Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 534 - 535 Sister Flowers Educated Youth 52_1

Chapter 534: Chapter 535 Sister Flowers Educated Youth 52_1

Shen Jie busied herself with daily labor, and after finishing work, she’d go up the mountains to pick mushrooms, casually checking to see if there were any mature ginseng to harvest.

Unfortunately, such opportunities were truly scarce, and Shen Jie knew all too well that finding aged ginseng was no small feat.

The best method was still to buy already processed ginseng from the local ginseng farmers.

While the idea was sound, in reality, there were many challenges to overcome.

Everyone knew that ginseng was valuable and wanted to lay their hands on fine-quality ginseng, whether by harvesting or purchasing.

What was more troubling was that the ginseng farmers had a register of their clients, though they weren’t forced to sell all their harvested ginseng to the medicinal herb stations or supply and marketing cooperatives.

There couldn’t be too many private transactions, otherwise, if reported, the good days would come to an end.

Under such circumstances, although some ginseng farmers did sell ginseng privately, the quantities were truly limited.

Beyond money, it was all about one’s personal relationship with the ginseng farmers.

At this time, Shen Jie realized that her accidental dealings with a ginseng farmer were a stroke of extraordinary luck.

Of course, this also solidified Shen Jie’s resolve to continue fostering a good relationship with him.

Having no suitable ginseng to sell to her now didn’t matter, what was important was the future; the first step was to become acquainted.

Only then, when they contemplated selling ginseng, would she be the first one to come to mind.

Shen Jie thought about the large bundles in her box and truly worried, the money was ready, just waiting for the ginseng to arrive.

And so she waited and hoped, yet, to her disappointment, the ginseng did not come.

Helpless, Shen Jie could only strive to be self-reliant. The idea of obtaining older, more valuable ginseng was out of the question.

In a bustling place, to find aged ginseng was nothing but a dream.

Unless one was audacious enough to venture deep into the ancient forests in search, even then, success wasn’t guaranteed upon entering the mountains.

Upon discovering a small ginseng, perhaps two or three years old, near a large rock, Shen Jie unhesitatingly plucked it out.

Such ginseng simply could not be left behind; you never knew who might stumble upon it and harvest it all in one fell swoop, which would be a major loss.

Shen Jie had learned from such a foolish mistake before. She had thought that the ginseng she found in a secluded spot was safe from discovery.

It would be better off left in the ground to continue absorbing the essence of the land and the sun and moon, which would surely benefit its growth.

However, when she returned after a while, all she found was a hole in the ground, the ginseng long gone.

She was truly distressed about this and muttered nonstop, vowing never again to make such a foolish mistake.

Looking at the freshly dug ginseng, Shen Jie sighed softly once more, "Well, at least I’ve managed to dig up some ginseng."

Although the Northeast produced ginseng, one should not expect to find it as commonly as cabbage, growing in every corner of the region.

In her basket, mushrooms topped the contents, while the ginseng lay at the very bottom; even small ginseng, if seen by others, could become the talk of the surrounding villages.

As for her hands, they naturally dragged a bundle of firewood, for it was already September, and the freezing days were not far off.

To ensure they could comfortably get through winter, Shen Jie and Feng Dan had been fervently gathering wood from the mountains since May.

When the Zhao Family sisters saw them preparing for winter, they hurried to start gathering their own provisions.

And so, their courtyard became filled with ample supplies, with firewood stacked so high that only a narrow pathway remained.

Shen Jie had been considering whether to plant some vegetables in the courtyard, but the space was limited, and there was not much room for a garden.

She was extremely busy every day, and when she got home, there were still chores to be done in the yard. Shen Jie admitted she really couldn’t handle it.

Especially since vegetables and dried vegetables from the surrounding villages weren’t very expensive, she let go of the idea of continuing to be a farmer when she got home.

With the time spent gardening, she’d really be better off reading more and striving to get into a good university during the college entrance exams.

Shen Jie was truly happy about today’s accomplishments, but all that good mood vanished the moment she descended the mountain and encountered someone, immediately feeling annoyed.

Seeing Shen Yuan in front of her, Shen Jie had no intention of greeting her.

"Shen Jie, I caught a pheasant today. Do you want it?" Shen Yuan held up the pheasant so Shen Jie could see it clearly.

Had it been anyone else who caught the pheasant, Shen Jie may have been tempted, and she would have made a deal if the price was right to cook a delicious mushroom chicken soup.

But since it was Shen Yuan who had caught the chicken, Shen Jie felt somewhat uneasy.

She always had this suspicion that it was a trap as she stared at the chicken for a long time, "A pheasant?"

Although she had never caught a pheasant herself, she had bought them before and could say with certainty that they were never fat.

It wasn’t that farm-raised chickens were fat, but when compared to wild pheasants, it was very easy to spot the differences.

Wild pheasants weren’t that plump, their bodies had less meat, and their feathers weren’t as bright and shiny.

In a word, this chicken was definitely not a wild pheasant, and whether educated youth were allowed to raise chickens or not, she did not know.

But if it was a chicken raised by Shen Yuan herself, she would have directly mentioned that it was her own chicken rather than starting with ’a wild pheasant.’

Could the chicken have been stolen? Shen Jie wondered and walked past Shen Yuan, "I don’t want any of your things."

Just then, she saw a few familiar educated youths and greeted them enthusiastically, and her behavior seemed to have taken them aback.

Even if they were from the same team of educated youth, they lived a bit apart, and they were not the type to initiate greetings normally, just a mere smile.

"Do you want to buy a pheasant?" Shen Jie asked the group.

A pheasant? Naturally, they were interested upon hearing this. They had just been paid a couple of days ago. Even those who were extravagant with money had some at this time.

They thought that if the price was reasonable, they would buy it to improve their meals.

As the group approached and saw the chicken in Shen Yuan’s hands, they looked at each other, now understanding why Shen Jie knew there was a chicken for sale but had not made a move.

If it were up to them, they also wouldn’t go for these chickens. After all, they didn’t want to find themselves in a situation where the money was spent, the chicken was cooked, and then the owner showed up — the money gone, the chicken too.

"No, I don’t have the money."

"I just had a pheasant a couple of days ago; how could I eat chicken again so soon."

Everyone found an excuse, in other words, they were not going to buy the chicken from Shen Yuan.

"Sorry, Shen Yuan, I can’t help you there," Shen Jie said apologetically, then left.

Once she was out of Shen Yuan’s sight, Shen Jie thanked them again with sincerity, "Thank you, all of you."

"If I hadn’t run into you, I wouldn’t have known how to extricate myself."

Shen Jie knew that her farewell words to Shen Yuan might have raised suspicions among those around.

Upon hearing Shen Jie’s words and recalling Shen Yuan’s past behavior, even those who were dissatisfied understood that Shen Jie had been frightened by past pitfalls.