Chapter 60

Chapter 60

The snow in the south always fell gently, melting into water upon touching the fingertips. Zhong Yizhu caught a few flakes in his hand, struggling to imagine the scene Pei Mu had described—of heavy snow swirling across the border fortress in winter.

The snow had started falling the night before, and Pei Mu had gone into the mountains early this morning.

This snow, which had been building for days, had lingered for some time—from last night until now—yet it had only covered the ground with a thin layer. In the mountains and forests, however, it had painted everything a vast expanse of white, a rare and beautiful sight.

Zhong Yizhu rolled a snowball and tossed it into the distance, feeling as though something was missing. He breathed warmth onto his hands and returned to the hearth in the main room.

Today, Wang Ping'an and his husband hadn’t come. The wooden boxes they’d made in recent days were enough for this month’s use, so the two had gone to attend to their own household affairs.

Sun Yunniang was doing embroidery by the bright window, but her mind was unsettled as she thought about what Zhu Ge'er had told her earlier.

“Zhu Ge'er, have you truly made up your mind to go with Pei Mu to Quzhou Prefecture?”

Zhong Yizhu responded, “Don’t worry, Mother. Quzhou Prefecture isn’t far—a month there and back will be enough. It’s just that I’ll have to trouble you to take over my stall.”

Sun Yunniang wasn’t worried about that. “What’s so hard about selling a few things? Besides, you’ve asked Rong Ge'er and the others to help.” She sighed. “But running a trading caravan is grueling work—why do you insist on going?”

Zhong Yizhu was wearing the clothes Sun Yunniang had made for his birthday. His face was bright and handsome, the picture of a young man raised with care and affection. Yet he insisted on going to a place where men gathered and endured wind and exposure—how could she not be anxious?

Zhong Yizhu pulled a small stool closer and helped her organize her embroidery threads. Sun Yunniang stroked his hair, unable to voice any strong objections. Her son had always known his limits, and she knew he wasn’t being reckless or playful.

Zhong Yizhu spoke slowly. “Mother, when those spice stall owners saw that I was a young man doing business, they didn’t want to deal with me at first. Then Liu’s Fragrance Shop threatened them not to sell me spices. Even though they were being pressured, they still took the opportunity to act difficult, expecting us to beg them. I can’t swallow that anger.”

If it were only that, having Pei Mu go alone would suffice. But Zhong Yizhu added, “I’m not afraid of hardship, Mother. I want to go to Quzhou Prefecture and see for myself. The spices there are good, and maybe their incense-making is good too. I want to check it out.”

Sun Yunniang sighed softly in her heart. Looking at her son’s vibrant, eager eyes, she still couldn’t shake her worry. But her son had been stuck for so long—how could she bear to let him down?

At least Pei Mu would be there to look after him. Pei Mu was skilled and protected her son like the apple of his eye—that gave her some small peace of mind.

Sun Yunniang swallowed the words she had intended to say. “Alright, go ahead. Come back and tell me all about it when you return, so I can broaden my horizons too.”

Zhong Yizhu reached out and grabbed a corner of her robe. “When we’ve earned enough silver, we’ll take you to see it yourself, Mother.”

Sun Yunniang’s eyes curved, and she answered softly, “Good, I’ll wait for that.”

...

In the mountains, the temperature was low, so the snow melted slowly and piled up thicker than at the foot of the mountain.

But Pei Mu had been up the mountain so many times that he knew the terrain well, so the trek wasn’t difficult for him.

He carried a bow, arrows, and a machete for protection, heading in the direction he remembered.

This trip into the mountains wasn’t for hunting.

Pei Mu had once been seriously injured and spent some time in the military hospital. The military doctor in Kucheng Town was young but skilled. While others flocked to wealthy areas, he had settled in Kucheng, staying for years.

But no matter how good his medical skills were, the wounded soldiers from the battlefield were in terrible shape. He could save some, but many were beyond hope.

Pei Mu was one of the few who had been gravely wounded and pulled back from the brink of death. Jiang Hui had been amazed at Pei Mu’s speed of recovery and took an interest in him. The hospital was always short-handed, and during battles, they wished they could be in three places at once. With the debt of a life-saving favor, Pei Mu started helping Jiang Hui with chores as soon as he was well enough.

It was during that time that Pei Mu learned about medicinal herbs. In those brief days, Jiang Hui guided him in picking up a handful of Chinese characters.

Jiang Hui had many medical books. When there was no fighting, he buried himself in them. He was talkative, while Pei Mu was silent and reserved. Jiang Hui often pulled Pei Mu aside, rambling about things no one understood, occasionally saying something comprehensible.

From him, Pei Mu heard about many rare and valuable herbs, including the clump of “Snow-Capped Head” in front of him.

It sprouts in spring, matures when snow falls, and withers within half a month. It is a powerful tonic for prolonging life.

But because it could only grow deep in the mountains, was easily eaten by wild animals before maturing, and quickly withered afterward, it was extremely hard to find and expensive.

