Chapter 131: Top-Grade Red Deer Penis

It was Song Qing at the door.

Tang Banxia felt a bit puzzled. She had no connection with this reborn protagonist; why was she here looking for her? She remained silent, merely observing Song Qing with a cool, indifferent gaze. She held no fondness for this girl who had been reborn.

Song Qing seemed completely oblivious, offering a shy smile. "Dr. Tang, I’ve come to get some medicinal wine for my father."

"The medicinal wine is at the infirmary. Go ask Liu the educated youth for it; I don't have any here." Tang Banxia was blunt; she had no desire to entangle herself with this protagonist.

Song Qing’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she quickly continued as if nothing had happened. "Oh, I see. My grandmother and the others usually come here for medicine, so I assumed it was kept here," she explained.

Without any intention of lingering, she turned to leave. She walked deliberately slowly, expecting Tang Banxia to offer at least some polite gesture to keep her, but to her surprise, she didn't hear a word before she reached the gate. In fact, the moment she stepped out, the door slammed shut behind her.

Song Qing: ?!!

*Are these two completely ignorant of social graces?*

She glared at the wooden gate with resentment for a moment before admitting defeat and storming off in a huff.

On the other side, once she was gone, Tang Banxia continued processing her herbs, giving Song Qing no further thought. Regardless of what Song Qing was planning, she simply wouldn't play along. Immersed in the various herbs, she quickly cast aside all other distractions.

However, she hadn't been working long when the gate was knocked on again. Tang Banxia was speechless. She waited, but when Wen Mubai didn't appear to open the door, she called out, only to realize he had gone out somewhere. Sighing, she had to put down her herbs and open the door herself.

It was Sister-in-law Hu, the wife of Hu Jiaguo. "Little Tang, are you busy?"

"Not at all, just tinkering with some herbs." Tang Banxia led her into the main room and poured a bowl of hot water, steeping some chrysanthemum tea.

After taking a sip, Sister-in-law Hu stated her purpose: "I’d like to trade for some animal repellent and beast-attracting powder."

Every winter was the hardest time for her parents' village. They didn't just have to endure hunger; they had to guard against wild beasts coming down from the mountains to prey on people. Last year, thanks to the existence of these powders, her parents' village had enjoyed a rare, peaceful winter. Now that winter was just beginning, they had sent word asking for more, and she had come to Tang Banxia the moment she received the news.

Tang Banxia frequently made these powders, mostly because Wen Mubai often went into the mountains. They were staples, and she was in the habit of keeping a surplus. She happened to have some, so it wasn't a problem. She went to the pharmacy and brought back two glass jars. "Is this enough?"

They were 500-gram canning jars, quite large. Wen Mubai didn't even use that much in half a year. To her surprise, Sister-in-law Hu asked hesitantly, "Do you have any more?"

"I do, as a matter of fact," Tang Banxia hesitated for a moment before adding, "but the rest are stored in bamboo tubes." She paused, then added, "And they aren't cheap."

The animal repellent was inexpensive because the ingredients were common, but the beast-attracting powder was different; one of its key components was bone meal from a predator, which was very hard to obtain. She was still using the wolf bones she had harvested back when the wolf pack had descended from the mountains. Months had passed, and she was running low; she had other plans for the remainder.

Sister-in-law Hu was no fool and caught the implication immediately. "Don't worry, I brought something good this time." She patted her bundle mysteriously and gave a knowing smile. "Little Tang, I’m sure you’ll like it."

Intrigued, Tang Banxia asked, "Oh? What is it?"

Sister-in-law Hu chuckled, opened the bundle, and pulled out a long wooden box. She opened it... Tang Banxia watched with anticipation, only to find the box contained a layer of cotton cloth. Sister-in-law Hu unwrapped it to reveal a smaller bamboo box.

*Is this a nesting doll?* Tang Banxia thought.

Oblivious to Tang Banxia’s internal monologue, Sister-in-law Hu opened the bamboo box, revealing something resting on a red cloth. "Take a look. Is this rare? Do you like it? Do you want it?"

Tang Banxia’s eyes widened in surprise. "Is this... a deer penis?"

"I knew you'd recognize it!" Sister-in-law Hu was triumphant, shoving it into Tang Banxia’s hands. "Look at the quality."

"My father and uncle killed this stag when they were young. It was the king of the herd. My father couldn't bear to sell it and kept it all these years." But with life in the mountains becoming increasingly difficult, her father and uncle had finally steeled themselves to sell it for the sake of the family.

Tang Banxia didn't notice the slight sadness in Sister-in-law Hu's tone; she was too busy examining the specimen. A standard deer penis was 25 to 34 centimeters long, with a dried diameter of 1.2 to 1.8 centimeters. The one before her was about 52 centimeters long and 2.1 centimeters in diameter—this was likely from a red deer, which was far rarer than a standard deer.

This item wasn't just the virility booster the public thought it was; it was a precious medicinal ingredient, on par with ginseng, required for many rare prescriptions. Because it was less famous than ginseng or lingzhi, most people only saw it as a tool for "showing off one's prowess." Consequently, it was rarely seen on the market. Tang Banxia had wanted one for a long time.

She had been obsessively researching the third generation of her "Mengjin Powder" (Muscle-Relaxing Powder) lately. With conventional channels blocked, she had intended to try some unorthodox methods. If this red deer penis could promote blood circulation, the inhaled powder should theoretically volatilize faster... She had applied for it several times, but the supply never arrived, forcing her to shelve the project.

Looking at the top-tier red deer penis before her, words like "a turning point," "a glimmer of hope," and "good fortune following adversity" flashed through her mind. After a moment of excitement, she looked up and stared intensely at Sister-in-law Hu. "Sister-in-law, I’ll take it."

She rushed to the pharmacy and brought out all her remaining animal repellent and beast-attracting powder. "This is all I have left. Is it enough?"

Sister-in-law Hu took one look and beamed. "More than enough, more than enough." With these, her parents' village would have nothing to worry about next year.

Since she said it was enough, Tang Banxia pushed the lot toward her. "Then it’s settled; these are yours."

She didn't emphasize the rarity of the red deer penis, but she wasn't heartless; the value of these herbs was more than enough to offset the trade. Some things are only precious in the hands of those who need them—the red deer penis to her, and the protective powders to Sister-in-law Hu’s family. As long as both sides felt it was a fair trade, that was all that mattered.

In terms of market value, the herbs Tang Banxia provided were priceless, but because she could produce them at will, they seemed more accessible. Yet, that accessibility was only true for her and those around her; outsiders could not obtain them so easily.

After seeing Sister-in-law Hu off, Tang Banxia admired the red deer penis for a moment before eagerly diving back into the pharmacy. The experiments for the third generation of the Mengjin Powder had begun again.

As Tang Banxia busied herself with work for the benefit of the country and the people, she remained blissfully unaware that a fire was about to break out in her own backyard...