Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 473 - 472: Knowing What’s Valuable

Besides this, the furnishings in the room are rather exquisite. Although the rosewood tables and chairs, along with silk cushions, are not considered extraordinary, they appear particularly unusual here in Bhutan.

Bhutan does not produce any tall trees, and even the nearby Lan Country is almost the same, so rosewood items in Bhutan have to be transported from afar, significantly increasing the cost.

Furthermore, the extreme heat or humidity in Bhutan makes preserving these rosewood furnishings difficult. They could rot or be infested with worms with the slightest negligence.

This suggests that this small room is the highest standard for entertaining distinguished guests here.

Lu Qing followed the Shopkeeper inside and sat on a chair, with the rune and Zhu Yu standing behind him on either side.

Soon, an attendant brought in tea and some refreshments.

"Honored guest, this is osmanthus-flavored iced panna cotta we just bought from outside, perfect for cooling off in this heat." The attendant politely placed the tray in front of Lu Qing.

Lu Qing did not stand on ceremony, took the iced panna cotta from the tray, scooped a bit into his mouth with a spoon, and tasted it. Apparently disinterested, he handed it back to Zhu Yu behind him: "It’s too sweet and rich, more suited for a young lad like you."

Zhu Yu, like an earnest young apprentice, grinned foolishly, reached out to take it, murmured, "Thank you, Master," and began to eat it slowly with the spoon.

The heat in Bhutan was far more outrageous than she had imagined. These past few days, she felt like she was being steamed inside a basket, placed over a stove. The stifling heat was truly unbearable.

Moreover, it was nearly impossible to find plain wheat cakes without any additives outside, so Zhu Yu dared not even dream of finding a good summer cooling treat.

Now this iced panna cotta was considered quite the luxury. It tasted mildly sweet and had a smooth milky flavor. The coolness spread from the mouth to the stomach.

More importantly, Lu Qing had tasted it first.

Others might not understand, but Zhu Yu knew clearly that Lu Qing took a bite not just for show in front of others, but to ensure the safety of the iced panna cotta for her.

After all, when it comes to food brought from outside, caution is necessary.

For anything else, it would be fine not to eat, but after such hot weather, Lu Qing knew how uncomfortable Zhu Yu was.

She still had several layers of clothing on the chest than others!

The Shopkeeper’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. He did not expect that such a rare iced panna cotta in Bhutan was merely tasted by the honored guest, who then nonchalantly gave it to his young apprentice. This indicated that he must have seen many good things in daily life.

Luckily, Lu Qing did not comment negatively on the tea brought by the attendant; the Shopkeeper was somewhat relieved.

After Lu Qing finished a cup of tea, the Shopkeeper fetched a palm-sized abacus from his sleeve, and the beads clicked crisply as his fingers moved over them.

He calculated a sum on the abacus: "Honored guest, for the first item on your list, this is the price we offer. Please consider, and if agreeable, I will have the attendant bring it for your review."

"I suppose I need to see the quality first." Lu Qing glanced at the abacus beads, "If the quality is good, the price seems fair."

"Of course," the Shopkeeper replied with a smile, pleased with Lu Qing’s calmness regarding the price, and got up to bring the item for Lu Qing’s inspection.

"No need to rush, Shopkeeper. Why not verify the prices for the other herbs together, and then bring everything at once?" Lu Qing stopped him, puzzled.

"Honored guest jests. These items are too precious to be brought out all at once," the Shopkeeper admitted directly without beating around the bush, "Confirming each one individually is safer, ensuring mutual satisfaction and saving a lot of trouble."

"That seems reasonable. Let’s do as the Shopkeeper suggests," Lu Qing replied, gesturing for the Shopkeeper to proceed.

The Shopkeeper briskly left the small room, followed closely by several attendants, their footsteps gradually faded away. The faint sound of keys unlocking was heard, and after a while, the footsteps returned, the Shopkeeper reappearing at the doorway, followed by an attendant carrying a small wooden box.

"Honored guest, this is what you requested, the gallbladder of the Tiger-Eyed Snake." The Shopkeeper motioned for the attendant to place the box before Lu Qing and cautiously opened it in front of him.

Inside the box was red silk, on which lay a dried snake gallbladder, slightly larger than ordinary ones, looking well-processed and resembling a small piece of oval jade.

Zhu Yu only knew about snake gallbladders but not this so-called Tiger-Eyed Snake. Luckily, her role was a young apprentice to the Divine Doctor, allowing her to gaze in curiosity without restraint.

The Shopkeeper found nothing wrong with this, feeling more satisfied and proud instead.

The Tiger-Eyed Snake is a unique species of large snake in Bhutan, its size nearly double that of ordinary snakes, and not only is it large, but it is also more venomous.

It’s known that the Five-step Snake is deadly, with victims dying within five steps of being bitten.

Yet the Tiger-Eyed Snake’s venom surpassed even that, rendering its victims incapable of even shouting for help.

However, its gallbladder is a rare antidote, attracting much demand despite its exorbitant price.

Seeing that even an apprentice to the Divine Doctor does not recognize this treasure, the Shopkeeper felt an inexplicable pride.

Lu Qing leaned in slightly to closely inspect the gallbladder’s color, fanned it gently with his hand, and smelled it carefully: "Dark green color, slightly fishy scent, oval shape, indeed of good quality."

The rune immediately handed over a brocade pouch, and Lu Qing took ten golden melon seeds from it and gave them to the Shopkeeper.

The Shopkeeper cautiously received them, counted, weighed them, satisfied with the quantity and weight, then directed the attendant to give the wooden box to the rune, carefully stored away the golden melon seeds, refilled Lu Qing’s tea, quoted the price, and then led the attendant out of the small room again, preparing to get the second item on the list.