《The Lucky Star Reincarnates to Bring Her Family Fortune!》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: Jinx?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°I heard that the third son of the Zhou family fell down the mountain this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He broke his legs and was just brought to the city for treatment. His legs and body were covered in blood. It was scary.¡±


    ¡°Why is he so unlucky? There were so many people who went up the mountain together with him, but no one else fell. How on earth did he fall?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, there¡¯s nothing toin about. If there¡¯s anything toin about, it¡¯s because his family has a jinx!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say, it¡¯s true! Look at how rich the Zhou family was when they first settled in our vige. They bought fields and bought shops. Ever since that jinx was born, the Zhou family started its downfall.¡±


    ...


    In an instant, the news of how the third son of the Zhou family broke his leg spread throughout Boyu Vige.


    At this moment, the Zhou family was in a mess.


    The men at home, Old Zhou and Zhou Fugui, asked for help from a few burly men in the vige to carry the injured Zhou Fuchun to the city.


    The third daughter-inw, Madam Zhu, also went to the city to take care of her injured husband.


    Only the old, weak, women, and children were at home with the foolish eldest son, Zhou Yu.


    The jinx that the vigers were talking about was Zhou Yu¡¯s eldest daughter. At this moment, she was curled up in Zhou Yu¡¯s arms and did not move.


    ¡°My head hurts. It¡¯s so noisy around me...¡± she thought.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt that her head was hurting from the noise. She wanted to re up, but she did not even have the strength to open her eyes.


    She struggled and finally opened her heavy eyelids. What greeted her eyes was a firm and warm chest.


    In an instant, memories surged into her mind.


    Had she reincarnated into a dead body?


    She was originally a small carp living in the lotus pond in Immortal Tai Yi¡¯s courtyard. As she often listened to Immortal Tai Yi preach the beliefs of Taoism, she was able to cultivate a body.


    She crossed the Dragon Gate in one day and was on the verge of achieving her Way, but she could not break through for a long time. After being enlightened by Immortal Tai Yi, she realized that she needed to enter the 3,000 small worlds to undergo tribtions.


    Be it the Immortal World or the Underworld, they all evolved with the times. The so-called 3,000 small worlds were life books written by the Siming Star Lord for immortals who had to descend to the Mortal World to undergo tribtions.


    It was exactly the same as the novels she secretly read from the Inte in the Mortal World.


    Hence, she pulled some favors and asked Star Lord Si Ming to write an easy life book for her to undergo tribtions.


    With that, she happily went to the Mortal World to undergo her tribtion.


    Unexpectedly, just as she was about to reincarnate, an otherworldly soul beat her to it!


    After losing her chance to reincarnate, she could only travel aimlessly in the book world as a ghost.


    With that, she has been like this for 10 years.


    Today, her soul was suddenly summoned by something unknown and she floated here uncontrobly before losing consciousness. When she opened her eyes again, she had entered this body.


    Did she reincarnate sessfully?


    However, her age at reincarnation was a little old.


    The original owner of this body was also called Zhou Xiaoli. She was 10 years old this year and was famous in Boyu Vige for being a jinx.


    It was said that she jinxed her father, Zhou Yu, to be a fool and her own mother to be perpetually sick. She even jinxed her brother to be a mute. And now, she jinxed Zhou Fuchun to fall down the mountain and broke his leg.


    Thispletely angered her mean grandmother, Lai Jinniang.


    At this moment, Lai Jinniang was in a fit of anger because of this matter. She let her grandchildren bully Zhou Xiaoli and her younger siblings.


    Zhou Xiaoli was bullied the most as she was trying to protect her younger brother and sister. She even took a hit from Lai Jinniang herself. At this moment, her body still burned with pain whenever she moved.


    It could be seen how ruthless the beating was!


    Fortunately, her silly father, Zhou Yu, rushed up from behind and protected her in his arms. He used his sturdy back to block all the beatings so that she would not be further injured.


    At this moment, Lai Jinniang was shouting at Zhou Yu.


    ¡°Damn it, you unfilial thing. How dare you disobeyed me for these little b*tches!¡±


    ¡°I worked so hard to bring you up and this is how you repay your mother!¡±


    Lai Jinniang pointed at Zhou Yu¡¯s nose as she yelled. Even as she scolded him, her anger did not subside. She took the rod and hit Zhou Yu repeatedly.


    She beat him up as she yelled. ¡°I took care of you for 20 plus years. Even a dog would have wagged its tail at me in gratitude! You are an unfilial and ungrateful thing; you¡¯re worse than a dog!¡±


    ¡°Had we known that you¡¯re such an unfilial thing back then, your father and I shouldn¡¯t have picked you up. We should have let you die by the roadside!¡±


    Zhou Yu did not make a sound nor resist when he was beaten up like this. He silently endured the vicious beatings and only hugged Zhou Xiaoli tightly in his arms, afraid that she would be hurt.


    The reason why Lai Jinniang was so angry was because Zhou Yu had identally pushed her a little as she was beating Zhou Xiaoli viciously.


    Although Zhou Yu was a fool, he knew instinctively that he should protect his wife and children. Seeing that his wife and children were crying, he rushed over to protect Zhou Xiaoli and the others, but in the process, he had pushed Lai Jinniang a little by ident.


    Now, Lai Jinniang was furious.


    The dull sound of the rod hitting Zhou Yu¡¯s body was painful just by listening to it. Moreover, Zhou Xiaoli received a hit from the rod earlier, so she knew the pain of it all too well.


    She raised her head and looked at the silly man protecting her. She wanted to tell him that he should dodge when he was beaten.


    However, after she finished speaking weakly, Zhou Yu did not dodge. He only gave her a silly smile and said naively, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Li¡¯er. I¡¯m here, heh.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was a fish in her previous life. She has lived in the lotus pond since she existed. She had never seen her parents and did not know what parental love was.


    She had only read about it from novels.


    At this moment, the silly smile on Zhou Yu¡¯s face, his broad chest, his warm embrace, and the way he protected her stunned her.


    ...


    ¡°Mother, Mother, please stop hitting him. He would be beaten to death.¡± Zhang Lan knelt beside Zhou Yu and grabbed Lai Jinniang as she tried to stop her from hitting Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun also rushed over and hugged Lai Jinniang¡¯s legs, crying their hearts out.


    ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯t hit Dad.¡±


    Lai Jinniang was furious. She cursed and kicked Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun away.


    ¡°Get lost! Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you too!¡±


    As she spoke, she raised the rod and was about to hit Zhang Lan and her children!


    Seeing this, Zhou Yu became a little anxious. He stood up at once and grabbed Lai Jinniang¡¯s wrist to stop the rod froming down on his wife and children.


    Zhou Yu was tall and burly, and his face was red from the beating he took earlier. Lai Jinniang was shocked when he suddenly rushed up to her.


    After taking a few steps back, she finally reacted and pointed at Zhou Yu. ¡°You, you¡¯re trying to hit me, your mother! Guihua, Guihua, go and call the vige chief over quickly to uphold justice for us. We have a disobedient and unfilial thing that wants to hit his mother!¡±


    Seeing this, Zhou Yu panicked. He let go and shook his head in panic.


    Lai Jinniang was already sitting on the ground and crying loudly. ¡°Damn it, this disobedient and unfilial thing even dared to hit me.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Why is my life so bitter? What sins did Imit in my previous life to end up being in this family full of nuisances? Your entire family only knows how to eat!


    ¡°Let me tell you, from today onwards, you¡¯re no longer a son of our Zhou family. Take your family of weirdos and get out of the Zhou family!¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: Strange Illusion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At this moment, a broken ck bag was thrown in front of them. The bag was opened, and a few shriveled taros could be seen inside.


    Zhou Guihua pped her hands and looked down at them with disdain. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Mother said? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get lost with your things. If you dawdle any longer, these taros will be gone as well!¡±


    Zhou Yu did not know what it meant to be chased out of the house.


    However, Zhang Lan knew that should they be chased out, they would not even have a ce to stay, let alone have food to eat. What awaited them would be death.


    Although they were bullied in the Zhou family, they could still live on.


    She hoped that there was still room for negotiation. ¡°Mother, where are we going to stay if you chase us out? This, isn¡¯t this asking our entire family to die?¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, she clutched her chest and coughed. All she got in return were the cold expressions on their faces.


    ¡°What does the death of your family have to do with us? Get lost!¡±


    Zhang Lan was about to plead for mercy again when Zhou Xiaoli spoke. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t beg them. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze swept across the people around her and finallynded on Zhang Lan. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t beg them. Let¡¯s go.¡± she said again.


    Under Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s determined gaze and Lai Jinniang¡¯s coldness, Zhang Lan finally made up her mind and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lai Jinniang snorted. ¡°You should have done this earlier.¡±


    Then, as if she was afraid that they would go back on their word, she urged impatiently. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re leaving, cut the crap. Hurry up and pack your things. Leave now. Don¡¯t think about getting a free dinner!¡±


    With that, she turned around and entered the central room with a dark expression.


    Zhou Guihua and Wang Cuiju also nced at them coldly and followed closely behind to sashay into the central room.


    In an instant, only Zhou Xiaoli and her family were left in the courtyard.


    Zhang Lan could not help but feel a little mncholic. She was determined to leave initially but now that she had calmed down, she was really worried.


    Their family had no houses nor fields. She was weak and sickly, and her husband was stupid. Where could they go after leaving the Zhou family...


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu ran to Zhang Lan¡¯s side. Although she was young, she more or less knew about the current situation. Her eyes were filled with fear at this moment.


    Zhang Lan looked at her youngest daughter. Her little face was sallow due to malnutrition and one side was swollen. There was a clear palm print on it, and her heart ached. ¡°Third Sister, does it hurt?¡±


    Lai Jinniang did it to her. This kind of beating was normal in the Zhou family.


    Zhou Xiaoyu shook her head and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Mother, are we moving?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed. How could it not hurt? Then, she looked at the bruises on Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s forehead, and the injured corner of Zhou Junjun¡¯s mouth.


    And her husband, whose back was bleeding. She was so heartbroken that tears were about to fall. In the end, she held them back and nodded firmly. ¡°Move!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then, will Grandma never hit us again?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s tears finally fell uncontrobly.


    She nodded. ¡°Yes, she won¡¯t.¡±


    A smile appeared on the little kid¡¯s face.


    Zhang Lan wiped her tears. The family supported each other and went to their room to pack.


    There were not many things they needed to bring along. A few taros, a nket, a few patched clothes and a few pairs of broken straw shoes. A basket was all they needed to pack their belongings away.


    Lai Jinniang was determined not to give them anything. As they packed, the door of the central room remained tightly shut.


    Zhang Lan looked around the room. This area was the smallest and most dpidated part of the house. It used to be a shed to raise livestock. There was only one bed and a small broken cab. She could take it all in at a nce.


    However, when they leave the Zhou family, they would not even have such a livestock shed to live in.


    In her sadness, she remembered that she still had children to raise. Zhang Lan forced herself to focus and asked Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Li¡¯er, have you found it?¡±


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli responded. She dug out a small ck cloth bag from the corner of the wall and opened it. Inside were 50 copper coins.


    Zhou Xiaoli wrapped it up again and put it on her body.


    Although Zhou Yu was stupid, he was very obedient. He also had brute force and was good at manualbor. Moreover, he would not ck off at work.


    Therefore, Butler Wan was very fond of him when he worked for the Wan family.


    After Butler Wan found out about Zhou Yu¡¯s situation, he would secretly give Zhou Yu additional money every time and taught him not to tell Lai Jinniang.


    Therefore, Zhou Yu handed the extra money to Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan also knew that Lai Jinniang didn¡¯t like their family, so she would not prepare a dowry for her children. Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli wasing of age soon, she thought about it and secretly saved up the extra money without telling Lai Jinniang.


    After saving for a long time, they managed to save up 50 copper coins. Although it was not much, it could resolve their urgent needs for now.


    While Zhou Xiaoli kept the money, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu packed everything they had and ced them in the basket on their backs.


    The family supported each other and walked out. Even when they were leaving the Zhou family, Lai Jinniang did note out to take a look.


    Because Zhang Lan was weak, their family walked very slowly. Just as they were talking about the disasterst year and the refugees who had fled here to build a straw shed at the end of the vige, a voice suddenly stopped them.


    ¡°Halt!¡±


    Without looking back, they could tell from the voice that it was Lai Jinniang¡¯s youngest daughter, Zhou Guihua.


    With a cold expression on her face, she did not waste any time talking nonsense. She walked directly to Zhou Xiaoli and blocked her way. She stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Take it out.¡±


    Confused, Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Zhou Guihua snorted. ¡°Stop pretending. Hurry up and take out the money on you. I saw it just now!¡±


    ...


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart turned cold. She coldly denied. ¡°No.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why would we have money?¡±


    Zhou Guihua was unmoved. If she hadn¡¯t seen it for herself, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that they had money on them as well.


    When she went to the outhouse earlier, she saw with her own eyes that the jinx dug out a bag of copper coins from under the wall. And yet she¡¯s lying to her now!


    She immediately snorted. ¡°Stop pretending. I saw it. How dare you steal our Zhou family¡¯s money! Take it out quickly, or I¡¯ll tell Mother!¡±


    ¡°No means no. Even if you tell your mother, I won¡¯t be able to get you any money.¡± Zhou Xiaoli did not panic at all. Zhou Guihua wanted to pocket the money for herself, so she would definitely not tell Lai Jinniang. If she wanted to tell her, she would have told her long ago.


    Sure enough, Zhou Guihua did not tell Lai Jinniang. Instead, she snorted and said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to admit it!¡±


    However, Zhou Xiaoli was not afraid of her. ¡°No!¡± she said coldly.


    This was what they would have to rely on for the past few days. How could they give it to her?


    ¡°Alright, you forced me to do this!¡± Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s unyielding attitude, Zhou Guihua didn¡¯t waste any more words and started to snatch it from her.


    She knew that Zhou Xiaoli had the money bag in her arms. She reached in to pull the money bag out.


    ...


    ¡°Ha! Sure enough there it is! A whole family of thieves!¡±


    Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli did not give in. She grabbed the money bag and refused to let go. She red at the woman in front of her, unwilling to be outdone.


    At this moment, the scene in front of her suddenly changed and another scene appeared.


    In the scene, the two of them were fighting over the money bag.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were eager to protect their daughter, so they went forward to pull Zhou Guihua.


    Zhou Yu was strong so he was able to throw Zhou Guihua off immediately.


    Coincidentally, there was a tree branch at the ce where Zhou Guihua fell. It pierced through the back of Zhou Guihua¡¯s head and she died on the spot.


    Immediately after, the scene before her eyes changed to a scene of the Zhou family and the vigers getting the police to arrest their family and torture them.


    The scene flickered again and instantly disappeared. Zhou Guihua¡¯s disgusting face was still in front of her.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but widen her eyes as she was unable to understand what had just happened.


    However, she subconsciously looked at the ce where Zhou Guihua had fallen in her illusion. Indeed, she saw a tree branch on the ground, which was exactly the same one as in the illusion!

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: The Liu Family


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Just as she was in a daze, Zhou Yu rushed over to pull Zhou Guihua away.


    Zhou Xiaoli panicked and subconsciously grabbed Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Guihua took the opportunity to snatch the money bag. At the same time, she pushed Zhou Xiaoli back. After cursing loudly, she turned around, ran back to the Zhou family courtyard and closed the door.


    At the same time, Zhou Xiaoli felt a wave of dizziness washed over her. It was as if all her strength had been sucked out of her as she went limp.


    ¡°Xiaoli, Xiaoli...¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s voice became more and more ethereal to her, and she finally fell into aa.


    ¡ª


    When she woke up again, she saw Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s swollen little face. Her almond-shaped eyes were already big, but because she was too thin and weak, they seemed rounder and bigger. She looked less adorable as a result.


    When the little kid saw her open her eyes, she cried out excitedly. She immediately got up and ran to find Zhang Lan. ¡°Mother, Mother, Sister is awake.¡±


    Due to her chronic malnutrition, Zhou Xiaoyu was very thin and small. This also made her head look very big and she was very unstable as she ran. Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli was on tenterhooks. She was worried that she would fall to the ground as her head was disproportionate to her body. Fortunately, this did not happen.


    Zhou Xiaoli propped herself up on the ground and observed her surroundings. She found that they were now in the straw shed at the end of the vige. At this moment, Zhang Lan was sitting beside the shed and was repairing the straw shed with Zhou Yu.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoyu say that Zhou Xiaoli had woken up, Zhang Lan asked Zhou Xiaoyu to take good care of her.


    Zhou Xiaoyu nodded and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of my sister.¡±


    After saying that, she ran to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side and began to ask questions.


    ¡°Sis, are you still dizzy?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head and said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not dizzy anymore.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu blinked and said cutely, ¡°Then can I apany you?¡±


    Her childlike voice was clean and lively. Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes turned gentle as she reached out and patted Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s head.


    Zhou Xiaoyu turned four this year, but because of malnutrition, she did not look like a four-year-old at all.


    Looking at her little face, Zhou Xiaoli nned to nourish the little one so much that she would be fat after earning money.


    She looked up again at the grass hut that had gaps in all directions.


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips. There was still a long way to go, but she was still optimistic.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli wanted to get up and help, but after struggling a few times, she couldn¡¯t get her up. In the end, she gave up and sat up to observe the straw shed.


    The straw shed was supported by four pirs and the roof was iid with straw. The straw under her was very fluffy and it seemed that it was just brought in.


    Right now, Zhou Yu and the others were tying thatch and bamboo together. It seemed like they wanted to use it to cover the surroundings of the straw shed.


    Due to how everyone thought of her as a jinx, the vigers avoided her family as much as possible. Therefore, no one came to help them, but there were some idle people nearby who were watching.


    Right now, only Zhou Yu, the eight-year-old Zhou Junjun, and the sickly Zhang Lan were working. They were afraid that by night time, not even a wall would be erected by then.


    It was the middle of July of the lunar calendar, and the weather was still very hot. It would be fine to stay in this shed for a few days.


    The only thing she was worried about was Zhang Lan¡¯s health. She was already weak and staying in such a house for a few days would probably kill her.


    At this moment, a voice came from outside the straw shed and interrupted Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Really? Thank you so much.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s cautious and excited voice sounded out. She turned around and called Zhou Xiaoli and the others over. ¡°Children,e out quickly and kowtow to your Uncle Liu.¡±


    Liu Liangcai hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t. Sister-inw, you can¡¯t do this. If it weren¡¯t for Big Brother Zhou who disregarded the danger to him and saved me from the wolf back then, I would have died long ago.


    ¡°Besides, that house belongs to my uncle¡¯s family. Their family doesn¡¯t live in the vige. It¡¯s idle anyway. You can put your mind at ease and stay there.¡±


    Although it didn¡¯t seem much, Liu Liangcai was the only one in the entire vige who was willing to stand out to help them. This kindness could not be forgotten.


    ¡ª


    ording to the vigers, Liu Liangcai¡¯s uncle was an artist. He was unruly and loved freedom. When he was young, he left home to wander outside. A few years ago, he would still return for the annual ancestral worship. But now, he rarelyes back.


    Therefore, this courtyard had always been abandoned.


    Liu Liangcai brought Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family to his uncle¡¯s courtyard and said, ¡°There are only two rooms. One is the main room, and the other is the kitchen. I¡¯ll get my wife to send you some vegetable seeds some other day. You can nt some vegetables in the courtyard or something.¡±


    As Liu Liangcai spoke, he opened the door and handed the key to Zhang Lan.


    Their entire family was naturally grateful to him.


    Liu Liangcai waved his hand and said with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s just clean up the house today. There are only two rooms. I¡¯ll help too so it will be quick.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the cry of Liu Liangcai¡¯s wife came from next door.


    Immediately after, Liu Liangcai¡¯s youngest son ran over. He stood at the door and craned his neck to look inside. ¡°Father, Father, Mother is looking for you.¡± he shouted.


    Liu Liangcai felt a little guilty. ¡°Then, you guys clean up first. I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on at home first. I¡¯ll help you clean upter,¡± he said to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family.


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Liu, you¡¯re too polite. We¡¯re already very grateful that you let our entire family live here. How can we trouble you again? We can clean up by ourselves.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at her eldest daughter and nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Don¡¯t make Sister-inw wait anxiously at home. Go back quickly.¡±


    At this moment, with his son still urging him at the door, Liu Liangcai could only bid farewell and rushed home.


    After Liu Liangcai left, Zhou Xiaoli looked around the courtyard. The courtyard was indeed not very big and there were only two straw huts.


    There was arge vat in the courtyard, a carrying pole and two wooden buckets in the kitchen, an urn, and some wooden bowls and basins.


    Because no one had lived in the courtyard for a long time, there were many weeds growing in it.


    It would be a huge project to clean up. Fortunately, she had already recovered some of her strength.


    ...


    She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s start. Third Sister, you and Brother Jun help Mother to sit down and rest.¡±


    Then, she said to the confused Zhou Yu. ¡°Father, go to the vige to get water. Wash the water vat and fill it up, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Yu nodded with a silly smile and obediently went to get the carrying pole.


    After Zhou Yu left, Zhou Xiaoli rushed into the house and began to clean up. She had to clean up the ce where they would sleep and let Zhang Lan lie on the bed to rest.


    After Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu helped Zhang Lan to sit somewhere away from the wind, they also ran over to help clean the room.


    Although they were small, they worked hard.


    Sweeping the cobwebs, dusting, and opening the windows for venttion, the two little fellows followed Zhou Xiaoli around and did a good job of cleaning up.


    Zhang Lan, who was leaning against the wall, covered her mouth and coughed. Her eyes could not help but turn red as she watched her three children work busily.


    It was all because of her ipetence that her three children had suffered since they were born.


    This was especially true for Zhou Xiaoli. She had not had a good day ever in the Zhou family and now that they had been chased out of the family, it seemed that she had grown up all of a sudden. She was only a 10-year-old child, but she had automatically shouldered the burden of being the eldest sister.


    The children¡¯s sensible appearance made her heart ache.


    ...

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: Scamming Duck


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Although Zhou Yu was a fool, he was not sloppy in his work.


    Soon, therge vat in the courtyard was cleaned and filled with water.


    Zhou Xiaoli and the two little fellows had also cleaned up the room and made the bed by then. Zhou Yu then carried Zhang Lan to the bed to rest.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan felt that she was a burden. She struggled, unwilling to lie on the bed and wanted to help.


    Zhou Xiaoliforted her. ¡°Mother, now that we¡¯ve moved, you can have a good rest and recuperate. When you recover, we¡¯ll have a good life in the future.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli spoke with confidence and hope.


    Zhang Lan, on the other hand, was not as optimistic as Zhou Xiaoli was. They had nothing now, and she was a burden to their family. How could they have a good life?


    However, she could not show her true feelings in front of the children and make them worry. She could only nod hopefully.


    Afterforting Zhang Lan, Zhou Xiaoli went back to work.


    ¡ª


    In the evening.


    In the courtyard, the two little fellows squatted at the kitchen door, their heads pressed against each other as they cleaned the things in the kitchen.


    Zhou Xiaoli had also cleaned up the kitchen.


    Zhou Yu returned with a bundle of firewood and started to clear the weeds in the courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoli and the little fellows brought the clean wooden bowls and cauldrons into the kitchen.


    After working for so long, her stomach began to rumble as soon as she stopped working.


    Zhou Xiaoli rubbed her belly and looked up at the sky. It was indeed time for dinner.


    But what would they eat for dinner?


    When they came out of the Zhou family courtyard, Lai Jinniang had given them taros. They could steam them and make taro paste.


    Should they also go to the foot of the mountain behind the vige to dig some wild vegetables? It would be even better if they could get a few wild chickens and ducks.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was thinking about it, a strange cry came from the courtyard suddenly and interrupted her in her thoughts.


    After listening for a while, Zhou Xiaoli located the direction from which the cry came from. It came from the alley between the kitchen and the main house.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked inside and saw a pile of weeds.


    It was summer now, and the grass in the alley grew vigorously. It was very easy for snakes and ants to hide in the grass.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli picked up a wooden stick and slowly walked into the alley.


    Just as she approached the grass slowly, she heard another cry. This time, she heard it clearly. It was a quacking sound. Before Zhou Xiaoli could confirm what it was, a fat duck rushed out from inside the alley.


    Then, before Zhou Xiaoli could react, it tripped over a vine and fell headfirst at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s feet. Its neck tilted and it stopped moving.


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. Ah, a duck doing a scam?


    For a moment, Zhou Xiaoli remained stunned before bending down to pick up the ¡®stupid¡¯ duck. She could not help but sighed. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s quite fat.¡±


    At this moment, a few more quacks came from the grass. However, the sound was obviously much younger. It was obvious that it was the cry of a duckling.


    Sure enough, when Zhou Xiaoli pushed aside the grass, she saw five ducklings.


    ¡°Sis, are we going to dig wild vegetables...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun ran over to look for Zhou Xiaoli. When they saw the duck in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand, their mouths widened. ¡°Duck, duck...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was amused by their expressions. She pinched Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s face and pointed at the grass. ¡°Look, there are five ducklings here.¡±


    This time, the two little fellows werepletely excited. They surrounded the ducklings and were overjoyed.


    The two little fellows looked at the ducklings for a while before running into the house excitedly, wanting to share the good news with Zhang Lan. ¡°Mother, Mother, there¡¯s a duckling...¡±


    By the time Zhou Xiaoyu exined to Zhang Lan what she saw with much excited waving of her hands, Zhou Xiaoli had already returned to the room with the duck.


    When she saw the big fat duck in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand, Zhang Lan was also shocked and pleasantly surprised. ¡°It¡¯s really a duck?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said happily. ¡°Of course. This duck is very fat. It¡¯s enough for our family to eat a few meals.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu gestured excitedly at Zhang Lan. ¡°And ducklings.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Yes, there are five of them. Father is setting up a fence. Let¡¯s raise them first. When they grow up, we will have duck eggs to eat.¡±


    The world of children was very simple. When she heard that there would be duck meat to eat and duck eggs to eat in the future, Zhou Xiaoyu pped her hands happily. ¡°There will be ducks to eat.¡±


    Zhang Lan was also infected by the joyous atmosphere. Her originally gray face livened up.


    Zhou Yu¡¯s movements were quick, and he quickly removed the weeds in the corner of the wall. He used tree branches to form a fence around the corner.


    Afraid that the ducks would get wet, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun even found wooden sticks and weeds to build a shed for them.


    It seemed to be the ducklings¡¯ first time interacting with humans. They were very afraid as they huddled in the corner.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun surrounded the fence and looked at the ducklings happily.


    After watching for a while, Zhou Xiaoyu asked. ¡°Sister, are the ducks hungry? What do they eat?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment. There was no food to feed them at home, so she said, ¡°Yes, we can catch insects and feed them.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu immediately perked up. ¡°I know how to catch bugs.¡±


    With that, she staggered to the grass in the courtyard to look for insects. Zhou Junjun followed closely behind.


    Zhou Xiaoli went to the kitchen and began to deal with the duck.


    ...


    When she was a carp, she often ran to the next realm and sneaked into various restaurants to learn how to cook as she loved good food. The fact that she could often sneak in to listen to Immortal Tai Yi¡¯s preaching was also due to her good culinary skills.


    Therefore, it was not difficult for her to deal with a duck.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want to keep lying down. Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t win against her, so she agreed to help start the fire.


    It would not be tiring for her to sit and keep the fire going.


    Zhou Yu went out to gather firewood again. Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun were still lying in the grass to catch insects.


    After the entire duck was cleaned up, Zhou Xiaoli cut it open and took half of it to the next room to thank Uncle Liu for taking them in.


    However, just as she walked out of the door, she saw Uncle Liu¡¯s daughter, Liu Yuanyuan, running home angrily. She did not even close the door before questioning her parents loudly.


    ¡°Mother, Mother! Everyone says that our family took in the jinx¡¯s family. Is that true?¡±


    Hearing this, Liu Liangcai frowned and said reproachfully. ¡°Look at you. Is this what a girl should say?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yuanyuan knew that the rumor was true. She immediately objected. ¡°Father, why did you take that jinx in? She jinxed Guihua¡¯s third brother and broke his leg. What if our family takes her in and we be unlucky as well! Mother, why didn¡¯t you stop Father!¡±


    ...

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: Duck Meat


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Liu Liangcai¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Child, you¡¯re getting more and more outrageous. Don¡¯t have soft ears and believe whatever gossip you hear from outside. Jinx? You¡¯re actually talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. Everyone in the vige knows that Zhou Xiaoli is a jinx. My good friends now know that our family has taken the jinx in, and are unwilling to y with me!¡± Liu Yuanyuan roared.


    ¡°Boohoo, I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care. I just don¡¯t want a jinx to live in Second Uncle¡¯s courtyard. I don¡¯t want to live next door to a jinx. Mother, go and chase them out now!¡±


    Although Liu Yuanyuan was a girl, she had been spoiled by Lin Xiujuan since young. She had a very big temper and when she threw a tantrum like this, Liu Liangcai turned red as well.


    He found a wooden stick in the courtyard and pointed at Liu Yuanyuan. ¡°I think I haven¡¯t disciplined you recently. Look at what you¡¯ve be. If you¡¯re like this and bber whatever you want, you would suffer when you get married in the future as no one will spoil you in your inws¡¯ house. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today! Extend your hand!¡± he said angrily.


    With that, he was about to punish Liu Yuanyuan.


    Seeing this, Liu Yuanyuan became afraid. She hid behind her mother, Lin Xiujuan, in a panic, but she refused to admit her mistake. She raised her head and shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. What right do you have to hit me! Boohoo, am I still your biological daughter? You¡¯re biased towards that jinx.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was naturally protective of her child. ¡°What are you doing? If you want to hit Yuanyuan, hit me instead!¡± she roared as she quickly stopped Liu Liangcai.


    Liu Liangcai stomped his feet in anger. ¡°Aiyaya, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s overprotective. Look at what you have done, turning her from a good girl to a bad girl. Sooner orter, she¡¯ll cause trouble.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan stopped Liu Liangcai from hitting Liu Yuanyuan. ¡°She¡¯s my girl. Who should I care for if I don¡¯t care about her! What about you? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking!


    ¡°Yuanyuan is right. That Zhou family is indeed unlucky. Which family doesn¡¯t avoid them in this vige? You¡¯re the only one who didn¡¯t listen to my advice and insisted on taking them in!¡±


    Liu Liangcai pinched the space between his eyebrows and said angrily, ¡°What jinx? The gossip mentioned that the Zhou family has declined, but why should Brother Zhou¡¯s girl be med for it?¡±


    ¡°That second and third son of the Zhou family took all the money to splurge in the city. They were not cut out for business and yet, they insisted on opening a shop like others. In the end, they lost a lot of money. Which family wouldn¡¯t decline in this case?¡±


    ¡°Also, how did Big Brother Zhou be a fool? It¡¯s all because his adoptive mother smashed him on the head with a wooden basin. As for the third son of the Zhou family who fell down the mountain today, all the more she shouldn¡¯t be med for the ident!¡±


    ¡°I was there. It was Zhou Fuchun who refused to listen to my advice and insisted on climbing the steep cliff to pick fruits. That¡¯s why he lost his footing and fell.¡±


    In fact, most of the vigers knew what Liu Liangcai said to be true, but they still med Zhou Xiaoli for all unfortunate events.


    This was because when Zhou Xiaoli was born, there was a rainbow in the sky and the sky shone brightly. At that time, it was considered to be an auspicious omen.


    However, Lai Jinniang didn¡¯t want Zhou Xiaoli to have a good reputation, so sheined that Zhou Xiaoli was a jinx and a burden to the family.


    Humans would admire people with higher status than themselves and even respect them for it. However, they could not bear to see people like themselves, leading a better life than them.


    With Lai Jinniang¡¯s disdain, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reputation as a jinx began to spread bit by bit. Most people forgot that when Zhou Xiaoli was born, the sky had shone brightly.


    Speaking of this, Zhou Xiaoli suddenly remembered that the birthday of this body was actually the same as the one she was supposed to reincarnate in!


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not think too much about it.


    That was because Liu Yuanyuan, who was originally in the courtyard, ran out of the house with Lin Xiujuan¡¯s protection and bumped into Zhou Xiaoli, who was at the door.


    Seeing that it was Zhou Xiaoli, Liu Yuanyuan immediately pinched her nose and distanced herself. ¡°As expected of a jinx. She had just moved in next door and caused me to be scolded by my father!¡± she thought to herself.


    Then, her expression became even more unpleasant towards Zhou Xiaoli. She fiercely red at Zhou Xiaoli and ran out of the house.


    In the courtyard, Liu Liangcai and Lin Xiujuan were still arguing about Liu Yuanyuan being led astray when they saw Zhou Xiaoli standing at the door.


    The two of them immediately shut their mouths. Liu Liangcai hurriedly walked to the door and said apologetically, ¡°It¡¯s Little Li. How is it? Has your room been tidied up? Your aunt sprained her waist just now, so I haven¡¯t had the time to help you.¡±


    Thinking of something, he immediately turned around and said, ¡°Mommy, quickly go to the kitchen and take some millet for Little Li to bring home to cook porridge with.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan had a nasty expression on her face and when she heard this, her expression darkened further. ¡°Our family isn¡¯t a wealthy family. Our family of four has to eat as well. Why would we have surplus food for any Tom, Dick, or Harry!¡± she said in a sour tone immediately.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but she was feeling a little ufortable in her heart. However, they were indeed indebted to Uncle Liu. Moreover, her mother¡¯s body could not go through any more challenges.


    Thinking of this, she suppressed her difort and smiled. ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s no need to trouble you. We¡¯ve already tidied up the room.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out the other half of the processed duck meat and said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m very grateful that you took in our entire family.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to repay you. This is a wild duck I just got. We kept half of it. This other half is a token of our family¡¯s appreciation.¡±


    Liu Liangcai immediately refused, but Zhou Xiaoli insisted again and again. Liu Liangcai was afraid that Zhou Xiaoli would feel bad, so he finally epted.


    He turned to Lin Xiujuan and said, ¡°Look, look, you¡¯re still unwilling to give it to her. Little Li has already given you duck meat. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take it.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the duck meat. Although her family did notck food, meat and fish were rare toe by.


    She did not take Liu Liangcai¡¯s reproach to heart and immediately went forward to take the duck meat.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze casually fell on Lin Xiujuan¡¯s face. Suddenly, an illusion appeared again.


    In the illusion, Lin Xiujuan was walking into the kitchen with the duck meat. Just as she reached the kitchen door, she was pooped upon by a group of birds flying over her head.


    The illusion ended there and at this very moment, Lin Xiujuan had taken the duck meat from her and was walking to the kitchen.


    Then, the images in the illusion yed out one by one. Just as Lin Xiujuan reached the kitchen door, a group of birds suddenly flew over her head, and Lin Xiujuan¡¯s cries were heard soon after.


    ¡°Ah, this damn bird!¡±


    As expected, the birds pooped all over Lin Xiujuan¡¯s head.


    Zhou Xiaoli was in a daze. She removed her gaze from her and quickly rejected Liu Liangcai¡¯s good intentions of giving her food. She hurriedly bade farewell and returned home.


    After the two incidents of her having illusions, Zhou Xiaoli guessed that she had the Heavenly Eye.


    In her previous life, she had heard her master talk about it as he was preaching the Way.


    In the human race, there would be a kind of person with extraordinary talent and born with the Heavenly Eye. Once the Heavenly Eye was opened, they could see people¡¯s future and foretell their luck.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: Strange Young Man


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    However, she had yet to grasp how to trigger the Heavenly Eye. Moreover, she seemed to have lost all her strength the first time it was triggered, so much so that she fainted.


    Furthermore, from the recent events and how she¡¯s now feeling exhausted, it seemed that the activation of the Heavenly Eye would consume all her energies.


    ¡°Sis, look, we caught a lot of bugs.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun held a few green grasshoppers in their hands and happily showed them to Zhou Xiaoli. They were not afraid of it at all.


    Zhou Xiaoli came back to her senses and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Quickly feed it to the ducklings then.¡±


    The two little fellows were obviously very happy as they carried the grasshoppers in their hands and ran into the alley.


    Zhou Xiaoli also returned to the kitchen and began to prepare dinner.


    As the saying goes, ¡®A clever housewife can¡¯t cook without rice¡¯. The family¡¯s current conditions were limited. No matter how superb Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s culinary skills were, she could not cook anything delicious with nothing.


    Looking at the empty kitchen, Zhou Xiaoli did not know what to do. Just as she was thinking about what to do, a voice suddenly came from the courtyard.


    When she came out of the kitchen, she saw Liu Liangcai¡¯s youngest son, Liu Fengfeng, at the door and looking into the courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoyu stared at Liu Fengfeng with her round eyes and asked, ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    As she spoke, she hid her small hands behind her back with a vignt expression.


    Due to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reputation as a jinx, the children in the vige either did not y with them or ganged up to bully them. Therefore, Zhou Xiaoyu subconsciously became vignt when she saw Liu Fengfeng.


    Of course, Liu Fengfeng was also very vignt. He turned his head and did not speak to Zhou Xiaoyu.


    When Zhou Xiaoli started walking towards him, he was startled like a frightened bird. He suddenly rushed over and ced something in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand before shouting, ¡°My father gave it to you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed out of the courtyard. Because he was in a hurry, he bumped into a young man who had just walked past the door.


    Liu Fengfeng rubbed his head and cried out in pain. When he looked up and saw the young man he knocked into, he suddenly rushed home as if he had seen a ghost.


    The young man was not angry, but he twitched his nose suddenly and subconsciously turned to look at Zhou Xiaoli, who was standing at the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli happened to look at him coincidentally. When their gazes met, Zhou Xiaoli was stunned and instinctively had goosebumps all over her body.


    It was an instinctive fear.


    The young man had a pair of amber eyes. They were very beautiful, but they reminded her inexplicably of the cat that squatted by the pond in Immortal Taiyi¡¯s residence and had grabbed her with its ws.


    While Zhou Xiaoli was in a daze, the young man had already removed his gaze and left.


    After she entered this body, many of her memories had automatically set off when she came into contact with humans. However, the original body did not seem to have any memories of this strange young man.


    Thinking about it, the original owner of this body was considered to be a jinx and did not interact much with the vigers. It was normal that she did not remember anything about that young man.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked away and closed the door. She looked at the thing that Liu Fengfeng had given her. It was a small bag. When she opened it, there was a small handful of coarse salt inside.


    ¡°Sis, Sis.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun ran to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side. They raised their hands and said happily, ¡°Sis, look what Brother and I found.¡±


    As Zhou Xiaoyu spoke, she raised the mushrooms in her hand to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli instantly recognized the mushrooms as edible!


    Her eyes lit up as she asked, ¡°Where did you find them?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu pointed at the yard happily. ¡°It¡¯s on that broken log. We saw it when we were catching bugs. There are many mushrooms growing on it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but praise them. ¡°You guys are awesome.¡±


    With coarse salt and mushrooms, she could make mushroom duck soup which was extremely good as well.


    Zhou Xiaoli rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen. Soon, the fragrance of duck soup wafted out.


    The two little fellows stopped catching bugs and leaned against the kitchen door as they sniffed the fragrance in the air.


    They couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sis, it smells so good.¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded his head like a chick pecking at rice.


    Perhaps it was because of her proximity to the fire, but Zhang Lan¡¯s pale face turned a little red as well. She smiled at Zhou Xiaoyu and said, ¡°Your sister will be done soon. Go clean up the dining table with Daddy.¡±


    The two little fellows responded and jogged out of the kitchen.


    ¡ª


    Children from poor families grow up quickly.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun were very sensible at such a young age. Although they craved the meat in the pot, they knew to let their mother have the best.


    Zhou Xiaoyu said, ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll have the soup only. Let mother have the meat. It¡¯s good for your health.¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    Zhang Lan immediately understood what Zhou Xiaoyu meant. Her eyes turned red as she shook her head and said, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t like meat. You guys eat it. I¡¯ll save my portion for you guys too. You can eat it tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu shook his head. ¡°Mother, eat.¡±


    Zhang Lan refused to eat no matter what and insisted on sharing the meat in her bowl with her three children.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately said, ¡°There¡¯s still duck meat left. Let¡¯s eat it together. Mother, you eat it too. Don¡¯t push it around anymore.¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, we can eat wherever we are at. We¡¯re at the foot of such a huge mountain and there¡¯s the sea in front of us. Why wouldn¡¯t we be able to find food?¡±


    ¡°This is our first meal after leaving the Zhou family. We have to eat our fill. It¡¯s also a sign of a good start. From now on, we will eat our fill every meal.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Mother, don¡¯t you know how to weave fish baskets? Father chopped a lot of bamboo today and ced them in the courtyard. You can weave a fish basket tomorrow and we¡¯ll take it to the riverside. We will definitely be able to catch a lot of fish.¡±


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Zhang Lan immediately perked up. ¡°That¡¯s right. I can make baskets and sell them for money.¡±


    ...


    Before she got married, she learned how to weave from her father. When she was in the Zhou family, she had also used this craft to earn a lot of money for the Zhou family.


    Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli would not let Zhang Lan make baskets to sell for money. It was fine to make a basket to catch fish, but if she were to make several baskets to sell for money, it would consume too much of her energy. Zhang Lan¡¯s body could not take it.


    However, after hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, everyone no longer refused and ate their fill.


    This was their first meal after leaving the Zhou family. It was also their first full meal in all these years.


    When they were in the Zhou family, it was a rare urrence for their family to eat their fill, let alone have meat. Their family did not even have the chance to have meat soup.


    After dinner, Zhang Lan looked better. Since it was still early, she called Zhou Yu to chop bamboo sticks for her.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun went to the courtyard to catch worms again. They even said that they wanted to catch a fewrge earthworms as bait to catch fish.


    Zhou Xiaoli was quietly making the talismans needed for the Qi Gathering Formation.


    After the sky darkened, the family went to bed early after a busy day. The five of them squeezed together in the single bed in the room. Although the bed was small, it was a warming sight. With the sound of insects outside the window, they quickly entered dreand.


    ...

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: The Coming Storm


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After everyone fell asleep, Zhou Xiaoli took advantage of the moonlight streaming in to check the pulses of her family members secretly.


    There were five techniques in metaphysics, with one of them being the ¡®Mountain Doctor¡¯s Fate Divination¡¯. In her previous life, she often heard Immortal Tai Yi preach the Way and so, she had more or less dabbled in these techniques and knew a little about medicine.


    The whole family was either sick, mute or a fool. She had to take a good look to know what was going on.


    After taking Zhang Lan¡¯s pulse, Zhou Xiaoli frowned slightly.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s physical condition was really terrible. It was a ssic consequence of not having proper rest after giving birth.


    Based on memory, she recalled that her grandmother, Lai Jinniang, used to order Zhang Lan to work. Even after giving birth, she was ordered to work before finishing her confinement period.


    As time passed, her liver and kidneys weakened which resulted in deficient energy and blood. As a result, the body became weak. In addition, her body was injured when she gave birth to her third sister, Zhou Xiaoyu.


    That was why Zhang Lan often felt pain and her entire body was heavy and weak.


    After having a rough understanding of Zhang Lan¡¯s condition, Zhou Xiaoli went to check on Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Yu was not born a fool. Instead, he turned into a fool due to a heavy blow to his head. As expected, Zhou Yu¡¯s pulse showed that his mental capacity was as such due to a blood clot in his brain which could not be dispersed.


    When the blood clot disperse, Zhou Yu might return to normal.


    Next were Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu. Other than being malnourished, there were no major problems with their bodies.


    As for Zhou Junjun, although he was six years old, he couldn¡¯t speak. However, he wasn¡¯t born a mute. When he was four years old, he knew how to say ¡°mother¡±, but after Lai Jinniang hit and scolded him once, he did not speak anymore.


    This should be a psychological problem caused by shock. Now that they had left the Zhou family, perhaps he could be coaxed to speak again.


    After understanding the physical condition of everyone in the family, Zhou Xiaoli quietly set up a Feng Shui formation in the room.


    As she was tidying up the room today, she had used the existing furniture to set up a Feng Shui formation that would be beneficial to the family. In addition, she had carved a qi-gathering talisman tonight. Although the material was average, the effect was still eptable.


    A simple qi-gathering Feng Shui formation could not immediately heal their bodies, but living in the room could keep the family¡¯s spirits up and help both their physical and mental health.


    After doing all this, Zhou Xiaoyuy down in peace. She thought about how to earn money in the future and dreamt.


    The night passed uneventfully.


    The next day, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan woke up at dawn, apanied by the crowing of chickens and barking of dogs. On the other hand, the three children were still asleep.


    When Zhou Xiaoli and the others woke up, Zhou Yu had filled the water vat with water while Zhang Lan had cooked taro millet porridge.


    The millet was secretly sent over by Liu Liangcai early in the morning and couldst them for a day.


    Although the whole family did not say anything, they were grateful to him for it.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not approve of Zhang Lan getting up to cook. ¡°Mother, you need to rest more. I can get up to cook.¡±


    However, Zhang Lan did not think much about it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just cooking porridge. I can still do it. If I lie on the bed and do nothing, I¡¯ll feel terrible.¡±


    Knowing Zhang Lan¡¯s thoughts, Zhou Xiaoli did not continue the topic. She only told her not to overwork herself, but in her heart, she thought of how she could quickly earn money to treat Zhang Lan¡¯s illness.


    The family sat in the courtyard and ate the simple porridge. Zhang Lan had already made ns for Zhou Yu to create a vegetable field in the courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, was drinking the coarse porridge. Her gaze swept across the courtyard, and just as she saw the roof, her vision blurred, and an illusion appeared again.


    In the illusion, it was a rainy night with lightning shing and rumbling thunder. A strong wind blew and overturned the roofs of many houses.


    As for their house, the roof had been in disrepair for a long time and was entirely lifted up by the strong wind. Their family was in a sorry state on this rainy night.


    Zhang Lan had also caught a cold from being caught in the rain and became bedridden.


    The scene disappeared in a sh.


    After experiencing it twice, Zhou Xiaoli was certain that the illusion was something that would happen in the future.


    In her illusion, Zhang Lan cried and said that they had only moved into this house for six days. In other words, the storm woulde in five days. It was not toote to reinforce the house now.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli finished the porridge in one gulp and immediately said, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s not tidy up the courtyard today. Father and I will go to the riverside to cut some thatch to dry. We have to repair the roof first.¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Lan was thinking over her words, Zhou Xiaoli added on. ¡°Mother, the weather will change soon in this season. No one has lived in this house for a long time. If it rains heavily suddenly, the house might leak.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly and praised Zhou Xiaoli for being so thoughtful.


    The thatch had to be dried before the roof could be repaired. This matter could not be dyed.


    Zhou Xiaoli instructed Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun to keep an eye on Zhang Lan at home and not let her work for too long before leaving with Zhou Yu.


    They first went to Uncle Liu¡¯s house to borrow a sickle.


    As soon as they arrived at Liu Liangcai¡¯s house, the door opened before they could knock. Lin Xiujuan and her daughter were each holding a basin of clothes and standing at the door. When they saw Zhou Yu and his daughter outside, the smiles on their faces instantly faded.


    ¡°How unlucky!¡± Liu Yuanyuan blurted out.


    Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t say anything, but she didn¡¯t stop Liu Yuanyuan from talking nonsense.


    Liu Liangcai red at Liu Yuanyuan. ¡°I just told you yesterday. Have you forgotten all about it?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan immediately shut her mouth, feeling wronged.


    Liu Liangcai then looked at the duo and asked, ¡°Little Li, why are you looking for me?¡±


    It was then Zhou Xiaoli told him about their request to borrow their sickle.


    Liu Liangcai said, ¡°That¡¯s it? Wait here. I¡¯ll get your aunt to get it for you.¡±


    With that, he asked Lin Xiujuan to go into the house to get the sickle.


    Thinking of the violent storm in her illusion, Zhou Xiaoli decided to warn him about it as well. ¡°Uncle Liu, it¡¯s raining heavily this season. You should take some time to repair the roof.¡±


    Liu Liangcai nodded with a smile.


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan had already taken out the sickle. When she heard this, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about our house. Just take care of yourselves. You don¡¯t even have food to eat and yet you¡¯re worried about someone else¡¯s house. You¡¯re really magnanimous.¡±


    ...


    With that, she carried the wooden basin and pulled Liu Yuanyuan away.


    Liu Liangcai sighed. ¡°Little Li, your aunt is just that kind of person. She has an unforgiving mouth, but her heart is not bad. Don¡¯t take what she said to heart,¡± he exined.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and nodded. She thanked Liu Liangcai and brought Zhou Yu to the river.


    ¡ª


    The river, named the Little Clear River, runs beside the Boyu Vige and goes straight to the sea. The vigers in the surrounding viges would wash their clothes by the river usually.


    When Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu came to the river with the sickle, there were many women there washing clothes. Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan had just arrived as well.


    The sound of the women beating the clothes with the clothes rod, the gurgling of the river, and theughter of the women entwined into a beautiful folk song by the river until Zhou Yu and Zhou Xiaoli arrived.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: Meeting Again


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Sigh, isn¡¯t that the Zhou family¡¯s jinx and her silly father?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡±


    ¡°I heard that their family was chased out by the Zhou family. Where did they stayst night?¡±


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s staying with the Liu family.¡±


    ¡°Liu family?¡±


    The vige women who were washing clothes saw Zhou Yu and his daughter from afar and started to openly gossip about them.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Mrs. Lin? Mrs. Lin, did you really take in the eldest son of the Zhou family and let them stay in your second uncle¡¯s courtyard?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Ah, no way. Mrs. Lin, what were you thinking? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being jinxed by them? You¡¯re really bold!¡± The old woman continued.


    ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t dare to get close to your family. I don¡¯t want to be tainted by bad luck.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ...


    When Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan heard those women¡¯s words, they immediately felt that their words were very ear-piercing. Liu Yuanyuan red at Zhou Xiaoli and beat her clothes angrily.


    Lin Xiujuan wasn¡¯t any better. She immediately scolded the old woman who cursed her family. ¡°Pfft, what unlucky? You¡¯re the unlucky ones. Your entire family is unlucky!¡±


    ¡°My man is loyal. He helped Zhou Yu because he had helped him before. This is a good deed. It¡¯s loyalty. What do you know?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of being jinxed? Alright, we¡¯ve used the water in the Little Clear River. Don¡¯t use it anymore!¡±


    As she spoke, she deliberately pped the water with the clothes rod.


    The old women pursed their lips. Although they were angry, none of them said anything. Lin Xiujuan was famous for being shrewish in Boyu Vige. In terms of quarreling, not many people could beat her at it.


    Zhou Xiaoli acted as if she did not hear the conversation between the old women. She led Zhou Yu straight to the reeds in front of them.


    The reeds here were very lush. After finding a location at random, the two of them started cutting the reeds.


    Zhou Yu used to cut the reeds for the family when they were still living with the rest of the Zhou family, so there was no need for Zhou Xiaoli to keep an eye on him.


    As they wanted to prepare more thatch, the two of them cut reeds for a longer time than usual.


    They cut reeds from morning till noon. The women who were washing clothes by the river had also changed by then.


    During this period, Zhou Yu carried the thatch back home twice. When he returned, he would carry thest load back.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli waited for a long time but Zhou Yu did not return. Zhou Xiaoli was worried that something would happen to Zhou Yu, so she stopped cutting reeds. She stood up, and used some weeds to tie the remaining thatch together. Then, she prepared to go home.


    Just as she picked up the thatch, she realized that there was blood beside the grass patch. Following the blood trail, she saw a rabbit.


    The rabbit was covered by the grass. If one did not look carefully, they would not have noticed it. The rabbit seemed to be injured and was lying motionless inside the grass.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked up to the rabbit and picked it up. She found a hole in the rabbit¡¯s neck, and its body was still warm. It seemed that it had just died.


    It was a stroke of good luck. Everyone in the family needed nourishment. Moreover, the rabbit skin should be able to sell for a few coins too.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli wrapped the rabbit with thatch and hid it behind the pile of thatch that she had just tied. She picked the bundle up and walked towards the vige.


    As soon as she walked into the vige, she heard theughter of children from afar, and the word ¡°idiot¡± from time to time.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately guessed what had happened, and she could not help but to quicken her pace. When she got closer, she realized that Zhou Yu was surrounded by the children in the vige. He was in the squatting position to gather the scattered thatch.


    Some of those brats stomped on the thatch, while others deliberately threw it far away.


    Zhou Xiaoli was about to rush forward to stop him when a man¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Move aside.¡±


    The children suddenly screamed and scattered like frightened birds.


    After the children ran away, Zhou Xiaoyu saw the strange young man fromst night again. Same asst night, his amber eyes were emotionless.


    ¡°Well, thank you.¡± Zhou Xiaoli was stunned for a moment before thanking him.


    The young man had wanted to leave, but after hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice, he stopped and raised his head to look at her. He pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. They¡¯re just blocking my way.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu called out to Zhou Xiaoli and jogged over with Zhou Junjun.


    The two little fellows ran to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side. When they saw the young man, they were somewhat afraid of him.


    Zhou Xiaoyu tugged at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s clothes nervously. She looked at the young man timidly and whispered, ¡°Sis...¡±


    The young man did not say anything else. He only nodded at Zhou Xiaoli and walked out of the vige.


    Zhou Xiaoli withdrew her gaze from him and said to the two little fellows, ¡°Alright, help Dad to pick up the thatch quickly. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    The few of them tidied up the thatch and rushed home.


    After setting the thatch in a pile in the courtyard, Zhou Xiaoyu followed closely behind Zhou Xiaoli and spoke to her in a childish voice. ¡°Sis, he¡¯s so scary.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was confused. ¡°Who? Who are you afraid of?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu then continued. ¡°He will eat children.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli was even more confused.


    Zhang Lan happened to hear their conversation and said, ¡°Third Sister should be talking about Wei Chiyu who lived at the end of the vige.¡±


    After hearing his name, some vague memories of the young man came to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s mind. They were all bits and pieces that she heard from others such as he was vicious and had a bad reputation.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t walk around the vige often so you probably don¡¯t know him.¡± Zhang Lan then asked, ¡°Did you meet him?¡±


    Thus, Zhou Xiaoli briefly told Zhang Lan what just happened.


    ...


    Zhang Lan nodded and said, ¡°We should thank him.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu blinked and asked, ¡°But, Sis, Cousin Anfu said that he¡¯s a bad person. He sets fires and eats children.¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded, affirming his sister¡¯s words.


    The cousin that Zhou Xiaoyu was talking about was Lai Jinniang¡¯s eldest grandson. He had mentioned this at home, and Zhou Xiaoli had some impression of him.


    It was said that Wei Chiyu was the child of a rtive of the Lu Family. He had been fostered in the Lu Family since he was young. He was rebellious and refused to be disciplined. When he was unhappy, he set fire to the newly harvested wheat of the Lu Family.


    Just a few days before Zhou Xiaoli entered this body, he captured the youngest son of the Lu family and asked them to give him twenty taels of silver. Otherwise, he would eat the child.


    At that time, he had tied the child to the rack and nearly lit a fire. That frightened many children in the vige.


    Although Zhou Xiaoli had only met the young man twice, she felt that it was inappropriate to judge a person¡¯s character based on these s.


    Hence, she smiled and asked, ¡°Then let me ask you this. Everyone outside says that I¡¯m a jinx. Do you think so too?¡±


    The two little fellows immediately shook their heads furiously.


    ¡°No, no, Sis is not a jinx.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°See, if what others say about me is wrong, would what they say about others be right then?¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Market


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Hearing this, the two little fellows widened their eyes and thought about it seriously. After a moment, they shook their heads.


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli continue on.¡±Therefore, it¡¯s wrong to only listen to what others say. You have to make your own judgment. Look, did he help Father chase away those children who bullied Father today?¡±


    The two little fellows nodded repeatedly.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we also thank him for helping us? So, the next time we see him, we have to thank him, understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it, Sis.¡±


    ¡ª


    After educating the two little fellows, Zhou Xiaoli took out the rabbit she picked up today. The two little fellows were immediately attracted by the rabbit.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s heart ached for her eldest daughter. It was because she had experienced those prejudices herself that she was able to rte to him.


    However in the blink of an eye, she was also attracted by the fat rabbit. Her eyes turned red from happiness. ¡°My daughter is not a jinx. She¡¯s clearly blessed.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli understood Zhang Lan¡¯s feelings. Everyone in the vige said that her daughter was a jinx. As a mother, she must have felt terrible over the years.


    At this moment, she felt like she needed to vent some emotions.


    The two little fellows nodded in agreement.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Mother, this rabbit¡¯s fur is not bad and should be worth some money. When we go to the market tomorrow, we can sell it there and buy some food.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly. She thought of something and said, ¡°Coincidentally, my fish basket is ready. We can go to the river in the afternoon to set up a fish basket. If we catch any fish, we can sell them at the market tomorrow.¡±


    Zhang Lan felt much more energetic as she spoke about her ns. There was also some hope in her heart and she only felt that there was something to look forward to in life after all.


    When the two little fellows heard Zhang Lan¡¯s words about the fish basket, they began to share more with Zhou Xiaoli excitedly. They even said that the little ducklings ate the insects that they caught this morning happily.


    Zhou Xiaoli went to take a look. Those ducklings were indeed much more energetic than yesterday.


    After receiving Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s praise, the two little fellows became even more energetic. They held hands and ran to catch insects again.


    Looking at the two children¡¯s cheerful backs, Zhou Xiaoli thought that she could make bamboo dragonflies for them to y with after cooking.


    ¡ª


    Zhou Xiaoli had scraped out all the oil from yesterday¡¯s duck soup and had only added salt and mushrooms to it. It was quite light, but since they hadn¡¯t been able to fill their stomachs for a long time, it was a rare delicacy.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt a little indigestion today, so she took the duck skin that she had left out to dry all morning, and ground it so that the whole family could drink it.


    At noon, they ate wild vegetables stir-fried with duck oil. They shredded some duck meat and ate it with millet porridge. The family was quite satisfied with lunch.


    In the afternoon, Zhou Yu cleared out an empty space in the courtyard and spread the thatch in the courtyard to dry. Zhou Xiaoli went to the riverside to set up a fish basket. The bait was two small earthworms.


    When night fell and the family was about to sleep, there was a knock on the door. When they opened the door, they found Liu Liangcai standing outside.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately said, ¡°Uncle Liu, you¡¯re here. Father and Mother are in the room. Do have a seat in the room.¡±


    Liu Liangcai entered the courtyard, but did not enter the house. ¡°Your uncle doesn¡¯t have much money either. There are 20 copper coins here. Go to the market tomorrow and buy some food.¡± he lowered his voice and handed a small gray cloth bag to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Afraid that Zhou Xiaoli wouldn¡¯t want it, Liu Liangcai added. ¡°Don¡¯t refuse me. I¡¯m not giving it to you for free. Just take it as a loan from me. When your family is doing better, you can return it to me then. Alright, there¡¯s nothing else. Your aunt is still at home. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Without waiting for Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s refusal, he then hurried out of the door.


    The 20 copper coins felt heavy in her hand.


    Seeing how their family¡¯s current situation was, Zhou Xiaoli would not be pretentious that they don¡¯t need it. She took the money and silently remembered this favor done for their family.


    Zhou Xiaoli got out of bed early the next morning. She first went to the river to collect the fish basket. She had a good harvest of tworge carps.


    Crucian carp soup could strengthen the spleen and stomach as it was very nutritious. Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli immediately decided to save one for their family to make soup and nourish their bodies. The other one was to be sold at the market with the rabbit skin.


    The market was to be held in Dazhuang Vige. It was a small market formed by the vigers of the surrounding viges to facilitatemunication among the viges.


    Dazhuang Vige was not far from Boyu Vige; it was only a 15-minutes¡¯ walk away.


    Although the market was not held on a big scale, it was quite lively as vigers were exchanging supplies. Most of them were bartering.


    Zhou Xiaoli found a spot and brought out the carp. The carp was still alive, and so, an old granny came over to ask about it soon. She said that her daughter-inw had just given birth and she wanted to buy the carp to make stew for her daughter-inw.


    Zhou Xiaoli had already inquired about the prices of goods beforeing. So she said, ¡°Auntie, carp is sold at 12 copper coins per pound. This fish is a little more than two pounds, so I¡¯ll charge two pounds for it. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not inte the price and even gave her a discount. More importantly, she had walked throughout the market earlier and only Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s fish was alive and kicking. The olddy was naturally satisfied and said with a smile, ¡°Good, good. Little girl really knows how to do business.¡±


    As she spoke, the olddy put down her basket and opened it. There were eggs inside. She then asked, ¡°Can I use eggs to exchange for it?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Sure. The current price of eggs is three copper coins for two eggs. 24 copper coins would be for 16 eggs.¡±


    Before the olddy left home, her family had already calcted the prices for her, so she knew how many eggs she would need to barter for two pounds of fish.


    She was more surprised that Zhou Xiaoli managed to figure it out so quickly. After she had counted out the eggs and handed them to Zhou Xiaoli, she said to Zhou Yu, ¡°Your little girl is really amazing.¡±


    Zhou Yu did not understand, but looking at the other party¡¯s expression, he knew that it seemed to be a good thing, so he smiled at the olddy.


    After sending off the granny, Zhou Xiaoli got up. She emptied the water from the small wooden bucket and prepared to go to the market to see if there were any fur stalls.


    At this moment, an old man came to her stall. He pointed at the rabbit skin and asked, ¡°Are you selling this rabbit skin?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The old man squatted down and checked the rabbit¡¯s skin. ¡°This rabbit fur is still intact and whole.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve cleaned this rabbit skin very well. I guarantee that you won¡¯t suffer a loss.¡±


    The old man could not help but look at Zhou Xiaoli in surprise. ¡°Did you clean the rabbit skin yourself?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The old man smiled and praised Zhou Xiaoli for her ability.


    ...


    Throughout the entire process, Zhou Xiaoli had a sweet mouth by affectionately calling him uncle, but the old man just smiled and watched.


    He looked at Zhou Xiaoli, the little girl who had been talking to him, and Zhou Yu, who stood at the side in a daze. The old man could not help but take a few more nces at Zhou Yu.


    After seeing Zhou Yu¡¯s dull face, the old man instantly noticed that Zhou Yu was a fool. He could not help but feel sympathy for this smart and sweet-tongued girl in front of him.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: The Revolution Has Not Yet Seeded


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    He said, ¡°You had cleaned the fur very well and you had also saved me the trouble of skinning it. However, it¡¯s not as valuable as rex rabbit fur. I can¡¯t give you much for it. If this rabbit skin was sold by someone else, I would have given 70 copper coins for it at most.¡±


    ¡°But seeing that it¡¯s not easy for a youngdy like you, I¡¯ll buy it at the highest price in the market. I¡¯ll give you 80 copper coins. How about that?¡±


    Since she could sell it for more money, there was naturally no reason for her to reject it. Zhou Xiaoli immediately thanked him sweetly and politely sent the old man off. After collecting the items, she brought Zhou Yu straight to the grain store.


    ¡ª


    The current price of grain was 20 copper coins per hopper. Zhou Xiaoli estimated that one hopper was about 12 pounds. It was not particrly expensive.


    Millet and wheat were slightly cheaper inparison to rice. It was sold at 14 copper coins per hopper.


    Looking at the copper coins in her hand, Zhou Xiaoli decided to buy a hopper of rice, millet, and wheat each. After buying the food, the two of them went to the seasoning section to buy some salt.


    After hearing the price of salt, Zhou Xiaoli was shocked.


    She had known long ago that salt was a precious thing in ancient times, but she did not expect it to be that expensive. One pound actually cost 120 copper coins. The key was that the salt in question was not even refined salt. They were literally so poor that they could not afford to eat salt.


    In the end, Zhou Xiaoli put her foot down and spent 16 copper coins to buy two ounces of salt.


    When she went out, she happened to meet a man who was selling oil, so she bought two ounces of can oil which cost her 14 copper coins. Two ounces of can oil would be enough for them to use for a few days.


    After buying these, the two of them went straight to the pharmacy


    There was a small pharmacy beside the market. It was opened by an unlicensed doctor in Dazhuang Vige who sold some ordinary herbs.


    If Zhang Lan wanted to recoverpletely, she had to go to the county to get the expensive medicinal herbs. However, she could not afford them now.


    However, they could grab some medicine first to nurse her body back to health.


    When they arrived at the pharmacy, Zhou Xiaoli immediately told the old man about the medicine needed. After the doctor heard the prescription, he could not help but marvel. ¡°This is a prescription to warm up blood and qi of the body. This prescription is really amazing.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli only smiled and nodded.


    Fortunately, Zhou Yu was a fool and she did not need to exin the origin of this prescription to him. When she returned home, she only needed to tell Zhang Lan that this was the medicine that the doctor gave.


    They spent a total of 20 copper coins for three days¡¯ worth of medicine. With that, they spent all 80 copper coins that they had earned from selling the rabbit fur.


    As for the eggs exchanged for the fish, Zhou Xiaoli did not intend to sell them. She nned to bring them home to nourish the bodies of Zhang Lan and the two little fellows.


    In the end, she only had six copper coins left and it was only because Uncle Liu had given her 20 copper coinsst night. Otherwise, they would not have enough money to spend.


    After sighing, the two of them rushed home.


    They reached home when it was close to noon. Zhang Lan and the two little fellows had already stewed the carp ording to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s instructions.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu had returned, Zhou Xiaoyu ran out of the kitchen happily and held Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°Sis, Sis, look, brother, mother, and I ate fish together.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pinched Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun¡¯s cheeks and praised them. ¡°Amazing.¡±


    The two little fellows jumped up and down happily after being praised.


    After Zhou Xiaoyu entered the kitchen and did some simple cooking, a fresh and delicious fish soup was served. The milky white soup looked very tempting.


    ¡°Smells good.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun smelled the fragrance and started to swallow their saliva in anticipation.


    ¡°Sis¡¯ cooking is delicious.¡±


    Zhang Lan also agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your sister¡¯s cooking is getting more and more delicious.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and thought, ¡°How can this be considered a delicacy? When I earn enough money to buy proper ingredients, I¡¯ll show them what a true delicacy is.¡±


    Although Zhou Xiaoli felt that this food would damage her reputation as a ¡®Little Divine Chef¡¯ in the Immortal World, the others did not think so.


    There was a ¡®nose¡¯ on the wall.


    On the other side of the wall.


    Wei Chiyu leaned against the one-meter-high wall and sniffed the air which was filled with the umami smell of fish soup. He couldn¡¯t help but nce in the direction of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s courtyard. Then, he lowered his head and bit the hard steamed bun in his hand.


    At the same time, in the Liu family.


    Liu Fengfeng leaned against the wall and smelled the fragranceing from next door. He craved it a lot. ¡°Mother, it smells so good. I want to eat it too.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was washing vegetables and was annoyed by Liu Fengfeng¡¯s nagging. ¡°Look at how useless you are! Did I not give you food or drink?¡± She said angrily.


    After being scolded, Liu Fengfeng started to cry.


    At this moment, Liu Yuanyuan, who had gone to look for Zhou Guihua to do embroidery, returned home. As soon as she entered the door, she gasped and asked, ¡°Mother, what are you cooking? Why is it so fragrant?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan snorted. ¡°What can I do? Vegetables with noodles. Our family isn¡¯t a rich family. We can¡¯t eat meat every day.¡±


    Thest few sentences carried with it a tinge of sourness. Liu Yuanyuan immediately knew that the fragrance came from next door.


    She could not help but be shocked at this knowledge. ¡°Where did they get meat from every day?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was also puzzled. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Ever since Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family moved in next door, she had been worried that they woulde to their house every day to freeload.


    Unexpectedly, not only did her concern not happen, but they even ate meat every day for the past few days.


    Just as Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan were puzzled about it, Zhou Xiaoli appeared at their door.


    ¡°Auntie, this is the carp I caught from the river yesterday. I made soup and brought a bowl for your family.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s calm voice rang out.


    A trace of embarrassment appeared on Lin Xiujuan¡¯s face as she was caught badmouthing them in action. However, she quickly put on a smile. ¡°Aiyaya, thank you for thinking of our family.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli only nodded indifferently and did not reply. After pouring the fish soup into the Liu family¡¯s bowl, she bade farewell and left.


    ...


    When she was almost at the door, she could still hear Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s words of shock. ¡°In this season, most of the big fish in Little Clear River should have been caught and yet, she managed to catch such a big carp in one night?¡±


    Then, Lin Xiujuan said nonchntly, ¡°Maybe it was blind luck.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli did not deliberately eavesdrop on their conversation. She opened the door and entered their house.


    She served the Liu family fish soup not because she wanted to please Lin Xiujuan, but because she wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    They were now living in their uncle¡¯s courtyard and were just separated by a wall. The fragrance of the meat dishes wafted towards their house every day so if they did not share, it was hard to guarantee that they would not be dissatisfied and cause unnecessary trouble.


    ¡ª


    After the meal, Zhou Xiaoli prepared the medicine for Zhang Lan and started to process the rabbit meat fromst night.


    One portion was cooked and soaked in the vegetable oil bought, to preserve it. The other half was made into smoked meat so that it could be preserved for a longer time.


    Their fish basket was filled with fish over the next two days.


    Hence, Lin Xiujuan was tempted and urged Liu Liangcai to put a fish basket in the river as well.


    ...


    But strangely, they had only caught a palm-sized fish after two days.


    Lin Xiujuan was furious.


    Liu Liangcai did not think much of it and said, ¡°That¡¯s normal. Fish are not that easy to catch. I¡¯ll go out to sea in August. I¡¯ll definitely catch a lot then.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Repairing the House


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lin Xiujuan was still brooding over it. ¡°That¡¯s really strange. Tell me, how do they always catch big fishes then?¡±


    Liu Liangcai snorted. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Catching fish with a fish basket is all based on luck. That¡¯s because Little Li is lucky. Everyone said she¡¯s a jinx but look what happens! In my opinion, Little Li is clearly very lucky.¡±


    Looking at the fish soup given to them, Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Liu Fengfeng was young and simple-minded. He was happy when there was good food. At this moment, he was semi-lying on the table and eating happily. He did not forget to praise Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Sister Xiao Li¡¯s fish soup is delicious.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan rolled her eyes at him and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯ve only eaten her cooking a few times and you¡¯re already calling her ¡®Sister Xiao Li¡¯? How useless.¡±


    Liu Fengfeng did not care about Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s scolding at all. He drank the fish soup heartily.


    Liu Yuanyuan was very depressed about Liu Fengfeng¡¯s ¡®betrayal¡¯. She stopped eating and put down her bowl and chopsticks. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m done eating. I¡¯m going to look for Guihua and the others to do handkerchief embroidery.¡±


    With that, she took the sewing basket and left.


    At the same time, the Zhou family had just finished eating as well. Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu were tidying up the dried thatch in preparation to repair the house.


    The storm in her illusion should happen tonight.


    Watching the father and daughter duo climb up to the roof, Zhang Lan repeatedly reminded them to be careful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. We¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli answered while exining to Zhou Yu what to do.


    Zhou Yu had never worked on the roof before, and Zhou Xiaoli was afraid that he would fall off again. As such, most of the repairs were done by Zhou Xiaoli while Zhou Yu assisted from the side.


    At this moment, Liu Liangcai was about to go out to work. When he saw the father and daughter on the roof, he could not help but say, ¡°Ah, Little Li, why are you repairing the roof now? I¡¯m on my way to work at the Wan family, so I can¡¯t help you. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a hurry to do the repair as well. Why don¡¯t youe down first? I¡¯ll help you repair it tomorrow morning.¡±


    Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli declined. The storm wasing tonight, and they could not wait until tomorrow.


    Her gaze swept across the empty courtyard of the Liu family and she could not help but ask, ¡°Uncle Liu, didn¡¯t you cut thatch for the roof?¡±


    Liu Liangcai shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been so busy these few days that I didn¡¯t cut the thatch.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment. ¡°How about this? Father and I cut a lot of thatch, and we can¡¯t use it all. Why don¡¯t you take some to use? There are many thunderstorms in this season. You should repair the house today so that you won¡¯t panic when the timees.¡±


    Their area does have a lot of rainfall, so there was no harm in strengthening the roof. Looking back at Zhou Xiaoli, a little girl who was not even as big as his Yuanyuan, and yet she was already sensible enough to climb up the roof and repair the house. Just looking at her made one¡¯s heart ache.


    Hence, Liu Liangcai said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Anyway, it¡¯s not a bad thing to repair the roof. How about this? I¡¯ll get Zhu Zi to tell Steward Niu that we won¡¯t be working this afternoon. I can help you repair your roof as well.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiujuan ran out of the kitchen and said in disbelief. ¡°Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that Steward Niu is in charge of your work this time. He hates people whoze and report being sick. Today is thest day. If you take leave this afternoon, the work that you have done over the past few days will be in vain.¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if you¡¯re afraid that a storm will break the roof, just take a look at the sun today. It¡¯s so strong so there won¡¯t be a storm tonight for sure! If you want to repair it, you can repair it tomorrow after this job is done.¡±


    After hearing Lin Xiujuan¡¯s words, Liu Liangcai hesitated. Indeed, Steward Niu was not as easy-going as Steward Wan. On the contrary, he was very harsh and many vigers had their sry deducted by him for various reasons such as not doing their work well or for applying for leave.


    The taxes they paid to the Imperial Court every year were extremely high. Without this sry, it would not be easy for their family to survive through this winter.


    After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°Little Li, your aunt is right. We¡¯re not in a hurry. The house can be repaired anytime. Come down first. There¡¯s still time to repair it tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally could not tell him that there was going to be a heavy rainstorm tonight. Putting aside whether he would take her words for it, she could not exin it even if she tried. In the end, she could only give up.


    Only then did Liu Liangcai rush out to work.


    Lin Xiujuan had finished washing the pots and bowls by then and went to the field to weed. Only Liu Fengfeng was left at home to guard the house.


    After a while, Liu Fengfeng ran to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s house and looked inside.


    Zhou Xiaoyu, who was feeding the ducklings in the yard, called out to him in a childish voice. ¡°Do you want to y with us and the ducklings?¡±


    Liu Fengfeng nodded at the door and jogged in. ¡°Can we y with the bamboo dragonfliester too?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°Of course. Sis said that it would be more fun to share toys with our friends.¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded in agreement.


    Liu Fengfeng was instantly happy. ¡°Then I¡¯ll share my little wooden horse with you.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a palm-sized wooden horse and said proudly, ¡°Father made this for me.¡±


    ¡°This little wooden horse is so beautiful. Brother and I will be friendly to you in the future.¡± Zhou Xiaoyu said happily as she took the little wooden horse.


    With that, the three children ran out of the house with their toys to y.


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli, who was on the roof, could not help but smile. Liu Fengfeng was about the same age as Zhou Junjun, and he was only six years old this year.


    The world of children was not thatplicated. Over the past few days, Liu Fengfeng, who had gotten delicious food from Zhou Xiaoli several times, was no longer as afraid of her as before.


    In addition, Zhou Xiaoli made bamboo dragonflies for Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun to y with, which made Liu Fengfeng extremely envious.


    After Zhou Xiaoyu generously invited him to y together, the three children naturally yed well together.


    Zhou Xiaoli no longer paid attention to them. She turned around and immersed herself in her work.


    This house had not been inhabited for a long time, and many parts of the roof needed to be filled in with new thatch. They have a lot to do.


    At that moment, the three little fellows who were ying outside the door suddenly stopped.


    It turned out that Zhou Junjun had identally bumped into a passerby. This passerby was none other than Wei Chiyu.


    When Liu Fengfeng saw who it was, he was terrified and shouted, ¡°Xiaoyu, Junjun, run! Run!¡±


    With that, he rushed back to the courtyard.


    However, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun did not listen to him. On the contrary, not only did Zhou Xiaoyu not run, he even walked towards Wei Chiyu.


