Bai Zhizhi turned her head and glanced at Song Jing’an. That glance was complicated-half incomprehension, half jealousy-leaving Song Jing’an completely baffled.

Fortunately, she quickly averted her gaze and replied, “This is a wild fleeceflower root, and it’s very old.”

Most importantly, this wild fleeceflower root possessed spiritual energy.

Fleeceflower roots were common in the mountains, but those that were both old and imbued with spiritual energy were rare. Any medicinal herb containing spiritual energy would be twice as effective as its ordinary counterpart, which was why Bai Zhizhi was so excited.

“Huh?”

Song Jing’an was surprised. He had merely kicked a random branch and stumbled upon a medicinal herb? Moreover, this spot wasn’t far from the village—surely others had passed by here before. How could it have gone unnoticed?

Their luck was truly remarkable.

“We’re really lucky. Should we dig it up?”

Hearing this, Bai Zhizhi shot him a deeply resentful look. Indeed, he was lucky. She had cultivated in these mountains for so long without finding anything, yet he had discovered it so effortlessly. What kind of logic was that?

Who was the real unlucky one here?!

Bai Zhizhi said, “Dig it up!”

Regardless of whether he was unlucky or not, a spiritual wild fleeceflower root was a rare find and absolutely had to be excavated.

Song Jing’an had been waiting for Bai Zhizhi’s decision. As soon as she gave the word, he sprang into action, first carefully guiding her to the side.

“Stand here. I’ll dig it up.”

Bai Zhizhi looked concerned. “Do you know how to dig it up?”

Song Jing’an was both amused and exasperated. How incompetent did she think he was? Could he not even dig up a medicinal herb? Besides, he had genuinely worked the land in his previous life.

To prove himself, Song Jing’an proceeded with extreme caution, hardly daring to breathe too heavily. After digging for a long time, he finally unearthed the fleeceflower root completely intact, without even breaking its vine.

Satisfied, he handed the fleeceflower root to Bai Zhizhi and said proudly, “So, how did I do? Pretty impressive, right?”

“Very impressive, very impressive,” Bai Zhizhi replied absentmindedly, her eyes fixed intently on the fleeceflower root.

It was indeed over a hundred years old.

The Compendium of Materia Medica recorded: “Fleeceflower root is a true immortal herb. After fifty years, it grows as large as a fist; after a hundred years, as large as a bowl; and after a hundred and fifty years, as large as a basin.”¹

The one before them was larger than a bowl, with plump, dark brown roots— unmistakably a wild fleeceflower root over a century old.

Bai Zhizhi’s mind immediately began recalling the herb’s efficacy. Fleeceflower root was bitter, sweet, and astringent in taste, with a mildly warm nature. It nourished the liver and kidneys, enriched essence and blood, darkened hair, and also had properties to combat malaria, detoxify, reduce abscesses, and moisten the intestines to relieve constipation. It was an excellent tonic.²

It was perfectly suited for Liao Guizhi and Bai Fumin.

This was the first thought that popped into Bai Zhizhi’s mind. Although Liao Guizhi and Bai Fumin might appear hale and hearty, their internal vitality was actually depleted, especially Liao Guizhi, who was gradually graying.

She had been worrying about how to nourish their health when this exceptional tonic presented itself—truly a case of “a pillow arriving when one is sleepy,” perfectly meeting her needs.

However, Bai Zhizhi glanced at Song Jing’an. After all, this was the unlucky one’s serendipitous find—he had discovered it first. Therefore, how to handle it should be his decision.

Although she coveted it, she had no intention of seizing another’s fortune. Centuries of cultivation had made her acutely aware of the karmic cause and effect in the world. Forcibly taking what was not meant for her would inevitably lead to retribution.

She had already taken advantage of him with the previous wild ginseng incident. This time, she absolutely could not let Song Jing’an suffer another loss.

So, she explained the fleeceflower root’s efficacy to Song Jing’an in detail, even thoughtfully describing its usage. She added that if he needed her help, she would do her utmost to assist.

