Chapter 8 - What’s A Silver Needle?

When the errand boy of the drugstore saw the little servant, Qian Jiujiu, he was about to say something, but then he noticed Hong Ling beside her.

Hong Ling was only a servant, but she was from the manor. The elegance and temperament that she had were not of common people. So, the errand boy treated her with respect.

"Please wait here for a moment, I'll go inform the shopkeeper."

After saying that, the errand boy was off to find the shopkeeper. No doubt, Qian Jiujiu noticed all the errand boy's small gestures and that made her feel depressed secretly.

She was the mistress, alright? As a mistress, she was indeed a failure. Her aura could not even be compared to a servant. In her heart, she sighed.

Facing Qian Jiujiu, Hong Ling wanted to call her the Princess Consort, but she suddenly remembered the Princess Consort's instruction a while ago. So, he coughed a few times before asking.

"Little Jiu, what's wrong?"

Qian Jiujiu came back to her senses. "Nothing."

The shopkeeper came very quickly. Seeing the two ladies in front of her, he could already guess they were the servants of some wealthy family.

"Is there anything I can help you two ladies with?"

Qian Jiujiu let out two coughs and replied, "Nothing much. We just want to know if you sell silver needles here?"

Hearing Qian Jiujiu's request, the shopkeeper's gaze became weird. He glanced at her before shaking his head.

"Miss, may I ask, what's a silver needle?"

As if she was choked on something, Qian Jiujiu thought to herself, Don't tell me that there's no such thing as a silver needle here? It can't be?

Peering at Hong Ling, she then pulled Hong Ling to one side. "How do doctors here see the patients?"

Hong Ling gazed at Qian Jiujiu with wonder in her eyes. "Take the pulse, and prescribe the medicine."

Just like that? This would only mean that the technique of acupuncture has not yet been discovered in this dynasty?

Qian Jiujiu instantly felt the rush of excitement in her. Did God just leave her a chance to make money here?

Looking at the shopkeeper, she continued, "Shopkeeper, it's fine if you don't have it. I would like to buy some medicinal herbs then."

Speaking of that, Qian Jiujiu took out a list. "Just get the herbs according to this list here."

The shopkeeper started reading the list of medicinal herbs, there were Dahurian angelica, hyacinth orchid, Pyracantha berries...

The dosage was not a little too. Besides that, there were herbs like the woad leaves, Asiatic moonseed rhizome, snake-needle grass, licorice, Viola philippica, and so forth.

It looked like some common medicinal herbs, but the shopkeeper was about to ask something and got interrupted by Qian Jiujiu,

"These are all requested by the master. If you have them here, quickly wrap them up."

The shopkeeper knew right away what she meant, he had too many questions. Soon after, the herbs were all wrapped neatly. Qian Jiujiu then asked the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, how much for all these?"

"These sum up to 121 taels."

"Why is it so expensive?" Qian Jiujiu mumbled under her breath before asking Hong Ling to pay up.

"Shopkeeper, please help to send these to the Xiao Manor."

After that, Qian Jiujiu and Hong Ling left the drugstore. Then, Qian Jiujiu glanced at Hong Ling.

"Hong Ling, is there any store that forges metal?"

A store that forges metal? Hong Ling gave it some thought and then brought Qian Jiujiu to a smithy.

"Little Jiu, this store here is the best smithy in the entire Capital. Do you want to forge the silver needles?"

Qian Jiujiu nodded and led Hong Ling into the store. "Yes, let's go in."

The shopkeeper immediately noticed the two ladies with uncommon attires. People like that seldom went to their smithy so he welcomed them both by himself.

"Ladies, are you here to buy anything?"

Qian Jiujiu approached the shopkeeper. "I would like to forge a set of silver needles. Do you have paper and a pen here? I'll draw for you."

Surprised, but the shopkeeper led them inside nevertheless. With the pen and paper ready in front of her, Qian Jiujiu started to draft out the silver needles.