148, Numbing Pain (2 Updates)
As soon as they heard her, the three of them immediately came down, though their legs trembled slightly, looking pitifully at Xie Zhinuan, wagging their tails as they approached her.
Xie Zhinuan sighed with a helpless smile and crouched down to pat each of their heads, “From now on, you need to behave!”
The three hurriedly rubbed against her.
Laughing, Xie Zhinuan called out, “Let’s go, let’s go inside. I’ve stewed some bones for you!”
She had never imagined that even the mule would follow and gnaw on bones.
The three were quite neat when eating; their dishes were washed three times a day and so was their large clay water bowl. Xie Zhinuan didn’t know how others raised pets, but if they liked something, she would try her best to provide it.
Recalling Young Master Li’s words from across the street, Xie Zhinuan talked to Shaoniu about going into the mountains while cooking.
After thinking for a moment, Shaoniu said carefully, “Indeed, deep in the mountains there are many wild beasts: tigers, lions, leopards, bears, money wolves, wild dogs, venomous snakes, and even traps left by hunters. We don’t understand them and could easily step into a trap. Some hunters are vicious, with sharp stakes in deep pits that spear the wild beasts if they fall in, and some dig the pits very deep…”
After listening to this, Xie Zhinuan realized that her talk of going into the mountains had been too hasty.
After a moment of reflection, she said, “I’ve been too simplistic in my thinking!”
Young Master Li from across the street was right; if she and Shaoniu ventured into the mountains together, she feared they wouldn’t even have a chance to stay alive should they encounter ferocious beasts.
“Miss, if you really want to go into the mountains, you need to plan carefully. Bring more people, including a doctor skilled in medicine. When we go into the mountains, we’ll not only look for the grass you want but also gather medicinal herbs. Even if we don’t find the particular herb you’re seeking, getting medicinal herbs, like old ginseng or Lingzhi, would make the trip worthwhile!”
Xie Zhinuan was silent for a moment, “I’ll think it over again!”
Although Jiji Grass wasn’t valuable, once found, boiling it in water with salt to soak clothes could wash them clean as new and powerfully remove stains. By cleaning and selling collected old clothes, one could really make money, and it could be substantial.
For some nobles, certain garments had special significance and they wanted them cleaned if soiled. Washing just one could earn quite a lot of Silver.
It seemed she would have to ask Young Master Li from across the street for help, owing him a great favor.
Of course, she could also offer shares; if she could get a prince to join the venture, then even if others learned about Jiji Grass’s powerful stain-removing properties, they would not dare snatch the business. Dazhou was vast, and there were certainly many who needed clothes washed…
Xie Zhinuan thought she could set up a chain of specialized laundry shops, and maybe even open restaurants. Once she had shops all over Dazhou, who would dare to bully her?
“Miss?” Shaoniu softly called.
“Hmm?”
“Is that grass very important to you?”
Xie Zhinuan smiled, “It depends on how you look at it. If you don’t want to make a lot of money, it doesn’t matter whether you go look for it or not. If you want to make a lot of money, then you have to go find it!”
Dazhou was so vast, there should be plenty of Jiji Grass, and it was extremely easy to propagate; just finding one would lead to finding a whole area of it.
“Then I will accompany you to look for it!” Shaoniu said earnestly.
“Why?” Xie Zhinuan asked curiously.
“Your beauty is too outstanding; I fear there are few in Dazhou who can compare. You need to have people at your side, and to nurture people, you must have money…”
Shaoniu hesitated for a moment before adding, “I just want the best for you!”
Even if one was beautiful and coveted, others would not dare to act rashly.
A slight pain stung Xie Zhinuan’s heart, not terribly painful, but a numb sort of pain.
Chapter 150