Chapter 15: The Transaction

About an hour later.

Song Jin, wearing a *mili* (a veil hat), arrived at Shun'an Bookstore on the same street.

She was led into a reception tea room.

Song Jin was still pondering: was this all too much of a coincidence?

Aunt Ling had only just made contact with that side, and the other party had immediately arranged to meet her here.

Even more coincidental was that Shun'an Bookstore was at the head of the street, while Jifang Pharmacy was at the tail.

In her past life, while searching for her family, Song Jin could say she had exhausted every possible method.

Later, a Huizhou merchant who did business with Song Jin had mentioned some past events with regret, saying that there was once a man named Old Huo in Yi County who was very capable—in his thirties, highly skilled in martial arts, and occasionally took on private jobs in his spare time.

Later, it was heard that the person he was protecting had died.

And he had actually taken his own life to at theone for his failure.

"Madam, please have some tea."

The bookstore manager personally brought in a cup of tea.

Hearing the manager address her as "Madam," Song Jin didn't think much of it, mainly because she was wearing a married woman's bun.

When the manager retreated, he closed the door behind him.

Song Jin did not touch the tea on the table, waiting quietly for the other party to arrive.

"You are very composed."

A low, hoarse male voice came from behind the screen in the room.

Song Jin was slightly startled. "Are you Old Huo?"

"No."

The man denied it in a deep voice, then added, "Old Huo is currently in Tunxi. I am his employer; it is the same if you discuss matters with me."

The voice had been deliberately altered, making it impossible to tell his true age.

Song Jin’s heart tightened slightly.

Coming out this time was already a risk.

But in order to find the whereabouts of her family, even knowing the risks, Song Jin would still come here.

Song Jin steadied her mind and said slowly, "Have you ever heard of the Four Great Huai Herbs?"

"I would like to hear the details."

"Legend has it that in ancient times, Emperor Yan, Shennong, fell gravely ill. To seek a cure, he led his officials, his wife, and his family across mountains and rivers, traveling widely among the people.

In a crisp autumn season, the group arrived at Huaichuan and encountered a spiritual mountain with magnificent scenery. Shennong sighed with emotion

'Truly a blessed land of immortals, a mountain of medicine!'

He then identified the five grains and tasted a hundred herbs there, built an altar to worship heaven, and finally obtained four types of roots and flower stamens. After taking them with water, he recovered within days.

He then ordered four officials—Mountain, Earth, Ox, and Chrysanthemum—to guard them. They were named after the people: *Shanyao* (Yam), *Dihuang* (Rehmannia), *Niuxi* (Achyranthes), and *Juhua* (Chrysanthemum).

The *Shennong Ben Cao Jing* lists all four herbs as superior grade.

When emperors of successive dynasties collected Huai herbs as tribute, they mostly specified the authentic origins—insisting on Dihuang from Jiagezhuang and Dadaosi, Shanyao from Dalangzhai, Chrysanthemum from Huangfucun, and Niuxi from Xiaomiaohou..."

Qin Chi, from behind the screen, looked at Song Jin as she spoke eloquently, thinking of the stunning face hidden beneath the veil, his mind drifting for a moment.

"As long as your people can help me find the whereabouts of the Song family, I will gift you all of the Song family's hidden assets in Huaiqing Prefecture." Song Jin knew the Song family had hidden assets.

Out of a desire to protect his daughter, Song Kuan had never made it clear to her.

In her past life, Song Jin only found out years later.

Qin Chi had thought the Song family was at the end of their rope, yet they still had a hidden trump card.

Thinking about it, it was understandable.

Just because the Song clan didn't expand on the surface didn't mean they weren't doing so behind the scenes.

A wily rabbit has three burrows.

Qin Chi was very interested in the "Four Great Huai Herbs," especially the vast wealth they represented.

As the saying goes: a certain land nurtures certain people, and a certain land grows certain herbs.

The Four Great Huai Herbs were local specialties.

Successive generations of medical experts had further discovered the excellent original nature of the Four Great Huai Herbs by looking past the surface and refining the essence.

But those five places had always been controlled by powerful families.

The Song clan actually had assets there!

It must be said, Qin Chi was tempted.

Even brothers must settle accounts clearly, let alone strangers who were merely "husband and wife" in name.

