Chapter 36: New Path to Wealth

Chen Xiaobei quickly returned to the mountain temple, his mind racing. That night, while carrying Da Chun, he had noticed many plants along the roadside that looked like fish mint. Today, with a clearer view, why not go and check them out?

Without hesitation, he headed to the spot where Liu Tie had fallen, carefully making his way down to the base of the cliff.

Following the same route from that night, he didn't walk far before a large patch of green plants appeared ahead. It was indeed fish mint.

Following the method taught by Cui Hongyu, Chen Xiaobei carefully harvested only a third to a quarter of each plant, ensuring not to damage the roots and preserving the vitality of the fish mint.

Soon, his bundle was completely filled.

Today's harvest was very rewarding. Chen Xiaobei hummed a little tune as he headed back.

When Cui Hongyu saw the two Lingzhi mushrooms, she was even more excited, calling them a rare find.

After hearing Chen Xiaobei describe the location, Cui Hongyu furrowed her brows.

"When I was young, my grandfather once mentioned a place called Gourd Valley on the mountain."

"The terrain there is shaped like a gourd. The legend says that a god, who had drunk too much, was passing by Qingniu Mountain on his way home. He accidentally dropped his gourd, and it turned into Gourd Valley."

"My grandfather said that all kinds of rare herbs grow in Gourd Valley."

Hearing this, Chen Xiaobei grew excited; the legend seemed somewhat credible, especially after seeing that large patch of Lingzhi mushrooms.

"Hongyu, this makes things much easier. Next time, I'll head to Gourd Valley."

Cui Hongyu, however, shook her head. "No, my grandfather also told me that there's a mountain god guarding Gourd Valley. No outsiders can enter. Whenever someone tries, there's either wind, thunder, rain, or even wild beasts."

Chen Xiaobei chuckled at her words.

In the mountains, all kinds of weather were natural phenomena. Thunderstorms, rain, and wind were completely normal.

"Well, in that case, I won't go for now," Chen Xiaobei said with a smile. He didn't want Cui Hongyu to worry about him.

"Hubby, these two Lingzhi mushrooms and the two ginsengs should at least fetch seven or eight taels of silver. Do you think we could buy a horse?" Cui Hongyu finally made a request.

Chen Xiaobei's heart warmed. She was concerned about him.

It was rare for Cui Hongyu to make a request, so he smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's do as you say."

After lunch, Chen Xiaobei didn't rest for a moment. He immediately set off for the county.

At Hua Hao Hall, Jia Wannian was all smiles when he saw Chen Xiaobei had brought two Lingzhi mushrooms this time.

"Xiaobei brother, you're really lucky! From what I know, such Lingzhi mushrooms, we don't even see a few of them in a year in our Da Cang Kingdom, and the quality of these is excellent," Jia Wannian said, his eyes full of joy.

"Jia shopkeeper, no need for pleasantries. Just tell me directly, what price can you offer for these Lingzhi mushrooms?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

Jia Wannian nodded. "Two ginsengs, two Lingzhi mushrooms. I'll offer you ten taels of silver, how does that sound?"

This price was higher than Cui Hongyu's estimate. Of course, Chen Xiaobei understood that the higher price wasn't just a gift.

Sure enough, Jia Wannian continued, "Xiaobei brother, I have a small request. Next time you bring Lingzhi mushrooms, could you also bring the soil around them? I'd like to continue cultivating them for a while."

Chen Xiaobei immediately understood. He knew that if there was soil, the Lingzhi would continue to grow, and the mycelium and spores could propagate, meaning it could keep reproducing indefinitely.

Jia Wannian's words had reminded him of something.

If he also moved the Lingzhi to his own place, he wouldn't have to climb the mountain every day— it would be a win-win situation.

Thinking this, Chen Xiaobei smiled and said, "That sounds good, I'll make sure to bring the soil next time I find more."

Leaving Hua Hao Hall, Chen Xiaobei felt happy.

Jia Wannian's request had helped him discover a new path to wealth— he could move some of the Lingzhi from Gourd Valley.

As long as he found some decaying wood, artificial cultivation of Lingzhi would be easy.

Thinking back to his childhood in the village, he realized that those skills from his previous life had now become useful in this world. Life really has a way of surprising people.

While thinking, Chen Xiaobei became a little distracted. Without realizing it, he collided head-on with a small beggar.

Looking down, he saw that the beggar only reached up to his chest.

The beggar took a step back, repeatedly apologizing, then quickly turned and ran.

Chen Xiaobei stared at the empty street in confusion. What just happened?

After a brief moment of confusion, he suddenly realized and quickly patted his chest.

Oh no, the money was gone.

Without a second thought, Chen Xiaobei sprinted after him. Ten taels of silver was a large sum, earned through his hard work on Qingniu Mountain—he couldn't just let this little beggar take it so easily.

The beggar, clearly not expecting Chen Xiaobei to chase him, darted into a small alley and stopped. He opened the money bag and found the ten taels of silver. Unable to contain his excitement, he grinned.

The beggar's excitement didn't last long, as he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Chen Xiaobei chasing him, and panic set in. He immediately started running again.

Chen Xiaobei had been running to the county town every day, so his legs were well-trained by now.

With a deep breath, he quickly closed the gap, overtaking the beggar and running past five or six streets.

At this point, the beggar was in trouble.

He could barely run anymore, panting heavily, and his speed had significantly slowed down.

Ahead of him was an old temple. The beggar gritted his teeth and dashed inside.

Once inside, the beggar yelled at the top of his lungs, "Brothers, quick! Someone's after me!"

When Chen Xiaobei reached the entrance of the temple, the scene in front of him made him stop in his tracks.

In the yard, there were five or six children, most of them younger than the beggar who had stolen his silver.

The kids were holding branches or bricks and glaring at him with anger.

The beggar who had stolen the silver pointed at Chen Xiaobei and shouted, "Why are you chasing me?"

Chen Xiaobei laughed at the question. "You stole my silver. Why wouldn't I chase you?"

"You, you're wrongfully accusing me! I just bumped into you. Why are you saying I stole your silver?" the beggar yelled.

Chen Xiaobei chuckled. "Then explain why, if you didn't steal it, are you running away?"

"I, I'm afraid you'll hit me," the beggar admitted, which was basically a confession.

Chen Xiaobei knew there was no reason to argue with someone like him. He extended his hand and said, "Give me the ten taels of silver back, and we'll call it even. Otherwise, I'll report you to the authorities and have you all arrested."

"I didn't take it! I didn't take it!" The beggar screamed. "If you take one more step forward, don't blame us for being rude!"

At that moment, a loud, violent cough came from inside the temple. Hearing it, Chen Xiaobei felt a pang of sympathy. It sounded so harsh, like the person was coughing up their lungs.

"Xiao Mu, why are you stealing again?" It was a woman's voice, and from the sound of it, she seemed quite young.