First, they dismantled the shed on the ginseng field, which was simple enough as the boards, after enduring three years of weathering, were already falling apart and were quickly cast aside.
Digging up the ginseng was referred to here as "excavating ginseng clubs," a task far from easy. While digging, one had to use a three-pronged hoe to precisely locate each ginseng club's position before excavating it. The goal was to lift the clump of earth in one go, being careful not to let the prongs damage the ginseng clubs, or else they would be injured and fetch a lower price.
It was essential to excavate the ginseng clubs in the order they were planted, reducing the chances of searching in the wrong spot. Then with one dig, three or four ginseng clubs could be unearthed, with the earth-clad ginseng set aside for those gathering them to retrieve the clubs from the soil.
