Chapter 106: Exceptional Elegance

The errand at Yong Feng Zhai wasn’t complicated. Sang Luo, accompanied by Shen An and Shen Ning, spent just over two quarters of an hour to settle the business and receive the payment.

Having known Shopkeeper Yan for so long, Sang Luo privately warned her before leaving, suspecting the county would buzz with rumors in a few days. She didn’t mind offering Yan a heads-up. As for the two female workers in the store, they were contractually tied to Yong Feng Zhai and didn’t need to worry about their sustenance.

Returning to Dongfu Lounge, Shopkeeper Xu hadn’t yet departed. A familiar young man had just returned from home and saw Sang Luo sitting in the alley behind the kitchen on a stool with the two kids. He approached quietly to inquire about the situation in the north.

Realizing Shopkeeper Xu must have informed the staff, Sang Luo didn’t hide anything and shared the details quietly.

After listening, the young man sighed despondently, "I hope things don't get chaotic. A rise in grain prices is bearable, at worst it would drain our savings and we'd eat poorer food. But if there's actual chaos and the county town gets stormed by rebel troops, what's the use of having grain if we lose our lives?"

Sang Luo agreed, "Exactly."

In times of chaos, human lives are often regarded as worthless as weeds.

The young man, seemingly overwhelmed by anxiety, puffed out his cheeks and exhaled deeply, "Alright, Sang Nainai, please sit. I’ll go and relay your message to our shopkeeper."

His family only needed one shi of rice, any more was unaffordable, and his father had already gone to buy coarse grains.

Sang Luo nodded, then called after him, "Dong Ge’er."

The youth was indeed called Dong Ge’er. He and his brother had once made a delivery to Sang Luo, and she remembered his name.

He stopped and turned to her.

Sang Luo spoke quietly, "Discuss with your family and consider if there’s any hidden and inconspicuous place suitable for digging a tunnel or a bunker. As long as it’s well-concealed and in an unexpected location, it can be a refuge with food and water stored inside if chaos breaks out."

“If the county town remains unbreached, that’s good, but if it falls, we can only rely on such means for survival," she added. "Of course, it must be sufficiently concealed, otherwise it’ll just lead to disaster. If rebel troops really break into the city, they’re adept at looting homes. Don’t let your whole family be discovered and exposed.”

Dong Ge’er blinked, seemingly finding a ray of hope in despair. His eyes brightened, and he even managed a faint smile, “Thank you, Sang Nainai. After work, I'll discuss this with my family. You truly are a lifesaver for us!”

Sang Luo smiled modestly, "It’s nothing. Your family would have thought of it themselves."

"People can unleash endless potential when it comes to survival."

She waved her hand, signaling the young man to go about his business.

Nodding, the youth left, his steps noticeably lighter than before.

Shen An, watching Dong Ge'er leave, asked his elder sister-in-law, "Is war really that terrifying?"

Shen Ning also looked towards Sang Luo for an answer.

The siblings had a limited understanding of warfare; Sang Luo and Shen Lie seldom discussed it at home. Although the children were aware of the preparations their elder brother and sister-in-law were making, they hadn't felt real fear until they saw Dong Ge'er's reaction.

Sang Luo gently patted Shen Ning's head, comforting, "If we're well-prepared, things will be okay."

"We've done what we can; the rest, which is beyond our control, is left to fate."

The siblings seemed to understand, but didn’t dwell on their worries for long, as Shen Lie and the others returned with several carts of grain shortly after sitting in the alley for a while.

Sang Luo, accompanied by the two children, got up to meet them, surprised, "That was fast?"

With smiles on their faces, Chen You Tian and others explained, as Shen Lie added, "The grain store had many helpers, and we bought bagged grain in set quantities, which made loading the carts quick and easy."

"In fact, we were one of the first groups to buy large quantities of grain today. Others from the village and the Zhou clan are probably just setting off now, and those who are lazier might still be having breakfast. The employees at Dongfu Lou who heard the news also needed time to inform their families."

Therefore, even though they were a group of five or six people buying substantial amounts of grain, the shopkeepers, seeing Chen You Tian and others in plain, rustic attire and Shen Lie's group in worn-out old straw sandals, recognized them as local villagers.

"Having paid taxes twice this year and with the soaring grain prices, it's not surprising that local farmers have resorted to eating bean rice instead of regular rice. So, the grain shop didn't bother to ask much and provided as much as we asked for."

"Beans, after all, aren't a rarity around here, so no one paid much heed."

Sang Luo glanced at the bags of grain on several carts, feeling a sense of relief that everything went smoothly.

"We need to wait a bit longer for Xu, the shopkeeper. Why don't you all sit here for a while? Shen Lie and I need to visit the pharmacy to stock up on some medicinal herbs. Do any of you need to prepare any medicines?"

