What had Lu Liangwei done to deserve such special treatment from the Dowager Duchess?
A cold look flickered in Lu Yunshuang’s eyes when she saw the ginseng that Lu Liangwei had just given to their grandmother. Outwardly, however, she put on a worried look and chided, “Weiwei, where did you buy this ginseng? I heard someone tell me before that some commoners pass tree roots off as ginseng so they can sell them for money. You’ve got such a pure, kind nature—don’t let yourself be cheated by those who might look trustworthy and honest.”
The Dowager Duchess had just taken the box when she heard what Lu Yunshuang said. She paused what she was doing for a moment and turned towards Lu Liangwei. “Grandmother is very happy already to see that you have such a filial heart. You don’t need to buy me any ginseng or other such items in the future. It would really be too bad if you ended up being cheated.”
The Dowager Duchess meant these words sincerely. She was genuinely worried that Lu Liangwei, with her kind, pure nature, would get conned by unscrupulous individuals.
Lu Liangwei darted a glance at Lu Yunshuang. She then said tactfully and obediently, “Grandmother and Big Sis are right. I will be more careful in the future. However, I specially took this ginseng to be evaluated by the senior physicians at Hanging Pot Medical Hall when I bought it. They told me that this ginseng was at least two hundred years old or more. I don’t really know how to distinguish these things, but what the senior physicians say shouldn’t be too far off the mark.”
“Two hundred years old or more?” Lu Yunshuang exclaimed at once. She appeared to be utterly shocked, but there was no mistaking the questioning tone of her voice.
Lu Liangwei shrugged slightly. “I have no idea if it’s genuine or fake. However, if Big Sis has the time, you could drop by Hanging Pot Medical Hall to ask the senior physicians. It would be even better if you could get the imperial physician to help identify this ginseng.”
Lu Yunshuang almost choked for a moment. She was about to answer in retaliation when she heard the Dowager Duchess murmur to herself irresolutely, “If the senior physicians at Hanging Pot Medical Hall have confirmed the ginseng’s age, then it shouldn’t be a fake. Hanging Pot Medical Hall might not be a grand place like other medical halls, but it has a century-old reputation. The physicians working there are extremely skilled and benevolent. Not only that, they have a wealth of experience. If they say this is genuine, then it won’t be something fake.”
While she was speaking, she had already opened the box.
The Dowager Duchess could not help an exclamation of astonishment when she saw the ginseng in the box. “A superior-looking ginseng like this can’t possibly be a tree root passed off as ginseng. Even though I’m not as experienced as those physicians at distinguishing ginseng from tree roots, I’ve seen and eaten quite a number of ginseng roots. Just from the appearance alone, you can tell that this ginseng is at least two hundred years old.” She gave Lu Liangwei a good-natured look as she said this.
“You naughty girl, you’re really lucky this time. You’ve actually managed to find yourself such a good piece of ginseng. Even if you were willing to spend an exorbitant amount of money, it would be difficult to buy something of this quality out there.”
When the Dowager Duchess finished speaking, something crossed her mind, and she asked, “How much did you pay for this ginseng?”
Lu Liangwei patted her chest when she heard her grandmother’s words and said with a sigh of relief, “It’s lucky that this is genuine. When I heard what Big Sis said, I really thought I had been cheated. Even though I didn’t pay very much for it—only one hundred silver pieces—if I had bought a tree root that had been passed off as ginseng and come home with that, I would truly have let you down, Grandmother.”
Lu Yunshuang’s expression was one of embarrassment. “It seems I worried too much.”
The Dowager Duchess blandly darted a glance at Lu Yunshuang before turning her gaze to Lu Liangwei. She asked, “One hundred?”
When Lu Liangwei heard this, she asked rather uneasily, “Did I pay too much for it?”
The Dowager Duchess shook her head and said lovingly, “You’ve paid too little for it. This ginseng is at least two hundred years old or more. To pay only one hundred silver pieces for it is far too cheap a price. It looks like the commoner who sold you the ginseng wasn’t aware of its value. Judging by the appearance of the ginseng and its age, even selling it for five hundred would be considered quite worth it.”
Lu Liangwei brightened only after she heard this. “It looks like fortune favors fools—I actually managed to buy such a valuable piece of ginseng by accident. Grandmother, you must remember to ask Aunt Lan to boil it for you to drink.”