CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: IF IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE, DON’T BUY IT

"It’s not the team leader and them."

"Then who is it?"

"I don’t know."

It couldn’t possibly be the team leader and them, Yi Chichi was confident in her eyesight, she couldn’t have been mistaken.

"Yi Zhqing, Bai Zhqing..."

As if sensing their gaze, one of the two specks shouted to them, waving.

It was as if they wanted to jump up like a monkey just to get noticed.

Yi Chichi’s mouth twitched slightly, "Mr. He and Mr. Wen."

She recognized them.

"What are they doing here?"

Yi Chichi stared at them for a while, having an idea in her mind.

"They came to tell us they haven’t gathered the herbs yet."

Just as she finished speaking, He Yunsong and Wen Shi appeared at the courtyard gate.

Bai Chen warmly invited them inside to sit and warm up, Yi Chichi and Zhou Qiuyu were also ushered inside by Wang Nan and Ge Sujuan, leaving their snowball-making behind.

Then, everyone had a cup of hot tea and entered a chatty mode.

After exchanging a few words, Wen Shi got straight to the point, "Yi Zhqing, we couldn’t buy the herbs."

Yi Chichi, having already been mentally prepared after seeing them come in empty-handed, wasn’t disappointed.

But she was curious as to why they couldn’t get the herbs.

"Didn’t private sellers sell?"

"No."

Wen Shi shook his head and explained the reason they couldn’t procure the herbs.

Bai Chen’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, "I know where to buy herbs."

Old Bai has such connections?

Yi Chichi looked at him, "Where?"

Wen Shi and the others were also intrigued, casting eager glances his way.

Bai Chen, under their gazes, smiled, "There’s a Medicine Gatherer in the neighboring Qingshan Commune. He collected quite a few herbs before."

"I know him, I’ll go buy!"

Wen Shi was all about action, standing up and heading out.

He knew the Medicine Gatherer in Qingshan Commune, and based on seniority, he’d have to call him uncle, so buying some herbs shouldn’t be an issue.

He was confident, but Yi Chichi called him back with a "Come back!" causing him to turn wonderingly, "What’s up?"

"No need to go, Uncle Sanpao’s herbs have already been thoroughly taken by Uncle Yaozi!"

The Medicine Gatherers from Baoshan Commune’s several production brigades all have ties with Uncle Yaozi, reserving all the good herbs for him first.

Thus, Wen Shi’s trip would be in vain.

Wen Shi, "... What about our herbs then?"

Yi Chichi thought for a moment, "Are you guys in a rush?"

"No rush, but just in case, having some on hand is reassuring."

As he said this, scenes of roaring artillery and gory battlefields unconsciously appeared in his mind, his eyes unfocused, and he began to tremble.

Seeing his eyes and demeanor off, Yi Chichi raised her hand and pressed on his Baihui acupoint.

"Mr. Wen, calm down."

Wen Shi, "..."

This girl really had a strong grip.

"Have you studied acupoints?"

"Just a little."

Seeing his eyes return to normal, Yi Chichi withdrew her hand, wanting to ask what was wrong but swallowing her words.

The biggest faux pas in interpersonal communication is deep conversation with shallow acquaintances.

Better not to risk it.

It hadn’t reached that level yet.

To dare to act on minimal knowledge, that takes courage.

Everyone felt quite speechless, wanting to speak but hesitating to do so.

Yi Chichi ignored them, instead saying to the two, "If you guys aren’t in a hurry, you can wait until spring when I gather all the herbs and make it to send to you."

"You really don’t have any on hand?"

Yi Chichi sighed, "I do, let me share some with you both."

"Thank you so much."

The two were visibly pleased, visibly joyful.

"You can send us the rest once it’s made."

"Sure."

The discussion wrapped up around here.

What followed was simple, Yi Chichi went back to her room, splitting the herbs into two. She kept a small portion for herself and gave the larger portion to Wen Shi and them.

Wen Shi was a bold man, to test the effectiveness of the medicine, he immediately drew a knife after receiving the herbs and made a cut on his fingertip.

The wound was well controlled, neither too deep nor too shallow, ensuring minimal harm to the finger while verifying the hemostatic effect of the medicine.

"This medicine is good."

Seeing the blood from the wound stop at a speed visible to the naked eye, Wen Shi’s eyes burned with excitement.

If they had such effective hemostatic medicine back then, wouldn’t Xiao Wu and the others not have had to sacrifice due to excessive blood loss waiting for a doctor?

Thinking of the sacrificed Xiao Wu and the others, his mood dampened, and the light in his eyes dimmed.

He Yunsong sighed, patting him, "Old Wen, are you alright?!"

"I’m fine."

Wen Shi composed himself, looking at Yi Chichi with the emotionless eyes of a robot, using a negotiating tone, "Yi Zhqing, can you make a larger quantity of this wound medicine?"

"How large?"

"... Let’s start with ten pounds."

Though slightly reluctant, Yi Chichi felt like spitting blood.

Starting with ten pounds, do they think she’s a medicine-making machine?!

Do they know what ten pounds of medicine entails?

It means processing several hundred pounds of herbs, and properly prepared ones at that, which would pile up like a small hill.

"No way, impossible, a pound is the limit. Take it or leave it."

Her attitude was firm.

Wen Shi was unwilling to give up, attempting to negotiate, but Yi Chichi didn’t want to give him the chance and extended her hand, "Thirty dollars for a pound of medicine, plus twenty more for nationwide or military food stamps!"

He Yunsong jumped up, "Are you slaughtering pigs?!"

The effectiveness of her medicine was undeniable, but the price was outrageous.

Yi Chichi sneered, "If you find it expensive, don’t buy it. I’m not eager to make it. Do you think making medicine is easy for me?"

"It’s not easy!"

Bai Chen and the others stood up for her.

"We’ve seen her make medicine before, the process is very complex, she has to process each herb before proportionally mixing them."

Pointing to the medicine in Wen Shi’s small porcelain bottle, "Such a small amount took her almost half a month."

"Moreover—"

Pausing, Wang Nan added, "She also has to buy the necessary herbs with her own money."

Hearing this, He Yunsong fell silent, and Yi Chichi smiled, "Do you want it?"

"We do!"

After exchanging a glance, the two nodded; if effective and useful, then let it be expensive.

However—

"We didn’t bring that many food stamps, can we send them to you later?"

"Sure."

Then, the two began to take out money.

Each took out fifteen dollars, and Yi Chichi extended her hand to receive it, "Leave an address, and I’ll send it to you as soon as I make it."

"Uh..."

The two fell silent, and Yi Chichi felt a bad premonition, "Don’t tell me, you don’t know the address?"

"We have to report after our leave, and only then will we know where we’re assigned."

This explanation was reasonable.

"Then send me the address once you know it."

"Okay."

Thus, the herb transaction ended here.

Wen Shi and He Yunsong left with the medicine, and Yi Chichi, pocketing the money, cheerfully announced, "Tonight I want chicken stewed with mushrooms."

The designated chef, Wu Yongfei, looked wooden, "There’s no chicken."