On the riverbank, wine jars of various sizes were being hauled off the ships.
As the lids were lifted, a fragrance blending light malted wheat and nutty notes wafted through the air. Attracted by the scent, Song Qiming stopped in his tracks and leaned in for a closer look.
Noticing his interest, the shopkeeper enthusiastically scooped out half a ladle of wine with a bamboo dipper for Song Qiming and Song Gaoli to smell.
"Young masters, this is aged Huadiao wine, a specialty of the Jiangzhe region. The water used for brewing is a gift from heaven, sourced from the Great Lake. It has a mellow, fragrant taste and is perfect for warding off the winter chill. Would you like to buy some?"
Song Qiming twitched his nose. It did smell wonderful. Both his teacher and the master liked to drink; it would be a good idea to bring some back.
"How much is it?"
The shopkeeper held up one finger. "One tael of silver per liter."
Song Gaoli’s eyes widened. "That’s so expensive!"
The yellow wine his grandfather drank cost only twenty copper coins per liter. This price could buy fifty liters of that!
Thinking they couldn't afford it, the shopkeeper quickly opened another jar.
"If that’s not to your liking, young masters, you can try this regular Huadiao. It’s only two hundred coins per liter."
Song Gaoli leaned in to sniff it, then frowned. "The scent isn't right, and the color is much paler."
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "You get what you pay for. Fine Huadiao wine needs to be buried underground for ten years to reach the standard of 'Aged Huadiao.' To be honest with you, this wine has even been served in the imperial palace—though that was the thirty-year variety, and this is ten."
"What’s going on?" Noticing the two of them talking by the wine stall, Song Jinzhao turned around and walked toward them.
Song Qiming turned his head and said, "Sister, I want to buy some wine to bring back for my teacher, and some for the master as well."
Song Jinzhao looked at the various jars on the stall. "Then buy it."
Song Gaoli pointed at the two jars of different colors. "The regular Huadiao is two hundred coins a liter, but the aged stuff is a whole tael of silver."
Song Qiming nodded in agreement.
Song Jinzhao leaned down to catch the scent of both wines, then looked up and asked, "Can we taste it?"
The shopkeeper hesitated, his gaze falling upon the jade hairpin in the woman’s hair. "The lady wishes to taste the aged Huadiao?"
He had initially recommended the aged wine because Song Qiming looked like a scholar, but he hadn't expected them to complain about the price. If they tasted it and didn't buy it, a single sip of aged Huadiao was worth dozens of coins. If everyone wanted a free sample, he’d be ruined.
Song Jinzhao saw through his hesitation immediately. "If the wine is good, I will buy it."
After a moment of consideration, the shopkeeper nodded. "Very well."
He used the bamboo dipper to pour half a cup of each for Song Jinzhao to taste.
After two sips, Song Jinzhao pointed to the jars of aged Huadiao and asked, "How many liters are in these?"
Seeing a potential sale, the shopkeeper hurriedly pointed to the other jars on the rack. "The largest is ten liters, the medium is three liters, and the small ones are one liter."
"If it’s for a gift, I suggest the small ones. I had the bottles specially made at a porcelain workshop. It’s an extra ten coins per bottle."
Song Gaoli said in disbelief, "You're charging a tael of silver per bottle and you still want to charge extra for the container?"
The shopkeeper acted as if it were only natural. "The price of the wine is one thing, but these bottles are top-grade celadon. Using these to hold the wine makes the gift look elegant and prestigious."
Song Jinzhao stepped in to bargain. "I’ll take one three-liter jar and ten one-liter bottles. We'll waive the hundred-coin fee for the bottles."
The shopkeeper hadn't expected her to buy so much at once. He paused for a second before nodding in agreement.
"Deal. I’ll find a wooden crate to pack them for you."
After walking a few more steps, Song Jinzhao saw someone selling fresh mandarin oranges.
The vendor unhesitatingly picked up an orange and handed it to her.
"Try it, miss. I guarantee they are juicy and sweet. Look, even the leaves are still green."
Song Jinzhao peeled it, gave half to Song Qiming, who then gave half of his portion to Song Gaoli.
"Is it sweet?"
The two boys nodded. Being able to eat such fresh fruit in the middle of winter was something they wouldn't have dared to dream of in the past.
Song Jinzhao also found it sweet. Tossing the peel aside, she said, "I'll take two crates."
She couldn't just bring wine to Scholar Zheng’s house; she would bring a crate of oranges as well, and the rest they could eat on the road when they set out tomorrow.
"Move! Get out of the way!" Anxious screams caused the noisy wharf to fall silent for a brief moment.
Song Jinzhao looked toward the source of the commotion.
On a ship at the far end of the dock, several men were being supported as they walked down the wooden gangplank, their heads hanging low as if they were vomiting.
"Watch the things. I’m going to take a look," Song Jinzhao left them with those words and charged through the crowd.
"Where is the nearest clinic?"
