Chapter 23: Muddy Assistance, Dian Qicang's Hidden Treasure (Please Vote)

The truck screeched to a halt just dozens of meters from the landslide.

A mudslide had torn away half of the mountain road, and thick, murky water, churning with rocks and broken timber, continued to pour down.

Several ox carts lay overturned in the mire, their cargo scattered everywhere. A few villagers and cart drivers stood on safer ground, shaken and helpless, stamping their feet in anxiety as they looked at the road severed by the debris and the injured people trapped on the other side. A woman held a child whose arm had been grazed and bloodied by flying rocks, her cries drowned out by the roar of the mudslide.

"Get out! Save them!" He Yuzhu barked, already pushing his door open and leaping out. Mahua, Xiao Li, and Xiao Wang followed without a moment's hesitation.

"The road is gone! You can't get across!" an elderly driver shouted anxiously.

"Find a way around!" He Yuzhu scanned the terrain. Above the landslide was a steep slope; below, a deep ravine. The only possible path was a narrow, muddy incline at the edge of the slide that appeared relatively stable despite the water still rushing over it.

"Follow me!" He Yuzhu charged toward the slope first. The ground was slick and treacherous; he had to use both hands and feet to maintain his balance. Mahua and Xiao Li trailed closely behind, while Xiao Wang stayed by the truck to provide support.

"Comrade! It's too dangerous!" the old driver yelled.

"No time for that!" He Yuzhu didn't look back. On the other side, he saw a driver clutching his leg and groaning in agony, clearly suffering from a crush injury. An old man lay nearby, seemingly unconscious.

The three men traversed the most perilous section of the slope and reached the stranded group. The icy mud reached their calves, biting into their skin.

"Mahua! Xiao Li! Move the child and the injured to our truck first!" He Yuzhu quickly assigned tasks. "Mahua, carry the child! Xiao Li, help me carry this man with the leg injury! Be gentle!"

Mahua didn't say a word; he took the weeping child from the woman's arms, carefully shielding the injured limb, and retreated step by unsteady step. He Yuzhu and Xiao Li lifted the injured driver, who gasped in pain.

"Hang in there, friend!" He Yuzhu growled. The two men trudged through the muck with their heavy burden, each step feeling as unsteady as walking on cotton, with the constant threat of slipping. Muddy water washed over their trousers continuously.

Xiao Wang, watching from the other side with his heart in his throat, quickly tore the canvas tarp off the truck and spread it on a relatively dry patch of road to receive them.

After managing to move the injured and the child to the safety of the truck, He Yuzhu wiped the mud from his face and looked toward the unconscious old man. Beside him lay several sacks soaked through with mud, revealing root-like items inside.

"Xiao Li, come with me one more time!" He Yuzhu called out, charging back into the mire. Together, they carried the unconscious man to safety.

"Water! Get some water!" He Yuzhu checked the old man; his breathing was faint.

Xiao Wang quickly handed over a canteen. He Yuzhu carefully fed the old man a few sips. The man coughed, eventually coming to, his eyes dazed.

"You're alright now, sir!" He Yuzhu sighed in relief.

By then, the villagers on the other side had organized themselves, supporting one another as they carefully followed the path He Yuzhu’s team had cleared. Though they looked disheveled, everyone had escaped danger.

"Comrade! You are our great benefactors!" The old cart driver grabbed He Yuzhu’s hand, tears streaming down his face. Others gathered around, offering their thanks in a chorus of voices.

"It was nothing," He Yuzhu waved it off, looking at the scattered cargo. "Check if the damage is bad. Salvage what you can."

Only then did the group remember their goods and scramble into the mud to search. He Yuzhu’s gaze, however, was drawn to the roots spilling out of the broken sacks near the old man. They were spindle-shaped with brownish-yellow skin, white interiors, and a distinct, medicinal fragrance.

"Sir, what is this?" He Yuzhu picked one up.

"Alas, it's Dianqi (Panax notoginseng)," the old man sighed after catching his breath. "We grew and harvested it in the village ourselves. We were going to take it to the town supply and marketing cooperative to trade for salt and sewing supplies... now it’s all soaked in mud!"

Dianqi? He Yuzhu’s heart skipped a beat! This was a top-tier medicinal herb for promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. The factory clinic, the workshop workers, and even their families were often in short supply of this. The cooperative paid a low price, but if sold to factory clinics or employees, the value could multiply several times over.

