Chapter 87

When assigning tasks to the three workers, Wang Xiaoqiang did not mention the task of hatching chicks, as he would handle this task alone. After making these arrangements, Zhao Dabao and his wife, along with Xia Gui Fang, went off to work.

Wang Xiaoqiang, accompanied by Dahei and Xiahei, carefully inspected the area within the metal fence. Dahei, using his sharp claws, dug out a nest of rats, while Xiahei caught a snake. These were all natural enemies of the wild mountain chickens. If they were not eliminated, the wild mountain chickens would not be able to live in peace.

After completing these tasks, Wang Xiaoqiang drove the small truck and called Xia Gui Fang to go to the county town. Once the chicken farm was operational, some essential equipment needed to be quickly put in place.

A refrigerator was a must, but an incubator was not necessary. However, to avoid arousing suspicion, Wang Xiaoqiang decided to buy two incubators to place in the incubation room as a show.

"Manager Wang, are we going to the county town?" Xia Gui Fang asked on the way.

"Don't call me that," Wang Xiaoqiang waved his hand. "It feels strange. Just call me Xiaoqiang!"

"Alright, but when we're at the farm, I'll still call you Manager," Xia Gui Fang said seriously.

"Alright," Wang Xiaoqiang agreed, then smiled. "Xia, when my chicken farm grows bigger, will you be my secretary?"

"Secretary..." Xia Gui Fang asked curiously. "Does a chicken farm need a secretary? What does a chicken farm secretary do?"

"A secretary doesn't have much to do, mainly just making tea and water for the boss, and giving the boss a massage to relax... ha ha!!" Wang Xiaoqiang laughed.

"Go away, I won't do that," Xia Gui Fang shot him a playful glance, her face slightly blushing.

They chatted all the way to the outskirts of the county town. Fifty meters from the toll booth, Wang Xiaoqiang stopped the car and told Xia Gui Fang to stay and watch the car while he took the bus to the city to buy a refrigerator and an incubator.

When the bus passed the county town's herbal market, Wang Xiaoqiang got off. He wanted to see if there were any wild mountain ginseng in the market, as the hunger and fatigue he felt after treating Xu Mother reminded him that the Five Elements Spirit Spring needed to absorb wild mountain ginseng.

He got off the bus and walked into the herbal market, visiting every ginseng shop. However, the Five Elements Spirit Spring inside him did not react at all, indicating that there was no wild mountain ginseng in the market, or if there was, it was not displayed openly and the Spirit Spring could not sense it.

After a thorough search with no results, Wang Xiaoqiang was about to leave the market when the wild mountain ginseng inside him trembled slightly. He looked around and saw an old woman, nearly sixty years old, who was thin and wore tattered clothes. She had inverted eyebrows and a worried look. She was carrying a bamboo basket in her right hand, which she guarded with her left hand, looking around the market with a wary and lost expression, as if searching for something.

Wang Xiaoqiang instinctively moved closer to the old woman, and the Five Elements Spirit Spring inside him vibrated more strongly. He took two more steps closer, and the vibration became even more intense.

At this point, Wang Xiaoqiang was certain that the old woman had wild mountain ginseng, and it was likely in the bamboo basket she was carrying.

Wang Xiaoqiang peeked into the basket, but it was covered with a towel, making it impossible to see what was inside. However, he guessed it must be one or more wild mountain ginseng plants.

With this knowledge, Wang Xiaoqiang followed the old woman at a leisurely pace. She suddenly headed towards a ginseng shop.

Wang Xiaoqiang hesitated for a moment and then followed her.

The old woman approached the shop, and a middle-aged, fat man came out. He sized up the old woman, noting her tattered clothes and the bamboo basket she carried, and immediately assumed she was a beggar. He frowned and coldly waved her away, "Out, out..."

It was clear that the old woman was a simple country woman. Seeing the fat man wave her away, she did not get angry but looked fearful and said hesitantly, "Sir, do you buy ginseng?"

The fat man's expression changed when he heard "ginseng." He looked at the old woman and asked, "You have ginseng?"

