When assigning the tasks to the three workers, Wang Xiaoqiang didn't mention anything about incubating chicks as he planned to take on that task alone. After making these arrangements, Zhao Dabao and his wife, along with Xia Guifang, got busy with their work.

Wang Xiaoqiang, accompanied by Big Black and Little Hei, meticulously inspected the area within the boundaries set by the metal protective nets once again. Big Black used its sharp claws to dig out a rat's nest, and Little Hei caught a snake—these were all natural predators of the wild mountain chickens. Without dealing with them, the wild mountain chickens couldn't live in peace.

After finishing these tasks, Wang Xiaoqiang got into his small truck and took Xia Guifang with him to the county town. Now that the chicken farm was operational, some essential equipment needed to be acquired as soon as possible.

A freezer was a necessary purchase, while an incubator wasn't essential. But in order to mislead others, Wang Xiaoqiang decided to buy two incubators to keep up appearances in the incubation room.

"Director Wang, are we going to the county town?" Xia Guifang asked on the road.

"Please don't call me that," Wang Xiaoqiang waved his hand, "it feels so awkward. Just call me Little Qiang!"

"Alright then, but when we're at the farm, I'll still have to call you Director," Xia Guifang said earnestly.

"Okay." Wang Xiaoqiang accepted and then said with a smile, "Then, Comrade Little Xia, when my chicken farm gets bigger, how about you become my secretary?"

"Secretary..." Xia Guifang said curiously, "Does a chicken farm need a secretary? What would a secretary at a chicken farm do on a daily basis?"

"Well, a secretary doesn't have much to do usually, mainly just making tea and pouring water for the boss, helping the boss with massages and loosening up the bones... Haha!!" Wang Xiaoqiang laughed as he said this.

"Go on, I certainly wouldn't do that," Xia Guifang shot Wang Xiaoqiang a sideways glance, and her pretty face turned slightly red.

Chatting and laughing along the way, they reached the county town outskirts. Fifty meters away from the toll station, on the side of the road, Wang Xiaoqiang stopped the car and told Xia Guifang to stay and watch it while he took the bus into the city to buy a freezer and incubators.

When the bus passed by the county town's herbal medicine market, Wang Xiaoqiang got off. He wanted to see if there was any Wild Mountain Ginseng in the market, as the hunger and fatigue after treating Xu's Mother had reminded him that the Five Elements Spiritual Spring needed to absorb more Wild Mountain Ginseng again.

After disembarking, he entered the herbal medicine market and took a round inside. He visited every ginseng shop, but the Five Elements Spiritual Spring inside him didn't react at all, meaning there was no Wild Mountain Ginseng in the market, or if there was, it wasn't displayed out in the open for the Spiritual Spring to sense.

Having searched the entire market to no avail, Wang Xiaoqiang was disappointedly heading towards the exit, when suddenly, the dormant Wild Mountain Ginseng inside him trembled slightly. Wang Xiaoqiang's heart stirred, and he looked around, only to see people constantly passing by.

The closest person to him was an old woman, nearly sixty years old, with a yellow, emaciated face and clothes that were very tattered. She had naturally downturned eyebrows, displaying a miserable expression.

In her right hand, she held a bamboo basket, gripping it tightly with her left hand as if afraid someone would snatch it away, wandering through the herbal medicine market with a wary face, yet her eyes seemed lost as she peeped into the various medicine stores, as if searching for something.

Instinctively, Wang Xiaoqiang moved a bit closer to the old woman, feeling the vibrations from the Five Elements Spiritual Spring intensify immediately. He took two more steps towards her, and the Spiritual Spring vibrated even more strongly.

By now, Wang Xiaoqiang was sure the old woman had Wild Mountain Ginseng on her, most likely in the bamboo basket she was carrying.

Wang Xiaoqiang tried to peek inside the bamboo basket but saw that it was covered tightly with a towel, completely concealing the contents underneath. However, he guessed that it must contain one or more Wild Mountain Ginsengs.

Once he realized this, Wang Xiaoqiang casually followed behind the old woman, who suddenly headed towards a ginseng store.

Wang Xiaoqiang hesitated for a moment before following her.

The old woman reached the entrance of the ginseng store and peeped inside. A middle-aged, potbellied man immediately came out. He sized up the old woman, saw her tattered clothes and the bamboo basket in her hand, and immediately dismissed her as a beggar. Frowning, he gestured coldly toward her, "Get out, get out..."

It was clear that this old woman wasn't well-acquainted with the ways of the world, being from the countryside. Instead of getting angry at the middle-aged fat man's gesture, she looked scared and said with a stammer, "O-old boss, do you buy ginseng?"

The middle-aged man's attitude changed instantly upon hearing about ginseng, his eyes fixed on the old woman as he asked, "You have ginseng?"

"I have..." the old woman unveiled the towel covering the bamboo basket, bringing it up to the boss to look, "This was dug by my husband from Changbai Mountain in the Northeast, it's Wild Mountain Ginseng..."

The middle-aged man glanced at the contents of the basket, noticing two pieces of Wild Mountain Ginseng, as long as an adult's palm, still covered with dirt.

