CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 43 HONEYSUCKLE

"Alright, alright, but I’m not comfortable with you going up the mountain with Da Lang and the others. There are plenty of snakes and wild animals on the mountain! Do you need to go deep in the mountains to find your treasure? If so, forget it; it’s too dangerous." Mrs. Lv couldn’t resist Gu Chengyu’s persistent pleading and finally agreed.

"Not too far, just a little bit inward from the outer mountain."

"Let your dad accompany you then!" Mrs. Lv still wasn’t at ease.

Gu Chengyu had no choice but to agree. When the time came, he planned to let his dad accompany him, and then find an opportunity to plant the ginseng in the ground. He had already tested that things from within the space could be taken out and placed in designated spots outside by relying on his mind, as long as it was not too far from him.

Mrs. Lv stepped out of the main house and shouted towards the bigger house, "Er Ya, go to the field and call your grandpa back; I have something to discuss with him."

The Gu Family usually only ate two meals a day. If it was during busy farming times, they would work in the field for a while, and return to have breakfast once the sun was high, then have dinner at night. If hungry in between, they would gnaw on a couple of coarse cornbreads. During idle farming times, the extra cornbreads disappeared, leaving just two meals a day. Of course, Gu Chengyu was often treated with special meals; sometimes, when his mother was watching, he’d obediently eat them. Occasionally, if his mother was occupied, he’d share them with the younger ones.

Villagers ate like this too. Farming households had little land, and this dynasty required a tax of thirty percent of grain per mu, with low yields per acre. The remainder would be ground into coarse grain, barely filling the stomach; most meals involved adding wild vegetables.

Mr. Zhao’s family could afford to eat three meals. Those who had worked temporarily for him would return saying that the master’s food was really delicate. Unfortunately, Mr. Zhao was wealthy but very stingy; families with little land would rent his fields, and the rent would be fifty percent. Despite this, quite a few families rented from him! With twelve acres, the Gu Family had quite a lot. No matter how tough times were, Mr. Gu never considered selling land; he claimed that it was their means to survival.

He snapped out of his drifting thoughts and saw Mr. Gu, carrying farming tools, returning from the field through the courtyard gate.

Mrs. Lv invited Mr. Gu into the house and told him about Gu Chengyu’s dream of the treasure; Mr. Gu also found it puzzling.

Pulling Mrs. Lv aside, he whispered, "My dear, Xiao Bao had unusual visions as a child; maybe that treasure is real. It’s better to go have a look; this little child won’t lie. If there’s none, then at least we took the trip; if there is, wouldn’t that be best?"

Mrs. Lv wasn’t keen at first, but after Mr. Gu’s persuasion, she found sense in it and instructed them to tie their pant legs with cloth strips to guard against snakes, and to bring a sickle and basket.

Walking on the path to Shangling Mountain, the spring morning breeze still carried a chill, and the dew in the roadside grass hadn’t dissipated. Gu Chengyu appreciated the fresh air of ancient times while feeling joyful about the impending solution to the Gu Family’s crisis. More people were working in the fields, and they encountered quite a few familiar faces en route.

"Second Brother Gu, taking Xiao Bao up the mountain?" Aunt Wang, whom they met at the mountain foot, welcomed them warmly. Gu Chengyu liked Aunt Wang, finding her honest and friendly.

"Yes! Going up to cut some pig grass and gather firewood. Xiao Bao insisted on coming along." Mr. Gu had already thought of an excuse for the trip. After exchanging greetings, they reached the mountain foot.

The trees on the mountain were lush, and areas with trails were easy to navigate, while untrodden spots were full of thorns and weeds. Gu Chengyu looked around; indeed, the ginseng should grow deep in the mountain, but they couldn’t venture that deep. The outskirts wouldn’t do; too many people passed by, making it impossible for ginseng to thrive. They moved past the outskirts, heading towards the mountain’s interior.

"Xiao Bao, we can’t go any further; there really are wild beasts inside. Two years ago, Hunter Zhang from Xialing Village ventured deep and never returned; he was an experienced hand! Had it not been for his wife’s illness, he wouldn’t have gone deep, but tragically lost his life, leaving behind an orphan and widow, bullied by the clan, even having their fields taken over by his brothers. Those Zhang brothers are truly heartless." Mr. Gu sighed, blocking Gu Chengyu, who wanted to delve further.

Scanning the surroundings, Gu Chengyu spotted a hidden area through a gap thick with thorns. Here, the weeds were sparse, and to the right stood a dead tree, wide and decaying, fallen and covered with moss. Upon approaching, he noted the ground was level, and adorned with a patch of small yellow wildflowers; this spot seemed suitable.

"Xiao Bao, where’s the treasure you mentioned? Is it far from here? If it requires entering deep into the mountain, forget it for now; we’ll retrieve it later if possible. But what’s this treasure like? Might the person in your dream have described it?" Mr. Gu asked out of curiosity and concern about the treasure possibly being in the depths of the mountain, fearing its acquisition might prove fatal.

"Dad, it’s here, right there among the yellow flowers," Gu Chengyu motioned at Mr. Gu to clear the thorns with the sickle, and walk toward the fallen tree. Two meters from the tree, he discreetly used his mind to bury the ginseng in the soil, leaving only the red berries visible above.

As they approached, Gu Chengyu inadvertently glanced at the yellow flowers. Hmm? Were these not wintergreen? Just yesterday, he had read about it in medical texts: known as honeysuckle, the flower was traditionally lauded as a remedy for clearing heat and detoxifying the body. With a sweet cold nature and aromatic scent, it cools without harming the stomach, and its fragrance dispels evil. Honeysuckle can disperse wind-heat and also purify blood toxins, used against various fevers, such as outbreaks, rashes, heat poisoning, sores, and throat swelling, proving remarkably effective.

Was this an unexpected delight? There were plenty of these flowers, densely packed; harvesting all could yield over a hundred jin, and drying them could reduce to around forty or fifty jin. It might be worth selling them to a pharmacy and seeing their value.

"Dad, these flowers can sell for money! We should bring the brothers to pick them." Gu Chengyu planned to pick them now, the flowers having matured; delaying might cause the bloom to miss its peak, affecting the quality of dried honeysuckle, thus he intended to involve the family in picking together, leveraging their collective effort.

"What? This is the treasure you mentioned? Isn’t this just wildflowers?" Mr. Gu felt somewhat disappointed, seeing merely wildflowers, albeit ones looking prettier than others—still, they were just wildflowers.

"Dad, this isn’t the treasure, but it can also sell. Pharmacies actually buy these! This is honeysuckle; I saw Uncle Li drying them outside his courtyard gate once. Dried, they’re truly valued!" To reassure Mr. Gu, Gu Chengyu invoked Doctor Li’s name.

Having entered the interior, the site was somewhat secluded. It likely had gone unnoticed by Doctor Li, who often climbed the mountain for herbs, thereby preserving this expanse of honeysuckle.

"If it’s really valuable, then better pick it later to avoid detection—let’s have dinner earlier and return by 5 PM to harvest. With everyone involved, we’ll pick swiftly and discreetly bring it home by dark, avoiding discovery."

"Now, let’s start digging for the treasure!" Gu Chengyu squatted down, eyeing the ginseng’s red berries exposed to the air, carefully prodding the nearby soil with the sickle.

Mr. Gu, feeling a surge of excitement at the thought of finally uncovering the treasure, crouched enthusiastically beside his youngest son, only to see him digging up a red berry plant—what kind of treasure was this? Mr. Gu was bewildered again.