid for talking nonsense."
Tan Pan'er was so angry that her liver hurts. It turns out that Wen Jiagui also knew that Liu Yuanwai was in urgent need of He Shou Wu. No wonder he told this stinky girl not to sell her good things!
But then she saw this stinky girl was so stupid as to talk openly about Young Master Liu's hair turning gray. Also, she knew that Liu Yuanwai already thinks that she has He Shou Wu in her hands, so he will not buy it from her.
She still has a chance!
Fortunately, she claimed just now that she has already found a hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu. She just needs to wait for this stinky girl to be rejected by Liu Yuanwai, and then buy it from her later.
At that time, all the benefits are still obtained by yourself!
She looked at Wen Nuan with cold eyes, and waited for Liu Yuanwai's refusal and reprimand.
Liu Yuanwai was very upset when he heard someone talking about his son’s hair turning gray overnight, but Wen Nuan's sentence on the left is “top place scholar of the county and literary star of the world”, and the sentence on the right is “shining glory on the entire county”. And they actually regretted it so much for his son that they worked hard for him, going deep into the mountains to find hundred year old He Shou Wu. He seemed to have found a soulmate in an instant!
It really would be a pity if his brilliant and genius son couldn’t get top score in the imperial examinations because of a small matter of hair!
She only said what was right. If his son came back as the top scorer in the imperial examinations at the capital, all of Ningyuan County would be shining in glory, and everyone's faces in the county would be bright!
Everyone knows his potential, it will be a great pity if his son loses this fate!
And as the little girl said, the heavens really have eyes, and he has actually found a hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu! His son is saved.
So Master Liu's fat face sunk when she first started speaking, then rose with pride: "You girl can really talk! You speak with all your heart! Where's the hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu? Let me see it."
Tan Pan'er's face stiffened: Aren't people suppose to speak angrily right now?
She was anxious: "Master Liu, I have seen this He Shou Wu, it's not worth looking at!"
"Let me see first." As long as the vintage is good, it's no big deal, he can buy both.
Wen Chun opened the sack: "Master Liu, take a look."
Liu Yuanwai looked it over. Such a big specimen, it is absolutely over a hundred and twenty years old.
He is saved!
Wen Jiagui: "Master Liu, this first grade He Shou Wu is definitely more than a hundred and twenty years old. It is hard to find in this world! The few we've sent as tributes to the palace are not as good as this. I hope that Young Master Liu can get rid of his illness and be named on the next list of successful imperial scholars."
"Okay, okay, I'll remember your blessing! Brother Wen, I've written down this favor!" Liu Yuanwai has already changed his address from “Shopkeeper” to “Brother Wen”.
"It's all to the credit of my fourth brother. He studied at the academy as a Tongsheng, but was injured later. With scars on his face, he couldn't participate in the imperial examination at the county level. He was extremely sorry. Hearing about your son's matters, he went into the mountains to look for it. He said he couldn't bear for the same thing to happen to another scholar. It's the biggest regret of his life!"
Wen Jiagui put the credit back to Wen Jiarui, so he can win the favor of Liu Yuanwai, and it will be easy for Fourth Brother to find a decent job in the future.
Maybe he can do things like accounting under Liu Yuanwai.
Because of the scars on his face, even though he is literate and well spoken, other shops will not accept him. He can only do rough work and make no money.
After hearing this, Liu Yuanwai had a guess in his heart: "Your fourth brother is Wen Jiarui?"
"Exactly! Master Liu also knows my brother?"
"He is my eldest son's classmate!" His eldest son has long been a Jinshi, and has now served as magistrate in a small county in the north for several years.
With good political performance, he hopes to be promoted after his term of office expires.
He remembers that his eldest son said that if Wen Jiarui hadn't been disfigured and could not participate in the imperial examinations, he would definitely not have been top of his class that year!
"Your brother is a righteous person, it's a pity! I will write down this favor." Liu Yuanwai took out a silver banknote and handed it to Wen Nuan: "This money is for buying your He Shou Wu. Little girl, help me thank your father!"
Wen Nuan didn't expect this to happen. She glanced at the number on the banknote, and did not agree: "This is too much! Since Master Liu knows my father, you are considered to be an elder. Out of respect for my elder, only a dozen taels is enough. Otherwise, my dad will scold me."
"Take it! How can my son's future be bought with a couple of taels?! If your father dares to scold you, you let him come to me!" This kind gesture made Wen Nuan look at Liu Yuanwai with admiration.
He feigned anger and stuffed the banknote into Wen Chun's hand, and tied up the sack of He Shou Wu: "I must take my leave now. All of you, goodbye!"
Liu Yuanwai did not give them a chance to react, and hurried away carrying the sack.
Tan Pan'er looked at the banknote worth one hundred taels of silver and breathed deeply: This silver should have belonged to her! Liu Yuanwai's favor should be hers too!
She glared at Wen Jiagui with shadows flashing in her eyes: I blame this guy who eats inside and out!
She snorted and was about to turn back to the house.
A few meters away, Liu Yuanwai's footsteps suddenly stopped: "Madam Tan, tomorrow I will pick up your hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu."
After speaking, he hurried away.
Tan Pan'er's body stiffened, as if she was sealed by ice.
She turned her head stiffly to look at Wen Nuan: "Does your family have another hundred and twenty year old He Shou Wu?"
Wen Nuan shook her head: "I don't have anymore in my house, but it's all over the street. You can find it."
Tan Pan'er: "…"
He Shou Wu: root of Polygonum multiflorum, multi-purposeful herb in Chinese medicine, said to nourish blood, strengthen muscles, promote vitality, treat various ailments, etc.
Bodhisattva: Person who qualifies to enter nirvana, but refrains from doing so in order to relieve the sufferings of others
Juren: Scholar who has successfully passed the imperial examinations at the provincial level.
Tongsheng: Scholarly candidate who has not yet passed the imperial examinations at the county level.
Jinshi: Scholar who has successfully passed the final imperial examinations at the capital/in the palace.
Bodhisattva: Person who qualifies to enter nirvana, but refrains from doing so in order to relieve the sufferings of others
Juren: Scholar who has successfully passed the imperial examinations at the provincial level.
Tongsheng: Scholarly candidate who has not yet passed the imperial examinations at the county level.
Jinshi: Scholar who has successfully passed the final imperial examinations at the capital/in the palace.
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Such a great comeuppance right there at the end. I hope we don't see Tan Paner ever again!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy it when the author leans into the humor.
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