    After Zhou Junjun steadied himself, he gestured a few times at Wei Chiyu. ¡°My brother is apologizing to you.¡± Zhou Xiaoyu tranted in a childish voice.


    This was the first time that the children in the vige were not afraid of him. Wei Chiyu could not help but to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of me anymore?¡±


    He remembered that the first time he met these two little fellows, they were still hiding behind their sister in fear.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun looked at each other. It was obvious that they were still a little flustered, but they did not run away.


    Zhou Xiaoyu nodded and said, ¡°S-Sis said that Big Brother helped Fatherst time. We have to thank Big Brother. We can¡¯t run away when we see Big Brother. It¡¯s impolite.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Help


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s words, Wei Chiyu subconsciously looked towards the house and saw Zhou Xiaoli on the roof.


    His eyebrows twitched.


    Hence, he turned around and said to Zhou Xiaoyu, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu tilted her head. ¡°But Sis said that Big Brother scared away the bad children who bullied Father away. No matter what, you helped Father. I should still thank you for it?¡±


    The corners of Wei Chiyu¡¯s lips curled up imperceptibly. ¡°Okay, you should listen to your sister.¡±


    With that, he walked into the Zhou residence.


    Liu Fengfeng, who was hiding at the door, froze in fear. When Wei Chiyu passed by him, he immediately ran out.


    ¡°Zhou Xiaoyu, aren¡¯t you afraid of him? Everyone in the vige says that he eats children!¡± Liu Fengfeng was terrified.


    Zhou Xiaoyu pouted and blinked. ¡°Did you see him doing that?¡±


    Liu Fengfeng shook his head.


    ¡°Then how do you know it¡¯s true?¡± Zhou Xiaoyu continued.


    This time, Liu Fengfeng was stunned by the question. His little head felt like it could notprehend the question.


    Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s childish voice sounded again. ¡°Sister said that the person who believes the rumors without a doubt is a little fool.¡±


    Wei Chiyu, who heard the little girl talking from outside the house, could not help but twitch his lips.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Hearing someone talking, Zhou Xiaoli turned around and saw Wei Chiyu standing below and looking up at her. The sunlight shone through the gaps between the thatch andnded on half of his face.


    Before Zhou Xiaoli could say anything, Wei Chiyu walked over and said, ¡°Let Uncle Zhoue down. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    It was clearly a young man¡¯s voice, but it sounded mature. After a long time, Zhou Xiaoli recognized it to be a standard low masculine voice.


    When Zhang Lan heard the voice, she put down the needlework in her hand and supported herself against the wall as she walked out of the house. ¡°It¡¯s Little Wei.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded at Zhang Lan and quickly climbed onto the roof.


    Zhou Xiaoli was not a pretentious person. Coupled with the fact that repairing the roof was really not an easy task, she immediately thanked him for his generosity.


    With Wei Chiyu¡¯s help, the repair was done at a much faster speed than before.


    It was still early when they finished repairing the roof of their house. There was still a lot of thatch left in the house as well.


    Looking at the Liu family¡¯s house, Zhou Xiaoli decided to help them strengthen their roof as a form of repayment.


    She then told Zhang Lan of her thoughts.


    After hearing it, Zhang Lan nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. No matter what your aunt does, your Uncle Liu treats us really well. Neighbors should help each other.¡±


    Originally, Zhou Xiaoli did not want Wei Chiyu to help repair Uncle Liu¡¯s house. However, before she could speak, Wei Chiyu had already carried thedder to the Liu Family.


    After Zhou Xiaoli informed Zhang Lan, she and Zhou Yu carried the thatch and rushed over.


    Liu Liangcai¡¯s house had been repaired before. They only needed to reinforce the weak spots now.


    Therefore, by the time Liu Liangcai returned home from work, they were almost done.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli on the roof, Liu Liangcai cried out in shock. ¡°Aiyaya, Little Li, why are you so stubborn? Come down quickly,e down quickly.¡±


    As he spoke, he put down his tools and was about to call Zhou Xiaoli down when he saw Wei Chiyu¡¯s head appear from behind.


    He could not help but exim in surprise as well. ¡°Ah, Little Wei, you¡¯re here to help too?¡±


    Wei Chiyu only nodded and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Zhou Xiaoli was already used to it. Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t seem to like to talk much. They had been repairing the roof together for some time but he didn¡¯t open his mouth to talk at all unless it was necessary.


    Zhou Xiaoli could only smile and say to Liu Liangcai. ¡°My family¡¯s house has been repaired, and there¡¯s still a lot of thatch left. I saw that it was still early, so I wanted to help Uncle Liu to repair your house as well. Wei Chiyu happened to pass by, so he also came to help.¡±


    After Zhou Xiaoli finished speaking, Wei Chiyu also moved over from his area and said softly. ¡°Done.¡±


    It turned out that while they were talking, he had already reinforced thest section.


    The two of them climbed down from the roof.


    Liu Liangcai thanked them profusely.


    At the same time, Lin Xiujuan had returned from the field. When she saw the two of theming down from her roof, she hurriedly ran home.


    Liu Liangcai hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°Mummy, we have to thank Little Wei and Little Li. They¡¯ve already repaired our roof. Hurry and get two bowls of water.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan pursed her lips and wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn¡¯t. She turned around and walked into the kitchen unhurriedly.


    Wei Chiyu said that there was no need to thank him and left.


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli also said, ¡°Uncle Liu, there¡¯s no need to trouble yourself. Mother is still waiting for me at home to brew medicine. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    With that, Zhou Xiaoli bade farewell and left.


    After leaving, Zhou Xiaoli called out to Wei Chiyu, ¡°Hey! Wei Chiyu, wait a moment.¡±


    Wei Chiyu turned around and quietly waited for her to walk over.


    When Zhou Xiaoli arrived in front of Wei Chiyu, she realized that he was a head taller than her.


    Hence, she took a step back and raised her head slightly to look at him. After thanking him, she said, ¡°We have a lot of rain here. I still have some thatch left at home. Why don¡¯t you take it home and strengthen your roof as well?¡±


    Although Zhou Xiaoli did not know why Wei Chiyu hade to help her suddenly, she never liked owing favors. Since he had helped her, she wanted to give him a heads-up as well.


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Wei Chiyu¡¯s amber pupils moved. He pursed his lips and spoke up after a while. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make a difference whether I repair it or not.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli had a strange look on her face, but she didn¡¯t say anything else. After all, they weren¡¯t that familiar with each other, so after a polite goodbye, Zhou Xiaoli returned home.


    ¡ª


    A vegetable field had already been cleared in the courtyard.


    As the saying went, ¡®Radish in the first, vegetables in the second, and cabbages in the eighth and third season.¡¯ At this time of the season, there were many vegetables suitable for nting.


    There were beans, cucumbers, and spinach growing in their courtyard now.


    In this world, there were many types of vegetables avable. Moreover, as ironware was easily avable, the people were used to usingrge iron woks to stir-fry vegetables.


    However, they did not have an iron wok at home now, and they were still using a cauldron. When they earned sufficient money, they had to buy arge iron wok at the market.


    It was gettingte. At this moment, Zhang Lan and the two little fellows had started cooking porridge in the kitchen.


    By the time Zhou Xiaoli finished washing up, the porridge was cooked. She made a few simple vegetable buns, which were basically two t breads ced together with spinach in the middle.


    In order to make it delicious, Zhou Xiaoli added some beaten egg to each bun.


    She learned this recipe from the Inte and heard that it was a local specialty of Henan. The cooking method was simple and yet, delicious.


    ...


    Just as they were about to start eating, Zhou Xiaoli thought of something. In the end, she took a vegetable bun and a bowl of porridge next door.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: I¡¯m Not Grateful to Her


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    On the west side of their courtyard was the Lu family¡¯s old courtyard. After Wei Chiyu fell out with the Lu family, he lived alone in this courtyard.


    It could barely be called a courtyard anyway.


    It was a dpidated courtyard owned by the Lu family many years ago. The walls had copsed, and they could see the full situation of the courtyard clearly without opening the door.


    There were two half-copsed houses in the courtyard. The condition was so dpidated that they were no longer habitable. The only thing that was still intact in the courtyard was a pigsty.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu sat on the wall of the pigsty, chewing on a steamed bun.


    He looked up and saw Zhou Xiaoli standing outside the courtyard. Wei Chiyu was slightly stunned and jumped down from the wall.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at Wei Chiyu¡¯s pigsty again. ¡°No wonder Wei Chiyu answered me the way he did when I asked him to repair his roof today,¡± she thought.


    With this simple pigsty, there would not be a difference whether it was repaired or not.


    While she was thinking, Wei Chiyu arrived at the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli removed her gaze from the pigsty and revealed her purpose foring. ¡°Well, thank you for today. I don¡¯t know how to thank you but I made a few buns tonight. Would you like to try them?¡±


    Before Wei Chiyu could refuse, the fragrance of porridge and buns wafted into his nose, and his stomach growled.


    He looked at the hard steamed bun in his hand and pursed his thin lips. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    With that, he entered the courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoli was confused, not knowing what he was going to do.


    After a while, Wei Chiyu walked back to her. The steamed bun in his hand was gone and reced with a fat pheasant.


    He used his other hand to take the food that Zhou Xiaoli brought over and handed the plump pheasant to her thereafter.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not take it, but looked at him in confusion.


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to cook.¡±


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was feeling more confused about his actions, Wei Chiyu added on. ¡°The rice you cooked is very fragrant.¡± With that, Zhou Xiaoli instantly understood what his actions meant.


    Was he asking her to cook for him?


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu said, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten in a long time.¡±


    For some reason, these words made Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart ache for him. She couldn¡¯t help but think of the dried out steamed bun he had in his hand when he walked out just now.


    Wei Chiyu was only 13 or 14 years old. In modern times, he would still be considered as a child.


    Her heart softened. She sighed andpromised. ¡°Alright, but it¡¯s toote today. We will cook it tomorrow.¡±


    Wei Chiyu blinked his amber eyes and nodded seriously.


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli reach out to take the pheasant from Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand. However, just as she met Wei Chiyu¡¯s gaze, an illusion appeared before her eyes again.


    In the illusion, it was a stormy night. Wei Chiyu sat in a corner of the pigsty and his entire body was soaked by the rain. He was like a pitiful kitten abandoned in the rain, thin and helpless.


    As a gust of wind blew, lightning shed and thunder rumbled. The entire straw roof of the pigsty was then lifted by the wind. At the same time, the thick por tree beside the pigsty was knocked down by the wind and it smashed into the pigsty.


    Wei Chiyu couldn¡¯t dodge in time and the treended on his leg.


    The scene ended there.


    As Zhou Xiaoli had stared at him for a long time, Wei Chiyu called out to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli coughed. ¡°Ah, no.¡±


    After taking the pheasant, she felt a little awkward and changed the topic hurriedly. ¡°This pheasant is quite fat.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s enough for six people to eat.¡±


    He had counted in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family as well.


    Thinking of the illusion she had just seen, Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips. ¡°Well, what I mean is that it should be very troublesome to deal with this pheasant.¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s amber eyes were calm as he looked at Zhou Xiaoli, waiting for her to continue.


    Zhou Xiaoli continued. ¡°So, you shoulde to my house.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was stunned by her words.


    Zhou Xiaoli spread her hands and said helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s such a big pheasant. Do you want me to kill it alone?¡±


    Wei Chiyu instantly understood Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s meaning and felt a little ashamed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it through.¡±


    Just like that, Zhou Xiaoli invited Wei Chiyu into the house to clean the pheasant.


    The entire family weed Wei Chiyu¡¯s arrival. After seeing the fat pheasant, the family felt embarrassed by the gift.


    Wei Chiyu was very straightforward. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be polite. I won¡¯t be entering the city for the next few days. If I can¡¯t sell it, I don¡¯t know how to cook it either. It would spoil if left as it is.¡±


    Although that was the case, it could be considered that they had a wild pheasant to eat for free. Zhang Lan and the others were notfortable with that idea.


    After dinner, they began to clean the pheasant.


    In fact, it was not difficult to clean the pheasant, but Zhou Xiaoli deliberately dyed the process for more than two hours.


    Zhang Lan was a little confused at the time required.


    ¡°It¡¯s only delicious when it¡¯s cleaned thoroughly and there¡¯s no fishy smell.¡± Zhou Xiaoli could only exin with a smile.


    Wei Chiyu, on the other hand, did his work in silence. He did not show any dissatisfaction at all, as if he was fully at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s disposal.


    Finally, the pheasant was cleaned.


    At this time, Zhou Xiaoli looked up at the sky and said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s getting dark. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll rain heavily tonight.¡±


    ...


    Zhang Lan had just finished her medicine. She was sitting at the entrance of the room to weave a fishing. After taking a few days of medicine, Zhang Lan¡¯s body was much better than when she first came out of the old Zhou family courtyard.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli did not restrict Zhang Lan from working anymore. After all, if she continued to lie in bed, Zhang Lan¡¯s mood would only worsen. If she was in a bad mood, it would affect her physical recovery.


    When she heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, she also looked up at the sky. ¡°Yes, it seems to be cloudy.¡±


    Zhang Lan had already heard from Zhou Xiaoli that Wei Chiyu lived in a simple pigsty. She couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°Little Wei, it¡¯s raining heavily tonight. Is your house okay? Why don¡¯t you stay here tonight?¡±


    Wei Chiyu had just poured out the dirty water used to clean the pheasant when he heard her words. ¡°Auntie, just call me Chiyu. It¡¯s fine even if it rains. I¡¯m used to staying there.¡± he said.


    Hearing thest sentence, Zhou Xiaoli could not help but frown. She made a prompt decision for him. ¡°Just listen to my mother and don¡¯t go back tonight.¡±


    Then, without waiting for Wei Chiyu to refuse, she made the arrangements. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s decided. Brother Jun, Father, could you spread the remaining thatch in the room.¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded heavily and happily pulled Zhou Yu along toy the thatch with Zhou Xiaoli.


    Just like that, Wei Chiyu¡¯s lodgings were arranged.


    This was the first time someone had made a decision for him, but he did not feel ufortable with it.


    At that moment, as he stood in the courtyard and looked at Zhou Xiaoli getting busy, his eyes could not help but deepen.


    ...


    At the same time.


    In the Liu family¡¯s house on the right, Liu Liangcai was praising Zhou Xiaoli then. ¡°Little Li is such a sensible girl that it makes one¡¯s heart ache. She¡¯s only 10 years old, but she already knows how to climb up the roof to repair the house. We should take a few eggs to thank that girl tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, who had been forced to listen to his ramblings, was a little unwilling when she heard that they had to give up their precious eggs. ¡°What¡¯s so important about repairing the roof? I¡¯ve already told her that we¡¯re not in a hurry. I think she¡¯s stubborn and inflexible. Why would she do something unnecessary? Although she¡¯s doing it out of kindness, I¡¯m not grateful to her,¡± she muttered.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Storm


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Just as Lin Xiujuanined, muffled thunder could be heard from outside.


    ¡°Thunder?¡± Liu Liangcai said. He got off the bed and went to the door to look outside. ¡°Mommy, get up quickly and keep the things in the courtyard into the house. It¡¯s really going to rain.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Xiujuan hurriedly jumped off the bed and said in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain?¡±


    The two of them hurried to collect the things in the courtyard and put them into their rooms. The rumbling thunder became more and more intense, apanied by heavy rain and shing thunder from time to time.


    The storm came quickly and fiercely, apanied by a strong wind. The sound of the thunderstorm was terrifying.


    Zhou Xiaoli had alreadyid out the thatch then.


    Fortunately, she had asked Zhou Yu to extend the bed a few days ago as she felt that the bed was too cramped for their family. Using wooden boards, he widened the wooden bed so that their family could sleep better if they squeezed andid horizontally.


    After everything was settled, everyone listened to the storm outside the house andid on the bed.


    Zhang Lan was super thankful. She kept sighing and rejoicing at the same time. ¡°Fortunately, your sister is considerate and that¡¯s why we had repaired the house first. Otherwise, we would have to spend the night in the rain tonight.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu was already sitting on the bed. She held her little face and nodded her head in admiration. ¡°Sis is the best!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli tapped the little fellow¡¯s nose. ¡°You¡¯re the sweet one.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu giggled for a while. ¡°No, Second Brother thinks so too.¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded in agreement.


    The few of them stayed in the same room. However, they did not feel ufortable even though it was cramped. On the contrary, with the sound of the rain outside the house, they felt at ease and warm.


    Although it wasmon for families in the countryside to allow boys and girls to mingle, the traditional thinking remained that males and females should nheless maintain a prudent distance.


    Wei Chiyu listened to the sound of the rain outside the house and felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if those raindrops were smashing into his heart instead.


    With that, he suddenly began to worry again if his stay in the Zhou family would affect Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reputation.


    In any case, he tossed and turned the entire night and could not sleep well.


    However, as the other key person, Zhou Xiaoli slept soundly. As a carp with a modern mindset, she did not take the traditional thinking that males and females should keep a prudent distance, seriously at all.


    It was just a few children sleeping together. What was the big deal?


    The sudden stormsted for almost the entire night and it only gradually stopped at dawn.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family was well-prepared, so they were not flustered on this stormy night.


    The others in the vige were different. That night, many people¡¯s roofs were swept away by the wind. Their houses were filled with water and they did not sleep the entire night.


    There were also many houses that had copsed from the howling wind. Those who did not manage to escape in time were buried under the houses.


    Due to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s help in strengthening the house, the members of the Liu family survived the storm and had a peaceful night.


    Looking at the miserable state of the others, Liu Liangcai was filled with emotions. ¡°Look, look, it¡¯s all thanks to Little Li. I knew it. That girl is very lucky!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a few eggs to the Zhou family to thank herter.¡±


    This time, Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t say anything else.


    She was a stingy person, but she was not the kind of person who did not know what was good for her. This time, it was indeed thanks to Zhou Xiaoli that they were not drenched.


    She gritted her teeth and endured her heartache. She went into the house to get three eggs and sent them to the Zhou family to express her gratitude.


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally refused to ept it.


    ¡°Little Li, keep it. It¡¯s not easy for your aunt to give this to you,¡± Liu Liangcai joked around.


    ¡°You have no conscience. Do you think I¡¯m stingy? If I hadn¡¯t been diligent, thrifty and helped you to save up bit by bit, perhaps you would have stayed on the hill at the vige entrance with no food and roof over your head.¡± Lin Xiujuan red at Liu Liangcai and said angrily.


    Liu Liangcai hurriedly tried to smooth things over with a smile. ¡°How can that be? In the entire Boyu Vige, who doesn¡¯t know that I, Liu Liangcai, have a virtuous wife?¡±


    After Liu Liangcai¡¯s coaxing, Lin Xiujuan¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s more like it.¡±


    Then, she stuffed the eggs into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve given it to you, so just keep it. Don¡¯t me me for being too straightforward. It doesn¡¯t sound good but take these eggs to nourish your mother. Let her recover quickly and support this family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for a little girl like you to be working outside and what¡¯s more, to get married in the future. Besides, it¡¯s not right for you to stay in someone else¡¯s house.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Liu Liangcai pushed Lin Xiujuan. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about! Little Li, don¡¯t listen to your aunt¡¯s nonsense. You can stay in this courtyard for as long as you want.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally wouldn¡¯t stay in Uncle Liu¡¯s courtyard forever, so she immediately thanked him.


    ¡°Uncle Liu, we¡¯re very grateful that you let our family stay here for the time being. How can we stay here forever?¡±


    ¡°Auntie is right. We have to have our own house. My mother has taken medicine recently and is recovering. When we raise some money, we¡¯ll build a house immediately.¡±


    Liu Liangcai nodded. ¡°Your family has to build a house, that¡¯s for sure. After all, your brother, Little Jun, will have to start a family in the future, but there¡¯s no hurry. Building a house is a big deal. Take it slow, take it slow.¡±


    With their family¡¯s situation, it would not be easy to earn enough money to build a house.


    Liu Liangcai chuckled and sent Lin Xiujuan home. He said a few more words to Zhou Xiaoli for her to not take Lin Xiujuan¡¯s words to heart before rushing home himself.


    Although his house had been reinforced, it also took a lot of damage afterst night¡¯s storm. Most of the thatchid on the roof had been swept away by the wind.


    He had to cut some thatch to repair the house. Almost every house in the vige had to be repaired so if he waste, it was likely that he would not have any reeds to make thatch from.


    ¡ª


    Worried about Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reputation, Wei Chiyu got up early in the morning and left the Zhou familypound.


    His residence had been destroyed by a big tree. While he was shocked by what could have happened to him, he also took the kindness shown by Zhou Xiaoli and her family to heart.


    At this moment, he was with Zhou Yu to cut reeds to make thatch.


    After the rainstorm, the weather for the next two days was very good. Thend dried up, and it was a good time for them to enter the mountain soon.


    She wanted to earn money quickly.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli thought back to her previous life. When she was a carp, she had often heard Immortal Taiyi preach the Way and from that, she also learnt a lot about Feng Shui.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli decided to walk around the mountain to see if there was any suitable wood to make apass.


    After breakfast, Zhou Xiaoli took an ax, a basket on her back, and went out on the excuse that she would be digging for wild vegetables.


    It had just rained, and there were many mushrooms growing in the mountain. As soon as thend dried, many vigers went up the mountain together to harvest mushrooms and wild vegetables.


    Coincidentally, when Zhou Xiaoli went out, she bumped into Liu Yuanyuan and Zhou Guihua, who were also going up the mountain to pick mushrooms.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: Entering the Mountain


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    They had been waiting for their friends from the vige. They were chatting andughing as they headed up the mountain together.


    Knowing that they did not like her, Zhou Xiaoli knew her ce and did not approach them. She quietly followed behind them instead.


    ¡°How unlucky. Why did I meet this jinx when I¡¯m out?¡±


    Zhou Guihuained with disdain.


    Liu Yuanyuan looked back and pursed her lips. ¡°How rude. No matter what, you¡¯re her aunt and yet, she didn¡¯t even greet you. How rude of her.¡±


    Zhou Guihua had a look of rejection and disdain on her. ¡°Don¡¯t. I can¡¯t take it. It¡¯s good that she doesn¡¯te over. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s walk faster and not with her. With a jinx like her following us, we probably won¡¯t be able to find a single mushroom.¡±


    Lu Huahua held Zhou Guihua¡¯s arm with a look of disdain. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Don¡¯t let here over. I don¡¯t want to be tainted by her.¡±


    ¡°Just a few days ago, she was very close to that ingrate, Wei Chiyu!¡±


    Zhou Guihua snorted and pursed her lips. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? They¡¯re all the same; people who have a father but don¡¯t have a father to raise them. Birds of a feather flock together.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Instantly, there was a burst ofughter.


    As they spoke, they quickened their pace and soon pulled away from Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not care about this at all. She walked slowly along the small path in the mountain.


    Making apass required quality wood. In order to find suitable wood, Zhou Xiaoli left the path into the mountain and headed deep into the mountain.


    There were many vigers picking wild herbs and mushrooms halfway up the mountain.


    The vige chief¡¯s wife, Liu Yan, saw Zhou Xiaoli walking deeper and deeper into the mountain. She couldn¡¯t help but shout out to her.


    However, perhaps due to the distance or the strong wind in the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli did not hear it.


    ¡°Look at this child. Why is she walking faster and faster even when I have called out to her? She even dares to enter the deep mountains alone.¡± Liu Yan said worriedly.


    At this moment, Zhou Guihua and the others were also digging for wild vegetables nearby. Seeing this, they said, ¡°Auntie Liu, stop shouting. That jinx must have pretended not to hear you on purpose. Her life or death has nothing to do with us.¡±


    Liu Yan sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. It¡¯s very dangerous deep in the mountains. If she were to encounter tigers or bears, would she be able to stay alive?¡±


    Zhou Guihua snorted again. ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry about her. I know that jinx the best. She specializes in jinxing others and not herself. She won¡¯t die that easily!¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli had already disappeared into the mountain. Liu Yan shook her head and did not say anything else.


    ¡ª


    Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli was no fool. This was her first time entering the deep mountain, and she had been making marks along the way.


    Few people woulde this deep into the mountain. Wild vegetables, mushrooms, and so on were everywhere. Before she could find the kind of wood she was looking for, she had already dug up a lot of ginger.


    Ginger was mostly used as Chinese medicine then and was rtively expensive. Only rich families would use it as condiments. Therefore, it was a good thing.


    Zhou Xiaoli dug some wild herbs and mushrooms up while walking further in to find suitable wood.


    Finally, her hard work paid off. She found a Chinese bishopwood tree which was a special wood used to make thepass.


    Best of all, the size and thickness of the tree were also suitable to make apass. After putting down the basket on her back, Zhou Xiaoli took out her ax and began to cut the tree.


    The sound of a tree being cut down rang out in the forest. The sound woke Wei Chiyu up, who was lying on a tree while waiting for his prey to fall into his trap.


    He pinched the space between his eyebrows. His eyes were filled with sleepiness and a hint of impatience from being woken up abruptly. He looked towards the voice and saw Zhou Xiaoli chopping at a tree.


    Just as he was wondering why Zhou Xiaoli hade this deep into the mountain to cut down trees, he was interrupted by a sound.


    As someone who hunted in the mountains all year round, Wei Chiyu instantly became vignt when he heard the noise.


    Zhou Xiaoli, who was focused on chopping the tree down, noticed the sound as well. She couldn¡¯t help but stop, and pricked up her ears as she vigntly observed her surroundings.


    It seemed to be the sound of an animal running, but there were also sounds of collision and grunts. Gradually, the sounds got closer and closer. Amidst the various sounds, Zhou Xiaoli captured the sound of wild beasts. It was the cry of a wild boar!


    In the blink of an eye, and with two roars, two wild boars darted out of the bushes one after another.


    The direction they were flying toward was where Zhou Xiaoli was.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was about to be pounced on by the wild boars, Wei Chiyu, who was on a tree a little further away, turned pale with fright. Just as he was about to jump down, he saw Zhou Xiaoli move.


    She quickly ran to the cliff at the side, grabbed the hanging vines, and climbed up nimbly.


    The two wild boars crashed straight into the cliff.


    Perhaps they had crashed into the cliff with great force, the two wild boars only managed to get to their feet after a long time.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli had already used the vine to climb onto a protruding rock on the cliff. She sat on it and looked down.


    One of the two wild boars was very strong and big, while the other was of a much smaller size.


    After they got up, they roared and began to fight again.


    From the looks of it, it was most likely that the two wild boars were fighting to mark their territory.


    Seeing how ferocious they were, Zhou Xiaoli could not help but sigh. No wonder the hunters who went up the mountains said that they were more afraid of encountering wild boars than wolves.


    If they encountered a wolf, they might be able to scare it away with their skills. However, the wild boar would not know fear.


    Their movements were quite loud. Zhou Xiaoli had managed to cut the tree down mid-way, but the wild boars thereafter knocked it downpletely. This saved Zhou Xiaoli a lot of effort.


    Finally, after a few rounds, the smaller-sized wild boar was defeated. Itid on the ground, injured and did not move another inch.


    The big one was also seriously injured, but it noticed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s existence by then. After circling around, it guarded the cliff and refused to leave.


    Man and pig stared at each other for a while. Zhou Xiaoli realized that the wild boar had no intention of leaving.


    Not only that, it was also lying there in wait, as if it had all the intentions in the world to wait for Zhou Xiaoli toe down.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and looked around. Then, she noticed arge rock beside her. The rock was not one with the cliff wall, but was embedded in it. It looked like it was about to drop.


    As such, Zhou Xiaoli came up with a n. She climbed up the vine to the rock.


    Before Zhou Xiaoli could lure the wild boar under the rock, the wild boar followed her of its own ord.


    After confirming the location, Zhou Xiaoli found a sturdy vine and tied it to her waist. With that, she began jumping up and down on the rock.


    With a loud bang, the rock under her feet loosened. With another jump, it fell.


    At the same time, Zhou Xiaoli fell and hung on the stone wall eventually.


    As for the wild boar below, as it was injured and could not react fast enough, the rocknded directly on it.


    In an instant, a tragic roar rang out. The wild boar struggled a few times and gradually stopped moving.


    After confirming that there was no movement from the wild boar, Zhou Xiaoli climbed down calmly along the vines.


    ...

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Favor


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The wild boar lying under the rock was hit in the head. Its entire head was split open and it was no longer breathing.


    On the other hand, the slightly smaller wild boar did not seem to be dead as it was still breathing.


    Worried that the wild boar would wake up again in a while, Zhou Xiaoli did not hesitate to raise her ax and cut the wild boar¡¯s life short.


    Only then did she calmly wipe the blood off the ax and continue to chop for the wood she needed.


    Throughout the entire process, Zhou Xiaoli remained calm andposed in the face of danger. Wei Chiyu saw how skillfully and efficiently she had ughtered the wild boar.


    It was only after getting the wood that she wanted that Zhou Xiaoli went to look at the two wild boars.


    These two wild boars were very big. Even the small one probably weighed more than a hundred kilograms. How was she going to get them back herself?


    For a moment, Zhou Xiaoli squatted beside the wild boars in worry.


    ¡ª


    At the same time, when the family saw that Zhou Xiaoli had not returned for a long time, they began to panic.


    By noon, Zhou Xiaoli had not returned home and Zhang Lan finally could not sit still anymore. Zhou Yu supported her as they made their way to the Liu family next door.


    After listening to Zhang Lan¡¯s description, Liu Liangcai also frowned and said in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Little Li went up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables and hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded with red eyes and was extremely anxious. ¡°What should we do? I heard that there have been a lot of wolves on this mountain recently...¡±


    Towards the end, her tears fell uncontrobly.


    Liu Liangcai quicklyforted her. ¡°Sister Zhou, don¡¯t be anxious. Little Li is very lucky so nothing will happen to her. I¡¯ll help you ask around.¡±


    As he spoke, he called Liu Yuanyuan over. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the mountain today? Did you see Little Li?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan shook her head nonchntly. ¡°No.¡±


    Looking at his daughter¡¯s attitude, Liu Liangcai frowned. ¡°Really?¡±


    Seeing that her father did not trust her, Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°No means no. She has such a strange temper and doesn¡¯t even talk to us. She went up the mountain alone. How would I know?!¡± she said angrily.


    Liu Liangcai: ¡°If you don¡¯t know, so be it. Why are you throwing a tantrum? I think you need to be disciplined again.¡±


    Seeing that her precious daughter was scolded, Lin Xiujuan immediately stood up for her. ¡°Alright, alright. Why are you throwing your temper at your daughter? There are so many people on the mountain today. Why don¡¯t you go outside and ask around?¡±


    Liu Liangcai sighed and left.


    After some questioning, he finally learned from the vige chief¡¯s wife that Zhou Xiaoli had entered the deeper part of the mountain.


    Upon hearing that Zhou Xiaoli had gone deep into the mountain, Zhang Lan¡¯s vision turned ck and her legs went soft. ¡°My Li¡¯er, why, why did you go deep into the mountain!¡±


    The vige chief¡¯s wife quicklyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your girl might be back soon.¡±


    ¡°At the very least, we¡¯ll organize some people to search in the mountains. It¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡±


    That being said, it was already past noon, but Zhou Xiaoli was still nowhere to be seen.


    The vigers were all discussing this, but there were very few who were really concerned. There were even a few who were gloating.


    ¡°The jinx of the Zhou family has jinxed everyone around her. Had she finally jinxed herself this time?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I think that¡¯s the case. After jinxing so many people, it should be her turn by now.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, the Zhou family should set a firecracker off to celebrate. The jinx is finally gone, haha.¡±


    ...


    Those voices were getting nasty. The vige chief, Zheng Heping, frowned when he heard them and roared, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about! No matter what, the Zhou family¡¯s girl is still a member of our vige. Is it appropriate for you to say that?¡±


    After being criticized by the vige chief, those people shut their mouths.


    At this moment, the vige chief said, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s organize a few strong men and search in the mountains for her. Who¡¯s willing to go?¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone else instantly fell silent. No one made a sound.


    At this moment, Liu Liangcai ignored Lin Xiujuan¡¯s disapproving expression and raised his hand. ¡°Vige Chief, I¡¯m willing to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± The vige chief nodded and asked, ¡°Who else would go?¡±


    This time, no one stood up.


    Helpless, the vige chief could only call out names. However, some of the people who were called out refused on the pretext that they were not feeling well, while others refused because their families were too busy. In any case, no one was willing to go.


    The vige chief was a little angry. ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t know that the people in our Boyu Vige were so cold-blooded!¡±


    After the vige chief¡¯s scolding, some vigers were dissatisfied and started to defend themselves.


    ¡°Vige Chief, you can¡¯t me us. There are so many wild beasts in the mountains. Who would dare to enter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I went to my parents¡¯ house a few days ago and heard that wild wolves have been rampant in the mountains recently. If we go into the mountains now, aren¡¯t we sending ourselves to the wolves?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Vige Chief. Our family consists of the old and young. We¡¯re counting on the men in the family to work. If anything happens in the mountains to them, our family will starve to death.¡±


    ...


    One after another, they all said that they had their own difficulties and were extremely pitiful. The vige chief waved his hand helplessly and did not say anything else.


    In the end, only the vige chief¡¯s two sons, Liu Liangcai, and Zhou Yu entered the mountain with their weapons.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli was using vines and wooden sticks to make a stretcher in preparation to bring the two wild boars down the mountain.


    Crush!


    At this moment, the sound of leaves being crushed came from behind. Zhou Xiaoli instantly picked up the wooden spear beside her.


    She had just made and sharpened it with an ax as she was afraid that some wild beasts would be attracted by the smell of blood.


    ...


    Therefore, after hearing the sound, she turned around and was prepared to throw it in the direction from which the sound came from.


    At the same time, she saw a ck figure. After discovering that it was in fact a person, she forcefully changed the direction of her hand mid-throw.


    With a swoosh, the wooden spear stabbed deep into the ground beside the tree.


    A young man also walked out from behind the tree.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Seeing Wei Chiyu, Zhou Xiaoli heaved a sigh of relief. She walked over and pulled out the wooden spear from the ground. ¡°Why are you here? You didn¡¯t even make a sound and I almost injured you by ident.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nced at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s injured hand and did not answer her question. Instead, he asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at the stretcher that had not been properly tied up, and back at her bleeding hand. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t say anything else. He squatted down and started tying up the stretcher.


    Zhou Xiaoli wanted to help, but Wei Chiyu refused. She could only stand to the side and watch. ¡°You seem to be very skilled at it.¡±


    Wei Chiyu raised his head to look at Zhou Xiaoli and hummed in agreement. Just as Zhou Xiaoli thought that this guy wouldn¡¯t say anything else, he said, ¡°I often carry my prey down the mountain.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ...


    Wei Chiyu wasn¡¯t lying. He was indeed skillful. In a short while, the stretcher was tied up.


    The two of them worked together to put the two wild boars on the stretcher and prepared to go down the mountain.


    The weight of the two wild boars was not to be underestimated. Zhou Xiaoli tried to pull them, but she could not move them at all.


    Even though Wei Chiyu had some strength, it was quite strenuous for him to pull the stretcher as well.


    Zhou Xiaoli began to wonder if she should pull the wild boars one by one, but she was worried that the other one would be devoured by wolves in the wild.


    Just as she was feeling conflicted, Wei Chiyu also caught a prey in his trap. It was a fox.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: Her Luck Is Too Good!


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli stood still and waited while Wei Chiyu went to get the prey in his trap.


    At this moment, a faint shout suddenly came up the mountain.


    Listening carefully, the voice seemed to be calling out her name. Zhou Xiaoli suddenly realized that she had been out for a long time. Zhang Lan and the others must have been waiting anxiously at home.


    She immediately raised her hands to cup her face and yelled as a reply.


    Liu Liangcai and the others, who were looking for Zhou Xiaoli anxiously, were pleasantly surprised when they heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s response.


    Liu Liangcai: ¡°It¡¯s Little Li, it¡¯s Little Li!¡±


    The three of them did not stop and quickly followed the direction of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice.


    When they saw that Zhou Xiaoli was unharmed, they all heaved a sigh of relief.


    After Liu Liangcai walked over, he scolded with concern in his voice. ¡°Are you injured? Girl, why did you run into the deep mountain alone? What if you encounter wild beasts? It¡¯s so dangerous. It¡¯s really worrying.¡±


    Knowing that Liu Liangcai was worried about her, Zhou Xiaoli was not angry at all at being reprimanded. Instead, she quickly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, uncles. I have caused you all to worry. I¡¯m fine. I just wanted to pick more wild vegetables. Who knew that I would identally get lost?¡±


    Thinking of the difficulties that Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family faced, Liu Liangcai could no longer bear to me her. He sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Poor girl. She was only 10 years old, but she was already carrying the burden of raising a family,¡± he thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    At this moment, the vige chief¡¯s eldest son, Zheng Yonggui, noticed the stretcher behind Zhou Xiaoli and eximed in surprise.


    ¡°I was picking wild vegetables when two wild boars suddenly rushed out. They seemed to be fighting for territory, so they started fighting fiercely.¡± Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly exined.


    ¡°Then, they identally bumped into a cliff and were smashed to death by the rocks that fell from the cliff. I was just thinking how can I get them down the mountain when you appeared.¡±


    In order not to arouse their suspicion or let her family worry, Zhou Xiaoli deliberately concealed the process of how she killed the wild boars.


    Liu Liangcai, Zheng Yonggui, and the others were shocked.


    Liu Liangcai¡¯s eyes widened and he was so shocked that he could not speak properly. ¡°You mean, you picked up two wild boars?¡±


    The wild boars in the mountains were ferocious and very difficult to hunt. Even the hunter in the next vige, the Sandfish Vige, who had hunted for most of his life, had only hunted a wild boar once and was injured by it. Even till this day, he still had a limp.


    Zhou Xiaoli picked up a wild boar with no difficulty, two in fact!


    Zheng Yonggui and Zheng Yongfu were also shocked. On the other hand, Zhou Yu did not quite understand the concept of two wild boars. He only held Zhou Xiaoli tightly, as if he was afraid that he would lose Zhou Xiaoli.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu walked over with a fox in his hand.


    The fox was red and its fur was glossy. It was very beautiful.


    Just by looking at it, they felt that it was worth a lot of money. However, the smell was a little unpleasant.


    ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that smell? Who peed their pants?¡±


    Before they saw Wei Chiyu, they smelled the scent. They pinched their noses and looked around for the source.


    Then, they saw Wei Chiyu walking over with the fox.


    Liu Liangcai: ¡°Ah, why is Little Wei here?¡±


    ¡°I just met him. He was also hunting in this area.¡± Zhou Xiaoli exined.


    Everyone in the vige knew that after Wei Chiyu fell out with the Lu family, he hunted alone for a living. Therefore, they did not find it strange that he was also hunting here.


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Liu Liangcai chuckled. ¡°Aiya, let¡¯s not talk anymore. Quick, let¡¯s go down the mountain. Your mother is anxious.¡±


    As he spoke, he packed his things and prepared to leave the mountain.


    With the addition of the four strong men, they took turns carrying the wild boars. The two wild boars were easily carried down the mountain.


    Zhang Lan had been waiting at the vige entrance because she was worried about Zhou Xiaoli.


    Lin Xiujuan and the vige chief¡¯s wife, one worried about her man and the other worried about her two sons, apanied Zhang Lan to wait at the vige entrance.


    Liu Yan supported Zhang Lan andforted her from time to time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You have to take care of yourself. This family is still counting on you.¡±


    Zhang Lan wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Auntie. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Lin Xiujuan exim. ¡°Ah, is that them?¡±


    Liu Yan hurriedly covered her eyes with her hand to block out the sunlight. She looked into the distance and said loudly. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it them! Look, they¡¯reing down the mountain. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Thest sentence was directed at Zhang Lan.


    As the three of them spoke, the five of them had arrived at the vige entrance.


    Seeing Zhang Lan and the others from afar, Zhou Xiaoli quickened her pace and practically jogged over.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Slow down, slow down.¡± Zhang Lan hurriedly reached out to catch Zhou Xiaoli, who was running over. She looked around and was relieved to find that other than being a little dirty, she was not injured.


    Then, her expression turned serious as she pped Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s butt. ¡°Why are you so disobedient? I told you not to go deep into the mountain when you left home this morning. Why are you so disobedient? Tell me, if anything happens to you, how will Mother live...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but lower her head in guilt. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry for making you worry. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± she whispered.


    Lin Xiujuan was unhappy that her man had to dy his afternoon work in order to enter the mountains to find her. As such, sheined unhappily.


    ¡°Little Li, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but why are you so insensible? Why did you run into the deep mountain for no reason? Do you know how much farm work my family has postponed in order to find you?¡±


    At this moment, Liu Liangcai and the others carried the wild boars over and he spoke up for Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Alright, stop scolding her. Little Li didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It didn¡¯t take us much time.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Little Li even picked up two big wild boars on the mountain!¡± Liu Liangcai continued.


    ...


    When Liu Liangcai and the others carried the two wild boars down, they had already attracted the attention of many people. At this moment, when they heard that Zhou Xiaoli was the one who found them, it immediately caused a hugemotion.


    Lin Xiujuan looked at the two wild boars and widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°What? Did you say that these two wild boars were found by the girl from the Zhou family?¡± she eximed.


    The onlookers were also in disbelief.


    Liu Liangcai nodded affirmatively. ¡°Of course. Why would I lie to you? If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the Yonggui brothers. They were with me.¡±


    The two brothers, Zheng Yonggui and Zheng Yongfu, nodded repeatedly. Then, they told everyone what Zhou Xiaoli had told them.


    Seeing that the two sons of the vige chief had also said so, everyone believed that it was the truth.


    Lin Xiujuan looked at the two wild boars and her eyes widened. ¡°My god, these two wild boars looked like they weighed more than a hundred pounds each. If they¡¯re sold in town, they¡¯ll be worth a lot of money!¡± she muttered softly.


    Then, she looked at Zhou Xiaoli with aplicated expression. This wretched girl was too lucky.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Bad Luck!


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    She would asionally take a look around her second uncle¡¯s old courtyard, but she had not seen a single duck. However, this girl picked up an entire nest as soon as she moved in!


    They both fished in the same river, but their family didn¡¯t catch anything. That wretched girl got a full harvest instead.


    And now, when she went up the mountain and lost her way, she even managed to find two fat pigs for free!


    What kind of lucky streak was this?


    After this incident spread in the vige, not only did Lin Xiujuan think this way, but the other vigers who knew about this also discussed it behind her back.


    ¡°Hey, do you guys think that little jinx from the Zhou family got lucky? These wild boars are so difficult to hunt and yet she found two as soon as she entered the mountain? What kind of luck did she have?¡±


    ¡°Heh, you don¡¯t say. It¡¯s really possible. Has the jinx be a lucky star?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Have you heard of ¡®Terminal lucidity¡¯? It¡¯s said that when a person is about to die, their mind will suddenly recover as if nothing had happened.¡±


    ¡°But not long after, they would take theirst breath and die! In my opinion, this is probably the case for her and she¡¯s dying.¡±


    ¡°This Zhou Yu family is so lucky this time. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before they suffer!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say. It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ...


    They gossiped that the Zhou family would suffer a big misfortune soon, but when they saw the two fat pigs, they were still jealous of them.


    Liu Liangcai and the others carried the wild boars straight into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s house. Wei Chiyu had left them without a word after leaving the mountain.


    Zhou Xiaoli guessed that he had probably gone to sell the fox skin, so she did not pay much attention to him.


    Liu Liangcai and the vige chief¡¯s two sons had contributed greatly towards carrying the two wild boars down the mountain.


    She had to thank them for being willing to enter the mountain to look for her when she was in danger, although she did not really encounter danger.


    However, she still had to be grateful for their help.


    Thus, Zhou Xiaoli suggested that they cut the smaller wild boar and give them half of the wild boar to split between the two families.


    Lin Xiujuan, who was just upset at Zhou Xiaoli for wasting her man¡¯s time, instantly beamed when she heard that her family could get a big piece of wild boar meat.


    However, the vige chief¡¯s family and Liu Liangcai refused.


    However, they could not resist Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s plea to ept it. In the end, under Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s insistence, they all epted it with a smile.


    After all, wild boar meat was a good thing. It was much more expensive than ordinary pork and it was said that the officials and richdies in the city liked it.


    However, they also felt that taking that much of the meat was akin to taking advantage of a little girl.


    Thus, Liu Liangcai and the vige chief expressed that they would help Zhou Xiaoli process the two wild boars.


    If she had to process these two wild boars herself, she would probably be half-dead from exhaustion.


    Zhou Xiaoli epted their offer happily.


    The weather was hot, so she was afraid that the meat would not be fresh after being left for too long.


    Liu Liangcai and the two sons of the vige chief made a prompt decision. They dug a hole at the entrance of the vige, erected a rack, and boiled water to ughter the pigs!


    Even Lin Xiujuan, the vige chief¡¯s wife, and her eldest daughter-inw helped. They removed the hairs and washed the pig offal. They were all very busy.


    Usually, the vige would only see pigs being ughtered during the new year.


    Therefore, the liveliness attracted the attention of many vigers. Adults and children alike surrounded them in a circle.


    After hearing that the vige chief¡¯s family and the Liu family could take a huge portion of the wild boar, many vigers regretted it.


    If they had known earlier, they would have gone to the mountains to help find Zhou Xiaoli and they too, would also have a share of the wild boar meat.


    However, it was toote for regrets. Other than being jealous and envious, there was nothing else they could do.


    However, there would always be some greedy people who did not want to let go of this opportunity.


    Just as they were busy working, the Lu family¡¯s daughter-inw, Mrs. Bao, Lai Jinniang, and a few other women whom they are friends with, gathered together and approached them.


    When Lai Jinniang heard that Zhou Xiaoli had picked up two big wild boars, she was overjoyed. She was about to run to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s house to get them to give her the wild boars.


    Her husband, Zhou Dashan, shouted at her toe back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it embarrassing?! You chased them out of the house when I wasn¡¯t at home. You had no idea how the neighbors had gossiped behind my back about this!¡±


    Now, you even nned to ask them to give you the wild boars. Did you have any thoughts of my dignity?!¡±


    Lai Jinniang, who had been scolded, turned back resentfully, but she was not convinced.


    After entering the house, she muttered softly, ¡°You¡¯re so shameless! Didn¡¯t you want to chase their family out long ago? Now you¡¯re ming me. If you truly couldn¡¯t bear to chase them out, you would have brought their family back home a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve be a bad person while you¡¯re the good person who values friendship and loyalty. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    Back then, when they settled in Boyu Vige, the vigers who had fled here together knew that their eldest son, Zhou Yu, was abandoned at the roadside and they had brought him back even though they barely had anything themselves.


    Therefore, they praised the Zhou family for saving an abandoned baby under such difficult circumstances.


    The vige chief of Boyu Vige had even praised them in person. It was also because of this that they could quickly integrate into Boyu Vige.


    It was also because she wanted to maintain this reputation that she had tolerated her eldest son¡¯s family for so many years. Otherwise, she would have chased that family of nuisances out long ago.


    Hearing Lai Jinniang¡¯s mumbling, Zhou Dashan instantly red at her. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Lai Jinniang immediately shut her mouth and ran out of the door. She bumped into Madam Bao, the matriarch of the Lu family, who was gossiping about this on the street.


    Bao Meifang said, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we have a share of the wild boar meat? If you ask me, we should split it equally. Moreover, as Zhou Yu¡¯s mother, you¡¯ve suffered hardships in bringing him up. He should be filial to you and give your family a bigger portion of the wild boar meat too!¡±


    In an instant, Lai Jinniang found a ¡®confidant¡¯.


    ...


    After some discussion, the small group of old women walked over.


    ¡°Vige Chief! I suggest that we distribute these two wild boars to the vigers of our vige!¡±


    Bao Meifang¡¯s voice was rough to begin with. Almost everyone present heard her shout, and the surroundings instantly fell silent.


    At that moment, the vige chief was standing at a corner, smoking a pipe while chatting with the vigers with a smile.


    Hearing this, he frowned in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Vige Chief, this wild boar was picked up by the girl from the Zhou family on the mountain. It should belong to everyone in the vige. How can their family pocket it for themselves?¡± Bao Meifang continued shamelessly.


    The old women at the side quickly chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Vige Chief, arge area of the North Mountain belongs to our vige.¡±


    ¡°That wild boar is a beast living on the mountain. Everything on the mountain should belong to all of us vigers, so it should be distributed to us.¡±


    What a shameless speech.


    Zhou Xiaoli was impressed.


    Bao Meifang and the others used the pretext that it is for themon good of the entire vige to gain benefits for themselves. Therefore, other than Lin Xiujuan, no one else stood up against them and said that they were shameless.


    ...


    On the contrary, many people nodded in agreement.


    The vige chief and Liu Liangcai, who was ughtering the pigs, were so angry that theyughed.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: Bah! Shameless


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The vige chief held back his anger and did not curse out loud. He pointed at Old Madam Bao and the others. ¡°Look, what kind of twisted logic is this? This wild boar was picked up by the Zhou family¡¯s daughter. Why is it yours now and why should it be shared with you?¡±


    ¡°So, ording to what you said, in the future, whatever our vigers pick on the mountain will have to be distributed to all vigers?¡±


    Then, he waved his hand. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be here picking bones out of an egg. You¡¯re talking nonsense. It must be busy at home right now. Go home and work.¡±


    Those old women obviously wouldn¡¯t leave if they didn¡¯t achieve their goal. They used all their skills to make a scene, and were utterly shameless.


    Moreover, after these old women started fussing, many vigers joined them. It was clear that they would not stop until they were given pork.


    For a moment, there was no end to the argument.


    The vige chief¡¯s family and Liu Liangcai¡¯s family were full of anger.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli stepped forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible if you want me to share the pork with everyone.¡±


    A clear voice that¡¯s unique to a youngdy rang out, which was especially prominent amidst themotion.


    Instantly, everyone looked at her.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Old Madam Bao and the others naturally thought that Zhou Xiaoli was afraid of them, and had acent expression on their faces.


    Liu Liangcai quickly stopped Zhou Xiaoli in a low voice. ¡°Little Li, don¡¯t be afraid of them. Uncle and the vige chief are here. We can¡¯t let them seed. This wild boar can be sold for a lot of money and your family is in urgent need of money.¡±


    Even Lin Xiujuan, who had never liked Zhou Xiaoli, spoke up for her.


    Zhou Xiaoli deeply felt that the only reason she did so was that she was afraid that she would not be able to get that much pork should they split it equally with the other vigers.


    Lin Xiujuan ced her hands on her waist and was instantly in her shrew mode.


    She was famous in the vige for being shrewish. As soon as she spoke, it was priceless at how she scolded the others. ¡°Pfft! Why are you so shameless? How old are you? Aren¡¯t you ashamed to snatch a youngdy¡¯s things, huh?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in our vige knows how difficult the situation is for the eldest son of the Zhou family.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ce for them to live in and no food to eat. Her mother is sick and her father is stupid. They were hoping that this wild boar could be sold for money to live but you wanted to snatch it away. Do you want to force the little girl to her death?!¡±


    After being scolded by Lin Xiujuan, many people felt guilty.


    However, Bao Meifang and Lin Xiujuan had never gotten along and often quarreled with each other.


    Hence, coupled with the fact that she was a shameless person to begin with, Bao Meifang was able to fight back despite Lin Xiujuan¡¯s suppression.


    She opened her mouth and spat. ¡°Ms. Lin, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Of course you won¡¯t say anything. Your family got such a big piece of pork and you¡¯re pretending to be a good person. You¡¯re the shameless one!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless. Your entire family is shameless!¡±


    ...


    The two of them exchanged insults.


    ¡°I think the eldest son of the Zhou family still has the final say in this matter. Madam Lin, don¡¯t interfere blindly.¡±


    At this moment, a voice sounded from the crowd which instantly attracted the attention of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. The girl from the Zhou family has already said that they¡¯re willing to share. You¡¯re from the Liu family and you don¡¯t have any connections to them, so don¡¯t interfere!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It still depends on Miss Zhou. Miss Zhou, you do the talking.¡±


    Those people were certain that Zhou Xiaoli was a pushover, and so she would not dare to disobey them.


    Unfortunately, they were wrong.


    Zhou Xiaoli was stubborn, and super stubborn at that. If one should cross her, it¡¯s clear that the other person would give way first!


    Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Zhou Xiaoli pretended to be afraid and looked at them timidly.


    She had a small round face and her almond-shaped eyes were soft. At this moment, she deliberately put on a pitiful look which instantly made the enemy let down their guard.


    Everyone felt that this person would be easy to bully and manipte.


    Wei Chiyu, who had just returned from outside, happened to see this scene. He couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene when he was on the mountain and saw how she had calmly dealt with the two wild boars.


    Inparison to the girl pretending to be pitiful in front of him...


    The corner of his mouth twitched.


    This girl actually had two faces!


    On the other hand, Liu Liangcai and the vige chief immediately stepped up to support Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Little Li, don¡¯t be afraid of them. With Uncle Vige Chief around, just say what you think!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She bit her lip and said, ¡°If you want my pork, I can give it to you, but I have a condition.¡±


    Madam Bao did not care at all. ¡°What condition? Tell me!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Aunts, I heard from you that everything on the north side of the mountain belongs to all the vigers of Boyu Vige.¡±


    ¡°In other words, be it the trees, grass, or animals on the mountain, they should all belong to the vigers. Is that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s what I meant.¡± Bao Meifang and the others crossed their arms, their faces full of pride.


    They felt that they had Zhou Xiaoli in their hands, but they did not know that they had in fact, fallen into the trap that Zhou Xiaoli set out.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    Then, she tapped her chin and said softly, ¡°Yes, then we¡¯ll do as you say. I think that all the vigers¡¯ families have to split anything that we pick from the mountain equally.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason that only our family has to split, right? Therefore, my condition is that everyone must be treated equally and split all things in their house equally. With that, I will agree to share the wild boar with everyone.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice was neither loud or soft, and it did not sound domineering, but everyone present heard it clearly.


    As soon as these words left her lips, the vige chief smiled. ¡°Miss Zhou is quite smart,¡± he thought.


    ...


    He immediately pped his hands and said, ¡°Yes, I think Miss Zhou is right. There¡¯s a bnce to everything. If you want to split the pork equally, then take out everything in your family and share it equally with everyone else!¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.


    At this moment, someone raised an objection. ¡°But Vige Chief, the wild vegetables and mushrooms we picked aren¡¯t worth sharing. Besides, we¡¯ve already eaten them. How can we split them now?¡±


    The vige chief snorted coldly and said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll convert it all into cash and split it equally.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli was smiling in her heart, but she did not show it on her face. ¡°I think Uncle Vige Chief¡¯s idea is good. Let¡¯s convert it into cash for ease of calction.¡± she said in a harmless tone.


    ¡°Oh, right, don¡¯t try to hide it. You have to take them all out, or it won¡¯t be fair. Eh, Grandma, you¡¯re here too.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: Dropped Into the Feces Pit


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at Lai Jinniang and eximed in surprise.


    Then, she smiled harmlessly and said, ¡°Grandma, I remember thatst year, when I went up the mountain with the younger cousins, we found bird¡¯s nest. Second Uncle took it to the city and sold it for more than ten taels of silver! Don¡¯t forget to count it in.¡±


    When those people heard that it was more than ten taels of silver, they instantly looked at Lai Jinniang enviously.


    ¡°Ah, Mdm Lai, is what your eldest granddaughter said true? Your family found bird¡¯s nest?¡±


    ¡°Then you have to take it out and we¡¯ll split it equally.¡±


    ...


    The vigers known for beingzy and greedy for small gains seemed to have entered heaven at this moment. All of them found Zhou Xiaoli pleasing to the eye and greedily wanted to share more things with others.


    However, those families who had once found good things from the mountain now wondered if anyone else knew of their findings and if they could hide it for themselves. At the same time, they thought about coveting other people¡¯s finds.


    Lai Jinniang, who was ¡®sold¡¯ by Zhou Xiaoli, turned pale.


    Lai Jinniang was anxious and kept denying it. ¡°You, you, what nonsense are you talking about? There¡¯s no bird¡¯s nest. It¡¯s not that easy to get something as precious as bird¡¯s nest. We don¡¯t have it, no!¡±


    However, the more anxious she was to deny it, the more the people around her felt that something must be up. Some pouted in disdain.


    ¡°Why, Madam Lai, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to share it with everyone? You were most enthusiastic when we were talking about sharing the pork.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It can¡¯t be that you can¡¯t bear to part with your own things, right?¡±


    ...


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan snorted and said, ¡°Aiyo, Mdm Bao, don¡¯t just talk about Auntie Lai. Your family found a lot of good things from the mountain as well.¡±


    ¡°From what I know, your man set a trap on the mountain and caught a yellow wolfst winter. You have to know that yellow wolf fur is the most valuable in winter. Your family must have sold it for at least ten taels of silver too.¡±


    Old Madam Bao¡¯s face turned green. She regretted showing off in front of Mrs. Lin in the past!


    However, it would be impossible for her to cough out this money now!


    ¡°This happened a year ago. The money has long been used up for my son, Wen, to pay school fees!¡± She immediately shouted.


    None of them were willing, but the notoriouszy hooligans in the vige who wanted to take advantage of her were unwilling to give up.


    They immediately started arguing.


    Most of the vigers in Boyu Vige had been born and raised here for generations. Being so close to the huge mountain, many families had obtained good things in the mountain in the past.


    As they quarreled, they started to expose each other¡¯s finds. Even the things that the previous generations had obtained from the mountain were revealed.


    In any case, they were willing to get money from others if they could but at the same time, they were unwilling to let their own family cough out any.


    Looking at this farce, the vige chief cut in at the right time. ¡°Look, look, isn¡¯t it ridiculous! Tell me, isn¡¯t it ridiculous to want to split the resources in the mountains equally?! It¡¯s simply nonsense!¡±


    ¡°The person who made this suggestion should be charged with inciting trouble and destroying the rtionship between neighbors!¡±


    The vige chief had a certain reputation in the vige. Now that the vige chief was angry, those people shut up.


    The vige chief continued, ¡°How shameful it is? That you all are already at an old age and yet, you¡¯re not even as open-minded as a ten-year-old girl. You are all getting worse as you age!¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhou just told me that she was lucky to be able to pick up two wild boars. God took pity on her family and gave them a way out.¡±


    ¡°In order to thank the heavens, she generously offered to use the remaining half of the wild boar to treat everyone to a meal. I saw that the girl was kind-hearted and even said that she can take our share of the pork to treat everyone.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! From what I see now, forget it. It would be a waste to let some people eat it! This wild boar was picked up by Miss Zhou, so it belongs to Miss Zhou. Let¡¯s see who dares to take it!¡±


    They were just short of being criticized by the vige chief individually. Bao Meifang and the other old women did not dare to say anything more about distributing the pork.


    When the surrounding vigers heard that they could have had a free meal, they looked at Bao Meifang and the other women unkindly.


    They started to criticize them in return.


    The hooligans in the vige did not manage to take advantage of the situation and even ¡°lost¡± a free meal. And so, they immediately verbally attacked Old Madam Bao and the others.


    They were hooligans to begin with. So their words were unpleasant and as they scolded, their emotions went up and they even wanted to hit someone to vent their anger.


    After being criticized like this, Old Madam Bao and the others could not raise their heads and could only flee.


    However, not long after they left, the rest of the vigers suddenly heard a few cries of surprise and screams.


    Everyone looked over and saw a wonder!


    It turned out that as they were running away, someone tripped over a rock which caused that person to pounce on the person in front. The person in front then pulled the person beside her.


    Then, as they pushed and pulled, all of thedies fell!


    Coincidentally, they fell into the feces pit at the entrance of the vige!


    Because Bao Meifang and Lai Jinniang were at the front of the group, they were pressed into the feces pit by thedies behind them.


    The two of them struggled for a long time before standing up from within the pit. However, there were things hanging from their hair and faces. Hmm...


    It was indescribable.


    Moreover, Zhou Xiaoli deeply suspected that there was a very high chance that some of it may have entered their mouth...


    Instantly, she did not feel like having dinner.


    This turn of events happened too unexpectedly, and the surrounding people did not react in time.


    In the end, someone could not help butugh out loud. Only then did the rest of the crowd burst outughing as well.


    Bao Meifang and the others felt even more embarrassed at it. They were angry and embarrassed.


    One by one, they hurriedly tried to crawl out. However, their bodies were covered in feces and it was very slippery. Moreover, the feces pit was deep. Not only did they not manage to crawl out, they became even more miserable when doing it!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ...


    The few of them screamed in the feces pit.


    ¡°Help! Help! Come and pull us out!¡±


    Bao Meifang tried to ask for help from the people around her. However, the people around her avoided them for being smelly. They covered their noses and hid far away. No one was willing to help.


    Seeing Bao Meifang in such a miserable state, Lin Xiujuan felt relieved.


    The Lu family and the Liu family were constantly at odds with each other. One of the reasons was this feces pit.


    The Liu family had a piece ofnd at the entrance of the vige and the Lu family dug a feces pit beside theirnd to makepost.


    That was their territory and so, it was their freedom to do whatever they wanted.


    However, what happened was that the Lu family members were veryzy. They dug a feces pit but did not take good care of it. They threw feces into the pit but did not cover it up with soil.


    Moreover, they had dug a deep pit. Since it was right beside theirnd, they could easily fall into the pit if they were not careful.


    More importantly, the Liu family had a young son. If they had brought him to the field, it would be very dangerous for him.


    For this reason, Lin Xiujuan often talked to the Lu family about this. She told them to cover it with soil to make thepost properly. Otherwise, they can also surround it with a fence to make it safer.


    ...


    However, not only did Bao Meifang not listen, she even said boastfully that this was her family¡¯s feces pit. She could do whatever she wanted and no one else could interfere!

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Lesson Learned


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Her words infuriated Lin Xiujuan. From then on, the two of them were even more at loggerheads.


    Now, Bao Meifang had actually fallen into the feces pit she dug. Lin Xiujuan could finally vent her anger.


    She pinched her nose and stood far away as sheughed the loudest. ¡°Hahaha, aiya, evil has its retribution. It¡¯s just not the time for it yet! Bao Meifang, you reap what you sow!¡±


    Many vigers around them covered their mouths andughed.


    One can¡¯t me the vigers for adding insult to injury. It was just because Bao Meifang had offended so many of them because of this feces pit.


    When Bao Meifang dug the pit, it was purposely dug beside the roadside to maximize her space, but that made the already narrow road even narrower.


    This was a busy road used by many vigers. It was fine if they walked, but if they were pushing their cart through, one of the wheels might identally fall into the pit.


    The vigers often went to her house to raise their opinions on it, but this old woman was unreasonable.


    Therefore, she could not me others for rubbing salt into the wound. It was only because she had done too many evil things herself.


    Bao Meifang and the others struggled in the feces pit for half an hour, but no one went to pull them up.


    In the end, the vige chief¡¯s wife sent her eldest daughter-inw to find the families of those old women to pull them out.


    After soaking for so long in the pit, they felt that their entire bodies were marinated. They could be considered as walking ¡®biochemical weapons¡¯ and even their families did not dare to approach them.


    They probably wouldn¡¯t dare to go out on the streets for the time being.


    Today¡¯s ¡®feces pit retribution¡¯ would also be fodder for the vigers tough at.


    ¡ª


    Wei Chiyu, who had witnessed the entire process,ughed. He knew how difficult it was to deal with this Bao Meifang. This time, she failed to gain an advantage over Zhou Xiaoli.


    As for Zhou Xiaoli, she had only said a few words in a pitiful tone the entire time.


    Suddenly, he thought of a game he had seen on the mountain a few days ago.


    Two tigers werepeting for territory then. One of them was iparably ferocious and domineering while the other was clumsy as they fought.


    At first nce, everyone felt that the clumsy tiger would definitely lose.


    However, the end result was the opposite. After the powerful tiger got the lead, it began to reveal its ws.


    The ¡®clumsy¡¯ tiger suddenly turned on it and nimbly bit it at a vital point.


    Could this be to y dumb to take advantage of someone?


    In an instant, Wei Chiyu felt as if he had been enlightened.


    ¡ª


    It was still very troublesome to ughter the two wild boars. It was not until evening that they were finally done.


    The vige chief said that no one could take these two wild boars.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli still divided the smaller wild boar into three portions and sent two portions to the vige chief¡¯s family and the Liu family respectively.


    When she saw Zhou Xiaoli bring the pork over, Lin Xiujuan, who had a dark expression on her face, instantly beamed with joy.


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head helplessly as she looked at her. Then, she and Zhou Yu brought the pork to the vige chief¡¯s house.


    At this moment, the vige chief was sitting in the courtyard and smoking a pipe. When he saw Zhou Xiaoliing over with the meat, he immediately stood up and said, ¡°Child, why are you so honest? I already said that I don¡¯t want it. Why did you send it over?¡±


    When Liu Yan heard the voice, she also walked out of the house. ¡°Aiyaya, child, why did you send it over again? You can keep and sell it.¡±


    Even though the vige chief¡¯s family said that Zhou Xiaoli was a kind person for doing so and that she shouldn¡¯t have, they were nheless very satisfied with her gift of meat.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, don¡¯t reject and listen to me first. You have to keep the pork. Let¡¯s not talk about how Brother Yonggui and Brother Yongfu carried the pigs down the mountain; they also helped me ughter and process the meat. They did a lot of work.¡±


    Then, she said in embarrassment, ¡°Also, I have a request to make to Uncle Vige Chief. I¡¯m nning to build a house, but there¡¯s no man in charge at home. I¡¯m young and don¡¯t know much about building houses.¡±


    ¡°I thought of Uncle Vige Chief. You are highly regarded in the vige, so you must know many good contractors. When the timees, can you introduce them to me?¡±


    The vige chief knocked on his tobo pipe and said with a straight face. ¡°Look at you, child. As the vige chief, how can I not help you when youe to me for help? Or do you not trust me as the vige chief and think that I won¡¯t help you properly if you don¡¯t give me some gifts?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°No, no, I trust Uncle Vige Chief the most. Uncle Vige Chief is the most credible in our entire Boyu Vige. However, my mother has taught me since I was young that I can¡¯t think that it¡¯s only right for others to help just because I¡¯m weak.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, next month is the autumn harvest. Building a house is a big deal and it will cause trouble for Uncle Vige Chief. Moreover, in the future, my family will still rely on the Vige Chief¡¯s help. This pork is a gift from my entire family. You have to ept it.¡±


    Since Zhou Xiaoli had said so, the vige chief naturally could not refuse any longer. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept it first.¡±


    As he spoke, he nced at his wife.


    Liu Yan smiled and took over the pork. ¡°Look at this child. Auntie will ept it without hesitation.¡±


    Then, she asked her eldest daughter-inw to bring the pork back into the house and said, ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with us. If you need any help in the future, feel free to look for your uncle.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thanked them politely.


    Her aim of building a connection with the Vige Chief has been achieved, so she bade farewell and left.


    After Zhou Xiaoli left, the vige chief could not help but nod and praise her. ¡°The daughter of the eldest son of the Zhou family is cleverer than Old Zhou¡¯s two sons.¡±


    After getting the pork, the whole family was very happy.


    Liu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Of course. Old Zhou¡¯s two sons alwayse empty-handed when theye to you for help. This youngdy looks smart and speaks nicely.¡±


    Zheng Heping could not help but nod. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s smart and can see things through.¡±


    When he reprimanded Madam Bao and the others earlier, he said that Zhou Xiaoli was grateful to the heavens and wanted to treat the vigers to a meal.


    Actually, that was not the case.


    At that time, he was the one who suggested that she should treat the vigers to a meal. The reason was that he was afraid that the vigers would be jealous of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s luck and cause trouble for her family behind his back.


    ...


    However, as soon as he mentioned it, he saw the youngdy¡¯s troubled expression. She immediately expressed that she did not agree with this method.


    She said, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, greed can never be satisfied. Not only would this not remove their sense of jealousy, but they will be even more greedy because they have gained from it.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, I was the one who found the wild boars. The ones who carried it down the mountain were Brother Yonggui, Brother Yongfu and Uncle Liu. What does this have to do with others? Why must I give it to them to eat and to be deemed as wrong for not giving it to them?¡±


    At that time, he thought that the Zhou family¡¯s daughter was unwilling to share it with the vigers. She was being selfish and greedy at such a young age.


    Unexpectedly, what Bao Meifang and the others did next made him see how shameless they were.


    Zhou Xiaoli seemed to be right.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: How Uncourteous


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli had just returned home after delivering the pork when she saw someone standing at their door.


    After seeing who it was, Zhou Xiaoli was confused at first, but then she pped her forehead. That¡¯s right, Wei Chiyu had also helped her a lot. She hadn¡¯t thanked him yet.


    Since he had disappeared after they went down the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli had almost forgotten about him. And now, he had toe looking for her in person; that was a terrible mistake on her part.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli immediately said, ¡°You came at the right time. I was about to go to your house to thank you. Do you like any particr cut of meat? I¡¯ll cut it out for you.¡±


    With that, Zhou Xiaoli was about to cut the meat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Wei Chiyu stopped Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Take the rest of the meat to the county city and sell it. I can always look for more prey myself.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a small, ck ceramic bottle from within his clothes and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°This is for you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was confused. ¡°What is this?¡±


    Wei Chiyu pointed at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s a medicine for wounds. I just got it from Doctor Feng.¡±


    So, the reason for his disappearance aftering down the mountain. Was it to go to Dazhuang Vige to buy medicine?


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned. She looked at the abrasions on her hand. She then waved her hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need, no need for it. It¡¯s just minor abrasions from the bark of the tree vine. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Wei Chiyu pursed his lips and exined, ¡°It¡¯s useful. I use it often.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t believe him that the medicine would be useful, but when she looked up and saw the other party¡¯s amber eyes looking at her with utmost seriousness and sincerity, she swallowed her words of rejection.


    She reached out to take the medicine bottle. ¡°Then, thank you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Neither of them spoke again, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.


    Zhou Xiaoli blinked and nced at the man standing in the courtyard. ¡°Um, you really don¡¯t want pork?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright.¡± Zhou Xiaoli rubbed the medicine bottle and looked around to ease the awkwardness that had suddenly appeared.


    However, she was muttering in her heart. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t he leaving yet?¡± she thought.


    Immediately after, in order to prevent her toes from getting injured from clenching at the dirt ground, Zhou Xiaoli thought of Granny Wang in her previous life. Granny Wang was a social butterfly and she had taught her an all-powerful phrase to start conversations. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head again.


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Then, shall we eat at my ce?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He answered without any hesitation.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°...¡±


    She had no doubt that this guy was waiting for her to ask this question.


    She then thought about how Wei Chiyu was living alone at such a young age, and how he had to risk his life on a daily basis to go hunting in the mountains.


    She looked at the medicine bottle in her hand again. Moreover, he must have been injured often during his hunts.


    Sigh! What a pitiful person.


    While Zhou Xiaoli was deep in her thoughts, Wei Chiyu had already entered the courtyard and started working.


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. ¡°... Seems like he has made himselffortable at home,¡± she thought.


    Zhang Lan and the two little fellows were quite enthusiastic about Wei Chiyu¡¯s arrival.


    Especially Zhou Xiaoyu.


    Wei Chiyu, who went hunting in the mountains every day, was her idol. And she had many questions for him.


    ¡°Big brother, are there really big tigers on the mountain?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, have you ever fought a tiger?¡±


    ¡°Wow, big brother, you must be very powerful. You must know martial arts which are powerful!¡±


    ¡°Big brother, can you teach me? I want to hunt too. This way, Sis won¡¯t have to work so hard.¡±


    ...


    Wei Chiyu chopped firewood as he replied to Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s questions. He was not annoyed at all.


    In the end, it was only when Zhang Lan called Zhou Xiaoyu away that Wei Chiyu was able to escape from the incessant questioning.


    Once it was quiet, he couldn¡¯t help but look into the kitchen.


    Through the window, he could vaguely see Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s figure moving busily in the kitchen. The fragrance of food wafted out together with the steam.


    For some reason, this made him feel very peaceful andfortable.


    After a busy period, it was finally time to eat.


    No special ingredients were used, just vegetables, steamed buns, and porridge. However, Wei Chiyu ate it all heartily.


    After the meal, Zhou Xiaoli sent Wei Chiyu off. Once she returned home, she began to think about how she would make thepass.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhang Lan¡¯s exmations suddenly came from the kitchen. Zhou Xiaoli was so frightened by it that she hurriedly put down her work and rushed into the kitchen.


    Zhang Lan was hugging Zhou Junjun and wiping her tears.


    Startled, Zhou Xiaoli asked worriedly, ¡°What happened? What happened?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu was excited. ¡°Sis, Sis, Second Brother spoke, Second Brother spoke!¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu nodded and said with affirmation. ¡°It¡¯s true. Second Brother and I were washing the dishes just now and Second Brother suddenly called out to Mother. Mother heard it too.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze fell on Zhang Lan.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan¡¯s hands were trembling from excitement as she hugged Zhou Junjun. ¡°My dear Brother Jun, call me Mother again. Call me again.¡±


    Zhou Junjun stared at Zhang Lan nervously.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli went forward and pulled Zhang Lan up. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be agitated. You are scaring Brother Jun, let Brother Jun take his time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Zhang Lan wiped her tears, but there was an excited smile on her face. ¡°I won¡¯t force you anymore. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli walked to Zhou Junjun¡¯s side, squatted down, and rubbed Zhou Junjun¡¯s head. ¡°Brother Jun, don¡¯t be afraid. Rx, take it slow. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice was as soft as a feather.


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    Suddenly, a slightly awkward voice rang out.


    ...


    His voice was soft, but it entered Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s ears. She was stunned. ¡°Brother Jun?¡±


    Zhou Junjun moved his mouth and called out again, ¡°Sister.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhou Xiaoli looked excited.


    When Zhang Lan heard her son speak again, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. ¡°Did you hear that? Did you hear that? He spoke, he spoke! Our Brother Jun is not a mute, no.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded heavily. ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s not!¡±


    Now that Lai Jinniang was gone and Zhou Junjun was no longer terrorized by her every day. Furthermore, she had coaxed him to speak up these days. Coupled with the mental and physical effects of the qi-gathering formation in their room, Zhou Junjun finally opened his mouth to speak again.


    Although he was not sure of the correct pronunciation and could only say some simple words for now, it was enough to make his family happy!


    Zhou Junjun walked to Zhang Lan¡¯s side and reached out to wipe the tears on Zhang Lan¡¯s face. ¡°Mother, no, cry.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded vigorously and hugged Zhou Junjun. ¡°Mother didn¡¯t cry. Mother is happy, Mother is happy.¡±


    At this moment, she was extremely d that she had listened to Zhou Xiaoli and left the Zhou family.


    It might really be the right choice.


    Even Zhou Xiaoyu would say, ¡°I¡¯m so happy now. I¡¯m no longer hungry. I have meat to eat and won¡¯t be beaten by granny.¡±


    Their family was chased out of the Zhou family, but they were living much better than before!


    After leaving the Zhou family, her eldest daughter, who was despised as a jinx, became extremely lucky. With just one trip up the mountain, she earned enough money to build a house.


    Zhang Lan also felt that her body was getting better and better every day, and her energy level was higher.


    Now, Brother Jun has also spoken! The huge stone weighing in her heart was finally gone.


    She was genuinely happy.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Entering the City


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    On the other side, Wei Chiyu sat on the wall of his house. He looked at the starry sky and listened to theughtering from next door.


    He waited until the light next door went out and the voices died down before he jumped down from the wall.


    The next day.


    Due to the sessive happy events at home, everyone in the family slept very well.