The others shook their heads. "Medicine is too expensive, we can't afford it right now," said Chen You Tian. "I'm out of money; I'll need to save up a bit more."

However, Zhou Da Lang took on a task, pulling out two one-tael silver ingots and handing them to Shen Lie, saying, "Shen Lie, could you help us buy the same medicines you’re getting? These two taels are for the amount my father specified. You and your siblings can decide what to buy. We will also pay for half of the consultation fee."

It was his father’s instructions to follow Sang Luo’s advice on which medicines to buy. Zhou Da Lang didn’t feel comfortable handing money directly to Sang Luo, so he gave it to Shen Lie.

Shen Lie, recognizing Zhou Cun Zheng's esteem for Sang Luo, accepted the task without demur and passed the money to Sang Luo.

With Chen You Tian and the others watching over the grain, Sang Luo briefly notified the staff in the kitchen and brought out stools for everyone to sit on. Then, she and Shen Lie, accompanied by Shen An and Shen Ning, headed to the pharmacy.

Ginseng, especially of a decent age, is always in demand at pharmacies. It's just a matter of who offers the best price.

The couple visited every pharmacy and medical hall in the county with the ginseng. Eventually, it was a medical hall that offered the highest price - thirty-nine taels.

Neither Sang Luo nor Shen Lie were particularly knowledgeable about the market price for ginseng, but needing the money urgently and without other buyers to approach at short notice, they were satisfied with the price for a ginseng of over thirty years.

The owner of the medical hall handed the money to Shen Lie, who remembered his earlier promise to give the money to Sang Luo, saying, "I'll hold onto it for you for now."

Sang Luo almost laughed, nodding her approval for him to do so.

After selling the ginseng, the pair didn’t hurry to leave, but instead asked the owner and joined the queue at the resident doctor's office.

It wasn’t much of a wait; there was only one woman ahead of them, and it was soon their turn.

The senior doctor looked at Sang Luo and her group, inquiring who was unwell. Sang Luo, smiling, shook her head: “We’re all fine, thank you. We’re planning a long journey through mountains and wilderness, so we’d like to procure some travel medicines.”

“Ah,” the doctor nodded, understanding. Preparing medicine for travel was common among wealthier families but rare for poorer ones. In the Great Qian Dynasty, distances between counties were significant, making travel challenging. Illness on such long journeys without medical aid was a real concern.

Observing their modest clothing, the doctor guessed they weren't affluent. He indicated for Sang Luo, who seemed to be in charge, to sit at the diagnostic table and asked what specific medicines they wanted.

Sang Luo thought for a moment and, drawing from her modern knowledge of common household medicines, listed her needs: cold and flu remedies, fever reducers, treatments for gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, injuries, and antidotes for insect and snake bites, finally adding wound-healing medicine.

Their extensive list surprised the doctor. If he hadn’t seen them sell valuable ginseng, he might have doubted their ability to afford even a single prescription.

The doctor listened without interruption, then responded, giving professional advice.

Sang Luo’s requirements were translated by the doctor into a series of professional terms, bewildering her with their complexity.

Not an issue, though. She asked the doctor to indicate the corresponding symptoms for each prescription, akin to a modern medicine guide. Since the medicine was for two families, she requested two copies of each.

The doctor was surprised by her literacy, asking if she could read.

Sang Luo nodded affirmatively: “I can recognize the commonly used characters.”

“That’s quite impressive,” the doctor remarked with a smile. He asked about the quantities she needed and, considering the volume of her request, estimated the total cost to be nearly nine taels of silver. Recognizing her as a significant customer, he complied with her request, noting down the indications for each medicine and attaching the prescriptions to their corresponding packages.

Sang Luo struggled with the doctor's calligraphy on the prescriptions but managed to understand the symptoms and usage instructions written specifically for her.

Preparing the medicines took time, especially since Sang Luo had ordered a large quantity.

After instructing the pharmacy assistant, Sang Luo calculated the costs separately for the Zhou family and her own, with the Zhou family's two taels of silver ending up being an extra 190 wen, while her own expenses neared eight taels.

The most expensive were the wound healing medicine and antidote pills. The need for the former was clear due to the potential presence of wild animals and bandits, making it a necessary precaution.

As for the antidote pills, they were an impromptu decision by Sang Luo, advised by the doctor. Ordinary snakebite remedies could be made using simple herbs, costing only 39 wen per dose. However, the special antidote pills suggested by the doctor were costly, one pill being worth one tael, yet capable of treating even severe poisonings from regions like Sichuan and Shu, potentially saving a life.

