Volume 1, Chapter 4: Waking in a Start in the Dead of Night, Am I the Only Nouveau Riche?

"An excellent century-old ginseng. Good, good, good."

Manager Hu held the ginseng in his hands, his expression one of pure fascination, as if he were under a spell.

"Ahem."

Zhou Wu coughed deliberately, but it failed to snap the manager out of his trance. He had to call out more firmly.

"Manager Hu."

"My apologies, my apologies. It has been a long time since I’ve seen such a fine specimen of ginseng. I lost my composure, truly."

Manager Hu realized he had been unprofessional and quickly gathered himself. He set the ginseng down with visible reluctance; it was time to talk business.

"It is quite alright; I understand your sentiment, Manager Hu. Let us discuss the matter at hand."

"Yes, yes, let us proceed. I shall not beat around the bush—this is indeed a top-tier century-old ginseng." Manager Hu spoke with the air of a man determined to close the deal.

"Then, Manager Hu, let us talk about the price."

"Young Master Zhou, since you chose our Almond Hall, I believe you value our reputation and strength. I will not play games with you; I offer fifty strings of cash for this ginseng."

Zhou Wu quickly did the math in his head. A regular ginseng usually fetched about five strings of cash, so this was already ten times the amount. He felt it was a fair price and was about to agree when Manager Hu spoke again.

"Young Master Zhou, sixty strings of cash—I truly cannot go any higher. That is my absolute bottom line."

Seeing Zhou Wu remain silent for so long, Manager Hu had assumed the young man was dissatisfied with the offer and decided to increase it.

Zhou Wu was overjoyed, though he kept his composure and quickly accepted.

"Very well, sixty strings of cash it is. Let us consider this the start of a friendship between us, Manager Hu."

Hearing the agreement, the weight lifted from Manager Hu’s heart. This century-old ginseng was of immense importance to him.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master Zhou. I shall go fetch the money."

Manager Hu carried the ginseng into the back room. Although Zhou Wu wanted to stop him, everything happened too quickly, so he simply waited.

"Excuse me, young attendant, do you acquire any other medicinal herbs here?"

"Young Master Zhou, typically our branch does not purchase herbs, as all our stock is provided by the main store, which handles large-scale procurement from merchants. We only purchase particularly rare or precious herbs."

"I see. Which herbs would you consider rare?"

"Besides ginseng, lingzhi, bear gallbladder, and fleeceflower root—those common rarities—any other medicinal herb that has reached a certain age is also considered precious, and our branch would be happy to purchase them at a high price."

"Oh, thank you."

Zhou Wu had only asked out of curiosity and had no immediate plans to pursue that trade. As they spoke, Manager Hu emerged carrying a small parcel.

"Young Master Zhou, here is the payment of six silver ingots. Please count them."

Zhou Wu suppressed his excitement and took the small cloth bag. Opening it, he found six official silver ingots. He inspected the base of one and saw the characters "Great Dragon Empire" stamped clearly upon it.

"Everything is correct, Manager Hu. The transaction is complete, so I shall take my leave."

"Young Master Zhou, if you happen to have any more fine goods in the future, please do remember to come find me."

"I certainly will."

Zhou Wu now only wanted to find a secluded spot to pinch himself and see if this was real. Fortunately, the six silver ingots were small enough to be concealed on his person without being conspicuous.

As Zhou Wu left, Manager Hu gripped the ginseng tightly, muttering to himself.

"I was worried about what to give as a gift; this will do perfectly."

"Manager, with the owner’s birthday banquet coming up, our branch will certainly shine this time."

The shop boy was right. The owner of Almond Hall was celebrating his birthday next month, and every branch manager was expected to present a gift. Manager Hu’s branch was located in a remote area, and he had lacked anything of value to offer. He hadn't expected Zhou Wu to bring a century-old ginseng at just the right moment—a rare treasure indeed. Furthermore, the owner’s elderly grandfather was in poor health; this ginseng was the perfect gift.

...

Seeing that the day was still young, Zhou Wu decided to do some shopping. Recalling his empty, dilapidated house, he realized he needed to stock up on essentials.

Despite now having money, Zhou Wu continued to eat the roasted meat he had prepared that morning while walking toward the market, intending to gauge the prices of the era before deciding what to purchase.

Though the county town was not large, it served a vast surrounding area, so the crowds were dense. Everyone came to town to trade or buy daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

After walking around, Zhou Wu had a rough grasp of the local economy. A peck of rice (about 7–8 pounds) cost around twenty coppers. Common hemp cloth was about four hundred coppers per bolt, while fine silk was around eighteen hundred. A basic iron knife cost seventy-five coppers, and a forged steel saber was about two thousand. As for livestock, a top-quality horse went for nine thousand coppers, a common one for half that, and oxen ranged from three thousand to five thousand depending on their quality.

"I have six silver ingots, which translates to sixty strings of cash. First and foremost, I must buy rice and flour. While I can hunt for game, hunting is inconsistent. Meat is delicious, but staples like rice and flour are indispensable."

"I also need to buy some reliable tools. Whether for hunting or for surviving in this era where the rule of law is weak, self-preservation comes first."

With a plan in mind, Zhou Wu took action. He went to the market and saw an elderly woman selling wicker baskets. He asked the price: five coppers. It wasn't expensive, and it would be convenient for carrying his purchases.

"I'll take one basket."

"Oh, wonderful!" The old woman had been sitting there all day without a sale; she greeted him with immediate enthusiasm. "You have a good eye, customer. My old man wove these himself; they are very durable."

"Very well, here is the money."

"Thank you, customer."

Zhou Wu had been prudent; after leaving the pharmacy, he had visited a money changer to verify the silver's authenticity and exchange some for copper coins. The money changer had charged a fee, but Zhou Wu accepted it—it was safer than flashing silver in the chaotic market, where many merchants wouldn't have enough change anyway.

"Boss, I'll take three pecks of rice, and also..."

Next, Zhou Wu visited a general store to buy flour and seasonings. The seasonings of this era were limited, but he could buy fresh vegetables from villagers on market days, so he didn't need to carry those back from town.

Seeing that the day was waning, Zhou Wu quickened his pace toward the blacksmith's shop. He intended to purchase items for self-defense and hunting.