PDLP Chapter 117, the bathing scene, if not a fairy, is definitely someone of great importance!
Chapter 117, the bathing scene, if not a fairy, is definitely someone of great importance!
The villagers' curiosity was piqued, and they all followed Qiu Haixia's steps.
He was still muttering to himself:
"Oh my, this Qiu family's eldest daughter is really going all out! She even used burlap sacks for her dowry!"
A small group of people followed behind, eager to watch the excitement, their eyes filled with a mix of confusion, anticipation, and a slight hesitation about whether to help.
Suddenly, at the bend in the mountain road, a group of people descended from the sky!
They were dressed in uniform black, each with sharp eyes and clean, efficient movements, just like masters making their entrance in a script.
As soon as the leader raised his hand, several men in black surrounded Qiu Haixia. Before she could react, someone deftly opened the sack and carefully took out the little girl, whose face was covered in tears.
The villagers were stunned; their mouths were agape enough to swallow an egg.
"What's going on? Are they snatching a ginseng baby or filming a TV series?" Uncle Niu rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.
When Xiao Sizi was carried out, her eyes were still wet with tears. When she saw so many people around her, she choked up and asked in a low voice, "Auntie, is this the escort team that's exchanging wild ginseng?"
A maid-like figure covered her mouth and chuckled, then handed a steaming cup of water to Xiao Sizi.
"Young master, have some hot water to warm yourself up."
Little Sizi took the cup with trembling hands, pursed her lips, and blinked her bright eyes, asking, "Big sister, where did you get this hot water? Don't you use firewood?"
The maid smiled slightly: "This is pure spring water specially transported from nearby Changbai Mountain. Please drink it slowly, young master."
At this moment, several luxurious horse-drawn carriages creaked and groaned as they came to a stop at the village entrance.
A group of people dressed in white got out of the car and moved with such speed and efficiency, as if they had rehearsed a hundred times, that they quickly carried a large military green tent out of the car.
The tent unfolded with a few "whoosh" sounds, and it was clearly no ordinary item; even the village dogs dared not approach it.
"Wow, this tent is amazing! It even has military insignia!"
Uncle Dazhu squinted and clicked his tongue in amazement, "This little girl, if she's not a demon, she's definitely someone important!"
After the tent was set up, the man in white brought down several wooden buckets that were steaming cold. The water was so clear that you could see your reflection in it, and it was bubbling up from time to time.
Uncle Dazhu slapped his thigh: "Look at this! What's in this bucket? This water is really something!"
Third Aunt leaned over and smelled it, her eyes widening instantly:
"This is no ordinary water! This—this is the medicinal spring water from Changbai Mountain! Our villagers usually worry about wasting firewood even to get hot water, and this girl is actually taking a bath with water from Changbai Mountain!"
"Taking a bath with the holy spring water of Changbai Mountain! I've never been so wasteful of water in my life!! Tsk tsk, especially since it's holy water."
Inside the tent, Xiao Sizi was clinging to the edge of the bathtub, staring in disbelief as the maids poured buckets of bubbling medicinal spring water into the tub. The water gurgled and gurgled, as if showing off its high-class status as a "ginseng doll".
Little Si swallowed hard, her little hands gripping the edge of the bathtub. "Sisters, is this water really for bathing? This water is so precious, just one sip would last a whole day, and it can even cure stomach problems! Isn't it too wasteful to use it for bathing?"
A maid smiled and said softly, "Young mistress, this is spring water specially brought for you. You can drink it and bathe in it. You wouldn't believe it, but soaking in this water will make your skin so smooth it'll reflect light! Your face will be as tender as a boiled egg, and you'll stay seven or eight years old forever!"
Little Sizi's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly rolled up his sleeves: "Really? Then what are we waiting for! Let me soak in it right away, my life can be saved by the spring water of Changbai Mountain!"
She splashed her two chubby little feet into the bathtub, and as soon as she was in, she exclaimed "Ouch!" and laughed with pleasure, tilting her head back: "Oh my god, this water is so comfortable! It's so cool and refreshing, like stewed ginseng and rhinoceros, and it's not too hot."
The villagers peeked out from outside the tent, some clicking their tongues enviously: "Look at that water, what a waste! The Changbai Mountain medicinal herb spring is perfect for bathing, this girl's life is so comfortable!"
Uncle Dazhu sighed softly, gazing at the bubbling medicinal spring: "Our villagers could never catch up to this in their entire lives! But isn't this girl the legendary ginseng spirit? Why don't we ask her after she's finished soaking in it if we can get some water to share with our village? It'll definitely work wonders for treating stomach ailments, liver diseases, lung problems, and the like!"
Third Aunt slapped him across the face and glared at him with disdain: "Shut up! Your stomach problems are clearly the result of your gluttony! They're getting royal treatment, how dare we drink this bathwater?"
My second aunt's third son couldn't hold back any longer. He put his hands on his hips and said, "Third Aunt, what do you know? Ginseng is a big shot in the perennial herb world. It's a proper 'shady and moist' plant, naturally preferring to grow in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests and mixed woodlands at altitudes of 500 to 1100 meters. It's also one of the three treasures, on par with mink fur and deer antlers. It's the pride of Northeast China! Adults and children alike know it very well."