After listening to her lengthy explanation, Song Jing’an finally understood her meaning and was astonished. “You’re giving it to me?”

Bai Zhizhi nodded. “You found it.”

Seeing her serious expression, Song Jing’an realized she wasn’t joking and became earnest as well. “I didn’t find it—you did.”

“I just kicked the vine because it was in the way. You were the one who recognized the leaves and identified the fleeceflower root. So, ultimately, you discovered it.”

This was the truth. If Bai Zhizhi hadn’t been with him, even if he had dug up the fleeceflower root himself, he would have mistaken it for a gnarly root and walked away without a second glance.

But Bai Zhizhi didn’t see it that way. She insisted it was Song Jing’an’s serendipitous find.

Song Jing’an sighed, unable to comprehend why she was so adamant. Yet, judging by her determined expression, it was clear she wouldn’t easily change her mind.

“You said this is an excellent tonic for those with deficient vitality?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.” Song Jing’an suddenly smiled. “But it still has to be yours.”

Bai Zhizhi opened her mouth to protest, but Song Jing’an cut her off. “Besides, I need your help. My grandfather… his health isn’t great. Could you use this to prepare some medicine to nourish his body? The rest is yours to do with as you please—you can use it to nourish Auntie and Uncle as well.”

Without waiting for her response, he glanced at the sky and continued, “It’s getting late. We should hurry down the mountain. If we’re any later, Auntie will start to worry.”

Bai Zhizhi watched his retreating figure as he descended the mountain and eventually followed him.

Digging up the fleeceflower root had taken them quite some time. By the time they returned to the village, the wild boar had already been brought down, butchered, and was being distributed.

Since the wild boar was large, every household received a generous portion of meat, especially the Bai family. Thanks to Bai Junwu’s contribution, they were given a double share.

When Bai Zhizhi and the others arrived home, they happened to run into Liao Guizhi and the rest returning with the wild boar meat.

As soon as she saw Bai Zhizhi, Liao Guizhi laughed heartily. “Sweetie, we’re having meat today! I picked out a really good cut.”

Her son was the hero who had taken down the wild boar, so no one objected to letting her choose first. Liao Guizhi didn’t hold back—she directly selected two prime cuts. After all, her son had risked his life for this.

Bai Zhizhi’s eyes instantly lit up. She ran over to Liao Guizhi and proudly presented the rabbit. “Mom, we also have rabbit! Let’s have rabbit meat.”

“Oh! That’s a real delicacy!” Huang Xiuyun exclaimed, taking the rabbit and hefting it. “It’s quite plump. Little Sister, where did you get this rabbit?”

They usually ate chicken and pork most often, so rabbit meat was a rare treat, making it all the more exciting.

“Caught it in the mountains,” Bai Zhizhi replied honestly. Her trip up the mountain had been quite fruitful.

Huang Xiuyun raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. “Little Sister, you’re amazing.”

Cunning rabbits had multiple burrows—they weren’t easy to catch.

But they were delicious! Huang Xiuyun’s mouth watered. She looked at Liao Guizhi. “Mom, how about we have the rabbit today?”

No matter how you cooked it, wild boar was still pork, and they’d had it before. But rabbit meat was something new.

Liao Guizhi wasn’t stingy. She waved her hand. “We’ll have both. Let’s taste the wild boar, and we’ll cook the rabbit too. Xiuyun, you handle the rabbit in a bit. You’ll be in charge of cooking today—your dishes are delicious.”

Hearing this, Huang Xiuyun beamed with pleasure. “Alright, I’ll take care of the rabbit right away.”

She turned to Bai Zhizhi. “Little Sister, watch your second sister-in-law show off her skills today. It’ll be so tasty, you’ll bite your tongue!”

With that, she carried the rabbit to the corner of the yard, picked up a pair of scissors, and with a swift motion, skillfully skinned it. The intact rabbit pelt was washed and set aside to dry—it could be used to make a pair of gloves in winter.

Then she began cleaning and preparing the rabbit. Bai Zhizhi only glanced briefly before looking away—it was a bit cruel for the little animal.

