The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 841 - 819: Ways to Make Money

Chapter 841: Chapter 819: Ways to Make Money

Manbao took out a piece of silver from her purse and placed it on the table, saying, "I want to buy with money, so the herbalists don’t have to come into the city themselves. If you find the fresh herbs I need, just have someone bring them to me. I will pay. Two plants or pieces of fresh herbs will count as one batch, and I’ll buy one batch as a kilogram of processed herbs."

Shopkeeper Zheng looked at Manbao in surprise, "This is not cheap, some herbs are particularly expensive. Why do you always think about using raw herbs?"

Shopkeeper Zheng said, "You are a doctor, not a herbalist, and certainly not a herbal farmer. You only need to know how to distinguish processed herbs."

However, Manbao shook her head, "But what if one day there are no processed herbs for you to use? You would have to go gather and process them yourself. The Ji family has been doing this for three generations."

Shopkeeper Zheng smiled and said, "You will have plenty of opportunities in the future, why the rush now?"

He truly felt that Manbao need not spend the money, although she had a piece of silver which seemed quite a lot; the world has so many herbs, many of them expensive, it wouldn’t take long to finish that silver.

It was like a bottomless pit; once she started, who knows how much silver it would take to fill it.

Yet Manbao was persistent, "I have memorized the medicinal herbs in the pharmacy, and I want to see the raw herbs, Shopkeeper Zheng, please just convey my message to the herbalists."

Doctor Ji approached Shopkeeper Zheng and said, "Please let the herbalists know, it’s good for a child to have a thirst for knowledge."

He turned his head towards Manbao and asked, "Have you prepared the money?"

Manbao nodded seriously, "I am prepared, and I will also work hard to earn money."

Doctor Ji was curious, "How do you plan to earn money?"

"I haven’t thought of it yet, I’ll tell you when I do."

Doctor Ji: ...

However, Manbao still comforted Doctor Ji, "Don’t worry, I have quite a bit of money on me, the thank you gifts from the Ji family, I have kept them."

Doctor Ji, remembering the gold he received, also visibly relaxed.

Though she had gold on her, Manbao decided to anticipate the needs ahead, not wanting to scramble for points later like she was doing now. No more grasping for straws at the last moment.

Therefore, after seeing patients at noon, Manbao carried her basket and turned towards the County Governmental Office to find County Magistrate Tang.

County Magistrate Tang had just finished lunch and was getting ready for a nap. Hearing that Manbao sought an audience, he got up from his bed and had someone call her in.

The two sat facing each other, and County Magistrate Tang asked casually, "Have you had lunch?"

Manbao shook her head, "No."

County Magistrate Tang paused for a moment, looked up at Manbao, and then instructed Mingli, "Go fetch a bowl of noodles from the kitchen."

Then he said to Manbao, "You are late, just make do."

Manbao nodded indifferently, "I came to check on you, are you alright?"

County Magistrate Tang looked at her for a while and asked, "Are you referring to Bai Er prying at my window?"

Manbao, feeling a bit embarrassed, replied, "He didn’t mean to, he’s just overly curious."

"People who are overly curious usually face more tribulations," like him, County Magistrate Tang casually waved his hand and said, "It’s all right now, I’ve already found a good excuse."

Who knew that two days ago he returned to the Taoist temple only to find Mingli kneeling before him begging for forgiveness?

Thought he had been wise all his life, yet he kept getting bested by a few teenagers and young girls.

County Magistrate Tang crossed his legs and asked, "Now, tell me, what else do you want to ask?"

Manbao, with a serious expression, asked, "County Magistrate Tang, what are the fast and substantial, yet legal ways to make money in Yizhou City?"

County Magistrate Tang was equally serious, nodding and saying, "Yes."

Manbao’s eyes lit up, and she asked, "What way?"

"Gambling with money."

Manbao then sat back down in her chair, gave County Magistrate Tang a look with a stern face, and huffed, "No way."

County Magistrate Tang then chuckled and said, "That’s like a good child. How young you are already thinking about making money. I see you have quite a few people in your family; it shouldn’t be hard for you to study in Yizhou City, right?"

"The money for studying I already have."

County Magistrate Tang hadn’t heard little from County Magistrate Yang about these three young friends of hers, knowing though they were young, they had already started to fend for themselves. He nodded and then asked, "So you suddenly ask about making money because?"

"I need a lot of money."

County Magistrate Tang frowned, "What do you need so much money for? Cough, Manbao, don’t think about using the money for bad things. If you violate the law, I will not be lenient."

"I am using the money to buy medicinal herbs."

County Magistrate Tang was taken aback and asked, "Buying medicinal herbs?"

Manbao then explained her desire to identify medicinal herbs and her need to purchase them. She said, "The herbal farmers are afraid that someone will steal their livelihood and find storing the herbs bothersome. So, it’s been half a year, and not a single one has shown me any herbs. I have no choice but to buy them, and the amount must be substantial, otherwise, they wouldn’t bother to make the trip. So, buying these herbs requires a lot of money."

Unable to help himself, County Magistrate Tang gave her a thumbs up and boasted, "Manbao, your dream might actually come true someday. Come on, I will address you as Doctor Zhou for now."

"What is Doctor Zhou?" Madam Tang arrived just in time to catch this last sentence.

Seeing Madam Tang, County Magistrate Tang immediately waved and said, "You’ve come just at the right time," then turned to Manbao, "You want to ask about making money, better ask the lady here."

Madam Tang smiled at County Magistrate Tang, sat down next to Manbao, and asked, "So, you want to make money?"

Manbao nodded her head repeatedly, looking expectantly at Madam Tang, "Does the lady know what makes money quickly and is legal in Yizhou City?"

After thinking for a moment, Madam Tang said, "Gambling?"

Manbao: "... Madam and Lord Tang are truly family, even their ideas are the same."

Madam Tang then turned her head to glance at County Magistrate Tang, who was leisurely sipping tea, and smiled with Manbao, "Indeed, this does make the most money, but we ladies really can’t go to such a filthy place as a gambling house. We can set up our own game."

Madam Tang asked Manbao, "Do you know how to play leaf cards?"

Manbao shook her head.

"What about literary contests? Do you know how to play pitch-pot?"

Manbao shook her head.

"Polo?"

Manbao still shook her head.

Madam Tang sighed and spread her hands, "Then there’s no way, the ladies of noble households love these games. Tell me, what can you do?"

"I know medicine."

Madam Tang sized her up, shaking her head, "You are too young, each household has their own doctors, or they could always invite an external one. Can your medical skills surpass those of established doctors?"

Manbao shook her head, "Not yet."

She thought for a moment and then added, "I can also read, well, they probably can too, and also afford to hire a tutor."

Counting on her fingers, Manbao continued, "I also know many kinds of plants, those people know and those they don’t, I might know them."