Peach Blossom Divine Medical God Chapter 1998 - 1971: Swapping the Real for the Fake (Part 2)

"Fifty thousand."

"Fifty thousand?" Wang Qingyue’s eyebrows rose slightly at the price she heard.

The Polygonum multiflorum before her was quite substantial, easily estimated to be a century old.

In affluent circles, such an item would command a starting bid of at least twenty thousand.

If the bidding went well, the price could climb much higher.

Thus, the boss’s offered price seemed remarkably low.

"Indeed, fifty thousand. Young lady, my price is quite fair and certainly not inflated for you. If I weren’t in urgent need of funds, I wouldn’t be selling it so cheaply."

"If you intend to purchase it, please decide swiftly. With so many people milling about, someone else might snatch it up."

The boss offered a cordial smile, speaking with a hint of urgency.

Wang Qingyue found herself tempted by the offer.

The price was undeniably reasonable.

After receiving a subtle nod of confirmation from Chen Yang, she made her decision to buy.

"Very well, fifty thousand it is. I’ll take it," Wang Qingyue declared.

"Ah, young lady, you're agreeing to purchase it without even a proper inspection?"

Wang Qingyue’s immediate acceptance seemed to catch the boss slightly off guard.

"No inspection is necessary. I am buying it," Wang Qingyue stated firmly.

"Excellent, excellent! Shall I accompany you to the bank to withdraw the funds?" The boss, inwardly thrilled, believed he had encountered a remarkably affluent customer.

The transaction was proving to be exceptionally smooth.

"That won’t be necessary." Wang Qingyue opened her handbag and produced a thick wad of cash, presenting it directly to him.

"Here is fifty thousand. You may count it."

The boss blinked, astonished once more.

To carry such a sum of cash on her person! She was truly a woman of means.

A flicker of regret crossed the boss’s mind; had he perhaps asked for ten thousand more, would it still have been accepted?

However, as the price had been agreed upon and witnessed by onlookers, he felt too embarrassed to retract his word and demand more.

"Right, right." After a brief moment of stunned silence, he recovered and eagerly extended his hand, accepting all the cash.

Then, to ensure accuracy, he meticulously counted the fifty thousand right there for everyone to see.

"No errors, it is exactly fifty thousand." The boss’s fingers grew weary from counting, yet his smile remained wide.

"The money is yours, and this Polygonum multiflorum is now mine," Wang Qingyue stated, intending to claim her purchase once he finished counting.

But the boss first secured the Polygonum multiflorum, then said with a smile, "Young lady, while this Polygonum multiflorum is now yours, I cannot part with the item's original wooden box.

May I suggest I package it with something else for you?"

With that, the boss turned, retrieved a large snakeskin bag, and began to prepare the packaging.

Wang Qingyue offered no objection, seeing his actions.

It was merely an old wooden box; its inclusion or exclusion made little difference to her.

She waited patiently, and soon the boss finished wrapping the Polygonum multiflorum in several layers of plastic bags, handing the package over to Wang Qingyue with a grin.

"Young lady, please take good care of your purchase. Do visit again; I frequently set up my stall here, and you might discover more treasures on your next visit." The boss said this with a friendly smile.

"Understood."

Without further ado, Wang Qingyue accepted the wrapped Polygonum multiflorum and prepared to depart with Chen Yang.

The boss’s stall, now devoid of the Polygonum multiflorum, was ready to be packed up and closed for the day.

"Hold on!"

Chen Yang’s voice suddenly cut through the air, halting the boss’s departure.

"Hmm? What is it, young man? Is there an issue?" The boss’s smile remained unfaltered.

Chen Yang disregarded the boss and addressed Wang Qingyue directly, asking, "Qingyue, aren't you going to examine the Polygonum multiflorum?"

"Ah?" Wang Qingyue paused for a moment, then quickly grasped Chen Yang’s implied concern.

He suspected the Polygonum multiflorum might have been swapped.

"Certainly, I will check it." Realizing the necessity for caution, Wang Qingyue immediately unwrapped the Polygonum multiflorum from its plastic packaging and began a thorough inspection.

She found the Polygonum multiflorum to be intact and as expected.

Observing Wang Qingyue’s expression, the boss swiftly interjected with a smile, "Haha, young lady, rest assured, I venture into the mountains myself to gather these herbs. How could I possibly deceive you?"

