Chapter 154: The White-Haired Old Man is Rejected by Xiang Xinyao

The shopkeeper was still brimming with excitement. “Master, it’s true! I saw it with my own eyes. It’s really fresh ginseng!”

The white-haired old man immediately stood up, his expression filled with disbelief.

“Take me to see it,” he demanded.

“The ginseng is in the pharmacy!” the shopkeeper replied.

The old man forgot to even wash his hands and immediately followed the shopkeeper back to the pharmacy.

At the counter, Xiang Xinyao was holding the two ginseng plants, examining them carefully. Though she had only planted them a few months ago, they looked as if they were at least ten years old, the same as wild ginseng dug up from the forest.

The spiritual spring in her space was truly incredible!

The white-haired old man’s eyes went wide when he saw the ginseng in her hands.

“Damn, it’s really fresh ginseng!” he muttered.

The old man had spent his life dealing with medicinal herbs, and in his younger years, he had often gone to the mountains to gather herbs. With a single glance, he could tell whether Xiang Xinyao’s ginseng was real or fake.

Xiang Xinyao noticed the old man approaching. He was short, thin, and about her height—though much older, he was energetic and gave off a cheerful vibe.

The old man quickly walked up to Xiang Xinyao, staring intently at the ginseng in her hands. Then he turned his gaze to her young face, and his brows furrowed.

“Little child, you say this ginseng is yours?”

Xiang Xinyao nodded. “Yes, it’s mine. Is there a problem?”

The old man sneered. “Little child, have you even reached adulthood?”

Xiang Xinyao shook her head. “Not yet, I still have a month to go.”

“Do you know how old this ginseng is?” the old man asked.

Xiang Xinyao raised an eyebrow. “From the looks of it, this ginseng is at least ten years old. But I’ve only been growing it for three years.”

She was lying. Growing ten-year-old ginseng in just three years was something out of a fantasy, and the old man would never believe it. If she said she grew it in just half a year, he would have kicked her out immediately.

The old man narrowed his eyes. “Three years to grow ten-year-old ginseng? Little child, are you trying to fool a ghost?”

Xiang Xinyao stuck out her tongue. “Grandfather, you’re not a ghost, so why would I lie to you?”

“If I could grow ten-year-old ginseng in three years, it must be because I have my own methods. Otherwise, could you find a single plant with green leaves like this one at this time of year?”

The old man was taken aback. He couldn’t find any, that was true.

But the idea of growing ten-year-old ginseng in three years—he simply couldn’t believe it.

Could this child be using some kind of witchcraft? It seemed impossible!

“How did you do it?” the old man asked.

Xiang Xinyao shrugged. “Sorry, Grandfather, this is a secret passed down by my late master. I can’t tell you. But I can prove it to you—if you plant seeds today, they will sprout by tomorrow.”

The old man’s interest was piqued. He blinked and asked, “What’s the condition?”

Xiang Xinyao grinned. “If I can make the seeds sprout overnight, will you sell me medicinal herb seeds?”

The old man’s eyes glinted as he rubbed his hands together. “Alright, if you can make the seeds sprout overnight, I’ll give you all the medicinal herb seeds I’ve collected for free. But… I have a condition too.”

Xiang Xinyao raised an eyebrow. “What condition?”

“Hehe, you must take me as your apprentice and teach me how to grow medicinal herbs,” the old man said with a sly grin.

Xiang Xinyao nearly jumped three feet in the air, her nostrils flaring with frustration.

“Grandfather, I already call you ‘Grandfather.’ Do you think it’s appropriate for me to take you as an apprentice?” she huffed.

“What’s inappropriate about it? A true master is one who teaches, don’t you know?” the old man replied.

“You’re trying to shorten my lifespan! No way, that condition is a no-go, absolutely not! You’ll have to come up with something else,” Xiang Xinyao quickly rejected.

The old man looked completely wronged.

She was clearly rejecting him—rejecting his old age!

It just wasn’t fair! Was there any way he could be ‘re-manufactured’?

Pouting, he looked like a wife who had been wronged, pleading, “Can’t you think it over just a little longer?”

His expression became even more pitiful.

There was a hint of childishness in his demeanor—a kind of playful, cute appeal.

And… maybe, just a little bit of charm.

Xiang Xinyao stared at the old man’s every expression, almost as if she had discovered a new world.

Oh no! She had just found herself dealing with a mischievous old man.

Her hair stood on end at the thought.

If she didn’t have long hair and a beautiful hairpin, she probably would’ve felt like her hair was standing on end too.

Just imagine—a white-haired old man acting cutesy and playful with a young girl who hadn’t even come of age yet. What was this experience like?

Xiang Xinyao firmly rejected him, mimicking the old man’s pitiful look, and pouted, “No way, Grandfather. Please let me off the hook! I haven’t even come of age yet; I’m still my mother’s little baby!”

The shopkeeper’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. He could hardly hold back his laughter.

Did these two—one old, one young—really have to be this funny?

The old man was acting cutesy, and now the little girl was imitating him too.

Meanwhile, Xiang Xinyao’s sister, Xiang Xinyu, was struggling not to laugh, her face flushed red with the effort.

Oh my goodness! Her little sister was just too cute!

And… the old man was pretty cute too.

Their expressions were simply priceless…

Xiang Xinyao really wanted to laugh.

But the old man quickly snapped back to seriousness as he saw Xiang Xinyao mimicking his pout.

“Can you really make the seeds sprout overnight?” he asked, all business.

“Well, you’ll see for yourself,” Xiang Xinyao answered confidently.

“Seeing is believing. Show me first. Otherwise, no matter how much money you offer, I won’t sell you any medicinal herb seeds,” the old man insisted.

“Fine, you get a flowerpot, and I’ll provide the seeds,” she agreed.

The old man raised an eyebrow. “Follow me.”

Xiang Xinyao followed him to the backyard, where the old man pointed to a row of flowerpots.

“Pick any flowerpot, and I’ll get you the seeds,” he said.

After that, he went inside to retrieve the medicinal herb seeds.

Xiang Xinyao casually picked a flowerpot with loose, fluffy soil, which happened to be the one the old man had been working on earlier.

The old man came back with the seeds, but he handed her just one—a single small seed.

It was a Chuanbei seed, a type of medicinal herb with difficult cultivation requirements. It needed both good soil and favorable weather conditions.

But with the spiritual spring water in her space, Xiang Xinyao wasn’t worried about the challenge.

She took the seed from the old man and casually poked a small hole in the soil with her finger before dropping the seed inside.

She covered the seed with soil, set the flowerpot down, and walked over to the water tank. Picking up a ladle, she used her thoughts to fill it with spiritual spring water.

Then, she reached into her sleeve, took out a vitamin C tablet from her space, and crushed it into powder with her fingers, all in front of the old man.

She poured the powdered vitamin C into the ladle and watered the flowerpot.

“There you go, Grandfather. The weather outside is too cold, so you should bring the flowerpot inside. Tomorrow morning, we’ll witness the miracle.”

“Alright, tomorrow morning, I’ll be waiting for you,” the old man agreed, his eyes glinting with anticipation.