Back at home, Li Xiaohan picked up a wooden tray and said to Madam Wang, “Mother, can you help me dig up some plant ash from the kitchen?” 

“Alright.” Madam Wang now followed her daughter’s lead in everything. Besides, with her mind unsettled, doing nothing would only make her overthink. 

“What does Xiaohan-meimei want plant ash for?” Li Changrong asked. At some point, this cousin he’d never really paid attention to had changed dramatically. It was because of that change the family separation had cost them extra. Li Changrong felt some things were beyond his expectations. 

Li Xiaohan looked at her cousin, supposedly the most promising person in the Li family, with a smile in her eyes, neither backing down nor avoiding him. 

“Brother Changrong, I scraped my leg on the mountain this morning. It’s still faintly aching now. I’m going to wash it by the river and then apply some plant ash.” 

Since ancient times, it was said that plant ash could be used to stop bleeding on wounds, so what Li Xiaohan said seemed completely reasonable. 

Sure enough, Li Changrong couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not. He slightly frowned and said, “Then take care, Xiaohan-meimei.” 

“Thanks for your concern, Brother Changrong.” Li Xiaohan picked up her wooden tray. “Mother, let’s go.” 

Madam Wang was a little afraid of Li Changrong, the eldest grandson of the Li family and a scholar in the making. She knew her daughter hadn’t injured her leg but didn’t understand why she would lie. Afraid that Li Changrong might see through them, she quickly scooped up a handful of plant ash with a dustpan and hurriedly lowered her head as they left. 

Seeing Madam Wang act like this, Li Changrong’s suspicions faded. So what if Li Xiaohan was a little fierce and clever? She was just a girl. With parents like Madam Wang and Li Xiandong, no matter how bold she was, she had already lost the biggest share of the family inheritance meant for the eldest son and had been split off. 

Li Xiaohan had no idea what Li Changrong was thinking. She and her mother arrived at the river. It wasn’t time for washing clothes or vegetables, so the riverside was deserted. Still, Li Xiaohan chose a spot that was usually secluded. 

“Xiaohan, what do you want the plant ash for?” Now that no one was around, Madam Wang relaxed and asked curiously. 

“To wash seeds.” 

Li Xiaohan took out the Sanqi seeds wrapped in leaves from her clothes and gently began rubbing them clean in the tray. 

Sanqi seeds are difficult to preserve. 

It’s best to select plump, mature fruits from three- to four-year-old plants, peel them, air-dry them naturally, and then soak them in a 1:60 dilution of “Root Peptide” or “Sterilization King” for disinfection. But given their current situation, the best they could do was clean the seeds and use plant ash for sterilization to preserve them as well as possible. 

Sanqi seeds also easily lose viability after drying, so they had to be sown as soon as possible. “Tomorrow, we’ll plant these in Father’s mountain plot.” 

“Th-this Sanqi… it can actually be grown by ourselves?” Madam Wang found it hard to believe but couldn’t help holding onto hope. 

“Who knows if it’ll grow?” Li Xiaohan laughed as she kept working, carefully washing each Sanqi seed clean. “We’ve got to at least give it a try. There’s nothing to lose. If it works, we’ll make a fortune.” 

You only have hope if you try. If you never try, there’s no hope at all. 

Madam Wang felt a warmth in her chest. After over ten years of being oppressed by her stepmother-in-law, submission and timidity had become her second nature. 

But in this moment, Li Xiaohan’s words ignited something in her. Yes, give it a try. What if it actually works? 

Sanqi fruits were tiny and numerous, but both mother and daughter were meticulous and dexterous. Though washing the tiny fruit was tedious, they quickly cleaned the seeds thoroughly and soaked them in water mixed with plant ash. 

Li Xiaohan made a rough estimate: a three-year-old Sanqi plant has over 200 small flowers in its umbel. Once it bears fruit, each fruit contains one to three seeds. They had harvested six Sanqi plants this time, and she figured there were over a thousand seeds in total. 

The only question was how many of them would actually sprout. 

“Mother, let’s go. Time to head home,” Li Xiaohan said, straightening up. 

It had been easy enough to hide the seeds in her clothes when they left, but taking them back home wouldn’t be so simple. 

Li Xiaohan began thinking about what excuse she could use if someone asked. 

But luck was on her side. There was no one in the Li family’s main hall at that moment. The Li brothers were away studying, and Madam Chen was out back in the vegetable garden with her daughters-in-law. 

Seizing the opportunity, Li Xiaohan darted inside and carried the wooden tray straight into Li Xiandong and Madam Wang’s room. 

Good thing the tray was hers, or that would have been hard to explain. 

By evening, Li Xiandong and Li Shengli returned. Madam Chen handed over the household rations for their family of three, and the silver for the separation was fully transferred. The household division was complete. 

Five strings of coins to build a house, plus another two from the family separation. 

Seven strings of coins. Would it be enough? 

Li Xiaohan wasn’t familiar enough with current prices to be sure, but judging by her parents’ expressions, she could tell it wasn’t. 

Still, a person couldn’t be crushed by setbacks alone. 

Hopefully, the Sanqi would bring in some money. If it didn’t, she would follow them into town, see what medicinal herbs she recognized, and look for ways to earn money there. 

With that thought, Li Xiaohan said, “Father, tomorrow let’s take the Sanqi to the pharmacy in town and see how much it can sell for.” 

“Mm, mm.” The uncertain and helpless Li Xiandong and Madam Wang both nodded. 

Yes, they still had the Sanqi. 

They still had hope.