《Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress》 Chapter 1 - 1 1 Crossed Over(1)_1 ?1: Chapter 1: Crossed Over(1)_1 1: Chapter 1: Crossed Over(1)_1 The winter of the twenty-eighth year of Saint Wu in Great Jin Nation. Thick flurries of snow, accompanied by the howling northern wind, continuously fell for several days, covering the remote Mu Family Village in a blanket of white. Being the tail end of December, the bitter cold was unbearable. As was tradition in the Mu Family Village, the villagers huddled at home to weather the winter. Families gathered around the fire kang, chatting about everything and having a grand old time. The village was located in Bianzhou Prefecture in the northeast of the Great Jin Nation, a small sub-village of Yushu County. There were roughly a hundred households, with most villagers bearing the surname Mu. They were all related, except for three or five families who had moved in from elsewhere. Not far from the Mu¡¯s ancestral hall, located in the western part of the village, was a tiny, dilapidated thatched cottage built of mud bricks and thatch, quite like the homes of most impoverished families in the village, albeit slightly smaller. The master of this household was Mu Zhongqing. He was the most educated in the village, an actual scholar and a recipient of the imperial grain for his studies. Unfortunately, despite his academic prowess, he made a foolish mistake: many years ago, he toured the capital and brought back a woman of dubious origin, leading to his parents¡¯ disgust and eviction from their home. The woman Scholar Mu brought back had the surname Du and the given name Mei. As her name implied, she was incredibly beautiful! According to Scholar Mu, he saved a Scholar Du by chance in the capital. Out of gratitude, Scholar Du married his daughter to him. He found this daughter to be gentle and virtuous, so he brought her home. Logically, without costing the Mu family¡¯s elderly couple a single copper coin, they should have been delighted about this match. However, the couple went so far as to take their son to the government office to cancel the marriage. Elder Mu Liankui believed that since their son had passed the scholarly examination and was a recipient of the imperial grain with monthly rations, he was honourable and should have married the daughter of a local official or the daughter of Officer Huang from the neighbouring village. While Lady Du was beautiful, she did not have a single copper coin as a dowry and was utterly useless, making her an unfit match for their scholar son. Lady Mu Bai also thought Lady Du wasn¡¯t suitable for her son, especially when she observed Lady Du¡¯s frail and delicate appearance, she was furious because, in their farming community, if one couldn¡¯t work in the fields, no matter how beautiful she was, she was useless! The elderly couple was determined to make their son divorce his wife and preferably sell Lady Du. Given her rare beauty, they could fetch a good price. However, while Mu Zhongqing was usually obedient, he was steadfast in his decision this time. No matter what, he refused to follow his parents¡¯ orders. After several failed suicide threats from his parents, they finally gave up and expelled Mu Zhongqing from their home without giving him any family property. After being disowned, Mu Zhongqing sought the help of several village acquaintances to build a three-room cottage near the ancestral hall in the west of the village. He and his wife, Lady Du, settled down there, and they lived there for more than ten years. Lady Du was not only beautiful but also had a tranquil nature. During normal days, she was always gentle and weak, soft-spoken, and people in the village had never heard her raise her voice. However, at this moment, Lady Du was thumping her chest and stamping her feet, crying out loud. ¡°Wei¡¯er! Mother has failed you! Please, open your eyes and look at your mother... ¡°Sob... Sob... Big sister, big sister, we have food at home now, please wake up...¡± On the kang, under a torn blanket that showed its cotton lining, lay a deathly pale young girl. Her eyes were tightly shut, her lips grey, her sunken cheeks and rigid body indicated that she was certainly dead. As Lady Du touched her daughter¡¯s cold body, she felt a heartache as if a knife was cutting into her. Times were hard at home. In an attempt to earn more money to support the family, her husband had resigned from his teaching post in town during June and had gone south with a local mountain goods trader from their village. He was supposed to be back in six months, but now eight or nine months have passed, and there was still no sign of him. Chapter 2 - 2 2 Crossed Over(2)_1 ?2: Chapter 2: Crossed Over(2)_1 2: Chapter 2: Crossed Over(2)_1 There were no more grains in the house, and in an attempt to feed her children, she exhausted all methods, but still, one of them starved to death. A mother¡¯s heart is always with her child. Seeing her daughter¡¯s corpse, Lady Du¡¯s heart shattered into pieces. If it weren¡¯t for the other three young ones, she would have followed her daughter in death by now! ¡°Mother, we¡¯re all to blame. Older Sister starved to death because she saved her share of food for us. We¡¯re sorry, Older Sister, sob sob sob...¡± At the edge of the kang (traditional Chinese bed-stove), three children of different ages wailed, ¡°Older Sister, it¡¯s our fault, we¡¯ve harmed you, sob sob sob...¡± The older girl, dragging her two younger brothers, knelt at the edge of the kang, and forcefully performed a head knocking ritual in front of the body lying rigidly on the kang. ¡°Thump ¨C thump ¨C thump ¨C ¡± ¡°Older Sister, I¡¯m sorry, Older sister, I¡¯m sorry...¡± The deafening cries and the sound of their heads knocking, like an ethereal dream, drifted into Mu Caiwei¡¯s ears, so annoying it gave her a headache; newly awakened, Mu Caiwei had a strong feeling ¨C she was famished! Extremely, extremely hungry, so hungry that she wanted to dig out her stomach and eat it kind of hungry! With her dizzy mind spinning from the hunger, she, who was originally the chief bodyguard of the president of Country A ¨C while accompanying the president out-of-country, was sent to this world by a bomb from a political adversary... ¡°Older Sister, you shouldn¡¯t have lied to us saying you had eaten...¡± ¡°Sob sob sob... Older Sister, wake up, if you die, we¡¯ll never be at ease in our entire lives...¡± With a headache from the noise, and a stomachache from the hunger, she was in complete discomfort... Furrowing her brows, Mu Caiwei coughed once, forced open her dry eyelids, and the first thing she saw were four tear-streaked, gaunt, withered faces. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s a miracle! Blessed Emperor Bodhisattva, Wei¡¯er, you¡¯re not dead! That¡¯s great, that¡¯s really great, Thank Buddha for his blessings...¡± Seeing Mu Caiwei open her eyes, Lady Du jumped up, her incoherent speech showing her joy. While she was hurriedly wiping her tears with the hem of her dress, she stood up and anxiously said, ¡°Wei¡¯er, good child, we have food at home now. Really, you wait, Mother will serve it for you.¡± With that, she rushed out like the wind. At this point, Mu Caiwei¡¯s both eyes were fully open. She blankly looked at the dark thatched cottage, then again at the three yellow, thin, tender faces in front of her, she already guessed that she had time-traveled. Due to the lack of strength, her dry, cracked lips moved slightly, it seemed that the Annual Salary of Tens of Millions International Top Bodyguard from the modern era had become a poor wretch that starved to death here! ¡°That¡¯s great, Older Sister, you woke up, I thought you had starved to death...¡± The seven or eight-year-old boy, with a tear-streaked and reddened nose, leaned his gray and sallow face on Mu Caiwei¡¯s quilt; His patched clothing tugged at one¡¯s heartstrings. ¡°Tut tut tut, Wen¡¯er, don¡¯t talk nonsense, what¡¯s all this about death and life, isn¡¯t it inauspicious? Older Sister surely will live a long life.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, Second Sister is right. It¡¯s Wen¡¯er who can¡¯t speak properly. Older Sister will definitely live a long life, definitely...¡± Little Wen¡¯er nodded his head like a pecking chicken, his skinny little hands clutching Mu Caiwei¡¯s hand tightly, as if afraid she would run away. ¡°Here it comes, here comes the porridge...¡± The broken curtain door opened, and Lady Du came in with a swift pace, holding a bowl of coarse porcelain, her swollen, tear-stained face beaming with happiness. ¡°Wei¡¯er, wake up and eat porridge. Fei¡¯er, Wu¡¯er, quickly help your Older Sister up.¡± Chapter 3 - 3 3 Crossed Over(3)_1 ?3: Chapter 3: Crossed Over(3)_1 3: Chapter 3: Crossed Over(3)_1 Mu Caifei and Mu Chongwen hastily removed the shoes off their tiny feet, exposing their toes, and climbed onto the Kang. They carefully helped Mu Caiwei to sit up. The youngest brother, Mu Chongwu, even fetched a broken pillow to support her back. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Lady Du stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon, scooped a ladleful to Lady Mu¡¯s mouth. Upon smelling the fragrance of the porridge, Mu Caiwei¡¯s stomach began to grumble. Without any hesitation, she opened her mouth to taste the porridge. Instantly, the delightful scent of rice permeated to every taste bud in her mouth. ¡°Mmmm, delicious...¡± Mu Caiwei mumbled with satisfaction. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was because she was extremely hungry, or because food in ancient times without chemical fertilizers and pesticides tasted particularly delicious. Regardless, Mu Caiwei thought that this porridge was the most delicious she had ever tasted in her life. It was far better than the fancy seafood and lobster she often consumed in her previous life! Her younger sisters and brothers watched how she devoured her food, as though what she was eating wasn¡¯t mere porridge, but indeed the family¡¯s hope for a better future. ¡°Eat slowly, don¡¯t burn yourself.¡± Lady Du, looking at her daughter, gently explained, ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up, and you can¡¯t eat too much. Your stomach wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± As soon as the bowl of porridge was consumed, although it didn¡¯t completely satisfy her hunger, at least the pain in her stomach had subsided, and her whole body gradually relaxed. With the help of her siblings, Mu Caiwei finally had the energy to observe her family members. Her mother, who seemed to be about thirty years old, was dressed like those poor farmers on TV ¨C she wore coarse cotton clothes in cyan-gray, patched up here and there. A faded old scarf covered her head. Her face was wax yellow, and her lips were chapped. However, on closer inspection, one would find her features to be extremely beautiful. If well taken care of, she would certainly be a rare beauty. Mu Caifei, her younger sister, had already turned ten, but due to prolonged malnutrition, she looked only eight or nine years old. Although her features were delicate and pretty, her overall pale complexion detracted from her charm considerably. Mu Chongwen, her younger brother was seven, and Mu Chongwu, the youngest brother was merely four years old. Like two little monkeys, they are both still very childish with their frail and skinny bodies. As for herself, she had just turned thirteen ¨C the eldest daughter in the family. In modern times, at this age, she would still be considered a child; someone who could be spoilt and act willfully under her parent¡¯s watch. But in this era, a teenager of thirteen could be treated like an adult and could even start their own family and business. The original Mu Caiwei, helped her mother with household chores every day and took care of her younger siblings. Under circumstances where the family could barely afford meals, she generously donated her share of scarce food to her siblings, which eventually led to her starving to death! ¡°Gurgle~ Gurgle~¡± The sudden sound interrupted Mu Caiwei¡¯s thoughts. The youngest brother, Mu Chongwu, quickly covered his stomach. With red cheeks, he pleaded, ¡°Older sister, Wu¡¯er is not hungry. Wu¡¯er ate last night. Wu¡¯er is really not hungry...¡± Mu Caiwei felt a pain in her heart: ¡°Mother, is there any more porridge? Give them each a bowl!¡± Lady Du¡¯s smile froze on her face. She moved her lips a few times, but didn¡¯t say anything. Her eyes dropped, filled with sorrow. From her expression, the answer was obvious without needing to ask. Probably to save Mu Caiwei from feeling guilty, her second sister, Mu Caifei, quickly said: ¡°Older sister, don¡¯t worry about us. We can hold on. We are used to being hungry, really!¡± Her third brother, Mu Chongwen, also chimed in, ¡°We have already eaten a meal at home today. Let¡¯s save the rice for tomorrow¡¯s meal.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯ll go to bed early. When we sleep, we won¡¯t feel hungry anymore.¡± Her youngest brother also piped in. Mu Caiwei found it hard to believe that her family was living in such abject poverty. However, seeing her mature younger sisters and brothers, a wave of inexplicable emotions surged in her heart. In her past life, by the time she reached thirteen, her parents had already formed their respective families. She was always shuffled back and forth between their new homes, considered as unwanted baggage that they both tried to fob off on the other. Only she knew the bitterness and grief she had been through. It was only when she, by her own hard work, became an internationally renowned gold medal bodyguard, did she get the life she wanted: status, money, fame. She lacked nothing, yet for some reason, there always seemed to be a void in her soul. Strangely enough, this void seemed to have started filling up within a few hours of her time travel. Now, she finally understood that her inner void was a lack of the familial love that she had been longing for since childhood. Under God¡¯s blessing, in this life, she finally had blood relatives, people who were connected to her both by blood and emotionally! She gently stroked the fluffy heads of her sisters and brothers, her clear eyes filled with determination: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With your elder sister here, I¡¯ll never let you go hungry again!¡± Chapter 4 - 4 4 Jiujin(1)_1 ?4: Chapter 4 Jiujin(1)_1 4: Chapter 4 Jiujin(1)_1 ¡°Bang¡ª¡ª¡± The door of the outer room was blown open by a gust of cold wind, emitting a loud noise. The chilling wind swept in a few snowflakes, causing Mu Caiwei to shiver. ¡°So cold!¡± Upon seeing this, Fei¡¯er immediately rose from the heated kang and, putting on her shoes, said, ¡°Wen¡¯er, let¡¯s go out and gather some firewood with your second sister.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wen¡¯er hummed in assent, just about to step off the kang, when he seemed to remember something and walked back. He reached up onto the upper part of the kang, pulling out a quilt and placing it over Mu Caiwei¡¯s bedding. He then spoke to Mu Caiwei like she was a child, saying, ¡°Older sister, lay underneath this quilt for the time being. Once second sister and I come back with the firewood, the house won¡¯t be as cold.¡± A warm feeling spread through Mu Caiwei¡¯s heart, and she reached out to pinch Wen¡¯er¡¯s thin, sallow cheeks. Pushing herself up, she said, ¡°Your sister will go with you!¡± ¡°No, that certainly cannot happen. Older sister hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, you can¡¯t go out.¡± Wen¡¯er pressed down on Mu Caiwei¡¯s rising shoulder with his tiny hands as if he were the adult. After advising her for a few more moments, he stepped off the heated kang. Lady Du closed the door, saying uneasily, ¡°With the heavy snow blocking the mountains, beasts that can¡¯t find food in the wilderness are all wandering around near the village. Just today, at the market, there were rumors of a hunter from Zhoujia¡¯s Village getting devoured by a wild boar, nothing left of him but skeleton. Be careful, don¡¯t go too far. Just gather around the village.¡± Fei¡¯er and Wu¡¯er agreed. They found a woven wicker basket used for gathering firewood in the outer room before quickly rushing out the door. ¡°Oh my, Sister Fei, are you going to take Wen¡¯er with you to pick up firewood?¡± Aunt Zhou, with a basket in her hand, blocked the entrance, stopping the young siblings. Aunt Zhou was an outsider living in Mu Family Village. Her family made a living by hunting, and because Mu Family Village was closer to the mountains, it was easier for her to hunt. Thus, her husband and she decided to move their home to Mu Family Village. Although the villagers of Mu Family Village didn¡¯t reject outsiders, each family had their own land. Therefore, any outsiders, or people like Mu Zhongqing who had been kicked out of their families, could only build houses on the vacant land on the outskirts of the village. Aunt Zhou¡¯s house was built in the west of the village, not too far from Mu Caiwei¡¯s house. Usually, when the men of her family weren¡¯t at home, Aunt Zhou often visited nearby houses to avoid feeling lonely. Lady Du, being gentle and accommodating, understood Aunt Zhou¡¯s feelings. After a while, they became familiar and close. ¡°Sister Zhou, what brings you here today?¡± Hearing the voice of Aunt Zhou, Lady Du came out from the inner room to greet her. Pulling Fei¡¯er and Wen¡¯er along, Aunt Zhou walked into the house, speaking sarcastically, ¡°When am I not free? I¡¯m almost dying of boredom. Not like you noble folks who are always occupied with matters, always bustling off to the market to sell your hair and rushing to hand over the retirement money to the elderly.¡± Upon hearing this, Lady Du lowered her head and touched her head which was covered with a handkerchief, muttering, ¡°You¡¯ve heard about it?¡± ¡°Huh! How can such a significant matter as selling hair be concealed? Even if I didn¡¯t know, everyone within ten miles and eight villages knows about it. They are all discussing it!¡± ¡°Err...¡± Learning that she had become the talk of the town, Lady Du¡¯s face was covered with a layer of shame. She mumbled, ¡°I had no other choice!¡± Aunt Zhou forcibly stuffed the basket into Lady Du¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you ask me if you had no other options? Have you ever considered me as your sister? Besides, the skin and hair one has, they owe to their parents; it is shameful to cut and sell. How desperate were you that you had to sell your hair? Tell me the truth, were you bullied by the two old people again?¡± Lady Du spoke softly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t entirely for them. Yesterday, Wei¡¯er collapsed from hunger. I figured, our hair could always grow back. We aren¡¯t untouched young girls, who cares about being shameful and ugly? So it would be better to cut and sell it to get through this crisis. That¡¯s why I rushed to the market early in the morning to sell it...¡± Chapter 5 - 5 5 Jiujin(2)_1 ?5: Chapter 5 Jiujin(2)_1 5: Chapter 5 Jiujin(2)_1 As she was saying this, she absently lifted the straw mat covering the basket, which suddenly made her exclaim, ¡°My goodness, Sister Zhou, what have you been doing?¡± In the basket were over a dozen frozen bean bags wrapped in corn leaves, a few potatoes, and on top, a thoroughly-prepared wild rabbit. Aunt Zhou said, ¡°Just a moment ago, Jiujin passed by your door, and I heard you crying loudly. Could it be that you¡¯ve run out of food at home? Though these things aren¡¯t much, they should be enough to fill your stomach, and are surely better than being starved.¡± With that, she sighed, ¡°Oh! I wanted to bring you more, but recently the wild boars have been creating an uproar. Jiujin and his father haven¡¯t been hunting for days and I don¡¯t know when it would end!¡± The Jiujin that Aunt Zhou referred to was her only son; named so because he was almost a ¡®jiujin¡¯ (over nine Chinese pounds, nearly 5kg) heavy at birth. Now he¡¯s already sixteen, and he¡¯s grown tall and strong. He¡¯s a kind-hearted and honest boy, a rare good youngster. When he was little, since the Zhou and Du families lived close to each other and were good friends, Jiujin often came to the Mu Family to play with Cai Wei. At that time, his mother, Lady Zhou, would jokingly suggest that Cai Wei could marry Jiujin when they grew up. Cai Wei, who was still young and innocent, did not know what to say, but every time this issue came up, Jiujin would laugh heartily and say, ¡°Fine!¡± Later on, as the two children grew older and understood the need for boundaries between boys and girls, they saw each other less frequently. However, every time Jiujin returned from a hunt, he would allocate some of his prey and ask his mother to deliver it to the Mu Family. When he made money from selling his hunting spoils, he would secretly buy little trinkets like handkerchiefs and head ropes, ask his mother to deliver them and attribute these gifts to her. His mother, Aunt Zhou, naturally knew her son¡¯s intentions. She had, in her heart, long considered Cai Wei as her future daughter-in-law. Upon hearing that the Mu family had gotten so poor that they had to sell their hair, Aunt Zhou hurriedly took some of their limited food stores and brought them over. ¡°Sister Zhou, I don¡¯t mean to be distant, but I really can¡¯t accept your things anymore. Your family isn¡¯t well-off either. If you keep subsidizing us, I will feel guilty,¡± said Lady Du as she pushed the basket towards Aunt Zhou. Aunt Zhou giggled, ¡°We are sisters, aren¡¯t we? Isn¡¯t it being a stranger if we talk about these formalities? If you really feel bad about it, how about marrying Cai Wei off to Jiujin?¡± Her words were half-serious, half-jesting, as she had her considerations: if Lady Du agreed, their family would joyously prepare for the festivities and welcome the new daughter-in-law home before the end of the year. If not, Aunt Zhou would brush it off as a joke, which she had teased about on and off over the years anyway. As expected, Lady Du hesitantly replied, ¡°Sister Zhou, about this... I¡¯m afraid we have to wait until Cai Wei¡¯s father returns. I can¡¯t make this kind of decision on my own...¡± Aunt Zhou lightly laughed off Lady Du¡¯s hesitation, not showing much disappointment. After all, Cai Wei was still young and not yet of marriageable age. If she had married now, she wouldn¡¯t bear children very soon. Therefore, waiting for another year or two wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Not lingering on this subject any further, she pointed at the two children and said to Lady Du, ¡°Sister, since the snow has closed off the mountains, where would you send the children to collect firewood? Besides, they¡¯re so thinly dressed, what if they freeze? I¡¯ll ask Jiujin to bring some firewood over later. Best to let them stay inside and get warm, it¡¯s terribly cold outside...¡± Inside the room, Mu Caiwei listened intently to the conversation between Aunt Zhou and Lady Du, her excitement causing her bright eyes to sparkle. She didn¡¯t take Aunt Zhou¡¯s jesting seriously; instead, the other news that Aunt Zhou brought gave her a glimmer of hope to alleviate their poverty! Chapter 6 - 6 6 Plan(1)_1 ?6: Chapter 6 Plan(1)_1 6: Chapter 6 Plan(1)_1 Lady Du exchanged a few more polite words with Aunt Zhou, chatted about ordinary matters for a while, before seeing her off. Upon returning to the inner room, she saw Mu Caiwei had already risen from the kang, and was squatting on the floor putting on shoes. She quickly moved forward to support her daughter, saying, ¡°Oh dear, Wei¡¯er, you¡¯re just recovering, why are you up? Hurry back to bed...¡± Mu Caiwei gently patted Lady Du¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m much better now. I want to stretch a little. If we stay in bed all the time, even a healthy person might fall sick!¡± Perhaps due to having just eaten a bowl of porridge, Mu Caiwei¡¯s face was already a little flushed, and she spoke with vigor. Lady Du looked at her daughter for a while, seeing that she seemed much more spirited than before, she felt relieved. She took the basket given by Aunt Zhou and went to the kitchen to get busy. Cai Wei waved her hand and called her younger sister Cai Fei and younger brother Chong Wen over. ¡°Fei¡¯er, go and get the broom for your sister.¡± ¡°Wu¡¯er, go to the kitchen and find a sharp knife for your sister.¡± ¡°Understood, older sister.¡± ¡°Understood, older sister.¡± Fei¡¯er and Wen¡¯er were very obedient and quickly returned, one holding a broom, the other holding a kitchen knife. ¡°Older sister, here you go.¡± Mu Caiwei gently caressed the broom that Fei¡¯er had handed over, silently rejoicing to herself ¨C fortunately the broom at home was made of bamboo. Earlier she had been worried that the broom at home would be like those in modern Northeastern countryside, made of bound sorghum stalks. If that were the case, her perfect plan to get rich might be doomed! ¡°Eldest sister, why do you want to cut these bamboo strips off the broom?¡± Her youngest brother, Mu Chongwu, standing beside Mu Caiwei, blinked his big eyes as he watched his older sister busy at work, his face full of curiosity. ¡°Your sister needs it.¡± ¡°Then why are you sharpening both ends?¡± ¡°To make bamboo sticks.¡± ¡°What does sister need bamboo sticks for?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know tomorrow, Wu¡¯er!¡± ¡°...¡± Shortly after, Mu Caiwei had several bamboo sticks in her hand. She broke a few with ease and then frowned, ¡°No good, not strong enough.¡± In the kitchen, Lady Du was cutting potatoes, planning to boil some mashed potatoes later to stave off the children¡¯s hunger. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Cai Wei coming in. ¡°Caiwei, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mmm, Mother, do we still have any salt at home?¡± Mu Caiwei was looking around. ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Lady Du pointed to a wooden shelf next to the stove. On it was a greasy oil bottle and a black pot with a chipped edge. ¡°We do have some, but there is hardly any left.¡± Lady Du handed the salt jar to Caiwei. Mu Caiwei took the salt jar and brought it close to her eyes to check, exhaling a long breath, ¡°Good, it¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Wei¡¯er, what do you need the salt for? Hey, what is that in your hand?¡± Lady Du asked. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just some small craft work I wanted to do,¡± Mu Caiwei said. She didn¡¯t want to share her plans with her mother just yet. Knowing her mother¡¯s gentle temperament, she would surely worry herself sick if she knew about her plan to hunt wild boars, and definitely would not let her go. Therefore, she must keep everything a secret until she has hunted a wild boar. ¡°Mother, could you leave the kitchen for a while? Our kitchen is too small, I can¡¯t move freely with you here.¡± Mimicking the tone of a little girl, Mu Caiwei shook Lady Du¡¯s arm playfully and gently guided her out of the kitchen. Lady Du smiled affectionately, pointed at her daughter¡¯s forehead with her finger and teasingly said, ¡°You naughty girl. You seem to have become quite cheeky since falling ill...¡± Chapter 7 - 7 7 Plan(2)_1 ?7: Chapter 7 Plan(2)_1 7: Chapter 7 Plan(2)_1 Lady Du left, and the smile on Mu Caiwei¡¯s face faded instantly, her gaze becoming icy and sharp, just like when she was on a mission before. She quickly turned around, skillfully picked up the knife, and expertly stripped the meat from the wild hare that Aunt Zhou had brought, chopping it into fine bits. After finishing this, she scooped up several ladles of water, poured some salt from the salt jar into it, and soaked the bamboo stick she had prepared in the pot, intending to boil some saltwater. Unfortunately, there was no firewood left at home! Just as Cai Wei was worrying, the voice of her mother came from outside. ¡°Oh my, Jiujin is here, come in, come in quickly.¡± ¡°Aunt Du, my mother sent me to deliver a load of firewood.¡± Outside the fence, the honest Zhou Jiujin stood at the entrance with a carrying pole on his shoulders. On both ends of the pole, tied bundles of corn stalks were stacked from top to bottom, forming two small mountains. Just as Cai Wei was worrying about not having firewood for the saltwater, hearing that someone was delivering the firewood made her joyful. She quickly ran out. At the entrance, Jiujin saw Caiwei run out lightly. His face turned red instantly, all the way up to his ear roots. He started to laughed nervously, not even daring to look up. Mu Caiwei paid no attention to Jiujin¡¯s shyness and joy. A woman with the mind of a thirty-something wouldn¡¯t give much thought to a young boy¡¯s admiration. In her heart, in her eyes, there was only ¨C firewood. ¡°Jiujin, your timing is perfect, this is just what I needed!¡± Mu Caiwei ran over to Jiujin and pulled out a bundle of corn stalks from his carrying pole before cheerfully heading back to the kitchen. ¡°Ah, Sister Wei¡¯er-¡± His heart¡¯s desire, whom he had hardly gotten a glimpse of, was about to leave right after meeting him. Jiujin became a little anxious. Mu Caiwei turned around, her face filled with confusion: ¡°Jiujin, do you need something?¡± ¡°Er... No, ah, yes, yes, I do.¡± Jiujin¡¯s grip tightened on the carrying pole in his hand. He took a deep breath and built up the courage to look into her eyes: ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, my mother told me you fainted from hunger today. Are you feeling better now? If... If you ever go hungry again, don¡¯t endure it. Come find me...¡± ¡°Pop-¡± Seeing the boy¡¯s flushed face, his trembling voice, and the beads of sweat on his nose, Mu Caiwei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She honestly thought the child in front of her was adorable, silly, innocent, and kind. Jiujin was bloomed by Caiwei¡¯s laughter, unsure of what Sister Wei¡¯er was laughing about? Whether he should laugh along or say something. So, he just stared at her, clueless. After laughing, Caiwei quickly regretted it. She felt guilty, no matter what kind of thought this naughty boy had for her, his intentions were good, so she shouldn¡¯t have made fun of him. ¡°Coughing lightly, Caiwei softened her voice: ¡°Thank you, Brother Jiujin. I will remember it. If I ever go hungry again, I will definitely come to find you!¡± After finishing speaking, Mu Caiwei picked up the firewood and darted into the kitchen. At the entrance, Jiujin¡¯s face became even redder. He stuttered, ¡°Uhm, Aunt, use this firewood first. Once it¡¯s finished, I¡¯ll bring you some more...¡± .... Having obtained the firewood, Mu Caiwei quickly boiled the saltwater. The dry bamboo sticks boiled in the ten percent saltwater for ten minutes and regained their flexibility! She then bent the bamboo sticks, tied the two ends together with thin cords, wrapped the minced meat around the sticks, and set them outside in the snow to freeze. Once the meatballs froze into chunks, she cut off the thin cord securing the bamboo stick. The stick would remain frozen in the form of an O in the meatball. Once the wild boar swallowed the meatball, the warmth of its stomach would melt the frozen meat, and the inside stick would return to its original form, becoming straight and extended.... .... At night, Mu Manor was covered in silence, as if everything had sunk into a dreamland. In the west of the village, a slim figure swiftly emerged from outside the small thatched cottage and ran like a swift towards the big mountain behind the village. The moonlight was like water, reflecting the snow on the mountains, illuminating the earth as if it were daytime. In the thicket, the petite girl carrying a bundle lowered her head, walking while carefully searching the snowy ground in the moonlight. Eventually, behind a clump of hay, she spotted a round and robust hoof print. The track was single and about eleven to twelve centimeters long. Based on experience, it was a solitary male wild boar that weighed over 300 Jin. Mu Caiwei unwrapped her bundle and took out several dumplings the size of ping pong balls from it. Following the direction of the footprints, she placed a few. After placing them, she straightened her back, dusted off her hands, and cheerfully returned home. If everything went as expected, by early tomorrow, she would have caught a fat wild boar! Chapter 8 - 8 8 Harvest (1)_1 ?8: Chapter 8 Harvest (1)_1 8: Chapter 8 Harvest (1)_1 The Mu Family¡¯s house only has three rooms. Mu Zhongqing couple, along with their sons Chong Wen and Chong Wu, sleep in the eastern room. The western room is the boudoir of Sisters Cai Wei, and the middle room is split into two, the front serving as a hall and the back as a kitchen. As Mu Zhongqing was not home, Lady Du, in order to save firewood, had the whole family sleep on the large kang in the eastern room. The kang was large, occupying half the room from east to west, even with the whole family sleeping on it, there was still plenty of room. Cai Wei sneaked back home, first entered the western room, gently pacing back and forth for half a Shi Chen before she had rid herself of the cold. Then she tiptoed through the hall and returned to the eastern room. Maybe because of the extra serving of mashed potatoes in the evening, the children, having had their fill, were in deep sleep. Cai Wei found her spot, quietly lay down, and planned to rest up to put her full strength into tomorrow¡¯s work. However, the hard earthen kang poked into her body, causing her so much pain that she could not fall asleep. As she tossed and turned, her thoughts surged, first thinking of her past life, of her master who had always taken care of her and trained her to be a gold medal bodyguard, of her few friends, and of the president she always protected. How were they all now? Her death must have been a blow to them! As for her parents, they must be busy fighting over her inheritance and condolence money, or busy celebrating with their other halves over this windfall, hehe. Thankfully she had foresight. After entering this profession, she had already made a will: should anything happen to her, all her properties should be donated to the nursing home. Wonder what her parents¡¯ expressions would be when they found out about this will? Too bad she couldn¡¯t see it anymore! And the elders at the nursing home, with such a large donation, their lives should be better, right? Then again, thought she, having donated all her millions, she herself couldn¡¯t even have a full meal ¨C what a tragic life... After a bitter smile, Mu Caiwei¡¯s thoughts returned to the wild boar. Had the wild boar eaten the bait? If they managed to hunt the wild boar, how should they bring it back? Or how should she explain it to her family? After all, a thirteen-year-old girl hunting down a wild boar is such an unbelievable thing, isn¡¯t it? With such worries and expectations, she tossed and turned until midnight before she finally fell asleep... The next day Just at dawn, Lady Du woke up to see Cai Wei entranced, sitting on the edge of the kang wrapped in a blanket. ¡°Wei¡¯er, what are you thinking about?¡± Cai Wei looked up at Lady Du, ¡°Mother, I just had a strange dream.¡± ¡°Is it a good dream or a bad dream? What did you dream about? Did you dream of your father?¡± Lady Du inquired with some urgency. With her husband away from home for over half a year now, Lady Du made earnest nightly prayers before sleep and had gone up to Temple Mountain multiple times to make vows and draw divination sticks, but still no news came. Because of this, anything that might connect to her husband became extra important for her. Even a baseless dream, she would consider it to be a divine guide giving news about her husband¡¯s whereabouts. Cai Wei didn¡¯t respond to her mother¡¯s anxious gaze. She stared ahead, speaking in a trance: ¡°The Mountain God said that he took pity on our family¡¯s poverty, he gifted us a wild boar. It¡¯s in the nest on the back mountain right now, waiting for us to collect.¡± Hearing that it wasn¡¯t a dream about her husband, Lady Du said with some disappointment: ¡°You must¡¯ve dreamt about the wild boar because you heard so much about it yesterday. It¡¯s just a dream, Wei¡¯er, don¡¯t take it too seriously?¡± Cai Wei stated solemnly: ¡°At the beginning, I didn¡¯t think much of the dream. But, strangely enough, I¡¯ve had the same dream three times in a row. Mother do you think that¡¯s a bit strange?¡± Chapter 9 - 9 9 Harvest (2)_1 ?9: Chapter 9 Harvest (2)_1 9: Chapter 9 Harvest (2)_1 Ancient people were quite superstitious and usually held a deep belief in things like dream omens, hence the interpretation of dreams. Mu Caiwei saw through this aspect and dared to make up stories to her mother. ¡°Mom, if this is real and we don¡¯t go, wouldn¡¯t it be disrespectful to the gods? Would we be punished by the deities?¡± Her serious words made Lady Du also take it seriously. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s go to Old Zhou¡¯s home and plead with Jiujin and his father to take us into the mountain. If there is a wild boar, everyone¡¯s happy. If not, we will at least resolve our doubts.¡± After the mother and daughter made their decision, they went together to Jiujin¡¯s house. Once there, Caiwei described her dream again. Zhou Jiujin was eager to have an opportunity to spend time with Caiwei, and before she had finished talking, he had already patted his chest and agreed. Jiujin¡¯s father, Zhou Laowu, didn¡¯t believe in the theory of dream prophecies, but to please his son, he happily agreed as well. It was not a lonely journey up the mountain. Along the way, Zhou Laowu continually praised his son, speaking highly of him and particularly emphasizing how capable and sensible Jiujin was. He also explicitly expressed that they didn¡¯t have a daughter, and whoever¡¯s girl entered their home in the future, they would definitely cherish her like their own daughter... Mu Caiwei felt quite helpless towards Zhou Laowu¡¯s subtle hints. As a woman in her thirties and well past traditional marriageable age, she could hardly develop any feelings for a boy just coming of age. Luckily, the journey was not far. By the time Zhou Laowu had finished his chatter, they had already arrived. ¡°Look, over there!¡± Keen-eyed Caiwei had immediately spotted something black lying in the haystack. ¡°Oh my! I can¡¯t believe there really is such a thing!¡± Zhou Laowu was so shocked that his eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. Lady Du was astounded too, left speechless. Only Caiwei remained calm. She instructed Jiujin to take out a rope, tie up the boar¡¯s four hooves, then run a stick through the middle of the rope, and finally called Uncle Zhou over to help lift the pig. ¡°Hey, this pig must weigh over 300 jin,¡± Zhou Laowu declared as soon as they lifted the pig. ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, you¡¯re truly capable!¡± Jiujin turned his head, flushed, and praised Caiwei. Lady Du had finally snapped out of her initial shock. Excitedly wiping away tears, she gazed at the fat wild boar. It was as if she was looking at a bag of bulging grain, a pile of warm cotton-padded clothes, a bunch of full, round bellies, and smooth, round faces... With this wild boar, life at home suddenly seemed hopeful! The pig carried down the mountain by Zhou family father-son duo caused a huge commotion as soon as they entered the village. ¡°Scholar Mu¡¯s family has found a wild boar.¡± Everyone hurried around spreading the news, either with admiration, envy, or both. In no time at all, the house was crowded with villagers who came to see the wild boar. ¡°Wow, such a huge wild boar! It¡¯s highly unusual to see one this size!¡± ¡°Madam Scholar, your family has made a fortune. I¡¯ve heard this wild boar meat is even more expensive than domestic pig meat!¡± ¡°Absolutely correct, domestic pig meat sells for 30 wen per catty, and wild boar meat for 50 wen per catty. Looking at it, this boar must weigh more than 300 jin. If you take out the skin and bones, oh my, oh gosh, this pig could be sold for at least thirteen or fourteen taels of silver!¡± As the neighbors discussed eagerly, Lady Du radiated happiness. She poured water and made seats for everyone with an unusual burst of energy. ¡°Brother second¡¯s family, I heard early this morning that you¡¯ve found a wild boar. Is it true?¡± A voice from outside the house, sounding like it couldn¡¯t wait to know more, resonated followed by hurried footsteps. Mu Caiwei¡¯s heart tightened, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed. The owner of the voice was Mu Zhongli, the eldest son of Mu family and the older brother of Mu Zhongqing. Greedy and deceitful by nature, he was always smooth-talking but harboring ill-intentions. Each time he visited Caiwei home, he either asked for money or valuables and never for anything good. He lived with Mu Liankui and Lady Mu Bai, and compared to Mu Zhongqing, they liked this obedient and thoughtful son better. The family¡¯s good fortune always passed onto him. ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re here. Please sit down.¡± Lady Du fetched a stool, politely asking Mu Zhongli to be seated. Mu Zhongli waved his hand saying: ¡°No need to sit, mom asked me to come by as soon as I heard about the wild boar you found. She wanted me to tell you to butcher the pig and bring half to father and mother.¡± Chapter 10 - 10 10 Scheme (1)_1 ?10: Chapter 10: Scheme (1)_1 10: Chapter 10: Scheme (1)_1 Demanding half a pig in one go, what a voracious appetite, and what a huge face she has. Upon hearing her eldest uncle¡¯s unabashed words, Cai Wei could only sneer to herself. She had seen shameless people, but never to such an extent¡ªit was indeed rare! Lady Du was of a mild temperament, but she was no fool. She was acutely aware of how her in-laws had treated her, her husband, and their children over the years. No matter how well she performed her obligations, her in-laws would still detest her. Regardless of how much money she gave to them, they would always regard it as their due. Therefore, apart from the monthly obligatory two hundred copper coins for their retirement, Lady Du refused to spend even one copper on them. Consequently, she replied with a gentle smile, ¡°Eldest uncle, if our parents crave meat, I will cut a piece and let Wen¡¯er deliver it to them later.¡± Lady Du¡¯s words were simple, but they conveyed a clear message: wanting to eat meat was fine, but it would only be a piece, not half. Her mother¡¯s attitude pleased Cai Wei. The reason she hadn¡¯t rebuked her eldest uncle before was because she wanted to see her mother¡¯s attitude towards the eldest branch. If her mother was submissive and obedient to them, she would still help the family, but she would feel somewhat disappointed in her mother. But now, she was pleased with her mother¡¯s words, at least her mother was not the type to be oppressed; it was just that she didn¡¯t have the capital to defy the eldest branch. Upon hearing Lady Du¡¯s comment, all the gossipy neighbors huddled around, winking at each other in mirth; one joked, ¡°Even if Elder Mu and Eldest Lady Mu turn into Maitreya Buddha, they would not be able to eat half a pig all by themselves; unless, Elder Brother Mu wants to play the obedient child and eat it on their behalf.¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha...¡± Everyone laughed heartily, utterly uninterested in saving face for him. Being rebuffed publicly by his sister-in-law was indeed humiliating for Mu Zhongli, and the laughs and taunts from the sardonic neighbors made him angry with embarrassment. He scoffed and said, ¡°Sister, did you forget how to be a daughter-in-law? The in-laws just want a bit of meat, yet you¡¯re putting up all these obstacles. Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s because of you that the Mu Family is in such a situation. At least, we could have had two more acres of good land.¡± Everyone in Mu Family Village understood the meaning of Mu Zhongli¡¯s words, as the Mu Liankui couple had been harping on about it like Sister Xiang Lin in the village for over a decade. Everyone, from eighty-year-old elders to children who were just old enough to understand, knew the story of the Mu Family¡¯s two acres of good farmland. The story was simple: fifteen years ago, Mu Zhongqing, who was then the second son of the Mu Family, passed the imperial examination and caught the eye of Landlord Zhou from a nearby village. Landlord Zhou wanted to bring Mu Zhongqing into his family by arranging a marriage with his daughter, and promised his daughter¡¯s dowry to be the two acres of good farmland. The Mu Liankui couple were overjoyed and hastily agreed. However, they never expected their son to strongly resist. Miss Zhou, with her weight of one hundred and forty jin, yellowed teeth, and promiscuous reputation, was not a woman Mu Zhongqing would marry, even if she were a princess, let alone the daughter of a rural landlord. Therefore, on a dark and windy night, he left a letter for his family and ran away to the capital to study, claiming it was for further studies when in reality, it was to flee this unwanted marriage. With the person in question gone, the marriage naturally fell through. Elder Mu¡¯s coveted two acres of good land turned into nothing but a mirage, leading Lady Mu Bai to fall ill. Even on her sickbed, she kept clamoring to bring back her unfilial son to force him into the marriage... Therefore, upon her arrival, Lady Du immediately became an eyesore for the two old people of the Mu Family. Every time they saw her, they would be reminded of their two acres of good farmland, causing them to hate her even more. If not for the protection of Mu Zhongqing, Lady Du might have been worn down to death by them years ago! Mu Zhongli was bringing up the issue of the farmland at this time to remind Lady Du and the neighbors that she owed the two old people of the Mu Family. Giving them the pig was, in his view, her responsibility. Chapter 11 - 11 11 Scheme (2)_1 ?11: Chapter 11: Scheme (2)_1 11: Chapter 11: Scheme (2)_1 Cai Wei looked at Lady Du, secretly blinked her eyes and spoke crisply, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you just say you want to take the wild boar to sell at the restaurant in town? If we cut off a piece, how can we sell it?¡± Lady Du reacted and immediately chimed in, ¡°Yes, indeed. Look at my memory, I completely forgot.¡± Aunt Zhou also squeezed over and loudly said, ¡°Scholar¡¯s family, I heard that Wei¡¯er fainted from hunger yesterday. It¡¯s pitiful that with so many relatives, there¡¯s not a single one willing to help! If you hadn¡¯t sold your hair at the market, Wei¡¯er might not be here now. Today, we finally caught this wild boar and we must sell it at a good price, not to let the children and adults suffer any longer.¡± Just as Aunt Zhou finished speaking, the villagers who were joking about Mu Zhongli earlier had a change in their expressions, from initial laughter to glaring contempt. As the uncle of these children, he wouldn¡¯t lend a hand to his starving niece, and even let his sister-in-law go to the market to sell her hair. Now that the family had caught a wild boar, he was eager to request a share of it. This shameless behavior was utterly despicable Mu Zhongli, as sharp as a monkey, could surely understand the words that Aunt Zhou used to criticize him, especially when he saw those glaring, contemptuous looks, making his back shiver with cold. Despite his greed, he still cared about his reputation. His two sons had both reached the age of negotiation for marriage affairs. If he were accused of treating his sister-in-law and niece harshly, it would be difficult to handle his sons¡¯ marital affairs. However, to give up such a large wild boar was impossible. Having whirlwinded some ideas in his mind, Mu Zhongli spoke with a pleasant smile, ¡°My sister¡¯s idea is splendid, sell the pig to lighten the household burden. I¡¯ll go home now and prepare my horse carriage, to make the trip to town for you.¡± Lady Du couldn¡¯t help but understand the cunning mind of her husband¡¯s elder brother. She hastily said, ¡°We mustn¡¯t trouble you, brother. I already spoke with Jiujin, he¡¯ll use his cow cart to take us there. Wei¡¯er and I also need to buy some things.¡± Mu Zhongli¡¯s smile froze a little, if they didn¡¯t allow him to go, how could the money from selling the pig go his way? In his urgency, he put on a serious face and sternly said, ¡°My sister, your words are unreasonable. As the saying goes, girls and boys should not sit together after the seventh age. Wei¡¯er is already thirteen years old, it is not appropriate for her to ride with an outside man. If others see it, they will say that our Mu family is lacking in discipline. Furthermore, Jiujin¡¯s cow cart is slow, without a shed. When can it reach the town? I¡¯m afraid that it will freeze you two to death before you get there. Our home¡¯s horse carriage runs fast and has a shed on top. It can get to the town in just an hour.¡± Mu Zhongli pulled all kinds of persuasive words to stress the benefits of taking the horse carriage. It was as if without his horse carriage, people simply could not reach town. Seeing that he was determined to go along, even if they refused, he would find other excuses. It seemed that they would not be able to get rid of him, so Cai Wei said with a smile, ¡°In that case, we will have to trouble Uncle.¡± Once Cai Wei gave in, Mu Zhongli¡¯s heart settled. Since his niece had acquiesced, he felt that Lady Du would not dare to contradict him further. Anyway, no matter what, he was fixed on getting the money from selling the pig. ¡°That¡¯s more like it, we are all family here. We have our own horse carriage, why use someone else¡¯s cow cart? If others see this, they might think that I, as her uncle, don¡¯t take care of my niece. Girl, wait for me. Uncle will go home, prepare the horse carriage and take you to the market.¡± With joy blooming on his face, Mu Zhongli scampered home to prepare the horse cart. Watching Mu Zhongli¡¯s departing back, Aunt Zhou slapped her thigh and said with exasperation, ¡°Ah, Wei¡¯er. I don¡¯t mean to blame you, but you¡¯ve fallen into the shameless trap of your uncle. You think he¡¯s so kind to personally rush to take you to the market? I think he¡¯s like the weasel visiting the hen, harboring ill-intentions, scheming to get the money from the pig sale. You two must be careful not to end up with all your efforts wasted. Don¡¯t just get happy for nothing!¡± Lady Du also chided her with slight reproach, ¡°Wei¡¯er, how could you make such a big decision without discussing it with your mother? Don¡¯t you know very well what kind of person your uncle is, after all these years?¡± Cai Wei laughed and said, ¡°Mother, Aunt Zhou, if we don¡¯t agree, would uncle refrain from going?