Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity
Chapter 62 - 58: Bargaining

Chapter 62: Chapter 58: Bargaining

"Brother Dongzi, could you please call a young apprentice over? I’ll have my dad and the others come in first."

"Alright, just stay put, I’ll call him for you." Gu Chengyu watched as Dongzi ran towards the counter, then quickly turned around to wave at his dad and the others outside, making sure they saw him and started to come in before he glanced back at Dongzi.

Dongzi was struggling to push through the queue of people, speaking to a twelve or thirteen-year-old apprentice at the counter. But the apprentice was waving his hands incessantly, indicating he was busy, looking impatiently, and muttering something, likely saying he’s too busy and has no time. Gu Chengyu thought if they were truly busy, who knows how long he’d have to wait, fearing being ignored. It’s hard enough to see a shopkeeper, let alone an apprentice. Perhaps he’d have to queue up pretending to fetch medicine, just to speak to someone.

As Gu Chengyu hesitated whether to queue up or not, he saw a middle-aged man lift the curtain and come out of the inner room, dressed in a sky-blue silk cross-collar robe, walking squarely to the counter for inspection. Inside should be the inner hall of the clinic, with doctors at the other door, many people going in and out. This side might be the resting place for the chief. His attire wasn’t shabby, so he was either the shopkeeper or the Master Zhang as Dongzi mentioned.

Watching Dongzi squeeze back, Gu Chengyu had an idea.

"Brother, I sincerely apologize, the clinic is too busy right now, the apprentice has no time. Why not wait a little longer? I’ll find a chance to ask again." Dongzi, apologetic and unsure how long it would take to have free time, couldn’t help much.

"Oh Brother Dongzi, no need to say that, it’s already kind that you ask for me, I can wait. But I noticed the chief came to the counter earlier, is that Zhang, your Master?"

"Brother has good eyesight, that’s indeed Master Zhang. Well, since the apprentice is not available, I’ll inquire with the Master for you, hang in there." Dongzi finished and squeezed towards the counter again.

This Dongzi was quite enthusiastic! But he noticed that Master Zhang looked haughty, his eyes mostly white with the black pupil seemingly hanging upwards, giving off a vibe of not being easy to get along with! Dongzi shouted "Master!" several times from the counter.

Initially, Master Zhang didn’t want to pay attention, but after several shouts from Dongzi that might disturb others, he reluctantly pulled Dongzi aside to a corner. The clinic was too noisy for Gu Chengyu to hear their conversation, only seeing Dongzi gesturing, then pointing towards Gu Chengyu, and Master Zhang followed Dongzi from the corner, walking towards them. Gu Chengyu thought he should take back what he said; indeed, looks can be deceiving, maybe he just looks hard to approach?

At that moment, Mr. Gu and Gu Chengli also came in with burlap bags, walking up beside Gu Chengyu, as Mr. Gu was about to ask something when a voice interrupted. "I heard from Dongzi someone’s here to sell wintergreen, is it you? Let me see it." Master Zhang hadn’t reached them yet but got straight to the point.

"Is it Master Zhang? Yes, my family intends to sell it. Dad, open the bag and let him see!" Selling honeysuckle to anyone is fine, as long as the price is fair.

Mr. Gu and Gu Chengli hurriedly placed the burlap bags down, opened the mouths, took a handful of honeysuckle in their hands, and presented it to Master Zhang. "Our honeysuckle is harvested from the mountains by ourselves, checked by the doctor, and deemed of top quality, please have a look?"

Master Zhang took a look, tossed it back into the bag, shook the bag, and inspected closely. "Hmm, the quality is okay, slightly better than usual. Our clinic has regular suppliers, such quality is not uncommon. Well, since you’ve come all this way to the county, not easy right? I’ll take it for seventy silver per pound, already a high price, nowhere else will offer better than Huichun Hall."

"This? Master Zhang? When we came..." Mr. Gu, hearing only seventy per pound, got anxious, as Doctor Li mentioned it could fetch ninety per pound. How did it drop so much?

Gu Chengyu secretly tugged at his dad’s sleeve; price compression is normal when clinics collect herbs, it’s negotiable, and there’s no need to sell to them exclusively. He looked up at Master Zhang, seeing his calm expression, hands folded behind, seemed confidently taking advantage of them, treating them as if they were farmers unaware of money, indeed he didn’t misjudge, someone viewing others as inferior.

Gu Chengyu sneered internally, not wishing to haggle further. "Master Zhang, is Manager Liu currently in the clinic?"

"You know Manager Liu?" Master Zhang looked down, somewhat surprised. Then, thinking of something, his face sank, "What? Don’t you believe me? Just for this bit of wintergreen, a deputy can’t decide? Are you looking down on me, Zhang?" While the clinic has been lacking wintergreen, suppliers fell short, this batch was quite good, though he pressured the price hard, why do they have to consult Manager Liu for everything? Is the deputy a mere decoration?

Gu Chengyu found it amusing, clearly Master Zhang looked down on them, yet he acted unreasonably. "Master Zhang, we were entrusted to pass some words to Manager Liu, could Master Zhang kindly introduce us?"

After hearing, Master Zhang’s face slightly eased, his eye glanced at the speaking rural child, about five or six years old, wearing a grass-green cotton cross-collar short robe, like his family attired in half-new clothes, likely seldom worn. But he spoke leisurely, unlike an unsophisticated rural child.

"Since you’re passing words to Manager Liu, perhaps the communicator is acquainted with Manager Liu, introducing wouldn’t be an issue. But unfortunately, Manager Liu is out today, not in the clinic, so the introduction will wait, let’s discuss wintergreen instead. How about this? I’ll add five silver per pound, can you agree? It’s our biggest concession."

"This won’t do, coming to the county isn’t easy, the price..." Mr. Gu regretted, had he known, it would’ve been better sold in town, though Manager Liu isn’t here, ginseng isn’t sold, losing dozens of silver was a heavy loss.

"Master Zhang, as far as I know, Renhe Hall in Shanhe Town offers ninety-five per pound, thinking Huichun Hall, as a major clinic in the county, would naturally pay more. We’ve heard Huichun Hall’s reputation, saying the medicine prices are fair, the doctors’ skills miraculous. My family and I believe in it, hence come seeking Huichun Hall for selling. And with branches across Dayan, wouldn’t take advantage, correct?" Gu Chengyu raised his voice as he spoke, attracting attention from some fetching medicine nearby, who turned to look.

Gu Chengyu doubted Zhang’s claim of Manager Liu’s absence, suspicious he just didn’t want to introduce. Besides, if pricing ranged from eighty-five to ninety per pound, they could accept; seventy-five deviates too far from Doctor Li’s estimate. His dad’s laboriously harvested and dried in the scorching sun, constantly flipped, he wouldn’t let it go cheap.