The next morning, just as the first pale light of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, Hongqi Brigade was still fast asleep.
Lin Wanxia, however, had already slipped out of bed without making a sound.
She changed into a set of old, durable clothes, tucked her trouser legs tightly around her ankles, and put on a sturdy pair of canvas military shoes.
In the kitchen, Zhou Yu’an had already lit the stove. A pot of thin corn porridge was simmering over the fire.
When he saw her enter, he pointed toward a small sickle and a military canteen resting beside the stove.
“The mountain trails are rough. Take the sickle to clear your path, and bring the canteen.”
As always, his words were brief and straightforward, but the thoughtfulness behind them filled Lin Wanxia’s heart with warmth.
“Aren’t you coming with me?” she asked quietly.
They had agreed the previous night to search the mountains together.
Zhou Yu’an glanced at his injured left leg.
“I thought about it again. The trails will be slippery after last night’s dew. With my leg, I’d slow you down, and we might attract attention.”
Lin Wanxia frowned. She didn’t like the idea of leaving him behind, but she understood his concern.
“I’ll wait for you at the village entrance,” he continued. “If you’re not back by noon, I’ll come looking for you.”
His tone left little room for argument.
Lin Wanxia hesitated, then nodded. She would have to be especially careful.
“All right.”
After swallowing a few mouthfuls of warm corn porridge, Lin Wanxia checked her supplies one last time.
She tucked the sickle into her waistband and slung the canteen over her shoulder. Inside her cloth bag were a small digging trowel, a length of red string, some old cloth, and a little food.
Satisfied that she had everything she needed, she slipped out of the courtyard beneath the cover of the morning mist.
The mountain trails were steep and slippery with morning dew.
Relying on memories from her previous life, Lin Wanxia avoided the main path and followed a narrow track through the undergrowth.
Wild grass scratched her hands, and loose stones shifted beneath her shoes. As she climbed higher, the trees grew denser, blocking much of the morning sunlight.
An unfamiliar animal cry echoed through the forest.
She stopped and tightened her grip on the sickle.
She was frightened. There was no point pretending otherwise.
But the memory of Zhou Jianbin’s smug expression strengthened her resolve.
In her previous life, he had used the ginseng to secure his future while she and her family suffered.
This time, she intended to reach it first.
She continued climbing.
She had no idea how long she had been walking.
By now, her legs felt as heavy as lead, and every step demanded more effort than the last.
Just as she was beginning to wonder whether she could keep going, the dense forest suddenly opened up before her.
Ahead lay a fork where three narrow paths diverged.
Beside the junction stood a massive blue-gray boulder covered in moss.
Lin Wanxia stopped.
She recognized it immediately.
In her previous life, she had stumbled upon Zhou Jianbin and his companions digging behind that very boulder.
She could still picture them crouched on the slope, carefully extracting the wild ginseng that would later bring Zhou Jianbin his unexpected fortune.
This was the place.
She glanced around, listening for footsteps.
The forest was quiet.
For now, she was alone.
After checking that no one was nearby, she hurried around the boulder.
Behind it was a gently sloping patch of ground sheltered from direct sunlight.
The earth was covered in a thick layer of decaying leaves and rich humus, while clusters of low-growing ferns spread across the damp soil.
Lin Wanxia searched the slope with intense concentration, examining every inch of the ground.
Then, at last!
Something bright red caught her eye.
Hidden among an ordinary-looking cluster of ferns were several small bunches of round, brilliant red berries.
They glistened like polished rubies against the dark green foliage.
Ginseng berries!
Lin Wanxia’s breath caught in her throat.
She immediately pushed aside the surrounding weeds, revealing the entire plant.
A purplish-red stalk rose from the soil, topped with several clusters of palm-shaped compound leaves arranged in a circular pattern.
The leaves were a vivid green, their delicate veins clearly visible.
There was no mistaking it.
This was wild ginseng!
And judging by the plant’s appearance and the number of berries it bore, it was almost certainly an exceptionally old specimen!
Lin Wanxia trembled with excitement.
She quickly opened her bag and took out the small digging trowel and length of red string she had prepared in advance.
Kneeling beside the plant, she began the delicate task of harvesting it.
She remembered hearing the village elders explain that digging up wild ginseng required extraordinary care.
According to the old tradition, the first step was to tie a red string around the plant to prevent the legendary “ginseng child” from escaping.
Of course, that was merely an old mountain superstition, but Lin Wanxia wasn’t about to ignore any of the customs she remembered.
Next came the actual digging.
She had to begin roughly a foot away from the stalk, gradually working inward while carefully loosening the surrounding soil.
Not even the finest root hair could be damaged.
Lin Wanxia handled the plant with the tenderness of someone uncovering a priceless treasure.
Sweat rolled down her forehead and into her eyes, stinging them until her vision blurred.
She didn’t even stop to wipe it away.
Little by little, she removed the earth.
As she dug deeper, a rich, distinctive medicinal fragrance began to mingle with the damp, earthy scent of the forest floor.
Gradually, a section of yellowish-brown root emerged from the soil.
It already bore the faint outline of a human figure!
Lin Wanxia’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
She slowed her movements even further, carefully brushing away the dirt surrounding the precious root.
Bit by bit, the entire ginseng began to reveal itself.
The root crown, the thick main body, the delicate branching rootlets…
Everything was intact!
The fine roots were long, slender, and remarkably flexible. Along their surfaces were tiny, clearly defined nodules.
These were the famous pearl-like markings, one of the most distinctive characteristics of genuine wild ginseng!
Lin Wanxia studied the exposed root.
Its crown bore numerous bowl-shaped scars, while the main body was thick and well-developed. Fine rootlets spread through the soil, marked with tiny pearl-like nodules.
She remembered what the village elders had said about old wild ginseng.
Could this truly be a century-old specimen?
She couldn’t determine its exact age, but everything about it suggested an exceptionally mature and valuable root.
Her pulse quickened.
In her previous life, this very ginseng had helped Zhou Jianbin secure a coveted opportunity.
Now it was within her reach.
If she could find a trustworthy buyer, it might give her and Zhou Yu’an the financial breathing room they desperately needed.
Lin Wanxia could barely contain her excitement, but she forced herself to stay focused.
There was no room for carelessness now.
She continued working as quickly as she dared, carefully freeing the remaining roots from the soil.
At last, the entire ginseng plant came loose, completely intact.
She immediately gathered some damp moss and gently wrapped it around the precious root to protect it.
Then she covered the bundle with a piece of cloth and tucked it securely inside her clothes, close to her chest.
Only after securing the ginseng beneath her clothes did Lin Wanxia allow herself to rest.
Her back ached, and her hands trembled from the delicate work. She lowered herself onto a nearby rock and took a long breath.
She had done it.
She had reached the ginseng before Zhou Jianbin.
A smile spread across her face.
Then a voice drifted through the trees.
“Brother Bin, it should be somewhere around here, right?”
“That’s right! The old hunter told me it was behind this big boulder!”
Lin Wanxia went rigid.
Zhou Jianbin.
Footsteps approached along the trail, accompanied by the rustle of branches.
She looked toward the boulder, then down at the faint traces of disturbed soil where the ginseng had grown.
Her heart sank.
They were almost here.
And she hadn’t covered her tracks.