Chapter 27: Heading Into the Mountains with the Ji Family Brothers

Mr. Ji Ji nodded. “You’re right, child. Your Mrs. Ji and I may not be able to help you much, so please, take care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Ji. I’ll keep myself safe,” Hu Zhaodi reassured him.

They spent a while in town, buying everything they needed, before finally heading back on the ox cart.

In fact, Hu Zhaodi already had bedding in her storage space, but the fabric and design were impossible to find in Lingxiao Kingdom. To avoid raising Mo Jinnan’s suspicions, she decided to spend the silver and buy bedding to keep things simple.

As for grains, oil, and vegetables, she could freely take them from her space. After all, Mo Jinnan would have no way of knowing whether she had bought them or not.

By the time they returned to Dawai Village, it was already late afternoon.

Hu Zhaodi put two sets of bedding into a basket, grabbed two cloth bags, and took one of the crystal pork dishes she’d packed from the restaurant, then quickly headed toward the mountains.

Along the way, when no one was around, she discreetly took some rice, vegetables, and meat out of her space, along with two doses of medicine she had prepared for Mo Jinnan. Then, she picked up her pace toward the mountain.

As she was nearing the deeper parts of the forest, she saw Rufeng.

Seeing her carrying so many things, Rufeng hurried over to help her with some of the load.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the cave taking care of your master? Why are you out here?” Hu Zhaodi asked with a frown.

Rufeng looked aggrieved. “Didn’t you hear my master say last night that I should escort you in and out of the mountains from now on?”

“I heard, but I refused, didn’t I?”

“Your refusal doesn’t mean anything. It has to be approved by my master. He’s just worried you might get into trouble and encountered wild beast.”

Hu Zhaodi rolled her eyes. “He’s probably just afraid that if I get hurt, there’ll be no one left to cook for him or to help with his detox, right?”

Rufeng raised an eyebrow. “To be fair, your cooking is quite good. I wouldn’t have thought someone your age could be so skilled. But I’m curious—growing up in a village, who taught you medicine?”

Hu Zhaodi replied irritably, “Curiosity can kill you. You better not be too curious or you might regret it.”

“And I bet you’re not curious about my master’s identity?” Rufeng asked, smirking.

“What’s there to be curious about? I’m young and not ready to lose my life for no reason. I don’t want to know who you are, and you shouldn’t tell me. Once your master recovers, pack up and leave. I don’t need any extra trouble.”

Rufeng twitched his lips in disbelief. It was the first time he had met a woman who had no interest in his master.

In Bianjing, all the noble ladies were eager to get close to his master, hoping for some kind of connection. But then again, looking at Hu Zhaodi’s underdeveloped frame and her youthful face, she probably didn’t understand matters between men and women yet.

Once they arrived at the cave, Hu Zhaodi wasted no time and began cooking.

When she took out the crystal pork she had brought from Fumanlou, Mo Jinnan couldn’t help but frown. “Did you make this crystal pork?”

Hu Zhaodi shook her head. “No, I went to the county town today and bought it from Fumanlou with your silver.”

“Then keep it to share with your family back home. I’ll be fine with just what you cook.”

Hu Zhaodi shrugged, “I bought two of them.”

Fine. Mo Jinnan realized he had been overthinking. He twitched his mouth slightly, picked up a bowl, and started eating.

He tried the crystal pork first, but after one bite, his brows subtly furrowed. It wasn’t as good as the braised pork Hu made.

Rufeng, on the other hand, ate with great enjoyment, oil all over his mouth.

After they finished eating, Hu Zhaodi handed the prepared medicine to Mo Jinnan and took her leave.

When Hu Zhaodi returned to the Ji household, she was surprised to see that Mr. Ji Ji’s children and grandchildren were all gathered.

Upon her arrival, Mrs. Ji eagerly asked, “Zhaodi, have you eaten yet?”

“Auntie, yes, I’ve eaten. Is there special occasion? It’s so lively in here,” Hu Zhaodi replied with a smile.

Mr. Ji Ji chuckled, “Not exactly. Thanks to you, we had so much food left over today. Since you weren’t here to eat with us, and it would’ve gone to waste, your aunt and I called your brothers over to share it.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded. “Makes sense. The weather’s warm, so the food wouldn’t keep until tomorrow.”

Brother Ji then spoke up, “Zhaodi, last time you mentioned taking me into the mountains to hunt and gather herbs. I’ve finished up all the work in the fields, so I’m ready to join you tomorrow.”

The other two Ji brothers chimed in eagerly, “Zhaodi, we’d like to go with you into the mountains too.”

Hu Zhaodi frowned slightly. Lately, she’d been going into the mountains daily to cook for Mo Jinnan, and she couldn’t let the Ji brothers run into him and his servant.

But she also knew that, as farmers, they’d soon be busy with the fields again, with little time left for hunting and gathering. After a brief pause, she said, “Alright, you can all come with me tomorrow. I have a few things to handle first, though, so let’s meet by the big pine tree at the back of the mountain at dawn.”

The eldest Ji brother nodded. “Got it. It’s late, so you should rest up. We’ll head out now.”

“Alright, you all get some rest too. We’ll need plenty of energy to start earning silver tomorrow.”

With that, the three Ji brothers returned to their homes with their families.

After chatting a bit longer with the elderly couple, Hu Zhaodi washed up and settled in for the night, sitting cross-legged to practice her martial arts.

—

The next morning, before dawn, Hu Zhaodi was up early. After washing, she packed her basket, taking along a machete and a hoe, and made her way to Mo Jinnan’s cave to prepare breakfast.

When she arrived, Mo Jinnan was just waking up. She quickly prepared breakfast for him and Rufeng, then left them a few instructions before hurrying to the meeting spot with the Ji brothers.

When she arrived at the designated spot, the Ji brothers were already waiting for her.

Fifthe Brother Ji handed her two vegetable cakes. “Zhaodi, you haven’t had breakfast yet, right? Here, eat these to fill up a bit.”

Without being overly polite, Hu Zhaodi took the cakes and thanked him, “Thank you, Brother Ji. Let’s go!”

The three nodded and followed her into the outskirts of the mountains.

This time, Hu Zhaodi led them along a different path than the one she usually took, deliberately avoiding any areas she had already explored. After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she spotted a wild ginseng plant. However, the plant was still young and wouldn’t fetch a high price.

Instead of immediately digging it up, she pointed it out to the Ji brothers for identification.

The eldest brother smiled, “Zhaodi, we know wild ginseng when we see it. Just teach us about the other herbs.”

“Alright then. Tell me which herbs you already recognize, and I’ll show you the rest.”

The eldest Ji brother replied, “We know the valuable ones like ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, and Polygonum multiflorum. But we don’t know many others.”

“That works. I’ll point out any other herbs I spot along the way. You can dig them up, and the pharmacies in town will pay for them.”

Fifth Brother Ji then asked, “Zhaodi, how did you learn to identify so many herbs?”

Hu Zhaodi laughed. “I picked it up by visiting the doctors at the pharmacies in town. I had no choice—I need to earn my own living!”