My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Lü Yang immediately beamed with joy:

"The Immortal Master has agreed! The Immortal Master has agreed!"

Ye Qingfeng raised his hand, and a stone silently entered his palm. With a flick of his wrist, it transformed into gold, weighing approximately two ounces, which he then handed to Lü Yang.

"That's enough."

Lu Yang accepted the gold, and his smile immediately brightened.

"Master, you are so generous..."

Miao Gui saw it all clearly from the side. The Taoist priest hadn't taken anything, yet the piece of gold had just appeared out of thin air in his hand.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at Ye Qingfeng again, his suspicions becoming more certain.

This Taoist priest actually knows the magic of turning stones into gold; it seems he cultivates the righteous path.

Holding the silver, Lü Yang excitedly ran towards the ginseng stalls.

Ye Qingfeng stood there, watching his back, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Lu Yang was already haggling with the stall owner. He clutched the gold in his hand, pointing and gesturing.

"How much is this one? And this one? How much is this one?"

The stall owner was a thin, old man who looked at him with a smile.

"Young man, is this your first time visiting the ginseng-picking village?"

Lü Yang nodded:

"Yes, what's wrong?"

The old man stroked his beard:

"Let me tell you, ginseng isn't about size or thickness. It's about the age, the quality, the evenness of the rootlets, and the quality of the ginseng rootstock..."

Lü Yang was completely bewildered.

"Alright, alright, just tell me how much this one costs?"

The old man held up one finger:

"One tael."

Lu Yang looked down at the two taels of gold in his hand, equivalent to twenty taels of silver, then at the ginseng, and gritted his teeth:

"Bought it!"

The old man chuckled as he accepted the gold, then weighed out nineteen taels of silver on a small scale and handed it to him along with the ginseng.

Holding the ginseng, Lü Yang scurried back to Ye Qingfeng's side.

"Master, look! I bought one!"

Ye Qingfeng glanced at it.

The ginseng was of average quality and not very old, but it was indeed grown in the Hundred Thousand Mountains and carried a faint spiritual aura.

For ordinary people, it is indeed a good thing.

He nodded, which was a sign of approval.

Lu Yang became even more pleased with himself after receiving the affirmation, and then went to browse other stalls.

Ye Qingfeng stood there, looking at the bustling village, at the people coming and going, at the dazzling array of ginseng on the stalls, and suddenly felt—

This everyday life is quite nice.

......

As dawn broke, A'Luo woke up.

She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the room next door.

Zhou Yan was still asleep, breathing steadily, and looked much better than yesterday.

Aro left quietly, without waking him.

She quickly washed up, gathered her hair, and tied it up with a wooden hairpin.

Then he took out the old basket from the cabinet and examined it.

The basket contained several dried ginseng roots, which she had picked a few days ago and had already dried; she was just waiting to take them to the market to sell today.

She thought for a moment, then took out a few fresh ginseng roots from a jar under the bed. They had just been picked yesterday and still smelled of the soil.

She carefully wrapped it in dry grass and put it into her basket.

If I'm lucky today, I should be able to sell it for a good price.

She remembered that her family hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and she thought to herself: if she could sell it for a tael of silver, she would buy half a pound of meat, stew a pot of soup, and help the sick person recover.

Thinking of Zhou Yan drinking soup, A Luo's lips unconsciously curled up.

She slung her basket over her shoulder and tiptoed out the door.

......

The mornings in the mountains are cool and refreshing, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees.

The village has awakened.

Smoke rose from the rooftops of each house, drifting away in the morning light.

Someone was chopping wood in the yard, making rhythmic "bang bang" sounds.

A man carried buckets of water toward the well, the carrying pole creaking on his shoulder. Several children chased after a dog, their laughter carrying far away.

A Luo walked along the stone-paved road in the middle of the village, with stalls selling things on both sides.

"Good morning, A-Luo!" Aunt Wang, who sells tofu, waved to her.

A Luo smiled and replied, "Good morning, Aunt Wang!"

"Going to sell ginseng again today?" Aunt Wang asked, looking at the basket on her back.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of selling the ones I picked a few days ago."

Aunt Wang nodded, cut a small piece of tofu, wrapped it in a lotus leaf, and handed it to her: "Take this and eat it on the way."

A-Luo was taken aback for a moment, then quickly declined, "Aunt Wang, how could I possibly accept this..."

"What's there to be embarrassed about?" Aunt Wang shoved the lotus leaf into her hand. "You're just a young girl; how can you have the energy to work if you don't eat your fill? Take it!"

A'Luo had no choice but to accept it, thanked her, and continued walking.

After walking a few steps, I ran into Uncle Li, who was selling vegetables.

Uncle Li, carrying two baskets of vegetables, saw her and said with a smile:

"Ah Luo, so early today?"

A Luo smiled and nodded, "Good morning, Uncle Li. Your vegetables are really fresh."

Uncle Li proudly shook his basket: "Of course, these are homegrown, just picked this morning. After you sell your ginseng, come here and grab some vegetables to take home and make soup!"

A Luo felt a warmth in her heart and smiled, "Okay, I'll come find you later."

Along the way, everyone she met greeted her.

"Ah Luo, are you selling ginseng again today?"

"Ah Luo, those plants you picked yesterday looked pretty good, didn't they?"

"Ah Luo, if you sell it for a good price today, remember to treat us!"

A Luo responded with a smile, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

She knew that these neighbors were all good people. Although she was an orphan and lived alone on the edge of the village, they never looked down on her; on the contrary, they took care of her in every way.

Aunt Wang, who sells tofu, always gives her some tofu; Uncle Li, who sells vegetables, always tells her to take some vegetables home; and Butcher Zhang, who sells meat, sometimes gives her an extra half ounce of meat.

She had no way to repay this kindness, so she could only keep it in her heart and wait for the opportunity to return it in the future.

The market was located at the east end of the village, in an open space surrounded by some sheds.

Every morning, vendors come here to set up stalls; they sell vegetables, meat, grains, medicine, and everything else.

When Aro arrived, the market was already bustling with activity.

She found an empty spot, spread out an old cloth, and laid out the ginseng roots from her basket one by one.

Dried ginseng is arranged in one row, and fresh ginseng in another row, all neatly arranged.

As soon as it was set up, people came over to ask the price.

He was a middle-aged man, and his eyes lit up when he saw the few fresh ginseng roots.

"Young lady, how much is this ginseng?"

A Luo quoted a price. The man haggled for a bit, but finally paid for two plants.

A Luo was delighted to receive the money.

At this rate, it should fetch a good price today.

Just then, I heard the sound of horses' hooves.

Aro looked up and saw a horse-drawn carriage stop at the entrance of the market.

The carriage was quite impressive, with a glossy finish, silk curtains, and two strong, healthy horses pulling it.

They look like they come from a wealthy family.

The carriage stopped at the edge of the market.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a woman stepped out of the carriage.