老人参精 Old Ginseng Guai
摇光星散落山家，只生膏壤露甘华。
七两凡品八两宝，平常显达一两差。
Scatters o'er the mountain's crest,
Rich soil births, dews of the best.
Seven ounces common, eight ounces rare,
A slight difference, fortunes lay bare.
此事听一城中药商所讲，是他表兄家的秘密。
表兄祖上原是山里的采参人，其后不知何故，弃了旧手艺，当上了樵夫，虽然家道不富，家中人人都很长寿。
表兄从小就常见个猥矬邋遢的老头来家中做客，每次他来，家中必会准备一桌好酒好菜，供他独享。彼时，表兄非常厌恶这老头，因他既不说话，还爱耍酒疯，只觉他是个蹭吃蹭喝的骗子。
直至有次，表兄的曾祖母伤寒难起，似有下世之象，那老头又来家中喝酒。听父亲说曾祖母病重，那老头走入院中，双手往地下一探，地上竟爬出许多藤蔓来。藤蔓间生出一棵小苗，那小苗迅速长大，开花结子。老头上前一拔，拽出一棵千年人参来。曾祖母饮下人参汤后，竟又好了起来，至今仍然康健
表兄似有所悟，也恭恭敬敬地招待老头，如他的家人一般。
表兄曾邀药商也搬去山中，与他同住，药商却断然拒绝，
商人这般解释道:“表兄家虽是长寿，但一则日日粗茶淡饭，二来深山太过寂寥，我还是喜欢城里的生活，去不了去不了。”这话想来也只可当趣谈，不知真假。
This story was told by a pharmacist in the city, and it concerns a secret about his cousin's family.
The cousin's ancestors were originally ginseng gatherers in the mountains. For some unknown reason, they abandoned their old craft and became woodcutters.
Although the family was not wealthy, everyone lived long lives.
From a young age, the cousin often saw a shabby, unkempt old man visiting their home. Whenever he came, the family would prepare a lavish meal and fine wine for him to enjoy alone. At the time, the cousin despised the old man, thinking he was a freeloading drunkard who seldom spoke and often caused trouble when drunk.
One day, the old man visited again for a drink while the cousin's great-grandmother fell gravely ill with typhoid fever, seemingly on the brink of death. Upon hearing about her critical condition, the old man went into the courtyard, reached into the ground with both hands, and out crawled numerous vines. Among the vines grew a small seedling that quickly matured, blossomed, and bore fruit. The old man pulled it out, revealing a Millennium Ginseng. After the great-grandmother drank the ginseng soup, she miraculously recovered and remains healthy to this day.
It was on that day that the cousin seemed to come to a realization and began to treat the old man with great respect, as if he were a member of the family.
The cousin once invited the pharmacist to move to the mountains and live with him, but the pharmacist flatly refused.
The pharmacist explained, "Although your family enjoys longevity, they live on bland meals every day, and life in deep mountains are too lonely. I still prefer to live in the city. Hence, I cannot go with you."
Just take the story as a fun anecdote.
