Chapter Thirty-One: Little White

"Hahaha, we are all friends here, Master Jia, please take a seat. Shoufu, serve the tea—bring out the good stuff." Hu Buyun was clearly in a very good mood, smiling as he spoke to Jia Ping'an.

Jia Ping'an could sense the general's positive disposition, which gave him even more confidence regarding the matter he intended to discuss today.

After he sat down generously in the guest chair, Hu Shoufu personally brought the tea before him. Once Jia had risen to express his thanks and sat back down, under the gaze of the three men, he retrieved a rectangular ginseng box from his satchel.

Hu Buxin, who had been impatient, didn't wait for anyone else to speak. He stepped forward and opened the box, revealing a wild ginseng root with five palm-shaped compound leaves.

"Eighty years! At least eighty years old!"

Upon seeing the ginseng, Hu Buxin’s heart began to race, and the words tumbled out of his mouth.

Although Hu Buyun and his cousin had anticipated that Jia Ping'an would have goods to offer, they had never imagined the quality would be this high—surpassing even the ginseng they had seen at the Zhou family’s shop earlier that day.

Hu Buxin’s exclamation caused even the composed Hu Buyun to rise from his chair.

As the General of Ningguta, beyond maintaining order, his most important duty was to procure high-quality ginseng and sable furs for the Imperial Court. Otherwise, what else was there for him to do? In this geographical location, the north was nothing but endless primeval forest filled with wild beasts. Unless one actively provoked them, there was nothing that threatened their safety.

With no wars to fight, promotion for a general became incredibly difficult. This forced Hu Buyun to shift his focus from training troops to the procurement of ginseng and furs.

A year ago, he had led soldiers deep into the mountains, but instead of obtaining furs, they encountered a pack of black bears—also known as "blind bears." The ensuing skirmish resulted in no gains, two soldiers killed, and over a dozen injured. He had not considered taking troops into the mountains since.

With sable furs unattainable, ginseng became the only path to maintaining his current status. The Zheng family, having been established here for years with connections everywhere, possessed the channels to acquire higher-quality ginseng, giving them an air of confidence whenever they dealt with him.

If he could not procure good ginseng, he could not fulfill the tasks assigned by the Imperial Court. Forget returning to the capital or rising in rank; even keeping his current position would be in jeopardy. To acquire ginseng, Hu Buxin had often been forced to lower his head to the Zheng family and concede profits to them.

Living in such a restrictive environment, it was no wonder Hu Buyun had been unable to find joy. But now, Jia Ping'an had appeared with a root that was at least eighty, perhaps nearly a hundred years old. If he could obtain more of these, his mission in Ningguta would be complete. How could he not be excited?

"Let me see it," Hu Buyun said to his cousin, his excitement getting the better of him.

Sensing the urgency, Hu Buxin hurried over and handed the box to the general.

"Hmm, excellent root. It has been preserved perfectly. Hahaha!" After just one glance, a smile spread across Hu Buyun's face. With the Lunar New Year approaching, he had been worried about what to offer the Emperor as a tribute. Now, with this aged ginseng, his most pressing problem was solved.

With a major burden lifted, he looked at Jia Ping'an with even greater favor. "Splendid. It seems Master Jia is truly a man of great fortune to come across ginseng of such quality."

It was a double-edged remark. The praise was genuine, but so was the desire to know where Jia Ping'an had acquired it.

If it were just luck, finding one aged root was possible. But to produce them one after another was not something that could be explained by mere coincidence.

Anyone would be skeptical that nothing extraordinary was going on behind the scenes. As the General of Ningguta, Hu Buyun was an intelligent man; he did not believe in coincidences. However, he knew that asking directly might be impolite, and he had no reason to offend Jia Ping'an. Thus, he chose to probe tentatively.

If Jia Ping'an was willing to share, that would be for the best. If not, he would not force the issue. As long as he profited, that was all that mattered.

As Hu Buyun spoke, the eyes of Hu Buxin and Hu Shoufu turned to Jia Ping'an, who was sitting there sipping his tea. Both men were shrewd and understood the implication behind the general's words. They watched to see how Jia Ping'an would explain it, or if he would attempt to brush the question aside.

