Ah Long said, "That's right, we don't have Shi Tingchuan's exact address, we can only find out through people. We'll go look for him after we get a clue. Until we have any news, President Song and President Tang should stay in Dali for a while and take a walk around, so it won't be a wasted trip."
Song Hao smiled and said, "You are both our guide and our host, so we will follow your instructions."
The car traveled through Anning, Chuxiong, and Nanhua before entering Dali Prefecture.
Dali, an ancient city with a history of over a thousand years, is one of my country's 24 historical and cultural cities and the main settlement of the Bai ethnic group. Cangshan Mountain stands to the west, and Erhai Lake hangs to the east. The scenery is breathtaking, a true paradise on earth. Dali is famous for its four scenic wonders: Erhai Moon, Shangguan Wind, Xiaguan Flowers, and Cangshan Snow, forming the "Four Wonders of Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon." Furthermore, Cangshan Mountain boasts another marvel: the world-renowned Butterfly Spring.
Ah Long first arranged for Song Hao and Tang Yu to stay at a hotel, and then drove to his village to inquire about Shi Tingchuan from some old herbalists and herb gatherers. He also arranged to return the next day to accompany the two of them to visit Dali and Cangshan Mountain.
Seeing that it was still early, Song Hao and Tang Yu left the hotel and strolled around the streets, enjoying the local customs of Dali, before returning home in the evening.
Ah Long returned around 9 a.m. the next day.
“President Song, President Tang, I’ve asked my father and some of the old herb gatherers in the village, and they haven’t heard of Shi Tingchuan. But don’t worry, my father and the others will start asking herb gatherers in other villages starting today. Just wait for news,” A-Long said.
Song Hao said, "Then let's wait and see. This isn't something that can be rushed. Luckily we have you here, otherwise we really wouldn't know where to begin."
Tang Yu smiled and said, "Didn't you say you'd take us on a tour of Dali? Let's begin!"
Dali Old Town, together with Xiaguan, forms Dali City, and the surrounding area boasts numerous cultural relics and historical sites. A Long, acting as guide, drove Song Hao and Tang Yu on their sightseeing journey.
Ah Long first led the two to visit the ruins of Taihe City and the Dehua Stele of Nanzhao, followed by ancient sites such as the tomb of Du Wenxiu, Gantong Temple, and the Snake Pagoda.
In the afternoon, we visited Chongsheng Temple in the northwest of the city and saw the Three Pagodas. These are three thousand-year-old brick pagodas, standing majestically in a tripod formation. The largest, named Qianxun Pagoda, is square and hollow, with densely stacked eaves, tall and elegant, and exquisitely crafted. It has sixteen stories and a total height of 69.13 meters. Each story has an arched niche in the center of the front, containing a white marble Buddha statue. It is the oldest brick and stone building in Yunnan Province. The two smaller pagodas are both solid octagonal, delicate and beautiful, with ten stories and a total height of 42.19 meters. The exterior of the pagodas is coated with white mud, and each story is decorated with carved niches, Buddha statues, lotus flowers, auspicious clouds, vases, etc., exuding elegance, nobility, and solemnity. Three copper gourds are placed on the top of the pagodas, which are very characteristic of ethnic style.
After a long day, Song Hao and Tang Yu returned home, thoroughly satisfied.
The next day, Ah Long led the two on a tour of Dali city. First, they arrived at the March Street Festival. Also known as "Guanyin Street," the March Street Festival is a grand festival held by the Bai people of Dali during the third month of the lunar calendar, and it later became an important commercial street in the area.
"The Dali March Street Medicinal Herbs Market is very famous in Yunnan Province. In addition to locally produced varieties, it also carries nearly a thousand kinds of medicinal herbs from all over the country. It is an important medicinal herb procurement market for Tianyitang Pharmaceutical in Yunnan," A Long introduced.
On the third day, we visited Cangshan Mountain.
The nineteen peaks of Cangshan Mountain stretch for 50 kilometers from north to south, forming a majestic and imposing range, covered with dense primeval forests. Eighteen clear, cool streams teem with fish, and waterfalls cascade down with a thunderous roar, creating unique scenic views. The main peak, Malong Peak, soars into the clouds, its summit frigid and perpetually covered in snow, gleaming silver. There is also Yuju Peak, shrouded in floating clouds that seem to drift and float, a sight both dynamic and still, known as the "Waiting-for-Husband Cloud," said to be the transformation of Princess Afeng, who longed for her husband. "Clouds, snow, peaks, and streams" are known as the "Four Wonders of Cangshan," with "Cangshan Snow" and "Erhai Moon" together forming the unparalleled scenic wonder of "Silver Cangshan and Jade Erhai."
Along the way, after listening to Ah Long's introduction and witnessing what they saw and heard, Song Hao and Tang Yu were particularly amazed.