Seeing the value in such effective medicine, Sang Luo bit the bullet and purchased three pills.

Her spending exceeded that of the Zhou family mainly due to these two items – the wound healing medicine and antidote pills, which together cost nearly five taels, while the rest was spent on common medicines.

Shen Lie hesitated to comment on the expense of the wound healing medicine and antidote pills, eventually choosing silence.

Considering the dangers of deep mountain terrains, though he and Da Shan could find simple herbs for minor injuries, these professional medicines were undoubtedly more reliable. With many people including children to take care of, ample preparation was prudent.

Once the large quantity of medicine was prepared, the pharmacy provided two big cloth bags to separately pack the medicines for the Zhou family and Sang Luo's family, especially Sang Luo's portion being significantly substantial.

Shen Lie carried one bag in each hand.

As he carried the medicines, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Sang Luo several times.

The Zhou family bought a lot of medicine due to their large family size, but with just four in their own household, Sang Luo's extensive preparation likely took into account the possibility of the other families needing emergency medication but lacking it.

Indeed, medicines were expensive. While the Chen family could manage due to Da Shan's hunting, and the Lu and Shi families would prepare some, it was doubtful they could afford such a comprehensive range.

"Where to now? Back to the alley behind Dongfu Lou?" Shen Lie asked Sang Luo as they left the pharmacy.

Sang Luo shook her head, noticing Shen Lie's simple autumn clothing layered with a piece of animal skin, which seemed hardly warm enough for his arms.

"To the clothing store."

Before Shen Lie could grasp the purpose of visiting the clothing store, Sang Luo had already started walking ahead, with him, Shen An, and Shen Ning quickly following.

The clothing shop was just a short distance from the pharmacy. Sang Luo went inside, browsed, and pointed to a thick winter coat, then pointed at Shen Lian standing behind her and asked the shopkeeper, "Do you have one that fits his size?"

The shopkeeper glanced at Shen Lian's build and smiled, "Yes, we do."

He bent down, rummaged through the cabinet, and soon brought out a coat just like the one Sang Luo had looked at.

Seeing Shen Lian's hands full of medicinal herbs, Sang Luo took the initiative to hold up the coat and started sizing it up against him.

She checked the shoulder width, length of the coat, and sleeve length.

Shen Lian's ears slowly turned visibly red.

Sang Luo, however, focused on the sizing, finding the sleeve length and everything else appropriate, and then picked up a pair of cotton trousers, looked them over, and gestured to Shen Lian, "Will you try these on yourself?"

Shen Lian's face instantly flushed red: "I'll do it myself."

In a flurry, he put the two large bags of medicine on the counter and took the trousers from Sang Luo, not daring to meet her eyes.

Hastily measuring them against himself, he tried to maintain his composure and said, "They will do."

Sang Luo, content with the choice, turned to the shopkeeper and said, "Could you also find him a pair of thick cotton shoes, please?"

The shopkeeper, with a friendly smile, took a wooden ruler and called to Shen Lian, "Young man, please sit here and take off your shoes so I can measure your foot length."

Shen Lian awkwardly sat down on the wooden stool the shopkeeper had pointed to and asked for the ruler, saying, "I'll do it myself."

The shopkeeper obligingly handed it to him and explained how to take the measurement.

Shen Lian quickly took off his shoes with his back to Sang Luo, measured his feet in silence, gave the number to the shopkeeper, and hastily put his straw shoes back on.

Upon hearing the measurement, the shopkeeper fetched a pair of shoes from the cabinet for Shen Lian to try.

This pair fit well.

Buying ready-made clothes was more expensive than purchasing fabric and making them yourself. Considering Shen Lian's tall stature and the thick style Sang Luo had chosen, the entire outfit from head to toe cost two guan and nine hundred wen.

Sang Luo and the shopkeeper haggled back and forth until she finally managed to get the shopkeeper to throw in two pairs of cloth socks, finalizing the deal.

They borrowed a small room at the back of the shop for Shen Lian to change into the new clothes, shoes, and socks. When he reappeared, he looked completely transformed.

The new outfit, far superior to the disheveled furs he had been wearing, was simple but elegant, greatly enhancing his handsome appearance.

Shen Lian, in his new, thick clothes, felt somewhat uncomfortable. Clutching his old fur in one hand, he adjusted the clothes now and then. When he looked up and saw Sang Luo scrutinizing him, his ears began to heat up again.

"Do I look alright?"

Sang Luo smiled: "Of course, you look very handsome."

She quickly paid the shopkeeper, counting the money with her head down and missing the wide smile that spread across Shen Lian's face at her compliment.

Shen An and Shen Ning, his siblings, watched their elder brother's reaction and covered their mouths to hide their giggles.