¡± Lady Du fell silent. The whole village knew what kind of person the uncle was. A wild goose flying past his house would not escape plucking, even more so for this fat wild boar. ¡°So, we can only let him go!¡± Cai Wei¡¯s smile became profound! ¡°But you two need not worry, since I dared to let him come along, I will have a way to deal with him. This time, he must be taught a lesson, otherwise he will dare to plot against us in the future.¡± Chapter 12 - 12 12 Visiting the Market (1)_1 ?12: Chapter 12 Visiting the Market (1)_1 12: Chapter 12 Visiting the Market (1)_1 Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s explanation, Lady Du found it hard to reprimand her any further, so she opted to half-believingly prepare for their journey to the town... Mu Zhongli moved swiftly; within the time it took an incense stick to burn halfway, he drove the horse carriage to the entrance of Cai Wei¡¯s home. ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± After parking the carriage, Mu Zhongli hopped off joyfully, his rosy-cheeked father, Elder Mu Liankui, followed, along with his chubby son Mu Chongfu. The three generations worked as one, lifting the wild boar onto the carriage with all their might. Cai Wei and Lady Du also boarded the carriage. This time, Old Man Mu didn¡¯t coldly chastise Lady Du. He even unexpectedly smiled at Cai Wei and asked, ¡°Girl Wei, are you cold?¡± This sight might lead an outsider to think they were one harmonious family bound by the respect and affection between generations, but Cai Wei understood the old man¡¯s ulterior motive behind his unusual attentiveness. Sure enough, as their carriage approached the town, Elder Mu subtly proposed to safeguard the money they would earn from selling the wild boar. His reason was that their household, consisting only of women and children and living at the head of the village, would be unsafe with such a large sum of money. After finishing, he added, ¡°If you need money for something, just ask me for it.¡± Can a dog spit out a bone once it¡¯s in its mouth? Cai Wei inwardly cursed, while outwardly she sweetly said, ¡°Grandpa is so considerate. Mother, let¡¯s listen to Grandpa!¡± After speaking, she secretly pinched Lady Du¡¯s hand. Although Lady Du was unsure about her daughter¡¯s scheme, she was powerless to refuse. Therefore, she went along with it reluctantly. With his wish fulfilled, Mu Liankui¡¯s mood improved considerably. He began to chat more, regaling with peculiar and amusing stories from the village. He even cheerfully promised to buy a flower for Cai Wei once they reached the town! The horse carriage was indeed fast. Just past noon, the Mu family¡¯s carriage arrived at the town¡¯s most famous restaurant ¡ª ¡°Zuixian Residence.¡± After parking the carriage, the three generations of the Mu family worked in harmony once again, lifting the massive boar off the carriage and directly into the restaurant. As the last to alight from the carriage, Cai Wei watched as her grandfather, uncle, and cousin cheerfully carried the boar into the restaurant. A smile appeared on her face. With a flip of her sleeve, a stone the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg appeared in her palm. After making sure no one was looking at her, she flicked the stone, which, like lightning, traced a graceful arc in the air and accurately hit the horse¡¯s eye. ¡°Hiss¡ª¡ª¡± Startled, the horse neighed, raised its hooves high, and dashed off like an arrow. ¡°Grandpa, grandpa, not good, not good, our horse has run away¡ª¡ª¡± Cai Wei shouted, like a genuine frightened thirteen-year-old girl, hurrying into the restaurant. Mu Zhongli, Mu Liankui, and Mu Chongfu were engaged in conversation with the shopkeeper, with Lady Du standing meekly behind them. Hearing the news of the runaway horse, all three jumped up in alarm and dashed out without another thought... The horse, bought with fifty patterned silver pieces, was essential to their livelihood. It helped plow the fields during busy farming periods and transport cargo when the market was open. Essentially, all throughout the year, it helped them earn silver. Without this horse, their entire family would go hungry! ¡°Oh, my horse¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°General Black, don¡¯t run!¡± ¡°Fellow villagers, please help, stop that horse up there!¡± The three generations ran clumsily, shouting as they went. Running like a frantic creature, the horse barged around recklessly. The townsfolk barely managed to dodge its path, let alone try to stop it. Chapter 13 - 13 13 Visiting the Market (2)_1 ?13: Chapter 13 Visiting the Market (2)_1 13: Chapter 13 Visiting the Market (2)_1 Seeing the horse growing farther and farther away from them, Mu Zhongli gritted his teeth, took some silver, and hired a cab to chase after it. On this side, Mu Caiwei, Lady Du, and the owner of the Zuixian Residence have agreed on the price. The wild boar was sold to the Zuixian Residence in its entirety for a one-time price of ten taels of silver. Once the deal was completed, when the manager handed over a large silver ingot, Lady Du¡¯s eyes were so excited that they turned slightly red. Her rough hands stroked the ingot like caressing a gentle baby. ¡°Wei¡¯er, tell me, is this real? Do we have ten taels of silver?¡± Caiwei laughed and said, ¡°You certainly do have ten taels of silver now. But, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you- if you continue standing here wiping your tears, I promise that by the time your father and uncle come back, this ten taels of silver won¡¯t be yours anymore!¡± The sentence reminded Lady Du, she quickly hid the silver in her bosom and grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Wei¡¯er, hurry, let us hide.¡± Caiwei patted her hand and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. The horse was scared and won¡¯t stop for a while. Even if it does, who knows how far it might have run? They will take some time to come back. Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to look around and see what we lack at home, and buy some things?¡±. Lady Du also had this intention. She had too many things lacking at home, and the New Year was approaching. Now that they had money, they could arrange to buy a few things and would be able to bring some cheer to the house. The mother and daughter agree and walk out of the Zuixian Residence onto the street. This was Caiwei¡¯s first time going around the streets after crossing over. The streets of the ancient period, paved with green stones, were a classic version of spacious and clean elegance. On both sides, there were many restaurants, medical centers, grocery stores, pawnshops, money lending institutions, tea houses, cloth shops, and so forth, all hanging their respective signboards in front of their shops. At this time it was nearing the end of the year, the weather was surprisingly cold, but there were still a lot of people on the streets. Caiwei and her mother held hands, picking and choosing with excitement. A lot of rural folks led cow carts, carried baskets around, wandered on the streets, some were doing their New Year shopping, some were selling local specialties from their farms. Black fungus mushrooms, cornmeal, steamed buns, hand-woven baskets, wooden basins, horse troughs, some were selling rice wine they brewed themselves, some were selling frozen tofu. There were also several peddlers carrying a load-carrying pole that attracts a crowd mainly of young girls and daughters-in-law. Caiwei also squeezed in to take a look with interest. She bought two yards of the red hair tie for Fei¡¯er from a load-peddlar, which only cost five copper coins, and spent six copper coins to buy two sugar figurines to give to Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er that night. After shopping for a while, Caiwei was pulled into a cloth shop by her mother. The cloth shop was not big; the cloths inside were all coarse cloth and cotton, without any higher-grade goods like brocade. ¡°Madam, are you buying cloth?¡± From behind the wooden counter, the shop assistant sluggishly called out a greeting. His narrow, shrewd eyes slid from Lady Du¡¯s patched cotton-padded clothes to see Caiwei¡¯s jacket, where the cotton lining was visible. Although he didn¡¯t say any inconsiderate words, he looked down on the two people in front of him from the raised chin and squinting eyes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time for the New Year, I plan to make a new jacket for each of the children.¡± The mood of Lady Du was very good, not affected by the shop worker¡¯s disdain. Hearing that there was indeed business to be done, the shop assistant immediately seemed to switch faces, becoming enthusiastic: ¡°Oh! Madam, you really are a compassionate mother. Come, come over here!¡± He led Lady Du directly to the coarse cloth counter. ¡°Madam, look, these coarse cloths were just delivered a few days ago and their quality is definitely good. It¡¯s just that they haven¡¯t been dyed properly, so some have faded. Therefore, we are selling them cheaper. How about that?¡± ¡°Shop assistant, we are not buying coarse cloth!¡± Caiwei spoke. Hearing the words, the shop assistant looked towards the girl who spoke. The girl was young and was yet to mature, her malnourished little face had not yet fully developed, and her body was extremely thin. But she had a pair of extremely clear pupils, those eyes were as deep and cold as the water in a deep well, profound and indifferent, making it impossible for people to resist. For some mysterious reason, the shop assistant shivered, stopping in his tracks. Chapter 14 - 14 14 Restaurant Sightings (1)_1 ?14: Chapter 14 Restaurant Sightings (1)_1 14: Chapter 14 Restaurant Sightings (1)_1 Lady Du secretly tugged at Cai Wei¡¯s sleeve, whispering, ¡°Wei¡¯er, don¡¯t be silly. If we don¡¯t buy coarse cloth, are we going to buy fine cotton cloth?¡± As a matter of course, Cai Wei said, ¡°Of course we¡¯re buying fine cotton cloth. Coarse cloth is rough. My younger brothers and sisters are young, their skin is delicate, and wearing coarse cloth will harm their skin.¡± Lady Du pinched the purse in her bosom, hesitating. She agreed with Cai Wei¡¯s view and also wanted her children to wear the soft fine cotton cloth. However, the price of a foot of fine cotton cloth could buy three feet of coarse cloth, which was more durable and tough to wear out. Cai Wei saw through Lady Du¡¯s thoughts, feeling a bit sad. Her mother¡¯s hesitation was due to their poverty. How could someone who had just been on the verge of life and death from starvation be willing to spend a lot of silver to buy luxurious fine cotton cloth? If possible, her mother would love to split a copper coin in half to spend it! She lowered her gaze, and then laughed, saying, ¡°Mother, rest assured and just buy. Although our family only has ten taels of silver now, we will have one hundred taels, one thousand taels, even ten thousand taels in the future. Eventually, you will not be able to count how many we have...¡± Her smile was calm and determined, as if she was speaking the truth. This made Lady Du burst into laughter, saying, ¡°You child, always teasing me. I dare not dream of having one hundred, one thousand or ten thousand taels. As long as I have these ten taels, to keep my children from starving, I¡¯d already be thankful to Amitabha Buddha! Anyway, let¡¯s do as you say this time!¡± Naturally, she thought that her daughter was just humoring her. Not having to go hungry was a blessing in itself, let alone dreaming of more. Yet, even knowing that her daughter was just cheering her up, her heart felt a little comforted. Encouraged by her daughter, Lady Du steeled herself and bought each member of their family a piece of fine cotton cloth, plus four or five catties of top-quality cotton, and some silk threads, soles for shoes and other bits and bobs. After shopping, they ended up with two large bundles. After sending the mother and daughter away, the shop assistant weighed the silver in his hand, with a broad grin on his face. The old shopkeeper, holding a teapot, sauntered out from the inner room. He gazed at the retreating figures of the mother and daughter, stroking his white beard in deep thought. The shop assistant chuckled, shaking the silver in his hand, saying, ¡°Old shopkeeper, who would have thought that those two poor country bumpkins would be so lucrative? Look, they spent over a tael of silver without blinking an eye.¡± The old shopkeeper smacked the assistant on the head, sneering, ¡°You silly boy, didn¡¯t I tell you not to underestimate people? Honestly, even though that woman and her daughter seem destitute now, that girl has the true destiny of a phoenix and will be incredibly noble in the future! And that woman, she¡¯ll become a first-class madam someday. You, boy, aren¡¯t even fit to carry their shoes, and yet you dare to make fun of them?¡± The shop assistant pouted, laughing, ¡°Old shopkeeper, are you pretending to be a magician again?¡± The old shopkeeper took a sip of tea with a ¡°sip¡± sound, and said leisurely, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, that doesn¡¯t matter. Either way, you¡¯ll meet them again in the future. By then, you¡¯ll know how awesome I am!¡± ... After coming out of the cloth store, Cai Wei and Lady Du were each carrying a large bundle, and yet they were still strolling around the street with great interest. They occasionally bought some small items like bits and bobs, cooking essentials, and when they passed a clean, small restaurant, Cai Wei suggested to go in and eat something. They had been busy with the wild boar since morning and hadn¡¯t eaten anything. Her stomach had been growling for a while already. Lady Du initially wanted to buy some steamed buns from the roadside stalls as they were both tasty and saved money. But thinking of her daughter, who almost starved to death yesterday and brought home a windfall today in the form of a wild boar, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to refuse. She pinched her purse, steeled her heart, and took her daughter into the restaurant. Chapter 15 - 15 15 Restaurant Sightings (2)_1 ?15: Chapter 15 Restaurant Sightings (2)_1 15: Chapter 15 Restaurant Sightings (2)_1 It was already past lunchtime, the restaurant had very few customers; only four or five men in long robes were huddled around a table, sipping their wine as they discussed poetry and occasionally recited a few lines that were indeed very pedantic. The shop assistant approached them, noting that Caiwei and Lady Du were dressed in ragged clothes and did not seem wealthy. He nonchalantly asked, ¡°What will you have, esteemed guests?¡± Caiwei, twirling a lock of her own hair and laughing, said, ¡°We¡¯ll have a plate of Stir-Fried Real eggs with Chili Peppers please!¡± ¡°What? What kind of eggs?¡± The shop assistant was baffled, ¡°I¡¯ve been working at this tavern for over a decade, I¡¯ve heard of chicken, duck, goose and bird eggs, even, quite bizarrely, cow, sheep and pig eggs, but I¡¯ve never heard of a real egg!¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± A fleeting chuckle appeared in Caiwei¡¯s eyes, and then she said, ¡°In that case, never mind. We¡¯ll have a plate of Crystal Jelly please?¡± ¡°Crystal Jelly? What is a Crystal Jelly?¡± The face of the shop assistant slightly dropped: ¡°Are you here to poke fun at this humble establishment? Just making up names of dishes that I¡¯ve never heard of? I¡¯ve been a busboy for over ten years, I¡¯ve never heard of these ¡®Real egg¡¯ or ¡®Crystal Jelly¡¯? What is a Crystal Jelly?¡± ¡°Crystal jelly is a type of jelly that¡¯s half clear, half cloudy! Surely, you must have it?¡± Mu Caiwei asked patiently. The shop assistant, rolling his eyes, said impatiently: ¡°No, we don¡¯t...¡± Caiwei was not annoyed by the shop assistant¡¯s rude attitude, and she cheerfully ordered two bowls of vegetable noodles and a dish of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and then began to eat slowly with her mother. At this moment, she was in high spirits, because another plan to get rich had already formed in her mind! At the next table The few men in long robes were still slowly sipping and shaking their heads as they competed in composing poetry. One of them, the man in the purple silk robe, glanced towards the entrance repeatedly and complained, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Brother Hanwen here yet?¡± As he murmured, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a white-faced scholar came rushing in. As soon as he entered, he apologized profusely: ¡°Gentlemen, I am extremely sorry. Something happened on the Front Street just now, and I was too engrossed in it and thus, arrived late. I¡¯ll punish myself with a drink.¡± After saying that he reached for the wine pot, the man in the purple silk robe stopped him and said, ¡°Hold on Brother Hanwen, don¡¯t rush to drink your wine. Why don¡¯t you first tell us what caused you to be late for our poetry society meeting? If it was something worth being late for, we¡¯ll let it slide, but if not, you¡¯ll have to drink a whole pot.¡± The one called Hanwen didn¡¯t decline, he sat down at an angle and said excitedly, ¡°Do you all remember the old beggar who often begs for food at the entrance of ¡®Fragrance in the Bone¡¯?¡± Someone said: ¡°Of course, that old fellow has been in our town for eight or nine years. He¡¯s always rambling and mysterious, if not for the benevolent heart of the old shopkeeper at Li Family¡¯s Record and Cloth Store who occasionally gives him some food, he would have starved to death long ago.¡± Hanwen said, ¡°Well, now that old beggar is not far from death. It was his bad luck, today he somehow managed to beg a pot of wine, drank until he was utterly drunk, and fell in the middle of Front Street. Who would have expected that a horse carriage would be startled, its big hoof directly stomping on his chest, and then the carriage ran over him. The old beggar vomited blood on the spot and the driver fled. It was only when some kind-hearted people passing by rescued him and took him to the medical center. The doctor said his injuries were too severe and there was no chance of survival. The shopkeeper of the medical center, frightened of bad luck, had people carry him out. Now, he¡¯s just left out on the street near the vegetable market, breathing less, exhaling more, barely hanging on.¡± The young master in the purple silk robe sighed: ¡°Ah, such a disaster to have befallen him during the New Year, truly pitiful!¡± Chapter 16 - 16 16 Copper Mirror_1 ?16: Chapter 16 Copper Mirror_1 16: Chapter 16 Copper Mirror_1 Listening to the discussion of a few people, Cai Wei¡¯s previously joyful mood suddenly dropped to zero, and the chopsticks in her hand slowly put down. Although she is not a great altruist who takes the relief of all living things under heaven as her duty, she is not a vicious person with a heart of stone either. The old beggar was struck by her uncle¡¯s horse, but she was the one who initiated it all. It was her, who because of her hatred for her uncle, struck without considering the consequences, that inadvertently implicated the innocent old beggar, who died on the street in the cold December wind. Because she wanted revenge, a life ended in such desolation! The more she thought about it, the more guilt filled Mu Caiwei¡¯s heart. Her mood became heavier and her face gradually became unsightly. Seeing Cai Wei¡¯s bad complexion, Lady Du asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Wei¡¯er, is the food not to your taste?¡± Cai Wei shook her head with a pale face, had to tell a little lie to Lady Du, asking her to stay in the restaurant while she slipped out. Outside, the chill wind was still blowing and the snow was fluttering. It was only a street away from the vegetable market on Front Street. Mu Caiwei quickened her steps and soon arrived at the entrance of the Front Street Market. At that time, the market had not yet dispersed, and a large crowd of people were gathered together, discussing, sighing, or cursing... ¡°Oh, what a pity, an old man dying on the street, and no one to even collect the body.¡± ¡°What a sin! That cold-hearted horse carriage...¡± Cai Wei blocked out the public¡¯s anger and cursing, pushing through the crowd to the old beggar¡¯s side, and crouched down. On the bluish stone slab road, the old beggar with white hair, was curled up. His face was grey and the blood he spewed out was stuck to his white beard, frozen into red lumps of ice. His full head of white hair looked distressing. Mu Caiwei bore the heaviness in her heart, reached out to feel the old begger¡¯s breath. In the cold wind, the old beggar¡¯s breath was as thin as a thread, if not observed carefully, one would think he was already dead. The man was not dead. Cai Wei¡¯s heart shook, she stood upright, and her eyes searched the onlookers: ¡°Fellow villagers, the old beggar is not dead yet, is there any kind-hearted person willing to help me carry him to the medical center.¡± Immediately, someone in the crowd said, ¡°Hey! Girl, this old fellow is clearly done for, you shouldn¡¯t waste your effort. The doctor in the medical center just said, even if Hua Tuo were alive, he couldn¡¯t revive him.¡± ¡°Exactly, girl, not to mention saving him, even if he could be saved, who could afford the cost of his medicine? The old beggar is in his seventies or eighties, I¡¯m afraid even if he¡¯s saved he¡¯s useless, living would be suffering, it¡¯s better to die cleanly.¡± ¡°Right...¡± ¡°That¡¯s it...¡± People kept agreeing in the crowd. Faced with the indifference of the world, Caiwei suppressed her inner grief and anger and tried to say calmly, ¡°Fellow villagers, although I don¡¯t understand the great principles, I do grasp the concept of respecting the elderly. How would you feel if it was your family member lying here instead? Everyone reaches old age, everyone faces difficulties, if one day, you were in the old beggar¡¯s shoes, how would you feel? Today, even if the old beggar really cannot be saved, we can help him so he doesn¡¯t have to die so tragically, we don¡¯t have to put all the effort to avoid helping, do we?¡± ¡°Good! The girl has spoken well!¡± From outside the crowd, a strong vibrant shout rang out. When Cai Wei looked up, she saw a short and fat old man, with a round face, square mouth, and a sparse goat¡¯s beard. He was about sixty or seventy years old, wearing a green satin coat with a ¡®fortune¡¯ character on it. The collar and cuffs of his jacket were lined with rabbit fur, which told that he was a man of some wealth. The old man squeezed into the crowd, gratefully looked at Cai Wei, and loudly said , ¡°Good girl, you truly are kind-hearted and understand reason, not like those brutes, who only know how to watch idle gossips and talk nonsense, ignoring people¡¯s lives!¡± ¡°Oh, Manager Li, it¡¯s the new year, who are you cursing indirectly?¡± Someone in the crowd called out discontentedly. The old man stiffened his neck and scolded the questioner, ¡°I¡¯m cursing those unfeeling bastards who won¡¯t lift a finger to help others in danger. Why are you so eager to pick up the curse?¡± The scolded man immediately raged, rolling up his sleeves and retorting, ¡°Damn it, Manager Li, just because you¡¯re a bit older and we come from the same place, I respectfully call you Manager. But you actually think you¡¯re something! You¡¯re nothing more than a keeper of a dying rag manor, what¡¯s there to be arrogant about? You dare call me an unfeeling bastard, watch me beat you screaming for your mother!¡± The man charged over. Mu Caiwei clenched her fists, squinting her sharp eyes, and found the best attack angle, ready to defeat the enemy in one move. ¡°Cough...Cough...¡± Without warning, the old beggar on the ground, who was almost dead, suddenly began to cough. ¡°Oh my God, what¡¯s going on, this old guy is actually alive again!¡± The man who had rushed over in a fight, forgot to punch, his eyes wide open in shock, as big as a bull¡¯s egg! ¡°Oh, look at that, the old beggar isn¡¯t dead yet?¡± Manager Li cried out in surprise. ¡°Cough...Old fart, I¡¯m fine for time being. I won¡¯t die just yet...¡± The old beggar stuttered. The old beggar revived, and there was an immediate uproar in the crowd. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s incredible! The legend was true about this old fart having some magical powers. ¡°This is really a miracle. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen someone come back from the dead!¡± ¡°What do you mean come back to life? Maybe it¡¯s just a last resurgence of his strength!¡± With the crowds murmuring, Manager Li didn¡¯t bother to argue with the old beggar. He bent down and skillfully grabbed the old beggar¡¯s arm, placing his hand on the beggar¡¯s pulse. A moment later, the old shopkeeper¡¯s face was as gloomy as a pot of water. ¡°Old Beggar, your injuries are too severe. I can¡¯t save you. Do you have any way to save yourself?¡± ¡°No!¡± The old beggar blandly replied, with such a casual tone as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him. The sky was getting colder and the wind fiercer, blowing thick dark clouds over the sun. It seemed like it was going to snow. Cai Wei looked at the sky, stepped forward and whispered, ¡°Manager Li, it¡¯s freezing. We should move the old man to the medical center to prevent him from catching a cold.¡± The old beggar heard Cai Wei¡¯s voice, managed to open his eyes, took a look at her, and gasped, ¡°The girl is indeed beautiful, and she¡¯s destined to be extremely wealthy and famous in the future. What a pity that the old beggar won¡¯t be able to see it!¡± Cai Wei persuaded, ¡°Old man, don¡¯t be sentimental. I¡¯m going to take you to the clinic right now. I¡¯m sure you will recover.¡± ¡°Heh heh...¡± The old beggar laughed, then laboriously raised his hand and fumbled in his torn coat, saying, ¡°My time has come, and it¡¯s time for me to go. Thank you, girl, for standing up for old beggar. The old beggar has no way to repay you. Here¡¯s a mirror for you to reflect on.¡± As he spoke, he took out a palm-sized copper mirror from his torn coat and handed it over. Chapter 17 - 17 17 Buying Meat_1 ?17: Chapter 17 Buying Meat_1 17: Chapter 17 Buying Meat_1 The mirror was round and simple, with no complicated decorations. It carried a thick patina, suggesting some age. On the back was a layer of greenish-blue rust, covering any designs on it. Gifts from the elderly should not be refused. Cai Wei thanked him and took the mirror, not having time to examine it carefully. She stuffed it into her chest and urgently said to Manager Li, ¡°It¡¯s about to snow, let¡¯s figure out how to move the elderly man into the shelter of the house quickly.¡± Manager Li rubbed his nose, stood up straight, and started yelling, ¡°Monkey boy, monkey boy, where did you go?¡± ¡°Ah, here I am...¡± After a loud affirmative response, a young shopkeeper squeezed his way through the crowd into the cloth shop. Cai Wei was a little stunned. This shop boy was the same one from whom Cai Wei and Lady Du had bought their cloth. The shopkeeper also recognized Cai Wei, paused for a moment, and didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. He immediately turned and said to Manager Li, ¡°Old shopkeeper, the carriage is ready, let¡¯s carry the man back...¡± ... With Cai Wei¡¯s assistance, the old beggar was lifted back into the cloth shop. Once settled, Cai Wei told Manager Li she was worried about her mother in the small eatery and then left. By now, it was past Shenshi (3-5pm), and the sky was as dark as if night had fallen, with large snowflakes fluttering in the air like goose feathers. The market had closed early, and the townspeople who had come to the market were rushing home... Inside the small restaurant, Lady Du was pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan, frequently glancing outside the door. Her daughter had been gone for two to three hours and still hadn¡¯t returned. Had she come across a robber? Or perhaps, had she been kidnapped? The more she thought about it, the more scared she became. Unable to stay still due to worry, Lady Du almost set out in search, but at that moment, a familiar figure appeared in the street opposite, braving the snow and rushing back. Lady Du, overjoyed as if she had found a treasure, hurried to meet her and scolded, ¡°Girl Wei, where have you been? Why were you gone so long? You¡¯ve almost scared your mother to death...¡± Feeling a surge of warmth in her heart, Cai Wei remembered something she had once read in a book: the happiest thing in the world is that no matter where you are or what you are doing, there is always someone silently caring about you... At that time, she felt the statement was pretentious. How does it matter if someone is worrying about her or not? She is who she is, and wouldn¡¯t change based on someone caring about her. However, when she saw her mother¡¯s anxious face and the immense relief in her mother¡¯s smile when she returned, she truly understood that having someone worry about her indeed brought happiness. Holding her mother¡¯s hand, Cai Wei softly comforted her with a few words, changing the topic. She didn¡¯t want her mother to know about those upsetting incidents. Her mother was kind-hearted and learning about an accidental harm caused by Cai Wei¡¯s carelessness, she might cast a lifelong shadow on her mind. Hence, Cai Wei would never let her mother know about that accident. Seeing her daughter return made Lady Du¡¯s heart at ease. She took Cai Wei to another street. Because Uncle Zhou¡¯s horse was startled and couldn¡¯t be contacted for a while. With the snow falling, which made the road slippery, the mother and daughter had to hire a horse carriage to return to Mu Family Village. The village was not far from the town, only about twenty miles away. On a normal day, they could hire a covered carriage for only thirty copper coins, but due to the snowfall today, they had to pay an additional ten copper coins to hire the carriage. Lady Du didn¡¯t think it was a good deal. The horse carriage charged by the head. Even if mother and daughter came empty-handed, they would still be charged 40 copper coins. Harbor resentment, Lady Du decided to take advantage of the situation. She planned to buy a cartload of household necessities, so that the 40 copper coins wouldn¡¯t be wasted. Most of the shops on this street sold food. There were shops selling grains, meat, fish, and even fresh fruits and vegetables. Outside the shop, some small business people had set up stalls selling pancakes, noodles, steamed buns, and wontons. Pancakes cost two copper coins each, vegetable noodles three copper coins a bowl, noodles with shredded meat eight copper coins, wontons five copper coins a bowl if they were filled with vegetables, if filled with meat, another five copper coins were needed. Vegetarian buns were one copper coin each, and buns filled with meat were two copper coins each, steamed buns were two for one coin, although the buns were coarse maize buns. Lady Du had bought ten meat buns and ten pancakes, merrily planning to take them back to improve the living condition of her kids. Cai Wei was not impressed. She pointed at a meat store and said, ¡°Mother, buns are not enough, we might as well buy some meat.¡± Lady Du couldn¡¯t bear to refuse her daughter, so she nodded helplessly. In the butcher shop, the grease-slicked butcher looked up and saw customers approaching. He immediately put on a full-face smile and said, ¡°Sister, buying meat? This is a fresh, fat pig slaughtered this morning, it¡¯s fresh! Look, how thick is this fat...¡± As he was speaking, he was flipping over the fatty meat on the chopping board to attract the attention of the mother and daughter. Ordinarily, pork was twenty coins per jin. Because of the approaching New Year, the price rose, and now pork was being sold for thirty copper coins per jin. Lady Du was selecting from the meat on display, planning to buy a slab of fat back home, which could be used to render oil. The remains from the rendering could be used to make dumplings, which were delicious! ¡°Boss, how much is a jin of pork?¡± ¡°Thirty coppers a jin, that¡¯s the rate all over the town, and our shop is absolutely honest,¡± said the boss, beating his chest, keen to close the deal. ¡°Fine, if it¡¯s thirty coppers then it¡¯s thirty coppers. If I buy ten jin, could you throw in those things for me?¡± As Cai Wei spoke, her eyes were fixed on some scraps of pig skin and clean big bones thrown in the corner of the shop. The boss was taken aback. Those things were for his dog and were worthless. If he could make a deal for 300 copper coins with those things, he would be happy to give them away. ¡°Sure, sure, sure!¡± The boss readily agreed, as if he feared Cai Wei would change her mind. Quickly taking out a grass woven basket, he put the pig skin and big bones from the ground into it. Then he quickly went back inside the chopping board, took up the gleaming boning knife, preparing to cut the meat. Lady Du hesitated a moment and said, ¡°Wei¡¯er, we can¡¯t eat that much meat. I think two jin is enough for now.¡± ¡°Mother, it¡¯s freezing now. If we can¡¯t eat it, we¡¯ll freeze it and we can eat it any time. Besides, Aunt Zhou has helped us a lot these years. The wild boar this time was brought back with the help of Uncle Zhou and Nine Jin. We should thank them, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Hearing her daughter¡¯s words, Lady Du was touched. Her daughter was grown up and understood social etiquette. She, as the mother, naturally couldn¡¯t hold her back. She immediately took out her purse and paid the bill. Ten jin of meat was not light. Added to the big packs of cotton cloth and cotton fluff already purchased, it was impossible to continue shopping around. Lady Du and Cai Wei decided that Lady Du would sit in the carriage and watch over the purchases, while Cai Wei was in charge of shopping for the household items. Finally having her mother¡¯s purse, Cai Wei breathed a sigh of relief. She could finally buy freely, instead of seeing her mother¡¯s pained expression! Chapter 18 - 18 18 Go Home (1)_1 ?18: Chapter 18 Go Home (1)_1 18: Chapter 18 Go Home (1)_1 Indeed, having some silver made things much easier. In less than half a shichen, the horse carriage was packed full: white rice, pork, bean oil, eggs, all kinds of beans, spiced meat, soap beans, a large bath tub, charcoal basin, wood charcoal, all sorts of things. They piled things from the floor of the carriage all the way to the roof until no more items could be placed. Only then did Cai Wei stop. ¡°Hmm, this should be enough for now!¡± Sitting in the carriage, Cai Wei rubbed her tired arms and surveyed the spoils in the carriage with satisfaction. Hehe, it was indeed plentiful, containing everything they needed. With these goods, her mother and younger siblings¡¯ tough refugee-like appearance should improve soon, right? She pondered. Her mother was only twenty-nine, and should have been a rare beauty. However, due to long-term hardship and suffering, she appeared like an old cucumber deprived of moisture, with a yellow, haggard face and a stooped posture, looking rather distressed. Then there were her two younger brothers. The two children were very well born, their distinct features revealing them as cute little chubbos. But due to long-term malnutrition, they had been turned into bean sprouts with big heads and small bodies. Her younger sister, Wei¡¯er, was already ten years old this year. In ordinary families, girls of this age would have been cloistered inside, rarely venturing out of their rooms. However, Wei¡¯er had to act like a boy, collect wild vegetables on the mountain, gather firewood, fetch water from the creek, wash clothes. Exposed to the elements, her originally delicate tofu-like skin had been wrecked into a plateau red color... It was time they enjoyed some good days, to share in some blessings! She had the ability to make their lives better and the responsibility to do so. Since she occupied Mu Caiwei¡¯s body, she should provide for her family. Moreover, she already regarded them as her own dearest loved ones! ... The winter in the north was extremely cold and the days were short. After You time, the sky became completely dark, enveloped by a layer of black veil, and no light could be seen. In the night, the horse carriage carrying the goods slowly entered Mu Family Village, braving the cold wind and trudging through the accumulated snow. In the carriage, Lady Du held a basket of eggs carefully in the corner, fearing that the carriage would sway and break these precious eggs. Her expression was both excited and anxious. She was excited because her children would finally be able to eat their fill, no one would have to go hungry again. And the good things in the carriage, when the children see them later, they might be overjoyed! She was nervous because grandpa had said he would help them manage the money from selling the pig. If he found out that more than half of the ten taels of silver from selling the pig had been spent, she didn¡¯t know whether he would be angry and take it out on her. ¡°Ah, Wei¡¯er...¡± Lady Du stammered. Caiwei, leaning against a large bag of white rice, opened her eyes when she heard the sound. ¡°Do you think, if your grandpa knows we¡¯ve spent so much money, he won¡¯t be happy?¡± Caiwei curved the corners of her mouth, gave a cold laugh and said, ¡°What business is it of his if we spend our own money?¡± ¡°Aye! Although that¡¯s true, but your grandpa did say he would help us manage the money from selling the pig, aye...¡± drawled Lady Du, sighing repeatedly. Her emaciated yellow face revealed a worried expression. She was conflicted. The reason she didn¡¯t stop her daughter from buying things recklessly was because she thought that the remaining silver would end up in the hands of the main family. She was reluctant to accept this, hence she wished all the silver would be spent. On the other hand, she was also very afraid. Her mother-in-law was extraordinarily fierce, having once slapped her face with a shoe sole, made her kneel for an entire day in the ancestral hall during the cold lunar December, and almost sold her to Butcher Zhang in the neighbouring village behind her husband¡¯s back... If they find out that the money from selling the pig wasn¡¯t handed over to them, but was arbitrarily spent by both her and her daughter, there¡¯s no telling how they may torment her! Chapter 19 - 19 19 Go Home (2)_1 ?19: Chapter 19 Go Home (2)_1 19: Chapter 19 Go Home (2)_1 Lady Du¡¯s worried look was not lost on Cai Wei. She played with the ends of her hair that hung down over her chest and reassured her mother with a dismissive snort, ¡°Mother, they¡¯re nothing more than mere troublemakers. You don¡¯t need to be afraid. I have plans to put an end to their schemes.¡± As she spoke, the carriage came to a stop. Cai Wei lifted the carriage curtain. In front of her was her family¡¯s short and dilapidated home, a sparse fence wall, and the towering poplar tree by the front door. Under the tree, three small figures anxiously searched the surroundings. On seeing the people in the carriage, the little figures ran towards them joyfully. ¡°Mother¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Older sister¡ª¡ª¡± The sweet calls sounded like a warm gentle breeze, bringing an unexplainable pleasure to the listener¡¯s ear. Smiling, Cai Wei opened her arms cheerfully. ¡°Don¡¯t run; be careful with the eggs!¡± Lady Du sitting in front of Cai Wei, cried out anxiously. The little ones stopped in their tracks, their bright eyes staring in surprise at Lady Du. ¡°Eggs? Mother bought eggs?¡± The youngest, Wu¡¯er, hearing word ¡®eggs¡¯, slurped, his mouth watering. He seemed to see a bowl of hot, tender egg cakes, with a few spots of oil still floating on top... In the past, they kept chickens at home, and her mother would occasionally steam an egg cake for them. But that was more than half a year ago. To gather money for their father¡¯s business, they had sold all of their chickens. They hadn¡¯t tasted an egg for almost half a year now. ¡°There are not only eggs, mother also bought meat buns and pan cakes for you. Your sister also bought lots of fatty pork. They¡¯re all in the carriage. Quickly go and bring them...¡±, Lady Du urged laughingly. Upon hearing their mother¡¯s words, the children cheered and ran towards the carriage. They reached out anxiously, ¡°Older sister, did you really buy so many things?¡± ¡°Older sister, I¡¯ll help bring it in, I¡¯m coming...¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t push!¡± Cai Wei picked up the sack full of rice. ¡°Wen¡¯er, you and Second Sister carry this sack of rice.¡± ¡°Wu¡¯er, take the meat buns and pancakes to the room...¡± The children were hopping with joy; they were happier than on New Year¡¯s Day. Mother and Older sister had brought them a bag full of rice and a basket full of eggs... You must know, ordinarily only during the New Year would dad buy two catties of rice. Only on New Year¡¯s Eve, the whole family could have a meal of white rice, and each person could only have one bowl. As for white flour, you would only get to eat a bowl of noodles if it was someone¡¯s birthday. On usual days, the family would eat soup made with cornmeal mixed with coarse grains. Even this meal of cornmeal soup could not be eaten till they were full... As for luxuries like meat buns and sugar figurines, each cost two or three copper coins, which they did not even dare to dream about. They could only manage a taste of them in their dreams... Fei¡¯er, upon catching sight of the brightly colored cotton cloth, could not move her eyes away. She was ten years old and had never worn a new dress, always having to make do with her sister¡¯s hand-me-downs. Her sister¡¯s dresses were not good either. They were coarse clothes in an earthy hue, the natural color of the fabric as it came out of the loom without any bleaching or dying. As it was the cheapest cloth, all garments worn by the young and old in their home were made of this earthy coarse cloth. God knows, how much she longed as a young girl to have a colorful outfit without patches. Imagine how beautiful it would be if a piece of cloth like this gorgeous yellow cotton could be made into a small jacket! The items were moved into the room one by one. The children sat on the kang (traditional Chinese bed-stove), happy and excited, examining the new things Cai Wei had brought. They kept gasping in admiration. Dim candlelight reflected on their innocent faces, their eyes filled with surprise and excitement which was so moving and heartfelt. Cai Wei felt that there couldn¡¯t possibly be a moment more fulfilling in her life than this one! Chapter 20 - 20 20 Family Dinner (1)_1 ?20: Chapter 20: Family Dinner (1)_1 20: Chapter 20: Family Dinner (1)_1 ¡°Stop looking and wash your hands for dinner first. You can look again after eating!¡± Lady Du came in with a big, smiling face and the rice bowl in her hand, filled with ten freshly steamed meat buns and ten pancakes. ¡°Gulp!¡± Little Wu¡¯er swallowed saliva, his eyes stared at the bowl in his mother¡¯s hand, giving longing looks. ¡°Little gourmand!¡± Cai Wei laughingly poked his head. ¡± Stop daydreaming? Hurry up and wash your hands, or else everything will be eaten up by the others and you will be left crying!¡± As if waking from a dream, Wu¡¯er promptly moved his short legs and ran to wash his hands. Dinner is ready, the rice bowl was placed in the center of the table, the steaming buns and pancakes, the aroma causing the children¡¯s stomachs to growl non-stop... ¡°Hehe¡ª¡ª¡± Hearing the intermittent growls, Cai Wei laughed. The older sister¡¯s laughter made the children¡¯s cheeks flush red. After brief embarrassment, they also began to laugh: ¡°gaga, gaga...¡± Throughout the meal, Mu Caiwei¡¯s face was filled with warm smiles, genuinely from her heart. In her past life, she always thought that being admired and being at a height that others cannot reach was happiness. But in this life, she felt that having a warm and hearty meal with her family was a thousand times happier than what she pursued in her past life. Happiness is indeed simple. As long as you make those you love and who love you happy, that¡¯s enough! Lady Du is also very happy today. Her lean and yellowish face finally shed its sad expression and was even filled with laughter. ¡°Mother has something good for you!¡± She disappeared into the kitchen with a mysterious sense of pride. A moment later, she brought out a big sea bowl. It was filled with soft yellow, soft yellow egg custard. ¡°Eat, eat, eat as much as you want!¡± Lady Du pushed the big sea bowl into the center of the table, gesturing kindly to the children. ¡°Mother, you eat first!¡± Wen¡¯er picked up a bun and placed it in Lady Du¡¯s bowl. ¡°Yes, Mother, you eat first.¡± The children politely agreed. Fei¡¯er scooped a spoonful of egg custard and put it into Lady Du¡¯s bowl. Cai Wei realised that the children at home all had great manners. Although they all were both hungry and drooling, the children wouldn¡¯t reach out for food until their mother started eating! Lady Du took the bun from her son and took a bite, squinting in bliss. ¡°Hmm, delicious....¡± Mother has started to eat, and the children also began to pick up their chopsticks and eat. The meal, although eaten enthusiastically and buoyantly, was filled with humility. There were ten buns, each could have two. But after the children finished one, they did not eat a second. The older ones wanted to save the buns for the younger ones, the younger ones wanted to save them for their mother, and their mother wanted to share them with the children. ... Everyone was eating their pancakes in silence, occasionally scooping up a spoonful of egg custard, but also constantly looking at how much was left in the large bowl. Realising that the younger brother and sisters have such good manners, courteously and reasonably, made Cai Wei feel relieved, but also a little poignant. They must be scared of poverty. Even with so much delicious food, they couldn¡¯t eat it without restraint. ¡°Come on, eat more, you are all growing children now!¡± Cai Wei gave the remaining buns to each child and also gave one to the mother. She whispered, ¡°Mother, you need to take care of your health too, the children are all relying on you!¡± ¡°Yes, mother eats, and Wei¡¯er eats too.¡± The last bun was put into Cai Wei¡¯s bowl by Lady Du... The meal passed in joy and satisfaction. After dinner, Mother took her eager siblings to look at the items Cai Wei had bought again, while Cai Wei took out the pig skin she had bought at the butcher¡¯s shop and became busy with it. Chapter 21 - 21 21 Family Dinner (2)_1 ?21: Chapter 21: Family Dinner (2)_1 21: Chapter 21: Family Dinner (2)_1 First, she thoroughly washed the pig skin several times with coarse salt water, until there was no strange smell left. Then, she used a burning piece of firewood to sear it from one end to another. The hair on the skin was gone, but the dark, black roots could still be seen clearly inside the skin. Instead of immediately dealing with those roots, she put the skin in the pot and started boiling it. About half an hour later, she stopped the fire. She fetched the boiled pig skin out of the pot with a strainer, cooled it down with cold water, spread it out on the chopping board, and used an awl to pick out the dark remnants from the hair follicles one by one. Since the skin was boiled to a soft state, it was easy to remove the remnants. Before long, the pieces of skin were cleaned, becoming white chunks that were still giving off a strong aroma of meat. ¡°It smells so delicious. Are you cooking meat, elder sister?¡± Wen¡¯er and Fei¡¯er followed the aroma and came in only to find Cai Wei using the back of a knife to scrape off the grease from the skin. They asked in surprise, ¡°What are you doing, elder sister?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making crystal jelly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s crystal jelly? Can we eat it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Wen¡¯er sniffed at the air and said, ¡°It smells so good, it must be delicious!¡± Cai Wei, shaking his little nose, laughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t only think about eating. If you want to eat, you must pay some price first.¡± With a pleasing smile, Wen¡¯er rubbed his small face against Cai Wei¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Just tell me what you want me to do, elder sister.¡± Cai Wei pointed to the greyish, oilish water in the pot, bubbling with white foam, and said, ¡°Fetch the dirty water out of the pot, dump it, and clean the pot.¡± Wen¡¯er, being obedient, rolled up his sleeves and stood on a stool beside the stove, right away started doing the job without another word. Fei¡¯er asked, ¡°What should I do, elder sister?¡± Cai Wei handed her a knife and commanded, ¡°Chop these pieces of skin finely. The finer, the better. Be careful not to cut your hand!¡± With two free little workers, Mu Caiwei was happy to take a break. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to be lazy. It was just that her body wasn¡¯t in good condition at the moment. After a bit of labor, she would be covered in cold sweat, gasping for air. She didn¡¯t know if it was due to innate deficiency or malnutrition. It looks like she must go to a good medical center in town tomorrow. After all, health is the capital of revolution. This family is still counting on her! In the living room, their mother was measuring clothes for Little Wu¡¯er by candlelight. Wu¡¯er was happily cooperating with his mother¡¯s movements. ¡°Wu¡¯er, let¡¯s go take a trip with your sister.¡± Cai Wei said. Upon hearing that her daughter was going out at this late hour, Lady Du quickly asked, ¡°Where are you going in such a dark, lightless night?¡± Cai Wei picked up Wu¡¯er from the kang and started putting on his shoes. While doing so, she explained to her mother, ¡°I¡¯m going to bring Aunt Zhou some meat. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Lady Du, still worried, said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go tomorrow instead? It¡¯s so late. They might have gone to bed already.¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I¡¯m going there while they are sleeping. Otherwise, Aunt Zhou would just keep talking and take me nowhere. It¡¯s so annoying.¡± The thought of Aunt Zhou¡¯s suggestive jokes made Cai Wei roll her eyes. Lady Du lowered her head silently, saying nothing. Actually, in her heart, she quite liked Jiu Jin. That boy was hard-working, sincere, and kindhearted, without any cunning intent or plots. Most importantly, he truly fancied her daughter, Wei¡¯er! Which mother wouldn¡¯t hope to find a son-in-law who would wholeheartedly cherish her daughter? Unfortunately, Wei¡¯er, that girl, had absolutely no feelings for Jiu Jin. Every time Aunt Zhou or the villagers teased her about Jiu Jin, she didn¡¯t argue back, but her calm and composed attitude was enough to prove that Jiu Jin was not in her heart. