Translator: 549690339
âAlright, letâs go!â After giving instructions to the men in her house, she carried a load of pre-weighed mushrooms out the door.
The winding mountain path was surrounded by Dashan, and Su Qingyue had Auntie Huaâs company.
When she had walked half the way with the carrying pole, Auntie Hua took over the task of carrying it.
The houses in Wang Family Village were similar to those in Wushan Village. Wang Xiaoliuâs family held a particularly joyous wedding banquet, and guests arrived early in the morning. When they arrived, a few old women were helping to cook breakfast.
Their timing was just right, not affecting the host familyâs use of the mushrooms in their meal.
As previously agreed, Su Qingyueâs load of mushrooms was sold at three cents per two jin, and after weighing, she received 150 cents. She gave Auntie Hua five cents as a hardship fee for carrying the load.
Auntie Hua didnât want to accept it but Su Qingyue insisted, so she finally took it.
Wang Xiaoliuâs family originally wanted to offer Su Qingyue some wedding wine, but she declined, saying that she had already eaten before heading back to Wushan Village with the empty carrying pole.
Maybe it was because of her frugality, or simply because she was poor at the moment. Eating at someone elseâs banquet usually required giving a gift, and if she didnât want to give one, it was better not to eat at all.
They passed a mountain with lush greenery and tall trees.
Su Qingyue thought that there must be many treasures hidden within, so she headed into the mountain with her empty basket.
As she wandered, she imagined suddenly discovering a reishi mushroom or something similar that would make her rich.
But after walking for quite a while, she didnât find a single reishi mushroom only some wild vegetables.
If it was so easy to find reishi mushrooms or ginseng, the villagers would have become wealthy long ago, and she would not have had a chance.
There were bird calls from the mountain forest from time to time, but she didnât wander aimlessly. The deep mountain was easy to get lost in, so she headed in the direction of Wushan Village, taking a different route through the mountain instead of the main road at the foot of the mountain.
As she traversed the hills and dales, whenever there was no path, she would swing the carrying pole with the two baskets under her arm, swinging from one tree to another. If that was not possible, she would simply find a detour.
Along the way, she picked half a basket of common herbs.
Initially, she was excited, but when she thought about how someone in the village collected herbs for two days only to sell them for a dime, her enthusiasm quickly vanished.
No matter, the herbs would be useful someday.
One day, people would discover that she, Su Qingyue, was a great divine doctor, and they would beg her for medical treatment.
The reality was, âA woman canât possibly be a doctor, Su Qingyue canât possibly cure Dashan, he must not have been seriously poisoned, and it wouldnât have mattered even if he wasnât treatedâ¦â
âWhoever seeks her medical treatment, she will treat even a good person poorly⦠â
âThereâs no way a woman can understand medicineâ¦â
These were the whispers she had heard more than once, discussions taking place behind her back.
No one trusted her medical skills, and her dream of becoming a divine doctor was just a fantasy.
One must face reality and hurry up and earn a living.
The food at home wouldnât last a few days.
As she reached a group of bushes, she spotted something moving beneath the low shrubs.
A snake?
Or a ferocious beast?
Su Qingyue gently put down the basket, gripped the carrying pole in one hand and inconspicuously picked up a fist-sized stone with the other, ready to throw it at any ferocious beast that appeared.
The bushes shook slightly, paused for a moment, then shook again. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
If it were a cautious beast, it would have charged at her long ago.
âIt must be a very clumsy animal.â Su Qingyue used the carrying pole to pry open the low shrubs and found a delicate, disheveled, little milk dog. The pitiful puppyâs leg had been bitten, blood oozing from the wound.
She cautiously looked around but didnât find the puppyâs companions, âItâs probably a poor little guy that was abandoned..â