Chapter 22: A Windfall from the Heavens (Part 1)

Mu Fugui’s mouth dropped open in shock.

The red berries and green leaves were too familiar!

More than a decade ago, he had dug up a ginseng plant deep in the mountains.

But he never expected to find another one now!

Mu Mian was just as surprised. Even though she already knew there should be ginseng in this area, knowing and actually finding it were two completely different things.

One was uncertain hope. The other was solid reality—the difference between the two was immense.

Father and daughter squatted under the tree, excited for a long moment.

Mu Fugui suddenly grabbed his daughter into a tight hug. “My daughter is amazing! You have sharp eyes! How did you recognize it?!”

Mu Mian answered smoothly, “I saw a picture in the newspaper. It looked similar.”

She wasn’t lying. The newspaper really did have a picture of ginseng.

Mu Fugui’s big, bull-like eyes crinkled into a smile as he ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Hahaha! No wonder they say smart people make big money!”

Realizing his laughter was too loud, he quickly hushed himself, glancing around like a thief. After confirming no one else was nearby, he let out a quieter but equally excited chuckle.

That deep, suppressed laughter carried an oddly foolish joy.

Mu Mian grabbed the small spade nearby and handed it to Mu Fugui. “Dad, hurry and dig it up!”

Mu Fugui took it eagerly. “Yes, yes, let’s dig it up right away!”

Saying that, he squatted down and got to work. When people were excited, they tended to talk more, and Mu Fugui was already someone who talked a lot.

As he dug, he kept chatting. “Let me tell you, I have plenty of experience digging up ginseng.”

“When your eldest brother was two or three, I found one that was at least fifty years old.”

“The harvests weren’t great back then, and that ginseng helped a lot. Without it, your brother wouldn’t have grown up so strong. When kids don’t get enough nutrition when they’re young, it’s hard to make up for it later.”

“If he had been skinny like a twig, he never would’ve been selected for the army last time. Not to brag, but at least half of his success is thanks to me.”

Mu Mian giggled. “And not thanks to Mom or Grandma?”

Mu Fugui shushed her. “They aren’t here. If they’re not here, they don’t count. If they were, then maybe.”

Mu Mian burst into laughter, making a sound like a goose. But fearing her father might break the ginseng’s fine roots, she quickly changed the subject. “Dad, stop talking and just dig!”

Mu Fugui, whose legs were starting to go numb, straightened up slightly to stretch before reassuring her, “With me here, don’t worry. I’ll get it out in one piece.”

In just a short while, half of the ginseng root was already exposed.

Mu Fugui was shocked. “This is still considered young. It must be at least thirty or forty years old.”

Mu Mian, acting like a little money-grubber, said excitedly, “Then we’re rich!”

A ginseng of this age would definitely be worth more than a hundred yuan.

Mu Fugui had the exact same expression. “That’s right! We’ve hit the jackpot!”

Even though it was still early in the day and this place was quite remote, there was still a chance someone might pass by.

Mu Fugui might like to chat outside, but he knew what he could talk about and what he couldn’t.

This was definitely something they couldn’t let others know. Keeping quiet and making a fortune in silence was the way to go. If word got out, it would easily spark jealousy, and that wouldn’t do.

So even though he couldn’t stop talking, his hands moved quickly.

Before long, he had carefully dug out the rest of the ginseng, including its fine root hairs, in one whole piece.

There was no time to admire it. Mu Fugui grabbed a handful of weeds and placed them in his daughter’s small basket, then carefully hid the ginseng inside. “Let’s go, let’s go! Time to head home!”

Before leaving, he made sure to fill in the hole they had dug.

He didn’t forget about the poplar tree they had chopped into two sections either. One carried the tree, the other carried the basket, and the father and daughter happily made their way down the mountain.

On the way, they ran into some neighbors, exchanging casual greetings as usual. No one had any clue that the two of them had just struck it rich.

While they couldn’t tell outsiders, there was no way they could hide it from their own family.

As soon as they got home, Mu Fugui tossed the tree into the yard, grabbed his wife with one hand and his mother with the other, and pulled them inside.

Both women were completely confused.

Liu Shuangcui smacked her husband. “What are you doing? Acting all secretive. The corn hasn’t even been shelled yet, and you’re just wasting my time.”

Mu Fugui grinned. “Good news! Big news!”

