CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 58 COOPERATION

Since Mr. Tian said so, Xie Liangchen did not insist any longer.

Mr. Tian glanced at the toad oil Xie Liangchen had prepared, planning to return to gather sufficient silver coin before coming back to Chen Family Village.

Manager Ding purchased ten pounds of processed Rehmannia for a total of five taels of silver.

Xie Liangchen thanked Manager Ding, who replied, "It’s not easy for you either."

Before leaving, Manager Ding kindly advised Xie Liangchen, "Since there are no buyers for the medicinal herbs you’ve gathered at the moment, it might be better to pause for now." People in Chen Family Village should be careful not to use the silver from selling Rehmannia to buy more herbs.

After Manager Ding and Mr. Tian left, Old Mrs. Chen felt as if she were dreaming. The dark medicinal herbs Miss Chen prepared had actually been sold for five taels of silver.

So, Miss Chen was right when she said that the medicine was worth more than an old hen. Old Mrs. Chen was relieved she slaughtered the chicken; otherwise, she’d have wasted more silver.

But that thought quickly passed, and Old Mrs. Chen slapped her thigh, stamping her feet in regret. What were they eating, if not medicine?

What expensive things would Miss Chen ruin next? From rice meals to eggs, eggs to hens, hens to medicinal herbs.

If not stopped, what would she ruin next time?

Old Mrs. Chen slapped her leg again with such force that it stung, and she almost shed tears.

In this life, she would never drink chicken soup again; they weren’t drinking chicken soup but silver coin!

"Grandmother,"

Xie Liangchen waited until Old Mrs. Chen’s emotions calmed before approaching, saying, "Grandmother, I heard that the toad oil is delicious. Why don’t we steam it with eggs tonight to try?"

Old Mrs. Chen hurriedly reached out to shield the little toads, not letting anyone have any ideas about them.

After experiencing happiness and regret, Old Mrs. Chen began to seriously consider the five taels of silver, seeing not the silver but the courtyard full of medicinal herbs.

They still had processed Rehmannia, and perhaps someone would come to buy it tomorrow.

Looking at Xie Liangchen, Old Mrs. Chen asked, "Did you reclaim those two pieces of mountain land from the Xie Family’s second branch knowing there were these medicinal herbs?"

That was something Xie Shaoshan discovered in his previous life, earning quite a bit of silver from the herbs.

Xie Liangchen shook her head, "I didn’t know. It was only when second uncle took me there that I discovered it."

Old Mrs. Chen sighed, "Who knew your father left you such a fortune, whether intentionally or just by luck on our part."

The abundance of Rehmannia in the mountains must have been planted intentionally; otherwise, there wouldn’t be so much.

"Grandmother," Xie Liangchen said, "we should use the silver from selling processed Rehmannia to keep buying herbs."

Old Mrs. Chen instinctively clenched her fist; the five taels of silver hadn’t even warmed in her hand before they were about to be spent. The heartache... who could understand it?

Old Mrs. Chen asked, "Miss Chen, are you sure you want to continue buying herbs?"

Xie Liangchen nodded resolutely.

Old Mrs. Chen said, "But even the trading teams aren’t willing to buy the herbs now. Who will you sell them to?"

Xie Liangchen was not worried, "Rest assured, Grandmother, I have a plan."

Old Mrs. Chen went to the kitchen to stoke the fire, Chen Zigeng was practicing calculations inside the room, and Xie Liangchen left the courtyard to find Chang Yue, "Could you help me inquire about that Mr. Tian who just left?" She could investigate herself, but it would take time.

The creditor once said to call on Chang Yue for assistance if needed, so doing this shouldn’t anger the creditor.

Besides, this matter would benefit the creditor once accomplished.

Chang Yue agreed.

With years of warfare in the North, the Tian Family hadn’t fled South and could still run trading teams, which spoke to their good character. Mr. Tian’s candid and decisive manner suggested he’d been leading teams for years.

If Mr. Tian could commit to this trade, then the Tian Family Trading Team was exactly who she needed.

...

Tian Chengyou returned home from Chen Family Village and went straight to the study to review the accounts, calculating the family’s silver several times, leaving just enough for household expenses, and preparing as much silver as possible to purchase goods.

His swift decision came from the quality of the medicines from Chen Family Village being genuinely excellent and the reasonable pricing—a toad cost seventy coins at a Capital City pharmacy, but only forty in Chen Family Village.

Such a good opportunity had to be seized, or else the future would become even more challenging.

After preparing the accounts and gathering the silver, he planned to head to Chen Family Village the next day to buy the herbs.

Tian Chengyou took a deep breath, but the girl’s words echoed in his mind: "Mr. Tian, have you ever thought about transporting northern medicinal herbs to the South for sale?"

Unable to sleep from tossing and turning, if he could bring all those medicinal herbs down south, they’d undoubtedly fetch a good price.

What a pity. Tian Chengyou muttered silently in his heart.

Early the next morning, while Tian Chengyou was considering taking his entourage to Chen Family Village,

the Tian Family’s courtyard gate resounded with knocking.

The family opened the door to find two people standing outside.

Tian Chengyou happened to be passing by, and upon seeing them, he was momentarily stunned. They must be from Chen Family Village, even though he didn’t know Chen Yongsheng, he had met Xie Liangchen the previous day.

Chen Yongsheng began, "I am the village chief of Chen Family Village."

Inviting them inside, Tian Chengyou surmised that the Chen villagers had likely inquired about his residence from Manager Ding, although he wasn’t entirely sure of their purpose.

"May I ask why Village Chief Chen has come to see me?" At this point, Tian Chengyou’s expression slightly changed, "You didn’t sell that toad oil to someone else, did you?"

Fixing his gaze on Chen Yongsheng, his ears picked up the clear and gentle voice of the young girl: "Yesterday I asked if Mr. Tian had thought about transporting northern medicinal herbs south for sale? Does Mr. Tian remember?"

Nodding, Tian Chengyou not only remembered, but had tossed and turned all night because of those words.

With a long sigh, Tian Chengyou continued, "I’d definitely like to, but unfortunately..."

Xie Liangchen anticipated what Tian Chengyou would say next and continued, "What if we take part of the payment for the herbs first, and Mr. Tian bring the rest after selling the medicinal herbs? What does Mr. Tian think?"

Tian Chengyou’s eyes widened, as if he’d just comprehended the meaning of the girl’s words: "You would really agree to that?"

Xie Liangchen nodded, "However, we’d need Mr. Tian to go to the government office with us to draft a document, recording everything clearly for proof later on."

Tian Chengyou still found it hard to believe.

Xie Liangchen said, "It’s just a transaction. When both parties are sincere, there’s no reason it can’t be done. With the northern war just concluded, whether it’s us or Mr. Tian, we should support each other. If you trust us, we can trust you too."

Tian Chengyou didn’t know why, but the words of the girl before him seemed particularly convincing.

Xie Liangchen continued, "We should, however, keep your purchase of the herbs as discreet as possible."

Instinctively, Tian Chengyou asked, "Why?"

Xie Liangchen smiled and said, "Don’t you want to transport this year’s medicinal herbs to the South before those merchants?"