But the clan members’ attempts to curry favor with their family usually amounted to no more than bringing over some homemade food or buying a few treats or trinkets from town or the county for their children. Yue Jiuyue’s approach—practically “giving away money”—was truly a first. It was like a bride riding in a sedan chair for the very first time.
“Auntie, digging up herbs isn’t something that can be kept secret. Those herbs grow on the mountain. If my family goes digging every day, the villagers are bound to figure out what’s going on.
So I was thinking, why don’t we have the whole village go up the mountain to dig for herbs? That way, every household can earn a few copper coins and at least have a little more to eat.
The only issue is the price. Yesterday, my third son forgot to ask. Also, the herbs need to be processed. We don’t know if the medical clinic will accept freshly dug ones or how many they’ll take. What if they’ve already collected enough and don’t want any more? Then whatever’s left will be stuck in our hands.”
After explaining, Yue Jiuyue tried to leave again.
And again, Wang Shi grabbed her arm.
“Little sister-in-law, I don’t even know what to say about what you’ve done. On behalf of the whole village, let me thank you!”
The clan leader was so moved he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he bowed deeply to Yue Jiuyue, startling her so much she jumped back.
“Uncle! You can’t do that! It’ll shorten my lifespan!”
“No, no. What you’ve done is a great service to our village! Your uncle thanking you is only right. He’s the clan leader, and even he hasn’t done anything this good for the village!”
Yue Jiuyue’s hasty retreat made Wang Shi laugh, and she quickly reassured her.
“Hehe, it’s nothing. Well, Uncle, Auntie, since there’s nothing else for me to do here, I’ll head up the mountain to dig for herbs now!”
Afraid of being grabbed again by Wang Shi, Yue Jiuyue scurried off on her thin little legs.
Wang Shi reached out to stop her again but caught nothing but air. Watching Yue Jiuyue’s fleeing figure disappear through the gate, she turned to her husband with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
“I never expected Yue Shi to just come out and say all that about the herbs.”
She had spent yesterday thinking that if this whole herb business turned out to be viable, she would certainly drag her own family up the mountain to dig too. Now, she felt rather petty in comparison.
“Yes, I didn’t expect her to be so magnanimous. This Yue Shi—she’s definitely destined for great things!”
What a pity she was a woman. Even if she accomplished great things, how far could she really go?
“Enough of that. Let’s not waste time on useless talk. We need to spread this good news to the villagers quickly. And we must make it absolutely clear—this way of making money was given by Yue Shi.”
Wang Shi reminded him.
“Mm, that must be made clear. Everyone in the village needs to remember Yue Shi’s kindness. Selling herbs isn’t a one-time deal. It’s a livelihood that can be passed down for generations. But just like Yue Shi said, this work can’t be hidden. The wives in the village won’t stand by and watch their own families starve. Sooner or later, word will spread beyond the village.”
To have such a way to make money—honestly, the clan leader really didn’t want other villages to learn it. But it couldn’t be kept secret. The thought was deeply frustrating.
“Yes! If only we knew how to process the herbs. Then we could pass that skill down to our children and grandchildren.”
Wang Shi sighed.
“If we knew how to process them, we could even buy raw herbs from other villages. Then this would truly be a livelihood unique to our village!”
“Shi” (氏) = Married Woman