They've really shot themselves in the foot; they're foolish without even realizing it.

"By the way," Su Qingzhi lowered her voice, "what exactly did she pick up in the mountains to exchange for money?"

She frowned slightly, and her tone became cautious.

Su Qingzhi simply couldn't believe that he could make money solely by selling herbs.

The wild grass roots and dried mushrooms that she usually picked on the mountain could only be exchanged for a few cents. How could that allow her to frequently go in and out of the supply and marketing cooperative and even buy new cloth to make clothes?

There's definitely something fishy going on here.

Most medicinal herbs need to undergo a series of complicated processing steps after being harvested, such as drying, steaming, and stir-frying, in order to preserve their medicinal efficacy to the greatest extent and make them easier to sell at a good price.

Otherwise, if you take it directly to a pharmacy to sell, the pharmacists will arbitrarily lower the price on the grounds that it is "unprocessed" or "of poor quality," and may not even be able to offer a decent purchase price.

In order to supplement their family income, many villagers would take advantage of the off-season to go up the mountain and risk their lives to dig up some medicinal herbs.

Some people knew a little about how to process it, so they would secretly dry and crush it at home, then sneak into the black market in the county town under the cover of night to exchange it for some copper coins or silver coins.

Su Qingzhi had seen this kind of thing many times before and was already used to it.

Recently, however, Su Yueyue has been behaving unusually frequently, making a trip to the county town almost every one or two days. Sometimes she even leaves early in the morning and doesn't return until evening, her steps hurried and her behavior strange.

Ganoderma lucidum?

Ginseng?

Those are all rare items from the mountains, worth a fortune. How could ordinary people find them so easily?

Besides, even if you do find one, it's impossible to dig one up every day, right?

Su Qingzhi sat in the courtyard, holding a half-sewn shoe sole in her hand, but her eyes drifted to the path in the distance, her brows furrowing more and more tightly.

She simply didn't believe it—that Su Yueyue could really make so much money by collecting medicinal herbs in the county town every day?

unless……

What she's selling isn't herbs at all.

The moment the thought crossed Su Qingzhi's mind, her heart sank.

Although Su Yueyue is nominally living in Qingshan Village, she is still an outsider with an unknown identity and unclear origin, like a time bomb buried deep in the village.

Once detonated, the consequences would be unimaginable.

What's more troublesome is that once Shen Zhiyu has fully recovered, he will be ordered to return to his unit and the military camp.

Su Yueyue, as his "cousin," had already declared that she would accompany the army and settle down in the military camp.

Her parents were soft-hearted and, out of consideration for their blood ties, they always indulged Su Yueyue.

If one day Su Yueyue cries, makes a scene, and begs for forgiveness on her knees, her parents might soften their hearts and tacitly allow her to go with them...

After that, who could control her?

Once she arrives at the military camp, she will have access to border secrets and the movements of soldiers. If she harbors ill intentions, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Therefore, before Shen Zhiyu fully recovers and is ready to set off, she must send Su Yueyue and her family away from Qingshan Village.

We can't delay any longer.

“She told the village chief that she had collected medicinal herbs to sell for money.”

Su Qingzhi spoke slowly, her tone calm, but her eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

"I've secretly watched it several times before."

Shen Jinhe replied in a low voice, "Every time she goes out, she carries that big bamboo basket on her back. The basket is so full that it's almost bursting open."

"But... I peeked inside, and it was mostly filled with ordinary weeds, wilted and yellowish, that would crumble in the wind."

"Those grasses..."

I've never seen it before, and I don't know its name.

Shen Jinhe paused for a moment, "But she said it was a medicinal herb, and the village chief didn't check it carefully before believing it."

Su Qingzhi's brows furrowed tightly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the needle and thread, but her heart felt as if it had been violently tugged, and her heart was pounding.

This matter is not that simple.

“Xiao He,” she suddenly looked up, her voice extremely low, almost a whisper, “every time she goes to town, does the village chief ever search her basket?”

Shen Jinhe nodded, her eyes serious: "It was turned over. That day I was hiding behind the woodpile and I saw the village chief reach in and rummage around a couple of times."

"That……"

Su Qingzhi's eyes flickered slightly as she continued to press, "Have you emptied the contents of the basket and looked at them? Turned it all over?"

Shen Jinhe was taken aback, then looked bewildered: "Huh? Pour it out?"

She scratched her head, looking puzzled. "This... I didn't see it. The village chief just reached out and touched her, asked a few questions, and then let her go."

She couldn't help but look at Su Qingzhi, her voice tinged with confusion: "Sister-in-law, what exactly are you suspecting? Could it be...?"

Is there something else hidden in the basket?

Su Qingzhi did not answer immediately.

She looked around to make sure no one was there, not even on the path outside the courtyard wall, before slowly leaning close to Shen Jinhe's ear, her voice so low it was almost a whisper:

"I have some ideas, but I can't say for sure yet. But remember, don't believe her too easily."

She paused, her gaze turning serious: "I'll tell you after I've found out everything."

"Okay!"

Shen Jinhe nodded immediately, her voice clear and crisp, like a bird singing on a branch in spring.

Her eyes sparkled, without the slightest hesitation or a question about the reason.

Su Qingzhi admired this about her the most.

No wild guesses, no rambling.

Unlike some people who always like to dig to the bottom of things and won't stop until they've uncovered the whole story.

And what about Shen Jinhe?

She believes whatever you tell her; she does whatever you ask her to do.

That openness and trust, like a clear mountain stream, silently flows into the depths of people's hearts.

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