Chapter 25: Dàchūn Didn't Return

Hearing what Chen Qiaoer said, Xiu Mei felt reassured.

So, they had found treasure in the mountains.

No wonder Chen Xiaobei had been insisting on going into the mountains.

But no, she couldn't let Chen Xiaobei have all the good fortune. She had to get her share too.

Without wasting time, Xiu Mei immediately asked Cuihua to watch over Chen Qiaoer. She quickly ran to the fields, where Dàchūn was still working. She needed to hurry and get him to go into the mountains while it was still early.

Seeing his mother rushing towards him, Dàchūn looked confused.

"Mother, what's going on? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Xiu Mei grabbed Dàchūn and started pulling him back, "Come on, let's go home. I have something important to tell you."

"Mother, I haven't finished weeding the field yet."

Xiu Mei stepped forward, snatched the hoe from him, and said, "Just come with me, no questions asked."

"Do you know why Chen Xiaobei suddenly wants to repair the house?"

Dàchūn froze, looking at his mother in confusion. To him, it probably didn't seem relevant to him at all.

"Let me tell you, it's not because of the dowry brought by Cui Hongyu. It's because Chen Xiaobei found several ginseng plants in the mountains."

Hearing this, Dàchūn's eyes widened. "No way. How could Chen Xiaobei recognize those?"

Xiu Mei sighed, "Yeah, Chen Xiaobei doesn't know much about them, but don't forget, Cui Hongyu's father is a doctor."

Dàchūn nodded. "Ah, so that's how it is. No wonder."

"Now, you! Stop weeding and hurry up to the mountains. Go look for some ginseng too."

Hearing this, Dàchūn couldn't help but grin.

"Mother, ginseng isn't like crops. You can't just go out and find it like that!"

Xiu Mei glared at him. "If Chen Xiaobei can find it, why can't you?"

Faced with his mother's repeated urging, Dàchūn reluctantly put down the hoe, gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, and then hurried off to Qingniu Mountain.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiaobei had already entered Qingniu Mountain with Cui Hongyu.

Soon, Chen Xiaobei found the place where he had initially caught the wild chickens.

Seeing the thick layer of wild chicken droppings on the ground, his heart couldn't help but swell with excitement. This was a guarantee for high yields.

While Chen Xiaobei busied himself collecting the wild chicken droppings, Cui Hongyu searched the area, carefully scanning the grass to see if there were any new discoveries.

Soon, she made a discovery in a dark and damp area.

Fishmint.

Ahead of her, there was a large patch of fishmint.

Seeing this, Cui Hongyu was delighted.

In the era before penicillin and other anti-inflammatory drugs, fishmint was a rare and effective remedy for inflammation.

Although not as valuable as ginseng, it could still be sold in the county for some money.

Eagerly, Cui Hongyu squatted down and began harvesting.

Of course, her method of harvesting was very careful. She only picked up to a third of the leaves and branches from each plant, leaving most of it behind for continued growth.

Before long, she had gathered a large bundle. Then, she suddenly realized an issue—how was she going to bring it back?

After thinking for a while, she decided to take off her long robe, spread it out on the ground, and fill it up with the fishmint.

When she appeared before Chen Xiaobei, carrying the heavy bundle of fishmint, he couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart.

She had been married for several days, and Cui Hongyu always wore a loose robe that hid her figure. But now, Chen Xiaobei realized, after she removed her robe, that underneath it, she was wearing a tight-fitting outfit. Her body was... stunning.

She had everything she should, and nothing she shouldn't.

Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but think, if they ever had children, they'd never go hungry.

Seeing him stare at her, Cui Hongyu blushed slightly.

"Husband, what are you looking at?"

Chen Xiaobei snapped back to reality and, feeling a bit awkward, rubbed his nose.

"Uh, uh, nothing. You're just too beautiful."

Cui Hongyu's face flushed even more. "Husband, you're just joking."

"By the way, what is all this stuff you're carrying?" Chen Xiaobei quickly changed the subject.

Cui Hongyu smiled slightly, her face returning to normal.

"I picked some herbs, just over on the slope ahead."

As she said this, Cui Hongyu pulled out a piece of fishmint and handed it to Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei looked at the herb. Although he had seen a lot of it on the mountain, he still didn't know what it was.

"So, what's this called? Can it really be sold for money?"

Cui Hongyu nodded. "Yes, this is called fishmint. It has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, and when applied, it works quickly."

Chen Xiaobei was unaware of this function of fishmint, but as long as it could be sold, it was a good thing.

"Then let's go. We should head back first."

Chen Xiaobei picked up the chicken manure, and together with Cui Hongyu, they walked down the mountain, one in front and the other behind. At this moment, Chen Xiaobei truly felt like a married couple, returning home together.

Back home, they were both busy: one with the chicken manure, and the other preparing dinner. There were no entertainment activities in this era, and after dinner, it was almost time to prepare for bed.

Chen Xiaobei watched as Chen Qiao'er pulled Cui Hongyu into the house. He sighed inwardly. "If this keeps going, it's not going to work. This is my wife; why does she spend all her time with her?"

He coughed lightly.

"Qiao'er, you're growing up, you can't keep sleeping with your sister-in-law every day. You need to learn to sleep by yourself."

Chen Qiao'er froze for a moment before replying, "But I want to sleep with my sister-in-law."

Before Chen Xiaobei could say anything, Cui Hongyu spoke first. "Husband, we're not comfortable with Qiao'er sleeping alone. Let's wait until the house is reinforced and the walls are higher in a few days."

Chen Xiaobei knew this was an excuse, but he had no choice but to go along. It wasn't easy to send Chen Qiao'er to another room directly.

He sighed helplessly, feeling annoyed. Was she my wife, or was I just helping Chen Qiao'er find a new mother?

In the blink of an eye, the second night passed.

Xiu Mei couldn't sit still at home; Da Chun hadn't come back yet.

This was clearly abnormal. She had specifically told Da Chun to return before dark.

After much thinking, Xiu Mei hurriedly went to find the village chief, Chen Anbang.

Seeing Xiu Mei arrive at this hour, Chen Anbang was surprised. "Xiu Mei, it's so late. What's the matter?"

Xiu Mei looked anxious. "Uncle, Da Chun went up the mountain this afternoon. He promised to come back before dark, but he hasn't returned yet."

Upon hearing this, Chen Anbang's expression changed. "Nonsense."

"How many people dare to go up Qingniu Mountain? What was Da Chun doing there?"

Xiu Mei wasn't foolish and didn't mention the matter about asking him to find ginseng. "Well, you know, since Cuihua is pregnant, I thought he could go up and find some wild chicken eggs."

Chen Anbang waved his hand. "You go back first. Wait until daylight, then go up the mountain to find him."