Chapter 145: Bai Ruozhu’s Nemesis
At Fushou Hall, the apprentice informed Bai Ruozhu that Doctor Liu had returned to Beiyu City. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but think that Du Zhongshu had also gone back to Beiyu City. She vaguely remembered hearing that Du Zhongshu and Hao Baishuang had known each other from before, possibly even relatives?
Bai Ruozhu found it strange, why hadn’t Du Zhongshu mentioned any of this?
"As Dr. Liu is not here, I’ll return another time to consult her. However, I would like to buy something from the shop," Bai Ruozhu put away her speculations and said.
"I’ll get the shopkeeper to assist you with your purchase," the young clerk replied excitedly before dashing off.
Shortly after, the shopkeeper made his appearance, asking Bai Ruozhu what she wanted to purchase. Fushou Hall offered a variety of ready-made medications such as Calming Pills and Hangover Soup. As the establishment was well-renowned, their prices tended to be slightly higher than regular clinics.
"No need for any medicine presently. Instead, I’d like to purchase a set of silver needles," said Bai Ruozhu.
The shopkeeper looked surprised. After all, customers who bought silver needles were few in this small town, as only doctors required them. Moreover, most countryside doctors were not proficient in using them.
The shopkeeper took a second glance at Bai Ruozhu. Even though she looked young and was carrying a child, he suspected that the needles were a gift for her elders.
"Madam, you arrived at the right time. We recently added a set of silver needles to our inventory. Since few people in town purchase such items, this set is basically for display purposes. I assure you, the craftsmanship is top-notch." The shopkeeper made a thumb-up gesture, then turned to retrieve the set of silver needles from the top of the counter.
Bai Ruozhu’s heart warmed up as soon as she set her eyes on the silver needles. It was like soccer players who haven’t touched a football for a long time and suddenly see one. She was itching to touch them but cooled down when she saw the wooden box that contained the needles.
The wooden box appeared to be made of chicken wing wood. The carvings were lifelike and impressive, fitting for an item used as a centerpiece in the shop. But this also meant the needles would be quite costly.
Bai Ruozhu carefully opened the box, instantly falling in love with the set of silver needles at first sight. It had the right weight, and the design was clean and streamlined. She instantly recognized that it was as good as the set she used in her past life.
A quality set of silver needles that fits well in hand could significantly improve a doctor’s acupuncture practice, and vice versa. So, despite the cost, Bai Ruozhu was determined to purchase it.
The shopkeeper saw Bai Ruozhu’s satisfaction and laughed, "Madam, you seem to be quite knowledgeable. I always enjoy dealing with well-informed customers. Otherwise, the best goods would just be pearls covered in dust."
"Then, shopkeeper, you must give me a good discount. Otherwise, no matter how much I like it, I can’t afford it," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
The shopkeeper hadn’t intended to sell this set of silver needles in Anyuan Town. Seeing that someone was interested, he was naturally pleased and proposed a price after contemplating it for a bit. "Thirty taels of silver, a fair price that no one could dispute."
Bai Ruozhu gasped. Thirty taels were no small amount, but objectively speaking, it was not outrageous.
"I didn’t bring that much silver. How about twenty taels?" Bai Ruozhu only had a little more than twenty taels, saved from selling dried fish.
"Madam, that’s too much of a bargain. Twenty taels are absolutely out of the question. I can’t explain such a deal to the Dong Family," the shopkeeper was shaking his head, but he didn’t take back the silver needles, signaling there was room for negotiation.
Bai Ruozhu discreetly observed his expression and feigned a distressed look, "How about twenty-two taels? I must at least have some money left to afford a ride home. I don’t live in the town."
The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, "Why don’t we meet in the middle? Twenty-seven taels. How does that sound?"
And so, the bargaining began. After what felt like forever, the shopkeeper seemed to lose his patience, and his tone became somewhat stiff. "The final offer is twenty-five taels. I can’t go lower than this. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll remain a display piece."
With that, the shopkeeper prepared to keep the silver needles back. Seeing his resolute face, Bai Ruozhu knew he wouldn’t budge.
Bai Ruozhu was in a bind. She urgently needed a set of silver needles. Once she left Fushou Hall, she might not find similar quality needles elsewhere. Even if she did, the substandard needles would eventually need to be replaced by a better set.
The set in front of her was to her liking, but she had just a little over twenty-three taels of silver.
There was no concept of installment payments in ancient times. So, after thinking for a bit, she proposed to the shopkeeper, "I genuinely don’t have enough money on me. Can I give you five taels of silver as a deposit and return with the remaining twenty by afternoon?"
She didn’t fancy making an extra trip. First, she had things to do at home; second, the back-and-forth journey would be tremendously exhausting for both her and the child she had brought. Right now, aside from the money she had, she didn’t have anything else valuable.
Oh, right! There was a jade pendant; the one that the sarcastic man gave to Little Dengdeng. How about using it as additional collateral for now, return in a few days, and retrieve it after paying up the silver?
No, that won’t do, Bai Ruozhu shook her head in silence. She had to return the jade pendant, after all, what would happen if it got lost?
The shopkeeper didn’t object to her proposal. He agreed right away. Bai Ruozhu took back the jade pendant she had been tightly clutching and handed over five taels of silver to the shopkeeper. He swiftly wrote up a receipt and handed it to her.
Bai Ruozhu held on to Little Dengdeng as she left and couldn’t help but take another longing look towards the acupuncture box.
As she turned back to move on, she suddenly found someone standing directly in front of her. Because she was not looking ahead, she almost bumped into this person.
She quickly stepped back and quietly apologized.
Wait, this smell... it seems so familiar! Bai Ruozhu sniffed and quickly raised her head to find a wooden mask right in front of her.
She was taken aback but quickly recovered, "I was just looking for you! I wanted to return this to you. It’s too valuable a gift for a child."
She took out the jade pendant from her pocket and handed it to Jiang Yichun. Nevertheless, Jiang Yichun remained unmoved. She could almost feel the coldness of his face behind the mask.
"Is he your child? How do you know he doesn’t want it? Who are you to decide for him? It was my gift to the child!" Jiang Yichun’s voice turned frigid. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but shiver.
"My son is a good boy. He definitely won’t accept gifts without giving something back," Bai Ruozhu gave a strained smile.
"It’s impolite to refuse a gift given by an elder." Jiang Yichun’s voice was still cold, yet there was a slight lift in his tone—as if he was enjoying how Bai Ruozhu was chocking on her own words.
Bai Ruozhu was at a loss for words. She thought of leaving the jade pendant on the side and walking away. As soon as she entertained the idea, Jiang Yichun’s voice came across again, "A gift given will not be taken back. Even if you discard it, it will still be a gift given to the child."
Bai Ruozhu was frozen. She didn’t know whether to put down the jade pendant or pocket it. She felt frustrated for the first time. Was this man her nemesis or what? Every encounter shortened her lifespan or made her so furious that she wanted to punch someone.
Jiang Yichun was indeed in a better mood seeing her response. His tone was noticeably less cold. He looked at Bai Ruozhu and asked, "How much are you short of?"
"Huh?" Bai Ruozhu was dumbfounded...