During the break, A Long said, "Cangshan Mountain has a maximum altitude of 4,122 meters. It has four seasons in one mountain, and its wild medicinal plants have a distinct vertical distribution. It is a natural treasure trove of medicinal materials. The 'Dali Cangshan Materia Medica' compiled by our local authorities records 1,286 kinds of medicinal materials produced in Cangshan. Due to this special geographical location, the vertical distribution of its medicinal plant resources is divided into four categories: river valley area, low mountain area, medium mountain area, and high mountain area."
"The river valley area is below 1500 meters above sea level, which is suitable for the growth of tropical and subtropical medicinal herbs. The main varieties are: Callicarpa macrophylla, Phyllanthus emblica, Oroxylum indicum, Evodia rutaecarpa, Uncaria rhynchophylla, Psoralea corylifolia, Carthamus tinctorius, Cyperus rotundus, Citronella cirrhosa, Citrus medica, etc."
"In the low mountain areas, between 1500 and 2300 meters above sea level, there are abundant wild medicinal resources. The main species distributed are: plantain, verbena, catnip, burdock, tiger paw grass, purslane, Japanese knotweed, scutellaria, scutellaria baicalensis, scutellaria baicalensis, saposhnikovia divaricata, pinellia, arisaema, oldenlandia diffusa, honeysuckle, bletilla striata, etc."
"Zhongshan District is located at an altitude of 2,300 to 2,800 meters. This area is rich in medicinal resources and is the main medicinal herb producing area in Dali Prefecture. The main varieties distributed here are: Poria cocos, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, Gentiana scabra, Dipsacus asper, Three-needle herb, Peucedanum praeruptorum, Sophora flavescens, Paris polyphylla, Gastrodia elata, Adenophora stricta, Lilium brownii, Polygonatum odoratum, Cimicifuga foetida, Mahonia fortunei, and Lilium brownii root."
"The high-altitude area is above 2,800 meters, which is a high-altitude and subalpine zone. The main species distributed there are: Aconitum carmichaelii, Aristolochia debilis, Rhizoma Cynanchi, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Gentiana macrophylla, Rhizoma Cynanchi, Saussurea involucrata ...
After listening to Ah Long's further introduction, Song Hao exclaimed in surprise, "Ah Long, you're amazing! You have every blade of grass and every tree on Cangshan Mountain in your heart! Director Zhao's praise for you is truly well-deserved!"
Ah Long proudly laughed, "I grew up in Cangshan Mountain and have traveled to every corner of it, so I am familiar with everything in these mountains."
With a sigh, Song Hao said, "If there is an opportunity in the future, Tianyitang Herb Garden should also build a branch on this Cangshan Mountain."
Tang Yu laughed and said, "It's not an easy thing for you to want to include all the good places in the world within the Heavenly Medicine Hall."
Ah Long's phone rang at that moment. After answering, Ah Long shook his head and said, "My father said he did find out about Shi Tingchuan. He lived in Shanbei Village. However, he passed away five or six years ago. His wife, a son, and a daughter later moved to Dali City, but the exact address is unclear. They have lost contact with most of the people they knew."
Song Hao said, "So there really is a Shi Tingchuan! That's great news. We must find his family to find those precious scriptures."
Ah Long said, "I will ask my friends to search from all angles. I also know some people at the police station. I'll have them check the household registration records for people with the surname Shi. If Shi Tingchuan's wife and children are still living in Dali City, we will definitely be able to find them."
"Great idea!" Tang Yu agreed. "It seems we can narrow our search down to the Dali city area. Ah Long, use your connections to search comprehensively. This Shi family has a collection of important medical books, which are crucial not only for our Tianyi Hall but also for the entire Chinese medicine community."
Ah Long said, "I will do my best."
Back in their hotel in Dali City after leaving Cangshan Mountain, Song Hao and Tang Yu were even more excited. Confirming Shi Tingchuan's existence proved the accuracy of Luo Beiming's diary, and suggested that the eighty-six volumes of the ancient medical text, *Linglan Secret Canon*, might still exist. Although, the initial skepticism they felt upon first learning of this matter still lingered.
That morning, A-Long accompanied Song Hao and Tang Yu to March Street. Tang Yu planned to buy some ornaments on the street to give to Luo Feiying and Qiu Ru when she got back.
As they were walking, they suddenly heard someone call out, "Ah Long! Ah Long!"
When Ah Long turned around, he saw two colleagues from the office, Li Xin and Wang Hongli from the purchasing department.
“Alright! Ah Long, Director Zhao said you’ve been given a leave of absence to go home and take care of things! We’re going to be very busy right now.” Li Xin said, leaning close to Ah Long’s ear and whispering mysteriously, “Headquarters has ordered us to purchase a large quantity of Gastrodia elata for Tianyitang Pharmaceutical. However, the market is rising, and there’s not much stock available, making this purchase very difficult. The market doesn’t know about Tianyitang Pharmaceutical’s large-scale purchase of Gastrodia elata yet, otherwise the price would immediately double. Director Zhao told us to check the market stock first, and then we’ll discuss it further based on the market situation.”