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she show even a little bit of girlish shyness? Oh well! The emperor isn¡¯t in a hurry, but the eunuch is. Marriage is predestined by fate. Let¡¯s leave it in the hands of Heaven. ... Cai Wei, holding five catties of fatty pork and pulling along Wu¡¯er, went out. The reason she took Wu¡¯er with her was to avoid any rumors that might damage her reputation. It was significant for a girl¡¯s reputation in this era, even more so than their lives. Any slight mishap could cause her reputation to be ruined. Having Wu¡¯er by her side would keep the gossipers from finding a handle against her. Under the moonlight, the brother and sister arrived at the door of Jiu Jin¡¯s house. The house of Jiu Jin was all dark, with no lights on and no sound whatsoever. It looked like they had gone to bed early. Farmers usually went to bed very early at night. First, because it was too cold and sleeping on a hot kang was more comfortable than doing anything else. Second, they wanted to save lamp oil. The money saved from not lighting lamps during the whole winter could add up to a considerable amount. Therefore, as soon as night fell, the village would melt into the night, with hardly any families doing things by the light of oil lamps. Standing at the door, Cai Wei instructed Wu¡¯er to knock. Wu¡¯er cleared his throat solemnly, and with a childish voice, started calling, ¡°Jiu Jin, Jiu Jin.¡± After the sound of rustling clothes, aunt Zhou¡¯s voice came from the dark room inside, ¡°Who is it?¡± Chapter 22 - 22 22 The Scum Relative comes to the door (1)_1 ?22: Chapter 22: The Scum Relative comes to the door (1)_1 22: Chapter 22: The Scum Relative comes to the door (1)_1 ¡°It¡¯s me, Cai Wei.¡± As soon as the words fell, the room was immediately filled with a clamor of fumbling noises, the sound of things being knocked over. After the commotion, Jiujin rushed out, overcome with excitement. ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, how come you¡¯re here?¡± In the dark night, Jiujin¡¯s expression was enveloped in the shadows, not clearly visible. Yet, the excitement and surprise in his voice were apparent, tinged with a dash of confusion. Cai Wei said, ¡°I have to go into town tomorrow. Is Jiujin¡¯s cart available?¡± ¡°Absolutely, it¡¯s no problem at all. I¡¯ve got nothing planned for tomorrow, so I can take you there.¡± Jiujin eagerly accepted, so delighted he felt like jumping in place. ¡°Goodness, Wei¡¯er, what are you doing here? Come inside where it¡¯s warm!¡± Aunt Zhou rushed out with a sheepskin jacket, draping it over Jiujin and scolded, ¡°Wei¡¯er, look at your Brother Jiujin. The moment he heard you were here, he ran out without even putting on his jacket. What if he catches a cold?¡± Jiujin grinned sheepishly and mumbled, ¡°Me, a big man, getting all dainty?¡± Cai Wei quickly said, ¡°Aunt Zhou is right. Brother Jiujin, go back inside. I don¡¯t have any pressing matters, so I will be leaving now.¡± She stepped forward and handed over the meat she was carrying. ¡°I bought some meat at the market today. It¡¯s for Eldest Uncle Zhou to enjoy with his drink. I¡¯m grateful for his and Jiujin¡¯s help this morning.¡± Before Aunt Zhou could say a word, Jiujin started waving his hands frantically, struggling to articulate, ¡°No need, no need. Sister Wei¡¯er, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me...¡± Aunt Zhou was quick to refuse as well, ¡°Wei¡¯er, what are you doing this for? Your family is struggling, take it back and save it for yourself. We have meat at home. Jiujin¡¯s shot wild chickens aren¡¯t even finished yet. Take it back...¡± ¡°Aunt Zhou has meat at home. You can use these to make oil instead. Regardless, it¡¯s a small token of my mom¡¯s gratitude. Just don¡¯t find it too bothersome.¡± Politely persisting, Cai Wei tucked the straw rope holding the pork into Aunty Zhou¡¯s hand, took Wu¡¯er by the hand, and left... Aunt Zhou watched Cai Wei leaving, then turned to look at Jiujin, who was still standing there dumbfounded. She walked up, gave him a playful punch, and laughed, ¡°She¡¯s already gone, why are you still standing out here like a fool? Better get back inside before you freeze.¡± Jiujin rubbed his head, smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°Mom, Wei¡¯er asked me to accompany her to town tomorrow, hehe...¡± ... Cai Wei led Wu¡¯er by hand, walking unhurriedly on their way home. The Mu¡¯s and the Zhou¡¯s houses were not far apart. At this time, the snowstorm had stopped, and a round, bright moon like a jade plate hung in the night sky, casting its cold light on all living beings. Cai Wei gazed up at the moon, feeling a wave of melancholy. She wondered if the moon here and the moon in her hometown were the same. If so, she still had a tiny connection with her home. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s not completely isolated here! ¡°Elder sister, listen!¡± Wu¡¯er suddenly spoke. Cai Wei was slightly surprised, and as she snapped back to reality, a harsh scolding voice was carried over by the night wind. It wasn¡¯t very loud, but it was quite clear. ¡°You good-for-nothing whore, the fortune of our Mu family will sooner or later be ruined by you...¡± ¡°No good, it¡¯s Grandma!¡± Wu¡¯er squeezed Cai Wei¡¯s hand a bit tighter and said loudly, ¡°Elder sister, we must hurry home.¡± Saying this, he took Cai Wei¡¯s hand and broke into a run. The sibling ran urgently, and in a few strides, they were back home. As soon as they stepped in, Cai Wei got a fright. On the edge of the Kang, the entire family of her elder uncle sat in a row, their faces unfriendly and glaring. Grandma Mu Bai with her legs crossed, sat on top of the Kang. Her already elongated face became even longer, about two and a half feet. Grandpa Mu Liankui silently smoked his pipe. After a while, he pulled out his pipe from his mouth, knocked it on the edge of the Kang, creating a series of loud ¡®clink¡¯s. Chapter 23 - 23 23 The Scum Relative Comes to the Door (2)_1 ?23: Chapter 23: The Scum Relative Comes to the Door (2)_1 23: Chapter 23: The Scum Relative Comes to the Door (2)_1 Uncle lazily crossed his legs, chin raised, occasionally glancing at the sacks of white rice and basket of eggs on the ground. He sneakily glanced at the cotton and fine cotton cloth on the kang, trying to look at everything simultaneously. On the contrary, Aunt Li was not idling, bustling around the room at a rapid pace. She was constantly tossing cloth materials on the kang and peeking into rice sacks on the floor, making disapproving noises as she did. ¡°Oh my! Look at this, money truly makes a difference. Look, they bought fine cotton cloth. Oh my, there¡¯s so much new cotton too. The second family, I wonder if when you were buying these, did you ever think of our parents? You guys are buying new clothes, yet our parents don¡¯t even have one decent outfit to wear all year round!¡± Mu Caiping, who accompanied Lady Li in examining the items, hastily laughed off her words saying: ¡°Mother, listen to what you¡¯re saying. Second Aunt is not that kind of unfilial beast. How could she buy things and not consider grandparents? Not to mention these cotton cloths, but also the rice and flour on the floor, they are probably all for honoring the grandparents. Isn¡¯t that true, Second Aunt?¡± The one speaking, Caiping, was the youngest daughter of Mu Zhongli and Lady Li. Already fourteen years old, she had fair and delicate skin, which made her quite attractive. However, sadly, growing up around Mu Zhongli and Lady Li had caused her to adopt a personality of selfishness and greed, and crafty deceit. If she set her eyes on something, she would stop at nothing to get it. For example, right now, she seemed to be politely speaking to Lady Du, but a closer listen to her words would reveal hidden stings. If Lady Du refused to hand over the goods to the elderly members of the Mu family, she would be labeled as an unfilial beast. But, even if Lady Du did give them the goods, they would not show gratitude and would instead consider it as their due. Regardless of what they think, and regardless of what their plans are, Cai Wei would absolutely not give them any of these things. ¡°What do you have to say about that, Second Family?¡± Lady Mu Bai lifted her slack eyelids, her muddy old eyes coldly staring at Lady Du. It seemed that if Lady Du did not give her a satisfactory answer, she might tear Lady Du apart on the spot. With a bitten lip, Lady Du carefully considered her response. Suddenly, Cai Fei ran out from the kitchen, passionately yelling, ¡°None for you, you can¡¯t even think about having any of our stuff!¡± Wen¡¯er followed close behind, he passed Cai Fei and strode to Lady Du¡¯s side, standing in front of Lady Du, fists clenched tightly. His bright eyes emitted a fiery anger. ¡°A few days ago, when our food ran out, my second sis and I kneeled outside Uncle¡¯s door in snow all day. Yet, grandparents and uncle didn¡¯t help us with a single grain of rice or piece of firewood. Instead, they kicked us when we were down, beat us, and forcibly demanded my mom¡¯s retirement money. My mom was forced to sell her hair and my older sister nearly starved to death. You guys knew all of these but pretended you didn¡¯t see them, unnoticing. Now that our days are better, you guys are here to rob us. Are you even humans anymore?¡± Wen¡¯er¡¯s small body trembled, panting heavily due to anger. He stood in front of his mom, like a real man. At that moment, the only thought in his mind was that with dad not around, he was the oldest man in the house, and he must protect his mom and siblings. ¡°Hey kid, dare you say that again!¡± Mu Chongfu, the eldest grandson of the first family, jumped up, his whole body jiggling. ¡°I¡¯ll say it as much as I want, we each live our own lives, want good stuff? Go earn it yourself!¡± Wen¡¯er reasoned assertively, leaving no room for compromise. Even though he was only seven years old, his vigor was no less than the eighteen-year-old Mu Chongfu; in fact, he was even more impressive. Cai Wei stood on the edge of the threshold, moved and heartbroken as she heard her seven-year-old brother make such a speech. Had this beastly group not pushed the children, how could a child dare to disobey elders or confront an adult? Although he seemed fearless, his trembling little body betrayed his fear. Yet, his belief to protect his mom and siblings forced him to suppress that fear deep down. Good job, Wen¡¯er! Cai Wei silently praised her young brother in her heart. ¡°Oh heavens, this unfilial little beast, he¡¯s killing me with anger! He¡¯s killing me!¡± Lady Mu Bai clutched her chest area, shaking with anger. She then pointed at Lady Du and scolded, ¡°Damn whore, promiscuous woman, is this the child you raised?¡± Lady Du tightly pursed her lips, sitting in quiet calm, as accustomed to her mother-in-law¡¯s accusations and insults. Actually, she was not the kind of woman who was submissive and strictly observed etiquette, nor was she the kind of foolish woman who couldn¡¯t distinguish right from wrong. Before this, she had endured humiliation for many years and hadn¡¯t torn her face with the first family, not only because she was no match for them, but more importantly, because they were the relatives of her deeply loved husband, and she didn¡¯t want to put her husband in a difficult situation. However, it seemed that keeping the peace was no longer an option! Having made up her mind, she slowly stood up, pushed away Wen¡¯er who was standing in front of her, stepped by step walked towards Lady Mu Bai, knelt down in front of her and said, ¡°Mother, though Wen¡¯er¡¯s words are unpleasant, they are truthful. I have been unfortunate and fallen under mother¡¯s and father¡¯s disgrace. Now I dare not ask father and mother for care and assistance. I only wish for father and mother to allow us mothers and children to live peacefully. The retirement money owed to father and mother will not be even one bit short, if there¡¯s no money, I¡¯ll sell my hair to raise enough money to put in father and mother¡¯s hands. As for other matters, whoever is given father and mother¡¯s house and lands should be approached to fulfill their obligations!¡± Chapter 24 - 24 24 Counterattack (1)_1 ?24: Chapter 24: Counterattack (1)_1 24: Chapter 24: Counterattack (1)_1 Lady Du¡¯s voice was not high, but it was resolute and powerful, creating an echo as it hit the ground. It was wholly unlike her usual demure, deferential demeanor. Everyone in the main room was stunned, gazing in disbelief at Lady Du. None of them believed that Lady Du, who they had always oppressed and tortured, would suddenly voice such utterances. The old man reacted first. The old man jumped up from the edge of the Kang in a flash, and his rage erupted like a thunderstorm. ¡°Rebellion, rebellion, this is intolerable! Quick, eldest daughter-in-law, what are you waiting for? Administer the family law now, immediately administer the family law!¡± As soon as Lady Li, Mu Zhongli¡¯s mother-in-law, heard the patriarch¡¯s command, she was eager to comply. She rolled up her sleeves and charged forward. Lady Li, Mu Zhongli¡¯s wife, was a large and robust woman, resembling a man, but she was mean-spirited and extremely malicious deep down. Being ugly and vulgar herself, she was not favored by her husband, hence she bore a deep grudge against Lady Du¡¯s frail and delicate demeanor. A woman who couldn¡¯t do farm work or needlework, and only knew how to seduce men, what kind of good wife was she? Yet her younger brother-in-law was bewitched by her, even daring to bear the sin of being unfilial for her, something her own husband would never do. Her husband Mu Zhongli treated her like a beast of burden. She had to work in the fields and do chores even when she was having her menstrual cycle. If she did even a little less, he would slap her immediately. How could this compare to the tender affection her younger brother-in-law showed to his wife? Gradually, her jealousy towards Lady Du accumulated, turning into a hatred that could not coexist in the same sky. Lady Du naturally became her number one enemy in her mind! Now, hearing the patriarch¡¯s command, she was more than willing to comply, her eyes blazing with excitement. She gathered her strength, preparing to fiercely thrash this seductive fox! Seeing his mother ready to take action, Mu Chongfu was not to be outdone. He rolled up his sleeves and strode towards Wen¡¯er. ¡°Mu Chongwen, you unfilial son of a b*tch, I¡¯ll crush you!¡± Mu Chongfu rushed forward with overwhelming momentum. Despite his opponent being only seven years old, and him being more than twice his age and weight, he was not at all affected by this unfair comparison. He mustered up his courage, ready to teach this little son of a b*tch a tough lesson, to see if he would dare to defy the main family in the future. ¡°Smack¡ª¡ª¡± Without warning. A basket of needle and thread was flung fiercely into Lady Li¡¯s face! Lady Li was taken off guard, screamed, clutched her face, and crouched down. ¡°Clatter¡ª¡ª¡± When the basket of needle and thread fell to the ground, all the bits and bobs inside spilled out, scattering all over the place. ¡ª¡ª On the other side, Cai Fei was panting heavily, slowly lowering her arm. Her body was trembling from anger and excitement, and the hatred on her face was about to incinerate Lady Li across from her. Trailing behind Lady Li, Mu Chongfu was rushing forward when he didn¡¯t expect his mother to suddenly stop. As a result, he crashed into Lady Li, knocking them both to the ground. ¡°Ouch, it¡¯s crushing me!¡± ¡°Mama, the scissors, the scissors pierced me¡ª¡ª¡± Mother and son howled in pain. At this point, the whole main family was infuriated. Second brother, Mu Chongcai, ran into the kitchen, grabbed a fire stick, and emerged yelling obscenities: ¡°This is outrageous, Mu Caifei, you little cheap hoof, how dare you assault an elder? I¡¯ll split you alive!¡± The old man vexedly added: ¡°Cai¡¯er, there¡¯s no need to be polite with this unfilial beast. Just give it a good beating, but spare her life!¡± Meanwhile, the grandmother attempted to placate but ended up exacerbating the situation: ¡°Children make mistakes, it¡¯s unavoidable. Just give her a few whacks on her legs as a light punishment, and that¡¯s it. But that ruinous hussy, just beat her to death!¡± Chapter 25 - 25 25 Counterattack (2)_1 ?25: Chapter 25: Counterattack (2)_1 25: Chapter 25: Counterattack (2)_1 The uncle looked at his son¡¯s assertive actions with satisfaction, stating seriously, ¡°The country has its laws, the family has its rules. The second room made a big mistake and ought to be punished. It¡¯s for your own good. Otherwise, if you maintain this disloyal and unfilial character and bring it to the outside world, won¡¯t it disgrace our old Mu family?¡± As he spoke, Mu Chongcai had already charged in front of Fei¡¯er, wielding the fire stick in his hand. Fei¡¯er¡¯s face turned white with fear, yet she still bit her teeth and glared defiantly at Mu Chongcai. Lady Du screamed and rushed forward, protecting Fei¡¯er in her bosom, shaking uncontrollably with fright. Wu¡¯er started crying, ¡°Bad guys, robbers, get out...¡± Seeing that things had escalated enough, Cai Wei twisted her wrist just in time and threw her purse towards Mu Chongcai. ¡°Whack¡ª¡ª¡± Direct hit! ¡°Ouch¡ª¡ª¡± Suffering the hit, Mu Chongcai felt dizzy, holding his head and swaying a few times, nearly falling over. ¡°Who? Who the hell dares to hit me!¡± He shouted while hopping on one foot. However, when he saw the weapon lying on the ground, his anger was extinguished in an instant. Silver! Pure fine threads, heaps of broken silver! Big and small, scattered all over the ground. Mu Chongcai didn¡¯t care about beating people or his headache, he quickly squatted down to pick up the silver from the ground. Mu Chongfu and Lady Li, who had already been helped up by Mu Caiping, forgot about confronting Lady Du and Cai Fei over the debt. They just kept their eyes on the silver. Mu Zhongli rushed forward, picked up the purse from the ground, and turned it upside down. ¡°Ding dang dang dang... ¡± A few copper coins fell into his palm. ¡°Why is there only this much?¡± Mu Zhongli wasn¡¯t satisfied, he snatched the silver from his son¡¯s hand, weighed it in his hand, and hummed: ¡°At most it¡¯s four taels.¡± ¡°What? Such a big wild boar sold for only this much silver?¡± Mu Liankui forgot about teaching his daughter-in-law and grandchildren a lesson, his focus was entirely on Cai Wei¡¯s purse. Lady Mu Bai also chose to ignore Lady Du¡¯s outrageous actions, she hopped down from the kang, snatched the purse from her son¡¯s hand, and while stuffing it inside her bosom, she scolded Lady Du, ¡°You SKU-deep slut, how did you waste the silver leaving us with just this much?¡± Cai Wei stated indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss? The silver has been exchanged for goods. If grandma wants it, you can take the goods instead.¡± Upon hearing Cai Wei¡¯s words, Lady Mu Bai¡¯s old face softened somewhat. ¡°Hmph! At least someone in this family knows their place and respects their elders! ¡°The old lady was very pleased with Cai Wei¡¯s attitude. At the mention of Cai Wei telling them to take whatever they want, Lady Li immediately lit up with joy. Ignoring both her face sore from being hit and the notion of respecting elders, she hurriedly ran towards the kang to grab the fine cotton cloth. Mu Chongfu singlehandedly hoisted up a bag of rice, and Mu Chongcai quickly darted into the kitchen and brought out a large cut of fatty pork and a bottle of bean oil. Mu Zhongli and Mu Liankui were busily rummaging through the house, finding white flour, tea leaves, wood charcoal... ¡°Older sister, older sister, they¡¯re all bad guys...¡± Seeing his uncle¡¯s family turning out all the precious items that his sister had brought back, Wu¡¯er could not help but cling to Cai Wei¡¯s leg, sobbing hopelessly. Lady Du watched as Mu Zhongli¡¯s family raided their house with impunity, unable to stop them. Feelings of rage, frustration, and helplessness surged within her. All she could do was to hold onto Wen¡¯er and Fei¡¯er, suppressing her sobs... ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Cai Wei chided. ¡°Even if we lose these things, it wouldn¡¯t amount to much. We can just go to town tomorrow and buy everything back. It will be the same.¡± ¡°What? Buy again? Do you still have money?¡± Mu Zhongli, stopping what he was doing, suddenly turned serious. Mu Liankui leaned in and protectively said, ¡°Cai Wei, you¡¯re a good, honest kid. Tell Grandpa honestly: how much money did you get for selling that wild boar?¡± ¡°10 taels of silver. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the shopkeeper.¡± Cai Wei¡¯s expression seemed as genuine as a pearl. Lady Bai squeezed her way through and took hold of Cai Wei¡¯s hand, coaxing, ¡°good child, tell grandma: have you hidden any silver?¡± ¡°Ah, grandma, all these items have their prices. If you and grandpa and uncle calculate, you¡¯ll know whether I have hidden any money.¡± After robbing her and still treating her like a thief, Cai Wei felt so irritated she wanted to cuss. This family truly was the worst of the worst! Despite Cai Wei repeatedly denying that she had any hidden silver, Lady Bai wasn¡¯t convinced. Slobbering with an old face, she extended her dried-up chicken-claw-like hand to pat down Cai Wei. Cai Wei shivered in repulsion and pushed her away, forcing a smile, ¡°so, you don¡¯t trust me?¡± Lady Bai laughed it off, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t know how to manage finances yet. If you get your hands on money, you¡¯ll spend it without thinking. It¡¯s better to leave it with me. I¡¯ll help you save it, and it can be used for your bridal gifts in the future.¡± Gazing coldly at the old woman who lied as easily as drinking water, Cai Wei felt a chill running down her spine. Honestly, even a ghost wouldn¡¯t believe the old woman¡¯s words, let alone her. ¡°I am grateful for my grandmother¡¯s consideration. However, as a grandchild, I must say I truly do not have a single penny left on me.¡± ¡°Nonsense! If you have no money, how could you promise them that you can buy all these goods back tomorrow? Tell me quickly, where did you hide the silver?¡± Mu Zhongli, tired of pretending to care, directly waved his fist and roared threateningly. His threats were full of menace, indirectly warning Cai Wei: if she didn¡¯t hand over the silver, she would have to endure a beating. Cai Wei curled her lips, looking at her uncle who was acting like a clown. She softly said, ¡°Uncle, I truly don¡¯t have a single penny right now. But tomorrow in town, as long as I turn someone in, I can get a reward of ten taels of silver!¡± ¡°Turn someone in?¡± Mu Zhongli was taken aback, an unfavorable premonition crept into his heart. ¡°Turn in whom?¡± Mu Chongfu had also put the bag of rice down, watching Cai Wei with caution. Cai Wei casually brushed aside a lock of hair from her forehead and said with a pleasant smile, ¡°Well, today in town, an old beggar was unfortunately killed by a horse carriage. The culprit, who caused the accident, ran away. If he hadn¡¯t run off and instead taken the old man to the medical center in time, the old beggar might not have died. What a pity, a life has been taken just like that! Anyway, today the county magistrate happened to be in town to visit his family and saw this incident. He has already said that he was going to take strict measures, ah yes, this has already been reported up to the county magistrate. I heard that according to the law, causing bodily harm and fleeing after an accident will be tried as a homicide.¡± Cai Wei nonchalantly made up stories. The County magistrate returning to town was something she had heard about today, but the rest was all fabricated. However, this speech scared the living daylights out of the first family¡¯s house, and they couldn¡¯t help but drop the things in their hands, giving Cai Wei a guilty look. Chapter 26 - 26 26 Cai Weis Conditions (1)_1 ?26: Chapter 26 Cai Wei¡¯s Conditions (1)_1 26: Chapter 26 Cai Wei¡¯s Conditions (1)_1 Cai Wei ignored their shocked expressions, bent down to pick up Wu¡¯er who was still weeping bitterly, and comforted him by patting his back, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Wu¡¯er. Early tomorrow morning, your sister will go into town to testify. Once the county magistrate rewards your sister with ten taels of patterned silver, she will buy you candy.¡± ¡°Really? Is Sister trying to trick Wu¡¯er?¡± Wu¡¯er opened his moist eyes wide, looking pitifully at Cai Wei. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! When has your sister ever deceived you?¡± Cai Wei wiped away the tear beads from Wu¡¯er¡¯s face, glancing reproachfully at Lady Du. ¡°I was supposed to testify today, but mother was too soft-hearted, considering some nonsensical laborer¡¯s feelings, and absolutely refused to let me go. Now she¡¯s made me make an extra trip.¡± At this point, Lady Du understood Cai Wei¡¯s meaning. Seeing the rest of the household avoiding her like the plague, her spirits were instantly lifted. She wiped away her tear stains and went along with her daughter¡¯s reasoning, ¡°Wei¡¯er, your mother was confused for a moment. I won¡¯t be like this anymore. Early tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to testify!¡± Cai Wei responded, ¡°Mother, are you certain about this? When we¡¯re standing in front of the county magistrate tomorrow, you cannot go back on your word.¡± Lady Du glanced at the others in the room and declared loudly, ¡°Relax, I won¡¯t change my mind!¡± Hearing this, Mu Zhongli felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, as if his skull had been split open and a bucket of ice and snow was poured onto him. ¡°Wait, please don¡¯t! Wei¡¯er, my niece! You must not go!¡± he pleaded. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I go?¡± Cai Wei retorted with a cold laugh. Lady Mu Bai did not have time for tears, she clambered up from the floor, wiped the non-existent teardrops from her eyes, and grabbed Cai Wei¡¯s hand begging, ¡°Girl Wei, you cannot go. Think about it, if you go, how will your uncle survive?¡± Cai Wei shook off Lady Mu Bai¡¯s hold fiercely and retorted, ¡°Your husband never cared about the lives of my family. Why should I care about him?¡± ¡°Oh no, my niece, people should be mindful of their conscience. I only went to town to help your family sell the pig. Otherwise, how could the horse have gotten startled, causing an accident? Niece, you mustn¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you!¡± Upon hearing Mu Zhongli¡¯s attempts to defend himself by metaphorically comparing himself to a donkey in front of his juniors, Cai Wei nearly burst out laughing. This household¡¯s shamelessness had reached a new level. ¡°Girl Wei, your uncle is right. No matter what, this disaster was caused by our effort to help your family. You cannot harm your own uncle. People absolutely should not return kindness with ingratitude!¡± Mu Liankui spoke seriously, his expression a mix of regret and despair, as if Cai Wei had truly committed a horrendous deed. When accused of being a thief herself by the real culprit, Cai Wei almost vomited blood in disgust. She laughed coldly, sarcastically retorted, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the aim of my uncle helping my family sell the pig to pocket the silver we earned? Grandpa, weren¡¯t you thinking the same thing? Otherwise, why would you sneak into our house in the dark to create trouble? These are clear as day, why pretend to be confused?¡± Having had his scheme aired in public by his granddaughter, Mu Liankui¡¯s face turned a violent shade of red in embarrassment. He jumped up and was about to shout obscenities, but he caught sight of Cai Wei¡¯s ¡°do you want to bring about your own end?¡± gaze. On top of that, he remembered that his and his sons¡¯ secrets were all in this naughty girl¡¯s hands. He suppressed his anger and sat down reluctantly. ¡°So what do you want?¡± he asked in his thick, gruff voice. He felt wretched, thinking he was getting too old when even this unremarkable granddaughter of his could manipulate him to such an extent. ¡°Yes, yes! Tell us, what do you want to do? How can we get you to spare your uncle?¡± asked Lady Li, crowding in as well. Chapter 27 - 27 27 Cai Weis Conditions (2)_1 ?27: Chapter 27 Cai Wei¡¯s Conditions (2)_1 27: Chapter 27 Cai Wei¡¯s Conditions (2)_1 At this moment, the domineering swagger of the main household had diminished. They all looked like ducks pinched by the neck, gazing anxiously at Cai Wei. It was just like prisoners waiting for the judge¡¯s verdict. Cai Wei took a deep breath, slowly stood in the middle of the room, glanced around at everyone, and coolly began to speak. If you want me to let this matter go, there are three conditions. ¡°Speak, just speak ...¡± Cai Wei calmly extended one finger. ¡°First: We will continue to give 200 copper monthly to Grandpa and Grandma for their retirement money, but aside from this, you are not allowed to find any reason or excuse to squeeze more money from us. If either of you falls ill, remember who you gave the land and house to and ask them instead.¡± ¡°Ah¡ªhow can this be?¡± Lady Mu Bai sat down on the floor with a thud, clapping her thigh and wailing, ¡°What a travesty! Are you in the second room blaming me for favoritism? While I indeed gave the land and house to your eldest uncle, the expenses spent on your father were certainly not less. I even pawned my dowry silver bracelet to finance your father¡¯s schooling, the only piece of jewelry I had...¡± By the end of her outcry, Lady Bai¡¯s voice had become increasingly mournful. It seemed she was verging on a torrent of sobbing. She absolutely could not agree to this girl¡¯s conditions. Because their second son had defied his parents¡¯ arrangements in his own marriage, he¡¯s always felt guilty about it. Thus, although on the surface they only gave them 200 copper monthly retirement money, in fact, she and her husband received more than four to five hundred copper from Mu Zhongqing each month. Whenever they complained about headaches or backaches, they would demand money from Zhongqing. Moreover, as a government scholar, all the grain Zhongqing received each month went into their hands. Therefore, Lady Bai could never accept a treatment of only receiving 200 copper each month. ¡°Oh, my boy, how did you give birth to such an ungrateful and vicious girl? She¡¯s trying to break the bond between us...¡± The grandmother wailed pitifully, alternating between blowing her nose and slapping her thigh. ¡°Enough!¡± Cai Wei sternly reprimanded, ¡°Venomous heart? Mother-son bond?¡± ¡°Back then, Grandma intended to marry my father to the notorious Miss Huang from Neighbor village Huang for the sake of two acres of good fields. With her bad reputation, despite the land, you were willing to ruin your son¡¯s lifelong happiness, doesn¡¯t this qualify as having a venomous heart?¡± ¡°And as for the mother-son bond¡ª¡± An ironic smile crept onto Cai Wei¡¯s face: ¡°A mother who is willing to sell her son for just two acres of land, what worth has this mother-son bond? Nothing, it¡¯s better if it didn¡¯t exist!¡± ¡°You, you...¡± Mu Bai was at a loss for words. She didn¡¯t know whether to cry or make a scene. She just sat there tremulously pointing at Cai Wei, unable to utter a word. Lady Du also looked surprised. Her gentle Wei¡¯er had become so sharp and eloquent, even capable of rendering her brash mother-in-law utterly speechless? Cai Wei ignored Lady Bai¡¯s emotional reaction and slowly extended a second finger to the members of the main household. ¡°Second: No one from the main household is allowed to set foot in my house again, nor find any reason or excuse to have any dealings with us.¡± ¡°Hehe, well done! Getting so big for your boots that you don¡¯t even acknowledge your ancestors, true to our Mu Family¡¯s name!¡± Mu Liankui sneered, his face a whirlwind of anger, bitterness, hate, and humiliation; turning from pale to red, then from red to purple, and finally to black¡ªit was quite a spectacle. ¡°And the third?¡± ¡°Third: Grandparents, please write a marriage certificate for my parents to make them officially husband and wife.¡± According to the laws of the Great Jin Kingdom, for a man and woman to become husband and wife, besides the official marriage certificate for government records, they also need a marriage document signed off by the parents of both parties. Because the Mu Liankui couple always despised Lady Du, they refused to sign the marriage certificate. Up to now, Lady Du¡¯s status was still in limbo, which had always been a source of worry for her. Without a marriage certificate, her status would be equivalent to a concubine. The in-laws had once tried to engaged her to a butcher in her husband¡¯s absence. Although nothing came of it eventually, it had left a lasting shadow over Lady Du¡¯s heart and had been a constant worry for her. So when Cai Wei made this request, Lady Du felt her heart rise to her throat, nervously watching her in-laws, fearing that they would say ¡®no¡¯. Chapter 28 - 28 28 Forced_1 ?28: Chapter 28 Forced_1 28: Chapter 28 Forced_1 Cai Wei was neither nervous like Lady Du nor apprehensive like Lady Mu Bai. She was sitting casually at the edge of the Kang, playing with the sugar figurines she had bought in town today. She was teasing Wu¡¯er, laughing lightly and nonchalantly, but her leisurely composure seemed to underscore her determination to get what she wants! As expected, the father and son, Mu Liankui, did not disappoint Cai Wei. They agreed to all three of her conditions without a word of refusal. Cai Wei had accurately calculated their temperaments. Although Mu Zhongli and Mu Liankui were greedy, they valued their lives over wealth, a fact that Cai Wei had no doubt about. After signing the marriage certificate, Cai Wei scrutinized it carefully. Finding no mistakes, she coldly spoke, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Grandpa and Uncle can leave. On the first day of each month, I will personally deliver the 200 copper coins for the retirement money. I hope that beyond this, our two families will have no further dealings!¡± Following the eviction order, Mu Liankui had to lead his dejected family away... Today must have been the most humiliating day in his sixty years of life: being shamed by his own granddaughter in front of the younger generations, being kicked out of his son¡¯s house by his daughter-in-law, being cut off from the silver money his son should have filially offered them, and being held to ransom... ¡°Damn! That little bitch deserves to be struck by lightning!¡± Lady Mu Bai was cursing all the way, wishing she could tear Lady Du and the mother-daughter duo, Cai Wei, into pieces. Speaking of which, she was as wronged as the old man. Originally, the incident about the two patches of land they didn¡¯t get would have been a favor owed to her by Zhongqing, but now due to that slut, it has been twisted into her selling her son. And then there¡¯s the monthly retirement money. If they really only give 200 copper coins each month, what is she supposed to use to save money for her eldest grandson¡¯s wedding? Furthermore, that fine cotton cloth and top-grade cotton on the Kang, she had never worn such fine clothes in her life... ¡°Dad, are we just gonna take this lying down?¡± Mu Chongfu was walking behind Mu Zhongli, feeling increasingly unwilling: That big piece of succulent pork, the full sack of white rice, a whole basket of eggs, those scattered silver taels... ¡°What else can we do?¡± Mu Liankui walked fast in front, his hands clasped behind his back. Upon hearing his son¡¯s words, he kicked a pile of snow by the roadside. ¡°Our vulnerability is in their hands. If we don¡¯t swallow this, do you expect us to risk our lives?¡± Damn it, every time Zhongli thought about today¡¯s events, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his liver ache. Originally, he had planned to con the money from the sale of the pig from the second room. Unexpectedly, his horse inexplicably got startled and even kicked someone to death. He had to spend six taels of silver to shut the mouth of the coachman who witnessed the event. He had hoped to recoup the lost silver and pig selling money from the second room, but in the end... it turned out like this! This angered him to death! Sickened him to the core! ¡°Dad, I say, we might as well break that little bitch¡¯s legs with a few rods, let¡¯s see how she¡¯ll act arrogantly then?¡± The one who spoke was Zhongli¡¯s second son, Mu Chongcai, a butcher in training who opts for using force to solve problems; he was simple-minded but strongly built. ¡°Idiot!¡± Mu Zhongli shouted, staring at his son in disappointment. ¡°If breaking her legs could solve the problem, don¡¯t you think I would have done it already? It would have never come to you making this kind of absurd suggestion!¡± ¡°Yes, second brother, we currently have our weaknesses in their hands; we can¡¯t confront them directly. We need to think of a comprehensive strategy to deal with them.¡± In contrast to Mu Chongcai, Mu Caiping was much smarter, at least she knew that now was not the time to clash with the second room. However, just thinking about the soft and bright fine cotton cloth on the kang in the second room, she wished she could do like her second brother, beat all of them to death with a stick, then snatch the cloth back. Those beautiful things should have been hers. How dare Lady Du and her despicable daughter enjoy them? ¡°Hmm, Ping¡¯er does make a point. No one is allowed to make trouble in the second room until we come up with a solution!¡± Mu Liankui, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. During the way back, he kept his head low and remained silent with a frown. He was initially angry about Mu Caiwei¡¯s arrogance and rudeness, but gradually he calmed down and started to ponder. The girl from the second room has always been so well-behaved since her childhood. Whenever she saw him or anyone from the main room, she was so intimidated that she didn¡¯t even dare to look up, and her voice trembled when she spoke. But today, she not only talked back to them, but also pressured them step by step, repeatedly provoking them! This was too abnormal! That shouldn¡¯t be the case! He couldn¡¯t understand why this girl would change this way... ... Just like him, Lady Du, Mu Caiwei¡¯s mother, was also confused. At this moment, Caiwei¡¯s family was busy rearranging the items that had been displaced by the people of the main room. During this, Lady Du kept stealing glances at her eldest daughter. ¡°Wei¡¯er...¡± Lady Du began to speak but then hesitated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mother?¡± ¡°Mother feels... you seem different than before? As if you became another person.¡± ¡°...¡± Cai Wei lowered her eyelids, hiding the flashing light in her eyes. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear and gave a bitter smile, ¡°Look what mother is saying. If I were still the same as before, our home might have been emptied by them today. After all, it¡¯s because they pushed us too far!¡± ¡°They are all bad guys! Meanies!¡± Wu¡¯er, clenching his little fists, sat in Cai Wei¡¯s lap, looking resentfully displeased. Cai Fei took the conversation further with indignation, ¡°More than bad, they are just robbers using the pretense of being elders. Luckily, elder sister is so awesome that she subdued them. From now on, we will go our separate ways. If not, just the thought of looking at their sleazy faces makes me want to vomit!¡± ¡°Fei¡¯er, you were also very impressive, you dared to hit that old witch with your basket of needle and thread. I was really impressed!¡± Cai Wei, tickling Fei¡¯er¡¯s nose, took out a paper parcel from her bosom and handed it to her. ¡°Here, this is your reward!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Fei¡¯er received the paper parcel in puzzlement. After opening it, she excitedly shouted, ¡°Ah, a red hair tie! It¡¯s twice the usual length!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful. The hair tie that elder sister bought is prettier than the silk flower that Mu Caiping wears!¡± Wen¡¯er exclaimed in praise from the side, not feeling jealous at all that elder sister had privately bought something for second sister. Cai Wei patted Wen¡¯er on the head, saying affectionately, ¡°Wen¡¯er, you were also very remarkable today. You dared to swear at the people in the main room. Your aura of righteousness was really impressive, just like the aura of a high-ranking official!¡± Being praised like this by elder sister made Wen¡¯er a bit shy. He ruffled his hair, his face flushed with embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m not as awesome as elder sister suggested. I, like elder sister, was forced to do so by them!¡± Chapter 29 - 29 29 Delicious_1 ?29: Chapter 29 Delicious_1 29: Chapter 29 Delicious_1 After a false alarm, the house returned to its original calm and warmth. On the warm kang, Lady Du sat cross-legged next to a low square kang table, using a piece of pink cotton cloth to make clothes for Cai Wei. Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er sat on either side of Lady Du, each holding a sugar figurine that Cai Wei bought for them, eating it bit by bit, savoring it carefully to make the sweetness last longer. Fei¡¯er sat across from Lady Du, her elbows propped up on the edge of the kang table, supporting her chin, watching her mother take the scissors and cut the beautiful cotton cloth into pieces... ¡°Mother, I also want to learn needlework.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Lady Du was in full agreement with Cai Fei¡¯s thoughts. ¡°It is important for girls to spend more time on needlework, otherwise they won¡¯t be able to use the needle or thread properly, and they will be taken advantage of when they go to their husband¡¯s house in the future.¡± With that, she waved to Cai Wei, ¡°Wei¡¯er, come here. I have already cut out Wu¡¯er¡¯s jacket. Follow this pattern and embroider a few fish around the collar!¡± What? Hearing her mother¡¯s requirements, Cai Wei felt a shudder deep down. As a new woman living in a high-tech era, she was clueless about the ancient embroidery skills. Although there were some residual memories of the original host in her mind, she was not the original master after all, and since her time traveling was too short, she was totally unable to manage the highly technical craft like embroidery that the original master was proficient at. Just now, her mother had already said she was different from before, as if she had become a different person. If her mother found out that her needlework skills had mysteriously disappeared, wouldn¡¯t she become more suspicious? Then she might give herself away! ¡°Mother, I think I¡¯d better go to the kitchen and make the crystal jelly first. Otherwise, it will go bad by tomorrow. If I cook it early, you can taste it fresh tomorrow morning.¡± Cai Wei coughed and quickly thought of an excuse to slip away. In the kitchen Wen¡¯er had cleaned the pot thoroughly, and Fei¡¯er had chopped the pig skin into pieces and put them in a bowl. Cai Wei let out a sigh. Having her do needlework was worse than asking her to go to the mountains to hunt wild boars. Compared to embroidering, cooking pig skin was much simpler. She refilled the pot with water and reignited the stove. After the water boiled, she poured the chopped pig skin into the pot to cook again. ¡°Gurgle... gurgle...¡± About an hour after the iron pot began to boil, she turned off the heat. Lifting the pot lid, she scooped out the thick boiled pig skin and put it in an enamel basin. The seasoning had been added in during the cooking process. After one night, the pig skin would solidify and turn into jelly. With the task completed, Cai Wei tiptoed to the living room, discreetly peeking into the room from outside the curtain. Seeing her mother still busy threading needles by the light, occasionally teaching Fei¡¯er some needle techniques, Fei¡¯er was learning very seriously on the side, occasionally bringing up some professional knowledge. That meticulous attitude really showed the potential of a modern-day top student. Cai Wei silently retracted her head and gently patted her chest, that was a close call! She almost got caught by her mother. If her mother noticed she has finished her chores, she would definitely be forced to learn those damn female skills. Returning to the kitchen, Cai Wei found an empty basin and poured some flour into it. She added water and started kneading the dough in preparation for tomorrow¡¯s breakfast.... Now it¡¯s December (lunar calendar), and the new year is just around a dozen days away. Lady Du was determined that the whole family would wear new cotton-padded clothes and trousers on New Year¡¯s Day. So, she kept the oil lamp lit and stayed up late into the night. Cai Wei needs to get up early and go into the town tomorrow, so she couldn¡¯t stay up with her. After finishing making the dough, she went back to the living room, yawning repeatedly because of the drowsiness. Lady Du is a mother who dotes on her children. Seeing her daughter yawning continuously, there¡¯s no way she would let her learn those female skills. Instead, she urged her to sleep early. Dinner was satiating, and the Kang was warmed. Add onto that her tiredness from lack of sleep last night and the hard work over the day, so this night, Cai Wei slept so soundly that when she woke up, the sky was already lightening up. ¡°Damn it¡± Cai Wei sat upright immediately, looking at the light outside the window, she hurriedly put on her old earth-colored coat and rushed to the kitchen to scoop out some water to wash her face. In the northern winter, even the drips would freeze. The water in the jar was as cold as ice. After her face wash, the sleepiness was completely dispelled, and washing a few more times led to her hands and face numbing with cold. After drying her face with a clean old scarf, without waiting for the water to dry completely, she anxiously went outside to fetch the firewood. Stepping into the courtyard, looking far away, the faintly visible stars were gradually disappearing, the moon was hanging in the sky but seemed a bit unreal, and the sun was yet to rise with only a faint red at the horizon. The cold was intense in the morning. The cold surrounded her as soon as she stepped outside, penetrating the thin old coat and creeping into her limbs, making her shiver from the cold. The firewood Jiujin brought yesterday was piled up not far from the door. Cai Wei rubbed her arms to warm them up and briskly went over to grab a big bundle of cornstalks before hurrying back into the room. The brief few minutes made her cheeks ache from the cold, which reminded her of her skincare products. It¡¯s a wonder her face doesn¡¯t crack in this condition! However, the time was tight, and she didn¡¯t have time to feel sentimental or to lament. She quickly found the large bone she bought yesterday, washed it and put it into the pot. She cut some ginger and added star anise, Chinese pepper, and other ingredients to the pot with the large bone to boil, then she brought out the dough from yesterday, but she found out that because her kitchen was too cold, the dough had not risen. So, the fried dough buns had to be temporarily replaced with pulled noodles. Her mother, having been busy sewing new clothes last night, went to bed at the third watch, now sleeping deeply. The children were also soundly asleep. Only Cai Wei was quietly busy in the kitchen. She took out a big sea bowl, broke a dozen eggs into it, added half a bowl of water and a little alkali, stirred them evenly, and steamed it in the pot. After simmering on low heat for more than 20 minutes, she took out the bowl from the pot. At this moment, the eggs in the bowl are no longer yellow but a tender green. In Cai Wei¡¯s hometown, such eggs are called ¡°real eggs¡± because of their firm texture. Real eggs have a nice chewy texture, they are elastic and tenacious, they taste better and more eggy than ordinary eggs, hence she loves them and seeks after them. She uses a spoon to scoop the firm real eggs one by one into a plate and then cuts some thin strips of lean meat, garlic, and spring onions. First, she fries the spring onions and garlic, after a few stirs, she pours the meat into the pot. When the color of the meat deepens, she adds the real eggs, salts them, sprinkles sesame seeds and fries until the surface of the real egg turns golden, then she can turn off the heat and serve! At this time, the real egg is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it tastes great. A bite of it gives you not only the fragrance of meat but also the aroma of eggs. It¡¯s indeed a rare delicacy in the world! Chapter 30 - 30 30 Doing Good (1)_1 ?30: Chapter 30: Doing Good (1)_1 30: Chapter 30: Doing Good (1)_1 In the other pot, the bone soup had been simmered into a milky white color, the sight of which could immediately stimulate one¡¯s appetite. Add a bit of salt, minced green onion, dried fennel... After a while, a rich aroma of meat soup overflowed from the kitchen, making one¡¯s mouth water. Cai Wei found a small jar, rinsed it clean, then poured the bone soup from the pot into it. After finding a pig¡¯s bladder from home, she sealed the jar tightly and put it aside. With the remaining bone soup, she used it to prepare several bowls of hand-pulled noodles. The noodle slices, dipped in cold water, were pulled extremely thin, making them chewy in the mouth. Combined with the excellent soup base, the hand-pulled noodles tasted very authentic, almost comparable to those from the ¡°Xuji¡¯s Old Noodle Restaurant¡± in the capital city. Busy with going to town, Cai Wei hurriedly ate a bowl of hand-pulled noodles and then hastily prepared for her trip to town. She first cut a piece from the crystal jelly prepared last night and placed it in a dish. Together with a plate of stir-fried shredded meat and real eggs, she put them in a basket, covered it with a straw mat, and stifled the remaining noodle slices in the pot. After covering the pot, she picked up the bamboo basket, held the earthen jar, and stepped out of the kitchen. Passing by the big room, she saw her mother and younger siblings still sleeping peacefully. All the family members were huddled together innocently, sleeping soundly... The morning sun, penetrating through the Goryeo paper on the window, melted onto their bodies, looking very pleasant and warm... Cai Wei felt a soft tug at her heart¨Chow wonderful it was for a family to stay together with such intimacy! ... ¡°Morning, Brother Jiujin!¡± ¡°Hehe... Morning, Sister Wei¡¯er...¡± Outside the fence, Jiujin had been waiting for a while. Seeing Cai Wei coming out, he quickly jumped down from the cow cart, took the jar and bamboo basket from her hands, put them on the cart, grabbed a sheepskin jacket from the cart, and with a blushing face, said, ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, it¡¯s freezing today, put this on, it¡¯s warm.