Chapter 142: The Foshan Trip, Part Eight

“Well? Isn’t it far more magnificent than the Runshi Tang?” Yang Shixiang said with a bitter smile, a note of envy coloring his voice.

Though the shop was bustling, a clerk immediately came forward to greet them as they entered. Yang Shixiang said, “I have an invitation and a gift list. Would you be so kind as to deliver them to your master?”

“Of course. May I ask your name, sir?”

“My surname is Yang,” he replied coolly. “Once you deliver the invitation, your master will know.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll go right away.” The clerk first showed them to a set of chairs, served them tea, and then inquired if they smoked, offering both hookah and dry tobacco. Liu San marveled at the service. This kind of attentiveness and genuine respect was a world away from the professional, toothy smiles of modern service staff.

While the clerk was gone, Liu San took the opportunity to observe the pharmacy’s operations. Though crowded, the shop was a model of efficiency. Some patrons were there to fill prescriptions, others were small-time medicine peddlers with shoulder poles and carts, and some, dressed in fine clothes with an air of importance, were clearly major clients. No matter their station, a dedicated clerk was there to attend to them, and everything flowed with an easy order. It seemed the ancients, without the benefit of modern management studies, had their own unique and effective approach to business.

In a corner of the counter, Liu San spotted a sign: “Delong Associated, Province-wide Service, Drafts Issued and Exchanged, Payable on Sight.” So, this was indeed a Delong branch. It made sense; only a large, established enterprise like this could mobilize tens of thousands of taels of silver at a moment’s notice. The Guangzhou station’s efforts were clearly paying off.

They had barely warmed their seats when a call came from inside: “Invite the Fifth Master in!”

Just then, the clerk who had delivered their message ran out, bowing low to Yang Shixiang. “Fifth Master, please forgive me. I was blind…”

“It’s fine,” Yang Shixiang said calmly. “I haven’t been to Foshan in a long time. It’s only natural for your staff to be unfamiliar with me.”

“No wonder!” the clerk said with a relieved smile. “Please, come in! The master has ordered tea to be served in the flower hall.”

With a bow and a gesture, he led them into a small, secluded courtyard.

This courtyard was reserved for honored guests. Amidst the flowers and trees stood a row of three exquisitely decorated halls. A small plaque above the central doorway read “Jian Xin” (See the Heart). Before they even entered, a servant announced in a loud, clear voice, “The Fifth Master has arrived!”

The bamboo curtain was lifted, and a man in his thirties stepped out. He had a fair complexion and wore a black gauze cap, a slightly worn blue-gray satin robe, white cloth socks, and black satin shoes. He possessed the refined air of a young master from a distinguished family, not at all like a common merchant.

“Fifth Brother!” The man was Yang Shixiang’s full cousin, the current manager of the Yang Run Kai Tang De Ji, Yang Shiyi. “It has been many years. I trust you’ve been well!”

“Thank you!” Yang Shixiang bowed. “Are you and Sister-in-law well?”

“We are, we are. And this is—”

“This is my dear friend, a renowned doctor from Lin’gao, Doctor Liu.”

“A pleasure, a pleasure.” Yang Shiyi’s eyes lingered on Liu San’s face for a moment, a sharp glint in them. He was clearly no ordinary, complacent heir.

He led them into a guest room on the east side. Liu San noted the elegant decor; the calligraphy, paintings, and curios were arranged with a tasteful and understated elegance that reflected the host’s refined taste.

The great merchants of the Ming dynasty certainly have style! Liu San thought with a pang of emotion. In less than twenty years, this elegant and cultured man would likely be a skeleton on the roadside or living in a miserable hut, his life in ruins. All this worldly prosperity would be reduced to ashes in the smoke of war.

After exchanging pleasantries and inquiring about each other’s families, Yang Shiyi was the soul of courtesy, asking after their well-being and apologizing profusely. He explained that business had been busy and the sea routes unsafe in recent years, preventing him from visiting Lin’gao. The relatives had grown distant, he lamented, and they should visit more often in the future.

The tea table was already laden with eight tall platters of snacks and fruits. A servant brought towels chilled in well water for them to wipe the sweat from their brows. The hospitality was impeccable, which made Liu San wonder if Yang Shixiang, out of a sense of his own poverty, had been overly sensitive. The manager showed no signs of being snobbish.

After the pleasantries, Yang Shiyi inquired about the purpose of their visit.

Yang Shixiang explained that he needed to purchase some expensive medicinal ingredients to compound two types of summer remedies.

“…After much thought, I realized that only your shop has the most complete selection of fine ingredients. It’s better to ask for help from family than from strangers, so I have come to trouble you.”

“Of course, of course,” Yang Shiyi nodded, though his expression was clearly perfunctory. He didn’t even ask what ingredients were needed. He simply ordered:

“Tell the kitchen to prepare a banquet. I will host a welcome feast for the Fifth Master and Doctor Liu at noon.”