    Zhou Xiaoli woke up early in the morning. While she and Zhang Lan prepared breakfast, Zhou Yu carried the one and a half wild boar onto the pushcart.


    The cart was brought over from Liu Liangcai¡¯s house after they ughtered the wild boars yesterday. Liu Liangcai left it for Zhou Xiaoli to use since she was going to the county to sell pork the next day.


    After breakfast, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu both pushed on the cart to sell the wild boars in the county.


    After instructing the two of them to be careful, Zhang Lan suddenly thought of something and stopped them again. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    With that, she entered the house. After a while, she walked out with a fishing. ¡°I just made it yesterday. You can sell it when you go to the county as well.¡±


    Looking at the well-made fishing, Zhou Xiaoli was amazed by Zhang Lan¡¯s dexterity.


    Zhang Lan smiled. ¡°You know how to praise your mother to make her happy. Fish is not a rare item and the fishermen who often go fishing know how to make it too.¡±


    Fishermen and fishing.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart skipped a beat from excitement. As she was a carp spirit in her previous life, fishes and prawns loved her scent the most.


    This was also one of the reasons why she could catch fish every time she set the fish basket in the Little Clear River.


    Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°Mother, would the vigers from our vige go fishing?¡±


    Boyu Vige was considered a vige that was rtively far from the sea. Because of the Little Clear River, there were many fertile fields in their vige. Most of the vigers farmed rather than fished.


    The original host of the body rarely interacted with outsiders, and the Zhou family had fled to this ce in the past. The entire family did not know how to swim, and so, they had never gone out to catch fish.


    As such, Zhou Xiaoli wasn¡¯t too sure about this, so she asked.


    Zhang Lan nodded. ¡°They would. It¡¯s usually in September or October. That¡¯s when it¡¯s in between harvest periods and basically, every family will go fishing to supplement their family¡¯s ie.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s keep this for ourselves.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli had taken charge of all the matters in the family recently, so Zhang Lan listened to her.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, she agreed. ¡°Alright, then hurry up and leave so you don¡¯t have to rush on the road.¡±


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu push the cart out of the door.


    As soon as she went out, she met Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan. The two of them were at their door, and were talking to a woman with nted eyes.


    It was unknown what they were talking about, but Liu Yuanyuan hid behind Lin Xiujuan coquettishly, her eyes shining and her face had a shy expression on it.


    When Zhou Xiaoli pushed the cart out of the house, the three of them looked over.


    Zhou Xiaoli also noticed them.


    The middle-aged woman couldn¡¯t help but stare at the tall pile stacked on the cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips.


    Fortunately, before she left the house, she had covered the wild boar with a cloth.


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan didn¡¯t like her getting close, so she didn¡¯t go forward to greet them. She only nodded politely at them and pushed the cart away.


    Zhu Mingfeng couldn¡¯t help but pursed her lips. She followed Lin Xiujuan into the courtyard and said, ¡°Hmmph, I remember that thest time I came, the courtyard beside your house was deserted?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan smiled and said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s like this. It¡¯s because my man was loyal...¡±


    Hence, Lin Xiujuan told her about Zhou Xiaoli and her family¡¯s stay at her second uncle¡¯s house.


    Zhu Mingfeng didn¡¯t seem to care about this and she replied casually, ¡°Oh, I see. Your husband is a good person.¡±


    Then, she snorted and narrowed her eyes as if she was stirring up trouble. ¡°Just that, the girl didn¡¯t look to be a smart girl. She saw you and didn¡¯t even know that she should greet you as a sign of respect.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, who originally didn¡¯t feel anything, felt that something was indeed amiss after hearing Zhu Mingfeng¡¯s words. She was a little unhappy and began to feel that Zhou Xiaoli was indeed rude to her.


    Just then, Zhu Mingfeng continued to ask. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s in the cart they were pushing? It looks like it¡¯s full!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan had yet to recover from her unhappiness and said casually, ¡°Oh, it should be the wild boar.¡±


    Zhu Mingfeng¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of a wild boar. ¡°A wild boar? How did she get it?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was yesterday...¡± Lin Xiujuan briefly exined what happened yesterday.


    ¡°Aiyaya, she managed to find it by chance?¡± Zhu Mingfeng¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. ¡°She¡¯s too lucky!¡±


    Then, she thought of something and asked, ¡°Your family helped her so much, and yet she didn¡¯t say anything?¡±


    At the mention of this, Lin Xiujuan¡¯s unhappiness faded a lot. She smiled and said, ¡°Oh, how can that be? She gave us a big piece of pork, the hind leg in fact!¡±


    At the mention of the big piece of pork, Lin Xiujuan was really happy. ¡°That¡¯s why I had specially invited you over today. When you leaveter, take a piece with you to nourish Brother Kun¡¯s body. He studies all day and must be very tired from studying.¡±


    As Lin Xiujuan spoke, she led Zhu Mingfeng to the kitchen to see therge piece of pork.


    Hearing that she was able to bring some home, Zhu Mingfeng was overjoyed. However, when she thought of the two big wild boars, she sighed and said, ¡°Future inws, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but you¡¯re too kind. She managed to buy you over with just this small piece of meat?¡±


    ¡°When no one would help them, you took in their entire family. It could be said that you and your husband had saved their lives. That¡¯s such a big favor done! Such a huge favor is only worth this little piece of pork?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, in my opinion, if she was sensible, she should have given him an entire boar instead of just this little pork leg. It¡¯s like she¡¯s dismissing a beggar.¡±


    As soon as she said this, the happy expression on Lin Xiujuan¡¯s face gradually faded. When she looked at the pork again, she no longer have the same joy that she had before.


    Then, she waved her hand as if to end the topic. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s just a token of their sincerity. It¡¯s not easy for her family either.¡±


    Although she said that, Lin Xiujuan took Zhu Mingfeng¡¯s words to heart.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli, who was deemed as being insensible for no reason, did not go straight to the county after leaving the house. Instead, she stopped in front of Wei Chiyu¡¯s house.


    Last night, when Wei Chiyu was at her house for dinner, he had asked her to go to the city together to sell the preys.


    She thought of how Wei Chiyu often went into the city to sell his catch and that he must be very familiar with it. This was her first time going there, and she was unfamiliar with the ce. She didn¡¯t know the market and it was highly likely for her to be tricked.


    Hence, when Wei Chiyu asked her out, she immediately agreed.


    She got Zhou Yu to stop the cart and prepared to knock on his door.


    At this moment, the door opened by itself. Wei Chiyu walked out of the courtyard with a fox in his hand.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked around but did not see any other prey. She could not help but ask, ¡°Is this the only one that you¡¯re selling?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°There¡¯s also a pheasant. I¡¯ll bring it to you when I get back.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°...¡±


    This guy had gotten used to treating her as his chef.


    She couldn¡¯t help but joke, ¡°You¡¯re really taking me for granted. If you want me to cook, you have to pay.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Quite Thick-skinned


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Chiyu agreed without hesitation.


    As he spoke, he took out a brown money bag from his pocket and stuffed it all into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hands. ¡°There are about five taels of silver inside. I wonder if it¡¯s enough.¡±


    The money bag was heavy. Five taels of silver was almost enough to build a house in the vige and it could be considered a considerable sum.


    Zhou Xiaoli had a puzzled look on her face. She had money in her hands but why did it feel like she had made herself miserable for it?


    She hurriedly returned the money bag to him. ¡°Aiya, I was just joking. My family ate some of the prey too. Let¡¯s consider it even.¡±


    Wei Chiyu did not take it and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless.


    Treating money like dirt?


    ¡°Young man, you have such high self-realization. God, please let me meet such a simple-minded person more often,¡± she thought.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Why would you not need it? You can use it to build a house. Were you nning to stay here forever? Also, if you get married in the future, are you going to let your wife live in a pigsty with you?¡±


    Wei Chiyu had never thought of starting a family. He was stunned by her words. He muttered, ¡°Start a family?¡±


    At the same time, the rainy night when he slept ¡®with¡¯ Zhou Xiaoli inexplicably appeared in his mind.


    Instantly, the tips of his ears turned red.


    When he realized what he had thought of, he felt so ashamed and frustrated that he wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground. How could he be such a beast? She had helped him, but he had, he had...


    When he looked into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s clear eyes again, he subconsciously averted his gaze and stuffed the money back into her hands in a panic. ¡°I-I can earn more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After saying that, he threw the fox into the pushcart, pulled the handles from Zhou Yu¡¯s grip and pushed the cart forward...


    Zhou Xiaoli blinked and quickly followed him. She was somewhat baffled by Wei Chiyu¡¯s sudden panic.


    She suddenly remembered that this was not the modern world. The people here were very conservative. Wei Chiyu must have been shy when she said that he would marry!


    Looks like he would be easily embarrassed.


    Zhou Xiaoli, who felt that she had understood the truth, almostughed out loud.


    Noticing that Zhou Xiaoli was secretlyughing behind him, Wei Chiyu felt even more embarrassed.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at Wei Chiyu, whose ears were extremely red, but he deliberately kept a straight face and pretended to be calm. Zhou Xiaoli felt like teasing him.


    However, she immediately remembered that he would feel embarrassed easily. If she scared him away, no one would help her sell the wild boar. For the sake of money, Zhou Xiaoli gave up on teasing him for now.


    She quickly walked to Wei Chiyu¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Hey, are you really giving me all your money? I¡¯ll really ept it. It¡¯s not toote for you to regret it now.¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head. ¡°A man must keep to his word.¡±


    Money was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s favorite.


    In her previous life, when she was in the lotus pond in front of Immortal Tai Yi¡¯s residence, a lot of fairies would throw money at her as they wished for good luck.


    She saved them all and buried them under the osmanthus tree at the back of the mountain.


    Hence, she didn¡¯t feel burdened at all to keep this money. She even said, ¡°Alright, so that you can keep your word as a man, I¡¯ll ept it.¡±


    Noticing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s delighted expression, the corners of Wei Chiyu¡¯s mouth subconsciously curled up. Then, he said, ¡°I can choose what to eat, right?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded and said bluntly, ¡°Then I want to eat braised carp for lunch.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°...No.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was stunned. ¡°Why? You just said that I can choose what to eat.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s small face stiffened. There was no room for negotiation. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to cook carp! Other than carp, you can order anything else.¡±


    Wei Chiyu pursed his lips and sighed in disappointment. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Suddenly, Zhou Xiaoli thought of the cat in her previous life who had schemed to ¡®eat¡¯ her.


    After his ¡®conspiracy¡¯ failed, he sat on the ledge and looked at her with this expression.


    A fish being stared at by a big cat. Think of the psychological trauma of it!


    ¡°Wei Chiyu also had a pair of amber eyes. Could it be...¡± she thought.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt a chill run down her spine and shook her head.


    What was she thinking about? She heard that the cat had stolen the Grand Supreme Elder Lord¡¯s immortal pill and was sent to the mortal world to suffer the woes of reincarnation.


    She would never meet him in this lifetime.


    However, the cat had something to do with her being able to cross the Dragon Gate and cultivate a human body.


    Back then, after he stole the elixir pill, the immortal child deity with the Grand Supreme Elder Lord chased him to the lotus pond where she was in.


    The elixir pill fell out of his mouth and into the lotus pond.


    Coincidentally, Zhou Xiaoli saw it. She thought it was fish food, and so she swallowed it.


    However, she was not thankful to him at all. That thieving cat must have wanted to eat the elixir pill to turn into a human so he can enter the water to catch her.


    ¡ª


    Wenshui County was located southwest of Boyu Vige. It was about 20 miles away from Boyu Vige.


    They walked on foot and there was stuff in the cart. As such, their speed was slightly slower. They walked for about an hour and a half before reaching the county.


    ...


    The furthest ce Zhou Xiaoli had been to was the market in Dazhuang Vige. Therefore, this was the first time that Zhou Xiaoli visited Wenshui County.


    This county was much livelier than the market in Dazhuang Vige.


    The streets were filled with people and carriages. Shops lined both sides of the road, filled with staff hawking their wares to attract customers.


    Zhou Yu seemed a little nervous seeing so many people out of the blue.


    Zhou Xiaoli was worried that Zhou Yu would be frightened and run away again, so she pulled Zhou Yu tightly and followed Wei Chiyu.


    On the way, Wei Chiyu said that he knew the shopkeeper of a restaurant who collected prey. He was a good person and hence, he always sold his prey to him.


    The few of them passed through the crowd and walked straight to the restaurant.


    Seeing that it was Wei Chiyu, the waiter immediately ran to call their shopkeeper.


    Zhou Xiaoli quietly observed the restaurant. It was located in a rtively prosperous area of the county, and the words ¡®First-grade Restaurant¡¯ hung on the que at the entrance.


    The restaurant was doing very well and there was an endless stream of customers.


    As Zhou Xiaoli observed the bustling crowd, a middle-aged man in his forties walked out of the restaurant with a smile.


    ...


    As soon as he came out, his gaze fell on the cart behind Wei Chiyu. He smiled and said, ¡°Aiyo, that¡¯s a big cart. You¡¯ve hunted a lot of good things this time!¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head and denied, ¡°It¡¯s not mine, it¡¯s my friend¡¯s. Wild boar, do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Shopkeeper Wang¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that it was a wild boar. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll ept it. This is good stuff!¡±


    He could not help but look at Zhou Yu. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re amazing. Wild boars are not easy to hunt!¡±


    Obviously, he had mistaken Zhou Yu as Wei Chiyu¡¯s friend.


    Zhou Yu immediately grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s clothes nervously.


    Zhou Xiaoli patted his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Heh, I was just lucky.¡±

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Returning Home


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Wang Defu first saw Zhou Yu¡¯s reaction, he felt a little strange. Now that a youngdy had stepped forward to take charge, he was even more surprised and puzzled at it.


    However, he quickly realized why it is so. It turned out that there was something wrong with her father. He could not help but feel a trace of sympathy for this little girl.


    This youngdy was not much older than his son. His son only knew how to be naughty and yful, but this youngdy was already taking on the responsibility of caring for the family.


    Zhou Xiaoli was naturally unaware of the shopkeeper¡¯s thoughts. She smiled and continued, ¡°Shopkeeper, there were originally two wild boars. However, the neighbors helped me greatly to carry these two wild boars down the mountain. Hence, I cut one and shared it with the neighbors but there¡¯s still half of it. Do you want it as well?¡±


    As she spoke, she lifted the white cloth on the pushcart and let the Innkeeper inspect the wild boars.


    One and a half wild boarid on the pushcart. The pigs¡¯ hairs had been scraped clean which revealed its white skin. The pigs looked clean and delightful.


    When he heard that there was an iplete pig, Wang Fuhai wanted to refuse initially.


    However, when he saw the wild boar for himself, he immediately had a good impression of it. He sighed and said, ¡°Alright, seeing that you had cleaned it thoroughly, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble to clean it. Moreover, the meat is quite fresh. I¡¯ll take them all!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was overjoyed when she heard that he wanted it, as it saved her the trouble of going to different ces to sell. She quickly thanked him, ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper. You¡¯re really kind.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Wang Defuughed. ¡°Youngdy, you tter me. We¡¯re businessmen. Isn¡¯t it all about making friends?¡±


    Wang Defu stroked the beard on his chin as he spoke. ¡°Hmm, how about this? Since you were introduced by Chiyu, we are friends. I¡¯ll give you a good price. How about 80 copper coins per kilogram?¡±


    The current price of domestic pigs on the market ranged from 36 to 40 copper coins per kilogram.


    Wild boars were usually twice as expensive as domestic pigs.


    The price of 80 copper coins per kilogram was indeed very good.


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally agreed to the price and thanked him.


    Since the price was agreed on, the shopkeeper called a few waiters over to weigh it.


    A wild boar and a half weighed a total of 284 kilograms, which would be 22 taels and 720 copper coins.


    The shopkeeper took a look at the pig offal of the two pigs and decided to take it as well. He gave them 400 copper coins for it.


    In this era, pig offal was worthless as rich families did not eat pig offal.


    The market price of a kilogram of pig offal was only about 10 copper coins. Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli had no objections to the shopkeeper giving her 400 copper coins for it.


    In total, it was 23 taels and 120 copper coins.


    Wang Defu counted the money and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli. He smiled and said, ¡°If you have any prey moving forward, you can send them to me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli replied with a smile, ¡°Of course, of course. You are an honest and kind person. Shopkeeper, your business will definitely be more and more popr.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Everyone loves to hear ttering words, especially for those who do business. Wang Defuughed when he heard her words. ¡°Hey, Chiyu, this girl is much better at talking than you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Yes, she has a sweet mouth.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    Wang Defu: ¡°Alright, alright. Thank you for your blessings.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was telling the truth. She hade to this conclusion based on Wang Defu¡¯s appearance. He was a man of riches and honor, especially after he reached middle age. He would have benefactors in his life.


    As they spoke, the waiters had already carried the wild boars into the kitchen.


    Wang Defu looked around and saw that there was no other prey, so he asked, ¡°Hey, Chiyu, you don¡¯t have any prey to sell today?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head. ¡°Next time.¡±


    Looking at Wang Defu¡¯s attitude, Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Shopkeeper, you¡¯ve collected so much prey already. Would you be unable to sell it?


    Wang Defu waved his hand. ¡°No, no. Game meat is easy to sell. The wild boar you sent over has already been reserved by Young Master Tan. There¡¯s a wild boar banquet tonight.¡±


    ¡ª


    After leaving First-Grade Restaurant, the three of them went to the leather shop. Wei Chiyu sold the fox skin and received twenty taels of silver.


    Wei Chiyu often came to the county to do business, so he was very familiar with the county.


    After selling the leather goods, Zhou Xiaoli asked Wei Chiyu to show her around the county.


    They went to the pharmacy first where Zhou Xiaoli asked the doctor to take Zhou Yu¡¯s pulse.


    In fact, she had a rough understanding of Zhou Yu¡¯s physical condition. However, in the eyes of outsiders, she did not have any medical skills.


    Especially since with Wei Chiyu around, it would be better to follow normal procedure to avoid suspicions.


    After the doctor took his pulse, Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°Doctor, how is my father?¡±


    The doctor sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not good. You have dyed it too long. There¡¯s a blockage in the cranium and it has never cleared. Taking medicine alone would not solve the issue.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was not surprised. She knew this, so she continued to ask, ¡°Is there a cure?¡±


    The doctor stroked his beard. ¡°If we use acupuncture, we might be able to clear the clotted blood. However, we have to be very careful with the acupuncture and especially when hitting the cranial acupoint. If we¡¯re not careful, it will make things worse.¡±


    This was also the reason why Zhou Xiaoli brought Zhou Yu here. She was not very proficient in medicine, so she did not dare to do acupuncture directly.


    Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°Then, doctor, can you treat him?¡±


    The doctor shook his head. ¡°However, I know someone who should be able to treat it. It¡¯s Master Yuan.¡±


    ¡°However, Master Yuan has not appeared since six years ago. No one knows where he is now.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and did not insist further. She only asked the doctor to help her keep an eye on any news regarding Master Yuan.


    She also purchased some medicine for Zhang Lan. It was the same prescription that she wrote earlier, but with two new ingredients.


    Zhang Lan needed to replenish her qi and blood. If she could include ginseng into her prescription, the effect would be even better.


    However, the price of ginseng was too expensive. 30 taels of silver for 100 grams of ginseng and what¡¯s more, this pricing is for ginseng of an inferior quality.


    ...


    To get ginseng of a good quality, it would be 80 taels of silver for 100 grams of ginseng.


    Zhang Lan needed 10 grams of ginseng a day and hence, they would need to spend three taels of silver a day just on ginseng.


    However, ginseng could be reced with astragalus and codonopsis. The effect of the two would be the same as ginseng. More importantly, the price would be much cheaper. One could get 100 grams of codonopsis for just seven and a half taels of silver.


    She spent 11 taels of silver to get seven days¡¯ worth of medicine. Coupled with the doctor¡¯s consultation fee for Zhou Yu, they spent a total of 12 taels of silver.


    After buying the medicine, Wei Chiyu led Zhou Xiaoli to the grain store. The price of grain in the county was slightly more expensive than in the market.


    Rice was sold at 21 copper coins per hopper whereas wheat was sold at 15 copper coins per hopper.


    In the end, they bought five hoppers of millet, 10 hoppers of rice, and 20 hoppers of wheat, as well as a few seasonings and dried goods. A total of one tael of silver.


    After that, they went to the cksmith shop and bought an iron wok, a kitchen knife, a pair of scissors, and a hoe. That came to two taels of silver.


    After buying everything, the three of them bought four crispy biscuits for lunch, and returned home.


    It was evening by the time they reached home.


    It took them eight hours to make the entire trip and out of it, four hours were spent on walking. Their feet were sore.


    ...


    This made Zhou Xiaoli extremely eager to get a carriage or at the very least, a donkey cart.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t afford it just yet...

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: Report to Police, You Must Report It to the Police


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the three of them returned to the vige, Lin Xiujuan, Old Madam Ma, who lived next door to the Liu family, and Old Madam Ma¡¯s daughter-inw were sitting under a tree at the door. They were holding their bowls in their hands while chatting.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli had returned with a cart full of things, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw widened their eyes, wanting to see what was in the cart.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli had covered the cart tightly with a cloth, so they couldn¡¯t see anything try as they might.


    Unwilling to give up, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw walked over with their bowls. ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t this the daughter of the eldest Zhou son? She¡¯s back from selling the pigs. Aiyo, this is amazing. She bought such a big cart of things. She must have earned a lot of money!¡±


    As they spoke, the two of them moved closer to Zhou Xiaoli and reached out to lift the white cloth covering the cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s brows furrowed, and her face was filled with displeasure. She grabbed their hands and said coldly, ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    Old Madam Ma did not feel that her actions were wrong at all. ¡°Child, why are you so petty? You¡¯ve already earned a lot of money. Let me see what good things you¡¯ve bought,¡± she said in a self-righteous manner.


    It was known by all that Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw have bad habits. One loved to gossip about others and was famous for being a ¡®loudspeaker¡¯ in the vige.


    The other was someone who wanted to take advantage of everything and anything.


    The two of them were most enthusiastic in supporting Old Madam Bao in her demand for them to share the pork equally yesterday.


    At this moment, they insisted on looking at the things in her cart and it was clear that they wanted to take the chance to take advantage of her. Would Zhou Xiaoli let them have their way?


    Of course not. ¡°What does it have to do with you as to how much I have earned? What I buy has nothing to do with you as well. Why do you care so much?¡± She retorted immediately.


    ¡°Aiyaya, look, look, look. This girl is so good at talking back now!¡± Old Madam Ma started shouting. ¡°Yesterday, she was still calling me auntie and acting pitiful. Today, because she had earned a lot of money, she had changed her attitude to one of being snobbish!¡±


    As she spoke, she ced her bowl on the ground and pulled up her sleeves. ¡°Hmph, let¡¯s see how powerful you can be. You don¡¯t want to let us see but I insist! Let¡¯s see what you can do!¡±


    As she spoke, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw moved. One grabbed Zhou Xiaoli, and the other started to pull things out of the cart without any hesitation.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu was still supporting the pushcart. When he saw that the two women made a move, he freed one hand and grabbed Old Madam Ma by her arm.


    When Wei Chiyu returned, he had a straw hat on. Also, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw were so intent on uncovering the contents of the cart that they did not notice who was pushing the cart.


    At this moment, Old Madam Ma thought that it was Zhou Yu and was about to scold, ¡°You fool...¡±


    However, as soon as she opened her mouth, her eyes met a pair of amber eyes that carried a hint of dangerous coldness, sending a chill down her spine.


    Old Madam Ma was so frightened that she stuttered. ¡°De... Demon...¡±


    Because Wei Chiyu had kidnapped the son of the Lu family and threatened to roast him previously, many vigers said that Wei Chiyu must have eaten a lot of people in the past.


    Behind his back, everyone said that he was a man-eating evil spirit, the reincarnation of a demon.


    Now that she suddenly met Wei Chiyu face-on, Old Madam Ma was terrified.


    As for Old Madam Ma¡¯s daughter-inw, Madam Cui, she did not realize that her mother-inw was frightened.


    As she pushed Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu away, she desperately tried to dig out the things on the cart. She kept shouting, ¡°Aiya, Mother, it¡¯s pea filling. Brother Xiang loves it!¡±


    Brother Xiang was her son.


    As she spoke, she even pinched a piece of it and ced it in her mouth. She then went to dig for other things. As soon as she found anything that was edible, she would stuff it into her mouth without hesitation.


    This time, Zhou Xiaoli was really angry. She simply ignored her and pulled Zhou Yu to the side.


    She allowed her to dig around and turned to Zhang Lan and the two little fellows who had run out of the courtyard when they heard themotion. ¡°Brother Jun! Go, follow your Brother Chiyu to the county to find the police! Ask them toe to our Boyu Vige to catch thieves and bandits!¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, Old Madam Ma¡¯s daughter-inw, Madam Cui, finally stopped pulling things out of the cart. ¡°Thief? Bandit? No, Sister Li, who are you talking about? How can there be thieves and robbers in our vige?¡± she said with uncertainty in her voice.


    As soon as Old Madam Ma heard that they were going to call the police, she couldn¡¯t care less about her fear of Wei Chiyu. She said, ¡°Yes, yes. How can there be thieves and robbers? Don¡¯t joke around.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli snorted and said coldly, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m not joking. Didn¡¯t your mother teach you when you were young that taking other people¡¯s things without permission is considered as stealing and robbing?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re doing now are typical behaviors of a thief and robber!¡±


    Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw immediately resisted. ¡°No, child, I thought you looked quite smart? We¡¯re all neighbors and we¡¯re just here to take a look. How did we be thieves?¡±


    Madam Cui nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, we didn¡¯t steal. We just wanted to take a look.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not back down and instead, pressed forward. ¡°Look? Is that how you look at the cart? Look at what you¡¯ve done. Let me tell you, this is a crime scene. It¡¯s physical evidence! Also, we all saw you eat the food earlier. We are all witnesses to it. You can¡¯t deny it!¡±


    On the other side, Wei Chiyu also said, ¡°Brother Jun,e over quickly. Let¡¯s find the police now!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Zhou Junjun quickly ran to Wei Chiyu¡¯s side.


    As the two of them spoke, they prepared to head into the county again.


    Everyone was shocked by the mention of the police. No one noticed that Zhou Junjun could speak.


    As for Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw, they were now sure that Zhou Xiaoli was serious. They were frightened and hurriedly went to stop her.


    However, they were also afraid of Wei Chiyu¡¯s reputation as a demon, so they quickly cried out loud and asked the vigers standing around to help speak up.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t report it to the police...¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, who had been watching the show, said symbolically, ¡°No, of course not. We¡¯re all neighbors and we would meet often.¡±


    The other neighbors who were watching themotion also started to chime in. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all neighbors. Don¡¯t make it so ugly.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not back down at all. She seemed to be the domineering one as Old Madam Ma and Madam Cui cried and acted pitiful in front of her.


    She immediately started crying as well.


    Pretending to be the victim and weakling? Who didn¡¯t know how to do that?


    She flung her handkerchief away and covered her mouth as she started sobbing. ¡°I know. My father can¡¯t give me support and so, they can bully us just because there¡¯s no man in charge of my family.¡±


    ¡°If it were anything else, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything. I¡¯ll just endure it and let it pass. However, my mother¡¯s body is weak and we can¡¯t stop her medication. It¡¯s not easy for a weak woman like me to support the family.¡±


    ¡°Finally the heavens took pity on me and allowed me to have the money to buy medicine for my mother. However, not only did they open my mother¡¯s life-saving medicine, but they also threw it everywhere. This is not only stealing, but also harming her life in a way. They want our family to die.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: I¡¯m ckmailing You!


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    With Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, everyone looked at the scene again and saw a few torn packets of medicine scattered on the cart.


    Compared to Old Madam Ma¡¯s dry howls of nothing, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s tears attracted more sympathy from the vigers.


    Immediately, many vigers felt that Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw had indeed gone too far.


    ¡°Madam Ma, this is your fault. Why were you so curious about the medicine she bought? Why do you have to go and take a look?¡±


    ...


    Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw felt ashamed and resentful after being criticized by the vigers, but they still did not feel that they were in the wrong.


    Zhou Xiaoli snorted coldly and insisted on reporting the matter to the police. In the end, even the vige chief was rmed.


    He always had a good impression of this little girl, Zhou Xiaoli and so, even before he knew what had happened, he had sided with Zhou Xiaoli unconsciously. He was worried that her family would be bullied because there was no man in charge.


    Now that he heard what had happened, he became angrier. He pointed at Old Madam Ma and scolded, ¡°You old woman, what should I say?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fact that you and your daughter-inw spoiled someone else¡¯s medicine. Now that the Zhou family¡¯s daughter wants to report you to the police, it¡¯s reasonable. Why are you crying?¡±


    Hearing the vige chief¡¯s words, Old Madam Ma and Mdm Cui werepletely flustered. They said repeatedly, ¡°Vige chief, you can¡¯t report it to the police. We really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. We thought that it was food. We know our mistakes now.¡±


    ¡°You thought that it was food? Do you think you can open other people¡¯s things just because it¡¯s food?¡± The vige chief maintained his poker face. ¡°Besides, what¡¯s the use of apologizing to me? It¡¯s not my medicine that was spoiled,¡± he then said in a matter-of-fact tone.


    The two of them quickly turned to apologize to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli listened, but remained unmoved.


    At this moment, the vige chief spoke again. ¡°Since ancient times, it¡¯s only right and proper to repay a debt. Madam Ma, your daughter-inw spoiled the Zhou family¡¯s medicine, so it¡¯s only right that youpensate her for it.¡±


    Seeing that the topic has changed topensation, Zhou Xiaoli immediately said, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief is wise. That¡¯s true. If Auntie Ma is willing topensate me for the medicine, I¡¯m willing to let it go too.¡±


    Hearing that Zhou Xiaoli had finally relented, Old Madam Ma heaved a sigh of relief and agreed readily. ¡°Alright, alright,pensate. We¡¯llpensate. Tell me, how much does this cost?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at it and said, ¡°One dose of the medicine costs 3 taels and 71 copper coins. You¡¯ve ruined four doses of medicine in total. Hmm, how about this? I¡¯ll suffer some losses, and you can give me 12 taels and 200 copper coins.¡±


    As soon as these words left her lips, Old Madam Ma almost jumped up. Her eyes widened as she pointed at Zhou Xiaoli and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re extorting me on purpose! What kind of medicine is that? It¡¯s so expensive!¡±


    She turned around and ran to look for the vige chief. ¡°Vige chief, you saw it too. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to admit my mistake, but this girl from the Zhou family is ck-hearted. She wants to force me to my death!¡±


    The vige chief was also conflicted, but he did not say anything. Instead, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhou Xiaoli snorted coldly and said loudly, ¡°What kind of medicine? Let me tell you, there¡¯s 10 grams of ginseng in this medicine! This medicine was put together by the doctor in the county and even the lowest-grade ginseng costs 30 taels of silver per kilogram. 10 grams of ginseng would be 3 taels of silver!¡±


    ¡°The other medicines add up to 71 copper coins. I asked you for 84 copper coins less, but you turned around and used me of extortion instead. Who was the one forcing the other party to their death?¡±


    When she heard that there was ginseng inside, Old Madam Ma felt guilty for a moment, but then she became firm in her stand again. ¡°Don¡¯t try to trick me. Do you think you can get ginseng just because you say so? With your family¡¯s conditions, would you be willing to buy ginseng? You¡¯re lying! I think you¡¯re just trying to extort money!¡±


    Thinking that she had exposed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s lie, Old Madam Ma was extremely smug.


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s right! I¡¯m ckmailing you!¡± Zhou Xiaoli sneered in her heart.


    She was confident that Old Madam Ma could not differentiate between ginseng and codonopsis, so she straightened her back and fired back in a righteous tone. ¡°This medicine is to save my mother. I¡¯m willing to spend any amount of money to save her. I sold the wild boar for 21 taels of silver today and I used all of it to buy medicine for my mother. Can¡¯t I?!¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, let¡¯s report it to the police. There must be someone in the government office who recognizes this medicine. When the timees, we¡¯ll know if it¡¯s real or fake. Just wait to be taken to jail!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Wei Chiyu grabbed Old Madam Ma and started running. ¡°Let¡¯s just drag her to the police.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled her out of the vige.


    Old Madam Ma waspletely flustered. She cried and shouted that she did not want to go to the police. Madam Cui pulled on Old Madam Ma¡¯s other hand to stop her from being pulled away and cried uncontrobly.


    Wei Chiyu acted as if he didn¡¯t see them cry. He said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see the police,pensate the Zhou family with money then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll give it to you, alright?¡± In order not to see the police, Old Madam Ma gritted her teeth and finally agreed.


    But then she said, ¡°But, my family doesn¡¯t have that much money. Can we take it slow? I¡¯ll gather the money slowly.¡±


    Slowly?


    How was that possible? With Old Madam Ma¡¯s character, she would not believe that she would return it all if she allowed them to pay slowly.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately refused. ¡°No, you have to give it to me now. My mother is still waiting for the money to use the medicine!¡±


    Old Madam Ma sat on the ground and pped her thighs as she cried. ¡°But my family really doesn¡¯t have that much money. Aiyo, is she trying to take my life?!¡±


    Madam Cui was also extremely flustered. She stood beside Old Madam Ma and cried. ¡°Mother, what should we do?¡±


    Old Madam Ma, who had nowhere to vent her anger, immediately found an outlet to vent when she saw her daughter-inw. She got up from the ground and pped Madam Cui¡¯s face. ¡°You jinx, you prodigal. You know that it¡¯s medicine just by opening one bag. You opened four bags in a row. Do you want to die?! I¡¯ll beat you to death, you prodigal,¡± she scolded.


    As she spoke, she pped Madam Chui¡¯s body repeatedly.


    Old Madam Ma did not hold back at all. She hit Madam Cui until she hugged her head and begged for mercy.


    The scene was chaotic.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± At this moment, the vige chief frowned and stopped Old Madam Ma. He said impatiently, ¡°If you want to discipline your daughter-inw, go back home and do it behind closed doors. What are you doing on the streets right now?!¡±


    Old Madam Ma was indignant after being criticized by the vige chief again, but she did not dare to scold Madam Cui anymore.


    The vige chief then said, ¡°Your family mustpensate. If you don¡¯t have money, thenpensate with your valuables!¡±


    Old Madam Ma wanted to stall for time and not not want to pay at all. She cried and said, ¡°But, but my house doesn¡¯t have anything valuable.¡±


    At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded from the crowd to expose Old Madam Ma. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s right, Madam Ma, didn¡¯t your family just buy a donkey two weeks ago? If you really can¡¯t pay cash, use the donkey to repay the debt then.¡±


    Domestic animals like donkeys, horses, and cows were usually very expensive. Ordinary families could not afford them at all and in their vige, only the Lu family had a donkey.


    Two weeks ago, Old Madam Ma¡¯s family had also bought one. They often unted it on the streets and were extremely arrogant.


    Old Madam Wang was the one who exposed her. Two days ago, she carried a small bag of rice to Old Madam Ma¡¯s house as a gift, in hopes of borrowing her donkey.


    At that time, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw felt that the rice she had brought was too little. Not only did they not lend their donkey to her, but they had also mocked her for it.


    ...


    It was obvious that she had now exposed her on purpose.


    When Old Madam Ma heard someone mention her donkey, her eyes widened and she had a bad feeling.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: Getting a Donkey


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Indeed, what she was worried about happened in the next second.


    The vige chief said, ¡°Yes, this is also a solution. Madam Ma, if your family can¡¯t fork out so much money at once, use the donkey aspensation to the Zhou family then. Give them two old hens as well.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Old Madam Ma jumped up from the ground in disbelief. ¡°You want me to give her the donkey and two old hens?¡±


    Because she was too astounded at what she heard, Old Madam Ma¡¯s voice turned sharp.


    At this moment, Madam Cui had also forgotten to cry. Her mind was filled with thoughts that they were going to lose her donkey and hens.


    The vige chief was no longer patient and took on a much harsher tone of voice. ¡°You darn woman, you really don¡¯t know anything! A donkey is worth about 8000 copper coins, and a hen is only worth about 400 copper coins. All of thisbined is not even enough to repay the Zhou family¡¯s medical fees!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know if the Zhou family would be willing to ept this arrangement, and yet you are the first to object!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said at the right time, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, everyone is very busy. I don¡¯t want to waste everyone¡¯s time.¡±


    Moreover, we¡¯re from the same vige after all and we¡¯ll see each other often. I¡¯m willing to suffer a little loss. I¡¯ll just have the donkey and two hens aspensation.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli spoke as if she was a righteous person, but Old Madam Ma was so angry that she almost vomited blood.


    When the vige chief looked at Zhou Xiaoli, his expression became much kinder. When he turned to Old Madam Ma, his expression darkened again. ¡°Listen, listen. She doesn¡¯t even want to argue about it anymore. How old are you? And yet, you¡¯re not even as sensible as a ten-year-old girl!¡±


    ¡°Everyone is very busy and we don¡¯t have time to argue with you! If you don¡¯t want to give it to them, you can go straight to the police then.¡±


    Old Madam Ma originally wanted to make a scene to waive thepensation in a shameless manner.


    At this moment, Old Madam Ma¡¯s man, Zheng Guanghu, finally couldn¡¯t sit still and walked out of his house.


    When he came out, he first scolded Old Madam Ma with a cold expression. Then, he said to the vige chief, ¡°Vige Chief, this is indeed that silly woman¡¯s fault. My family is willing topensate.¡±


    Only then did the vige chief nod in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. As a person, you have to be reasonable.¡±


    Finally, with Old Madam Ma¡¯s and Madam Cui¡¯s cries, Zhou Xiaoli returned home with a donkey lead in her left hand and two chickens in her right.


    This farce finally came to an end.


    Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw, who had been taken on a ride, avoided Zhou Xiaoli like the gue whenever they saw her in the future. They hated her and were afraid of her at the same time.


    However, at this moment, the mother-inw and daughter-inw were still making a scene in their courtyard. During this period, they also did not fail to curse Zhou Xiaoli. Their yells could be heard clearly even with the Liu family courtyard in between the two families.


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, did not care at all. She was enjoying her spoils of war.


    On her way back home, she was still thinking that it would be good if they had a donkey. Now, the opportunity came knocking on her door and she also got two old hens for nothing.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu suddenly leaned over.


    ¡°Happy?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhou Xiaoli patted the donkey and said happily, ¡°With it, it will be much easier to enter the county in the future.¡±


    After a while, she did not hear Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice. Zhou Xiaoli looked up at him and saw him looking at her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. ¡°Why? Do you think I went overboard?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head and said seriously, ¡°No, I think you did the right thing. People like them should be taught a lesson. Otherwise, they¡¯ll think that you¡¯re easy to bully and would dare to do it again. If it were me, I would take more than just the donkey.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at the young man in front of her andughed unconsciously.


    Wei Chiyu was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, no. What you said is just as I thought.¡± Zhou Xiaoli stopped smiling. ¡°It¡¯s just that this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you say such a long sentence. I thought you didn¡¯t know how to say long sentences.¡±


    After being teased, Wei Chiyu was a little embarrassed. ¡°Yes, is that so? Then I¡¯ll say more in the future?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. ¡°Pfft! I didn¡¯t realize that you were so cute.¡±


    This time, Wei Chiyu¡¯s ears turned red and he kept quiet with a straight face.


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli leaned in to look at his expression. ¡°Why? Are you angry?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s sudden approach startled Wei Chiyu and he couldn¡¯t keep a straight face anymore. ¡°Who would praise a grown man cute?¡± he said as he pursed his lips.


    The more he acted like this, the more Zhou Xiaoli wanted to tease him. She could not help but spread out her hands in mock exasperation. ¡°How old are you? You haven¡¯t even reached adulthood. You can only be considered a boy and not a man. Moreover, girls like cute boys.¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°...I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and left. His quick footsteps gave people the feeling that he was actually fleeing from the scene.


    Zhou Xiaoli held back herughter and shouted, ¡°Hey, no, you¡¯re leaving just like that? Aren¡¯t you staying for dinner? You gave me money before, so I won¡¯t return it even if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s slightly messy footsteps paused. In the end, he said that he woulde backter and left the courtyard.


    Due to the conflict with Old Madam Ma, dinner was dyed for a long time. When they finally sat down to eat, the sky was already dark and by the time they finished eating, the sky waspletely dark.


    Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t stay for long and he left straight after eating.


    Zhou Xiaoli lit a kerosenemp and used the weak light to sort out the messy medicine that was dismantled by the Cui family.


    Four packets of medicine were re-packed into three packets.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not tell Zhang Lan that it was not ginseng, but codonopsis.


    Seeing how she re-packed the medicine made Zhang Lan¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Even if the amount doesn¡¯t add up, the medicine would still have some effect. Don¡¯t throw it away; I can still drink it after it is cooked.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mother. I¡¯ll get more medicine after you have finished it. I still have money and besides, we can always earn more.¡±


    ¡°Look at you, the way you said about earning money, it was as though it is as easy as picking up cabbages.¡± Zhang Lan teased.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and took out the money she had on her. ¡°Dang dang dang. Mother, look, we still have more than eight taels left from selling the pigs.¡±


    ¡°Why is there still so much money left!¡± Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes instantly widened.


    She had never seen so much money in her life, especially silver taels.


    ...


    Her hands trembled as she touched the money. The two little fellows ran over and looked at the silver pieces. Their mouths were wide open as they started counting.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan suddenly thought of something and could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Hey, something¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t you say that the pigs were sold for 22 taels today and everything was used to buy stuff?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed, ¡°Mother, I was lying to them. This is called not revealing your wealth in front of others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You¡¯re right.¡± Zhang Lan paused and nodded repeatedly. Her eyes could not help but be filled with pride. ¡°Mother¡¯s Little Li is getting smarter and smarter.¡±


    Zhang Lan did not know how to count and she believed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words without a doubt.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Mother, that¡¯s not all. Wei Chiyu will be eating at our house from now on. He even gave me five taels of silver for it.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhang Lan was stunned. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Little Wei¡¯s life is also very difficult. How can you ask him for money? You should return it to him tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Preparing to Build a House


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After thinking for a while, Zhang Lan still felt that it was inappropriate. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel at ease. Why don¡¯t you return it to him now?¡±


    As she spoke, she stood up.


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly pulled Zhang Lan back. ¡°Hey, Mother, Mother, don¡¯t be anxious. Listen to me. Actually, Wei Chiyu is richer than us. He sold his fox skin for 20 taels of silver today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhang Lan was shocked.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Of course, why would I lie to you? Besides, from my understanding of Wei Chiyu, if we insist on returning the money to him, he will definitely be too embarrassed toe to our house to eat. He¡¯s alone and doesn¡¯t know how to cook, so he can only drink water and eat steamed buns every day. How pitiful.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said with certainty.


    Zhang Lan hesitated. ¡°This...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli patted her chest and said proudly, ¡°Moreover, your daughter¡¯s cooking is so delicious. She¡¯s a master chef. A beautiful chef that¡¯s rare toe by. Five taels of silver is too cheap for her service.¡±


    Pfft!


    Zhang Lan was instantly amused by Zhou Xiaoli. She reached out with her hand and tapped Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s nose as she said dotingly, ¡°You¡¯re really boastful to praise yourself like this. Alright, let¡¯s keep this money for now and make more of Chiyu¡¯s favorite foods in the future. If he needs money urgently, we¡¯ll return it to him then.¡±


    Zhang Lan was used to being careful and she would not bear to take advantage of others at all. She would feel deeply uneasy if she took advantage of others.


    Zhou Xiaoli responded with a smile.


    Then, she asked, ¡°Oh, right. Mother, take this money first.¡±


    Zhang Lan immediately refused. ¡°No, no, I¡¯ve never received so much money before. Besides, I don¡¯t care about money or anything. What if I lose it again? No, no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to keep it. Also, don¡¯t just think about our family. Think about yourself more. You have to save some money so that you can bring it as part of your dowry in the future. When I recover, I¡¯ll go out and earn more money for you too.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. ¡°Mother, isn¡¯t it too early to be thinking about dowry?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡± Zhang Lan stuffed all the money into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hands and said earnestly, ¡°Others have saved for their daughters since they were born. It¡¯s because I¡¯m not capable of saving up for you.¡±


    ¡°Women aren¡¯t asfortable in their husband¡¯s home as they would be at their own home. If you have more dowry with you, you can be more confident in front of your husband¡¯s family.¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Lan started to delve deeper about marriage, Zhou Xiaoli quickly ended the topic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep the money first.¡±


    Anyway, this money would be spent on the entire family. It didn¡¯t matter who had it for now.


    As they chatted, they talked about the donkey and the old hens.


    Zhang Lan told Zhou Yu to build a barn for the donkey tomorrow.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded as she sat beside the oilmp to carve herpass. ¡°Yes, and those two hens are stillying eggs. Let¡¯s go to the next market and buy a rooster. We can have chicks in the future then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun were dozing off on the bed. When they heard this, they immediately raised their heads and their eyes lit up. ¡°Sis, Sis, Second Brother said that chickensy eggs, and chickense from eggs. Will our family have many, many chickens in the future?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Yes, yes, you have an endless supply of chicken.¡±


    Zhang Lan also smiled until her eyes were just crescents. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine. Oh, right, when the timees, I¡¯ll cut some cloth and buy some cotton too. It¡¯ll be autumn soon. While I¡¯m feeling better now, we¡¯ll have to prepare winter clothes and quilts for our family.¡±


    When they were chased out of the old Zhou family courtyard, they had only brought along with them a few pieces of clothing and a set of yellowing quilt.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and memorized everything she said.


    ¡ª


    The next morning, the sky was clear and refreshing.


    After breakfast, Zhou Yu carried a few pieces of wood to build a straw shed for the donkey. Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun ran to the back of the house to pluck grass for the donkey to eat.


    As for Zhou Xiaoyu, she left the house with a bag of pastries.


    As soon as she stepped out of the door, she saw Wei Chiyu walking out of his courtyard with rabbit fur in his hands.


    Zhou Xiaoli was still curious. ¡°Hey, Wei Chiyu, I thought you didn¡¯t want to build a house. What made you change your mind?¡±


    When they were having breakfast earlier, Wei Chiyu heard from Zhou Xiaoli that she was going to the vige chief to discuss the purchase ofnd to build a house, and he said that he wanted to tag along.


    Wei Chiyu nced at Zhou Xiaoli and said, ¡°I think what you said yesterday makes sense.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned for a moment before she realized that he was referring to the matter of building a house and getting a wife.


    She almostughed out loud.


    Coughing to hold back herughter, Zhou Xiaoli patted Wei Chiyu¡¯s shoulder in a serious manner, as if she was an elderly giving advice. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve thought it through. Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    The two of them chatted as they walked towards the vige chief¡¯s house.


    When the two of them arrived, they saw the vige chief feeding quails in his courtyard. After hearing their intentions, he smiled and led them into the house.


    After entering the house, Zhou Xiaoli ced the pastries on the table. ¡°Uncle Vige Chief...¡±


    Before she could finish, she was interrupted by the vige chief.


    Zheng He¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Child, why did you bring something over again? Why? Do you not trust me, the vige chief?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Uncle, you must be joking. Why wouldn¡¯t I trust you? Besides, I didn¡¯t say that this was for you. I bought this for Lingling.¡±


    Lingling was Zheng Heping¡¯s granddaughter.


    At this moment, Liu Yan and her eldest daughter-inw, Madam Wang, walked over with tea. When they heard this, Liu Yan smiled and asked, ¡°What did you buy for Lingling?¡±


    Zheng Heping exined the purpose of their visit. ¡°Tell me, do you think this girl is sensible or insensible?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, look at what you¡¯re saying. I like Lingling. She¡¯s so sweet to me every time she sees me. That¡¯s why I want to be close to her.¡±


    Liu Yan had a different reaction from Zheng Heping. Instead, she smiled and took the pastries. She said to Zheng Heping, ¡°Alright, look at how angry you are. You¡¯re scaring Little Li again. She said that this is for our Lingling, so don¡¯t tter yourself.¡±


    Liu Yan¡¯s words instantly dispelled the tense atmosphere and everyoneughed.


    Wei Chiyu quickly took out the rabbit fur and said, ¡°This is for Lingling too, to make a scarf.¡±


    ...


    Liu Yan was stunned for a moment before sheughed. ¡°You brat!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of my granddaughter.¡±


    Madam Wang, who was standing behind her, hurriedly served tea. She smiled and said, ¡°Come and have tea.¡±


    Lingling was the daughter of Wang Caiyun and Zheng Fugui. She had once disliked Zhou Xiaoli because of her reputation as a jinx.


    However, ever since the pork incident, her opinion of Zhou Xiaoli had changed. This time, Zhou Xiaoli even bought some snacks for her daughter to eat. She began to like Zhou Xiaoli.


    After Liu Yan and Wang Caiyun left them, they got to the main topic of the day.


    ¡°Is Chiyu going to build a house too?¡± Zheng Heping looked at Wei Chiyu and asked with a smile.


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zheng Heping nodded in relief. ¡°It¡¯s good to build a house; a shelter from wind and rain.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from the box on the table and spread it on the table. ¡°This is thend division map of our Boyu Vige. Other than thends which are considered as fertile fields, the rest are meant for building houses. Take a look and choose a piece.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: Troublemaker


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at Wei Chiyu, and the two of them walked over to look at the map on the table.


    ¡°Our Boyu Vige has arge poption. The vige does not have any morend to use to build houses. The newnds suitable for building houses are basically at the front and back of the vige.¡± Zheng Heping continued.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at the map for a while and finally chose a piece ofnd at the vige entrance. ¡°This one then.¡±


    Zheng Heping looked over and nodded. ¡°Yes, this piece ofnd is fine. This piece ofnd is not a wastnd so it¡¯s convenient to deal with, and it¡¯s not remote.¡±


    Then, he said, ¡°However, there should still be crops nted in this field for now. You have to wait for the current owner to vacate thend before you can build a house on it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded, indicating that she understood.


    The vige¡¯snds for building houses had to be calibrated every three years. For the vigers who were using thend then, they would also get a share of the money should it be purchased by others to build houses.


    After Zhou Xiaoli confirmed which plot ofnd she wanted, Zheng Heping looked at Wei Chiyu and asked, ¡°Chiyu, which piece do you want to pick?¡±


    Hearing this, Wei Chiyu stretched out his finger and pointed at a location on the map. ¡°This one.¡±


    The ce he pointed at was next to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s plot.


    The vige chief immediately nodded. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re neighbors, you can take care of each other.¡±


    Then, he took out two credentials from the table. ¡°One piece ofnd costs four taels of silver. These are the credentials. After paying, you have to take the credentials to the Mayor to sign the deed transfer.¡±


    ¡°However, it just so happened that I have something to do at the Mayor¡¯s house today. I¡¯ll help you bring this over then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli quickly thanked him. Then, she thought of something and asked, ¡°Vige Chief, how big is thend?¡±


    Zheng Heping: ¡°It¡¯s half an acre.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zhou Xiaoli asked again, ¡°Can we buy more, like an acre or something?¡±


    Zheng Heping smiled. ¡°Of course not. The Imperial Court has already nned the size of thend meant for homes in the rural areas. It can¡¯t exceed half an acre.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Zhou Xiaoli felt a little regretful. Half an acre ofnd was pretty big, but Zhou Xiaoli had wanted to grow more things in the yard.


    As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoli handed four taels of silver to the vige chief and asked, ¡°How much is an acre ofnd?¡±


    The vige chief said, ¡°Well, that depends on the type ofnd. The price of an acre of drynd is between 20 and 30 taels. If it¡¯s a paddy field, it¡¯s expensive. An acre of that would be between 50 and 80 taels.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Alright, I understand. Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony with Uncle.¡± The vige chief smiled and ced the credentials and transfer receipt on the table. ¡°Just stamp your handprint on it.¡±


    ...


    After the procedures werepleted, the two of them left.


    At this moment, Liu Yan returned after sending the two of them off. She could not help but to ask, ¡°You¡¯re going to the Mayor¡¯s house today? Why didn¡¯t I hear you mention it before?¡±


    Zheng Heping smiled.


    Liu Yan instantly understood that her husband was going to make a special trip. She immediately smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare a gift bag for you.¡±


    ¡ª


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu coincidentally bumped into Lin Xiujuan who was going to do her farm work, right after they left the vige chief¡¯s house.


    The moment Zhou Xiaoli stepped out of the vige chief¡¯s house, ady sitting at the side of the road immediately looked up.


    She sighed and said, ¡°Look, look. I heard this morning that the daughter of the eldest son of the Zhou family brought gifts to curry favor with the vige chief. So it¡¯s true.¡±


    As she spoke, she saw Lin Xiujuan standing at the side and clicked her tongue. ¡°The Zhou family is really lucky! Do you know that many people in the vige went up the mountain today? They all want to be as lucky.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not that easy to get lucky. If you ask me, I think we might as well go to the field and do our work. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    When she heard that Zhou Xiaoli had gone to curry favor with the vige chief, Lin Xiujuan started to grumble in her heart again. She was no longer in the mood to chat. After saying that she had forgotten to bring something, she turned around and went home.


    In the Liu family, Liu Liangcai, who was about to leave, saw that his wife had returned home with a dark expression. He asked, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan mmed the shovel on the ground and pursed her lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it. The person from next door had just delivered gifts to the vige chief¡¯s house!¡±


    Hearing that it was because of this matter, Liu Liangcai didn¡¯t think to take his wife seriously. ¡°Hey, I thought someone did something to you. If she¡¯s looking for the vige chief, she must have done so because she needed to do something.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan shoved her sleeves down and sat down. She snorted. ¡°You¡¯re really taking it easy. Do you know what Brother Kun¡¯s mother said about us yesterday?¡±


    ¡°She said we¡¯re stupid. We gave them a ce to stay and even did work for them. In the end, we got less than half a pig. What should we be so happy about?¡±


    ¡°When they came back from the county yesterday, they bought a lot of things. Why didn¡¯t they send some to our house!...¡±


    Only then did Liu Liangcai realize what was bothering his wife. He ced the straw hat on the table and said, ¡°Oh, I was wondering what was wrong with you. So you¡¯reining that they didn¡¯t give you enough!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, whose inner thoughts had been exposed by her husband, paused for a moment. Her confidence level dipped a little but in the end, she insisted on her viewpoint. ¡°It¡¯s true that they didn¡¯t give us much to begin with,¡± she weakly muttered.


    Liu Liangcai almostughed out loud out of anger. ¡°You¡¯re really an old turtle.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan¡¯s expression turned ugly after being scolded. Just as she was about to re up, Liu Liangcai hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t get angry. I¡¯ll count it out for you. First of all, I took in Big Brother Zhou¡¯s family but that was because Big Brother Zhou had saved my life first. ording to you, it¡¯s a super important favor. We¡¯re even then.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about the wild boar. Hunters would pay about 60 copper coins for us to help them ughter the pig. What¡¯s more, I didn¡¯t do it alone but let¡¯s still count as 60 copper coins. As for the part of carrying the wild boar down the mountain, the Wan family usually pays 40 copper coins a day for manualbor.¡±


    ¡°You helped to wash the pig offal, I¡¯ll give you 20 copper coins at most. That¡¯s only 120 copper coins. The price of wild boar meat is much more expensive than a domestic pig. Even if we were to take a discounted price of 35 copper coins for half a kilogram, Little Li gave us meat that weighed almost 50 kilograms. How much do you think that would be?¡±


    After this analysis, Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    ¡°Even with that, you¡¯re still not satisfied?¡± Liu Liangcai was a little puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you usually quite good at calcting? Why didn¡¯t you calcte it for yourself and was instigated by others instead?¡±


    ¡°Brother Kun¡¯s mother is the same. Why hadn¡¯t I heard any news from before that she was such a troublemaker? If she¡¯s indeed a troublemaker, I have to reconsider Yuanyuan¡¯s marriage carefully.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, who had just realized that she was in the wrong and lost her air of arrogance, was immediately unwilling when she heard that she had potentially ruined Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s marriage.


    ¡°Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? Brother Kun is such a good marriage partner. He¡¯s a known prodigy at such a young age. In the future, he will take the imperial exams and be a schr!¡±


    This is a very good marriage that is rare toe by. If my eldest sister wasn¡¯t from the same vige as the Chen family and helped to matchmake, would you have such good fortunes to have an imperial schr as your son-inw? You actually want to reconsider it? What are you thinking? Your brain must have been kicked by a donkey!¡±


    ...

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: Foreman


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Liu Yuanyuan heard her father¡¯s words, she ran out of the room anxiously. ¡°Father, what are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Mother, did you hear what Father said?¡±


    Chen Da Kun was handsome and spoke in a refined and pleasant manner. He was also a student.


    Ever since she was engaged to him, the sisters in the vige had been envious of her. She did not want to break off the engagement at all.


    Lin Xiujuan patted Liu Yuanyuan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Mother around, your father won¡¯t be able to cancel this marriage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Liu Yuanyuan instantly smiled. She held Lin Xiujuan¡¯s arm and acted coquettishly. ¡°Mother, you dote on me the most.¡±


    Liu Liangcai frowned and did not say anything else. He picked up the hoe and left.


    That afternoon.


    Zheng Heping sent thend deed to Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu.


    As for the foreman, he rmended Foreman Cao, who had a prestigious reputation in Dazhuang Vige. ¡°He¡¯s in charge of building the houses in our area. He¡¯s very skilled and reliable.¡±


    ¡°As for the sry, it¡¯s 30 copper coins a day which is in line with the standard rates in our vige. Is it okay to include lunch for the workers?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I trust Uncle Zheng.¡±


    Zheng Heping said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled then. When you¡¯re free on another day, go to Dazhuang Vige and look for Foreman Cao to discuss how many houses to build. He would be able to help you calcte the building materials that you would need.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and thanked the vige chief before sending him off.


    The next day.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu went to Dazhuang Vige to look for Foreman Cao.


    Foreman Cao¡¯s house was beside the well in the middle of the vige. It was very easy to find.


    It was a woman who opened the door for them. After hearing their intentions, she led them in.


    Upon hearing footsteps, Foreman Cao looked up at Zhou Xiaoli and the other man who had just walked in. ¡°Are you the ones who want to build a house?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    Foreman Cao: ¡°What do you want to build? A wooden house, a straw hut, or...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°Neither. We wanted to build brick houses.¡±


    Foreman Cao was stunned. He looked at Zhou Xiaoli in surprise. ¡°A brick house?¡±


    ¡°What about you? Building a brick house too?¡±


    He looked at Wei Chiyu as he spoke.


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Yes, the same.¡±


    Foreman Cao nodded. ¡°Alright, how many rooms do you want to build?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you calcte how many bricks and tiles you need in advance so that you don¡¯t have to waste time and money in buying more or selling the excess away at the end of it.¡±


    Just as Zheng Heping had said, Foreman Cao could calcte how many bricks and tiles were needed for their houses.


    Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°Uncle Cao, do you have a pen here?¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait a moment,¡± Foreman Cao said as he took out a charcoal strip from a pile of tools. ¡°Is this okay? We workers use this.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli picked up the charcoal strip. Since there was no paper, she drew it on the wooden board.


    ¡°I want to build a house with two bedrooms here, and two more rooms on the left and right. One is specially for bathing, and the other as a warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put the kitchen on the east side. We¡¯ll build just one. I want to use the empty space to grow vegetables. We¡¯ll also build two rooms on the west side. The window has to be bigger on this side as it would be used as a study room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s put the toilet in the southwest corner. We¡¯ll build a straw shed and a pigpen next to the toilet.¡±


    Foreman Cao could not help but be shocked. ¡°You want to build so many rooms? And a study room?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°I have a younger brother at home. When he¡¯s old enough, he will be sent to a private school to study.¡±


    Foreman Cao nodded. ¡°Yes, studying is good.¡±


    ¡°However, it won¡¯t be cheap to build this house!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was mentally prepared. ¡°How much would it cost?¡±


    ¡°Just the bricks and tiles alone will cost at least a dozen hundreds of coins. I¡¯ll have to calcte the details first,¡± Foreman Cao said.


    Then, he asked Wei Chiyu how many rooms he wanted to build.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s request was much simpler. ¡°The same as hers,¡± he said.


    Foreman Cao turned silent for a moment before he took out his old abacus and started to calcte.


    ¡°ording to my calction, just the bricks and tiles alone will cost 16,000 copper coins, and that¡¯s not including the workers¡¯ sry and furniture.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and asked, ¡°What if wey tiles on the floor?¡±


    Engineer Cao was even more surprised. ¡°You want to pave the floor with tiles?¡±


    One must know that in the countryside, the floor is usually made of mud even for houses built with bricks.


    Even if the family is slightly richer, they would use mortar or concrete. Almost none used floor tiles.


    Zhou Xiaoli exined, ¡°I want toy tiles in the room for bathing. As for the rest, I¡¯ll just use concrete.¡±


    The reason for doing so was because the floor would turn into mud when water was spilled on the ground, making it damp and ufortable.


    ...


    Foreman Cao looked at Wei Chiyu. ¡°And it is the same for you?¡±


    Seeing that the other party nodded his head, he did a few more calctions. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to add at least 2,000 copper coins.¡±


    Seeing that neither of them had any special reaction, Foreman Cao did not say anything else. He thought that they must have had enough money.


    Only then did he ask, ¡°In that case, when do you n to start building the house?¡±


    ¡°The sooner the better. We want to build the house before winter,¡± Zhou Xiaoli said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it in the middle of next month. It¡¯s going to be the autumn harvest soon so it would not be easy to find workers to build houses now.¡± Foreman Cao suggested.


    Neither of them had any objections.


    Foreman Cao asked again, ¡°We need to buy bricks and tiles in advance. Have you thought of where to buy them?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli shake her head, he continued. ¡°I do know a good brick kiln factory. The price is reasonable and the quality is good. I just don¡¯t know if you trust me on it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately smiled and nodded. ¡°Uncle Cao, your reputation precedes you in building houses. Since you said that they are good, there¡¯s definitely no problem for us.¡±


    After beingplimented by Zhou Xiaoli, Foreman Cao was full of smiles. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s fine. Since you trust me, I¡¯ll bring you guys there tomorrow.¡±


    ...


    After agreeing on a time to purchase the bricks, the two of them thanked him and left.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one in your house. Do you have to build so many rooms? Won¡¯t they be left empty?¡± Zhou Xiaoli asked Wei Chiyu curiously as soon as they left Foreman Cao¡¯s house.


    Wei Chiyu said meaningfully, ¡°It will be useful in the future.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true. You¡¯ll get married sooner orter.¡± Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but tease Wei Chiyu.


    However, this time, Wei Chiyu was not as embarrassed as he was thest time. Instead, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli and smiled calmly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    In fact, Wei Chiyu did not smile often even though the two of them had known each other for quite some time.


    With this sudden smile, Zhou Xiaoli realized that he was not bad looking after all.


    His skin was tanned, and his facial features were well-defined as he hunted in the mountains all year round. He had an unruly wildness to him.


    His facial features werepletely different from the Lu family who had t noses and small triangr eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but ask, ¡°Are you really a rtive of the Lu family?¡±


    Wei Chiyu frowned subconsciously, and his eyes became indifferent, but he quickly returned to normal.


    He then replied in an indifferent manner. ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Wolves


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Obviously, this topic made Wei Chiyu think of something very unhappy, but he endured it.


    Zhou Xiaoli tactfully changed the subject and did not continue asking.


    The two of them chatted as they walked towards the vige.


    Early the next morning, Foreman Cao came to find them and brought them to the brick kiln factory.


    As they were looking to buy a huge amount, the factory would take some time to make it. Coincidentally, they would not be able to start building the houses until a monthter, so they agreed toe back in a month to take the goods.


    After paying the deposit and signing the contract, they returned home.


    Next, they had to work hard to earn money!


    Herpass was not ready yet and so, she could not use it to fool, erm... earn the money of those rich people.


    Zhou Xiaoli could still earn some money by catching fish using the fish basket, but it would not be sufficient to help them get rich.


    Thus, Zhou Xiaoli thought of hunting.


    On the 26th of July based on the lunar calendar, Wei Chiyu suddenly pulled Zhou Xiaoli aside after lunch.


    ¡°There¡¯s a way to earn money here. Do you want toe?¡± Wei Chiyu went straight to the point without beating around the bush.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was curious.


    ¡°Have you heard that the wolves on the mountain often came down the mountain recently?¡± Wei Chiyu asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard about that. Hasn¡¯t it been quite some time already? Why? Are you going to the mountains to hunt wolves?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was a little suspicious.


    Wolves were social animals. When there¡¯s one, it¡¯s very likely that there would be a group nearby.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Wei Chiyu told him about the bounty notice posted by the mayor.


    Recently, the wolves on the mountain had caused trouble bying down the mountain and feeding on the vigers¡¯ livestock.


    The surrounding viges were impacted severely and it made the vigers live both in fear and anger of the wolves. Many vigers were furious and had formed teams to catch wolves.


    However, not only did they not manage to catch the wolves, they got injured as well. By doing so, they also angered the wolves and they retaliated.


    Not only did they hunt the vigers¡¯ livestock, they also wrecked the crops grown. The vigers became terrified.


    There was really no other way. After the mayor reported the matter to the county magistrate, he posted a bounty. Whoever could solve the wolf problem would be rewarded with 100 taels of silver.


    Zhou Xiaoli finally understood. ¡°So, you want to go for the bounty?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head. ¡°Not me. It¡¯s us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her eyebrows. ¡°The two of us? I¡¯m a weak woman. Are you sure you want to work with me?¡±


    The corner of Wei Chiyu¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard the words ¡®weak woman¡¯ from her.


    Nheless, he said with certainty, ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ve information on the wolves. I set a trap beside a cliff which was not far from their nest, but I need someone reliable to cooperate with me to set the trap in action.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re agile. Hence, you just need to climb up high and cooperate with me.¡±


    In the end, he added, ¡°When the timees, we¡¯ll split the bounty and the wild wolves equally. How about that?¡±


    Fifty taels of silver and a few wild wolves were still very tempting.


    Moreover, Zhou Xiaoli knew what Wei Chiyu could do, so the rate of him seeding would be very high.


    Thus, the two of them hit it off and reached an agreement.


    ¡ª


    In no time, the news that someone from Boyu Vige had wanted to go for the bounty spread around like a gust of wind.


    People in the vige continuously discussed this among themselves.


    ¡°Oh my, is it true? Did someone from our vige say that they want to go for the bounty for hunting wolves?¡±


    ¡°How could it be fake? That day, my niece-inw went to the mayor¡¯s house to do something. She saw with her own eyes that the demon from the Lu family and that Zhou fool¡¯s daughter came out of the mayor¡¯s house together.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Then they¡¯re really bold to do so. Aren¡¯t they afraid of dying?¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s for the bounty of 100 taels of silver. I heard that a while ago, quite a number of people teamed up to catch the wild wolves in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I heard that not only did they not manage to catch any, they even angered the wolves such that they all received injuries of different extent. Wolves were known to be the most vengeful.¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, that little demon from the Lu family actually dared to bring that jinx along. With these two together, they can forget abouting out of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu heard a lot of gossip as they went up the mountain with their weapons.


    ¡°Hey, did you hear what they said? I¡¯m a jinx. How dare you bring me into the mountains?¡± Zhou Xiaoli joked.


    Wei Chiyu frowned. ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was stunned.


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°Just take that they¡¯re farting. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli came back to her senses. Was Wei Chiyuforting her? She couldn¡¯t help butugh at that.


    Wei Chiyu was puzzled. ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°I often heard them say that you are a man-eating demon.¡±


    Wei Chiyu could not help but turn to look at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Do you think I am?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that they were farting? Actually, I think so too, haha.¡±


    Wei Chiyu couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    At this moment, the birds in the forest suddenly flew up as if they were frightened. Then, there was a fishy smell in the air.


    The ground shook slightly as if something was rushing over.


    ¡°Quickly climb up the tree,¡± Wei Chiyu called out to Zhou Xiaoli. He grabbed a branch and pulled Zhou Xiaoli up.


    Just as the two of them climbed up the tree, they saw a pack of wolves running over.


    However, they had no intention of stopping. Instead, they turned left right at their tree and ran into the dense forest.


    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong with these wolves?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was confused.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°The wolves seem to be organized when they run in groups.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli hugged the tree with both hands and looked in the direction where the wolves ran to. ¡°Why don¡¯t we follow them and take a look?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ...


    The two of them climbed down from the tree and quietly approached the direction which the wolf pack had headed for.


    At first, it was very calm.


    However, when they finally passed through a purple bamboo forest, they heard howls. Just by listening to the howls, they knew that there were many of them.


    The two of them immediately lightened their footsteps and approached slowly. Finally, they stopped at the start of the slope.


    They could see the wolves clearly from here, and it was rtively safe from afar.


    The two of them climbed up a tree and found a spot with a good view to observe.


    There were dozens of wolves there, but they did not seem to belong to the same camp and instead, they were in a confrontation stance.


    The wolf pack led by the gray wolf wasrger, while the wolf pack led by the white wolf was smaller in numbers.


    ¡°Wolves are social creatures. They have a very strong hierarchy and are territorial. Usually, they are led by a wolf king.¡±


    ¡°However, civil wars like what we are seeing today often break out as multiple wolves want to fight for the position of wolf king,¡± Wei Chiyu said softly.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked on quietly. ¡°The white wolf seems to be injured. His side seems to be on the losing side.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°The white should be the original wolf king, the leader of the pack. He is probably injured and is at his weakest right now. The gray wolf took advantage of the situation.¡±


    At this moment, the white wolf king seemed to have sensed something and suddenly turned its head to look over.


    The man and the wolf¡¯s eyes met.


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned.


    What she saw in its eyes was not ferocity, but a kind of sadness and pleading?


    How could a wolf show such emotions? Zhou Xiaoli was suspicious.


    ¡°I want to help it.¡± The words came out almost subconsciously.


    After saying this, even Zhou Xiaoli was stunned by her own words.


    Wei Chiyu also looked at Zhou Xiaoli in surprise.


    Zhou Xiaoli pointed at the white wolf and said, ¡°It seemed to be asking me for help.¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Can You Afford to Rear It?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    If anyone else heard this, they would definitely think that there was something wrong with Zhou Xiaoli.


    However, Wei Chiyu was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°Give me the bow and arrow.¡±


    At this moment, the battle between the wolves had reached the climax.


    The white wolf king¡¯s side suffered heavy casualties. Only four or five wolves were still fighting, and they were almost at their wits¡¯ ends.


    Although the gray wolf¡¯s pack attacked fiercely, they did not gain much advantage under the white wolf¡¯s desperate counterattacks.


    Wei Chiyu adjusted his posture and nocked his bow.


    Just as the gray wolf kingunched its final attack on the white wolf king, an arrow tore through the air, whistling as it went.


    It pierced through the gray wolf king¡¯s chest!


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but look at the young man beside her.


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Zhou Xiaoli praised.


    The corners of Wei Chiyu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°So-so.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, another arrow cut through the air, whistling yet again as it went. Another arrow pierced through the gray wolf¡¯s heart.


    A mournful wolf howl rang out.


    The white wolf king seemed to understand that someone was helping it. It led the wolf pack andunched a fierce counter-attack.


    The gray wolf king was killed, and the wolf pack lost its leader. With the help of outsiders i.e. Wei Chiyu¡¯s urate shooting skills, the white wolf king easily won the fight.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but sigh. The wars happening in the natural world are tragic as well.


    Just as she was feeling emotional about it, the white wolf king walked straight to the tree where they were suddenly.


    Wei Chiyu immediately nocked his bow and arrow.


    Zhou Xiaoli also became vignt.


    However, the white wolf king did not attack them. Instead, it howled and nodded at Zhou Xiaoli a few times before looking up at her.


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and asked uncertainly, ¡°It seemed to be telling us something?¡±


    Sure enough, in the next second, the white wolf king bent its front legs and knelt down. After howling, it stood up and turned to walk forward.


    After taking a step, he turned to look at Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°It seems that he wants us to follow it.¡±


    With that, Zhou Xiaoli jumped down from the tree.


    Wei Chiyu was worried, so he jumped down after her as well. At the same time, he took out his dagger and walked in front of Zhou Xiaoli.


    The white wolf king did not attack them. Instead, it brought them to a cave.


    Howl~


    The white wolf king let out a short howl at Zhou Xiaoli and looked at a certain spot on the stone wall.


    Zhou Xiaoli pointed at a cave on the mountain wall with uncertainty. ¡°Here?¡±


    The white wolf king howled again.


    Zhou Xiaoli was about to step forward and remove the vines blocking the entrance when Wei Chiyu stopped her. ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly reached out with his hands and lifted the vine curtain.


    When the vine curtain was lifted, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a wolf cub!¡±


    The wolf pup¡¯s fur was silver-gray. It was small, furry and looked a little cute.


    Judging from the color of its fur, it was very likely the white wolf king¡¯s cub.


    However, when she turned around to look at the white wolf king, she realized that there was no trace of the white wolf king behind her!


    ¡°Eh, where¡¯s the white wolf? Why has it gone?¡±


    Wei Chiyu looked at the wolf pup in front of him and frowned. ¡°It seems that it has entrusted his cub to us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli recalled the look in the white wolf king¡¯s eyes when he looked at her, and then she looked at the pitiful little wolf. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It seems so. Let¡¯s bring it home first.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded and reached out to grab the wolf cub.


    Seeing Wei Chiyu approach, the wolf pup immediately howled. It seemed to be very afraid and even revealed its sharp ws at him.


    Wei Chiyu, who had almost been scratched by it, retracted his hand and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s too wild. Let¡¯s kill it. Wolf meat is delicious and the younger ones would be tender too.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°...¡±


    The little wolf seemed to understand humannguage. It immediately bristled its fur and bared its teeth at Wei Chiyu.


    Zhou Xiaoli said helplessly, ¡°We can¡¯t kill it. If it really doesn¡¯t want toe with us, we can only...¡±


    Before Zhou Xiaoli could finish speaking, the wolf pup barked at her in a childish voice and crawled towards her with its short legs.


    His chubby, furry body coupled with his four short legs made him look adorable as he walked.


    Obviously, Zhou Xiaoli could not resist the cute little thing.


    Instantly, her gaze softened. ¡°So cute!¡±


    As she spoke, she reached out to touch it tentatively.


    Before Wei Chiyu could say anything, the wolf cub, who had just bristled its fur, took the initiative to rub its head against Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand, seemingly for her to touch.


    ...


    It couldn¡¯t be more obedient in front of her.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately made a decision after touching it. ¡°I¡¯ll raise it.¡±


    Wei Chiyu, who had been treated differently by the wolf cub, looked at it with a meaningful gaze.


    After carrying the wolf pup, the two of them went to deal with the wolves¡¯ corpses.


    ¡ª


    Under the setting sun, Zhang Lan¡¯s family stood at the door and looked in the direction of the mountain behind them.


    Zhou Xiaoli had repeatedly promised that nothing would happen with Wei Chiyu around.


    However, she was still worried.


    Seeing that it was already evening and the two of them had yet to return, Zhang Lan became a little anxious.


    Many vigers were still gossiping privately. They said that since it was evening and the two of them had yet to leave the mountain, it is very likely that something had happened to them.


    It was also said that this was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s bad luck after getting the wild boars. Perhaps she had already been eaten by the wolves.


    ...


    Just as the vigers spected, a shout suddenly came from the street.


    ¡°Look, the demon from the Lu Family and the daughter of the eldest Zhou son are dragging wolves down from the mountain!¡±


    Instantly, it caused a storm in the vige.


    Many people heard the yell and ran out of their houses to take a look.


    They swarmed over to the entrance of the vige.


    Sure enough, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu came down the mountain unscathed.


