Chapter 13: The Hundred-Year Ginseng
The automatic glass doors of the Golden Leaf Pharmaceutical Hall slid open with a crisp shhh sound. Inside, the faint aroma of medicinal herbs and disinfectant mixed in the cool morning air. Shelves gleamed under bright fluorescent lights, and behind a polished counter stood a young man in a neat uniform — his nametag read "Li Wei."
The Bai family's entrance drew little attention at first. But Li Wei's gaze swept over their plain clothes, lingering just a second too long. His lips curled upward in quiet disdain.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his tone polite but hollow, his eyes already mocking.
Bai Sung stepped forward respectfully. "Excuse me, young man. We're here to sell some herbs."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow, stifling a scoff. "Herbs?" he repeated, tapping his pen against the counter. "We're not accepting any more wild grass for now. Try the smaller shops down the street."
Chu Sun frowned slightly. "We're not here to sell wild grass, young man. We have something valuable."
Li Wei leaned back, arms crossed. "Everyone says that," he sneered. "What could you possibly have that's valuable? Dandelion roots?"
The words hung like a slap in the air. Bai Sung's face turned red, but he held back his temper. "Please, young man," he said evenly. "We came a long way. At least let someone take a look."
Li Wei smirked. "You people just want attention. If we let everyone like you come in, the shop would never close."
At that, Chu Sun's patience cracked. "How dare you speak so rudely? You're representing your employer. Is this how you treat customers?"
The receptionist clicked his tongue. "Customers?" He laughed coldly. "Do you look like customers? You look like—"
"Enough."
The word came from Bai Xia. Her voice was soft but carried a strange weight. The air seemed to still for a moment as she fixed her gaze on Li Wei. Her dark eyes were calm — too calm — yet there was a sharpness in them that made him shiver.
Li Wei's throat tightened. He looked away, muttering, "Tch, whatever."
Their quiet standoff began to draw attention. Employees peeked from behind the counters, and a few customers whispered among themselves.
Moments later, a man in a gray suit approached — the store manager. His name tag gleamed proudly: "Manager Zhou."
"What's going on here?" Manager Zhou asked, his tone clipped.
Li Wei straightened quickly. "Manager, these villagers are causing trouble. I told them we're not buying herbs, but they keep insisting."
Bai Sung clenched his fists. "We are not causing trouble. We just wanted someone qualified to look at our herbs. That's all."
Manager Zhou's smile was tight, fake. "I see. Well, sir, we are a professional establishment. Our suppliers are certified. We can't just buy random plants from strangers off the street."
Chu Sun's voice trembled slightly with anger. "We're not strangers off the street! You haven't even looked at what we brought!"
Zhou raised a hand dismissively. "Madam, please. Don't make a scene. I suggest you leave before we call security."
Li Wei smirked at that, whispering under his breath, "Frogs dreaming of swans…"
Something in Bai Xia's gaze shifted. She stepped forward, her voice steady as steel. "You'll regret this."
Li Wei froze. There was something too calm, too certain in her tone.
Before the argument could escalate further, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the entrance.
An elderly man, dressed in a long gray tunic and carrying a small wooden cane, walked inside. His hair was white, his beard thin, and his eyes — sharp as lightning. The scent of aged herbs clung to his robe.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
"Old Master Liu!" Manager Zhou and Li Wei both straightened like startled cats. "Welcome! What brings you here today?"
The old man ignored them completely. His gaze had already fallen upon Chu Sun's hands — more specifically, the small plastic bag she was holding. His eyes flickered with curiosity.
"What do you have there?" he asked calmly.
Chu Sun blinked, startled. "It's… a ginseng root, sir. My daughter found it in the mountains."
Old Master Liu stepped closer, his eyes glinting. "May I see it?"
Zhou tried to intervene quickly. "Old Master Liu, there's no need. I assure you, it's probably not—"
"That won't be necessary," the old man cut him off coldly. "I want to see it."
Bai Xia nodded silently, placing the bag on the nearby table. The room fell quiet as she untied the plastic layers one by one.
The moment the thick, knotted root came into view, a collective gasp rippled through the room.
Old Master Liu's eyes widened — his hands trembled. "G–Ginseng…?!"
The word hit like thunder.
The receptionist's smirk vanished. The manager's fake smile froze. People crowded closer, craning their necks to see.
---
Whispers filled the room.
"Is that real?"
"It looks huge — like something from a legend!"
"I've never seen ginseng that thick before."
"The texture… the color… it's genuine!"
"They said these people were poor — who knew they had something like this?"
"Look how calm that girl is. Maybe they're from a hidden family?"
"If this is real, it could be worth hundreds of thousands of yen!"
"The manager's dead. The owner will eat him alive for missing this!"
"Look at the receptionist's face — he's gone pale!"
"Ah… fate really plays tricks. Who knew fortune would come from rags?"
---
Old Master Liu's wrinkled hands trembled as he examined the ginseng. He touched the roots lightly, then inhaled deeply. His expression grew solemn.
"This is no ordinary root," he whispered. "At least a hundred years old. Thick, pure, and perfectly preserved. Whoever harvested this knew what they were doing."
A murmur spread through the crowd again.
Bai Xia smiled faintly. "Grandpa, as you can see, this ginseng has been harvested carefully. It's well-preserved and ready for use. The starting price for one is five hundred thousand yen."
The crowd stirred.
"Five hundred thousand?!"
"That's too high— wait, maybe not…"
"It's worth it!"
Then the bidding began.
"Five hundred fifty!"
"Six hundred!"
"Eight hundred thousand!"
The numbers climbed higher and higher until Old Master Liu raised his hand. "One million," he said calmly. "I'll take it."
Gasps rippled through the pharmacy.
"One million for each — two million total," Bai Xia said firmly.
"Done," the old man replied, eyes gleaming.
Bai Sung and Chu Sun stood frozen, unable to speak. They had expected perhaps fifty thousand at most — never this.
Old Master Liu quickly scribbled out a check, his hands steady now with excitement. "Here," he said, pressing the paper into Bai Sung's trembling hands. "Take it before someone changes their mind."
"Thank you, sir," Bai Sung said hoarsely.
The old man nodded curtly — then, like a gust of wind, hurried out, clutching the ginseng as if it were a newborn child.
---
Just as the family turned to leave, a new voice shouted from the door.
"What's this about a hundred-year-old ginseng?!"
It was the pharmacy's owner — a round man in a black coat, flanked by several assistants. When he saw the empty bag and the old man vanishing in the distance, his expression darkened instantly.
"Zhou! Li Wei! You idiots!" he roared. "You just let fortune slip through our fingers!"
Both men fell to their knees, stammering.
"Sir, please—"
"We didn't know—"
"You're fired!" the owner snapped. "And make sure no other pharmacy ever hires you again!"
The crowd gasped as the two disgraced men bowed their heads to the floor, pale as death.
Meanwhile, Bai Sung stood still, holding the check in trembling hands.
Two million yen.
He took his family to the bank and deposited the money, holding the account book in his hand his lips quivered. "We… we can finally live well," he whispered.
Chu Sun's eyes shone with tears she refused to let fall. She gripped her husband's arm tightly.
Bai Xia simply smiled faintly, her gaze distant — steady — calm.
"This is only the beginning," she murmured.