I have been farming since I crossed over.

Yang Mingxi collected the money, thanked the shopkeeper, and prepared to go to the blacksmith shop to buy a plowshare. The three of them went to the blacksmith shop together. A plowshare cost 800 wen, and that was a very small one. A large one would cost one and a half taels of silver. Yang Mingxi was not an expert on this, so he asked the blacksmith shop owner. The owner recommended a small one, saying that if plowing the fields and avoiding hitting rocks, a small one would be enough, but if it was to open up wasteland, a large one would be more durable.

Yang Mingxi felt bad about spending money, but for the sake of efficiency and durability, she reluctantly bought a large one. She spent the newly acquired copper coins before they even warmed up. Fortunately, Wu gave her a tael of silver, and with the remaining money she had, she finally didn't use public funds.

After buying the plow, the three of them drove the ox cart back to Changshan Village. There was still a lot of work to do.

When they got home, Yang Minghu also came back, carrying a still usable plow from Uncle Wu's house, as well as a plowshare and a lasso. Originally, Old Man Wu wanted to ask Yang Minghu to drive their old cow over as well, but thinking that there was only one plow and two cows were not needed, he prepared to send a message to his sons, asking them to come back and bring their grandsons to help Yang Laowu open up the wasteland.

Over in the wasteland, the Yang family was busy, even Old Man Yang and Old Lady Yang were helping to pick up stones. Seeing Yang Mingxi coming back, Old Man Yang immediately came over and asked, "Xiao girl, how are you?"

Yang Mingxi smiled and nodded, "The total price of the herbs was 1206 Wen, which is a reasonable price. The pharmacy only accepts those that have been sorted and prepared."

Old Man Yang took a deep breath. Are the prices so high? The current prices are: eggs are one penny each, meat buns are one penny each, vegetarian buns are two pennies each, vegetarian noodles are three pennies a bowl, meat noodles are five pennies a bowl, rice is four pennies a pound, flour is three pennies a pound, an adult working outside for a day pays 15 pennies, linen is 50 pennies a piece, and fine linen is 100 pennies a piece. Yang Mingxi had bought the cloth before because Old Man Yang sold it to her and didn't make any money, so it was cheaper.

The herbs that Yang Mingxi and others sold today were picked on the first day they went up the mountain. The three baskets were almost full. After Yang Mingyu and Yang Mingxi processed them, only more than 20 kilograms were left.

Old Man Yang looked at Yang Mingxi's face and said, "Xiao girl, this business is good. It's better than doing odd jobs."

Yang Mingxi nodded and said, "It should still be feasible, but the herbs are limited, and the price of each herb is different. It's impossible to collect so many every day. It can only be used as a short-term livelihood."

Old Man Yang said, "That's right. You picked a lot of them on the first day, and the quality was good. The amount you picked on the second day was also pretty good. I heard Ayu say it wasn't worth much."

Yang Mingxi was stunned. Had she discussed the price of the herbs with Yang Mingyu? It seemed not. However, the next day, the Yang family gathered herbs. Bupleurum, considered a good quality herb, only accounted for about 10%, and the rest was mostly Plantago. Although Yang Mingxi didn't ask the price, she guessed it wasn't high.

Yang Mingxi smiled and said, "Bupleurum is okay, 30 wen per catty, and the others are almost all Plantago seeds. The price of this one is probably not high. The herbs picked tomorrow can probably be sold for today's silver!" After that, Yang Mingxi handed the money for buying herbs today to Old Man Yang.

Old Man Yang shook his hand and said, "This is what you and your sister picked. You can keep it for yourself and hand it in to the public school the next day. Xi girl, I think picking herbs is still feasible. What do you think?"

Yang Mingxi collected the money from selling the herbs and said, "It's okay to collect herbs, but you can't collect them all. Each family should have their own situation. Those who want to collect herbs can follow me and my third brother. I will try my best to teach them some new herbs. It's okay to make a little money."

Old Man Yang smiled brightly when he heard this. He knew that Xi Yatou would not ignore others. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Xi Yatou. The Yang family is blessed to have you."

Yang Mingxi pulled Old Man Yang and said, "Grandpa, don't say that. I'm also a member of the Yang family. As long as I can contribute, I won't stand idly by. But, Grandpa, collecting herbs can only be done as a temporary thing. Each of us still has to have our own main livelihood."

Old Man Yang nodded and said, "I understand. I'll pass it on and tell them to think it over carefully. If anyone is willing to follow you to collect herbs, please bear with me."

Yang Mingxi smiled and nodded, "Grandpa, it's great to have you."

Old Man Yang went to help clear the wasteland again. Yang Mingyu untied the oxcart, let out the old ox, put on the ox rope, and climbed up the plow. Together with his brother Yang Minghu, they climbed up the plow and turned the land. Yang Mingxi looked at the Yang family working in an orderly manner and nodded with satisfaction.