¡± Without hesitating, Cai Wei accepted the sheepskin jacket and put it on, climbing onto the cow cart. The cart had obviously been cleaned intentionally, with a spotless body. The cart was padded with thick thatch. Sitting in the dry pile of grass was warm, not at all worse than a horse carriage with a shed. While thanking Jiujin for his thoughtfulness, Cai Wei also felt grateful that he had taken these measures. It had just snowed heavily the other day, and the weather was freezing today, enough to numb one¡¯s chin. If no warming measures had been taken, she could have passed out before arriving in town! ¡°Creak¨CCreak¨C¡± The cow cart, carrying two people full of thoughts, plowed through the thick accumulation of snow, moving slowly along the village road. At first, Cai Wei had the mood to observe the rough village road, look at the mountains blanketed by heavy snow in the distance, or respond to the few questions asked by Jiujin that didn¡¯t require much mental effort... But gradually, as the sun continued to rise, Cai Wei became anxious, and at last, her anxiety had almost driven her crazy! When she left yesterday, the old beggar was in a bad condition. She wanted to get to town early to see the poor old man; she might even get a chance to see him one last time. But at this speed, she wouldn¡¯t get there without at least two hours. What frustrated her even more was that, although she was anxious, she could not hurry Jiujin. After all, a cow is not a horse, and the speed has already shown Jiujin¡¯s efforts in speeding up the cart. After a shaky journey of nearly two hours, during which Cai Wei¡¯s heart had been on fire, they finally arrived in town just before noon. Cai Wei wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, swearing silently to herself that once she had money in the future, she would definitely buy a horse carriage, definitely! Chapter 31 - 31 31 Doing Good (2)_1 ?31: Chapter 31: Doing Good (2)_1 31: Chapter 31: Doing Good (2)_1 At the entrance of Li¡¯s Record and Cloth Store Cai Wei, holding an earthen jar and carrying a bamboo basket, nervously dismounted the cow cart. The bone soup she had simmered early in the morning was very nutritious. She hoped the old beggar was still alive. If he were, and could have some of her soup, it might be some small compensation for her guilt and give her a little peace of mind. At the entrance, she found the doors of the cloth store tightly shut and there was no one in sight. Cai Wei approached nervously and knocked on the door with her fist. Upon hearing the knock, the embroideress from the neighboring embroidery shop came out and told her that the old beggar whom Manager Li had taken in died in the middle of the previous night. The manager had asked people to take the old beggar to the outskirts of the mountain for burial early in the morning, so the shop might not open for business today. If she wanted to buy fabric, she would have to come back the next morning. Cai Wei felt suffocated as her heart sank at the news. ¡°I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me.¡± He was a peaceful old man who should have been able to lead a carefree life. But in the end, he lost his life because of her! After leaving the cloth store, Cai Wei¡¯s mood had worsened to its limits. In her previous life, despite killing many people, she never killed an innocent person. That was her bottom line. To her surprise, shortly after her arrival in this new world, she had already caused the death of a helpless old man. Carrying the jar of bone soup, she listlessly climbed back onto the cow cart. Jiujin noticed that Cai Wei was in a bad mood and spoke cautiously, ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, where do you want to go now? I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Cai Wei pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Jiujin, do you know where the beggars in this town usually gather?¡± The death of the old beggar was a fact and regretting now was of no use. So, she wanted to do some good deeds to help those beggars who used to be with the old beggar, to relieve her guilt. Jiujin, who often went to the town to sell game, was very familiar with the town and soon pointed out the places where the beggars usually gathered. ¡°During the day, they mostly gather in Goldfish Lane. It¡¯s an area with many restaurants and the passersby are mostly wealthy customers, which makes it easy for them to beg for food. At night, they all stay at the Earth Temple on the southern outskirts of the town. The priest of the temple is kind-hearted and often takes in beggars and the homeless, so they won¡¯t freeze to death.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go to Goldfish Lane first,¡± said Cai Wei quietly. ¡°Alright!¡± Without uttering another word, Jiujin raised his whip, drove the cow and headed straight for Goldfish Lane. That¡¯s the advantage of Jiujin. He never questioned Cai Wei¡¯s decisions and always supported her unconditionally. Goldfish Lane is located in the center of the town, with cobblestone streets running from north to south. It is the busiest street in the town. On both sides of the street, tightly packed shops lined up, mainly restaurants and inns. The town¡¯s casinos and brothels are also located here. On weekdays, the town¡¯s wealthy people and merchants from all over come here to relax. The cow cart turned into the alley, and they indeed saw a few emaciated beggars in tattered clothes wandering around the street. Whenever they saw someone looking decent, they would stretch out their hands and beg with a bow. ¡°Sir, please be kind, spare a bite to eat!¡± ¡°Get the fuck out of my way!¡± A harsh shout, like a clap of thunder, resounded through the alley. A round-faced, big-eared man kicked, and the old beggar stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground. ¡°Grandpa ¡ª¡ª Grandpa ¡ª¡ª¡± The child who was with the old beggar shouted and threw herself onto the old beggar. ¡°Grandpa, how are you? Yuan¡¯er will help you get up.¡± The child cried out. Her small thin body was barely able to support the old beggar as they struggled to get up from the ground. ¡°Damn it, no wonder I¡¯ve been losing money. It¡¯s all because you two stinking beggars brought me bad luck. Fucking disgusting!¡± The man wiped his boot, spat viciously at the old beggar and his grandson, then stormed off. ¡°Grandpa, does it hurt?¡± The child sobbed, looking at her grandpa, tears rolling down her face non-stop. ¡°Yuan¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t cry, grandpa is okay. Yuan¡¯er, stop crying. The next time, grandpa will definitely meet a kind-hearted person. He will certainly give us steamed buns to eat.¡± After a few bouts of hacking cough, the old beggar clumsily wiped off the tears from child¡¯s face with his rough hand, whispering comforting words. Chapter 32 - 32 32 Two Hundred Taels of Silver (1)_1 ?32: Chapter 32: Two Hundred Taels of Silver (1)_1 32: Chapter 32: Two Hundred Taels of Silver (1)_1 ¡°Old man, here ¨C ¡± A piece of fine white silver, approximately the weight of a penny, was handed over. The grandfather and grandson were comforting each other when they were startled by the unexpected arrival of the silver, and raised their heads in surprise. On the opposite side, a girl around the age of twelve or thirteen stared at them fondly. The girl was so thin and yellow, and the coat she wore was ragged and frayed, but she exhibited an indescribable noble grace, like bamboo or plum, making the ruined coat she wore not as noticeable. ¡°Take this, save it to buy some steamed buns for the child,¡± the girl stuffed the silver into the old man¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh, thank you, thank you, miss...¡± The old beggar gripped the silver tightly, thanking the girl repeatedly, and called over his grandson: ¡°Yuan¡¯er, come quickly, thank the lady.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Cai Wei promptly intervened, then picked up a small earthen jar from the cow cart and handed it to the old beggar. ¡°This is bone soup I stewed early this morning; it¡¯s very nourishing. Find a place to warm it up and share it with the child!¡± ¡°Thank you, miss, thank you, miss...¡± As they sent off the old beggar, who was overflowing with gratitude, Cai Wei¡¯s mood eased. She then settled down and had Jiujin take her to the best restaurant in town ¨C Zuixian Residence! The Zuixian Residence is also located in Goldfish Lane, at the very southern end of the alley, joining the main street, the most golden location in town! When they got to the restaurant, it was lunchtime, and all the seats were taken. Several waiters were bustling around non-stop. ¡°Ah, miss, you¡¯re here! Are you here for a meal?¡± The shop assistant recognized Cai Wei as the girl who came to sell wild boars yesterday, and enthusiastically greeted her. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll eat later. For now, I want to see your shopkeeper,¡± Cai Wei spoke while keeping her big, genuine eyes locked on the shop assistant. The shop assistant hesitated, ¡°Miss, I regret to inform you, our shopkeeper Shen is currently having a drink with the county magistrate, so he probably doesn¡¯t have time to meet with you. Why don¡¯t you dine first?¡± The county magistrate is here too? Cai Wei¡¯s eyes sparkled, she took a step forward, lifted the protective straw mat from her basket, and said to the shop assistant, ¡°I¡¯ve come this time with two dishes for sale. Please bring them to Shopkeeper Shen and the county magistrate¡¯s table. As for the rest, I won¡¯t bother you, please accept this token of appreciation,¡± as she spoke, she handed the shop assistant a piece of broken silver. ¡°Ah, thank you, miss. You¡¯re too kind!¡± The shop assistant pocketed the silver, basking in delight. That very morning, he¡¯d heard the shopkeeper complain about the chef, saying it¡¯s been a while since any new dishes were introduced. The old ones, the customers were tired of. Lo and behold, the new dishes had arrived, courtesy of this little girl. Just look at those two dishes, green is green, white is white, emerald is emerald, irresistibly appealing at first sight. He received some silver, and also stood to garner praise from Shopkeeper Shen. A win from both ends! ¡°One of these dishes is called Phoenix Egg. It needs to be heated over quick fire; as for the crystal jelly, it¡¯s a cold dish. No need for heating, just cut into slices, eat dipped in garlic and soy sauce.¡± Cai Wei gave careful instructions, then sat down with Jiujin near the charcoal basin, patiently awaiting feedback. The shop assistant left with Cai Wei¡¯s basket, and returned about the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, excitedly yelling, ¡°Miss, congratulations! The county magistrate tried your dishes and he¡¯s very pleased! He specifically requested your presence. Please, come upstairs with me immediately!¡± Everything was going according to Cai Wei¡¯s expectations. She rose, tidied her clothes, gave some instructions to Jiujin, and headed upstairs with the shop assistant. Chapter 33 - 33 33 Two Hundred Taels of Silver (2)_1 ?33: Chapter 33: Two Hundred Taels of Silver (2)_1 33: Chapter 33: Two Hundred Taels of Silver (2)_1 Jiujin was worried about leaving Cai Wei alone, and originally planned to accompany her. However, considering that their relationship might be questioned by Shopkeeper Shen and the County Magistrate, and fearing of being misunderstood or looked down upon, she asked him to stay behind. The shop assistant led Cai Wei to an elegant room on the second floor where the County Magistrate and Shopkeeper Shen of Zuixian Residence were deeply engaged in conversation over wine. The County Magistrate, almost 40 years old, wore plain robes and a cap, and had thin, refined features. He possessed the grace of a scholarly gentleman, spoke in a cultivated manner, and exuded an amiable atmosphere, far from behaving in an arrogant, bureaucratic manner. ¡°Little girl, did you make these dishes?¡± Cai Wei bowed politely, responded, ¡°Yes,¡± and then greeted, ¡°Cai Wei pays her respects to the County Magistrate and to Shopkeeper Shen!¡± ¡°Hmm, very good.¡± The County Magistrate, noting Cai Wei¡¯s propriety, grace, and confidence, unlike the timidity that common folk showed before high officials or the shyness and awkwardness that girls often display in the presence of strangers, couldn¡¯t help but have an increased admiration for the young girl. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable that at such a young age you possess this clever mind.¡± Cai Wei modestly responded, ¡°My skills are insignificant, Sir, it¡¯s merely a bit of carving and polishing.¡± Shopkeeper Shen pointed at the empty plate with his chopsticks and laughed, ¡°Your insignificant skills seem to be very much to the Magistrate¡¯s taste. Look, he didn¡¯t leave a piece of your Crystal Jelly. As for the Phoenix Egg, it¡¯s almost finished but for the bottom of the plate!¡± Cai Wei looked over and saw the sourwood round table covered with mountain and sea delicacies and Shark Fin and Tripe. However, only a few bites had been taken. Some dishes had not even been touched. But her Crystal Jelly dish was completely empty, leaving only a few scattered remnants; the Phoenix Egg dish was half eaten, with the plate left with some shredded meat, and no eggs at all. Seeing her dishes were such a hit, Cai Wei was overjoyed and took the opportunity to steer the conversation towards business, ¡°It is an honour that my dishes are to your liking. Given how well they¡¯ve been received, it seems I¡¯ve come to the right place.¡± Shopkeeper Shen stroked his beard, chuckled and said, ¡°Little girl, there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush. Just speak plainly. How much do you plan to sell these two dishes for?¡± Cai Wei blinked and counter-questioned, ¡°How much does Shopkeeper Shen think a plate of Crystal Jelly can sell for in the Zuixian Residence?¡± The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, extended a hand, and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s enough to sell for Fifty Coppers!¡± Cai Wei laughed and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Shen, do you know how much it costs to make the Crystal Jelly?¡± Shopkeeper Shen curiously asked, ¡°I am curious.¡± Mimicking the shopkeeper, Cai Wei extended a hand, and said slowly, ¡°Five Copper¨C¡± And then added,¡± ¨Cfor twenty dishes!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shopkeeper Shen was astounded. He could fit a whole egg in his open mouth, even the County Magistrate looked incredulous. Five Coppers into twenty dishes, each dish selling for Fifty Coppers. Wasn¡¯t that a huge profit margin? ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s only five coppers.¡± Cai Wei smiled and continued, ¡°the cost of the Phoenix Egg dish is a little higher, with a net cost of Thirty Coppers per dish. But the taste is extremely good, and it¡¯s unique in the Great Jin Nation, so selling it for Eighty Coppers per dish is more than enough. As for how much income this will bring to Zuixian Residence, the shopkeeper knows in his heart. Therefore, I hope the price for these two dishes won¡¯t be less than this.¡± Two slender jade fingers gently waved in the air. ¡°Twenty Taels?¡± Overjoyed, Shopkeeper Shen slapped the table, ¡°Deal! Boy, go and bring twenty taels of silver from the counter.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The shop assistant bowed and turned to leave. ¡°Hold on!¡± Cai Wei stopped the shop assistant, looking at the shopkeeper with a smile, ¡°Is the shopkeeper joking with me? These two dishes are unique to the Great Jin Nation. Apart from bringing a substantial income to Zuixian Residence, they can also build up its reputation. Does the shopkeeper believe that such benefits can be bought for a mere Twenty Taels? Or does he think I¡¯m some country bumpkin that can be easily fooled?¡± ¡°Hehe, a sharp-tongued little girl.¡± The County Magistrate began to laugh, ¡°Brother Shen, it seems the little girl¡¯s asking price isn¡¯t Twenty Taels, it¡¯s Two Hundred Taels!¡± Chapter 34 - 34 34 Made a Deal(1)_1 ?34: Chapter 34 Made a Deal(1)_1 34: Chapter 34 Made a Deal(1)_1 ¡°¡±Two hundred taels?¡± Shopkeeper Shen knit his brows and shook his head repeatedly: ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you here to mock my little shop? Two simple dishes priced at two hundred taels, it¡¯s truly outrageous! Brother Qi Yun, what do you think?¡± Having said that, Shopkeeper Shen looked toward the county magistrate, seemingly trying to encourage him to speak up. Luckily, the county magistrate didn¡¯t heed Shen¡¯s hint. He kept on sitting steadily, his index finger lightly tapping on the table, scrutinizing Cai Wei. The words of shopkeeper Shen almost made Cai Wei lose her temper. She despised this cunning and dishonest merchant. He knew full well that her dishes could earn him a fortune, yet he was reluctant to invest some silver. He even presumed that he could take advantage of her with a mere twenty taels of silver, treating her like a naive thirteen-year-old child. This is utterly ridiculous! Unwilling to waste her breath on him, Cai Wei bowed politely, saying: ¡°If shopkeeper Shen isn¡¯t willing to pay the price, then I will just take my leave. Please forgive any inconvenience caused.¡± That said, she turned and began to leave. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Seeing Cai Wei about to leave, shopkeeper Shen, panicked, signaled the shop assistant. The assistant quickly blocked the entrance, wearing a polite smile: ¡°Why the rush, Miss? You sincerely wish to sell, and our shopkeeper sincerely wants to buy. Why not sit down, have some tea, and discuss further? With an aim to make everyone happy, does your frequent attitude of wanting to walk away look like a sincere desire to do business?¡± The shopkeeper also spoke in a courteous manner: ¡°Yes, Miss, don¡¯t just stand there, come sit and we can take our time discussing.¡± Cai Wei stated: ¡°Shopkeeper Shen, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in a hurry to find the next buyer, and I don¡¯t have the time to sit and drink tea. Whether my dishes are worth two hundred taels is something well known to the shopkeeper. If you indeed believe they¡¯re not worth it, it¡¯s no harm, I will just go and find someone who is more knowledgeable, there¡¯s no need for so much talk.¡± ¡°Hehe, this young lady indeed has quite a backbone!¡± The county magistrate laughed, looking at Cai Wei with approval. ¡°Your praise is kind, sir.¡± Cai Wei took a quick look at Shopkeeper Shen, her voice was lukewarm: ¡°I¡¯m just speaking from the facts.¡± Shopkeeper Shen saw that she was uncompromising and feared that she might go find another buyer, he was left with no choice but to say reluctantly: ¡°Alright, one hundred taels, and not a penny more.¡± Cai Wei remained firm: ¡°Two hundred taels, and not a penny less.¡± The shopkeeper turned red, he reproachfully huffed: ¡°Miss, who does business this way? There¡¯s absolutely no room for bargaining.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Cai Wei said lightly. ¡°You...¡± Shopkeeper Shen was extremely annoyed! ¡°Hahaha...¡± The county magistrate who had been observing from aside couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, ¡°Brother Shen, it seems that the young lady won¡¯t budge! I¡¯m afraid you may have to pay up.¡± Cai Wei calmly stated: ¡°Shopkeeper Shen, don¡¯t force yourself. If you don¡¯t wish to, I can always look for other buyers.¡± ¡°Bang!¡± There was a heavy hit on the table. Shopkeeper Shen was seething in rage and frustration, he said resentfully: ¡°Fine, two hundred taels it is!¡± The thought of Cai Wei selling these dishes to other restaurants, which in turn could overtake his coveted position of the top restaurant in town while making a fortune, pained him. Well, he might as well buy it. The dishes indeed seemed a bit expensive but those were certainly worth the price! With the business deal completed, Cai Wei was delighted internally, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She calmly collected the silver bills, stood up to bid goodbye, and prepared to follow the shop assistant to the kitchen to teach him how to prepare the Crystal Jelly and the Phoenix Egg. Chapter 35 - 35 35 Made a Deal(2)_1 ?35: Chapter 35 Made a Deal(2)_1 35: Chapter 35 Made a Deal(2)_1 The County Magistrate stopped Cai Wei with a smile and asked, ¡°Young maiden, you are quite awesome, I need to ask, is this price of two hundred taels something your adults told you to ask for?¡± ¡°No.¡± Cai Wei denied instantly, ¡°It¡¯s my own idea.¡± ¡°Oh? Why do you insist on two hundred taels of silver? Not even one coin less will work?¡± ¡°First, my dishes are worth that price; second,¡± After some thought, she felt that revealing her plan wouldn¡¯t be damaging. This county magistrate seemed decent, perhaps he could even assist her. Thus, she explained her intentions. ¡°I want to build a nursing home, to shelter the homeless beggars, to at least provide them with a meal, so they don¡¯t starve, a place for them to live, so they don¡¯t freeze to death! The costs of the nursing home are immense, two hundred taels may not be enough!¡± A nursing home! Sheltering beggars! The County Magistrate was stunned by Cai Wei¡¯s ideas. He looked at her, disbelief evident in his eyes. The maiden in front of him, still a child who had just grown up, and herself seemingly no better off than a beggar, harbored such altruistic ideas, to shelter beggars she had never known! Shopkeeper Shen was also stunned. Just moments ago, Cai Wei had bargained fiercely with him, he had assumed she was a simpleminded girl obsessed with money. Little did he think she would possess such compassionate heart, providing for the old, weak, sick, and disabled beggars, offering them a place to soothe their hardships, ensure the elderly were taken care of and children had a home. The contrast between himself, obsessed with profit and busy racking his brain to make money, and Cai Wei, a girl with a heart of gold made Shopkeeper Shen suddenly feel ashamed of his motives. The County Magistrate stroked his chin, thoughtfully saying, ¡°Little girl, organising a private charity is not something to be taken lightly. What are your plans for this nursing home? Do you need any assistance from the government?¡± Cai Wei replied, ¡°I plan to first buy a large house to settle the old, weak, sick and disabled beggars, supplying two meals each day so that these people will not freeze or starve. As for those able-bodied beggars who are lazy and unwilling to work, they will not be eligible for the nursing home. If you are willing to assist me, could you send someone to check how many beggars currently reside in the town and identify those eligible for the nursing home? If it¡¯s convenient, please find a broker for me. First, I would like to buy the house and place these people there.¡± ¡°Excellent, very good. It¡¯s difficult for you to have such a mindset, and you¡¯re so thorough in your planning. I¡¯ll send someone right away!¡± The County Magistrate briskly agreed, his appreciation for Cai Wei had turned into admiration. ... When Cai Wei had come downstairs, she found Jiujin still sitting where he was, waiting eagerly for her. She slapped her forehead in chagrin, saying ¡°My memory! Forgot that Jiujin hasn¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Zhou Jiujin was tall and strong, with a huge appetite ¨C he could consume three bowls of rice per meal and found it difficult to skip one. This was also the reason why, despite their good income, his family continued to live in poverty. He had gotten up early in the morning to accompany Cai Wei to the town, and it was past noon ¨C he must be starving by now. Jiujin, seeing Cai Wei coming down the stairs with the shop assistant, hurried over and asked in concern, ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, was everything successful? When can we go home?¡± Cai Wei smiled warmly and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to return a bit later. You must be starving, let me order some food for you first to tide you over. Now that the deal has been made, I have to go to the kitchen to teach the chef how to make these two dishes. You eat and wait for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, can¡¯t I come with you?¡± Jiujin clumsily lied. Just then, his stomach betrayed him with a growl, exposing his lie and turning his face red in embarrassment. Cai Wei couldn¡¯t help smiling, ¡°The kitchen is a restricted area. Outsiders can¡¯t enter casually. You better stay and eat. Soon, you¡¯ll have your hands full.¡± Left helpless, Jiujin could only nod and obediently sit down. Chapter 36 - 36 36 I will raise _1 ?36: Chapter 36 I will raise _1 36: Chapter 36 I will raise _1 As Cai Wei came out of the back kitchen, she bumped into the shop assistant leading a broker from the broker house upstairs. Just now she had taught the two head chefs of Zuixian Residence how to prepare the phoenix egg and frozen pork skin dishes. In order to prevent the recipe from getting out, the chefs had specifically expelled all the kitchen helpers from the back kitchen during the instruction. Cai Wei greeted Jiujin then she followed the shop assistant and the broker from the broker house upstairs. At this time, County Magistrate An Qiyun and Shopkeeper Shen had just finished their lunch and were sitting on chairs enjoying tea and conversation. An Qiyun supported Cai Wei¡¯s plan to establish the nursing homes and had sent his subordinates to investigate the matters she had questioned, which had already been clarified. Currently, there were about seventeen or eighteen beggars in the town, most of them were the elderly with no children, abandoned infants, disabled people unable to work, and a few fools with weak mental capacity. All of them met the conditions for living in nursing homes. The broker had also brought information about houses, a total of three reasonably priced and suitable sized houses. The first was near the vegetable market, it was the house of a butcher. It had two sections with five rooms in the front and back, and side rooms on each side. The asking price was one hundred and fifty taels. The second was in the west suburb of the town, the outer house of Wu Dachao who owned a pawn shop in the town. His wife discovered and berated him for keeping it as a secret dwelling. Somehow, the pampered lady living in there mysteriously jumped into the well and died. Some said Mrs. Wu had someone throw the lady into the well to drown her, others said the lady was humiliated by Mrs. Wu and took her own life out of anger. In any case, someone had died in the house, making it a notorious ¡°haunted house¡±. That¡¯s why this three-section fully furnished mansion was only selling for a hundred and eighty taels. The third was on Front Street, the house of Official Li who owned the oil mill. There was a shop in the front, and a small courtyard in the back, with two sections that had four rooms each in the front and back and side rooms on each side. It also had a small garden with an asking price of 230 taels. Cai Wei pondered and thought from the size, price, and environment, the second house was the most suitable, so she sought the opinion of the county magistrate. As it so happened, An Qiyun also favored this house. The place was spacious, well-equipped, and peaceful making it suitable for elderly and disabled people to live. Seeing that Cai Wei agreed with him, An Qiyun was even more pleased. He immediately ordered his people to call for the house owner Wu Dachao and personally took Cai Wei to inspect the house. Wu Dachao¡¯s house was situated in a sparsely populated suburb, surrounded by mountains and rivers with a beautiful environment. The mansion had three sections, structured in the shape of a ¡°ÈÕ¡±, the first section had several door rooms, the second section was a hall, separated with a flower curtain door was the third section¡¯s rooms. Between the second and third section was a small garden. This season was the coldest and there were not many blooming flowers and plants. At the side of the house, there were a few pines and cypresses which stood tall and sturdy. In the summer, the elderly could sit under the trees to play chess and drink tea while the children could play around the trees. The house was made of green bricks and azure tiles, and inside, all the furniture and items were already available, eliminating the need for Cai Wei to buy anything else! After a round of inspection, Cai Wei was even more satisfied, and An Qiyun also praised it repeatedly. Therefore, they immediately settled the payment with Wu Dachao, exchanging silver for the house deed, finalized the transaction documents and completed the transaction. The moment she received the deed to the house, Cai Wei suddenly felt light-headed. Two days ago, she was a starving pauper who couldn¡¯t even afford a few grains of coarse rice. But today, because of just two dishes, she has become the owner of such a large mansion! It seems that silver truly has the power to change one¡¯s fate, she should continue doing this business! Not long after the house deed was signed, the local official with seventeen beggars from the town had came. As the county magistrate had said, these seventeen beggars were either old, young, foolish or handicapped, among them were Yuan¡¯er and his grandpa. ¡°Everyone, this is Miss Mu who is establishing the nursing homes for everyone, let¡¯s all meet her!¡± County Magistrate An Qiyun announced loudly. Immediately, a group of beggars knelt down, the sound of kowtow echoed around: ¡°Benefactor, please receive our bows...¡± Some were moved to tears, some wanted to serve Cai Wei as servants, and some wanted to erect a longevity tablet for Cai Wei... ... The nursing home is officially established now. The past Cai Wei often accompanied the president to visit various charitable organizations, so she had some understanding of the management of such institutions. Thus, managing a small welfare institute made up of seventeen people was quite easy for her. Before nightfall, she had already established the rules and regulations of the nursing home, assigned the seventeen people their dwellings, arranged their daily work, and even sent Jiujin to buy enough rice, firewood and some necessary daily amenities... After taking care of the nursing home matters, it was already late, so Cai Wei finally remembered that she needed to go home. She had left in such a hurry in the morning before her mother and younger siblings had awoken, without saying a word to her mother. Even though she knew Aunt Zhou would go to her house and inform her mother about her coming to the town, her mother would still not be pleased about her going out without telling her. Thinking about this, Cai Wei shrunk a bit. Even though she had been here for only three days, she had unconsciously started to regards Lady Du as her own birth mother. She cared about her mother¡¯s feelings! On her way home, the cow cart was still slowly swaying along, calmly facing the afterglow of the sunset. Cai Wei, who had been busy all day, was a bit tired, so she closed her eyes and dozed off within the pile of hay. Jiujin silently drove the cart, desperately trying to suppress the unease in his heart! What happened to Sister Wei¡¯er? Why did she decide to open a nursing home out of nowhere? How can she afford to feed so many mouths when her own family is struggling financially? As they neared the village, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back, pulling the reins and turning around. ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Cai Wei opened her sleepy eyes: ¡°What is it?¡± As he met Cai Wei¡¯s eyes, Jiujin¡¯s face turned red as usual. He looked away and asked with a hint of worry: ¡°Does Aunt Du know about the nursing home you set up?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t. I also don¡¯t plan to let her know, in case she worries.¡± Cai Wei was indirectly hinting that Jiujin shouldn¡¯t reveal the fact she had opened a nursing home, to avoid causing her mother concern. Jiujin thought for a moment, then earnestly said: ¡°The nursing home needs to feed a large group of people. How can you do it alone? Let me help you!¡± ¡°What?¡± Cai Wei was stunned. ¡°I said, let me help!¡± ¡°Wei¡¯er, I know your money is all spent. Don¡¯t worry, tomorrow I will go hunting on the mountain, catch more game, sell more silver, and help you feed that group of people.¡± ¡°Err... Hahaha...¡± Cai Wei laughed joyfully. Her crisp laughter echoed through the empty mountain road, sounding particularly pleasant. ¡°Brother Jiujin, you¡¯re worried that I can¡¯t afford to feed those people? You¡¯re underestimating me!¡± Chapter 37 - 37 37 Mysterious Space_1 ?37: Chapter 37 Mysterious Space_1 37: Chapter 37 Mysterious Space_1 Jiujin quickly said, ¡°Sister Wei¡¯er, I¡¯m not belittling you, I just wanted to help you. How can a girl like you feed so many mouths?¡± Although Cai Wei didn¡¯t need Jiujin¡¯s help to feed these people, she was still moved by his words. She sat up straight and said earnestly, ¡°Jiujin, since I have opened up the nursing home, I am capable of feeding those people. However, I still want to thank you for your good intentions. As the saying goes, it is easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to add fuel to the fire in the snow. I will remember your kindness today, Jiujin.¡± With the conversation having reached this point, there was not much else Jiujin could say. He changed the subject and, with a heavy heart, drove the cow cart back to the village... When Cai Wei arrived home, it was already pitch black. As she entered the room, her mother, Lady Du, was sitting under the lamp, sewing with a stern expression. Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er were both asleep, Fei¡¯er was sitting next to her mother, pretending to sew clothes for Wu¡¯er. A long twist braid hung from her head, tied with the read hair tie which Cai Wei had given her the night before. Seeing Cai Wei return, she stuck her tongue out, sneakily motioning her hand across her neck. Cai Wei pretended not to notice, sat next to the kang table and picked up a pair of shoe uppers her mother was embroidering. She said in a pleasing manner, ¡°Mother¡¯s work is getting better and better, but it¡¯s late and the oil lamp is straining your eyes. It¡¯s better to continue tomorrow to avoid harming your eyes.¡± Lady Du put her work on the kang table, annoyed. She said, ¡°You realize it¡¯s late now? It¡¯s inappropriate for a unmarried girl like you to go gallivanting with men outside. What if someone sees and our family¡¯s reputation is ruined?¡± Cai Wei responded with a smile, ¡°Mother¡¯s teaching is right, I remember now and will refrain from doing so in the future.¡± Lady Du sighed, her tone softened. ¡°I¡¯m not criticising you. When you have something to do outside, at least tell me. Also, if you must go out, bring Wen¡¯er or Wu¡¯er with you. Going out in the open with Jiujin, the villagers have a lot of prying eyes. If someone sees, who knows what ridiculous rumors might spread? You should know to avoid appearances!¡± Cai Wei felt uncomfortable, how she wished she could¡¯ve brought Wen¡¯er or Wu¡¯er to avoid the gossip, but the weather in December was bitter. The village was over twenty miles from the town. Jiujin¡¯s cow cart was slow with no shelter, the children¡¯s cotton-padded clothes were thin and worn out. If they had gone with her, they might have frozen to death before reaching the town. How could she bear to make them suffer so? Seeing her eldest sister being scolded, Fei¡¯er, who was sitting at the side out of patience, helped her by saying, ¡°Mother, Eldest sister has apologized, please forgive her just this once.¡± After saying it, she winked at Cai Wei and mischievously said, ¡°Eldest sister, don¡¯t take it to heart that mother is scolding you, in fact, mother loves you the most. She made dumplings tonight, they¡¯re really fragrant, she left them in the pot for you, you should go eat!¡± Upon hearing this, Cai Wei quickly stood up, smiling at Lady Du, she said, ¡°Indeed, mother loves me the most, I¡¯m going to eat now, I just happen to be hungry!¡± As she was speaking, she snuck out of the room. Entering the kitchen, she could hear her mother¡¯s sighs, ¡°That girl, after falling ill once, she¡¯s become cunning...¡± A faint aroma wafted out from under the wooden lid of the pot on the stove. Cai Wei lifted the lid to see a plate of crescent-shaped dumplings steaming on the pot. The delicious smell wafted into her nose, she quickly took out the dumplings. She really was hungry now, she had been busy the entire day, other than having a bowl of noodle soup in the morning, she hadn¡¯t eaten anything up till now! After taking out the dumplings, she turned around to search for soy sauce and garlic on the wooden shelf by the stove. She didn¡¯t find the soy sauce or garlic, but unexpectedly found the mirror she lost last night, it was the very one gifted by the old beggar. The palm-sized copper mirror was quietly lying on the wooden shelf, reflecting a cold light under the dim candle glow.... As if bewitched, she picked up the mirror and wiped its blurry surface. Suddenly, the mirror surface caved in, forming a vortex. A strong suction force like a magnet came from the vortex, gripping her tightly. In an instant, it sucked her into the mirror. With a dizzying turn, when Cai Wei opened her eyes again, she was stunned. Where was this? She got up and looked around. The place was small, only about three or four acres, but it had a beautiful landscape and delightful scenery. Close by, there was a small courtyard surrounded by a fence. Inside the courtyard were all kinds of strange flowers and weeds, their vibrant colors captivating to the eye. Even before coming close, one could smell their intoxicating fragrance. The odd grasses and immortal vines were even more verdant in the cold, all bearing fruit that looked like coral beans, hanging down endearingly. In the flower clusters, a small house constructed of green bamboo was tucked under a huge banyan tree. The house had green windows and doors, embraced by green trees. It was refreshingly elegant and tranquil. Behind the small courtyard, there was the faint sound of running water. Walking over at a leisure pace, Cai Wei saw a picturesque bridge over the stream. The rich, clear and transparent stream cheerfully flowed under the bridge. At the end of the bridge, there was a dense forest. Although not big, it contained extremely rare and precious trees such as purple sandalwood, yellow pear, golden silk nan, and taxus. The trees had all grown remarkably, overshadowing and lush... Passing through the forest, there was a small patch of grassland. The grass on the grassland was green and dripping, with wildflowers and wild vegetables all over. Occasionally, a wild rabbit or two could be seen running through the grass clusters. This place really is a paradise! Cai Wei sighed. After wandering around, she was a bit tired. Coming to the wattle gate, she shouted towards the bamboo house: ¡°Is anyone home?¡± The bamboo house was silent. She pushed open the lattice gate and saw a stone walkway, with green bamboo on both sides. Walking on the stone walkway to the bamboo house, out of politeness, Cai Wei called out a few more times but no one answered. Confused, she pushed into the bamboo house. Inside was a modest small room. There was hardly any decoration in the room, just a mat on the floor, a tripod in front of the mat with a wisp of smoke curling up from it. Behind the mat was a small table where several very old and worn out books lay. The pages had turned yellow. Cai Wei walked over, picked up a book and looked at it. The book was titled ¡°Nanhua Zhenjing¡±. She wasn¡¯t interested in these Taoist scriptures, so she casually picked up another, which turned out to be ¡°Chongyang¡¯s Fifteen Debates¡±. She picked up another one, Pop¡ª¡ª ¡°Tong Xuan Zhen Jing¡±! It seems that the master of this house is a Taoist practitioner, but where could this Taoist have gone? Passing through the small room, she went into another room. This room was a bedroom, very simple with only a few pieces of furniture and no playthings. On the table was a clay bottle filled with several chrysanthemums and a set of tea ware. A green mosquito net hung above the bed and the bedding was very simple. Cai Wei was a bit tired and lay down on the bed for a brief rest. Despite its simplicity, the bedding here was infinitely better than the hard-packed earth bed at home. Lying on the bed, Cai Wei rolled around comfortably. Soon, she drifted off into a light sleep... Chapter 38 - 38 38 Divine Spatial Beast (1)_1 ?38: Chapter 38: Divine Spatial Beast (1)_1 38: Chapter 38: Divine Spatial Beast (1)_1 ¡°Chang Mei, is she our new master?¡± ¡°Shush, be quiet, don¡¯t wake her up!¡± The faint whisper, as if existing and not existing at the same time, would definitely go unnoticed by ordinary people. However, Mu Caiwei, who had been trained since childhood, was always highly alert even in her sleep. She was quickly awakened by this slight sound. There¡¯s someone here! She suddenly opened her eyes, leapt up from the bed, moved like a blur, and smoothly landed on the ground. At her feet, a monkey and a bird were stretching their necks, looking at the bed. Seeing Cai Wei suddenly jumping down from the bed, they instantly froze in place, as if nailed to the ground! ¡°Ha¡ª¡ª¡± Cai Wei laughed in bewilderment, her tensed mind relaxing. The bird in front of her had a curved beak and thin claws. Its body was covered in colorful feathers, clearly a parrot. The monkey had white fur, deep-set eyes and long drooping eyebrows, making it look like a little old man. Its body size was like that of a toddler and it was really amusing! ¡°Good heavens, you startled me. I thought someone had come in, but it turns out you are just pets!¡± ¡°Wa¡ª¡ª¡± The parrot that was referred to as a pet immediately became furious. Its colorful feathers all stood up, and its black, mung bean-like eyes were round in anger. ¡°We are not pets!¡± The monkey also chattered a few times and shook its chestnut-sized fists in protest. ¡°We are divine beasts! Divine beasts, do you understand?¡± Cai Wei was surprised, ¡°You can talk?¡± The monkey with the long eyebrows looked arrogant and gave her a disdainful look, ¡°We are divine beasts, of course we can talk.¡± ¡°Oh? So it is! My apologies for any disrespect, divine beasts!¡± Cai Wei bowed her hands and quickly calmed down after her amazing experience of seeing animals that could talk. After experiencing transmigration, she could take any mysterious thing in stride. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s more like it!¡± The parrot lifted up its bird head in a proud and lovely manner. ¡°Can any of you tell me, where is this? Who are you? Why am I here?¡± ¡°Let me explain...¡± The monkey with the long eyebrows stroked his eyebrows, about to speak, but the parrot pushed him away. ¡°Let me, let me. This is...¡± ¡°Whack¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Wa¡ª¡ª¡± After a severe screech, Chang Mei clapped his hands, watched the colorful arc fly out of the window, and calmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll explain instead!¡± ... It turns out, this place is called Fu You Island, a place where a fairy cultivates. After the fairy ascended to heaven, fearing that the island would be discovered by greedy secular people, she used her magic skills to keep the island in a commonly-used mirror. She could not bear to let the treasures on the island go to waste. So, she commanded the four divine beasts on the island to find a virtuous person and entrust the island to her, allowing her to use the treasures on the island to bless all living things under heaven! ¡°Uh...¡± After listening to Chang Mei¡¯s story, Cai Wei asked hesitantly, ¡°Can I boldly understand that I am the virtuous person you all were looking for?¡± ¡°Of course, you are poor and can hardly cover yourself, but you are able to give everything to help those in need. If that¡¯s not an exemplar of virtue, then what is?¡± Chang Mei affirmed, glancing at her shabby cotton-padded jacket. ¡°Oh, is that so!¡± Cai Wei felt a bit uneasy under Chang Mei¡¯s gaze and hastily smoothened her clothes. Her jacket was indeed in a pitiful state with patches over patches, and many places were showing black cotton fluff. In her past life, she was famously cold and noble, and every piece of clothing she wore was from international big brands, never wearing the same piece twice. Chapter 39 - 39 39 Divine Spatial Beast (2)_1 ?39: Chapter 39: Divine Spatial Beast (2)_1 39: Chapter 39: Divine Spatial Beast (2)_1 ¡°Now, you are the master of this island, and our master as well.¡± Chang Mei pointed to his own eyebrows and said: ¡°I am Chang Mei, in charge of taking care of your daily life on the island. The one I just swatted away is called Brother Ying, who used to serve Cihai Zhenren by finding species in the outside world. If the master wants to find something, just command it. Moreover, there is the Great Immortal Turtle who is an expert in medicine, now refining medicines in the Pill Room. Finally, there is a cross-eyed white-haired giant tiger that guards the island. It has an enormous appetite. It almost consumed all the wild rabbits and fish on the island, and may be out foraging now.¡± The word ¡°foraging¡± immediately triggered a response in Cai Wei¡¯s belly. She was hungry and was thinking about food when she was brought here by the Mirror. ¡°Master, are you also hungry? Would you like to eat something?¡± Chang Wei asked. Cai Wei hesitated, ¡°How do you know?¡± She often kept her emotions to herself, how was her thought read by Chang Mei? Chang Mei blinked and said, ¡°Because I am now the master¡¯s divine beast, I can communicate with you through thought.¡± Cai Wei was enlightened. So divine beasts also have this function, ¡°What about them? Can they also communicate with me through thought?¡± She was referring to the other three divine beasts. ¡°Of course, if you want to summon someone, you just have to think of them in your heart, then you can communicate with them.¡± How magical can the world be! Cai Wei remembered the space novels she had read in her past life. The female lead in those novels communicated with their divine beasts in exactly the same way. This incredible thing was happening to her, and she felt extremely excited about her luck. ¡°Wuu wuu wuu... It was that annoying monkey, just for showing off in front of the master, it slapped me and sent me flying, wuu wuu wuu... my beautiful feathers...¡± From outside the window, Brother Ying was sobbing and pleading, as Cai Wei looked out, she suddenly drew a cold breath, her heart pounding in her throat. There in the courtyard, a cross-eyed white-haired giant tiger, more than one meter tall and two meters long, was leisurely walking over. On its back, Brother Ying covered his little head with one wing, pretending to weep, with the other wing pointed towards Chang Mei in the room, complaining to the old turtle sitting on the tiger with it. If she hadn¡¯t known in advance that this white-haired tiger was her subordinate, Cai Wei might have fled by now. The king of beasts is indeed the king of beasts. Even a leisurely walk could demonstrate a terrifying and shattering aura. ¡°Master.¡± The white-haired tiger leisurely walked into the room, stopped in front of Cai Wei, lowered its huge head, with a very respectful attitude. ¡°Hi... You... Hello!¡± Looking at the giant head, Cai Wei tried to keep a smile on her face, trying her best to keep her voice steady. On the back of the tiger, the old turtle completely covered in a brownish-green shell, slowly patted the tiger¡¯s back, signaling it to lie down. ¡°Although the white-haired tiger looks fierce, it¡¯s actually very gentle and loyal to the master. The master need not be afraid.¡± After slowly climbing down from the tiger¡¯s back, the old turtle raised its aged face, looking at Cai Wei with kindness, soothing her frightened emotions. Reassured by the old turtle, Cai Wei felt much calmer, ¡°Nice to meet you, Master Tortoise!¡± Compared to the white-haired tiger, communicating with the old turtle was much easier. ¡°Wuu wuu wuu... Master Tortoise! White-haired tiger! What about our plan to settle the score with the monkey?¡± Brother Ying, feeling ignored, raised a commotion, flapped his wings and landed on the tiger¡¯s head, trying to draw everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Shut your bird mouth!¡± Chang Mei stepped forward, baring his teeth at Brother Ying on the tiger¡¯s head: ¡°The master is hungry, I¡¯ll go find her something to eat. You behave yourself here, or else, be careful I¡¯ll pluck your bird feathers to make a shuttlecock!¡± Brother Ying shrunk down, covering his curved beak with his wing, looking at Chang Mei in fear. ¡°Humph! You know your place!¡± Chang Mei let out a triumphant cold hum, and his agile figure disappeared through the window in a flash. In the room, Watching Chang Mei¡¯s retreating figure, Brother Ying murmured, ¡°Damn monkey, stinky monkey, I hope you fall from a tree and knock out your front tooth, and break your butt...¡± ¡°Even if he falls to death, Master Tortoise can resuscitate him, stop wasting your breath.¡± The white-haired tiger cast a sympathetic glance at Brother Ying. The old turtle shook his head and spoke to Cai Wei in a leisurely manner: ¡°Master, please don¡¯t mind them. These two jokers have been fighting for more than a hundred years, and you will get used to it.¡± ¡°Wuu wuu wuu... It¡¯s the stinky monkey who bullied me. You guys didn¡¯t help me. I don¡¯t want to live...¡± Brother Ying lay on the ground, covering his face with his wings and his belly facing the sky, he started to sob... Chapter 40 - 40 40 Treasures (1)_1 ?40: Chapter 40: Treasures (1)_1 40: Chapter 40: Treasures (1)_1 Cai Wei put a hand on her forehead. Aren¡¯t mythological creatures supposed to be mysterious and inscrutable? Why does reality seem different? Brother Ying was crying while peeking through the gap in his wings at the others outside. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, his crying became louder. ¡°Erm, The Great Immortal Turtle.¡± Cai Wei didn¡¯t know how to console the melodramatic Brother Ying and could only turn to the seemingly approachable Old Turtle for help. ¡°What can we do to stop him from crying?¡± ¡°Delicacy!¡± Before The Great Immortal Turtle could answer, the white tiger said disdainfully, ¡°As long as there¡¯s food, it would even be willing to pluck its own feathers and dance.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Brother Ying became furious. He jumped up from the ground and, using its wings, poked at the white tiger¡¯s head, shouting angrily, ¡°Stupid big guy, who told you to talk nonsense? You deserve to go hungry every day!¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s nonsense or not, let¡¯s give it a try!¡± The white tiger looked at Cai Wei and said, ¡°Please, Master, bring in the food dish from outside. Let¡¯s see how he reacts.¡± Cai Wei gawked, ¡°Outside?¡± ¡°Correct, the place you were before you came here ¡ª your home¡¯s cooking place.¡± Good grief, she could still fetch things from outside while in here? This was too fantastical! She found it hard to believe. ¡°Well, how can I get that? Do I need to go out? By the way, how can I get out?¡± ¡°Thought, Master. You can see or obtain things from outside using your thoughts. Of course, the item should not be too far from you. Similarly, when you are outside, you can bring nearby items in through your thoughts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Great, let me give it a try!¡± After hearing the white tiger¡¯s explanation, Cai Wei¡¯s eyes gleamed in excitement. She rubbed her hands together, immediately initiating her thoughts, to see her own kitchen. Sure enough, the kitchen appeared before her eyes as clearly as a movie screen. Everything was as it was. The plate of dumplings she had made was still on the edge of the stove, faintly emitting steam. ¡°Take!¡± She uttered a low command. In the blink of an eye, the plate of dumplings with white skin and curved bellies appeared in her hands. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s real!¡± She held the dumplings and burst out laughing joyfully. ¡°Caw¡ªMaster, quickly comfort my wounded soul!¡± Seeing the dumplings, Brother Ying soared into the air like a firework, but then feigned weakness and fell dramatically, plunking right into Cai Wei¡¯s plate. ¡°Ah woo... smack...¡± As soon as Brother Ying fell into the plate, he immediately jumped up, without any grace, and began to cram the dumplings into his mouth with his claws. In a few moments, the plate was empty! Seeing such an unprincipled Brother Ying, even the usual composed and aloof Old Turtle couldn¡¯t bear to look straight and looked away. Chang Mei returned from outside, holding a tray of washed fruits. The tray was filled with fruits that she had never seen before ¨C some red, purple, green, and yellow. ¡°Master, please!¡± Chang Mei placed the full plate of fruit on the table. ¡°What kind of fruit is this? It smells so good! How come I¡¯ve never seen it before?¡± Cai Wei picked up a purple fruit the size of an egg from the plate and smelled it. Its exotic fragrance was absolutely delightful. ¡°Master, this is the Beautifying Fruit, which has the effect of beautifying and nourishing the complexion.¡± The Old Turtle started lecturing, ¡°This fruit is very suitable for women. Eating it regularly can make a woman¡¯s skin smooth and delicate, remove wrinkles and spots. When Cihai Zhenren ascended, despite being 120 years old, she still looked like she was in her thirties. This was all because she often ate this fruit!¡± Chapter 41 - 41 41 Treasures (2)_1 ?41: Chapter 41: Treasures (2)_1 41: Chapter 41: Treasures (2)_1 ¡°Such miraculous benefits?¡± Cai Wei touched her thin, sallow cheeks, thought about her mother¡¯s wind-dried, sausage-like face, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a thrill of joy. With this Beautifying Fruit, she could quickly transform into a soft-skinned beauty, right? Since she arrived here, she had been tirelessly working to improve her family¡¯s living conditions and hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her own appearance. But it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t care about her appearance; in fact, she cared a lot! In her past life, she was a beauty guru who would never leave the house without making herself up. After arriving here, since she hadn¡¯t yet solved the problem of food and clothing, she had to put the matter of her appearance aside for a while. Now, with this magical treasure space, she had become an invisible tycoon. No longer worried about livelihood, beauty matters could finally be put on the agenda! And her mother, as long as she frequently eats this Beautifying Fruit, could restore her once Nation-Falling Beauty, right? Oh, by the way, if she sold this Beautifying Fruit, considering how beneficial it is, how much should a single fruit sell for? The Old Turtle seemed to perceive Cai Wei¡¯s thoughts and slowly said, ¡°The Beautifying Fruit comes from the extreme cold land of the far north. A single fruit seed, from taking root and sprouting to flowering and fruiting, takes almost 300 years. Here in our Immortal Mansion Treasure Land, densely gathering celestial energy, the Real People planted this fruit and it took nearly 30 years to bear fruit.¡± In saying this, the Old Turtle wanted to tell her how rare and valuable the Beautifying Fruit was and not to easily give it away. But Cai Wei caught another piece of information from the Old Turtle¡¯s words. Something that requires 300 years to mature outside only needs ten years here. That is to say, this place can accelerate the growth of plants! If that¡¯s the case, crops and such, which take five months from sowing to maturation outside, here would only take fifteen days, wouldn¡¯t they! ¡°Indeed it is so.¡± The Old Turtle saw Cai Wei¡¯s thoughts through mystic messages and explained leisurely, ¡°Any plant from the outside world, once inside here, its growth cycle will speed up ten times. Moreover, regardless of what regional species they are, all can survive here!¡± Wow! Plants from the Arctic, Antarctic, tropics, and subtropics can all be grown here, this is too amazing! Indeed, it¡¯s a treasure! Cai Wei sincerely praised from within her heart, casually brought the purple agate-like fruit to her lips, and gently bit into it. In an instant, a sweet juice spilled out from between her teeth, filling her mouth with a tantalizing fragrance. She tapped her teeth lightly, chewing the juicy fruit pulp. The sweet, crisp taste moved even her, who had tasted countless delicious things! ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± She closed her eyes, chewed slowly, and savored the flavors. In addition to the Beautifying Fruit, there was the body-enhancing Glazed Fruit; the heart-cleansing, lung-nourishing Chrysanthemum Tea Fruit; the brain-stimulating Field Fruit... Within a short time, more than half of one dish of colorful fruit had ended up in her stomach! ¡°Wei¡¯er... Have you finished eating?¡± Her mother¡¯s voice came from outside. Cai Wei quickly swallowed the fruit in her mouth, wiped away the juice dripping from the corner of her mouth, greeted the several Divine Beasts, quickly thought about exiting the space, and instantly returned to the kitchen. Hot Air was still hovering in the kitchen, which showed that the flow of time in the space was different from that in the world. Back in the main room, Mother and Fei¡¯er were packing up their sewing materials, getting ready to sleep. Seeing Cai Wei come out, they asked, ¡°Are you done eating?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve finished. It was so delicious!¡± Cai Wei closed her eyes slightly, thinking about Brother Ying¡¯s voracious appearance, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She didn¡¯t expect a little bird to have such a big appetite, polishing off a big plate of dumplings in minutes! ¡°Did you have enough to eat? Are you full?¡± Mother asked next. Cai Wei touched her stomach, her face showing a content expression, ¡°I¡¯m full, so full, I¡¯m even feeling overstuffed! Mom, the dumplings you make are so delicious!¡± Lady Du smiled kindly and said, ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Since you love them, Mom will make you some more tomorrow. After all, we have plenty of meat and flour at home.¡± Chapter 42 - 42 42 The Poor Guy with a Gold Bowl_1 ?42: Chapter 42: The Poor Guy with a Gold Bowl_1 42: Chapter 42: The Poor Guy with a Gold Bowl_1 ¡°Thank you, mother!¡± While Cai Wei responded verbally, her mind was in a state of flux. What just happened was too fantastical. She had never imagined such good fortune would befall her, and she had yet to recover fully from her immense surprise. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why aren¡¯t you getting some sleep?¡± Her mother called out to her while holding up an oil lamp. Only then did Cai Wei snap back to reality. Seeing that Fei¡¯er had already undressed and was nestled within the bed covers, her red hair ties also untied, carefully folded, and tucked inside a handkerchief by the pillow, and the cotton trousers of her mother removed and calling to her while donning a jacket. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m going to sleep right now!¡± She responded with a dry laugh, swiftly climbed onto the kang, took off her clothes and crept into the quilt. ¡°You¡¯ve been running around all day, you must be tired. Go to sleep earlier.¡± Lady Du chattered on before extinguishing the lamp, fumbling to remove her cotton jacket, she then lay down to sleep. As Cai Wei lay on the kang, tossing and turning unable to sleep, she listened to the gradually even breathing sounds of her mother and her younger siblings. Assessing that they had fallen asleep, yet she dared not slip into her space, in case somebody should wake up in the middle of the night to find her missing, even if she were all mouth, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it away! Lying on the kang obediently, her mind replayed the day¡¯s happenings. Frankly, obtaining this magical space was a surprise. Initially, if she hadn¡¯t spooked the horse resulting in the accident that befell the old beggar, she probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with the old beggar¡¯s fate, and naturally wouldn¡¯t have ended up with the mirror that contained the space. If the old beggar hadn¡¯t died tragically, she wouldn¡¯t have thought about setting up nursing homes as a form of expiation, which, in turn, wouldn¡¯t have won the approval of the divine beasts in the space to open it up for her. All these events, seemingly predetermined by fate, made her realize that she must perform more good deeds in the future, to contribute to the well-being of all living things under heaven, in order to live up to the entrustment from Cihai Zhenren, and not disappoint the four divine beasts that had shown trust and recognition in her. Thinking about good deeds reminded her of the essential gold and silver needed for it. In the hustle and bustle when her mother called for her earlier, she did not have time to explore the other rooms in the space. She wondered if there was anything similar to a warehouse, filled with boxes upon boxes of gold, silver, pearls, and treasures, stacks upon stacks of silk and satin, countless antique paintings, endless rare and exotic treasures... If there were, would she no longer need to worry about money in the future...? Thinking this, she opened her eyes and performed an inner view to inspect the space. As her gaze skipped over the bedroom she had slept in and entered something like a warehouse, she was once again profoundly shaken. The little bamboo house, not much larger than her own house, surprisingly contained a warehouse the size of a banquet hall. Within the warehouse, instead of the gold and silver treasures she had hoped for, there were shelves from floor to ceiling, divided into small segments, each filled with a small wooden box labeled with the name of the contents. Those boxes contained seeds of various plants, all kinds of seeds, seeds of fruits, vegetables, grains, medicinal plants, you name it.... She remembered Bai Mei mentioning that Brother Parrot was a worker who specifically sought out various species for Cihai Zhenren. It seemed that this great deity was keen on agriculture aside from cultivation, hence the vast collection of seeds... But where are the promised gold and silver treasures? The good deeds required real gold and silver. What use are these seeds? Disappointed, Cai Wei proceeded to inspect another room. This room was a refining room, a brass-made alchemy furnace inside was over a person¡¯s height. Below, fiery flames were ablaze, the old turtle held a cattail leaf fan, sitting by the furnace, leisurely fanning the fire. The shelves on all four walls of the room were also divided up, each holding small, exquisite porcelain bottles with the names of the elixirs labeled on them. Cai Wei glanced around quickly, seeing things like the blood-stopping pill, named-spread pill, great tonic pills and so on. She had little interest in these, so she left to find Bai Mei. Bai Mei was drinking water by the creek. Feeling Cai Wei¡¯s presence, it cheerfully scratched its ear, saying, ¡°Master, do you need something?¡± Cai Wei communicated with it through thought: ¡°Chang Mei, I want to ask you, has Cihai Zhenren left behind any gold, silver, pearls, treasures, antiques, and paintings on the island?¡± Chang Mei arrogantly raised his fist-sized face, stroked his long eyebrows, and glanced askance in Cai Wei¡¯s direction: ¡°Master, is it possible for a true immortal daoist like me to lust after mundane worldly things such as gold and silver?¡± ¡°So, in other words, you don¡¯t have any?¡± ¡°Of course¡ªI don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Cai Wei couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It looks like she is destined to be a destitute person sitting on a treasure trove! There are many valuable items in the Space, such as wild purple sandalwood and golden silk nan wood, human-sized ginseng scattered all over, rare flowers and unusual plants grown in the courtyard, and even some exotic fruits rarely seen by humans. But how can she exchange these things for spendable silver? She thought about it and realized it was unrealistic to drag out a valuable golden silk nan wood and claim that she found it in the mountains. Alternatively, grabbing a hundred-year-old ginseng and saying that she plucked it from the mountains would seem too fake. Wild boars roam on the mountains, and everyone knows not to dare go there recklessly. Why would she be the only one able to pick such old ginseng? As for the rare flowers and unusual plants, and exotic fruits, they are all out of season. If she were to take them out, wouldn¡¯t the government just mistake her for a sorceress and apprehend her? How frustrating! Being poor despite sitting on a goldmine is certainly not a pleasant feeling! It seems that she can only depend on herself now! Therefore, Cai Wei decided to pick some practical seeds from the storage to grow. The soil and water in the Space have spiritual energy. Once planted, the seeds will mature and be ready to harvest in a few days. Once she has grains, won¡¯t she stop worrying about not having silver? ¡°Master, are you going to farm?¡± Chang Mei sensed Cai Wei¡¯s thoughts through his spiritual sense and asked. ¡°Yes, Chang Mei. Help me fetch some seeds like wheat, rice, and beans, such as soybeans, peanuts, and mung beans, from the storage. Oh, and some vegetables too. I will plant them in the Space when daybreak comes.¡± ¡°Space? What space?¡± Chang Mei raised his eyebrows with a curious face. ¡°Our Fu You Island is a Space. In our area, places like that are called Space. From now on, we will refer to our Fu You Island as Space.¡± Cai Wei explained simply to Chang Mei and then began planning for cultivation in her mind. Cai Wei was sure that she would not be able to sleep, but as she kept thinking about it, she fell asleep unknowingly. The next day, when the day was bright, the village roosters crowed and woke Cai Wei from her dream. She rubbed her eyes and sat up with a yawn. Suddenly, a gust of cold air entered her undergarments, making her shudder and hug her shoulders. She began yearning for the warm spring-like temperature and fresh humid air in the Space. ¡°Wei¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter? Are you daydreaming again?¡± Lady Du also woke up and saw her daughter deep in thought. She waved her hand in front of her daughter¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, nothing. I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± Cai Wei put on her jacket and tried to bluff her way out. Lady Du didn¡¯t think too much about it. While getting dressed, she said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t sleep well, go back to sleep. I¡¯ll make breakfast.¡± Cai Wei was hoping to go into the Space to plant while her mother was cooking, so how could she agree to her mother¡¯s suggestion? She quickly responded, ¡°You should keep making your clothes. The New Year is approaching, at least let us wear new clothes for the New Year!¡± Chapter 43 - 43 43 Becoming Handsome(1)_1 ?43: Chapter 43: Becoming Handsome(1)_1 43: Chapter 43: Becoming Handsome(1)_1 These words indeed persuaded Lady Du successfully. Seeing how torn and tattered the children¡¯s clothes were, now that they finally had new cloth and cotton stuffing, she was determined to finish sewing new clothes for the children before the end of the year, no matter what. Fei¡¯er also woke up, her breath visible in the chilly air as she opened her eyes. She had always been a light sleeper who could hear the slightest movement. ¡°Mother, Sister, good morning!¡± ¡°Good morning, Fei¡¯er. It¡¯s still early. Don¡¯t rush to get up yet; sleep a bit longer.¡± Cai Wei turned her body and thoughtfully tucked in her younger sister. ¡°Eh, Sister, how did you become good-looking?¡± Fei¡¯er caught sight of Cai Wei¡¯s face and immediately exclaimed. Last night, her sister¡¯s face was still sallow, with a bit of plateau red on both cheeks. How could it be that over just one night, all of the redness had faded and her skin became much whiter. Especially amidst the whiteness was a hint of light pink blush, which made her look very glamorous. ¡°Is that so?¡± Cai Wei touched her face, her heart filled with ecstasy. She didn¡¯t expect the Beautifying Fruit to be so profoundly effective¡ªit had only been one night and yet it had already had an effect like this. If she continued eating it, wouldn¡¯t she quickly become a nation-falling beauty? Thinking about this, her mood became even happier! ¡°Probably because I¡¯ve been eating well these past few days and catching up with nutrition,¡± Cai Wei explained. Lady Du also leaned over and scrutinized her daughter¡¯s face for a while before she exclaimed in surprise: ¡°It truly is much better looking than before!¡± Cai Wei¡¯s heart cheered, and she walked firmly into the kitchen. As soon as she entered, she impatiently looked for her small bronze mirror on the shelf, wanting to take a look at her face. However, after rummaging through the kitchen, she didn¡¯t find the mirror. ¡°Brother Ying, where¡¯s my mirror? Did I leave it here?¡± Cai Wei entered her space in a flash, just in time to see Brother Ying lying and playing on the ground. Seeing Cai Wei, Brother Ying immediately flew to her, landing on Cai Wei¡¯s shoulder and fawningly asked: ¡°Master, what delicious food are you making today? Can you bring a portion of it to me?¡± Cai Wei said, ¡°Find my mirror and I will bring a portion to you.¡± Brother Ying said, ¡°The space has been opened, so the mirror doesn¡¯t exist anymore. Unless the master is no longer here, and the space is looking for the next master, the mirror will reappear.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± Cai Wei sighed a long sigh of relief. She had been frightened earlier, thinking she had lost her precious mirror! ¡°Master, my breakfast...¡± With a pitiful face, Brother Ying looked longingly at Cai Wei. Although the exotic fruits and flowers in the space are rare delicacies in the world, after eating them for more than a hundred years, he has had enough. He wanted to switch things up and try some of the earthly delicacies. Now, this wish can only be fulfilled by the master herself! ¡°Sure, when I cook, I¡¯ll naturally bring a portion for you!¡± Cai Wei readily agreed. On the other side of the meadow, Chang Mei was energetically wielding a hoe, fervently plowing the ground. As expected of a divine beast, such a small monkey managed to plow nearly half of the nearly one-acre meadow in a short time. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Chang Mei!¡± Cai Wei smiled cheerily and greeted him. ¡°Master, the seeds you wanted are all there. Take a look; what do you want to plant? I¡¯ll help you plant it.¡± Chang Mei pointed to some boxes piled up at the end of the field. Cai Wei checked them and they were exactly the seeds she had mentioned last night: rice, wheat, soybeans, mung beans, spinach... Stacked among the boxes, the one pressed at the bottom was labeled ¡°Fennel¡±. A thought came to Cai Wei¡¯s mind and she pulled out the box. Upon opening it, her eyes instantly brightened. In the box, a thin partition divided the small box into two. On the left side of the partition were fennel seeds. They were slightly larger and of a grass-green color. They were the legitimate fennel seeds. On the right were seeds that were similar in texture and shape to the fennel seeds, but their color was like they had wilted after being kept for too long. They were a grayish brown and slightly smaller in size. Chapter 44 - 44 44 Becoming Handsome(2)_1 ?44: Chapter 44: Becoming Handsome(2)_1 44: Chapter 44: Becoming Handsome(2)_1 She recognized this seed, it was cumin! An essential magic ingredient for roasting meats, and also a key ingredient for curry powder. She couldn¡¯t believe she could find this divine seasoning here. With this spice, she could also enjoy her favorite barbecue delicacy from her past life in this world! ¡°Chang Mei, you¡¯re very capable!¡± Cai Wei immediately gave Chang Mei full approval for his ability to get things done. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a delicious reward later!¡± ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Chang Mei¡¯s face lit up with joy. He also wanted to taste the delicacies of the human world. That annoying bird ate the master¡¯s dumplings yesterday and bragged about it for a long time, which made him nearly plucked its tail feathers to play shuttlecock. ¡°Master, don¡¯t forget about me, don¡¯t forget my share!¡± Brother Ying fluttered his wings, brushing for a presence in front of Cai Wei. ¡°You? If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I might have forgotten about you.¡± Cai Wei wrapped a small parcel of cumin, put it into her bosom and said: ¡°Chang Mei, you¡¯re responsible for clearing and turning over the land, you¡¯ll be in charge of sowing these seeds.¡± ¡°What? What?¡± Brother Ying cawed indignantly, ¡°Master, I have no hands!¡± Cai Wei gave him a sidelong glance and snorted: ¡°I saw you snatch dumplings quite smoothly last night, just use your claws to plant for me today. If you don¡¯t finish, don¡¯t dream of my food!¡± ¡°Cheep cheep cheep¡ª¡ª¡± Chang Mei laughed gleefully, his eyebrows trembling with laughter, Brother Ying glared at him resentfully, had to droop his wings and went gloomily to sow the seeds. Ah! Who could resist the temptation of delicious food! After strolling around in space, Cai Wei unexpectedly found a room with a hot spring in the bamboo house. The hot spring was small, only about two meters square, surrounded by steaming mist and lined with colorful cobbles. Not far from the spring, there was a soft couch. She was thrilled. She had been in this world for a few days, and she hadn¡¯t taken a bath yet. The weather here was bitterly cold, with temperatures well below zero. Her own broken house was leaky from all sides. Talking about bathing, even washing face, the water in the basin would sometimes freeze while washing, let alone taking a bath! The people here, in winter, they don¡¯t take baths for the whole winter. Even if they do wash, they just use a warm, wet towel to wipe their bodies. Thinking that this body of hers had not taken a bath for several months, she felt unbearably itchy all over, quickly stripped off her clothes, and jumped into the hot spring. ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± So comfortable, she hummed with enjoyment. She felt every pore of her body open up, being nourished and moistened by the warm spring water, it was an indescribable satisfaction! ¡°Master, the spring water of this spiritual spring is magical. Bathing in it not only nourishes Qi and blood but also improves physical fitness. It¡¯s very beneficial to the body!¡± Brother Ying jabbered on. ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t use your thoughts to peek at me!¡± Cai Wei glanced warily around her, confirming that Brother Ying was not on the scene, she then fiercely warned him. Even though he¡¯s just a bird, being seen naked by a bird that could talk and understand human language, she felt awkward! ¡°Hahaha, Master, don¡¯t be shy, although your figure now isn¡¯t that great, there¡¯s still a lot of potential for improvement, don¡¯t be self-pity!¡± While Brother Ying was cultivating, he was also having a friendly conversation with his master. ¡°Brother Ying, do you know what I¡¯m planning to make for breakfast?¡± Cai Wei ground her teeth. ¡°What?¡± Hearing about food, Brother Ying¡¯s eyes sparkled instantly. ¡°Hehe, the banquet of a hundred birds!¡± The low female voice was eerie and creepy. Brother Ying shivered, hurriedly blocked his thoughts and silently rolled off to sow seeds. After soaking for a while, Cai Wei had to reluctantly leave the hot spring as she was concerned about the breakfast at home and afraid her mother would suddenly call her. She quickly put on her clothes, flashed, and returned to her home kitchen. Chapter 45 - 45 45 Face Issue (1)_1 ?45: Chapter 45 Face Issue (1)_1 45: Chapter 45 Face Issue (1)_1 She had planned breakfast the night before: steam a pot of fluffy, soft rice, slice some Crystal Jelly and serve it with minced garlic and soy sauce; make a pot of aromatic bone soup with rabbit¡¯s skeleton ¨C the children were still growing, and nothing was better for their nourishment than bone soup -; then stir-fry Shredded Meat with Solid Egg. But today¡¯s Solid Egg would taste even better than yesterday¡¯s, because today there was an important addition to the seasoning ¨C cumin! When she cooked, she made some extra food and took out a portion for the four Divine Beasts. After the meal was ready, she sent the Divine Beasts¡¯ portion into the Space first before serving the meal to her mother and the children at home. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s time for our meal!¡± She put the crystal clear Crystal Jelly and the appealing Shredded Meat Solid Egg on the kang table. ¡°Older sister, what is this? It smells so good!¡± Wu¡¯er, who was woken up by the aroma of the food, peeked out his fluffy little head from the bed, his big eyes flickering at the table. Cai Wei gently touched his head, which was as small as a chick, and explained warmly: ¡°This is Crystal Jelly made from Pork skin, it tastes very good when eaten with soy sauce and minced garlic! And this one is called Shredded Meat Phoenix Egg. It costs eighty wen for a plate in the restaurant. Wu¡¯er, do you want to get up and try it?¡± ¡°Yes yes yes!¡± Wu¡¯er bobbed his head like a pecking chicken, and regardless of the warmth of his bed, he quickly climbed up and hastily put on his clothes. Wen¡¯er was up too, and unlike Wu¡¯er¡¯s hasty movements, he calmly dressed and looked at the dishes on the table with his bright eyes inquisitively, ¡°Sister, how did you come up with these dishes!¡± Cai Wei coughed and looked elsewhere, ¡°These are dishes that I heard about in the town and tried to make, I didn¡¯t expect them to be so delicious!¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was not good at lying, but when faced with Wen¡¯er¡¯s clear pupils, she felt that even a well-intentioned lie was a sin that was hard to redeem against his innocent spirit. ¡°Oh, is that so!¡± After hearing Cai Wei¡¯s explanation, the whole family did not doubt her. They quickly cleaned up and gathered around the table. ¡°Hmm, it really is delicious!¡± Mother Lady Du exclaimed after taking a bite. Upon seeing mother start to eat, the children also lifted their chopsticks and began to eat. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten anything so delicious before!¡± The whole family was enjoying the lively meal together, eating so much that they were sweating, the sound of chewing, sipping soup and occasional praises filled the dining table. In a blink of an eye, the plate of Crystal Jelly and the plate of Shredded Meat Phoenix Egg were empty. Cai Wei picked up the plate and wanted to cut another piece of Crystal Jelly to serve as a side dish for the children. Lady Du stopped her, ¡°We rarely have white rice at home. Even if we don¡¯t have dishes, the rice will still taste sweet when we eat it dry. Besides, we still have soup! Keep the rest of the Crystal Jelly. Later, divide it into two portions, give one to your Aunt Zhou, and send the other to Third Uncle Mu¡¯s house.¡± The Third Uncle Mu that Lady Du mentioned, like Mu Zhongqing, had been selling Mountain goods since June and had not been heard from since. The only people left at home were Third Aunt Mu and her fifteen-year-old daughter Cai Lian. Lady Du was kind and knew that Third Aunt Mu had a hard time raising her daughter alone, and she was always close to Aunt Zhou. Therefore, she would rather eat less at home to let them taste the food too. Cai Wei agreed with her mother¡¯s decision, nodded, and continued to eat. At the dining table, even without the main dish, the children were still enjoying their meal. They were eating their white rice heartily, occasionally sipping the milky white bone soup. By the end of the meal, not a single grain of rice, vegetable, or drop of soup was left on the table! Chapter 46 - 46 46 Face Issue (2)_1 ?46: Chapter 46 Face Issue (2)_1 46: Chapter 46 Face Issue (2)_1 After the meal, Lady Du personally split the crystal jelly into two portions; one was given to Wu¡¯er to take to Aunt Zhou¡¯s home, and the other was handed to Wen¡¯er to be delivered to Third Uncle Mu¡¯s house. Once the children had gone, without waiting for her mother to speak, Cai Wei guessed what her mother was thinking, she picked up the domestic water bucket, saying: ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no water left in the jar. I¡¯m going to fetch water.¡± After saying this, she ran off like a puff of smoke. Lady Du shook her head and said helplessly, ¡°What has gotten into this girl? Why has she suddenly developed such an aversion to needlework?¡± Ignoring her mother¡¯s words, Cai Wei took the bucket and headed straight for the old well in the village. Of course, she wasn¡¯t really going to fetch water. The stream water in the magical space was sweet and clear, beyond comparison to the old well water in the village. Moreover, everything in the space was imbued with spiritual energy ¨C maybe even the stream water had some beauty enhancing and healing properties. She would never go out of her way to fetch water from the old well! Walking towards the well was merely a show, to deceive her mother. After walking for a while, when she passed by the straw pile near a house, she stopped, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then quickly hid inside the pile, uttering a soft chant, ¡°Enter!¡± As the echo of her voice faded, she was already inside the space. The space was silent. The divine beasts were nowhere to be found. Cai Wei didn¡¯t bother searching for them, instead, she took a pair of scissors and headed for the small courtyard filled with fragrant flowers. The small courtyard was serene. The blooms were in full force, their vivid colors vying for attention, creating an unmissable spectacle. But there were also some wilting flowers, clinging to their stems. Cai Wei moved amongst the flower clusters, snipping the wilting ones and placing them into a small sack. Hhe pallid complexion of her mother, and her younger brothers and sister hadn¡¯t improved despite several days of recuperation, which distressed Cai Wei. She was tempted to give them the Beautifying Fruit, but feared startling them. Without a plausible explanation for the origin of the fruit, she had no choice but to think of other ways to improve her family¡¯s complexion. The flowers in the courtyard were rare gems. Using some dried ones to make tea, or using it in facial wash water would surely yield unexpected results! Having already solved her own appearance issue, she was now eager to improve her family¡¯s. She longed to see her mother regain her former nation-falling beauty, hoped for Fei¡¯er to bloom into a cute little maiden, and wished for her younger brothers to transform into chubby, adorable boys. If not for the magical space, she¡¯d have patiently nurtured them back to health. But armed with this magical space, she¡¯d become impatient, eager to realize her dream of an exquisite-looking family. There were plenty of flowers in the courtyard, there were also many wilting ones. Cai Wei filled a small sack before she was satisfied. She already had an excuse ready for the origins of the dried flowers ¨C she would say she bought them the previous day in town. After all, her mother wouldn¡¯t easily go into town, and even if she did go, she wouldn¡¯t know which shop they were from. The excuse was foolproof. After gathering the flowers, she showed them to the Old Turtle, fearing that if there were anything bad among the flowers, she might be doing more harm than good. The Old Turtle meticulously examined them and told her that there was nothing wrong with the flowers. Some were for nourishing health, and a couple were divine beauty items. Only then did Cai Wei relax. She tied up the sack of flowers, hid them in her bosom, filled the bucket with stream water from the space, and with a chant, ¡°Exit!¡±, she returned to the straw pile where she started. Carrying the full bucket of water back home, Cai Wei poured the Lingxi River water into the water jar. She heated a pot of water, steeped a few beauty-enhancing dried flowers in it, and served it to Lady Du and Fei¡¯er. ¡°Mother, Fei¡¯er, have some water!¡± Lady Du looked at the blossoming flower in the bowl and asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡± Without changing expression, Cai Wei answered, ¡°These are dried flowers I bought from town yesterday. The shopkeeper said they can be brewed as tea or used in facial washes ¨C not only are they delicious, but they can also enhance beauty. Very practical.¡± Fei¡¯er picked up the bowl, took a sip, and her eyes lit up, ¡°Mother, you must try this, the water is surprisingly delicious!¡± Lady Du took up the bowl and tasted it with a mix of doubt and curiosity. She was surprised and remarked, ¡°This really is delicious! It must have been expensive, right?¡± Cai Wei laughed and said, ¡°Not at all. Since it¡¯s a new product, no one was willing to buy it. The shopkeeper sold it to me for very cheap. A big bag of it only cost me three copper coins.¡± ¡°To have such good luck!¡± Lady Du was overjoyed. She drained the bowl and still wanted more; so, she extended her bowl to be refilled. Fei¡¯er too, finished the water in her bowl and clamored for more. Cai Wei refilled their bowls with the Lingxi River water and was pleased. She believed that her mother and Fei¡¯er¡¯s complexions would noticeably improve soon! Chapter 47 - 47 47 The White Fox Fur (1)_1 ?47: Chapter 47: The White Fox Fur (1)_1 47: Chapter 47: The White Fox Fur (1)_1 The water jar at home was quite large and it required six to seven buckets of water to fill it up. After arranging the flower tea for her mother, Cai Wei picked up the water bucket and went out to fetch water. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she coincidentally bumped into Wu¡¯er who had just returned from outside. The little fellow was looking down with his lips pouted, he seemed to be burdened with worries. ¡°Oh dear, what¡¯s the matter with our Wu¡¯er?¡± Cai Wei crouched down and, with a cheerful smile, held up Wu¡¯er¡¯s thin little face to examine it. ¡°Older sister...¡± Wu¡¯er pouted his small mouth and mumbled, ¡°Why do you think Brother Jiujin doesn¡¯t listen to the adults?¡± ¡°What happened to Jiujin?¡± Wu¡¯er said sombrely, ¡°Brother Jiujin sneaked into the mountain early in the morning to go hunting. There are a lot of wild boars in the mountains now. What if he runs into them? Aunt Zhou is worried sick at home.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cai Wei¡¯s heart sank and she asked loudly, ¡°What about Uncle Zhou? Has he sent anyone to help find Jiujin?¡± Wu¡¯er shook his head: ¡°Uncle Zhou went back to Zhoujia Village yesterday for a celebration and spent the night there. He hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Cai Wei massaged her temples, feeling a throbbing headache. That pigheaded silly boy must have gone hunting for the sake of her nursing homes. Doesn¡¯t he realize that the mountains are now covered in heavy snow and wild boars are everywhere? Does he think wild boars are that easy to deal with? Even for her, who had been trained deep in the Changbai Mountains since she was a child and frequently came into contact with wild pigs. She would be extremely cautious and not take them lightly. When hunting wild boar, one must observe its footprints to determine whether the target is living alone or living in a group. If it is the latter, it is best to abandon the hunt because wild boars are not only united, but also extremely dangerous. They possess not only hard tusks but also tough skin that is immune to blades and spears, especially when provoked. Their enraged retaliation far exceeds human expectations. Wild boars are omnivorous and eat everything from food crops, wild grass, fruit and insects to human flesh. In this snow-locked season, a pack of hungry wild boars encountering a human would absolutely not let them go! Suppressing her inner unease, she consoled Wu¡¯er for a bit and sent him back into the house, then she excused herself to get the water. She quickly left, and when she passed the pile of kindling, she tossed the bucket into the Space. She said a silent prayer for that silly boy as she sprinted alone towards the mountain, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t run into a herd of wild boars. But even if he doesn¡¯t encounter them, the wild boars would still be able to sniff him out. The sense of smell of a wild boar is extremely sensitive. They can even locate a walnut hidden under two meters of accumulated snow. Therefore, even if that silly boy is standing upwind, the wild boar is still able to pinpoint his location accurately. Now, all Cai Wei can hope for is that it will be a solitary wild boar that finds him, which would lessen the chances of him being in danger. Although most wild boars live in groups of 4 to 10, there are some that live alone. The one that she had hunted a few days ago was a solitary wild boar! Once she was out of the village and at the foot of the mountain, Cai Wei shouted: ¡°Come out!¡± ¡°Caw¡ª¡± Brother Ying flapped his wings and came out first: ¡°Caw caw, I¡¯ve returned to the human world, it¡¯s so damn cold!¡± Bai Mei and the white tiger also appeared in a flash. Bai Mei, like a bolt of white lightning, fell from the bare branches, drawing a white arc in the air, and landed gracefully in front of Cai Wei. The white tiger, like a small white mountain, bent his long body, and with a low growl that shook the mountain, the accumulated snow on the tree branches came tumbling down with his roar. ¡°Master, what do you command us?¡± Chapter 48 - 48 48 The White Fox Fur (2)_1 ?48: Chapter 48: The White Fox Fur (2)_1 48: Chapter 48: The White Fox Fur (2)_1 Cai Wei whispered, ¡°Go to the mountain, find a tall young man, go find him immediately, and do not let anything bad happen to him. Go save him!¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Brother Ying posed dramatically in mid-air and disappeared with a swoosh, followed closely by the white tiger, which agilely leapt through the vast mountains, eventually transforming into a small white dot and disappearing from her view. Watching the divine beasts disappear, she silently prayed: hopefully, the divine beasts will arrive in time, and hopefully, Jiujin will be safe and sound. Otherwise, she will be restless for the rest of her life! A moment later... She reached out with her thought and contacted Brother Ying, who was best at searching: ¡°Brother Ying, have you found him? How is he?¡± ¡°Squawk, Master, we¡¯ve found him, we¡¯ve found him...¡± Brother Ying¡¯s voice exaggerated, ¡°But, the person you want us to find does not need our help. He alone has killed all six wild boars. Wow! He¡¯s so handsome! What good kungfu and swordsmanship! It¡¯s a pity about this white fox fur cloak...¡± Cai Wei face-palmed, ¡°Uh... Brother Ying, not every white coat is called a fox fur cloak, Jiujin is wearing a white sheepskin jacket.¡± Ah, even the divine beasts that have stayed in the Immortal Realm for a long time only know about superior things and do not recognize the most common sheepskin coat! Before Brother Ying could respond, Chang Mei¡¯s voice suddenly entered her ear. ¡°Master, the white tiger and I have found the person you mentioned! He¡¯s currently stuck in a tree, surrounded by a group of wild boar. However, he¡¯s not injured.¡± What? Cai Wei was shocked, then quickly understood. ¡ªApparently, a certain bird had confused the person! Regardless, as long as that silly boy was safe, the huge burden in Cai Wei¡¯s heart finally lifted! She thanked her lucky stars that she had arrived in time. That naughty boy must have been terrified but a little scare might have been good for him. Would he still dare to show off after this? At this moment, Jiujin was sitting high up on a branch, anxiously and excitedly observing the white giant tiger hopping around under the tree. In the blink of an eye, it had killed all seven or eight wild boar with tusks. Great! With seven or eight wild boars dead, even if the white giant tiger was really hungry, it couldn¡¯t eat all of them. He could take the remaining ones back, sell them later and use the money for Sister Wei¡¯er¡¯s nursing home. Wei¡¯er had spent all her money, and she might be in a hurry now. If he sold the boars and gave her the money, Sister Wei¡¯er would be delighted! Jiujin sat on the tree branch, happily making plans... On the other side, Cai Wei, who had just relieved her tension after saving Jiujin, was leisurely walking on the mountain road, with her mind busy making calculations as well. On Jiujin¡¯s side, with the white tiger present, she no longer had any worries. But on Brother Ying¡¯s side, who was the man wearing the white fox fur cloak? What was he doing on this barren mountain so early? If he could afford a fox fur cloak, he definitely would not be a hunter from the mountain, so who could he be? Why did he show up in this god forsaken mountain so early in the morning? Oh, never mind, whatever that person was, it had nothing to do with her, a commoner. What was relevant to her was the six wild boars he had killed. Wild boar meat was expensive; pulling these six wild boars into the town would certainly fetch a high price, maybe she could even buy a piece of jewelry for her mother and Fei¡¯er! With these thoughts, Cai Wei¡¯s mood brightened, and she seemed to see the delightful look on her mother¡¯s and sister¡¯s faces when wearing the jewelry. She contacted Brother Ying, and knew that the group of people had already left, so she decided to go towards the direction Brother Ying had mentioned. The mountain road was rough, the vast snow-covered mountain had buried all dry grass and broken branches below, the whole mountain was white, stretching as far as the eye could see, blending with the sky. Cai Wei stepped on the thick snow, struggling to make her way upward. The mountain was quiet, only the ¡°squeak¡± sound of her boots stepping on the snow could be heard, it was monotonous and soon she truly understood the loneliness depicted in ¡°A thousand hills but no bird in flight, ten-thousand paths but no human footprints¡±. Chapter 49 - 49 49 Leading the Way(1)_1 ?49: Chapter 49 Leading the Way(1)_1 49: Chapter 49 Leading the Way(1)_1 At the summit of the mountain, robust guards in dark-coloured brocade suits circled around, poring over a map and gazing into the distance. Not far off, a man, attired in jade belt and blue robe, adorned with a gold crown and jingling jade ornaments, was standing under a pine tree in his white fox fur. Backed by a snow-covered mountain, his handsome, jade-like face appeared more striking. His naturally beautiful face was slightly scholarly, but with an edge of anxiety, added a tinge of charm. ¡°Master.¡± The guard knelt on the ground, a layer of shame on his face: ¡°The heavy snow has buried the mountain path, we are incompetent, we cannot find the way out!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± The man chuckled softly but sharply; his voice reminded one of cracked ice on a winter lake, permeated with bone-chilling coldness, incredibly cold! ¡°If you are incompetent, why should this prince keep you!¡± Startled by this, the guard in the lead immediately started knocking his head on the ground. ¡°Forgive us, Master, we will figure out a solution!¡± he pleaded. With his apology made, he retreated respectfully. ¡°Boom¡ª¡± With a loud sound, a pine tree as wide as a bowl flew away, fell to the ground yards away, showering half of the mountain with flying snow. The man in the white fur retrieved his sword and slowly closed his eyes. His lengthy eyelashes, like feather fans, shielded the anxiety in his eyes. He avoided passing through the city to escape the prince¡¯s suspicions. He had travelled on obscure trails from the capital to here, braving the elements during the trip over mountains and through valleys. He had endured countless hardships, dodged countless schemes, and came close but ended up getting lost in this barren mountain. From the night before till now, they had walked countless circles in this mountain without finding an exit! His urgency was understandable. If he cannot locate the former national teacher, Li Chongzong, not only him but also his mother and his biological younger sister, Princess Zhao Yang, would likely be at the mercy of Jin Guifei and the Prince. Jin Guifei has long coveted the back seat, being the favourite in the imperial harem. The Prince also feared him for being a legitimate son. If he does not take any action, he would be at their mercy, dooming the lives of his mother and younger sister! ¡°¡ªMaster, look, quickly, there is someone ahead!¡± Suddenly, a guard shouted, pointing excitedly in the distance. Following his pointing finger, a slender girl was seen briskly running up the mountain. The girl was nimble, with a graceful stride, her movement suggested that she was familiar with the mountain terrain. Great, they were saved! The guards were secretly relieved, excited. Although their master appeared as gentle as a scholar and treated them very kindly, he was in fact a scheming, forward-thinking, ruthless man. None of his subordinates who failed in their tasks had survived! At present, the crown prince is on a roll, suppressing the other princes. The King of Chu and King Jin, one was involved in witchcraft and had his royal status revoked to be jailed, the other scared out of his wits, defected to the prince¡¯s camp. The other princes, either too young, or insignificant, can only watch as the crown prince and his courtesan-origin mother rule the palace, harming the imperial family. Only their master, thoughtful and humble, was seemingly harmonious with the prince on the surface while secretly planning to overthrow these tigers and wolves! ¡°Go, bring her here!¡± the man said gently but authoritatively. ¡°Yes ¨C¨C¡± Two guards took the order, bowed, took a few steps backward, and turned towards the girl. At this moment, Cai Wei was walking leisurely on the mountain path, figuring in her mind, Brother Ying (Parrot) said there were six wild boars in total. She had planned to keep one for meat, send two to the Nursing Homes, sell the remaining three for silver, buy jade hairpins for her mother and Fei¡¯er, and with any leftover money, buy a lactating sheep for the two little monkeys. Sheep¡¯s milk is an excellent supplement and will be very beneficial to their growing bodies. Chapter 50 - 50 50 Leading the Way(2)_1 ?50: Chapter 50 Leading the Way(2)_1 50: Chapter 50 Leading the Way(2)_1 ¡°Miss ¨C please wait -¡± A shout broke through the silence of the mountain forest, startling Cai Wei from her reverie. The echoes kept bouncing in the empty mountains. She paused, turned her head to see who was calling her. On the nearby hillside, two men in brown brocade clothes were running towards her. Both were tall, roughly 1.9 metres by modern standards and moved with agility and grace. It was obvious at first glance that they had martial training. Cai Wei stood still, puzzled, and asked: ¡°Are you calling me?¡± Having asked, she realized her question was rather stupid. Other than her, there was no one else around. Of course they were calling her! The lead guard took broad strides, blocking Cai Wei in just a few moves. He extended his hand in the gesture of an invitation, ¡°Miss, please come with me.¡± Cai Wei took a step back and looked at the two men for a moment. She stared at the speaker like someone would look at an idiot, ¡°Who are you? What do you want with me? Where will we go? Who am I to meet? On what basis do you think I would go with you?¡± The square-faced guard hesitated, pulling out a silver coin from his robe and handing it over, ¡°Miss, our master is lost in the mountains and we would like you to show us the way out. This silver coin is for you to buy a flower to wear!¡± Give her silver to buy flowers! What the hell did they see her as? Cai Wei clenched her teeth, glanced at the silver, and instantly flew into a rage! The silver coin only weighed about two taels, not even as valuable as a wild boar¡¯s leg, she wouldn¡¯t even consider it. Moreover, this guard with his tiny piece of silver was arrogantly asking her to do his bidding. It was clear from how raggedly she was dressed, he was looking down on her! What a dog¡¯s-eye view of people, Cai Wei mentally spat in disgust. ¡°Heh, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint, but your little silver can¡¯t even catch this lady¡¯s eye. You two better find someone else!¡± Cai Wei lifted her chin and snorted coldly, preparing to walk away. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± The square-faced guard bellowed, his face changed, grabbing Cai Wei¡¯s arm, and said coldly, ¡°Miss, since you refuse to drink the toast, I shall have to force you to drink the forfeit.¡± Having said that, he pulled Cai Wei towards him with force, planning to throw her over his shoulder and kidnap her! ¡°Holy shit!