The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

They were standing or leaning, chatting and joking, and accidentally caught the news that Chen Xi's seemingly ordinary basket of herbs was exchanged for thirty taels of silver.

This news was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

People's eyes widened instantly, the corners of their mouths unconsciously lifted to their ears, and the abacus in their hearts that calculated benefits began to crackle. They estimated the herbs in their own baskets, dreaming of exchanging them for a windfall.

The sudden prospect of wealth made their hearts beat faster and they were filled with excitement.

"Boss, boss! Come and have a look. We have some top-quality herbs here too. We'd like to find a buyer who knows their stuff!"

In the crowd, the loud voice of Aunt Yuan's husband Song Zhipeng pierced the tranquility of the evening.

He usually likes to show off, and this time, after discovering the huge potential profits, he could hardly hide the smug look on his face.

He carefully patted his backpack, which was filled with herbs that he believed were carefully selected and of high quality.

In his imagination, every herb turned into a glittering silver coin, waving at him enthusiastically.

Shopkeeper Wanyu was just about to go upstairs to handle other matters. The sudden call fell into her ears just right, with helplessness but a hint of smile.

She had no choice but to adjust her original route, turn around gracefully, and walk towards the front hall, ready to face the hustle and bustle that was to come.

Song Zhipeng slowly extended his slightly rough index finger and gently and expectantly touched the clusters of plants in the backpack, which had an ordinary appearance but concealed the mysterious charm of the deep mountains and forests.

Turning to face the shopkeeper Wanyu, he spoke with three parts of tentativeness and seven parts of confidence, saying: "Shopkeeper, your unique vision is well-known in this area. Why don't you, an expert, give me some advice and see if the rare flowers and herbs in my backpack, which have been carefully selected and contain the mysteries of nature, can be exchanged for a certain number of silver dollars?"

Hearing this, Wanyu couldn't help but show a slight wrinkle between her brows.

Her fingers shuttled between the green plants in the basket.

A barely perceptible sneer flashed across his lips, and he said sarcastically, "Are these the herbs you mentioned? Although our shop is small, every herb must be strictly selected, and we emphasize authenticity and purity. What you brought, in my opinion, are just some ordinary weeds picked up from the mountains and fields. They are not worth mentioning, let alone being compared with precious herbs."

When Song Zhipeng heard this, the expression on his face froze instantly, and shock and confusion surged over him like a tide.

His eyes widened as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.

There was a tone of disbelief in her voice: "Boss, are you kidding me? I saw with my own eyes how the clever and intelligent Miss Chen Xi carefully discovered these rare herbs in that secluded and quiet mountain stream."

"She just made the deal at a high price, and thirty taels of silver went into her pocket safely. But how come if it were me, the treasure in this backpack would suddenly depreciate and become a weed that can be seen everywhere on the roadside?"

Facing Song Zhipeng's excitement and questioning, Wanyu's eyes flashed with complex emotions, including helplessness at the ignorance of an outsider and a hint of annoyance at his stubborn persistence.

There was a hint of impatience in her voice, as if she was trying her best to maintain her patience. "Everyone, that's all I have to say. If you really want to do business, please go somewhere else to ask. We can't afford the risk of misleading others or damaging our reputation."

After saying that, Wanyu gently waved her sleeves, her movements revealing an unquestionable determination. She was about to turn around and walk towards the stairs leading to the second floor, leaving behind a determined back.

But how could Song Zhipeng give up this seemingly easy opportunity to make money?

He took a step forward, almost begging to block Wanyu's way: "Wait a minute, shopkeeper! Why can you accept Chen Xi's things with pleasure, but it becomes a thorny problem when it comes to us? This is clearly a double standard, it's unfair! Please give us a reasonable explanation."

Faced with this group of stubborn people who refused to give up, Wanyu revealed a hint of helplessness between her brows and she let out a sigh of relief.

He decided to use a more frank and direct approach to break the deadlock: "Well, if you still have doubts, you can take these so-called 'herbs' to any other medical clinic for verification. If there is any clinic that dares to guarantee that they are authentic medicinal materials, you can exchange them for silver."

"But here, my Wanyu Clinic is really unable to provide services, and I'm sorry I can't comply with your request. I have no choice but to ask you to find another place."

After saying this, Wanyu's eyes revealed a hint of regret, but also a firmness that could not be negotiated.

After this sharp verbal battle, the big men, with expressions revealing unwillingness and stubbornness, muttered words of dissatisfaction.

With a rage in their hearts that they had nowhere to vent, they could only turn around with heavy steps and leave this clinic filled with the aroma of medicine one by one.

"Tsk, what are you so arrogant about! If you don't want to take it, then don't take it. This area is so vast, are you afraid that you won't be able to find someone who knows the treasure?"

One of them spat angrily, as if this could ease the depression in his heart a little.

At the same time, Chen Xi had already quietly left the dispute and leisurely walked to a nearby tailor shop that looked antique.

Through the half-open door, the colorful fabrics of various textures in the store spread out before her like a scroll, which reminded her of her children at home.

The clothes on Xiaoyang and Xiaochen, those old clothes that had faded and frayed due to frequent washing, and the coat on his body that had been patched countless times.

The softness in her heart was touched, and she gently pushed open the door of the shop and stepped into this colorful world.

The shopkeeper in the store was surrounded by a constant stream of customers and was busy dealing with all kinds of complicated demands, seeming a little overwhelmed.

Chen Xi was not in a hurry. He walked slowly among the dazzling array of fabrics by himself, his fingers gently brushing over each piece of cloth, feeling the delicate differences between cotton, linen, and silk, as well as the mood swings brought about by the colors.

Finally, among so many choices, her eyes were attracted by two rolls of cloth as soft and smooth as jade, and she immediately made up her mind.

When the shopkeeper finally had a chance to catch his breath, Chen Xi spoke softly.

"Boss, please advise me. I want to order a few new clothes. Hmm... five pieces. My family is prosperous, so everyone should have a decent set of new clothes."

As she spoke, Xie Tianyi's figure, who was always calm but gave people a sense of security, flashed through her mind.

Even if he doesn't go out often, he deserves to have a new piece of clothing of his own as a symbol of the warmth of home.