Chapter Thirty-Two: Herbs Are Not Mere Grass

The two of them waited outside for about a quarter of an hour before Ankang came out, dressed in the academy’s standard blue scholar’s robe and matching scholar’s cap. “Mother, little sister,” he called.

“Big brother,” Anyi answered softly.

“Zhuzi,” Madam Luo took hold of his arm, looking him up and down with a frown. “Why have you gotten thinner?”

Ankang could only smile helplessly. “Mother, I haven’t gotten thinner.”

“Your eyes are all sunken—how can you say you aren’t?” Madam Luo’s face was full of concern. “Your studies are important, but you must take care of your health too. If you wear yourself out, no amount of reading will do you any good.”

Ankang nodded. “I’ll take care of myself.”

“Big brother, this is for you.” Anyi pulled out an orange pouch from her pocket. “I made this sachet myself, and there are five coins inside. Take it and buy yourself something to eat.”

“Well, aren’t you clever! You can make sachets now,” Ankang said as he took the pouch, poured out the coins, and handed them to Madam Luo. “Mother, I still have money.”

“Keep it—this is money your little sister earned,” Madam Luo said with a smile.

Ankang was surprised. “Little sister earned money?”

“She dug up some herbs and sold them to the pharmacy for thirty-six coins,” Madam Luo said, a hint of pride in her voice.

Ankang was even more astonished. “Little sister, when did you learn about medicinal herbs?”

“I read about them in books—the books have illustrations, so I just matched the pictures to the plants,” Anyi replied, raising her brows.

“My, my, what a clever little sister I have, knowing how to find herbs by the pictures!” Ankang tapped her nose with his finger. “Be careful when digging up herbs, don’t hurt your hands, all right?”

“All right,” Anyi responded crisply, relieved that Ankang hadn’t suspected anything.

By midday, the three of them found a small noodle stall near the academy and each had a bowl of plain noodles for five coins. Ankang had more lessons that afternoon, so after a few more reminders, Madam Luo let him return to his studies.

Madam Luo then took Anyi to the oil and salt shop to buy some salt—official salt was only available in the city. At the grain shop, they bought five pounds of white rice, two pounds of millet flour, and a pound of glutinous rice. Passing a steamed bun vendor, Anyi tugged at Madam Luo’s sleeve. “Mother, let’s buy pork buns for second brother.”

Madam Luo thought for a moment, took out ten coins, and bought four large meat buns. “Xier, you have two, and save the other two for your second brother.”

“I don’t want any—they’re all for second brother,” Anyi said.

“If you want something, Mother will buy it for you,” Madam Luo said, happy to spend a little extra since her sewing for the folding screen had brought in some money.

Anyi glanced at the things for sale on the street, then shook her head. “There’s nothing I want to eat.”

“How about Mother buys you a flower for your hair?”

“No need, big brother already bought me a hair ribbon,” Anyi replied, shaking her head so the ribbon fluttered.

“Then how about some new fabric for a dress?”

“I just got a new dress for New Year’s, I don’t need another.”

“Then what do you want?” Madam Luo was puzzled—usually, whenever they came to town, her daughter pestered her to buy all sorts of things, but today she wanted nothing.

“I don’t want anything. I want to save up to buy a house,” Anyi said.

Madam Luo laughed. “All right, all right, we’ll save up to buy a house.”

When mother and daughter arrived at the teahouse, Luo Guangnian and his wife had just arrived as well. They waited about as long as it takes an incense stick to burn, then two women appeared, arms loaded with packages. After another quarter of an hour, seeing no one else arrive, Luo Guangnian decided not to wait any longer and drove the ox cart slowly out of town and back to the village.

When Madam Luo and Anyi returned home, Anjian had already steamed soybean cakes and prepared side dishes, waiting for them. After supper, Madam Luo took out the four meat buns. “Shuanzi, these four buns—steam them hot tomorrow morning and take them to school. Your little sister bought these for you with her own money.”

“Little sister earned money?” Anjian turned to look at Anyi. “How did you earn money?”

“I sold those herbs to the pharmacy,” Anyi replied with a smile.

“Those weeds you dug up are actually medicinal?” Anjian could hardly believe it.

Anyi nodded. “Sold for thirty-six coins.”

“Thirty-six coins!” Anjian’s voice rose in excitement. For a child, thirty-six coins was a small fortune. “I want to dig too! Little sister, I want to help you dig.”

“There aren’t many left in the village. Wait until you’re on break, then we’ll go up the mountain to dig,” Anyi said, smiling. With Anjian’s company, Madam Luo wouldn’t object to her going up the mountain, and she could venture into those dark, damp places to find some poisonous plants.

“Those herbs you dug up by the fields the other day—those were medicinal too, right?”

“That was pennywort.”

“When I come back from school, we can dig by the western fields—they’re not far from the village.”

Anyi thought about it. “All right.”

Anjian was filled with enthusiasm for earning money by digging up herbs. The next day, he ran all the way home from school, arriving a quarter of an hour earlier than usual, and called out as soon as he entered, “Little sister, come on, let’s go dig herbs! Little sister! Little sister!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Anyi hurried out from the inner room, giving him a reproachful glare. “Second brother, keep your voice down. If you shout the whole village will know, and if everyone goes digging, what will be left for us?”

Anjian clapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes darting back and forth.

Seeing him like that, Anyi couldn’t help but laugh. “Go get the bamboo basket and hoe from the woodshed.”

Anjian carried the bamboo basket, Anyi slung the back basket, and the siblings headed to the fields at the west end of the village. Anyi quickly found one, dug it up, and handed it to Anjian. “Second brother, this is pennywort.”

Anjian stared in disbelief. “Ah, so this is pennywort! It’s actually medicinal!”

“It’s not just pennywort—shepherd’s purse is also a medicinal herb. Tomorrow we can dig that up as well,” Anyi said, smiling.

Anjian pulled out a stalk of cogongrass. “What about this? Is it medicinal too?”

“That’s white cogongrass. Its rhizome can be used in medicine, but it’s best harvested in June.”

Anjian looked around at the fields, beaming. “Little sister, we’re going to be rich—we’re going to be rich!”

Anyi burst out laughing at his foolish excitement. “Yes, yes, we’re going to be rich.”

“Let’s hurry and dig, let’s hurry and dig!” Anjian was so thrilled he could hardly contain himself. In his eyes, the green grass covering the hills had all turned into glittering silver.

Anyi stopped him. “Second brother, don’t rush. Listen to me—it takes skill to dig medicinal herbs. Don’t just pull the leaves off with your hands. Use the hoe to dig up the roots. If the roots are damaged, the shopkeeper won’t buy them.”

“I know, I know, I’ll be careful. I won’t break a single root, don’t worry,” Anjian promised, nodding vigorously.

It was already late, and the siblings hadn’t been digging for long when dusk began to fall. Carrying their baskets as they headed home, they ran into two of the village’s most notorious gossips just as they entered the village.