Chapter 10 Musk

  Zhao San Niang hesitated for a moment, then with a rustling sound, she threw the almost empty bag of hawthorns into the corner of the wall, patted her hands and said: "Alright! This time I believe you, Auntie! During my medication period, I guarantee that I won't eat any more hawthorns. If your medicine can really cure my stomachache, I'll never eat hawthorns again!"

  "It's not necessary to overindulge, but hawthorn is a medicine after all and can't be eaten as a snack, especially on an empty stomach. If you really eat too much greasy food and feel bloated, then eating a few pieces of digestive aid is fine."

  "Auntie remembered, -right, isn't there hawthorn in the prescription your dad wrote? What's going on now?"

  Zuo Shaoyang had already thought of an answer: "That hawthorn is a medicine guide, used to guide the medicine into the meridians. The amount is very small and it's already been ground into powder, so it won't cause any problems." Zuo Shaoyang said this because he was afraid that Zhao Sanniang would not find the hawthorn in the medicine, become suspicious, and run to the pharmacy to ask Old Man Zuo Gui, thus exposing everything.

  "I see, I understand. You'd better hurry back and have your meal. It's very cold outside!"

  "Alright, Auntie San, there's something else I'd like to ask you, is there a big pharmacy around here?"

  "Ah, just around the bend is 'Hui Min Tang', it has the largest storefront in all of Hezhou! — Isn't your family running a pharmacy? What are you doing looking for another pharmacy?"

  Zuo Shaoyang smiled and waved his hand: "Nothing, nothing, I'm leaving, Auntie, see you later!"

  Zuo Shaoyang turned his head and walked in the direction of home, glancing at the gate of Zhao Sanniang's house with the corner of his eye. Seeing that Zhao Sanniang had entered the house and the courtyard door was closed, he then turned around and headed in the direction that Zhao Sanniang had pointed earlier.

  As soon as they turned the corner, they saw a place in the distance by the street with bright lanterns hanging from it. Despite the late hour, people were still coming and going, most of them looking ill. Zuo Shao Yang immediately guessed that this was the largest pharmacy in the whole city that Zhao San Niang had mentioned earlier.

  Zuo Shaoyang quickly ran to the entrance, looked up and saw that this floor was a hundred times more luxurious than their family's Weizhitang. It was three stories high, with five openings, and above the gate hung a wooden plaque with intricate carvings, painted in dark green with golden characters and auspicious clouds, which shone brightly even in the darkness of night. The inscription read: "Huideming Hall".

  On both sides of the gate are intricately carved window lattices, with two large red lanterns hanging high at the corners. The six-panelled door with intricate carvings is wide open, and inside, thick golden silk embroidered edges hang from the large red door curtains. However, there is no shop assistant greeting customers at the entrance, as this is a rule for opening a pharmacy - they cannot greet customers at the entrance or shout out to them. To welcome guests, one must do so from within the house.

  The left Shao Yang saw that the door curtain was very thick, stretched out his hand to touch it, and it felt soft and fluffy. Since the Tang Dynasty didn't have cotton, the filling should be silk floss, which is much more expensive than cotton. It's not something ordinary people can afford. From these few large pieces of door curtains alone, you can tell that this Hui Min Hall is a wealthy and prosperous household.

  Zuo Shaoyang pushed open the curtain and walked in, instantly a warm air hit his face, like a spring breeze blowing across his face, with flowers dazzling his eyes. Inside the house were several large braziers with intricate carvings, burning red charcoal that emitted a tempting reddish glow, casting a rosy hue on people's faces. Behind several purple sandalwood carved screens sat several elderly men with white beards, who were diagnosing illnesses. Some of them still held a yellow copper hand warmer in their hands.

  On both sides of the hall were several rows of long benches, and many people were waiting to see a doctor. This made Zuo Shaoyang think of the scene in a famous hospital's waiting room in modern society. But that was a crowded modern city, he didn't expect that in ancient times, there would also be such a scene of queuing up for a doctor, it can be seen that the superstition towards authoritative experts and the desire for health are not limited to any dynasty or time.

  Zuo Shaoyang was standing there looking around, when a young shop assistant came up to him: "Sir, are you here for a consultation or to pick up some medicine... aren't you Young Master Zuo of the Gui Zhi Tang?"

  Zuo Shaoyang saw that this fellow actually recognized himself, and he smiled slyly: "Ah, just passing by, taking a look, not welcome?"

  "What's the point! You can't even invite them to come. This young fellow is quite eloquent, "Are you here for a medical consultation or to grab some medicine? Oops, sorry, I made a mistake. Your family runs a pharmacy and your father is a renowned doctor in our province, how could he possibly come to our pharmacy for treatment or medication? Heh heh, what brings you here?"

