After seeing Huo Yan off, Qiao Wan cleaned the kitchen and then went to the garden behind the house, intending to water the mint plants again.
As soon as she lifted the shading basket, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and exclaim softly, “Oh my!”
The mint seedlings, which had been thin and wilted just yesterday, now stood perky and vibrant, their leaves dark green and glossy, having clearly grown taller overnight.
Qiao Wan’s heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it might leap out of her throat.
She stared in disbelief at the half-gourd of spring water still in her hand, then at the thriving mint plants at her feet.
This spring water… was definitely no ordinary substance!
Suppressing her excitement and astonishment, she carefully set down the gourd dipper and crouched to examine the plants closely.
Not just the mint, but even the few wild vegetables nearby that had fortunately escaped being plucked—wherever the spring water had touched—stood noticeably more upright, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding plants watered by ordinary rainwater, which appeared somewhat limp.
Even the weeds had grown taller and more vigorous.
This discovery filled her with both alarm and delight—alarm because the spring water’s effect was so remarkable, far beyond her understanding; delight because, if used properly, this could be her greatest asset for establishing herself and even living well in this world!
Qiao Wan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She stood up, her gaze sweeping over the small vegetable patch as she quickly began to strategize.
Just then, the voices of the Qiao siblings carried from the front yard.
“Little sister, where are you? Big brother and I are here.” Qiao Qing’s clear voice reached the back of the house.
Qiao Wan hurriedly responded, “Big brother, sister, I’m in the back garden.”
When the Qiao siblings came around to the back, Qiao Qing immediately noticed the partially cleared garden and felt a pang of concern:
“Why didn’t you wait for us to help with the cleanup? In such hot weather, you’ll wear yourself out.” Her eyes scanned the garden, and she frowned. “Where’s Huo Yan? How could he leave you to work alone?”
“He went up the mountain early this morning.” Knowing her sister was worried, Qiao Wan quickly explained.
“That Huo Yan… leaving you alone right after getting married…” Qiao Qing suddenly seemed to remember something and broke into a grin. “Since he’s not here, does that mean you can come home to sleep?”
Qiao Wan wanted to stay home to tend to the mint seedlings, so she shook her head. “I need to look after the house.”
“Then I’ll come sleep here with you tonight!” Qiao Qing’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. “It’s good he went up the mountain. Very good.”
With that evil star not at home, her little sister would suffer less mistreatment. Qiao Qing wished Huo Yan would stay away for many more days.
“Little sister, you woke up early—go rest inside. Big brother and I will take care of the garden. Oh, and I brought the June Frost you asked for; it’s in the front yard.” Qiao Qing nudged her sister toward the house, afraid she might overexert herself.
Qiao Wan, preoccupied with thoughts of earning money, didn’t refuse. She only reminded Qiao Qing not to touch the mint leaves before heading to the front yard.
The dried June Frost looked little different from withered grass, and Qiao Qing had brought a full basket of it.
Qiao Wan cut them into finger-length segments, set aside a small handful, and stored the rest in bags in the east wing room.
She took some of the cut June Frost, washed it with the spring water, placed it in an earthen pot, added more spring water, and brought it to a boil.
Before long, the kitchen was filled with the distinct, fresh scent of herbs.
Once the June Frost infusion had cooled slightly, Qiao Wan eagerly took a sip.
The moment the clear yellow liquid touched her tongue, her face scrunched up, her shoulders hunched, and her whole body shuddered.
“This is way too bitter!”
Qiao Wan quickly gulped down a mouthful of spring water to suppress the bitterness in her mouth.
It seemed she had added too much June Frost. She poured another half jar of spring water into the earthen pot, which slightly reduced the bitterness. Then she added a bit of sugar and waited for the water to cool completely before carrying it to the back of the house to call Qiao Dahe and Qiao Qing over to taste it.
The Qiao siblings were all skilled workers. In just one morning, they had already cleared all the withered seedlings from the garden.
Qiao Qing was helping Qiao Wan straighten the fallen fence, while Qiao Dahe had already started tilling the soil.
“Big brother, sister, come have some water and take a break.”
The siblings were indeed tired. They took the water Qiao Wan handed them and drank it all in one go without even looking at it.
“Eh? Little sister, what kind of water is this? It’s sweet and feels really soothing on the throat after drinking,” Qiao Qing exclaimed. Without waiting for Qiao Wan to answer, she poured another bowl, this time taking small sips to savor it carefully. “What exactly is this?”
Qiao Wan smiled without answering and turned to ask Qiao Dahe: “Big brother, can you tell what it is?”
Qiao Dahe carefully sniffed it, then imitated Qiao Qing by taking small sips to taste.
“June Frost? But why does it taste a bit sweet? Did you add sugar?” he guessed.
Qiao Wan smiled faintly. The sweetness Qiao Dahe mentioned was probably from the spring water – she hadn’t added any sugar to this new batch.
“Big brother is really sharp, you guessed it right away.”
“That’s not true! Big brother must have seen me carrying June Frost earlier and just made a lucky guess!” Qiao Qing said with an unconvinced expression.
“When I went up the mountain before, I felt dizzy from the heat and was so hungry I had no choice but to chew on some grass. There was this among them, so I recognize the taste,” Qiao Dahe explained somewhat embarrassed by the praise, quickly waving his hand. “But the boiled taste is milder than chewing it dry, so I didn’t recognize it at first.”
“Sister, do you remember the money-making business I mentioned to you yesterday?” Qiao Wan also poured herself a bowl as the three siblings sat squatting in the shade chatting.
“You mean this June Frost?” Qiao Qing pointed to the bowl in her hand. “This stuff is everywhere in the mountains. People can recognize it even when dried. Why would anyone buy something that doesn’t cost anything?”
“That’s right, little sister. Just stay home peacefully. After we plant vegetables in this garden, I’ll go work in the county town. If you need anything, I’ll buy it for you. There’s no need for you to show your face in public,” Qiao Dahe said, his heart aching with concern when he heard she wanted to sell June Frost.
Qiao Wan felt both helpless and warmed. Even though she was already married, her older siblings still treated her like a child to be protected.
But the more they acted like this, the less she could comfortably watch them work hard while she enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
“I’m not planning to sell just June Frost – I want to sell this ‘water’!” Qiao Wan had already thought it through. She wanted to sell to those merchant caravan people in the county town.
They traveled north and south and weren’t farmers who worked the land, so they wouldn’t be able to tell what this was brewed from.
Qiao Wan’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she explained to her siblings in a lowered voice: “This isn’t ordinary water – it’s summer heat-relief tea brewed from June Frost and flavored! Think about it, in this hot weather, who among those travelers and workers wouldn’t want to drink some sweet water that both quenches thirst and relieves summer heat?”
Qiao Qing blinked, seeming to understand: “You mean… selling tea water like those tea shops in the city?”
“Different,” Qiao Wan shook her head, her tone firm. “Tea from tea shops is expensive, ordinary people can’t afford it. Our costs are low, we can sell it cheaper and focus on small profits but quick returns. Especially those merchant caravans – they’ll want dozens of bowls at once, and small amounts add up.”
She paused, then added: “Besides, this tea water is comfortable to drink. You’ve both tasted it – we’re sure to have plenty of repeat customers.”
Qiao Qing’s eyes lit up as she listened, and she couldn’t help but clap her hands, saying, “What a brilliant idea! Our June Frost grows all over the mountains and fields here. We just need to put in some effort to pick and dry it.”