Qin Junyao started unloading the wolfsbane once she knew its price. Since she had harvested the entire plant, she also had to cut off the leaves.
After everything was cleaned and weighed, it was less than 150 jin. Doctor Sheng calculated it as a whole number and gave Qin Junyao thirty copper coins.
Qin Danui thought that the thirty copper coins Qin Junyao earned in one morning were already a lot.
Qin Junyao held the thirty copper coins and sighed. Every time she came to Doctor Sheng, she had transactions worth no less than two taels of silver.
As she was leaving, she received some not-so-good news: Doctor Sheng wouldn't be buying much fresh wolfsbane.
After all, he had many disciples and grand-disciples, and a half-day's work could yield enough wolfsbane for several months.
"Junyao, you can try the vinegar venom I told you about. They buy as much of that as they can get. My second son will be back in about a month. He buys it."
Qin Junyao nodded to show she understood, took the mosquito repellent sachet Doctor Sheng gave her and the letter for Sheng Jiangqiu, and left the Qubing Hall.
She first took Qin Danui to eat noodles, ordering an extra bowl of lamb offal soup and two steamed buns for Qin Danui. The thirty copper coins were all spent.
Qin Junyao did not go into Tingyin Pavilion to greet them as she passed by. Although her family knew she could play the zither, they weren't very interested.
Therefore, Qin Junyao didn't deliberately let her family know. Her friend in Xicheng had moved to Yan County.
She and Qin Danui split up. Qin Danui went to inquire about the prices of donkeys and cattle. The donkey at home was pregnant, so Father Qin wanted to sell the current donkey cart and buy a cow.
Qin Junyao was going to the general store to buy seasonings, and also to buy a few flower pots, baskets, and grain bags to put in her spatial dimension. Then she would go to the vegetable market to try her luck, to see if she could buy chicks or young hens.
Most of the hens sold in the market were old hens that wouldn't lay many eggs if bought. Qin Junyao learned this from overheard conversations the last time she wanted to buy chickens. Su Dan Novel Network.
Qin Junyao had good luck this time. She bought two clutches of chicks, two hens, and twenty-one chicks.
With a basket of chickens in each hand and a basket of dried vegetables from her spatial dimension on her back, along with pork and some eggs, she went to the meeting point to wait for Qin Danui.
The meeting place was a fabric shop, not far from Yingfeng Grain Store where Qin Junyao sold rice.
When Qin Junyao put the two baskets on the ground, she saw a crumpled white paper on the ground. She kicked it behind her and crouched down to wait for Qin Danui.
She was carrying too much, so Qin Junyao no longer cared about her appearance.
Just as she squatted down, wondering if she should take off what she was carrying on her back, she saw Manager Jin of Yingfeng Grain Store leading people down the street, searching for something.
Qin Junyao listened carefully. Manager Jin ordered them not to miss even a scrap of paper.
Scrap of paper?
Qin Junyao thought of the paper she had just kicked behind her.
With some effort, she turned around in place, put the paper into her spatial dimension, picked up the two baskets with both hands, and stood up.
The people from Yingfeng Grain Store searched the street several times without finding what they were looking for. Manager Jin was so anxious that sweat was dripping from his forehead.
He muttered about being doomed, that if he lost the news about Yanhu, he would be finished, and so on.
Manager Jin's voice was very low, but Qin Junyao heard it all by concentrating.
Later, Manager Jin was desperate and offered a reward of fifty taels. Instantly, the people on the street became agitated.
Qin Junyao was pushed into the crowd by Qin Danui, who then led her out.
"What are people on the street looking for?" Qin Danui put the basket on the donkey cart and asked Qin Junyao.
"They say it's a piece of paper."
"A piece of paper is worth fifty taels of silver?"
"Mm."
Qin Junyao, sitting on the donkey cart, secretly took out the paper and looked at it. It was a blank piece of paper, nothing unusual. She didn't know if this was the paper Manager Jin was looking for.
After returning home, she handed the items to Qin Mother to sort out. Qin Junyao then went with Qin Danui to see the poplar trees.
As expected, they were the preferred species for preventing sand encroachment and fixing sand. After enduring such strong winds and sandstorms, the five hundred poplar trees still stood in the desert like sentinels.
After seeing the poplar trees, Qin Junyao went to look for Dengzitui again.
Qin Mother saw her eldest daughter going out one trip after another, wondering what she was doing. She asked Qin Danui, who only said that Doctor Sheng had written a letter to Doctor Xiao Sheng.
"Sister Lihua, is Brother-in-law Yan at home?" Qin Junyao called out to Dengzitui's wife.
"Sister Qin is here. Your brother-in-law is at home. I'll go call him for you." Chen Lihua liked it very much when Qin Junyao called her sister and Dengzitui brother-in-law.
This made her feel that Qin Junyao was like family, and that it sounded more sensible than those young girls who called Dengzitui Brother Yan.
Dengzitui came out with three rabbits. "Miss Qin, take these rabbits to eat. Is there something you need me for?"
Qin Junyao looked around and took out a letter from her embrace. "This is a letter from Doctor Sheng to Doctor Xiao Sheng."
Then she handed her back basket to Dengzitui. "There are two portions of dried vegetables in here. The one at the bottom is yours, and the one on top is for your eldest brother."
"Remember the one on top is for your eldest brother. You can look now to avoid mixing them up."
Dengzitui was wondering why Qin Junyao would send food to his eldest brother. Hearing Qin Junyao's words, he felt something was amiss. He flipped through the dried vegetables on top and saw the familiar piece of paper.
His heart skipped a beat. He tightened his grip on the basket and asked Qin Junyao, "Miss Qin, where did you get this dried vegetable?"
"Yingfeng Grain Store, at the general store on that street. You sent us lamb and rabbits, so I had to reciprocate. In a few more days, my own chives will be ready to eat, so Sister Lihua can come and get them."
"Will your eldest brother be able to eat this dried vegetable?" Qin Junyao looked at Dengzitui's expression, unsure if the paper was useful or not.
Dengzitui patted the basket. "Miss Qin, don't worry. This is a great gift. Dried vegetables are more precious than meat in Yanhu."
"That's good. Our village chief asked each family to contribute five hundred wen in copper coins." Qin Junyao didn't know what else to say.
She saw out of the corner of her eye that a villager had already walked back and forth in front of Dengzitui's house three times.
"Village Chief?" Dengzitui sneered when he mentioned the village chief. "Miss Qin, I got a jar of good wine the day before yesterday. I'll go find Uncle Qin for a drink tomorrow."
"Okay, then I should go back. My family is waiting for me to eat."
As Qin Junyao left with the rabbits, she glanced at the villager lingering near Dengzitui's house.
What was he doing?
Was he just watching for fun, or was he openly eavesdropping?
She couldn't figure it out.
Back home, Qin Junyao saw many children in her yard. She thought they were there to ask Qin Mother for food again. As she walked closer, she realized they were gathered around two clutches of chicks, watching them.
"You all go further away, don't touch my chickens."
"Qin Xiaoyu, you're so stingy. What's wrong with a little touch? It won't break."
"Yeah, we'll just touch them gently."
Qin Xiaoyu put her hands on her hips. "Your mother's newborn baby brother isn't even allowed to be looked at, so what's wrong with looking? It won't break."
"And why can't I touch your new puppies? I'll just touch them gently."
Qin Junyao watched with amusement as the two little boys lowered their heads under Qin Xiaoyu's scolding. She gave Qin Xiaoyu a thumbs-up.
Great job.