Chapter 59: Tramp.

Qin Qianyu decided to spend a few more days in the capital before heading home.

She made a call home to let her parents know, and after what Grandpa Wú had told them previously about trusting her more, the couple agreed on the condition that she call at certain intervals so they know she's safe.

The house was just one of the reasons that she had come to the capital.

First, she wanted to dive deep into bookshops and any antiques dealers for books, medical journals or manuscripts, any thing related to the field of medical science and medicines.

She believed that if she ever found another book similar to or better than the apothecary book she has now, she'll be able to find or even create something for Grandpa Wú's ailments.

Qin Qianyu wanted whatever she could find to prolong Grandpa Wú's life.

The other reason was to collect samples, and resources for her lab and herb garden.

These would aid in her research as she tried to narrow down a possible way to cure or at the very least ease the pain and suffering Grandpa Wú is going through.

Qin Qianyu hailed a taxi and guided him to Feng medical hall.

This place is TCM heaven. She had visited Feng hall a few times before in her former life, it was also here that she came across the rare aquatic plant that she was able to extrapolate the RTP strain from.

What she couldn't find here, she'd look to the dark web auctions and such for them.

She had, had more misses than hits doing things that way, only because she didn't know what she was looking for, or what she wanted and needed.

Finding any encyclopaedic references material for herbal medicines of a bygone era may seem easy, but if those recipes and treatments from such books worked, they would definitely stay in the hands of the family or owners.

Qin Qianyu had to play the game, she couldn't dismiss anything at this juncture, it'll all be trial and error for her. Yet, while trying to sift out bogus folk remedies and treatments she could stumble across something like she had with the RTP strain.

She was very optimistic.

The taxi pulled up to a large gate of the district that Feng Hall was located in.

There existed a rule that vehicles, motorcycles and even bicycles were not permitted to enter.

It had been that way for eons.

Qin Qianyu made her way through the crowds starting with the "carpet stores" as all these sidewalk sellers were known as.

They named themselves this because they didn't want to be confused with the sidewalk sellers of the night, most typically found in the entertainment district or high end KTV's.

Most of the things she came across were ceremonial trinkets and instruments missing vital components to operate properly.

Some had herbs and roots they were trying to sell, it just looked as if they got lucky and in their haste to retrieve it, the herbs where then harvested poorly causing them to loose their medical potency.

A lot of these carpet sellers started noticing Qin Qianyu looking intently at all their wares but not buying anything.

They soon started scoffing back at her and not even being bothered to answer any of her questions whenever she asked.

Qin Qianyu understood that these people were here to make themselves a living, but she wouldn't buy something she would never use or doesn't need.

They all wanted her to spend money to make them a living, she wants to spend money to keep a cherished person living.

Soon Qin Qianyu came across an older trampy looking woman siting on a cardboard box that was flattened out.

She had three potted plants, an immaculate looking root and a few pouches that were filled with seed.

Qin Qianyu examined the woman's wares in rapture. Of all the medicinal plants and herbs along the street, these were by far, high end store quality goods.

"Could she have stolen them? If she sold them directly to a store she's bound to rake in a lot."

Qin Qianyu thought to herself as she evaluated all the items in front of her. As she did, the woman never said a single word. She just stared at the teen lost in her own thoughts.

The woman's lips soon started to quiver. She bit them and lowered her head.

The woman's saddened eyes glossed over as they filled with liquid. She pulled the hood over her head covering all of her face.

The woman soon cleared her throat and after finding her voice, she clearly stated,

"These potted herbs are Arctic blue mosses, they are very good in slowing the overheating process of pill refining. They will also boost the given pills effect by 15%."

"This ginseng isn't very old, but the properties inside of it would not lose out to any 1000 year roots out there."

"I have something else you maybe interested in."

The trampy woman reached into her cloak and pulled out a book.

However, as Qin Qianyu reached out her hand, she placed her three fingers on the woman's wrist and read her pulse instead.

