Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 84

A bamboo chicken and wild vegetables simmer in a clay pot, while two more bamboo chickens roast over the fire, their rich, smoky aroma making everyone’s mouths water.

Zhang Shu evenly sprinkles the seasoning he brought onto the chicken. With a sizzling sound, Dabao loudly swallows his saliva. Noticing everyone’s gaze on him, he shyly buries his head in his father’s arms, making everyone laugh.

Once the chicken finishes roasting, Zhang Shu tears off a drumstick and hands it to Dabao. Dabao politely thanks him, wraps it in a leaf, and sets it on a stone to cool.

Zhang Shu then hands another drumstick to Li Mujin. Since he can’t eat much, a single leg is enough for him.

The remaining two drumsticks go to He Yue and Yu Xiaoliu. That leaves only Zhang Shu and Laiwang without drumsticks.

Li Mujin takes a bite from his portion before tearing off a wing and offering it to Zhang Shu. He Yue smiles knowingly, appreciating the couple’s mutual care for each other.

Yu Xiaoliu holds Xiaobao with a bitter expression. “Good thing I have Xiaobao! Otherwise, what would Uncle do?”

On their way back, they place the Blossom Tears at the bottom of the backpack, covering them with the sweetest peaches.

Dabao walks slowly, holding his father’s hand. Since everyone except Li Mujin is carrying something, it’s impossible for him to be carried.

He is sensible enough not to complain, quietly following along. Fortunately, they take frequent breaks, so he doesn’t get too tired.

When they arrive home, they gather in the Zhang family’s courtyard. First, they empty the peaches into a large basin, then pour out the Blossom Tears.

Zhang Shu picks out a large bowl and selects the best ones. Yu Xiaoliu and Laiwang have collected more, but the quality is mixed—some are large, while others have black spots.

“Brother Zhang Shu, how do we eat these? Do we just chew them dry?” Yu Xiaoliu asks, picking one up and attempting to put it in his mouth, only to immediately grimace.

“Are you stupid? Of course you can’t eat it like that!” Laiwang smacks him on the head. “Brother Shu, do we fry them?”

“Brother!” Yu Xiaoliu whines in protest. “My brother is watching! You bully me like this all the time!”

He Yue chuckles. “Don’t hit Xiaoliu too much. If you knock him stupid and he can’t get a wife, what will we do then?”

The group bursts into laughter, and Yu Xiaoliu’s face turns red. “You two are ganging up on me!”

“How is this bullying? We’re just looking out for you! Haha, Brother Shu, tell us—how do we eat this? That way, I can make a bowl for this little fool to nourish his brain.” He Yue’s comment draws another round of laughter.

Zhang Shu explains, “You need to pick out a few good ones first.” He takes four or five and shows them to everyone. “Then soak them in water for four to five hours, changing the water frequently. Once they soften, they’ll expand significantly. Then, you can stew them with rock sugar. If you’re well-off, you can also cook them with white fungus or bird’s nest.”

“Bird’s nest? You mean a swallow’s nest?” Yu Xiaoliu’s eyes light up. “That’s easy! There’s a nest under the eaves of my old house. I’ll dig it up tomorrow so we can all have some!”

Rock sugar and white fungus are well-known delicacies, but bird’s nest? That’s something else entirely. In the countryside, nearly every house has swallow nests under the roof beams.

“Uh… I don’t think that’s the same thing,” Zhang Shu says hesitantly. He isn’t familiar with bird’s nest in his past life, but he’s fairly certain that’s not the right kind.

“What kind of bird is it from? A wild goose?” someone asks. “You don’t find wild goose nests often in the mountains. No wonder they’re so expensive!”

“Maybe…” Zhang Shu mutters. He learns in Nanhai County that shark fins aren’t actually fish bones, so who knows what bird’s nest truly is?

“Let’s not take the risk. Even eagle’s nests don’t seem edible. I think rock sugar and white fungus are safer bets,” Li Mujin adds.

The group nods in agreement. No one wants to get sick from eating the wrong thing.

“By the way,” Zhang Shu continues, “if you can’t finish them at home, you can sell them to the medicine shop. The price is quite high—at least sixty coins per pound. But you need to sort them carefully. Ones with black spots like these aren’t worth much; you can keep them for personal use.”

As he speaks, he picks out a few lower-quality ones from Yu Xiaoliu’s bowl. The others follow suit, separating the bad ones.

Dabao watches them work, then drags over a small stool and places one under each person. Li Mujin, sitting in an armchair, calls him over and holds him while eating cakes and watching the group busy themselves.

Yu Xiaoliu has gathered less than a jin, while Laiwang has collected slightly more. They take their lower-quality finds home but leave the good ones at Zhang Shu’s house, planning to sell them together early the next morning.

The next day, Zhang Shu, Yu Xiaoliu, and Laiwang head to the town’s medicine shop—partly to check the price and partly to see if Zhou Nan’s Aba is there.

Zhang Shu missed him last time, but surely, he won’t be unlucky twice.

“Doctor Yang, good morning!” Zhang Shu calls out as he enters. Then, to his surprise, he spots Zhou Aba standing inside.

No one is seeing a doctor early in the morning. Doctor Yang glances at the three of them and, seeing that none of them appears unwell, says, “Are you here just to have fun this early in the morning? If you have something to say, say it quickly. Otherwise, don’t disturb me while I’m treating patients.”

“Doctor Yang, listen to what you’re saying. How could I possibly come to bother you for no reason?” Zhang Shu is familiar with him and knows this little old man’s temperament well. “I brought something good for you to check out.”

“Did you find ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, or Ganoderma lucidum in the mountains and want to sell them to me?” Doctor Yang strokes his beard and chuckles.