    Not only that, the cart that they were pulling behind them was full of the wolves¡¯ bodies!


    Immediately, cries of surprise and envy rose and fell among the vigers.


    The two of them entered the vige as if no one was around.


    Many of the people who had previously despised Zhou Xiaoli and ignored her, were now smiling and moving closer to her.


    ¡°Little Li, how many are there?¡±


    ¡°Little Li, did you destroy the wolf pack?¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, the wolf meat should be delicious, right?¡±


    If there¡¯s nothing to gain from, she¡¯s a jinx. If there was, she¡¯s Little Li.


    These vigerspletely showed how mercenary the world was.


    Zhou Xiaoli answered their questions half-heartedly.


    Finally, they arrived at their doorstep.


    Because it was alreadyte, they nned to go to the mayor¡¯s house tomorrow to receive the bounty reward. Therefore, they directly pulled the cart home.


    The vigers were all gathered outside Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s house. They watched with envy as the cart was pulled into the courtyard.


    ¡°Ah! Why is there a living one here!¡±


    At this moment, someone saw the wolf cub following Zhou Xiaoli and eximed in surprise.


    When they heard Zhou Xiaoli say that she had picked it up and wanted to rear it, they were all in disbelief and shock.


    ¡°These wolves killed a lot of our livestock. Why are you raising this thing?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli wanted to say, ¡°You guys are overstepping the boundary. I¡¯ll take care of it if I like.¡±


    In the end, she only sneered. ¡°I wanted to raise it to guard the house and to prevent people from prying into my things.¡±


    The vigers who wanted to take the opportunity to ask for the wolf meat immediately choked andughed awkwardly.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a child and has simple thoughts. Can a wolf be the same as a dog? One can raise dogs on leftovers, but wolves have to eat meat every meal!¡±


    ¡°Also, dogs can be raised as guards and would be very useful to the family! What¡¯s the use of raising a wolf? It¡¯s purely a waste of money!¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: It Returned With Firm Footsteps


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. The little money you have from the bounty would not even be enough for this wolf to eat a few meals. It would be hrious if your family had to starve thereafter, that would make peopleugh their heads off for sure, haha.¡±


    This time, even the vige chief¡¯s wife, Liu Yan, tried to persuade her.


    ¡°Little Li, I have to advise you against it this time as well. Although what these aunties have said are a little unpleasant, they are the truth after all.¡±


    ¡°A wolf is different from a dog as it only eats meat. We can¡¯t afford to raise it. Why don¡¯t you let it go back to the mountains? If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll sell it then.¡±


    At this moment, the wolf cub seemed to understand what was said. It suddenly darted out and roared at the old women who said that it was useless. Then, it ran straight to the mountain.


    The vigers were shocked by the wolf¡¯s roar. They remain in shock and cursed non-stop.


    ¡°Look, what did I say? It¡¯s an ingrate. It ran away before she even raised it. It will never be loyal enough!¡±


    ...


    The surrounding vigers spoke one after another, as if they were gleeful that they had won.


    Zhou Xiaoli was not disappointed. On the contrary, she felt that the wolf cub would definitely return.


    Hence, she said, ¡°It¡¯ll be back soon. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    The onlookers looked as if they had heard a joke. They allughed at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s whimsical idea of raising a wolf. Now, it was all for nothing.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Seeing that those people were getting more and more outrageous, Liu Yan stopped them.


    Then, she said to Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu, ¡°Your uncle and I are relieved to see that you¡¯re back safely from the mountain. Alright, I won¡¯t talk anymore. I have to go back.¡±


    Then, she said to the onlookers, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Don¡¯t you have to go home and cook?¡±


    The meaning behind her words was obvious, which is for them to scatter.


    However, they pretended not to understand and interrupted several times, unwilling to leave.


    It was obvious that they were coveting the wolves in the courtyard!


    If the wolf cub hadn¡¯t run away, Zhou Xiaoli wanted to close the door right there and then. Out of sight, out of mind.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was wondering if she should scold the onlookers to send them away, a nimble figure entered her sight.


    ¡°Little Wolf, you¡¯re back!¡±


    As if it had heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice, the wolf pup ran even faster with its short legs.


    When everyone heard the sound, they turned around and saw the wolf cub running back with a rabbit in its mouth.


    When it reached the crowd of vigers, the little wolf cub even slowed down and walked with its head held high and with an air of arrogance.


    It ced the hare in front of Zhou Xiaoli as if it was asking for credit.


    Zhou Xiaoli was also stunned. ¡°Did you hunt this?¡±


    The wolf pup let out a howl and circled around Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s leg, as if answering her question.


    Everyone: ¡°...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and picked up the wolf pup. She praised, ¡°The wolf pup is amazing!¡±


    ¡°Howl~¡± The wolf cub cried out, as if responding to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s praises.


    Liu Yan was shocked. ¡°Why does this wolf seem to understand humannguage?¡±


    ¡°It seemed that way, right? When I first saw it, I felt that it was very intelligent.¡± Zhou Xiaoli said proudly.


    Not only had the wolf pup returned, but it had also brought back prey. Many vigers were envious.


    With this wolf cub around, doesn¡¯t it mean that the Zhou family would notck prey every day in the future?


    What kind of dog shit luck did the Zhou family have!


    Once a person¡¯s eyes turned red with jealousy, they would burn from it and lose their rationalitypletely.


    This is what happened to Old Madam Ma, who had been hiding quietly behind the crowd as she greedily stared at the wild rabbit on the ground.


    After the previous incident, she did not dare to provoke Zhou Xiaoli anymore. However, she had always held a grudge in her heart against her for stealing her donkey away.


    Hence, when everyone¡¯s attention was on the wolf cub, she wanted to take away the wild rabbit sneakily.


    However, the wolf pup immediately discovered her and instantly jumped onto her.


    Now that the wolf cub was still young, Old Madam Ma was not very afraid. She raised her leg and was about to kick it away.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately shouted, ¡°Ah, you have to be careful. I heard from Physician Feng from Dazhuang Vige that if you get scratched or bitten by wild wolves and dogs, you will be infected with a ¡®mad dog disease¡¯. Once infected, you will go crazy and bite people. You will also die in a few days.¡±


    When Old Madam Ma heard this, she was shocked. She stopped in her tracks and turned to run back. The wolf cub chased after her.


    Old Madam Ma was chased around by the wolf cub until she was in a sorry state. She even tripped over her left foot and fell to the ground. Two of her teeth were knocked out by the fall.


    The wolf cub jumped onto Old Madam Ma¡¯s back and tore at her clothes.


    Zhou Xiaoli was also worried that the wolf cub would have bitten Old Madam Ma for real, so she called the wolf cub back.


    The wolf cub obediently jumped down. However, before jumping down, it peed on Old Madam Ma¡¯s neck...


    Liu Yan shook her head and sighed. ¡°Old Madam Ma, why haven¡¯t you changed your bad habit?! Wasn¡¯t the lessonst time enough for you?!¡±


    At this moment, Old Madam Ma could not care less. When she heard Liu Yan mention what happened the other time, she was afraid that Zhou Xiaoli would use the rabbit to ckmail her again.


    She got up from the ground and ran home without looking back. She even locked the door.


    Liu Yan shook her head and said to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s fine as long as this little thing knows how to catch its own prey. If you want to keep it, then keep it.¡±


    It was just as well that they have a powerful and protective animal guarding the house. They would not be bullied then.


    ...


    With that, Liu Yan went home.


    The other onlookers were now a little apprehensive of the ¡®mad dog disease¡¯ that Zhou Xiaoli mentioned.


    Seeing that they couldn¡¯t get any benefits, they reluctantly dispersed.


    Finally, the world was quiet.


    The next day.


    Early the next morning and after breakfast, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu rode the donkey cart out of the house.


    They first went to the mayor¡¯s house to collect the bounty.


    The mayor was shocked when he saw the cart full of wolf corpses.


    After hearing their story of how the wolf pack had been defeated and would no longer be a threat to the vigers, he praised them for being young and promising. At the same time, he gave Wei Chiyu 100 taels of silver.


    He casually asked, ¡°How do you n to deal with the wolves¡¯ corpse?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli told the truth and said that they were going to sell it in the county.


    ...


    The mayor said ruefully, ¡°There¡¯s so many of them. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for you to sell them all.¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°I can go to a few more restaurants.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just a little troublesome to do so.¡± The mayor smiled and changed the topic. ¡°However, I do have a sales channel. The price might not be as high as what the restaurant can offer, but I can take them all at once.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu looked at the mayor, waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°Wolf meat can be used to make dried meat. It¡¯s the most convenient to carry around as an army ration. Coincidentally, I know the people stationed in the army north of the Yellow River. I¡¯ll give you fifty taels of silver, and you¡¯ll give me all of the wolves¡¯ corpses. How about that?¡±


    They could indeed earn more from selling to the restaurants, but with the mayor¡¯s help to sell it, it would also save them a lot of trouble.


    After all, there were more than 10 wolves. No matter how good the restaurant¡¯s sales were, it could not take in that many at once.


    They inevitably had to go to several restaurants.


    In that case, it would not be a bad idea to sell it all to the mayor too.


    Zhou Xiaoli thought so, but she didn¡¯t know what Wei Chiyu was thinking, so she looked at him.


    The two of them looked at each other and saw agreement in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°In that case, thank you for the offer, mayor.¡±


    Thus, the two of them reached an agreement with the mayor and sold all the wolves to him.


    The mayor then handed the money to Wei Chiyu.


    Right then, there was amotion from outside the door.


    ¡°Mayor, Sir! Don¡¯t be fooled by them. They did not hunt the wolves at all!¡±

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: A Comparison


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s making a racket outside?¡±


    At this moment, the mayor¡¯s son dragged two men in.


    Seeing the two of them, the mayor subconsciously frowned. ¡°Sun Er, Wang Gou, it¡¯s you again. What trouble did you get into this time?¡±


    Sun Er and Wang Gou were from Boyu Vige and Dazhuang Vige respectively. Both of them were famous in their vige for being hooligans.


    They idled around all day and caused trouble.


    Sun Er hurriedly said, ¡°Sir, Mayor, look at what you¡¯re saying. We didn¡¯t cause any trouble. We¡¯re here to expose some people¡¯s lies instead!¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Wei Chiyu and Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Sir, they didn¡¯t kill those wolves at all. They took advantage of our absence and pulled our wolves away. Sir, don¡¯t be fooled by them!¡±


    The mayor clearly trusted Wei Chiyu and Zhou Xiaoli more than these two hooligans.


    ¡°You mean to say that you killed these wolves? And Young Master Wei and Miss Zhou pulled the wolves¡¯ corpses down the mountain when you left?¡± he said.


    Just from the rising tone of the mayor¡¯s voice, one could hear his suspicion.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Go do what you need to do!¡±


    As he spoke, he was about to chase the two of them away.


    Sun Er and the other immediately resisted.


    ¡°You have to believe us, mayor. Everything we say is the truth.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, take a look at the wounds on those wolves¡¯ bodies. Aren¡¯t they bite wounds? We set up a trap and incited the wolves to kill each other.¡±


    The two of them exined anxiously; their arguments filled with righteous indignation.


    From how they were acting, even Zhou Xiaoli felt that she had indeed stolen credits from them.


    The mayor was skeptical, but he obligingly went to investigate the corpses of the wolves.


    It was as Sun Er and Wang Gou had said. Those wolves were covered in bite wounds.


    He could not help but be suspicious of the true ount of the event.


    He hesitated upon seeing how sure Sun Er and Wang Gou were of the bite marks on the wolves.


    Zhou Xiaoli guessed that when she and Wei Chiyu were looking for the wolf cub, the two of them had unintentionally discovered the corpses of those wolves.


    It was just as Zhou Xiaoli had guessed.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli and Sun Er were looking for the wolf cub, Sun Er and Wang Gou found the corpses of the wolves.


    They didn¡¯t even look carefully before they went off to find something to transport all the wolves down the mountain in excitement.


    However, just as they found some vines and wooden sticks, they bumped into Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu who were loading the wolves onto their cart.


    As they were afraid of Wei Chiyu, the two of them did not dare to step forward rashly. After a final discussion, they decided to put on a show today.


    They were certain that Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu had chanced upon the wolves¡¯ corpse like them, which was why they dared to be so arrogant.


    After looking at the wounds, the mayor did not know who to believe.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli opened her mouth and asked, ¡°You guys said that you set a trap and made the wolves kill each other?¡±


    The two of them, who did not know what Zhou Xiaoli wanted to do, looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Then the way we hunt is different. Mayor, please take a closer look. Are there many wolves with arrow wounds to their heart?¡±


    As soon as Zhou Xiaoli stopped speaking, the mayor indeed found arrow wounds on the wolves. Moreover, each arrow was fatal and pierced through the heart.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The mayor replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When the wolves were fighting, we didn¡¯t just watch. Several wolves were killed by Wei Chiyu, which was why almost all the wolves were wiped out,¡± Zhou Xiaoli continued.


    Seeing this, Wang Gou and Sun Er immediately shouted again.


    ¡°Ah, yes, yes, we used arrows too. We just didn¡¯t think it was necessary to say it, so we didn¡¯t. Mayor, they must have seen the arrow wounds when they pulled the corpses back!¡±


    These two people were determined to win the argument. There was no evidence to prove who had killed the wolves; that was why they were fearless and pestered the mayor.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli would not indulge them in it.


    ¡°Are you saying that you were the ones who shot the arrows at the wolves?¡±


    Sun Er felt guilty for a moment, but in the end, he nodded stubbornly. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s me...¡±


    ¡°No, it was the two of us.¡±


    In the end, he even pulled Wang Gou along in the lie.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then, she turned to look at the mayor. ¡°Mayor, if someone is lying to get the bounty, what is the punishment for it?¡±


    The mayor said, ¡°Those who deceive would be sent to the magistrate office and receive 40 strokes of the cane.¡±


    Hearing that they were looking at 40 strokes of the cane, Sun Er and Wang Gou panicked. However, when they thought about how the other party did not have any evidence too, they remained stubborn.


    But at this moment, Zhou Xiaoli continued. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s very simple to prove who hunted these wolves.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli paused for a moment again before continuing, ¡°As long as wepete in archery skills, we¡¯ll know everything.¡±


    ...


    The mayor nodded immediately. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. The wolves that were shot had a shot clean through the heart. Not everyone has the ability to do so.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s an empty space behind the house. Let¡¯spete there.¡±


    This time, Sun Er and Wang Gou were a little flustered, but they were already pushed into a corner, so they could only brace themselves for it.


    The rules of thepetition were very simple. It was to shoot the target.


    ¡°Sun Er! You first.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Sun Er was stunned.


    ¡°What? I told you to go first.¡±


    After being shouted at by the mayor, Sun Er coughed and stretched his shoulders. He walked forward with the bow and arrow.


    He posed and aimed repeatedly.


    He looked imposing but try as he might, he did not release his arrow.


    The mayor couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Hurry up, why are you dawdling! If the target was a prey, it would have flown away a long time ago!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Ah, yes, right away, right away.¡±


    Thus, Sun Er concentrated his energy in his core, took a deep breath, nocked the arrow, and wanted to draw the bow...


    Hey, what¡¯s up?


    Everyone watched for a long time. They saw that Sun Er¡¯s face had turned red but he was unable to draw his bow.


    In the end, the arrow didn¡¯t even move, let alone hit the target.


    The second person to try was Wang Gou. He was not much better. After using all his strength, he managed to draw his bow.


    However, the arrow flew out and urately avoided the target.


    There was no need topete further for all present to know who was lying.


    It would be a miracle if these two good-for-nothings could shoot an arrow through the wolf¡¯s heart.


    However, the mayor had always loved archery and martial arts. Hence, he was very interested in how thepetition would result in.


    In addition, only if Wei Chiyupeted would they be able to shut Sun Er¡¯s mouth.


    Wei Chiyu took the bow and arrow.


    He didn¡¯t have so many fancy foreys. His movements were smooth as water as he nocked the arrow and drew his bow.


    With a whoosh, the arrow whistled out and hit the bullseye. Everyone was stunned by it.


    ¡°My goodness, the arrow shot through the target!¡±


    That was what the mayor¡¯s son shouted out in surprise after running over to check the target.


    Zhou Xiaoli pped her hands at the side and whispered, ¡°So cool!¡±


    As she spoke, she stared at the bow and arrow with a burning gaze.


    Wei Chiyu was slightly puzzled. ¡°Cool?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good word. I¡¯m praising you.¡± Zhou Xiaoli whispered.


    p! p! p!


    At this moment, the mayor pped his hands and walked over with a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    ¡°Such mad skills! It¡¯s a pity that you are not at the front line to kill the enemy with your ability.¡±


    Wei Chiyu immediately said, ¡°You must be joking, mayor. It¡¯s just a small trick that I know how to do. It would only be useful when hunting in the mountains.¡±


    Although Wei Chiyu said so, the mayor insisted on his opinion.


    Sun Er and Wang Gou were prepared to escape when they saw Wei Chiyu draw his bow.


    Unfortunately, the mayor caught them red-handed.


    ¡°The two of you have nothing to do all day. Since you like to cause trouble everywhere, it¡¯s time for me to teach you a lesson!¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: Almost


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Hence, as the two of them begged for mercy, the mayor tied them up and handed them over to the police to bring them back to the magistrate office.


    After leaving the mayor¡¯s courtyard, Wei Chiyu handed over seventy-five taels of silver to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°This is yours.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli received the money with a smile. It would be a lie to say that she was not happy to have a bag of money in her hand.


    After putting the money away, Zhou Xiaoli extended her hand. ¡°Happy working with you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu looked at Zhou Xiaoli in confusion.


    ¡°Give me five, just put your palm to mine to celebrate our first sessful coboration,¡± Zhou Xiaoli exined.


    Wei Chiyu looked at the other party¡¯s small hand. It was slender, but not overly thin and bony.


    Under her urging, he imitated her and extended his hand palm-up.


    Zhou Xiaoli hi-fived him. ¡°Happy cooperation.¡±


    Their palms touched for only an instant before they separated. The remaining warmth lingered on his palm, which made him feel a little itchy.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and his thin lips parted slightly. ¡°Mm, happy cooperation.¡±


    Then, he asked, ¡°Are you going back to the vige?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°No, I still have to go to the county to buy some things and order a batch of furniture. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the county too. Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhou Xiaoli readily agreed. ¡°If so, would you continue taking the reins of the cart?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they turned the donkey cart and headed towards the county.


    This time, with the donkey cart, they entered the county in a shorter period of time. In about an hour, they saw the city gate.


    The majestic city towered under the sunlight. It was imposing and yet had an air of ancient simplicity about it. On the top of the wall were three words: Wenshui County.


    At that moment, there was already a long queue at the city gate.


    There were two rows of guards at the entrance. They carriedrge sabers at their waists and diligently checked every vehicle and person entering and exiting the city gate.


    Soon, it was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s turn.


    Because there was nothing on the donkey cart, the guard only took a nce at it before saying, ¡°The entrance fee is seven copper coins.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but be surprised at the amount. ¡°Why? Shouldn¡¯t it be four copper coins?¡±


    The guard was expressionless. ¡°The lord has ordered that the entrance fee for the donkey cart will now be three copper coins. Pedestrians will pay two copper coins each to enter the city. That¡¯s a total of seven copper coins.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was surprised. How long had it been since shest came to the county?


    The entrance fee actually increased by one copper coin?


    However, they did not say anything. After paying the entrance fee, the two of them led the donkey cart into the city.


    The city was prosperous, and there were many peddlers on the streets. People came and went. It was not possible for them to ride on the cart, so they could only walk slowly with the donkey cart trailing behind them.


    Due to the dy at the mayor¡¯s house, it was already noon when they arrived at the county.


    They were famished.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but rub her belly, wondering if she should eat something first.


    As if he had read Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s mind, Wei Chiyu suddenly said, ¡°You must be hungry. Come, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡±


    As Zhou Xiaoli was puzzled at his words, Wei Chiyu added, ¡°I eat your cooking every day. Since I don¡¯t know how to cook; let me treat you to a meal this time.¡±


    With that, he led Zhou Xiaoli into the First-grade Restaurant.


    When one of the waiters saw Wei Chiyu, he was about to inform the shopkeeper when Wei Chiyu said, ¡°We are here to eat today.¡±


    The waiter was stunned for a moment before he quickly went forward with a smile and helped them to tie the donkey cart to the stand.


    Wei Chiyu brought Zhou Xiaoli to the second floor and they sat by the window.


    Soon, another waiter came up and asked them what they wanted to order.


    Wei Chiyu asked Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Do you want to eat anything?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s my first time eating here, so I don¡¯t know what they have. You should order.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the waiter subconsciously nced at Zhou Xiaoli. Seeing that both of them were wearing coarse linen clothes, he cked off a little.


    Wei Chiyu did not refuse and started to order dishes.


    He ordered four dishes. They were First-grade Restaurant¡¯s signature dishes ¨C Stir-fried Chicken, Dongpo pork, Eggnt with Sauce, Stir-fried vegetables, and two portions of rice.


    The waiter was a little surprised. He looked at the two of them and opened his mouth. In the end, he did not say anything and turned to go downstairs.


    In any case, he was not worried. No one could eat and drink for free in their restaurant.


    After the waiter left, Zhou Xiaoli drank tea while she observed the restaurant.


    The restaurant¡¯s business was very good, and there was an endless stream of guests. At this moment, Shopkeeper Wang walked out of a private room with a smile.


    Coincidentally, he saw Wei Chiyu and Zhou Xiaoli, so he came forward to exchange a few pleasantries with them.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send any prey today?¡± Wang Defu asked with a smile.


    ¡°Many of my customers are waiting to enjoy game meat.¡±


    ...


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°I¡¯ll definitely bring some next time.¡±


    Wang Defu: ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    As they spoke, the dishes they ordered were served one by one.


    Seeing that the dishes had been served, Wang Defu did not stay any longer and said politely, ¡°Have a good meal.¡±


    With that, he bade farewell and went downstairs.


    All four dishes looked pretty good.


    For Zhou Xiaoli, who enjoyed meat, the first dish she tried was Stir-fried Chicken.


    It was said that this dish was the signature dish of the First-grade Restaurant.


    As she chewed on the meat, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes narrowed, but there was no sign of pleasant surprise in them.


    Wei Chiyu looked at Zhou Xiaoli seriously and asked, ¡°How is it? First-grade Restaurant¡¯s dishes are considered one of the best in Wenshui County, especially this stir-fried chicken dish. It¡¯s the most famous dish they have.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded and picked up another piece. ¡°It¡¯s not bad. Yes, but the taste is slightly different.¡±


    ...


    Then, she took another bite and tasted it carefully. Realization dawned on her. ¡°They seemed to have left out sugar from it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was only making a casual then.


    Although it was an innocent from her, the listener thought otherwise.


    A waiter overheard her as he happened toe up to second level then to collect the tes.


    After going downstairs, he told hispanions about this.


    ¡°Hey, you guys don¡¯t know. I was just collecting the tes upstairs when I heard a little girl say that our shop¡¯s signature dish, the stir-fried chicken,cked something!¡±


    ¡°More importantly, they¡¯re dressed in tattered clothes and looked extremely shabby. I don¡¯t even know when they¡¯lle again after this time. They even ed on the dish as though they knew better. What a joke.¡±


    Coincidentally, Wang Dehai heard his words.


    ¡°Lacked something? What do you mean?¡±


    This was the first time he heard someone say that their restaurant¡¯s stir-fried chicken was bad.


    Shopkeeper Wang¡¯s sudden question startled the waiter.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either. She just said that it wascking something. Oh, I remember now. She also said that it was missing sugar or something.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡± Shopkeeper Wang asked again.


    The waiter brought Shopkeeper Wang to the second floor and pointed at the seats by the window. ¡°Shopkeeper, it¡¯s that table. That little girl said so.¡±


    Following the direction in which he was pointing it, that table turned out to be Wei Chiyu¡¯s table.


    Wang Defu was a little surprised, but he walked over nheless.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu were confused by Innkeeper Wang¡¯s return.


    Wang Defu went straight to the point. ¡°Miss Zhou, I just heard you say that our stir-fried chicken is a littlecking?¡±


    Hearing this question, Zhou Xiaoli was stunned. How did a casual reach the ears of the head chef?


    Nheless, she nodded truthfully.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37: Befriend Shopkeeper Wang


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    In fact, Wang Defu felt that Zhou Xiaoli was probably speaking nonsense. However, in ordance with his usual principle of running a restaurant, he decided to ask nheless.


    ¡°Is it salty? Or nd? Or not to your taste?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°Neither. The taste is just right, but it¡¯s a little different from what I¡¯ve eaten before.¡±


    Upon hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Wang Defu asked, ¡°You¡¯ve eaten it before? Which restaurant is it? I¡¯ll try it next time.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and finally said, ¡°It¡¯s not a restaurant. I made it myself.¡±


    ¡°You made it yourself?¡± Wang De raised his pitch. It was obvious that he did not believe it.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu said, ¡°Miss Zhou¡¯s cooking is very good.¡±


    Wang Defu was silent for a moment. In the end, he pped his hands and said, ¡°How about this? Since you¡¯ve said so, can I invite you to the kitchen to make one portion of it? If our dish is indeedcking, I can improve on it then.¡±


    Before they came, Zhou Xiaoli heard Wei Chiyu speak about the First-grade Restaurant.


    He said that the First-grade Restaurant paid a lot of attention to the customers¡¯ evaluation of the dishes. Therefore, it has always been known to provide delicious food in Wenshui County.


    At that time, she had thought highly of Shopkeeper Wang.


    Now, it seemed that it was true.


    No wonder his First-grade Restaurant could make a name for itself in Wenshui County in such a short period of time.


    However, she asked, ¡°Is this a good idea?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was a little hesitant. It was one thing to , but if she indeed cooked a portion for him to try, wouldn¡¯t it cause trouble for the chef?


    However, even if she did not want to do it now, someone was disagreeable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know how to cook this dish at all. Are you afraid?¡±


    Head Chef Chen walked out of the kitchen and looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a straight face.


    He had already heard about it from the waiter.


    He had made the stir-fried chicken dish for most of his life. This was the first time someone had questioned him about it, what¡¯s more from such a young girl like her.


    Ever since the iron wok came into existence, the dishes that people could cook became sumptuous, and there were more delicacies in the market.


    Hence, the people of the State of Zhao, from the Emperor to themoners, were advocates of good food.


    At this moment, many customers had gathered around to watch themotion.


    How could he allow his dish to be deemed ascking? Naturally, he had to have proof.


    Helpless, Zhou Xiaoli could only enter the kitchen.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stand on ceremony then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli cupped her hands at Chef Chen as a mark of respect. After all, this was his home ground, so she had to be polite when using his things.


    With a straight face, Head Chef Chen retained an air of arrogance around him as he said, ¡°Please!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t mind his attitude. She put on an apron and started cooking.


    From dicing the chicken and cucumbers to start the fire to heating up the oil, she did all the steps smoothly.


    From the looks of it, one could tell that she cooked often.


    However, many remained doubtful that a vige girl could make a better stir-fried chicken dish than Head Chef Chen.


    Head Chef Chen had been paying attention to Zhou Xiaoli the whole time, so he realized that Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s steps were almost the same as his, except that she had added sugar.


    He could not help but be surprised at it.


    Then, he became angry. ¡°If you add sugar, won¡¯t it ruin the taste? You¡¯re simply fooling around.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not argue with him.


    As soon as the dish was served, it was brought straight to Shopkeeper Wang.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Wang, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang was shocked. ¡°You made it!¡±


    Unfortunately, a greater shock was yet toe.


    After he picked up the chicken and put it in his mouth, his eyes widened at the taste. ¡°Hmm, this is really not bad!¡±


    Seeing the shopkeeper¡¯s shocked expression, Chef Chen stepped forward suspiciously. Using a te, he picked up some of the chicken and moved away.


    The moment the chicken meat entered his mouth, he froze on the spot.


    Although the taste was simr to what he made, there was a hint of umami. Although it was just a little bit, he could not deny that it was indeed more delicious.


    In particr, as a chef, his taste buds were sharper than ordinary people. That shocked him further.


    With the shock, his arrogance was gone. He said shamefully, ¡°I was too arrogant.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang did not me Head Chef Chen for his recklessness earlier and merely patted him on his shoulder to encourage him.


    ¡°Split this stir-fried chicken into smaller tes and send it to the customers to try,¡± he instructed the waiter standing at the side.


    ¡°Just say that from tomorrow onwards, our First-grade Restaurant¡¯s signature dish, Stir-fried Chicken, will have a new form.¡±


    With that, he weed Zhou Xiaoli out of the kitchen with a smile and praised her again. In the end, he even waived their meal.


    On the surface, Zhou Xiaoli said that he shouldn¡¯t have, but in her heart, she thought that the shopkeeper, Wang Defu, was indeed good at doing business.


    ¡°Miss Zhou, I see that you¡¯re a little younger than my kid. You can call me Uncle from now on. You¡¯re wee toe to the First-grade Restaurant anytime.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli loved to make friends with people from all walks of life, hence she did not refuse. She smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Uncle Wang from now on.¡±


    Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze paused. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Uncle Wang, when I was young, I learned a few moves from a person. If you trust me, please do not go out nor ept any social invitations tonight.¡±


    Wang Defu was stunned and he could notprehend what Zhou Xiaoli had just said.


    On the other side, Zhou Xiaoli was ready to bid farewell. ¡°Um, Uncle Wang, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore in that case. I still have some matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    With that, she walked towards Wei Chiyu.


    When she went topete with the head chef, Wei Chiyu sat at the table the whole time and sipped his tea. He was not surprised that Zhou Xiaoli won.


    As Zhou Xiaoli walked over, he smiled and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them walked out of the First-grade Restaurant side by side.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you worried that I can¡¯t do it and make a fool of myself?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was unhappy that Wei Chiyu had remained calm during the whole process.


    ¡°You can definitely do it. So what should I be worried about?¡± Wei Chiyu said casually as he took the donkey¡¯s lead.


    ...


    ¡°What if?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no what if.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, this...¡± Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too confident in me?¡±


    Wei Chiyu suddenly smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned again. Why was this guy smiling so much recently?


    Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t notice that Zhou Xiaoli was in a daze. He walked in front and continued, ¡°Oh, right, I¡¯m going to a friend¡¯s ce to get somethingter. Wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Zhou Xiaoli quickened her pace and caught up with him. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll go buy some cloth and cotton.¡±


    Thus, Wei Chiyu sent Zhou Xiaoli to the fabric shop and left after giving her some instructions.


    Zhou Xiaoli tied the donkey cart and went to the cotton shop next to the fabric shop to buy five kilograms of cotton.


    After piling them into the cart, she went back to the fabric shop.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s intention was to buy coarse linen clothes to wear, but Zhou Xiaoli was unhappy with how scratchy they were.


    Therefore, she wanted to buy a few pieces of cotton cloth to make clothes and bedding. It would befortable to wear and use then.


    After putting the cotton cloth in the cart, Zhou Xiaoli thought of what Zhang Lan had told her. To make shoes, one needed to use bup to make the soles of the shoes.


    Hence, she went back into the fabric shop and spent 500 copper coins to buy two bolts of bup.


    Just as she was about to leave with two bolts of bup, her gaze fell on a piece of red fabric with a floral design.


    She could not help but think of Zhou Xiaoyu at home. She would definitely look festive wearing a red jacket during winter.


    She immediately pointed at the fabric and asked, ¡°Boss, how much is this material?¡±


    However, before the boss could answer, a delicate and arrogant voice suddenly came from behind her.


    ¡°Boss, I will take that material!¡±

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38: You Want to Bully Me? Dream On


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    She turned around and saw two girls around her age walking into the shop.


    ¡°Where did this country bumpkine from? Dirty, so dirty. How unlucky of us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at the person who spoke. It was a little girl in her teens. She was dressed in a gorgeous dress and had flower hairpins on her head.


    At this moment, she covered her nose with a fan and looked at her with disdain.


    A memory of this girl appeared in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s mind.


    From her memories, she knew that this fancifully dressed girl was her aunt¡¯s daughter, Xue Tiantian.


    Lai Jinniang had two daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter was Zhou Guixiang. She married into the Xue family, who owned a jade shop in the county.


    As his family had some money, he felt superior to the rest and would have an air of arrogance about him every time he came to the Zhou family.


    This was especially so for Xue Tiantian, who was spoiled by Zhou Guixiang. She was arrogant and domineering.


    Previously, she had bullied the original host, Zhou Xiaoli, for quite a few times such as pouring hot water on her, pushing her into a ditch in the middle of winter, forcing her to eat the food dropped on the ground, and so on.


    This caused the original host to be traumatized. Whenever she saw Xue Tiantian, she would subconsciously tremble.


    But that was the original host, and now she¡¯s Zhou Xiaoli!


    She can dream on if she thought that she could bully her!


    Xue Tiantian did not notice the change in Zhou Xiaoli at all. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli with disdain and said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, I want this piece of fabric. Wrap it up for me.¡±


    After saying that, she looked at Zhou Xiaoli smugly.


    The shopkeeper was in a difficult position. ¡°This... Miss, thisdy also took a fancy to this material just now. However, there¡¯s only one bolt of it left...¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xue Tiantian immediately widened her eyes and said in disbelief, ¡°Shopkeeper, are you stupid? Look at what she¡¯s wearing. She¡¯s wearing tattered clothes. One look and you can tell that she¡¯s a poor person from the countryside. How can she afford such good fabric!¡±


    As soon as she said this, she inevitably stepped on the toes of a few other people.


    There were many people who came from the countryside to buy things in this shop.


    At this moment, when they heard her words, they all looked at her.


    The shopkeeper also looked at Zhou Xiaoli and then at Xue Tiantian.


    One of them was dressed in coarse linen clothes with patches all over. The other was dressed in a pretty silk dress and wore essories on her hair and hands.


    With thisparison, he knew how to choose. He immediately smiled and said to Xue Tiantian, ¡°Okay, then I will ask someone to wrap it up for you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but frown. ¡°Shopkeeper, I took a fancy to this first.¡±


    The shopkeeper did not mock Zhou Xiaoli. Instead, he patiently advised her. ¡°Miss, this is thetest design this year. It¡¯s not cheap. Perhaps you may want to take a look at this other design instead?¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed at another piece of material for Zhou Xiaoli.


    It was a bolt of cotton cloth which had been dyed. The price of cotton cloth was naturally much cheaper than silk. It only cost 300 copper coins per bolt.


    Seeing this, Xue Tiantian was extremely proud. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli with contempt and said to her friend beside her, ¡°Some people have no self-awareness and yet, they dream of snatching my things from me. They¡¯re overestimating themselves!¡±


    ¡°Country bumpkins who dig for food in the fields should wear clothes made from bup, just like those in your arms. You¡¯re not worthy of wearing silk and satin!¡±


    With that, the two of them giggled and puffed up their chests like roosters who had won a fight before sashaying off to look at the other fabrics and clothes in the shop.


    When she passed by Zhou Xiaoli, she deliberately bumped into her.


    As she staggered back, the cloth in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s arms fell to the ground.


    She couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes, a trace of danger appearing in them. She reached out to grab Xue Tiantian¡¯s arm and said coldly, ¡°Pick it up!¡±


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing? Don¡¯t touch my clothes with your dirty hands!¡±


    Xue Tiantian struggled out of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s grasp with a frown on her face.


    ¡°Are you crazy?! If you dirty my clothes, I¡¯ll get Grandma to beat you to death!¡± she scolded as she stepped back.


    Zhou Xiaoli was expressionless as she repeated her words. ¡°Pick it up!¡±


    Xue Tiantian was in disbelief, thinking that she had misheard her.


    If this was in the past, Zhou Xiaoli would definitely tremble in fear when she threatened to tell Grandma. Now, she actually dared to argue with her?


    Zhou Xiaoli did not care about what Xue Tiantian would think of. She repeated herself, word by word this time. ¡°I said, pick it up. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself a fourth time!¡±


    Xue Tiantian was stunned by Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s aura about her.


    The girl who was with her said, ¡°Miss Xue, is this the stupid cousin you said you could bully? This doesn¡¯t look like it.¡±


    After being provoked by her friend, Xue Tiantian immediately recovered from her shock and flew into a rage out of humiliation.


    She stepped on the cloth on the ground. Not content with just stepping on the cloth, she even kicked and stomped on it.


    Then, she looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a smug expression.


    Zhou Xiaoliughed angrily when she saw the other party¡¯s annoying look. ¡°Heh!¡±


    The next second, she raised her hand and pped Xue Tiantian.


    **PIAK**


    A crisp sound silenced the shop!


    Everything happened too suddenly. Everyone was stunned and looked over.


    Xue Tiantian was stunned and it took her a long time to react. ¡°Ah! How dare you hit me! B*tch, I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± she screamed.


    She screamed and was about to rush over to hit Zhou Xiaoli.


    ...


    Would Zhou Xiaoli let her hit her like this? Of course not. She simply stepped aside and Xue Tiantian missed her.


    At the same time, Zhou Xiaoli raised her leg and kicked Xue Tiantian¡¯s butt, sending her flying into a heap on the ground.


    Her face and mouth were covered in dirt, her clothes were crooked, and her hair became disheveled. She was in a sorry state.


    ¡°Ah-¡±


    Xue Tiantian broke down even more. She screamed and pointed at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°B*tch, b*tch, how dare you treat me like this? I won¡¯t let you off!¡± she cursed.


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered again, ¡°Let me see how you n to do that.¡±


    As she spoke, she stepped forward and pped the other side of her face. ¡°That¡¯s for calling me a b*tch. A country bumpkin.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did a country bumpkin offend you? Without us country bumpkins who farm, what are you going to eat! You¡¯ve only been in the city for a few days, and you¡¯re already looking down on people living in the viges?¡±


    ¡°Every family came from the vige a few generations back. Even if you don¡¯t want to look at your ancestry, your maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather are farmers themselves. Are you looking down on your ancestors too?¡±


    With that, she pped her again.


    ¡°This p is to teach you a lesson on behalf of your ancestor, you unfilial thing!¡±


    ...


    ¡°The current emperor encourages the people to clear thend for farming. This is a great n that benefits the people¡¯s livelihood. Are you questioning the current emperor?!¡±


    As she spoke, she pped her again. ¡°This p is for you, you ungrateful thing!¡±


    After a few ps, Xue Tiantian was so stunned that she forgot to scream.


    There were many people around who came from the countryside. They were of course unhappy with how Xue Tiantian had been referring to them as country bumpkins. Now, they felt happy that someone had stood up for them.


    Some even shouted, ¡°Well done!¡±


    ¡°This disloyal and unfilial thing should have been taught a lesson!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Without us farming in the fields, there won¡¯t be any food for you.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39: Confidants


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Xue Tiantian was stunned. Whenever she wanted to open her mouth to curse, Zhou Xiaoli would p her hard.


    It scared her.


    She covered her face and did not dare to make another sound.


    ¡°Hmph! Did you think that I can¡¯t deal with you!¡± Zhou Xiaoli thought.


    Zhou Xiaoli flexed her wrist and sneered.


    Sigh, it was just a little troublesome.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu returned. He walked into the shop and saw the scene.


    Pointing at Xue Tiantian, he frowned and asked, ¡°Did you hit her?¡±


    ¡°Ah? That¡¯s right.¡± Zhou Xiaoli was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    At the same time, she wondered in her heart. ¡°Wei Chiyu should not have had any interaction with Xue Tiantian before, right?¡± she thought.


    Or did he think she was too rough?


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli wondered, Wei Chiyu asked again. ¡°Seems quite serious. What did you use to hit her with?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. ¡°What can I use? My hands.¡±


    At this moment, Xue Tiantian slowly recovered from her shock. Her mind was no longer as muddled as before. When she heard Wei Chiyu¡¯s words, she thought that he felt sorry for her and wanted to stand up for her.


    She took a look at the young man again. Although he was dressed ordinarily, he was handsome and strong. She immediately flipped her hair and started crying weakly.


    ¡°Young Master, wuwuwu, it¡¯s all this evil woman¡¯s fault for hitting me. Young Master, quickly help me.¡±


    She pretended to be enchanting and was so confident that her posture now was seductive. However, she did not know that because of her sorry state, she just seemed funny.


    After saying that, she even nced at Zhou Xiaoli smugly, as if to unt how attractive she was to men.


    However, in the next second, Wei Chiyu sighed and said, ¡°Are you stupid? How can you use your hand to hit someone? How painful it must be for you!¡±


    Xue Tiantian, who was gloating, froze on the spot. She was in disbelief. ¡°Young, young master?¡±


    Wei Chiyu ignored her. ¡°Here, use this next time. It¡¯s powerful. You can shoot through a pig with just one arrow.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed a small crossbow to Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli almost burst outughing.


    ¡°What a way of speaking to insult others without using vulgarities. I didn¡¯t expect this from you, Wei Chiyu.¡± she thought to herself.


    ¡°Not bad. Let me see if I can shoot through a pig then.¡± She immediately took over the crossbow and pointed it at Xue Tiantian.


    ¡°But what if I can¡¯t shoot urately?¡± she pondered aloud, as though in doubt.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Shoot as many as you please. There will be one that can pierce through it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that makes sense.¡±


    Listening to the ¡®crazy¡¯ conversation between these two people, the onlookers at the side automatically moved away, leaving only Xue Tiantian in the shop.


    Even Xue Tiantian¡¯s friend were so scared that she avoided her.


    Looking at the crossbow aimed at her, Xue Tiantian¡¯s face turned pale and her lips trembled. ¡°You, you would not dare to... Killing is illegal.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as I can pull you down, it¡¯s not a loss.¡± Zhou Xiaoli said indifferently.


    She said it with absolute certainty and that made Xue Tiantian feel that she was dead serious!


    ¡°Crazy, you¡¯re crazy!¡±


    Xue Tiantian waspletely terrified while looking at the ¡®mad¡¯ Zhou Xiaoli.


    She wanted to run, but her legs were too weak to move.


    Zhou Xiaoli was still aiming at her with her crossbow.


    Phew!


    Xue Tiantian immediately screamed. She covered her head and fell to the ground.


    Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s crispughter rang out. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? I haven¡¯t even drawn the bow, and you have chickened out? Tsk, how boring.¡±


    It turned out that Zhou Xiaoli had only used her mouth to simte the whooshing sound of an arrow, and had not actually shot an arrow out.


    However, Xue Tiantian was paralyzed with fear.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s ridicule, Xue Tiantian flew into a rage out of humiliation.


    At this moment, there was a smell in the air.


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s that smell?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that smell?¡±


    ¡°So smelly. It smelt like... pee?¡±


    At this time, everyone looked around for the smell and their eyes fell on Xue Tiantian.


    Then, they saw a puddle of water beside her dress...


    Did she peed herself out of shock?


    Immediately,ughter rang out.


    ...


    Xue Tiantian was so ashamed that she teared up and wanted to hide in a hole.


    She wanted to get up and leave this ce quickly.


    However, her legs were weak and she could not stand up at all. Hence, she looked at her good friend.


    However, her good friend had a look of disdain on her face and was unwilling to help her up.


    But in the end, under Xue Tiantian¡¯s threatening gaze, she still walked over and helped her up from the ground.


    Xue Tiantian gritted her teeth and red at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°You b*tch! Just you wait!¡±


    Then, she was ready to leave.


    At this moment, the shopkeeper suddenly rushed out and stopped her. ¡°Hey, Miss, Miss, wait a moment.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t taken the silk cloth you wanted. It¡¯s a total of 1300 copper coins.¡±


    Upon seeing the silk cloth, Xue Tiantian finally found a little bit of sess in this defeat.


    She had finally won a little in this battle.


    ...


    Hmph! So what if she was beaten up? She still managed to snatch away the fabric that Zhou Xiaoli liked!


    Thinking of this, she immediately looked for her pouch to pay.


    However, after a moment, she retracted her hand awkwardly. ¡°Shopkeeper, I... I didn¡¯t bring enough money. Can I put it on the tab?¡±


    When she went out, her mother had given her five taels of silver. She had just spent most of it on rouge and powder. At this moment, she only had 500 copper coins on her.


    Hearing this, the shopkeeper¡¯s expression changed. He quickly took back the silk cloth from her, as though he was afraid that the silk cloth would be contaminated with the smell of the other party¡¯s urine. He would not be able to sell it to others then.


    ¡°Little girl, you have gone overboard. If you didn¡¯t have enough money with you, why did you pretend to be able to afford it? Aren¡¯t you creating trouble?¡±


    Hearing this, Xue Tiantian felt even more ashamed.


    ¡°Only 1300 copper coins? I thought it would be more expensive.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. As she spoke, she showed the two pieces of silver in her hand.


    The shopkeeper immediately smiled. ¡°Miss, I can tell that you¡¯re more reliable than this girl. This silk cloth is yours.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at the silk cloth and snorted coldly in her heart, but she still wore a smile on her face.


    ¡°This silk cloth is beautiful.¡±


    Under the other party¡¯s expectant gaze, Zhou Xiaoli said coldly, ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    With that, she picked up her two bolts of bup and left with Wei Chiyu.


    After leaving the fabric shop, Wei Chiyu suddenly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to hold grudges.¡±


    It was obvious that Zhou Xiaoli had intentionally taken out two pieces of silver to show off in order to anger the shopkeeper.


    Zhou Xiaoli ced the linen on the donkey cart and shrugged. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t hold grudges at all. Because if I have a grudge, I¡¯ll take revenge on the spot.¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t offend me in the future. I¡¯m a petty person and I¡¯ll take revenge.¡±


    Wei Chiyu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth.¡±


    Then, he changed the topic. ¡°However, what a coincidence. It¡¯s the same for me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed and said, ¡°Then, that makes two of us.¡±


    Wei Chiyu curled his lips. ¡°Since we are the same, we would know each other best. In short, confidants. We can be considered as confidants.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Yeah, who said that wasn¡¯t the case?¡±


    The two of them couldn¡¯t help but smile at each other.


    ¡°Oh, right. Here you go.¡±


    With that, Zhou Xiaoli returned the crossbow to Wei Chiyu.


    When they came to the county, she had never seen this crossbow on him before. It must have been what Wei Chiyu went to retrieve from his friend.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40: Fraud?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Wei Chiyu did not take it and said, ¡°This is too small and not suitable for me. I think it¡¯s very suitable for you, so I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was puzzled. ¡°Then why did you order a small crossbow?¡±


    Wei Chiyu paused for a moment. ¡°I ordered the wrong size.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Xiaoli did not doubt his words.


    She needed a suitable weapon anyway.


    This small crossbow was very handy for her. As such, she happily epted it. ¡°How much did you pay for it? I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu pursed his lips and thought for a while. ¡°I want to eat dumplings.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was dumbfounded.


    She then immediately understood what Wei Chiyu meant. Dumplings in exchange for this crossbow.


    ¡°Just dumplings?¡± Zhou Xiaoli confirmed again.


    Wei Chiyu nodded.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but sighed again. A friend who viewed money as dirt, please give her another dozen of them!


    She said, ¡°Let¡¯s buy meat then. I¡¯ll make dumplings for you when we get back tonight.¡±


    With that, the two of them drove towards the market.


    As soon as the two of them left, Xue Tiantian ran out with red eyes.


    She looked at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s departing figure, and a trace of viciousness appeared in her eyes.


    She said fiercely, ¡°Little wh*re, just you wait. I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    She then shook off her friend who was supporting her and ran home angrily.


    ¡ª


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu went to buy pork and cabbage.


    Then, they went to the pharmacy to get medicine for Zhang Lan and asked about Master Yuan.


    Unfortunately, there was still no news of Master Yuan.


    After leaving the pharmacy, the two of them went straight to the carpenter¡¯s shop to customize beds, cabs, tables, chairs, screens, and other furniture for their new home.


    After leaving the furniture store, the two of them drove out of the city to go home.


    Suddenly, their donkey cart was stopped by someone.


    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s really the girl from the Zhou family. Are you guys going home?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked over and saw three women standing by the roadside.


    It turned out to be the vige chief¡¯s wife, Liu Yan, her daughter-inw, and an old woman. She seemed to be the vige chief¡¯s neighbor, Aunt Yang.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going home. Are you going home too?¡±


    Liu Yan smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, I came to the city to get some medicine.¡±


    Aunt Yang¡¯s eyesnded on the donkey cart and she smiled in an embarrassed manner. ¡°Well, Miss Zhou, we happen to be on the way. Look...¡±


    The vige chief¡¯s wife quickly nudged her and said to Zhou Xiaoli with a smile, ¡°Well, hurry up and leave. It¡¯s almost evening.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli moved forward to make room. ¡°Auntie, since we¡¯re going the same way, I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡±


    Upon hearing the invitation, Aunt Yang immediately smiled and narrowed her eyes in delight. ¡°Aiyaya, didn¡¯t I say that Miss Zhou is the most understanding girl?¡±


    Liu Yan was a little embarrassed. She said that there were too many of them and refused to sit.


    After Zhou Xiaoli expressed that the cart can take them all, she thanked her profusely and boarded the donkey cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli sat in front of the cart with Wei Chiyu.


    Only then did the donkey cart slowly move forward.


    When they passed by a pawnshop, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze swept past the shop and noticed an olddy at the entrance of the pawnshop.


    She could not help but take a few more nces at that olddy.


    The old woman was hunching over and she bowed shakily to the helper from the pawnshop.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s donkey cart slowly moved past. At this moment, the olddy suddenly stood up and rushed towards the middle of the road!


    ¡°Wei Chiyu...¡± Zhou Xiaoli cried out in fear.


    Fortunately, there were many people on the street, so the donkey cart wasn¡¯t moving at a very fast speed. In addition, Wei Chiyu reacted quickly and immediately pulled the donkey cart to a halt, so they didn¡¯t hit the olddy.


    The donkey cart stopped and the few of them jumped down.


    When the granny rushed to the middle of the road, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s first reaction was to check if the granny was trying to scam her.


    However, when she walked over, she saw that the olddy was bent over and searching for something on the ground anxiously. She was even mumbling to herself.


    ¡°Where did it fall? Where did it fall? We can¡¯t lose it...¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli stepped forward and asked, ¡°Granny, what happened to you?¡±


    The olddy was very anxious. Without even raising her head, she said anxiously, ¡°I-I dropped my jade. That¡¯s my lifeblood. I can¡¯t lose it. I can¡¯t lose it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°What does it look like? Why don¡¯t we help you look for it?¡±


    Only then did the olddy straighten her back. She first thanked her before describing her jade, ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s a round jade. It¡¯s ck and has some patterns engraved on it.¡±


    ...


    As she spoke, the olddy pped her thigh in frustration.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hold it firmly? What should I do now? That¡¯s my lifeblood. I can¡¯t lose it...¡±


    ¡°Granny, don¡¯t be anxious. We¡¯ll help you look for it. You just dropped it. You won¡¯t lose it.¡±


    As Zhou Xiaoli spoke, she called out to Wei Chiyu and the others. ¡°This granny is quite pitiful. Why don¡¯t we help her find her?¡±


    Wei Chiyu usually does whatever Zhou Xiaoli says.


    Liu Yan and the other two nodded repeatedly. ¡°Alright, we would help her find it.¡±


    The five of them bent down and searched the ground.


    After searching for a long time, there was nothing. If not for the olddy spinning around anxiously, they would have suspected that she was lying.


    ¡°Found it!¡±


    Suddenly, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice came from below the cart.


    Immediately after, she crawled out. ¡°We found it. It¡¯s blocked by the wheels. No wonder we couldn¡¯t find it.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Granny, look, is this it?¡±


    As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoli handed the ck jade to the olddy.


    When she saw the jade in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand, the olddy¡¯s tears immediately fell. She was extremely excited. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. This is it, this is it! Youngdy, thank you so much. You¡¯re really a kind person!¡±


    ¡°Granny, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Zhou Xiaoli handed the jade to her. ¡°Granny, this is your family heirloom, right? You should put it away.¡±


    Seeing how anxious the olddy was, Zhou Xiaoli guessed that this was probably an heirloom.


    However, the olddy shook her head. ¡°No, my son bought this from a merchant at the stone gambling den. He said it was jade.¡±


    As she spoke, she thought of something sad and tears flowed down his face. He sighed. ¡°But my eldest grandson suddenly fell ill some time ago and urgently needed money. We have pawned all the valuable things in the family, but he hasn¡¯t recovered yet from his illness.¡±


    ¡°Now, there¡¯s only this piece of jade left at home. I want to take it to the pawnshop in the county to see if I can pawn it for some money so that I can buy medicine for my eldest grandson.¡±


    ¡°But who knew that the helper said that the shopkeeper had something on and was rushing to go off. They were about to close the shop and asked me toe back tomorrow. But my grandson can¡¯t wait anymore.¡±


    The olddy¡¯s words were so sad that it made people cry.


    Old Madam Yang sighed with red eyes. ¡°We farmers are all like this. We can¡¯t afford to fall sick.¡±


    The olddy said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If we can¡¯t endure it, what awaits us would be a straw mat. But my eldest grandson is still so young...¡±


    At this moment, the helper walked out from the pawnshop and waved at the granny. ¡°Hey, granny,e over. My shopkeeper said he would help you take a look before leaving.¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41 Trouble

    41 Trouble


    ¡°Ah, alright!¡± The olddy immediately wiped her tears and hurriedly walked forward with her hunched body. She trembled as she handed the ck jade over.


    Seeing that everything was fine, Zhou Xiaoli and the others prepared to leave.


    At this moment, the olddy¡¯s unbelievable voice sounded. ¡°It¡¯s a stone? Shopkeeper, you said that this is a stone and not jade?¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli frowned and walked over. Then, she heard the shopkeeper say, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a stone carved with patterns. It¡¯s everywhere. It¡¯s just that the color is a little rare and not worth much. I can¡¯t take it. You should take it back.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the stone over.


    ¡°How could this be? How could this be?¡±


    The olddy trembled as she took the stone back, feeling a little dejected.


    The shopkeeper shook his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go to another pawnshop. Sigh! I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    With that, he closed the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Granny, how much did your son spend on this?¡±


    The olddy sighed. ¡°It¡¯s 1,000 copper coins. I knew it. One shouldn¡¯t buy anything from the stone gambling den. My son just won¡¯t listen. I¡¯ll break his legs when I get back!¡±


    The olddy gritted her teeth.


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips. ¡°Well, how about this, granny? I¡¯m going to make a hairpin for my mother and I happen tock a piece of decoration. I quite like this stone. Why don¡¯t I give you one tael of silver and you sell it to me?¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, not only was the olddy surprised.


    Even Liu Yan, who was in the car, almost fell down in surprise.


    She immediately called out, ¡°Little Li!¡±


    Then, she felt that it was inappropriate and whispered, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said to the granny, ¡°Granny, wait for me. I¡¯ll go get the money.¡±


    With that, she walked back to the cart. ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Little Li, don¡¯t be stupid. I know you¡¯re kind, but this isn¡¯t being kind. Whose moneyes from the sky?¡± Liu Yan whispered in her ear.


    Liu Yan¡¯s daughter-inw and Old Madam Yang also persuaded her in a low voice.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the pawnshop said about it being a stone? They¡¯re everywhere. Only a fool would spend a tael of silver to buy a stone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    Liu Yan nced at Wei Chiyu and immediately said, ¡°Chiyu, you should talk to her too.¡±


    Wei Chiyu looked up and said calmly, ¡°Auntie, she¡¯s rich.¡±


    Liu Yan: ¡°¡­ Child, even if you have the money, you shouldn¡¯t spend it like this.¡±


    Then, she went to persuade Zhou Xiaoli again.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Auntie, I know, but the color of that stone is very rare. I want to polish it and embed it into a hairpin for my mother. It will definitely look good.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was so insistent, Liu Yan and the others did not try to stop her again, especially since they were not her family.


    Zhou Xiaoli took the money and went to look for the olddy.


    Although the olddy was in a hurry to use the money, she felt a little apologetic nheless. ¡°Miss, do you really want to spend one tael of silver to buy my stone? Won¡¯t you suffer a loss in that case.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Granny, don¡¯t worry. I have my own use for this stone so it won¡¯t be a loss for me.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the money to the granny. ¡°Granny, here, this is the money.¡±


    Looking at the silver nugget in her palm, the olddy¡¯s hands trembled and she was about to kneel down to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re a really good person. I don¡¯t know how to thank you. I¡¯ll bring my grandson to bow to you!¡±


    As she spoke, she was about to kneel herself.


    Zhou Xiaoli quickly pulled her up. ¡°Granny, you can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m a junior. Won¡¯t you be doing me a disservice by kneeling?¡±


    The olddy thanked her profusely before leaving.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli bought the stone with one tael of silver, Liu Yan and the other two could not understand her thinking.


    Zhou Xiaoli only smiled and did not say anything else.


    She knew that the three of them were concerned about her, but her intuition told her that this stone might not be a simple stone.


    This was because she had just seen traces of spiritual energy on this stone.


    The first time she saw spiritual energy was when she saw it on the vase in the mayor¡¯s house. The mayor said that a master had painted the painting on the vase.


    Other than being able to see the future, the Heaven¡¯s Eye could also see things that ordinary people could not.


    For example, some famous calligraphy paintings, literature, and antiques would emit a unique spiritual energy around them.


    Ordinary people would not be able to see it.


    As such, Zhou Xiaoli smiled and did not say anything. Wei Chiyu, who was at the side, also focused on driving the cart. He was very quiet.


    The journey back was smooth and they reached the vige an hourter.


    As soon as the donkey cart entered the vige, Liu Fengfeng and Zhou Junjun ran over. Liu Fengfeng shouted, ¡°Sister Xiao Li, go home quickly. The bad guys want to hit Auntie!¡±


    Zhou Junjun also ran over. He was holding back his tears just now, but when he saw Zhou Xiaoli, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and burst into tears. ¡°Sis, someone hit Mother, someone hit Mother!¡±


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli immediately jumped off the donkey cart.


    Liu Yan and the others immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    After hearing that someone had caused trouble at her house and even hit Zhang Lan, Zhou Xiaoli could not wait any longer. She instructed, ¡°Brother Jun, go back with your Big Brother Wei!¡± Then, she ran off immediately.


    ¡ª


    Before she reached home, she saw from afar that a group of people had surrounded their house.


    ...


    As soon as she walked in, she heard a sharp voiceing from the courtyard, cursing.


    ¡°Tell your little wh*re to get out here! How dare she frame my son, causing him to be punished? If she can¡¯t give me an exnation today, I won¡¯t leave!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, if anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll make your entire family suffer!¡±


    ¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli pushed through the crowd and squeezed her way into the courtyard.


    As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw six people surrounding the courtyard. Two of the women were blocking Zhang Lan from going out.


    On Zhang Lan¡¯s face, there were obvious five-finger marks.


    There were two men standing next to them. There were two stretchers on the ground with two other people lying on them.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli recognized these two people. They were Sun Er and Wang Gou, who had been forcibly brought to the county office by the mayor and were punished.


    Needless to say, the two couples must be their parents.


    No wonder they turned out as such. Their parents were not reasonable at all!


    ...


    At this moment, Zhou Yu was extremely anxious while he¡¯s on the roof. Thedder, which was originally propped against the roof, had been thrown to the ground at one side. He was anxious and yet he could note down.


    Now that he saw that Zhou Xiaoli had returned, he became even more anxious.


    This morning, Zhou Xiaoli heard from Zhang Lan that there had been strong gusts of wind recently. As such, the thatch on the roof had been blown away by the wind, and a hole was revealed.


    She had asked Zhou Yu to repair the roof today.


    They were probably repairing the roof when the two families came to make trouble for them.


    At this moment, the Vige Chief and Liu Liangcai were trying to mediate, but Sun Er¡¯s mother, Madam Wang, and Wang Gou¡¯s mother, Madam Zhu, seemed to have gone crazy and refused to listen.


    The two crazy women were about to hit Zhang Lan again after hearing their son cry out in pain.


    Zhou Xiaoli was instantly enraged.


    She rushed up and kicked the two women in the stomach.


    The two of them were caught in surprise by Zhou Xiaoli.


    They clutched their stomach and howled.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s that little wh*re who dares to kick me!¡±

 Chapter 42 - 42 Getting Whatever Possible

    42 Getting Whatever Possible


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes were cold as she red at the two olddies and stood in front of Zhang Lan to protect her.


    As soon as Sun Er and Wang Gou saw Zhou Xiaoli, they immediately pointed at her and cried out.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, it¡¯s this little b*tch. She¡¯s the one who framed me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her! She caused me to be beaten up!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered. The epitome of the thief crying out thief!


    A thief that only knows how to bully the weak.


    They could not afford to offend the mayor and were also afraid of Wei Chiyu, so they came to pick on someone weak like her?


    She sneered in her heart. ¡°I framed you? The mayor handed you over to the Police himself, and now you¡¯re saying that I framed you? Are you saying that the mayor was wrong?¡±


    The two of them immediately shut their mouths and did not dare to continue yelling out lies.


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her voice. ¡°Everyone, be reasonable. Sun Er and Wang Gou lied to the mayor and tried to cheat him of the bounty. Fortunately, the mayor was sharp enough to see through their lies, so he handed them over to the Police and sent them to the magistrate office.¡±


    ¡°So, I have nothing to do with you being punished. Since you came to my house to cause trouble now, I can report you to the Police!¡±


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, the surrounding onlookers finally understood what was going on.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, the Wang and Sun families made such a ruckus. I was wondering what the Zhou family did to them. It turns out that they went for wool and came home shorn. They deserved to be beaten up!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sun Er and Wang Gou are two devils incarnate. They had never worked a day in their life and made trouble all day long. I think being beaten is a light punishment for them. How do they have the cheek to find trouble with the Zhou family now!¡±


    The usations from the onlookers made the Wang and Sun families¡¯ anger subside.


    Sun Er gritted his teeth and red at Zhou Xiaoli.


    He could no longer say that Zhou Xiaoli had framed him. That would make it seem that the mayor was in the wrong then.


    Was his punishment for nothing?


    He immediately suppressed his anger.


    In his anger, he punched the stretcher. His wounds immediately hurt and he cried out in pain.


    ¡°Aiyo, Mother, it hurts!¡±


    Hearing her son scream in pain,


    Madam Zhu was immediately enraged. She couldn¡¯t care less about the pain in her stomach from Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s kick and wanted to tear Zhou Xiaoli apart.


    ¡°Little wh*re! What nonsense are you spouting? I¡¯ll beat you to death today!¡±


    However, right at this moment, an exmation suddenly sounded from the crowd, followed by a bang.


    Hearing the sound, Zhou Xiaoli paused. When she looked over, her eyes immediately filled with blood.


    Zhou Yu had fallen from the roof¡­


    ¡°Zhou Yu!¡±


    Zhang Lan screamed and rushed over.


    The surroundings instantly fell silent.


    On the other hand, Zhou Yu was lying in a pool of blood with his eyes closed. He did not have any reaction.


    Zhang Lan rushed over and knelt at the side. Her hands were open and hovering above his body but she did not dare to touch him.


    ¡°Zhou Yu, don¡¯t scare me. Don¡¯t scare me. Wake up, wake up.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s shrill and yet desperate voice sounded in the courtyard, making one¡¯s heart tighten.


    Upon seeing this scene, the males of the Sun and Wang families immediately began to distance themselves.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. He fell by himself!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s not us. He was anxious and jumped down. It¡¯s none of our business!¡±


    ¡­


    At that time, almost everyone¡¯s eyes were on Zhou Xiaoli and the others. No one had seen what actually happened.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu and the others had already returned.


    Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu were stunned by the scene in front of them. They sat at the side and cried until they were out of breath.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes reddened. At this moment, Zhou Yu was on the verge of death, so she couldn¡¯t take revenge on the Sun and Wang families for the time being.


    She threw the broom away and rushed over. She knelt at the side and grabbed Zhou Yu¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Father, Father, how are you? Hang in there.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli mumbled, but her hand was still on his pulse. After confirming that there were still signs of life, she hurriedly called out, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s take Father to see the doctor first!¡±


    At this moment, the surrounding people were still stunned at what they were seeing.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, the vige chief and Liu Liangcai immediately came back to their senses. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Let¡¯s take him to see the doctor first! Donkey cart! Let¡¯s quickly unload the things on the donkey cart and use the donkey cart to move him quickly!¡±


    Zhou Yu¡¯s leg was broken. No one knew if he had injured his ribs as well and if that¡¯s the case, he would not be able to withstand the violent bumps on the road.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for the donkey cart. It¡¯s too bumpy. I¡¯m afraid Father won¡¯t be able to take it.¡±


    The vige chief pped his forehead. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s use a stretcher. Quick, get the stretcher out!¡±


    With that, he called a few strong men toe forward and lifted Sun Er off the stretcher, recing him with Zhou Yu.


    A life was at stake. This time, no one refused. Even the Sun family did not dare to say anything.


    If death were to happen, they would be sued in court!


    The more they thought about it, the more afraid they became. The Wang and Sun families shrank back and did not dare to make a sound.


    ...


    Seven or eight burly men in the vige took turns carrying Zhou Yu towards Dazhuang Vige.


    After experiencing all this, Zhang Lan also fainted. The house was in aplete mess.


    Fortunately, the vige chief¡¯s wife stayed behind to help take care of Zhang Lan and the two frightened children.


    Zhou Xiaoli followed them to Dazhuang Vige.


    ¡ª


    ¡°s!¡±


    Physician Feng shook his head and sighed. ¡°One of his legs was broken. Fortunately, I¡¯ve managed to realign it. If he is able to recuperate well for a month, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to get out of bed and walk normally.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that.¡± Then, he sighed. ¡°Your father¡¯s head was injured previously. This time, he fell and injured his head again. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not optimistic. When you go home, you¡¯ll have to think of a way to pour the medicine down his throat. If he doesn¡¯t wake up by tomorrow night, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes darkened. This was what she had been worried about. She was afraid that Zhou Yu would be a vegetable if he hurt his head again.


    At this moment, she was a little regretful. When she listened to Immortal Tai preach the Taoism Way, she shouldn¡¯t have been yful and paid attention in ss. As a result, she only learned a little of the Five Metaphysical Techniques.


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Doctor.¡±


    ...


    After responding, the seven or eight burly men in the vige helped carry Zhou Yu back to the Zhou family.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan had already woken up, but her body had also weakened. The effects from the previous treatment had mostly disappeared.


    At this moment, she sat on the bed. As she wiped Zhou Yu¡¯s face, she secretly wiped her tears as well.


    The two little guys were tired from crying and were coaxed to sleep.


    Meanwhile, the Wang and Sun families had long disappeared.


    ¡°Thank you for your help today. It¡¯s getting dark. Everyone is tired. Go back and rest first. I can¡¯t leave now, so I won¡¯t send you off. When Father wakes up, I¡¯ll definitely visit and thank you in person.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not show any signs of panic. She continued to deal with everything in the house in an orderly manner.


    She did not cry or make a fuss. It made everyone¡¯s heart ache for this little girl even more.


    Liu Yan grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand and repeatedly instructed, ¡°If anything happens, don¡¯t force yourself. You muste to us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Auntie. I understand.¡±


    After sending everyone off, Zhou Xiaoli closed the door.


    A trace of coldness shed across her eyes before dissipating quickly.


    Zhang Lan coughed and looked at Zhou Xiaoli moving busily in and out of the house, feeling guilty and heartbroken.


    She was really useless. Her family was in chaos and as a mother, she had panicked. Everything elsended on Zhou Xiaoli to take charge.

 Chapter 43 - 43 Space

    43 Space


    Zhou Xiaoli did not tell Zhang Lan that Zhou Yu might not wake up.


    With Zhang Lan¡¯s current physical condition, if she knew about this, something bad might happen.


    ¡°Mother, is Sis back?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu woke up, and the first thing she asked was about Zhou Xiaoli.


    Then, when she saw Zhou Xiaoli feeding Zhou Yu medicine, she pouted and started to tear up.


    ¡°Sis, Mother, Father, bad guy, hit bad guy¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu sobbed and could not even speak clearly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t be afraid. The bad guys have run away.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pulled the little fellow into her arms andforted her in a soft voice. Her heart ached for her.


    The child was only four years old. After experiencing what happened this afternoon, she must have been terrified. She prayed that she would not have any psychological trauma.


    At this moment, themotion woke Zhou Junjun up as well.


    When he woke up, he did not cry anymore, but his eyes were red as he sat on the bed in a daze.


    ¡°Brother Jun, don¡¯t be afraid. The bad guy is no longer around.¡±


    Looking at Zhou Junjun, who was in a daze, Zhou Xiaoli was worried that this little guy had lost his soul from fear. She could not help but speak in a warm and calm manner.


    Seeing the two children like this, Zhang Lan¡¯s face was filled with worry and heartache as well.


    However, Zhou Junjun sniffed and raised his head. He said loudly, ¡°Sis, I¡¯m not afraid! I¡¯m the little man in our family. I want to protect Sis, Younger Sister, and Mother!¡±


    As he spoke, he patted his chest.


    Upon hearing Zhou Junjun¡¯s words, Zhou Xiaoyu immediately crawled out of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s arms. Wiping her tears, she patted her chest and said, ¡°I, I, I¡¯m not afraid. I, too, will protect Sis and Mother!¡±


    She had cried so hard just now that she was huping. However, she spoke with confidence even before her hup had subsided.


    Looking at the two little ones, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes softened.


    Zhang Lan coughed as she watched this scene. Her tears fell again and she hurriedly turned around to wipe them away.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu eximed.


    ¡°S-Sis, your nose is bleeding¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli also felt that her snot seemed to be flowing out uncontrobly. She subconsciously reached out to touch it and saw that her hand was covered in blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nosebleed.¡± Zhang Lan immediately stood up. ¡°Quick, bring Sis outside to pat her forehead with cold water.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pinched her nose and ran outside.


    The two little fellows also ran out. One ran to carry the basin, while the other scooped water from the vat.


    ¡°Sis, wash up quickly.¡±


    The nosebleed came suddenly and violently, as if it could not be stopped.


    As Zhou Xiaoli washed, she applied cold water to the bridge of her nose to stop the bleeding.


    Soon, the water in the basin was dyed red with blood.


    ¡°Li¡¯er, how is it? Block your nostrils with cotton.¡±


    Zhang Lan came out of the room with cotton in her hand.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to do that. I¡¯ll just wash up.¡±


    It was undesirable to stop nosebleeds with cotton.


    This may cause the nasal mucous membrane to be rough, or even scratch the nasal mucous membrane, causing secondary damage which would worsen the nosebleed.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli applied cold water to the bridge of her nose, there was a sudden thud.


    Something slipped from her arms and fell into the basin.


    Looking over, Zhou Xiaoli could not help but freeze.


    The blood-stained water had be clear, and there was a stone lying at the bottom of the basin.


    The stone that she had bought from the olddy today.


    ¡°Ah, Sis, look!¡±


    Obviously, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun also noticed it and pointed at the basin in surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhang Lan also walked over.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no blood!¡± Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun pointed at the basin in surprise.


    Zhang Lan looked over and saw a basin of clear water with a stone at the bottom. She could not help but ask, ¡°Why did you two children pour the stone into the basin for your sister?¡±


    ¡°No, Mother.¡± Zhou Xiaoli was still confused about what had just happened. Why did the blood in the water suddenly disappear?


    Could it be rted to this stone?


    As she thought about it, Zhou Xiaoli reached out and took out the stone.


    As expected, the originally ck stone seemed to have be lighter in color to gray.


    Moreover, the stone was very hot.


    Just as she was thinking about it, the blood from her nose slid down her hand that was pinching her nose, and dripped onto the stone.


    With a sizzling sound, the drop of blood disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye. The originally gray stone immediately turned blood-red.


    The two little fellows were so shocked that their mouths dropped wide open.


    ...


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes widened in shock too.


    However, what surprised them was yet toe.


    The few of them felt dizzy. In a sh, the scene before them changed.


    The Zhou family¡¯s small courtyard that they were originally in was no longer there. What greeted their eyes was a brand new farm courtyard.


    ¡°W-where is this?¡±


    Zhang Lan looked around in horror.


    Zhou Xiaoyu grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand in fear. Zhou Junjun was also so afraid that he subconsciously wanted to hold Zhou Xiaoli too.


    But when he thought about how his father was sick and he was the only man in the family, he had to be the one to support the family!


    The little fellow stilled his face and puffed out his chest, looking as though he was ready to protect his family.


    Compared to their fear, Zhou Xiaoli was excited!


    Alternate space!


    ...


    This was an alternate space!


    Who could have known that this unremarkable ck stone was such a good thing.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be afraid. This should be called alternate space. It¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Lan was still confused, Zhou Xiaoli exined to her.


    Zhang Lan was still not very clear, but she understood something. ¡°You mean this is something from the gods? Things from the real world can be put in here?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli nod, Zhang Lan was overjoyed. Although she didn¡¯t quite understand why they had to put things into this space, couldn¡¯t they just put them at home too?


    However, she still felt extremely happy.


    She couldn¡¯t help but hold Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s face. ¡°Just like I have said, my daughter is a lucky star and is favored by the heavens!¡±


    The two little fellows were infected by her joyous mood and were no longer so afraid. They began to observe their surroundings curiously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at this space first,¡± Zhou Xiaoli suggested.


    Then, the four of them strolled around the space.


    At present, other than the small courtyard and the surrounding few acres ofnd, the rest of the space was white.


    The three of them pushed open the door and entered. The small courtyard was not very big. It had seven rooms, two livestock sheds, and a pigsty. There were two acres of fields behind the small courtyard.


    Beside the field was a clear spring.


    The spring water emitted some spiritual energy.


    Thinking of something, Zhou Xiaoli walked over and took a sip of the spring water. It was refreshing and sweet.


    Instantly, she felt energized and rxed.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. As expected, this spring water had the effect of strengthening the body.


    Zhou Xiaoli quickly called the three of them over and asked them to take a sip of water from the Spiritual Spring. Thereafter, she started thinking on how to get out of the space.


    However, just as she thought of this, the four of them returned home again.


    Her nose was no longer bleeding, and the stone in her hand had disappeared. In its ce was a red mole on her palm.

 Chapter 44 - 44 Dealing With the Wang and Sun families

    44 Dealing With the Wang and Sun families


    After a few experiments, Zhou Xiaoli basically mastered how to use the alternate space.<div>


    She had to use her mind power to enter or to use the alternate space.


    As long as she wanted to enter the alternate space, her consciousness would immediately appear in the alternate space. When she wanted to leave, her consciousness woulde out of the alternate space again.


    As for Zhang Lan, Zhou Xiaoyu, and Zhou Junjun, how did they enter the alternate space?


    Zhou Xiaoli guessed that it might be because they were rted by blood.


    As long as they stayed with Zhou Xiaoli, their consciousness could freely enter and exit the alternate space too. However, they could not take anything out of it.


    Aftering out of the alternate space, Zhang Lan could not calm down for a long time.


    Although she did not understand the purpose of putting things into the space, she was pleasantly surprised when she saw the two acres of fertilend beside the courtyard.


    ¡°When the market starts, I have to buy some seeds and nt in the two acres ofnd in the space.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could understand why Zhang Lan was so excited about it. They do not have farnd, which has always been a sore point for Zhang Lan. Now that she had good farnd in her alternative space and they did not have to pay farm tax on it, Zhang Lan was naturally excited.


    Just as Zhang Lan was nning what to nt on the two acres ofnd with excitement, she suddenly realized something and was stunned.<div>


    Then, she tried to move her body and could not help but be surprised. ¡°Why do I feel that my body is no longer heavy?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not coughing!¡±


    ¡°Yes, this should be the effect of the spring water in the alternate space. It has the effect of strengthening the body,¡± Zhou Xiaoli exined.


