"Mom, I'm prepared to head into the city, don't worry," Jiannan announced with newfound steadiness, his things packed before dawn had even broken.
Lin Chunju's demeanor softened considerably, as she packed several freshly made roll cakes for him.
"Be careful on the road, and don't lose yourself," she cautioned.
As she saw him out to the doorway, something else came to mind, prompting her to call Jiannan back.
"Wait a moment," she said.
She turned and brought Qingqing from the inner room of the second house.
The wakened baby yawned, her dewy eyes barely open.
Jiannan, puzzled by the gesture, stared into his little niece's eyes.
"Mom, what's this for?" he asked.
Lin Chunju watched her granddaughter, waiting until the infant showed no reaction before nodding with satisfaction.
"Alright, off you go," she instructed.
Jiannan walked out the door, confused, and it took him a moment to come to his senses.
After breakfast, the Yue family prepared for work, but Zhang Ying was stopped by her mother-in-law.
"Yingzi, how did you come across this child?" she inquired.
Zhang Ying, uncertain of the meaning, repeated the story she had previously told.
"I was crying in the hospital chair, Jiandong had gone to fetch hot water, and suddenly I heard a child crying nearby. I looked down and found Qingqing. At that moment, I felt as if heaven had bestowed a child upon me," she recounted.
As Lin Chunju listened, she kept an eye on Qingqing's reactions.
Having practiced hard the night before, Qingqing was too sleepy to keep her eyes open, dozing off at her grandmother's side.
Lin Chunju reached out to touch the little girl's head
Disturbed, Qingqing smacked her lips in protest, endearing herself to Zhang Ying, who leaned in to shower her with kisses.
Lin Chunju smiled and placed the child back in Wang Xiaoni's room.
That evening, Jiannan had not yet returned.
The Yue family could hardly sit still, constantly peering out, yet restraining themselves from any overt concern that might worry their mother.
Lin Chunju also felt uneasy but had to keep her composure, serving as the Stabilizing Sea Needle for the household.
"Stop looking, let's get ready to eat," she said.
Unable to touch her chopsticks, Zhang Ying suggested, "Mom, let's wait for Jiannan to eat together."
"No need, he'll be back shortly. I've saved some dishes for him," Lin Chunju replied, her voice light but with a faint tremble.
The Yue family was anxious, all but Qingqing, who remained untroubled.
Lin Chunju had shown Qingqing Jiannan before he left.
His energy was exceptionally good, and even with minor complications, he wouldn't run into any trouble.
Lin Chunju picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, prompting the others to follow suit.
Thankfully, just after a few bites, noises finally came from outside.
"Mom, I'm back!" Jiannan's exhausted voice couldn't mask his excitement.
Jianxi quickly stepped forward to open the door, just as his brother nearly bumped his way in.
Zhang Ying fetched a bowl from the kitchen, but Jiannan was too preoccupied to eat, standing on his toes to close the door.
Before securing it, he peeked outside to check for any onlookers, adopting the air of a thief.
"Do you know how much the ginseng fetched?" he excitedly asked.
The Yue family members all began to guess.
"Could it be over a hundred?"
Bending down to remove his shoes, Jiannan pulled out two thick wads of cash from beneath the insoles.
"Three hundred, the ginseng sold for three hundred yuan!"
Jianxi was momentarily stunned, nearly spilling the bowl in his hand.
Could a single piece of ginseng truly be worth so much?
Yet Chunju calmly stated, "It's about right; the shopkeeper probably suppressed the price for being a newcomer. Otherwise, it could have been higher."
The family was left agape; such a small herb had earned them nearly half a year's income.
Chunju looked around, her gaze unintentionally sweeping over the child in Zhang Ying's arms.
Her last verdict sealed the matter, "This stays within us; not a word to outsiders."
If word got out that the Yue family, known as impoverished, had such a stroke of luck, it could stir up no end of trouble.
Moreover, since the herb was found in the mountains, if someone in the village sought to make an issue, claiming it was public property, they could force the Yue family to share the money.
Considering these potential consequences, the Yue family members fell silent, their excitement brewing inwardly.
This was three hundred yuan, after all; the Yues, impoverished for so long, had never before seen so much money.