The shopkeeper smiled. "I found this near a withered willow root. It’s not worth much. If you want it, two yuan."
Zhu Yanyi didn’t hesitate. She handed the money to the shopkeeper, who wrapped the wood for her.
Her senior brothers watched her buy the dead wood. They didn’t know why she wanted it, but they knew one thing: their smart junior sister never did useless things. If she bought it, it must have a secret.
After buying the item, Zhu Yanyi continued walking with the group. Dong Bo Cao seemed to notice something. She gently pulled Zhu Yanyi’s sleeve. "Little Junior Sister, look over there."
Not just Zhu Yanyi, but the others followed Dong Bo Cao’s gaze. They saw a young man buying herbs nearby. It was the overseas Chinese youth they had met last night.
The youth had just finished her purchase. She turned and saw Zhu Yanyi’s group. She didn’t want to ignore them. The events of last night were too memorable. She had never been scolded so harshly in her life. She wanted to leave, but she felt that turning away would make her look weak, as if she were afraid of them. So, she decided to face them. She forced a smile. "What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to meet you all here again."
"Wherever we go, we meet. We didn’t expect to see you here either. It seems you have accepted yesterday’s lesson," Zhu Yanyi said with an old-fashioned, confident tone. Yes, the youth was speaking fluent Chinese now. It sounded much more comfortable.
The youth coughed. "Yesterday’s words were truly golden advice. They woke me up like cold water. I will never make the same mistake again." Even if she was unwilling in her heart, what could she do? She was alone and weak. Zhu Yanyi’s group was large. Only a fool would fight against them. It was better to be submissive now than to get scolded again.
The youth’s name was Deng Qing. He had grown up in Country Y and received a Country Y education. Since childhood, he had looked down on China. Even at home, they spoke Chinese, and his grandparents missed China, but to him, China was a strange country. He believed China was dirty, people were hungry, the economy was backward, and it was poor… Many negative ideas about China were carved into his heart.
She had come to China reluctantly for the International Medical Exchange Conference. She never expected to be scolded by Zhu Yanyi over a roasted sweet potato last night.
Yes, Deng Qing was also attending the International Medical Exchange Conference. She had liked medicine since childhood, but she preferred Western medicine. She didn’t believe that a few herbs could cure diseases. She didn’t believe that pulse diagnosis could detect illnesses. She thought it was illusory, nonsense, and unscientific. However, her ancestors loved Traditional Chinese Medicine. They only saw Chinese doctors and took Chinese medicine when sick. When they learned she was coming to Tian City for the conference, they gave her a list of herbs to buy and send back. She had just started buying at this market when she ran into Zhu Yanyi and her group.