Suppressing his excitement, he calmly examined the water-logged Dianqi. "It’s a pity. Such fine Dianqi, soaked like this—the cooperative might not accept it."

The old man and the villagers looked devastated. This shipment was their livelihood for the next half-year.

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment before speaking. "How about this, sir? Our Red Star Rolling Mill’s procurement department is in need of medicinal herbs as a backup for worker welfare."

"Even though your Dianqi is soaked, it can still be used if washed and dried. We will pay the cooperative’s purchase price plus an extra ten percent to help your village recoup some losses. What do you think?"

"Deal! It's a deal!" The old man couldn't believe his ears. Having expected a total loss, he was stunned to recover his investment. The other villagers were overjoyed.

"However," He Yuzhu added, "we don't have much cash on hand. We can pay part in cash, and for the rest, we can use national grain coupons at the market value. Would that work?" He showed them the coupons he carried.

"That works! Grain coupons are even better! Much better!" The villagers beamed. In the countryside, grain coupons were more valuable than cash.

He Yuzhu immediately had Xiao Wang count the Dianqi, weighing and pricing it on the spot. Mahua and Xiao Li helped dig out the salvageable roots and gave them a preliminary rinse using the water buckets on the truck.

In the end, most of the dozen sacks of Dianqi were rescued. Although their appearance had suffered, their medicinal efficacy remained intact.

"Friends, is this Dianqi grown by your village?" He Yuzhu asked casually once the transaction was complete.

"Yes! We grow it in front of our houses, in the backyards, and on the mountain slopes! It’s just that the cooperative pays so little, and the roads are so difficult..." the old man sighed.

He Yuzhu understood. A new, stable source of medicinal herbs was right before his eyes! But now was not the time to discuss details.

"The road won't be cleared for a while. It will take time for the road maintenance crew to get here," He Yuzhu said, looking at the road completely blocked by the landslide. "Where are you headed? If it’s on our way, we can give you a lift."

"We're just going to the town ahead!" the old driver said quickly.

"That works! The injured and the children can squeeze into the cab; the rest of you can ride in the truck bed!" He Yuzhu arranged.

The truck, carrying a load of mud-covered people, the injured, and the unexpected harvest of Dianqi, laboriously turned around on the mountain road behind the landslide and headed toward the nearest town.

In the truck bed, the villagers looked at the cash and grain coupons they had received for their salvaged Dianqi, smiles returning to their faces. He Yuzhu, looking out at the muddy mountain road, found his mind racing: these deep mountains of Diannan held many hidden treasures. Dianqi... perhaps it was only the beginning.

After settling the injured at the town health clinic and bidding farewell to the profusely grateful villagers, He Yuzhu’s team found a place to rest. The truck needed cleaning, and the men needed to recover.

"Master, this Dianqi..." Mahua looked at the washed and drying roots. "Can the factory clinic use this much?"

"The clinic will use a portion, and the rest will be distributed to the workshops as welfare," He Yuzhu had already planned it out. "Workers inevitably get bruised or injured, and having medicine for blood stasis and swelling at home is better than anything else. I’ll speak to the union; we’ll provide it to the workers at cost."

He paused, a glint in his eyes. "More importantly, we must secure this supply line. In the future, these Diannan herbs might become a specialty item for our team—or rather, our procurement department!"

Xiao Wang quickly noted it down in his procurement ledger: *Dianqi, sourced from villages around Mengpeng; long-term contact possible...*

A few days later, the landslide section was cleared by road crews. He Yuzhu’s truck, loaded with precious natural rubber and the unexpected Dianqi, began the journey home. The truck bed was filled with the distinct scent of rubber and the faint, medicinal aroma of the Dianqi.

"Team leader, this trip was truly dangerous," Xiao Li said as he drove, lingering fear in his heart.

"It was dangerous, but it was also rewarding," He Yuzhu leaned against the window. "Remember, in procurement, you only find the truth by putting boots on the ground. If the road is hard to travel, the goods are all the more valuable."

The truck crested the final mountain ridge, the northern plains in sight. There was still a mountain of work waiting for them back at the factory.

He Yuzhu touched the bamboo tube of herbs that Yanwen had given him. The scent of Diannan's rubber and medicine seemed to linger at the tip of his nose.