The apprentice in Dejitang Pharmacy was a young lad with rosy lips and white teeth. Sitting behind the counter, he sized her up. Seeing her wearing a coarse cloth dress, he assumed she didn't have much money and greeted her indifferently, "What medicine does the young lady want to buy?"
Li Ying saw his disdain but still patiently said, "Do you have any plasters to relieve rheumatism and bone pain? Please prescribe a few for me first."
Grandma Sun's gouty arthritis was already very serious, and plasters were just the right remedy.
The apprentice didn't even lift his eyelids. He casually took out ten pairs of plasters, wrapped them up, and handed them to her.
"Apply two plasters a day for five days. It's one tael of silver in total."
Li Ying nodded in agreement but didn't hurry to leave. She asked again, "Brother, I have a big business here. I wonder if I could have a talk with your shopkeeper?"
The apprentice sized her up again, and there was already a hint of impatience in his voice.
"The shopkeeper is very busy. Just tell me what it is."
He was like trying to shoo away a fly, wishing to get rid of Li Ying immediately.
Li Ying's face fell.
"All diseases stem from qi and blood. Discord among the generals is not caused by the enemy. A piece of e-jiao is like a basin upside - down. Nourish the vital energy and enjoy peace. You, just an apprentice, dare to take over this extremely valuable business and talk to me?"
She deliberately emphasized the words "e-jiao from a basin - shaped mold" clearly. As soon as these pretentious verses came out, sure enough, the young apprentice was stunned for a moment.
"Please calm down, young lady. I'm just an ignorant apprentice. I've been rude to a distinguished guest. It's our fault."
Hearing the commotion, the pharmacy shopkeeper quickly put down his trivial matters and shouted, "Step back quickly!"
The apprentice stiffened his neck, obviously not convinced.
He gave Li Ying a disdainful look, but finally bowed his head, saluted, and obediently stepped back.
The pharmacy shopkeeper led Li Ying to the compartment behind the screen. He then told the apprentice to bring two cups of green tea. Only then did he seriously say, "I'm Du Zhong, the shopkeeper of Dejitang. The young lady just mentioned the business of e - jiao from a basin - shaped mold. Is this true?"
There was an uncontrollable expectation and a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
Li Ying didn't waste any time. She took out a piece of cut e - jiao and placed it in front of him.
"Shopkeeper, you may check the goods."
Du Zhong's eyes widened in shock.
He examined it back and forth, and his fingers even trembled uncontrollably.
According to the pharmacopoeia, e - jiao from a basin - shaped mold was known as the "sacred medicine for nourishing blood." However, most of the products on the market were yellowish - brown in color. After being melted, they contained many impurities, and some even had a slight fishy smell. Occasionally, some amber - colored e - jiao blocks were considered high - quality products.
The e - jiao from a basin - shaped mold that Li Ying took out casually had a uniform texture, a smooth and regular surface, and a faint fragrance of e - jiao. It was truly a top - grade product!
"Young lady, we were really rude just now! Where did you get this e - jiao? Would the master who made it be willing to come out of retirement?"
Li Ying smiled and said, "I made this e - jiao myself."
What?
Du Zhong was even more shocked.
The young apprentice was just coming in with a tea tray. Hearing her words, he let out a contemptuous snort from his nose.
"Master, don't listen to this woman's nonsense! She's so young. Isn't she afraid of hurting her tongue?"
Li Ying wasn't angry. She casually picked up the writing brush and paper beside the table, quickly wrote a few lines, and handed it to the shopkeeper.
Du Zhong only glanced at it and then seriously said, "This is the prescription for making e - jiao? But it seems... there are still some steps missing."
Li Ying smiled and said, "If the shopkeeper and I become partners, I will surely tell you everything I know."
She paused for a moment and then continued, "This e - jiao today is just an ordinary product. I'm just a fisherman's daughter. I can't do it perfectly on my own. If the shopkeeper takes action, I have another prescription for the Nine - Dynasty Tribute E - Jiao..."
Nine - Dynasty Tribute E - Jiao?
Du Zhong had never heard of it. He looked at Li Ying doubtfully, as if calculating how much of what she said was true.
After a long time, he finally said, "Young lady, I'll take all this e - jiao from a basin - shaped mold. As for buying the prescription, to be honest, this is a big deal. I have to discuss it carefully with the owner before making a decision. I wonder if the young lady can give me three days to think about it?"
