Su Muyao gave up arguing altogether—she decided she’d deal with it later.
“Grandpa, Grandma, let’s take the lingzhi to sell tomorrow.”
They had sold ginseng before, yet the two elders still hesitated to use the money to send all the grandchildren to school. It seemed that only when the family had truly ample savings would they feel secure enough to do so.
After dinner, Su Muyao returned to her private space to study. She had brought many books on agriculture from her previous life. Looking at the piles of seeds stored there, she knew that once spring arrived, planting would begin.
…
Before dawn the next morning—
The three Su brothers finally reached a decision: Su Sanlang and Old Master Su would take Su Muyao with them to town to sell the lingzhi.
When Su Muyao woke up, she was already on the road, nestled in a basket on Su Sanlang’s back. Looking up, she saw a sky filled with stars. In this era, the night sky was dazzling—even as the faint light of dawn crept in, the stars still shimmered against the blue.
By the time they reached town, it was fully daylight.
“Grandpa, we shouldn’t go to the same pharmacy as before today. They won’t be able to afford our lingzhi. Let’s head to the wealthy district in the north—there are two larger pharmacies there.”
Old Master Su nodded. “Our little one is so clever. If you hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have thought of it.”
Su Sanlang chimed in with praise as well.
Not far away, a man approached them.
“Excuse me, are you from Taoliu Village?”
Su Sanlang glanced at his father. After sizing the man up and seeing nothing obviously threatening, Old Master Su nodded.
The man immediately grew excited. “Then do you know the Su family’s little fortune star?”
The moment he said that, Old Master Su’s expression changed.
“No, no, we don’t know. We’re busy.”
Seeing their reaction—and noticing the child in Su Sanlang’s arms—the man’s eyes flickered with suspicion.
“Don’t be afraid. I just heard that the little fortune star from your village is quite remarkable, so I asked out of curiosity.”
When they still ignored him, he added quickly, “Your child is adorable—may I hold her?”
That immediately set Su Sanlang on guard.
“We don’t even know you, and you want to hold my daughter? What are you up to? You’re not a child trafficker, are you?”
He tightened his grip on Su Muyao, his gaze turning sharp with suspicion. Old Master Su also shifted into a defensive stance.
But Su Muyao recognized the man.
She hadn’t expected to run into him again after a year—what terrible luck.
When the man glanced at the child’s wrist, his eyes suddenly lit up.
His mother hadn’t been mistaken—this was indeed the fourth child he had abandoned in the mass grave.
He hadn’t even come looking for her today. He just happened to see two men from Taoliu Village heading toward town and followed them at a distance. Then he recalled what his mother had said about the “little fortune star.” After asking a few questions and seeing their reaction, everything clicked into place.
Su Sanlang had no intention of dealing with the man any longer.
“Father, let’s go. It’s already bright.”
“Alright, alright, let’s go.”
Soon, they arrived in the wealthy district.
They first went to Wangchun Hall. Old Master Su stayed outside holding his granddaughter while sending his son in to negotiate.
Before long, Su Sanlang came back out.
“Father, the owner of this place is a real swindler. I told him I wanted to sell lingzhi…”
“…and guess what?”
“He actually told me ten wen per jin! I said this thing can help people have sons, and he just replied that the most he’d offer was twenty wen. Take it or leave it!”
Su Muyao was stunned. She was certain she remembered correctly—this item was extremely valuable in ancient times.
“Father, let’s go somewhere else.”
“Alright. Let’s try another shop. I refuse to believe every owner is that ignorant.”
Su Sanlang had complete faith in his daughter. If she said it was worth a lot, then it definitely was.
After wandering around for a bit, they arrived at another pharmacy.
The moment they stepped inside, Su Sanlang put his hands behind his back, narrowed his eyes, and looked around with an air of calculated confidence—almost like a shrewd, seasoned businessman.
Watching him, Su Muyao couldn’t help but think: anyone who didn’t know him would probably assume he was some kind of cunning schemer.
The shop assistant hurried over to greet them. Although their clothes were simple, the man’s demeanor made him hesitate—what if they were actually wealthy people who preferred to dress modestly?
“Welcome, sir. Are you here to buy medicinal herbs? We have a full selection.”
Su Sanlang, quick-witted as ever, replied, “What valuable goods do you have? Tell me.”
The assistant immediately began listing them. “We have lingzhi, ginseng, even Tianshan snow lotus…”
But the man in front of him said nothing, just stood there silently.
Worried he might have said something wrong, the assistant quickly invited them inside. “Please, sir, come in. I’ll have our shopkeeper personally assist you.”
Only then did Su Sanlang nod in satisfaction and walk in.
As soon as he sat down, two assistants brought over plates of pastries and tea. Seeing the unfamiliar delicacies, he resisted the urge to reach out.
Not long after, the shopkeeper arrived.
“May I ask—are you here to buy herbs or to sell them?”
The shopkeeper was clearly perceptive. From what his assistant described, he suspected these people were more likely here to sell than to buy.
“We have something valuable we’d like to sell,” Old Master Su said calmly. “But we’re not sure if your shop is interested.”
The shopkeeper leaned forward slightly. “Could you show it to me?”
Instead of taking it out immediately, Old Master Su asked, “Have you heard of yan zhi?”
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. “You mean that rare medicinal fungus said to help with bearing sons? That’s an exceptional item—almost impossible to find, even if you have the money.”
Hearing this, Old Master Su felt reassured—this man understood its value.
“And what price would you offer for it?” he asked.
The shopkeeper studied them for a moment, already certain they had it but were being cautious.
“To be honest,” he said, “in the capital, one liang of yan zhi could fetch up to a hundred gold taels.”
Su Sanlang’s eyes widened in shock. He curled his toes inside his shoes and discreetly pinched his own thigh to stay calm.
“But in a place like ours, it won’t reach that price,” the shopkeeper continued. “Over ten years ago, our shop purchased some once—for one liang at one gold tael.”
“Now, the best we can offer is nine gold taels per liang.”
Old Master Su frowned slightly. “Isn’t that gap a bit too large?”
As he spoke, he finally took out the yan zhi from his robes…