Following this assurance, the boss once again began to pack his belongings.

"Wait."

Once more, Chen Yang’s voice intervened, stopping him.

"Young man, what exactly are you doing? The item is perfectly fine. Why do you keep stopping me? What is your intention?" The boss's amiable demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of displeasure.

Chen Yang's expression hardened, his brow furrowed, mirroring the boss's shift in mood.

"Chen Yang, what is it? Is there a problem?" Wang Qingyue inquired, a touch of confusion in her voice.

"This Polygonum multiflorum is a counterfeit."

Chen Yang stated it plainly.

"What? Fake? What is happening?"

"Earlier you said it was genuine, how could it have become fake?"

...

The onlookers, who had begun to disperse, turned back and gathered anew upon hearing the brewing commotion.

A crowd gathered, eager to witness the unfolding drama.

The shop owner, momentarily stunned by Chen Yang's bold declaration, swiftly recovered his composure. "Boy, what utter nonsense are you spewing? How could this Polygonum multiflorum possibly be fake? And if you believed it was counterfeit, why would you even bother purchasing it?"

"You are deliberately trying to stir up trouble!"

The owner retorted with a snarl.

Wang Qingyue was equally perplexed by the turn of events.

Chen Yang had acknowledged the herb's authenticity before she made the purchase; why was it suddenly being denounced as fake?

"Chen Yang, didn't you confirm it was genuine earlier?" Wang Qingyue inquired, bewildered.

Chen Yang cast a brief glance at Wang Qingyue before fixing his gaze back on the owner. "The initial Polygonum multiflorum was indeed authentic, but the one you provided after taking the payment is a fake."

"When you offered to pack it up, you secretly replaced it."

Chen Yang stated this directly, his eyes locked onto the owner.

"You... what baseless accusations are you making? The Polygonum multiflorum I gave you is exactly the same! On what grounds do you claim it's fake? You're just looking for a fight, aren't you? Let me go!" The owner became flustered, attempting to break free.

However, Chen Yang's grip on his shoulder felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds, rendering him immobile.

"Do you truly believe your deceitful maneuvers are beyond my sight? You'd best be honest and return the genuine Polygonum multiflorum, or you will face consequences you'll deeply regret!" Chen Yang warned, his brow furrowed in a stern admonishment.

Attempting to deceive someone like him was an invitation to disaster.

Wang Qingyue, who had been confused, began to grasp the situation after hearing Chen Yang's firm assertion.

She recalled the owner briefly placing the Polygonum multiflorum into his old snakeskin bag during the packing process.

With the herb out of sight, the possibility of a switch was indeed plausible.

Furthermore, Chen Yang's evident expertise with such herbs suggested he was unlikely to err.

If he declared the item fake, it was virtually certain to be true.

"Owner, your business practices are far from fair. This constitutes fraud, and I can call the police to have you arrested." Wang Qingyue's expression turned grim.

She was aghast at the near miss of falling victim to such a scam.

"You claim I switched it, therefore it must be true? Where is your proof? You accuse me of fraud, but you two are the real fraudsters!" The owner remained defiant, refusing to concede.

"Proof? Very well, I shall provide it."

Chen Yang smirked; such individuals required a direct confrontation.

While restraining the owner with his left hand, he swiftly took the snakeskin bag from the man with his right.

Witnessing the bag being seized, the owner's panic intensified.

Desperately, he struggled, attempting to reclaim his property.

But against Chen Yang, his efforts were futile; his only recourse was to watch as Chen Yang unceremoniously opened the bag.

Inside the snakeskin bag were mere weeds, accompanied by the wooden box that had initially held the Polygonum multiflorum.

Upon opening the box, the original Polygonum multiflorum lay undisturbed within.

This one was undeniably genuine.

"Damn it, it was indeed swapped!"

"I couldn't tell at all. People who seem honest can be so deceitful."

...

Observing this revelation, the onlookers fully comprehended the deception that had occurred.

The act was clearly premeditated.

The tactic involved displaying the genuine article first, then substituting it with a fake after the sale – a disturbingly common scheme.

Yet, they were astonished that the owner had the audacity to attempt such a scam for this particular amount.

If this matter escalated further, he could very well face imprisonment.