"Let me see your face, take off your veil," said Doctor Wang.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand and removed the veil. At this, everyone around saw her face clearly.
Her cheeks and jaw were covered in red rashes, mixed with scratches, making her look terrifying.
Doctor Wang had not expected it to be so severe and was startled.
The girl quickly spoke again, "Doctor Wang, do you know what this is? How should it be treated? How long will it take to get better?"
Doctor Wang, being a father himself, understood the woman's anxiety. After some thought, he said, "This looks like an allergy. I'll prescribe some herbs first. Take them home and decoct them for her."
The woman nodded quickly and asked, "I've heard people mention a topical ointment that is very effective. Do you have any, Doctor Wang?"
Doctor Wang chuckled. "Yes, we do, and it's very good, but it's quite expensive."
The woman sighed, also smiling. "I'll pay any amount, as long as this face can be healed quickly."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room understood the mother's love for her daughter. For her daughter's future happiness, this woman was willing to spend any amount of money.
"Alright, I'll get you a box," Doctor Wang said as he stood up and walked to the counter. He asked the young apprentice inside to hand him a small round box.
Shen Xiaoyan noticed that the wooden box was red, about the same size as the ones sold for blush and powder on the street. It was simple yet elegant, with unrepeated patterns. There seemed to be some characters on the lid.
Doctor Wang walked to the woman with the wooden box and handed it to her. "This is Ningzhen Paste. It's most effective for allergies."
The woman took the wooden box excitedly and asked Doctor Wang, "How much is this?"
Doctor Wang sat down and smiled, "Two taels."
The woman was surprised to hear this. It was indeed expensive. But looking at her daughter's face again, she gritted her teeth and said, "I'll take it. Please also prescribe a few more doses of medicine. Will it heal faster if I use both?"
Doctor Wang laughed heartily. "You're a sensible person."
The matter ended there, and Shen Xiaoyan stopped paying attention. However, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Such a small wooden box, smaller than her palm, cost two taels of silver. It seemed like a profitable business.
Thinking this, Shen Xiaoyan stood up and walked to the counter. Before she could speak, the young apprentice inside said, "Madam, you ordered too many types of seeds. You might have to wait a while longer."
Shen Xiaoyan smiled. "I'm not in a hurry. I just wanted to see the Ningzhen Paste that Doctor Wang just took out."
Upon hearing this, the young apprentice immediately took out a box and handed it to Shen Xiaoyan. He said, "To be honest, Madam, this Ningzhen Paste was personally concocted by Doctor Wang and is very effective. It can be used not only for allergies but also for insect bites. Of the three pharmacies in our town, only ours has it."
Shen Xiaoyan took the wooden box and examined it carefully. She found that the characters on the lid were indeed "Ningzhen Paste."
"May I open it and take a look?" Shen Xiaoyan asked.
"Of course," the young apprentice said with a smile.
Shen Xiaoyan opened the lid and saw a smooth, creamy paste inside. The paste was grayish-white and had a herbal scent.
Shen Xiaoyan was not knowledgeable about Chinese medicinal herbs, let alone identifying them by smell. After looking for a while, she couldn't make heads or tails of it. Finally, she closed the lid, returned it to the young apprentice, thanked him, and returned to sit on the wooden chair.
After waiting for another half hour, the young apprentice from earlier finally came out, carrying a large parcel.
"Madam, as per your request, all the Chinese medicinal herb seeds have been packed. There are a total of 365 types, ten cash each, for a total of 3650 wen," the young apprentice explained, placing the parcel on the small table next to Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan's expression remained unchanged, but she was astonished inwardly. There were over 300 types! She had thought there were only a few dozen. Since they were all packed, she couldn't refuse. So, she took out money from her purse and gave it to the young apprentice. Then, she took the parcel and left the pharmacy.
After Shen Xiaoyan walked away, the young apprentice smiled. Another shop assistant saw him and asked, puzzled, why he was smiling.
The young apprentice said, "I've sold off all our unsaleable seeds. When the boss comes, won't he give me credit for this?"
Having said that, he happily went about his business.
Shen Xiaoyan was unaware of the young apprentice's reaction after she left. She simply continued walking with the parcel. This time, coming to town, she not only needed to buy medicinal herb seeds but also tools for processing them.
After she had bought all the necessary items and was walking back to the town entrance with her purchases, she saw Huo Si looking in her direction from a distance.
Seeing that Shen Xiaoyan was carrying large parcels in both hands and a bamboo basket on her shoulder, Huo Si quickly walked forward and took the parcels from her hands.
As the parcels were handed over, Huo Si felt a sudden downward pull, and his heart was astonished. They were so heavy! Yet, this seemingly frail woman had carried them with ease.
Huo Si marveled inwardly, and his expression showed it. Shen Xiaoyan naturally saw it but didn't say much. She took the bamboo basket and placed it in the carriage. Then, Shen Xiaoyan said, "It was wrong of me not to have asked you to come with me earlier. We have to make another trip now."
Huo Si chuckled and said, "What's the big deal? Wherever Madam wants to go, we'll go."
Shen Xiaoyan said, "Let's go to the ready-made clothes shop."
Huo Si thought Shen Xiaoyan wanted to buy fabric or clothes, so he didn't ask further. He asked Shen Xiaoyan to get into the carriage, and he drove towards the ready-made clothes shop.
Huo Si's family had stayed in the town for some time, so he was very familiar with the roads. In no time, the carriage stopped in front of the ready-made clothes shop.
The owner of the ready-made clothes shop was still extremely enthusiastic when he saw Shen Xiaoyan again. Although Shen Xiaoyan no longer ordered custom-made clothes, she bought a lot of fabric there, so she was considered a regular, important customer.
"Mrs. Zheng is here. What can I get for you?" the owner greeted with a smile.
"I want to buy some fabric and sewing supplies," Shen Xiaoyan stated her purpose directly.
This time, the fabric was mainly for Huo Si's family of five. Their current clothes were not suitable. Shen Xiaoyan wanted to buy some sturdy, durable, and decent-looking cotton fabric. She planned to have Madam Qu and her two daughters make their own clothes. She had already inquired beforehand, and Madam Qu and her daughters were all skilled in embroidery.
Shen Xiaoyan picked for a while and ordered a bolt of cyan and a bolt of blue fabric for Huo Si and his sons.
She also ordered three bolts for Madam Qu and her daughters.
Then she ordered four bolts of higher-quality fabric, which were to be made into clothes for herself, Yue Qingxin, and Shen Xiaoming.
After selecting the fabric, she also bought sewing supplies and asked the owner to calculate the total cost.
The owner was happy to see Shen Xiaoyan buying so many items. After a moment of calculation with his abacus, he announced that the total was twenty taels of silver, with the odd change waived.
Shen Xiaoyan was also very decisive. In a short while, the raspberries would be harvested, and she would have money coming in. Therefore, she wasn't too heartbroken about spending money now.