While there are many common medicinal herbs in their area, no one has ever managed to dig up such valuable ones. They are all sourced from outside. If they could find them locally, it would certainly be a good thing.

“We’re not that lucky. We just picked some Blossom Tears in the mountains and wanted to see if you’d be interested in buying them.”

“Let me see.” Blossom Tears? What kind of name is that?

Zhang Shu unwraps the cloth bundle Yu Xiaoliu brought and places it in front of Doctor Yang. At first, the old doctor is stunned. Then he laughs. “Isn’t this just peach gum? Why give it such a strange name? You’re not a scholar, yet you still want to sound refined.”

Zhang Shu thought that Blossom Tears was its proper name. He doesn’t expect it to be something so simple. But if it’s called peach gum outright, wouldn’t everyone immediately know it comes from peach trees? No wonder it’s given another name.

“Then what do you think of our peach gum?” he asks.

“It’s large, golden, crystal clear, and free of impurities—top quality,” Doctor Yang praises, shaking his head in admiration. Peach gum of this caliber must come from an older peach tree.

“How much do you think it’s worth per pound?” Zhang Shu inquires.

“You want to sell it to me?” Doctor Yang glances at him.

“Of course. Why else would I come all the way here?” Zhang Shu replies candidly.

“This peach gum can be used to treat stranguria, hematuria, and dysentery, so it does have medicinal value. How about this—I’ll take two taels for now. I still have some in stock.”

That’s not going to work. If they only sell two taels, they’ll have to find another buyer, which would be a hassle.

“Doctor Yang, aren’t you underselling it a bit? Isn’t peach gum also considered a tonic?” Zhang Shu probes.

“Am I the doctor, or are you the doctor?” Doctor Yang narrows his eyes at him. “The medical texts say peach gum promotes the flow of body fluids and treats hematuria and stranguria. For black pox, use Victory Ointment. Tell me, was anything I said wrong?”

“You are wrong, actually. It doesn’t just promote the flow of body fluids—it helps retain moisture in the body. Most people’s faces are dry. Imagine how beautiful they would look if their skin is plump and hydrated. Moreover, black pimples—those acne-like blemishes on the face—can be treated with it. If young ladies need a remedy, they can stew it with rock sugar, white fungus, or bird’s nest. Wouldn’t that make you an even more reputable doctor?”

“You little brat, always spouting nonsense. Medicine isn’t something to be used carelessly,” Doctor Yang scolds. But his tone softens, clearly intrigued. He has always considered peach gum from a medicinal perspective and has never thought about its cosmetic benefits. Unlike many other medicines, peach gum is safe for most people, except those with extremely cold constitutions, pregnant individuals, and very young children.

“How much peach gum do you have?” Doctor Yang asks. “Based on the usual price for medicinal ingredients, a catty of peach gum goes for about 70 coins. What do you think? Want to sell it?”

“Of course we’re selling!” Yu Xiaoliu and Laiwang are thrilled. They gather so much in just one morning—it’s practically free money.

After weighing the peach gum and receiving their payment, they decide to buy some treats to take home for their families. Zhang Shu says he will wait at the shop while they go out.

He then speaks with Doctor Yang for a bit before heading to the backyard to find Zhou Aba. Upon hearing that Zhou Nan and Li Yan are about to get married, the old man is both overjoyed and slightly worried.

“Does the Li family know about our family’s situation?” he asks anxiously.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Zhou. The Li family knows everything. Wealth doesn’t matter to them, and my brother-in-law says that since you only have Zhou Nan, they’ll definitely take care of you in your old age.”

Tears well up in Zhou Aba’s eyes. He has worried that Zhou Nan would end up marrying into a poor mountain village and suffer for the rest of his life. He never expects him to have such good fortune!

He has heard about the Li family but still has many concerns, so he pulls Zhang Shu aside and asks him one question after another. Zhang Shu answers them all patiently.

After their long conversation, Zhou Aba finally feels at ease. He resolves to work harder at collecting herbs—at the very least, he wants to give Zhou Nan a silver hairpin to take with him. It’s not just about face; if he doesn’t prepare anything, not only would his husband’s family gossip, but so would the neighbors.

After spending so much time talking, Zhang Shu returns to the front hall for some water. Doctor Yang is in the middle of treating a female patient, so he pauses to listen.

“…Your constitution leans toward excessive heat, which causes your face to break out in persistent acne. The prescriptions I’ve given you so far can only suppress the symptoms temporarily, and the condition keeps recurring. It must be frustrating to deal with this over and over.”

“Yes, Doctor. My lady has lost her appetite and can barely sleep at night because of this. Please find a way to cure it!” the maid pleads anxiously. Her mistress is in the prime of her youth, yet she has to hide her face from others. She has even started thinking about living in seclusion for the rest of her life.

“Fate works in mysterious ways. Just this morning, I received a fresh batch of top-quality Blossom Tears. This substance is incredibly beneficial for women, especially those suffering from black acne. It also relieves thirst and dryness.”

Hearing that it’s called “Blossom Tears,” the young lady is immediately intrigued. But when she learns that it can treat her face, she becomes even more interested, discreetly signaling her maid.

“My lady wishes to purchase some. How much is it per pound?” the maid asks.

“This isn’t sold by the pound—it’s sold by the liang. One liang costs fifteen coins. You only need three to five pieces at a time, soaked in water for four or five hours…”

Zhang Shu listens to Doctor Yang effortlessly apply the very same words he used earlier. The young lady and her maid nod repeatedly, clearly convinced.

The most cunning part? Doctor Yang never lets them buy too much at once, keeping them eager for more. And on top of that, he doubles the price!

When it comes to doing business, these old foxes are truly on another level!