The Willow Cutting Takes Root

Another night passed. Early the next morning, Han Li headed for the herb garden as soon as he got up, wanting to see whether the medicinal plants had changed at all.

Before he even reached the herb field, he caught the rich scents of several medicinal plants.

Han Li was slightly startled, but then a thought struck him. Could it be...

He quickened his pace and finally arrived before the plants giving off the powerful fragrance.

Were these the same plants as yesterday? Han Li could hardly believe his eyes. He slapped his still slightly sleepy face several times, stopping his self-inflicted punishment only when it began to hurt.

"The leaves of this yellow dragon grass have turned a little purple, the bitter lotus flower actually has nine petals, and the skin of the forget-worry fruit has turned black. Ha ha! Ha ha!" Han Li could no longer contain himself. Though he could usually keep his heart as still as water, he could not help throwing back his head and laughing.

"I've really struck it rich this time! Overnight, these herbs that had only one or two years' worth of medicinal potency have all become like herbs over ten years old. Judging by the color of the leaves, the shape of the fruit, and the fragrance of the petals, they're unmistakably rare medicinal plants that have been mature for quite a few years." Han Li examined the herbs carefully once more and confirmed that they matched the descriptions in the medicinal books exactly. They really were precious medicinal ingredients that had been growing for quite a few years.

"If I ripen herbs this way, won't I have as many precious medicinal ingredients as I want? And I can sell the herbs I can't use to others. That way, I can earn as much silver as I want." Han Li could no longer contain his excitement and began letting his imagination run wild.

The more Han Li thought about it, the more excited he became, and the farther his thoughts wandered. He felt that he really had stumbled upon a treasure this time. Suddenly, he turned several somersaults on the ground. His usual composure was nowhere to be seen; he was expressing his excitement just like any boy of fourteen or fifteen.

After a long while, Han Li finally came to his senses. His usual alertness returned, and he began considering the difficulties he would have to face to eat this great pie that had fallen from the heavens.

First, the herbs seemed fine on the outside, but their actual medicinal properties still needed to be tested. After all, they had become this way by absorbing that strange liquid. Who knew whether they contained any altered substances? He had seen the rabbits' miserable end with his own eyes yesterday, so he had better be careful.

Second, the green liquid in the mysterious little bottle had already been used up. He did not know whether the strange phenomenon would occur again and produce more droplets. He hoped it was not a one-time thing; he would have to check again that night.

If there were no problems on either of those two counts, he would still need to get a firm grasp of the exact details and steps involved in hastening the growth of medicinal plants, so that he could fully control this incredible method.

After thinking it over, Han Li arrived at these problems that still needed solving. If he did not solve them, this great pie would be nothing more to him than a flower in the mist or the moon reflected in water.

Once he had considered everything, Han Li set to work.

He first went to the main kitchen outside the valley and bought two more gray rabbits from the person in charge. Han Li's purchase pleased the kitchen manager but also left the man somewhat puzzled. Why did this boy keep buying live rabbits and taking them back? Could he be planning to slaughter them himself to practice his cooking?

Han Li paid no attention to what others thought. This time, he did not tie the rabbits up in the herb garden, but outside his own door, so he could watch them for changes at any time.

He then went to the herb field, carefully picked the plants whose growth he had hastened, and brought them back. He made several doses of good medicine for strengthening sinews and bones, then mixed the prepared medicine into the rabbits' favorite food and fed it to them three times a day, to test whether the herbs were poisonous.

After doing all this, Han Li waited anxiously for night to fall. Time seemed to drag on endlessly, but at last night came, just as he had hoped.

As soon as it began to get dark, Han Li ran outside, took the little bottle out of its bag, and set it on the ground. He watched it intently, waiting for it to change.

A quarter of an hour passed, and the bottle showed no sign of movement.

Half an hour passed, and the bottle still showed no sign of movement.

Three quarters of an hour...

As time went by, Han Li's heart sank lower and lower. He waited until it was almost dawn, but the bottle still showed no unusual activity.

He was utterly dejected. Was the bottle really a single-use consumable? Or had he done something wrong?

Han Li forced himself to rally and looked around.

"Nothing suspicious, except that the sky is a little dark," Han Li muttered to himself.

He suddenly froze and jerked his head up to look at the sky. It was pitch-black overhead, and he could see nothing. The words "the sky is a little dark" had suddenly awakened him to the answer.

"Could it be because it's overcast, with no stars or moon?" Han Li remembered that the bottle's previous transformations had all occurred on clear days, when nothing blocked the sky and the stars and moon were visible. Today, however, the weather was gloomy, and dark clouds covered the sky.

Han Li had an idea, and his spirits lifted a little. Seeing that the sky was beginning to lighten, he knew nothing would happen that night, so he put the bottle away and prepared to try again once the weather cleared.

But to Han Li's surprise, over the next half month, not only did the sky fail to clear, but a continuous drizzle began to fall. The weather had stayed that way right up to the present.

Han Li looked at the soft drizzle outside, feeling terribly frustrated. The more anxiously he waited for the weather to clear, the more it rained without end, showing not the slightest sign of stopping.

He turned to look at the two rabbits sheltering from the rain inside the room. Seeing them hopping about full of life only made Han Li more depressed. Ever since the two rabbits had eaten the food mixed with medicine, not only had nothing gone wrong, but they had become livelier than before. Over the past ten-odd days, Han Li had examined them carefully every day, confirming that the rabbits showed no symptoms of poisoning whatsoever. On the contrary, the good medicine for strengthening sinews and bones had made them even sturdier.

This good result not only failed to make Han Li happy, but left him worrying over what he might gain or lose, with no way to calm himself down. For him, whether the bottle could produce more green liquid had become the key to all these questions, yet this wretched weather, lingering for so long, kept the answer stubbornly out of reach. How could Han Li not be utterly frustrated?