CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 44: GINSENG

Gu Chengyu was afraid that Mr. Gu’s rough hands would break the ginseng roots, so he quickly instructed, "Dad, the valuable part is the roots down below. Don’t break them off. We have to dig gently. Once we’re close, we can’t use the sickle anymore; we have to use our hands to dig. If we don’t do this delicately, it won’t be worth anything!"

Hearing that it might not be worth anything, Mr. Gu immediately put down the sickle and switched to using his hands. The two of them dug for about a quarter of an hour. The thick body of the ginseng was half-hidden, half-exposed, and the leaves and stem were visible. Gu Chengyu paused and realized that he had taken the wrong one. He originally wanted the ginseng that was over a hundred years old. But this one was just over eighty years old, mistakenly thinking it was about right, and pulled it out, only to realize it was smaller. Oh well, a mistake is a mistake. The real question is whether it’s worth anything. If not, there’s always the honeysuckle plant. Gu Chengyu was quite frustrated.

It seemed that there were still many opportunities to get rich in this dense forest. The deeper he went, the more unexplored the place was, and the more valuable species he might find. Since he was currently training his inner strength, once he learned some combat techniques, he wouldn’t have to worry about wild beasts anymore.

Gu Chengyu and Mr. Gu dug and carefully pulled out the remaining ginseng roots from the soil until a complete ginseng lay in front of Mr. Gu.

"This? This is..." Mr. Gu asked with a trembling voice, carefully holding the ginseng with both hands.

"Isn’t this ginseng? I’ve seen it before. Seven or eight years ago, Zhang Gougou from the end of the village found one, and most of the villagers have seen it! He took it and sold it to the pharmacy. Guess how much he sold it for? Thirteen taels of silver! This one is much bigger than that one. Xiao Bao, we’ve struck it big this time! We can surely sell this for a few dozens of taels, right?"

Gu Chengyu was amused and helpless. So, after all this, they could only sell it for several dozens of taels? Were ginsengs valued so cheaply in ancient times, available in wholesale? This was authentic wild ginseng! Well, let me see! Even dozens of taels could solve the family’s problems for now. They’ll think about it later.

"Dad, let’s put it in the basket first and cover it with some pig grass. We still need to gather honeysuckle after supper!"

"Ah, yes, better hide it quickly. It’s not good to let the villagers see it; wealth shouldn’t be flaunted." Mr. Gu lined the basket with some leaves picked casually, placed the ginseng inside, and quickly chopped up pig grass. Gu Chengyu started packing the pig grass into the basket. The two of them worked swiftly, and in less than a quarter of an hour, they had filled the basket without compressing it, fearing they might crush the ginseng.

The two of them began descending the mountain. Mr. Gu suppressed his smile along the way, worried others might notice there was ginseng in his basket. Whenever they encountered people, they simply exchanged quick greetings and hurried back to the Gu Family.

By now, daylight was fully upon them, around 7 AM. Gu Chengli and Gu Chengyi, who had been working in the fields, were back, and everyone was waiting for Mr. Gu to return for breakfast.

As soon as Mr. Gu put down the basket, Gu Chengli tried to take it, but Mr. Gu pushed him away with his hand, leaving Gu Chengli somewhat puzzled.

"Ahem, eldest son, let me handle it! This grass can wait to feed the pigs later. Let’s have breakfast first; I have something to say." Mr. Gu placed the basket in the outer room of the main house, leaving everyone a bit puzzled about why pig grass was brought inside.

Mrs. Lv looked at the basket with bright eyes. Could the treasure be in that basket? She gave Mr. Gu a questioning glance, but Mr. Gu completely ignored her, sitting silently on the edge of the brick bed. Meals in the Gu Family were usually served in the main house, with two tables, one of which was positioned against the brick bed where Mr. Gu, Mrs. Lv, and the Gu brothers sat. Mrs. Lv, noticing Mr. Gu’s silence and lack of excitement, felt a wave of disappointment. Could it be that they hadn’t found any treasure?

Da Lang, accompanied by the second and third sons, returned while the food was being set. They went out to gather firewood, as the Gu Family used a considerable amount every day. They collected dead branches from the mountains or chopped off some twigs, returning covered in sweat and with flushed faces. Da Lang worked zealously, already an eleven-year-old grown boy, yet as thin as Da Ya, resembling his eldest brother greatly. The bundle of firewood on his back was higher than his body, making Gu Chengyu feel somewhat guilty—he shouldn’t neglect this hardworking, honest child, nor should he forget Da Ya.

