Chapter 64: The Qin Siblings – Long-term Cooperation

While waiting for the siblings, Gu Jianing wandered around the food stalls, sampling the local snacks as she went.

Meanwhile, Qin Tian and Qin Qing were rushing home in a flurry. As soon as they stepped through the door, they headed straight for the room where they kept their medicinal herbs and began searching through their stash.

Hearing the commotion, Granny Qin started calling out.

“Is that Xiaotian and Xiaoqing back?” The old woman was lying on the kang bed, her voice frail and weak, punctuated by bouts of coughing. On the stove beside her, a pot of herbal medicine was simmering.

Granny Qin knew today was one of the three monthly market days—a day her grandchildren always looked forward to.

Just a couple of days ago, they’d been talking about taking the cordyceps they’d saved up to sell at the market. But they’d only just left—why were they back so soon?

Could someone else have come in?

But Granny Qin didn’t think that was likely. She could tell it was her grandchildren by the sound—besides, it seemed like they’d come running in a hurry.

“Did something happen?”

Was it because no one wanted to buy their cordyceps, so they’d come home?

Thinking of how young the two children were—unable even to go to school, barely getting enough to eat, and still having to brave the snowy mountains to gather herbs to sell for food for her—Granny Qin’s heart ached.

If she weren’t afraid that dying now would leave the children defenseless and bullied, she would have hanged herself long ago.

The more she thought about it, the more sorrow overwhelmed her, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Just then, Qin Qing came running in.

The little girl threw herself down by the kang, her dusty face alight with joy and excitement.

“Granny, Granny! My brother and I met a fairy sister today—she’s such a wonderful person…”

Though Qin Qing was shy around strangers, in front of Granny Qin she was a chatterbox. Her words piqued Granny Qin’s curiosity, and the tears that had been about to fall stopped.

“What happened? Who did you meet?”

Qin Qing hurriedly recounted how Gu Jianing had bought all their cordyceps.

“…She also wants other herbs, and my brother and I have most of them. We came back right away to gather them up and bring them to her.”

“Granny, you should have seen her—she’s so beautiful, even prettier than the best-looking boys. She’s just like a fairy, and she’s such a good person.”

By now, Qin Tian had already found several bags of herbs and came running in too, his eyes shining as he crouched by the kang. “Granny, once we sell these herbs, we can buy food. I saw there are plenty of grain sellers at the market today.”

“Good, good, you’ve met a good person. Hurry, don’t waste time, and remember to thank her properly, you hear?”

“We know, Granny.”

Qin Tian poured out the herbal medicine from the stove and set it aside. “Granny, wait for the medicine to cool a bit, and remember to drink it.”

“Then my sister and I will go deliver the herbs now.”

The siblings were still thinking about Gu Jianing waiting for them at the market, worried she’d have to wait too long—or worse, that she’d leave.

“All right, go on, Granny will remember.”

Without further delay, Qin Tian and Qin Qing each hefted two bags of herbs—bags bigger than they were—and left the house.

Granny Qin watched their small figures disappear into the distance, and at last, her tears fell.

But this time, there was a glimmer of hope in her heart—though she still felt sorry for the two children.

Back at the market, Qin Tian and Qin Qing returned with several large bags of herbs just as Gu Jianing was finishing a bowl of lamb soup at a nearby stall.

The bowl was heaped with tender, slow-cooked lamb. The vendor, a middle-aged uncle, was renowned for his lamb stew—there wasn’t a trace of gaminess in the meat.

In the depths of winter, a steaming, nourishing bowl of lamb soup warmed her right up.

But—it was expensive!

At the moment, Gu Jianing was the only one eating at the stall. Others passed by, drawn by the rich, mouthwatering aroma, but the price was too steep for most. Those who did buy only dared to get a small portion.

As she ate, Gu Jianing chatted with the vendor and learned that the lamb had been hunted by his family in the mountains.

She also found out that in this area, resources from the mountains weren’t strictly regulated. There was no rule that everything from the mountains belonged to the state; if you could catch something yourself, it was yours.

Especially in winter, when supplies were scarce, only families in real need would brave the mountains to hunt or forage.

No one wanted to take away the little they managed to find in the harsh winter—that would be a death sentence.

So, the authorities turned a blind eye.

Gu Jianing realized that the market here in the northwest was relatively relaxed and unregulated.

She thought that was a good thing.

“Big sister, we’ve brought all the herbs you wanted!”

Just as she finished her last bite of lamb soup, a pair of childish voices piped up beside her.

She turned to see the two children, each carrying woven bags bigger than themselves, their eyes shining as they looked at her.

They must have run all the way back—their breathing was still uneven.

“You two ran all the way here?” She was surprised at how quickly they’d returned.

Qin Tian carefully set down the heavy bags. “We… we were afraid you’d have to wait too long.”

Gu Jianing’s heart softened. She took the bags and checked the herbs inside—they’d been dried well, and the quality was quite good.

As she looked, she asked, “How much are you selling these for?”

The siblings exchanged a glance, then cautiously quoted a few prices—lower than what they usually sold for at the market, worried that if they asked too much, Gu Jianing wouldn’t want them.

Gu Jianing knew the going rates and realized the siblings were already offering her a very fair price, especially given the quality.

“All right, we’ll go with your prices,” she agreed without bargaining.

Qin Tian and Qin Qing exchanged a look, smiles breaking out on their faces. “Thank you, big sister! Don’t worry, we processed all these herbs ourselves.”

“Oh, you two did the processing?”

The three of them got along well, and after chatting for a bit, Gu Jianing learned more about their family situation—just as she’d imagined.

They lived in poverty, with only their ailing grandmother to rely on. Everything they knew about gathering and preparing herbs, they’d learned from her.

It was their means of survival.

“If you have more herbs in the future, save them up for a week or so and bring them to the Northwest Military District for me. Just tell the soldiers at the gate you’re looking for Captain Sheng’s wife,” Gu Jianing said, considering that she might need more herbs later. She’d taken a liking to the siblings and decided to establish a long-term partnership with them—to help them out as well.

“Really? That’s wonderful! Thank you, big sister, thank you!”"