“Yes, sir!” a servant replied. “A reminder, sir, you have a dinner engagement this evening…”

“I know, we’ll talk about that later.”

“Brother, since you have plans this evening, we won’t impose on you for the banquet. We appreciate the thought,” Yang Shixiang said. “But could you please look at this list and have a clerk prepare the order for me? I need to take the ingredients back to Lin’gao to make the medicine.”

“Nonsense, we brothers haven’t seen each other in years. We must have a drink together,” Yang Shiyi insisted. “What ingredients do you need?”

He took the list and glanced at it, muttering to himself, “Borneol… musk… bezoar… gold leaf…” He repeated the names a few times before putting the list down. “I have all of these, brother, but not in the quantities you need.”

Before Yang Shixiang could reply, he launched into a series of excuses: a certain business needed ingredients for a compound, a major client had placed a large order, a popular item was being held for someone with connections…

Liu San now sensed that something was amiss. He watched as Yang Shixiang asked, “Then how much can you provide?”

“Well, about a fifth of each. As for the musk and gold leaf, I have very little left, not even a fifth.”

“That’s too little. It’s not enough to make the medicine,” Yang Shixiang said. “To be honest, brother, I’ve recently secured a large order. Once this medicine is made, it will be sold immediately. I thought your shop had the most complete stock, so I wouldn’t have to go elsewhere…”

“Oh? Then congratulations, Fifth Brother!” Yang Shiyi beamed. “But I really don’t have enough stock here!” He paused. “How about this, I’ll have the manager source some from other shops. But the quality of those goods… well…” He sighed. “People are not what they used to be. Even with familiar shops, you have to pay cash for such transactions! Alas!”

Liu San’s opinion of Yang Shiyi had now done a complete one-eighty. These were clearly just excuses. The most expensive items were the most scarce, and sourcing them required cash—upfront payment. Even in the modern world, few businesses could demand that, let alone in the commercial society of this era, where wholesale transactions were typically settled three times a year. It was a blatant lie, a clear signal: no cash, no goods.

Yang Shixiang must have anticipated this. He quickly said, “Brother! I won’t be buying on credit this time. I’ll pay for whatever you can provide, right away.” He pulled a bank draft from his sleeve. “I heard your shop is an associated branch of Delong? That will save me the trouble of exchanging it for silver.”

“Oh?” Yang Shiyi took the draft. It was indeed a fifty-tael sight draft from the Delong Bank. The special paper, ink, and incredibly complex patterns were impossible for ordinary people to forge. It was genuine.

Seemingly still in disbelief, Yang Shiyi held it up to the light to check the watermark before setting it down. “I didn’t expect you to have landed such a big deal, Fifth Brother.”

“It’s nothing. Is this enough?”

“You’re being too formal, Fifth Brother. I can certainly help you gather these ingredients.” Despite his words, he made no move to return the draft.

“If there’s any extra, please add some common medicinal herbs. I’ll take them back to Lin’gao as well.”

“Of course, I’ll have someone arrange the order right away.”

Yang Shiyi seemed puzzled by his brother’s sudden ability to pay in cash and tried to probe for more information, but Yang Shixiang remained tight-lipped. He only asked if he could sell his compounded powders on consignment at the Yang Run Kai Tang and have them act as a wholesaler.

Yang Shixiang currently lacked the ability to distribute goods on the mainland directly. Consigning them to a large, reputable establishment like the Yang Run Kai Tang, with its extensive business connections, was the most cost-effective solution.

“This—” Yang Shiyi hesitated. “Fifth Brother, you know the family rules. We don’t sell medicines from outsiders without seeing the formula. If something goes wrong, or the medicine isn’t effective, people won’t blame the formula; they’ll say the goods from our Yang Run Kai Tang are bad…”

“Don’t worry, brother. I’ve seen both formulas. The composition and preparation are unique and sound. There won’t be any problems.”

Seeing his hesitation, Yang Shixiang presented samples of the Plague-Averting Powder and Zhuge’s Marching Powder. Yang Shiyi took them skeptically, poured some onto the back of his hand, rubbed it with his finger, and sniffed it.

“The medicine itself is fine,” Yang Shiyi said. “But it’s nothing extraordinary, just something to refresh the mind and open the orifices. I’m afraid it’s not suitable for consignment at the Yang Run Kai Tang. How about this, since you’ve come all this way, I can’t let you leave empty-handed. I’ll call the manager of the ‘Gong Ji Tang’ and have them sell it for you there. How does that sound?”

Yang Shixiang’s face immediately darkened. He remembered Liu San’s words: to expand their business, they needed the help of the Yang Run Kai Tang. He couldn’t afford to burn this bridge. But selling through the Gong Ji Tang would devalue their carefully crafted medicine, and their hopes of expansion would be dashed. How could he face Liu San, who had provided the formula and the funds?