CHAPTER 465: CHAPTER 452: EXCITING MINT (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE)

Leaving the blacksmith’s shop, Han Qiwu mounted his pony and headed towards Aunt Hong Mei’s house.

It was a quiet Saturday morning, with fewer people in the small town.

The sound of horse hooves clattering against the cobblestone naturally attracted the attention of many breakfast patrons.

Praises, conversations, they were everywhere.

The owner of the spicy noodle shop recognized Han Qiwu and greeted him with a smile, "Xiao Han, your horse looks amazing, so adorable."

"Eh, it’s just alright," Han Qiwu slowed down the pony and smiled as he replied, "Ranked third in the world."

"Hahaha, have you eaten yet? Want a bowl of noodles?" the noodle shop owner offered enthusiastically.

Han Qiwu waved his hand, "Just ate, next time for sure."

When he reached near Aunt Hong Mei’s house, Han Qiwu dismounted, took out two bottles of milk and a dozen or so eggs, and headed for her door.

Getting closer, he saw Aunt Hong Mei sweeping the yard with a large broom, her movements vigorous. She had just finished sweeping the entire yard as he approached.

"Xiao Han’s here, huh? Don’t come in yet, too much dust inside. What’s up?" Aunt Hong Mei slowed down her sweeping and asked, "No need to bring anything when you visit."

Han Qiwu chuckled, placing the items on the shelf beside the doorway. Then he pulled out his phone, opened up the map, and pointed to a mountain, asking, "Aunt, have you been to this mountain? What is it called?"

"Let me see." Aunt Hong Mei washed her hands and walked over for a look. "Let me think," she said, tilting her head in thought before suddenly clapping her hands. "Got it! That’s the Wild Monkey Mountain. There used to be a few good mushrooms up there, but back then, the mountain had loads of wild monkeys. They were aggressive, so we didn’t dare go. These past few years, some young folks said they went up there and didn’t see any monkeys anymore, but there’s not much there now—just wild trails, and it’s hard to climb."

"I see. Thanks, Aunt," Han Qiwu nodded and made a mental note.

A Wild Monkey Mountain without wild monkeys shouldn’t be much trouble.

After explaining, Aunt Hong Mei’s face showed some concern as she asked further, "Why are you asking about this? Don’t plan on going up there. If you want mountain goods, tell me. Going up the mountain yourself is too risky."

"No, no, it’s just that a classmate saw it with a drone and asked me out of curiosity," Han Qiwu laughed. "By the way, Aunt, do you have any mugwort rice cakes left? I’m kind of craving them. Hehe."

The mugwort rice cakes were also a part of his mountain-preparation checklist. Their mosquito-repellent effect was crucial for the trip.

Aunt Hong Mei playfully scolded with a laugh, "You little rascal, I knew there was a reason you’d come over! Lucky for you, I made extras. I’ll get you ten or so to take back and enjoy." After speaking, Aunt Hong Mei quickly strode into the kitchen.

"No need for that many, just two or three will do. I just want to satisfy a small craving," Han Qiwu hurriedly waved his hands.

A little while later, Aunt Hong Mei returned with a thermal box in hand, smiling as she said, "Alright, just two or three then."

Han Qiwu didn’t bother to check inside and accepted the thermal box, thanking her thoroughly.

"Alright then, I’ve got other things to do. You go take care of your own business. Next time you’re craving something, just give me a call. When I go buy meat in the morning, I’ll bring it over for you," Aunt Hong Mei said as she stepped out, closed the door, and rode off on her wild-looking motorbike.

Han Qiwu mounted his pony and took a glance inside the thermal box, then smiled helplessly.

Aunt Hong Mei was too genuine.

The mugwort rice cakes were indeed "two or three," but they were all supersized. Each one was probably six ounces heavy, weighing down heavily in his hands.

[Mugwort Rice Cake]

[Stamina +70]

[Special Effect: Repels mosquitoes for 8 hours after consumption]

[Note: Mugwort Rice Cake—Double the size, double the satisfaction!]

"Next time, I’ll have to bring more milk and eggs for her," Han Qiwu muttered.

"Hyah!"

He put away the mugwort rice cakes, mounted his pony, and headed home.

He had his pickaxe now. Time to try his luck at mining later!

Once he got home, as soon as the door opened, a delightful minty aroma filled the air.

Following the scent, he saw twenty low-growing mint plants in neat rows, their small leaves thin yet intensely fragrant.

Honestly, just looking at them was enough to lift the spirit.

"Oh right, it’s been five days. The mint is ripe," Han Qiwu mumbled as he led his pony back to the stable and crouched down to carefully pluck a single mint leaf.

[Mint Leaf]

[Usage: Medicinal/Food]

[Stamina +15]

[Health +10]

[Special Effect - Cooling: Boosts fire resistance; effect and duration depend on consumption quantity]

[Note: Chewing raw mint leaves is quite the intense experience.]

The mint grown at home had higher recovery rates compared to what he found in the wild, and its aroma was more pronounced too.

As for its yield? It was undeniably better.

Just as the mint seed description had stated, he harvested a total of thirteen mint leaves from a single plant.

After finishing with one, he remembered the note about the mint leaves and impulsively popped one into his mouth.

He recalled seeing something similar in TV dramas before.

How intense could it really be?

Back in school days, he used to buy mint water frequently. It was sweet, cool, and refreshing.

Didn’t feel intense at all.

"Crunch crunch."

To ensure maximum effect, Han Qiwu deliberately chewed on the leaf a few more times.

A second later.

"Boom!"

It felt as if a tiny cooling bomb had exploded in his mouth. The overwhelming spice and minty freshness burst forth relentlessly.

"Hoo, hoo!"

Just as he wanted to spit the rest out, the sensation spread to his throat, bringing an unexpected wave of refreshing chill. Each breath felt more connected to the world around him, and the coolness traveled all the way from his nose and mouth down into his lungs.

It was exhilarating!

Quickly, Han Qiwu managed to harvest all five mint plants at home, gathering a grand total of [Mint Leaf]×268.

Even chewing them every day, it’d last him quite a while.

He was delighted.

After finishing the harvest, he grabbed a drink of water.

"Hiss~"

The coolness hit his core, spreading a sense of euphoria!

It chilled him right to his stomach.

"Imagine adding this to shaved ice—it’d taste so much better." Han Qiwu chuckled as he checked the time, grabbed his supplies, hopped on his electric scooter with Xiao Lai, and headed for the mine.

The reason he didn’t ride the pony was because he wasn’t sure how long he’d spend in the mine. If anything unexpected happened to the pony, it’d be troublesome.

Han Qiwu couldn’t help but think, "If only I had something to store the pony safely."

On the way to the mine, he spotted some freshly ripened Dragon Hollyhock by the roadside.

He grinned.

Since Liu Lang already had the juice of the bladder campion, I shouldn’t feel bad taking these Dragon Hollyhocks!

Harvested.

After collecting the Dragon Hollyhock, he dug up some wild greens from the ground to bring back for a chilled salad later.

Eating seafood and river fish every day...

It got boring.

He was tired of it.

Craved some veggies for a change.