The second son helped Da Lang drag the firewood, while the third son strolled leisurely behind with his hands in his sleeves. The second son had a temperament similar to the second brother, also diligent in his tasks, whereas the third son resembled He and was prone to laziness, not particularly bright, leaving others with the impression he liked to play and eat without thinking much of it. However, he seemed not to care. Running outside with a constant runny nose, he bore a resemblance to Han.

Gu Chengyu was about to lend a hand but was overtaken by Gu Chengli, who gave a slight smile. Although the eldest was a bit dull, he was kind to Da Lang and good with Da Ya and the other young girls.

Returning to the main room, Mrs. Lv had already set the table, with Da Lang and the other kids sitting together with He’s family.

"Everyone sit down; I have something to say. This morning, Xiao Bao and I went up the mountain to gather pig grass, and there we saw a vast expanse of honeysuckle. Xiao Bao said he’d seen it at Doctor Li’s house. It’s said you can pick it and sell it to the pharmacy. We’ll head there after supper tonight to pick it. Remember, don’t talk about it in the village, or others will pick it first." Mr. Gu spoke of the honeysuckle, but kept the matter of the ginseng to himself.

The second family had a tendency to gossip around, never keeping their mouths shut. Before his ginseng was even sold, the whole village would probably know. Best to keep it under wraps until he figured out how much it was worth.

"Oh really! Is honeysuckle worth anything? Little Uncle, have you truly seen it?" He couldn’t help speaking up. Finally, the family might have a reliable source of income. The rest of the Gu Family also focused their attention on Gu Chengyu, eager for a solution, as they currently lacked funds.

Gu Chengyi was a bit skeptical, "Xiao Bao, did you see it clearly? Be sure not to mistake it for something else. If it can’t be sold to the pharmacy, our efforts will be in vain."

"Second brother, it’s true; I saw it clearly." It didn’t matter. Even if honeysuckle wasn’t used by pharmacies in this period, its medicinal properties certainly were true, and he’d eventually find a way to sell it to the pharmacy.

Mrs. Lv also seemed thrilled. "Xiao Bao, did you really see the medicinal plants at Doctor Li’s place? It’s really worth something? Well, after supper this afternoon, let’s go quickly. But since we’re at the village entrance and must pass through most of the village to reach the mountain, it’s best to go later to avoid trouble if seen by others."

After saying this, she seemed to remember something else. "Second sister-in-law, you keep your mouth shut; if I hear you gossiping, you’ll pay the price." Mrs. Lv had already decided to keep a tight rein on the second couple, or else maintaining control would be impossible in the future. With the prospect of Xiao Bao bringing in money, she wouldn’t miss this chance to criticize them.

"Mom, the flowers must be dried after being picked, and four to five pounds dry into one pound. No idea how much we can gather and at what price." Gu Chengyu felt a bit apprehensive, fearing honeysuckle might be everywhere, rendering it worthless.

"I know, our little Xiao Bao is already making money at such a young age!" Mrs. Lv said proudly, as she kept serving food to Gu Chengyu, rendering him quite embarrassed. It had to be said that sometimes she did seem quite biased, treating him better than his siblings.

Gu Chengyu was drinking his porridge when he suddenly felt a gaze upon him. Raising his head, he found it was Da Ya, which surprised him. In his impression, Da Ya was dark and thin, always with her head down, taciturn, barely speaking more than a couple of words in a day. But now, her bright black eyes were staring at him, and as soon as Gu Chengyu looked at her, she quickly averted her gaze and started eating her cornbread.

Gu Chengyu then realized Da Ya’s eyes were quite beautiful, large and rather round, resembling Mr. Gu’s. If she grew a bit plumper, while not a beauty, she could potentially be a charming little girl. Hence, it appeared Da Ya was a somewhat reclusive child—this issue needed attention, and her temperament needed straightening out.

"Alright, eat quickly! Once done, there’s work to get back to." Mr. Gu’s voice pulled Gu Chengyu back from his wandering thoughts. A glance at Mr. Gu allowed him to understand why the ginseng wasn’t mentioned—it was unclear how they’d plan to sell it.