Chapter 4: Time to Make Money

“Xiaoxiao, from now on, you can’t call me ‘Mom,’ you have to call me ‘Niang,'” Xia Qingfeng said, looking at her daughter. “Since we’ve come here, we need to follow their customs. We have to be careful with everything we say and do. Don’t let anyone notice anything strange. People from ancient times are superstitious, and if they think we’re demons, they might burn us at the stake.”

Xiaoxiao looked up from her bowl of noodles and said, “Niang, I’m just three years old. What do I know? You just need to be careful and don’t get exposed.”

“Ah… right,” Xia Qingfeng replied, pausing. “Xiaoxiao, our money was stolen last night, and now there’s only rice and flour left in the kitchen. We need to figure out what to do next. Also, I want to go to Youzhou to find the original owner’s adoptive parents and fulfill their wish.”

Thinking about the elderly couple who had treated the original owner so kindly, Xia Qingfeng sighed. “Sigh, after going through the original owner’s memories, I can see that they were really good to her—like how your grandparents were to you. I just hope they can live their remaining years more peacefully and happily.”

Xiaoxiao’s mood dropped as well when she thought about her late grandparents. Growing up, her mother was always busy, and she had been raised by her grandparents, so the bond was deep. “Niang, right now, our most important thing is making money. We need money for the journey. The road to Youzhou is long, and we can’t walk there. We need a carriage. If not a horse-drawn carriage, at least a donkey cart, right?”

“Goodness! This 90s generation, not even full from the meal, and already talking about wanting a cart,” Xia Qingfeng thought to herself. She looked at her daughter with a helpless expression. The price of a carriage in this era… it was practically a luxury vehicle!

Xiaoxiao noticed her mom’s gaze and rolled her eyes. “What kind of look is that? Let me tell you, I’ve read more web novels than you. All those time-traveling experts with some medical knowledge—they always make money by going to the mountains to collect herbs. If they’re lucky, they might find something like ginseng or lingzhi. If not, they can always earn a lot of silver by treating the old ladies in rich families. If we’re lucky, maybe soon we’ll have our own cart!”

Xia Qingfeng thought for a moment. Given that the unbelievable had already happened—her being transported to another world—why should she doubt the possibility of the rest? Dreams are important, after all. Who knows? Maybe it will happen.

After finishing their lunch, Xia Qingfeng made a pot of ginger soup. It was early spring, and the weather was still chilly. The river water was freezing, and the original owner and her daughter had been sent away in such cold conditions. Although she and Xiaoxiao felt fine now, it was better to be cautious and drink something warm to prevent sickness. Xia Qingfeng knew that in ancient times, even a mild illness could be fatal. And even though she had medical skills, the situation they were in made her realize just how limited she was without proper resources.

After drinking the ginger soup, mother and daughter took a nap to rest.

Once refreshed, Xia Qingfeng decided to go into the mountains. She placed Xiaoxiao into a basket on her back, squatted down to secure it, and grabbed an old cloth bag and a sickle before heading out.

To the west of the village stood a large mountain, where villagers often went to chop wood and gather wild vegetables and fruits. However, no one dared to enter the deeper parts of the mountain because of the many poisonous snakes and wild beasts there.

Xia Qingfeng carried her daughter to the foot of the mountain. There weren’t many people around, probably because most were busy with spring planting in the fields.

There weren’t many wild vegetables left; most had already been dug up by the villagers in the morning. During spring, wild vegetables sprouted in succession, and the villagers, who had barely enough food left after the long winter, mixed these wild edibles into their meals to survive.

As Xia Qingfeng walked further into the mountain, she found plenty of medicinal herbs.

“Seasonal herbs are treasures; after the season, they are just grass,” the ancient saying echoed in her mind. “In March, you gather Artemisia; in April, it’s wormwood. May and June are for firewood. In spring and autumn, you dig roots, and in summer, you harvest grasses. Berries are ripe, and flowers are in bloom.” These old sayings spoke to the way time itself bestowed different qualities on herbs.

Every plant has its own season, and the medicinal properties of a single herb can vary greatly depending on when it’s harvested. 

