Chapter 18: A Cunning Scheme

"You couldn't afford it even if it were real!"
"That's true! This thing must cost several hundred taels of silver, right?"
"Several hundred taels? It's far more than that! If it looks good and is aged, it could be worth thousands, even tens of thousands of silver taels!"
Everyone chimed in, each trying to outdo the other with their opinions.

Hua Qinci carefully straightened the roots of the medicinal herb, securing them onto a clean cloth, and then gently placed it into an ornate gift box, making it appear even more noble and striking.

"This young fellow really knows his stuff. A good wild ginseng is incredibly hard to harvest. Because it absorbs spiritual energy, it can freely traverse mountains and ridges—no matter how steep the cliffs, it’s all effortless for it."
"Is it really that miraculous?" someone asked, eyes filled with envy.
"Not really, since I only heard this from my master. I’ve never seen it with my own eyes. But judging by this specimen, it should fetch at least a hundred or eighty taels of silver."

As Hua Qinci spoke, she arranged her paper and brush. The talk of silver coincided with the noon break, when those who had been out in the fields or up the mountain returned, swelling the crowd.

Feeling the time was right, Hua Qinci declared, "We'll start with a low-price auction. I know none of you can come up with so much silver, even if you pooled your resources—it wouldn't be enough."
"So what do we do? Qin family’s wife, we’re all villagers here, don’t hog it for yourself! Besides, isn’t it right to help your neighbors when you’ve got something so valuable?"

The village’s notorious bargain hunter, Madam Wei, rolled her sharp, greedy eyes as she spoke.

Hua Qinci was pondering how to borrow money when the perfect excuse was handed to her.
"Of course! This isn’t a small sum, and our family has no use for so much. We’ve always helped each other here—sharing food, sharing clothes. Now that there’s silver, naturally, we’ll share it too!"
"Really? Qin family’s wife, you must keep your word. Everyone here heard you!" Madam Wei, thinking her scheme had worked, rushed over excitedly, her gaze fixed on the ginseng. "How will you share it? By person or by household? Or cut it into pieces? But there’s not enough to cut, right? And if you do, can you still sell it for silver?"

Madam Wei’s barrage of questions was just what the others wanted to hear, and everyone waited with eager anticipation for Hua Qinci to divide the ginseng. Some, fearing it would be split by headcount, hurried to drag in sick relatives and those still working in the fields.

The crowd grew larger and larger—old and young, big and small—as if some grand conference were underway.

"Share what? Share what, exactly? Is it yours? Do you know how much a tiny piece is worth? Do you know how much value is lost when you cut it? Do you know that only whole ginseng roots sell for a good price? And do you even know if this ginseng is real?"

Liu Bingbing, who had been watching quietly, finally understood Hua Qinci’s intention. She meant to use this so-called treasure to trick everyone into giving her money, didn’t she?
Was she planning to hand the money to the officials to escape imprisonment?

"If that's not okay, and nothing else is either, what do you suggest then?" someone in the crowd grumbled, unhappy with Liu Bingbing, as the silver they’d hoped for seemed to slip away.

"Let me speak. I agree with my cousin’s idea, but this windfall can’t be enjoyed by the Qin family alone. So how about this? We take the ginseng to the city, sell it, and then share the silver with everyone!"
"That’s a wonderful idea!" Madam Wei raised both hands in support, and the crowd echoed her joy, while Liu Bingbing’s face turned green with anger.

"But let me make one thing clear," Hua Qinci continued, "you all see I’m facing legal trouble now and can’t get away. To fetch a good price, we need to find the right buyers in the city. Since our family is thinking of everyone’s interests, shouldn’t you also help us out, so my husband and I can go to the city, sell the ginseng, and share the silver with you all? If we get a good price, everyone can move to the city, use the leftover silver to start a business. Then, the young men will sleep in fine beds with beauties in their arms, living a life of joy; the women and elders will enjoy days of luxury and beautiful silks; even the little girls can marry into wealthy families and become mistresses of grand houses. From then on, the whole family will never want for food or clothing."