¡± Mu Caiwei was so furious her hair was about to stand on end, she was about to explode! Her, a respectable international gold medalist bodyguard, adored and revered by professionals in the security industry. Even the president had to give her some face, yet now she was being oppressed by this nameless buffoon as if she were nothing more than a small chicken. This was unacceptable! The guard was blissfully unaware of the towering rage within the girl¡¯s heart. He busied himself with pulling her into his embrace, securing her slender waist, ready to hoist her over his shoulders. Out of nowhere, the girl in his arms kicked hard at his He?ya?ng acupressure point. The guard was completely caught off guard and fell to his knees. As if in motion, the girl¡¯s hand moved swiftly and ruthlessly. Fast, fierce, deadly. It hit right at the Fengchi Point. The square-face guard collapsed on the ground without even having the chance to groan, just like a blob of mud. The other guard was stunned. He stared blankly at the scene before him, not able to make a sound. What on earth was going on? Could anyone tell him why there was such an expert hidden in these deep mountains and old forests? The girl in front of him was barely in her teens, as delicate as an unbloomed flower, pure and beautiful, yet how could she be capable of such a ruthless attack? With the square-faced guard down, Cai Wei massaged her fist and looked provocatively at the other one who had been taken aback. ¡°How about it, do you want to fight with me too?¡± The other one snapped out of his stupor, leapt up, and swung his fist. However, before the wind of his fist could reach her, a lazy voice came from behind. ¡°Stop it¡ª¡± Chapter 51 - 51 51 Sparring (1)_1 ?51: Chapter 51 Sparring (1)_1 51: Chapter 51 Sparring (1)_1 Hearing the sound Cai Wei turned around abruptly, only to see snow-laden mountains stretching out in all directions. A gentle mountain breeze rustled the verdant pines and cypresses. From within the forests, a man dressed in an azure robe with a jade belt and a golden crown, was walking on the snow towards her. The man was wearing a white fox fur coat, tall and magnificent, graceful and elegant. Backed by a mountain of snow, he arrived unhurriedly. Every step he took was filled with an indescribable grace and charm. It was so extraordinary that it made the mountain lose its beauty, the sun and the moon lose their splendor. Even though she had rich experiences and had seen countless handsome men from both domestic and foreign lands, this was the first time she had seen someone with such grace and charm. Evildoer! She cursed inwardly, she averted her eyes, feeling a sense of secret relief. Indeed, it was fortunate that she had her past experiences; otherwise, she would surely be bewitched by this evildoer! In that moment of thought, the man leisurely approached her and was looking at her with a slight smile. ¡°Apologies for the rudeness of my men that might have startled you!¡± His voice was lazy, like the warm sunshine that fell on the window sill after the snow had fallen, and the wind had subsided in winter. Cai Wei understood, this evildoer was the one Brother Parrot had spoken of, the man who had killed six wild boars by himself. His martial arts were unmatched. At this moment, even though he had a charming smile and appeared like a graceful young master, she felt an inexplicable oppressive feeling. She wondered if it was because she now had the capability to perceive more sensitively due to her control of space. She could actually sense an aura of blood and killing from him ¨C that of one who held control over people¡¯s destinies. Such a person, she did not wish to tangle with, but she was not afraid of him either. She responded with a smile, casually saying: ¡°Young master is being too polite, such minor matters cannot startle me. I wonder when your subordinates will wake up? I usually don¡¯t know how to control my strength, and I hope you will forgive me if I accidentally killed your men.¡± The man was slightly stunned, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t expected such a humble-looking country girl to be so defiant, to dare to challenge him without any fear and even taunt him. He looked at her with increased interest. This girl was only around 12 or 13 years old, with delicate features, innocent like a budding daisy. Even though her clothes were worn, her erect backbone and clear, magnanimous gaze did not exhibit any signs of destitution or inferiority typically seen in the poor, but revealed a refreshing elegance akin to an orchid or bamboo. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± The man asked. Afraid? Afraid my ass! Upon hearing this, Cai Wei almost burst into laughter. I have a divine beast and martial arts skills; what could possibly scare me in this world? So she retorted sarcastically: ¡°Why should I be scared? Because you have more people, or ¨C ¡± As she spoke, she glanced at the guard she had knocked down, ¡°Because your people can fight?¡± You...¡± The several guards blushed in humiliation and glared at this wild girl. ¡°Heh...¡± The man didn¡¯t get angry, but instead laughed, his laugh deep, pure and clear, like a warm sun melting over the snow-covered mountains at dawn. ¡°Humph!¡± She turned her face, so as not to lose herself in that captivating face. Such charms had no effect on her. Now, if she added together her two lifetimes she was over forty, and women of her age wouldn¡¯t be easily swayed by such seduction. Seeing the corners of the man¡¯s lips still raised, she gave a hollow bow and sarcastically said, ¡°You may continue laughing, young master. I have some errands to run, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Then she turned and hurried off. ¡°Master...¡± Seeing her leave, the guards stepped forward, their questioning eyes rested on their master, unsure whether to stop her or not. However, the master did not say a word, so no one dared to act willfully. The man¡¯s laughter ceased as he watched her petite figure. Suddenly, he stomped his foot and flew into the air, shooting out like a sharp arrow. On the mountain path, Cai Wei walked briskly. She was in a hurry to go up the mountain to collect the wild boars and then rush home to fetch water. If she returned late, her mother would worry... Chapter 52 - 52 52 Sparring (2)_1 ?52: Chapter 52 Sparring (2)_1 52: Chapter 52 Sparring (2)_1 Walking on, she suddenly felt an ominous presence approaching from behind. Startled, she spun around to confront it. A man in white approached from the rear, moving through the air like a leopard in the blink of an eye. Cai Wei didn¡¯t dare to slacken. Mustering all her strength, she moved forward to meet him. ¡°Bang!¡± Their fists collided, causing a muffled sound. The man didn¡¯t really want to harm the girl, he was just trying to feel out her martial arts skill and testing her capabilities and thus, he did not use his inner strength, only pretending to throw a punch. However, the girl was hell-bent on defeating him and put all her strength into her fist. Feeling the girl¡¯s fierce efforts, the man didn¡¯t move back. Instead, he casually took her punch with an indifferent smile. ¡°Thud!¡± The disparity in physical strength between a man and a woman, an adult, and a child, was clearly showcased at that moment. After landing on the ground, Cai Wei staggered back a few steps, shaking her reddened hand behind her. Her face turned unusually ugly. She was really naive, she only knew that if she could knock down this evildoer in the white fur, the group of men would retreat. She had forgotten that she was not the invincible person she used to be, trained from a young age to be impervious to swords and guns. The immense pain in her palm made her realize something despairingly: Huaxia Nation¡¯s number one gold medal bodyguard¡ªhad lost in the first move! The man laughingly watched the girl whose face turned exceedingly pale, and said with a gracious smile, ¡°Young lady, you really know how to pack a punch. Do you want to continue?¡± Cai Wei choked, anger welling up inside sharply. Was he mocking her? He clearly attacked first, and now asked her if she wanted to continue fighting, as if she¡¯s the one who picked the fight! Was there no shame in him? However, the fact that she couldn¡¯t beat him held true. She wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to keep confronting him directly. So, she forced a grin, trying to appear relaxed, and said, ¡°I have something to do today, young master. Let¡¯s spar another day.¡± Having said that, she wanted to slip away. However¡ª A white shadow flashed by, the man stood still in front of her, a light smile on his face. ¡°Young lady, although your moves are sharp and your speed is fast, you lack martial arts skills. During the fight, you were relying solely on brute strength. I¡¯m afraid this kind of fighting style...doesn¡¯t hold much weight in the martial arts world...¡± Clenching her fists, her little face turned from pale to red to purple. Finally, she was unable to hold back any longer and said, ¡°Young master, thank you for your kind instructions, I appreciate it. However, I am unfortunately tight on time today and can¡¯t spare the luxury of listening to your teachings. Please allow me to take my leave!¡± The man looked at her stubbornly holding back, a half-smiling expression on his face. On hearing her suddenly speak, he said in a casual tone, ¡°So you¡¯re leaving? Accepting a favor incurs a debt, I¡¯ve given you so much advice, are you willing to return it before you leave?¡± Pop! Cai Wei vomited blood, who wanted his advice? He was the one who shamelessly stopped her and forced the advice onto her. Now, he actually came asking for a favor in return, is there such a shameless person? With these thoughts in mind, she spoke out, ¡°As I recall, I did not ask for your advice!¡± She crossed her arms, her tone frosty. Upon hearing her words, the man shook his head and casually said, ¡°It seems that the young lady is ungrateful, that¡¯s not good!¡± Who was ungrateful? Who owed him a favor? Wasn¡¯t her who was constantly pestering her? Cai Wei widened her eyes, was about to retort, when suddenly a gust of wind blew by, bringing along the scent of Dragon Saliva perfume. Suddenly, her waist tightened. In a blink of an eye, she was in his arms. ¡°You...¡± Cai Wei was dumbfounded, what was he trying to do in broad daylight? The man blinked, his long eyelashes fluttering like a feather fan, and still maintained his gentle and elegant demeanor, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, young lady, I just want to teach you how to return a favor.¡± Upon saying that, the man altered his hand gesture, deftly blocking Cai Wei¡¯s choke point with his wrist. The man applied pressure with his fingertip, and she instantly felt as if all her strength had been drained, falling weakly onto his chest. ¡°What do you want?¡± She grimaced, clenching her teeth, her cheeks ballooning out. With a faint smile, the man leaned over to her ear and softly said, ¡°As long as you obediently take us down the mountain, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you?¡± Chapter 53 - 53 53 Strange Girl (1)_1 ?53: Chapter 53 Strange Girl (1)_1 53: Chapter 53 Strange Girl (1)_1 Chapter 30 The Blue Snow Lotus, born on a plateau 4500 meters above sea level in the far north, grows in the crevices of daunting cliffs. Because of its rarity, few people have seen it. It is said that the flowers of the Blue Snow Lotus are pale blue, tranquil and refined, with an extraordinary fragrance that lingers, leaving an unforgettable impression on those who have smelled it. The Empress Dowager of the Great Jin Kingdom has a love for flowers. Upon hearing of such a rare flower, She sent several people to search the north. After four long years, they finally found one on a foreign snowy mountain cliff and transported it thousands of miles back to the Capital. This treasure of a plant was lovingly nurtured within the Imperial Jade Palace of the Empress Dowager. Five years ago, the Blue Snow Lotus bloomed, its beauty was beyond description, making all the other flowers in the Imperial Garden pale in comparison. What was most astonishing was how the small flower filled the entire Jade Palace with its exotic fragrance for months on end. From that time, Nangong Yi became enamored with the tranquil and refined scent of the Blue Snow Lotus. The moment the girl came into his arms, he was somewhat stunned. This raggedy-dressed maiden had the faint aroma of the Blue Snow Lotus emanating from her body, wisps of it barely discernible... How could that be? How could she have the scent of the Blue Snow Lotus on her body... Mu Caiwei, held captive in the man¡¯s arms, had no clue about his thoughts. She was on the brink of exploding, especially when she saw the man shamelessly sniffing at her neck in full view of everyone. She was so enraged she wished she could knock him flying with one palm. This overbearing, shameless, thick-skinned, cold-hearted rogue, exploiting his physical advantage, dared to demean her in such a way. If she didn¡¯t teach him a lesson, she¡¯d be failing herself and the divine spatial artifact bestowed on her by the heavens! Thinking of this, Caiwei suppressed her raging indignation and put on a scared and pitiful face. Timidly, she lifted her head to look at the man overlooking her, her body visibly shivering. ¡°Young Master, please, please don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll show you the way¡± she pleaded, her voice trembling with a tone of supplication. She looked as though she¡¯d been scared to her core. The guards watched this unfold like a spectacle, disdain and silent mockery in their eyes. The ignorant country girl, thinking that a bit of kungfu allowed her to be arrogant and disrespect everyone, including them. It served her right to get taught a lesson by their master! ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, naturally, I won¡¯t hurt you!¡± Nangong Yi lazily responded, his attention still fixated on her neck. By now, he was completely certain that the scent on her was indeed that of the Blue Snow Lotus. A country girl, yet she had the scent of the Blue Snow Lotus on her! Once he had taken care of important matters, he would certainly look into this girl¡¯s background! ¡°Caw¨C¡± Brother Ying (Brother Parrot) was soaring freely in the vast sky when he received a summons from his master. Sometimes high, sometimes low, quick one moment, slow the next.... It was ecstatic! After being stuck in the space for decades, it finally had a chance to see the world: the sun, the vast lands, to breath the air, to experience the cold. The space was fine, but it¡¯s only three to four acres big. It could fly from one end to the other in a minute, its wings were almost about to degenerate from underuse. And within the space, there was no sun, no night, it was a constant 25 degrees all year round. How could that compare to the vibrant, lively human world? Chang Mei was also making noises, hopping and running in the jungle. After being stuck in the space for so long, everything here was new and exciting to it. ¡°Squeak Squeak, White-haired tiger, come quick, I¡¯ve found a group of wild boars.¡± ¡°Roar¨C¡± After a low growl, the white tiger leapt in from afar. The unfortunate boars, forming a circle around the white monkey and grinding their teeth in anticipation of a meal, had no idea they themselves would be killed in seconds by the white tiger that descended from the sky. Chapter 54 - 54 54 Strange Girl (2)_1 ?54: Chapter 54 Strange Girl (2)_1 54: Chapter 54 Strange Girl (2)_1 After biting through the throat of the last wild boar, the white-haired tiger gave a howl, then went off in search of other prey. Cihai Zhenren, who was a sincere believer in good deeds, had urged him many times to adopt a vegetarian diet. However, for a tiger, eating grass was simply not feasible. Fortunately, Zhenren did not force him; he left some wild rabbits and fish in the space, but the portion was scarce, just enough to keep him alive. When starving, he would occasionally dine on some fruits and greenery, but this was out of absolute necessity, evoking feelings of indignity in him. There were abundant wild animals in the mountains,and it would take quite some time for the tiger to hunt and kill them all; he planned to bring back their bodies. The space had a preservation function; food left there would never spoil, so he could bring back all the wildlife on the mountain and eat it slowly over time. However, as a divine beast, it had to get the master¡¯s permission to bring so many things into the space. As the white-haired tiger was contacting its master through telepathy, it coincidentally received a summons from its master. ¡°Screech¡ª¡ªWhite tiger, the master is being bullied, hurry up!¡± Chang Mei also received the summons from Cai Wei and called out to its companion hurriedly. Still, before it could jump onto the tiger¡¯s back, the white-haired tiger used its strong legs to leap towards the direction of the master¡¯s command and disappeared in the blink of an eye. ¡°Caw Caw Caw...¡± Brother Parrot rejoiced in calamity, ¡°Poor white-haired fella, take your time walking over!¡± Finished speaking, it flapped its wings and flew away in satisfaction! Bai Mei grumbled in anger, baring his teeth, and hurriedly followed. The mountain path was rugged; layers of accumulated snow buried all the dried grass and branches underneath. Every step left footprints that were soon covered by the snowflakes blown by the mountain winds. Cai Wei pretended to be scared and took the lead under the mockery of a few guards. Although her face displayed a terrified expression, she was sneering in her heart. A few reckless fools, laugh as much as you want. The more you laugh now, the more embarrassed you¡¯ll be later! ¡°Roar¡ª¡ª¡± Suddenly, a huge roar, like a rolling thunder from the horizon, echoed from afar, making everyone¡¯s hearts flutter with fear. ¡°Master¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s dangerous¡ª¡ª¡± The guards shouted, dispersing instantly and encircling Nangong Yi. They drew their swords, preparing for battle. At the end of the mountain, The pure white snow swirled around the mountain, in the midst of the snow, a white tiger with glaring eyes leaped into the air with the force of an arrow, howling and rushing toward them. The white tiger was massive, nearly the size of a small mountain, but its movements were lightning-fast. In a blink of an eye, it was directly in front of them. ¡°Master, step back!¡± Several guards screamed, leaping into the air, brandishing their swords while rushing at the giant tiger. These must be the so-called dead men! Cai Wei sneered, finding their blind loyalty ridiculous, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them!¡± She spoke a low warning through her thoughts. She always adhered to principles and never wrongfully used violence or killed innocents. Though these guards were detestable, they didn¡¯t deserve death; she wanted to give them a warning and frighten them, not harm them! Suddenly, A flash of white light appeared before her eyes, followed by the pleasant smell of Dragon Saliva perfume. The next moment, her collar was pulled, and in the blink of an eye she was high up in a tree. She looked up in surprise at the man in white robes. It was unexpected that in a moment of crisis, he would still have the leisure to save her! ¡°Stay here and do not move!¡± He gave a low growl, ignoring her astonished gaze, and made a swift move to jump from the tree. He was somehow now holding a soft sword. At this moment, the six guards were toppled to the ground by the white-haired tiger, just like mice played with by a cat, thrown, pounced upon, dragged, and tossed; the men were in total disarray... Nangong Yi grasped his sword, quietly landing by the giant tiger¡¯s side like a fallen leaf. As the tiger hadn¡¯t yet turned around, he waited for the right moment, aeried a sweeping attack, and thrust his sword directly at the tiger¡¯s heart. ¡°Watch out!¡± She yelled out! Suddenly, A black hidden weapon fell from the sky, aiming straight for Nangong Yi. He was startled and pounced backward, rotating his wrist to redirect his sword to hit the hidden weapon. ¡°Pop!¡± The black hidden weapon was split by the sword, shattering instantly with pieces flying everywhere! Nangong Yi¡¯s mouth twitched, blushing with embarrassment! On the tip of his sword, there was surprisingly a shattered piece of bird droppings! ¡°Ah¡ª¡ªcaw caw caw...!¡± A green parrot crowed and flew over his head. The huge tiger also took the opportunity to turn around, its blood-filled mouth wide open, it roared and then, surprisingly without attacking him, made a roaring leap covering several feet, and sprinted toward the base of the mountain. Following the direction where the tiger was escaping, he noticed the girl, who had somehow gotten down from the tree and was running fast down the mountain road. In the dawn¡¯s soft light, she kicked up swirling snowflakes like a nimble rabbit... The white tiger ran alongside her... The scene was surreal, very aesthetic! Nangong Yi was dumbstruck, he forgot about being lost and forgot about the chase. The deep, slender eyes only retained the aesthetic scene. The girl ran for a while, then stopped suddenly and turned to look at him from afar. Seeing him gazing dumbfounded in her direction, she cupped her hands around her mouth and rolled her eyes at him. Nangong Yi was stunned but then he started laughing, his shoulders shaking with laughter that lingered on... From childhood to adulthood, all the women he knew were either submissive servants, pretentious ladies, or calculated women of the inner house. A bold, genuine girl like this was a first for him. The girl¡¯s attempts to annoy him failed seeing him laughing instead of getting angry, she momentarily lost interest, pouted and made a contemptuous gesture at him. Then, she turned around and ran into the deeper part of the mountain... Chapter 55 - 55 55 Evildoer Enters the Village (1)_1 ?55: Chapter 55: Evildoer Enters the Village (1)_1 55: Chapter 55: Evildoer Enters the Village (1)_1 The vast expanse of Snow Mountain seemed infinite, with stunning ups and downs, peaks, and forest patches all wrapped up in a blanket of snow. There was an austere beauty to its imposing height, and an even more distinguished other-worldly elegance in its sheer precipitousness. Cai Wei rode on the back of the white tiger, darting among the mountains like a streak of lightning. At this moment, her admiration for the white tiger was like a boundless, unstoppable river or an overflowing Yellow River, completely uncontrollable once it started. ¡°Collect!¡± It was her shout, she had lost count how many times she had roared this word. ¡°Swish!¡± Four or five wild boars that had just passed away on the ground vanished instantly. If not for the unfrozen bloodstains on the snowy ground, no one would believe what had just happened. ¡°Oh, ninety-seven boars now!¡± Cai Wei rubbed her stiff arms, patted the back of the white tiger, and grieved, ¡°Great God, how did you manage to kill so many wild boars in such a short time?¡± ¡°Instinct!¡± The white tiger ran without even turning its head, not willing to delay for a moment. In the blink of an eye, they were at another mountain. ¡°Over here, over here...¡± Brother Parrot, flapping his wings and calling out loudly, guided them over. On the ground, there were several freshly-killed prey. ¡°Uh... ninety-eight, ninety-nine, a hundred...Oh my, there¡¯s also a wolf!¡± Cai Wei¡¯s finger stopped in mid-air. ¡°Ah ga ga ga, the big one¡¯s bitten all the wild boars clean, now it has to use the wolves to make up the number!¡± Brother Parrot explained, flying high into the sky. His dark, glossy eyes suddenly widened, flashing golden light as they swept across the rolling mountains like a radar. ¡°There aren¡¯t any left, not a single one. Apart from the few at that silly boy¡¯s place, all the others are with you!¡± The white tiger wagged its tail and gave a low roar, clearly delighted with his hunting spoils! The few wild boars at Jiujin¡¯s were meant as a gift from Cai Wei, to repay their family for their kind hospitality. Jiujin¡¯s family was not well-off. Having gained so many wild boars at once would make life a little easier for them! ¡°Collect!¡± Cai Wei ordered. The items on the ground vanished with a ¡®swish¡¯and disappeared again. In Space The Old Turtle stared at the pig carcasses scattered about and started a thought communication with Cai Wei, filled with deep resentment. ¡°Master, don¡¯t put these bloody things into the space anymore, the space is about to be filled up!¡± Hearing Old Turtle¡¯s complaints, Cai Wei involuntarily imagined the green grasses in the space filled with bloody wild boar corpses. Although these wild boars would ultimately be eaten by the white tiger, how to deal with these horrifying remains? Surely they wouldn¡¯t just discard them everywhere, would they? ¡°Master, unwanted things in the space can be buried in the ground. They will immediately turn into soil, without any decay process,¡± explained the white tiger, sensing Cai Wei¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s interesting.¡± She exclaimed in surprise, discovering yet another magic of the space. After collecting the wild boars, Cai Wei, accompanied by the divine beasts, returned to the space. In the space, the boars had already been tidied up by the slightly obsessive-compulsive Old Turtle and she didn¡¯t find the bloody scene she had anticipated. Brethren Parrot and Bai Mei were hungry after a busy morning and immediately started hunting for food as soon as they entered the space. Cai Wei was also very tired. After accompanying the white tiger to collect wild boars for half of the day, and dealing with the shameless man in white for a long time, she was exhausted. She entered the bamboo house and couldn¡¯t wait to take a bath in the hot spring to alleviate the fatigue in her body. She also cleaned her long hair. Initially, after washing her hair, she planned to sleep in the bedroom. However, Old Turtle claimed that one should not sleep before their hair is fully dry, otherwise the moisture on the head could soak into the brain, which would cause significant harm to the body. Chapter 56 - 56 56 Evildoer Enters the Village (2)_1 ?56: Chapter 56: Evildoer Enters the Village (2)_1 56: Chapter 56: Evildoer Enters the Village (2)_1 She trustingly took the words of the Old Divine Turtle to heart and did not dare to sleep. After wringing out her hair, she ventured into the courtyard and picked a few unknown fruits to eat. The fruits were sweet and crisp. With one bite, she seemed to have regained all her strength and her spirits soared. She lit up and left the small courtyard to take a walk outside. Outside, the tender green grass was still lush, and the small stream was babbling. The only difference was that there were tender buds sprouting in many places where Bai Mei had begun to plant early in the morning. She was once again in awe of the magic of this space. It was indeed a land for gods and immortals, where life could grow freely against the natural order. It was really breathtaking. Observing the seedlings, an idea suddenly sprang to her mind: since the soil and stream water here are full of spiritual energy, why not move some of this soil to her home and plant some cabbage there? In the depths of winter, having cabbage to eat could be considered quite a luxury. More importantly, it would be greatly beneficial for the health of her whole family! Once she had made up her mind, she stepped out of the space. It was now past noon, and the sun was at its zenith. The warm sunlight shone on the serene and bare mountain, laying a faint golden layer over the silver-clad mountain. Cai Wei looked at the daylight and couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of regret. She shouldn¡¯t have lingered in the space for that long. Her mother must be anxiously waiting for her. When she goes back, she¡¯s bound to get an earful. Sneaking back to the village, she secretly pulled out her family¡¯s water bucket from the space and pretended to fetch a bit of water from the well. She planned to add the water from Lingxi river when she was close to home. As she passed her eldest cousin¡¯s, Mu Caiping¡¯s house, she saw Mu Caiping wearing a peach red jacket, looking out over the top of a wall. Seeing her, Mu Caiping energetically waved at her, seemingly forgetting about the unpleasantness between their two families. ¡°Sister, come over here. I have something to ask you.¡± Cai Wei knew she wasn¡¯t a good person and didn¡¯t want to bother with her. Pretending not to hear, she picked up her pace and walked away. ¡°Hey, wait...¡± Mu Caiping called anxiously and hurried after her, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t leave, wait for me.¡± Cai Wei stopped and turned around to look at her coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t our families agree not to have any dealings with each other? What are you bothering me for?¡± Mu Caiping hesitated and said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. I just want to ask you one thing. If you tell me, I won¡¯t bother you anymore, okay?¡± Mu Caiping was used to bossing the second room family around and seldom behaved in such a humble way. Cai Wei suspiciously raised an eyebrow at her, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Mu Caiping looked around and lowered her voice, ¡°Sister, I want to know, who were those people Zhou Jiujin brought back?¡± Jiujin had brought people back? This news startled Cai Wei, her thoughts involuntarily turned to the person Jiujin was most likely to encounter on the mountain. She anxiously asked, ¡°Did you see it with your own eyes? What kind of people are they?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Mu Caiping blushed, holding her handkerchief and softly saying, ¡°It¡¯s a rich young master wearing a white fox fur, with several attendants around him!¡± Hearing this, Cai Wei couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh, ¡®Oh no, that evildoer has entered the village. He¡¯s such a petty person. If he were bumped into, what would happen?¡¯ ¡°Sister¡± Mu Caiping moved closer, her face covered in cheap powder almost touching hers, her voice as thin as a mosquito¡¯s, ¡°Sister, do you know who the young master in the white fur is? How old is he? Where is his family? Who else is in his family? Can he, can he, get... married...¡± Chapter 57 - 57 57 Cai Pings Worries (1)_1 ?57: Chapter 57 Cai Ping¡¯s Worries (1)_1 57: Chapter 57 Cai Ping¡¯s Worries (1)_1 Pop! Cai Wei almost burst out laughing! She stepped back a bit, clearing her nose from the cheap perfume smell. No wonder her beloved cousin suddenly became so friendly, enthusiastically chatting away. It turned out that her heart was fluttering like Red Luan Star must be moving! She was smitten with the man dressed in white fur! However, it was clear at a glance that the man was not only stunningly handsome but also highly unreachable. His single white fur alone could sell for thousands of gold. His attendants were also all extraordinary. Such an outstanding and high-status man was far from the reach of her cousin, Mu Caiping, a simple village girl with no talent, beauty, or virtues. Was she thinking too highly of herself? But these brutal truths, she would never say to her. Even if she did, her cousin wouldn¡¯t listen and would only think she was trying to harm her and obstruct her chance for a fated marriage! Seeing Cai Wei only smiling without saying anything, Mu Caiping anxiously hustled while wringing her handkerchief. ¡°Big Sister, you better say something!¡± In the past, she always thought Jiujin was the most handsome man under heaven, with his bushy eyebrows, large eyes, and strong build. Even though she knew he fancied Cai Wei, she never gave up trying to get closer to him and win his favor. Only today, when she saw the unmatched young master arriving from the western village, did she realize the truth of the saying that ¡°there are always better people out there, and there¡¯s always the sky beyond the sky.¡± Jiujin, next to this gentleman, appeared like a contrast between heaven and earth. This stark comparison caused her years of admiration for Jiujin to disappear instantly, running off to Java. As the young master draped in white fur leisurely walked among the crowd, everyone and everything else, including the sky and the earth, blurred around him. It seemed as if he was the only person between heaven and earth. Seeing this, Mu Caiping¡¯s heart fluttered without stop, forgetting all the house rules and the reservation of a young woman, ready to abandon everything to follow him if he slightly beckoned her. Seeing how eager Mu Caiping was, Cai Wei covered the laughter on her lips and said lightly, ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disappoint you, as I know nothing about it.¡± ¡°How can you not know? Your house is so close to Jiujin¡¯s house, how is it possible that you don¡¯t know?¡± Mu Caiping was getting anxious. She had been waiting impatiently for such a long time and finally found someone who might have some information about that young master. How could she let go so easily? Seeing her flustered cousin, Cai Wei causally said, ¡°Why should I know? I¡¯m a maiden of good reputation. How could I dig around for a man¡¯s affairs? If this gets out, wouldn¡¯t it make people think I¡¯m a shameless and frivolous girl? The risk is not worth it, I won¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Mu Caiwei, you...¡± Mu Caiping¡¯s face turned red with anger. She pointed at Cai Wei but could not find the words. She knew Cai Wei was indirectly criticizing her for being immodest, making fun of her for prying into a man¡¯s affairs. Yet she could say nothing in response because if others heard them arguing about this, where could she hide her face! ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Cai Wei looked at her, smiling in a way that was maddingly infuriating. ¡°You...You just wait, humph!¡± Mu Caiping stomped her foot angrily and stormed away! After successfully getting rid of Mu Caiping, Cai Wei enjoyed a moment of joy, which was soon disrupted by the evildoer¡¯s arrival in the village. What was he doing here? She hoped she wouldn¡¯t run into him! With these thoughts in mind, she lowered her head and hurried home. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t see anyone along the way. Just before entering the house, she glanced in the direction of Jiujin¡¯s home. Through the fence, she could only see a bunch of dark heads, unable to tell who they were. Fearful of being seen by him, she quickly lowered her head, and swiftly entered her house. Chapter 58 - 58 58 Cai Pings Worries (2)_1 ?58: Chapter 58 Cai Ping¡¯s Worries (2)_1 58: Chapter 58 Cai Ping¡¯s Worries (2)_1 Walking into the kitchen with the water bucket, Cai Wei poured water into the jar, adding a bit of Lingxi River¡¯s water as well. After finishing, she straightened up and listened to the movement in the room. Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t hear her mother¡¯s nagging or complaints, which was quite a shock. Upon entering the main room, she found that her mother wasn¡¯t home, nor were Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er. Only Cai Fei was in the room. At this moment, Cai Fei was sitting at the kang table, sewing underpants for Wu¡¯er. With her head slightly lowered, her face appeared serene and distant, a far cry from the aggressive demeanor she displayed when she had thrown her basket of needle and thread at Lady Li that day! In fact, her younger sister was a gentle and delicate girl at heart. It was the harsh life that had shaped her into this aggressive and daring appearance! Thinking this, Cai Wei felt a pang of heartache. Once she earned money, she would definitely make her younger sister live like a lady from an important family, tasting tea, embroidering flowers, playing chess, and reciting poetry every day... Cai Fei noticed her elder sister. She put down her work, beaming cheerfully, ¡°Older Sister, why are you standing there so silently? You didn¡¯t even let me know that you were back.¡± Cai Wei replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you seeing how focused you were. Come, let me see how well you¡¯re improving with your embroidery.¡± She stepped over, sat on the edge of the kang, and began to examine the finished little underpants. Fei¡¯er¡¯s needlework was basic and her embroidery was not good, but she was serious. The stitches in Wu¡¯er¡¯s small underpants were even and neatly arranged. She even intentionally made it a size larger, stitching up the bottom of the pants so that when he grew bigger, they could be let out for him to continue wearing. ¡°Mmm, the work Fei¡¯er did is really good-looking! In the future, you will certainly be someone who is skillful and thoughtful!¡± Cai Wei praised. Hearing her older sister¡¯s praise, Fei¡¯er was very pleased. She took out a pair of shoe tops and belly wrap and asked Cai Wei to make remarks on them. Cai Wei looked at the shoes and belly wrap. Both were embroidered with a design of a rich and noble peony. Although the embroidery was not very good, one could see that she had put a lot of thought into it. The peony petals were gradient-colored, making them seem realistic and vibrant! ¡°You¡¯ve really done the embroidery beautifully. It almost matches the work of the embroiderers in the embroidery village.¡± She insincerely complimented. Cai Fei modestly said, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as what older sister is saying. My skill is just the most basic. The best embroiderers can embroider different patterns on both sides of a piece of cloth. Ah! One day, when I can learn that craft, then it would be really good!¡± The technique Fei¡¯er mentioned was the well-known double-sided embroidery, the top-tier embroidery skill. Most people who have this skill work in the Palace¡¯s Embroidery Bureau, and it is rarely seen among the common folk. Cai Wei found it strange. In such a closed and backward northern mountain village, there were very few who knew about double-sided embroidery. How would a small child like Fei¡¯er know about such a high-end craft? ¡°Who did you hear about double-sided embroidery from?¡± Cai Fei said, ¡°Of course I heard it from mother!¡± After speaking, she seemed to remember something and said, ¡°Right, Older sister went to fetch water, why did it take you so long to come back? Mother has been nagging about it. If Aunt Zhou hadn¡¯t come to take mother away, she was going to go out and look for you!¡± ¡°What did Aunt Zhou want with our mother?¡± Cai Wei was puzzled. Wasn¡¯t Aunt Zhou supposed to stay home and attend to their noble guest? Upon hearing her sister¡¯s inquiry, Cai Fei immediately became excited with curiosity and gossip, ¡°Aunt Zhou¡¯s house has visitors, who Brother Jiujin met on the mountain. According to Aunt Zhou, each of them is tall and strong, with apparent high status! Aunt Zhou ran out of tea and came to borrow some from mother, also having mother help with the cooking at her house!¡± Tea! Cai Wei clutched her chest and anxiously asked, ¡°What kind of tea did mother bring over?¡± Fei¡¯er pointed at the large bowl on the corner of the table, saying, ¡°Our house doesn¡¯t have any real tea, just the flower tea that Older Sister bought. Mother said that our flower tea tastes very good and those nobles would certainly like it, so she took some flower tea.¡± Chapter 59 - 59 59 Good Tea_1 ?59: Chapter 59 Good Tea_1 59: Chapter 59 Good Tea_1 Cai Wei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, a faint unease creeping over her. The flowers, painstakingly selected from all over the world by Cihai Zhenren, were planted in the courtyard and each variety was a rare and exceptional treasure. That evildoer was a man of wealth who would have certainly seen many extraordinary things in the world. If he recognised even one or two of the flowers, wouldn¡¯t that invite trouble? While she was lost in thought, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the courtyard. With an increasing rumble, her mother, Lady Du, burst into the room, with Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er following close behind. Upon entering, Lady Du joyfully exclaimed, ¡°Wei¡¯er, you¡¯ve made another great contribution to our family. The flower tea you bought was given by me to a distinguished guest from Jiujin¡¯s house. That young master found the tea tasteful and offered to buy our flower tea with one hundred taels of silver!¡± After speaking, she took out a silver bill marked with a large red stamp from her bosom and carefully placed it on the kang table between the sisters. ¡°Wow, is this a silver bill? That¡¯s a lot of money!¡± Cai Fei was surprised and delighted, her eyes wide. She slowly stroked the three large characters ¡°One Hundred Taels¡± on the silver bill while trembling with excitement. However, Cai Wei didn¡¯t have the mind to focus on the numbers written on the silver bill. She grabbed her mother¡¯s hand and said urgently, ¡°Mother, we can¡¯t sell it!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we sell it?¡± Without hesitation, Lady Du pulled away her hand and took out a small bag filled with flower tea from beneath the kang table. Cai Wei was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t possibly admit that this flower tea was a unique and invaluable rarity across the entire world. If she did, wouldn¡¯t she expose the secret of her space? Thinking hard, she blurted out a feeble rationale, ¡°Father always advised us to be fair and honest. We bought this stuff for three copper coins. How can we sell it for a hundred taels? Isn¡¯t that equivalent to swindling? It¡¯s better not to sell it!¡± Lady Du, laughing, poked Cai Wei¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°How innocent of you! Do you really believe that I am the type of person who gets blinded by greed? I have already told that young master the original price of the flower tea, it was he who insisted on paying a hundred taels. I had to accept, reluctantly, so as not to be impolite.¡± Saying this, she folded the silver bill, put it back into her bosom, picked up the flower tea, and stepped outside. ¡°Um, mum...¡± Cai Wei attempted to stop her, but it was futile. Her mother, carrying the small bag of flower tea, left swiftly like a gust of wind. ¡°Older sister...¡± Wu¡¯er gently shook Cai Wei¡¯s arm, and softly said, ¡°Older sister, I¡¯m hungry!¡± ¡°Little glutton!¡± Cai Wei chided. In her mind, she thought, perhaps, that evildoer wouldn¡¯t recognize these flowers. After all, flowers were more of a pastime for women while they had nothing to do in the private quarters. That evildoer, being a man with worldly ambitions, might not pay attention to such flowers and plants. Even if he recognised them, there might not be any consequences. If he ever grew suspicious, all she had to do was claim she bought them from street vendors. There was nothing he could do to her. With these thoughts, she calmed her nerves, stepped into the kitchen, and started cooking meticulously for the child. However, Fei¡¯er was still savoring the joy of their unexpected fortune. She caught hold of Wen¡¯er and asked, ¡°Who exactly was it that can casually afford to spend a hundred taels?¡± Wen¡¯er took a moment to think and then, using her limited vocabulary, described, ¡°He was a very handsome young master, even better looking than the Erlang god statue in the temple. And, he was wearing a big white, fluffy cloak. He was so imposing!¡± White and fluffy! In the kitchen, Mu Caiwei almost burst out laughing when she heard this description. If that flirtatious evildoer knew his grand cloak would be given such a comical review, she wondered if he would still wear it in public! At this moment, in the western part of Mu Family Village The courtyard of Zhou Laowu¡¯s house was packed to the brim with villagers who came to see the spectacle. They were all talking and pointing... At the entrance, two high and expressionless guards were stationed, preventing any bystanders from getting close. In fact, the guards were overly cautious. The villagers weren¡¯t particularly interested in the master inside the house, what sparked their fascination were the wild boars strewn haphazardly about the courtyard. These wild boars had died horrific deaths: some were choked to death by severed windpipes; some had half of their heads blatantly bitten off; others bled to death without a fatal injury on them... According to Jiujin, a gigantic white-eyed tiger the size of a donkey had appeared on the rear mountain. The tiger was not only massive but extremely vicious, and it was this creature that had killed the wild boars. Jiujin stumbled upon the scene and, after running into some friends on the mountain, they had helped him carry the boars back... ¡°My goodness, the Zhou family really has good luck. Look at these wild boars, they could sell for at least seventy to eighty taels of silver!¡± ¡°What good fortune? Didn¡¯t you hear? A tiger has appeared on the rear mountain. From now on, they won¡¯t be able to go hunting on the mountain. Their livelihood has been cut off. Where¡¯s the good fortune in that?¡± ¡°What does it matter if it¡¯s been cut off? Now that they have the capital from these seven or eight pigs, they can change their job. Who knows, they might even become prosperous...¡± ¡°All said and done, it¡¯s their good luck. Not only did they run into a tiger without getting hurt, but they also scored such a huge profit for free, and even received help from a wealthy person. It truly is envy-inducing...¡± The crowd was discussing excitedly, all with looks of envy on their faces. Inside the room Nangong Yi had already taken off his white fox fur cloak. Dressed in a green sword-sleeve re-entrant pattern brocade cotton robe, he was sitting inside Zhou¡¯s simple hall, smiling faintly as he gazed at the blooming flower in his teacup. Green Manzi, a unique flower presented as a tribute from the Qu Luo Kingdom, had a magical whitening and beautifying effect. Although not as rare as the Blue Snow Lotus, only the Empress Dowager, Imperial Mother, and Jin Guifei, the three women highest ranking in the palace, each received a pot. Yang, who loved beauty, begged her mother for a Green Manzi but didn¡¯t manage to obtain it. In the end, he stepped in to ask his mother for it on her behalf. Hence, he recognized this flower! He had seen the woman who served this flower tea, she looked quite similar to the girl, about eighty to ninety percent. According to what the woman said, her daughter bought the flower tea for three copper coins in the town. It seemed that the cunning girl had kept her mother in the dark... Hehe, how interesting! On one side, Zhou Laowu was anxiously accompanying him, a humble smile forced onto his dark face. He was muttering, unsure of what to talk about with this intimidating and noble young master. This young master was gentle, polite, and approachable, but somehow, once he met the young master¡¯s lazy and casual smiling eyes, he felt inexplicably scared, being totally unable to breathe like being weighed down by a boulder, which made him tongue-tied with nerves. ¡°Yo... Young master... please... drink... tea...¡± Zhou Laowu stammered in a stumble, trying to converse with the man, imitating the rich men he had seen in the restaurants in the town. Nangong Yi lifted his eyes and glanced at Zhou Laowu, who was so nervous that he was stuttering, and smiled warmly: ¡°The taste of this flower tea is superb, it truly is rare to find such a good tea!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Sister Wei has always been careful and that¡¯s how she managed to buy such good tea...¡± Zhou Laowu clumsily replied. Nangong Yi, hearing that, smiled with his eyes lowered! So, the girl was called Sister Wei! Chapter 60 - 60 60 Opening a Store(1)_1 ?60: Chapter 60: Opening a Store(1)_1 60: Chapter 60: Opening a Store(1)_1 The sun had just passed its zenith and was gradually setting in the west. Mu Family Village was enveloped in a gentle evening glow. Above the village, smoke from cooking fires rose and spread, each family starting to prepare dinner. After helping with the cooking at the Zhou family, Lady Du returned to her own home. Even before she entered the courtyard, she could smell the thick aroma of grilled meat in the air. When she entered the main room, she found her children, all lively and excited, gathered around a charcoal basin. Her eldest daughter was holding a few long, dry branches that had chunks of meat skewered onto them, roasting over the charcoal fire. While roasting, she fanned the fire and occasionally sprinkled some seasonings on the meat. When the children saw Lady Du had returned, they joyfully called out, ¡°Mother, come and try these meat skewers. The ones that our eldest sister has grilled smell so good!¡± Drawn by the irresistible aroma, Lady Du walked over and sat down with Wu¡¯er in her arms, curiously asking, ¡°What is this for?¡± While fanning the fire, Cai Wei handed over a freshly grilled skewer and said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t ask. Just taste it and see if it¡¯s good or not.¡± Lady Du took it. Seeing that the meat on the skewer was roasted to a crisp, tender golden brown, with various spices wrapped around it, glossy from the oils released, and the tantalizing aroma wafting towards her, it made her mouth water, her appetite heightened! She took a bite and was instantly hit with the taste. Such flavour, it felt heavenly, a rarity to come by in the mortal world! ¡°Hmm, delicious!¡± Lady Du, who usually did not care much for food, showed a look of surprise. The children each held a skewer, eating big bites, little mouths glistening with oil. As Lady Du finished a skewer, finding it incredibly delicious, she asked, ¡°What is this? Why is it so tasty?¡± Cai Wei simply replied, ¡°Grilled skewers!¡± Somehow baffled, Lady Du asked, ¡°How did you figure this out?¡± Cai Wei, keeping a straight face, said, ¡°Just something I thought about when I had nothing to do. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this delicious!¡± Then carelessly adding, ¡°Mother, have the people from the Zhou family left yet?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, they¡¯ve gone. The horse carriage that Uncle Zhou rented for them was from your uncle¡¯s house. They said they were going to town!¡± Upon hearing Cai Wei mentioning this topic, Lady Du started to talk more. ¡°We were so lucky today. Running into that nobleman, we got a whole hundred taels of silver for free. Our family will be able to be more comfortable now. That young master was really generous, not just to me; he also rewarded Aunt Zhou with a hundred taels of silver. Oh! That¡¯s right, he ate your crystal jelly and praised it to the skies, even wanting to meet you! But your mother thought, we may be poor, but it¡¯s not good for a girl to easily meet with strangers, so I refused him!