Just then, Yang Mingchi, the youngest son from my second uncle's family, came over to call everyone back for dinner. Everyone packed up their things and prepared to go back for dinner. Yang Minghu stayed behind, driving the old ox to plow the fields a few more times and keeping an eye on the crops.

After dinner, Old Man Yang said to everyone, "Brothers and sisters-in-law who should help to open up the wasteland should continue to do so. Grandchildren who want to collect herbs can also follow Xi and Yu. The price of herbs is not bad, but it can only be used as a way to make a little money in your spare time. Each family should think about their long-term livelihood. The current herbs in the family will be sold and the money will belong to the public. In the future, each family will process the herbs they collect on their own and keep the money they sell."

Yang Mingxi also stood up and said, "After dinner, we will go up the mountain. Those who want to go can come with us if they bring their own tools. It is not convenient to bring children under the age of twelve, as there are dangers in the mountains. We have agreed to meet in the yard in a quarter of an hour."

Everyone dispersed and went home to discuss matters. From the fifth house, Yang Mingxi suggested that his parents, eldest and second brothers, fourth and fifth brothers would stay home to cultivate the wasteland, while his fourth sister would take care of his two younger brothers, while he and his third brother would go up the mountain to collect herbs. Yang Minghao disagreed, wanting to go up the mountain to collect herbs, as he knew more about them. Finally, the fifth house consisted of Yang Mingyu, Yang Mingxi, and Yang Minghao collecting herbs, while the rest of the people would cultivate the wasteland.

A quarter of an hour later, five people gathered in the courtyard: the eldest son, Yang Mingyong, the second oldest, and Yang Mingchao, the third oldest; the second son, Yang Mingtao, the second oldest, and Yang Mingbo, the third oldest; and the fourth son, Yang Mingzhou. The eldest son of each branch temporarily joined his parents in clearing the wasteland for the fifth branch, waiting to make plans once the rice seedlings were planted.

A group of eight people came to the depths of Changhu Mountain, which was where Yang Mingxi and others collected herbs on the first day. Yang Mingxi mainly taught them about Bupleurum, Isatis Root, Rubescens and Scutellaria. These herbs are relatively common and the prices are also good.

Everyone spread out to gather herbs, but they kept in sight of each other so they wouldn't stray too far and get lost. Yang Mingxi and Yang Mingyu picked for a while before sitting down to discuss the matter. "The wild boar the restaurant owner mentioned is 12 wen per catty. A wild boar weighs about catties, so that's liang qian of silver. This way we can make money quickly," Yang Mingxi said.

"This way we can make money quickly, but wild boars are very ferocious. We're afraid we can't do it, and getting injured would be even worse," said Yang Mingyu.

Yang Mingxi nodded and said, "That's right, and there are very few wild boars. We are only deep in Changhu Mountain now, and there are almost no wild boars. We have to go over Changhu Mountain and into the mountains near the sea to find wild boars!"

"Huff, huff, huff, huff..." Bursts of noisy sounds were heard. Yang Mingxi pulled Yang Mingyu to look around and saw a big wild boar slowly coming up from the river at the foot of the mountain. Its long fangs were exposed and its fat body was shaking as it walked. It looked to weigh at least 400 pounds.

Yang Mingxi's eyes widened. Speak of the devil, and he'll appear. Should they run? Or kill the wild boar? Suddenly, a picture flashed through Yang Mingxi's mind: a rope tied in a large slipknot, dropped through a tree fork and laid on the road. The other end of the rope would be tied to a tree. When the wild boar reached the slipknot, it would step one foot into it. As the other foot lifted, the end tied to the tree would push down hard. Using the principle of roller skating, the wild boar would be tied up and hung from the tree.

Yang Mingxi thought about the image in her head and thought it was feasible. The space just happened to have the rope she had bought earlier. She took it out and whispered a few words to Yang Mingyu. Yang Mingyu nodded. The brother and sister quickly tied a knot in the rope and tied the other end to the tree. Then the two of them hid behind the tree, waiting for the wild boar to be caught. After a while, the wild boar came up with a grunt and passed by the place where Yang Mingxi had placed the noose. Just as it stepped into the noose with one foot and lifted the other foot, Yang Mingxi pulled the rope tied to the tree down. The whole wild boar was caught with its head and two front feet, hanging high on the fork of the tree. Yang Mingyu quickly helped his third sister pull the rope together, shouting, "Brother Yong, Brother Tao, Brother Zhou, come and help us tie up the wild boar."

Soon, the people who had gone up the mountain together gathered around and quickly tied up the wild boar. Yang Mingxi looked at the wild boar in front of him and said, "Hunting is still the fastest way to make money!"