Chapter 85: Going Home to Find a Wife

After thinking it over, Lin Heng found this method feasible and immediately began sorting through the Dendrobium he had harvested.

He cut off most of the usable stems, dried them for sale, and kept the new shoots along with the roots, preparing to replant them back home.

“Lin Heng, are you planning to grow these yourself?” his uncle-in-law Li Baiquan curiously asked, observing his actions.

“Yes, I want to give it a try,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

“Don’t waste your effort. We’ve all tried it before. This plant only grows in the wild—you can’t cultivate it,” Li Baiquan shook his head in dismissal.

“There’s no loss in trying since the roots are useless otherwise,” Lin Heng insisted with a grin.

It wasn’t surprising they had failed, as they didn’t understand Dendrobium’s growth habits. Lin Heng hadn’t grown it before either, but he had heard about some cultivation techniques in his previous life and believed there was a chance it could work.

“If you want to try, I’ll give you my roots too—I don’t need them anyway,” Li Baiquan said, no longer trying to persuade him. He figured Lin Heng would learn his lesson after failing.

After processing the Dendrobium, Lin Heng realized that out of the nearly 20 pounds he had collected, removing the roots reduced it significantly. Even after drying, he estimated it would yield less than two pounds.

This was partly because he had intentionally left some of the smaller new shoots intact, unlike the usual practice of stripping everything away.

“Here, take mine too. I picked mine clean,” Li Baiquan handed over his Dendrobium roots to Lin Heng.

Lin Heng took the roots and considered whether he should go home. If he waited another two or three days, the roots might die, further reducing his chances of success.

Thinking it through, he decided it made sense to give it his best effort since he had committed to trying.

“Uncle, Uncle-in-law, Old Man Tian, I’ll head back now. I’ll return tomorrow morning and take everything back to try planting these roots to see if they’ll survive,” Lin Heng said, addressing the three men.

His eldest uncle shrugged and said, “Suit yourself. It’s your decision, but if we catch any wild boars, you won’t get a share.”

To him, planting Dendrobium was a pipe dream. If it could be cultivated, someone would have done it already.

“There’s no need, Lin Heng. You can just leave the Dendrobium roots near the water and take them back later. It’s not worth the trip,” his uncle-in-law added.

“If I’m going to try, I might as well do it properly. Going home today and coming back tomorrow morning is the same,” Lin Heng insisted.

“Let him go. I bet he’s not going back to plant Dendrobium—he’s just missing his wife,” Old Man Tian teased knowingly.

Lin Heng rolled his eyes. “So this is how you treat someone who’s been good to you?”

“Haha, I’m just joking with you, kid. Don’t worry—if we catch anything, I’ll still save some for you. Now go home,” Old Man Tian laughed.

“Alright, I’ll be off then.”

Lin Heng packed up his things. Since he didn’t need to dry anything, he figured it would be faster to let his wife Xiulan handle it at home.

After securing his items, Lin Heng set off for home.

“Stay safe and watch out for hornets and venomous snakes,” Li Baiquan reminded him.

“Got it.”

Lin Heng waved as he hurried forward. The road home was more than ten kilometers, quite a distance, but this time he wasn’t carrying anything too heavy.

He moved directly without stopping to hunt, focused on getting home as quickly as possible.

“Cack-cack!”

Sometimes, though, fate had other plans. As he passed through Red Maple Mountain, Lin Heng heard pheasants calling nearby.

“Well, you’re asking for it. I guess I’ll have to bring you home for the Dragon Boat Festival,” Lin Heng muttered, shaking his head. He set down his basket, grabbed his bow and arrow, and quietly approached.

After walking about 200 meters, he spotted two pheasants grooming each other affectionately on top of an oak tree. They looked so intimate it was as if they were showing off their love.

Hiding behind a tree, Lin Heng found a good angle, quietly drew his bow to full tension, and released the arrow.

With a soft thud, the arrow pierced through both birds, killing them instantly. The pair of lovebirds could now accompany each other to the afterlife.

“That’s what you get for showing off,” Lin Heng muttered, collecting the pheasants.

Each weighed just over a pound—not very big, but the meat quality was as good as golden pheasants.

Carrying the birds, Lin Heng continued his journey without encountering any other suitable prey.

When he arrived at the village, he passed by the Yang family.

“Lin Heng, you caught two pheasants? Nice work!” Yang Zhaotao said enviously.

“With your skills, Xiulan must be tired of eating meat by now,” Liu Lan teased, practically drooling.

“Haha, not really. There are a lot of mouths to feed at home,” Lin Heng replied with a smile before continuing on.

He didn’t put the pheasants in his basket to avoid dripping blood everywhere—he wasn’t trying to show off.

If he really wanted to flaunt something, he could take out the Dendrobium roots and shock everyone.