Li Ying nodded, "Of course."
Du Zhong asked again, "May I ask the young lady's name?"
"My surname is Li. I sell seafood stir - fries at the dock during the day. If the shopkeeper has made a decision, just send someone to find me."
A donkey skin roughly weighed seven or eight catties, and it had produced three catties of e - jiao. The shopkeeper personally took out a silver ingot worth ten taels and gave it to her.
Li Ying took the silver and gave Du Zhong a charming smile and a courtesy, "Shopkeeper, I'm looking forward to good news."
After she had walked far away, the apprentice still unwillingly shouted, "Shopkeeper! She bought ten pairs of plasters but hasn't paid the silver yet!"
Du Zhong gave him a disdainful look, "Short - sighted thing! If she becomes our cash cow, even the owner may have to be polite to her! You still think about asking for the silver? It's already good that she doesn't hold a grudge against you for today's rudeness!"
He quickly wrote a letter and sent it by carrier pigeon together with the incomplete prescription written by Li Ying.
Thousands of miles away, in a mansion in the capital, a man dressed as a butler respectfully presented the two thin letters to a wealthy merchant in brocade clothes with gray hair at his temples.
"Nine - Dynasty Tribute E - Jiao? It sounds interesting."
The merchant rubbed a white jade pixiu in his hand, squinted his eyes, and ordered, "Tell the pharmacy to accept this cooperation. If that woman has any other requirements, as long as they're not too excessive, just agree to them. Don't let others take advantage of the opportunity."
The butler took the order and then asked, "Master, do we need to investigate that woman's background?"
The merchant pondered for a moment. A graceful young woman suddenly appeared beside him and said coquettishly, "That herbal medicine shop can't earn much money all year round. For such trivial matters, you can just make your own decisions in the future. Why bother the master?"
She took the merchant's arm and coaxed him away.
The butler seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, he just opened his mouth and didn't say a word.
Li Ying was completely unaware of all this.
The donkey meat buns were very popular at the dock. Many boatmen knew that donkey meat was rare, so they were afraid of missing the chance. Some even bought ten at once.
Copper coins flowed into her purse like water, making her truly experience what it meant to "count money until your hands cramp."
Roughly calculated, the old black donkey had produced at least 150 catties of donkey meat. In just two days, she had sold over a thousand buns and made a net profit of four taels of silver.
The lazy man who had mocked her on the day of killing the donkey also saw her booming business. Smelling the strong aroma of meat, he was extremely tempted.
He rummaged through his whole body and only found one copper coin. He approached Li Ying with a shy smile, "Sister, for the sake of being from the same village, sell me a bun at a cheaper price, okay?"
The wife of the bamboo craftsman spat, "Bah, you're always trying to take advantage! Weren't you very happy spreading rumors back then? Well, do you regret it now?"
He was so ashamed that he quickly put away the copper coin. Then he gritted his teeth and shouted at Li Ying, "Ignorant girl! I'll just wait and see. When you've sold out all the donkey meat and have nothing to eat but the wind, how can you still be so proud!"
Li Ying was busy greeting customers and didn't have time to argue with him. But the wife of the bamboo craftsman was protective. She put down the buns, put her hands on her hips, grabbed the lazy man, and was about to argue with him.
Unexpectedly, there came the sound of horse hooves "clattering" on the dock.
Du Zhong lifted the curtain of the carriage and politely stood in front of Li Ying. He saluted her.
"Lady Li, our owner is willing to cooperate with you. If you have any terms, just put them forward. As long as we can meet them, we will surely do our best."
This sudden change made all the villagers at the dock stare in astonishment.
"Wow! Isn't that the shopkeeper of Dejitang? Their pharmacy is the biggest in the town. Aying is really capable!"
"Look, the shopkeeper himself has come to pick up Aying. He's so polite! Aying is going to have a good life!"
The wife of the bamboo craftsman said proudly, "Didn't you say that Aying would have no business after selling out the donkey meat? What do you have to say now?"
The lazy man watched as Li Ying and Grandma Sun got into the pharmacy's carriage together. The two long wheel - tracks were like wide - open mouths, creaking and mocking him. He felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach.
This woman was really strange!