    She scooped out a bowl of the spring water from the alternate space. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to Father to drink.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes. Give your father some.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Lan was still in a daze. This alternate space was too mysterious. There were houses and fertile fields inside. What was even more magical was that the spring water inside could treat illnesses. This made her feel like she was dreaming.


    She suddenly thought of something and hurriedly pulled Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun into the room. She instructed them with a serious expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a blessing for your sister that the gods have given her this alternate space.¡±


    ¡°From now on, when you¡¯re outside, you have to keep your mouths shut. Don¡¯t spout nonsense nor tell anyone!¡±


    ¡°If others find out, it would be a small matter if they were to snatch it away. They might even take our lives to get it!¡±<div>


    Zhang Lan said it seriously, but she did not mean to scare the two children.


    This was also the first time the two little fellows saw their mother having such a serious expression on her face. They immediately nodded repeatedly, indicating that they would not say anything to outsiders.


    Seeing the two children repeatedly promised to do so, Zhang Lan was slightly relieved and went into the house to see Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Yu was unconscious and could not drink the herbal medicine.


    When Zhou Xiaoli fed him the medicine just now, not a single drop entered his mouth.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli was thinking of a way to make Zhou Yu drink the spiritual spring water.


    Zhang Lan walked in.


    ¡°How is it? Did your father drink it?¡±


    Hearing Zhang Lan¡¯s voice, Zhou Xiaoli immediately had an idea. ¡°Mother, I need your help. Come, you¡­¡±


    After hearing this, Zhang Lan¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Will this work?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Xiaoli handed the water to Zhang Lan. ¡°Mother, saving Father is more important. Don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about this? Second Brother, Third Sister, and I will go out first. Call us when you¡¯re done feeding.¡±


    After saying that, she winked at Zhang Lan and pulled Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun out.


    ¡°Sis, what do you want Mother to do?¡± Zhou Xiaoyu was curious.


    Zhou Junjun patted Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s head from the side. ¡°Little fool, of course it¡¯s for Mother to feed Father the spring water.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu immediately covered her head and red at Zhou Junjun. ¡°Bad brother, I¡¯m not a little fool. Hmph! You even hit my head. I won¡¯t be with you anymore.¡±


    After saying that, she hugged Zhou Xiaoli and bared her teeth at Zhou Junjun.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s lips curled up as she watched the two little fellows y around.


    It was great. The two children should grow up carefree.


    After a while, Zhang Lan¡¯s voice came from the room.


    She had already fed Zhou Yu the entire bowl of the spiritual spring water.


    Zhou Yu should be fine then.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart finally settled down in peace.


    The sky gradually darkened. Everyone climbed into bed and prepared to rest.


    When it waste at night and everyone in the family was asleep, Zhou Xiaoli quietly left the house. She took her weapon and headed toward the Sun family.


    Under the moonlight, she found Sun Er¡¯s room. She pushed open the door and was about to knock the person on the bed unconscious when she realized that the bed was empty.


    The room was slightly messy. Clothes and the bedsheets were scattered all over the floor, as if someone had forcefully pulled him down from the bed.


    After checking around the Sun family courtyard and being unable to find Sun Er, Zhou Xiaoli went to the Wang family.


    The situation in Wang Gou¡¯s room was the same as Sun Er¡¯s. His bedsheets and clothes were scattered all over the floor, and he was not on the bed.


    Zhou Xiaoli was puzzled. Where did these two people go in the middle of the night?


    Zhou Xiaoli was prepared to go home and think of another way to capture them.


    Just as she was about to reach her home, she suddenly saw a ck figure squatting at the entrance of Wei Chiyu¡¯s house. She did not know what he was doing.


    In an instant, Zhou Xiaoli turned vignt. She raised her crossbow and quietly approached the figure.


    The ck shadow seemed to have sharp senses as he noticed her presence as soon as Zhou Xiaoli approached him.


    The moment this person turned around, the two of them shouted at the same time.


    ¡°Wei Chiyu?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Xiaoli?¡±


    Then, they said in unison, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The two of them could not help but smile awkwardly.


    Zhou Xiaoli put away her crossbow and walked over. She asked again, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping in the middle of the night?¡±


    Wei Chiyu did not answer Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s question. Instead, he said, ¡°What a coincidence that you¡¯re here. I won¡¯t have to wait till tomorrow to find you.¡±


    ¡°Look, what do you think this is?¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed behind him mysteriously.


    Zhou Xiaoli was confused. She looked at Wei Chiyu, but still walked over to check.


    There were two sacks on the ground. From the shape, they looked like humans.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned. Did Wei Chiyu have the habit of sneaking around at night?


    Then, Wei Chiyu untied the sack and opened it, revealing two people!


    However, both of them were bruised and unconscious.


    After looking at them for a long time, Zhou Xiaoli could vaguely tell who they were from their bruised and swollen faces.


    ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t they¡­¡±


    Wei Chiyu immediately said, ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s them. I just went to kidnap them and beat them up for you. Has your anger subsided?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not know if it was an illusion, but she felt that Wei Chiyu seemed to be asking for credit.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was silent, Wei Chiyu added, ¡°If you are still angry,e and hit them a few times. It will definitely vent your anger.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a wooden stick that was as thick as a child¡¯s arm and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli took the stick and said with a helpless expression, ¡°I was wondering why I missed them when I went to the Wang and Sun family homes earlier. It turns out that you kidnapped them. You ruined my n, do you know that?¡±


    The expression on Wei Chiyu¡¯s face instantly froze. After a while, he said with uncertainty. ¡°Then, should I put them back and you can kidnap them again?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°¡­ there¡¯s no need. Let¡¯s leave it at that. However, you have to do me a favor tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45 Establishing Power

    45 Establishing Power


    The next day, early in the morning, Wei Chiyu announced that the sons of the Wang and Sun families had been kidnapped by Zhou Xiaoli.


    Soon, the Sun family and the Wang family came knocking on her door.


    There were also many vigers who came to watch the show.


    ¡°Little b*tch Zhou, let go of my son. Let me tell you, if anything happens to my son, I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    !!


    Zhou Xiaoli stood up and opened the door after hearing the curses from outside.


    As soon as the door opened, Madam Zhu and Madam Wang pounced on Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not panic at all. She dodged to the side and raised her leg at the same time to kick the two of them.


    After being hit, the two of them flew into a rage out of humiliation. They got up from the ground and were about to go forward and tear Zhou Xiaoli apart.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice then rang out. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your son to die, stand still!¡±


    The two of them were stunned. They looked over and saw their precious sons tied to a tree in the courtyard. They were beaten until their faces were all swollen and could not be seen clearly.


    The two of them immediately burst into tears.


    ¡°My son!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s head hurt when she heard the ruckus. She dug her ears and said, ¡°Alright, alright. Stop mourning. They¡¯re not dead yet!¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up the two basins of cold water on the ground and poured them on their heads.


    The two of them immediately woke up.


    When he saw Zhou Xiaoli in front of him, Wang Gou¡¯s eyes immediately trembled in fear.


    It was only because he had woken upst night and was beaten up by Zhou Xiaoli.


    On the other hand, when Sun Er saw Zhou Xiaoli, he struggled and shouted. ¡°B*tch, how dare you tie me up? Let me go, or I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was toozy to waste her breath on him. She immediatelyshed out with her whip. ¡°Noisy!¡±


    Sun Er cried out for his parents.


    Seeing her son cry out in pain, Madam Wang¡¯s heart ached. She couldn¡¯t care less and pounced forward. However, before she could get close, she was kicked out of the courtyard by Zhou Xiaoli again.


    It was a powerful kick by Zhou Xiaoli. Madam Wangy on the ground for a long time before getting up.


    Zhou Xiaoli pped her hands and said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your effort. You can¡¯t best me.¡±


    Madam Wang and Madam Zhu were indignant and wanted to pull their men forward to assist them.


    However, at this moment, their man¡¯s face darkened as they grabbed their wife. ¡°Alright, stop causing trouble!¡±


    After scolding his wife, the Wang family spoke first. ¡°Miss Zhou, you kidnapped my son and got someone to inform us. You must want something. Tell me, what do you want?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed. ¡°Finally, someone with a brain.¡±


    Then, she said, ¡°You came to my house to cause trouble yesterday, causing my father to fall from the roof. He¡¯s still unconscious right now. The doctor said that if he doesn¡¯t wake up tonight, he¡¯ll be dead!¡±


    ¡°My mother is sick in bed because of this. You have to give me an exnation for this!¡±


    When they heard that Zhou Yu¡¯s condition was so serious, the Wang and Sun families felt a little guilty.


    It was still the Wang family who spoke first. ¡°What do you want in exchange for my son to go free?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Each family will give me 15 taels of silver to treat my father and mother.¡±


    When they heard that she wanted 15 taels of silver, Madam Wang and Madam Zhu immediately refused.


    ¡°Fifteen taels, why don¡¯t you go rob someone for it! No, not a single tael would be given!¡± She jumped up from the ground and shouted in a high-pitched voice.


    ¡°Let me tell you, your father fell from the roof himself. You can¡¯t me us for that. Why should we bear the medical fees!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your father¡¯s fall has nothing to do with us. We haven¡¯t even asked your family for medical fees. My son was beaten up badly by you!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not say anything and only said, ¡°I won¡¯t let him go without money!¡±


    At this moment, vigers had already gathered at the doorway and were pointing at them.


    Soon, Wei Chiyu arrived with the mayor.


    As soon as they saw the mayor, Madam Wang and Madam Zhu immediately rushed over and started crying.


    ¡°Mayor, you must help us.¡±


    ¡°This little b*tch is crazy. Look at how badly she had beat my son up. If you hadn¡¯te, my son would have died at the hands of this little b*tch. Boohoo.¡±


    ¡°She even wants to extort 15 taels of silver from us. If we don¡¯t pay, she won¡¯t let my son off.¡±


    ¡­


    The mayor frowned. ¡°Alright, alright. Do you really think I don¡¯t know what happened?!¡±


    ¡°Your son tried to cheat the bounty first and was punished. He didn¡¯t repent and actually came to the Zhou family to cause trouble!¡±


    ¡°You caused her father to fall off the roof and he¡¯s still unconscious. How dare you cry for justice here right now?¡±


    Madam Wang and Madam Zhu were not convinced.


    ¡°But she also hit my son. Mayor, look, my son is still bruised and swollen!¡±


    Sun Er immediately cooperated and cried out, looking like he was about to die then.


    The mayor was still unmoved. ¡°He deserves it! He idles around all day. Tell me, who in the neighboring viges doesn¡¯t know that your son is a b*stard!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t educate your child yourselves and allow them to cause trouble, you have to thank others for teaching them a lesson! Otherwise, if they cause a huge trouble in the future, let¡¯s see if you can handle it then!¡±


    Seeing that the mayor was biased towards the Zhou family¡¯s daughter, the Wang and Sun families were dumbfounded.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s still unknown if her father would be dead or alive, but you¡¯re still causing trouble here. Take out the money and bring your son back quickly.¡± The mayor continued.


    ...


    ¡°If anything happens to her father, you¡¯ll be in jail!¡±


    Upon hearing that they would be imprisoned, the Wang and Sun families were afraid.


    All of them said that they were willing to pay, but they also said that their families did not have that much money.


    Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli did not want to give in. In the end, it became a matter of repaying the debt with material items.


    When Zhou Xiaoli removed their things away from their homes, Madam Wang and Madam Zhu were still sitting on the ground and in tears.


    ¡°Take care of your son. If he dares to provoke my family again, it won¡¯t be as simple as a beating and using money to settle!¡± Zhou Xiaoli coldly said.


    As she spoke, she nced at them coldly.


    The two of them were immediately frightened by the coldness in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes and did not dare to make a sound.


    After today¡¯s performance, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s fierce and domineering reputation spread throughout the vige.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect the youngdy from the Zhou family to be so valiant even though she looks gentle and weak. She did not even blink when she was hitting them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Look at how the sons of the Wang and Sun families were beaten up. I can¡¯t even recognize his face. She¡¯s really ruthless!¡±


    ...


    ¡°This girl from the Zhou family used to be so submissive that she didn¡¯t even dare to look up at anyone. Why does she suddenly seem like a different person?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, she must have been forced to do so. They do not have a man to be in charge at home, and her mother is sick and weak. She¡¯s been bullied a lot. Even a rabbit would bite when it¡¯s anxious!¡±


    ¡­


    At the same time, as her reputation of being domineering spread, those in the vige who thought that the Zhou family had no man in the family to stand up for them and hence could be bullied, gave up on that thought as well.


    After the people in the vige who were watching themotion left, the mayor did not leave.


    He waited for the vigers to leave before stepping forward to the question in his heart. ¡°Miss Zhou, how did you know that there was a problem with my ancestral grave?¡±

 Chapter 46 - 46 Convinced

    46 Convinced


    This was the method that Zhou Xiaoli hade up with to call the mayor over and to ensure that the mayor would side with her family.


    After all, the mayor would usually not appear as long as the dispute between the vigers was not a big matter.


    Moreover, she had only met the mayor once, so she could not guarantee that the mayor would help her.


    Hence, she asked Wei Chiyu to bring a message to the mayor.


    !!


    While receiving the reward money, Zhou Xiaoli had noticed that the mayor¡¯s family members¡¯ foreheads had traces of ckness, and several of them were ill.


    On her way home from the county city, she happened to pass by the ancestral grave of the mayor¡¯s family. At that time, she saw a ball of gray baleful aura floating north of the ancestral grave. It was obvious that they had offended something.


    At that time, she did not want to care.


    After all, she was not familiar with the mayor. Moreover, there was no need to take the risk and expose herself.


    However, she was angered by how the Wang and Sun families came to make trouble yesterday.


    Therefore, she thought of using this to befriend the mayor and to teach the Wang and Sun families a lesson. At the same time, she wanted to establish her might in the vige.


    That was why the mayor came out of the blue today.


    ¡°Mayor, pleasee in.¡± Zhou Xiaoli closed the door and led the mayor to the living room with a smile.


    After Zhang Lan served tea to the mayor, she went out.


    Zhou Xiaoli finally spoke.


    However, she did not directly answer the mayor¡¯s question. Instead, she asked, ¡°Mayor, has your family often suffered from illnesses and had trouble with lower limbs in the past few years?¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, not only did your family suffer from illnesses and pain this year, they also lost money.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the mayor looked up from his ss of water.


    He put down the cup of water and looked at Zhou Xiaoli. He paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. Over the years, people in the family have often fallen sick. However, we are humans, so how can we not fall sick?¡±


    The mayor was not surprised that Zhou Xiaoli had mentioned that many of his nsmen were sick.


    After all, Dazhuang Vige was not far from Boyu Vige, so it was not surprising for her to hear of these.


    However, what Zhou Xiaoli said next stunned him.


    ¡°Mayor, I¡¯m a junior. What I¡¯m about to say might offend you. I hope you won¡¯t be angry.¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Xiaoli lowered her voice and said, ¡°Mayor, have you been feeling soreness in your waist recently? Do you often feel powerless when you are intimate with your wife?¡±


    As soon as she said this, the mayor was stunned for a moment. Embarrassment and anger came and was reced with shock in the end.


    How did a youngdy like her know about this?


    Zhou Xiaoli was sure that she was right when she saw the change in expression on his face.


    She whispered, ¡°Mayor, don¡¯t worry. No one else knows about this.¡±


    The mayor finally managed to catch his breath and asked Zhou Xiaoli suspiciously, ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said indifferently, ¡°Mayor, don¡¯t panic. When I was young, I was yful and often went to the mountains to y with a crazy priest. That crazy priest taught me some Feng Shui knowledge.¡±


    ¡°When I went to your house yesterday and saw your family, I felt that something was wrong.¡±


    ¡°When I came back, I happened to pass by your ancestral grave. Only then did I know that something had happened to your ancestral grave.¡±


    ¡°Feng Shui?¡± The mayor clearly did not believe her words. ¡°You know how to read Feng Shui?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I know it all. I just learned a little from that crazy priest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I felt that something was wrong, so I made a bold guess. If I¡¯m not wrong, water should have umted in the ancestral grave of the mayor¡¯s family. That¡¯s why your nsmen often suffer from illnesses.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t deal with it, I¡¯m afraid it will endanger the descendants of your nsmen, causing them to wither and die. Their luck will be poor as well.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words caused the mayor to fall into deep thought.


    At this time, Zhou Xiaoli added, ¡°Mayor, you must have thought that there might be a problem with the ancestral grave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only learned a little. It¡¯s reasonable that you don¡¯t believe me. However, the problem with the ancestral grave is a big deal. Why don¡¯t you find a Feng Shui master to take a look?¡±


    The mayor nodded, feeling that what Zhou Xiaoli said made sense.


    Therefore, after bidding farewell and returning home, he immediately asked someone to find a rtively reliable Feng Shui master.


    In the end, what the Feng Shui master said was not much different from what Zhou Xiaoli said.


    However, the Feng Shui master could only confirm that there was something wrong with the ancestral grave of the mayor¡¯s family. He could not tell what was wrong or where had gone wrong.


    At this moment, the mayor recalled what Zhou Xiaoli said.


    He immediately called for someone to open the north section of the tomb.


    When the tomb was opened, the mayor instantly froze on the spot.


    As Zhou Xiaoli had said, there was water in the tomb!


    When the Feng Shui master saw this, his eyes widened. ¡°This, this, how did you know that there was a problem here?¡±


    The mayor was still in shock. After a long time, he said, ¡°Someone told me.¡±


    The Feng Shui master was shocked. ¡°Heavens! He must be a master to be able to tell urately which direction had gone wrong. Can you introduce him to me?¡±


    The Feng Shui master spoke in an extremely sincere and urgent manner.


    All these years, ever since Master Yuan disappeared, one could no longer find a true Feng Shui master.


    Most of the people on the market were frence students like him. It was considered good enough for those who know a little about Feng Shui.


    There were also many scammers who were just pretending.


    That was the reason for his excitement when he heard that someone had diagnosed the problem urately.


    ...


    He wanted to know the master and most importantly, to acknowledge him as his master and learn orthodox knowledge.


    However, the mayor said, ¡°She¡¯s not a master.¡±


    He was even more shocked. ¡°Not a Feng Shui master! How is this possible?¡±


    The mayor nodded. ¡°Yes, she said that she had only learned some superficial knowledge from a crazy priest.¡±


    The Feng Shui master¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Only superficial knowledge? How talented must he be!¡±


    Seeing the Feng Shui master in such an excited state, the mayor said, ¡°Those who can tell the location are considered talented. What if she could tell that the problem was all because of water?¡±


    As soon as he said this, the Feng Shui master almost jumped up. ¡°Then he¡¯s not just talented. If it¡¯s really as what Mr. Mayor had said, he must be a grandmaster!¡±


    The mayor was shocked and excited at the same time.


    He knew that a true metaphysical master could kill people without leaving a trace.


    He could not help but break out in cold sweat.


    His intuition told him that Zhou Xiaoli was definitely not simple!


    ...


    In the end, the mayor rejected the Feng Shui master¡¯s plea.


    The next day, he went to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s house with a gift.


    Firstly, it was to thank her. Secondly, it was to ask Zhou Xiaoli for a favor.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to move the ancestral grave. Master, do you have any rmendations?¡±


    Looking at the extremely respectful mayor, Zhou Xiaoli knew that he must have confirmed the problem with his ancestral grave.


    She smiled and said, ¡°Sir Mayor, don¡¯t call me Master. It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡±


    The mayor chuckled. ¡°Sigh, how can that be? Everything that you said came true. You¡¯re a master.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli felt ufortable when he kept calling her a master.


    She immediately waved her hands. ¡°Sir Mayor, you can just call me Xiao Li. Calling me a master made me feel old.¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 Worse Than a Beast

    47 Worse Than a Beast


    The mayor could not help butugh. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll listen to you. In the future, I won¡¯t call you Master anymore. I¡¯ll call you Little Li like Zheng Heping. You don¡¯t have to call me Sir Mayor anymore as well.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled, knowing that they were on good terms with the mayor now. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Uncle Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± The mayor smiled until his eyes curved. ¡°Then, about my ancestral grave.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zhuang. I¡¯ll definitely take a look at it for you.¡±


    After receiving Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s promise, the mayor finally felt relieved.


    At this moment, voices came from the courtyard.


    Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun ran in in a panic.


    Zhou Xiaoyu said anxiously, ¡°Sis, Sis, there¡¯s bad news. Grandmother, Grandmother hase to our house!¡±


    ¡°Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt are also here!¡± Zhou Junjun added.


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli subconsciously furrowed her brows. That was quick on their part!


    She knew it. How could Lai Jinniang and the others not be tempted since their family had so much money suddenly?


    In addition, she had made a mockery of her good cousin, Xue Tiantian, in the county city yesterday. How could Zhou Guixiang, who doted on her daughter, endure it?


    Here shees since she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed and smiled apologetically. ¡°Uncle Zhuang, please sit for a while. We¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±


    Upon hearing that it was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s grandmother and aunts, the mayor originally wanted to take his leave. After all, this was someone else¡¯s family matter. It wouldn¡¯t be good for him to listen in.


    However, he had more or less heard about the Zhou family and their affairs. In order to prevent them from creating trouble, the mayor chose to stay for a while.


    After taking leave from the mayor, Zhou Xiaoli walked out with Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun.


    In the courtyard, what she expected did not happen.


    On the contrary, Lai Jinniang held a handkerchief and was wiping non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes. She and her two daughters were acting out a scene where they felt sorry for their son and brother.


    Zhou Xiaoli was confused. Huh?


    What were they up to?


    Before she could think about it carefully, their next performance let Zhou Xiaoli know what they were nning.


    ¡°My poor son. My heart aches so much. Why did he fall off the roof?¡± Lai Jinniang cried in a fake manner.


    ¡°Boohoo, that¡¯s right. Why is Big Brother¡¯s life so tough? He¡¯s so young. Sigh!¡± Zhou Guixiang¡¯s tears were also fake. ¡°Mother, tell me, if Big Brother is gone, how would the Sister-inw and the children live in the future?¡±


    At this time, Lai Jinniang came forward and took Zhang Lan¡¯s hand, looking like a kind mother-inw. ¡°Madam Zhang, it¡¯s been hard on you. How about this? The three children are still young. You cane home with me. I¡¯m really worried about your family living outside.¡±


    Zhang Lan was used to being suppressed by Lai Jinniang. She wanted to pull her hand back, but she didn¡¯t dare to. She subconsciously looked at the one who gave her confidence, Zhou Xiaoli.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli had already walked over. She deliberately raised her voice and said, ¡°Aiya, Grandma, is what you said true?¡±


    She said in a pleasantly surprised manner but she pulled Lai Jinniang¡¯s hand away from Zhang Lan¡¯s hand then.


    Then, she stared at Lai Jinniang with innocent eyes. ¡°Grandma, are you really willing to let us go home? Didn¡¯t you think that I¡¯m a jinx and want to chase us away?¡±


    She suddenly thought of something and said in surprise. ¡°Aiya, Grandma, don¡¯t tell me you want us to go back so that you can get the 50 taels of silver that my family got!¡±


    As she spoke, she covered her mouth in disbelief and shook her head repeatedly. ¡°Ah, no, no. Grandma is definitely not a shameless person. Wouldn¡¯t she be worse than a beast if she were to do that?!¡±


    As she spoke, she nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Grandma, you¡¯re definitely not worse than a beast!¡±


    After being exposed by Zhou Xiaoli, Lai Jinniang and her daughters¡¯ expressions were very interesting.


    Zhou Guihua, who was the youngest and the most impatient, immediately wanted to retort back. In the end, she was stopped by Zhou Guixiang. She gave her a look and suppressed her from taking any actions.


    Lai Jinniang finally suppressed her urge to hit her and pretended to be angry. ¡°You¡¯re really rude. What are you talking about? You should be good¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Zhou Xiaoli interrupted her with a wink. ¡°Grandmother, I don¡¯t know how to speak. I¡¯m a little direct, but I¡¯m still a child. Grandmother, you won¡¯t be so petty as to argue with a child like me, right? Or did I hit the nail on the head?¡±


    Lai Jinniang swallowed her words. She had wanted to use her status as an elder to suppress her. ¡°¡­ How can that be? Hehe.¡±


    When did this wretched girl be so eloquent?


    This morning, when she heard from her eldest daughter that Tiantian had been bullied by Zhou Xiaoli, she did not believe it. From the looks of it, it must be true.


    It seemed that this wretched girl had been pretending when they were at the ancestral home in the past.


    ¡°Haha, I knew Grandma wasn¡¯t a petty beast!¡± Zhou Xiaoli said with sarcasm again.


    Then, she seemed to have realized something. ¡°Ah, I know. Grandma, you must pity our family for having such a difficult life. You can¡¯t bear to see us die on the streets, right?¡±


    Seeing that they had finally changed topic, Lai Jinniang immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I just feel sorry for you. Although Dng is not my biological son, I have always treated him as my biological son.¡±


    ¡°Previously, I vented my anger on your family because of your uncle¡¯s matter. I regretted it afterwards too. But now, I¡¯m faced with having to send my son off before me. Oh, my heart breaks upon thinking about it!¡±


    As she spoke, she wiped her tears hypocritically. ¡°I can¡¯t watch my eldest son die!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    It turned out that Lai Jinniang and the others thought that her father was dead.


    That was true. The vigers who had helped carry Zhou Yu to the doctor¡¯s ce had heard the doctor¡¯s words.


    If Zhou Yu did not wake up today, he would probably die.


    Indeed, there was no news of Zhou Yu waking up today, and Zhou Xiaoli was furious at the Wang and Sun families.


    There were probably rumors on the streets that Zhou Yu did not make it.


    It had to be said that Zhou Xiaoli was right.


    The people on the streets were all saying that Zhou Yu did not make it anymore. Coincidentally, Zhou Guixiang, who had returned to her mother¡¯s house, heard it.


    Her purpose of returning home was to avenge her daughter. When she returned to the Zhou family, she found out that Zhou Yu¡¯s family had already been chased out.


    ...


    She originally wanted Lai Jinniang to teach Zhou Xiaoli a lesson, but her father cared about his reputation and was afraid that the vigers would say that their family was heartless.


    However, Lai Jinniang had been hankering for the 50 taels of silver that Zhou Xiaoli got for a long time, so after some consideration, Zhou Guixiang thought of a way to bring Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family home.


    First of all, that would mean that she could get the money. Secondly, with Zhou Yu gone, it would be easy to control the women and children in his family. And third, the vigers would praise their family for being benevolent and righteous, and respect her father the same way again.


    It was killing three birds with one stone. Hence, the mother-daughter trio put on this act.

 Chapter 48 - 48 Severing Relationship

    48 Severing Rtionship


    After guessing the other party¡¯s motive, Zhou Xiaoli quickly came up with a n.


    She secretly pinched her thigh and finally squeezed out a tear from her eyes. ¡°Grandma, are you really willing to let us go back? That¡¯s great. You don¡¯t know this, but our family can¡¯t survive anymore,¡± she said gratefully.


    ¡°All the money we have on us was used to treat Father¡¯s illness and to buy medicine. Father finally woke up just now. However, his waist was broken and he¡¯s lying on the bed now. He can¡¯t move at all. He has to eat, drink, and poop on the bed. The doctor said that he has to rely on medicine for the rest of his life in the future.¡±


    As she spoke, she started crying again. ¡°Fortunately, Grandmother, you¡¯re willing to let us go back. From now on, Father¡¯s medicine bill will be settled. The medicine doesn¡¯t cost much anyway. It¡¯s just one tael a day. Grandmother, you can definitely afford it. Father is saved.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lai Jinniang and her daughters widened their eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°What! You said that you¡¯ve used up all your money?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that your father isn¡¯t dead? And he needs one tael of silver a day to buy medicine?¡±


    ¡­


    The expressions on their faces were very interesting.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. My mother was frightened yesterday and unfortunately contracted tuberculosis. My entire family was just worrying about it when you came. It¡¯s great that we can go back.¡±


    After saying that, she gave Zhang Lan a look. Although Zhang Lan did not know what Zhou Xiaoli wanted to do, she cooperated and coughed. The more she coughed, the worse she sounded.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough. That¡¯s right, Mother. Cough, cough, cough. That¡¯s great.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun also cried for their mother.


    As soon as she spoke, Lai Jinniang and the other two instantly jumped a meter away from Zhou Xiaoli and the others, covering their mouths and noses.


    She said in horror, ¡°Tuber, tuberculosis?¡±


    Tuberculosis was contagious. It would be fatal for poor people like them!


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As she spoke, she coughed twice. ¡°Cough, cough. Mother, look, Grandma is here to bring us back. Let¡¯s pack up and go back with Grandma!¡±


    As she spoke, she pretended to pack her things.


    This frightened Lai Jinniang and the other two.


    Zhou Guihua jumped three feet high and roared, ¡°Dream on! Who¡¯s here to pick you up?!¡±


    ¡°Mother is right. You guys are a family of nuisances and jinxes!¡±


    ¡°You wanted toe back to harm my family after contracting tuberculosis. Not only did you want to suck my family¡¯s blood dry, but you also want us to contract tuberculosis. Why are you so wicked?!¡±


    Zhou Guihua¡¯s words were full of energy.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked hurt and coughed even harder. ¡°A-Aunt, what are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you just say that my father is also my grandmother¡¯s biological son? And you can¡¯t bear to watch my father die?¡±


    At this moment, Lai Jinniang stopped pretending. Regardless of whether they had spent all 50 taels of silver, they could not go home with them!


    She immediately snorted. ¡°What biological child? Had I known that your entire family is so wicked to want to harm our entire family. I shouldn¡¯t have saved him then and let him die by the roadside!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Grandma, are you really not going to care about us anymore? After all, you¡¯re my father¡¯s mother, our grandma!¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave our entire family to die. We must go back with you today. Mother, pack your things. Let¡¯s bring Father home!¡±


    Lai Jinniang was afraid that this family would stick to her, so she shouted, ¡°Stop! You¡¯re not allowed toe back. From now on, I¡¯m no longer your grandmother!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was secretly delighted in her heart, but she put on a pained expression on her face. ¡°Grandmother, you, what do you mean by this? Do you want to sever ties with our entire familypletely?¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Lai Jinniang immediately said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other!¡±

 Chapter 49 - 49 A Formal Statement

    49 A Formal Statement


    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. ¡°Unless you issue a formal statement, find the vige chief as a witness, and announce to the entire vige that you have severed ties with our family. Otherwise, you¡¯ll always be my grandmother and you can¡¯t ignore our family¡¯s matters!¡±


    Lai Jinniang and the others couldn¡¯t wait to do this.


    Lai Jinniang immediately shouted, ¡°Guihua, Guixiang, get the vige chief and the vigers here quickly. I will draw a line between me and this family of nuisances in front of the entire vige today!¡±


    Zhou Guihua and Zhou Guixiang nodded repeatedly and ran out to ask the vigers toe over.


    Thinking about it, they couldn¡¯t wait a second longer to dump their family. Everyone gathered over very quickly.


    After a while, the vige chief arrived, followed by many vigers who came along for the ride.


    Seeing that everyone was here, Lai Jinniang prepared to start.


    Zhou Xiaoli stopped her, ¡°Wait, the mayor hasn¡¯t arrived yet. You must have the mayor as a witness. Otherwise, I won¡¯t recognise it.¡±


    With the mayor as a witness, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Lai Jinniang reneging on what she said in the future.


    Lai Jinniang thought that Zhou Xiaoli was using this as an excuse to sever ties with them, so the disgust on her face increased. She said angrily, ¡°The mayor is very busy. He can¡¯t be bothered with such trivial matters such as your family¡¯s!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the mayor walked out of the main room.


    ¡°Who said I can¡¯t be bothered about it? I¡¯m happy to be the witness.¡±


    Seeing the mayor walking out of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s living room, the surrounding onlookers were stunned.


    Today, when the mayor came out of the blue to help the Zhou family teach the Wang and Sun families a lesson. They thought that it was because Wei Chiyu had called him over.


    However, they were surprised to know that the mayor had not left yet.


    Lai Jinniang was still in a daze.


    The mayor said, ¡°What do you want me to witness? Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Lai Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but raise her head proudly as she thought that the mayor was on her side as well.


    She raised her shoulders and said loudly, ¡°Alright, since the mayor and the vige chief are here today, I¡¯ll cut off all ties with Zhou Yu, this unfilial son, in front of the entire vige! From now on, the life and death of Zhou Yu¡¯s family has nothing to do with our Zhou family!¡±


    Immediately, many vigers who were watching themotion began to discuss earnestly.


    Some said that Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family deserved it, while others said that Lai Jinniang was too mean and that Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family was too pitiful.


    Anyway, there were all kinds of things said.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t care at all. What she cared about was whether it was recorded into a formal statement.


    The vige chief wrote down everything Lai Jinniang said on paper at the request of both sides.


    In the end, both parties pressed their handprints on the document.


    With two copies of the document, the rtionship between the two families waspletely severed.


    Lai Jinniang stuffed the document into her arms. She readied herself to suck up to the mayor now that this was done.


    ¡°Sir Mayor, we¡¯ve really troubled you. It¡¯s such a hot day, yet you have turned up to be our witness¡­¡±


    The mayor frowned and waved his hand to interrupt her. ¡°Alright, since the document has already been signed, you have to abide by it. From now on, Little Li¡¯s family no longer has anything to do with you. You have to remember it well!¡±


    Lai Jinniang thought that the mayor was helping her, so she kept nodding.


    Finally, under the mayor¡¯s impatient gaze, she left Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s house with her two daughters in tow.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes darkened as she watched the three of them leave. She had never been a kind and magnanimous person.


    Seeing that themotion was gone and that there was no longer any drama to watch, the surrounding vigers dispersed one after another.


    The vige chief also asked about Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s situation. Seeing that this was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s wish, he did not say anything else and left.


    The matter of the mayor had been resolved too. After making an appointment with Zhou Xiaoli to look at his ancestral grave, he bade farewell and left.


    After sending everyone away, the Zhou family finally had peace after a noisy morning.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan finally realized that Zhou Xiaoli had deliberately provoked her mother-inw. Oh, no, she was provoking Madam Lai.


    She had wanted her to cut ties with their familypletely.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel happy about that. Their lives were getting better and better now. They also had the alternate space, but she couldn¡¯t let the Lai family know about it!


    It was good that they had severed ties!


    Thinking of something, she could not help but ask, ¡°By the way, Li¡¯er, Sir Mayor, why was he helping us?¡±


    The matter with the Wang and Sun families turned out well today, and so was the dispute with Lai Jinniang.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Because I did him a big favor.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not exin in detail. Instead, she pulled Zhang Lan and her siblings back into the house.


    As she walked, she said excitedly, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry about this for now. Father is awake!¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded. ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    When she woke up this morning, she found that Zhou Yu had woken up. However, just as Zhou Xiaoli had said, Zhou Yu had only opened his eyes, but heid motionless on the bed.


    At the thought of this, her eyes turned red.


    Zhou Xiaoli quickly waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Father has really woken up!¡±


    As she spoke, she pushed open the door and the four of them walked in.


    Zhou Yu was sitting on the bed and putting on his clothes by himself.


    After seeing them enter, Zhou Yu immediately looked at them with tears in his eyes.


    His lips trembled as he said, ¡°My dear wife, I¡¯m awake¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan immediately widened her eyes and covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying. Her entire body began to tremble.


    ...


    Zhou Yu, he was not a fool anymore!


    This should be the best news for the entire family.


    Zhang Lan finally could not control herself. She rushed to the bed and cried as she pulled on Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun also ran to the bed and called out to their father.


    Zhou Yu patted Zhang Lan¡¯s hand and hugged the two children. ¡°My wife, it¡¯s been hard on you all these years. It¡¯s my fault for letting you and the children suffer so much.¡±


    Although he was a fool, he remembered everything that had happened all these years. He remembered all the harm that his family had suffered.


    Hence, when he woke up, he felt that the realization of it all was too great, causing his entire body to stiffen and he was unable to move.


    It was not until Zhou Xiaoli came in and asked Zhou Yu to press his handprint on the document that he finally came to his senses.


    At this moment, his gaze fell on Zhou Xiaoli, who was standing on one side. He then said to Zhang Lan, ¡°Take the two children out first. I have something to say to Xiaoli.¡±


    Although Zhang Lan was puzzled, she wiped her tears and nodded. Then, she brought Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun out of the room.


    The door closed, and the light inside dimmed. Only Zhou Yu and Zhou Xiaoli were left in the room.


    ...


    For a moment, the air was a little heavy.


    Zhou Yu was the first to speak. ¡°You¡¯re not my Li¡¯er, right¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli paused for a moment before nodding.


    This was something she did not expect. That he would retain his memories from the times when he was a fool.


    What surprised Zhou Xiaoli even more was that although Zhou Yu was a boor, he was very meticulous as well.


    From his memories, he could guess that the current Zhou Xiaoli was not his daughter.


    She could only me herself. Thinking about how Zhou Yu was a fool, she rarely hid anything from him. Just the fact that she knew medicine was enough to make Zhou Yu suspicious.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli nod, Zhou Yu¡¯s eyes darkened. After a long silence, she asked again, ¡°Is my Li¡¯er already¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded again. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Zhou Yu¡¯s eyes were moist, but in the end, he shook his head. ¡°No, I should thank you.¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50 Preparing to Go Out to Sea to Fish

    50 Preparing to Go Out to Sea to Fish


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know what would have happened to my entire family.¡± Zhou Yu smiled bitterly.


    He remembered clearly how cruel and heartless the Zhou family was to their family. The fact that they had chosen to sever all ties with them hadpletely disappointed him.


    If not for Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s arrival, their family¡¯s fate would have been extremely difficult.


    It was also unknown if he could ever wake up.


    !!


    ¡°Therefore, I don¡¯t care who you are. From tonight onwards, you are my daughter, my biological daughter!¡±


    ¡ª


    Zhou Yu did not tell this secret to Zhang Lan and the others, but he did as he said. He treated Zhou Xiaoli as his own daughter.


    Thispletely dispelled Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s worries.


    After Zhou Yu suspected her, she had made ns to leave the Zhou family.


    In her previous life, she was a koi and had no concept of home. However, aftering here, she experienced the true warmth of home for the first time.


    She liked this family from the bottom of her heart. She liked her kind and honest parents and cute younger siblings.


    ¡°Sis, Sis, look at the new moves we learned from Brother Wei. They¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu pulled Zhou Junjun along and ran to Zhou Xiaoli. She waved her small fists and began to gesture with her feet as well.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help butugh at her tiny moves.


    ¡°Did your Brother Wei teach you this?¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at Wei Chiyu, who was building the livestock shed with Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Sis, you should learn from Brother Wei too.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Lan stuck her head out of the kitchen and shouted, ¡°Third Sister, Brother Jun, don¡¯t disturb your brother and sister. They¡¯re doing something. Come to the kitchen and help Mother pick vegetables. We¡¯ll eat vegetable rolls tonight.¡±


    The two little guys cheered when they heard that they were having vegetable rolls for dinner. They responded and jogged into the kitchen.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and lowered her head to continue working on thepass in her hand.


    Ever since Zhou Xiaoli had the alternate space, she did not hide from them her talents any more. She no longer needed to exin to Zhou Yu why she knew things. For Zhang Lan, she simply told her that she had learnt it after she had the alternate space.


    With the appearance of the alternate space, Zhang Lan could ept any magical things that happened thereafter.


    With the spiritual spring water, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu¡¯s bodies became better and better.


    In a month, Zhou Yu¡¯s legpletely recovered. Now, he could work in the fields.


    As for their house, it was time to put it on the agenda.


    The bricks and tiles had been pulled out of the brick kiln. They were just waiting for the crops on the homestead to be harvested so they could begin building.


    The ground on which Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family wanted to build their house on, had belonged to the Lu family. They used thend to nt beetroots and it was the right season then for the beetroot to be harvested.


    The vige chief had already informed them to harvest as soon as possible, so it was not a big problem.


    After Zhou Yu recovered, he started to work hard to earn money.


    Autumn had just passed, and it was the time when there was a shortage of food. Many families in the vige had started to fish in the river and sea to supplement their families¡¯ expenses.


    Zhou Yu also wanted to go, but their family did not have any fishing boat, only fishings.


    Coincidentally, Liu Liangcai, who lived next door, went out to the sea to fish every day recently.


    After Zhou Yu recovered, Liu Liangcai was especially happy for his good brother.


    After hearing his thoughts, he immediately said, ¡°That¡¯s good, I¡¯m always going out to sea to catch fish alone. I¡¯m afraid that things may go wrong. Why don¡¯t youe with me? We¡¯ll be at sea together.¡±


    Zhou Yu: ¡°Thank you so much. How about this? Since I¡¯ll be taking your boat, I¡¯ll bring the dry rations!¡±


    The two of them hit it off immediately and decided that from tomorrow onwards, they would go out to sea to fish together.


    ¡°Father, are you going out to sea with Uncle Liu tomorrow?¡± Hearing this news, Zhou Xiaoli was a little excited. ¡°Bring me along.¡±


    She had long wanted to go to the sea to take a look.


    Moreover, since she was a koi fish in her previous life, she still had the scent of a fish on her. With her on the ship, they would definitely return with a full load.


    It would also allow them to have more money to spend.


    That would be killing two birds with one stone.


    Zhou Yu rejected Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s suggestion at first. ¡°What are you going to do at sea? The sun on the sea is too ring and you would be tanned.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli insisted, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can wear a hat.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out a straw hat. ¡°Mother made it for me. The hat has a wide brim so I won¡¯t be tanned.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Father, you¡¯ve just recovered. Mother and I are worried if you go alone. If I go with you, Mother will feel at ease while she¡¯s at home too.¡±


    In the end, Zhou Yu could not persuade Zhou Xiaoli. He shook his head helplessly and finally agreed that she could go.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was able to go, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun were tempted and mored to follow their sister.


    No matter what Zhang Lan said, the two little fellows did not buy it.


    Even the youngest Zhou Xiaoyu learned to lie on the ground and make a scene. ¡°No, no, no, I want to go too. I want to go too. I won¡¯t get up if you don¡¯t give it to me.¡±


    Zhang Lan was so angry that she wanted to teach him a lesson.


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly pulled Zhang Lan back. ¡°Mother, let me do it. Go and prepare the dry rations for Father tomorrow.¡±


    Knowing that the two little fellows would listen to Zhou Xiaoli, Zhang Lan nodded and threw away the broom in her hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you. If he¡¯s still disobedient, call me. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    With that, she put on her apron and went to the kitchen.


    After Zhang Lan left, Zhou Xiaoli walked over and squatted down. She looked at Zhou Xiaoyu who was lying on the ground and asked, ¡°Who did you learn this move from?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoyu, who had been howling without tears while covering her face, saw Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s erged face through the gaps between her fingers and smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡°Sis, she learned it from Liu Fengfeng. Liu Fengfeng rolled on the ground asking for candy yesterday and his mother bought it.¡± Zhou Junjunined in a low voice.


    Zhou Xiaoli held her hand to her forehead.


    Unfortunately, Lin Xiujuan fell for it, but their family would not.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately put on a stern face and said to Zhou Xiaoyu who was on the ground, ¡°Then you¡¯ll be disappointed. In our family, you can¡¯t get what you want by crying. Do you want to know how you can get it?¡±


    The two little fellows listened to Zhou Xiaoli the most. Hearing this, their interest was instantly piqued.


    Zhou Xiaoli also forgot about her intention to make a scene and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pped her hands and stood up. ¡°Alright, then get up first. Sit properly and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    As soon as her words left her lips, Zhou Xiaoyu got up from the ground with a grunt. She patted the dirt off her body and ran to the door. She carried a small stool back and sat in front of Zhou Xiaoli with Zhou Junjun.


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli say, ¡°Today, I¡¯ll tell you a principle. Whether it¡¯s in our family or when you are outside in the future, it doesn¡¯t mean that others should give in to you just because you cried and made a scene.¡±


    ¡°If you want to get what you want, you have to work hard for it. Not only will you get nothing from crying and making a scene, you might even be beaten for it.¡±


    ...


    As she spoke, she pointed at the broom that Zhang Lan threw aside.


    The two of them immediately rubbed their butts and blinked. ¡°Sis, what is hard work?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and said, ¡°Look, I am making apass now. If I don¡¯t work hard to make it and just sit here in tears, would thepass be done all by itself?¡±


    The two little fellows shook their heads. ¡°No.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°If the farmers in the field did not work hard to sow seeds or remove the weeds, would the crops grow on their own if the farmers simply sat on the ground and cried?¡±

 Chapter 51 - 51 Who Is the Jinx?

    51 Who Is the Jinx?


    The two little fellows shook their heads again.


    Zhou Junjun held his little head with his hands and thought for a while. He stood up excitedly and said, ¡°Sis, I understand. Working hard is to do work, bleed, and sweat.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s about it. Then let me ask you, why didn¡¯t Father and Mother agree to let you go fishing?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu was the first to raise her hand. ¡°Sis, I know, I know.¡±


    She looked so excited, as if she was afraid that Zhou Junjun would answer before she did.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. ¡°Alright, Little Fishy, go ahead.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu stood up from the stool and ced her hands behind her back. She said in a childish voice, ¡°Because we¡¯re too young. Father and Mother are afraid that we¡¯ll be in danger on the ship.¡±


    Zhou Junjun continued, ¡°Also, since we¡¯re still too young, we can¡¯t help on the ship. Instead, we would distract Father from fishing to take care of us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. These two little fellows were actually very clear of what¡¯s going on.


    Now that the situation at home had improved, it was time to send them to school.


    Zhou Xiaoli continued to guide them. ¡°Not bad, not bad. So, what are you going to do?¡±


    The two little fellows looked at each other. Zhou Junjun was the first to speak.


    ¡°I have to work hard to be stronger. If I can help Daddy pull the fish, Daddy will let me tag along.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu followed suit. ¡°I want to tag along too, I want to tag along too. Brother Wei taught me many moves and I have been practicing them every day.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and gestured for the two little fellows to sit down. ¡°If you want to help Daddy pull the fishing, you have to wait until you grow up.¡±


    ¡°You can train and be stronger, but you¡¯re still young. You have to study hard. Learning well will be the greatest help to our parents.¡±


    The two little fellows looked at each other. They do not understand what Zhou Xiaoli had said.


    ¡°Sis, what do you mean by learning?¡±


    ¡°Going to school to study. You should learn how to read, write and about manners.¡± Zhou Xiaoli replied.


    When he heard this, Zhou Junjun stood up immediately and looked at Zhou Xiaoli with sparkling eyes. ¡°Sis, can we go to school?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Then, are you willing to go to school and study with the teacher, so that you can learn manners?¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded immediately. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯m willing!¡±


    He was eight and a half years old this year. Zhou Anfu, who was the same age as him, started attending school at the age of five.


    Even Second Uncle¡¯s second son, Zhou Anle, was sent to schoolst year.


    He was very envious as he watched them study and learn calligraphy every day.


    However, he knew that he did not know how to speak and his grandma did not like him. She would not agree to let him go to school, that¡¯s for sure.


    Now that he heard Zhou Xiaoli say that he could go to school, he was overjoyed.


    Zhou Xiaoyu was still a little confused, but seeing how excited her brother was, she followed suit. ¡°Sis, I want to go to school too. I want to go to school too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, when you reach the appropriate age, I¡¯ll let you go to school too.¡± Zhou Xiaoli smiled and rubbed the heads of the two little ones.


    After receiving the news that they could go to school, the two little ones had long forgotten about going fishing.


    At this moment, the two little ones had already run to the courtyard with wooden sticks and started drawing on the ground.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the second day.


    As soon as the chicken crowed, the family got up.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun did not stay in bed either. They got up and ran to the courtyard to feed the chickens, ducks, wolf cub and donkey.


    Zhang Lan wrapped the pancakes she bakedst night in a muslim cloth and gave them to Zhou Yu. ¡°These should be enough for you to eat.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute. Bring some water as well. There¡¯s no water to drink at sea.¡±


    With that, she ran to the kitchen and took out a water bag. She handed it to Zhou Yu. ¡°There¡¯s not much water in it. Be careful not to spill it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zhou Yu took the water bag and tied it around his waist.


    He remained patient even as his wife nagged.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli ran out of the room wearing a straw hat. ¡°Father, I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    As she spoke, she was about to leave the house.


    However, Zhang Lan stopped her. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Have the egg soup first.¡±


    With that, she ran to the kitchen and brought out the egg soup.


    Knowing Zhang Lan¡¯s personality, she would definitely not let her go if she did not drink it. Hence Zhou Xiaoli could only take the bowl of egg soup from her, hold her breath, and finish the soup in one go.


    Zhang Lan: ¡°Aiyo, slow down. Your father hasn¡¯t left yet. What¡¯s with this child, seriously.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done drinking.¡±


    She put down the empty bowl, picked up her veil, and ran to find Zhou Yu.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mother. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of Father!¡±


    ¡­


    It was just the beginning of their trip. Liu Liangcai had also just left his house.


    ¡°Aiyo, Little Li is going too? Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting tanned?¡±


    Liu Liangcai smiled as he joked.


    Zhou Xiaoli waved her veil. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve wrapped myself tightly. I won¡¯t be exposed to the sun for sure.¡±


    ...


    The three of them met and chatted as they headed towards the river.


    Their vige was still some distance away from the sea and so, they would usually enter the sea from the Little Clear River.


    At this moment, many boats were parked by the river. There were also many vigers who were preparing to go out to sea.


    Seeing the three of theming over, someone greeted them.


    Zhou Yu also greeted everyone in a friendly manner. After that, the three of them boarded the ship.


    Even after the boat left, those people were still looking in their direction.


    This was the first time Zhou Yu had shown his face in front of everyone since he recovered.


    ¡°Heh, Zhou Yu is no longer a fool!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Eldest Zhou¡¯s family has been unlucky for so many years. Is there finally a happy asion for them?¡±


    ¡°Not only that. His son also knows how to speak now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Also, I saw him and his family pulling home several carts of bricks and tiles the day before. From the looks of it, they¡¯re going to build a big house!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Oh my god. Was it to build a brick house? Didn¡¯t the Zhou family spend all their money on treatment for Zhou Yu?¡±


    ¡°The bricks and tiles were ordered a month ago. That was when Zhou Yu hadn¡¯t fallen off the roof yet. However, they probably don¡¯t have much money now. The bricks and tiles have been received, but I don¡¯t know if they can still build the house.¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, I saw the vige chief helping the Zhou family to urge the Lu family to vacate thend. He said that the Zhou family is about to build a house. I think that they will be able to build it.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Zhou Yu is muscr. He¡¯s not stupid anymore so he can earn money easily.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. However, I find it strange. Tell me, why is it that after Zhou Yu and his family broke away from Old Zhou¡¯s family, their lives seemed to get better and better. I wonder who¡¯s the real jinx.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    ¡­


    Just as everyone wasughing, a voice suddenly rang out.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious who the jinx is? A few days ago, Zhou Fugui¡¯s medicinal herb shop in the county city was almost sealed by the county office. How can you me Miss Zhou for this?¡±


    When they saw who it was, the few people who wereughing immediately shut their mouths and smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡°Of course not. Everyone knows that the Zhou family has already cut ties with Zhou Yu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You can¡¯t me Zhou Yu¡¯s daughter for this.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was a person who would risk his life just because of a disagreement.


    As such, there were few in the vige who were willing to provoke him and fall foul of him.


    Wei Chiyu pursed his lips and turned to walk up the mountain.


    It wasn¡¯t until Wei Chiyu¡¯s figure disappeared that those people began to discuss among themselves again.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? What happened to the Zhou family¡¯s medicinal herb shop?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I heard a little about this. I think he sold fake medicine and was discovered by the county office. I think Zhou Fugui would have been imprisoned if not for his son-inw.¡±

 Chapter 52 - 52 Returning With a Full Load

    52 Returning With a Full Load


    ¡°The weather is so good today. It¡¯s so calm and perfect for sailing.¡±


    Liu Liangcai and Zhou Yu chatted as they cast their into the sea. The atmosphere was rxed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The weather is so good, and the sky is so blue.¡± Zhou Xiaoli was sitting at the stern of the boat. She had taken off her shoes and socks and was soaking her feet in the sea. She looked up at the sky.


    Zhou Yu could not help but worry. ¡°Xiaoli, sit inside of the boat. Don¡¯t sit too far out at the edge.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The icy cold seawater brushed past her feet. Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s brows rxed and she had afortable expression on her face.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was having fun, Zhou Yu could not bear to call her in again. He kept an eye on her while working.


    After setting up the, they usually needed to wait for two to four hours before they could reel in the.


    While waiting, the three of them sat on the boat and chatted.


    Zhou Xiaoli simplyy down and covered her face with a straw hat. As the boat swayed slightly, she fell asleep unknowingly.


    She fell into a deep sleep. In the end, she was woken up by the sounds of exmation beside her.


    ¡°Father, Uncle Liu, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you so happy?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli sat up with sleepy eyes and saw the two of them reeling in the. Their heartyughter could be heard from afar.


    Liu Liangcai: ¡°Hahaha, Little Li is awake. I told you that Little Li is a lucky star. Look, we caught a big fish this time!¡±


    Liu Liangcai was very excited. ¡°This is a small shark. I asked the fishmonger and he said that sharks of this breed are extremely expensive. The nobles in the county city love this.¡±


    Zhou Yu was also extremely excited. ¡°This weighs at least five to 10 kilograms!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli also hurried over to take a look. ¡°Is this a shark? It¡¯s so small. Aren¡¯t sharks usually bigger?¡±


    ¡°This is a patterned bamboo shark. It¡¯s a small shark. It can¡¯t grow to a big size.¡±


    Liu Liangcai exined.


    The two of them were so happy that they couldn¡¯t close their mouths. They didn¡¯t care about eating anything to fill their stomachs. Taking advantage of the momentum, the two of them went on to find another spot to set the second.


    They set a total of twos today at sea. Boths were full, and they had a good harvest.


    As the afternoon approached, their boat slowly approached the coast.


    The sun was setting in the west. People wereing and going on the coast. There were many merchants who came to buy fish.


    After the fishermen docked, they would directly sell the fish to the fish merchants who came to buy it. Although the price would be cheaper inparison to selling it in the county, they would save a lot of trouble transporting the fishes themselves.


    Moreover, the fish would not be fresh after being left for too long.


    ¡°Brother Liu, are you selling fish today?¡±


    As soon as they reached the shore, many familiar faces greeted them.


    ¡°Yeah, how was your harvest today?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t mention it. I casted twos and caught only a few small fishes and prawns! Aiyo, good lord, you guys had a good harvest this time. There are sharks too!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a little lucky today.¡±


    After greeting them, Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai carried tworge buckets of fish down from the boat.


    Because Liu Liangcai fished often, he was very familiar with the other buyers and fishermen. After getting off the boat, the two of them went straight to a middle-aged businessman.


    After weighing and calcting the money, the two buckets of fish were sold for 1,800 copper coins.


    This was something Liu Liangcai had never expected.


    When he heard the number, he was in a daze.


    At this moment, many fishermen had already returned one after another. When they saw that they had received such a good price for their catch, they were envious.


    They did not stay at the coast for long after receiving the money. They packed their things and hurriedly left.


    When they arrived at the vige, Liu Liangcai gave half of the money earned to Zhou Yu. So the two of them each received 900 copper coins.


    Zhou Yu waved his hand. ¡°That would not do, I¡¯m using your boat after all. How can we split it equally?¡±


    Liu Liangcai forcefully stuffed the money into Zhou Yu¡¯s hands and said seriously, ¡°Take it quickly. Let me tell you, it¡¯s all thanks to your Little Li that we were able to catch so many fish this time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said that this girl is blessed. You don¡¯t know this but when I fished alone and even on the best day, my catch would sell for only 100 copper coins.¡±


    Under his insistence, Zhou Yu could not refuse anymore.


    ¡ª


    ¡°What, 900 copper coins!¡±


    In the Liu family, Lin Xiujuan was so shocked that she almost jumped up from her seat.


    Liu Liangcai hurriedly patted her. ¡°Aiya, lower your voice!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in our own house. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Lin Xiujuan was extremely excited. She wiped her hands on her body. ¡°Come, let me see.¡±


    Liu Liangcai handed her the heavy money bag.


    After taking the money, Lin Xiujuan couldn¡¯t stop smiling. She hurriedly poured the money onto the table and started counting.


    After a while, she thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh yes, hubby, would the Zhou family go to fish tomorrow?¡±


    Liu Liangcai was washing his feet. When he heard this, he raised his head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re unwilling to let Big Brother Zhou go with me again?¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, when I¡¯m catching fish alone, we can¡¯t even get 100 copper coins from the small catch!¡±


    His wife was good at everything except that she was money-minded.


    When he returned, he was worried that Lin Xiujuan would lose her temper when she heard that the money was split equally between the two families.


    ...


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiujuan red at him. ¡°Look at you. Do I look like an unreasonable person?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is, since the Zhou family doesn¡¯t have a boat either, let him know that he does not have to be courteous with us. We¡¯re all neighbors. It¡¯s only right for us to help each other.¡±


    Liu Liangcai raised his eyebrows. ¡°Look at that, the sun has risen from the west.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan said angrily, ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. You make me sound like a bad person. I¡¯m not an unreasonable person.¡±


    Liu Liangcai chuckled. His sarcasm was evident.


    Seeing her man¡¯s expression, Lin Xiujuan sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m a little greedy for money, but didn¡¯t I do it all for our family?¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, during this period of time, I pondered about it carefully and I realized something.¡±


    As she spoke, she lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°This eldest daughter of the Zhou family must have been unlucky for 10 years. She started to prosper after leaving the Zhou family!¡±


    Seeing that Liu Liangcai had a frown on his face while looking at her, Lin Xiujuan thought that he didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°It¡¯s true. Don¡¯t doubt me. When I was young, I heard from the older generation that a person with such good luck was most likely protected by immortals.¡±


    ¡°Think about it. She went to the river to set up a fishing basket and so did we. Why is she the only one who was able to catch big fish?¡±


    ¡°Also, when she went up the mountain, she picked up two wild boars. Look just how many people in the vige went up the mountain to try their luck as well. Not a single person managed to pick up the fur from a wild boar, not to mention seeing a wild boar itself.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Therefore, after thinking about it, I feel that I should treat her better in the future. I¡¯ll definitely be able to benefit from it.¡±


    With that, she nodded affirmatively.


    She felt that she had discovered something extraordinary.


    She looked down at the money in her hand and the corners of her mouth tilted upwards that they were about to split behind her ears.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Zhou Xiaoli, her man would have never caught this many fish.


    If it was said that it was a wild guess.


    Lin Xiujuan¡¯s guess was confirmed with the harvest they got from the next two days of fishing.


    ¡°Little Li, you must be tired from fishing. Look, you¡¯ve lost weight. I cooked two eggs for you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no need for it, no need for it. Let Yuanyuan and Fengfeng have it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was overwhelmed by Lin Xiujuan¡¯s enthusiasm.


    Ever since the two families started to fish together, Lin Xiujuan¡¯s attitude towards her slowly changed.


    Although the change was not aplete 180 degrees, it could be considered to be 100 degrees.


    However, she could guess the reason for it.


    Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t have any other problems other than that she loved money. The only thing that could move her was money.


    Her family had earned a lot of money from the past three days of fishing and of course, she was all smiles whenever she met her.


    Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°Yuanyuan and Brother Feng have it. I specially made this for you. Hurry up and eat.¡±


    Liu Liangcai shook his head and said, ¡°Little Li, take it. It¡¯s rare for your aunt to be so generous.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli had no choice but to ept the bowl of eggs.


    At this moment, the scene in front of her suddenly flickered, and an illusion appeared again.

 Chapter 53 - 53 No More Fishing

    53 No More Fishing


    ¡°Little Li?¡±


    Hearing Liu Liangcai¡¯s shout, Zhou Xiaoli came back to her senses.


    At this moment, her legs went weak and she almost lost her bnce.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?¡±


    Liu Liangcai¡¯s concerned voice rang out again.


    ¡°Zhou Yu,e and take a look. Little Li seems to be feeling unwell.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan hurriedly put down whatever they were working on and walked over quickly after hearing him.


    Sure enough, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s face was pale.


    Looking at Zhou Xiaoli, Zhang Lan hurriedly supported her as she looked like she was able to copse. Her eyes were filled with worry. ¡°Li¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t scare Mother. Weren¡¯t you fine when you just came back?¡±


    ¡°Hubby, hurry. Take the donkey cart out and send Li¡¯er to see the doctor.¡±


    Zhou Yu did not pause at all and was about to go home to get the donkey cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head weakly. ¡°Father, Mother, there¡¯s no need to go. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired. I¡¯ll be fine after some rest.¡±


    The appearance of the illusion almost exhausted all the strength in her body.


    As she spoke, she smiled weakly to reassure them. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Zhang Lan was worried. ¡°Really? No, You should see the doctor.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯m just hungry. I¡¯ll be fine after eating something.¡±


    Liu Liangcai said, ¡°Then hurry up and eat the eggs your aunt cooked. I think her face is pale. Perhaps she got a heat stroke from being on the ship.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°You should not follow them out to sea tomorrow. Your father and your uncle can do it alone. You can¡¯t help either. Why are you exposing yourself to the sun?¡±


    Upon hearing that Zhou Xiaoli was not allowed to go fishing, Lin Xiujuan pped her forehead and hurriedly said, ¡°Oh, right, I remember that I still have some cente asiatica herb at home. I¡¯ll cook it now to help Little Li cool down.¡±


    With that, she hurried home.


    Since Zhou Xiaoli insisted that she did not need to see a doctor, Zhang Lan helped Zhou Xiaoli home to rest.


    After a while, Lin Xiujuan cooked the cente asiatica herb into a herbal drink.


    After drinking the herbal drink and eating some food, Zhou Xiaoli slowly recovered, and her face looked better.


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    After Lin Xiujuan returned home, Zhang Lan was still worried. ¡°I still think you shouldn¡¯t follow them out to sea tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Yu agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your Uncle Liu and I can do it alone. Don¡¯t follow us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli took a sip of water and nodded. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t go tomorrow¡­¡±


    It was not just her who cannot go out to sea. No one else should go too.


    In the illusion just now, it was the scene of them going out to sea.


    They encountered a storm at sea and were attacked by sharks. The damage to the boat was serious, and Liu Liangcai was swept into the sea.


    In order to save Liu Liangcai, Zhou Yu jumped into the sea.


    At this moment, a shark appeared in the sea. While fending off the shark, Liu Liangcai helped Zhou Yu to escape and was eaten by the shark himself.


    Zhou Yu¡¯s leg had also been bitten by a shark while the boat had capsized. Neither of them returned home.


    The scene was too bloody. Zhou Xiaoli was still terrified when she thought about it.


    Zhang Lan was relieved when Zhou Xiaoli said that she was not going, and brought the two little fellows to the kitchen to cook.


    After the meal, Zhou Xiaoli called Zhou Yu to the courtyard.


    ¡°Father, you and Uncle Liu shouldn¡¯t go fishing tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Yu thought that Zhou Xiaoli was worried that they would get heatstroke as well. So he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Your Uncle Liu and I have thick skin and thick flesh. We¡¯re already used to the sun, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I have to make more money during this period. Let¡¯s have a good winter.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that, Father. Look at the night sky tonight. I think there will be a storm tomorrow. It¡¯s not suitable to go out to sea.¡±


    This was the most reasonable reason she could find.


    Although Zhou Yu knew that she was not the original Zhou Xiaoli, it was better not to let outsiders know that she had the Heavenly Eye.


    Hearing that there was a storm, Zhou Yu hesitated.


    He could not help but look up at the starry sky and ask suspiciously, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded solemnly. ¡°Father, trust me.¡±


    Seeing the seriousness in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes, Zhou Yu finally nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll tell Uncle Liu tomorrow that I¡¯m not going.¡±


    His daughter seemed to have many secrets now. Perhaps she also had some extraordinary abilities.


    However, he did not ask further. Since she hade to their house, God must have taken pity on him and had given another daughter. He would protect this daughter well.


    Zhou Yu patted Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re tired today. Go back to your room and sleep. I¡¯ll talk to Uncle Liu tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Although she had convinced Zhou Yu, Zhou Xiaoli was still a little worried.


    She was not worried that Zhou Yu would not be able to convince Liu Liangcai.


    It was mainly because Lin Xiujuan was not easy to convince.


    ¡ª


    ...


    The next day, after breakfast, Zhou Yu and Zhou Xiaoli went to the Liu family and told them the excuse Zhou Xiaoli came up withst night.


    ¡°What, a storm?¡±


    Liu Liangcai widened his eyes and looked at the sun that had just risen. He said with uncertainty, ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhou Yu nodded with uncertainty himself. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Liu Liangcaiughed. ¡°Brother Zhou, are you joking? Look at the sun. It doesn¡¯t look like it will be a stormy day.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan also said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The sky is so clear. Where would the storme from?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. Is it because Little Li hasn¡¯t recovered yet? If you¡¯re not feeling well, you can rest for the day. Hubby, you can go alone.¡±


    This was what Zhou Xiaoli was worried about.


    Even if she managed to convince them now, she was afraid that Lin Xiujuan would regret it a whileter and urge Liu Liangcai to go out to sea alone.


    She rolled her eyes and thought of a solution. ¡°Uncle Liu, actually, I had a nightmarest night. I dreamed that something happened to us at sea. After I woke up, my right eyelid twitches constantly.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that the left eye twitching means good fortune would happen while the right eye twitching means disasters? I¡¯m a little worried. Let¡¯s just rest for a day. We won¡¯t lose much in a day.¡±


    ...


    If Lin Xiujuan believed that Zhou Xiaoli was protected by immortals, it meant that she believed in these things.


    She immediately took it to heart. ¡°Aiya, if that¡¯s the case, hubby, don¡¯t go today. Let¡¯s rest for a day. Coincidentally, there¡¯s a lot of grass growing in the field. I can¡¯t handle it alone.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Yuanyuan burst outughing. ¡°Mother, you believed her for real? Even a quack wouldn¡¯t dare to make up such a story¡­¡±


    She was about to say something when Lin Xiujuan red at her. ¡°What are you talking about? Hurry up and eat.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan snorted in dissatisfaction and disliked Zhou Xiaoli even more.


    Not only had she snatched her father away, but even her mother was treating her with kindness now.


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m going to find Zhou Guihua to do embroidery.¡±


    Out of sight, out of mind. Liu Yuanyuan put the bowl on the table heavily and ran out.


    ¡°Look at this child. She¡¯s getting more and more rude!¡±


    After Liu Liangcai reprimanded her, he turned to Zhou Xiaoli and said, ¡°Fine. Regardless of whether it rains or not, for peace of mind, let¡¯s rest today.¡±


    Seeing that Liu Liangcai was unlikely to go out to sea, Zhou Xiaoli was relieved and returned home with Zhou Yu.


    Today was a rare break. Fortunately, they had nothing to do, so they entered the alternate space and cultivated the two acres ofnd within in preparations to nt wheat.


    The alternate space did not seem to have seasons so crops could be nted at any time.

 Chapter 54 - 54 Paying Taxes

    54 Paying Taxes


    However, at the same time, they did not know what were the crops suitable to nt in the alternate space¡¯s farnd.


    Wheat could be considered their first attempt at it.


    There were no cows in the space so they had to plow the fields themselves.


    However, there were all kinds of tools in the warehouse of the farmyard. There were plows, shovels, sickles, hoes, grass rakes, and so on.


    !!


    Zhou Xiaoli also saw a corn thresher, the kind that worked by hand.


    More importantly, these farming tools were brand new.


    When they saw the house full of farming tools, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were visibly happy.


    Zhou Yu loved what he saw as he touched each piece of equipment. ¡°This hoe, this shovel is so bright. It looks sharp and new. That¡¯s very good.¡±


    Zhang Lan also cherished it so much that she could not take her eyes off it. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never seen such a good farming tool in my life!¡±


    ¡°These, these are all ours?¡±


    As he spoke, he found it unbelievable.


    Although ironware was popr in this world, it was still very expensive.


    Ordinary farmers used farming tools across several generations. They would not change them unless they had no choice.


    In addition, the farming tools in the space were all modern farming tools. Even those who did not know much about farming tools would agree that these farming tools were of a superior quality with just one nce.


    ¡°Hubby, let¡¯s hurry up. Li¡¯er has already brought in the wheat seeds.¡±


    Zhang Lan hugged a hoe and smiled happily.


    Zhou Xiaoli also ran over with a hoe. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll help too.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun were not to be outdone. They waved their small fists and shouted that they could help too.


    Zhou Xiaoyu looked up and said proudly, ¡°Mother, Mother, I know how to pull weeds.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, little fool, there¡¯s no grass here. I want to help Mother and Father to sow the seeds!¡± Zhou Junjun mocked.


    Zhou Xiaoyu pouted angrily and ced her hands on her waist. ¡°Stupid brother, you¡¯re calling me a little fool again. I¡¯m not going to be with you anymore. Hmph~¡±


    ¡°Sis, look at Older Brother.¡±


    With that, she ran off toin to Zhou Xiaoli.


    The two little fellows started ying in the courtyard.


    Happiness filled the air, apanied by theughter of the entire family.


    Zhou Yu, Zhang Lan, and the others were native farmers. They worked all year round and felt a special rtionship with the ground underneath their feet. They were efficient and capable in farm work.


    Originally, they did not want the children to do anything.


    However, they couldn¡¯t dissuade Zhou Xiaoli and the other two from trying to help. In the end, Zhang Lan had no choice but to teach them step by step. ¡°In that case, your father and I will use the plow to plow thendter on. You guys will spread the wheat seeds evenly in the ditch created. Watch how many seeds I sprinkle and do the same.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The two little ones called out excitedly. They grabbed the wheat seeds excitedly in their hands, raring to go.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin!¡±


    With Zhou Yu¡¯s shout, the entire family moved.


    When they were in the Zhou family, Lai Jinniang had them do a lot of farm work.


    However, there had never been a time when they were happy and satisfied doing it.


    Actually, one of the reasons was that only their consciousness entered the alternate space.


    They would not feel tired from doing manual work.


    Of course, the most important thing was that after they put in the hard work of farming, the food would be theirs in the future!


    They were extremely happy to be able to eat their fill and not be bullied.


    People always said that happy times passed quickly. Unknowingly, it was noon.


    It was only when Zhou Xiaoli heard the knocking on the door outside the alternate space that she realized that they had worked for a long time.


    They had already nted more than half an acre ofnd. After packing up, everyone left the alternate space.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Zhang Lan was the first to stand up and walk out.


    When they opened the door, they saw Wei Chiyu standing at the door, holding a pork rib and a bag of candy.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Chiyu. I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days.¡± Zhang Lan smiled and said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like my cooking.¡±


    Wei Chiyu exined, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing something for the past few days.¡±


    Zhang Lan was joking of course and hurriedly opened the door. ¡°Stop standing at the door ande in quickly. Li¡¯er and her father didn¡¯t go out to sea today. What a nice coincidence that everyone is here. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was overjoyed. ¡°Uncle and Little Li did not go out to sea?¡±


    As he spoke, he walked into the courtyard.


    Zhang Lan closed the door and replied, ¡°Yes, Li¡¯er suffered from heatstroke yesterday so she¡¯s resting today.¡±


    Wei Chiyu immediately asked, ¡°Is everything alright? Has she taken medicine?¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli walked out of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    As she spoke, her gaze fell on Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, why didn¡¯t you bring wild game meat today?¡±


    ...


    Wei Chiyu picked up the pork ribs in his hand and remembered why he had these in his hands. ¡°Oh, this. The shopkeeper of the First-grade Restaurant asked me to give it to you.¡±


    ¡°He said that he wanted to thank you for your reminder the other time. Pork rib stew is good for Uncle to recover quickly from his bone injury. He even gave me a bag of sugar. It¡¯s called cane sugar and was boiled from sugarcane. It¡¯s a new thing that has just appeared in the capital. He said to let you try it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli realized what had happened. It must have been because of what happened when she dined at the First-grade Restaurant thest time. She had almost forgotten about it.


    Seems like the shopkeeper had taken her advice.


    Zhou Xiaoli epted the items and looked at the cane sugar cubes. She couldn¡¯t help but marvel that someone in the capital had discovered that sugar cane could be used to make sugar.


    In this world, the sugar they ate was malt sugar. There was no such thing as cane sugar.


    She looked at the pork ribs again and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s make sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch today.¡±


    At this moment, the weather was still clear.


    As for the Liu family, Lin Xiujuan started to have some regrets. Even if Zhou Xiaoli did not tag along, her man would still be able to earn dozens of copper coins a day when he went out to sea.


    ¡°Hubby, why don¡¯t you go out to sea after dinner? You can set a.¡± Lin Xiujuan scooped a bowl of noodles for Liu Liangcai and pondered aloud.


    ¡°I heard that the taxes this year have increased again. It¡¯s time to pay taxes soon. After paying the taxes, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have sufficient food at home until next year.¡±


    ...


    Liu Liangcai looked a little worried. ¡°More taxes? How are wemoners going to live?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, the mayor has announced in the vige that the Imperial Court wants to conscript soldiers to fight in war. We have to pay money to be exempted from military service this year.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan sighed. ¡°Besides, your winter jacket has been worn for many years. It¡¯s not going to keep you warm anymore. It¡¯s the same for Fengfeng. He had frostbite several timesst year. I was thinking of making a new winter jacket for the entire family this winter. Looks like it won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about how we can take advantage of the time now to catch more fish to supplement our family¡¯s expenses. It would be good if we can earn enough tost us till the next autumn harvest.¡±


    Liu Liangcai thought about it and agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call Brother Zhou. His family doesn¡¯t have any farnd so it¡¯ll be even more difficult for him to survive after paying the taxes.¡±


    Lunchtime had just passed.


    Liu Liangcai knocked on the Zhou family¡¯s door. After entering the house, he talked about fishing.


    The Zhou family also learned from Liu Liangcai on the taxes that they have to pay.


    Zhou Xiaoli was a little surprised. ¡°A person has to pay 200 copper coins as poption tax? And we have to pay exemption tax? How much is the exemption tax?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not know much about this in the first ce. This was because the Zhou family never had to pay any exemption tax as Zhou Yu was the one who did all the previous military service exercises for the Zhou family. Except for military service.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t understand, Zhou Yu exined, ¡°There are many types of exemption taxes. The mostmon is the ¡®pawn¡¯, which is doing hardbor such as digging canals to build city walls. There are also the ¡®soldier¡¯ and ¡®guardian¡¯. These two are used for military service and doing border guard duties respectively.¡±


    ¡°If you want to be exempted from these, you have to pay taxes. If you want to be exempted from hardbor, you have to pay three taels of silver. However, the exemption from military service is much higher. Each family has to pay five taels of silver.¡±

 Chapter 55 - 55 Trepidation

    55 Trepidation


    Since they were on this topic, Liu Liangcai started sharing more information. Liu Liangcai added, ¡°In addition to these, we also have to pay a ¡®contribution fee¡¯. Each person will pay 63 copper coins a year.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was shocked. ¡°Ah, what kind of tax is this?¡±


    Liu Liangcai exined, ¡°It¡¯s the money given to the Son of Heaven to thank him for his hard work in managing the country.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a disguised way of exploiting themoners? What a fatuous ruler!¡±


    !!


    As soon as these words left her mouth, all of them were shocked.


    Zhou Yu covered Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s mouth. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t speak carelessly.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli realized what she had done and could not help but smile awkwardly.


    This was ancient times. Commoners could not casually speak ill of the Imperial Court.


    Zhang Lan patted Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s head. ¡°Child.¡±


    At this time, Zhou Yu sighed and looked at Zhou Xiaoli with hesitation. ¡°But to go fishing¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a shout suddenly came from the street.