The illustrations in Jiang Hui’s medical books were detailed, so Pei Mu had recognized it the first time he saw it back in summer. According to Jiang Hui, the chances of this herb surviving until winter were slim. Back then, Pei Mu had only himself to support and could make enough from hunting, so he hadn’t paid it much mind. The area was full of game, and he wasn’t the only hunter in the mountains—he couldn’t very well fence it off.

Later, he put it out of his mind until his last trip back from Rongcheng County, when he remembered it while in the mountains. Without much hope, he went to check and was surprised to find it still undamaged.

So he began to nurture some hope, and the vague thoughts that had crossed his mind earlier grew stronger.

He hadn’t decided to go into the spice trade on a whim.

Whether Zhu Ge'er set up a stall or opened a fragrance shop, they needed a stable source of spices. They couldn’t be at the mercy of others on that front, and from what he had learned, as long as they could find a market, the business would be profitable.

But he didn’t know if he was cut out for business, so he couldn’t risk the capital Zhu Ge'er had saved for the shop.

He figured that even if he started with a small shipment, their stall could handle the extra stock, and they’d only lose the travel and lodging costs. He had enough savings to cover that. If he needed to invest more, it wouldn’t be with Zhu Ge'er’s money at risk.

Pei Mu pushed aside the snow and relaxed his brow slightly.

It seemed heaven had favored him again.

The mature Snow-Capped Head plants were dusted with frost, plain and unremarkable, with only their leaves being somewhat distinctive.

This small clump of Snow-Capped Head had miraculously survived until now.

The ground was frozen hard, and it took Pei Mu nearly two hours to dig up the clump. He gathered twelve intact plants, along with a few that had been partially eaten. He left the badly damaged ones behind.

Pei Mu stood up, dusted off his hands, and carefully placed the cloth bag into his basket. Glancing at the sky, he quickened his pace down the mountain.

“Once dried, Snow-Capped Head can be used whole as medicine, but it requires extremely precise processing techniques.”

Pei Mu, of course, didn’t know how to process it. He had to sell the fresh herbs as soon as possible—the fresher they were, the better the medicinal effect.

He hurried home to report that he was safe, then set down his bow and machete and rushed to Songyun County town.

Seeing it was a pricey herb, Pei Mu went straight to the largest pharmacy in town.

It was nearly closing time. The apprentices and assistants were busy tidying the cabinets and scrubbing the floor. When Pei Mu walked in with his cloth bag, saying he wanted to sell herbs, only a young, inexperienced apprentice bothered to acknowledge him.

The apprentice looked about twelve or thirteen. He looked up at Pei Mu, wiping his hands with a cloth. “What herb do you want to sell? Fresh or processed?”

Pei Mu opened the bag to show him. “This is Snow-Capped Head, freshly picked today. Do you want to buy it?”

The apprentice scrunched up his face and looked at Pei Mu. “Snow-Capped Head? I’ve never heard of it. Are you messing with us, sir?”

The other apprentices and assistants laughed, but Pei Mu ignored them.

He closed the bag and looked at the apprentice. “It is indeed a medicinal herb. If you don’t know it, ask your pharmacy’s doctor or the manager. If you don’t want it, I’ll go elsewhere.”

Seeing that Pei Mu spoke with conviction and feeling embarrassed by his fellow apprentices’ laughter, the apprentice gritted his teeth and ran to the back hall.

The other assistants and apprentices whispered that Little Ergou would surely catch hell, but they were startled when the manager came running out.

The manager’s voice preceded him: “Where’s the Snow-Capped Head?”

Following the apprentice’s directions, he sized up Pei Mu. When Pei Mu opened the bag, the manager picked up a plant, examined it, and his face twitched. Suppressing his excitement, he said to Pei Mu, “Sir, please come inside for a discussion.”

The manager carefully examined all the herbs in the bag before trying to get friendly with Pei Mu. “Young man, does someone in your family practice medicine? How do you know about Snow-Capped Head?”

Pei Mu knew they were trying to feel him out to see how low they could push the price. He made up a random answer, and once the shopkeeper gave a quote, he directly stood up, ready to pack the herbs and leave, saying he would go to the next herb shop.

"Hey, wait, wait!" The shopkeeper quickly stopped him. "Eight taels per plant, eight taels! I can't go any higher!"

"If you're not sincere about this deal, then I'll be on my way."

Pei Mu gave a slight bow and continued packing the herbs. The shopkeeper waited until he was walking out before gritting his teeth and shouting, "Ten taels! That's the highest price I can offer. If you want more, you'll have to go to Rongyang Prefecture, but you don't know how to process the herbs, so by the time you get there, they won't fetch a good price. Since you know the trade, you know I'm not lying."

Pei Mu knew the herb was valuable, but Jiang Hui wasn't a pharmacy doctor and wouldn't discuss herb prices with him. He had just been sure the shopkeeper would take him for a fool who didn't know the market. Now that he had this confirmation, he stopped, looked at the shopkeeper, and nodded calmly.

"Deal."

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Author's note: Since my current apartment lease is expiring soon, I happened to find a suitable place to view today and went to check it out, which caused a short delay. Here's a little red envelope for this chapter.