Stunning Dragon Wife-Chapter 32 - 31

Zhang Xiaoshan blocked the shopkeeper’s way, and the tall, thin man appeared extremely impatient.

"Kid, get out of the way."

Zhang Xiaoshan responded confrontationally.

"The sign hanging at the entrance of your store clearly states the business hours are from nine in the morning to six in the evening. It’s only just after three now. These villagers have walked tens of kilometers to get here, what gives you the right to close early?"

"Moreover, that young girl’s family is waiting for medicine to save a life, yet you’re blinded by greed, spewing nastiness. Do you even deserve to be an apothecary’s shopkeeper?"

The tall shopkeeper replied disdainfully.

"I am the shopkeeper of Hundred Herbs Hall, and I set the rules here. I decide when we close, and it’s none of your business. A bunch of country bumpkins, go back to where you came from and stop bothering me here."

Places like Hundred Herbs Hall are major chain apothecaries, and their shopkeepers are assigned from above, exuding a sense of superiority of city folk, looking down on the people of Qingshan Town.

Zhang Xiaoshan retorted angrily.

"Nonsense, you keep calling us villagers country bumpkins, but why do you come here to buy and sell herbal medicine in the first place?"

"To be honest, without the support of the villagers, Hundred Herbs Hall would have gone out of business long ago. If you don’t take our goods today, if you don’t sell medicine to the young girl, then get out of our Qingshan Town!"

Under Zhang Xiaoshan’s lead, the other villagers, already highly displeased with the tall shopkeeper, were instantly riled up, shouting together.

"Exactly, if you won’t open for business, then just close up for good."

"Get out of Qingshan Town."

"Get out!"

Some able-bodied young men were already rolling up their sleeves, eager to take action.

An apprentice whispered to the tall man beside him.

"Shopkeeper, this doesn’t look good. The local customs here are quite fierce. If so many people cause trouble together, it could turn troublesome."

The tall shopkeeper looked at the agitated crowd, feeling a twinge of fear and trepidation in his heart.

"How a place of wretched mountains and rivers breeds such unruly folk."

He muttered to himself and then sat back down on the chair.

The nearby apprentice called out.

"Alright, everyone, don’t worry, we’ll continue, just continue..."

Only then did the crowd’s emotions stabilize somewhat.

Zhang Xiaoshan pulled the weeping young girl to her feet.

"Dispense the medicine."

The prescription that had fallen on the ground was slapped by Zhang Xiaoshan onto the table in front of the shopkeeper.

The assistant hastily picked up the prescription to prepare the medicine.

It wasn’t long before the assistant had prepared three prescriptions.

The young girl pulled out a jumble of coins from her pocket, barely managing to gather enough for the medicine fee, and handed it to the assistant.

"You little pauper."

The tall shopkeeper hurled another insult. The young girl, head bowed, looked aggrieved but dared not retort, picking up the three prescriptions and turning to Zhang Xiaoshan, bowing deeply.

"Big brother, you’re a good person, thank you."

Zhang Xiaoshan observed the girl. With her rosy lips and pearly teeth, she was rather pretty, merely fourteen or fifteen, already blossoming beautifully. Given a few more years, she would certainly mature into a great beauty; it was a pity, though, that her economic situation seemed quite poor. The clothes she wore were patched, and on her feet were a pair of worn sneakers that were clearly too large, the adhesive coming apart and revealing two toes.

The girl seemed to notice her toes poking out and hastily curled them back in.

Zhang Xiaoshan felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

"Here, little girl, take this."

He took out a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to the young girl.

"Mom said not to take money from strangers, but thank you, big brother."

The girl picked up the package of medicine and ran off.

Zhang Xiaoshan wanted to call the other person back, but they had already disappeared without a trace.

"Country bumpkin, foolishly generous."

The tall and skinny shopkeeper spoke with sarcasm.

Zhang Xiaoshan couldn’t be bothered to argue and simply took out the Red Blood Ganoderma from his backpack and placed it on the table.

"I’m here to sell Lingzhi."

"Lingzhi?"

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoshan’s words, everyone around cast surprised glances.

Because although there were many medicinal herbs locally, they were all very common ones like licorice root, rhubarb, and other ordinary medicines, which were definitely not worth as much as Lingzhi by the same amount.

Many people would gather herbs for years and only have the chance to come across a Lingzhi once in a while, but when everyone’s eyes landed on the Red Blood Ganoderma on the table that Zhang Xiaoshan had set out, their expressions instantly became somewhat puzzled.

"Why is it red?"

"Yes, it looks as if it has just been soaked in fresh blood, way too red, right?

"And this shape is not right either."

Clearly, many people had never seen Red Blood Ganoderma this rare medicinal material, and some had not even heard of it.

The shopkeeper sitting in the chair fiddled with the Red Blood Ganoderma, exhibiting a trace of astonishment, but quickly restrained himself, and then disdainfully said to Zhang Xiaoshan,

"I’ve been collecting herbs for more than a decade and have never seen this kind of crap before. What Lingzhi? It’s just an ordinary mushroom. I knew right away you were up to no good. It figures."

"Take your junk and get lost."

The shopkeeper seized the opportunity to take revenge on Zhang Xiaoshan, and started ranting furiously.

"Are you really unable to recognize it, or are you deliberately giving me a hard time?" Zhang Xiaoshan asked coldly, facing the shopkeeper. Logically speaking, it would be understandable if ordinary folks didn’t recognize it, but for a shopkeeper of a medicine hall not to recognize it was a bit too much.

The shopkeeper bit the bullet.

"This is just an ordinary mushroom. However, seeing that you’ve come from far away is not easy, so here’s the deal, I’ll give you five hundred for it, and you leave the stuff."

"Five hundred?" Zhang Xiaoshan thought he had heard wrong.

At the same time, Zhang Xiaoshan saw through the shopkeeper’s true intentions.

"Hmph, this kid obviously looks like a greenhorn country bumpkin, how could he possibly recognize Red Blood Ganoderma? He must have come just to join in the excitement. Although this Red Blood Ganoderma is not complete, even this part is worth more than a hundred thousand. Hehe, I’ll quietly buy it up later, then sell it behind the back of the medicine hall. I can definitely make a big profit."

Knowing the shopkeeper’s true intentions, Zhang Xiaoshan’s rage knew no bounds.

"I originally thought that your Hundred Herbs Hall was doing legitimate business, but I didn’t expect such rotten logic and greedy intentions. I want to see your boss, have your boss come out."

The shopkeeper, nonchalantly crossing his legs, spoke disdainfully.

"The boss isn’t here, if you’re not selling then get lost."

Zhang Xiaoshan really wanted to slap him across the face.

Just at that moment, a crisp voice sounded from outside the door.

"Who says I’m not here?"

Immediately afterward, a young woman around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, dressed in black trousers, a sea-blue short-sleeve shirt, and with a high ponytail, walked in from outside.

The young girl’s clothes were plain, but they revealed a crisp and pure aura all over, just like the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus.

Her appearance instantly attracted everyone’s gaze.

"Such a beautiful woman."

"If only she could marry my son."

Everyone gasped in admiration.

Zhang Xiaoshan’s heart trembled at the sight.

It wasn’t easy to meet a woman with such an extraordinary temperament in a small town.

"Yi, such a strong Qi, it’s about to overflow. If I could absorb it, wouldn’t I become much more powerful?"

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoshan noticed wisps of white aura swirling around the woman and immediately started scheming.