Fu Mei Li remained calm and she put on her polite smile.
"Mister, we are here to find Shopkeeper Yang." Mei Li informed the shop assistant. Mingyu told her beforehand that Shopkeeper Yang was the name of their first father's acquaintance here.
"Shopkeeper Yang is currently with the young master. You're not allowed to disturb them."
"Then we will wait," Mingyu said in his cold voice.
The shop assistant was further annoyed. If these three stood around here, they would totally ruin the ambiance of their medicine hall!
Before the shop assistant could shoo them away again, a young man's voice sounded from the back of the hall.
Out came a man that looked to be around the same age as Weimin. He was dressed in an expensive-looking brocade robe that wouldn't look out of place in the capital. "What's the matter," he asked.
"Young master, these three are causing trouble here. They were looking for Shopkeeper Yang but I told them he wasn't available. But these three refused to leave. It's obvious they couldn't afford anything here." The shop assistant was filled with disdain for Mei Li's group.
The young master glanced over to the three of them. Shopkeeper Yang also came out at this moment.
Mei Li looked at the two people with seniority in the shop. "This shop assistant of yours is really funny. With him receiving customers, it won't surprise me if Xintang Hall's business is going down."
The shop assistant spluttered in anger. "What do you know? You are just poor beggars, unqualified to set foot in our hall!"
Mei Li gave him a piercing look. "You should re-evaluate yourself and the things you're selling. Many of the herbs you sell here look ordinary or unappealing in the wild. But they possess medicinal properties and are valued. That just goes to show that you cannot judge things simply by how they look. Is a naive person like you qualified to run a shop?"
Mei Li wished there was a business regulatory board she could complain to at this moment!
She then turned to the young master and shopkeeper. "Do these two seniors have the same opinion as your shop assistant? If so, we'll take our business elsewhere." Mei Li didn't believe she couldn't sell her Lingzhi today.
The young master and Shopkeeper Yang were surprised at Mei Li's bearing. She was petite and thin, but her back was straight and there was no hint of the temperament that villagers usually have when faced with people they considered superior.
In fact, when they looked closer at the two men with her, they too behaved unlike typical peasants. They had a confident and calm feel about them. These were definitely not ordinary people.
When Mei Li didn't receive a reply, she turned to walk out the door.
"Will the lady please hold?" The young master called out to them. "Our shop assistant is certainly lacking in training, please forgive our oversight."
Upon his signal, Shopkeeper Yang ordered the now pale shop assistant to retreat.
"May we know what the lady came here for?"
Before Mei Li could reply, Mingyu interrupted by introducing himself to Shopkeeper Yang.
"Shopkeeper Yang, my name is Jin Mingyu. You used to know my First Father, Jin Tian?"
Shopkeeper Yang was enlightened. "Ah, you're little Yu-er! I haven't seen you in so many years. You've really grown now! It's a pity about your fathers…"
Mingyu smiled politely at Shopkeeper Yang. "Yes, it has been a while. I'm glad you still remember me. This is my fourth brother, Jin Shufen, and our wife, Mei Li. I wonder if Shopkeeper Yang can give us a bit of his time to discuss matters privately?"
The young master off to the side felt like there were many things wrong in that conversation, but he was curious so he motioned for Shopkeeper Yang to take everyone to a private booth they used for doctor consultations.
When everyone was seated, Shopkeeper Yang introduced the man beside him. "This is our young master from the Xin family based in the capital, Xin Lijie."
"An honor to meet you, Young Master Xin." Mingyu had impeccable manners.
"We came here today because our family was lucky enough to find Lingzhi mushrooms in the mountains. We believe your Xintang Medicine Hall is the best place to sell them."
Both Young Master Xin and Shopkeeper Yang were surprised. Lingzhi was indeed very hard to find, so they must be really lucky.
Shufen then took out the three Lingzhi mushrooms to the amazement of the other two people.
"Please take a look, Young Master Xin and Shopkeeper Yang." Shufen handed the mushrooms over.
"You actually found three of them?! And these Lingzhi are in pristine condition. Whoever picked this one must be an expert! Who knew there are still highly skilled mushroom pickers out here in Yingjing County."
Young Master Xin had a hard time believing his eyes. His family was a well-known family of doctors and herbalists. They have more than fifty Xintang Medicine Halls under them.
Each generation must dedicate years of studying medicine and herbs as well as how to run a business in order to be allowed to manage a medicine hall.
He himself started his studies when he was still five years old and only now could he become qualified to manage the 3 medicine halls in the Ya Prefecture.
He knew just how much effort it takes to become a qualified mushroom picker, specializing in medicinal mushrooms like the Lingzhi. One must be extremely careful in every phase of the handling of the product.
Mei Li thumbed her nose. Well, she guessed she could qualify as an expert medicinal mushroom picker.
"It looks like Young Master Xin is satisfied with the quality of our mushrooms. With this size and this sheen, you can be sure that these Lingzhi mushrooms are top-notch. So is it possible to come to a deal?"
Mei Li asked without forgetting to do a bit of sales talk. She didn't watch TV and internet advertisements for nothing.
Young Master Xin was once again taken aback by this woman. Calm and not timid. She looked like she had seem much of the world yet she was clearly from a small village. Just what type of person was she?
"Satisfied, I'm very satisfied!" Xin Lijie wasn't lying. If he managed to procure these Lingzhi mushrooms, which was highly coveted even by the imperial family, his prestige in the Xin family would grow.
He might even be promoted to manage more medicine halls!
Shopkeeper Yang was thinking along the same lines and seeing that these were the sons of his late friend, he put in a good word for them.
"Young Master, the Jin family have always been upright and skilled people. It is good fortune for us to meet like this."
Xin Lijie didn't hesitate anymore and directly threw out a generous offer.