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Cai Wei sighed relievedly. She thought to herself: Good thing he¡¯s gone. As for whether that evildoer praises her or not, she doesn¡¯t care at all. As for wanting to meet her, she hopes she won¡¯t ever see him again in her life! Women do love to chatter, her mother was no exception. Due to the good mood, she started becoming gabby, ¡°Did you know? There¡¯s a tiger in the mountain behind us. Your Uncle Zhou and Jiu Jin decided to stop hunting and are now planning to look for a new way to make a living...¡± While mumbling, Lady Du had eaten several big skewers. If not for the fear of overeating at night, she would have certainly eaten more. Upon hearing her mother¡¯s words, Cai Wei stopped her actions and asked, ¡°Does mother know what Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou plan to do for a living?¡± Lady Du said, ¡°The family is still discussing it, they haven¡¯t decided yet!¡± Just as the mother and daughter were talking, Aunt Zhou¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the door, ¡°Sister Du, are you home?¡± ¡°Oh! Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Your Aunt Zhou is here, your mother will go open the door!¡± She said and stood up, heading out to welcome her visitor. Chapter 61 - 61 61 Opening a Store(2)_1 ?61: Chapter 61: Opening a Store(2)_1 61: Chapter 61: Opening a Store(2)_1 As Aunt Zhou walked in, she sniffed non-stop before exclaiming loudly, ¡°Wow, this smells delicious! What tasty dish are you making?¡± Jiujin, standing behind her with a load of firewood on his shoulder and a large chunk of wild boar meat in his hand, stole glances at Cai Wei¡¯s direction. Lady Du laughed, ¡°What could it be? It¡¯s Wei¡¯er, the girl, who, instead of boiling the meat in a pot like a normal person, insists on skewering it on dry branches and roasting it over charcoal fire.¡± While her words were half-hearted, her face was filled with smiles. She was proud of her daughter¡¯s creativity and craftsmanship! ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re here. Come and try this and see if it tastes good!¡± Cai Wei stood up and handed a skewer of roasted meat to Aunt Zhou, and also quietly gave one to Jiujin. Jiujin, blushing, accepted it. He was a little shy as he brought the skewer to his mouth. Before he could take a bite, he heard his mother exclaim in surprise, ¡°Wow, this is so delicious! How can it be so delicious! I¡¯ve never tasted something this good before...¡± Cai Wei, fanning the fire, casually asked, ¡°Aunt, do you think if we open a shop selling these meat skewers, will the business be booming?¡± ¡°Of course, it will be booming! It will definitely be booming!¡± Aunt Zhou hastened to swallow the last piece of meat from the skewer, licking her lips with satisfaction. Cai Wei handed her another skewer and asked nonchalantly, ¡°If it really takes off, how about our two families start a barbecue shop together? What do you think, Aunt?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Aunt Zhou slapped her thigh in excitement, saying, ¡°Such delicious food will definitely sell like hotcakes, I bet we could even put the tavern in town out of business, hahaha...¡± Jiujin tasted the skewer and looked surprised. He originally thought that opening a shop wasn¡¯t a small matter and wondered why his mother agreed so quickly without discussing with his father. After taking a bite of the skewer, he immediately felt the same as his mother ¡ª opening a meat skewer shop would certainly be profitable; they might even make a fortune! Lady Du was a modest woman who seldom expressed her own ideas, but after tasting her daughter¡¯s skewers, she gained inexplicable confidence. If their family could open a skewer shop, they would definitely attract wealth. With money in the house, her husband could concentrate on his studies and wouldn¡¯t have to run all over the place for a few taels of silver. Their daughters were also reaching marriageable age. If the shop made money, wouldn¡¯t it take care of their daughters¡¯ dowries and their sons¡¯ school fees...? Now that the matter was basically settled, Cai Wei roasted another batch of skewers and handed them to Aunt Zhou, saying, ¡°Take these skewers home for Uncle Zhou to try. If Uncle Zhou agrees, we can go into town tomorrow to find a place. Each of our families will contribute equally to the shop¡¯s cost. We¡¯ll keep clear accounts of all expenses so we can continue our partnership in the long run!¡± ¡°Good, good, good.¡± Aunt Zhou repeatedly agreed, ¡°Wei¡¯er, you really think things through. Clearly, you are a scholar¡¯s daughter!¡± In fact, Cai Wei could open a shop herself. But with her father not at home, it seemed unrealistic for her mother to take a few children to open a shop in town. With the Zhou family as cover, the opening of the shop would naturally go smoothly. Moreover, the main thing is, once the shop is open, the family would move to town, making it more convenient for her to care for the nursing homes and enter the space. Aunt Zhou didn¡¯t stay long and went back with the skewers Cai Wei had roasted. She also talked about their joint venture. Zhou Laowu was hesitant at first, but after tasting the skewers, he immediately endorsed the plan without hesitation! Chapter 62 - 62 62 Thoughts of the First Wife_1 ?62: Chapter 62: Thoughts of the First Wife_1 62: Chapter 62: Thoughts of the First Wife_1 In the chilling wind, the desolate and remote frontier town welcomed yet another black night. Under the moonlight, the crunching of horse hooves and the rolling of carriage wheels gradually approached from a distance, the sound becoming louder. An ordinary two-wheeled horse carriage gradually appeared from within the darkened dusk, slowly entering the small town, and halted in an alley. ¡°Exhale¡ª¡ª¡± The coachman reined in the horse carriage, turning and unctuously called out towards the carriage cabin, ¡°Young Master, we are here!¡± The wind whirled, the curtain lifted, and two servants in dark brocade clothes leapt out, landing silently on the ground. Then they took off, quickly surveying the alley like the wind. Returning to the side of the carriage, they respectfully addressed the carriage cabin, ¡°Master, please step out!¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± A languid reply came from inside the carriage, a voice more languid than the night breeze. A servant stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain. The night was dark and filled with pervasive snow. An elegant gentleman adorned in brocade and white fur elegantly stepped out, like a pear blossom blooming in the night, beauty incarnate, yet overly enchanting. Taking one step, the man lifted his expressive eyes, speaking softly, ¡°Tell him!¡± Before Mu Zhongli could understand what was happening, he was grabbed and drawn into the carriage cabin by two tall and burly guards. A knife gleaming with cold light was placed horizontally on his neck, sending shivers down his spine, and the tone of the guards was even colder, ¡°Listen well, you are not to speak of our arrival here today to anyone, otherwise...¡± Raising his hand, the half-foot-long knife was flashed past his ear, fiercely embedding into the carriage wall. Mu Zhongli, mere peasant folk, had never witnessed such a scenario before. The moment the blade grazed his ear, his eyes rolled back, and he promptly fainted. ¡°Useless!¡± Sneering, the guard somersaulted out of the carriage, following his master He had no idea how much time had passed Mu Zhongli awoke, snapped awake by the freezing cold. At that time, the night was already deep, the horse, having stood for who knows how long, was restlessly snorting and pawing at the ground. He got up in a panic, pulled back the carriage curtain and looked all around. Seeing no one, he crawled out from the cabin and, whipping the horse, sped off as if in flight. Damn his rotten luck! Seeing the elegantly dressed, mannerly and considerate young master, he thought they would be pleasant to work with. Expecting an abundant tip in return for his diligent service throughout the journey. Never would he have thought, after reaching the destination, he didn¡¯t receive a single copper coin! Moreover, he nearly lost his life. What the heck was going on! He finally returned to the village when it was close to the Hai hour. He returned home disheartened, only to find the entire family was still awake, waiting for him with an oil lamp lit, an unprecedented event. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back!¡± Seeing Mu Zhongli, Cai Ping quickly poured a cup of hot tea and greeted him. Her gaze darted around, she seemed restless, but said nothing. Mu Zhongli was in low spirits, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to his daughter¡¯s mood. He snatched the teacup, gulped down the tea, his face darkened, then shoved the teacup back to his daughter. Lady Li noticed his gloomy face, which certainly didn¡¯t indicate a handsome tip. Probingly, she asked, ¡°What happened? Could it be you received no tip?¡± Mu Zhongli glared at his wife fiercely, spat, and cursed, ¡°Ignorant woman, always making mountains out of molehills. Because of you, I made a wasted trip, and almost lost my life to boot!¡± Lady Mu Bai says in surprise, ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Having a big exhale, Mu Zhongli plops down on the edge of the Kang. He didn¡¯t bother hiding anything and recounted the threat he faced in town from start to end. Pointing at Lady Li¡¯s face in the end, he angrily scolded, ¡°It¡¯s all your goddamn fault, you cheap woman, spouting nonsense, almost got my head chopped off.¡± Fearful of her husband, Lady Li quickly replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to blabber nonsense. I heard it myself outside the Zhou family¡¯s window. Not only did I hear it, but the wife of Mu¡¯s third son also heard it. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask her. The young master really rewarded the Zhou family with a hundred taels of silver, and even our second room got a hundred taels!¡± ¡°Enough, it¡¯s late at night, stop the noise!¡± Mu Liankui grumbles while tapping his smoking pipe, ¡°So what if we did not receive a reward, the second room did, and ultimately it is our Mu family¡¯s silver! What¡¯s there to argue about?¡± Mu Chongfu says with a sarcastic smile, ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯re treating the second room as family. But they might not appreciate it. Didn¡¯t they exploit our shortcomings and cut ties with us a few days ago?¡± Mu Liankui snorts, ¡°They can¡¯t decide whether to cut ties or not. I have my own plans once your second brother returns!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, when the second brother comes back, he must divorce that slut!¡± Thinking about the jealousy and envy, Lady Bai bared her teeth in frustration, which caused her old face to twist even more. Lady Li said with a sarcastic smile, ¡°Look at what mother is saying, you have been trying to make the second brother divorce his wife for long, but the second brother just can¡¯t bear to do it.¡± These words hit a nerve with the old lady, causing her to flare up in anger, ¡°It¡¯s all that unknown, slutty woman¡¯s fault. She seduced my second son. Just wait and see, one day, she will be kicked out of our Mu family, along with her bastard child, and then it¡¯ll be quiet!¡± Mu Caiping said, ¡°Grandma, if the second aunt doesn¡¯t do anything that violates the seven virtues, the second uncle will not divorce her unless the second aunt commits an indiscretion. The second uncle values his reputation, only then would he be forced to divorce her!¡± Everyone went silent at her words. After a while, Mu Liankui started to chuckle, ¡°Never thought our little Ping¡¯er has such insight. That¡¯s right, if we want the second brother to change his mind, we must find a way to ruin that woman¡¯s reputation!¡± Under the lamp Lady Du sneezes out of nowhere, and Cai Wei says, ¡°Mother, we have to go to town early tomorrow, so we should rest now!¡± Lady Du, looking down, works her needle to finish a pink Jacket. ¡°I don¡¯t feel sleepy, just few stitches to go, once your jacket is ready, you can wear it to town tomorrow so you won¡¯t feel cold.¡± Cai Fei holds up the shoe upper and soles, smiling, ¡°I will take advantage of the night to finish your embroidered shoes, sister. When you wear your new clothes and shoes to town tomorrow, you¡¯ll look stunning!¡± Seeing their determination, Cai Wei didn¡¯t dare to discourage them further, afraid that she would be instructed by the mother to learn this so-called female workers¡¯ craft. She thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to prepare tomorrow¡¯s breakfast.¡± In the kitchen, there¡¯s plenty of food that Cai Wei had bought at the market from the money she got selling the wild boar. She looked around, and finally set her eyes on sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes, also known as Red Yams or commonly called yams, are foods that supplement the body, promote Qi and produce saliva. Most importantly, they help in breast enlargement! Cai Wei was already thirteen years old, yet her body was still flat as a washboard, with no signs of development. Looking at her small body and recalling the curvaceous body of her past life, she felt somewhat disappointed. Of course, disappointment was temporary and improvement was key! She picked out a few sweet potatoes and steamed them in the pot. While steaming the sweet potatoes, she went inside to check up on her hidden space only to be shocked by what she found! Chapter 63 - 63 63 - Accidental Encounter (1)_1 ?63: Chapter 63 ¨C Accidental Encounter (1)_1 63: Chapter 63 ¨C Accidental Encounter (1)_1 Between steaming the sweet potatoes, she took a quick peek into the Space and was startled at what she saw. Who knew that the things she¡¯d planted in the morning had all started to grow? A few of the crops with extremely short growth cycles had already grown half a foot tall. The patch appeared lush and vibrant, pleasing to the eye. She sauntered through the field, heartily breathing the fresh air and engaging in a brief bout of aerobic exercise. She felt extremely gratified. After lingering a little, she headed for the little courtyard and picked some fruits to eat. She had to admit, the fruit trees Master Cihai had planted were truly one in a million earthly delicacies. A few random fruits were enough to leave a fragrant taste lingering on her lips, the aftertaste was long-lasting! After ambling around for a while, she estimated that the sweet potatoes should be cooked and flashed out of the Space back into the kitchen. Lifting the lid, she found that the sweet potatoes were cooked through. She picked the sweet potatoes out, peeled them, pounded them into a pulp with a pestle, poured in a small amount of glutinous rice flour, sugar frosting and a certain proportion of flour while it was still hot, mixed it evenly with a spoon, and pinched it into small pancakes. Once they were made, she laid out the mooncake-sized pancakes on a chopping board, ready to be fried golden brown on both sides with oil in the morning. Having prepared the sweet potato cakes, a delighted voice drifted out from the main house. ¡°Wei¡¯er, come here, try your new jacket!¡± Cai Wei wiped her hands and hurried out of the kitchen to see her mother holding a pink fine cotton jacket, smiling happily. ¡°Come here, try it on for mother, let¡¯s see how handsome my Wei¡¯er looks!¡± Cai Wei was utterly thrilled, and swiftly stripped off her old cotton-padded jacket that revealed black cotton wadding, took the new jacket from her mother¡¯s hands, carefully put it on, a glow of excitement painted on her face as if she were happier than wearing a limited edition, luxurious evening gown from her past life! As soon as the new jacket was on, a warm sensation instantly surged through her body. She curved her lips into a smile, spun a circle inside the room, and cheerfully asked, ¡°Do I look good?¡± ¡°You look great, you really do!¡± Her mother heartily praised, her eyes filled with satisfaction and a trace of profound emotion! As if she saw in them her own youthful days when she had danced and dazzled the world with her nation-falling beauty! ¡°Older Sister looks so handsome in her new jacket!¡± Cai Fei, standing on the side, was struck dumb. She felt that her sister, who used to wear a patched-up, earth-coloured old jacket, and this maiden in a pink jacket were like two entirely different people! ¡°People judge by appearances just as Buddha is valued due to his golden dress!¡± Lady Du replied, reaching out to take another shoe face beside Cai Fei, ¡°Come on, mother will help you. If we finish them earlier, you can wear all new attire to town tomorrow.¡± ... Very early the next day, as soon as before daybreak, Cai Wei woke up and went to the kitchen to fry the sweet potato cakes. As she would be returning home late with her mother today, she had to prepare an entire day¡¯s worth of meals for the children. In addition, she wanted to bring a portion for Brother Ying, Chang Mei and Old Turtle each; she had deliberately prepared a lot the previous night. It would likely take a very long time to finish frying them all. She bent over and knelt, frying by the side of the pot nearly all morning, but eventually, she finished frying a thick stack of sweet potato cakes. Straightening her back, she wiped the sweat droplets off her forehead. The stack of cakes was around twenty or thirty sheets in total, golden, oily, and aromatic. They looked incredibly appetising. Once done with the cakes, she cooked two bowls of tender egg custard. One bowl was sent into the Space, and the other was left for her own family to eat. Once she was done, she gently woke her mother up. Last night, her mother was up until the late night to finish her new shoes, barely sleeping around the fourth watch of the night. It was currently the fifth shift of the night. After having breakfast with her mother, she stored the remaining cakes in the pot. Then she woke Cai Fei up and quietly instructed her a few times. She and her mother left home, bolted the door, and headed straight for the Zhou family. Chapter 64 - 64 64 - Accidental Encounter (2)_1 ?64: Chapter 64 ¨C Accidental Encounter (2)_1 64: Chapter 64 ¨C Accidental Encounter (2)_1 Everything at the Zhou family was ready and they were waiting for the mother and daughter. Seeing their arrival, Uncle Zhou led the carriage, with the rest of the people sitting in it, setting off towards the town. On the road, the group discussed the matter of opening a shop, often expressing their opinions. The discussion was heated, and before they knew it, they had arrived in town. Cai Wei wanted to hire a middleman to lease a shop, to save time and trouble. However, her mother and Uncle and Aunt Zhou did not agree. They thought that with so many of them, they could spread out and inquire everywhere, so there was no need to hire a middleman and unnecessarily spend more money! Cai Wei had no choice but to agree with them. Together with her mother, they went to the most bustling Goldfish Lane, looking for available shops. Goldfish Lane was the most bustling commercial street in town. The businesses on the street were all thriving, and there were seldom any shops available for rent. Holding hands, Cai Wei and her mother walked and inquired about possible shops. They walked for a long time, but they couldn¡¯t find a suitable shop! ¡ª¡ª Across the street In the tea house with small red windows of the Pine Pavilion and Ink Column, Nangong Yi, dressed in a brocade robe and jade belt, was standing by the window in a nonchalant manner. His tall figure was as solid as a mountain. With a careless glance from his deep eyes, his gaze fell on the pink figure downstairs, lingering for a moment before lazily calling out, ¡°Chai Feng!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The square-faced guard standing by stepped forward and knelt behind him, asking, ¡°What is your command, Master?¡± ¡°Go find out why that... girl has come here.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After Chai Feng acknowledged the order, he swiftly disappeared as a shadow past the window. In a corner of the elegant chamber, Guard Leader Zhu Yue looked grave and glanced anxiously at his master. Seeing that his master acted as if nothing had happened and was even interested in investigating an unrelated woman, he could not help but speak up impatiently. ¡°Master, Li Chongzong refuses to return to officialdom. What should we do now?¡± Nangong Yi turned around; his jade-like appearance backlit by the noon sunlight looked ethereal. ¡°He will leave his seclusion.¡± His tone was casual but certain, leaving no room for objection. Zhu Yue sighed with surprise! When they visited Li Chongzong last night, they had been turned away at his door. When they went again this morning, the old man did meet them, but he acted like an old rascal, refusing to admit that he was the national teacher who disappeared for no reason twenty years ago. He even shamelessly tried to sell them some old cloth from his store, behaving like a money-grubbing commoner. If Li Chongzong wasn¡¯t the true national teacher, their master had led them across mountains and rivers to this godforsaken small town for no reason at all, which would be losing proposition. If he was, then the old man has hidden himself exceedingly well. What made their master certain that he would agree to leave his seclusion? Nangong Yi did not address Zhu Yue¡¯s disgruntled expression, but slowly sat back at the table. He picked up the steaming teapot and casually drank a cup of tea. The green vapor circled around the edge of the cup, it was a sight of melancholy. Having grown up in the treacherous environment of the palace, he had become adept at reading people¡¯s expressions from a very young age. Li Chongzong did not have worldly obligations towards wealth and power, but he was a good-hearted man. He knew that the prince was stubbornly arrogant and devious in nature. He would not stand by and watch the prince ascend the throne and bring suffering upon the people of the world! On this side, Cai Wei and her mother were still looking to and fro, walking and observing. Suddenly, a coarse voice filled with mockery came ¡ª ¡°Hee-hee, isn¡¯t this the scholar¡¯s wife?¡± The sudden mockery startled Cai Wei and her mother; they quickly withdrew their eyes from the shops and warily watched the man who had spoken up. Chapter 65 - 65 65 Butcher Zhang (1)_1 ?65: Chapter 65 Butcher Zhang (1)_1 65: Chapter 65 Butcher Zhang (1)_1 The man standing before them was tall and burly, with a black face and broad cheeks, looking like a massive black tower. At the moment, he was stroking his chin, blocking the path of Cai Wei and her mother, grinning proudly. His stark, predatory gaze was firmly fixed on Lady Du, his expression revealing his vile intentions at a single glance! Lady Du was terrified, her face ghostly pale, standing there shivering in fear! This man was none other than Butcher Zhang, who six years ago almost bought Lady Du from Mu Liankui to bring home. Butcher Zhang, in his thirties, was impressively large and tall, with a crude and brutal temperament. He was lustful, the most notorious ruffian within several villages. Years ago, while slaughtering pigs at Mu Family Village, he inadvertently caught sight of the delicate beauty, Lady Du, and was immediately filled with lustful intentions. He colluded with Mu Zhongli of the Great House of Mu, offering ten taels of patterned silver to purchase her from Mu Family¡¯s two older folks. Unfortunately, before he could bring the lovely woman home, he was caught red-handed by Mu Zhongqing who had returned home for a break. The plan, therefore, was completely scrapped. Butcher Zhang was frustrated at not being able to taste Lady Du. It was by sheer coincidence that he stumbled upon her on the street today, the woman he had daydreamed about. How could he miss such an opportunity and easily let her go? Circling around Lady Du, he gave a salacious smile and chuckled, ¡°Hehe... Madam Scholar, our destinies are indeed intertwined.¡± Lady Du was terrified to the core and leaned on her daughter, barely managing to stay on her feet. Cai Wei patted her mother¡¯s shoulder comfortingly and lifted her head to ask Butcher Zhang with a plastic smile, ¡°Does your family¡¯s parents live well?¡± One of the thugs with the head of a river deer and the eyes of a rat (idiom to describe someone who¡¯s repulsively ugly and shifty-looking), noticed that it was just Cai Wei and her mother. Seeing Cai Wei¡¯s pretty appearance, he was eager to tease her. On Butcher Zhang¡¯s behalf, he chimed in, ¡°Why, little lady, are you interested in Zhang Da¡¯s family affairs because your father hasn¡¯t come home for a long time and your mother is lonely and longing for a new husband?¡± At those words, Butcher Zhang erupted into coarse laughter and unashamedly replied, ¡°Sweet child, if I become your stepfather, I will indeed spoil you and your mother. I assure you that you both will wear silk everyday, eat the finest food, and live as happily as immortals!¡± While speaking, he imagined himself with the mother and daughter lying on his traditional Chinese bed-stove, which sent him into a wave of unruly imagination and left him feeling uncontrollable excitement. With over forty years of life experience in her two lives combined, how could Cai Wei not see through his dirty thoughts? She gritted her teeth in uncontrollable anger. Being teased and fantasized about by such lowlife scum was the greatest insult to her! She clenched her fist, and managed a cold smile, whispering in retaliation. ¡°I asked about your parents because I can¡¯t bear the thought of white-haired people sending off their children. But looking at your current behavior, it¡¯s the result of their lack of discipline. They deserve to lose their child in their old age!¡± Butcher Zhang was taken aback. He pushed his fingers into his ears and moved his hoary face closer to her, asking, ¡°Sweet child, what did you just say?¡± With a greasy face, reeking of meat and liquor, Butcher Zhang made Cai Wei lose her breath as she took a step back supporting her mother. Believing that Cai Wei was frightened, Butcher Zhang grew more audacious by the moment and chuckled lasciviously, advancing step by step. The other men, his cohorts, were closing in, eyeing an opportunity to take liberties with Cai Wei. A group of passersby, upon seeing a common girl being openly teased in broad daylight, stopped to gawk thus, encircling them to watch the spectacle unfold. Cai Wei scanned the excited crowd, secretly cursing their apathy. She felt disappointed. Had they not been on the street, she would have demonstrated her abilities and left these two scums lifeless, then and there. However, even though she couldn¡¯t kill them, she was confident that she had enough force to make them lose all their teeth in a scuffle. Chapter 66 - 66 66 Butcher Zhang (2)_1 ?66: Chapter 66 Butcher Zhang (2)_1 66: Chapter 66 Butcher Zhang (2)_1 However, her mother would surely worry if she saw her demonstrating martial arts. With her fists clenched and facing the two rascals slowly closing in, she felt a pang of frustration! In the midst of her dilemma, a commanding voice suddenly shouted from within the crowd ¡ª ¡°Grandson, take this!¡± Following the yell, a black satin shoe flew by, almost hitting Butcher Zhang¡¯s greasy face before landing just above his head. Startled, Butcher Zhang leapt up, his eyes bulging and swore loudly. ¡°Old toad, shameless scoundrel. Have you grown tired of living? Daring to hit your Uncle Zhang Da!¡± Cursing loudly, he rolled up his sleeves and marched towards his attacker. Surprised, Cai Wei turned to see outside the crowd, a square-jawed, short and pudgy old man was stridently pulling off his other shoe, unyieldingly trading insults with Butcher Zhang while preparing to throw his other shoe. ¡°Manager Li!¡± She exclaimed in surprise, soon after shouting: ¡°Be careful!¡± In the midst of her shouts, Butcher Zhang, like a raging black bear, approached Manager Li, ready to strike him with powerful punches. ¡°Ah!¡± Some of the more timid in the crowd shrieked and covered their eyes. Cai Wei¡¯s heart pounded in her throat. Manager Li was elderly and seemed clumsy and short, not in any way a match for Butcher Zhang! However ¡ª ¡°Pop!¡± A low thud startled the spectators. Those who had covered their eyes slowly moved their hands away, revealing looks of disbelief. Amazingly, Manager Li, like a performer, had deftly dodged the punch, his body leaning back at a 45-degree angle to the ground while his feet remained firmly planted. ¡°Pop!¡± Before the crowd could make sense of what was happening, Manager Li quickly stood up, catching Butcher Zhang off guard with a swift punch to his neck. His round chubby fist seemed to lack strength but was powerful enough to make Butcher Zhang¡¯s eyes roll back in his head. He collapsed in a heap, quiet and lifeless. ¡°Good!¡± A cheer emerged from the crowd. ¡°Manager Li, well done!¡± The crowd erupted with cheers and shouts of praise! Basking in the adulation, Manager Li humbly thanked the crowd with a series of bows. ¡°Hehehe, much obliged, everyone, I¡¯ve made a fool of myself...¡± The thug with Butcher Zhang, seeing his companion defeated and realizing that Manager Li was just a short stout old man, was convinced that the old man¡¯s victory was merely a stroke of luck. Enraged, he clenched his fists and charged over. Cai Wei, noticing his aggressive posture charging at Manager Li, stretched her leg out subtly, just as he dashed past her. Too focussed on his target to pay attention, he tripped and fell flat on his face, eating dirt. ¡°Hahaha...¡± The bystanders burst into raucous laughter. Humiliated and infuriated, the thug tried to get up to seek revenge. Before he could, a pair of Shu brocade cotton boots appeared before him. Intricate in design, they were a sight to behold. Looking up from the boots, he saw the hem of a blue bamboo-embroidered silver-threaded straight robe, and above that... an elegant, handsome young man! This young man, around his twenties, was extraordinarily handsome and refined. The corners of his mouth lifted in a slight smile as he cast a casual glance at the thug. However, that single glance was enough to make the thug feel as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. What was going on? The young man appeared refined and handsome, with a smile on his face. Yet, why did the thug feel as if he was being eyed by a hungry wolf? Chapter 67 - 67 67 Bafu Restaurant_1 ?67: Chapter 67 Bafu Restaurant_1 67: Chapter 67 Bafu Restaurant_1 Nangong Yi¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t linger on the thugs for too long, merely glancing at them before turning back and saying indifferently, ¡°Why isn¡¯t it dealt with yet!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After a respectful response, two tall guards stepped forward, each grabbing a person. They lifted both Butcher Zhang and the repulsive thug up, tossing them into the air and kicking them out into the crowd. ¡°Crack¡ª¡ª¡± A clear sound of bone-breaking could be heard. Butcher Zhang and the thug fell onto the bluish stone slab road, shrieking in pain like a pig being butchered... Nangong Yi turned back, his distinguished face turned towards Manager Li as he said with a smile, ¡°I apologize for my late arrival, I hope it did not startle you, Manager Li!¡± Manager Li sneered in disdain, ¡°Late? You were clearly hiding on the side, trying to gauge my capability. If I couldn¡¯t handle it and was defeated by those worms, you¡¯d probably have taken off and ignored the whole thing. Don¡¯t take me for a fool!¡± Despite getting scolded, Nangong Yi¡¯s handsome face didn¡¯t show any sign of discomfort. Instead, he casually laughed, ¡°Manager Li is as astute and heroic as always, I am truly inferior.¡± Manager Li, irritated, waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Enough of that flattery, I won¡¯t fall for your smooth talk.¡± Then, turning to Cai Wei, he asked kindly, ¡°Girl, you must have been scared, right?¡± ¡°Uh... I¡¯m okay...¡± Cai Wei coughed uncomfortably, sneaking glances at Nangong Yi. In reality, she¡¯d intended to feign a frightened and pitiable appearance for her mother and Manager Li to see. But ever since that evildoer appeared, he¡¯d been subtly staring at her, his eyes deep and mysterious, ghastly as a ghost, as if they could see right through her inside out, she couldn¡¯t escape from him! By now, her startled mother came to her senses, took a step forward, and behaved as though she were a candle in the wind. She choked back sobs as she kept expressing her gratitude to Manager Li and Nangong Yi and commanded her daughter to kneel and kowtow to their benefactors. Cai Wei corners of her mouth twitched, she was utterly flustered! No, she would never kneel or kowtow to that shameless evildoer, especially when he seemed to be smiling whilst looking at her, clearly waiting for her to kneel before him. This just annoyed her even more. She could have handled those scumbags herself, who needed his help anyway? Cai Wei glared at him angrily, and then bowed her head to pull Lady Du closer, whispering, ¡°Mother, as the saying goes: a big favor requires no words of thanks. Instead of kowtowing here, we should remember this kindness and repay them when a suitable opportunity arises.¡± ¡°Oh? I wonder how Miss intends to repay me in the future?¡± Nangong Yi spoke out, casually looking at the angry young girl, his bewitching eyes shining like the Milky Way. Cai Wei gritted her teeth. ¡°...¡± On the other side, Manager Li glanced meaningfully at Cai Wei, then back to Nangong Yi. He suddenly stroked his beard and laughed heartily, saying, ¡°We are all friends here, thanking each other would be too formal. Come, let¡¯s go eat¨C¡± Cai Wei helped her mother to her feet and declined, saying, ¡°Thank you for the kind invitation, Manager Li. However, my mother and I have some errands to run today, so we must be excused. Another day, we will certainly pay you a personal visit to express our gratitude for your help today.¡± Her implication was clear ¨C she would only thank Manager Li, but as for anyone else¡ª Pah! With his usual refined smile, Nangong Yi responded as if he didn¡¯t understand Cai Wei¡¯s words, neither angry nor upset. He said, ¡°If Miss Wei¡¯er wishes to thank me with a visit, please remember that I¡¯m staying at the ¡®Xinglong Inn¡¯. It¡¯s easy to find!¡± Miss Wei¡¯er? He actually knows her name! How did he come to know her name? Cai Wei was taken aback, her entire body reacting negatively. Satisfied with Cai Wei¡¯s flustered expression, Nangong Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Did you get that?¡± Cai Wei glared at him, paused, and gritted her teeth, responding, ¡°Uh....¡± After leaving Manager Li and his entourage, Cai Wei and Lady Du went to a teashop. After ordering a pot of tea to calm their nerves and taking a short rest, they returned to the street and tirelessly enquired about properties, from one shop to another. Just as they were about to finish exploring an entire street, they suddenly heard someone shouting from behind, ¡°Hey, Madam, Miss, please wait a moment!¡± Cai Wei turned around and saw a plump middle-aged man panting as he ran towards them. After catching his breath, he said, ¡°Madam, Miss, I am the owner of Bafu Restaurant. My name is Cui Yuan. I heard that you both intend to purchase a fancy tavern in Goldfish Lane. I wonder if you would be willing to visit our humble shop and see it for yourself.¡± Upon hearing this, Cai Wei was delighted. As the saying goes, ¡®hard work pays off eventually!¡¯ She replied excitedly, ¡°Yes, of course! Please lead the way, Manager Cui.¡± The Bafu Restaurant was not very far away, requiring only a few minutes walk. Upon arriving at Bafu Restaurant, Cai Wei carefully surveyed the place inside and out. Afterwards, she couldn¡¯t help but be filled with joy, feeling as though this restaurant had been tailor-made for her. The restaurant is located at the heart of the town¡¯s prime location. With a spacious and elegant storefront, its two-story layout matches the other shops on the street. The first floor is an open hall with twelve tables neatly arranged, accommodating twelve tables of guests. The second floor consists of private rooms frequented mostly by the respected merchants and gentry. Though there are only six of these rooms, the manager said that the second floor¡¯s turnover is much higher than the first floor¡¯s. At the back of the shop, there¡¯s a small two-story courtyard with four rooms at the front and back. The two sides each have three adjoining rooms, which are quite spacious. Similarly, every necessary household item and piece of furniture, albeit old, are provided. Comparatively, it¡¯s thousands of times better than the house in Mu Family Village! After thoroughly inspecting the Bafu Restaurant, Lady Du quietly pulled her daughter aside and whispered, ¡°Wei¡¯er, such a good property, combined with a decent house in the back, will likely not come cheaply!¡± A sense of apprehension arose in Cai Wei¡¯s heart. After all, the combined savings of the Mu and Zhou families amounted to only two hundred taels. It seemed like the proverbial drop in the ocean compared to the asking price of this imposing restaurant. To her surprise, before she even broached the topic of money, the shopkeeper took the initiative to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve operated this restaurant with painstaking care for over a decade. However, due to some personal matters back at my old home, I have to return for a year or two. I simply can¡¯t bear the thought of selling this restaurant outright. So after some reflection, I¡¯m considering looking for a business partner. What are your thoughts, ladies?¡± Looking puzzled, Cai Wei asked, ¡°How would we cooperate?¡± Manager Cui answered, ¡°The restaurant and everything in it would be at your disposal, including the house at the back. However, four-tenths of the restaurant¡¯s monthly profits must go to me. Furthermore, whether a few years from now or as soon as one or two years, I will return from my old home, and when that time comes, the restaurant must be returned to me. What do you think?¡± To Cai Wei, these conditions were hardly restrictive. For her, this restaurant was nothing more than a stepping stone to her success. She was capable and confident. She didn¡¯t need three to five years, nor one or two¡ªjust six months would be enough for her to use this restaurant to make a name for herself in this town! Chapter 68 - 68 68 Plot(1)_1 ?68: Chapter 68: Plot(1)_1 68: Chapter 68: Plot(1)_1 Lady Du was also very satisfied. Not only did such a luxurious restaurant require no expenditure on their part, but they could also move into such a respectable house for free. She had just seen that house, pristine and elegant, fully furnished and even equipped with a floor dragon heating system. It would certainly be comfortable to live there during the winter! ¡°Excellent, just as the shopkeeper says!¡± Encountering opportunities like pies falling from the sky was not an everyday occurrence, Cai Wei did not hesitate and promptly accepted the offer. The negotiations proceeded smoothly, and a partnership contract was quickly drawn up and signed. The contract stipulated that in three days, Cai Wei would officially be a stakeholder in Bafu Restaurant and temporarily be in charge of it! Upon hearing of the Bafu Restaurant matter, all three members of the Zhou family was overjoyed. However, beneath their elation lay a hint of unease. Cai Wei had acquired the shop without spending a single copper coin, would they still be required to invest their hundred taels? Cai Wei saw their hesitation and laughingly said, ¡°The restaurant currently has everything it needs, so there¡¯s no need to spend any more money on purchasing anything. You don¡¯t have to use the hundred taels from Uncle Zhou¡¯s family. Instead, why don¡¯t you invest your eight wild boars? I¡¯ll consider them worth two shares!¡± Being able to invest in such a large restaurant with just eight wild boars, and holding two significant shares at that, was a massive windfall! The members of the Zhou family were overjoyed and understood that Cai Wei was looking out for them. They felt somewhat embarrassed and wanted to decline the offer, but they couldn¡¯t bear to reject her kindness outright. After some deliberation, they decided to assume responsibility for the barbecue tasks at the restaurant. From then on, Jiujin and Uncle Zhou would be in charge of the barbecue, and Aunt Zhou volunteered to handle the skewering. Cai Wei had no objections to their decision. Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou were honorable people who disliked taking advantage of others. Only in this way could they accept their shares in good conscience. After everything was settled, Uncle Zhou¡¯s family went to find a house in the nearby area. Although the backyard of Bafu Restaurant had two courtyards large enough to accommodate their families, they were not blood-related after all, and living together might invite unnecessary gossip. Hence, to avoid any suspicion, Uncle Zhou¡¯s family decided to look for a house elsewhere. Meanwhile, Cai Wei and her mother were also busy. They first went to the blacksmith¡¯s shop, ordered three thousand iron skewers for meat skewers and three iron stoves for the barbecue, and even custom-ordered several wire sieves for grilling the meat. Since they needed these items urgently and required the blacksmith to work day and night, Cai Wei paid the blacksmith an extra three copper coins. Only then did he agree to accept her order. After leaving the blacksmith¡¯s shop, they went to the vegetable market. As the New Year was approaching, the market was brimm with people. The hustle and bustle of the market and the liveliness of the shops on both sides of the street drew many countryside dwellers looking to purchase their New Year¡¯s goods. Cai Wei went first to a cabbage stall. In the north during winter, cabbage was considered a luxury. The cabbage was grown indoors over a heated kang and took more than half a month of tender care to yield merely four to five catties. Therefore, cabbage was quite exorbitant during this season. After checking out the cabbage stall and inquiring about the prices of several types of cabbage, Cai Wei had a rough idea. The cabbage in her own space was far superior to the ones at the market stall. This presented an excellent opportunity to sell her cabbage in their own tavern, which could be very profitable.... After attending to various tasks and the daylight fading into dusk, Uncle Zhou drove the cow cart, carrying several people back to the village in high spirits. Uncle Zhou¡¯s family had also secured a rental property, a residential area not far from Bafu Restaurant. There were three furnished main rooms, clean and comfortable, which Aunt Zhou took a liking to at first sight. Eventually, it was rented for seven hundred coppers per month, and they could move in at any time. Chapter 69 - 69 69 Plot(2)_1 ?69: Chapter 69: Plot(2)_1 69: Chapter 69: Plot(2)_1 ¡°Ah, it feels like a dream. Yesterday we were still farmers in the Mu Family Village, and today we¡¯ve become the owners of a city tavern, heh heh...¡± Uncle Zhou sighed contentedly, his face full of laughter lines. Aunt Zhou said: ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Wei¡¯er¡¯s capabilities. Let¡¯s quickly go home and pack up. We¡¯ll move to town first thing tomorrow morning to help Wei¡¯er out with some work!¡± Cai Wei laughed: ¡°Aunt Zhou, you¡¯re not just helping me. You should know that you share ownership of the tavern too!¡± Aunt Zhou laughed heartily: ¡°Yes, Wei¡¯er is right, we¡¯re helping ourselves. We¡¯re also the bosses now, haha...¡± ... When they entered the village, the sky was completely dark. The Zhou family¡¯s cow cart dropped the mother and daughter off at their front door before heading back. Seeing that the lamp was still lit at home, Cai Wei knew that the little ones were still awake, so she supported her mother and slowly walked into the room. On the kang, Cai Fei was sitting under the lamp, lowering her head, and diligently stitching. A palm-sized tiger head shoe in her hand looked lifelike. Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er were sticking their heads together, engrossed in a travelogue with illustrations. ¡°Oh, mother¡¯s back!¡± Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er had sharp eyes. As soon as they saw Lady Du and Cai Wei, they exclaimed in surprise, put down their books, ran over, and threw themselves into their mother and older sister¡¯s arms. Cai Fei also stopped her work, happily got up and left the kang: ¡°Mother, older sister, you must be tired on the way. The food is still hot in the pot. Wait, I¡¯ll serve it for you!¡± Cai Wei and her mother washed their hands. Cai Fei brought the food over. In the rice bowl were sweet potato cakes that Cai Wei had made in the morning. A green porcelain dish contained a few vegetable balls, and another one contained a few thumb-length salted fish. Cai Wei pointed at the two unusual dishes and wondered, ¡°Where did these come from?¡± Cai Fei said, ¡°They were brought by Cai Lian this morning, sent by Third Aunt Mu.¡± Having said that, she slapped her head and said, ¡°Look at my memory. I almost forgot. When Cai Lian came to our house this morning, she said she saw the second son from the main house. He looked sneaky, hanging around our house. I wonder what nefarious plans he is plotting!¡± ¡°The second son from the main house?¡± Cai Wei repeated it, her gentle face gradually turning cold, a hint of bloodthirsty smile faintly surfaced. The second son from the main house, Mu Chongcai, was learning butchering skills from Butcher Zhang. Their tastes were similar, and they hung out together all day. Originally, when Cai Wei encountered Butcher Zhang in town today, she found it very strange. Her mother rarely went out, so how could she run into that nasty fellow as soon as she left the house? Now it seems that there must be more to it! Cai Wei found an excuse to go out and quietly let Brother Ying out of the space: ¡°Brother Ying, go to my uncle¡¯s house and listen to what they are saying. Are they talking about anything related to our family...¡± ¡°Yes, Master¡ª¡± Brother Ying called and dashed into the night... Inside the large room, Mother was telling the children all about the houses and shops in the town, full of emotion: ¡°Tomorrow, we are going to move to town and start enjoying life. We don¡¯t have to put up with those people anymore!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to endure them anymore, but before we leave, we must settle the scores!¡± Cai Wei thought to herself. ¡°Master, master, I heard it, I heard it...¡± A squawking voice sounded in her ear, ¡°They¡¯re scolding you, and it¡¯s very unpleasant. They want to disgrace Madam and make the old master repudiate her. They want to evict you and then steal your silver. They want to sell you to a brothel, and let Madam be sold to...¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Cai Wei shielded her thoughts, and Brother Ying¡¯s voice abruptly stopped... Ha! Everything was almost as she had guessed. The main house was the one causing trouble, wanting to ruin her mother and herself by any means necessary... How ridiculous! She originally wanted to let go of the past and sever all ties with them, but some people are not willing to let it go. They are eager to find their own death. In that case, she can¡¯t be blamed! Chapter 70 - 70 70 Planting Vegetables (1)_1 ?70: Chapter 70: Planting Vegetables (1)_1 70: Chapter 70: Planting Vegetables (1)_1 The next morning News that Scholar Mu¡¯s family and the Zhou Family had moved to the town spread throughout the village. Soon, a group of villagers gathered around the old well, vividly describing the scene to one another. ¡°I observed it clearly. There were two horse carriages with cabins. Scholar Mu¡¯s family was in one and Zhou Laowu and his wife in the other. Jiujin was leading his own cow cart, the same one filled with the wild boar he picked up the day before yesterday...¡± ¡°Wow! I heard that the two families each received a reward of one hundred taels of silver. They¡¯re so rich now, they couldn¡¯t care less about living in our old, decrepit village...¡± ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? Scholar Mu¡¯s wife has suffered so much in the village; it¡¯s not surprising they¡¯ve moved now that they have money. Why would she stay and risk the main house taking it all away?¡± The crowd gathered around the well, forgetting all about fetching water, and started their boisterous discussion. When Mu Zhongli heard this news, he was on his way out to see the Clan Leader. He had planned to confront Lady Du over her trip to the town the day before. He heard there was a man who fought with Butcher Zhang on her behalf. He figured the harm to a woman¡¯s virtue could force her to surrender easily, handing over the one hundred taels of silver. However, before he could do anything, she had already silently moved away without any notice. Now, even if the Clan Leader agreed to help him confront Lady Du, it was too late! ¡°Cough! What a pity, we lost the one hundred taels of silver!¡± Mu Zhongli¡¯s heart ached. His daughter, Cai Ping, tried to comfort him. ¡°Dad, why are you anxious? One hundred taels is not a small amount. Second Aunt is always careful with money and would hardly spend a penny. Once she returns, we can reconsider. That silver still belongs to us!¡± ¡°Ping¡¯er is right!¡± Lady Mu Bai raised her slack eyelids and glanced at her eldest son. ¡°You, a man in his forties, are less calculating than a little girl. When Second Brother returns and discovers that his wife and child have quietly left, wouldn¡¯t he be suspicious? By then, whatever we say becomes their reality. We don¡¯t care if she runs to the ends of the earth!¡± ¡°Yes, mother, you¡¯re right!¡± Although Mu Zhongli was unwilling, he had no other recourse at this point. He could only suppress his greed and look forward to Second Brother¡¯s quick return. In the town Just after Sishi (9-11 a.m.), two ordinary double-wheeled carriages stopped at the entrance of Bafu Restaurant. The curtain of the carriage lifted. A girl in a pink cross-collared blouse jumped out, followed by a three- or four-year-old child from the carriage. The child wore a brand-new blue cotton jacket and new tiger-head shoes. Clinging tightly to the girl, he looked nervously, yet excitedly, at the lavish restaurant in front of him. ¡°Older sister, is this the restaurant we co-own?¡± Cai Fei walked down from the carriage, looking at the magnificent view in disbelief. ¡°Yes, it is!