When Lin Heng got home, he found the door locked, and Xiulan wasn’t there. So he went to the old house to check.

“Caiyun, where’s your sister-in-law?” Lin Heng asked his younger sister, who was in the yard collecting honeysuckle flowers.

“Second Brother, why are you back so early? Didn’t you say you’d be gone for two or three days? Did something happen?” she asked, worried.

“Nothing happened—I just needed to come back for something,” Lin Heng reassured her.

“Sister-in-law Xiulan went to do laundry with Mom and Sister-in-law Liu. Wait here—I’ll go call them,” Caiyun said.

Lin Heng nodded, went inside, poured himself some water, and drank two cups to quench his thirst.

Twenty minutes later, Caiyun returned with Xiulan, his mother, and Sister-in-law Liu.

Seeing Lin Heng, Xiulan immediately noticed the scrape on his forehead. “What happened to your forehead?”

“It’s nothing. I scraped it this morning while harvesting Dendrobium,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

“Dendrobium? Did you find iron-skin Dendrobium?” Sister-in-law Liu’s eyes lit up. This plant was highly valuable.

“Yes, about ten pounds’ worth. After drying, maybe two pounds,” Lin Heng replied, adding, “I came back early because I want to try planting the roots.”

“You found ten pounds? You’ve hit the jackpot!” Sister-in-law Liu exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement.

Even their mother was skeptical. “Really?”

“Of course. I also found seven or eight pounds of wild honey, but I’m splitting that with Uncle-in-law,” Lin Heng said, showing them his haul.

Sister-in-law Liu was momentarily speechless, deciding she needed to convince Lin Yue to go hunting with Lin Heng no matter what.

“You’re really lucky,” his mother remarked.

“Mom, take these two pheasants for tonight’s Dragon Boat Festival dinner at the old house. Also, keep an eye on Xiaoxia. I want to take Xiulan and Caiyun to plant the Dendrobium,” Lin Heng said, handing over the birds.

“Don’t worry, we’ll look after Xiaoxia,” Sister-in-law Liu said, clearly happy about the evening’s meal.

“Alright then. Xiulan, let’s go home,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Okay,” Xiulan agreed, carrying her laundry back. Caiyun followed them.

As they worked, Xiulan asked, “Where do you plan to plant the Dendrobium?”

“Near the creek on Red Maple Mountain, on the trees,” Lin Heng replied.

“On the trees? How does that work?” she asked, surprised.

“Just use moss to wrap the roots onto the trees, then secure it with palm leaves or straw,” Lin Heng explained.

“Shouldn’t it go in the soil?” Caiyun chimed in, equally confused.

“No, that won’t work. Just follow my lead,” Lin Heng said confidently.

Together, they gathered moss, straw, and the Dendrobium roots, heading to Red Maple Mountain to start their experiment.

He brought back only sixty or seventy Dendrobium plants, which, when split into two parts, totaled fewer than one hundred and fifty plants. Planting them around a tree, with one on each side—north, south, east, and west—required four plants per tree.

The three of them spent less than half an hour planting all the Dendrobium.

“Give them some water,” Lin Heng instructed.

Even though the humidity near the stream was already high, newly transplanted plants still needed water to establish their roots.

“Once we water them, do we just leave them alone?” Xiulan asked curiously.

“Of course not. In the beginning, we need to water them every few days. Once they’re established, it won’t be necessary,” Lin Heng explained while scooping water with a gourd ladle.

The stream’s moisture would sustain them once they took root. However, if they were planted in drier locations, they would require occasional watering. Live trees contained some moisture, and the Dendrobium plants would absorb it as they grew.

“All done. Let’s head back home.”

Once they finished, Lin Heng clapped the dirt off his hands and led his wife and sister back home.

Back at home, Lin Heng picked up his beloved daughter Xiaoxia to take care of her himself.

“Daddy, play!”

After not seeing Lin Heng for two days, Xiaoxia was glued to him. She nestled in his arms, her little hands playfully tugging at his face.

“Come on, let me teach you some words,” Lin Heng smiled, knowing what his daughter wanted to play.

“Foxtail grass!”

“Foxtail grass!” Xiaoxia repeated after him, plucking grass and handing it to Lin Heng, far gentler than when she used to stuff it straight into her mouth.

After Lin Heng’s patient teaching over time, Xiaoxia’s speech had noticeably improved. It proved that early education was crucial—actively teaching children worked much better than leaving them to learn on their own.

Xiulan sat under the eaves sorting through Lin Heng’s harvest from the mountains. Besides Dendrobium and honey, he also brought back some reishi mushrooms—about half a catty in total.

“Daddy, swing!!”

After a while, Xiaoxia wanted to play on the swing.

“Alright, let’s go swing,” Lin Heng said, unable to refuse his adorable daughter.

“Are we leaving half the honey for Uncle-in-law?” Xiulan asked, holding up the honey.