Then he ran over to shut the door tightly before turning to his daughter. “Show your mom and grandma!”

Mu Mian’s smile never faded. She reached into her basket, pulled out the ginseng, and held it up proudly. “Look! My dad and I found this!”

“Whoa!”

“Oh my goodness!”

“This… this is…”

Both women leaned in from either side, staring at the ginseng in complete shock.

Liu Shuangcui’s mouth hung open. “Such a big ginseng?! Where did you dig this up? My goodness.”

Zhao Meihua looked at Mu Fugui suspiciously. “You didn’t take Mian girl into the deep mountains, did you?”

Mu Fugui quickly denied it. “Of course not! Do I look that unreliable? We found it halfway up the mountain.”

“Your granddaughter has sharp eyes. The grass was so tall around it, but she spotted it right away!”

Even now, he still felt his daughter’s luck was unbelievably good.

Liu Shuangcui and Zhao Meihua looked at the little girl like she was a walking gold nugget.

Liu Shuangcui even reached out and ruffled her daughter’s hair.

Zhao Meihua took the ginseng and examined it closely. “This is a big one. It must be quite old.”

Mu Fugui chuckled. “That’s for sure! It looks even bigger than the one I dug up more than ten years ago.”

Meanwhile, Mu Mian’s hair had been turned into a messy little bird’s nest by her mother, and Liu Shuangcui looked absolutely delighted.

Mu Mian couldn’t help but speak up. “Mom, what are you doing?”

Liu Shuangcui grinned. “I’m rubbing off some good luck.”

Mu Mian grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled it away. “If you keep rubbing, I’ll go bald. Then you’ll have a daughter with a Mediterranean-style bald head.”

Liu Shuangcui was confused. “What’s a Mediterranean bald head?”

Mu Mian used her fingers to trace a circle on the top of her head. “It means there’s no hair on top, but the rest still has some.”

Liu Shuangcui imagined her daughter looking like that and quickly smoothed out the messy hair.

That wouldn’t do. Even though it was her own daughter, she couldn’t lie and say that would look good.

Zhao Meihua pulled her granddaughter into a hug. “Such a lucky child!”

Mu Fugui sat beside them, admiring the ginseng again. Then he asked, “So what should we do with it? Mom, should you keep it, or should my wife?”

“We have to store it properly. If someone steals it, I’ll be sick with regret.”

“How about hiding it up on the roof beam?”

Zhao Meihua turned to her granddaughter. “Mian girl found it, so she should decide.”

Mu Mian thought for a moment. “Why don’t we sell it?”

After all, everyone in the family was in good health, and no one really needed ginseng for nourishment.

Mu Fugui repeated in surprise, “Really sell it?”

Mu Mian nodded. “Didn’t you say there are lots of rich people in the city? If you sell it to one of them, maybe we can get a bicycle ticket.”

First, having a bicycle at home would be much more convenient.

Second, Mu Mian genuinely felt bad for her father, who had to walk back and forth every day.

It wasn’t so bad in the summer and autumn, but once winter came, it would be unbearable.

During winter, when there was no farm work, the people of the brigade could stay home and rest.

But that was the busiest season for her father. On regular days, there weren’t always livestock to butcher, and he mostly just looked after the ones that had been sent over.

But winter was different. That was when every brigade sent their pigs in, and with the New Year approaching, every household wanted to buy meat.

That time of year, Mu Fugui was busy from dawn till late at night. He would leave before sunrise and only get home when it was completely dark.

Sometimes, he wouldn’t even make it back home and had to sleep wherever he could find a spot at the slaughterhouse.

And third…

She wanted to set aside some money to buy things in town.

Mu Fugui didn’t think that far. He only heard that his daughter wanted to trade the ginseng for a bicycle ticket, and the big man got so emotional his eyes turned watery.

Mu Fugui said, “I won’t take it from you for nothing. I’ll put the money on record, and your mother will keep the rest for you. When you grow up, you can take it yourself.”

Liu Shuangcui replied, “Whether we can exchange it or not is another matter.”

Mu Fugui spoke with certainty, “This is a rare item even in the city. It will definitely fetch a good price!”

In the end, Zhao Meihua made the decision: “The eldest daughter-in-law will keep it for now. Gather more information before making a deal.”

Mu Fugui assured her, “Mom, don’t worry. I won’t let us suffer a loss.” He spent nearly a week gathering information.