This caused the woman to freeze before she flinched as she snatched her hand away.

She didn't get angry or upset, she was more fearful if anything else. Qin Qianyu just had a feeling and couldn't fight the urge to check the woman over.

"Ma'am, forgive me for doing so without asking you, but you should go to the hospital! You . . . How are you even alive!?"

Qin Qianyu whispered to the woman.

Qin Qianyu was surprised and totally shocked. This was only the second time she had ever met someone in such a dyer state of being.

The withered hand was wooden but still supple to the touch. In Qin Qianyu's mind it was like the atoms inside the woman had stopped being active entirely.

"It's no use, there's nothing to be done about it so why dwell. So the book are you interested?"

Qin Qianyu wanted to say and ask more, but she sensed that the woman didn't want to speak of it any longer.

She sighed internally and cast a glance at the book.

It was innocuous in nature. The binding was at least 70 to 100 years old.

There were no identifiable markings stating who had made this on the cover so she leafed through a few pages and became awestruck at what she was seeing.

It was exactly what she was looking for.

"This! . . It's a herbology book!"

The woman nodded nonchalantly to Qin Qianyu's exclamation as she added,

"It was written by my dear friend, she was a very well versed and exceptional doctor."

Qin Qianyu was shocked by her own luck, she didn't need the woman to give her the hard sell because she really wanted it, she absolutely had to have it by all means.

"I'll take it and these potted herbs, actually I'll buy everything you have here. How much?"

"I'll take that Jade around your neck."

Qin Qianyu stood cold in her tracks as she eyed the woman suspiciously

"This . . I'm sorry, I can't, this is worth more to me than all the money in the world. If you give me your account, I'll transfer some money."

"Then how about you let me touch it? You can still wear it around your neck. I'll just touch it for a moment and all of these will be yours."

Qin Qianyu thought about for a while, then she added an additional clause,

"If you try anything, if you try to snatch it and run! I won't be polite and I'll kick your arse all down this street and up again."

The woman nodded and accepted the counter terms of an arse beating.

The woman caressed the Jade lightly at first, then her grip started tightening around it.

Qin Qianyu was starting to regret when she saw the hand tightening, her mind kept racing while picturing the woman yanking the Jade necklace from her neck and making a dash for it.

However, none of the thoughts Qin Qianyu had came to fruition.

Soon the woman's hand fell to her side. She wobbled a little, she was exhausted and it showed as she slumped downwards to the ground.

Qin Qianyu rushed to support the tired woman.

"I'll take you to the hospital, just try relax and steady your breathing for now okay!"

Qin Qianyu pushed a few points along the woman's body.

"Wh . . What is this!?"

She frowned and mumble slightly.

The points Qin Qianyu was hitting felt off, like they weren't even there or had shifted slightly.

The woman started shaking her head.

"It's not your skills girl, it's my body, like I said before there's nothing that can be done about it. So there's really no need to send me to the hospital nor do you have to doubt yourself or your medical skills."

Qin Qianyu kicked herself, she would make a terrible spy due to absentmindedly forgetting her identities,

"How do you know I'm skilled? I might be just an enthusiast?"

"Heh! You knew the state of those other herbs and roots, those medical plants there and over there. You understand harvesting procedures that would take years to master. Then there's the slow heart point technique you just used. Call it a lucky guess."

" . . . "

"I'm really fine, just let me rest for a while and I'll be how I was before. As per our agreement all of these are yours now. Please stow them away safely."

"The pouches, what are they?"

"Everything you need to know about all those seeds can be found in the book. Everything from germination to planting procedures, their cycles to best harvesting times are all detailed in that book."

Qin Qianyu started placing all her buys into her roller case she had brought along. She put everything except the book inside.

Qin Qianyu looked the woman over, and reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle.

Inside were 5 form pills. She handed the bottle over to the woman.

"Tank one now, I promise you'll feel a lot better afterwards."

"Mhm, you have my thanks. Girl, can you do me a favour and get me a drink."

