But now, he simply didn't have the ability to refine medicines, which meant he wasn't yet capable of it. However, Liu Mou believed he surely would be able to refine medicines. Otherwise, how could he call himself the Medicine King if he could only diagnose diseases but not refine the Pill? It was just that he hadn't shown this ability yet.
After some thought, Liu Mou began pondering his own problems. After all, he had just made eighty thousand yuan this time, and with the previous sale of ginseng, he had nearly two hundred thousand yuan in savings. Though it was a substantial amount, it was still far from meeting Li Baixuan's conditions. He still needed to work hard.
Right then, Liu Mou wasn't in a rush to go home. After all, he had started doing business and needed to assess his customers. He couldn't just calculate prices based on Dou Yinya's quotations. If Dou Yinya was honest, he might continue cooperating with her. But if she offered too low a price, he definitely wouldn't partner with her. Business was like that—you couldn't excuse cheating others just because you're a beautiful woman. Besides, Liu Mou's heart had room for only one woman, Li Baixuan; how could he entertain the thought of other women?
After ensuring no one from the factory was around, Liu Mou then went to another large herbal company in town, Haohua Herbal Material Company. This company was also one of the most famous herbal stores in town and had established its market presence long ago, hardly yielding to Dou Yinya's company.
Upon entering the store, a clerk hurried over with a smile and asked, "What kind of herbal materials does this young brother need? Our store has everything, and we treat every customer fairly, old and young."
Liu Mou nodded but didn't say much. Instead, he looked around and finally saw a bag in a corner containing some yellow objects. Clearly, these were the Tianma herbs he had picked, only these had been processed and were ready for direct consumption. Compared to the ones he had picked, their color and shape were quite different. The average person wouldn't even recognize that this was Tianma, but for Liu Mou, it was easy; he just needed to ask about their scent to identify the medicine.
"What are these?" Liu Mou pretended not to recognize the Tianma and casually inquired.
"These are Tianma," replied the clerk, glancing at Liu Mou—a young man dressed like a farmer, and immediately lost much of his courtesy, clearly dismissing Liu Mou as a bored, idle youngster.
"How much is a jin of these?" Liu Mou immediately asked.
"300 yuan per jin. How much do you want?" the clerk asked coldly.
Liu Mou thought for a moment and then said, "Give me twenty jin."
The clerk was visibly shocked, quite disbelieving, for the young man's attire did not appear to indicate the wealth of six thousand yuan. Doubtfully, he asked, "Are you sure?"
Liu Mou nodded and then smilingly said, "You do sell them, don't you?"
"Sell, of course, we sell," the clerk responded enthusiastically.
Liu Mou sneered inwardly. To learn something from these people, he had to be willing to spend money. Without spending a penny, how could he expect to gain any valuable information?
After paying the money, Liu Mou then asked, "How come these Tianma look different from those we see in the mountains?"
Laughing, the clerk replied, "Of course, they're different. These Tianma are not wild; the ones you see in the mountains are wild. If we were talking about wild Tianma, you wouldn't be able to buy them at this price. At the very least, it would double. For wild Tianma, you'd have to pay at least 600 yuan per jin."
"Is wild Tianma really that expensive? How much would the processed product of wild Tianma cost?" Liu Mou felt a bit upset inside.
"Little brother, I'm not supposed to tell you these things, but you seem alright, so I'll let you know. Whether it's wild or cultivated, a jin of Tianma can produce seven liang of finished product. It's just that their prices are different," the clerk confided.
Liu Mou gave a cry and immediately left the store. As soon as he stepped out, his face expressed displeasure. Dou Yinya was really overcharging. The wild Tianma could sell for 600 yuan per jin as a finished product, whereas his Tianma could only go for 420 yuan per jin. But Dou Yinya had only offered him a hundred yuan—such a huge discrepancy! Though there were processing labor costs, the pricing was still not fair.
At that moment, Liu Mou truly understood how the term "shady merchant" came to be. He, unacquainted with market values, had been swindled by Dou Yinya. He couldn't blame anyone else; it was his fault for not recognizing Dou Yinya's unscrupulous nature. But Liu Mou wasn't someone who could be easily fooled; he made a mental note of this incident. He would surely get his recompense from that woman Dou Yinya; he wouldn't let this matter rest so easily.
Then Liu Mou returned home.
Just as he entered the village, he saw a crowd of people gathered together, buzzing with activity. Though he wasn't in a good mood, his curiosity got the better of him. He approached the crowd to have a look. The person lying on the ground was immediately recognized by Liu Mou—it was Liu Dashan, a fellow villager. Liu Dashan was just a few years older than him and had always played with him as a child. Since his family was poor, Liu Dashan had taken on the burden of supporting them at a young age. Liu Mou had always respected him and referred to him as "brother."
Seeing it was Liu Dashan, Liu Mou instantly became anxious, hurriedly stepped forward, and asked someone nearby, "What in the world happened?"
Seeing Liu Mou arrive and recognizing him, the gathered villagers explained, "Liu Dashan was bitten by a snake in the mountains, and it seems the snake venom is taking effect now. Someone has already gone to fetch Doctor He."
Witnessing Liu Dashan's condition, Liu Mou immediately grew anxious and asked urgently, "What kind of snake bit him? Tell me."
Hearing Liu Mou's question, the surrounding people looked at him curiously, murmured, "Liu Mou, why are you asking this?"
Liu Mou was very anxious and didn't have the patience for idle chatter, and said loudly, "Just tell me, why are you dawdling?"
At that moment, the person became displeased and said irritably, "Look at your tone, even if we tell you, what can you do? Do you think you can cure Liu Dashan's snake venom?"
Liu Mou glared at the man, his eyes filled with anger. Seeing Liu Mou's gaze, the man suddenly remembered the scene when Liu Mou had caused a scene at Old Lady Qi's place. He promptly shut his mouth, not daring to meet Liu Mou's gaze.
Liu Mou didn't bother with the man any further; he reached out and felt Liu Dashan's pulse. A flood of information suddenly appeared in his mind.