Chapter 16: Oh Yunsha, Yunsha, what has happened to you?

Half an hour later, Chen Jie followed the address provided by Liu Bamei and arrived at a pharmacy near his residence. Located on a bustling street in the Western District of the capital, the area was filled with all manner of shops. Originally, Aunt Thirteen had insisted that Liu Bamei accompany Chen Jie, fearing he might be bullied. However, just as they were about to leave, an incident occurred at the Ximen Transport Agency, and Bamei had to go handle it. Consequently, Chen Jie had to make the trip to the pharmacy alone.

Though the shop looked unremarkable, it was a time-honored establishment, renowned for its honest dealings. It was called Zhilin Garden. Upon entering, Chen Jie was greeted by the rich, heavy fragrance of Chinese medicinal herbs.

"Sir, are you here to fill a prescription or to see the physician?" an apprentice asked with a warm smile as Chen Jie stepped inside. In such shops, the front counter was typically for selling herbs, while the back was reserved for the physician’s consultations.

Chen Jie pulled out his lists for the "medicinal supplement" and "medicinal bath" and handed them to the apprentice. "Could you check these herbs for me and let me know the total cost?"

The apprentice was efficient; a quick glance was all he needed to calculate the price. "Sir, the herbs on this list come to nine hundred and forty wen. As for the second list, it is slightly more expensive, totaling five strings and sixty wen."

Chen Jie nodded. It was much as Liu Qi had described—the herbs for the "medicinal supplement" were quite precious, costing five silver dollars per dose. The "medicinal bath" herbs were significantly cheaper, but still cost about one silver dollar each. It was no wonder that an ordinary martial artist could hardly afford such expenses. Chen Jie only had twenty silver dollars on him, so he wasn't exactly wealthy yet. He had only intended to inquire about the prices today, not buy anything just yet.

Just then, Chen Jie noticed another apprentice pull out a drawer and grab two ginseng roots for a prescription. *Huh?* Those ginseng roots looked exceptional. Seeing the apprentice toss them onto the counter quite casually, Chen Jie asked in surprise, "How much for those ginseng roots?"

The apprentice who had been assisting him replied, "Those are thirty-year-old wild mountain ginseng roots. They are two hundred wen each."

Chen Jie was stunned. *Are they really that cheap?*

"The drawer next to that one is labeled 'fifty-year-old.' Does that mean they are fifty-year-old wild mountain ginseng? How much are those?" Chen Jie asked, pointing at the label with a serious expression.

"That's right! But we don't have many left—only five in there, though we still have plenty of the thirty-year-old ones." The apprentice added, "The fifty-year-old wild mountain ginseng costs six hundred wen each."

*Only six hundred wen each?* That meant a fifty-year-old root was only one hundred and twenty yuan, and a thirty-year-old one was a mere forty yuan?

*I’ve hit the jackpot!* If he could bring these back, he could definitely sell them for a high price!

Chen Jie asked, somewhat incredulously, "Are these wild mountain ginseng roots genuine?"

The apprentice bristled at the question. "Sir, what are you saying? Our Zhilin Garden is a long-established shop; we compensate ten times the value for any fakes. How could we ever deceive anyone with counterfeit goods? This batch of wild mountain ginseng was imported from the Changbai Mountains in the Northeast. The price is high, but the medicinal efficacy is guaranteed. If you want something cheaper, we have that too, but the quality is much lower."

Chen Jie nodded. In this world, medicinal herbs were generally not cheap. A single dose of "medicinal supplement" cost nearly five silver dollars—the equivalent of over fifty thousand yuan in terms of purchasing power. While buying directly from the source would be cheaper, the journey was long and difficult without the right connections.

Chen Jie picked up a thirty-year-old ginseng root to inspect it. He took a sniff; the aroma was incredibly potent.

"Wrap up all five of the fifty-year-old ones, and give me fifty of the thirty-year-old ones as well!" Chen Jie instructed. "Are those two eighty-year-old ones one silver dollar each? Pack those up too. And give me five doses of the medicinal bath herbs! Here is twenty silver dollars; keep the change!" Chen Jie placed the coins on the counter.

"Right away, sir! Just a moment!" the apprentice exclaimed, thrilled. Purchasing twenty silver dollars' worth of herbs in one go made Chen Jie a major client.

Chen Jie had opted not to buy the "medicinal supplement" herbs yet, choosing only the five doses for the bath. The reason was simple: his martial arts training hadn't even reached the entry level, let alone the stage of basic muscle strengthening. He was too weak to handle the supplements; they would have little effect on him now. The medicinal bath, however, was highly effective for tempering his sinews and bones and clearing away the hidden injuries accumulated from his training.

A few minutes later, the apprentice handed him the herbs, all neatly wrapped in oil paper.

"Next time, tell your manager to stock more ginseng over fifty years old—a hundred years or more would be even better!" Chen Jie said as he turned to leave with his supplies.

***

Returning to the dilapidated house that served as the base for the Ximen Transport Agency, Chen Jie stored all the herbs in his drafty room. Liu Qi and his sister were out and wouldn't be back until the afternoon.

The only people in the house were Chen Jie and Aunt Thirteen. Chen Jie didn't know how to brew the herbs, so he had to ask Aunt Thirteen for help. She didn't say much and simply placed the herbs for the medicinal bath into a clay pot to simmer.

With nothing else to do, Chen Jie continued his grueling training in the courtyard. The [Martial Merit Points] in his mind had reached 156 points; he could return now if he wanted to. However, he wanted to bring all this ginseng back with him, and he would need more silver dollars for his next visit. Naturally, the more [Martial Merit Points] he had, the better.

Two hours later, Chen Jie felt exhausted. Just as he was about to stop and rest, Aunt Thirteen called out, "Chen Jie, the medicinal bath is ready!"

Chen Jie grabbed a clean towel from a rack in the courtyard to wipe his sweat and headed to the kitchen. He stared at the clay pot and froze. *Wait, aren't you supposed to soak your body in the medicinal water?* There wasn't even a single tub around. How was he supposed to take a bath? *I forgot to buy a wooden tub while I was in town!*

Chen Jie looked at Aunt Thirteen helplessly. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, and for no apparent reason, her face flushed red. "Wait a moment, I'll adjust the water temperature for you."

Standing at the kitchen door, Chen Jie watched as Aunt Thirteen retrieved a wooden tub from her own room. She then carried it into his room and briskly poured the medicinal decoction into it. She proceeded to bring in a bucket of hot water from outside, slowly pouring it in to adjust the temperature. For some reason, her heart was racing with agitation. The tub was the one she usually used for her own baths; she had never let anyone else use it.

"It’s ready! There’s hot water nearby. You can start your medicinal bath now!" With that, she turned and left, gently closing the door to his room.

*Whew!* Back in her own room, she found her heart hammering against her ribs. A faint blush lingered on her face for a long time. "Yunsha, oh Yunsha, what has gotten into you?" she whispered to herself. Remembering the scene of preparing the bath for Chen Jie, she suddenly felt weak in the knees. She covered her burning cheeks with her hands and leaned against her door, unable to speak for a long while.

Chen Jie, however, was oblivious. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about Aunt Thirteen. Once she had left the room, he tested the temperature with his hand and stepped directly into the wooden tub.