If someone else had asked, Jia Ping'an would have said nothing, as there was no need to explain. After all, if he had the ability to find old ginseng, why should he tell them? If he told them and they tried to mimic his methods, he would simply be giving away his profit. Only a fool would do that.

However, since the question came from Hu Buyun, Jia Ping'an decided to provide an answer. It was important, as it directly related to the request he intended to make later.

"Heh." When he felt the attention of the three men on him, Jia Ping'an smiled.

It was a natural smile, devoid of pretense, giving off an air of sincerity. After a few chuckles, he suddenly called out, "Xiaobai, come here."

*Whoosh!*

Just as the three men were wondering what he meant by "Xiaobai," a small, snow-white fox darted into the main hall from outside. When it reached Jia Ping'an’s feet, it leaped lightly onto his shoulder.

During this time, Xiaobai had been staying by Jia Ping'an’s side, drinking the spiritual spring water he provided every day. Although it was diluted, it was still far superior to any other water, making the fox increasingly reliant on the young man. Especially after realizing that the water made its body more agile and its speed faster, it could not bear to leave him. When Jia Ping'an called, it dared not disobey.

The sudden appearance of the white fox startled the three men.

This was a type of fox legendarily known for being extremely intelligent and cunning. Even experienced hunters were often led in circles by them, and it was said they were spiritual creatures that could perceive human thoughts. Because of this, many mystical tales about foxes circulated among the common folk.

Yet, this white fox, which usually only appeared in stories, was now lying obediently on Jia Ping'an's shoulder, motionless. When Jia stroked its fur, it seemed to enjoy it, closing its eyes without a hint of defense. It was truly unfathomable, and at the same time, quite enviable.

Hu Buyun, looking at Xiaobai, couldn't help but think that if he could have one to present to his mother, she would surely be overjoyed.

"Oh, I call it Xiaobai. I found it deep in the mountains. It was injured at the time, and I saved it. Since then, it has been very attached to me. Later, to repay the debt of saving its life, it started bringing me into the mountains to find ginseng."

With a few simple sentences, Jia Ping'an shifted all the credit to Xiaobai.

Xiaobai couldn't speak, and even if it squeaked, only Jia Ping'an understood its meaning. Besides, they were a team now; to keep getting the spiritual spring water, Xiaobai would never betray him.

"What? It can guide you?" The first to exclaim was Hu Buxin, the manager of the Hu family ginseng shop.

He had previously thought that Jia Ping'an was just lucky, stumbling into untouched areas and discovering these roots. Now it seemed this little white fox was the key.

A thought occurred to him: if they could obtain the white fox, wouldn't they be able to find even more and better ginseng in the future? His heart raced, and he couldn't help but look at his cousin. Though he said nothing, his intent was clear.

Hu Buyun noticed his cousin's gaze. He was tempted, but reason told him not to act.

This was not because Hu Buyun was a paragon of virtue or felt obligated by gratitude for the help with his mother. Physicians were meant to save lives, after all, and he had already paid the agreed fee; they owed each other nothing.

However, Hu Buyun decided not to seize what belonged to another. He knew that the white fox was only willing to be close to Jia Ping'an—that was their bond. If he were to take it by force, it was doubtful it would ever serve him. Most likely, once released into the forest, it would vanish forever. If that happened, he would have offended a man of talent, tarnished his own reputation, and gained nothing—a total waste of effort.

Of course, there was another primary reason: Hu Buyun had a feeling that since Jia Ping'an was willing to share this secret, he would likely sell more of his high-quality finds to him in the future. If that was the case, he would profit all the same.

If one could profit, why must they have the largest slice of the cake?

This was why one man was a general and the other only a shop manager. The difference in their vision and their methods was the greatest disparity of all.

With an almost imperceptible shake of his head, he rejected his cousin's suggestion. Then, Hu Buyun laughed heartily. "Splendid! For Master Jia to possess such fortune is truly enviable. I offer you my congratulations."