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Chapter 20
“If we could procure more and distribute them to General Lu’s side—”
Previously, during military campaigns, many soldiers fell ill from lack of clean water.
The battle against the enemy nation three years ago was lost because of this.
If they’d had these items then, Great Qi wouldn’t have lost.
Li Heng looked at Shen You inquiringly.
“It’s possible.”
Getting an affirmative answer, both men’s expressions relaxed simultaneously. Being able to buy them was good!
However, Shopkeeper Shen would definitely need time to procure them, so they should solve the immediate problem first.
“Miss, the items you want can’t be delivered to Yunzhou within a day.” Li Heng looked at the cardboard boxes stacked in the storage room.
Having paid only fifty taels of gold yet taking so many items, he felt somewhat embarrassed to speak up.
“Could we first pay some of the cost in gold, with the remainder delivered after the items arrive?”
But Shen You shook her head, handing over the A4 paper with organized prevention measures,
“As I said, you can wait until the plague is controlled before paying the balance. There’s no rush.”
Having kept 10 taels of gold in the system as backup, the remaining 40 taels converted still left about half after buying these items.
She wasn’t at a loss either.
Moreover, the other party still needed solar hand lamps and disinfection tablets, so they wouldn’t default on payment.
Li Heng looked at her serious expression, and a genuine, heartfelt smile appeared in his eyes.
Having stayed too long in places of intrigue and deception, this kind of trust without calculation seemed particularly precious.
Zhong Jing beside them stared intently at the lamp that supposedly absorbed sunlight and could shine at night.
So magical. This shop was full of wonderful things.
He also wanted to buy one for his home to use in his study.
And yesterday, His Highness had returned carrying a strange cup, saying it was something called milk tea that tasted very good.
“Shopkeeper Shen, could you sell me one of these lamps? How much silver?”
Zhong Jing asked quietly with great anticipation just as they were about to leave, calculating in his heart whether his salary could afford it.
He also had two sets of fine writing materials, although naturally, they couldn’t compare with what the Crown Prince had.
“I heard the last time that Mr. Zhong’s paintings are quite valuable. How about exchanging a painting for a lamp?”
Shen You looked at the somewhat bare and monotonous walls, which still lacked impressive decorations.
Ancient paintings used gemstones and natural minerals as pigments, guaranteeing no color change for a thousand years.
“It’s settled then!” Zhong Jing was overjoyed.
His paintings were worth only dozens of taels of silver—to exchange one painting for this was too cheap!
Both men left in high spirits. Shen You closed the shop and went out to buy a bowl of coconut sweet soup nearby.
Then opening her game, she began her simple and unadorned nightlife.
——
In the alley, Li Heng ordered men to transport the items out, dispatching elite guards to escort them out of the city overnight and deliver them to those responsible for plague prevention.
As soon as he reached his lodging in the city, he took Shen You’s methods and discussed them with his subordinates through the night.
They needed to establish isolation facilities in the capital as quickly as possible, blockade the source towns, and find clean water sources.
Three volunteers for testing the medicine actually began recovering miraculously after taking half a tablet.
“Quick! Go report to His Highness! This medicine works!” Excited voices came from the isolation facility.
Wearing a mask and holding a spray bottle for disinfection, Xie Guanrong withdrew his gaze, also excited inside.
When the isolation facility recruited people, everyone knew this work was dangerous. Those who could earn money at home were unwilling to come.
But he’d decided to take this gamble, because only by earning money could he participate in the imperial examinations.
When he first arrived, he also did dirty work. Later, when they discovered he could read, he was able to assist the supervisors.
Living in daily fear, when he saw the items being brought in, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief and gained more confidence in surviving.
These items very likely came from the immortal’s shop!
He remembered the immortal’s warning and told no one that he too had once had the fortune to meet the immortal.
News quickly reached Li Heng, who immediately sent word to Liu Zheng stationed in Yunzhou.
When Shen You received the final payment, several days had passed since the last transaction.
Logically, ancient transportation wasn’t this fast. According to Liu Zheng, arrangements were made when shipping materials out of the city.
Treasures from the capital wouldn’t arrive so quickly, so they first procured some from nearby Lianzhou.
Early in the morning, she saw a box of antiques.
There was also a jade-carved water vessel, where natural jade patterns and carving merged perfectly.
And a small box containing gold ingots, apparently about five hundred taels.
“This gold is a deposit for the water purification tablets. Shopkeeper Shen, prepare however much you can.”
Meaning she should prepare as much as possible.
Shen You agreed, giving him the antibiotics she’d bought in batches over recent days, then took the solar lamps from the counter that she’d ordered online.
Considering the distinction between ruler and minister in ancient times, the selling prices differed too.
The one for Zhong Jing had a cruder design. It was just a small bamboo-woven lantern shape.
While the one sold to Li Heng was a pair that looked much more attractive.
“His Highness instructed about this lamp—he’ll come personally to collect it after handling current affairs. And the same goes for Mr. Zhong’s. He said he’ll come get it after finishing his painting. It’s safe to keep them here.”
Liu Zheng looked at the lamps on the table enviously.
He wanted one too, but lacked Mr. Zhong’s painting skills. He should have studied properly at home back then.
Shen You understood his expression and held up five fingers,
“Fifty taels of silver. Since you’re the first customer, I’ll sell it cheap.”
She’d bought several simple solar lamps at once, about forty-plus yuan each.
Liu Zheng nodded repeatedly, placed a silver ingot on the table, and received the lamp with beaming joy. Then following Shen You’s instructions, he learned to turn it on and off.
Then, clutching it like a treasure, he left the shop.
Shen You put on gloves and began cataloging the received antiques.
All were fine pieces, especially that jade-carved water vessel, which gleamed brilliantly under the light.
Holding it for appreciation wasn’t bad either.
Fortunately, gold could be stored in the system register, otherwise the storage compartments couldn’t hold it all.
Some relatively inexpensive items that laypeople couldn’t easily price, she placed in her room.
Like those two wooden boxes from before. Who would have thought they’d be worth several thousand when used for bead-making?
Since there was no rush for the water purification tablets, Shen You planned to wait until tomorrow to order from merchants in different cities.
Today she needed to go out to sign a house contract, then attend the class reunion.
At 2 PM, Shen You took her documents, checked the door locks and surveillance system, then went out.
This house was one she’d already chosen. Having nothing else to do recently, she’d visited once before.
The price was right, the layout good, and most importantly, what one saw was what one got. It was move-in ready for next month.
She went to see it in person again, confirmed the seller’s qualifications, then began bargaining. She got it for two million in full payment.
In first-tier cities, this price wasn’t much, but in Jiangcheng it wasn’t cheap.
Previously, never mind full payment, even the down payment felt like she’d have to work herself to death at that exploitative company and still might not save enough. Now she didn’t lack this money.
After completing all procedures and getting the receipt, it was about time.
She put away the contract and navigated to the reunion hotel.
This hotel was quite upscale. The gathering was Dutch treat. The money was collected when booking the private room.
Just as Shen You got out of her car, she happened to meet Wu Zhenyun with her boyfriend and another roommate, Hu Xiuning.
Wu Zhenyun shouted in surprise, “Shen You, how can you drive this car? Last time we met, you were swiping tens of thousands at luxury counters.”
“Why can’t I?”
Shen You glanced at her boyfriend’s BMW and walked toward the elevator.