“Yes, half is for him,” Lin Heng nodded.

“Mommy, eat!” Xiaoxia, catching a whiff of the honey’s sweetness, didn’t want to leave. She stretched out her little hands, asking for honey.

“Here, just a tiny piece.”

Xiulan gave her a small piece no bigger than a fingernail.

Before she could finish eating it, Lin Heng picked her up and took her to the backyard to play on the swing.

“Honey!” Xiaoxia wiggled, clearly more interested in the honey than the swing.

“Oh, come on. Do you want another spanking? Mommy said no more today,” Lin Heng teased her.

Xiaoxia froze, remembering the spankings she’d received for being naughty, including one earlier that day for playing in the water. Her little face showed a mix of fear and defiance.

But she kept licking her lips, savoring the tiny bit of honey, her little tongue cleaning every last drop from the corner of her mouth.

“Daddy, honey!”

She clung to Lin Heng, snuggling against him like a little puppy, her big eyes full of pleading innocence. Her sweet, coquettish behavior melted Lin Heng’s heart. How could his little girl be this adorable? It was just too unfair.

“Daddy, honey!” she repeated, standing up to hug his neck and nuzzle his face.

Lin Heng guessed she must have learned this from somewhere, as she clearly preferred to beg him rather than risk asking her mother.

“Alright, alright. Just one last piece, and that’s it for today,” Lin Heng caved, unable to resist her charm.

“Give her another small piece,” Lin Heng told his wife.

“You’re going to spoil her,” Xiulan sighed, feeling helpless.

Most men in the village preferred sons over daughters, but her husband adored their daughter—perhaps too much.

Xiaoxia rested her little head on Lin Heng’s shoulder, refusing to look at her mother, as if pretending she wasn’t there.

“It’s just a small piece of honey. Honey is good for health,” Lin Heng reasoned.

He broke off another tiny piece. Before he could even hand it over, Xiaoxia lunged and took his fingers into her mouth along with the honey.

“What a little glutton,” Lin Heng said, pulling his hand back, amused by her antics.

After finishing it, Xiaoxia wanted more, but Xiulan gave her a stern look. “That was the last piece. If you ask for more, both you and Daddy will get punished.”

Xiaoxia quickly turned her face and buried it in Lin Heng’s chest, muttering something under her breath, probably calling her mother mean. Lin Heng, of course, couldn’t understand her baby-talk.

After playing on the swing for a while, the sky darkened. Lin Heng went to check the fish fry in the pond. The flowing water kept them healthy, though their size hadn’t changed much.

Lin Heng tossed a handful of bran into the pond. Xiaoxia, tugging at his clothes, said, “Daddy, feed fish!”

The fish pond had wooden railings about 1.3 meters high, so Xiaoxia needed her father to lift her up.

“Don’t mess up this time,” Lin Heng warned, remembering the last time she almost threw the feed at him instead.

“Feed fish!” Xiaoxia cheered as Lin Heng lifted her up. She grabbed a handful of bran and threw it into the pond, then watched the fish swim eagerly toward the food.

“Splash!”

A loud noise came from a wooden tub where a soft-shelled turtle and grass turtle seemed to be fighting.

“Oh, I forgot to feed them,” Lin Heng muttered, realizing the turtles hadn’t been fed since he brought them back.

After finishing up, Xiulan called from the courtyard. “Let’s go to your parents’ house. Dinner’s probably ready.”

“Okay,” Lin Heng replied, picking up Xiaoxia and following his wife.

At the old house, Lin Heng’s father and elder brother Lin Yue had already returned.

“I heard you found Dendrobium today?” Lin Yue asked curiously.

“Yeah, I was lucky,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

“That’s impressive. You’ve made a nice profit this time,” Lin Yue said enviously.

“Big brother, do you want to come with me tomorrow? I’m heading back to the mountains—you never know what else we might find,” Lin Heng invited.

Lin Yue shook his head. “I can’t. I just finished fertilizing the corn today, and tomorrow I need to harvest the wheat. Besides, I’m no good at hunting. I can gather herbs anytime—there’s no rush.”

He wanted to explore the mountains but didn’t want to leave all the farm work to their father.

Lin Heng admired his brother’s filial nature, though he couldn’t follow his example. His goal was to make money through hunting, farming, and raising livestock so his family wouldn’t have to labor in the fields anymore.

“Once we finish harvesting the wheat and clearing the weeds, let’s go to the mountains together to gather herbs,” their father said.

“Sounds good. The three of us can go together then,” Lin Yue agreed.

“Dinner’s ready! Let’s eat,” their mother announced, bringing two dishes to the table.

Lin Heng quickly got up to help carry the rest. Soon, six dishes were laid out, with a roasted pheasant in the center—Lin Heng’s catch for the day.

—

(End of chapter)