Fu Man'er's little mouth twitched up noticeably. She leaned against Grandma Xu's chest and asked, "Grandma, what is ginseng?" The family hasn't been able to leave the house yet because of this.

Moreover, all the doors, both inside and outside the house, were tightly closed, and even the windows were shut shut.

"It's a medicinal herb that can cure diseases and is worth a lot of money. If you ever find another one, hide it immediately and don't tell anyone else."

Grandma Xu thought to herself, "Luckily, only Fu Man'er was digging radishes that day, otherwise I don't know who would have gotten the ginseng."

Xu Genshan added, "Take it back and show it to the adults right away. Don't let it go to feed the sheep again."

Although it was a pity that the ginseng was fed to the sheep, she did not blame Fu Man'er. Before this, she had always thought that it was just a skinny wild radish.

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"We can't tell anyone about what happened today." Finding ginseng is a big deal, and if the villagers find out, not only will the mountain be flattened, but the Xu family's doorstep will also be flattened.

Fu Man'er nodded halfway before pausing. "Can't I tell my brother either?"

"No." Seeing how firmly Grandma Xu answered, Fu Man'er agreed. Well, anyway, her brothers also had things they didn't want her to tell Grandma, so they were even.

The family gathered around Fu Man'er and said a few words before Grandma Xu let everyone go out.

The ginseng was a windfall, but the small business was the lifeblood of the Xu family. However, because of the ginseng, the entire Xu family had to come out of poverty.

Medicinal herbs all need to be processed and preserved, but the Xu family knew nothing about it. They decided to take the ginseng to town to sell that day, as they didn't feel at ease leaving it at home.

Such a big task could only be handled by Grandma Xu or Xu Genshan, but this would mean fewer people to handle the food.

"I'll go with you," Old Xu said. "I can't do much else, but I can make soup, clear the dishes, and wipe the table." He usually only did odd jobs at home.

It's not a big deal to not do anything for a day, but if you don't do business for a day, the losses can be huge.

Even Xu Genzhu wanted to go to town, but Xu Genshan stopped him, saying, "Now that Mom, Dad, and your siblings are going too, there are enough people. Don't delay your plans. Aren't the people in the next village waiting for you to deliver some things today?"

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During their casual chat that morning, Xu Genzhu mentioned that a girl who was getting married the next day was waiting for him to send her some festive gifts.

"Yes, although we run a small business, integrity is the most important thing, especially for such an important event as a wedding. Second brother, you don't need to go to town."

Despite being a farmer, Old Man Xu always taught his sons to keep their promises, for only in this way could they establish themselves on the ground.

The family quickly made a decision, and Fu Man'er was wondering what to do next.

Liu Fang led the girl outside. The adults had all gone out; it was impossible to leave her daughter alone at home.

As soon as everyone finished getting ready and opened the door, they saw someone loitering outside. Upon seeing them come out, the person quickly came up to them and asked, "Did you find ginseng?"

Granny Yao looked at the Xu family with shining eyes, which made them feel uneasy. How did she know?

"Where can ginseng be dug?" Xu Genshan asked in return.

Granny Yao was taken aback. "I clearly heard someone from your family calling for ginseng just now!" It was quite a coincidence; she heard someone calling from inside the Xu family's house as soon as she walked to their door.

Thinking that there might be some excitement to watch, she heard the word "ginseng" when she heard the door slightly ajar. Then someone came and closed the door.

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She pressed her ear against the door, but heard nothing. However, the ginseng was so tempting that she kept pacing back and forth at the door. Seeing that the Xu family hadn't opened their door for so long, she felt that there must be something fishy going on.

Ma Hong's face changed instantly. Fortunately, she hadn't left the courtyard yet, so Granny Yao hadn't noticed. Oh no, she was the one who called for ginseng in the first place, so she must have been overheard.

Standing at the door, Liu Fang was the first to calm down, her face filled with worry. "Auntie, you heard right, they ordered ginseng."

Granny Yao almost rushed over to grab Liu Fang's hand, but then Liu Fang said, "It's all because of our Genshan. His leg is still not healed, and he's been running around all day. I was afraid his leg wouldn't be able to take it, so I said I'd buy some ginseng for him to eat."

"Really? I clearly heard that voice sound like your second son's wife!" As she spoke, Granny Yao craned her neck to look inside, trying to catch a glimpse of Ma Hong.

Liu Fang knew this old woman wouldn't be so easily fooled, so she sighed and continued, "Aunt Yao definitely didn't mishear. It's my second sister-in-law. She reacted quite strongly when she heard I wanted to buy ginseng, and she repeated it to me several times, afraid that she might have misheard."

At this moment, Ma Hong suddenly seemed to be enlightened, "This ginseng is so expensive, I thought I was dreaming. What kind of family is our Xu family that can afford to eat ginseng?"

She's usually so loud and boisterous, but now she's deliberately putting on a serious face, and it actually looks like she's serious.

“What’s wrong with you, woman? That’s our elder brother. What’s wrong with him eating some ginseng? As long as it can cure him, it’s no problem for him to eat as much as he wants.” Xu Genzhu immediately chimed in, and pulled Ma Hong aside to tell her to be quiet.

"We don't have the money to buy ginseng," Ma Hong continued to shout.

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Xu Genshan kept a dark expression and didn't say a word, which looked quite intimidating.

Liu Fang glanced awkwardly at Granny Yao. "Auntie, our family has managed to scrape together some money these past few days. The doctor said he could sell us some ginseng rootlets, but we're still short quite a bit. Could you lend us some?"

These words almost made Granny Yao's teeth fall out. She really dared to speak up. "No, no, where would I get the money? Your sister-in-law is right. If we don't have money, we won't eat. This whole family still needs to live."

She didn't have time to inquire about the ginseng now; she was too busy watching the Xu family's antics to care. She had to leave quickly, lest the Xu family set their sights on the Yao family's money.

As soon as she turned around, Old Mrs. Xu came out and started cursing at the people at the door, "Aren't you ashamed enough? You've said it inside and outside, you've made me lose all face."

Granny Yao glanced back and saw that Old Lady Xu's scolding was really fierce, leaving the others speechless. Granny Yao, who had initially been somewhat skeptical, began to believe Liu Fang's story a little more.

Old Mrs. Xu cursed several times in a row until Granny Yao walked away, and only then did the family breathe a sigh of relief, but Old Mrs. Xu's expression did not improve.

"Be careful, everyone." If everyone hadn't reacted quickly, this whole thing would have been exposed.

The group nodded hastily, said nothing, and walked outside as if nothing had happened.

Fu Man'er looked at Liu Fang as if she had just watched a farce. "Mother, your hands are wet." Her hand was being held by Liu Fang, and she could feel the sweat on Liu Fang's palm.

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Liu Fang smiled at her, then took her hand with her other hand. "When we get to town, tell Mom what you want to eat, and Mom will buy it for you."

"Mm." Fu Man'er agreed quickly. Liu Fang observed her expression. What she was most worried about earlier was that Fu Man'er would speak up, but so far, she hadn't asked a single question.

This child is actually quite smart.