The shopkeeper squinted at his phone, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. Where was the rare, precious medicine he was promised? Was this it? Really?


    Mirabe caught his bewildered look and asked, "What''s up? Is it not avable?"


    Pulled back to reality, the shopkeeper looked up, his face showing a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Is this everything you need?"


    "Yeah, why? Is there a problem?" Mirabe asked, genuinely curious.


    "Uh, no..." His cheek twitched as he nced at the list on her phone again, quietly admitting to himself that relying on superstitions was pointless. The old saying about a twitching left eye bringing fortune was clearly nonsense.


    With a sigh, he said, "Give me a sec, I''ll get everything for you."


    After speaking, he took out his phone, snapped a picture of the list on Mirabe''s screen, and headed back to the counter, not forgetting to grab his freshly brewed coffee.


    Mirabe watched him, speechless. This shopkeeper was quite the character.


    Ten minutester, he returned with a clear stic bag and dropped it on the counter. "All set."


    Mirabe eyed the no-frills packaging, amused. Well, this was definitely a no- nonsense approach. She liked that.


    She opened the bag and checked the contents. To her surprise, the seasonal herbs that required careful selection were spot on.


    "Don''t worry, buy from me, and you won''t go wrong," the shopkeeper boasted, chin up with pride. He was nearing fifty but barely had any wrinkles, looking more like thirty-five or thirty-six.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow and gave him a two-word nod of respect, "You''re experienced."


    "Youngdy, you''ve got a sharp eye." He gave her a thumbs-up, then took a closer look at her, "Do you know herbal medicine?"


    "A little," Mirabe replied modestly.


    The shopkeeper looked pleasantly surprised, "It''s rare to see someone your age with that kind of knowledge these days."


    Mirabe nodded, "So, how much for these herbs with a discount?"


    The shopkeeper was caught off guard. In thirty years of running this shop, he''d never been asked for a discount like this. Clearly, small talk wasn''t always the best move.


    He turned back, picked up his calctor, and said firmly, "Sorry, it''s a small business, no discounts... It''s $2,853 total. Card, cash, or mobile pay?"


    Mirabe nced at him, "No chance for a little discount?"


    The price was fair, but it never hurt to try. Who knows, it might work.


    The shopkeeper''s smile was slipping, his resolve firm, "Sorry, no discounts!"


    He wished he could charge more, but the herbs were already priced tightly.


    Seeing this, Mirabe''s eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but she didn''t press further. She pulled out her phone, ready to pay.


    "I''ve got this," Grady, standing beside her, stepped in, handing over a card. "Use this one."


    The shopkeeper''s eyes widened at the sight of the limited edition gold card, envy creeping in again. He fetched the card reader.


    Just as he was about to swipe, he paused, looking up at Grady, "Sir, how about this: the herbs are on the house today if you could do me a small favor. Could you introduce me to that miracle doctor?"


    "Miracle doctor?" Grady asked, puzzled. "What miracle doctor?"


    "The one who prescribed


    for you over a decade ago," the


    shopkeeper exined. "To be


    honest, a friend of mine is sick, and I was hoping the doctor could help."