Chapter 46 Purchaser's Son

  It's almost noon, and Zuo Shaoyang is staring out at the street scene in a daze. Suddenly, he hears someone calling him: "Xiao Langzhong! Xiao Langzhong, please open the door!" The voice isn't Zhao Sanniang's, but rather a man's, and it sounds somewhat familiar.

  Zuo Shaoyang hastily looked over and saw two people standing at the entrance of his family's pharmacy. One was a short, stout man with a shiny forehead, wearing a jacket with copper coin patterns, smiling and bowing to him. It was the wealthy landowner from Lao Huai Village whose son had fallen ill a few days ago, and Zuo Shaoyang and his father had treated him. Behind the wealthy landowner stood a middle-aged man with a smile on his face, but it seemed somewhat artificial. This person was also familiar - he was the second manager of Hui Min Tang, who had only given Zuo Shaoyang ten cents to buy musk last time.

  The left Shao Yang is very strange, seeing their smiling faces, it should not be a change in the child's condition, perhaps there is something to come, or is it coming to send money? The rich man said that if he cured the child's illness, he would have another thank you, thinking about it and feeling a burst of joy in his heart. If he could give him two or three thousand more coins, he could temporarily get through the difficulties!

  Zuo Shaoyang hastily responded with a "yes" and ran over to open the door, saying to Zuo Gui, who was behind the long table: "Father, the wealthy old master from Lao Huai Village has arrived!"

  As the door creaked open, the stout master stepped in, clasped his hands together and bowed, saying to Zuo Gui behind the long table with a face full of smiles: "Zuo Langzhong, congratulations on getting rich! Wealth is pouring in, great auspiciousness!"

  He kept saying auspicious words, which everyone says when they meet during the New Year, but generally only after the Spring Festival. This fat rich man said it on New Year's Eve, which also shows that he is in a very happy mood.

  Zuo Gui hurriedly stood up and returned the courtesy, also saying some auspicious words. He glanced at the second shopkeeper, who was a fellow townsman and colleague, and naturally recognized him, so he hastily bowed and greeted him. The second shopkeeper also bowed in response, but didn't say anything.

  Zuo Shaoyang hastily brought over two chairs and placed them beside the long table, Zuo Gui invited the two to sit down, while Liang poured two cups of tea and brought them over.

  Fat Chao said: "Left Langzhong, I came to your door on New Year's Eve, especially to thank you for saving my life. Thank you, old Langzhong, for your wonderful medical skills, which saved my child from danger. According to Hui Min Tang Ni Daifu, the child was sent from so far away and had such a severe case of phlegm and asthma that anyone else would have died halfway here. Luckily, it was Left Langzhong and his son who were able to save the child's life. Thank you, thank you!"

  Zuo Gui hurriedly said a few polite words.

  The stout rich man took out a silver ingot from his money bag and placed it on the table, which was a standard one or two liang horse hoof-shaped silver made by the government. The stout rich man smiled and said: "This is a little token of our appreciation, please accept it as a small gift, Mr. Zuo Langzhong."

  Zuo Gui hurriedly pushed the silver ingot back: "No, no... um... what's your honorable surname, sir?"

  The stout gentleman hastily bowed and said: "My surname is Jia."

  "Oh, Master Jia, I've already received a substantial amount of silver for medical expenses from your esteemed village earlier, which is more than enough. To receive more would be truly embarrassing."

  "Left Langzhong, your words are too serious. I heard that Mr. Nai said that the child's life was saved by you, Langzhong. If it wasn't for your timely awakening and dissolving of phlegm, the child would have died. Although I have five wives, my fate is to have few children, so at middle age, I only have this one son. If he were gone, my family would be extinct. Therefore, Langzhong's kindness is like rebirth, and it should be heavily repaid. The small amount of reward money has already made me blush with shame. If Left Langzhong insists on not accepting it, then I will take it as too little and send more money later."

  After speaking, Master Jia pretended to be somewhat angry, puffed up his chubby face and blew his mustache.

  Zuo Gui then thanked him and took the silver.

  Jia the landlord was all smiles again: "Thanks to Doctor Ni's careful treatment at Hui Min Tang, the child has recovered and can go home now. I still need to rush back to Lao Huai Village with my family to prepare for the New Year. The second manager of Hui Min Tang still has business to discuss with you, so I won't disturb you anymore, farewell!" With that, he stood up, bowed, and walked out the door.

  Zuo Gui got up and wanted to see him off, but Zuo Shao Yang said: "Dad, you stay and talk with the second master, I'll go see off Master Jia."

  Zuo Shao Yang accompanied Master Jia out to the gate and Master Jia said: "Young gentleman, please stay here for a moment, I'll take my leave!"

