Spring had arrived, but digging up medicinal herbs on the mountain grew increasingly difficult.
In the past, Uncle Li could have managed. However, Cheng You needed a massive quantity of herbs for her medicine-making, and simply digging them was no longer sufficient.
Most of the time, she had to use a permit to purchase them from the pharmacy. But there were limits, and they were unwilling to sell more than the allocated amount.
Currently, the clinic's medicine supply was barely adequate. If demand increased, they would be in trouble.
A nascent, perhaps immature, idea began to form in Cheng You's mind. She wanted to grow medicinal herbs.
Uncle Li thought it wasn't entirely out of the question. If Cheng You put her mind to it, what if she succeeded? It would be better than her having to trek up the mountain regardless of the weather, which was quite arduous.
"I have a plot of land behind my house. If you truly want to grow them, you can have it for medicinal herbs."
Cheng You rolled up her sleeves and was ready to begin.
The problem was, she was stuck at the very first step: she couldn't buy any herb seeds.
There were none for sale in the commune, and she couldn't find any even after going to the county town. Medicinal herbs weren't like ordinary vegetable seeds; regular shops didn't sell them. Even if they did, few people would buy them.
Cheng You began to worry. This situation was just like her earlier desire to open a shop – stalled at the first hurdle. One lacked seeds, the other lacked a household registration book; nothing could be accomplished.
"Sigh..."
Cheng You had lost count of how many times she had sighed that day.
Qi Chengyan watched her look of distress and couldn't help but smile. He got up from the grass and offered her his hand.
"Come with me to the commune to pick up a package."
Cheng You slapped his palm and mumbled, "I don't want to go." He didn't seem to understand her worry at all; she was in such a state of distress.
Qi Chengyan bent down and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go."
Only then did Cheng You reluctantly follow him out.
The two of them were often seen going in and out together, attracting much attention. Gossip about them never ceased.
Song Yulian, seeing this, couldn't resist a jab. "Cheng You, if he doesn't marry you and just goes back to the city, with your current reputation, you won't be able to find a husband."
Cheng You smiled, not taking her words to heart. "Aunt Lian, I'm not your biological daughter, why are you worrying about me? Worry about Cheng Tao instead. I heard she's at Old Zhao's place and is being beaten and scolded every day."
Wang Hongxia was not someone to be trifled with and had plenty of ways to discipline Cheng Tao.
After speaking, Cheng You snorted, linked her fingers with Qi Chengyan's, and swung their joined hands. When she liked someone, she wanted the whole world to know. If they truly parted ways in the future, she wouldn't regret it.
Qi Chengyan's lips curved into a subtle smile as he glanced at Cheng You.
He led Cheng You to the post office, where they collected a package mailed from Yancheng.
"Take it."
Cheng You asked, "Did my sister send it?"
"No, open it and see."
Cheng You thought it must be a surprise he had prepared for her and couldn't resist opening the package on the spot. To her delight, it was full of seeds! All sorts of seeds. Sanqi, Gancao, Baizhu, Danggui... even He Shou Wu!
"You bought this for me specifically!"
Overjoyed, Cheng You tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you!"
Qi Chengyan raised an eyebrow. "Happy now?"
Cheng You nodded emphatically, unable to hide her excitement. Knowing how eager she was, Qi Chengyan didn't linger and took her straight home.
Uncle Li's backyard plot had already been tilled and was ready for the herbs to be planted.
Cheng You first divided the land into several sections and selected seeds for commonly used herbs like Lian Qiao, Fang Feng, and Danggui. She had considered planting He Shou Wu, but Uncle Li mentioned that it takes at least three years to harvest. She figured she might not even be in Wujing Village by then. After much thought, Cheng You found a large flowerpot and planted the He Shou Wu seeds in it.
She took several cups, filled with Linglu, and soaked the seeds overnight. Cheng You had never farmed before and was relying entirely on trial and error. Whether they would survive was still uncertain. However, she reasoned that with the Linglu's assistance, the survival rate should be higher.
The next day, Qi Chengyan came to help her plant. After sowing the seeds, Cheng You diluted the remaining Linglu with water and poured it over them. "This should help them survive, right?" The planting alone had consumed so much of her Linglu. Just as she had worried about the seeds, Cheng You was now worried about not having enough Linglu.
However, with the Linglu's blessing, the herb seeds began to sprout one after another a few days later.
"The germination rate is quite good," Qi Chengyan remarked after inspecting them.
Cheng You looked at the He Shou Wu and the ginseng. "These have sprouted too!" Even though they were planted in a flowerpot, it didn't affect their vigorous growth at all.
Her days were spent tending to the herbs and making medicine, and time flew by quickly.
During the Qingming Festival, spring rain fell softly, and the grass grew tall and willows swayed. The medicinal herbs, planted for less than a month, had already sprouted into small seedlings with sturdy roots and stems. Uncle Li would often come to check on them, remarking that the herbs Cheng You had planted were growing remarkably fast and might shorten the harvest time. Cheng You touched her nose, knowing it was the Linglu's efficacy. This also meant that the He Shou Wu might be ready for harvest in less than three years.
One day, Zhang Fuhai came to visit again. "Summer is approaching. Do you want to prepare some heat-reducing medicine now?" He was thinking ahead. Every year during the busy farming season, the clinic saw many patients suffering from heatstroke. If Cheng You could produce it in advance, it would surely sell well.
"I'll consider it. I'm busy lately."
Zhang Fuhai asked, "Busy with what? You should focus on getting your household registration book sorted out. I've found some connections recently who can help you get the paperwork done."
Cheng You quickly asked, "Who?"
Zhang Fuhai didn't say. "You wouldn't know them anyway."
Returning to the topic of the household registration book, Cheng You sighed helplessly. If she went to ask for it herself, Cheng Tianhua would certainly not give it to her. Not only that, but he would also use it to her disadvantage. Cheng You deeply disliked his family and wouldn't debase herself to beg them.
Zhang Fuhai couldn't meddle in all of it. He stood up and said, "Regardless, I've made the arrangements for you. Whether you can get the household registration book depends on your own efforts." The rest was beyond his interference. Whether she could seize this opportunity was up to her.
Cheng You pouted and looked at Qi Chengyan. "What should I do?"
Qi Chengyan shook his head slightly, stroking her hair. Regarding the household registration book, he was powerless.
Cheng You couldn't think of a better solution for the moment, so she decided to try approaching Cheng Tianhua. What if the scoundrel had a change of heart and actually gave her the household registration book? When she arrived, Cheng Tianhua wasn't home, only Song Yulian was there. Cheng You didn't go inside, leaning against the doorway and asking, "I want to get my household registration book. How much will you charge me? Just name your price."
Song Yulian looked at her with amusement and then burst into laughter. "Cheng You, I never would have thought you'd bow your head to me."
Cheng You's expression was indifferent. "It's not bowing my head to you, it's a monetary transaction."
Song Yulian said, "You want the household registration book? Simple. Give me your mother's dowry!"