"Where is the nearest clinic around here!"
The captain was supporting a crewman who was vomiting uncontrollably. He was asking passersby for directions to a doctor, frantic like an ant on a hot griddle.
At a glance, there were three others in the same condition.
"Put him down. I am a physician."
The clear, sharp command cut through the captain’s panicked mind.
Seeing a young woman running toward him, he froze, unsure if he should trust her.
In that second of hesitation, Song Jinzhao had already taken the crewman from him and laid him flat on the ground.
She pulled his hand away from his abdomen and pressed down. "Does it hurt here? What kind of pain is it?"
The dizzy crewman could only hear a voice; he couldn't see Song Jinzhao clearly.
In a blurred state of consciousness, he shook his head and replied, "Cramping... dizzy... my mouth feels like it’s burning and numb... I want to throw up."
Song Jinzhao noticed the other three had the same symptoms, accompanied by sweating and a slowed heart rate.
She looked at the captain and demanded, "What did the four of them just eat?"
The scruffy captain’s mind was a total blank, his heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of his chest. He shook his head, trying to calm himself. "They just had lunch. It was just ordinary food; we’ve been eating it for days."
Song Jinzhao pressed further. "How long ago did they eat? Is there any left? Bring it to me immediately."
A crewman guarding another patient responded, "Yes, I’ll go get it right now!"
He turned and ran back to the ship, his steps frantic and unsteady, nearly falling off the gangplank.
When he returned, he held three multicolored steamed buns and half a bowl of unfinished seaweed soup. The soup was mostly seaweed; most of the liquid had spilled on the way.
Song Jinzhao frowned as she pulled out a potato wedged between a black-flour bun and a yellow-flour bun. Since crossing into this world, she hadn't seen high-yield staples like potatoes or sweet potatoes; she hadn't expected to find them here.
The potato had been steamed soft, but Song Jinzhao could still see dark green sprouts on it.
"Were these potatoes already sprouting before you steamed them?"
The crewman asked in confusion, "You call this a 'potato'?"
Song Jinzhao’s voice grew stern. "I asked you, were they sprouting?"
Coming to his senses, the captain said, "Yes, they were sprouting. But we ate some a few days ago and nothing happened."
"They must not have sprouted as much then. Prop up his legs and let him lean forward to induce vomiting," Song Jinzhao commanded the captain coldly.
She reached into the poisoned man’s throat to induce vomiting. Undigested food sprayed out from his mouth and nose.
"Do the same for the other three. Follow my method."
The onlookers at the wharf narrowed their eyes, unable to watch the grizzly scene. Being a female physician was truly not easy.
How could such a beautiful young lady endure the stench of vomit? The sight alone was revolting, yet she hadn't flinched. She had stayed right there, reaching down the man's throat to induce vomiting without a second thought for her own safety or comfort.
Even her sleek, luxurious fur cloak had been soiled in the process.
Song Qiming, who had rushed over after setting down his belongings, saw what his sister was doing and hurried forward to pull her away.
"Sister, let me do it."
He couldn't bear to let his sister touch something so filthy.
When the man was finally retching nothing but bile, Song Jinzhao turned to the captain. "Have everyone eat some croton seeds first to completely purge their stomachs. Then, brew two pots of licorice and mung bean soup for them to drink until the toxins are fully cleared from their systems."
"If you turn right at the dock and run for fifteen minutes, you'll find a pharmacy that sells licorice. Send someone to buy some immediately."
Seeing that the complexions of the four crew members were already improving and their abdominal pain was subsiding, the captain’s trust in Song Jinzhao was now absolute.
He nodded vigorously. "I'll send someone right away."
The four poisoned sailors were helped into the cabin to rest.
Song Jinzhao walked to the riverbank to wash her hands. She unfastened her cloak and used a handkerchief to wipe away the splatters of vomit.
Before long, the messenger returned with the croton seeds, licorice, and mung beans.
After half an hour of intense purging followed by the licorice and mung bean soup, the four men were exhausted and drifted into a deep sleep.
Down in the hold of the ship, Song Jinzhao stared at a basket tucked in a corner, filled with a mixture of straw and round tubers.
She sifted through them; every single potato had sprouted.
Salted fish hanging from wooden poles gave off a heavy briny scent, and in a basket next to the potatoes were dried strips of kelp.
These people had come from the coast.
The captain, having changed into clean clothes, walked out and glared at the basket of potatoes, his temper rising.
He kicked the bamboo basket over, cursing under his breath. "If I’d known these things were poisonous, I never would have picked them up."
The potatoes rolled across the floor. The dense clusters of sprouts were enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.
Song Jinzhao explained, "Potatoes themselves aren't poisonous, but sprouted ones are."
"You said you found these?" she asked.
The captain nodded. "We came from Jinzhou. After the Imperial Canal was completed from north to south, we thought we’d bring some dried seafood from our hometown to sell."
