Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn

Chapter 694: Chapter 65: Sacrificing "Sex Appeal

"Good ginseng," they exclaimed in unison, as both Yezi and Mr. Pang let the two words burst out of their mouths.

Among the six people present, Huang Yaoshi and Mr. Pang were considered connoisseurs. Xu Lan Ya, coming from a family of medicine practitioners, was also somewhat of an expert. However, Yezi was none of these, he only recognized the jade box that Huang Yaoshi used to keep the ginseng in.

The choice of box for storing medicinal materials is quite particular. Yezi had heard the Red Locust Great Wizard mention before that herbs should be kept in a well-ventilated, cool place, and some age-old valuable herbs should even be stored in a jade box. As soon as Huang Yaoshi opened the box, Yezi felt as if he were back in Southeast Mountain Village, the scent of plants and trees filling his nostrils.

Looking at the ginseng, with its sleek and transparent aura of a medicinal herb, how could it not be good ginseng?

Xu Lan Ya certainly saw it as well, but she would never openly praise it like Mr. Pang and Yezi did. She reached out and pinched Yezi, her hand feeling a patch of muscle as hard as iron.

To her surprise, his sturdy physique was genuinely authentic. Xu Lan Ya’s anger subsided somewhat, and a sly look flickered in her eyes: "The ginseng is indeed good, but I fear the source of these ginsengs is dubious."

Just as Huang Yaoshi was feeling pleased with himself after Mr. Pang and Yezi’s praise, he heard the female swindler from the Xu Family stirring up trouble again, and he couldn’t help feeling displeased, snorting coldly: "Why should only your Xu Family be allowed to sell garden ginseng with questionable origins, and not us selling genuine wild ginseng?"

With these words, Xu Lan Ya turned fierce like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointing her finger directly at Huang Yaoshi’s face: "You old fool, how can you speak like that, who said we’re selling garden ginseng? Hmph, putting everything else aside, just the fact that you produced twenty ginseng plants of nearly the same age all at once is suspicious. Even if your Mei Family’s Pharmacy is so capable that it could search the entirety of the Changbai Mountain Range, you still couldn’t find so many ginsengs of the same age. Without a doubt, this batch of ginseng must either be counterfeit or smuggled in from North Korea. The national decree prohibits this; stealing ginseng from a friendly nation is a crime punishable by imprisonment."

Huang Yaoshi, infuriated, bulged his eyes and flared his nostrils, his old hand slamming onto the counter: "You little brat from the Xu Family, don’t think our shop is without someone who can speak just because the lady boss is not around. I’ve been in China’s herbal medicine industry for decades, from an apprentice to a Pharmacist and then to a shopkeeper, and nobody has ever seen me sell counterfeit or banned medicines. Even if Xu Changfu, that old scoundrel, came in person, he would have to apologize and serve me tea. If you don’t clarify your accusations, as long as I, Huang Yaoshi, live a day, your Xu Family can forget about entering Beijing’s herbal medicine market." The old man was really pushed to anger as he spoke, his white hair and glaring eyes were signs of desperation.

Mr. Pang, having dealt with the pharmacy for so long, had never seen Huang Yaoshi get so upset. Fearing for his health, he immediately came forward to comfort him.

Xu Lan Ya’s harsh words did make some sense. Looking at the size and quality of the ginseng, it clearly was wild ginseng. Yet, it was suspicious to have so many wild ginsengs of similar age, which could only mean they were smuggled from North Korea.

If an investigation did reveal any issue, Mr. Pang’s retail pharmacy would be implicated as well, so he was suddenly at a loss, unsure of which side to support.

Hearing Huang Yaoshi’s words, Xu Lan Ya realized she had hit a sore spot. She had always thought that "Plum Rice Ball" was solely controlled by Mei Nian. Now, taking advantage of Mei Nian’s absence, she had been teaching others a lesson without restraint.

Only after Huang Yaoshi’s stern words did she remember something Xu Changfu had mentioned: that the old pharmacist surnamed Huang was fiercely loyal to the Mei Family and had already lived beyond ninety years old.

He had trained hundreds of talents in the national medical industry, including some who had reached top positions in major pharmacies, hospitals, and even the Ministry of Health. A person of such stature, if truly provoked, could pose a significant obstacle to the Xu Family if he decided to have a showdown, even if it meant mutual destruction.

Xu Lan Ya’s face went through a variety of changes, which Yezi, standing beside her, did not fail to notice, "What a foolish woman, not understanding the saying that having an elder in the family is like possessing a treasure."

Yezi was clear in his mind; although he was now helping Huang Tengchong’s group, he also needed to recognize where he stood.

Before him stood an old man exuding an aura of a sage, over a hundred years old with a straight and upright posture, his spirit shining brightly; surely, there must be some special secret to his longevity, and those who followed him must be even more formidable.