My second aunt, who runs a business, has seen her share of insomnia cases. She said, "This child is no ordinary one. If she really is a ginseng spirit, then she's the 'King of Herbs'!"
She got more and more excited as she talked, her eyebrows practically flying up:
"Just think about it, how elegant the names the ancients gave ginseng were! Huangjing, Dijing, Shencao—listen to that grandeur! Why? Because its root grows thick and round, like a small spindle, and it loves to fork. From a distance, it looks like a little person, with a head, hands, and feet! Tell me, doesn't this little girl's shape resemble a noblewoman born to pose with an air of superiority?!"
Uncle Dazhu scratched the back of his head and clicked his tongue in amazement: "So, when I went to Ninth Master's house once, I drank some of the tea she brewed. Wasn't that the essence of the divine herb? No wonder it was so effective! When I got home, I felt refreshed and my stomach didn't hurt anymore. At first, I thought it was because Ninth Master's tea was good."
Third Aunt rolled her eyes and stomped her feet in anger: "How can you make this up? What a load of nonsense! Stop coveting other people's bathwater! If that water ends up in your mouth, it's a complete waste!"
The villagers watching nearby were all amused.
"We villagers have never seen anything like the treatment given to this ginseng spirit before! We've never lived long enough to witness such a thing!"
"You know what, this girl is really like a little ginseng root, clever and stubborn, and quite noble!"
Some villagers shook their heads upon hearing this, deeply moved:
"Tsk tsk, this girl is really tough. Not only does she drink the medicinal spring water from Changbai Mountain, but she also uses it for bathing. We'll probably never get this kind of treatment in our entire lives!"
Some villagers peeked out from behind the tents, and one couldn't help but swallow hard: "Tsk, this water must be worth a lot after washing! If I take a bucket home, can I sell it for a few bucks?"
Inside the tent, Little Sizi heard the wind and grinned, "What kind of spirit is that! I'm the top-tier Little Sizi in the human world! After I finish this bath, I'll show you what a certified princess of Changbai Mountain looks like!"
Inside the tent, Xiao Sizi cheerfully exclaimed, "Remember to fill two bottles with this water after you're done washing. Let Qiu Haixia smell what real high-end living is like! Let's see if she dares to use a sack to fill it up again!"
While comfortably soaking in the medicinal spring water of Changbai Mountain, Xiao Sizi flipped through several long-forgotten books.
She shook her big head back and forth, muttering, "Tsk tsk tsk, these literary figures really know how to praise me! When did my sister become so popular?"
Lu Yu wrote in "The Classic of Tea": "Drinking too much tea will make you tired, and eating too much ginseng will make you feel bloated."
Little Sizi pouted: "Uncle Lu Yu, just tell me straight, did you eat too much of my family's ginseng and your stomach got bloated? You have to be careful with all the good stuff. What did my ginseng sizi do to deserve this? I'm being blamed for everything!"
Hu Yan's inscription on a painting:
"When the sky is clear and the rain is falling, the clouds are dancing; the spring breeze blows the five-leaf clover by the waterfall; and the ginseng grows quietly and steadily."
Little Si laughed so hard he shook the bathtub full of water.
"This guy's words are beautiful, but why do they sound a bit sour? Old Hu, I'm secretly growing more and more, so tomorrow, I'll secretly send you a couple to eat?"
Jia Dao's "Lotus Peak Song":
"Pine thorns are like combs, stone crevices are like teeth, the fragrance of smoke wafts, the spring breeze is soft, and ginseng flowers quietly bloom."
Little Sizi held the bamboo slips and laughed loudly:
"Oh my! Brother Jia Dao, you've turned the pine trees and rocks into something like a beauty salon, and even gave me a 'flowering hairstyle.' It's like I'm a little celebrity in the ginseng world, with everyone watching me bloom every day!"
Wen Tingyun's "Song of Dongfeng":
"Pine thorns comb through the air, stone crevices resemble teeth, incense smoke curls, spring breeze is gentle, and ginseng flowers quietly bloom."
Little Si rolled her eyes: "Uncle Wen is even more amazing, he's even more literary than Jia Dao, but the more I look at it, the more it sounds like an elementary school morning exercise slogan? 'Line up, comb your hair, brush your teeth, flowers bloom!' Is he praising me or writing a school motto for a ginseng seedling?"
After Xiao Si finished her bath, the maids, carrying buckets of water, smiled and distributed the remaining medicine to the villagers who were eagerly asking for it.
Little Si sat to the side, wiping her wet little face, and muttered, "These comments are really interesting. I never thought my sister Si would become so popular as to be called the 'ginseng flower' in the poem. No wonder it's called the 'Ginseng Baby Nest,' even writers can't help but praise her! Amazing, right!"
She muttered smugly, "This little girl of mine, she was stuffed in a sack yesterday, and today she's really acting all high and mighty! Hahaha..."