Song Jing’an, however, leaned in closer. “Second Sister-in-Law, how are you planning to prepare the rabbit? I know a method—make it spicy and numbing. It’ll be absolutely delicious.”

Huang Xiuyun was intrigued. “Tell me more.”

So the two of them launched into a discussion on how to make the rabbit even more delicious. Bai Zhizhi wasn’t interested. She carried her precious fleeceflower root into the small room.

“Hey, Jing’an, why are you staring at our Zhizhi like that?” Huang Xiuyun teased, winking at him.

Song Jing’an calmly averted his gaze. “Second Sister-in-Law, where were we just now?”

Huang Xiuyun smiled knowingly and smoothly changed the subject, not pointing out that the tips of his ears had turned red.

In the small room, Bai Zhizhi gazed thoughtfully at the fleeceflower root before her. Freshly dug fleeceflower root couldn’t be used directly—it contained mild toxins that could harm the body if consumed raw. It had to be processed through nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying to become prepared fleeceflower root, a superior tonic.

Preparing fleeceflower root was a meticulous process. The first step required special attention: slicing the root must not be done with iron tools. A ceramic or copper knife was needed to avoid damaging its medicinal properties. During the nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying, black bean juice had to be incorporated. Only by steaming and sun-drying it nine times with black bean juice could the prepared fleeceflower root be considered a truly effective medicine.³

None of the steps were particularly difficult, but the process was complex and time-consuming, requiring patience and careful waiting.

Thinking this, Bai Zhizhi sprang into action. First, she needed to find a suitable knife.

Fortunately, Grandpa Bai had left behind a well-stocked collection of tools. Soon, she found a copper knife—still sharp and perfectly suited for the task.

She washed the fleeceflower root and began slicing it. This was a major task: the soil had to be thoroughly cleaned off before slicing, and wild fleeceflower root was extremely hard and not easy to cut. It required considerable force, yet she had to avoid shattering it—a troublesome balance.

After slicing, she set the pieces out to dry. Next, she needed to prepare black bean juice for soaking.

Just then, Liao Guizhi called her for dinner. “Zhizhi, time to eat!”

Bai Zhizhi responded and walked out. “Mom, do we have any black beans?”

“We do. What do you need them for?” Liao Guizhi asked curiously.

“For preparing medicine,” Bai Zhizhi replied cheerfully. “Can you give me some later?”

“Sure.”

Hearing it was for medicine preparation, Liao Guizhi didn’t ask further. She didn’t understand anyway—just providing the beans was enough.

Bai Zhizhi noticed someone was missing. “Where’s Xiaoyu?”

“I sent him to invite your Uncle Lin. It’s hard for him to cook alone, so I figured he might as well join us for dinner,” Liao Guizhi said without looking up. “Besides, Uncle Lin is your teacher. He comes every day to teach you—that’s hard work. We ought to treat him to a meal.”

Bai Zhizhi felt a twinge of guilt. She wasn’t a very diligent apprentice. Usually, students went to their teacher’s home to learn, but in her case, the teacher went out of his way to come teach her.

It suddenly struck her that she might have been too self-indulgent. She wasn’t a little hedgehog anymore—she was a person now. She needed to interact with others and couldn’t keep hiding away willfully.

Recalling her last outing, she realized that interacting with people wasn’t so terrifying after all. Moreover, if she truly wanted to become a Bai Immortal who healed and saved lives, she had to step outside.

She loved healing people—seeing a sickly body recover because of her. That feeling was even more captivating than cultivating to become an immortal.

Unconsciously, Bai Zhizhi had grown quite a bit.

Before long, Uncle Lin arrived with Bai Junyu. Bai Zhizhi immediately went up to him. “Uncle Lin.”

Even though she had formally become his apprentice, she still addressed him as “Uncle Lin.” He had said that as long as they knew the relationship, there was no need to fuss over titles.

Uncle Lin was delighted to see Bai Zhizhi. He quickened his pace. “Zhizhi, I have some good news to tell you.”