Chapter 97: Buying Needles

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Buying Needles

Bai Zhi had the Shopkeeper wrap up the clothes, saying with a smile, "Don’t worry about the price. As long as you’re happy with them."

Although Zhao Lan’s heart ached at the expense, this was, after all, a token of her daughter’s devotion. In the end, she said no more, watching with delight as the Shopkeeper handed all the wrapped outfits to Zhi’er. "Miss, four sets of clothes. That’s two taels and three mace in total."

Bai Zhi didn’t even haggle, simply paying the Shopkeeper the full two taels and three mace.

The Shopkeeper had expected the shabbily, almost raggedly, dressed girl to be frightened off by the price. He never imagined she would hand over the money so generously, without even a hint of haggling. An authentic smile instantly bloomed on his face, a far cry from his earlier strained one.

"Miss, we just received a new shipment of high-quality gauze. It’s perfect for making summer skirts. Would you like to see it?"

Bai Zhi waved a hand. "We’re from the mountains. We work in the fields all day. We wouldn’t be able to wear a gauze skirt even if we bought one; it’s just not practical. Thank you, Shopkeeper. When we no longer need to farm, we’ll come back to you for one."

Bai Zhi spoke with natural poise, and when she called herself a child of the mountains, there wasn’t the slightest trace of self-consciousness. It was as if, in her eyes, farming was in no way inferior to being one of the city’s wealthy, well-dressed elite.

The Shopkeeper couldn’t help but look at her a few more times. The young girl was small and slender, looking about twelve or thirteen years old. Her face was no bigger than his palm, yet her features were exceptionally delicate. Though faint bruises still marred her face, the skin of her neck was incredibly fair. ’She’ll grow up to be a real beauty,’ he thought.

The Shopkeeper smiled as he saw them out, his expression growing even more sincere. ’This young lady is certainly interesting.’

Once they were out of the clothier’s, Uncle Hu said to Bai Zhi, "If there’s nothing else to buy, we should head back now."

Bai Zhi was about to nod, but Hu Feng cut in, "We’re going to the apothecary."

Uncle Hu asked worriedly, "The apothecary? Why? Are you feeling unwell?"

Hu Feng shot a sideways glance at Bai Zhi and said coolly, "Didn’t you say you needed silver needles? Since you have the money now, isn’t it time you bought them?"

Bai Zhi slapped her forehead. "Oh, you’re right! How could I have forgotten? Let’s go, let’s go! To the apothecary!"

Hu Feng’s handsome brow furrowed slightly. ’Did she really forget, or was she just pretending? How could she forget something so important? All she thought about was buying food and clothes. Does she even care about treating me at all?’

Uncle Hu was puzzled. "Buy silver needles? What for?"

Bai Zhi laughed sheepishly. "Well, it’s like this. Last year, while taking a meal to Bai Xiaofeng at his school, I found an old book about acupuncture on the side of the road. I secretly hid it and would sneak it out to read during the day when the adults were out working in the fields. I’ve been studying it for a year now and have picked up the basics. Last time, I borrowed Doctor Lu’s needles to give it a try, and I can’t believe it, but I actually succeeded."

Uncle Hu grinned from ear to ear. "Well, look at you, girl! You taught yourself acupuncture? I’ve heard it’s incredibly difficult to learn! Some people study for more than ten years and only grasp the fundamentals. To teach yourself just from a book... you’re a genius!"

"You praise me too much. I’m no genius. I was just very interested in the subject, so I looked at it and studied it a lot, and eventually, it just started to make sense. I’ve really only scratched the surface."

But had she really only scratched the surface? Zhao Lan didn’t think so. The other day, her arm had been in agony, and she only felt relief after Zhi’er had given her two needle treatments. Even Doctor Lu had been amazed. ’How could that be just scratching the surface?’

She was also very curious. ’This daughter of mine... when exactly did she start learning this? How did I not know a single thing about it?’

’Did she really learn it all by herself, just from a book she found?’