Chapter 35

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Chapter 35: "I Don’t Want to Knock You Out. Or Do You?"

The journey back felt long—so long that Du Yinsui found herself repeatedly frowning as she watched the two figures curled up on the cart. Yet it also felt short, so short that they’d nearly reached the village before finally settling how to divide the unearthed ginseng.

Before hiring Tan Wang, Du Yinsui had already discussed this matter with the Qin family and Jiang Wu. An intact ginseng fetched far higher prices, so chopping it in half was out of the question. Selling it required reaching a town, and the timing rested entirely with Tan Wang. While previous game had merely supplemented their meals, this was hundreds of silver taels. If Tan Wang chose to pocket it all, they were powerless.

Expecting a guard captain to willingly share hundreds of taels with exiles seemed a fool’s gamble. Swapping that share for practical demands, however, felt more negotiable.

First, the expenses for the doctor’s visit had to be covered.

Then, their most urgent need: better transport. With the elderly, the sick, the injured, and the child, they needed at least a donkey cart, if not a carriage.

Food was another concern. While they could forage greens and hunt game, they couldn’t conjure flour or grain.

So Du Yinsui laid out her terms: payment for the doctor and medicine, basic medical supplies, the promise of swift transport to a town if treatment here failed, a donkey cart large enough for their group, and—crucially—beyond the daily black bread loaves, equal rations whenever the guards resupplied during the journey to Linzhou. Additionally, she requested spare clothes, winter garments, and bedding, used or new, sourced locally from Li Village. Finally, she claimed the two broken ginseng roots Ma Datou’s men had dug up, roots scarcely thicker than a few strands of hair.

Her demands sounded numerous and fussy at first glance.

But Tan Wang considered them carefully. They were fundamental necessities. The Deposed Crown Prince was ill; a doctor and medicine were unavoidable costs, ginseng or not. Basic medicines were cheap, and they already carried some. Used winter clothes and bedding for the group could be had in Li Village for mere taels. Providing them equal rations? The guards only resupplied basics like flour, grain, dried vegetables, and salted meat. With four adults (none able-bodied men) and two children, how much could they eat? True, the Deposed Crown Princess seemed to have an appetite, but she’d still only get a standard woman’s portion. All told, fulfilling these demands might cost a few dozen taels. Even adding a donkey cart, perhaps costing twenty-odd taels… meant parting with less than a hundred taels from a ginseng worth hundreds.

For Tan Wang, it was a steal.

Yet…

Would agreeing make their lives *too* comfortable?

Was this… the kind of deal he usually made with prisoners?

Tan Wang, unaccustomed to prisoners unearthing such “treasure,” pondered long. Only when the village’s towering banyan tree came into view did he finally nod.

Yes, it *was* the kind of deal he’d make. He always needed ginseng. He spent hundreds of taels yearly buying it—much of the silver he painstakingly extracted from exiles flowed straight to apothecaries.

That was why he’d gambled on Du Yinsui’s “five-year-old memory.” Apothecary ginseng was overpriced; sharing the proceeds from selling their find would save him money. At least, that was his thought *before* seeing the actual root.

When the magnificent ginseng was unearthed, the prospect of having it appraised and handing over hundreds of taels to Du Yinsui made him bitterly regret his “split the spoils” policy. Game was one thing; this was hundreds of taels! They’d squeezed barely three hundred from the Kong family, which still had to be split with Sanqiao Post Station, the guards, and sent as tribute to the Capital…

Greed warred with his principles until Du Yinsui offered this alternative.

It was a good deal. One he would have accepted before.

Tan Wang agreed, relief washing over him. By maintaining his usual practice—sharing a token sum with the guards at the journey’s end—he could keep the entire ginseng. This single find offset a year’s worth of travel expenses between the Capital and Linzhou.

Seeing Tan Wang’s nod, Du Yinsui finally breathed easier.

After all… his covetous gaze as he held the ginseng had been unmistakable, even from a distance.

True, relying on Tan Wang’s conscience for the food rations introduced uncertainty. But the other items—especially the donkey cart—would be theirs immediately. Without these concessions, the cart would remain a distant dream.

Besides, even if Tan Wang kept his initial promise and gave them hundreds of taels, they’d still face exorbitant markups buying necessities from the guards, just like the Kong family. Those hundreds might not stretch as far as these guaranteed supplies.

Du Yinsui didn’t mind the price difference at all. After all, as long as she recovered, she could obtain ginseng whenever needed. Throughout the journey, her focus had been on ensuring the others’ safe passage northward. Only upon entering the village did she recall her own matters.

"Master Tan, I forgot one more thing…" Du Yinsui turned to Tan Wang.

"That’s enough," Tan Wang snapped, weighing whether to get winter clothes and bedding from the Village Chief or directly from villagers. "Should I move you all to Master Xu’s carriage?"