  "Wait a moment, Old Master Jia." Zuo Shaoyang took out two purple snow medicine pills from his pocket and handed them over. "If your son has another episode of high fever and urgent wind, you can give him one pill and then send him for emergency treatment. This pill can help him reduce the fever, wake up, and open his orifices. If he again has a lot of phlegm like last time, and the child is too weak to cough it up due to the severe asthma symptoms, you can use a single mustard seed, prick several holes in it with a needle, thread it with string, let the child swallow it, then pull it out, repeat this process several times, and he will be able to cough up the phlegm. Just like last time on the road, my father did it that way."

  Jia's master frowned, forced a smile and said: "Hui Min Tang Nie Daifu said that the child's illness has been cured and will not recur. This... is not needed, right?"

  "There are many reasons for infantile convulsions, and many illnesses can trigger them. This convulsion may not be completely cured, and even if it is, it doesn't mean that other illnesses won't cause high fever again, which will also lead to convulsions. Your village lacks medical care and medicine, and it's far from the city, so when an illness strikes, there's no time to send for treatment. Keeping this medicinal pill on hand can serve as a precaution."

  Jia's master listened and thought it made sense, so he hastily took the medicine pill and carefully tucked it into his bosom. He bowed his hands and said: "Thank you, young sir. I'll take my leave."

  After seeing off the wealthy merchant, Zuo Shaoyang returned to the pharmacy and heard the second manager of Huimin Hall say: "Zuo Langzhong, today is New Year's Eve, I don't want to waste time either, let's get straight to the point. Our big boss is interested in the medicine that your esteemed hall used to treat Young Master Jia's awakening and enlightenment, and we're willing to pay 900 wen for it. What do you think, Zuo Langzhong?"

  Zuo Gui was stunned for a moment, turned his head and took a glance at Zuo Shao Yang. He now knew that his prescription had been tampered with by his son, and this formula was only known to his son.

  Zuo Shaoyang was naturally very happy, but Jiu Baiwen felt that it was a bit less, and hurriedly said: "Second boss, can you add a little more? Nine hundred yuan is a bit too little."

  "Left Young Master, to be honest, in my opinion, I don't want to invest in buying this prescription. Our Huimin Hall has never bought prescriptions from others before, and it would damage the reputation of our Huimin Hall. However, my older brother, who is also our head manager, said that if we put this prescription in your Zhītáng Hall, it will be used only once a year, which is a waste. But if we put it in our Huimin Hall, it can be fully utilized and save more patients. That's why I came to ask you, the price is non-negotiable, if Left Langzhong thinks it's too expensive, I'll just leave."

  Zuo Gui heard him say this, and although what he said was true, it still didn't sound right, and he couldn't help but furrow his brow.

  Zuo Shaoyang was also feeling depressed listening to Er Zhanggui's words, but since his father was speaking, he couldn't interrupt. He could only silently listen.

  The two shopkeepers saw Left Guizong not dare to speak, the smile on his face disappeared, and he said lightly: "I heard that, Guizong's family has been in a tight spot recently, the landlord is pressing for debt, and urgently needs money. Otherwise, Young Master Zuo wouldn't have come to our Hui Min Tang three or five times to sell medicinal materials, selling Fangzi..."

  Zuo Gui found it even stranger, thinking to himself that the medicinal materials in his own pharmacy were all ordinary and commonly used, although they were cheaper than those at Hui Min Tang, they weren't worth much money. What kind of medicinal materials could Zuo Shao Yang take away to sell? And yet he was selling prescriptions, which must be the ones taught by Old Lin. He glanced sideways at Zuo Shao Yang.

  "Father, the medicinal herbs I was selling were bought with the money that sister gave me from Pailan's daughter, musk for nine coins. I thought our family needed the money so I took it to sell to them, but they offered too low a price and we didn't make a deal. The medicine is still here."

  Zuo Gui waved his hand and ignored him, saying to Er Zhanggui: "Does Zhen Tang really want to buy this prescription from me?"

  The Second Shopkeeper shook his head: "I've already said it just now, buying this prescription is purely because I think it's being wasted here. Moreover, our Big Shopkeeper is a kind and generous person who likes to help those in trouble. Hearing that your Hall has encountered some difficulties, he sent me over to ask about it. Left Langzhong, can you give us an answer? Your Qizhitang may have nothing better to do, but our Huimintang is very busy and can't afford to delay!"

  The diagnostic fee that Jia's master rewarded was two taels of silver, but now the Huimin Hall is offering 900 wen, for a total of 1,900 wen, which is 200 wen less than what Zhao San Niang came to collect at noon. The remaining money from last time plus the earnings from these two days can barely make up for it. Even if the other party doesn't lower the price, Zuo Shao Yang has the intention to sell the prescription to them in order to save the urgent situation, but hearing the other party's words, being arrogant and looking down on everything, as if it were a kind of charity, makes people feel uncomfortable, and Zuo Shao Yang's heart is getting angry.