"I have..." The old woman lifted the towel covering the basket and showed it to the man. "This is wild mountain ginseng that my old man dug from the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China..."

The fat man glanced at the basket and saw two wild mountain ginseng plants, each about the size of an adult's palm, with soil still on them.

Seeing the ginseng, the fat man's eyes lit up. He had never seen wild mountain ginseng in the county town's herbal market, which had been open for over ten years. He did not know if it was genuine, but he thought the ginseng looked good and different from ordinary ginseng.

"Old lady, don't try to fool me. That's just cultivated ginseng. If you really want to sell it, I'll take it..."

To his surprise, the old woman did not argue but said with some excitement, "Sir, will you really buy it?"

"Sure," the fat man's face showed a cunning look as he tried to take the basket from the old woman.

However, the old woman cautiously moved away, holding the basket tightly with her left hand and asked warily, "Sir, how much will you pay?"

"Old lady, I can only offer this much for your ginseng," the fat man said, holding up five fingers in front of the old woman.

"Five ten thousand," the old woman thought he was offering fifty thousand and said excitedly, "Okay, I'll sell it to you!"

"Ha, you must be crazy for money," the fat man rolled his eyes and waved his sleeve, "Five hundred, your ginseng is only worth five hundred..."

Hearing this, the old woman looked disappointed and dejected, holding the basket and turning to leave.

The fat man immediately stopped her, "Hey, old lady, don't go yet. Let's talk about it..."

Wang Xiaoqiang heard their conversation and knew that the two wild mountain ginseng plants were worth hundreds of thousands of yuan. The old woman was willing to sell them for fifty thousand, but the fat man only offered five hundred. Wang Xiaoqiang was afraid the old woman would sell the ginseng to the fat man, so he pretended to be a customer and entered the shop. As he passed the two, he asked the fat man, "Sir, do you have any wild mountain ginseng?"

"No," the fat man, eager to buy the ginseng at the lowest price, coldly replied and then turned his attention back to the old woman, "Old lady, I'll give you another five hundred, a thousand in total, how about that?"

"No, sir, if my old man hadn't injured his leg and needed money for treatment, I wouldn't sell this ginseng," the old woman said firmly, "I need fifty thousand for medical expenses, no less..."

The fat man did not know if the ginseng was genuine. If he did, he would have paid even fifty thousand. Seeing the old woman's firm stance, he changed his expression and waved her away, "Not selling, huh? Get lost, go away..."

The old woman's face turned slightly red with anger, but she did not argue. She covered the ginseng with the towel again, held the basket with both hands, and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaoqiang was delighted and immediately followed the old woman out of the shop, saying, "Old lady, sell your ginseng to me..."

The old woman stopped and looked at Wang Xiaoqiang warily. Seeing his kind face, she relaxed a bit and asked, "Young man, this is wild mountain ginseng, very expensive. What do you need it for?"

Wang Xiaoqiang, though kind, looked too young to the old woman to be able to afford fifty thousand yuan, so he wanted to clarify.

"Old lady, do you think I can't afford the ginseng?" Wang Xiaoqiang saw her concern and said, "If you really want to sell it to me, come with me to get the money. I'll pay you, and then you give me the ginseng, okay?"

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang's sincerity, the old woman nodded with surprise but then asked, "The ginseng costs fifty thousand yuan. Do you have that much money?"

"Old lady, don't worry. I may look young, but I lease land at home and earn over a hundred thousand yuan a year. I can afford this," Wang Xiaoqiang said confidently.

Seeing his sincerity, the old woman smiled and handed the basket to Wang Xiaoqiang, "Alright, I'll sell it to you!"

As she handed the basket, Wang Xiaoqiang felt the bamboo basket almost touching his abdomen, and the Five Elements Spirit Spring inside him vibrated even more intensely. He quickly stepped back and said, "Old lady, you keep holding it. I'll pay you, and then you give me the ginseng, okay?"

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang's honesty, the old woman nodded happily and followed him to get the money.

Please support by following and voting!