Du Yinsui pretended not to catch his refusal. "If we pass through towns later, please allow us to visit clinics for proper examinations." Still poisoned, she needed to familiarize herself with local medicinal herbs and ideally acquire a medical book.

"Haven’t we already called a doctor? Unimpressed with the county physician?" Tan Wang pointed toward the abandoned courtyard where they’d stopped. "The carriage is back. Still want the doctor?"

"Yes." Du Yinsui was surprised she’d forgotten this, her most crucial need. She’d simply invested too much concern in Jiang Wu and the Qin family.

Though reluctant, Tan Wang’s hesitation revealed his priorities. Du Yinsui pressed, "We only seek consultations. We’ll cover any fees or medicine costs ourselves."

"With what? Your donkey cart or winter clothes?" Tan Wang’s laugh died midway, suspicion hardening his gaze. "…Or do you recall more ginseng locations?"

"If I remember any, I’ll certainly share with Master Tan." Du Yinsui neither confirmed nor denied.

"Good! Very good!" Tan Wang laughed genuinely this time. True or false, extra clinic stops wouldn’t trouble him. "Fine, I’ll take you."

He intended to see whether the ginseng she recalled from age five would truly reappear.

The doctor procured with half the ginseng had white hair and beard—seeming competent enough.

Jiang Wu brought out the feverish little one for examination first.

The diagnosis matched their suspicions: fright and emotional distress caused the fever. Typically, it would subside once she calmed. For reassurance, two diluted doses of calming tea could be given.

The little one being fine eased half the group’s worry. The other half remained with Jiang Wu.

The doctor took Jiang Wu’s pulse interminably, switching hands repeatedly—far longer than with the little one. Everyone grew anxious before the doctor finally stroked his beard, frowning: "Excessive cold medicine causes menstrual cramping. Continued use…"

Noticing their prison clothes, he lowered his voice: "Find treatment quickly. Otherwise, beyond monthly suffering… prolonged neglect may affect fertility."

In this era, infertility was a woman’s profound hardship. Yet the warning stirred little reaction.

Apart from Qin Chongli—who’d taken the little one to prepare medicine—and the child herself, the others showed no concern about fertility.

Jiang Wu could only grit his teeth against the pain.

"Beyond pain, will it harm her overall health?" Du Yinsui pressed, her suspicions confirmed. "Cause other illnesses? Shorten lifespan?"

"It may affect fertility," the doctor repeated.

"Never mind that," Chu Xiulan waved dismissively.

"Prescribe something for pain and regulation first," Du Yinsui continued. "Also: will those prior medicines cause other illnesses or shorten lifespan?"

The doctor paused. Prisoners avoiding childbirth made sense.

Forewarned of symptoms, the doctor had brought various herbs. He prepared several packages onsite. The prescription wasn’t costly, but he admitted his limitations, suggesting better treatments in cities.

Chu Xiulan pushed Du Yinsui toward the doctor. "Your turn." Taking Jiang Wu’s medicine, she moved to find her father-in-law.

"You first." Du Yinsui pulled her back. "Have Grandpa and Haoyang checked too." The doctor’s presence shouldn’t be wasted.

Chu Xiulan was cleared. She pushed Du Yinsui forward again before leaving to manage tasks. But Du Yinsui refused examination, instead examining the doctor’s herb bundle.

Jiang Wu, sweating from pain, forced himself up. "Get your wounds checked—"

Du Yinsui pressed him back onto the cart instantly.

"Hush." She signaled silence. "Stay down."

Having just consumed two ginseng roots, Du Yinsui dared not reveal her recovery. If the guards questioned the doctor only to see her healed days later, suspicion would follow.

Jiang Wu, unaware she’d eaten ginseng, struggled weakly despite being pinned down.

The doctor wouldn’t stay long. Du Yinsui leaned close. "Must I knock you out?"

Jiang Wu stilled.

Satisfied, Du Yinsui picked a dried leaf from the bundle. "What’s this?"

After swiftly examining all dozen herbs, Qin Chongli entered with the little one. Both still suffered from the moldy mung bean cake incident, especially sixty-year-old Qin Chongli.

Qin Haoyang recovered quickly, being young. The doctor recommended tonic medicine for Qin Chongli—but lacking the herbs, he couldn’t prescribe onsite.

Du Yinsui glanced at Jiang Wu lying quietly. She produced two ginseng threads.

Seeing ginseng as restorative, she’d considered saving more for Jiang Wu initially. But fearing Tan Wang would suspect secret foraging—and potential discovery during searches—she’d kept only these broken threads from Tan Wang’s ginseng.

The doctor had declared them unnecessary for Jiang Wu earlier. She’d planned to consume them herself until Qin Chongli’s need arose.

Clutching the threads, Qin Chongli was deeply moved. The reproached Jiang Wu felt both pain and resentment, suddenly recalling Sister Chu wiping Du Yinsui’s mouth in the woods—adding inexplicable bitterness.