The woman asked as she pointed to a stand selling soy milk drinks.

Qin Qianyu nodded and lined up at the end of the cue.

As she stood there waiting her turn she started reading through the herbology book. She leafed through the pages only giving each one a cursory glance. She only stopped to fully comprehend and ingest the contents now and then whenever a little something jumped out at her.

Qin Qianyu couldn't wait to head back and delve deeper into this book of hers. Just from reading a few of the exerts she understood that the doctor friend of the seller was such an extraordinary individual with a great insight into medical sciences. She was totally satisfied with what she had found so far.

As Qin Qianyu was about to near the front of the line she was in she flipped a few pages in the book, then froze in her steps.

"This! How could this be here! Why is this here! What the hell is going on!?"

Qin Qianyu spun around to where she had met the trampy woman and saw she was gone from her spot.

She ran back and asked the others that were still there if they had seen where she went.

They all pointed out in a general direction. Qin Qianyu headed there as quickly as she could.

"She said it was book her friend wrote, but why would all my notes about the RTP strain be in here!? It even has the things I had intended to be developed for the Song family are in here!"

This was what spooked Qin Qianyu. The page she had flicked to absentmindedly was filled with research notes about the RTP strain that she hadn't even found yet.

Even more puzzling than that where the sensor settings and parameters used for the Tek Tech sensor that's still being developed.

She needed to find the woman and ask her properly who her friend is and why they have her research notes on the RTP strain among other things.

"So who was the friend that had written this!?"

She knew it wasn't written by her because the handwriting was different to her own.

Qin Qianyu bobbed and weaved through the masses as she made her way down the street.

Soon she saw a familiar silhouette way in the distance.

"Miss! . . Ma'am! Please wait! . . . Ma'am!"

The woman didn't respond to Qin Qianyu's call so she picked up the pace then she lost sight of her amongst the crowd.

"No, no, no, don't do this to me!"

Qin Qianyu muttered to herself. She stood on a bench and scanned the crowd over and over till she eventually spotted the woman.

She leaped from the bench and started running there were too many people for her to execute shadowless steps.

She had to move quickly the old fashioned way.

"Please! Stop! . . Please!"

Qin Qianyu screamed as she neared the hood wearing woman. The woman turned to look in Qin Qianyu's direction but didn't halt her steps.

The woman headed down an alleyway and out of Qin Qianyu's sight.

In mere seconds, Qin Qianyu made it to the same alleyway, however, she stumbled and caught herself on the alley wall as she stared blankly at the short dead end in front of her.

The large back of an adjacent building showed that there would be nowhere for that woman to go, yet, it the space was as empty as her mind.

Qin Qianyu tapped the walls looking for a trap door or secret entrance but found nothing.

The woman had disappeared like a ghost.

"Master! I've been searching all over for you! What's wrong? Are you being chased again?"

The woman looked around, she was exhausted again. Her face was pale and withdrawn.

"I'm fine,"

"Master! Where did you go!? We have to be every careful now. The soldiers are getting more arrogant! What if they, . . to you,"

The woman cocked an eyebrow and took a pill she was given, by Qin Qianyu. Before she knew it she had fully recovered.

"Don't worry too much, I'm fine aren't I? Come, let's us go."

"Hmm, Master you seem to be in good spirits! Did something good happen?"

"Mhm, I just met a very dear friend. Although it was short, it was well worth it."

"Huh!? Was it a man!? . . If it's short, I don't think it's worth it. Mine is longer! It'll be worth it!"

"Man your head! She's my best friend so mind yourself and your filthy mind!"

"Ah! It's a lady! Haha! Yes, sorry master. Well I got good news! I won the fight! I got two bags of millet and a bag of rice. Let's have a feast tonight."

"You went to the battle arena again? What if the invaders used tricks against you huh!?"

"Looks like I'll have to have you training till your face melts off from your sweat! How about a trip to the Gobi!?"

"Master I was wrong!"

"Hmph! . . Just you wait till we get back to Ziwei!"