Li Xu ordered a dish of Aconite chicken and a side of stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
While waiting for his food, he overheard a few customers at the next table talking loudly:
"...The Aconite from Anchi Village was completely bought out by Japan's Tsumura Pharmaceutical again this year."
"Well, they offer a high price. 26 yuan per jin for the fresh product, with labor costs covered separately, and they even handle shipping."
"I heard they sent technicians to supervise the harvest. They even take soil samples for testing..."
"Heh, they call it 'supervising,' but really, they don't trust the villagers and are watching them the whole time."
Li Xu listened in silence.
Tsumura Pharmaceutical is Japan's largest Kampo Medicine company, and their quality standards for medicinal herbs are almost draconian.
Even so, many growers were still scrambling to sell to them.
It couldn't be helped. They simply offered the most money.
By 'eavesdropping,' Li Xu learned something else.
