What secrets lay hidden on Qingniu Mountain? Chen Xiaobei didn't know, but he himself was facing a serious problem.
Just as he was descending the mountain, Chen Yutian's wife, Jia Shi, returned.
Upon seeing his wife, Chen Yutian became excited and quickly pulled her into the house, pouring her a bowl of water.
"Old woman, how was it? Did you see Ermao and the others?"
Jia Shi picked up the bowl and drank several gulps.
Then, she let out a long sigh.
"I saw them. Da Lao Hei has him confined to the mountain and won't allow him to come down, not even an inch."
"That's good, that's good." Chen Yutian nodded. "Did you tell him about that matter? Is he willing to do it?"
Jia Shi nodded. "I told him. As long as the scourge of the village is eliminated, Ermao can come back."
"Da Lao Hei said he'd send people in the next couple of days. Oh, and he also said, for the sake of my deceased grandfather, he won't take money, but he wants us to get him something."
Chen Yutian looked at his wife in surprise. "Get him what?"
Jia Shi hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "He said he wants us to take his men into Qingniu Mountain."
Hearing this, Chen Yutian couldn't help but frown. "Alas, Qingniu Mountain. I went there a few times when I was young, but only to the Mountain God Temple. I've never been any further up."
Jia Shi also sighed. "Yes, I told him the same thing, but my cousin was clear about it. At least ten li further up from the Mountain God Temple."
Chen Yutian fell silent, leaning back in his chair without speaking for a long time. Finally, he let out a sigh and stood up. "Very well. This old body of mine will risk it. Let's go to Qingniu Mountain."
Jia Shi lifted her hem and wiped the corners of her eyes. "My dear, I'm not forcing you, but Da Lao Hei's condition is firm. Nothing else works, not even offering money."
Chen Yutian waved his hand slightly. "It's just a trip to Qingniu Mountain, not a journey through knives and fires. If that's what it takes, so be it. When will his people arrive?"
"They'll be here tomorrow. He said as soon as his people return from Qingniu Mountain, they'll make their move that very night."
"Excellent, getting rid of Chen Xiaobei as soon as possible is more important than anything," Chen Yutian became excited.
At this moment, Chen Xiaobei had returned from the mountain laden with a large bag of Houttuynia cordata and carrying two ginseng roots and several Reishi mushrooms. As he reached his fish pond and saw Li Dong and the others busy at work, he greeted them warmly.
Li Dong, seeing him return with two bulging bags, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Xiaobei, what treasures did you find on the mountain?"
Chen Xiaobei mumbled vaguely, "Oh, there were some herbs on the mountain that Hongyu wanted. I helped her collect them to dry."
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. "Xiaobei, why are you doing chores for a woman? If she wants herbs, she should go pick them herself!"
"Exactly, why listen to your wife?"
Facing the laughter, Chen Xiaobei was neither annoyed nor impatient, merely smiling slightly. "You guys carry on with your work. I'll go home and boil some water for you."
"No need to boil water. With such a large river, there's plenty of water to drink," Li Dong and the others laughed again.
"Hongyu said drinking raw water can cause stomachaches."
In reality, Cui Hongyu had never said that, but Chen Xiaobei had to explain it this way.
The crowd laughed again. "I've never heard of men getting stomachaches, only women, right?"
Chen Xiaobei didn't reply and quickly walked away.
Watching him leave, Li Dong shook his head helplessly.
In Hetou Village, listening to one's wife was considered quite shameful.
In fact, in this era, with its strong patriarchal ideology and rampant male chauvinism, it was almost impossible for a woman to be the head of the household.
Returning home, he found Cui Hongyu embroidering under the large locust tree, with Qiao'er next to her practicing calligraphy with a twig on the ground. The harmonious and warm scene made Chen Xiaobei feel a sense of warmth, believing all his hard work was worth it.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei return, Cui Hongyu quickly put down her work and went to meet him.
"My husband has worked hard."
Chen Xiaobei handed her the Reishi mushrooms he was carrying. "Be careful with this."
Cui Hongyu took it and felt the weight was unusual. She carefully placed it on the ground, then opened the package.
She was instantly stunned. "Husband, why did you bring back soil too?"
"Oh, I wanted to see if I could cultivate this Reishi mushroom at home?"
Hearing this, Cui Hongyu was taken aback.
"Husband, you want to cultivate Reishi mushrooms at home?"
Chen Xiaobei nodded. Although he wasn't sure how to express it, it was roughly what Cui Hongyu had said.
"Yes, I want to try. If it works, I won't have to go to the mountain every day to find it."
"Oh, and I'm also planning to dig up two more ginseng roots and try cultivating them as well."
As Chen Xiaobei said this, he gestured towards a corner of the yard.
There were a few flower pots there, carved from stone. These could be considered heirlooms in his family.
Of course, in this era, flower pots carved from stone were commonplace; some were even natural stones with minimal processing.
"Oh, and I need to take two to Shopkeeper Jia in the city. He also wants to plant them."
Cui Hongyu nodded slightly. "I heard my grandfather mention that some pharmacists can grow precious medicinal herbs themselves to be prepared for emergencies."
"No wonder Shopkeeper Jia gave you ten taels of silver last time. So that's why he wanted it."
Chen Xiaobei was indifferent. "Hongyu, no matter what his reason is, as long as he gives us more silver, it's ultimately a good thing."
Cui Hongyu shook her head. "Husband, give it this time, but if anyone else asks for this kind of Reishi mushroom or other herbs in the future, you absolutely cannot agree?"
Seeing Chen Xiaobei look at her blankly, Cui Hongyu explained further. "Husband, there are only a few pharmacies in Qingniu County. If every household starts growing them, where will we sell ours?"
"Besides, these herbs absorb the spiritual energy of the sun and moon and the essence of the earth in the mountains. Their medicinal effects are extraordinary. When grown in flower pots, their efficacy will ultimately be inferior."
This was indeed true. Chen Xiaobei strongly agreed with this point; cultivated herbs would surely be less potent than naturally grown ones.
It was like how fast-grown chicken tasted less flavorful than old hen.
After looking at this, Chen Xiaobei took out the two branches he had casually broken off.
"Hongyu, look at this. There's a large patch of it on the mountain. I don't know what it is?"
Cui Hongyu took it, brought it to her nose, and sniffed it. She exclaimed with surprise, "This is Cornus officinalis."
Is it a medicinal herb?
Chen Xiaobei's first thought was of the poem, "With cornus officinalis everywhere, only one person is missing." And he vaguely remembered that this thing had been used as a chili pepper historically.
"Hongyu, can this be used as medicine?"
Cui Hongyu nodded. "Of course it can be used as medicine, but its price is probably similar to Houttuynia cordata."
That's great! Regardless of the price, as long as it can be used as medicine.
There's such a large patch of it, why not transplant a few? That would solve the problem once and for all.