¡± Lady Du also got out of the carriage, took Wen¡¯er¡¯s hand, smiled and said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± Zhou Laowu and his wife had also come down from the carriage behind them. Following Lady Du¡¯s group, a mighty crowd entered the inn. It was not mealtime yet. Cui Zhanggui, the tavern owner, was sitting idly at the counter, chatting with the accountant. Seeing Cai Wei and the others come in, he quickly rose to greet them. ¡°Sorry for barging in, Cui,¡± Cai Wei said with a smile. ¡°I brought the family to get accustomed to this place¡ªtoday we moved in.¡± Cui Zhanggui responded courteously, ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. I was thinking that our shop assistants should meet you. Luckily, you¡¯ve come.¡± After speaking, he summoned all the restaurant¡¯s employees. Bafu Restaurant hired two shop assistants, one head chef, an accountant, and a dishwasher¡ªa total of five people. Chapter 71 - 71 71 Planting Vegetables (2)_1 ?71: Chapter 71: Planting Vegetables (2)_1 71: Chapter 71: Planting Vegetables (2)_1 These five people had heard about the changing ownership of Bafu Restaurant yesterday, each of them filled with apprehension. They feared that with a new boss, their jobs might be at stake. Therefore, when they met the new owner, they all behaved in an utmost respectful and cautious manner. Cai Wei assessed these people and found that they were honest and decent. She was quite satisfied and saw their concerns. As a result, she gently said: ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry. Although I am now in charge of Bafu Restaurant, as long as you continue to work diligently and do your job well, you can continue to work here. If anyone is found to be shirking or acting dishonestly, I certainly will not tolerate it. As for wages, I promise that with me, Mu Caiwei here, your wages will only increase and not decrease!¡± These few stern yet gentle sentences reassured everyone. At the same time, they couldn¡¯t help but look at this young girl in admiration. Despite her tender age, she displayed such intelligence and determination, definitely not an ordinary person and surely someone who will accomplish great things in the future! Uncle Zhou also said a few words to everyone. Although he stuttered a bit, which was evident that he had rehearsed it last night, it was clear from his simple words that this boss was an honest and genuine person. They will not be cheated working under him! Cai Wei exchanged a few more words with everyone, then led her mother and siblings to the backyard. Once they entered the backyard, the children¡¯s eyes started darting around in curiosity and excitement. In their old home, they only had three thatched huts. During windy and rainy days, they would worry about the roof being blown away or the mud wall collapsing due to the rain... Their new home here was a sturdy brick house, spacious and impressive. Including the side rooms, there were more than ten in total, eliminating their past worries. The children joyfully ran back and forth between the rooms, unable to decide which room they wanted to live in. Lady Du still wished to live with her children to enjoy the family bonding and to cover them with blankets at night. However, there were no Kangs here, only a babu bed in each room, each covered with embroidered curtains, similar to the description of a Miss¡¯s embroidery room in a story. After much consideration, Lady Du decided to live in the large room in the eastern side with Wu¡¯er; Wen¡¯er was already seven years old, so he was given the room next to Lady Du¡¯s; Cai Fei and Cai Wei each took a room as well. At first, Cai Fei wanted to share a room with her sister, but was decisively rejected by Cai Wei. The reason why she was so eager to move to town was to conveniently move in and out of the Space. If Cai Fei shared a room with her, wouldn¡¯t it restrict her? Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t agree. ¡°You have to do your needlework at night, the bright oil lamp might disturb my sleep...¡± After coming up with a reason to reject her, the sisters separated and took their own rooms. Cai Wei chose the smallest room at the very west. It was only separated from Fei¡¯s room by a wall. Although the room was a bit small, it was an independent room, making it much more convenient to enter the Space in the future. After moving a few of her personal belongings to her western room and arranging her bed, Cai Wei went to the restaurant in the front courtyard and called out a shopkeeper. She ordered him to hire two extra hands to bring in several carts of soil. The shopkeeper was a bit confused. What does the boss need so much soil for? However, he knew better than to question the boss¡¯s decisions as just a shop assistant. He just nodded and hurried away. In fact, Cai Wei needed the soil to cover up her tracks. The left and right side rooms were currently empty, so why not use them for her cultivation experiments? She transported the soil from the Space out, and then plan to water it using the water from the Lingxi River in the Space to see if she could grow vegetables as lush and abundant as those in the Space! There were six rooms in total. They had been cleaned out by Cui Zhanggui¡¯s family yesterday, and there were not many things inside. It was very convenient for planting vegetables. A cartload of soil from outside was brought in. When no one was watching, Cai Wei put the soil into the Space, and then brought the soil from the Space outside, which she then claimed as the ordinary soil. Instructing workers to evenly spread it on the ground, once the land was prepared, she scattered some common vegetable seeds such as cucumber, eggplant, leaf mustard, spinach, and coriander that she had brought from the Space. She secretly stored the water from the Lingxi in the water jar and helped to water the soil. They all worked till dusk before finally finishing. Looking at the dark soil in the six rooms, Cai Wei prayed: I hope these seeds can grow into vegetables as lush and abundant as those in the Space, just as I wish! Chapter 72 - 72 72 Grilled Skewers are on fire, Second Watch request for collection_1 ?72: Chapter 72 Grilled Skewers are on fire, Second Watch request for collection_1 72: Chapter 72 Grilled Skewers are on fire, Second Watch request for collection_1 For the next two days, Cai Wei was incredibly busy, she spent a lot of time each day teaching Jiujin and Uncle Zhou how to grill skewers. From controlling the heat to using the right amount of seasoning, everything required strict control to achieve an irresistible taste! Fortunately, Jiujin and Uncle Zhou were very dedicated in learning. Every word that Cai Wei said was carefully memorized and put into practice by the father and son. So, after two days, they were already able to grill skewers with a taste that was not inferior to Cai Wei¡¯s craftsmanship. Apart from teaching Jiujin how to grill skewers, Cai Wei also hired a few neat and tidy maids from nearby to skewer the meat alongside Aunt Zhou. She estimated that once the grilled skewers were introduced, they would definitely be popular throughout the town. The skewers that Aunt Zhou could produce alone would hardly meet the market demand. Therefore, they needed to stock up on skewers before they hit the market. ¡°Separate the fat and lean skewers and the skewered pigs¡¯ trotters...¡± ¡°The skin of the wild boar is very thick and needs to be boiled for a while before skewering...¡± ¡°The small skewers here are sold for two copper coins each, and the large skewers over there are five copper coins each, don¡¯t mix them up...¡± Cai Wei was so busy that her head was spinning, but when she thought of the rush for grilled skewers when they hit the market tomorrow, all her tiredness disappeared. Lady Du and Cai Fei were not idle either. They made a lot of meat stuffing according to the method taught by Cai Wei, wrapped a lot of Hun Dun and dumplings, and froze them outside, ready to be sold when they open for business. Even the little Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er took the initiative to find work watering the vegetables. The two little guys were busy shuttling around the six side rooms with watering cans, watering the vegetables their older sister had planted. Older sister¡¯s craftsmanship was really good, she was a great gardener, the vegetables in the six side rooms sprouted in just two days. They were tender green and growing very well! During this period, Cai Wei also took the time to visit the nursing home. She picked a basket of fresh vegetables from her space and sent them over, and even asked Bai Mao Hu for a wild boar to leave there. The elderly, young, sick, and disabled in the nursing home, who can now eat well and wear warm clothes, are very content. They didn¡¯t expect their benefactor Miss Wei to also send them fresh vegetables, which are rare in winter, and wild boar meat, which is more precious than pork. They were all moved to tears. Two days later After everyone¡¯s intensive preparations, the delicacy of grilled skewers finally appeared in front of the townspeople on the twentieth of December, which was the day Cai Wei took over the Baifu Restaurant. At noon that day, in the long Goldfish Lane, a smell that made people drool suddenly wafted into the air. The intoxicating aroma spread in the air, causing passersby to stop, unconsciously following the smell... Soon, they arrived at the Baifu Restaurant. In front of the Baifu Restaurant located in the center of Goldfish Lane, a long line of iron stoves was blazing with charcoal fire. On it were small pieces of meat skewered with iron skewers, either fat or lean. The bright, oily meat was being roasted on the vigorous charcoal fire, ¡°sizzling¡± and spitting oil. Surrounding the meat were some unknown condiments, which, when sprinkled on the meat and grilled over the charcoal, emitted a smell that made one¡¯s mouth water! Faced with such a delicacy, some people couldn¡¯t hold back and entered the restaurant, shouting out their desire for the skewers of meat being roasted outside. Jiujin and Uncle Zhou saw that they had an order and did not dare to slack off. They put all their energy into displaying all the barbecue techniques that Cai Wei had taught them in the past two days! Once the skewers were grilled, the shop assistant called out and delivered a handful of skewers, which were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and delicious, to the customers¡¯ tables. As soon as the skewers arrived at the table, they immediately triggered a strong response from the customers. Those who had eaten the skewers couldn¡¯t help but exclaim their pleasure. Some even immediately sent their servants to invite their friends to taste... Within an hour, the Baifu Restaurant was full. Every guest, without exception, ordered the grilled skewers, those without a seat mostly chose to wait outside in the freezing cold rather than compromise by going to another restaurant! Two hours passed, and all three thousand skewers prepared by Baifu Restaurant were sold out, with some people licking their lips complaining that they didn¡¯t have enough. Those customers who had been waiting outside for a long time without even getting a single skewer, were dissatisfied when they heard all the skewers were sold out and they had been freezing outside for a long time. Seeing this, Cai Wei quickly called the shop assistant aside and whispered a few instructions. On receiving instructions, the shop assistant immediately ran outside and loudly announced, ¡°Honored guests, do not be angry, our boss just instructed that for those who have queuing today in our restaurant but have not been served, you can go to the counter and reserve seats for tomorrow in advance. As compensation, for every customer who has paid a deposit to reserve a seat for tomorrow, we will present a plate of cold cucumber salad and a plate of pig head meat in sauce!¡± Cold cucumber salad? On hearing the shop assistant¡¯s introduction, some people were surprised, and others were half convinced. In the thick of winter, it was already impressive to have some greens like spinach and rapeseed to eat. Even a large restaurant like Zuixian Residence didn¡¯t have the rare cucumber! But this Baifu Restaurant was able to get cucumbers? And from the sound of it, they seemed to have a good number of them in stock! Immediately, everyone reassessed the strength of the Baifu Restaurant. The resentment they had just felt for not being able to eat the skewers quickly dissipated; after all, none of them had ever eaten cucumber in the winter! This little unpleasantness was soon dissolved, and the customers swarmed to the counter to reserve seats for the next day... Thanks to the attraction of the grilled skewers, the business at the Baifu Restaurant was booming that day! Not only the large mesh grilled meat and mesh grilled leaf mustard and cabbage from the barbecue series sold fast, but also some dishes that usually did not sell well were sold much more than usual... Although it was within Cai Wei¡¯s expectations that the skewers would be popular, she did not expect them to be this popular! However, she felt a painful twinge when she thought that some guests had to go to other restaurants because they couldn¡¯t find a seat. No, she needs to figure out a way to make those silver coins flow into her own purse! Chapter 73 - 73 73 Earn Money_1 ?73: Chapter 73 Earn Money_1 73: Chapter 73 Earn Money_1 At the Xu Hour, after sending off the last table of customers, Caiwei, Jiujin, Uncle Zhou and others quietly sat on their chairs, looking at the accountant, busily fiddling with his abacus. They were all somewhat expectant... Given how booming the business was today, they must have made quite a profit! ¡°The boss, it¡¯s all calculated!¡± The accountant waved his account book and chuckled, ¡°After deducting costs, we made a total of thirteen taels, six coins and eight fen of silver, hehe...¡± ¡°What? How much?¡± Uncle Zhou cleaned out his ears and said loudly, ¡°Old accountant, could you repeat that?¡± Stroking his white beard, the accountant chuckled again and repeated, ¡°Boss Zhou, our Bafu Winery, after deducting costs, made a total of thirteen taels, six coins and eight fen of silver. Did you hear me clearly this time?¡± ¡°Hmm hmm, heard it, heard it...¡± Uncle Zhou nodded repeatedly, excitingly fiddling with his rough fingers. ¡°Uh...thirteen taels, six coins and eight fen...¡± ¡°Uncle Zhou, your share for today should be two taels, seven coins and four fen of silver...¡± Before Zhou Laowu could figure it out, Cai Wei said with a smile. Upon hearing this, Zhou Laowu was overjoyed, ¡°Oh my, amazing, over two taels! We¡¯ve really struck it rich!¡± He called out to his son, ¡°Jiujin, did you hear that? Caiwei said we made over two taels of silver today! We never used to make that much even in a whole month, hehe...¡± Jiujin grinned and said softly, ¡°All thanks to Sister Wei¡¯er¡¯s efforts...¡± Cai Wei was also satisfied. Although on the surface, she only received a little over five taels of silver, what she actually got was far beyond that. Today, the cabbage in the inn sold extremely well. A plate of cold cucumber salad sold for forty copper coins, and over thirty plates were sold today. Plus, leaf mustard and cabbage, which can be roasted for consumption, sold even better. Just these two items brought in three to four taels of silver! And all of this was made without spending a single penny on cost! ... After closing shop, Cai Wei returned to the backyard. Before she could enter the house, she heard laughter from inside. As soon as she stepped in, a warm atmosphere washed over her, like it was springtime. She shook off the snow on her feet and went straight to her mother¡¯s main room. Even though everyone had their own rooms now, they still preferred to gather in their mother¡¯s room when they were awake. In the main room, their mother was squatting by the bathtub giving Wen¡¯er and Wu¡¯er a bath. The two little ones were sitting in the tub, their big eyes reminiscent of black grapes, with only their fluffy little heads exposed, looking like two little wet ducklings, incredibly cute. As soon as Cai Wei entered the room, her mother immediately stood up, shaking off the water from her hands and asked, ¡°Why are you back so late? Have you had dinner?¡± Seeing her mother about to head out, Cai Wei quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself, I have already eaten at the restaurant, I¡¯m full!¡± Lady Du glanced at her stomach as if to confirm whether she had eaten enough. Feeling her mother¡¯s gaze, warmth filled Cai Wei¡¯s heart. She softly laughed and said, ¡°Look at you, not trusting me. Would I joke about my own health?¡± With a hmph, Lady Du responded: ¡°I don¡¯t remember who it was a few days ago, who didn¡¯t care about her own health and was almost starved to death.¡± Cai Wei was speechless. If the previous Mu Caiwei had cared about her own well-being, how could she have ended up here? Thinking this, she unintentionally lost herself in her thoughts. ¡°Hey! Wei¡¯er, Wei¡¯er...¡± Mother¡¯s hand waved in front of her, complaining, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? You¡¯ve got a blank look on your face again.¡± Cai Wei came back to reality and laughed, ¡°I was thinking about buying a few servants. What do you think, Mother?¡± As soon as Lady Du heard about buying people, her face slightly changed. Just a couple of weeks ago, the family was so poor they could barely heat the pot, almost starving one of them. Now, in the blink of an eye, they were ready to command servants. She was really not used to this. Seeing her mother silent, Cai Wei went on, ¡°The business in the restaurant is doing extremely well. We definitely need more hands. Daughter thinks, since we need people anyway, why not buy a few indentured ones? Like this, we can have peace of mind, right?¡± Lady Du pondered for a while before saying, ¡°That¡¯s good as well. Go ahead, but be careful when choosing the servants to buy. We don¡¯t want troublemakers who would only add to our problems at home.¡± Cai Wei smiled and said, ¡°Mother¡¯s really thoughtful. I will keep this in mind. Tomorrow I will send someone to bring the tooth granny here. Help me choose a few good ones!¡± The mother and daughter continued discussing. By that time, Mother had finished bathing Wu¡¯er, took him out of the tub, and handed him to Cai Wei. Cai Wei quickly wrapped him in a dry cotton cloth and gently wiped down his body. Now, Wu¡¯er was no longer as thin and yellow as when Cai Wei first arrived. Although still not chubby, he was obviously much rounder and his little body had become whiter than before. She didn¡¯t know if it was because he was drinking Lingxi River water frequently, or because of the improved nutrition over the past few days. After drying Wu¡¯er, Cai Wei put him into Mother¡¯s quilt. Just then, Wen¡¯er was also brought out by Mother, and Cai Wei hurried over and reached out to take him. However, Wen¡¯er bashfully lowered his head and hesitated, trying to use his short legs to cover his little private parts. Seeing this, Cai Wei found it very amusing. On usual days, this little guy always liked pretending to be grown-up as if he were a little adult. It was rare to see him so shy. Playfully, she walked over to her mother in a few steps, took him into her arms. Wen¡¯er was even more embarrassed. His little face was as red as an apple. He stuttered, ¡°Older sister...Wen¡¯er can do it himself...¡± Cai Wei ignored him, kept wiping his body while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t clench your legs so tightly, or I can¡¯t wipe for you...¡± Wen¡¯er stiffened his body and clenched his lips, refusing to speak or to relax his legs. ¡°Pop¡ª¡ª¡± Fei¡¯er, who had been silently doing needlework on the side, couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°Older sister, Wen¡¯er is just embarrassed!¡± ¡°Oh? Really? Let me see!¡± Cai Wei pretended to be puzzled, lifted Wen¡¯er high up and stared at his face, which turned as red as a rooster¡¯s crest, as if trying to figure out why this was. Being held in mid-air by his wicked older sister and having her intensely staring at him, Wen¡¯er felt so embarrassed that he wished he could find a crevice to crawl into. He just hung his head and used his small hands to cover his little private parts. ¡°Pop¡ª¡ª Hahaha¡ª¡ª¡± Cai Wei started laughing, bending over with laughter. Fei¡¯er also started laughing... Wen¡¯er was fed up and managed to break free from his evil older sister¡¯s grasp. He shot into Mother¡¯s arms and started to make a fuss... ¡°Wuuu...Mother, sister is bullying me....¡± Chapter 74 - 74 74 Hoarding Cumin, Second Watch Requesting Collection (1)_1 ?74: Chapter 74: Hoarding Cumin, Second Watch Requesting Collection (1)_1 74: Chapter 74: Hoarding Cumin, Second Watch Requesting Collection (1)_1 Night After her mother and siblings were asleep, Cai Wei slipped into the Space and picked a Beautifying Fruit to eat from the Small Courtyard. She had gotten used to eating a Beautifying Fruit every day during this period. The fruit certainly had miraculous effects on beautification. After eating it for a few days, her skin had gradually changed from the initial ashen color to a tender white, akin to egg whites. Especially, that slight touch of pink on her white skin made her look as lovely as a peach blossom blooming in March¡ªexquisitely beautiful, indeed. After eating the Beautifying Fruit, she went to collect a small bag of withered flowers among the blossoms. Her clueless mother had sold the flowers she collected last time to that evildoer, unaware of their real value. Such precious items were taken away by him for a mere hundred taels of silver. It was truly infuriating! While Cai Wei pondered the trouble caused by the evildoer and went about her work, Brother Ying (Brother Parrot) mysteriously appeared. His black, innocent eyes stared at her while he held his heart with wings! ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Cai Wei was startled by his sudden appearance and couldn¡¯t help scolding him. ¡°Master... I want to eat the grilled skewers from your restaurant. I want to eat...¡± Brother Parrot grabbed Cai Wei¡¯s clothes with his claws, shamelessly begging. Using both hands, Cai Wei pushed away its claws. After storing the collected dried flowers, she looked at it sideways and said, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Wow¨C Master, you are so generous. My admiration for you is like¨C¡± ¡°But you have to work for it!¡± Cai Wei coldly interrupted before Brother Ying had the chance to finish flattering her. ¡°Uh... Master, what do you want me to do? Just say it!¡± The bird raised its wings, the green bean-like eyes fixed unwaveringly. For that mouth-watering delicacy, it was determined to fight on! ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. Just help me harvest all the ripe cumin. Grind half of it into powder and use the other half as seeds to replant!¡± said Cai Wei casually. Now that she was in the business of making grilled meat, she had to use a lot of cumin. At present, no one else in the Great Jin Nation knew or used cumin. Being fully aware of the business value, Cai Wei didn¡¯t want the cumin to be discovered by others. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t openly plant them outside. She had to cultivate all the needed in her Space. The cumin used in her restaurant was ground into powder before being taken out. No matter who it was, they could never discover the secret of cumin! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± Brother Ying agreed instantly. Bai Mei popped out abruptly, chirping, ¡°Master, what about me? What can I do?¡± Cai Wei thought for a moment and said, ¡°You go check the Storage and see if there¡¯s any pepper. If there is, get some planted. If not, help Brother Ying grind the cumin powder!¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± After Bai Mei replied, he didn¡¯t leave but stared at her with bright big eyes. Understanding, Cai Wei laughed and said, ¡°If you work well, you¡¯ll naturally get your share of grilled skewers!¡± ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± With a big smile, Bai Mei bowed sincerely to Cai Wei, hopped up, and disappeared. Brother Ying looked in the direction Bai Mei disappeared, quietly approached her, tugged at her skirt, and whispered, ¡°Master, keep the big and fatty grilled skewers for me, and give him the leftovers...¡± ¡°Pop¡ª¡± Laughing, Cai Wei gave him a thump on his little head the size of an egg and scolded, ¡°Get out¡ª¡± Chapter 75 - 75 75 Hoarding Cumin, Second Watch Requesting Collection (2)_1 ?75: Chapter 75: Hoarding Cumin, Second Watch Requesting Collection (2)_1 75: Chapter 75: Hoarding Cumin, Second Watch Requesting Collection (2)_1 Brother Parrot flapped its wings and took off, still chirping out a reminder from its beak: ¡°Master, don¡¯t forget huh¡ª¡ª¡± Watching the backs of the dynamic duo, Cai Wei shook her head helplessly, smiling as she slowly headed to the hot springs, intending to enjoy a nice bath and a good night¡¯s sleep! Having her own private room, Cai Wei no longer had to worry about being discovered entering her space. Now, she had enough time to stay inside, doing whatever she wanted. For example, like now, indulging in a bath in the hot spring as she wished, then lying on the soft couch for a good sleep after... However, thanks to the excessive comfort, she fell into a deep sleep. She lost track of time until she heard her mother¡¯s voice outside and popped her eyes open suddenly, swiftly exiting her space and returning to her bed. ¡°Wei¡¯er...Wei¡¯er...are you awake? Mom boiled some Hun Dun, if you don¡¯t eat it now, it will get cold!¡± Lady Du walked in from outside the door while calling out and went straight to the bedside, casually flipping open Cai Wei¡¯s bed curtains. ¡°Good morning, mom!¡± Taking a yawn, Cai Wei lazily replied, looking sleepily dazed. In fact, she was feeling a bit scared. If her mother hadn¡¯t called for her and directly entered the room, discovering her disappearance, who knows what kind of commotion might have been caused! Lady Du didn¡¯t spot any abnormalities with her daughter and spoke softly and kindly: ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, get up, mom cooked Hun Dun, the bone soup is delicious!¡± Cai Wei gave a dry laugh, spoke with a heavy sleepiness, ¡°Mom, your daughter was so exhausted yesterday, can I sleep in a bit longer, please?¡± ¡°Okay, then rest assured, there¡¯s still Hun Dun left, mom will cook it for you later.¡± Hearing that her daughter was exhausted, Lady Du was heartbroken. She quickly withdrew from her daughter¡¯s room, closed the door, and didn¡¯t forget to quietly instruct the other young ones not to speak loudly to avoid disturbing her older daughter¡¯s rest. Once mom left, Cai Wei quickly entered her space and brought back her coat, cotton trousers, and cotton shoes that were left at the hot spring, and put them on. That was close! Thankfully, her mother was so focused on her that she didn¡¯t notice her coat and cotton shoes were missing. Otherwise, she would have no way to explain it. She must be more careful next time! After getting up, she had breakfast, let her mother know, then went to the tavern in the front yard. It was still early, so the tavern wasn¡¯t open yet. She entered through the back door, pulled out a jar of quality Girl¡¯s Red from the wine jars, then dashed to the back kitchen to find two Soy Sauce Pig¡¯s Trotters. She wrapped them carefully in oil paper, put them in the basket, slung the basket across her arm, and left. She went out this time to thank Manager Li at Li¡¯s Record and Cloth Store personally, expressing her gratitude for his bravery in saving her on the street that day. Cai Wei was a woman who kept her word, so since she promised Manager Li that she¡¯d pay him a visit to express her thanks, she¡¯d definitely fulfill it... Walking on the main street, the cold wind blew in phases, slashing at pedestrians¡¯ faces like blades, forcing passersby to shrug and hurry along. Perhaps it was because Cai Wei was influenced by the spirit of her space, and constantly ate the fruits and vegetables from her space, her physique was much better than most people. She didn¡¯t feel cold and didn¡¯t notice how strong the wind was. Still carrying her basket, she strode leisurely down the street. Goldfish Lane was the busiest street in town. There were countless restaurants and inns on the street. The town¡¯s two casinos and the only brothel were also located here. When she passed the largest and most luxurious inn in town ¡ª ¡°Xinglong Inn¡±, Cai Wei suddenly stopped. A familiar figure was leisurely walking out of the inn, less than a hundred meters from her. What was worse, he had already seen her! Chapter 76 - 76 76 Tea Talk (1)_1 ?76: Chapter 76 Tea Talk (1)_1 76: Chapter 76 Tea Talk (1)_1 In the dawn light, a young man of arduous bearing walked slowly towards her. He wore a plain lavender brocade robe with sword sleeves, a green leather jade belt around his waist, and a purple-gold hollow Babao crown atop his head, while an amicable smile graced his face.... Damn, it¡¯s that damned evildoer again! Mu Caiwei¡¯s first instinct was to turn and run away, as far as she could get. However¡ª Just as she had turned halfway around, a lazy voice drifted over. ¡°Miss Wei¡¯er!¡± Mu Caiwei froze, the prospect of pretending she hadn¡¯t seen him no longer possible. Having already turned half-around, she was forced to slowly turn back and plaster on a fake smile, politely responding, ¡°What a coincidence, running into you again, Young Master!¡± Nangong Yi arched one of his slender dark eyebrows, puzzled, ¡°A coincidence? Didn¡¯t you come to pay a visit of gratitude expressly?¡± Pop¡ª Mu Caiwei felt a surge of blood. This asshole really has the audacity to claim such a thing?! Twitching the corner of her mouth, she quickly dispelled the internal chaos of swirling thoughts, saying seriously, ¡°I have never been indebted to you, Young Master. Where does this idea of expressing gratitude come from?¡± ¡°No debts?¡± The feather-like eyelashes of Nangong Yi lightly flickered, his tone somewhat aggrieved, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you at the inn for days, deeply saddened that you forgot our agreement....It really pains me!¡± Despite such claims of sorrow, his handsome face retained a light smile, revealing no hint of heartache. Listening to such groundless accusations, Cai Wei clenched her fists, if it wasn¡¯t for this scoundrel¡¯s high martial skills, he¡¯d be lying on the ground barely breathing by now.... Noting her tightly clenched face and fists, Nangong Yi¡¯s mouth curved into a smile, saying, ¡°Since you have forgotten our agreement that day, it seems useless to prattle on. Please, Miss Wei¡¯er, as you wish!¡± Feeling a sense of absolution sweep over her, Mu Caiwei made to depart without even paying respects. Behind her, the same indifferent voice spoke up, causing her to halt abruptly, ¡°I heard, the Bafu Winery in the town is quite popular recently. Why don¡¯t you check out what¡¯s so good about such subpar establishments?¡± A threat, an absolute threat! Someone was threatening her with her winery! Mu Caiwei was seized by an urge to slam her basket onto his head, grab him, and beat him to a pulp, preferably till he was battered and half-dead! Of course, that was simply her imagination. Considering he had once subdued her in the blink of an eye, a confrontation would result in her disadvantage. So, after mentally bashing him to smithereens several times, Cai Wei exhaled a foul breath, turned around, and walked deliberately to face Nangong Yi. She took the basket off her arm and solemnly handed it to him. ¡°Miss Wei¡¯er, what is this for?¡± Nangong Yi stood with his hands clasped, making no move to accept the basket. Regardless of his reaction, she thought, You wanted me to thank you? Fine, here¡¯s my gratitude! Slamming the basket into the man¡¯s chest, she coldly stated, ¡°I failed to repay promptly for your generous help. I was in the wrong, but I hope that you, a generous man, can overlook this undeserved feud. This insignificant token of appreciation is for you. I hope you accept it with a smile.¡± Shaking his head, Nangong Yi still refused to accept the basket, ¡°You don¡¯t look too pleased, Miss. Is this perceived as a burden to you? I don¡¯t appreciate imposing upon others!¡± The north wind swept the cold and desolate streets, causing the signboard of Xinglong Inn to sway with the gusts. Beneath the signboard, an indignant face, after a moment of struggle, stretched into an exaggerated smile, ¡°Young Master, you think too much! I am perfectly willing.¡± Nangong Yi quirked an eyebrow, looking at the unexpectedly laughing girl, thinking that her forced laughter seemed rather interesting! Chapter 77 - 77 77 Tea Talk (2)_1 ?77: Chapter 77 Tea Talk (2)_1 77: Chapter 77 Tea Talk (2)_1 ¡°So you truly wish to repay me?¡± ¡°Yes, absolutely!¡± Cai Wei affirmed, gritting her teeth. ¡°Is that so!¡± Nangong Yi seemed very satisfied. His face radiant with a smile, he elegantly extended a hand in a inviting gesture. ¡°As Miss Wei¡¯er truly wants to thank me, there¡¯s no need for any material thanks. Please, have a seat and have some tea with me.¡± Go in for tea? Cai Wei suddenly smelled a whiff of conspiracy. She instantly became alert, watching him warily, ¡°What are you up to?¡± Nangong Yi glanced at the girl who was being cautious, he laughed softly, ¡°Miss, you may rest assured, I am just asking you to have tea with me. Even if I had other intentions, I am not desperate enough.¡± With that, leaving the girl whose expression had cracked, he stepped into the inn. Not desperate enough? What... What did he mean? Feeling utterly humiliated, Cai Wei clutched her chest, feeling so furious she nearly spat blood! Had she fallen so low that people could just look down on her like this? But she had been eating Beautifying Fruit and bathing in the Hot spring in the Space every day, drinking Lingxi River water, eating food from the Space. Her skin had changed from a dull ashen hue to almost transparent, delicate white. Everyone who saw her always complimented how handsome she looked, why did he belittle her this way? Chai Feng stepped forward, interrupting her indignant thoughts, he said solemnly, ¡°Miss, please¡ª¡ª¡± Mu Caiwei glared at him fiercely, let out a cold laugh, turned to the tall and handsome figure and spat defiantly. ¡°Ptui ¨C pretty boy!¡± Chai Feng nearly tripped himself, forcing himself to stand straight, he led Cai Wei through the entrance of the Xinglong Inn. Once they reached the courtyard, they saw curved corridors winding around, with plenty of artificial mountains, verdant pine and cypress trees, strangely shaped stones. They walked past numerous rooms to a place where there were a row of single-storey houses that were quiet and elegant. Entering the hall, they saw gorgeous painted beams and structures. There was a magnificent seven-colored glazed screen in the center. Purple sandalwood guest seats were arranged in front of it with Black Fox Skin cushions on top. A Boshan Ancient Copper Stove was burning Longyan Fragrant Cake on a small table. There were antiques, an ancient zither, and a chessboard with jade chess pieces on the book tables on both sides. Each piece was an exquisite artifact, each one worth a fortune.... As expected of the town¡¯s best inn, it was boundlessly luxurious! Cai Wei glanced briefly at the opulence of the inn and sighed a little to herself. Then she turned her attention back to the silhouette behind the screen, watching it warily. The man had gone behind the screen as soon as he entered, who knows what tricks he was trying to play! After a while, Nangong Yi came out from behind the screen. He had removed his gold crown and robe and was wearing only a loose scarlet garment. The ink-colored hair flowing down his back was loose like a waterfall. Cai Wei jumped in shock, pointing at him and shouting, ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m a girl visiting your place, and you didn¡¯t even greet me and took off your outer clothing. This is too disrespectful! What are you thinking.¡± The man sauntered leisurely, holding a huge lacquered tray with a design of red flowers. On it was a steaming purple clay teapot with a couple of white, five-petal, flower-shaped, official kiln, tea cups. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking, Miss. This is how I am at home all the time, I didn¡¯t mean to disrespect you!¡± As he said this, he put the tray on the side table, the jade-coloured tip of his finger lifted the steaming Purple Clay Teapot, and from inside the pot a pale-blue flower bloomed slowly in the mist. The room was instantly filled with an exotic scent, full of floral charm! Cai Wei was stunned. This flower, is the dried flower she had picked in her Space! Nangong Yi, holding the teapot, poured a cup and handed it over, ¡°If, as Miss Wei¡¯er says, I intended to disrespect you, why would I serve you with this priceless tea?¡± Wei¡¯er¡¯s face stiffened, she took the teacup reluctantly, her gaze shifted elsewhere. Good grief! If she had known that this flower tea would result in so much trouble, she would never have brought it out, attracting disaster. ¡°Miss Wei¡¯er why aren¡¯t you drinking? Even though the tea was gotten from you, such a good thing, you shouldn¡¯t disregard it, right?¡± Nangong Yi said casually, asking a question. ¡°About that, actually... cough, cough...¡± Wei¡¯er stopped halfway through her sentence, kept coughing, buying herself some time, while organizing her words in her mind quickly, trying to make him believe that she bought this tea from a traveling street vendor. Although this explanation seemed unconvincing, it had the advantage of not leaving any trace of evidence. As long as she stood her ground, he would not have any recourse. Unexpectedly, the man did not argue about the matter of the tea. He served himself a cup, took a small sip, and said gently, ¡°Miss Wei¡¯er, you don¡¯t need to be cautious, you can relax and chat while sipping the tea with me, for instance, let¡¯s talk about the training methods of the Giant Tiger!¡± Chapter 78 - 78 78 Five Elements Absolute (1)_1 ?78: Chapter 78 Five Elements Absolute (1)_1 78: Chapter 78 Five Elements Absolute (1)_1 The violent cough suddenly stopped! Cai Wei was stunned, as if struck by lightning, and looked up abruptly! At this moment, the man was staring at her with his captivating face, which she did not find strange. What was strange was the solemnity on his face that she had never seen before! ¡°Could the girl enlighten me, why did a giant tiger come to save you that day, and why the giant tiger didn¡¯t hurt you when running with you? And the flower tea at the girl¡¯s home, if I¡¯m not mistaken, those teas are all made from rare flowers that are hard to come by in the world, worth thousands of gold. With so many extraordinary matters, how do you explain, miss?¡± Nangong Yi put down the teapot, looking intently at the girl in front of him. His usual casual expression became very serious for the first time. When the conversation got to this point, evasion and sophistry were obviously useless. Cai Wei withdrew her exaggerated expression, the look on her face gradually cooled, she stared at that pair of inquiring eyes, and scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Explain? Why should I explain to you? What are you to me? What right do you have to demand that of me?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes were sharp as a knife, her words harsh and pointed directly at the man. Upon hearing this, Nangong Yi leaned slightly on the purple sandalwood armchair, half of his floral dress revealed his jade-colored skin. ¡°If the girl refuses to speak, well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I have plenty of time to wait for the girl to figure it out...¡± What did he mean? What kind of ¡®time do I have¡¯? Suddenly realizing, she looked at him in disbelief, ¡°You want to confine me?¡± The man didn¡¯t beat around the bush, and laughed, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You, shameless¡ª¡ª¡± Cai Wei was extremely angered, because of her anger, her chest heaved. Who does he think he is? How dare he treat her like this? With anger, she abruptly stood up, forgetting about the manners and reservedness a girl should have, pointed at the man on the armchair, and cursed loudly, ¡°Vile, shameless man, you¡¯re just taking advantage of your martial arts skills to bully a weak woman. What kind of man are you? Scum!¡± Before the man could reply, a furious roar came from outside the door, ¡°Presumptuous!¡± A figure rushed in, reached her side in an instant. His face was dark, his eyes piercing, staring at her like he wanted to devour her, ¡°Wild girl, you dare to disrespect the master, are you seeking death?¡± While scolding, his hand like an iron clamp aimed at her thin neck. Cai Wei was not a pushover either, she sneered, deftly dodged backwards, grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it on the table. ¡°Clang¡ª¡ª¡± With a sound, the jade-like official kiln cup was shattered into pieces. Cai Wei held a piece in her hand, dodged the attack, with a swift side step, the porcelain piece pierced an acupoint three inches below his knee. He fell and was unable to rise. The noise of the fight alarmed the guards outside the door. Chai Feng led them inside with a leap. Seeing that he was down and couldn¡¯t get up, they were shocked and did not dare to be negligent. The group spread out and surrounded Cai Wei. ¡°Ha, you know where to hit the snake!¡± A low giggle came, the man looked leisurely at Cai Wei, who was in a defensive stance, with a warm look in his eyes. He seemed to not care about his guard being taken down. ¡°Bah¡ª¡ª¡± Cai Wei didn¡¯t appreciate the man¡¯s ambiguous praise, she kept scolding, ¡°Scum, garbage, bullying the weak, are you ashamed?¡± ¡°Shut up¡ª¡ª¡± When the master was insulted like this, the guards¡¯ eyes turned red, they all roared together like thunder, swooped towards Cai Wei in a flash. Chapter 79 - 79 79 Five Elements Absolute (2)_1 ?79: Chapter 79 Five Elements Absolute (2)_1 79: Chapter 79 Five Elements Absolute (2)_1 ¡°Fine then¡ª¡ª¡± The man suddenly made a sound, slowly stood up, and walked over. The guards timely withdrew their hands, giving way to let their master unhindered stride before the wild girl, overlooking her from a high position. ¡°You said, I bully you, a weak woman, because I know a little martial arts?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Cai Wei wasn¡¯t scared at all. ¡°Also, you said, I use my advantage to bully the weak?¡± ¡°Is it not true?¡± Cai Wei looked disdainful, her face full of contempt. Although she was shorter than him, that wild and untamed aura made it hard for him to overlook her! Gazing into those cold and stubborn eyes, Nangong Yi was slightly taken aback... Why was this girl so different from all the other women he knew! Cai Wei stood opposite him, fully prepared for the worst case. In case they continued to press her, she could only release the white tiger. But the matter of space cannot be known by a second person. Thus, once the white tiger emerged out of thin air, all those people must die. Although it was against her intention to kill indiscriminately, but from the perspective of rights, after all, if they insisted on seeking death, it would be no one¡¯s fault but their own for being ruthless! However, at this moment, the idle voice of Nangong Yi rang out again: ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll find a way to settle this fairly between men and women, so that you¡¯ll admit defeat wholeheartedly!¡± A way to settle things fairly between men and women? Cai Wei was suddenly curious: ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A poem contest, I¡¯ll give the first line, and you reply with the following one. This way, it certainly cannot be said that I bullied you!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Cai Wei¡¯s spirit was lifted. In her previous life, apart from defending the leader, her biggest hobby during leisure was studying those ancient poems with very beautiful rhymes. To compete in this kind of game, she would be sure to win! Seeing the girl¡¯s warm face, Nangong Yi raised the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°It seems that the proposal to compete in verses has accorded with your wishes. However, as I previously mentioned, if you respond to my line correctly, you can leave here whenever you like, and I promise that I will not disturb you anymore. But if you can¡¯t, please be gracious in defeat, tell me what I want to know. I promise I will not make things difficult for you. Is that alright?¡± Was there any room for her to bargain while she was imprisoned here? The answer was, no! Moreover, she was skilled in verses and might not lose to him. So, Cai Wei nodded and said, ¡°Please, Young Master, give the first line.¡± Nangong Yi glanced at the willow tree faintly visible through the Goryeo paper and said, ¡°The smoke locks the pond willow!¡± Unexpectedly, this evildoer not only had a magnificent look and high martial arts skills, but also was quite gifted in poetry. Cai Wei was silently considering. This antithesis seemed to be very ordinary, but it was an extremely precious poetic couplet with absolute and complete Five Element rhymes, since the radicals of this first line were Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth... The room¡¯s guards hearing their master¡¯s first line could not help but twitch their mouths. They didn¡¯t expect the master to throw the couplet that the old shaman gave him to the little girl. However, looking at the little girl who was only about twelve or thirteen, it can be reasonably assumed that she couldn¡¯t answer the old man¡¯s couplet. Who could have thought someone as exceptional as the master would be stumped by such mundane couplets, forcing him to ponder it for three whole days in a small inn without figuring out the response. The old shaman had said, ¡°if you wish to be a ruler, you have to be capable in both letters and martial arts. He could only support the master if he exceeded the old man in every way.¡± The master defeated him in martial arts, but was caught off guard by this annoying couplet, causing him to toss and turn over. Although they all wanted to lend a hand, their abilities fell short of their willingness. They could only wait anxiously and hope that the Master could figure it out as soon as possible, solve the old shaman¡¯s couplet, and return to the capital with the old shaman as soon as possible to finish Jin Guifei and the Prince¡¯s party of thieves! Chapter 80 - 80 80 Fire Explodes(1)_1 ?80: Chapter 80: Fire Explodes(1)_1 80: Chapter 80: Fire Explodes(1)_1 In the room, there was silence. The guards retreated to one side, standing with their heads lowered, slowing their breaths, and listening carefully. After a while, a clear and slightly cool feminine voice rang out: ¡°Peach Burns the Brocade River Embankment.¡± The lines were well-matched, the conception was exquisite, it was a perfect example of a five-elements couplet! Nangong Yi¡¯s gaze paused for a brief moment, and then a look of surprise appeared. He picked up the fragrant tea on the table, which was enshrouded in mist, gently opened his thin lips, and uttered a word. ¡°Tea.¡± What did he mean? To offer her tea? But, she had just smashed the teacup, where would she get tea to drink? Cai Wei felt out of sorts, her face turning ugly. The man didn¡¯t look at her expression, he lowered his head and took a sip, continuing: ¡°Fragrant leaves, tender shoots.¡± Ah, so this was it! She let out a sigh of relief, her face eased up. Thankfully, she often exchanged thoughts with her poetry friends in their circle, otherwise, she would have been confused by this man¡¯s random utterance. ¡°Admiring poets, loving the monk¡¯s home,¡± she retorted fluently. There was a gentler color around Nangong Yi¡¯s lips. He put down the teacup, looked at her for a while, and then spoke again: ¡°Milling carved white jade, weaving black gauze.¡± Just as the sound of his voice faded, without thinking, Cai Wei continued: ¡°Steeping the color of flower buds, gracefully winding up the dust flowers.¡± The smile on Nangong Yi¡¯s lips became more prominent. After pondering for a moment, he said: ¡°Inviting to accompany the moon after the night, ordering to face the rosy dawn in the morning.¡± After a brief thought, Cai Wei responded: ¡°Washing away the tiresome of the ancient and modern people, how can one boast after intoxification?¡± ¡°Hehe, splendid!¡± Unable to contain his admiration, Nangong Yi clapped his hands. A genuine praise was evident on his peerlessly handsome face, ¡°I never expected Miss Wei¡¯er to have such talents, I underestimated you.¡± Although Cai Wei was exulting in her mind, her face remained serene: ¡°Since I have matched the young master¡¯s couplet, is the young master willing to honor his promise and let me go?¡± Nangong Yi nodded, the smile on his face meaningful: ¡°Of course, I always keep my word. What I¡¯ve promised, I¡¯ll definitely do!¡± ... Upon leaving the Xinglong Inn, Cai Wei, like a bird free from its cage, walked swiftly. Knowledge truly is power. She had initially thought she¡¯d wage a massive fight today, causing blood to spill at Xinglong Inn, but unexpectedly, the situation was settled simply with a few verses! With no blood on her hands, Cai Wei was exceptionally delighted. Upon spotting a familiar man ahead, she even actively went up to greet him. The man who was greeted had the surname Xie, named Ziyuan, known as Xie Zhongren. He was a slave trader in the town¡¯s Broker House. This man had been dealing in the human trade for several decades, he had considerable reputation. Most of the big family¡¯s purchase of houses, land, or selling of people was done through him. Last time, the house purchased for the nursing home was also introduced by him. ¡°Ah, Miss Mu, what a coincidence!¡± Xie Zhongren courteously said while sizing up Cai Wei. This little girl had grown more delicate in just a few days. The last time he saw her, she was thin and pale. In just a few days, she had turned soft and tender, like one could squeeze water out of her. It was truly strange! Cai Wei had just discussed with her mother about buying some slaves last night, and today she fortuitously bumped into Xie Zhongren. She promptly told him about her plan to buy slaves. Upon hearing that Cai Wei wanted to buy five or six people, Xie Zhongren was immediately overjoyed. His profession was similar to that of a modern intermediary; he would take a cut from both sides. The larger the transaction amount, the more he could withdraw. ¡°Girl, rest assured, I¡¯ll go back and choose the people right away. I will definitely choose some dependable ones and personally bring them to your house for you to see. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± Xie Zhongren¡¯s face was full of smiles, eloquently displaying the professional skills of a middleman.