    ¡°Oh no, oh no, something happened at sea. Which family had their males out at sea today? Hurry up and go to the beach to take a look!¡±


    A middle-aged man shouted on the street.


    Immediately, the vigers who heard the shout ran out of their houses and kept asking anxiously what had happened.


    The middle-aged man looked pained and said anxiously, ¡°There¡¯s a huge storm on the sea. Many fishermen were attacked by sharks. Go and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Omg my husband! Nothing can happen to you¡­¡±


    Hearing this, many vigers¡¯ faces turned pale with fear. They brought their children and ran to the seaside while crying.


    Lin Xiujuan also heard themotion. She had just run out of the courtyard when she heard this.


    Zhou Xiaoli and the others had already run to the beach to see what was going on.


    Seeing this, Lin Xiujuan couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask around anymore and simply followed.


    A storm was brewing.


    Before they could reach the beach, wind and rain poured down as it moved from the sea tond.


    There were many ships parked by the sea, and they were shaking in the wind and from the high waves.


    Some of them were lucky enough to be fine. They hugged their wives and children and cried bitterly, feeling extremely afraid.


    Some of them were seriously injured and were carried by their families to see the doctor.


    There were also women with children by the shore, anxiously looking and shouting for their family members. They cried in despair.


    The sound of the wind and rain seemed to cover their voices, but it could not cover the suppressed heaviness in the air.


    How could they not know that it was very dangerous to go out to sea to fish?


    Every day before they went to sea, they carried the courage that they may not be able toe back. It was all just to make a living.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but think of a saying, ¡°Drive alone into the darkness to bring light to the family.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was shocked seeing all of this happen before her eyes. She was terrified as she looked at the terrible scene in front of her.


    When she looked at Zhou Xiaoli again, her gaze was different.


    Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai had already run to help save the injured vigers.


    It was a heavy downpour thatsted for almost two hours.


    It was not until evening that Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai finally returned home.


    They came to know of the details of the disaster from the vigers who had returned. At this moment, they were still terrified.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Little Li. Otherwise, Brother Zhou and I might not have been able toe back today.¡± Liu Liangcai¡¯s words were filled with relief.


    After sighing, he saw that Lin Xiujuan was ignoring him. He looked over and saw that she was cooking in the kitchen. He couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡°What are you cooking?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan walked out of the kitchen with a bowl. ¡°I made ginger tea and cooked two eggs for Little Li. Oh, right, ginger tea is in the kitchen for you. Hurry up and drink it. Don¡¯t catch a coldter.¡±


    ¡°Yuanyuan,e with me to deliver it to the Zhou family.¡±


    After taking the bowl, Liu Yuanyuan said with jealousy, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re too good to Zhou Xiaoli now. You¡¯re cookings eggs for her like she is your own daughter.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan tapped her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be petty. I left you eggs in the pot as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Little Li this time. She saved your father and our entire family. In the future, when you¡¯re outside, you can¡¯t criticize her with others.¡±


    Finally, she looked at Zhou Yuanyuan and emphasized her words. ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah, I know, I know. Mother, you¡¯re so long-winded.¡±


    With that, the two of them carried the bowls and went to the Zhou family.


    At this moment, in the Zhou family.


    They had just changed out of their wet clothes and were wiping their wet hair with a cloth.


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was so cold that she started to sneeze.


    Zhang Lan started a fire in the kitchen and prepared to use the water in the alternate space to boil ginger tea. ¡°Li¡¯er, quickly sit on the bed and cover yourself with a nket. Seriously, why were you running around with your father in the rain?¡±


    In the end, she red at Zhou Yu. ¡°You too. As a father, don¡¯t you feel sorry for your daughter at all?¡±


    Zhou Yu went to the kitchen and apologized profusely. ¡°Wife, I was wrong. I was wrong. You know very well that your daughter is a stubborn girl with her own opinion. She doesn¡¯t listen to me at all and hence, you have to be in charge of this family. You have to discipline her yourself.¡±


    Zhang Lan blushed and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re the only one with a glib tongue.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli expressed that she was sad at being forced to endure their sweet-talking.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    Zhang Lan hurriedly went out to open the door and saw Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan standing at the door with bowls.


    Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°Sister Yu, I made ginger tea to ward off the cold and even cooked two eggs for Little Li. Didn¡¯t she have a weak constitution? She needs more nourishment.¡±


    This time, Zhou Xiaoli could clearly sense Lin Xiujuan¡¯s sincerity from her attitude.


    It was not the same deliberate ttery as before which was obvious that it was intentional.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Aiya, you¡¯re all done cooking just like that. No wonder everyone says that Sister-inw is capable. I had just started the fire.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°You went to help. I came back early, so I started a fire in advance to cook. Drink this first. You shouldn¡¯t wait for you to cook for the family. Otherwise, the chills will enter your bodies.¡±


    Zhang Lan thought about it and agreed. She did not refuse and thanked her repeatedly.


    After sending Lin Xiujuan and her daughter off, Zhang Lan closed the door and hurriedly called out to her family. ¡°Come quickly. Drink some hot ginger tea to warm your bodies up.¡±


    As she spoke, she poured the ginger tea into a few bowls for the entire family to drink.


    ...


    Even Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun, who remained indoors, drank some.


    Although they had drunk the ginger tea, Zhang Lan cooked more of it. After all, she was using the spring water from the alternate space which could strengthen their bodies.


    After this incident, peace returned to the vige not long after.


    For the sake of their livelihood, even if it was dangerous, fishermen still went into the sea to catch fish.


    However, Liu Liangcai and Zhou Yu always returned with a full load, which attracted the jealousy of many fishermen.


    There were several times where someone deliberately followed their boat and noted down their fishing positions.


    Thinking that they were either from the same vige or from the neighboring vige, Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai ignored them.


    It was another good day. After they were ready, they were ready to set off to catch fish.


    However, when they reached the river, they realized that their fishing boat had disappeared.


    ¡°Strange, why is the fishing boat gone?¡± Liu Liangcai looked around and was very puzzled.


    Zhou Yu said, ¡°Did someone shift it away? Let¡¯s look again.¡±


    At this moment, there were still many boats parked by the river. The three of them started searching for his boat.


    At this moment, a viger saw them and shouted, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re looking for your boat, right? There¡¯s no need for you to look. Your boat isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli walked over and asked, ¡°Uncle Niu, did you see our boat?¡±


    The old man nodded. ¡°You guys should hurry to the beach to take a look. When I came today, I saw the two brats, Sun Er and Wang Gou, driving your boat away.¡±

 Chapter 56 - 56 A Blessing in Disaster

    56 A Blessing in Disaster


    The three of them frowned when they heard that.


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Uncle Niu.¡± After thanking Uncle Niu, the three of them rushed to the beach.


    When they reached the beach, they saw a boat stranded on the beach from afar.


    There were also many fishermen who wereughing and pointing at the stranded fishing boat.


    As they approached,


    A fisherman who recognized the two of them cried out.


    ¡°Aiyo, Big Brother Zhou, Big Brother Liu,e and take a look. See if this is your family¡¯s boat?¡±


    The three of them ran over to take a look.


    It was indeed their ship, but the ship¡­


    ¡°Aiya, Brother Zhou, Brother Liu, who did you offend such that this would happen? The ship is basically wrecked!¡±


    The surrounding vigers spoke up. They seemed to be upset on their behalf, but there was a hint of schadenfreude in their voices.


    The three of them could guess what was going on. Over the past few days, their fishing boat had always returned with a full load which must have made people jealous.


    However, Wang Gou and Sun Er do not fish. There were probably only two reasons why the two of them would destroy their ship.


    One reason was due to their previous grudge with the Zhou family. If that¡¯s the case, it is probably that they considered destroying the ship as revenge. The other reason was that someone had got them to do this.


    Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai ignored the gloating voices. They rolled up their sleeves and prepared to carry the boat back to the vige to repair.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not have much strength, so she could not help much. She could only follow behind.


    Crack!


    Suddenly, she felt as if she had stepped on something. She moved her foot and realized that it was a shell.


    She kicked away the sand beside her and saw a palm-sized m under the sand.


    Moreover, she could vaguely see traces of spiritual energy from this sea m.


    After some thought, Zhou Xiaoli bent down and picked up the m.


    Just as she bent down, she realized that there was also a faint spiritual auraing from a rock next to her.


    The spiritual energy from under the rock was actually richer than the m in her hand.


    Out of curiosity, Zhou Xiaoli stepped forward to move the rock away. As expected, she saw a palm-sized m in the puddle under the rock.


    And the spiritual energy wasing from this sea m.


    ¡°Little Li, what are you doing? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Yu, who was walking in front, noticed that Zhou Xiaoli wasgging behind. So he stopped and called out to her.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯ming!¡± Zhou Xiaoli replied. She picked up the m and chased after him.


    ¡ª


    ¡°What kind of bullsh*t is this! What kind of evil person are you! The action of flipping someone¡¯s ship bottoms-up is so wicked! You¡¯ve done too many wicked things. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re jealous of others because you don¡¯t have the ability. The Wang family and the Sun family are just a pile of cow dung. Nothing good wille out of them!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan stood on the street and let out curses one after another. She must have been furious.


    When Zhou Xiaoli stood at the door and looked over, Lin Xiujuan had already taken her weapon to the Wang and Sun families to demand an exnation.


    Lin Xiujuan was not someone who would suffer a loss quietly. With her around, the Wang and Sun families could forget about getting any peace. Zhou Xiaoli returned home then.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai had already gone to cut wood to repair the boat.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked into the courtyard with the two ms.


    Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu immediately saw the ms in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand and ran over.


    ¡°Wow, what a big m. It¡¯s even bigger than my hand.¡±


    ¡°Haha, as big as the Third Sister¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°It must be delicious.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli tapped the noses of the two little ones and said with a smile, ¡°Little gluttons.¡±


    With that, she walked into the kitchen.


    The two little ones followed Zhou Xiaoli into the kitchen.


    As Lin Xiujuan went to the Wang and Sun families, Zhang Lan came back from the street. Seeing the three children crowding in the kitchen, she walked into the kitchen as well and asked curiously, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Xiaoli took out three pearls the size of fingernails from a broken m.


    Instantly, she opened her mouth in shock.


    Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu had never seen pearls before in their lives. They asked curiously, ¡°Sister, what is this?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli replied casually, ¡°This is a pearl.¡±


    ¡°Pearl? Is it edible?¡± Zhou Xiaoyu blinked curiously.


    Zhou Junjun tapped the pearls on the chopping board with his small hand and said in a childish voice, ¡°Stupid. They¡¯re as hard as rocks. We can¡¯t eat them, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was amused. ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s inedible, but it¡¯s very valuable. I can buy you a lot of delicious food with it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that a treasure?¡± When the two little ones heard this, they immediately felt that pearls were a good thing.


    Zhang Lan walked over and asked in surprise, ¡°Where did you get this pearl m from?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said casually, ¡°I picked it up on the beach when I was on the way home. It looked big, and I thought there would be a lot of meat. Who knew that it would actually produce pearls?¡±


    ...


    Zhang Lan, who already knew that Zhou Xiaoli was lucky, was still shocked by her find.


    At this moment, Liu Fengfeng suddenly ran over to y with Zhou Junjun.


    ¡°Zhou Junjun, Zhou Junjun, let¡¯spete in long jump again today. I¡¯ll definitely beat you.¡±


    As his voice rang out, Liu Fengfeng¡¯s head poked in from the kitchen door. He asked curiously, ¡°Eh, it¡¯s already sote. You guys haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun, who had treated Liu Fengfeng as a good friend by now, immediately shared the good news with him happily.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re opening pearl ms.¡±


    ¡°Pearl m? What¡¯s a pearl m?¡± Liu Fengfeng was curious and looked at the chopping board. ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t it just a sea m? I don¡¯t like to eat it. The meat isn¡¯t delicious at all.¡±


    As he spoke, a look of disdain appeared on his face.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve eaten m meat before?¡±


    Instantly, the attention of the two little ones was attracted to him. The three little fellows gathered together and discussed Liu Fengfeng¡¯s experience of eating sea ms.


    After the three little ones ran out to y, Zhou Xiaoli went ahead to open the other m.


    ...


    This pearl m was full of spiritual energy. It must have a big pearl within.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli take out another pearl m, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How many did you pick up?¡±


    ¡°Just two.¡± Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you open this one?¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the butcher knife over.


    Zhang Lan waved her hands. ¡°No, no. You¡¯re our lucky star. It¡¯s better for you to open it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll open it.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the knife cut into the pearl m and broke it open with a crack.


    The white meat inside was very plumb.


    Zhang Lan was so curious that she almost leaned over to take a look. ¡°Is there a pearl?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was already groping around in the m meat. A momentter, a look of surprise appeared on her face. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not small!¡±


    As soon as the words left her lips, she opened her palm and thereid a round and plump pearl the size of a thumb!


    Looking at the pearls, Zhang Lan felt her head buzzing. She felt her tongue getting stuck in her mouth as she spoke. ¡°This, this must be worth a lot of money.¡±


    She had heard that pearls were very valuable, especially round and big pearls!


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s alright. It should be worth some money,¡± Zhou Xiaoli said in a regretful manner.


    Compared to the pearls in her lotus pond back then, these were really small.


    Seeing her daughter being so calm about it, Zhang Lan only sighed at how amazing her daughter was. She was already stunned beyond words by such a big pearl.


    When Zhou Yu returned home in the evening, she still felt that her feet were a little weak.


    Seeing that Zhou Yu had returned, the excitement in Zhang Lan¡¯s heart seemed to have found an outlet. She went up to him excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Come quickly,e quickly. Come in, I¡¯ll show you something good!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you so excited?¡± Zhou Yu looked at Zhang Lan in confusion and smiled. ¡°Why? Did you manage to find money on the street today?¡±


    Zhang Lan quickly closed the door and dragged Zhou Yu into the house. ¡°You guessed right, but it¡¯s not me. It¡¯s our lucky star.¡±

 Chapter 57 - 57 First Family Meeting

    57 First Family Meeting


    Hearing Zhang Lan¡¯s words, Zhou Yu was extremely surprised. ¡°Ah, she indeed picked up money from the street?¡±


    As they spoke, Zhang Lan had already pulled Zhou Yu into the main room.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Yu had returned, the two little ones who were practicing calligraphy with Zhou Xiaoli immediately stood up from their stools.


    After all, Zhou Junjun was older and a boy. He was much more mature than before so he merely stood and greeted him.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoyu rushed over like a small cannonball.


    Zhou Yu hurriedly bent down and picked the little one up. He smiled and said, ¡°Why are you racing around like a little crazy girl?¡±


    Although he said that she was a little crazy girl, his face and eyes were filled with smiles.


    Ever since they left the Zhou family, the two children had be much more cheerful and lively.


    As a father, he felt joy and heartbroken at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a little crazy girl. Sis said I¡¯m cute~¡± Zhou Xiaoyu expressed her dissatisfaction with the way her father had addressed her.


    Zhou Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Yes, yes. Your sister is right. You¡¯re a cutie.¡±


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoyu smile again. She hugged Zhou Yu¡¯s neck and said in a childish voice, ¡°Sis taught me how to read. I know how to write 1, 2, 3, and 4¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu counted with her tiny fingers.


    Zhou Yu was very happy with her achievement. ¡°Third Sister is awesome.¡±


    Being pricked by Zhou Yu¡¯s beard, Zhou Xiaoyu immediately giggled.


    Zhang Lan took Zhou Xiaoyu from Zhou Yu¡¯s arms and ced her on the ground. ¡°Alright, stop clinging to your father. Go out and y with your brother.¡±


    The two little fellows agreed and ran hand in hand to the courtyard to y.


    After the two little fellows left, Zhang Lan excitedly said to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Li¡¯er, quickly show your father what you picked up today!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh when she saw Zhang Lan unting to others like a child.


    She put down her pen and carried the box to him.


    She opened the box and took out four pearls.


    Three small ones and one big one.


    ¡°Pearl? They are pearls?¡± Zhou Yu was so shocked that he was tongue-tied.


    Seeing that she was not the only one with such a dramatic reaction after seeing the pearls, Zhang Lan immediately felt much better.


    She said excitedly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this great news! I knew it. My daughter isn¡¯t a jinx. She¡¯s a lucky star, the lucky star of our entire family!¡±


    Zhou Yu nodded. It took him a long time to find his tongue and speak. ¡°How is this just a great piece of news? It¡¯s a windfall!¡±


    After all, he was the head of a family, so Zhou Yu would always think one step ahead. After his excitement had passed, his expression became serious. He instructed, ¡°As the saying goes, don¡¯t reveal your wealth. Don¡¯t spread this matter around.¡±


    ¡°The human heart is unpredictable. Today, someone had purposely flipped Brother Liu¡¯s boat over to stop him from fishing. It was because we returned with a full load of fish in our previous trips that got others jealous.¡±


    ¡°If others find out that our family found pearls, I don¡¯t know what kind of disaster would befall us.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at her husband with admiration in her eyes and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, listen to your father. Your father is right.¡±


    When she first married into the Zhou family, she knew that although her husband looked like a boor, he was actually smart and meticulous.


    ¡°If someone dared to make trouble for us, I won¡¯t be afraid of them.¡± Zhou Xiaoli thought to herself.


    However, it was best not to cause trouble. She nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yes, Father is right. We can¡¯t keep the pearl forever. Let¡¯s go to the county city to sell it in two days¡¯ time.¡±


    Then, she looked down at the small ledger book that she was writing and said, ¡°Father, Mother, sit down first. I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli bought pen and paper when she went to the county city to sell the wolves hunted. She had not thought of a way to exin to her parents that she could write.


    However, Zhang Lan reasoned it all as a benefit from having the alternate space, which saved her the trouble of exining.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan walked to the table and sat down.


    Zhou Xiaoli flipped through the ledger book and said, ¡°Father earned 5,314 copper coins from fishing these few days, which is also 5 strings and 314 copper coins.¡±


    ¡°We have 35 taels and 550 copper coins after deducting the medicine we bought and the goods we bought the other time. We have a grand total of 40 taels and 864 copper coins. These three pearls can be sold for a lot of money, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°The taxes we have to pay this year are 6 taels and 120 copper coins in total. There¡¯s still a lot left.¡±


    ¡°The week¡¯s notice that we have given the Lu family is up as well. Tomorrow, we can prepare to build the house. There are many things that we would need Father to do. As such, Father, perhaps you should stop fishing from tomorrow onwards.¡±


    Building a house was a big deal. Zhou Yu immediately nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll tell your Uncle Liu tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°Although we have farnd in our space, it¡¯s not in the outside world after all. To prevent others from having suspicions about us, we have to buy some farnd.¡±


    Both of them nodded repeatedly.


    For people who were born to farm for food,nd would give them peace of mind and security.


    Zhang Lan agreed with this idea totally. ¡°Li¡¯er is right. We have to buy some farnd.¡±


    Zhou Yu also nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s do it tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring something to the Mayor¡¯s home tomorrow.¡±


    Both Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan wanted to buy fertilend, but Zhou Xiaoli had other ideas.


    She pursed his lips and said, ¡°Father, Mother, what I mean is that we don¡¯t want to buy fertilend. I¡¯ve asked the vige chief. Nowadays, an acre of good dry field costs 18 to 20 taels of silver, and paddy fields are even more expensive. It would cost 50 to 80 taels of silver. We can¡¯t buy a few acres ofnd with the money we got.¡±


    Zhang Lan hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s buy dry fields. We can nt wheat, millet, peanuts, and sweet potatoes in it. I heard that the price of pearls is very high. It should sell for dozens of taels of silver. Let¡¯s not buy too much. Just two acres for now?¡±


    Zhou Yu nodded. It was obvious that he agreed with Zhang Lan¡¯s opinion but he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, wife. Let¡¯s hear what our girl has to say.¡±


    After saying that, the two of them looked at Zhou Xiaoli and waited for her to speak.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli put down the brush in her hand and said in an unhurried manner, ¡°When I went to look at the grave site for the mayor, I heard from the mayor that there was arge piece ofnd on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain that had been cleared by the vigers. It was about 10 to 20 acres and had been abandoned. No one wanted it. It only cost four taels per acre and I thought our family could take it.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± As soon as Zhou Xiaoli finished speaking, Zhang Lan spoke first.


    ¡°You¡¯re young, so you don¡¯t know. That slope is an inferior field. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so cheap. Even if we nt it, the harvest would be small and it won¡¯t be sufficient for us to even pay the tax for it. When the timees, we¡¯ll have to put in more money. We can¡¯t buy it since it is such a bad deal!¡±


    Zhou Yu stroked the beard on his chin and nodded. ¡°Your mother is right this time. We can¡¯t take that slope! Think about it. If it¡¯s a good piece ofnd, why would it be deste for such a long time? Wouldn¡¯t anyone want it?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°Father, Mother, listen to me. We would not be growing crops on that piece ofnd.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked puzzled. ¡°Ah, what are we growing then?¡±


    Knowing their worries, Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and began to analyze the situation for them. ¡°There are lots of things which we can nt. We can nt tea leaves, herbs, and even fruit trees.¡±


    Zhang Lan could not help butugh. ¡°Li¡¯er, if you had wanted to eat fruits and drink tea. You just have to tell me and I¡¯ll buy it for you. How can you think of growing it yourself? Tea leaves and fruits are not food.¡±

 Chapter 58 - 58 Change in The Alternate Space

    58 Change in The Alternate Space


    Zhou Yu considered Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words seriously and said, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about nting herbs, there¡¯s a possibility. After all, pharmacies would buy the herbs.¡±


    ¡°However, your mother and I have never nted herbs before. Not to mention that we don¡¯t know how to make them into medicinal herbs, but more importantly, we¡¯re afraid that they won¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°As for the fruit trees and tea leaves you mentioned, well, let¡¯s not talk about whether we know how to nt them or not. What should we do with the fruits after we nt them?¡±


    Zhang Lan agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Which farmer would waste money to buy fruits to eat? When the timees, they would just go bad in the fields.¡±


    ¡°Mother, of course I¡¯m selling it to the rich people who can afford it,¡± Zhou Xiaoli exined. ¡°There are many dried fruit shops in the county. How is it possible that we won¡¯t be able to sell it?¡±


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu felt that Zhou Xiaoli was being too whimsical.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to do business.¡±


    Since Zhou Xiaoli had suggested this idea, she was naturally confident of her own ability.


    They havee to the crux of the issue, which is the alternate space she has.


    The alternate space had more than just a small farmyard and two acres ofnd.


    The surrounding space was actually veryrge, but it was enveloped by fog.


    Over the past few days, after they had nted the two acres ofnd with wheat, the fog that enveloped the forest behind the house slowly dissipated, and the foot of the West mountain was revealed.


    The western hillside was covered with fruit trees. She took a brief look at it. There were many types of fruit trees, including peaches, apples, pear, hawthorns, and dates.


    She also found strawberry orchards, cherries, kiwis, blueberries, and other fruits that had yet to be seen in this country.


    Just this afternoon, the fog on the mountain dissipated a little more, revealing the tea fields halfway up the mountain.


    She picked some tea leaves and stir-fried them. It was very fragrant.


    Since Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were so against her idea, it means that they definitely did not know about the changes in the alternate space.


    Perhaps if she let them take a look, they would be more assured. Thus, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Father, Mother, follow me into the alternate space to take a look.¡±


    Although the two of them were puzzled, they closed their eyes nevertheless and followed Zhou Xiaoli into the alternate space.


    Although they had entered the alternate space more than once, the two of them still found this experience extremely novel.


    ¡°Ah, look, our wheat has grown so tall!¡±


    ¡°This alternate space is really magical. There¡¯s no snow anywhere else, but snow is falling on the two wheat fields!¡±


    After Zhang Lan entered, her gaze was attracted by the wheat in the field.


    She ran over to her precious wheat and looked at it over again and again.


    They had nted winter wheat seeds. Originally, they were worried that it would not grow here. Now, they were relieved.


    Zhou Xiaoli covered her face. No wonder the two of them did not notice the situation at the back of the mountain. It turned out that their attention was on these two acres ofnd.


    ¡°Father, Mother, stop looking at the wheat. Come with me.¡±


    As Zhou Xiaoli spoke, she pulled the two of them around the courtyard and arrived at the foot of the West Mountain.


    ¡°Ah, we can now see the mountain!¡±


    This was the first time Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu had been here. They knew that the spring water flowed down from the mountain but they knew nothing else as the other ces were covered by fog.


    ¡°Yes, the fog dissipated in the past two days,¡± Zhou Xiaoli said as she led the two into the forest. ¡°Look, there are many fruit trees here.¡±


    ¡°Try it.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoli plucked two peaches and eagerly handed them to the two of them.


    Zhou Yu took the fruits, wiped them on his body, and handed one to Zhang Lan.


    Under Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s expectant gaze, the two of them took a bite. Instantly, their eyes lit up.


    ¡°It¡¯s so sweet!¡± Zhang Lan pointed at the peach in her hand in surprise. ¡°These peaches are too delicious. I¡¯ve never eaten such delicious peaches!¡±


    Looking at his wife¡¯s excited expression, Zhou Yu smiled. ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you often eat peaches.¡±


    This was also what Zhou Yu had said earlier. Fruit was considered a luxury item.


    For ordinary people who could not even eat their fill, they would not waste money to buy fruits to eat.


    They would go to the mountains to pick some wild fruits to eat during autumn time, but the fruits were usually very sour.


    Zhang Lan smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Quit it. I¡¯ve eaten it before actually. Didn¡¯t Zhou Guixiang bring peaches with her when she returned to the Zhou family house previously? Her daughter thought that they weren¡¯t delicious, so she threw them away. I picked them up and took a bite. They were not as delicious as this.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a string of memories appeared in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s mind.


    At that time, Zhang Lan washed the peaches that were thrown on the ground, and their family of five had eaten them.


    However, Zhou Guixiang saw it. No matter how they exined that it was her daughter who had thrown it away, she threw a huge tantrum at them.


    Lai Jinniang even severely punished their family for this.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s memory of it was deep and painful.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s mood was a little low, probably because she was reminded of the unhappy past.


    Zhou Yu¡¯s heart ached and he med himself.


    His wife and children have not had a good day with him.


    He immediately stuffed the peach he had taken a bite of into Zhang Lan¡¯s hand and patted his chest. ¡°This is for you. In the future, I¡¯ll give you all my peaches.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes immediately curved, and the gloominess in her heart cleared. She stuffed the peach back into Zhou Yu¡¯s hand and joked, ¡°Look at you. There are so many fruits here. Who still wants to eat what you have taken a bite of?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true.¡±


    The two of them could not help butugh. Their unhappiness immediately dissipated.


    ¡°Sis, Father, Mother, where are you?¡±


    ...


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun¡¯s voices could be heard.


    When the two little ones returned to the room, they found that the three of them were sleeping with their eyes closed. So they entered the alternate space to look for them.


    Zhou Yu¡¯s voice was loud. After shouting a few times, the two little ones ran over.


    ¡°Sis, why did you sneak into the alternate space?¡± Zhou Xiaoyu ran over and hugged Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s leg, asking in a childish voice.


    ¡°Little Fishy, be good. I¡¯m discussing something important with Father and Mother. Go to the small courtyard and bring a basket over. We¡¯ll pick some fruits and bring them out to eat.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli rubbed the little guy¡¯s head and said with a smile.


    Only then did the two little ones notice that there were many fruit trees here. They were instantly happy.


    After responding, they held hands and skipped to the small courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoli picked a few strawberries and cherries for Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan to see.


    ¡°Ah, what fruit is this? I¡¯ve never seen it before!¡±


    The two of them were shocked. They took it, wiped it on their bodies, and tried to take a bite.


    ...


    ¡°These fruits are so delicious!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°These are strawberries and cherries. It¡¯s very rare to see them outside. Even the current emperor might not have eaten them.¡±


    When she heard that the emperor had never eaten it before, Zhang Lan¡¯s hand that was holding the cherry trembled. She could not bear to put it into her mouth anymore.


    Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°So, Father, Mother, do you think that such delicious and rare fruits would not have any buyers? For example, strawberries and cherries. Those rich families will definitely fight for them.¡±


    Zhou Yu immediately understood what Zhou Xiaoli meant.


    ¡°So, you want to sell these fruits?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, but we have to have a source for our fruits. Otherwise, it will arouse suspicion. I thought that we should buy all thend on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain and nt the fruit trees in our alternate space there.¡±


    Looking at such arge fruit forest and the gratifying tea trees, it would be a pity if they do not put it into use.


    Zhou Yu immediately made his decision. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡±


    At this moment, the two little ones ran over with small bamboo baskets.


    The family picked two baskets of fruits and left the alternate space happily.


    Just as they returned to their room, they heard cursinging from the entrance of their house.

 Chapter 59 - 59 Worse Than a Beast

    59 Worse Than a Beast


    If one listened carefully, they could hear Lin Xiujuan cursing.


    Needless to say, Lin Xiujuan must be in an argument with the Wang and Sun families.


    By the time their family opened the front door and went out to take a look, the quarrel was almost over.


    Lin Xiujuan fought two people alone and managed to scratch Wang Gou¡¯s mother¡¯s face. Sun Er¡¯s mother¡¯s nose was bleeding too.


    !!


    As for Lin Xiujuan, her clothes and hair were only a little messy. Herbat strength was off the charts!


    Lin Xiujuan was the victim and had the right to reason with them. She also had many witnesses on her side. Not only did the old women of the Wang and Sun families receive a beating for nothing, they were also dragged here to apologize to the Lin family.


    In the end, the vige chief mediated and Lin Xiujuan spared them.


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ve been fighting since I was 12 years old. You can¡¯t beat me even with three of you! Pfft, I advise you to go back and discipline your sons well. Don¡¯t do anything guilty. Be careful of retribution!¡±


    As Lin Xiujuan cursed, the Wang and Sun wives tucked their tails between their legs and ran away dejectedly.


    Themotion was over, and the surrounding vigers who were watching themotion dispersed.


    Lin Xiujuan, who had won the battle, also returned home with her head held high.


    ¡ª


    Night fell, at the Zhou residence.


    The family ate until their bellies were round. They sat on a bed and chatted for a while before going to bed early.


    In the middle of the night, Zhou Xiaoli was woken up by the urge to pee and had no choice but to go to the toilet.


    Just as she reached the courtyard, she suddenly heard the dull sound of two heavy objects falling to the ground in the quiet night.


    Thieves!


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s first reaction was that there was a thief at home!


    She immediately became vignt and slowly retreated into the room. She picked up the small crossbow on the table and quietly walked to the door, pricking up her ears to listen for any noise.


    In the dead of night, the sounds of the surroundings were especially clear. The chirping of insects in the grass and the croaking of frogs in the river not far away.


    There were also two extremely low voices.


    ¡°The Lin family had indeed hidden their money really well. Damn it, we didn¡¯t even manage to find a single copper coin.¡±


    ¡°There are rules in the underworld. We can¡¯t walk away empty-handed. Go to the kitchen and get all their rice and flour.¡±


    ¡°There are a few old hens in this chicken coop. They can be sold for money too.¡±


    ¡°Shh, are you stupid? What if the chickens cry and wake the people around us? We have more important things to do.¡±


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to the Zhou family quickly. The little b*tch from the Zhou family has harmed us brothers to such extents. I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t deal with her. Do you still have any knockout drugs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all on me!¡±


    ¡°Alright, after we have knocked them out, search for the money. I¡¯ll carry her. Let¡¯s have fun tonight.¡±


    ¡°One is not enough. Didn¡¯t the Zhou family have a baby girl? That will be fun!¡±


    Finally, there was a burst of obsceneughter.


    Fortunately, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hearing was sharp, so she could hear every word of their conversation.


    A hint of danger shed across her eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli turned around and entered the house, shaking Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan awake.


    ¡°Shh, Father, Mother, don¡¯t make a sound first. There are thieves in our house.¡±


    As soon as the two of them opened their eyes, Zhou Xiaoli immediately lowered her voice and reminded them.


    The two of them, who were still in a daze, turned wide awake when they heard that there were thieves.


    They quickly sat up and jumped out of bed without putting on their clothes.


    The moment he got off the bed, Zhou Yu simultaneously took out a kitchen knife from under the bed.


    This was Zhou Yu¡¯s sleeping habit. Before sleeping, he had to put the kitchen knife under the bed. Otherwise, he would not be able to sleep well.


    Zhang Lan picked up the bolt on the back of the door.


    Under the moonlight, the three of them quietly moved to the door and observed themotion in the courtyard through the half-open door.


    Sure enough, not long after.


    They heard the dull thud of two heavy objects falling to the ground.


    Apanied by the rustling of clothes, deliberate light footsteps slowly approached them.


    Here ites!


    Through the crack in the door, the three of them saw two ck figures sneaking over.


    As they approached the door, Sun Er took out the knockout drug.


    Zhou Yu took the lead and opened the door. He raised his knife and rushed out.


    ¡°B*stard thief, you had the nerve to steal from my house!¡±


    Zhang Lan raised the door bolt and shouted as she followed closely behind.


    Wang Gou and Sun Er clearly did not expect to be discovered. They were shocked by Zhou Yu who suddenly rushed out of the room.


    Zhou Yu was originally strong and strong. In addition, he had been drinking the spiritual spring water from the alternate space recently. He ate well and his body became even stronger.


    For him to overpower these two, it was as easy as hitting a chicken.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not even have the chance to attack before Wang Gou and Sun Er were beaten to the ground by Zhou Yu.


    ...


    The two of themy on the ground and cried out in pain.


    Thinking about it, Zhou Yu¡¯s punch must have been powerful.


    ¡°Go get the rope!¡±


    Zhou Yu held the kitchen knife and stood at the side, staring at the two of them. He only put the kitchen knife away after Zhang Lan and Zhou Xiaoli tied them up.


    ¡°How should we deal with them? Should we send them to the county office tomorrow?¡± Zhou Yu could not help but ask.


    Zhou Yu thought that the two of them were just thieves. If they were sent to the county office, they would definitely be jailed for a few years.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli had heard their conversation. They had wanted to destroy her and Zhou Xiaoyu!


    Especially Zhou Xiaoyu, who was only four or five years old. These two people actually had such evil thoughts. They were simply worse than beasts!


    They were bad people from the bottom of their hearts. If they were released from prison, they might find trouble with them again.


    Allowing such danger to live on would mean endless trouble for them.


    If it was up to her, neither of them should be left alive.


    ...


    However, she naturally could not say this out loud. Killing someone would probably scare Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes moved, and she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Father, Foreman Cao wille to look at the house structure tomorrow, and you won¡¯t be able to leave. Why don¡¯t I send them to the county office?¡±


    This way, no one would know what she was doing on the way.


    However, Zhou Yu refused. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s too unsafe. I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Zhang Lan also agreed repeatedly.


    ¡°Uncle, why don¡¯t you leave these two to me?¡±


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    The few of them were stunned. They looked over and saw Wei Chiyu sitting on the wall.


    Seeing that they were looking at him, he jumped down from the wall and exined.


    ¡°They woke me up with their cries.¡±


    Actually, he had woken up some time ago. He had discovered their presence when Wang Gou and Sun Er entered the Lin family.


    However, when he realized that Zhou Xiaoli had also woken up, he did not act rashly. He observed in secret, thinking that if they were no match for them, he would attack immediately.


    However, he did not expect Zhou Yu to be so brave. With one punch, he knocked the two of them down. He did not give him a chance to save the damsel in distress.


    Naturally, he heard their conversation.


    He had the same thoughts as Zhou Xiaoli. They should not be left alive.


    Zhou Yu was a little hesitant. ¡°Would this be too much trouble for you?¡±


    Wei Chiyu immediately shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the county tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring them to the county office on the way.¡±


    With Wei Chiyu sending them to the county office instead, Zhou Yu would have peace of mind staying at home.


    Thus, the matter was happily settled.


    Wei Chiyu said that he had to wake up very early tomorrow and would bring the two of them back to his house tonight.


    He lowered his head and looked at the two of them. A trace of coldness shed across his eyes. Then, he asked Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Do you have any stinky socks?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why do you need stinky socks?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was confused.


    Wei Chiyu said casually, ¡°I have to wake up early tomorrow and I¡¯m afraid that they will disturb my sleep.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli instantly understood.


    She immediatelyughed. This guy was two-faced. ¡°Yes, yes. Wait for me. I¡¯ll find it for you right now.¡±


    As she spoke, she ran back to her room and took a pair of stinky socks that Zhou Yu had changed out of at night, and had yet to wash.


    Although Wang Gou and Sun Er tried their best to resist, in the end, the stinky socks were stuffed into their mouths.


    Wei Chiyu patted the rope on the person¡¯s body. After finding that it was firmly tied around them, he carried the two of them out of the Zhou family.


    Zhou Xiaoli had something to ask, so she chased after him after Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan returned to the room.

 Chapter 60 - 60 I Want All!

    60 I Want All!


    At the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli stopped Wei Chiyu and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you sending them to the county office tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Wei Chiyu shook his head.


    His answer surprised Zhou Xiaoli.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu said, ¡°I know some friends in the underworld. They¡¯re very good at dealing with difficult scoundrels like them. Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯te looking for trouble with you in the future.¡±


    Although she did not know how Wei Chiyu was going to deal with Wang Gou and Sun Er, she was relieved to hear Wei Chiyu say so.


    The next morning.


    Zhang Lan woke up early and sent back the rice and flour that the two stole from the Liu familyst night.


    Last night, the two of them had drugged the Liu family. They only woke up in a daze when Zhang Lan knocked on the door.


    When she heard Zhang Lan say that their house had been burrizedst night, Lin Xiujuan jumped up in shock and ran back to her room to check on her money.


    ¡°You scared me to death. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t lose them. These damn thieves!¡±


    Then, she thanked Zhang Lan.


    Then, she asked, ¡°What about the thieves? Are they still at your house? I¡¯ll break their hands!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan shouted and was about to look for her weapon to hit the thieves with.


    Zhang Lan hurriedly said, ¡°They¡¯re not here anymore. Chiyu took them awayst night. He¡¯s probably on his way to send them to the county office now.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan felt a little regretful that the two thieves had left.


    ¡°Well done! We have to send them to the county office and let the county magistrate punish them!¡±


    After ranting, Lin Xiujuan finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    The pot at home was still on the stove, so Zhang Lan did not stay for long. After returning the rice and flour to them, she bade farewell and left.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu had also woken up and were brushing their teeth in the courtyard.


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s this called? After using it for a few days, my teeth don¡¯t hurt anymore. They¡¯ve even be much whiter.¡±


    After Zhou Yu finished rinsing his mouth, he could not help but sigh in contentment.


    ¡°Toothbrush, toothpaste,¡± Zhou Xiaoli said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s really a good thing. It¡¯s much more useful than the willow branches.¡±


    The toothbrushes and toothpaste they used were all from the alternate space.


    There were many good things stored in the cabs of the washroom in the small courtyard of the farmhouse.


    Toothbrushes and toothpaste were one of them. There were also shampoo, detergent and more.


    More importantly, she also found sanitary pads in the bedroom of the small courtyard.


    There were two big boxes, enough for her to use till she reached menopause. She was pleasantly surprised at her find.


    Although she was only 10 years old and had yet to have her period, her period woulde in two to three years¡¯ time.


    She had heard that in ancient times, women used wood ash when they had their period. She probably wouldn¡¯t dare to use that when her periodes.


    On the other side, Zhou Yu, who had finished brushing his teeth, was humming a mountain song. He washed his toothbrush and toothpaste and carefully ced them on a high shelf on the wall behind the left side of the kitchen door.


    It would be hard for anyone to notice this hiding ce.


    After Zhang Lan returned, she went into the kitchen and cracked three eggs in the broth. Breakfast was ready.


    In reality, farmers would only eat two meals a day when it was not the busy period. They would eat one meal at nine in the morning and one meal at eight in the evening.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli was used to eating three meals a day. Besides, there was no need to worry about food at home now. The two little guys also needed to nourish their bodies.


    Hence, the family followed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s cooking habits and ate three meals a day.


    However, they usually ate simple breakfasts in the morning. They would have porridge or egg soup, together with stir-fried vegetables and steamed buns.


    After breakfast, the family got busy.


    Today, Foreman Cao wasing to visit the homestead. Zhang Lan listened to the vige chief¡¯s suggestion and prepared to cook a table of delicious food to entertain them.


    This way, they would be diligent in building the house for them, and the house they built would be sturdier and more secure.


    Hence, after breakfast, Zhang Lan started to prepare.


    Zhou Xiaoli took all her belongings and drove the donkey cart to the mayor¡¯s house in Dazhuang Vige.


    When she arrived, the mayor was shooting arrows at the back of the house. He was very enthusiastic to see Zhou Xiaoli.


    Ever since they listened to Zhou Xiaoli and moved their ancestral grave, no one in the Zhuang family had fallen ill for no reason.


    The nsmen who had fallen ill earlier also began to improve with medication.


    He witnessed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s ability and waspletely convinced by her.


    ¡°Aiya, Little Li, why are you free toe to my ce today?¡±


    After the mayor handed the bow and arrow to his son, he greeted her with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go in and have a seat. My wife, make a pot of tea quickly and use the Longjing tea I just obtained.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhuang, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Zhou Xiaoli smiled.


    The mayorughed. ¡°Ha, no, no. You¡¯re our family¡¯s esteemed guest, so you have to be treated with our best hospitality.¡±


    As they chatted, the two of them entered the living room.


    Soon, the mayor¡¯s wife brought tea over.


    Zhou Xiaoli took the teacup and thanked her.


    ...


    After the two of them exchanged a few simple pleasantries, Zhou Xiaoli did not keep them in suspense and exined her intentions foring.


    ¡°What? You want to buy the wastnd on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain?¡±


    The mayor almost spat out the tea in his mouth. He hurriedly put down the teacup and looked at Zhou Xiaoli in disbelief.


    Zhou Xiaoli calmly took a sip of tea and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right, Uncle Zhuang, you didn¡¯t hear wrongly. The wastnd on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain. Could it be that someone has already bought them?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no.¡± The mayor waved his hand and confirmed again, ¡°Little Li, are you sure you want to buy thend on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    The mayor adjusted his sitting posture. ¡°Little Li, since you call me your Uncle, I have to remind you that you should look beyond the price of thend. Although it is cheap, those slopes are infertilend.¡±


    ¡°If you want to buy farnd, I¡¯ll help you ask around and see if there are any cheap and good farnds.¡±


    However, Zhou Xiaoli shook her head and said affirmatively, ¡°Uncle Zhuang, I know what I want. I don¡¯t need fertilend. Thend on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain will do.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was so certain about the slopes,


    The mayor pursed his lips and did not say anything else. He sighed. ¡°Alright, as long as you know what you¡¯re doing. How many acres do you want?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli asked in return, ¡°How many acres ofnd does the southern slope have in total?¡±


    The mayor stood up and went to the shelf to search. After a while, he took out a blueprint and flipped it open. ¡°Hm, there are a total of 23 acres ofnd on the southern slope.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll take them all.¡±


    This almost frightened the mayor again.


    ¡°All of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, all of them.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was someone who knew what she wanted. Seeing that she was not panicking at all, the mayor did not try to persuade her further.


    He flipped through the records and said, ¡°Among the 23 acres ofnd, 10 acres were cultivated by the vigers previously. It¡¯s 4 taels per acre then.¡±


    ¡°The remaining 13 acres haven¡¯t been cultivated yet. The Imperial Court is encouragingnd cultivation now. As long as it¡¯s cultivated, it¡¯ll be considered as yournd. However, you have to pay taxes in the second year of cultivation. Do you want these 13 acres as well?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and said without hesitation, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Then I¡¯ll transfer thend ownership to you.¡±


    As he spoke, the mayor walked to his desk and took out a few deeds.


    After paying 40 taels of silver, she only had 840 copper coins left on her.


    Fortunately, she still had the four pearls.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not remain after receiving the deed from the mayor.


    After bidding farewell to the mayor, she drove the donkey cart and admired the surrounding scenery as she leisurely moved towards the vige.


    Qingyuan Mountain was really beautiful.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but feel a little satisfied as she admired the beautiful scenery and enjoyed the breeze.


    However, just as her donkey cart entered the vige, this satisfaction was shattered.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoli, Uncle Zhou is fighting with someone!¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61 Infuriating That Lu Person!

    61 Infuriating That Lu Person!


    Zhou Xiaoli did not drive the donkey home but instead, she rushed straight to their homestead.


    Originally, Foreman Cao was here to look at the base structure. The actual building of the house will start tomorrow.


    However, after the meal, when Zhou Yu went to the homestead, he realized that the beetroots nted by the Lu family in thend were still in the ground!


    Zhou Yu had already reminded them no less than three or four times. Yesterday morning, when he realized that they have yet to harvest the beetroots, he even reminded them again.


    !!


    He even told them that they were going to start building the house tomorrow.


    Unexpectedly, they hadn¡¯t finished their harvesting.


    Zhou Yu was a little angry. He went straight to the Lu family and asked them to collect the beetroots immediately. Otherwise, he would inform the vige chief of it.


    Perhaps because he was angry, Zhou Yu¡¯s words were a little harsh.


    This time, the old woman from the Lu family was unwilling. She refused to harvest the beetroots no matter what. She even said that since he had bought this piece ofnd to build a house, he should buy all the beetroots in the field as well.


    Because of this, the two families quarreled!


    On the way to the homestead, Liu Fengfeng and the few children in the vige talked all at once and told Zhou Xiaoli everything that had happened.


    As soon as she arrived, Old Madam Lu¡¯s shameless voice could be heard.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as taking only one part of it!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, you have to buy these beetroots today. Otherwise, I¡¯ll lie on the ground. Don¡¯t even think about building a house then!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned, but she did not go forward immediately. Instead, she tied up the donkey cart before walking toward the center of the crowd.


    Zhou Yu was so angry that his face and neck turned red. He clenched his fists and said angrily, ¡°How can there be an unreasonable person like you!¡±


    Looking at the blue veins popping out on his arm, Zhou Xiaoli did not doubt it at all that if it were not for the fact that the other party was a woman, her father would have punched her a long time ago.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli called out to Zhou Yu and pushed through the crowd of onlookers toe to his side.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back so soon?¡±


    Upon seeing Zhou Xiaoli, Zhou Yu patted his head in a daze. He felt some relief then, and his tone became gentler. ¡°Did it not go well?¡±


    ¡°No, I came back straight after shopping.¡±


    As Zhou Xiaoli spoke, her gaze fell on the old woman from the Lu family.


    No wonder Zhou Yu was so angry.


    Old Madam Lu was really shameless. She sat in the middle of their home base with a recliner and bedding beside her. It looked like she had all intention to fight with them to the end.


    ¡°Old woman Lu, you¡¯re too shameless!¡± Lin Xiujuan¡¯s disdainful voice sounded.


    Lin Xiujuan came over with Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was not eloquent. To put it bluntly, her character was a little weak. If she was half as fierce as Lin Xiujuan, she would not have been bullied by Lai Jinniang for so many years.


    At this moment, she was so angry that her face turned red, but she couldn¡¯t open her mouth to speak. Hence, she followed Lin Xiujuan¡¯s lead and tried to scold Old Madam Lu.


    However, her aura was slightly weaker inparison.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be shy. You should not be like this when scolding others. You don¡¯t look imposing at all. You should put one hand on your waist and point at her nose with the other. That¡¯s it. Open your voice and shout loudly.¡± Lin Xiujuan tried to teach her how to scold others.


    Zhang Lan followed suit and shouted, ¡°Madam Lu, you¡¯re shameless!¡±


    After shouting that, it was as if a door had opened. Then, she followed Lin Xiujuan¡¯s lead and started cursing others.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°¡­¡±


    Old Madam Lu was not afraid at all. She shouted, ¡°Mrs. Lin, what does this have to do with you?! You¡¯re in such a hurry to speak up for the Zhou family. Has the Zhou family given you many benefits?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Lin Xiujuan became feisty. ¡°Old Madam Lu, you¡¯re full of farts. What a foul mouth do you have!¡±


    ¡°Look at your behavior. Everyone in our vige knows that beetroots are not selling well this year. You¡¯re deliberately extorting the Zhou family. Who would stand by and allow you to do that?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re inhumane. Please ask your man to buy more makeup for you so that others would be able to tell where your butt and face are!¡±


    Puff!


    Zhou Xiaoli almostughed out loud.


    Ever since Lin Xiujuan stopped making things difficult for her, the way she scolds others has be very interesting.


    Many people around them were discussing among themselves. They were all saying that the Lu family was really inhumane.


    Even the vige chief came upon hearing themotion in the vige.


    The vige chief, who had rushed over to act as a mediator, couldn¡¯t help but criticize Old Madam Lu as well. ¡°Lu family, what¡¯s wrong with you? I reminded you a month ago. Why are the beetroots still in the ground?!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t sell it yourself, so you want to force others to buy. How immoral!¡±


    However, Old Madam Lu did not care at all.


    No matter what others said, she refused to give in.


    The vige chief was furious and said fiercely, ¡°This ruffian! Since she doesn¡¯t ept it, Zhou Yu, just pull out these beetroots and build a house! If she doesn¡¯t move, let her continue to lie down and build the house on her!¡±


    As soon as the vige chief¡¯s harsh words left his lips, Old Madam Lu rushed home, took a knife, and rushed out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You have to buy the beetroots, or I¡¯ll die here. You can build your house over my dead body!¡± She roared as if she had lost her mind.


    As the saying went, it¡¯s the little ghosts who were the most difficult to deal with.


    The adage was right.


    Just as Old Madam Lu was making a ruckus, Zhou Xiaoli looked at the beetroots in the field and said, ¡°We¡¯ll buy them.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.


    ...


    Some of the onlookers began to dissuade her.


    Eat?


    They would not be able to finish it, that¡¯s for sure.


    However, she had no intention of eating them.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu also looked at Zhou Xiaoli in confusion. However, since their daughter had spoken, they nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to my daughter.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the onlookers were a little surprised. The Zhou family doted on their daughter that much?


    There were also many girls who were watching the show and were a little envious of Zhou Xiaoli.


    It was unrealistic for them to express their thoughts at home, let alone make decisions.


    Although Zhou Xiaoli had decided to buy the beetroots, she would not let the other party name the price. Therefore, she said pointedly, ¡°We¡¯ll calcte the wholesale market price now.¡±


    There are bound to be people in the vige who had sold beetroots before. Someone immediately said, ¡°Beetroots are cheap now. One copper coin for one and a half kilograms!¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it ording to the price of one copper coin for one and a half kilograms. However, you have to harvest them all immediately!¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, I can dy the building of the house until a few dayster. What you have are beetroots, not rocks. It¡¯ll rot sooner orter!¡±


    Old Madam Lu originally thought that the price was cheap, but she considered that if she continued to force the Zhou family into a corner and they did not go ahead to build the house, her beetroots would indeed rot in the ground.


    She immediately agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll harvest them now!¡±


    With that, she ran back and called the entire family to collect the beetroots.


    There were many men in the Lu family, but none of them were diligent. It was the first time that they had been diligent in harvesting beetroots.


    In the afternoon, all the beetroots were harvested.


    There was a total of 462 kilograms.


    When the Zhou family went to take the beetroots, many people in the vige followed them to watch themotion. Many people sighed and said that the Zhou family had suffered a huge loss this time.


    However, after returning home this morning, Zhou Xiaoli had told Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan her thoughts.


    She wanted to use the beetroots to make sugar. Five kilograms of beetroots could produce about one kilogram of sugar.


    The current market price of sugar was 100 copper coins per kilogram!


    At that time, it would be a sure win for them!

 Chapter 62 - 62 It’s Really Sugar!

    62 It¡¯s Really Sugar!


    Zhou Yu drove the donkey cart over and pulled all the beetroots home.


    It was unloaded into the courtyard and piled into a small mountain.


    The wolf cub was chasing the duck in the courtyard. When it saw the beetroots on the ground, it rushed over, picked up one, and ran.


    ¡°Little wolf, you can¡¯t eat that~ spit it out.¡±


    !!


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoyu shouted and chased after it with her short legs.


    The wolf cub thought that Zhou Xiaoyu was ying with it, so it ran even more happily.


    The wolf and the child started chasing each other in the courtyard.


    Zhou Yu tied up the donkey cart. He was still a little worried and so he asked, ¡°Li¡¯er, are you confident in your method of making sugar?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli felt that no matter how much she said, they would only be convinced when she made the sugar.


    Hence, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll make some right now.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Lan put on an apron and said, ¡°Do you need Mother to help you with anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She found four beetroots from the pile and weighed them. They weighed two and a half kilograms.


    Then, she said, ¡°Mother, help me wash the beetroots and slice them.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Zhang Lan replied and took over. After washing the beetroots clean, she took it to the kitchen and started slicing it up.


    Zhou Yu went to the donkey shed to get some firewood.


    He had heard from Zhou Xiaoli that sugar had to be cooked with fire.


    Zhou Yu looked at the remaining dry firewood in the donkey shed and said, ¡°Brother Jun,e with me to the mountain to pick some firewood.¡±


    With that, the two of them grabbed a machete and left.


    The process of cutting the beets into thin slices was the most time-consuming. Fortunately, Zhang Lan¡¯s knife skills were not bad. She quickly cut them into thin slices.


    By the time everything was cut, Zhou Xiaoli had already washed the big iron pot and ced it on the stove.


    ¡°Put the beetroot slices in the pot and add cold water. Oh, right, don¡¯t add in too much water, and don¡¯t have too little either. Just make it level with the beetroots.¡±


    Zhang Lan responded and followed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s instructions step by step.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu ran into the kitchen and pulled Zhou Xiaoli up. ¡°Sis, let me start the fire. I¡¯m the best at it.¡±


    As she spoke, she sat obediently in front of the stove, looking very much the part.


    Zhou Xiaoli had already started the fire. Zhou Xiaoyu only needed to watch the fire and add firewood when required.


    As such, she let her be.


    Next, she would wait for the water to boil before turning the beetroots over. Then, she would continue to boil them until they were soft and turned into a pulp. Then, she could take them out to cool.


    ¡°And then?¡± Zhang Lan listened very seriously.


    Zhou Xiaoli found two pieces of muslin cloth that were used to steam steam buns and continued, ¡°Wrap the cold beetroots in the muslin cloth and squeeze. The liquid should go back into the pot.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s actions, Zhang Lan also ced the beetroots on the muslin cloth. After wrapping them all, she squeezed out the liquid from it.


    ¡°Mother, you have to squeeze it clean. Otherwise, the sugar yield rate will be very low,¡± Zhou Xiaoli added as she squeezed hard.


    Zhang Lan did not know what the sugar yield rate was, but she still listened to Zhou Xiaoli and squeezed the beetroots harder.


    After a while, Zhou Xiaoli felt that her hands were sore.


    She could not help but sigh. It was really tiring to make sugar purely by hand.


    ¡°Li¡¯er, I¡¯m done squeezing. What¡¯s next? Where should I put the remaining dregs?¡± Zhang Lan asked after squeezing.


    ¡°Just get rid of the dregs.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Throw it away?¡±


    Zhang Lan was a little surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to make sugar? How can you make sugar if you throw it away?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed. ¡°Mother, the sugar isn¡¯t in the dregs. We had just squeezed out all the sugar. It¡¯s all in the liquid.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhang Lan was even more confused. She looked at the pot of water in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s sugar in this water?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu was also curious. ¡°Sis, is there really sugar in the water? Is it sweet?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Of course. After we make it, Third Sister will have an endless supply of sweets.¡±


    The little fellow¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. She pped her hands excitedly. ¡°Yay, yay, endless sweets!¡±


    As expected, children liked sweets. When they heard that there will be endless sweets, they were so happy that they almost jumped up.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. ¡°Then you have to work harder to light the fire. When the water is dry, the pot will be filled with sugar.¡±


    ¡°Sis, don¡¯t worry, I know how to keep the fire going.¡±


    With that, she jogged back to the stove and stared at the fire seriously. She did not even move.


    Looking at the pot of water, Zhang Lan was a little uncertain.


    She opened her mouth, but in the end, she did not say anything. She listened to Zhou Xiaoli and began to stir with the spoon.


    However, as time passed, she realized that as she stirred, the water turned into a thick liquid!


    After a while, the liquid in the pot became thicker and the color gradually deepened!


    ¡°Li¡¯er! Look, is this sugar?¡±


    Zhang Lan called out to Zhou Xiaoli in surprise.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked over to take a look and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. When the syrup water turns into a mucus-like dark brown color, the syrup will be boiled. After the syrup is cooled, it will form a solid sugar block.¡±


    ...


    Seeing that sugar was forming, Zhang Lan instantly regained her strength. Her hands no longer felt sore.


    By the time Zhou Yu and Zhou Junjun returned with firewood, the syrup had already been ced in the courtyard to solidify.


    Zhou Xiaoyu had been staring at the sugar that was on the table. When she saw Zhou Junjun return, she immediately rushed over excitedly and bragged, ¡°Brother, Brother, Sis has made sugar. It¡¯s so sweet!¡±


    ¡°Wow, really!¡±


    The two little fellows held hands and ran to stare at the sugar.


    When Zhou Yu heard this news, his pupils dted. He ced the firewood on the ground and rushed over. ¡°It¡¯s real.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s done! Come and take a look.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled.


    They had produced about half a kilogram of sugar.


    ¡°Hubby, look, look. We used just four beetroots to make almost half a kilogram of sugar!¡±


    Zhang Lan was very excited. ¡°Then we¡¯ll make a killing with so many beetroots! Haha, if Old Madam Lu finds out, she¡¯ll definitely be furious!¡±


    ...


    If the other party knew that their family used one copper coin for one and half kilograms of beetroots and sold them for 50 copper coins, Old Madam Lu would definitely be so jealous that smoke would rise from her head.


    Zhang Lan instantly felt better.


    The old woman from the Lu family had disgusted her today.


    At this moment, the two little fellows could not help themselves but to grab the still soft sugar and eat it.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really candy. It¡¯s so sweet.¡±


    Zhou Junjun curled his fingers and was extremely happy.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but rub their heads. ¡°You would have to brush your teeth properly tonight after eating sugar.¡±


    Then, she said to Zhou Yu, ¡°But, Father, Mother, there are so many beetroots. If it¡¯s just the three of us, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be exhausted even before we finish the pile.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we¡¯re building a house tomorrow. We would be quite busy at home.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s quite tiring. I¡¯m afraid my hand will break if I cut that many beetroots, not to mention that I have to stir it continuously thereafter.¡±


    Then, she changed the topic. ¡°However, as long as I can earn money, it¡¯s worth it no matter how tired I am!¡±

 Chapter 63 - 63 If You Don’t Lead a Team, You Would Work Yourself to Death

    63 If You Don¡¯t Lead a Team, You Would Work Yourself to Death


    Zhou Yu also nodded. ¡°Your mother is right. How can work not be tiring? Besides, we can earn a lot of money here.¡±


    Then, he said to Zhang Lan, ¡°But our daughter is still young. We can¡¯t tire her out. We have to do more.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Previously, both of us were sick, and it was hard on our daughter. As the eldest sister, she supported the entire family. Now that both of us have recovered, I have to pamper her. How can I bear to let her work?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli covered her face. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t want to work.


    !!


    ¡°No, Father, Mother, listen to me. It¡¯s not just a matter of exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just discovered how to make sugar with beetroots. When we earn money, I¡¯m afraid it will make people jealous. At that time, we¡¯ll be alone and helpless. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll force us to hand over the method to make sugar.¡±


    Both of them were stunned when they heard that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say. Our daughter is still the smartest. I forgot about these powerful connections.¡± Zhou Yu¡¯s face was filled with pride, but his words were filled with self-me.


    Then, he asked, ¡°So, Missy, what do you think?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips. ¡°There was once a famous person who said, ¡®If you don¡¯t lead a team, you would work yourself to death.¡¯¡±


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan looked at each other in confusion. ¡°What famous person said that?¡±


    ¡°My littlemb.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The two of them were even more confused. ¡°Littlemb? Can sheep talk?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed. ¡°It¡¯s not important, it¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is this sentence, ¡®Leading a team¡¯. We have to learn how to lead a team.¡±


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan remained silent as they listened to Zhou Xiaoli continue.


    ¡°Father, who is your best friend in our vige?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli emphasized, ¡°One who is especially good to you, one who is trustworthy.¡±


    Zhou Yu said without hesitation, ¡°Brother Liu must be one.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She could tell that the two of them had gone through life and death together.


    Moreover, after interacting with him, she found that Liu Liangcai had a good character.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    Zhou Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Also, the vige chief has always taken good care of us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. The vige chief was an impartial person. It would be great if he could join them. No one in the vige would dare to have any ill intentions on them.


    Hence, she said, ¡°Then Father, please invite Uncle Liu and the vige chief to our house tomorrow night.¡±


    After a simple discussion, they made one and a half kilograms of sugar overnight.


    Early next morning, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhang Lan brought the sugar to sell in the county city.


    Unexpectedly, just as they were going to the sugar shop to sell sugar, they met the vige chief¡¯s wife and Old Madam Ma.


    Hence, they found out that the Zhou family was selling sugar. They also found out that the Zhou family had made the sugar from beetroots.


    ¡°Sigh, as you know, the Lu family scammed us into buying the vegetables. I thought of making them into food to sell, but I didn¡¯t expect to be able to make sugar. I¡¯m lucky.¡±


    Zhang Lan exined casually to the vige chief¡¯s wife.


    This was what Zhou Xiaoli had told her family. When someone asked, this would be the reason why they had sugar to sell.


    The vige chief¡¯s wife and daughter-inw did not know what sugar was, but they were sincerely happy for the Zhou family. ¡°Good people would be rewarded. If you can make it into sugar and sell it, you won¡¯t have to waste it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The few of them chatted for a while more. Because the vige chief¡¯s wife and Old Madam Ma were on their way to buy cotton, the two of them bade farewell and left.


    At this moment, the shopkeeper of the sugar shop walked out.


    ¡°Are you looking for me? What can I do for you?¡±


    The shopkeeper sized up the two of them, but his eyes were very calm. He did not look down on them because of their clothes.


    This made Zhou Xiaoli have a better impression of him.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, I have a business deal with you. Does your shop ept sugar?¡±


    The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows. He did not expect them to sell sugar.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°Our sugar has a fixed source. We don¡¯t ept odd sales.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was not discouraged. ¡°Shopkeeper, why don¡¯t you take a look at my sugar first?¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, the shopkeeper stroked his beard andughed. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing more than malt candy. The dried fruits and sweets of my Qing Tao Workshop are imported together. They don¡¯t ept odd sales. Miss, you should go to the market on West Street and set up a stall over there.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli also smiled. ¡°Shopkeeper, I¡¯m not selling malt candy. Have you heard of cane sugar?¡±


    With that, she opened the bag and handed it to the shopkeeper.


    When he heard about cane sugar, the shopkeeper was shocked. When he saw that there was indeed arge piece of sugar in the bag, his eyes widened.


    ¡°Where did you get this? You have to know that this sugar was invented by Prime Minister Sun¡¯s granddaughter in the capital. The production is very limited and very expensive. Our Qing Tao Workshop has a branch in the capital, and that was the only way we managed to get a few kilograms of it.¡±


    At this point, the shopkeeper of the sugar shop realized that he had lost hisposure. He quickly adjusted his emotions and invited Zhou Xiaoli and Zhang Lan into the shop.


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli say that she made these sugar herself, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m willing to pay 100 taels of silver for the recipe in your hand. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally refused.


    ¡°Forgive me for not agreeing to that. I can cooperate with you and provide sugar only to your shop. Shopkeeper, would you consider it?¡±


    ¡°Also, if we develop any new desserts in the future, we will prioritize cooperation with the shopkeeper. How about that?¡±


    The shopkeeper of the sugar shop was very regretful when he saw that Zhou Xiaoli would not sell the recipe.


    However, seeing how Zhou Xiaoli had promised to prioritize cooperation with him, he nodded in agreement.


    ...


    Although he did not think that Zhou Xiaoli would have any new desserts thereafter.


    After all, based on their clothes, it is clear that they came from poor families. It was probably just luck that they could make cane sugar.


    In the end, the two of them happily signed a cooperation agreement.


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli bid farewell and leave.


    After that, they drove the cart back to the vige.


    The news of how the Zhou family were scammed to buy the beetroots by the Lu family but managed to turn them into treasures and sold them, spread throughout the vige.


    When the news spread, Zhou Xiaoli was not surprised at all.


    Old Madam Ma was the loudspeaker in the vige. Whatever she knew was equivalent to the entire vige knowing about it.


    When they entered the vige, many vigers were still discussing it.


    ¡°I told you the Zhou family was lucky. Look, the beetroots were originally in the hands of the Lu family but it was trash that no one would want even if they were to throw it away. In the hands of the Zhou family¡¯s eldest son, it became a treasure!¡±


    ¡°Haha, she had wanted to cheat them, but who knew that she had sent them a treasure instead? Sigh, the old woman of the Lu family is probably so angry that her mouth is crooked!¡±


    ...


    ¡­


    The old woman of the Lu family had naturally heard the news too. At this moment, she was listening to the discussions and sulked.


    Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t want to care about this, so she drove the cart home.


    This afternoon, Zhou Yu went to the vige chief¡¯s house and the Liu family to invite them.


    At night.


    Liu Liangcai was the first to arrive at the Zhou family.


    As soon as he entered, he saw the dishes on the table and could not help but say, ¡°Brother Zhou, it¡¯s sote at night. Why did you ask Sister-inw to prepare so many dishes?¡±


    Zhou Yu smiled and led him into the house.


    ¡°Have a seat. You¡¯ll knowter.¡±


    After the two of them sat down, the vige chief arrived not long after.

 Chapter 64 - 64 Cooperation

    64 Cooperation


    ¡°Zhou Yu, what is this all about? Why did you ask me toe over sote at night?¡±


    The vige chief walked in with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.


    Hearing the vige chief¡¯s voice, Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai stood up.


    Liu Liangcai also smiled and teased, ¡°That¡¯s right. Vige Chief, don¡¯t say that you¡¯re confused. I¡¯m also very confused. Brother Zhou has always been mysterious and didn¡¯t say anything. Look, now that the vige chief is here, don¡¯t keep us in suspense.¡±


    !!


    Thest sentence was directed at Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Yu smiled and invited the two of them into the house to sit down.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhang Lan walked in with two dishes.


    Zhou Yu smiled and said, ¡°There, don¡¯t be anxious. My daughter is here. My daughter has to tell you about this. She¡¯s smart and can exin it clearly. I¡¯m not as eloquent, haha.¡±


    In the Zhou family, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan listen to Zhou Xiaoli. The vige chief and Liu Liangcai also knew about this.


    Therefore, they did not feel like they were being made fun of by asking them to listen to a little girl.


    Instead, they looked over to Zhou Xiaoli, waiting for her to speak.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not speak immediately. Instead, she held up the wine pot and poured wine for the three of them.


    In the end, she poured herself a cup of tea and smiled at the two of them. ¡°In the past, our family was in trouble and our parents were sick. It¡¯s all thanks to your care that we manage to pull through. Allow me to use tea in ce of wine and make a toast to both of you.¡±


    Seeing this, the two of them hurriedly picked up their wine cups and drank it in one gulp along with Zhou Xiaoli.


    Then, the vige chiefughed and said, ¡°Little Li, you¡¯re too polite. This is what we should do.¡±


    Liu Liangcai also said, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Not to mention that I¡¯m indebted to your father, we are afterall from the same vige so we should help each other.¡±


    However, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Even though that¡¯s what you said, no matter what, our entire family will remember your kindness to our family.¡±


    ¡°Ever since I was young, my mother has taught me about gratitude. As such, I will definitely repay those who have shown me kindness. Naturally, if there are people who want to find trouble with me, I won¡¯t be soft-hearted as well.¡±


    The two of them nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. We don¡¯t cause trouble and would repay kindness, but we¡¯re not afraid of trouble and we would take revenge if necessary!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli went straight to the point and said with a smile, ¡°Therefore, the two uncles are good brothers with my father. As the saying goes, good brothers naturally share blessings and difficulties together.¡±


    ¡°Now that my family has discovered a way to make money, we want to cooperate with the two uncles to earn money together.¡±


    At this moment, both of them looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a serious expression on their faces, waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°Uncles, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard that we went to the county city to sell sugar today.¡±


    They both nodded.


    The vige chief said, ¡°When your aunt came back today, she also said that this is a sign that even the heavens were taking pity on your family for the past sufferings. It¡¯s a blessing.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled, turned around, and ced two sugar cubes in front of the two of them. She continued, ¡°Uncles, I¡¯m selling this kind of sugar, not the malt sugar we usually eat.¡±


    ¡°This is called cane sugar. The capital had just started selling this thing, but the production is limited. It¡¯s very expensive.¡±


    When they heard that this was something that only existed in the capital, their hands trembled as they picked up the cane sugar.


    ¡°This¡­ Isn¡¯t this very expensive?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Yes, cane sugar is sweeter than malt sugar, so the price is slightly higher. I¡¯ve reached an agreement with the shopkeeper of the county¡¯s sugar shop. They will buy it from us at 60 copper coins per half kilogram.¡±


    The two of them widened their eyes. ¡°If the purchase price is so high, wouldn¡¯t it be even more expensive to sell it?!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. In the current market, sugar is being sold at 10 copper coins per 30 grams.¡±


    Hearing that it was so expensive, the two of them could not help but swallow their saliva.


    Then, he asked, ¡°So,ss, are you saying that you want to work with us to sell sugar?¡±


    The two of them spoke with trembling voices.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and nodded affirmatively. ¡°That¡¯s right. After discussing with my parents, I invited the two of you here. I want to work with you to make and sell sugar. What do you think?¡±


    This was a big deal. They would definitely earn a lot of money if they were to join in.


    Both of them knew what was going on, so they were naturally happy to join.


    However, at the same time, they were touched that Zhou Xiaoli was willing to let them in on such a good business opportunity. They were a little confused and at the same time, felt like they were dreaming.


    The vige chief was a little uncertain. ¡°Well, Little Li, we don¡¯t know anything. Aren¡¯t we taking advantage of you in this case.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, what you said is wrong. It would be the greatest help to us if you could join us.¡±


    ¡°Making sugar is not an easy task. My parents and I can¡¯t manage it all. If we hire workers to make the sugar, trust is an issue.¡±


    ¡°As for Uncle Vige Chief and Uncle Liu, you are people that our entire family trusts. We are all very willing to have you join us.¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, the two of them couldn¡¯t help but look at each other with obvious excitement on their faces. They pped and said in unison, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯re willing to join!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and took out a ledger. She then exined the details. ¡°Uncles, I¡¯ll split it into shares for you to invest.¡±


    ¡°Invest?¡±


    The two of them were dumbfounded again.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not exin. Instead, she continued, ¡°Hm, this batch of beetroots was paid for by my family. It¡¯s a total of 308 copper coins. Uncles, give me 102 copper coins each as your capital.¡±


    ¡°Moving forward, the three families will pay for the beetroots together. We¡¯ll split the profits 40%, 30% and 30%.¡±


    ¡°Because the recipe and sales channel were provided by my family, my family takes 40% and the two uncles would take 30% respectively. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°30%?¡±


    Their eyes widened upon hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Mm, do you think it¡¯s too little?¡±


    The two of them quickly waved their hands.


    ...


    Liu Liangcai said with trembling hands, ¡°No, no, it is because that¡¯s too much.¡±


    The vige chief also said, ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need for 30%. Just give us 20%.¡±


    Liu Liangcai nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    Zhou Xiaoli had her own ns for this distribution.


    When their orchard waspleted, they would shift their focus to the orchard.


    As for the sugar business, it would probably be handed over to the two families.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli gave them 30% of the profits.


    Hence, she smiled and said, ¡°Uncles, listen to me. My family is small in size and my brother is still young. In the future, I still have to rely a lot on you. 30% is not much.¡±


    After being persuaded by Zhou Xiaoli, the two of them could not persuade Zhou Xiaoli to give up, so they nodded in agreement. However, they secretly made up their minds that they had to do more work to deserve the 30%!


    Zhou Xiaoli did not know what the two of them were thinking. She took out the contract that she had prepared earlier and ced it on the table. The same document in three copies.


    ¡°Uncles, please don¡¯t take it to heart. As the saying goes, even blood brothers should settle their ounts clearly. In order for our three families to cooperate for a long time, we have to sign a contract.¡±


    ...


    ¡°The contract includes the distribution of the shares of the three families, the confidentiality obligations of each family, and thepensation for breach of contract.¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65 Let’s Get to Work!

    65 Let¡¯s Get to Work!


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s formality, the two of them were stunned. However, they did not think that the contract was a sign that Zhou Xiaoli did not trust them.


    Instead, they felt that Zhou Xiaoli was very thoughtful.


    The vige chief could not help butugh andment, ¡°You don¡¯t say, Little Li is really smart. This contract should be signed! I¡¯ve seen some big businessmen in the city discussing business, and they all do this.¡±


    Liu Liangcai also nodded. ¡°Little Li is so thoughtful at such a young age. She¡¯s really extraordinary. If I had such a smart daughter, that would be my biggest blessing.¡±


    Hearing the two of them praise their daughter, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan felt honored. They were extremely proud in their hearts, but on the surface, they were very humble as they spoke.


    The vige chief and Liu Liangcai hit it off immediately. ¡°Then let¡¯s sign it quickly.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they were about to press their fingerprints.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Uncles, there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    Then, she looked at Zheng Heping and said, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, you are an educated man. Please read the contract to everyone. If both of you do not think that there is any problem, we can go ahead to sign the contract then.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the contract to Zheng Heping.


    The vige chiefughed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll recite it!¡±


    With that, he took the contract and stood up. He coughed and read it aloud.


    The contract was drafted by Zhou Xiaoli, and it was written in simple words so everyone could understand it.


    After reading the contract, no one had any objections.


    The three men pressed their thumbprints on the contracts and each of them took a copy. The coboration was finalized.


    ¡°Come,e,e. We¡¯ve been talking for so long. Hurry up and eat.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Sister-inw¡¯s cooking is really good.¡±


    ¡°Come,e, let¡¯s celebrate the sess of our coboration.¡±


    ¡­


    The room was filled withughter.


    Because they still had to work the next day, the three of them did not drink till the wee hours. After expressing their friendship, they stood up and bade farewell.


    After sending the two of them off, the family washed up and went to bed early.


    However, the Liu family and the Zheng family were destined to have a sleepless night.


    In the Liu family, Lin Xiujuan sat on the bed with the contract in her hand. She looked at it happily.


    Liu Liangcai wiped his feet and looked at his wife. He teased, ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at it for the past 15 minutes. You can¡¯t read, so what can you tell from it?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was in a good mood and didn¡¯t mind her husband¡¯s words at all. ¡°I¡¯m happy even if I can¡¯t read! Sigh, look, I told you that the eldest daughter of the Zhou family is protected by an immortal. It¡¯s true!¡±


    Liu Liangcai smiled. He thought of something and reminded her. ¡°We¡¯ve signed a confidentiality agreement. You have to keep your mouth shut and not show off to others.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan nodded. ¡°Aiya, I know. I¡¯m not stupid. Even if I don¡¯t sign the contract, we have to keep it a secret. If the recipe is leaked, we won¡¯t be able to earn money!¡±


    Liu Liangcai smiled. ¡°You¡¯re smart this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always smart.¡±


    As she spoke, Lin Xiujuan carefully folded the contract and locked it in the box with the family assets. She then hid it in the crack under the bedside table. Only then did she feel relieved.


    She hurriedly climbed into bed and urged, ¡°Hubby, hurry up and sleep. We still have to work at the Zhou family tomorrow.¡±


    At the same time.


    The situation at the vige chief¡¯s house was simr.


