Chapter 34
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Chapter 34: It’s Not Like That! Let Me Explain!!!
Tan Wang stood under the towering cypress tree, silent for a moment before turning to the cart behind him. "This cypress tree? What’s next?"
On the cart, Du Yinsui raised her hand toward the path left of the cypress. Having traveled from the ginkgo to this cypress, Tan Wang now believed Du Yinsui had indeed come here—about sixty percent certain. But when she came and whether ginseng truly existed remained to be seen.
"Move out." Tan Wang glanced at Zheng Yi and Ma Datou pushing the cart, gestured, and led the way onto the left path.
"Slow down your turn! Stand left and go slow so I can steer…" Ma Datou finally wrestled the cart straight and sighed, shooting Du Yinsui a glare. "These two are sick! Couldn’t you let them rest indoors instead of dragging them out in the cold? This rickety cart carries three people—wheels sinking into mud! Pushing takes two men when one handled just you!"
Jiang Wu, pressed stomach-down across most of the cart, flushed at the words. Biting his lip, he tried rising. But as soon as his body lifted slightly from the boards, Du Yinsui shoved him back down with a firm smack.
"Stay down," Du Yinsui said tersely. She then touched the feverish little one in her arms and tucked the bundle against Jiang Wu. "Hold this. Makes a good warm bundle."
Under Du Yinsui’s uncompromising pressure, Jiang Wu finally lay still. Du Yinsui offered no reply to Ma Datou’s complaint.
Did she want to jostle sick people through chilly air? But with Tan Wang—who kept Zhao Qi’s lot in check—away… how could she leave Jiang Wu and the little one unattended?
Ever since learning from the Wei family girl what Zhao Qi and Cui Wu had done, they’d taken the little one along during evening firewood trips whenever Tan Wang left the group. This time couldn’t be different. Since Tan Wang doubted her ginseng claim, unlike solo-supervised firewood duty, he’d brought two extra guards. Convenient for cart-pushing—saved her walking.
"Sister Chu, recall my earlier words? We’ll dig wild vegetables later. Fresh soup tonight might ease the sick." Ignoring Ma Datou, Du Yinsui looked toward Chu Xiulan, who nearly strayed off-path while walking distracted.
"Remember… yes, yes…" Chu Xiulan nodded repeatedly. "I remember everything! I’ll obey!"
She remembered well—before sending for Tan Wang, Du Yinsui had stressed: No matter what happened, stay calm and quiet. Follow little Du girl’s lead. Yet the more she remembered, the tighter her nerves wound. What could surpass recalling village paths at age five or unearthing ginseng grown-up?
Tan Wang followed Du Yinsui’s directions exactly—forward or turning—but kept his guard up. Ahead lay either ginseng or a trap. He’d brought his two best fighters. Whichever awaited, he’d turn it to gain.
They’d entered mountains deeper than any evening firewood trip since leaving Li Village. Only the Deposed Crown Princess’s absolute certainty and accurate path descriptions made him venture this far.
But luckily…
Tan Wang spotted tall grass wedged between two trees by the slope—green leaves with red berries. His tension eased considerably.
Good. Ginseng. Real ginseng.
Waving Zheng Yi and Ma Datou to dig, Tan Wang approached the cart cheerfully. "We’ve traveled long. With the return time, Li Village should’ve fetched the county doctor by now. Have him check your leg too."
"Fine." Du Yinsui nodded twice, then used firewood to brace herself off the cart. She turned to Chu Xiulan. "Let’s scout around. Dig wild vegetables for the sick."
"Stay nearby. Within my sight." Tan Wang glanced at the Deposed Crown Prince on the cart—too weak to sit up, holding the little girl—and didn’t stop them.
They agreed. Chu Xiulan supported the hobbling Du Yinsui away from the ginseng site.
"Found it! Really here!" Ma Datou excitedly pulled a red cloth strip from his robe, swiftly tying it around the ginseng. "Knew I’d need this! Where you running now?"
