Stockpiling for an Exiled General Through My Store's Back Door

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Agreed

Grandma Wen: [Of course I remember you, Buwan. Wild medicinal herbs? I actually know an old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who happens to be in town these next few days. If you need it, I can contact him for you right now.]

Seeing Grandma Wen’s reply, Hua Buwan sprang up from her seat with a WHOOSH of excitement.

”Am I finally having a change of luck after suffering so much in my youth?” she murmured to herself. ”I’m only twenty-two. I haven’t even reached my zodiac year yet. Hehe, it feels like I’ve met a lot of benefactors this year. Grandma Wen and Mr. Feng are definitely among them.”

Without further delay, Hua Buwan immediately replied, [Yes, please! Thank you, Grandma Wen. I’m sorry for the trouble.]

Grandma Wen: [It’s no trouble at all.]

Hua Buwan sent over a smiling emoji. [(
’▽’
)]

Grandma Wen didn’t reply again. She was likely calling the old doctor, so Hua Buwan was in no rush.

She turned and went up to the second floor to find some boxes, carefully placing the ginseng, Lingzhi, Astragalus propinquus, and other herbs inside one by one. She had ordered these boxes online earlier to store antiques, but they were perfect for holding medicinal herbs now. The last time she pulled an antique straight out of her pocket, Mr. Feng had given her a look of disdain. Hua Buwan had learned her lesson. Such precious wild herbs needed to be properly stored in presentation boxes. Especially the ginseng roots—they absolutely could not be broken.

After packing the herbs and placing the boxes into her bag, Hua Buwan prepared to open the supermarket for business.

Ling Qianjun and the others had sped up their journey. It wouldn’t be long before they reached Lingnan, so she had to stockpile goods like crazy. The supermarket needed to be open to justify her hoarding. If she kept the doors closed every day while taking in massive shipments, it would only be a matter of time before the authorities came knocking to investigate.

Furthermore, the upcoming road for Ling Qianjun and his group was not going to be easy.

The unofficial histories recorded that no rain fell during this part of their journey. Along their exile route, they would pass through an arid, barren wasteland. They would have to endure for at least seven days before seeing a single drop of water. Seven days might not sound like a long time. However, if you didn’t stockpile water beforehand and wandered into that wasteland completely unaware that the road ahead was bone-dry, you would be doomed. You would be trapped in a dilemma—unable to advance and unable to retreat. Even if you wanted to gnaw on tree roots for moisture, there wouldn’t be any to find.

The unofficial histories also mentioned that corpses littered the ground along that stretch of the road. Those who had stored water might barely manage to hang on, but food was another massive issue. On that road, people were even driven to trade their own children for food. The villages they passed through were the most dangerous places of all; the villagers there had eyes completely bloodshot with desperation.

Once they made it past that stretch, however, the rest of the journey would actually go much smoother. Hua Buwan wasn’t overly worried about them. They wouldn’t lack food or water. The real question was whether or not to save their fellow exiles... and if so, how? That warranted some careful consideration.

PHEW.

Exhaling a heavy breath, Hua Buwan looked up and saw several elderly customers entering the store to buy soy sauce and cooking oil. Quite a few people gossiped about Hua Ying’er’s visit the other day, as everyone walking by had heard their shouting match. Hua Buwan answered their questions one by one, her mindset completely unaffected.

Right at that moment, Grandma Wen sent another message.

She had successfully made an appointment with the old doctor, arranging for them to meet at Grandpa Feng’s pawnshop that afternoon. Naturally, Hua Buwan was more than willing. She replied that she would bring the herbs and arrive early.

With the matter resolved, Hua Buwan felt much more at ease. When the agreed-upon time arrived, she locked the supermarket doors and headed over to Grandpa Feng’s pawnshop.