    ¡°Little Li gave us 30% of the profits, which means for every half kilogram of sugar, we would get 18 copper coins. After deducting the cost of less than one copper coin, we are looking at a very big profit.¡±


    The vige chief tapped his pipe and spoke unhurriedly.


    His sons and daughters-inw listened attentively.


    They didn¡¯t know what 30% profit was, but after the vige chief exined it in mary terms, they widened their eyes in excitement.


    The vige chief took a puff of his cigarette and continued, ¡°I often tell you that the most important thing in life is to be loyal! If others are kind, we can¡¯t be heartless. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Everyone in the house nodded.


    As the eldest in the family, Zheng Yonggui was the first to stand up. ¡°Yes, Father is right. From now on, Zhou Yu and us are one family!¡±


    The second, third, and fourth brothers of the Zheng family nodded along with their eldest brother. ¡°We will definitely work hard.¡±


    The vige chief was extremely satisfied and continued to instruct, ¡°Alright, tomorrow, Eldest Brother, Eldest Daughter-inw, you two will go to the Zhou family to help first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone knows the situation. That¡¯s all. Hurry up and go to sleep.¡±


    ¡­


    However, the Zhou family did not know the current situation of the two families. They had long fallen asleep.


    The night passed in silence.


    The next day, early in the morning, the Zhou family had just finished eating when


    Liu Liangcai, Lin Xiujuan, and his son, Liu Fengfeng, came with pots and basins.


    As soon as she entered the courtyard, Lin Xiujuan was raring to start. ¡°Sister, if you need me to do anything, just tell me.¡±


    As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves.


    Lin Xiujuan loved money, was stingy, and had a sharp tongue. However, she doesn¡¯t cheat nor ck off. Moreover, she was a straight person. She would be straightforward with her likes and dislikes and would not y dirty.


    More importantly, the fact that she loved money made her very easy to control.


    This was also one of the reasons why Zhou Xiaoli would not refuse to cooperate with the Liu family over Lin Xiujuan.


    ...


    Zhang Lan was boiling green bean tea then. When she heard this, she poked her head out of the kitchen and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. My family is going to start building the house today. My husband just brought Li¡¯er to the homestead and will be back soon. We¡¯ll wait for them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a pot of green bean tea first and send some to the construction workers. We¡¯ll leave some for ourselves. It¡¯ll be easier to relieve the heat when we¡¯re tired from work.¡±


    However, Lin Xiujuan did not want to be idle. ¡°What are you waiting for? If Brother Zhou doesn¡¯te back, we can work by ourselves.¡±


    As she spoke, her gazended on the beetroots. ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anymore. We definitely have to wash the vegetables!¡±


    ¡°You make the tea and I¡¯ll wash the vegetables. Fengfeng, help Mother put the beetroots in the basin!¡±


    Then, she said to Liu Liangcai, ¡°Hubby, stop standing there. Hurry up and fetch water.¡±


    As she spoke, Lin Xiujuan started working.


    Liu Liangcai responded, picked up the shoulder pole, and walked out of the door.


    At this moment, the vige chief¡¯s wife, Liu Yan, came with her son and wife.


    As soon as she entered, she saw that Lin Xiujuan had already started working.


    Liu Yan was embarrassed immediately. ¡°Aiya, why did they start working before we came? Yun Yun, quick, bring our basins down from the cart.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yonggui, hurry up and fetch water.¡±


    Liu Yan instructed her son and daughter-inw to work. She had already rolled up her sleeves and brought the pot into the courtyard from her cart. She said to Zhang Lan, ¡°I heard from my husband that you were afraid that your family didn¡¯t have enough pots, so I brought a big one. This is my family¡¯s biggest pot.¡±


    Zhang Lan had a constant smile on her face. She looked at the pot and was overjoyed. ¡°Aiya, this is good. I was just thinking that my pot would not be big enough.¡±


    ¡°However, there are now many pots, but there aren¡¯t that many stoves.¡±


    On the other side, Lin Xiujuan said loudly, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not a big issue! My husband is skilled at building stoves! When hees back after getting water, let him build one in the courtyard. It¡¯ll be very fast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! Let my Yonggui help too,¡± Liu Yan said with a smile.

 Chapter 66 - 66 The Retribution of the Wang and Sun Families

    66 The Retribution of the Wang and Sun Families


    Everyone was busy talking with smiles on their faces.


    At the same time, things were also progressing smoothly on Zhou Yu¡¯s and Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s end.


    Foreman Cao brought two construction workers with him so that Wei Chiyu¡¯s house could be built at the same time as theirs.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu and Zhou Yu were talking to Foreman Cao.


    !!


    Zhou Xiaoli circled around the homestead.


    The builders had already started work and were now clearing the foundation.


    Foreman Cao¡¯s reputation preceded him. Zhou Xiaoli was rest assured with him watching over the construction.


    However, some pleasantries still had to be said. After walking around, Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Foreman Cao, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me take care of things in the future. You know the situation for me and the Wei family. It¡¯s not convenient for us to cook for everyone.¡±


    ¡°However, my mother made a big pot of green bean tea at home. When it is chilled, she will bring it over for everyone to drinkter.¡±


    After a few interactions, Foreman Cao had a very good impression of Zhou Xiaoli. This girl was smart and had a pleasant voice. She was very likable.


    Now that he heard Zhou Xiaoli that they have prepared green bean tea for them, his liking for the Zhou family went a notch higher.


    He immediately smiled and promised, ¡°With me around, you can be free to do whatever you need to do. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to build your house, beautiful and sturdy.¡±


    With that, he shouted at the construction workers, ¡°Did you hear that? The Zhou family¡¯s youngdy said that there will be green bean teater. You have to work hard.¡±


    When the workers heard this, they beamed with joy.


    Normally, when a family wants to build a house, the nice families would cook some water for them to drink. If it happened that the owners were nasty, they would not even have water to drink.


    This time, the Zhou family actually made green bean tea for them. How generous of them.


    Immediately, a few lead workers smiled and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, youngdy of the Zhou family. We brothers will guarantee that we will do the job beautifully.¡±


    Everyone was in high spirits.


    At this moment, the vige chief happened to return to the vige from outside. When he saw them building a house, he smiled and greeted them.


    After that, he led a crippled old man into the vige.


    After the vige chief left, Zhou Xiaoli frowned slightly. The way the old man looked at her just now made her feel strange.


    However, she could not put her finger on it.


    Since she could not figure it out, Zhou Xiaoli did not think too much about it. She turned to Foreman Cao and said, ¡°Foreman Cao, I¡¯ll leave this ce to you.¡±


    Foreman Cao immediately nodded. ¡°You guys go ahead. Leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s still Brother Wei here. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Wei Chiyu looked at Zhou Xiaoli, pursed his lips, and asked, ¡°I have nothing to do recently. Do you need me to do anything?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment. ¡°Oh, there is one.¡±


    As she spoke, she looked around and finally pointed to a tree beside the homestead. ¡°Dig a pit hereter and make a simple stove. When the timees, boil water for everyone to drink. It¡¯ll save you the trouble of carrying it around.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    After giving them instructions, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu were afraid that the vige chief and the Liu family would be anxious, so they hurried home.


    When they reached home, they realized that everyone was already busy.


    Some were washing the vegetables while others were cutting vegetables, building the stove or chopping firewood. Everyone was busy.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was about to help, the vige chief¡¯s wife and Lin Xiujuan hurriedly chased her away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t interfere. There are so many of us. We don¡¯t need you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re the brain of our operation. Don¡¯t tire yourself out. Hurry up and rest. Just watch us do it.¡±


    ¡­


    As a result, Zhou Xiaoli sessfully became an idler.


    Other than Zhou Xiaoyu, who was too young to help, everyone else in the courtyard was very busy.


    Even Zhou Junjun and Liu Fengfeng were ordered to return to the vige chief¡¯s house to get the shredder.


    ¡°Aiya, since we need to cut the beetroot into thin slices, the shredder is the best equipment to use!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, who was the first to use the shredder, couldn¡¯t help but sigh in contentment.


    The vige chief¡¯s wife was holding a kitchen knife to slice the beetroot then. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Of course. Later, when the two boys bring my family¡¯s shredder, I¡¯ll be liberated.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open forcefully. Liu Fengfeng and Zhou Junjun ran back.


    ¡°We¡¯re back! We¡¯re back!¡±


    When the two brats were together, they were very crazy.


    The two of them chased each other into the courtyard.


    Lin Xiujuan immediately put down her work and hurriedly ran to the door to close it.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you close the door?¡±


    As she spoke, she even locked the door, relieved that she had closed the door quickly. ¡°We¡¯re all busy in this courtyard so we have to close this door properly. Don¡¯t let those despicable people who like to sneak and peek have the chance to steal it.¡±


    Liu Yan and Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right. We have to be careful.¡±


    As she spoke, she instructed the three children, ¡°In the future, when you go in and out of the house, you have to close the door, understand?¡±


    ¡°We got it!¡±


    ...


    The children responded in unison.


    At this moment, Liu Fengfeng said, ¡°Mother, we just met Sun Er on the street!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Lin Xiujuan was immediately furious. ¡°You met Sun Er? Why was this scourge let out of jail?!¡±


    She was still brooding over the time when Sun Er stole from her family.


    Liu Fengfeng shook his head. ¡°No, Mother. I heard from the people on the street that they weren¡¯t locked up in jail.¡±


    ¡°What is it? He escaped. I think that¡¯s what he said, right, Zhou Junjun?¡±


    Zhou Junjun nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s what they said. They also said that he had gambled and was beaten up. It¡¯s terrible.¡±


    The two children probably didn¡¯t hear it clearly. They half-heartedly repeated what they had heard, so everyone was confused.


    Coincidentally, Zhou Xiaoli also wanted to know what Wei Chiyu had done to the two of them. She immediately said, ¡°The two children are still young, so they can¡¯t exin it clearly. I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Little Li, go out and take a look. We can¡¯t let these two troublemakers go just like that!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was the first to agree when she heard that Zhou Xiaoli was going out to get information.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and left.


    After a while, Zhou Xiaoli returned under everyone¡¯s anticipation.


    After locking the door, she said unhurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Wang Gou and Sun Er did escape on the way to the magistrate office.¡±


    ¡°However, they owed the casino a lot of money previously. As soon as they escaped, they met the casino¡¯s debt collectors and were arrested.¡±


    ¡°The people in the casino are ruthless people. If one doesn¡¯t return their money, they may even beat the person to death. Both of them had their fingers chopped off. They were also tortured and became mentally unstable.¡±


    ¡°Since they have gone crazy, the casino sent them back home. At the same time, they demanded that their families return the money. It¡¯s more than 100 taels.¡±


    ¡°The people from the gambling den brought thugs and emptied their houses. They even threatened to leave Wenshui County. Otherwise, they would beat them up every time they saw them.¡±


    ¡°At this moment, the Sun family is being forced by the thugs in the gambling den to leave the vige with their silly son.¡±

 Chapter 67 - 67 What Kind Of An Elder Are You?

    67 What Kind Of An Elder Are You?


    Zhou Xiaoli exined everything in one breath.


    Hearing this, everyone felt relieved and sighed.


    ¡°This family has nothing left. If they¡¯re chased out of Wenshui County, they¡¯ll probably die outside.¡±


    ¡°They deserved it and they did it to themselves. If they didn¡¯t discipline their son well, I knew they would suffer retribution sooner orter. Look, retribution is here.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan vented her anger.


    After this incident, the Wang and Sun families could no longer cause trouble.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but praise Wei Chiyu in her heart.


    His friends in the underworld were really good at dealing with such scoundrels. They had good reasons andpletely resolved these two troubles.


    While Zhou Xiaoli was pondering, the first pot of syrup was ready.


    They made a pot of syrup with about five kilograms of beets.


    In addition to the time taken to wash and shred the vegetables, it would take an hour to boil a pot of syrup.


    At this moment, Liu Liangcai¡¯s earthen stove was also ready. It was made of yellow mud and stone. Just one final step of burning it to seal it and it would be ready for use.


    The efficiency was greatly increased when two pots were cooked at the same time.


    Washing, shredding and making of sugar were done by the women.


    The children were in charge of managing the fire.


    The three men were in charge of fetching water and chopping the firewood.


    When the women were tired of stirring sugar, they would also help them for a while.


    In one morning, they had churned out more than five kilograms of sugar.


    Their faces were filled with joy as they looked at the sugar.


    ¡°Come, everyone, take a break first.¡± Zhang Lan came out of the kitchen with a smile and called everyone to rest.


    ¡°We had all been busy the entire morning. Come and have some green bean tea. I¡¯ve added the sugar we just made. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    With that, everyone stopped.


    As Zhang Lan scooped out the green bean tea into smaller bowls, Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu immediately ran over to take the bowls and bring it to the uncles and aunties.


    Liu Fengfeng was originally looking at the green bean tea with hunger but when he saw Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu serving tea to their elders, he immediately imitated them.


    Liu Liangcai was very satisfied with his behavior.


    Everyone had a bowl of green bean tea. Instead of sitting at the dining table, they squatted under the shade of the tree in the courtyard and drank it.


    The green bean tea had already turned cold. Every green bean was cooked till it was mushy, the best way of having green bean tea. It was filling and sweet, making everyone feel extremely satisfied.


    ¡°I wonder if it was because we made the sugar ourselves that the tea felt sweet. Why is it so sweet? The sweetness makes me so happy.¡±


    Liu Yan held the bowl and could not bear to drink it in big mouthfuls. She only took small sips, wanting to taste the sweetness a while longer.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The sweetness goes right to the heart.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Cane sugar is sweeter than malt sugar.¡±


    Liu Yan¡¯s daughter-inw, Wang Yuncai, smiled shyly and said, ¡°I still think it¡¯s sweeter since we made it ourselves.¡±


    Everyoneughed and the atmosphere was very rxed.


    However, at this moment, a violent knocking sound suddenly came from the door, breaking the peace.


    Zhang Lan stood up and did not open the door immediately. Instead, she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    There was another series of bangs in response.


    It was as if the person was trying to smash open the door.


    Then, Lai Jinniang¡¯s voice came from the door.


    ¡°Zhang, open the door!¡±


    Hearing this familiar voice, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu¡¯s expressions changed at the same time.


    Zhou Xiaoli also frowned. What was Lai Jinniang doing here?


    Could it be that she wanted to snatch the sugar recipe?


    Thinking of this, she quickly said, ¡°Bring the sugar into the house first.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xiujuan, Liu Yan, and the others had already moved the pot to the kitchen.


    In case Lai Jinniang rushed into the kitchen to peek, Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan even locked the door from the inside.


    As they did not open the door for a long time, the knocking on the door became more and more urgent, apanied by Lai Jinniang¡¯s cries and the sounds of people discussing outside.


    ¡°Okay, you can open the door now.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan whispered after the kitchen door was locked.


    Zhou Xiaoli stopped Zhang Lan from opening the door. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    With that, she walked towards the door.


    The door opened, and the scene in front of her made Zhou Xiaoli raise her eyebrows.


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Guihua¡¯s faces were pale.


    They were hugging each other and were in tears.


    Many vigers came to watch the show and asked with curiosity what was wrong.


    ...


    Seeing that the door had opened, Lai Jinniang and her daughter cried even harder.


    ¡°Boohoo, I really have no choice.¡±


    ¡°Mother, wuwuwu, what should we do? What if Eldest Brother is unwilling to give it to us? What should Father do?¡±


    ¡°Guihua, your brother isn¡¯t a heartless person. Now that your father is sick in bed and urgently needs to include pearl as part of his medicine, your brother won¡¯t leave him in the lurch for sure.¡±


    ¡­


    From their crying conversation, the people around them finally knew what was going on.


    It turned out that Old Zhou had fallen ill and needed pearls as part of his medicine.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, no, if they need pearls as part of the medicine, why are you looking for Zhou Yu?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sister-inw Lai, hurry up and get your son to bring your old man to the county city. What are you crying for?¡±


    Everyone raised their doubts.


    ...


    Lai Jinniang instantly cried that she was poor. Her son¡¯s medicine shop was in trouble, and her family had no money.


    As they spoke, they brought up Zhou Yu and his family.


    ¡°The heavens don¡¯t let down those who are determined. Yesterday, I heard that my eldest son had found a few pearls from sea ms. My old man is finally saved. Boohoo.¡±


    After hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli suddenly realized that it was because of the pearls in her hand!


    However, how did they know about it?


    Could it be that someone saw her when she was selling sugar in the county cityst time?


    Thest time she went to the county to sell sugar, she had gone to a jewelry shop with Zhang Lan to sell the pearls, but the jewelry shop didn¡¯t ept them.


    Hence she took them back.


    When the surrounding onlookers heard that the Zhou family found pearls in sea ms, they all had a shocked or envious expression on them.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli quietly watched the two of them cry. She remained expressionless and did not respond to them at all.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu also kept a straight face and did not say anything.


    Seeing that Zhou Yu and the others did not respond, Lai Jinniang gritted her teeth and cried as she walked towards Zhou Yu. She cried, ¡°My eldest son, your father is sick. Can you bear to leave him in the lurch?¡±


    Zhou Yu pursed his lips and gritted his teeth. The muscles on his face were tense as he looked at Lai Jinniang with aplicated expression.


    His feelings for Lai Jinniang and Zhou Dashan were veryplicated. They had indeed saved his life, adopted him, and raised him up. He was indeed indebted to them.


    However, they did not care for him and could even be said to be mean to him.


    Regarding this, he always felt puzzled. Since she hated him so much, why did she pick him up from the side of the road and raise him?


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s mocking voice suddenly rang out, ¡°Madam Lai, have you forgotten that our two families have already severed ties? You were the one who suggested it.¡±


    ¡°The vige chief and the vigers are witnesses to it. Are you going back on your word?¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, many vigers who had witnessed the severance of ties began to discuss.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I remember now. The mayor was there too. If that¡¯s the case, Madam Lai, you¡¯re not being honest.¡±


    ¡­


    Madam Lai¡¯s expression immediately turned ugly, and she said fiercely to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°You uncultured thing! Who are you to interrupt the elders when they are talking?¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, Zhou Yu¡¯s expression immediately changed. He reached out and pulled Zhou Xiaoli behind him. With a dark expression, he said, ¡°In my family, my girl can speak whatever and whenever she wants. Besides, what kind of an elder are you?!¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68 Bring Misfortune to Madam Lai

    68 Bring Misfortune to Madam Lai


    Zhou Yu was muscr and at this moment, because of his anger, the muscles on his arms bulged even more.


    Lai Jinniang was frightened by it and couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back. Then she sat on the ground and began to cry. ¡°You unfilial thing! Your father and I raised you for so many years for nothing. Now your father is lying unconscious in bed and you just want to leave him in the lurch. You ingrate!¡±


    ¡°If the old man goes, I won¡¯t be able to live either. Let me go with the old man. When we see the King of Hell, we¡¯ll sue you for being heartless!¡±


    Lai Jinniang cried and wiped her tears, looking very sad.


    !!


    Some of the onlookers started to persuade him.


    ¡°Zhou Yu, even if your family is no longer rted to them, the Old Zhou family has raised you up after all. Now that Old Zhou is sick in bed, you shouldn¡¯t leave him in the lurch. That would be heartless of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. After all, they had raised you up. You have to be grateful to them for raising you up.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? Zhou Yu, take out the pearls and use them to treat Old Zhou¡¯s illness. It can be considered as repaying the Old Zhou family for raising you for more than 20 years! Today, everyone here will be your witness. Your kindness will be repaid!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. We¡¯re all your witnesses. Just give it to them.¡±


    ¡­


    The people around them were all talking at once. Most of them were persuading Zhou Yu to take out the pearls to save a life.


    This was pure moral kidnapping.


    At this moment, even if Zhou Yu said that the pearls had been sold, they would persist to use the moral kidnapping tactic on them and ask Zhou Yu to take out the money from the sale of the pearls to treat Old Zhou.


    Zhou Xiaoli narrowed her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but think of thepass she had just made. It was time to settle the score with Lai Jinniang¡¯s family.


    Hence, she walked out from behind Zhou Yu and sighed. ¡°Madam Lai, it¡¯s not that my father doesn¡¯t want to give you the pearls. Everyone in the vige knows that my father values rtionships the most.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you had picked up my father from the roadside back then that he had worked hard in the Zhou family for thest few decades. No matter how much you pick on him, he has always worked hard to support the family.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t give you the pearls because he was afraid that it would harm you instead!¡±


    Hearing this, Lai Jinniang snorted and opened her mouth to scold Zhou Xiaoli, but she nced at Zhou Yu.


    In the end, she changed her words abruptly. ¡°Why do you say that? We would be able to save him with the pearls. Why would it harm us instead?¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Zhou Xiaoli sighed and had a helpless expression on her face. ¡°Actually, the origin of these pearls is not ordinary. Everyone knows that when I was born, there were auspicious clouds in the sky. It was considered a good omen.¡±


    ¡°But for the past 10 years, there has been a lot of trouble in the family. Just a few days ago, when Father and I were fishing at sea, we dreamed of the Dragon King. He said that I was framed by a viin.¡±


    ¡°As long as we follow his instructions and find a m spirit on the beach, we can open it and ce the pearls inside at home to worship it. Then, we can protect our family.¡±


    ¡°However, the m spirit is extremely powerful. Ordinary people can¡¯t subdue it. If other families take it, it will create a bacsh and they will suffer from bad luck!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words were a mixture of truth and falsehood. Everyone looked at each other in dismay.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were also stunned.


    They didn¡¯t know what Zhou Xiaoli was nning, but they knew they had to cooperate.


    He immediately nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. Li¡¯er told us when she came back. After she came back, we apanied her to look for it. As expected, we found the sea m!¡±


    However, Lai Jinniang obviously didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Oh Heavens! Old man, why is your life so hard? Now that you¡¯re bedridden, he¡¯s still making up such a ridiculous lie!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that she would not believe her, so she pretended to be anxious and said, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? It¡¯s true. I¡¯m really not lying to you. If you take the pearls back, you will be doomed!¡±


    Hearing this, Lai Jinniang and Zhou Guihua cried even louder.


    Zhou Xiaoli also pretended to be angry. ¡°Alright! Since you don¡¯t believe me, take it. Don¡¯t cry and beg us to take it back when you¡¯re unlucky!¡±


    After saying that, she entered the room angrily. After a while, she came out with a pearl. ¡°Here, take it! If you¡¯re not afraid, take it!¡±


    Lai Jinniang hesitated.


    At this moment, Zhou Guihua whispered from her side, ¡°Mother, she must be lying to us. Dragon King, m spirit, none of the novel writers would even dream of writing such a thing!¡±


    Lai Jinniang felt that what her daughter said made sense. She immediately went up and snatched the pearl away.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not dodge and let Lai Jinniang take it.


    She said expressionlessly, ¡°Since you don¡¯t listen to my advice, don¡¯te and beg us if you¡¯re unlucky! The pearl is very powerful. If you sell it, you¡¯ll only be even more unlucky!¡±


    When Lai Jinniang and Zhou Guihua had the pearl in their hands, they were overjoyed. They thought to themselves that only a fool would give it back.


    ¡°Aiya, the old man is finally saved. Boohoo.¡± The two of them hugged each other and expressed their gratitude. Then, they hurriedly ran home with the excuse that they had to save the old man.


    The surrounding vigers were all curious and asked Zhou Xiaoli if what she said was true.


    After getting Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s affirmation, many people still didn¡¯t believe it. They thought that this was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s excuse, but she didn¡¯t manage to fool Lai Jinniang. She was just sticking with her story now.


    Some were skeptical and said that they would wait and see if Lai Jinniang and the others would turn unlucky.


    The onlookers then dispersed one after another.


    Zhou Xiaoli and the others also returned home and closed the door.


    Because the Liu family and the vige chief¡¯s family were still around, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan suppressed the questions they had in their hearts and did not immediately ask Zhou Xiaoli about it.


    Seeing that the outsiders had left, Liu Yan, Lin Xiujuan, and the others opened the kitchen door and walked out.


    Although they did not see what had just happened, they heard it clearly.


    ¡°I never knew that she could be so despicable! She¡¯s such a blood sucker!¡± Lin Xiujuan spat and cursed.


    However, she changed the topic abruptly and said, ¡°However, your family is so lucky in finding a pearl! Too bad it was taken away by that blood sucker, or I could have seen for myself what it looked like!¡±


    Towards the end, her voice was filled with endless regret.


    ¡°Erhem!¡± Liu Liangcai covered his mouth and coughed. He pushed Lin Xiujuan, signaling her with his eyes not to continue adding insult to injury.


    Zhou Yu must be feeling terrible that he had such a terrible stepmother.


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, was not angry at all that the pearl had been snatched away. She said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Madam Lai wants to court death. I can¡¯t stop her.¡±


    This time, not only Lin Xiujuan, but even the vige chief¡¯s wife was curious. ¡°Little Li, is what you said about the Dragon King visiting in your dreams true?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and said without batting an eyelid, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words were so certain that the vige chief¡¯s wife and the others did not know whether they should believe her or not.


    The main thing was that the entire story seems fictional.


    Whether they believed it or not, Zhou Xiaoli did not care.


    Because she would definitely bring misfortune to Madam Lai!

 Chapter 69 - 69 Feng Shui Deadly Formation

    69 Feng Shui Deadly Formation


    At night.


    In the dead of night, and under the cover of the dark sky, the entire vige fell into a deep sleep.


    Zhou Xiaoli quietly walked out of her house.


    Looking at the dark night, she sighed to herself. ¡°It¡¯s a dark and windy night. Suitable formiting murder and arson.¡±


    !!


    She closed the door and walked into the night. She headed in the direction of the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard.


    After a while, she arrived at the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard.


    The Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard was a typical courtyard which sat in the north and faced the south. Zhou Xiaoli took out thepass she made and circled the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard.


    Thispass had taken her a lot of time and effort to make, and it was finallypleted.


    Today, she would test thepass on Lai Jinniang¡¯s family.


    In Feng Shui, there were eight directions, which corresponded to the eight divinations: Zhen, Li, Dui, Kan, Xun, Kun, Qian, and Gen.


    It was used to divine the fortune.


    The eight divinations directly corresponded to the good and bad luck of people, events, and things represented by the eight directions.


    For example, the southwest direction corresponded to the ¡°Kun¡± hexagram in the Eight Trigrams. Kun¡¯s original meaning was the ground, and in the five elements, it represents earth.


    If the energy field of the southwestern side of the house was obstructed and there was an evil spirit causing trouble, the health of the mistress of the house would be affected. There would be constant disasters and illnesses, and the family would not get along well. Various troubles would ur.


    The four directions corresponded to the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and ck Tortoise.


    The four directions were even more particr. If they were to cross paths identally with the four beasts, there would definitely be trouble in the family!


    And this was what Zhou Xiaoli was going to make use of. She was going to use an evil item to disrupt the current Feng Shui formation and agitate the four beasts, thereby forming a new evil Feng Shui formation which could kill without any signs.


    She learned this Feng Shui formation from books. It was extremely dangerous. Minimally, it would cause havoc in the family and the family would not have many descendants. In serious cases, the family would suffer cmities and lives may be lost.


    After a series of arrangements, the energy field of the courtyard changed. Zhou Xiaoli had the Heavenly Eye, so she could clearly see that ayer of baleful aura was gathering above the courtyard slowly.


    After the formation waspleted, Zhou Xiaoli put away thepass in satisfaction.


    She did not expect that even though she was inexperienced in Feng Shui, thepass she made was quite effective.


    Just as she thought of this, a voice suddenly rang out behind her.


    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re quite bold.¡±


    In the middle of the night, when there was not even a single ghost to be seen, a voice rang out from behind her. Even Zhou Xiaoli, no matter how bold and daring she was, was still frightened by it.


    Moreover, what she did could not be known to others.


    With a dangerous look in her eyes, she looked in the direction of the voice and saw a figure standing in the night. She could not see clearly, but from the outline, it seemed to be a man.


    Although his voice was deep, it was also of someone who had gone through vicissitudes of life. He seemed to be an old man.


    When Zhou Xiaoli looked at him, the ck figure had already walked towards her.


    Looking at the way the ck shadow walked, it seemed to be unsteady. Zhou Xiaoli could not help but recall the strange old man she had seen following the vige chief into the vige when she was at the homestead this morning.


    At the same time, Zhou Xiaoli had already put up her guard and held her crossbow in her hand.


    The old man did not seem to have any ill intentions. He stopped when he was one meter away from Zhou Xiaoli.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Aiya, little girl, I¡¯m old and crippled. Hurry up and put away your crossbow. You¡¯re scaring me.¡±


    He said he was frightened, but there was not a trace of fear in him.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not move. She did not understand why the old man hade.


    At this moment, the old man¡¯s gazended on the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard behind her. He could not help but ask, ¡°Girl, did this family offend you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Zhou Xiaoli threatened.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s attitude towards the strange old man who had appeared silently and frightened her, and who might have witnessed the entire process of her setting up the formation, was not good.


    ¡°Aiyaya.¡± The old man immediately became energetic. ¡°You little girl, you have a fiery temper. Yes, you have a personality. It suits my temper just right.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My surname is Yuan, and my Taoist name is Daoren.¡±


    After the old man finished speaking, he seemed to be waiting for something. After a long time, Zhou Xiaoli did not react at all.


    He could not help but be surprised. ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Must I know?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not care who this person was. She only cared if this weird old man would destroy her formation.


    The old man was stunned for a moment before he chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s true too, hahaha.¡±


    ¡°Hey, girl, who is your master?¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed at the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard.


    As expected, this old man knew what was the formation she set.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but frown.


    The old man said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hinder you. It¡¯s just that this formation is quite nasty. You have a temperament, which is exactly the same as me when I was young.¡±


    After saying that, heughed happily.


    After talking for so long, Zhou Xiaoli did not sense any hostility from the old man, so she gradually let down her guard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a master.¡±


    ...


    It was a reply to his previous question.


    When the old man heard this, he pped his thigh and was clearly excited. ¡°It was just as I had predicted! My destined disciple should appear soon. Girl, do you want to take me as your master?¡±


    The other party did not ask her why she knew these formations, which made Zhou Xiaoli have a better impression of him.


    However, she had no intention of bing his disciple. She immediately rejected him. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What, no?¡±


    The old man was shocked. ¡°Why? I¡¯m a master. Are you sure?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She was not very interested in this. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    With that, she walked towards home.


    The old man did not seem to give up. He chased Zhou Xiaoli all the way to her house and kept talking about how Zhou Xiaoli was the destined disciple.


    ¡°Girl, you have to think about it carefully. I¡¯ll look for you tomorrow.¡±


    Even after Zhou Xiaoli closed the door, Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s voice still came through the gap.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoli ignored him and returned to her room.


    The night passed in silence.


    The next day, it was another busy morning.


    Yesterday, they had made a total of 13 kilograms of sugar, and they nned to make more before bringing them to the county city to sell.


    Hence, the Liu family and the vige chief¡¯s family arrived early in the morning.


    In order to prevent anyplications, it was decided that the vige chief¡¯s wife, Liu Yan, the vige chief¡¯s eldest son, and eldest daughter-inw would represent the vige chief¡¯s family.


    As usual, they did not let Zhou Xiaoli work. As she was bored, she brought a pot to the homestead.


    ¡°Ah, the youngdy of the Zhou family is here. Aren¡¯t you busy today?¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli hade over, the workers greeted her warmly.


    They were bought over by the green bean tea given to them yesterday.


    They felt that it was very generous of the Zhou family to offer green bean tea to them. They did not expect that they would even add sugar to the green bean tea!


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not busy today. I¡¯m here to make tea for everyone. It¡¯s been hard on everyone.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡± The workers expressed that they were lucky to be able to work for the Zhou family.


    After greeting everyone, Zhou Xiaoli prepared to make tea.


    She knew she could rely on Wei Chiyu. A pit had already been made under the shade of the tree, which was big enough to ce the pot on it.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli arrived, Wei Chiyu arrived as well. He even brought two buckets of water with him.


    Moreover, he had prepared dry firewood in advance, which was piled neatly beside the pit.


    Zhou Xiaoli was very surprised. ¡°When did you prepare these dry firewood?¡±


    Wei Chiyu held a flint to start the fire as he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say yesterday that you wanted to cook green beans here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Zhou Xiaoli stood at the side and looked at Wei Chiyu.


    He was trying to ignite the fire sincerely. The sunlight shone through the branches and mottled on the side of his handsome face. The contours of his face were perfect.

 Chapter 70 - 70 Address Me As Your Big Sister

    70 Address Me As Your Big Sister


    However, it was a pity that his facial features were so handsome. The person who owned it did not seem to know it. In fact, he was a little sloppy on purpose and did not care about his image at all.


    Just like now, Wei Chiyu was dressed in rough clothes and looked sloppy. With straws in his hand, he squatted down to start a fire without a care to his image at all.


    Seeing that the fire wouldn¡¯t start, he eveny on the ground and blew into the pit. He was really down-to-earth.


    However, it was soon obvious that Wei Chiyu was not very good at starting fires. Or perhaps, the newly dug pit was a little damp and the fire could not be started.


    !!


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s face darkened under the thick smoke.


    Puff!


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud when she saw Wei Chiyu¡¯s face streaked with smoke.


    Wei Chiyu had wanted to put on a good show in front of Zhou Xiaoli, but the fire had not started up, so he was more or less anxious about it.


    The tips of his ears turned red when he heard Zhou Xiaoliughing out loud, but he pretended to be calm and asked, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    He was clearly only 13 years old, but Wei Chiyu always acted very mature for his age.


    Now that he was embarrassed, his act of pretending to be calm became much more vivid.


    Looking at him like this, Zhou Xiaoli had the thought of teasing him again. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and ask, ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    Wei Chiyu pursed his lips and nodded.


    ¡°Then, address me as your big sister.¡± Zhou Xiaoli smiled slyly. ¡°Address me as your big sister and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Hearing this, Wei Chiyu looked at her with a steady gaze and yet, his amber eyes were filled with doubt. So alluring.


    He had a cold personality. Even the coarse linen clothes could not hide his good-looking face. If she were a youngdy from an ordinary family, her heart would have been pounding.


    Unfortunately, Zhou Xiaoli was no ordinary girl. She had seen many beautiful fairies in her previous life and was already immune to their beauty.


    Wei Chiyu stared at her for a long time before saying, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips, revealing a trace of regret. ¡°Alright, it seems that someone doesn¡¯t like me anymore and thinks that I¡¯m being unreasonable. Forget it, I¡¯d better leave!¡±


    As she spoke, she shook her head and looked sad. She turned around and was about to leave.


    However, just as she turned around, someone grabbed her wrist.


    Zhou Xiaoli turned around and saw Wei Chiyu was the one who grabbed her wrist.


    Wei Chiyu seemed a little stunned himself, as if he did not expect himself to pull Zhou Xiaoli back subconsciously. However, he had no intention of letting go, as if he was afraid that Zhou Xiaoli would really leave.


    ¡°Elder, Elder Sister.¡±


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was feeling puzzled, Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice rang out.


    The young man¡¯s original voice was rather deep and his personality was cold. However, she inexplicably heard a hint of temptation when he called her ¡°elder sister¡±.


    It was as if there was a hook attached to it. Hearing it made Zhou Xiaoli feel numb.


    As if noticing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reaction, Wei Chiyu¡¯s lips curled into a triumphant smile. ¡°Elder Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli trembled again and hurriedly said, ¡°Enough, enough, I heard you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t you like to hear it, Elder Sister?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice was very pleasant to the ears. Zhou Xiaoli had noticed this long ago. Now that the words carried a hint of flirtatiousness, she couldn¡¯t handle it.


    ¡°Oh, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. You can cook green bean tea for the workers.¡±


    She was clearly the one to tease Wei Chiyu. Why did it seem like she was the one being teased in the end?


    With that, Zhou Xiaoli prepared to run.


    She ran all the way home and saw the strange old man from yesterday sitting at her door.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoliing over, Yuan Zhengchun instantly stood up.


    Zhou Xiaoli was puzzled. ¡°Why are you here again?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, child, of course I¡¯m here to look for you. Didn¡¯t we agree yesterday? How is it? Have you considered it? Do you want to acknowledge me as your master?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun was persistent.


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°No, you can leave. I don¡¯t want to be your disciple.¡±


    With that, the door opened and she entered the house.


    The moment she closed the door, she could still hear the old man¡¯s voice. ¡°Kid, think about it carefully. I¡¯lle back tomorrow.¡±


    After saying that, there was no movement outside the door. It seemed like he had left.


    Zhang Lanzhou came forward and was a little worried. ¡°Li¡¯er, who is that old man? I saw himing to our door this morning. When I asked him, he said that he was waiting for you and didn¡¯te in. It¡¯s strange.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled andforted Zhang Lan. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mother. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just a bored old man.¡±


    At this moment, Liu Yan heard their conversation and asked, ¡°Is it the crippled old man who just entered our vige?¡±


    Zhang Lan immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen that old man. Sister, do you know him?¡±


    Liu Yan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know him, but this old man is indeed very strange. Moreover, he seems to be rted to the county magistrate. A month ago, the county magistrate transferred an ount to our vige and asked my husband to fetch him in person.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they were all curious.


    ¡°The county magistrate specifically mentioned him? He even asked the vige chief to pick him up personally. Who is that old man?¡±


    Liu Yan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even my man doesn¡¯t know much. I only heard that he¡¯s a chatan or something. He set up a stall on the street to read fortunes for people.¡±


    ¡°However, this old man is really strange. After entering our vige, he didn¡¯t stay in the vige but insisted on living on Qingyuan Mountain.¡±


    Everyone was curious and guessed who this old man was.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not find it strange. Justst night, when the old man mentioned his name, he must have been very famous.


    ...


    No one would dare to offend a good metaphysical master. As for living on the mountain, Taoist priests preferred to live among nature anyway.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli stopped listening to their gossip. Instead, she took the ledger book and checked the progress of the sugar production today.


    Yuan Zhengchun was really persistent. He said that he woulde the next day, and he really came the next day.


    No matter how cold Zhou Xiaoli was to him, he was unmoved. Finally, after three days of persistent visits, Zhou Xiaoli decided to meet him.


    Thus, on the morning of the fourth day, Zhou Xiaoli washed up and waited outside the door.


    At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, Yuan Zhengchun arrived at the Zhou family¡¯s door again.


    However, this time, he saw Zhou Xiaoli waiting at the door.


    He immediately knew Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s answer. He stepped forward excitedly andughed, ¡°Kid, I already know your attitude, hahaha.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said arrogantly, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, this does not mean that I have promised you anything. I¡¯m just giving you a chance.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun was not angry at all. Heughed and said, ¡°Girl, you¡¯re really bold. It¡¯s usually others who beg me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s God¡¯s will that I like your attitude. Tell me, how do you want to test me, your future master?¡±


    ...


    Yuan Zhengchun immediately nodded. ¡°Of course. However, if you want to go to my residence, you have to find it yourself.¡±


    ¡°I live on Qingyuan Mountain. It¡¯s a ce with good Feng Shui. Come and find me.¡±

 Chapter 71 - 71 Old Zhou’s Family Begins to Have Incessant Troubles

    71 Old Zhou¡¯s Family Begins to Have Incessant Troubles


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but raise her eyebrows.


    Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard and chuckled. ¡°Why? It can¡¯t be that you¡¯re the only one allowed to set tests.¡±


    ¡°As your master, can¡¯t I find out more about you?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make a deal. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± After saying that, Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard and left in satisfaction.


    After Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s figure disappeared from sight, Zhou Xiaoli turned around and returned home.


    Everyone in the courtyard heard their conversation at the door.


    Lin Xiujuan became curious. ¡°Little Li, who is that old man? Why did he take you in as his disciple?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s just what you said. He¡¯s a fortune-teller. He saw that I had a unique face and wanted to take me in as his disciple.¡±


    Hearing this, Liu Yan¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°He¡¯s a fortune-teller. Did you agree to acknowledge him as your master?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli nod, Liu Yan looked at Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu, who did not say anything.


    ¡°I say, as her parents, why don¡¯t you persuade her? How can this youngdy learn such things? How can she get married in the future?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan also said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Although Little Li has a big mind and you¡¯ve always listened to her, it¡¯s not a small matter to be a disciple. It would be just fine for a girl to learn some embroidery. Why would she learn fortune-telling? If her reputation is sullied, it would be hard to find a marriage for her in the future.¡±


    How could Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu not know about this? The two of them had not slept well the entire night.


    Not to mention a girl, even if it was a boy, very few parents would let their child learn about Feng Shui.


    The more the child came into contact with spirits and ghosts, the more unlucky it would be.


    Not to mention if the person is a girl. If she had this reputation, no one would want to marry her.


    However,st night, Zhou Xiaoli had spent the entire night exining to the two of them.


    Zhou Xiaoli carefully analyzed the situation for them.


    Although the two of them were still worried, they epted it.


    Zhang Lan looked conflicted, but she supported her daughter and said, ¡°Li¡¯er said that the old man is an aplished person, not an ordinary chatan. He¡¯s very capable.¡±


    Although he did not agree deep down, Zhou Yu also said, ¡°I heard that he¡¯s a powerful figure. Many people are fighting to be his disciple. It won¡¯t ruin Li¡¯er¡¯s reputation.¡±


    This was what Zhou Xiaoli had said when she convinced the two of them. Her original words were, ¡°Many children from reputable families are fighting to be his disciple.¡±


    Zhou Yu actually did not believe it.


    However, this was actually true.


    Ordinary people¡¯s contact with metaphysics would usuallye from the blind fortune-tellers who set up stalls by the roadside.


    Therefore, in their hearts, when it came to fortune-telling, most of them were scammers.


    However, the richer the family, the more they wanted to believe in these things.


    Therefore, they respected the people who have truly mastered metaphysics.


    If any family has a child who was a disciple of a metaphysical master, the family would definitely prosper.


    Not to mention, Yuan Zhengchun had a great reputation. Based on the title of being his disciple, even if that person was not capable, he or she would still have a good social standing in society.


    Seeing that Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu had agreed, as outsiders, they could not say anything else.


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at the beetroots and changed the topic.


    ¡°We¡¯re halfway through the beetroot pile. We¡¯ll go to the county city tomorrow to sell the sugar. We should also discuss who we should send to purchase more beetroots tomorrow.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s attention instantly shifted to making sugar.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We were just saying that the beetroots would be gone in two days.¡±


    Liu Yan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s time to buy some more beetroots.¡±


    Liu Liangcai was the first to suggest, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go out to purchase beetroots tomorrow? Yesterday, I heard that Fengfeng¡¯s grandmother¡¯s vige harvested a batch of beetroots.¡±


    Zheng Yongfu nodded repeatedly. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine. You go tomorrow and I¡¯ll go the day after tomorrow. Let¡¯s try to purchase more when the beetroots have just been harvested.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone agreed.


    Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°I think that¡¯s fine. After these few days, we¡¯re very familiar with the sugar production process. We don¡¯t need your help anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Just, who would be the one to sell sugar?¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°It¡¯s our first time selling sugar tomorrow. I¡¯m more familiar with this. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯re a girl. It¡¯s not safe on the road. How about this? Let your brother go with you!¡±


    Upon hearing the nomination, Zheng Yongfu immediately patted his chest. ¡°No problem. I will definitely ensure Sister Zhou¡¯s safety and not let Sister Zhou lose a single strand of hair.¡±


    Everyone could not help butugh yfully. ¡°Then when wee back, we have to count how much hair that little girl Li has lost.¡±


    Everyone burst intoughter.


    Now that everything was settled, Zhou Xiaoli was ready to face Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s test in the afternoon.


    At this moment, there was another knock on the Zhou family¡¯s door.


    ¡°Madam Zhang, Madam Zhang, open the door.¡±


    Hearing this familiar voice, it was Lai Jinniang.


    However, this was the first time she had knocked on their door and spoke in such a kind tone.


    ...


    ¡°What is this ruffian Madam Lai doing here?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan cursed and hurriedly moved the pot of sugar into the kitchen with everyone.


    After hiding everything, Zhang Lan went to open the door.


    The door opened, and sure enough, Lai Jinniang and Zhou Guihua were standing outside.


    However, this time, the two of them were clearly pale and in low spirits. They were clearly thinner aspared to when they saw them four days ago.


    Zhou Xiaoli poked her head out from behind Zhang Lan to take a look. She could not help but nod in satisfaction. This time, their faces were really pale.


    The formation she set up would consume their health. However, it had only been four days and they were already so weak?


    The effect was really impressive!


    ¡°Well, Little Li, we thought about it. Since the Dragon King gave the pearl to you, it¡¯s better that you keep it.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the pearl over.


    Lai Jinniang¡¯s tone was anxious and afraid.


    ...


    Zhang Lan did not move. Instead, she subconsciously turned to look at Zhou Xiaoli.


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli walk out from behind Zhang Lan. She pretended to be surprised and shouted, ¡°Ah! Madam Lai, what¡¯s going on? It¡¯s only been four days since Ist saw you. How did you be so thin!¡±


    She was deliberately provoking her. Sure enough, Lai Jinniang and Zhou Guihua¡¯s faces turned even pale. At the same time, they trembled, looking very afraid.


    At this moment, many vigers had alreadye over to watch themotion. When they heard this, someone started talking.


    ¡°Did you know, I don¡¯t know what the old Zhou family has been doing in the past few days. They¡¯re always wailing in the middle of the night. They don¡¯t sleep every day. It would be strange if they weren¡¯t weak!¡±


    The person who spoke was Lai Jinniang¡¯s neighbor. She had been woken up every night by the Old Zhou family in the past few days. It was obvious that she was unhappy.


    Hearing her neighbor discuss what happened at night, Lai Jinniang became even more agitated. ¡°Pearl, here, I¡¯ll give it back to you!¡±


    As she spoke, she stuffed it into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hands.


    When she heard that Lai Jinniang hade, Zhou Xiaoli guessed that she was here to return the pearl.


    In the past four days, many things had happened in the old Zhou family.


    Zhou Xiaoli was very confident in her formation and did not deliberately inquire about the old Zhou family¡¯s affairs.


    However, everyone on the street was talking about it, and she had heard a little about it.


    It was said that yesterday, Madam Lai¡¯s eldest grandson, Zhou Anfu, fell into the well. Fortunately, someone saw him and saved him in the nick of time. However, he was frightened and had a high fever. He had yet to wake up.

 Chapter 72 - 72 Venting Anger

    72 Venting Anger


    The day before yesterday, Lai Jinniang¡¯s eldest son, Zhou Fugui, was arrested by the magistrate¡¯s office for adulterating medicinal herbs. This time, even his brother-inw could not save him. The pharmacy was closed down, and he was bankrupt for real.


    Two days ago, her youngest son, Zhou Fuchun, was hit by a carriage in the county city and almost lost his life. In the end, although he survived, his legs were broken. He even lost his ability to have children.


    In the past few days, the Old Zhou family¡¯s mental state and physical condition had been deteriorating. All of them were sickly. In his anger, Old Zhou became bedridden.


    When the Old Zhou family first started to have trouble, there were vigers who were present at the time and knew the story that the pearl would bring bad luck to those who lusted for it. Theyughed and said that the Old Zhou family had indeed started to experience bad luck because of the pearl.


    However, at that time, they were just joking. Not one connected the Old Zhou family¡¯s misfortunes to the pearl.


    Even Lai Jinniang didn¡¯t care and was ready to sell the pearl to treat her youngest son.


    However, in the next few days, the Old Zhou family was gued with troubles one after another. The family was also in chaos. In the middle of the night, they wailed and howled, disturbing the neighbors.


    Once, twice was a coincidence, but when trouble happened three or four times, would it still be considered as a coincidence?


    This time, without any reminder from others, almost everyone who knew the situation attributed the Old Zhou family¡¯s disasters to the pearl.


    Lai Jinniang was finally afraid. This morning, after being scolded by her youngest son who had broken his legs, she brought the pearl back to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli lowered her head and looked at the pearl that was stuffed back into her hand forcefully. She could not help but sneer.


    Did she think that she could just return the pearl and everything would be ok?


    It was not that easy.


    ¡°Madam Lai, you don¡¯t want it anymore?¡± Zhou Xiaoli raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°This is a life-saving medicine primer. You should take it back to save people.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the pearl to Madam Lai.


    ¡°Ah, no, no.¡±


    As soon as the pearl was brought near to her, Lai Jinniang retreated in fear as if she had seen something terrifying.


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered in her heart, but she put on a sincere expression. ¡°How can we allow that to happen? Although your family is unkind to us, my father has always had a good reputation. He can¡¯t bebeled as unfilial. Why don¡¯t I personally send it to the old man of the Zhou family and let him use it in his medication?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was about to walk towards the Old Zhou family courtyard.


    Although it was only a few days of torture, Lai Jinniang was very sensitive. When she saw that Zhou Xiaoli had wanted to take the pearl back to her house,


    She was about to go crazy from fear. She rushed forward to stop Zhou Xiaoli and shouted in a high-pitched voice, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, I already said I don¡¯t want it! Are you an idiot? I¡¯m lying to you. The old man doesn¡¯t need the pearl as a primer for his medicine at all!¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings instantly fell silent.


    It seemed that Lai Jinniang was really frightened. At this moment, she spoke without thinking and even revealed the truth.


    When she calmed down, she quickly covered her mouth.


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, widened her eyes and pretended to be shocked. ¡°What! You said that you were lying to me. You didn¡¯t need the pearls as a primer?¡±


    Then, she thought of something and said with a look of understanding, ¡°Oh, I know. Did what I said back thene true? Your family is unlucky and hence, you want to return the pearl now?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Madam Lai, why are you so shameless? I already said it back then. When the timees, don¡¯t beg us. It¡¯s useless even if you beg us. Your family will continue to be unlucky and even implicate your descendants!¡±


    Lai Jinniang¡¯s face turned much paler when she heard that she would be unlucky and her descendants would be implicated. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli and roared, ¡°Then, what do you want? Do you want our family to die?¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli was so angry that sheughed. ¡°What do I want? Ha! Madam Lai, don¡¯t you recognize your mistake? All the trouble in your family was caused by you!¡±


    Lai Jinniang was at a loss. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli, gritted her teeth, and bowed. ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been greedy. Li¡¯er, since the Dragon King gave you the pearl, you must know how to resolve it, right?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her eyebrows with a cold expression. ¡°Resolve it? Of course I know.¡±


    ¡°However, is this the attitude you should have when you want to ask someone for help?¡±


    When Lai Jinniang heard that it could be resolved, she heaved a sigh of relief and immediately changed her attitude. ¡°Li¡¯er, I beg you to save our family. No matter what, I raised your father¡­¡±


    Again!


    ¡°Stop!¡± Zhou Xiaoli interrupted Lai Jinniang impatiently and said coldly, ¡°My father has already repaid your kindness! If you wish to mention this again, get lost then!¡±


    Zhou Guihua, who had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She pointed at Zhou Xiaoli and was about to scold her when Lai Jinniang stopped her.


    Lai Jinniang smiled obsequiously. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t mention it again. Please help us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at Zhou Guihua, sneered, and said to Lai Jinniang, ¡°Kneel.¡±


    Lai Jinniang was stunned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Kneel down. What, you don¡¯t even kneel when you ask someone for help?¡± Zhou Xiaoli repeated impatiently.


    ¡°Zhou Xiaoli, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    Zhou Guihua finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She pointed at Zhou Xiaoli and scolded, ¡°Mother, you believe what that little b*tch said? She doesn¡¯t have the ability to resolve our misfortune. That b*tch is waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on us!¡±


    Hey! Smartie, you got it!


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered and shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Whatever you say. Anyway, it¡¯s not my family that¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    As she spoke, she pulled Zhang Lan back and said with a smile, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m tired.¡±


    As she spoke, she held Zhang Lan¡¯s arm and prepared to go home.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was about to leave, Lai Jinniang panicked and hurried to stop her from leaving.


    Zhou Guihua was furious. She grabbed Lai Jinniang. ¡°Mother, why are you begging her?!¡±


    Lai Jinniang red at Zhou Guihua. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    As she spoke, she ran in front of Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Little Li, please save us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli held Zhang Lan¡¯s arm and looked at Lai Jinniang with pursed lips.


    Lai Jinniang gritted her teeth and finally knelt down in front of Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhang Lan subconsciously wanted to dodge away.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli stopped her. ¡°Mother, you deserve it. Madam Lai owes you an apology!¡±


    ...


    Zhang Lan immediately stopped in her tracks and looked back at her daughter. She couldn¡¯t help but straighten her back and ept Lai Jinniang kneeling in front of her.


    It had been almost 10 years. She had suffered under Lai Jinniang for almost 10 years.


    As a daughter-inw, she was filial to her inws and was not allowed to disobey them. This was the etiquette engraved in her bones.


    Not long after the eldest daughter was born, her husband turned into a fool. As such, their family had no say in the Old Zhou family.


    Moreover, she did not have her maternal family to back her up. She could only ept whatever Lai Jinniang wanted her to do.


    However, it was different now. She was no longer her mother-inw. She no longer had to listen to her!


    Now, looking at Madam Lai kneeling in front of her and kowtowing to apologize, Zhang Lan immediately felt utter freedom and let out a fierce breath of anger in her chest.


    At the same time, her state of mind changed unknowingly.

 Chapter 73 - 73 Going Up the Mountain

    73 Going Up the Mountain


    Seeing that Lai Jinniang had knelt down, Zhou Xiaoli nodded, but she was not satisfied. Instead, her gaze fell on Zhou Guihua.


    ¡°What about her? If she doesn¡¯t apologize, how can I help you?¡±


    Zhou Guihua waswless at home since she had Lai Jinniang¡¯s love and often bullied their family.


    When Zhou Guihua heard this, she immediately exploded. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli ignored her and looked at Lai Jinniang, waiting for her to deal with it.


    Sure enough, for the sake of the entire family, Lai Jinniang took a deep breath and shouted at Zhou Guihua, ¡°Come here, kneel down and apologize.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to kneel! Mother, are you stupid? It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re making things difficult for us deliberately!¡± Zhou Guihua widened her eyes in disbelief and stomped her feet in anger.


    Lai Jinniang didn¡¯t have the heart to make Zhou Guihua kneel, but for the sake of her family, she screamed ruthlessly. ¡°Be good. Now that your eldest brother, second brother, and nephew have gotten into trouble one after another, do you really want to see our family destroyed?¡±


    Finally, under Lai Jinniang¡¯s persuasion, Zhou Guihua was dragged back and reluctantly knelt in front of Zhou Xiaoli.


    She said perfunctorily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised his eyebrows and said coldly, ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Zhou Guihua gritted her teeth and red at Zhou Xiaoli. She shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips. ¡°Insincere.¡±


    Then, she sighed. ¡°Forget it. As long as you pay me back the 50 copper coins you owe me, along with the interest, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Let me calcte. With interest, I¡¯ll count you as 70 copper coins.¡±


    Hearing her request, Zhou Guihua immediately leaped up and stomped her feet in anger. ¡°What 50 copper coins? 100 copper coins? Zhou Xiaoli, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed, ¡°It seems that some people have forgotten. Let me help you recall.¡±


    ¡°That day, when you chased our entire family out of the house, you didn¡¯t give us anything. You only gave us a few dried taros and left us to fend for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, my father saved up 50 copper coins from doing manualbor. However, didn¡¯t you snatch the 50 copper coins away when we left the Old Zhou family?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli exined the sequence of events word by word.


    The surrounding people could not help but sigh.


    ¡°Madam Lai is really something. I always thought that Zhou Yu had split up from the family, but it turns out that he was chased out!¡±


    ¡°Not giving him anything? Isn¡¯t it obvious that she wants to starve Zhou Yu¡¯s family to death? All these years, to say that the Old Zhou family is benevolent and treats their adopted son as their own, it¡¯s just a lie.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! They are pure evil. To think of snatching away even thest bit of money that the family could rely on. They are forcing him to death. They¡¯re too vicious. How can there be such a family in our Boyu Vige!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We should chase them out of Boyu Vige!¡±


    ¡­


    The surrounding vigers were filled with righteous indignation, as if they wanted to expel Lai Jinniang and her family from the vige.


    Seeing this, Lai Jinniang red at Zhou Guihua and quickly apologized to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the child did this. When I get back, I¡¯ll definitely discipline her. I¡¯ll return the money to you immediately.¡±


    As she spoke, she searched around and finally found 36 copper coins.


    Seeing that it was not enough, Lai Jinniang asked Zhou Guihua to take out her money too.


    Zhou Guihua was naturally unwilling to do so, but she couldn¡¯t dissuade Lai Jinniang. In the end, with Zhou Guihua¡¯s cries, Lai Jinniang gathered enough money.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll return the money to you. Help us resolve our bad luck.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli took the money, but she was not in a hurry. Instead, she slowly counted the copper coins.


    She spoke under the other party¡¯s anxious gaze after counting the money.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s very simple to resolve the misfortune. We need to worship the pearl in my house for 49 days. At the same time, you have to do the ritual of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times all the way from my doorstep to your doorstep. You also have to do this ritual three times. Only if you are sincere in apologizing to the Dragon King can your misfortune be resolved.¡±


    Hearing this method, Lai Jinniang frowned in disbelief. ¡°Really? Can it be resolved like this?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s not my family that¡¯s going to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll kneel!¡±


    Lai Jinniang gritted her teeth. For the safety of the entire family, she pulled the crying Zhou Guihua along and kowtowed three times.


    Zhou Xiaoli stroked the round pearl in her hand and smiled.


    At this moment, Little Wolf suddenly rushed out of the courtyard with Zhou Xiaoyu chasing after him. ¡°Little Wolf, don¡¯t run. Wait for me.¡±


    The wolf pup had already grown up quite a bit. As it often ran up the mountain to look for prey, it was very agile. Now that it suddenly rushed out of the house, Zhou Xiaoyu could not catch up with its speed.


    After the wolf cub rushed out, it didn¡¯t run far. Instead, it rushed straight to Lai Jinniang and Zhou Guihua, stood in front of them, and bared its teeth at them.


    Lai Jinniang and Lai Jinniang stood still. They had heard that being bitten by a wild wolf could cause rabid dog disease.


    Just as everyone thought that the wolf cub was going to bite them, it suddenly leaned closer to them. After circling around, it raised its leg and peed on their legs.


    It swaggered home after peeing.


    Everyone was speechless.


    Zhou Xiaoyu blinked and grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister, I was feeding the wolf cub meat when it suddenly ran out.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli covered her mouth andughed. Then, she made up a story and said, ¡°This should be the Dragon King testing their sincerity in making amends. He specially sent the little wolf to test the two of them.¡±


    Although the fabrication was ridiculous, many people believed in it.


    Therefore, Lai Jinniang and her daughter began to do the ritual of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times all the way home with urine on them.


    Along the way, many vigers were attracted to watch them in action.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not be bothered to look at them anymore. She held Zhang Lan¡¯s arm and returned home.


    After lunch, Zhou Xiaoli informed Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu before heading up the mountain.


    ...


    Qingyuan Mountain was a mountain range that stretched endlessly. The mountain was lush and had excellent scenery.


    When she reached the foot of the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli took out thepass and calcted all the way up the mountain.


    There were many ces with good Feng Shui on Qingyuan Mountain.


    After excluding those that were unsuitable for living and considering Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s legs, Zhou Xiaoli finally pinpointed a location.


    It was located halfway up the slope of Mount Qingyuan and had beautiful scenery.


    When she arrived, she could see a simple courtyard from afar.


    If an ordinary person saw this, they would think that this was an ordinary small courtyard of a farmer. There might be a woodcutter or hunter living here.


    However, what Zhou Xiaoli saw was apletely different scene.


    Although the small courtyard was simple and crude, the spiritual energy floating above was very abundant and did not dissipate for a long time.


    Living here would definitely purify one¡¯s body and mind. It could be said to be a ce with good Feng Shui.


    Putting away herpass, Zhou Xiaoli strode over.


    ...


    The gate of the courtyard was wide open. When Zhou Xiaoli walked to the gate, she could clearly see what¡¯s happening in the courtyard.


    The courtyard was very clean. There was an osmanthus tree nted in the courtyard. At this moment, there were light yellow flowers blooming on it. Whenever the wind below, the fragrance of the flowers wafted over.


    The main door of the courtyard was wide open, and Yuan Zhengchun was properly dressed and waiting for Zhou Xiaoli at the front hall seats.

 Chapter 74 - 74 Apprenticeship

    74 Apprenticeship


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli had arrived, Yuan Zhengchun stood up and walked out with a smile.


    ¡°I knew you could find this ce! I was right, hahaha.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun¡¯sughter was vigorous and powerful. He did not seem to be of his age at all.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked into the courtyard and said with a smile, ¡°Old man, have you ever thought that the vige chief must know where you live? I could have asked him about it.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard and stood under the eaves. He smiled confidently. ¡°No, you won¡¯t ask for directions.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you trust me so much?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchunughed again. ¡°No, no. I believe in my own judgment.¡±


    ¡°How is it? Have you thought it through?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli stood in the courtyard with her hands behind her back and asked, ¡°Why do you insist on taking me as your disciple?¡±


    ¡°I knew you would ask about this.¡± Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard and looked at Zhou Xiaoli. He said seriously, ¡°Kid, your physiognomy is the most peculiar I¡¯ve ever seen. Your entire physiognomy seems to be floating in the clouds, and it¡¯s unpredictable. I¡¯ve lived for so long, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a physiognomy.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought that it was probably because she had reincarnated that her face was so strange.


    ¡°So, you insist on taking me in as your disciple because my physiognomy is peculiar?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun shook his head. ¡°Not entirely. It¡¯s mainly because I calcted that my destined disciple had appeared. I happened to meet you, and you happened to be talented. You¡¯re the disciple I¡¯ve been looking for all these years.¡±


    ¡°So, kid, have you thought about it?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and took out an oil paper bag from behind her. ¡°Look, I even brought my apprenticeship gift.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun was taken aback at first, but he was instantly overjoyed. He pped his hands together and said, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no time like the present. Today is a good day, so let¡¯s do the apprenticeship ceremony today!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°¡­Alright, since I have already brought the gift to be your disciple, I don¡¯t have to bring gifts the next time then.¡±


    ¡°Aiyaya, listen to this. What kind of disciple did I take in? She hasn¡¯t even acknowledged me as her master and she¡¯s already unwilling to give me a gift.¡± Yuan Zhengchun pointed at Zhou Xiaoli and smiled dotingly.


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m such a stingy person. It¡¯s not toote for you to think about it before you be my master.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun: ¡°No! You? Who asked that you are my destined disciple? Even if you¡¯re a crook, I¡¯ll admit it.¡±


    As he spoke, he tidied up his appearance and sat on the chair in the main hall.


    Beside him was the tea that he had prepared long ago. It could be seen that Yuan Zhengchun had already calcted that she would take him as her master today.


    After that, Zhou Xiaoli took him as her master, served him tea, and knelt in front of the ancestral tablets to listen to his teachings. Everything was done in one go, and the apprenticeship ceremony was over.


    The master and disciple were not particr about formalities.


    ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± After the apprenticeship, Yuan Zhengchun took out a box from his clothes and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°This is the apprenticeship gift I have for you. See if you like it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked over and saw a palm-sized red wooden box lying in Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s hand. Although she could not see what was inside,


    but judging from the faint spiritual energy around the box, it was definitely a treasure.


    As expected, after opening it, she saw a red jade pendant inside. The jade was crystalline and delicate, emitting a sparkling luster.


    The jade pendant was carved into a small koi fish. The tail was in a wagging position as if it was swimming.


    Yuan Zhengchun tapped the jade pendant and said proudly, ¡°I carved it myself. It¡¯s consecrated. Take good care of it. At the critical moment, it may be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ept it. Thank you, Master.¡± Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. She epted the gift without hesitation.


    She found the koi jade pendant to be very pleasing to the eye, right from her first nce at it.


    At this moment, Yuan Zhengchun thought of something and said, ¡°I had wanted to make apass for you personally, but I saw that you already had one the day before yesterday?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Yes, I made it myself.¡±


    She thought of something and added, ¡°When I was very young, I once lost my way on the mountain and met an old Taoist priest who taught me how to do it.¡±


    When the original Zhou Xiaoli was six years old, Zhou Guihua and the children in the vige tricked her into going up the mountain. It was not until night time that Zhang Lan found her and brought her home.


    As for what the original Zhou Xiaoli had encountered on the mountain, it was all up to Zhou Xiaoli now to exin.


    In any case, Yuan Zhengchun did not suspect anything. He nodded and said, ¡°This is your fate.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s yourpass? Let me see it.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli handed thepass she carried with her to Yuan Zhengchun.


    ¡°Yes, you did well, but there are some small ws.¡±


    ¡°Thepass is very important to our sect. It¡¯s most important to use it only when fated and to use it appropriately. Leave thispass with me and I¡¯ll help you repair it. You can use this in the future.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded in agreement. ¡°Master, when are we going to start ss? Do we start now?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun could not help but smile. ¡°Why are you so anxious now? Not now. Someone wille overter.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoli heard Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Master Yuan, I brought you the tea you wanted.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was quite surprised to hear this voice.


    Looking at the door, she realized that it was indeed Wei Chiyu!


    The two of them looked at each other. Wei Chiyu also recognized Zhou Xiaoli, and a trace of surprise appeared on his face.


    On the other side, Yuan Zhengchun walked over after hearing about the tea. ¡°Aiyaya, good, good. There¡¯s more tea to drink.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the taste.¡± After Yuan Zhengchun took the tea, he remembered to introduce the two of them.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I forgot to introduce you. Chiyu, this is my new disciple. You should know each other.¡±


    Wei Chiyu had always paid attention to Zhou Xiaoli. When he heard Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s words, a hint of a smile appeared in the corners of his eyes. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re my senior sister.¡±


    ¡°S-Senior Sister?¡± Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Yuan Zhengchun in disbelief. ¡°Master, no, didn¡¯t you say that you had not taken in any disciple before?¡±


    ...


    Yuan Zhengchun exined, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s like this. Chiyu is a pitiful child¡­¡±


    Wei Chiyu was sent to the Lu family when he was five years old.


    However, Old Madam Lu was mean and treated Wei Chiyu very harshly. She often did not give him food for a few days at a stretch.


    There was once when he was so hungry, Wei Chiyu, who was only five years old then, braved the snow and went up the mountain to find food.


    He almost froze to death in the snow and was saved by Yuan Zhengchun who happened to pass by.


    After knowing about the child¡¯s experience, Yuan Zhengchun felt pity for him. Coincidentally, he was hiding from his enemies at that time, so he stayed on the mountain and asked him toe up the mountain to look for him when he was hungry.


    As days went by, Yuan Zhengchun realized that this child was very smart.


    He started to teach him his skills, intentionally or unintentionally. Even his martial arts skills were taught by Yuan Zhengchun.


    It could be said that if Yuan Zhengchun had not saved him and taught him his skills, Wei Chiyu might not be able to stay alive until now.

 Chapter 75 - 75 Thank You for Letting Me Into The Sect

    75 Thank You for Letting Me Into The Sect


    Thus, even if Yuan Zhengchun did not take Wei Chiyu in as his disciple,


    Wei Chiyu considered Yuan Zhengchun as his master. He had indeed treated him as his master.


    Later, Yuan Zhengchun left Boyu Vige. However, no matter where he went or how far away he was, Wei Chiyu would always visit him during festivals.


    Yuan Zhengchun also liked Wei Chiyu very much and cherished his talent, so he tacitly agreed to Wei Chiyu calling him master.


    However, he made it clear that Wei Chiyu was not his disciple yet. If he wanted to enter the sect, he had to wait until he had taken in his first disciple.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    After hearing all this, Zhou Xiaoli firstmented that Wei Chiyu was such a loyal person.


    Then, she felt sympathetic to Wei Chiyu for the childhood that he had.


    She had not expected his childhood to be even more tragic than she had imagined.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was sympathizing with Wei Chiyu for his traumatic childhood experience, she suddenly heard him say something.


    ¡°Therefore, I have to thank my Senior Sister for finally letting me enter the sect.¡±


    Wei Chiyu cupped his hands and greeted Zhou Xiaoli. His attitude was impable.


    There was nothing wrong with what he said, but thinking about it, Zhou Xiaoli felt that something was wrong.


    At this moment, Yuan Zhengchun shook the tea in his hand and smiled boldly. ¡°Stop standing in the courtyard. There¡¯s nothing to see. Do you want toe in and have a cup of tea with me?¡±


    That immediately took Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s attention. She immediately smiled and said, ¡°Alright, Master. What kind of tea is this?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun immediately showed off proudly. ¡°This is good tea. I got it from the Northern Court.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Oh, really? Then I¡¯ll have a taste.¡±


    Yongchang Country has always liked tea, and tea culture is very prevalent and animated, especially tea from the Northern Court area.


    Looking at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s glowing eyes, Yuan Zhengchun held the tea tightly. ¡°I only have this much. Don¡¯t drink it all.¡±


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re so stingy. I also received some good tea leaves a few days ago. Let mepare whose tea is better, Master¡¯s, or mine.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun said without hesitation, ¡°Of course, the better one would be mine.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Zhou Xiaoli was not to be outdone.


    Thus, the master and disciple began to quarrel.


    Wei Chiyu, who had been forgotten, said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ll boil the water.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright, alright. Go, go.¡± Yuan Zhengchun paused for a moment and waved at Wei Chiyu.


    Then, he continued the discussion with Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°I can guarantee that your tea is definitely not as good as mine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Although my tea is not famous yet, it might not lose to the tea from the Northern Court.¡±


    With that, the master and disciple entered the room together.


    Wei Chiyu silently carried a bundle of firewood into the kitchen to boil water.


    After a while, Wei Chiyu came in with hot water.


    After the three of them sat down, Yuan Zhengchun began to cook tea.


    As he finalized thest step of the tea ceremony, the fragrance of the tea wafted out.


    ¡°Mm, Master, you¡¯re really good at cooking tea.¡± Zhou Xiaoli took a sip and was quite amazed.


    ¡°Hahaha, of course.¡± Yuan Zhengchun, who was praised, raised his head proudly. ¡°The main thing is that the tea is good. How is it? Is it better than yours?¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°No, I still think my tea is more fragrant.¡±


    It was obvious that Yuan Zhengchun did not believe her.


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I bring up a tael of the tea leaves another day? I guarantee that Master will remember it for life.¡±


    Upon hearing that there were new tea leaves for him to try, Yuan Zhengchun immediately perked up and agreed.


    ¡°Oh, you dare to say that yours is better? Alright, I¡¯ll wait. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not.¡±


    The three of them chatted for a while more. Seeing that it was gettingte, Yuan Zhengchun was about to chase them home.


    ¡°Come on, go now. You¡¯re going to finish all my tea.¡±


    The two of them smiled and said goodbye to their master. Then, they left Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s courtyard and walked side by side along the mountain path. They were silent for a long time.


    Zhou Xiaoli turned to look at him and could not help but think of a five-year-old child going up the mountain alone and looking for food in the snow.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice interrupted Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s thoughts.


    She pursed her lower lip. ¡°You. That.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t bring up the sad past in the end.


    Instead, she changed it to a question. ¡°What have you learned from the Master all these years? Have you also learned fortune-telling and divination?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head. ¡°No. Master said that there are too many tribtions in my life, and it¡¯s not suitable for me to learn divination.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    Indeed, divination was considered as revealing Heaven¡¯s secrets. One would be punished by the Heavens for it.


    Therefore, ordinary metaphysics people wouldmit five faults and three deficiencies.


    ...


    The so-called five faults were none other than ¡°widower, widow, orphan, loner, and disabled.¡± To put it bluntly, three deficiencies refers to the three disadvantages of wealth, life, and power.


    For example, Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s legs were crippled and he hadmitted the fault of ¡°disabled¡±.


    Then, she looked at the man beside her.


    His appearance was actually quite strange. At a nce, there were indeed many cmities in his life. Moreover, they were all extremely dangerous cmities. However, there was a hidden turning point amidst the difficulties.


    She patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯s a good thing that you don¡¯t want to learn. I¡¯ll protect you in the future!¡±


    The corners of Wei Chiyu¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard her bold statement.


    As they spoke, they arrived at the foot of the mountain.


    At this moment, they suddenly heard the grass beside the road move. In an instant, a small wolf rushed out and ran straight towards Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Ah, Little Wolf.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was pleasantly surprised. She couldn¡¯t help but squat down and rub the wolf cub¡¯s head.


    ¡°Are you here to pick me up?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Howl~¡±


    Little Wolf barked as if in response.


    ¡°Wow, Little Wolf is awesome!¡±


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it just happened to be back from its hunt.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at the wild rabbit that the wolf cub had thrown aside.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    The wolf cub instantly bared its teeth at Wei Chiyu.


    Zhou Xiaoli seemed to understand instantly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re waiting for me here after your hunt?¡±


    ¡°Howl~¡±


    ¡°Aiya, the little wolf is awesome. Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll make you something delicious, okay?¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Thus, the two of them and the wolf slowly walked home under the setting sun.


    When they entered the vige, they could see that the vige was very lively. Lai Jinniang had just finished the ritual.


    After the three trips, her knees were probably bleeding by now.


    This was only physical pain. More importantly, there was the mental torture as well.


    Zhou Guihua couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She ran away before she finished her first trip.


    Lai Jinniang didn¡¯t want to do it alone, but she was so afraid of the bad luck that the pearl brought, so she pulled her eldest daughter-inw out instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Little Wolf.¡± Zhou Xiaoli took one nce at them and no longer paid attention to them.


    At night.


    After a busy day, everyone was tired. As soon as it was dark, the family went to bed.


    After the sound of even breathing and snoring came from the room, Zhou Xiaoli quietly got out of bed.


    She put on her coat, opened the door, and stepped out into the night.

 Chapter 76 - 76 Meeting a Ghost

    76 Meeting a Ghost


    Since Lai Jinniang had returned the pearl, she had to remove the Feng Shui formation she set up earlier.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli had no intention of letting them go just like that.


    She was prepared to remove the powerful Feng Shui Evil Formation and rece it with another Fortune Breaking Formation.


    Although it was not as domineering as the Feng Shui Evil formation whereby blood had to be shed, the new formation could still affect their fortune and make them poor.


    However, before she reached the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard, she heard a series of cries.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but feel a little curious about it. It seemed like they indeed wailed and cried every night? Did her formation have such an effect?


    Driven by curiosity, Zhou Xiaoli walked closer to see what was going on.


    However, just as she reached the wall, a white figure with disheveled hair suddenly flew out of the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard.


    By a stroke of chance, it happened tond in front of Zhou Xiaoli¡­


    ¡°Aiya, what the f*ck!¡± Zhou Xiao Li was so shocked that she almost jumped out of her skin.


    Subconsciously, she picked up a brick from the ground and was prepared to hit the ¡®ghost¡¯.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    However, just as the brick was about to hit the ghost¡¯s face, the ghost opened its mouth and a familiar voice rang out.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but pause. Her eyes widened as she went over to take a look in disbelief.


    The ¡®ghost¡¯ seemed to be a little shy, but in the end, he lifted his hair from his face.


    It was indeed Wei Chiyu!


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing when she saw Wei Chiyu dressed like that.


    ¡°No, Wei Chiyu, is there something wrong with your brain? Why are you dressed like this in the middle of the night?¡± she whispered.


    Wei Chiyu felt a little awkward. ¡°I want to help you.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli immediately figured out what she had found strange earlier on.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no wonder that Madam Lai and her family would wail and cry every night then. I was wondering why would Madam Lai turn so weak in just four days? It¡¯s all because of you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Chiyu nodded and asked, ¡°Did I manage to help you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯ve helped me a lot.¡± Zhou Xiaoli held back herughter.


    Most importantly, the thought of Wei Chiyu, who usually wore a straight face, had pretended to be a ghost to scare people made her want tough.


