Chapter 22: They are both girls, so how could she be the one to dig up a ginseng root!

Sheng Wanqiu smiled; her grandmother had clearly gone out to show off.

She shook her head with a chuckle and went back to organizing her belongings. She had already given her grandmother an excuse, so she was certain nothing would go wrong.

"Old Mother Sheng, did your Wanqiu really sell a ginseng root for money?"

"Indeed! Doesn't this silver bracelet look lovely? My Wanqiu bought it to honor me!"

"Old Mother Sheng, did the ginseng really sell for thirty taels?"

"What's that? You think the gold earrings are pretty? You certainly have an eye for style; my Wanqiu bought them for me."

Old Mother Sheng trotted along on her short legs, thoroughly enjoying the display. The other old women in the village looked on with envy. They couldn't even dream of gold earrings, let alone silver studs; why was Old Mother Sheng so lucky to have such a filial granddaughter?

Where there is joy, there is jealousy.

Next door, Liu Juan was already beating and scolding her three daughters at home.

"You're all girls, so why is she the only one who can dig up ginseng!"

"Get up into the mountains right now and dig for ginseng! Don't come back if you don't find any!"

Liu Juan shoved her three daughters out the door and slammed it shut, ignoring the sound of her youngest daughter's fearful sobbing. Heavens knew she had been driven green with envy when she heard that Sheng Wanqiu had sold a ginseng root for thirty taels. Why did that wretched girl have such good luck? First a sheep, now a ginseng root—Heaven was truly blind! Why couldn't it spare some of that luck for her family?

They were all granddaughters of the Sheng family; how could Heaven be so partial? And she had bought silver bracelets and gold earrings for Sheng Chunhua and that old hag, yet she didn't think to buy one for her, her eldest aunt! What an ungrateful wretch. She had even held her when she was a baby!

At Bai Haoyu’s house, things were equally chaotic. When Bai Xiaolian heard the news, she was so angry she smashed her bowl. Heavens! A silver bracelet, gold earrings—those should have been hers! Why wouldn't that wretched Sheng Wanqiu fawn over her anymore? It was infuriating! She was green with jealousy.

"Big Brother, don't you want to coax that little hussy Sheng Wanqiu back? Thirty taels!"

"That would be enough money for you to go to the capital for the imperial examinations! Now it’s all gone to waste on others. You really are useless!"

Bai Xiaolian was so angry she felt like hitting her brother. Mother Bai also looked at her eldest son with a mournful gaze, her heart bleeding; she wanted gold earrings and silver bracelets too!

"Son, why don't you try again? Girls are soft-hearted. Coax her a bit more, and she might change her mind."

"There is an old saying: a determined girl fears a persistent suitor. Just appear before her more often, show her more care, and I believe you can win her back!"

Mother Bai encouraged her eldest son; she had no choice, as she desperately wanted those gold ornaments.

Bai Haoyu sighed. He thought his mother was right. He would try again; what if he succeeded?

And so, Bai Haoyu intercepted Sheng Wanqiu as she was heading to the village chief's house with a basket of pastries.

"Good dogs don't block the road. Get lost!"

Sheng Wanqiu looked at Bai Haoyu with disdain. Seeing his smug expression, she really wanted to hit him with a hammer!

"Wanqiu, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I have feelings for you, you must believe me!" Bai Haoyu stared at her, feigning deep affection.

"You have eye gunk in your eye."

Bai Haoyu froze, immediately turning away to wipe the corner of his eye with his sleeve. By the time he turned back, Sheng Wanqiu was already gone.

Their encounter had been witnessed by the three Sheng sisters, who had been chased out of their home.

"Big Sister, you have no chance now!" Sheng Laidi whispered.

"Hmph! You don't have a chance either!" Sheng Zhaodi stomped toward the back mountain. She refused to believe that if Sheng Wanqiu could dig up ginseng, she couldn't!

While Bai Haoyu was still wondering where Sheng Wanqiu had vanished to, she had already arrived at the village chief's home.

"You are being too polite, girl. Take these things back!" The village chief saw the two packs of pastries Sheng Wanqiu took out of her basket and immediately pushed them away.

"Uncle Chief, I just got lucky and made some money. It is only right that I show some respect to you."

"If you don't accept them, how am I supposed to bring up what I need to say?"

Sheng Wanqiu pushed the items back toward him.

"What is it? Speak! If I can help, I certainly will. You grew up under my watch, and we are relatives, after all; helping is the least I can do."

Hearing this, Sheng Wanqiu seized the opportunity.

"Cousin Uncle, you know that we have separated from the main family, and living together is truly inconvenient."

"My eldest aunt is not easy to get along with. Every time we cook something, she starts cursing and swearing. We can't eat in peace, and I can't just beat her up every single day, can I?"

"I dug up half a ginseng root in the back mountain and made some money, so I want to build a new house and move out with my grandmother and younger brothers."

"I wanted to ask about that vacant plot at the end of the village. What is the price? I want it!"

"Also, there is a plot of land at the foot of the mountain. I want to grow some medicinal herbs to sell to the pharmacy and supplement our household income."

Sheng Wanqiu laid out all her requests in one breath. She believed the village chief wouldn't refuse; after all, that plot of land had been empty for a long time. If she paid for it, the village would gain some revenue, and the chief wouldn't turn that down.

"Wanqiu! Isn't that too far away? Will your grandmother agree to live there?"

"And that land is quite barren. It will be a lot of trouble to clear it."

"There are several paddy fields not far from your old home that are up for sale. If you want those, I can go ask for you."

The village chief didn't hold back and spoke honestly. As for the land Sheng Wanqiu had her eye on, he could make the decision; it was just barren village land that nobody wanted anyway.

"Yes, Wanqiu, listen to your cousin uncle. That land is really too barren; it will be exhausting to reclaim."

The village chief's wife also tried to persuade her out of kindness, not wanting Sheng Wanqiu to waste her money.

"Uncle, Auntie, I appreciate your kindness. I am not planning to grow crops; I want to grow medicinal herbs, so that land is actually quite suitable."

"Besides, I don't want anyone to disturb me, especially my eldest aunt's family. I have a bad temper, and I’d hate for things to get out of hand one day—if I accidentally killed someone, it would only bring you trouble, wouldn't it?"

"So, I want to stay away from the village. My grandmother supports me; you can rest assured of that. Now that we are the second branch of the Sheng family, I am the one in charge!"

Seeing the firm expression and resolute tone of Sheng Wanqiu, the village chief and his wife knew that further persuasion would be futile, so they stopped.

Soon, Sheng Wanqiu successfully secured the two plots of land. The land for the house was cheaper, at four taels of silver, and the other plot of ten acres, being barren fields, cost five taels. The total came to nine taels.