The next morning.
Chen Jie was in a half-awake state when he felt a figure moving in front of him.
As he opened his eyes, there was Daisy sitting in front of him, anxiously looking at him.
Chen Jie rolled over, and Daisy immediately became anxious, "Brother-in-law, wake up, the sun is shining on your butt already."
"What time is it?"
Chen Jie asked, to which Daisy replied, "It's 5:30 AM."
"What kind of mess is this, let me sleep a little longer."
Chen Jie still wasn't used to the timekeeping method of this era. 5:30 AM, according to the ancient 12 two-hour periods, meant it was six thirty in the morning.
"Brother-in-law, wake up, Sister has already made breakfast, she has been waiting for you for a long time."
Daisy said anxiously.
In reality, Chen Jie didn't care what time he got up, but today's breakfast was a leftover rabbit meat from yesterday, along with freshly made sorghum rice, so she was really craving it.
But her sister said they wouldn't start the meal until her brother-in-law woke up, so the little one was so anxious she could only wait by Chen Jie's bed.
Chen Jie didn't particularly like to sleep in either, but he was excited and couldn't sleep last night after reading the reports.
The most important point was the fifth one: Doctor Bai had fallen into Wild Wolf Gully.
Wild Wolf Gully was deep and dangerous, and it was said that wild wolves roamed freely. Doctor Bai falling in there, crying out to the heavens and earth with no response, and also spraining his ankle—imagine how desperate he was.
And if Chen Jie happened to pass by at this time, saving his life, then Doctor Bai would surely be deeply grateful.
Doing a favor for someone, making them owe him a big favor, would definitely have great benefits.
He remembered that Doctor Bai's son-in-law was the Manager of the fishery in Xiantao Village and also a disciple of the Fishing Guild. By connecting with him, Chen Jie could, as he wished, join the guild and become a member of the guild.
So, he had pondered it for a long time last night, and only managed to fall asleep after 2 AM.
Getting up, Chen Jie felt groggy. The sisters were both awake and had cooked the meal; it wouldn't be good to sleep in until eight or nine o'clock, and there was also the matter with Doctor Bai. If he was too late, someone else might have already rescued him.
After washing his face, he finally got to eat the sorghum rice that Daisy had been thinking about.
This sorghum rice was not tasty; it was very hard, but Daisy ate her fill, as rice in this era was polished rice, also called "official rice," which only officials or wealthy households could afford.
After eating two bowls of sorghum rice and more than half of the leftover rabbit meat, Chen Jie stopped eating.
He got up and told Su Yunjin that he was going to the back mountain to see if he could hunt some game.
Upon hearing this, Su Yunjin looked at Chen Jie with concern, while Daisy asked, "Will there be any fat rabbits today?"
Chen Jie patted Daisy's head and said, "If you want to eat, there will be."
Su Yunjin thought for a moment, then went back inside the house and quickly brought out a small cloth bag to give to Chen Jie, "Be careful. We don't have any dry food left at home. There's some burnt rice left from cooking; if you're hungry on the mountain, you can eat that."
"If you go to the mountain in the future, let me know in advance, and I'll pack you some cakes."
Chen Jie looked at the burnt rice in front of him, knowing it was Su Yunjin's thoughtfulness, while Daisy, hearing about the burnt rice, licked her lips—the burnt rice smelled so good.
She really wanted to taste it.
Chen Jie smiled at Su Yunjin and then patted Daisy on the head, instructing them not to leave the house today. He would figure out something for them to eat, and then he headed for the mountain.
He needed to get to the mountain early. Who knew what time Doctor Bai had fallen into Wild Wolf Gully. If he arrived too late, he really could be carried away by wolves.
Frankly, it wouldn't matter much if Doctor Bai were eaten, but what was essential was not to let his own future be ruined.
At present, Doctor Bai was quite important in Chen Jie's plans.
Upon reaching the mountain, Chen Jie first went to check on Wild Wolf Gully. Finding nothing amiss, he then made his way straight to Old Bull Cliff. At the spot described by the intel, Chen Jie searched around and eventually moved a large stone, discovering the ginseng hiding in a crack.
A ten-year-old ginseng was indeed quite precious. Although it couldn't compare with those Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, it was still excellent for nourishing the body. He estimated this ginseng could sell for three to five silver taels.
That was a considerable sum. According to the currency exchange in Daqian, one tael of silver was equal to one thousand cents.
In the current market of Daqian, sorghum rice cost ten cents per pound, and pork was twenty cents per pound. In the countryside, two silver taels could definitely buy a poor family's daughter as a maid.
And a strong laborer, working for landlords, could only earn ten cents a day. Even laboring at the docks, which was more profitable, would only yield thirty cents a day.
This ten-year-old ginseng could be sold for three to five silver taels, which amounted to three to five hundred pounds of sorghum rice. That was enough to feed a family for half a year.
Do not think the price is too low.
Ginseng wasn't as precious as one might imagine. It's the age that makes it expensive. This was only a ten-year ginseng, but if it were twenty years old, the price could double.
Thirty years could double it again, with nearly every additional ten years marking a new price point.
However, this ginseng was still too young.
Nevertheless, Chen Jie was very pleased. Selling this ginseng would at least solve a significant portion of his financial struggles, and at the very least, his problem with money for food would be taken care of for the short term.
Thinking about this, Chen Jie wrapped up the ginseng and placed it in the bamboo basket on his back.
This bamboo basket was woven by Uncle Erba and was quite sturdy.
Having packed the ginseng, Chen Jie casually dug up a few herbs that weren't expensive and placed them in the basket. Carrying the basket on his back and pretending to be a herbalist, he approached Wild Wolf Gully.
Although he was going to save Doctor Bai, he couldn't just stroll in openly, lest he arouse suspicion. It made sense to disguise himself as a herbalist, especially since he had some medical knowledge and collecting herbs would look natural.
In this manner, he arrived at Wild Wolf Gully and did not find Doctor Bai. Had he come too early?
Thinking this, Chen Jie found a large tree to lean against. He had risen early today and was sleep-deprived, leaving his head feeling a bit groggy.
Chen Jie wanted to take a nap, but sleeping in these deep mountains and dense forests was tantamount to suicide. Who knew whether he would wake to find himself being carted off by wolves.
Therefore, Chen Jie directly began to practice the Yang Chun Skill.
You know, once he started cultivating the Yang Chun Skill and regulated his breathing, Chen Jie quickly felt his fatigue dissipate, and his mind became clear. His overall condition improved.
It was as if he'd had a full night's sleep. Before he knew it, Chen Jie had slipped into meditation.
And just after Chen Jie had entered the meditation, not far up the mountain, an old man dressed in gray clothes, wearing a wide hat, carrying a medicine pickaxe, and sporting a goat beard, was passing Wild Wolf Gully. He looked down and noticed some high-quality astragalus growing on the hillside.
The old man's eyes lit up, and he made his way there, positioning himself on the slope and taking out his medicine pickaxe to begin digging. But as he bent over, suddenly a snake burst out.
"Ah!"
Startled, the old man took two steps back, stepping right onto a rock behind him, instantly losing his balance.
"Ah~"
With a scream, he tumbled down the hillside and fell into the gully.