Doctor Reborn as a Peasant Girl? Time to Get Rich

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Hundred-Year-Old Wild Ginseng

Uncle Hu took the bamboo tube and drank a mouthful of spring water. Though it wasn’t especially cool, having a drink in the wild on a scorching summer afternoon was an immense satisfaction.

Uncle Hu offered the remaining water to Hu Feng, but he refused, saying he wasn’t thirsty.

Uncle Hu then smacked his forehead. ”Silly me. I forgot you don’t like to share utensils. I should have let you drink first.”

Hu Feng didn’t reply. He stood up, walked over to the bamboo basket, took out two Snow Lotus Fruits, and began peeling them with his dagger.

”What are these?” Uncle Hu couldn’t help but ask, inwardly blooming with joy. ’Looks like this trip into the mountains with Bai Zhi is bringing quite a harvest.’

Hu Feng peeled the Snow Lotus Fruit in a few deft moves. He was so fast they could barely follow his hands, and in a moment, a peeled fruit with pink, orange-tinged flesh was ready.

”Snow Lotus Fruit,” he said flatly, handing it to Uncle Hu. ”You eat first.”

Of course, Uncle Hu didn’t stand on ceremony with his own son. He readily took the Snow Lotus Fruit and took a bite. It was juicy, sweet, crisp, and refreshing. He didn’t know how to describe such a delicacy—it had a very unique flavor.

Before he had even swallowed his first bite of the Snow Lotus Fruit, Hu Feng had already finished peeling the second one and offered it to Zhao Lan. ”Please, have some.”

This was the first time Hu Feng had ever spoken to her. Previously, when she had nearly fallen down a hillside, Hu Feng had happened to pass by and save her. She had thanked him profusely at the time, but he hadn’t said a single word in return. Even last night, when she had eaten at his home, he hadn’t spoken to her.

Zhao Lan was both surprised and flattered, and she quickly reached out to accept it.

She didn’t eat it right away. Instead, she offered the Snow Lotus Fruit to Bai Zhi. ”Zhi’er, you eat first. You only had a little bit of the snake’s tail earlier, you must still be hungry.”

Bai Zhi gently pushed her hand back. ”Mom, didn’t I tell you? Hu Feng and I ate our fill right after we dug these up. I’m still full, so I don’t feel like eating at all. Besides, there are plenty more in the basket, so there’s no need to push it back and forth.”

Seeing Bai Zhi’s bright and cheerful expression, Uncle Hu couldn’t help but ask, ”You said you came up the mountain to gather medicinal herbs today. Did you find any?”

Bai Zhi stood up and looked around, making sure no one was eavesdropping. Only then did she lower her voice. ”Uncle Hu, we dug up a hundred-year-old wild ginseng. When we sell it, our two families will split the money, fifty-fifty.”

Uncle Hu’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. For a moment, he thought he’d misheard. ”You said what?”

Bai Zhi simply took the ginseng out from the bottom of the basket. ”This is it. Uncle Hu, how much do you think this ginseng is worth?”

Uncle Hu was visibly excited when he saw the ginseng. He reached out to take a closer look, but then drew his hand back, afraid he might damage it. He sighed in amazement. ”A wild ginseng this large, and a hundred years old... In my opinion, it should sell for at least one hundred taels of silver.”

’One hundred taels of silver?’

Zhao Lan’s eyes lit up, and her voice trembled as she spoke. ”How much? O-one hundred taels?”

Uncle Hu waved his hand. ”I’m not certain, it’s just what I’ve heard people say. The rich folk in the cities really value wild ginseng from our mountains. A regular one can sell for dozens of taels of silver, to say nothing of a hundred-year-old one this large. I reckon it would sell for one hundred taels at the very least.”

The original Bai Zhi had never been to town, and her worldly knowledge was pitifully limited. ’In her memories, there’s absolutely nothing about this sort of thing.’ So, the current her was completely in the dark as well.