As a modern doctor, Xia Qingfeng had relied on advanced medical equipment for diagnosis and treatment. However, she came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Her father and uncle were both skilled in Chinese medicine. Although she had studied Western medicine later in life, her exposure to herbs from a young age had given her a solid foundation in their uses. She had also grown up memorizing the ancient herbal songs passed down through her family.

Late autumn to early spring was the best time for harvesting root herbs, and today, Xia Qingfeng found both *Gastrodia* and *Atractylodes*.

*Gastrodia* has the function of calming the wind, stopping spasms, and relieving liver yang. *Atractylodes* strengthens the spleen, boosts energy, dries dampness, benefits water metabolism, stops sweating, and has the added bonus of being useful for treating pregnancies. The villagers here didn’t recognize these herbs, so they were untouched and grew abundantly. Xia Qingfeng quickly filled most of her basket.

The deeper into the mountain they went, the more she found, and soon she spotted a patch of *Rhubarb*. There was so much of it that she realized she wouldn’t be able to harvest it all in one day—she’d have to come back tomorrow.

After filling her basket with *Gastrodia*, *Atractylodes*, and a half-bag of *Rhubarb*, Xia Qingfeng was ready to head back down the mountain. The herbs weren’t heavy, but crouching for so long had made her legs sore. The original owner’s body was used to a life of comfort and wasn’t suited for this kind of physical labor, so Xia Qingfeng was feeling the strain.

Taking a short rest, she pulled her daughter out of the basket and began walking down the mountain. It was then that something unexpected happened—while heading down, they discovered a patch of *Mandragora*.

It was still early spring, and the *Mandragora* seedlings had just sprouted. If one didn’t look closely, it would be easy to miss. Xia Qingfeng’s heart skipped a beat. *Mandragora*—whether in root, leaf, or seed form—had significant medicinal value, and it was also a primary ingredient in creating hallucinogenic potions. Xia Qingfeng immediately became alert.

She quickly used her small shovel to carefully dig up the *Mandragora* plants, filling her cloth bag with them. These could be a valuable tool for self-defense, and no matter how tired she was, she had to collect them.

Finally, after all the digging, Xia Qingfeng was exhausted. Xiaoxiao hurried over and started gently massaging her legs with her tiny hands.

Xia Qingfeng felt a rush of happiness, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment. “Xiaoxiao, our body is too weak, we can’t go on like this. Tomorrow, we’ll start early for morning exercises. I need to practice the things I learned in the military when I was young. That way, if we meet a thief like last night, I’ll at least be able to subdue him. You need to practice your Taekwondo too! You’re a black belt, remember? All that training can’t go to waste.”

Xiaoxiao looked up at her mother, eyes wide in disbelief. “Niang, I’m just three years old with short legs. Who do you want me to kick? How am I supposed to kick anyone? Ugh, I’m so frustrated! Why did I have to come here in such a tiny body? I can’t help you with anything!”

Xia Qingfeng chuckled at her daughter’s dramatic response. “Well, let’s not say you can’t help,” she said, trying to console her. “You might not be able to kick anyone right now, but if we get into danger, you can run! Back in ancient times, martial arts were taught from childhood. Taekwondo is similar to martial arts, so you can start early too. And don’t worry, I don’t expect you to help me physically. You’ve always been a sensible child, never playing like other kids. Now, Niang can stay with you and help you grow up. I want you to be the happiest little princess in the world!”

Seeing that her words were getting a bit sentimental, Xia Qingfeng immediately stood up, brushing herself off. “Alright, alright. With you giving me this lovely little massage, my legs don’t even feel sore anymore. Let’s head back; it’ll get dark soon, and the mountain path isn’t easy to navigate after dark.”

And so, Xia Qingfeng kept talking, chatting with Xiaoxiao as they made their way down the mountain.

Along the way, she spotted several more herbs, making a note to come back and harvest them next time. They were almost at the foot of the mountain when suddenly, Xia Qingfeng felt the weight of the basket on her back shift. Her heart skipped a beat—was it a snake? They were so close to the village now, so why would there be a snake here?

Trying not to startle her daughter, she carefully crouched down and slowly lowered the basket.