Chapter 49: Thousand-Year Ginseng for 300 Yuan?

 

**Even in the early 1980s, a thousand yuan was considered a significant sum of money. Now, in late 1960, a thousand yuan was still a substantial amount.

Tang Ailian, if she were from this era, would undoubtedly be shocked, but in her previous life, she was the owner of a company, and she often had millions of dollars flowing through her hands. This amount of money didn't excite her.

Although Old Bai was an overseas Chinese, he still knew the value of mainland Chinese yuan. Seeing Tang Ailian's indifference, he thought she might find it too little and said, "This thousand yuan is just the consultation fee for your visit today. It's certainly not the cost of that life-saving medicine. When I get back, I'll discuss this matter with Zhao Xiao's family and send over the medicine fee. How much do you think the medicine fee should be?"

In fact, Tang Ailian was a bit excited inside. This thousand yuan was the first money she had earned since her rebirth, and it was in cash. While she had obtained gold and bracelets by using the roots in her space, those couldn't be easily converted into money at the moment.

In her previous life, Tang Ailian had to work hard to support Li Xinye's education. She joined various work teams, learned herbal knowledge, and dug herbs in the mountains to earn money. She worked tirelessly, earning only a few dozen yuan each month.

Later, in the era of economic reform and opening up, she cultivated sugarcane, managed fruit orchards, ran a chicken farm, dug fish ponds for fish farming, and even started a green agricultural products sales company. She worked herself to the bone, and the annual profit was not even a million yuan.

But now, she had only to use her abilities, and a thousand yuan was hers. Moreover, according to Old Bai, this was just the consultation fee.

Tang Ailian smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Bai. This spiritual medicine was given to me by my master. As long as there's a breath left in a person, it can save them. My master said it's an invaluable treasure that's worth a fortune. He didn't give me much of it, but he didn't ask for any money either. I don't know how much I should charge. How about you decide, and I trust you won't let me down."

Tang Ailian didn't lie. The pill made from the Golden Heart Grass was indeed an invaluable treasure. If it weren't for the Silver Heart Grass she had obtained from her adoptive father, which had grown into a large patch thanks to the medicinal well water, as well as the three mutated Golden Heart Grass plants, she wouldn't have had the materials to create these Life Pills.

These Life Pills were extremely rare in the era of witch doctors, capable of bringing someone back from the brink of death with just one pill. Tang Ailian had used three Golden Heart Grass plants, three roots of thousand-year-old ginseng, and three palm-sized Purple Leaf Lingzhi to create a batch of pills. She had produced a total of twelve pills, each with the ability to save a life for ordinary people.

But she knew that Zhao Lu's life force was almost depleted, and she hesitated to use one of these pills.

Old Bai, a man of discernment, was taken aback when he heard Tang Ailian's words. He immediately realized that this young girl was not ordinary. Her words actually made him feel pressured to offer more.

He asked, "When will my nephew recover his health? Will there be any aftereffects?"

Tang Ailian sighed, "This gentleman's vitality has been seriously depleted, and although I saved him, without something like a hundred-year-old ginseng or other powerful tonics, he may still experience a reduction in his lifespan."

Old Bai had already anticipated this and didn't doubt her words. He said, "It seems I'll have to make a trip to Changbai Mountain. I've heard that you can find hundred-year-old ginseng there."

Tang Ailian remembered the ginseng in her space. Should she sell him a root?

After a moment of hesitation, she took out a root of ginseng that had the equivalent medicinal properties of a thousand-year-old ginseng and said, "This is a ginseng my master gave me. It's better to buy ginseng like this."

Old Bai, a man of knowledge, was immediately shocked when he saw the ginseng. This was a Ginseng King! It had already taken on human form. Was it a thousand years old or more?

Even White-Coated Doctor was astonished. This young girl was indeed mysterious. She had not only a hundred-year-old ginseng but also one that seemed to be a thousand years old. Moreover, she casually took it out of her backpack, without even a box. It was evident that she didn't treat this ginseng as something special.

This was a priceless treasure that was difficult to obtain, even with money!

Ignoring White-Coated Doctor's offer, Old Bai turned to Tang Ailian and said excitedly, "Young friend, can I buy this ginseng? I'll give you ten thousand yuan. How about that?"

Tang Ailian hesitated for a moment and then agreed, "Ten thousand yuan? Sure, but if I sell it to you, I won't have any left. I'll have to ask my master for more next time."

Old Bai was once again taken aback by her response. This was a thousand-year-old ginseng, and she casually mentioned getting more from her master. Did she treat thousand-year-old ginseng like carrots, and her master as a ginseng farmer?

Even if he were a ginseng farmer, he couldn't cultivate thousand-year-old ginseng. Looking at the ginseng's appearance, it was clearly wild ginseng from the mountains.

He looked at her with enthusiasm, "Alright, I'll transfer twenty thousand yuan to you for the ginseng, and also the money for the spiritual medicine you gave to Zhao Lu."

"I don't have a bankbook," Tang Ailian said.

Old Bai immediately instructed the gentle-looking man beside him, "Xiao Zhong, help young friend Ailian open a bank account. Oh, your name is Tang Ailian, right? Would you like to deposit the thousand yuan consultation fee as well?"

Tang Ailian shook her head, "I want cash. My family hasn't bought New Year's goods yet."

In fact, Tang Ailian was worried that, being so young, it might be inconvenient for her to withdraw money, which is why she preferred cash. Little did she know that Old Bai would immediately instruct Xiao Zhong, "Also, help young friend Ailian buy her New Year's goods."

To be continued...