Fu Bao replied calmly, “It’s the same kind of ginseng as yesterday.”
“What? Ginseng again?” Old Madam Su exclaimed in shock, her hands trembling as she held the shovel.
She quickly covered her mouth and glanced around nervously, as if someone might be eavesdropping. She never expected it—another ginseng!
How could such a treasure grow like weeds right in front of her precious granddaughter? She remembered how, in past years, many people had climbed the mountain searching for ginseng and found nothing. Yet yesterday they got one, and now another appeared today. Oh heavens, her little Fu Bao really was heaven-sent!
She carefully dug out the herb, knowing that breaking the root would make it lose its value. After about half an hour, they finally unearthed the ginseng.
It seemed younger than the one from yesterday.
Old Madam Su held it reverently in her hands, as if it were priceless. Then, as if remembering something, she placed the ginseng in the basket and carefully covered it with wild greens to hide it. She knew the value of keeping wealth discreet.
“This is it—the Su family is going to prosper!” she thought.
Wiping off the remaining soil, she took Fu Bao by the hand. From then on, Fu Bao acted like a little commander, directing Old Madam Su wherever she wanted to go.
Soon, a white wolf dashed out from the deep mountains. Seeing it, Old Madam Su instinctively held Fu Bao tightly, ready to run.
“Grandma, don’t run! It’s Little White!”
At that, Old Madam Su remembered the white wolf that had come to their home before and calmed herself. The wolf soon reached them.
It held two large mushrooms in its mouth.
When the wolf dropped the “mushrooms” at Fu Bao’s feet, she realized they weren’t mushrooms at all—they were salt-lingzhi!
Old Madam Su thought the wolf had brought mushrooms for her granddaughter and was about to warn her, “Many mushrooms are poisonous, especially the large, colorful ones…”
But then she noticed the color and shape and hesitated.
“Fu Bao, this doesn’t look like a mushroom at all!” she said.
Fu Bao knew immediately it wasn’t. After a moment, she explained calmly, “This is called salt-lingzhi. It’s similar to regular lingzhi but grows near salt mines. It’s an extremely rare medicinal herb. Only high officials in the capital or people in the imperial palace can afford to use it.”
“I’ve never heard of salt-lingzhi, but the lingzhi I know of. It’s also rare and precious,” Old Madam Su said, suddenly realizing how valuable Fu Bao’s discovery could be.
“Fu Bao, is it valuable?”
Fu Bao nodded obediently. “Of course! Even a piece the size of a little finger can be exchanged for a gold ingot.”
Old Madam Su’s eyes widened. “My goodness! These two are huge! How much could they be worth?”
The two pieces brought by the white wolf were each about the size of a child’s head.
Old Madam Su gasped—this could be worth an unimaginable fortune in gold!
Old Madam Su felt light-headed, as if she could barely stand and might topple over at any moment.
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Slapping her thigh, she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness! We’re going to be rich! We’re really going to be rich!”
She quickly placed the two lingzhi at the bottom of the basket, then carefully moved the ginseng from the bottom on top of them. Then a thought struck her: “Fu Bao’s salt-lingzhi is so valuable… maybe it could even save lives. Perhaps we shouldn’t sell it. Let her take it with her when she gets married.”
Fu Bao chuckled. “Actually, it’s not that useful. I heard people say eating it helps you have sons.”
Old Madam Su’s eyes widened. Sons? She dismissed the idea immediately—she wasn’t thinking about grandsons. If it helped have granddaughters, maybe she’d reconsider, but sons? Not worth it.
In truth, Fu Bao was just joking. Salt-lingzhi didn’t have the same medicinal effects as true lingzhi. Its purple color and growth near salt mines earned it the name, but it wasn’t actually potent. Still, in ancient times, even the appearance of this herb made it highly prized, believed to promote longevity.
With these precious treasures in hand, Old Madam Su didn’t dare linger in the mountains any longer. She wanted to return home and hide them safely.
Yet when she looked at the large white wolf staring at her granddaughter, she didn’t know what it wanted and felt a pang of caution.
“Fu Bao, maybe you should let this wolf go. It’s a bit frightening,” she suggested.
Fu Bao reached into her space and brought out a large bowl of spirit spring water, offering it to the wolf.
The wolf drank it eagerly, finishing it in a few gulps. Then it gazed longingly at Fu Bao.
“Can I have some more? This is too good. I want to bring some back for my wife.”
Fu Bao’s brother, Su Muyang, was amazed—the wolf even thought of taking some home for its mate. Not bad at all.
Fu Bao rummaged in her space and filled a large plastic barrel completely with spirit spring water. The wolf practically leapt with excitement at the sight of it.
Since drinking that water, the wolf’s body had undergone tremendous changes. Its bones and meridians felt stronger and more powerful, and its mind was clearer than ever.
“Alright, it’s time for us to head back. You go home now,” Fu Bao said, patting the wolf gently on the head. Old Madam Su watched anxiously, but seeing the wolf calm, she finally relaxed. Who else’s granddaughter would dare to approach such a massive wolf?
Carrying the barrel carefully, the wolf strolled back at ease. It planned to share the water with its pups and the young adult wolves in its pack. With this, they would become the rulers of the mountains. No longer suppressed by the old tigers and lions, it could finally assert its dominance.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Su hurried down the mountain with Fu Bao in her arms. On the way, they ran into a few gossiping women from the village.
“Oh! You went up the mountain to gather wild vegetables, and even brought your granddaughter along?” one of them teased.
Old Madam Su, wanting to hurry home, replied quickly, “Of course! We gathered some wild vegetables to make veggie cakes for them.”
Another woman chimed in, “Old sister, didn’t the Wolf King bring you some wild prey too? Your Fu Bao really is lucky.”
Old Madam Su waved her hand dismissively. “No, no! We didn’t see any wolves like that this time. It was just a coincidence.”
The women nodded. After all, wolves can’t deliver prey every day—they need to eat too.
Feeling she had successfully fended off further questions, Old Madam Su added, “Ladies, you carry on chatting. I have to go home and patch up the boys’ clothes—they’re all in tatters!”