"Shortly after we set sail, we spotted a sinking vessel. It must have been overturned by the storm the night before. Those potatoes you mentioned were found on that ship."
Song Jinzhao pressed further, "Were there any survivors?"
The captain shook his head. "The winds and rain were fierce those few nights, with waves over ten meters high. No matter how good a swimmer you are, you don’t survive falling into that sea."
"We found two bodies in the cabin. They had curly hair, very high cheekbones and bridges of their noses, and yellowish-brown skin. They definitely didn't look like people of our Dongzhao Kingdom."
Song Jinzhao fell into deep thought.
From the description, they sounded like indigenous people from South America.
If that were the case, it explained why there were potatoes in the cabin. That was the birthplace of the potato.
With eyes full of hope, Song Jinzhao asked, "Besides the potatoes, did you find anything else in the cabin? Anything at all."
The captain furrowed his brow and tilted his chin up in thought. After a long moment, he shook his head. "Nothing else. The water was deep. If the box of potatoes hadn't been wedged between the cabin planks, it would have sunk through the hull long ago."
Song Jinzhao pressed her lips together, feeling a flicker of disappointment, but she quickly bolstered her spirits.
Having potatoes was already a miracle. It was better than having nothing at all.
Suddenly, the captain raised his hand, his eyes widening as if remembering something.
"Wait! We found a parchment map on one of the bodies. The writing on it was gibberish to me. Now, where did I put it?"
He looked around the cabin, his gaze eventually landing on the leg of a table. His eyes lit up as he pointed to a black, rectangular object wedged underneath. "There it is! I used it to level the table."
Song Jinzhao lifted the corner of the table and picked up the parchment.
The parchment, having been soaked in seawater, had become brittle, its edges curled and deformed.
She carefully unfurled the map, but it still tore into three pieces.
The text and drawings were blurred and faded. While she couldn't make out the words, the black curved lines spread across it appeared to be coastlines and navigation routes.
"Captain, could I buy this map and these sprouted potatoes from you?" Song Jinzhao asked.
"If you want them, just take them," the captain replied. "They're useless to me anyway."
Just then, a sailor ran in through a small door. "Captain, they’re awake!"
The group moved to the adjacent room, where the four men lying on straw beds had opened their eyes.
Song Jinzhao stepped forward to examine them. "Does your stomach still hurt? Are you dizzy?"
"How does your throat feel? How many fingers am I holding up?"
The four men answered in raspy voices, "My stomach doesn't hurt anymore. No dizziness. My throat is still a bit numb. Four fingers."
After the check-up, Song Jinzhao straightened up. "There are no major issues; the poison is mostly cleared."
"There are still some residual toxins in your systems. Keep drinking the licorice and mung bean soup, and you should be back to normal in a day or two."
The four men nodded gratefully. "Thank you for saving our lives, Miss."
As she turned to leave, Song Jinzhao added, "The patients are out of danger, but you must watch their diet over the next few days. Keep it light; no spicy food or seafood."
The captain nodded repeatedly while reaching into his robe for money. "How much is the medical fee? I'll pay you now."
Song Jinzhao shook her head. "No need. The map and the potatoes are payment enough."
But the captain wouldn't hear of it. These were four lives saved; he couldn't let her leave without payment.
He pulled out a silver tael and pressed it firmly into Song Jinzhao's hand. "One must pay a doctor for their services. I'm not a man who takes favors for free."
After a second of thought, Song Jinzhao accepted the silver.
As they left the cabin and reached the shore, she pulled out a banknote for one hundred taels and handed it to a sailor. "Give this to your captain."
A clean break. She didn't want to take advantage of anyone either, lest complications arise in the future.
The sailor stared at the banknote in confusion. This was a hundred taels of silver—why give so much?
He turned back to the cabin and handed the note to the captain.
The captain froze. By the time he ran out of the cabin clutching the banknote, Song Jinzhao and her companions were nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile, back on the carriage, Song Gaoli stared at the basket of potatoes, unable to wrap his head around it.
They weren't made of gold. How could they be worth a hundred taels?
He turned back toward the carriage interior, baffled. "Sister Jinzhao, even if you didn't want to take them for free, you didn't need to give them a hundred taels. Forget that they're poisonous and inedible—even if they were fine, they’d only be worth the price of a few bowls of rice."
Sitting inside the carriage, Song Jinzhao gazed at the map in her hand, her voice perfectly calm. "They are worth every penny."
In this era, depending on the quality of the land, the yield of rice was between one and three 'shi' per mu—roughly sixty to one hundred and eighty kilograms.
But the yield of potatoes could reach thousands of catties per mu. Depending on the soil, it could range from five hundred to nearly two thousand kilograms.
That was at least an eight-fold difference. An acre of potatoes could feed eight times as many people as an acre of rice.
Buying these seeds for a hundred taels wasn't just a fair deal—it was the bargain of a lifetime.
And then there was this parchment map; perhaps it would prove invaluable one day in the future.