  "I'm looking for your boss." Zuo Shao Yang said bluntly, not wanting to waste too much time.

  "Our master is examining the noble patient in the inner flower hall, and the second master is at the counter. Please enter!" He stepped aside with his body.

  Huimin Hall has two shopkeepers, the big one is Dr. Ni, a famous doctor, and the second one is his younger brother, who takes care of the store's business and is currently keeping accounts at the counter. Zuo Shaoyang walked in, but few people inside, including patients and apprentices, noticed him. It was clear that only those in the circle knew that his father owned a pharmacy, and few people knew his identity since patients rarely visited their Gui Zhi Tang.

  Zuo Shaoyang looked around and saw that the Hui Min Tang was indeed much more luxurious than their Gui Zhi Tang, not to mention the long row of medicine cabinets, which stored many times more medicinal materials than the Gui Zhi Tang.

  Zuo Shaoyang slowly walked to the counter, Er Zhuo lifted his eyes and saw him, then lowered his head again, continuing to keep accounts, drawing out his voice blandly saying: "It's the young master of Guizhitang, what brings you here?"

  Zuo Shaoyang looked around and took out the musk from his bosom, placing it on the table: "I want to sell this thing to your pharmacy. Will you buy it?"

  The Second Master grunted, glanced sideways, and continued to keep accounts. His tone was even more bland: "Is Young Master Zuo here to play a joke on our humble abode?"

  "No way, I was just joking with you? Seriously selling it to you guys."

  The second shopkeeper raised his eyes and glanced at him, then swept a glance over the musk on the counter, saying: "Left Shao Yang is short of money, huh? Heh heh, this thing isn't from your pharmacy... is it?" The second shopkeeper's left hand reached under his right elbow, making a motion as if feeling for something in his pocket.

  "What are you talking about?" Zuo Shaoyang glared, "Do you think I stole this musk from our own pharmacy? Let me tell you, I got it myself when I went to the mountains to pick herbs!"

  The second shopkeeper glanced at the apprentice again, and the apprentice smiled, also indicating that he didn't understand. The second shopkeeper said: "I told you, if Young Master Zuo really wants to exchange medicine for money from your hall, he wouldn't take this thing, should take some ginseng or something, but, heh heh, your hall probably doesn't even have ginseng, don't look at ginseng being just like a radish, the price is still very expensive, you Guizhitang probably can't afford it..."

  "Looking down on people with dog eyes!" Zuo Shaoyang muttered in his stomach, staring with wide eyes: "Hey, what's going on? Are you collecting or not?"

  "Received! Opening a medicine shop, of course, we need to buy medicinal materials. Regardless of their value, as long as they are medicinal materials, it's fine." The second shopkeeper stared at Zuo Shao Yang and asked slowly: "This thing, how much does Young Master Zuo want to sell it for?"

  "Name your price!"

  The shopkeeper glanced at the welcoming clerk standing behind him, and they exchanged a smile with each other. The smile contained some sarcasm. The shopkeeper put down the brush in his hand on the pen holder, stretched out his palm, spread out five fingers to show once, and then flipped them over to show again: "This is the number!"

  "Ten taels of silver?" Zuo Shaoyang recalled the prices in the Tang Dynasty that Liu Xiang had told him on the road. Ten taels of silver were equivalent to 50,000 yuan, although in modern times, the value of wild musk had reached over 100,000, twice this price. But it couldn't be compared like this. Ten taels was just ten taels, and it was good that he could make up for the 9,000 yuan owed in rent and still have some left over. This musk had been bought with 9 yuan, so it was a pretty good profit.

  Thinking of this, Zuo Shao Yang sighed: "You guys are too black to kill the price, ten taels of silver can buy my good musk, okay, give me the money!" He stretched out his hand and waited for the money, thinking in his heart that the dark-faced firewood girl had taken advantage of him so much, next time he saw her, he would have to repay this favor.

  The Second Master's snort of laughter, with a flicker of his lips: "Young Master Zuo hasn't woken up yet? Where have you ever seen musk sell for ten taels of silver?"

  "How much is it? One thousand won? You're also too black, right?"

  "Hum! What a thousand words, have you gone mad? —— Ten cents!" The second shopkeeper sneered and flipped his hand twice, pouting: "It's ten copper coins! Still a thousand words, ten taels of silver, have you gone mad?"

  "What?" Left Shao Yang shouted, causing many patients in the house to glance at him sideways. He quickly lowered his voice: "Ten cents? Are you kidding me? This is musk! Genuine wild forest musk!"

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