“Rong’er, going in this way — is it really just a quarter hour?”

Xiao Yingtao looked at the grove stretching out of sight and turned back to ask.

“Mm.”

Shen Rong’er carried the oil lamp her father had prepared for them.

“Rong’er.”

Old Man Shen called out from beside the carriage, watching the departing figures.

Shen Rong’er turned back and called out. “Father, what is it?”

“Rong’er, be careful!”

Old Man Shen shouted after her. “Take good care of everyone.”

“Father, I know.”

Shen Rong’er answered and turned to keep walking.

“Let me take the lamp.”

Qiao Mu stepped over and took the lamp from her hand.

“I can manage.”

Shen Rong’er looked up at Qiao Mu, who towered over her.

“Let’s go, watch the path.”

Qiao Mu glanced at her and hurried to catch up with Feng Jiu’er.

This one was walking so fast — was there really gold in there?

Qiao Mu didn’t believe for a second that Feng Jiu’er would head into the mountains this late, so close to dark, for a bit of fragrance.

Did she really have that much time on her hands?

The two of them quickly left everyone else behind.

On the way over earlier, Feng Jiu’er had already asked about the route.

Just a quarter hour’s walk — she should be fine.

“So, is there really gold in there?”

Qiao Mu, still not understanding, could only tease.

“Might be.”

Feng Jiu’er curved her lips slightly and kept walking, not even glancing at Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu began to wonder if this woman had lost her mind. Weren’t they supposed to be out at the market enjoying good food?

Why had they eaten nothing at all and gone straight into the mountains instead?

Qiao Mu rubbed her flat stomach and rolled her eyes helplessly — she really had boarded the wrong ship this time.

Feng Jiu’er walked faster and faster, until only Qiao Mu managed to keep pace.

If it weren’t so close to nightfall, she wouldn’t need to walk this fast either.

Once night fell, even with an oil lamp, things would only get harder.

Qiao Mu picked two wild fruits, took a bite, and looked up to find Feng Jiu’er’s small figure had nearly vanished ahead of her.

Good heavens — was this woman really going to go pick up gold?

Others might not understand her, but Qiao Mu certainly did.

“Jiu’er.”

She frowned and quickened her steps to catch up.

Qiao Mu caught up to Feng Jiu’er, wiped off the fruit in her other hand, and held it out.

“Feng Jiu’er, will you tell me what exactly is going through your head?

If you don’t, I’m not walking another step!”

Feng Jiu’er slowed her pace and turned to look at Qiao Mu.

She didn’t answer right away, certain that Qiao Mu would stick with her to the bitter end regardless.

Feng Jiu’er took a bite of the juicy fruit and curved her lips slightly.

“Qiao Mu, I’ll tell you, but don’t laugh.”

“Laugh, my foot!”

Qiao Mu glared at her. “Weren’t we promised good food? This grove doesn’t even have a decent piece of fruit.”

Qiao Mu took another bite and tossed the rest away.

The disgusted look on her face made her displeasure with Feng Jiu’er plain.

“If things go the way I’m hoping, you’ll be eating lobster whenever you like from now on.”

Feng Jiu’er said with a smile.

“Is there really gold?”

Qiao Mu’s eyes lit up.

If there was gold to be picked up, a little hardship along the way was nothing.

“No.”

Feng Jiu’er shook her head.

She didn’t say anything more, which nearly drove Qiao Mu mad.

“Feng Jiu’er!”

She snapped.

Feng Jiu’er drew her gaze away from Qiao Mu’s face and looked ahead at the path.

“Liuyang said she saw this flower on Tianya Peak.”

“Tianya Peak?”

Qiao Mu frowned, searching her memory for the name.

Suddenly, the crease between her brows relaxed.

“Isn’t Tianya Peak the sulfur mountain?”

Qiao Mu frowned again and went on, “Feng Jiu’er, are you trying to say you suspect this flower has something to do with sulfur?”

If it were just about the flower, she wouldn’t be rushing like this.

If it was about sulfur, though, that was possible. “Feng Jiu’er, have you gone money-mad? What could one unknown flower possibly prove?”

“Exactly.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced at her. “I did say I’ve gone money-mad.”

Qiao Mu felt like she was the one going mad. After all that thinking, all that mental effort, all that walking to keep up — and this was the answer she got?

“Feng Jiu’er, I think you’ve simply got too much time on your hands.”

“Exactly.”

Feng Jiu’er looked at her again and nodded.

Qiao Mu wanted to slam her head into a wall. No — there was no wall. Would a tree do instead?

Just as Qiao Mu was about to go find a tree, Feng Jiu’er’s voice continued.

“Sulfur has a strong influence on its surroundings. Buried underground, it changes the composition of the soil too.”

“Liuyang said her flower was found near a spot where sulfur had been discovered — and the key point is, once the flower was taken home and cultivated, it changed.”

“It’s not just Liuyang — Rong’er says the same thing now. There has to be some connection.”

“So you’re saying — Liuyang’s side has sulfur, and Rong’er’s side has sulfur too?”

Qiao Mu couldn’t help but admire her.

What kind of logic was this?

At first listen, it sounded like complete nonsense. Think about it a little more, and it seemed nearly impossible there’d be any connection at all.

She was impressed. Truly, thoroughly impressed.

But what else could she do? Not be impressed?

The little schemer at her side was practically an immortal, blessed with both skill and luck combined.

Stick with her, and there would always be something to eat.

“Qiao Mu, don’t make that face, all right?

I already said I’ll treat you to hotpot when we get back.”

Feng Jiu’er finished off her wild fruit, looking pleased with herself.

“Follow Big Sister Qiao anywhere, and you’ll always find food. What a life.”

Feng Jiu’er didn’t have much confidence in this, but as the saying went — a trip made is never a trip wasted.

If there really was sulfur here, she might spend a whole month smiling in her sleep.

Qiao Mu shot her a sideways look and gave up on talking further.

Feng Jiu’er pulled her along by the arm. “This way, quick! We’re almost there.”

They walked on for less than a quarter hour more, and Feng Jiu’er, looking ahead, finally spotted a cliff.

More importantly, at the base of the cliff was exactly the flower she was looking for.

Cluster after cluster, brimming with life — a truly beautiful sight.

“Qiao Mu, look.”

Feng Jiu’er felt a small thrill — seeing the flowers was like seeing gold.

More than gold, though, what she wanted now — what she needed — was sulfur.

Qiao Mu watched her run ahead, paused only a moment, and hurried to catch up.

The flowers grew in clusters; Feng Jiu’er couldn’t even name them.

The cliff was quite high — at least three zhang.

At the base, there were no large trees, only flowers, grasses of varying heights, and a scattering of small saplings.

This flower grew in dense clumps, and even at a glance, several clusters could be spotted.

Before they’d even drawn close, the fragrance hit them — the scent Feng Jiu’er knew so well.

No wonder Liuyang and Rong’er both loved this flower. Its scent was distinctive — rich without being cloying, fresh and elegant, the kind of fragrance that lifted the spirit.

Never mind them — even Feng Jiu’er found herself instantly charmed.

She had smelled this scent once before, at Tianya Peak, but at the time her attention had been on the far more valuable sulfur, so she hadn’t paused to consider what the smell was.

Catching it again now, Feng Jiu’er felt certain today wouldn’t be a wasted trip.

Even without sulfur, having one more fragrance to work with wasn’t a bad outcome either.