Song Hao and Tang Yu, who had overheard the conversation, couldn't help but feel more worried. "Zhengxin Huonao Dan," with Gastrodia elata as its main ingredient, was a new drug for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases that Tianyitang had only officially prepared for large-scale production after nearly a year of clinical trials. The initial input of Gastrodia elata raw materials would be at least 30 tons, and they needed to guarantee a year's worth of production. Without a stockpile of at least 100 tons, they couldn't guarantee stable production and sales in the early stages. If Tianyitang were to openly purchase Gastrodia elata at this time, it would inevitably cause the price of Gastrodia elata to rise, thus increasing Tianyitang's pharmaceutical costs.
After exchanging a few more words with A Long, Li Xin and Wang Hongli hurriedly left. They didn't notice Song Hao and Tang Yu beside A Long, assuming they were A Long's friends.
"Ah Long, what's the current market price for Gastrodia elata?" Tang Yu asked.
Ah Long replied, “In the market, Gastrodia elata is divided into first-grade, second-grade, and mixed grades. Our Tianyitang will be purchasing first-grade, with a retail price of around 160 yuan per kilogram and a bulk purchase price of around 140 yuan. If we make open purchases in several major medicinal herb markets across the country, it will inevitably cause prices to rise, and it will break through the 200 yuan mark in less than two days. This is because the supply of Gastrodia elata in the past two years has not been very large, which has caused the price increase. More importantly, several large pharmaceutical companies almost simultaneously made collective purchases last year, hoarding and speculating, waiting for higher prices, which caused a shortage of supply in the market, and the price also rose. Last year, the price would have been limited to around 100 yuan. Our Tianyitang Pharmaceutical Company will need to purchase at least several tens of tons, and it would be good if we could complete the purchase task within 200 yuan.” Ah Long also expressed his concerns.
The purchase price of Gastrodia elata at around 100 yuan per kilogram is an ideal price for Tianyitang Pharmaceutical.
"Song Hao, it seems that Tianyitang Pharmaceutical's task of procuring Gastrodia elata this time is quite challenging, and it may double the cost, which is something we did not anticipate. There is no time to lose, and we must intervene in this matter, otherwise the losses will be significant," Tang Yu said earnestly.
"Alright, let's go back to the hotel and discuss it again!" Song Hao nodded in agreement.
Back at the hotel, Tang Yu first called Zhao Lida to inquire about their current situation, and then contacted the purchasing headquarters of Tianyitang Pharmaceutical to obtain relevant market information. The feedback they received truly surprised Song Hao and Tang Yu.
The purchasing department of Tianyitang Pharmaceutical has a market research section. Before purchasing each batch of medicinal materials, it conducts in-depth market research on the target varieties, striving to acquire the best medicinal materials at the lowest price.
The prospects for this acquisition of Gastrodia elata are truly worrying. According to data from the market research department of the purchasing department, Tianyitang has encountered a special period. Last year, the national output of Gastrodia elata was at its lowest point in history, and more than a dozen large pharmaceutical factories and institutions that needed Gastrodia elata purchased nearly 70% of the old stock in several major medicinal material markets before the end of last year. At the same time, several powerful pharmaceutical dealers seized the opportunity to buy and hoard, leading to a sharp rise in the price of Gastrodia elata this year. Among them, in the famous Anguo medicinal material market in Hebei, a large medicinal material dealer named Li Quan hoarded 50 tons of first-grade Gastrodia elata; in the Haozhou medicinal material market in Anhui, a dealer named Liu Shun hoarded 30 tons; and in the Hehuachi medicinal material market in Chengdu, a dealer named Zhang Zhifa had a hoard of 30-40 tons. These are three dealers with large quantities of goods. There are only five or six other people who have hoarded several tons, and the amount of loose goods in the market is estimated to be around 50-60 tons. Therefore, Tianyitang's real target is the more than one hundred tons of Gastrodia elata held by Li Quan, Liu Shun, and Zhang Zhifa. Acquiring this quantity from them at a reasonable price within a short period is the current priority for Tianyitang's purchasing department. The acquisition must be concentrated from these three individuals: firstly, their large stockpiles can meet Tianyitang's production needs; secondly, it avoids the effort of purchasing loose stock from various medicinal herb markets. Furthermore, purchasing loose stock would only drive up prices. More importantly, Tianyitang has already finalized its production and sales plan for "Zhengxin Huonao Dan," and the deadline cannot be changed; in other words, they cannot wait until this year's new stock becomes available.
Chapter 31 The Battle for Gastrodia elata in March (2)
Looking up to observe the heavens, and down to examine the earth, one understands the reasons for the hidden and the manifest. Returning to the origin and the end, one understands the principles of life and death. Essence and vital energy form things, wandering souls bring change; thus, one understands the nature of spirits and deities. — *The Book of Changes*