Chapter 59: Ginseng Still Needs to Be Planted

"Oh my, Second Grandma, are you trying to make me laugh to death?"

Yuan Hongqu laughed so hard she almost couldn't stand up straight, and Xiangtao, supporting her, couldn't help but laugh as well.

Xiangtao's maternal grandmother was from Changbai Mountain. She had been told many stories about ginseng babies and ginseng maidens since she was a child. So when she heard Wang Xifeng's words, she was first shocked, and then she found the second mistress's idea quite interesting.

"Ninety-nine leaves? Do you think this is pig feed?" Yuan Hongqu laughed.

"Sister Feng, what are you talking about that makes you so happy? Tell me too." After school, Baoyu first went to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, then went to see Lady Wang, and then immediately came to see his precious ginseng.

Just after crossing the small bluestone bridge, I heard Lin Daiyu, Feng Jie, and Granny Yuan talking happily under the bougainvillea.

“Master Bao is here. Your Sister Feng said that a hundred-year-old ginseng must have ninety-nine leaves. You should tell her about it quickly, so we don’t laugh at us to death…” Yuan Hongqu finally stood up straight, supported by Xiangtao.

Wang Xifeng was still bewildered. She felt she hadn't miscalculated; subtracting one from the year gave her the number of ginseng leaves. A hundred-year-old ginseng was one hundred minus one, which couldn't be anything other than ninety-nine!

Even if the King of Heaven himself came today, she wouldn't have miscalculated the ginseng's ninety-nine leaves even though it's a hundred-year-old ginseng!

"Isn't that right?"

Wang Xifeng had no doubt that she had miscalculated, but Yuan Hongqu's smile made her feel a little uncertain.

Jia Baoyu found it strange to see his shrewd second sister-in-law, the housekeeper, looking so bewildered, but he realized that a hundred-year-old ginseng really wasn't made up of ninety-nine leaves.

He did do some research before he decided to grow ginseng.

"Sister Feng, your calculations are correct."

"I knew it! It couldn't be wrong." Having received Jia Baoyu's affirmation, Wang Xifeng revealed a smug expression again.

"I'm going to tell Master Lian that if he causes any more trouble when the head of the manor comes to pay tribute next time, I'll skin him alive!"

"Sister Feng, please don't!" Jia Baoyu hurriedly stopped him. "You're right. But if a ginseng has ninety-nine leaves, it's probably a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng, having already achieved enlightenment."

Seeing that Wang Xifeng still didn't understand, Jia Baoyu continued,

“When ginseng grows to five years old, it has four leaves. When it grows to six years old, it has five leaves. It takes several years to grow from five leaves to six leaves. After six leaves, there is a big hurdle. Ginseng may remain with six leaves for decades, with no change at the top, only the ginseng buds at the bottom growing continuously. Ginseng that can grow to seven leaves is basically a hundred-year-old ginseng.”

"A hundred-year-old ginseng only has seven leaves? If that's the case, how many leaves should the five-hundred-year-old ginseng that the old lady gave to Lin Daiyu have?" Wang Xifeng couldn't figure it out.

“Feng’er, don’t bother calculating. Remember, ginseng has a maximum of seven leaves. Any more than that and it’s practically become a spirit! After seven leaves, ginseng will reincarnate. It will start from the ‘three flowers’ and reincarnate again. So the ginseng with ninety-nine leaves that you mentioned has probably already become an immortal.” Yuan Hongqu couldn’t help but explain to Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng then showed a look of sudden realization, it seemed that she finally understood.

"Sister Feng, don't let Brother Lian cause trouble for the farmers. Ginseng is truly rare." Jia Baoyu no longer boasted that he had grown a large patch of ginseng and was now giving Sister Feng a basketful of it.

This ginseng is really not easy to grow!

He crouched down to look at the precious ginseng, and found that the three pitiful little leaves had all fallen off. Although he was mentally prepared that the ginseng leaves would fall off in winter, he did not expect it to happen so quickly.

With no shelter around them, the few ginseng plants looked even more frail in the cold wind, and Jia Baoyu felt as if they were shivering.

"Granny Yuan, could you build a small greenhouse for the ginseng, just like a traditional greenhouse?"

Yuan Hongqu glanced at him. Although this child lacked responsibility, he was still kind-hearted. It was just possible that he had done the wrong thing with good intentions in both his past and present lives!

The Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb on the banks of the Western Spirit River, beside the Three Lives Stone, grows right by the river; how could it lack water?

Without a word, he poured sweet dew over her, making the Crimson Pearl Fairy owe him a debt of gratitude for watering her, and she had to be reincarnated to the mortal world to repay the debt with tears.

Sigh, calling him stupid is probably not an exaggeration.

“Ginseng only fears direct sunlight, not severe cold. Changbai Mountain is much colder than here,” Yuan Hongqu explained casually.

Jia Baoyu seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly spoke:

"Sister Feng, I would like to ask Brother Lian to help me find some more ginseng seeds. When spring comes, I want to plant ginseng all around the Jinping Vine in Rongyue Courtyard."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hongqu rolled her eyes inwardly.

Wang Xifeng was somewhat troubled.

“Baoyu, it was just a coincidence last time; the estates in Changbai Mountain were sending tribute. But if we want to go specifically to find ginseng seeds, we'll have to send someone to Changbai Mountain. Now that it's winter, the roads to Changbai Mountain can be blocked by heavy snow at any time, and it will take quite a while to make the trip. Can you wait?”

"I can wait, Sister Feng. You must help me find ginseng seeds. This time I have experience, so I'm sure I can grow them better than last time!" Jia Baoyu felt a little sorry for the ginseng he had killed before, especially the ones planted in flowerpots.

He believed that ginseng was extremely yang because it absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, so he had people move ginseng to sunny spots three times a day, morning, noon and night, so that the ginseng could absorb the essence of the sun.

As a result, he died the day after drying the ginseng for only one day.

He didn't notice that the soil layer on the ginseng planted next to the artificial hill was too thin, so the ginseng couldn't take root and withered in just a few days.

The others also died because they lacked planting experience.

The thought of those thirty-one ginseng seedlings that had died in vain made Jia Baoyu's heart ache even more.

“There’s no need for Second Master Lian to send someone on this trip again. There are plenty of talented people in the capital. Ask them or go to the pharmacies to see if they have any unprocessed ginseng seeds.” Yuan Hongqu hadn’t thought of this before, but later learned that ginseng seeds are actually a Chinese medicine, and most larger pharmacies should have them.

She has far too many ginseng seeds in her space. She already has enough ginseng planted in her space, so these ginseng seeds are not very useful to her. She plans to sell a batch of ginseng seeds soon.

While Jia Lian sent people out to investigate, she could learn about the market conditions and rules.

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu hurriedly asked Wang Xifeng for help again.

Since there's no need to send anyone to Changbai Mountain, and things can stay in the capital, Wang Xifeng can still fulfill whatever this young master desires on a whim.

If someone were to be sent to Changbai Mountain, the round-trip travel expenses would amount to a considerable sum of money.

Wang Xifeng couldn't bear to part with it.