Qin Chi’s eyes flickered, and he said in a hoarse voice, "You should understand what it means for people to go missing in Tunxi. I cannot guarantee that I will definitely be able to find them."

"As long as you do your best to search, with a three-year limit, even if you don't find them, half of the assets in Huaiqing Prefecture will still belong to you. I guarantee that among those assets, there will be two plantations growing the Four Great Huai Herbs."

Song Jin was too weak right now, and she had no capable people at her disposal.

At this moment, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she would not hesitate to pay a heavy price.

Under such heavy inducement, Song Jin believed the other party would do their utmost.

Qin Chi was surprised by Song Jin's grand gesture.

This lady was too naive and easy to deceive.

It almost made him feel soft-hearted—but only almost. In fact, not only did he not take a step back, he pushed for more.

The man behind the screen remained silent for a long time.

When two parties are negotiating, one party remaining silent for a long time easily creates a sense of oppression for the other.

If it were the Song Jin of that age in her past life, she would have lost her composure long ago. But sitting here now was the great Huizhou merchant from her past life, whose business had spanned the length and breadth of the country.

"I have one condition. As long as you agree, I guarantee that within three years, I will do my best to track down the whereabouts of your family."

Song Jin stood up abruptly.

The other party said he would track down... the whereabouts of her family?

Does this mean he knows her identity?

Song Jin suddenly felt uneasy, though she did not show it on her face, asking calmly

"What is your condition?"

"I want to acquire the Song family's medicinal herbs, with a three-year limit. At the same time, I will help you investigate the people behind the scenes who framed the Song family."

Song Jin asked, "At market price?"

"Yes, that is correct."

Qin Chi was in a good mood.

He had been turned away repeatedly when visiting the Song family before.

This time, he had finally gotten his wish.

Song Jin said solemnly, "Then I agree. I hope you will keep your word."

"A gentleman's promise."

From this moment on, the deal between the two was struck.

There was no need to sign a contract.

Contracts like this without an official seal were meant to bind gentlemen; they could never bind a villain.

The specific herb transactions would need to be negotiated between Qin Chi's people and Jifang Pharmacy.

Song Jin left first.

When the bookstore manager came over and heard Qin Chi's instructions, he was stunned. "Mar—market price? Young Master, are you sure?"

"It is at market price. It wouldn't be right for me to take advantage of a woman..."

Qin Chi thought of something, and his face suddenly darkened.

One oversight in a hundred plans.

The previous market price would have been fine, and Qin Chi would still have been taking advantage, but since the Song family's incident, the market price changed every day.

Especially for the few medicinal herbs that were the Song family's exclusive specialty.

They were now worth their weight in gold.

Thinking that the contract hadn't been signed yet, Qin Chi simply pretended not to know. "When the time comes, you go talk to Manager Jin. The price cannot be too outrageous. It would be best if it could be at the market price from before the Song family's incident."

"Understood, Young Master."

The manager breathed a sigh of relief.

It was good that the Young Master was still rational and hadn't been blinded by beauty.

Song Jin exited the bookstore.

Jin Ling was waiting outside, and upon seeing Song Jin come out safe and sound, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Young Miss..."

"Let's go back to the shop first."

The two walked toward the shop together.

Passing by a general store, Song Jin went in to buy some things.

Things like needles and thread, a bronze mirror, a wooden comb, and a washbasin—small daily necessities—Song Jin bought a set of everything.

She even prepared gifts for the adults and children of the Qin family.

Song Jin thought for a moment and bought a bolt of cotton cloth, intending to make herself some clothes, as well as undergarments.

She spent over ten taels in total.

Back at the pharmacy, Song Jin sat quietly in front of the counter. Before long, she picked up a brush and wrote down a list.

Behind every name, she marked an address.

There were over a hundred people in total.

"Aunt Ling, go to everyone on this list and send ten catties of white flour and rice to each family, along with a slab of pork belly. Tell them... this is the holiday gift from the old Song family, given early this year."

Song Jin's eyes were misty, tears swirling in her sockets.

After a long silence, Song Jin spoke slowly again, "Tell them to tend to the herbs with peace of mind. Even if the Shexian Song family is gone, they will not be affected. At the fixed time every year, someone from the Song family will still come to collect the herbs, and the price will be the old rule."

"Yes."

Jin Ling wept silently.