Tan Wang cast a final look at the two now crouching by distant trees, digging vegetables, then turned toward Ma Datou.
In the shallow pit where topsoil was cleared, a shriveled root-like shape poked through.
"Dig carefully. Don’t harm the roots," Tan Wang instructed.
Although the price of wild ginseng varied between several hundred silver coins depending on its quality and age, falling short of what they might squeeze from the Kong family during this trip, it was still Tan Wang’s first roadside discovery like this. Besides, ginseng was precisely what he needed…
The three diggers worked with light, careful movements, while the observers held their breath to avoid disrupting them—all proceeding with utmost caution.
Meanwhile, Chu Xiulan clutched a small handful of wild greens, watching Du Yinsui munch ginseng like it was radish. Her eyes nearly popped out. So this was why Du Yinsui had warned her not to make a fuss!
"Ahhh! I broke a root!" came Ma Datou’s cry from behind.
"It’s fine… just be gentl—" Tan Wang started to soothe.
"I… broke one too," interrupted Zheng Yi—the guard who hadn’t spoken all this time—in an unfamiliar tone.
"Step aside. I’ll handle it."
Hearing Tan Wang’s resigned voice, Chu Xiulan’s lips twitched. Those three treated the ginseng like treasure, wailing over a single broken root. Yet here…
She’d witnessed Du Yinsui jam a flat stone into the earth and violently hack off a third of the ginseng in one stroke. Those shouters truly lacked perspective.
Chu Xiulan marveled as Du Yinsui swallowed the main root, yanked out the remaining threads with a few tugs, shook off the dirt, and stuffed them into her mouth like bundled weeds.
"Won’t this cause overdose?" Chu Xiulan whispered only after Du Yinsui finished eating.
"My body’s different. This speeds healing." Du Yinsui knew she couldn’t hide it from the ever-present Chu Xiulan. Nor did she plan to—Jiang Wu and the Qin family knew her injuries well, and sudden recovery would raise questions.
Accepting this, Chu Xiulan pressed no further. In their short time together, she’d noticed the little Du girl’s unusual constitution. If Du Yinsui said so, she believed it.
But! After finishing one ginseng, Du Yinsui found another! Chu Xiulan rubbed her eyes. The same rough digging, the same chewing, the same rapid vanishing! Including the one the trio was excavating, was this area a ginseng nest? Wait—two whole roots eaten consecutively? Was that humanly possible?
Chu Xiulan fretted, torn between concern and Du Yinsui’s stern pre-journey warning not to interfere. Though Du Yinsui consumed the ginseng, Chu Xiulan felt bloated and agitated just watching.
Two roots warmed Du Yinsui’s belly. She mused that without Jiang Wu and the little one’s predicament today, she’d have endured longer before seeking such potent medicine. Fate worked strangely.
While Du Yinsui dug and ate, Chu Xiulan gathered sparse edible greens. To avoid returning with only a meager handful, she stuffed her bundle with random weeds.
As they worked, Tan Wang finally unearthed the ginseng and called them back.
"Let’s move. They need a physician quickly." Du Yinsui dusted her hands and turned to leave. A smear of dirt flashed at the corner of her mouth.
Chu Xiulan rushed forward, pulled her back, and guiltily scrubbed her lips clean. "Wipe your mouth after sneaking food!" she hissed.
On the cart, Jiang Wu pushed himself up anxiously at Tan Wang’s summons—just as Chu Xiulan wiped Du Yinsui’s mouth…
Poor Chu Xiulan. Having erased the mud, she’d felt clever for keeping their secret under the guards’ noses. But turning, she met Jiang Wu’s shocked stare from the cart.
Chu Xiulan: "…"
Wait! Not what it looks like! Let me explain!
Yet the guards closed in within steps, leaving no chance for clarification.
On the return journey, though innocent, Chu Xiulan hung her head guiltily. Until she could explain, she couldn’t bring herself to meet Jiang Wu’s eyes.