Seeing those two stalks of Wild Mountain Ginseng, the fat boss's eyes couldn't help but light up. It was certain that in the more than a decade since the county's herbal medicine market had been established, Wild Mountain Ginseng was almost unseen, so naturally, the fat boss didn't know whether it was indeed Wild Mountain Ginseng or not.

He just felt that the two ginseng plants looked impressive and were quite different from ordinary ginseng.

"Old lady, stop bluffing here. Where is that Wild Mountain Ginseng? Those are just two artificially grown ginseng roots. If you really want to sell them, I'll take them..."

Unexpectedly, the elderly woman did not argue but seemed somewhat excited as she said, "Boss, are you really buying?"

"Really buying," seeing the old woman's panic-stricken and excited expression, the fat boss's face flashed an unperceived slyness, then he tried to take the basket from the old woman's hand.

Unexpectedly, the elderly woman very cautiously dodged and guarded the basket tightly with her left hand, vigilantly asking, "Boss, how much do you plan to offer?"

"Old lady, for these two ginseng roots, I can only offer this price..." the fat boss said and waved his right hand in front of the elderly woman, showing five fingers.

"Fifty thousand," the old woman thought the boss was offering fifty thousand and said with surprise and joy, "Okay, I'll sell them to you!"

"Cut, I think you're crazy for money," the fat boss rolled his eyes and flapped his sleeve, saying "Five hundred, these two ginseng roots are only worth five hundred..."

Upon hearing that she could only sell them for five hundred, the old woman immediately showed a face filled with disappointment and despondency, hugged the basket tightly, and turned to leave.

The fat boss immediately stepped forward to stop her, saying, "Hey, old lady, don't be in such a hurry to go. Let's talk it over..."

Wang Xiaoqiang heard the conversation between the two. Those two stalks of Wild Mountain Ginseng were worth hundreds of thousands, and yet the old woman was willing to sell them for fifty thousand, while the fat boss was only willing to give five hundred.

In truth, Wang Xiaoqiang was really afraid that the old woman would sell the ginseng to the fat boss; thus, he pretended to be a customer and walked into the ginseng shop. As he passed by the two, he deliberately asked the fat boss, "Boss, do you have Wild Mountain Ginseng in your store?"

"No." The fat boss, eager to buy the good-looking ginseng from the old woman at the lowest price, had no time to deal with Wang Xiaoqiang and coldly gave an answer, then turned his attention back to the old woman, "Old lady, I'll give you another five hundred, what about a thousand?"

"No, boss, if it weren't for my husband injuring his leg and being in urgent need of money for treatment, I wouldn't have sold this ginseng," said the elderly woman very determinedly, "We need fifty thousand for the medical expenses, I won't sell for less..."

The boss didn't know whether the ginseng in the old woman's basket was really Wild Mountain Ginseng; if he had known, he would have bought them for not just fifty thousand, but even five hundred thousand. Seeing the old woman steadfastly asking for fifty thousand, he suddenly changed his face and waved his hand in disgust, "Not selling, is that it? Get lost, go away as far as you can..."

The old woman's face turned slightly red with anger, and although she was upset, she didn't dare argue. She covered the Wild Mountain Ginseng with a towel once more, hugged the bamboo basket, and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaoqiang was delighted and immediately left the store to catch up with the old woman, saying, "Old lady, please sell your ginseng to me..."

The old woman stopped and turned back, eyeing Wang Xiaoqiang warily. Seeing that Wang Xiaoqiang had a kind face, she relaxed her guard a little and asked, "Young man, this is Wild Mountain Ginseng, it's very expensive. What do you want it for?"

Wang Xiaoqiang looked kind, but in the eyes of the old woman, he was too young, not at all like someone who could afford to pay fifty thousand dollars, so she wanted to make it clear.

"Old lady, do you think I can't afford this ginseng?" Wang Xiaoqiang saw the old woman's concern and assured her directly, "If you really want to sell it to me, let's go get the money now. I'll give you the money and then you give me the ginseng. How's that?"

The old woman saw that Wang Xiaoqiang spoke sincerely and nodded her head in surprise, then her smile faded, "This ginseng, I want fifty thousand for it. Do you have that much money?"

"Please rest assured, old lady. Don't judge me by my age. I actually contract land at home, and I can make over a hundred thousand a year. I can afford that amount," Wang Xiaoqiang said with an air of ease.

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang speak so sincerely, the old woman finally smiled. She passed the basket to Wang Xiaoqiang and said, "Alright, I'll sell it to you!"

With that pass, Wang Xiaoqiang suddenly felt the basket containing Wild Mountain Ginseng nearly pressing against his belly, and the Five Elements Spiritual Spring inside him began to vibrate more violently. He quickly stepped back, extending his hand to stop her, "Old lady, please keep holding it. After I pay you the money, then you can hand over the ginseng..."

Seeing how earnest and trustworthy Wang Xiaoqiang was, the old woman happily nodded and then went to withdraw money with Wang Xiaoqiang.

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