    No, she really couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    Hearing that he had helped, Wei Chiyu was a little proud of himself, but when he saw Zhou Xiaoliughing, he felt a little doubtful. ¡°Then what are youughing at?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli had beenughing for quite some time. She wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes and said, ¡°Happy, I¡¯m happy that you helped me.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was skeptical. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good. Do you need me to continue scaring them in that case?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli waved her hand. ¡°No, no need. I¡¯m going to remove the formation today. You don¡¯t have to scare them anymore.¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°Okay.¡±


    At this moment, the door of the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard suddenly opened.


    Wei Chiyu reacted very quickly. He grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s waist with one hand and spun around. The two of them hid in the alley between the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard and the neighbor¡¯s on the left.


    Although it was called an alley, it had be as such unintentionally. This was because the two families had a disagreement over the ownership of the tree in the middle of the alley when they were building the houses.


    As a result, two walls were built and a gap was formed in the middle.


    Therefore, it was not meant for pedestrians¡¯ use and it was very narrow. The two of them stuck together and squeezed into the narrow alley.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s head reached Wei Chiyu¡¯s chest. She was basically lying in between Wei Chiyu¡¯s arms, and she could clearly hear Wei Chiyu¡¯s steady and powerful heartbeat.


    In her previous life, she had never even held a man¡¯s hand before!


    Although she was thick-skinned and the two of them were just kids,


    but perhaps the space was too small, and she became a little nervous when she was suddenly in such close contact with Wei Chiyu.


    She couldn¡¯t help but move away, putting some distance between them.


    However, Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ear. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t move.¡±


    The next second, she heard footstepsing from the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoli instantly stopped moving. All her previous efforts would be in vain if she was now discovered.


    At this moment, they heard the conversation between Lai Jinniang¡¯s eldest daughter-inw and second daughter-inw.


    ¡°Is there really a sounding outside?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just heard someone talking earlier.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s not even a shadow outside.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a little scared. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mother say that the bad luck has been resolved? Then, that ghost should have left. Look, that ghost came for just a short while before leaving tonight.¡±


    At this moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew past. The dried leaves on the ground slid noisily along with the wind.


    In the quiet night, the sound of the leaves being blown along the ground was especially loud. It sounded as if there was someone behind their backs and was slowly approaching.


    The two of them immediately turned around and ran home in fear.


    With a m, they shut the door.


    Looking at how frightened they were, Wei Chiyu must have frightened them quite a bit these few days!


    ...


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re gone.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli gently nudged Wei Chiyu and spoke in a low voice.


    Wei Chiyu finally reacted and let go of Zhou Xiaoli. The two of them walked out of the alley one after another.


    As Lai Jinniang and the others were still awake, Zhou Xiaoli could not change the formation then, so she sat outside the Old Zhou Family¡¯s wall and waited.


    Wei Chiyu had no intention of leaving. Seeing Zhou Xiaoli had sat down, he sat down beside her.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli looking at him, he opened his mouth and mouthed, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Since Wei Chiyu knew that she knew how to set up Feng Shui formations, Zhou Xiaoli did not chase him away.


    This time, the two of them did not speak again as they were afraid that the Old Zhou family members would hear them. The surroundings were a little quiet, and Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyelids began to droop as she waited.


    ¡°Little Li, they¡¯re asleep.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Wei Chiyu called her that Zhou Xiaoli stood up and began to move.


    By the time she was done, it waste at night.


    ...


    Wei Chiyu hadn¡¯t left yet. He was indeed waiting for her.


    Zhou Xiaoli yawned. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s done.¡±


    Without saying anything, the two of them walked side by side back home.


    A young man and a young woman taking a stroll under the moonlight. Unfortunately, when Zhou Xiaoli looked at Wei Chiyu, who was dressed as a ¡®ghost¡¯, she felt that there was zero romance in the air.


    Wei Chiyu did not go back immediately when he arrived at the Zhou family¡¯s door. Instead, he watched Zhou Xiaoli enter the house before leaving.


    After such a long time, they were home and Zhou Xiaoli was exhausted. She took off her clothes and fell asleep.


    The next day.


    At dawn, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu sat up and prepared to get up. As the two of them sat up, the old bed creaked.


    Zhou Xiaoli had always been a light sleeper and she would wake up at the slightest sound. Therefore, when the two of them sat up, she opened her eyes.


    ¡°Ah, did I wake you up?¡± Zhang Lan whispered, then tucked Zhou Xiaoli in. ¡°It¡¯s still early. You should sleep for a while more.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you didn¡¯t wake me up. Aren¡¯t we going to the county to sell the sugar today?¡± Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice was a little nasal as she had just woken up. ¡°I should get up too,¡±she muttered.


    Zhang Lan said softly, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. It¡¯s still early. There¡¯s nothing for you to do at home anyway. Why do you need to get up then? Sleep a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 77 - 77 Like a Pig

    77 Like a Pig


    ¡°Yes, your mother is right. Why are you up so early? Sleep more. At your age, you should sleep more. You can only grow taller if you sleep more, understand?¡± Zhou Yu agreed as he put on his coat. He even coaxed her to sleep, like a child.


    Ever since Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan recovered, the two of them no longer allow Zhou Xiaoli to work as hard as before. They did everything themselves. Even if she woke up early, the two of them would force her to go back to sleep for a while.


    Just like what¡¯s happening now.


    In the end, Zhou Xiaoli could only lie down again as she was unable to convince Zhang Lan. ¡°Alright then. Mother, you must call meter. Otherwise, when Big Brother Zhenges to our houseter and I¡¯m still sleeping. How embarrassing would that be?¡±


    Zhang Lan smiled and said dotingly, ¡°Alright, alright. Rest assured and sleep.¡±


    With that, the two of them got out of bed.


    After autumn, the weather got colder by the day. When the two of them opened the door, a cool breeze entered the house.


    After closing the door softly, the two of them washed up briefly and got busy.


    After Zhou Yu filled the water vat, he took the broom and began to clean the courtyard.


    Zhang Lan went to the kitchen first and started the fire. After putting on the pot to boil water, she sat at the door and began to do needlework.


    She had been busy making sugar in the day and could not see clearly at night.


    In order to make their winter clothes quickly, Zhang Lan woke up at dawn every day and started to sew under the weak sunlight.


    Listening to the sound of sweeping outside the window, Zhou Xiaoli felt an inexplicable sense of relief.


    Zhou Xiaoli had spent most ofst night in the Old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard to amend the formation, so she did not sleep well. As a result, she fell asleep listening to the sound of sweeping.


    She slept very soundly and even had a beautiful dream.


    In the end, it was Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun¡¯s conversation that woke her up.


    ¡°Are you wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not wrong. You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not wrong.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You were wrong!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not wrong either. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s wrong!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, it¡¯s your fault, it¡¯s your fault.¡±


    ¡­


    When she opened her eyes, she heard the two little ones arguing back and forth.


    ¡°What are you arguing about?¡± Zhou Xiaoli rubbed her eyes and sat up.


    She was sure that if she did not say anything, the two little guys would argue for the entire morning.


    The two little ones were arguing fiercely when they heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice. They immediately stopped arguing.


    Zhou Xiaoyu said angrily, ¡°Zhou Junjun, look, you woke Sis up!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu called him by his name and stopped calling him as her brother. It seemed like she was really angry this time.


    ¡°Aiyo, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s question,


    Zhou Xiaoyu instantly felt wronged. She ran to Zhou Xiaoli andined, ¡°Sis, Zhou Junjun is a big baddie. He scolded me!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at Zhou Junjun and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Brother Jun, did you bully your sister?¡±


    Zhou Junjun immediately said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t bully her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± Zhou Xiaoyu puffed up her cheeks angrily. ¡°You said that when I eat, I¡¯m like Liu Fengfeng¡¯s Flowey¡¯s Small Flowey. I¡¯m not.¡±


    Flowey was the pig reared by Liu Liangcai and his family. Because it had ck patterns on its body, a few children named it Flowey.


    ¡°Oh? Brother Jun, did you say that?¡± Zhou Xiaoli did not directly me anyone orfort Zhou Xiaoli. Instead, she sought rification about the situation from everyone.


    Zhou Junjun also looked aggrieved. ¡°Sis, I¡¯m praising my younger sister. I praised her that she looked as cute as Small Flowey when she¡¯s eating. I¡¯m praising her.¡±


    Zhou Junjun was rather excited as he spoke.


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless.


    Hence, she said, ¡°Brother Jun, no one would praise someone that he or she looks like a pig.¡±


    Zhou Junjun was a little confused. ¡°But Sis, in the poems you taught me, the writers used bamboo and lotus flowers topare to people and to praise their character. I think Small Flowey is the cutest and used it to praise my sister. Why can¡¯t I?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. She could not refute this little guy.


    Zhou Xiaoyu became angry again. ¡°No, you¡¯re just saying that I¡¯m fat, like a little pig.¡±


    Zhou Junjun: ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly put a stop to it. Otherwise, a new round of ¡°You did, I didn¡¯t,¡± would start again.


    ¡°Sis, was I wrong?¡± Zhou Junjun looked at Zhou Xiaoli with sparkling eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli paused for a moment. She spoke in a serious tone as she pulled the two of them to her bedside.


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s like this. The bamboo and lotus in the poems were used to describe people with integrity and purity. Therefore, there¡¯s no problem in using them as examples to praise people.¡±


    ¡°However, not everyone agrees that the little piggy is cute. For example, our younger sister thinks that little piggy is fat.¡±


    ¡°If your sister doesn¡¯t agree with your analogy, then it can¡¯t be considered apliment.¡±


    ...


    After saying this, Zhou Xiaoli turned to Zhou Xiaoyu and said, ¡°Your brother also did not have any ill intentions. It¡¯s just that you two had different understanding of the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Different people have different understanding of the same matter, but his original intention is good.¡±


    ¡°You two are the closest siblings in the world. You can¡¯t hurt your rtionship just because of a misunderstanding.¡±


    The two little fellows fell silent. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Sis, we understand.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s shake hands and make peace.¡± Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but smile and put their hands together.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apologize first. I¡¯m sorry, Sister.¡±


    Zhou Junjun whispered.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apologize too. I won¡¯t be angry with you anymore. I¡¯ll still y with you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s feed the chickens and ducks together.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it together. I¡¯ll feed the chickens and you¡¯ll feed the ducks.¡±


    ...


    The two little ones were young to begin with, and the world of children was simple. Arguments came quickly, and so did reconciliation.


    Instantly, all the unhappiness dissipated. They held their small hands together and ran out in unison.


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head helplessly and got up to get off the bed.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan walked in. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake. Get up then. I¡¯ve already prepared breakfast.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She quickly put on her clothes and went out to wash up.


    By the time she was done washing up, Zhang Lan and the two little ones had already taken out the bowls and chopsticks.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu arrived. He was going to enter the city today and had made an appointment to go with Zhou Xiaoli.


    Wei Chiyu rarely came to the Zhou family for breakfast. He usually only came at noon or night.


    Seeing that Wei Chiyu had arrived, Zhang Lan went into the kitchen and took another pair of bowls and chopsticks for him. ¡°Chiyu, eat more. You¡¯ve lost weight recently.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded and thanked her. ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡±


    Everyone sat under the tree and began to eat breakfast together.


    Zhou Xiaoyu noticed that Wei Chiyu¡¯s right hand was swollen and couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at it. ¡°Ah, big brother, what happened to your hand?¡±


    Wei Chiyu looked down. ¡°Oh, I was bitten by an insect.¡±


    ¡°Aiya, then be careful. Go to the mountain and dig for some wormwood. The insects would be gone when you smoke out the house with it. My family does this and the effect is very good.¡±


    At this point, Zhang Lan suddenly realized something and said in surprise, ¡°Sigh, it just came to me. We haven¡¯t smoked out the house in a long time. Hubby, let¡¯s dig for some wormwood when we have time. We can give some to Chiyu then.¡±


    Zhou Yu nodded. ¡°Mm, sure.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu said happily, ¡°We haven¡¯t had insect bites in a long time.¡±

 Chapter 78 - 78 Zheng Yongyan

    78 Zheng Yongyan


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu were stunned. It was true. Ever since they moved here, they had not seen any mosquitoes in the room.


    Aftering up with all kinds of reasons and disputing them all, they could only conclude that it was because of this house.


    In fact, there were no mosquitoes nor insects because of Zhou Xiaoli. The mosquitoes did not dare to approach her.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli would not tell anyone about this.


    Everyone chatted andughed. Soon, they were all done eating.


    Wei Chiyu and Zhou Yu moved the cane sugar that they had made over the past four days onto the donkey cart.


    After they were done packing, the vige chief¡¯s family arrived.


    However, the one who came was not the eldest son, Zheng Yonggui, but the vige chief¡¯s youngest son, Zheng Yongyan.


    ¡°Eh? Yongyan, why are you here? Where¡¯s your big brother?¡± Zhang Lan was surprised and looked behind him.


    After Zheng Yongyan entered, he first greeted Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan politely before exining in an unhurried manner. ¡°Auntie, my father said that my eldest brother is a boring person and is most unsuitable to do business.¡±


    Father asked me toe so that I can learn more from Sister Li this time. We can¡¯t rely on Sister Li alone to buy and sell goods in the future. How tiring would that be for her?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan spoke politely and unhurriedly. Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu nodded repeatedly as they listened to him as well.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze also fell on Zheng Yongyan. He was dressed in white. Although his clothes were not gorgeous, they were clean and tidy.


    He was slightly thin, and his words and actions were polite. The spitting image of a weak schr.


    Zheng Yongyan was 10 years old this year and was slightly older than Zhou Xiaoli by a couple of months. He had gotten the schr title of Child Schr at the age of eight. At that time, it had shocked the entire vige.


    Everyone in the vige said that the vige chief¡¯s ancestors must have done a lot of good deeds as a schr was about to be born into their family.


    The vige chief¡¯s family indeed had high hopes for their youngest son.


    However, why would the vige chief let this future schr waste his time bying to learn business from her instead of studying?


    Zhou Xiaoli was full of doubts.


    However, no matter who went, it wouldn¡¯t affect her. Hence, after bidding farewell to Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan, she led the donkey cart out of the house.


    As expected, as soon as the donkey cart left the vige, he showed his true colors.


    ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re Zhou Xiaoli, right?¡± As he spoke, Zheng Yongyan sized up Zhou Xiaoli from head to toe with an arrogant expression on his face. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing special about you. You¡¯re the same as those girls in the vige. So boring.¡±


    With such provocative words, there was not a single iota of the refined manners he disyed in the Zhou family.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. This kid was such a two-faced person?


    She could not help but turn her body to the side and look at Zheng Yongyan. She said helplessly, ¡°Little Young Master Zheng, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I don¡¯t think I provoked you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s facial features were good-looking to begin with. Her almond-shaped eyes were clean and clear, and her round little face, coupled with her exquisite little mouth, made her look even more beautiful than before.


    However, there was a bright red mole under her left eye. Instantly, the childish look on her round face faded and added a hint of sensuality.


    Such a contradictorybination created a different temperament. It was unique and left a deep impression.


    In addition, she had been drinking the spring water in the alternate space and that made her skin fair and smooth. Even if she ran under the sun all day, she would not be tanned.


    She was prettier than the youngdies he had seen in the city. It was wrong of him topare her to the rest of the youngdies in the vige.


    When Zhou Xiaoli suddenly turned around, Zheng Yongyan met that pair of clean and clear almond-shaped eyes. He could not help but be stunned at what he saw. The tips of his ears turned red suddenly.


    He too felt that what he said seemed to be wrong. She was different from the girls in the vige.


    However, he would not admit that he was wrong. Instead, he snorted and looked away arrogantly, not daring to look at Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Let me tell you, I won¡¯t like a little girl like you. I like girls who are as beautiful and educated as me. So, give up on this idea as soon as possible. Don¡¯t try to curry favor with my parents again.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Wei Chiyu, who was driving the carriage, suddenly raised the reins and sped up.


    Their seating arrangement was like this: Wei Chiyu sat at the front of the car to drive the cart while Zhou Xiaoli sat beside him.


    Zheng Yongyan sat in the back of the car in a dignified manner. In order to sit elegantly, he was unwilling to sit on the bottom of the cart and even ced a small stool on it.


    Hence, after Wei Chiyu suddenly elerated, Zheng Yongyan lost his bnce and fell backward, rolling off the donkey cart.


    As for Wei Chiyu, he supported Zhou Xiaoli with one hand and stabilized her figure. Without any intention of stopping, he drove the donkey cart away.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°¡­¡±


    If Wei Chiyu could have it his way, he would enter the city directly and not bother with that brat.


    However, he was still the vige chief¡¯s precious son.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Look at him. He¡¯s like a weak chicken. If something were to happen to him, we won¡¯t be able to answer to the vige chief.¡±


    In the end, Zhou Xiaoli could not allow him to do that and asked Wei Chiyu to turn around.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli describe Zheng Yongyan in such a way, Wei Chi¡¯s dark expression finally eased a little. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    With that, he turned around and returned.


    When they returned to their original positions, they saw Zheng Yongyan sitting by the roadside, as if he was wiping his tears¡­


    Ah, no way.


    Zhou Xiaoli almost burst outughing.


    He had been so arrogant just now, but now he was secretly wiping his tears. This kid was too cute.


    Hearing the sound of the carting back, Zheng Yongyan turned his head away angrily.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s cold voice rang out when the cart stopped. ¡°Come over and get in.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan refused and said in an arrogant manner. ¡°No, you did it on purpose just now. Apologize. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Children are so troublesome.¡± Wei Chiyu frowned and jumped out of the car unhappily.


    ...


    Then, under Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s widened eyes, Zheng Yongyan¡¯s face turned pale. He picked Zheng Yongyan up like a little chick and threw him into the cart.


    ¡°Rude, you¡¯re simply too rude!¡± Zheng Yongyan was so angry that his face turned red. However, since he was a schr, he did not know how to scold others. He kept repeating the words ¡°rude¡± and ¡°insolent¡±.


    It had no impact on anyone.


    Wei Chiyu snorted coldly. ¡°Kid! Sit properly. If you fall again, I won¡¯te back!¡±


    With that, he jumped cleanly onto the donkey cart and drove away.


    Although he continued to run his mouth, Zheng Yongyan was pretty honest in his actions. He immediately grabbed the handlebars after getting into the cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli clutched her stomach. She wanted tough, but she did not dare tough too loudly. It was extremely ufortable.


    ¡°Hey, stopughing.¡± Zheng Yongyan red at Zhou Xiaoli, looking rather embarrassed.


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged and stoppedughing. ¡°So, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t like kids like you either, understand?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Yongyan was furious. ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡±


    ¡°Not a child? Then why were you crying just now?¡± Zhou Xiaoli exposed him mercilessly.


    ...


    Zheng Yongyan was embarrassed and angry. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. That was because sand entered my eyes earlier!¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79 Selling Sugar

    79 Selling Sugar


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli did not believe him, Zheng Yongyan panicked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t crying just now. I¡¯m a man, alright? How could I cry because of this?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Ah, yes, yes.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan snorted coldly. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? Hmph! You¡¯re indeed an uneducated youngdy. How unreasonable.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Ah, yes, yes, yes.¡±


    !!


    Zheng Yongyan: ¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s attitude made Zheng Yongyan feel like his words had fallen on deaf ears. He was so angry that he stopped being angry.


    In the end, he simply turned his head away, pursed his lips, and ignored Zhou Xiaoli.


    However, he was cursing in his heart. ¡°How was she as sensible, obedient, and smart as his father said?¡± he thought.


    Fortunately, he had eavesdropped on his parents¡¯ conversation that they nned to matchmake him with Zhou Xiaoli. As such, he had begged his father to let him sell the sugar today. Only then was he able to see Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s true colors for himself!


    Hmph! Just you wait. When I get home, I¡¯ll definitely tell my father that he had misjudged her. Zhou Xiaoli is not obedient at all!


    Zheng Yongyan had a lot of internal conversation going on.


    On the other side, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu sat side by side. The two of them chatted casually and admired the scenery by the roadside. It was a very rxing time for them.


    The donkey cart moved very quickly. Before long, they saw the city gate.


    After paying the entrance fee, the donkey cart slowly drove into the city.


    The county city was as prosperous as ever. The streets were filled with traffic and the sounds of shopkeepers hawking their wares were endless.


    They didn¡¯t stay in this bustling ce for long. They rode the donkey cart and headed straight for Qing Tao Workshop.


    Qing Tao Workshop was thergest sugar shop in Wenshui County. Not only did it sell candy, but it also sold all kinds of dried fruits and candied fruits. Business was very good.


    When they arrived at the entrance of Qing Tao Workshop, they saw an endless stream of customers.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s get out of the cart.¡± Zhou Xiaoli called out to Zheng Yongyan, who was sitting still, and jumped out of the cart first.


    Zheng Yongyan said in disdain, ¡°How rude. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have a name.¡±


    However, he obediently got off the donkey cart.


    After tying up the donkey cart, Wei Chiyu walked around to the back of the cart. He carried the cane sugar out of the cart and followed Zhou Xiaoli into the shop.


    ¡°Sir, take a look inside and see what you want. Our shop has fruits, candy, candied fruits, and everything.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli and the others enter, the shop assistant called out to them enthusiastically.


    Zhou Xiaoli went straight to the counter and asked with a smile, ¡°Is your shopkeeper here? I¡¯m looking for your shopkeeper.¡±


    The shop assistant looked at Zhou Xiaoli. A momentter, he pped his forehead. ¡°Ha, I know you. You¡¯re Miss Zhou, the one who came to look for my shopkeeper thest time too, right?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli nod, the shop assistant added, ¡°You¡¯re here to deliver the sugar, right? Wait a moment, my shopkeeper will be here soon.¡±


    As he spoke, the shop assistant walked around the counter and entered the back room.


    After a while, Shopkeeper Qian walked out from behind. He smiled and went straight to the point. ¡°Miss Zhou, how much have you done over the past few days?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pointed at the bag in Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s all here.¡±


    The shopkeeper looked over and saw a thin cloth sack. He could not help but be shocked at the size of it. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s only been a few days, and you¡¯ve already made so much.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s for livelihood.¡±


    Qian Zhantang nodded in understanding and did not say anything else.


    Seeing that the shopkeeper had walked over, Wei Chiyu ced the sugar on the counter and opened the bag for the shopkeeper to see.


    The shopkeeper took out a spoon and flipped the content over. The bag was filled with crystallized sugar cubes.


    Then, he picked up a piece with a pair of tongs and ced it in his mouth. The taste of it was good and since there was no problem, he nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s weigh it.¡±


    As he spoke, he called two assistants over.


    The shop assistant was quick and immediately brought over a scale. The two shop assistants weighed it together and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, it¡¯s a total of 84 kilograms and 140 grams.¡±


    As soon as the shop assistant announced the weight, Zhou Xiaoli nodded and muttered to herself in a low voice, ¡°Hm, it¡¯s not bad. We earned 10,110 in four days.¡±


    Qian Zhantang, on the other hand, calcted a few times on the abacus and came up with the final figure. ¡°60 copper coins for half kilogram, that will mean a total of 10,110 copper coins.¡±


    Hearing this number, Zheng Yongyan subconsciously looked at Zhou Xiaoli in surprise. ¡°She knew mental arithmetic?¡± he thought.


    Although Zhou Xiaoli was talking to herself just now and her voice was not loud, Zheng Yongyan, who was beside her, heard her mutterings.


    However, he immediately felt that she must have calcted it at home before.


    The shop assistant had already retrieved the money from the back room.


    Qian Zhantang counted the money and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°It¡¯s a total of 10 taels of silver and 110 copper coins. Keep it well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper.¡± Zhou Xiaoli took the money with a smile and thanked him politely.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s calm reaction after receiving the money, Qian Zhantang could not help but be surprised again.


    He was also from a farmer¡¯s family, so he naturally knew what an ordinary farmer¡¯s family was like.


    Even after years of hard work, one might not be able to earn so much money. Yet, this youngdy had such a calm reaction when she received the money?


    Just as he was in shock, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice rang out again.


    ¡°By the way, shopkeeper, how long would this sugarst in your shop?¡±


    Qian Zhantang thought about it. He thought that Zhou Xiaoli was worried that the sugar sales would be bad, so he immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This bit of sugar is not even enough to sell in my shop. It will be gone in two or three days. If you take it to my shop in the capital, the sales will be even better. It will probably be gone in a day.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She now had a rough understanding of the purchasing power in the county city, so she said, ¡°Alright, thank you, shopkeeper. We¡¯lle back in three days to deliver the goods to you.¡±


    After bidding farewell to the shopkeeper of the sugar shop, Zhou Xiaoli bought some candied plums and the three of them entered the First-grade Restaurant.


    ...


    The First-grade Restaurant and Qing Tao Workshop were on the same street. It was only a few steps away.


    Wei Chiyu went inside to sell some wild game, while Zhou Xiaoli and Zheng Yongyan waited outside.


    Zheng Yongyan was still refusing to talk to Zhou Xiaoli and had an arrogant expression on her face.


    Zhou Xiaoli was toozy to speak to him too. She sat in the cart and ate the sour plums while swinging her feet. She hummed a tune as she waited for Wei Chiyu toe out.


    Obviously, she was in a good mood.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was enjoying the sour plum, Zheng Yongyan immediately felt that his stomach was a little empty. However, he could not ask for a sour plum because of his pride.


    Sensing his gaze, Zhou Xiaoli turned to look at him. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Then, she realized that his gaze hadnded on the candied plums in her hand. She understood immediately. ¡°Oh, you want to eat these?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan, who had been caught red-handed, was a little embarrassed. He exined, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t want to eat! A gentleman doesn¡¯t talk when he eats. I just saw that you were eating inelegantly and felt a little ufortable, so I wanted to remind you of your manners.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what does a gentleman have to do with me? I¡¯m not a gentleman.¡± Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. What a stubborn fellow.


    Zheng Yongyan: ¡°¡­ One can¡¯t make a silk purse out of a sow¡¯s ear.¡±


    ...


    Just as the two of them were bickering, Wang Defu suddenly ran out of the restaurant.


    ¡°Aiya, Miss Zhou, why don¡¯t youe into the restaurant and have a seat?¡± Wang Defu ran over to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side, appearing extremely excited. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared a banquet in the private room. Miss Zhou, would you like toe up and have a seat?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli jumped out of the cart and said with a smile, ¡°I have something to do in the city today. I still have to go backter, so I won¡¯t be going in.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve been looking forward to seeing you for more than a month. You have toe. You saved my life. I haven¡¯t thanked you in person.¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80 Thank You Banquet

    80 Thank You Banquet


    Wang Defu was persistent. ¡°Look, I have already set up the banquet. Miss Zhou, pleasee.¡±


    Unable to resist Wang Defu¡¯s hospitality, Zhou Xiaoli finally sighed and agreed.


    Wang Defu immediately beamed with joy. ¡°Good, good, good. That¡¯s great. You didn¡¯t just save my life. A good brother of mine has always said that he wants to see you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said politely, ¡°Shopkeeper, you¡¯re too polite. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Sigh, you can¡¯t say that.¡± Wang Defu chuckled.


    At this moment, the waiter called out and said that the table had been set up.


    Wang Defu immediately said, ¡°Miss Zhou, pleasee in.¡±


    Then, he looked at Zheng Yongyan, who was standing at the side. ¡°Young Master, you must be Miss Zhou¡¯s friend. Come,e in.¡±


    As soon as Wang Defu appeared, Zheng Yongyan resumed his refined attitude. He cupped his hands as a form of greetings at the shopkeeper and followed Zhou Xiaoli into the restaurant.


    Stepping into the restaurant, he saw that Wei Chiyu had just finished selling his prey and was collecting money.


    Wang Defu stepped forward and invited Wei Chiyu as well.


    Wang Defu booked a private room on the second floor. Before he went upstairs, he also found a waiter to call his brother over.


    Everyone took their seats. After a round of ttery, Wang Defu couldn¡¯t wait to talk about his experience. ¡°Miss Zhou, you¡¯re really amazing! When you reminded me not to attend the invitation, I didn¡¯t understand what you meant then.¡±


    ¡°Unexpectedly, a few of my good friends invited me to the entertainment boat to listen to the songstress sing not long after you left that day.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t take it seriously. I thought it was a coincidence and epted the invitation. However, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. Hence, I told my friends about the situation.¡±


    ¡°Guess what?¡±


    Wang Defu looked excited as he spoke in high spirits.


    Zheng Yongyan was fascinated as he stared at Wang Defu and continued, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli wanted tough. It was a pity that Wang Defu was not a storyteller.


    Wang Defu didn¡¯t keep them in suspense and continued, ¡°They didn¡¯t believe me! They said I was stupid for believing others just because they said something.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I was a little shaken at that time, but in the end, I decided not to go.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. It¡¯s better to believe it than not. Anyway, we can always listen to the songstress anytime. I told them, let¡¯s not go this time. Nothing would go wrong from us being careful.¡±


    ¡°But my brothers didn¡¯t agree. They said that it was very difficult to make a reservation on the entertainment boat. How could they not go because of what a stranger said?¡±


    At this point, Wang Defu sighed. He was both d and vexed. ¡°Sigh, I should have insisted and persuaded them. Because I didn¡¯t believe it myself, I didn¡¯t persuade them anymore.


    ¡°In the end, there was only one good brother who saw that I was perturbed and acting strange. He was afraid that something would happen to me, so he apanied me and didn¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°But who knew that in thetter half of the night, something really happened to that entertainment boat! When the boat rowed into the river, for some reason, it caught fire. The entire boat was poured with kerosene and burned quickly. The fire could not be extinguished. In the end, some were burned to death, while others drowned. None were spared.¡±


    With that, Wang Defu poured a ss of wine and patted his chest. ¡°Miss Zhou, I don¡¯t have any good points, but I can say with confidence that I stand by the word ¡®loyalty¡¯! You saved my life. From now on, my life is yours. As long as you need me, I¡¯ll even die for you!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re being too serious. I was just giving you some advice casually. In the end, you still have to rely on yourself.¡±


    Although Zhou Xiaoli said so, Wang Defu did not think so. ¡°No, no, Miss Zhou, you are a true master.¡±


    After saying that, he continued in embarrassment. ¡°Miss Zhou, how did you know that I would have an appointment? How did you know that something would happen to me? After all, I didn¡¯t even know that I had an invitation at that time.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli paused for a moment, then said in a mock profound voice, ¡°Of course it¡¯s through predictions.¡±


    ¡°You really did predict it!¡± Wang Defu was a little excited. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re a true master. I¡¯ve seen some powerful fortune tellers who could predict some cmities, but none of them were as urate as you said.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli picked up her teacup and took a sip, smiling but said nothing else.


    In fact, at that time, she had only seen that Wang Defu had a dim aura on his forehead and that he was about to face disaster.


    It was all thanks to her Heavenly Eye that she knew the details. That day, her Heavenly Eye was triggered and an illusion appeared, allowing her to see what had happened.


    As such, Zhou Xiaoli reminded him in passing since she wanted to befriend him.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Then, the waiter¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°Shopkeeper, Shopkeeper Qian is here.¡±


    Wang Defu immediately stood up and said with a smile, ¡°My good friend is here. He always thought that you were an old man. When he sees such a young girlter, he will definitely be shocked.¡±


    With that, he went to open the door.


    As soon as the door opened, Qian Zhantang¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Why did you take such a long time to open the door? Where is the master?¡±


    Wang Defu led Qian Zhantang into the room and closed the door. He chuckled and said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? The master won¡¯t run away. She¡¯s just sitting here.¡±


    As he spoke, he gestured for Qian Zhantang to look at the guests in the room.


    Qian Zhantang immediately looked around, but he saw only three familiar faces. He could not help but be stunned and said in surprise, ¡°Eh, Miss Zhou, why are you here?¡±


    Wang Defu was surprised. ¡°You know Miss Zhou?¡±


    Qian Zhantang nodded. ¡°Yes, Miss Zhou is my business partner.¡±


    Then, he realized something and looked at Wang Defu in disbelief. ¡°Could the Master Zhou you talked about be Miss Zhou?¡±


    Seeing Wang Defu nod, Qian Zhantang still had a look of disbelief on his face. He felt that Wang Defu was teasing him. ¡°Stop joking. How can there be such a young master, and a girl at that?¡±


    Then, seeing Wang Defu¡¯s expression, Qian Zhantang was stunned. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Even after sitting down, Qian Zhantang still found it hard to believe.


    Qian Zhantang said, ¡°Miss Zhou, I was blind to not recognize you. I didn¡¯t know that you were the master who saved my life. I¡¯ll punish myself with a cup of wine first.¡±


    With that, he drank it all in one gulp.


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, you¡¯re being too polite.¡±


    Qian Zhantang poured another ss of wine and said, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m in a hurry to see the master. Firstly, I want to thank you for saving my life. I also have a presumptuous request to ask of.¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I want to ask the master to help me do a divination. I wonder if it¡¯s possible.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and looked at Qian Zhantang. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, are you asking about leaving your hometown? If you¡¯re asking about this, there¡¯s no need to do a divination. My suggestion is to stay still. If you move, you¡¯ll be in danger.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, Qian Zhantang¡¯s hand trembled in shock, and the cup fell on the table with a tter. He stood up excitedly. ¡°How, how did you know?¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81 Taking Sides

    81 Taking Sides


    In the end, he felt that he had lost hisposure and sat down again. He sighed, ¡°As expected of a master. I didn¡¯t even say what I wanted to ask, but you already know!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not thatplicated. Most divination questions are about family, fortune, career, and disasters.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, your zodiac sign shows that you haven¡¯t had any worries recently. There¡¯s only one thing that¡¯s different, and that¡¯s the relocation pce. Yourugh lines are obvious, indicating that you¡¯re inclined to leave your hometown recently.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli spoke in a rxed manner, but it shocked everyone present.


    !!


    The effect of hearing it from others and experiencing it personally was naturally different and thetter had a bigger effect.


    Qian Zhantang unconsciously carried a more respectful attitude to her now inparison to their earlier meeting. ¡°Miss Zhou is indeed impressive at such a young age.¡±


    Seeing his good friend praising Zhou Xiaoli as such, Wang Defu was extremely excited. It was as if his friend was not praising Zhou Xiaoli, but him instead. He looked like a fan leader.


    ¡°Look, just like what I have said. Miss Zhou is very impressive!¡±


    Then, he realized what his friend was asking. He looked at Qian Zhantang in surprise. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re leaving? Why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it before?¡±


    Qian Zhantang sighed and exined, ¡°It happened half a month ago. Didn¡¯t my cousin Zhanpeng open a Qing Tao Workshop in Beijing? A nobleman in Beijing took a fancy to my Qing Tao Workshop and wanted to cooperate with me to expand it. Zhanpeng asked me to go to Beijing with him. I¡¯m still thinking about it, so I didn¡¯t tell you about it yet.¡±


    It was a good thing to have the opportunity to go to the capital to develop his business with one of the noblemen. Wang Defu should be happy for his good brother.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli had given them her suggestion, so he could not help but say, ¡°Then you have to think carefully about the suggestion that Miss Zhou gave you.¡±


    Qian Zhantang nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He had his hesitations because he was worried about his mother.


    There was also a letter from his cousin from the capital yesterday asking about the source of the cane sugar in his hands.


    The letter even asked in detail about the person who provided the sugar. He said that the nobleman was very concerned and wanted him to tell him the details.


    Qian Zhantang was a businessman and was naturally not a simple-minded person. He immediately smelled something unusual.


    He recalled that in the capital, the first person to make cane sugar was Miss Sun. She was friends with the nobleman who worked with his cousin, so this nobleman naturally did not need the method to make cane sugar.


    In that case, there was only one reason for him to inquire about the person who made the sugar cane.


    After all, a unique item would be considered precious, right?


    Thinking of this, he could not help but look at Zhou Xiaoli. She was so young, yet her metaphysical techniques were already so powerful. Her future was immeasurable!


    As long as they weren¡¯t stupid, they knew which sides to take.


    Thinking of this, he held his wine ss and smiled. ¡°Miss Zhou, let me toast you. It¡¯s fate that we met. If you need me in the future, feel free to ask. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony with me.¡±


    Wang Defu chimed in, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Meeting is fate. Let¡¯s toast to fate!¡±


    Wang Defu and Qian Zhantang were both in their 20s this year.


    For example, Wang Defu got married when he was 15, and his sons were all as old as Zhou Xiaoli.


    However, after witnessing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s abilities, the two of them subconsciously ignored her age and did not treat her as a child at all.


    Zhou Xiaoli was neither servile nor overbearing. She was also not swayed by favor or humiliation.


    After three rounds of drinking, Zhou Xiaoli got up and left because she still had things to do.


    Qian Zhantang told Zhou Xiaoli to wait. He was going to get the consultation fee for Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not refuse and said with a smile, ¡°There are three rules in the Taoistmunity whereby we have to ept and three rules whereby we do not ept divination consultation fee. Although I didn¡¯t do a divination for you today, the suggestion I gave you could be considered as revealing the secrets of heaven, so I have to ept the consultation fee.¡±


    Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoli counted on her fingers and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, give me 30 copper coins. Someone might need it on the wayter, so I¡¯ll take the opportunity to dispense the money then. It can also be considered as resolving the bacsh of revealing the heavenly secrets.¡±


    Qian Zhantang felt that 30 copper coins was too little, but Zhou Xiaoli insisted on 30 copper coins.


    Since she was a koi in her previous life, she would not suffer the bacsh of fate. However, the people around her may be affected.


    Therefore, it was better to spend less of the money obtained from leaking heavenly secrets.


    At Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s behest, Qian Zhantang did not try to persuade her anymore. He asked the shop assistant to count out 30 copper coins for Zhou Xiaoli.


    However, before Zhou Xiaoli left, he gave her another big bag of the candied plums.


    It was said to be a meeting gift for Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s siblings.


    Zhou Xiaoli epted it without hesitation since it was not considered as part of the divination consultation fee.


    Then, the three of them drove the donkey cart all the way to the entrance of the Stone Gambling Den in the south of the city.


    Zhou Xiaoli came to the county today for another important matter, which was to sell the pearls.


    She had basically spent all the family¡¯s savings buying thend on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain at the Mayor¡¯s ce.


    Of the 23 acres ofnd at home, 13 acres were still wastnd. It would take a lot of effort to cultivate and nt the fruit trees.


    Zhou Yu was the onlyborer in their family. It was definitely impossible for him to do it alone, so Zhou Xiaoli thought of hiring workers to help.


    Their family could earn more than four taels of silver from selling sugar this time, but this was far from enough.


    So she wanted to sell the pearls.


    Wei Chiyu often came to the county city, so he should be familiar with it.


    Hence, she asked him where in the county city pearls would be sold at a high price.


    Wei Chiyu thought about it and said that he knew a ce that would probably ept it.


    The ce was the Stone Gambling Den.


    The current Emperor favored all kinds of rare and exotic stones. Some officials hence gathered all kinds of rare and exotic stones from everywhere in the country in order to curry favor with the Emperor.


    This in turn resulted in many people who wanted to take shortcuts in life and curry favor with the rich and powerful, to use rare flowers and stones to cozy up to the rich and powerful.


    Hence, many stone gambling dens were formed.


    Because of the Qingyuan Mountain Range, there were manyrge and small stone gambling dens in Qingzhou itself.


    ...


    There was a small gambling den in Wenshui County itself, located in the south of the city.


    The donkey cart walked on the street unhurriedly while the hawkers on both sides of the road shouted endlessly.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli suddenly turned to look at Zheng Yonghe and asked, ¡°Kid, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you looking at me?¡±


    Ever since she came out of the First-grade Restaurant, Zheng Yongyan had been acting strangely. He kept looking at her in a strange manner which caused her to be uneasy.


    Zhou Xiaoli was so direct with her words that Zheng Yongyan was stunned for a moment. Then, he exploded. ¡°I¡¯m not looking at you. Don¡¯t tter yourself. I¡¯m looking at the road. I¡¯m looking at the road!¡±


    As soon as Zheng Yongyan said this, Wei Chiyu suddenly pulled the reins and hurriedly stopped the donkey cart.


    Fortunately, since they were on the streets and there were many pedestrians, they were moving at a snail pace. Zheng Yongyan did not fall over this time.


    He staggered before recovering though.


    Zhou Xiaoli staggered as well.


    Zheng Yongyan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Wei Chiyu, you¡¯re doing it again!¡±


    Wei Chiyu pointed ahead and said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were looking at the road?¡±


    ...


    Zheng Yongyan paused and looked over. Then, he realized that an old man was lying in front of their donkey cart.


    At this moment, a teenage girl rushed over to help the old man up. As she helped him up, she apologized to them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 82 - 82 Not Without Merits

    82 Not Without Merits


    Zhou Xiaoli jumped down from the cart and walked over to help the little girl help the old man up from the ground.


    Wei Chiyu and Zheng Yongyan also got off the donkey cart and walked forward to help.


    Wei Chiyu frowned slightly and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s temperament was a little cold to begin with, and his serious expression frightened the little girl.


    !!


    Her voice trembled as she apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. We didn¡¯t mean it. We really didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    ¡°We came to Wenshui County to seek help from our rtives. My grandfather fell ill. We just wanted to buy some medicine, but we didn¡¯t have enough money so we were chased out by the pharmacy. That¡¯s why my grandfather identally fell in front of your donkey cart.¡±


    For some reason, when he heard this, Zheng Yongyan subconsciously remembered what Zhou Xiaoli had said to Shopkeeper Qian when she was collecting the divination consultation fee.


    He nced at Zhou Xiaoli again, his eyes shining.


    At this moment, the medicinal shop assistant stood at the side and threw their bags to the ground. ¡°Why are you sick if you don¡¯t have money!¡±


    There were still tears on the little girl¡¯s face. She knelt in front of the shop assistant and kept kowtowing to him. ¡°I beg you. Please help me to save my Grandpa for now. When I find a rtive, I¡¯ll definitely send the money to you immediately.¡±


    The shop assistant sighed. ¡°Youngdy, this is a pharmacy, not a charity hall. I¡¯ve seen many people like you. If we help everyone, will our pharmacy still be able to do business? Off you go, go.¡±


    As he spoke, he waved his hand and turned to enter the shop.


    The little girl was still kowtowing.


    The old man hugged his granddaughter with tears in his eyes. ¡°Niuniu, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m old. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°No, Grandpa, don¡¯t leave me. You¡¯re my only family.¡±


    The little girl cried inconsbly, making people cry together with her.


    However, the shop assistant was right. Such things often happened, especially for the poor.


    The surrounding people also looked at it and sighed. They were used to such things happening.


    ¡°How much more?¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s clear voice sounded out. The little girl looked at her with teary eyes.


    ¡°How much more do you need to buy the medicine?¡± Zhou Xiaoli asked again.


    ¡°30 copper coins.¡± A glimmer of hope appeared in the little girl¡¯s eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not say anything else. She took out the 30 copper coins that Shopkeeper Qian gave her, squatted down, and ced it in the little girl¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s exactly 30 copper coins. Take it to Grandpa to get the medicine.¡±


    With that, she stood up and said to Wei Chiyu, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The three of them got on the donkey cart and slowly left while the little girl kowtowed and thanked them.


    Zheng Yongyan looked at Zhou Xiaoli with aplicated expression on his face. ¡°Ahem, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so kind. In that case, it looks like you are not without any merits afterall.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned for a moment and immediately retreated. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve discovered my good points to the point of praising me? Hey, wait a minute. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve changed your mind and you like me now because of this?!¡±


    Zheng Yongyan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How shameless! I won¡¯t like you!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli heaved a sigh of relief and patted her chest. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. You almost scared me to death.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan¡¯s face darkened even more. He became a child schr at the age of eight and was also the son of the vige chief. All the girls in the vige were enthusiastic about him. He was usually the one to look down on others.


    This Zhou Xiaoli; only she alone would make him angry.


    As the two of them bickered, they arrived at the entrance of the stone gambling denl in the south of the city.


    Wei Chiyu parked the donkey cart at the transit station outside the venue, then led Zhou Xiaoli and the others into a street.


    As soon as they turned in, they were stunned by themotion in front of them.


    There were shops on both sides of the street. The doors of the shops were open, and all kinds of raw stones were neatly ced inside and at the entrance of the shops.


    Further in, they saw arge open space. There were all sorts of stalls within.


    There were many stalls, but they were not messy. Every stall was lined up in a row neatly with a path for walking in the middle.


    The customers walked on the road and passed by the stalls. When they found something they liked, they would stop and look at them.


    Further in, one could see a few jade shops. Stone cutters were ced at the entrance, and many people were cutting stones. The scene was very lively.


    This was the first time Zhou Xiaoli had seen an ancient stone gambling den. It was very novel to her, so she couldn¡¯t help but stay within for a while.


    As soon as she looked closely, she saw a familiar figure. It was Zhou Guifen¡¯s husband, Xue Min.


    Only then did she remember that Lai Jinniang¡¯s eldest daughter, Zhou Guifen¡¯s husband, was from the Xue family, which owned a jade shop.


    Obviously, when Zhou Xiaoli saw him, Xue Min also noticed Zhou Xiaoli. However, he turned his gaze away and spoke to the others as if he did not see her.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu pointed at a jade shop. ¡°This one. I¡¯ll help you ask if they ept pearls.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately pulled Wei Chiyu back and shook her head, ¡°Not for now.¡±


    Xue Min had already seen her. This was such a big deal. If she sold a pearl here, the news would probably spread in less than a day.


    If Xue Min knew, Zhou Guifen would also know. Wouldn¡¯t Lai Jinniang and the others then suspect that Zhou Xiaoli had fabricated the story about their misfortunes being the Dragon King¡¯s punishment for taking the pearl?


    Wei Chiyu nced at Xue Min and understood what Zhou Xiaoli meant. He nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to the prefecture soon. I¡¯ll help you sell it then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    But what if she was short of money now?


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned slightly. Her gaze fell on the dazzling array of raw stones, and she had an idea suddenly.


    Zheng Yongyan, who had never liked gambling, did not want to stay here. He said, ¡°Since you¡¯re not selling anymore, let¡¯s leave quickly. This ce is too dirty!¡±


    As he spoke, he turned and was about to leave in a hurry.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli stopped him. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t. Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s take a look. What if we manage to get a treasure?¡±


    ...


    Zheng Yongyan frowned in disapproval. He wanted to refuse, but Zhou Xiaoli was already strolling in front of the stalls.


    Wei Chiyu walked past Zheng Yongyan and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to shop, you can go to the transit station to retrieve the donkey cart first. The parking fee is quite expensive.¡±


    With that, he followed Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zheng Yongyan pursed his lips and snorted. ¡°I would not.¡±


    With that, he followed reluctantly.


    After going through the stalls one by one, Zhou Xiaoli also saw a few stones that emitted spiritual energy. However, the spiritual energy was very weak. There should be something inside, but not much.


    At this moment, she heard a voice from the stall beside her.


    ¡°Boss, you asked for 20 taels for this stone. It¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°This is a high-quality raw stone. Look, the probability of it producing jade is very high.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just trying to scam the newbies. Your stone is worth at most five taels of silver.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but look at the stone in the man¡¯s hand, her eyes narrowing into slivers.


    ...


    At this moment, the bossughed. ¡°Five taels of silver is fine. Do you want it?¡±


    It seemed that the shop owner knew that he had asked for a price higher than what the stone was worth.


    After the shop owner finished speaking, the customer smiled and ced the stone down. He shook his head. ¡°I usually don¡¯t buy stones of such grades.¡±


    Then he went to look at the other stones.


    After taking another look at the stone, Zhou Xiaoli walked forward and picked it up.

 Chapter 83 - 83 Color!

    83 Color!


    Seeing that another customer had arrived, the boss immediately put on a smile. When he took a closer look, he realized that it was a youngdy. He was stunned for a moment before smiling. ¡°Aiya, youngdy, I can tell that you know your stuff. This is a top-notch raw stone¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli imitated the others who held the stone up and turned it over and over again. However, she did not listen to the shop owner¡¯s string of lies.


    She had not seen it wrongly just now. This stone indeed emitted spiritual energy. Although it was only gathered in a small area, it was dense and concentrated.


    Hence, she asked, ¡°Boss, how much is this piece? I want it.¡±


    The owner stayed at the entrance of the stone gambling den all day, and his eyes were very sharp. When Zhou Xiaoli walked over, he realized that Zhou Xiaoli was a newbie.


    He immediately smiled and said, ¡°Miss, you have good taste. This stone is a high-quality product from San Mio. It¡¯s priced at 10 taels of silver.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and was about to speak.


    At this moment, the big brother who was looking at the stone just now, turned back and happened to see that Zhou Xiaoli was about to buy the stone he had taken a fancy to. He immediately walked over and asked, ¡°Miss, are you new here?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Miss, this stone is not very good. It most likely won¡¯t produce any green color.¡± The big brother smiled and kindly reminded her.


    When the boss heard this, he was a little angry. ¡°Hey, you. Gambling stones depend on luck. You said it¡¯s not easy to get. Who knows, maybe the girl is lucky and got it with one cut of the stone?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Boss. It depends on affinity. I think this stone is very suitable.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli refused to listen to his advice and insisted on buying it, the big brother shook his head. ¡°Sigh, newbies are hot-headed. It¡¯s inevitable. When you suffer a few losses, you have to thank me for persuading you today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhou Xiaoli thanked him with a smile. ¡°I just like this stone.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was so insistent, the big brother shook his head and did not say anything else.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli had already taken out 10 taels of silver and handed it to the boss.


    At this moment, Zheng Yongyan¡¯s brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a fly. He tried his best to pull on Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s clothes, wanting to stop her.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli had already handed over the 10 taels of silver to the boss.


    ¡°Sigh, Miss, hold the stone well. I can tell that you¡¯re blessed with good luck. One sh of the knife will definitely bring good things to you.¡± The boss handed the stone to Zhou Xiaoli and pointed to a side. ¡°Miss, you can go over there to open the stone. It only costs one copper coin to do so.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for your kind words, Boss.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli took the stone and thanked him. Then, she walked toward the stone-cutting shop.


    The big brother from before followed after her and was prepared to watch what woulde out of it.


    Zheng Yongyan was a little dissatisfied with Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s stone gambling behavior, especially since she was using the money from selling sugar today.


    After leaving the stall, he frowned and whispered, ¡°Zhou Xiaoli, are you crazy? How can you be involved in gambling?¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, the money you used was the money we earned from selling sugar. If you don¡¯t get anything from this stone, how are we going to exin it to our families when we go back?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli understood Zheng Yongyan¡¯s feelings very well. After all, she had the Heavenly Eye, so she was very confident. However, Zheng Yongyan did not know about it.


    Hence, she smiled andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t you hear the boss just say that I¡¯m lucky? I¡¯ll definitely be lucky.¡±


    Not only did these words notfort Zheng Yongyan, but they also made him even more anxious.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this. Since I came with you today, I have to be responsible for you. Come, follow me back to the stall and we¡¯ll return the stone!¡±


    ¡°The money has already been paid, how can we return it? The boss won¡¯t agree to it.¡± Zhou Xiaoli said helplessly.


    Zheng Yongyan was very anxious. He red at Wei Chiyu, who waspletely calm, and reprimanded him. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. Why did you bring us to such a ce for no reason? Zhou Xiaoli has been led astray by you, yet you¡¯re still so calm about it.¡±


    Wei Chiyu pursed his lips and took out a money bag from his pocket. He said softly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let her y. I¡¯ll take responsibility for it.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan: ¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart warmed. She patted Wei Chiyu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Having you as my Junior is good.¡±


    With that, the three of them arrived at the stone-cutting shops.


    There were two jade shops here. Both of them had stonecutters ced in them. They were the kind that were operated manually by stepping on the mechanism. One of the jade shops was slightlyrger and belonged to Xue Min¡¯s family.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli chose the other shop without hesitation.


    When they entered, one of the stones had just been sliced open in the shop. There was no jade within. The customer carried the stone and ran out of the shop in a crazy manner.


    There were many onlookers around who sigh at that.


    ¡°He had lost everything! He spent 30 taels of silver on that stone and even used the money he saved for marriage to gamble! Now, he lost so badly that he didn¡¯t have anything left.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that one sh of the knife can make you rich or make you poor!¡±


    ¡­


    Zheng Yongyan heard the discussions of the surrounding onlookers. His gaze swept across the crazy person, and the worry on his face deepened.


    At this moment, when the surrounding onlookers saw that someone else had brought a stone in, many people who hade to watch the show surrounded them. They all guessed whether Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s stone would produce jade.


    Xue Min, who was next door, had seen Zhou Xiaoli and the other two.


    He walked over to join in the fun andughed when he heard the discussions around him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to guess about this ending. I know this person. She¡¯s famous for being a jinx. She¡¯s very unlucky. If she buys a stone, there¡¯s an 80% chance that it won¡¯t produce jade.¡±


    The big brother who had followed up to see the results shook his head when he heard that. ¡°She¡¯s a newbie. I just saw that stone. It¡¯s not very good. I persuaded her not to buy it too, but that girl was very stubborn and insisted on buying it.¡±


    ¡­


    When the people around them heard their conversation, they immediately lost interest in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s stone.


    On the other side, while everyone was discussing, Zhou Xiaoli had already handed the stone to the stone-cutting master.


    With a buzzing sound, the workers stepped on the machine and it began to operate.


    ¡°It¡¯s on, it¡¯s on.¡±


    With a cry of surprise, the stone was cut open, followed by a sigh.


    ...


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s really nothing.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to see. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡­


    The big brother seemed to have predicted the oue and said proudly, ¡°Miss, look, you did not listen to my advice. I¡¯ve already told you not to buy it. You¡¯ll suffer if you don¡¯t listen to the old. No matter what, I¡¯ve crossed more bridges than you have.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli turned around and nced at him, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Zheng Yongyan looked at the stone and frowned. His mind was already racing.


    Finally, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°I told you, nine out of ten gamblers would lose. It¡¯s not a good thing. You just won¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, forget it. Who asked me to be responsible? Don¡¯t be too afraid. When you go back, take the initiative to admit your mistake to the elders. I¡¯ll take the punishment with you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze fell on the rock again. She was sure that she had not seen it wrongly.


    At this moment, the stone-cutting master was about to stand up. Zhou Xiaoli stepped forward and said, ¡°Master, help me cut the stone again. From here.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 84 - 84 Fast Reversal

    84 Fast Reversal


    As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoli stepped forward and picked up the stone. She looked at it and pointed at a spot for the stone-cutting master to see.


    Seeing this, the stone-cutting master was a little surprised. ¡°Miss, are you sure?¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was dressed in in clothes, he knew that she was from a poor family, so he kindly advised her, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t go crazy. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any result even if you cut this stone. You might as well resell it to get some capital back.¡±


    ¡°If you sh it in this ce you mentioned, it will bepletely destroyed if it doesn¡¯t produce jade. You won¡¯t be able to get anything back.¡±


    !!


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally appreciated the stone-cutter¡¯s good intentions, but she insisted on going ahead. ¡°Thank you, master. I know what to do. Let¡¯s make another cut here.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to me?¡±


    Seeing how stubborn Zhou Xiaoli was, the stone-cutting master shook his head and could only sit back down helplessly. However, he reminded her in the end, ¡°It¡¯ll be toote for regrets after this sh.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded again. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Many people around shook their heads.


    ¡°She¡¯s a newbie after all. She gets carried away easily.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said that this girl is young and very stubborn. She doesn¡¯t listen to advice at all.¡±


    ¡°I already said that she¡¯s a jinx. There¡¯s probably nothing much to see next. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡­


    They sighed and prepared to leave.


    At this moment, an exmation suddenly exploded!


    ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s out!¡±


    The person who eximed was the stone-cutting master.


    When the people who had already dispersed heard this, they surrounded the shop again.


    They all looked at the stone cutter and saw that the stone was indeed green on the inside.


    Many people who knew their stuff widened their eyes and rushed forward, wanting to take a closer look at the jade within the stone.


    ¡°Oh my god, there¡¯s really jade in the stone! However, it¡¯s cut out in the middle. It¡¯s a little small, but it should fetch a tidy sum to recover her capital.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a newbie. Newbies usually would have such good luck.¡±


    ¡­


    Stone gambling was a probability event. The probability of getting rich in one go was pitifully low. Sometimes, the stone-cutting master might not even see one jade from the stones cut in a day.


    At this moment, when they heard that someone had opened a stone, more and more people gathered and discussed. Many of them wanted to get lucky.


    Zhou Xiaoli had already taken the stone and looked around.


    Seeing that there was really jade inside, Zheng Yongyan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and joy. He subconsciously leaned over to take a look.


    Seeing hime over to take a look, Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but shake the stone in her hand and smile a little smugly. ¡°How is it? Now you don¡¯t have to worry about being punished with me.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan, who was watching seriously, saw Zhou Xiaoli turn around and look at him, and the surprised expression on his face disappeared.


    He deliberately pulled a long face and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just lucky this time. Who can guarantee that you¡¯ll be lucky every time? I still stick to my principles. Gambling is very deep. You can¡¯t get involved even if you¡¯re beaten to death!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and agreed with him seriously. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Ordinary people should not be involved with gambling.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan was a little embarrassed by Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s sudden approval. He snorted and turned his head away.


    The master who had just cut the stone suggested that Zhou Xiaoli sell the jade directly.


    Many jade shops nearby would buy these raw jade materials.


    Zhou Xiaoli had the same n. After all, she was in dire need of money.


    However, although she could see that the stone emitted spiritual energy, she did not understand the different textures of these jade stones.


    Naturally, she did not know how much her stone was worth.


    Just as she was in a dilemma, Xue Min suddenly walked over with a warm smile on his face. ¡°Aiya, isn¡¯t this Little Li? Why didn¡¯t youe home after entering the city? Did youe to y with your aunt and cousin?¡±


    Hearing this voice, Zhou Xiaoli frowned and revealed a trace of displeasure on her face.


    He had just avoided her like a snake and said that she was a jinx. Now, he suddenly came close to her? He definitely had ill intentions.


    Sure enough, before Zhou Xiaoli could reply, Xue Min¡¯s eyes were fixed on the stone in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand.


    He continued, ¡°Aiya, did you open this stone? Have you not found a buyer yet? Why don¡¯t you sell it to me? As your uncle-inw, I will definitely give you a good price for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just that this jade stone looks a little small. However, seeing that you¡¯re my niece, I can take a loss and give you 30 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Come, let me see this stone.¡± As he spoke, he extended his hand to grab the stone.


    Of course, Zhou Xiaoli would not give it to him. She took two steps back and quickly dodged Xue Min¡¯s outstretched hand.


    At the same time, a distant expression appeared on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself, Shopkeeper Xue. You probably don¡¯t know yet, right? Madam Lai has cut ties with our family, so you have nothing to do with me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Although you¡¯re no longer my uncle-inw, the most important thing in life is honesty. How can I let you suffer a loss? I¡¯ll sell this stone to someone else.¡±


    Xue Min was fat. With his big belly, he was knocked away by Wei Chiyu when he tried to pounce onto the stone in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. He staggered and almost flew out.


    His expression immediately turned ugly. His narrowed eyes were filled with displeasure. Just as he was about to say something, a voice suddenly rang out from the side.


    ¡°Miss, can I take a look at your raw jade stone?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked in the direction of the voice and saw a skinny middle-aged man wearing a rough shirt. He was staring at the stone in her hand in a daze.


    Although this man was so thin that he was a little out of shape, there was no greed in his eyes when he looked at her stone. There was only passion.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed it over.


    ...


    The man did not reach out to take the stone. Instead, he gestured for Zhou Xiaoli to ce it on the table.


    Then, he took out a magnifying ss from his pocket and leaned on the table to study it.


    The surrounding people also began to whisper.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that who?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°The previous shopkeeper of Zhenyu Workshop, Luo Zhongbao. He¡¯s known for having a sharp eye!¡±


    ¡°Ah, him? I haven¡¯t seen him in a long time since Zhenyu Workshop closed down. Why is he so thin? I didn¡¯t recognize him at all.¡±


    ¡°He must have offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have. He must have been revenged on. It¡¯s lucky that his family is still alive.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡­


    Listening to the discussions around her, Zhou Xiaoli had an idea. If Luo Zhongbao could help her see what kind of jade it was, it would likely fetch a good price.


    ...


    At this moment, Luo Zhongbao finally spoke. His voice was a little low, but it was clear enough. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the jade should be ice jade quality.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings turned into an uproar.


    ¡°Ice jade? Oh my god, that¡¯s considered a high-grade jade!¡±


    ¡°Ice jade is like ice. It has a strong luster and high transparency. It¡¯s just that this kind of jade is prone to impurity and has a cotton-like structure within. It can be considered a top-grade jade.¡±


    ¡°I look at the cut surface of this stone. It has a very strong luster and there are few impurities. Although it¡¯s a little small, it¡¯s probably worth a lot of money.¡±


    ¡­


    Many people discussed among themselves. Some were envious, some were jealous, and some were regretful.

 Chapter 85 - 85 Regretting It, Right?

    85 Regretting It, Right?


    Naturally, the one who felt regretful was the person who tried to advise Zhou Xiaoli earlier.


    He had missed out on a high-grade jade. At this moment, he was vexed and wanted to p himself hard. He hated himself for not buying it at that time.


    Naturally, Xue Min was also unhappy. He had been in contact with jade since he was young, so he naturally had a sharp sense of the different jades.


    When he saw the cut surface of the stone, he vaguely felt that it was ice-type jade.


    !!


    He didn¡¯t mention it because he knew that Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t know much about jade, so he wanted to buy it at a low price. He hated it now that it had been ruined by this nosy Luo Zhongbao.


    At this moment, an old man with a white beard quickly walked out of the shop.


    He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where¡¯s the ice-type jade? Let me take a look.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper, it¡¯s this youngdy.¡± The stone cutter hurriedly pointed at Zhou Xiaoli and introduced her to the old man.


    It seemed that this old man was the shopkeeper of this shop. He must have heard about the ice-type jade and came out to take a look.


    After the old man arrived, Luo Zhongbao made way for the shopkeeper to take a look.


    A momentter, the old shopkeeper nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°Not bad, not bad. It¡¯s ice-type jade.¡±


    In the end, he said regretfully, ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s just a little small.¡±


    Then, he turned to look at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Youngdy, this old man¡¯s shop has been open for decades. I¡¯m one of the most honest people in this alley. Why don¡¯t you sell this stone to me?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not immediately nod in agreement. Instead, she asked, ¡°How much can you give me?¡±


    Seeing how straightforward Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s question was, the shopkeeper was stunned for a moment before heughed. ¡°You¡¯re quite direct, youngdy. It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡±


    Then, he stroked his beard and smiled. ¡°In terms of price, everyone is watching here. I¡¯ll naturally do you right by it. Your ice-type jade has very few impurities. It can be considered as a high-grade jade.¡±


    ¡°However, this piece is really too small. There¡¯s too little room for processing in theter stages. It can probably only be made into a jade pendant or a small essory. Well, how about this? I¡¯ll give you this number.¡±


    As he spoke, he extended two fingers. ¡°200 taels. What do you think?¡±


    Actually, Zhou Xiaoli did not know how much this stone could be sold for.


    Therefore, she did not reply immediately.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not say anything for a long time, which made the old man think that Zhou Xiaoli did not agree to the price.


    He could not help but p his thigh and say, ¡°How about this? Seeing that you¡¯re a newbie, and this is the first time that you have visited my shop, I¡¯ll make an exception and give you another 40 taels of silver. 240 taels of silver. How about that?¡±


    After saying that and seeing that Zhou Xiaoli still didn¡¯t have a particrly big reaction, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You think it¡¯s too little? Little girl, this is already the highest price I¡¯ve given you. It can¡¯t be more than that. Even if you go to other shops to ask, it won¡¯t be as high as the price I¡¯ve given you.¡±


    Luo Zhongbao nodded and said, ¡°Yes, this price is not bad. Compared to some people who only want to pay 30 taels of silver, this old man has given you a perfectly reasonable deal.¡±


    Thest sentence was meant to mock Xue Min.


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at Luo Zhongbao. It seemed that this person was not on good terms with Xue Min.


    When many people around heard his words, they alsoughed.


    ¡°30 taels from one and 240 taels from the other. That¡¯s indeed a much better deal.¡±


    ¡°He even said that he¡¯s her uncle-inw. I think he just thinks that this youngdy doesn¡¯t know about the jade market and wants to lie to her.¡±


    ¡­


    Xue Min, who was already filled with hatred, became even more displeased.


    He tried to defend himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time to take a closer look just now, so I couldn¡¯t distinguish the type of jade it was.¡±


    ¡°Now that I know that this is a rare ice type, I naturally have to give a suitable price.¡±


    After saying that, he gritted his teeth and was filled with hatred.


    Originally, when he saw that the jade stone looked like an ice type, he wanted to buy it at a low price.


    After that, he could give it to the magistrate. He heard that the magistrate was collecting precious jade stones for Lord Su. If he managed to curry favor with the magistrate, he could be on good terms with the magistrate.


    Even if it was not an ice-type jade, it could still be sold for a good price after being polished and processed. He would definitely earn more than 30 taels of silver.


    This was killing two birds with one stone. Now, he had to spend more than 200 taels of silver!


    With mixed feelings in his heart, he forced a smile on his face and looked at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Little Li, you didn¡¯t let me examine the stone just now. I didn¡¯t know that this stone was so precious. In that case, I¡¯ll give you 240 taels of silver. How about that?¡±


    He said it as a matter of course, just like how Zhou Xiaoli would definitely give it to him.


    The old man was a little unhappy. ¡°I say, Shopkeeper Xue, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to snatch my business?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Xue Min narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, ¡°This stone was mine first. ording to the rules, firste, first served. How can you say that I¡¯m snatching it?¡±


    The old man snorted unhappily. ¡°That depends on who the youngdy is willing to sell it to.¡±


    After saying that, both of them looked at Zhou Xiaoli.


    Seeing that the two of them wanted her to choose, Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and chose the old man without hesitation.


    The old shopkeeper was overjoyed. ¡°Shopkeeper Xue, you have nothing to say now, right?¡±


    Xue Min was already unhappy with having to offer extra money. When he saw this, his face darkened and he red at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Wretched girl, I¡¯m your uncle-inw. How can you side with outsiders!¡±


    At this moment, Luo Zhongbao spoke again.


    ¡°She already said that she wasn¡¯t. Besides, even if you¡¯re her uncle-inw, what kind of uncle-inw are you to use 30 taels of silver to cheat her of an ice-type jade?¡±


    Many people around agreed.


    Xue Min was furious.


    This made Xiao Li even more certain that Luo Zhongbao and Xue Min had a grudge against each other.


    Many people around were criticizing Xue Min. He felt a little embarrassed and returned to his shop dejectedly.


    After he left, Zhou Xiaolipleted the transaction with the old shopkeeper.


    ...


    After saying goodbye to the shopkeeper, Zhou Xiaoli thought of Luo Zhongbao. In any case, Luo Zhongbao had helped her, so she wanted to thank him.


    When she turned around and was about to look for him, she realized that he had already left.


    Since she could not find him, Zhou Xiaoli did not take it to heart.


    When she received 240 taels of silver, it naturally attracted the attention of many people.


    Zheng Yongyan was right about one thing. This stone gambling den is the same as a casino in the sense that there were all kinds of people around.


    After they left the shop, she realized that many malicious gazes were on her.


    However, Wei Chiyu was with her the entire time. He exuded the ruthlessness of a lone wolf, and his face was filled with an aura that said you would not want to mess with him.


    Hence, those people only dared to look at her, but they did not dare to approach.


    It was not a good idea to stay here for too long, in case some envious lunatics decided to do something. Thus, Zhou Xiaoli and the other two did not stroll around anymore and went straight out of the stone gambling den.


    They went to the transit station and brought out the donkey cart. The three of them got on the cart and immediately left the city.


    ...

 Chapter 86 - 86 Come, I’ll Help You See!

    86 Come, I¡¯ll Help You See!


    They did not stop until they could no longer see the city gate. Only then did the donkey cart slow down.


    After realizing that no one was following them, the three of them heaved a sigh of relief. The atmosphere lightened up.


    They began to chat casually.


    Along the way, Zheng Yongyan¡¯s gazended on Zhou Xiaoli from time to time. He had something to say, but he didn¡¯t say it, making Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Finally, Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t take it anymore and asked, ¡°I say, if you have something to say, can you just say it? You¡¯re a man, why are you so shy like a girl?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan, who was originally arrogant and unwilling to ask, immediately exploded when he was said to be shy. ¡°When have I been shy? I¡­ I just haven¡¯t thought of what to say.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. ¡°Alright, have you thought about what you wanted to say then?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan said proudly, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then tell me.¡± Zhou Xiaoli pretended to be all ears and stared at the other party calmly.


    Zheng Yongyan coughed unnaturally and finally asked, ¡°Um, do you really know how to read fortunes? Did you really read the fortunes of those in the county?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s all you¡¯re asking? I was wondering what it was. Why did you take so long to think about it?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was greatly disappointed. She thought that Zheng Yongyan was going to ask something.


    Zheng Yongyan¡¯s expression became even more unnatural, but he repeated his question. ¡°Is it true or not?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you see it with your own eyes?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zheng Yongyan¡¯s pupils unconsciously dted, but he pretended not to care and said, ¡°You seem quite powerful then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli snorted and said arrogantly, ¡°That¡¯s true. Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±


    The corners of Zheng Yongyan¡¯s mouth twitched as he said with disdain, ¡°You¡¯re really thick-skinned. You¡¯re not humble at all.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said confidently, ¡°It¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m powerful. How would that make me thick-skinned?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan snorted and continued, ¡°That might not be the case. Are you really that powerful? Other than knowing how to do divination, do you know how to read palms?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged and did notment.


    Zheng Yongyan was obviously interested. ¡°Then take a look for me. Let me say this first. It is not that I want you to read my palm, I just want to see if you¡¯re really capable.¡±


    As he spoke, he stretched out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s the left hand, right? I know that. Men on the left and women on the right!¡±


    It was not a big deal to have a simple look at his palm. Zhou Xiaoli could y with him and kill the boredom on the road.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli smiled when she heard this. She casually exined, ¡°When doing palm reading, the left is ¡®Predisposition¡¯ while the right is ¡®Nurture¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The influence of the right hand is higher, and the influence of the left hand is smaller. Therefore, when reading the palm, we mainly use the right hand to judge. Then, we add points and deduct points based on the left hand. Therefore, it¡¯s not a simple left and right hand kind of approach.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even notice that his voice had changed. ¡°What else? The so-called life line, career line, marriage line, are they real?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and tapped his palm. Just as she was about to speak, she said, ¡°This is the marriage¡­¡±


    However, before she could finish speaking,


    Wei Chiyu, who was in the front row, suddenly braked. The donkey cart came to a sudden stop, interrupting their palm reading session.


    After stabilizing himself, the studious Zheng Yongyan was very dissatisfied that his discussion was interrupted. ¡°Wei Chiyu, what¡¯s wrong with you this time?¡± he questioned with a dark expression on his face.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pit.¡± Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice rang out faintly.


    With that, he drove the donkey cart slowly again.


    For some reason, Zhou Xiaoli felt that Wei Chiyu was not very happy.


    She leaned over and asked, ¡°Wei Chiyu, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Wei Chiyu shook his head.


    Zhou Xiaoli was still a little worried. ¡°Really? If you¡¯re not feeling well, tell me. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, Wei Chiyu, the donkey cart stopped at the transit station just now. How much did you spend?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nced at Zhou Xiaoli and said seriously, ¡°The transit station¡¯s parking fee is based on time. It¡¯s one copper coin an hour. We¡¯ve been there for more than an hour, so I gave them two copper coins.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She took out two copper coins from her pocket and handed them to him. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was a little confused. ¡°What?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Reimbursement for the parking fee of course.¡±


    However, as soon as she finished speaking, Wei Chiyu¡¯s expression changed. He frowned and asked, ¡°Do you treat me as an outsider?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was a little confused. ¡°No, what does this have to do with outsiders or insiders?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s expression was still ugly. He pursed his lips. ¡°Then why are you giving me money? Do you think I¡¯m a coachman?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. ¡°¡­What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t treat you as a coachman. Of course, I treated you as a good friend.¡±


    Good lord, why did he throw a tantrum when she gave him money? She was unwilling to give it to him in the first ce.


    When Wei Chiyu heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s exnation, for some reason, his mood became worse.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt helpless as she looked at Wei Chiyu¡¯s sullen face.


    It was rare to see Wei Chiyu act like a child at his age, so she tried to be more patient.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I was wrong. I won¡¯t give you money, alright?¡± She coaxed him.


    As she spoke, she put the money away.


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yes?


    ...


    What did that mean?


    Zhou Xiaoli tilted her head and looked over, only to see that Wei Chiyu¡¯s handsome face was still sullen. No one knew what he was thinking.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me drive the cart? I haven¡¯t driven for a long time, and I¡¯m dying to do it again,¡± Zhou Xiaoli probed.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Wei Chiyu responded and stopped the donkey cart, making room for Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°¡­¡±


    Good lord, so he was unhappy having to drive the entire time. No wonder he said that he was not a coachman.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt that Wei Chiyu, who was acting childish and throwing a tantrum, was quite interesting.


    She immediately sat in his original seat. ¡°Come, let me be your driver! Sit tight.¡±


    The two of them did not understand what a driver was, but it was obvious that their focus was not on that.


    Zheng Yongyan, who had just learned half of it, had a reluctant expression on his face. ¡°Sigh, no, Zhou Xiaoli, you were halfway through your lecture just now. Why are you driving the cart now? You can¡¯t give up halfway. You have to finish it, right?¡±


    ...


    Wei Chiyu was already sitting on the other side of the donkey cart. Hearing this, he got on the back of the donkey cart and said calmly, ¡°Let me see for you.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan looked resistant. ¡°Huh? No, why did you let her drive for no reason?¡±


    Wei Chiyu said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to read your palm? Come, give me your hand.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was very domineering. As he spoke, he wanted Zheng Yongyan to extend his hand.


    Zheng Yongyan, on the other hand, was very resistant. His face was filled with distrust. ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡±


    Wei Chiyu snorted confidently. ¡°I¡¯m Little Li¡¯s junior in the sect. What do you think?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan¡¯s face was still filled with resistance. ¡°Zhou Xiaoli, is he really your junior in the sect?¡± he asked, again with a face full of distrust.


    Zhou Xiaoli blinked. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true.¡±

 Chapter 87 - 87 Dividend

    87 Dividend


    Zheng Yongyan was a little surprised by this answer. ¡°You¡¯re from the same sect? Why haven¡¯t I heard of this before?¡±


    Wei Chiyu said indifferently, ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t know. Do you still want to read your palm?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan had a reluctant look on his face. He looked at Zhou Xiaoli and finally said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Thus, Wei Chiyu took Zheng Yongyan¡¯s hand and began to make things up.


    Zhou Xiaoli drove the donkey cart and nced sideways at the two of them.


    She saw two men, one with a cold and domineering appearance, and the other a weak schr, holding hands and talking. This scene¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but let her imagination run wild.


    However, the two of them did not notice Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s strange gaze. At this moment, one of them was talking passionately while the other was listening attentively.


    After listening carefully, Zhou Xiaoli heard Wei Chiyu sprout nonsense about Zheng Yongyan. He told him to study hard and not have any distracting thoughts. By doing so, he would be able to fulfill his wish. His future wife was a youngdy from a wealthy family, gentle and pleasant.


    Zheng Yongyan listened seriously and asked excitedly, ¡°Really?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded and lied in all seriousness. He said without blushing, ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Zheng Yongyan nodded. It seemed like he really took his words to heart.


    Then, he asked, ¡°What about this one? Is this rted to my career? What¡¯s my career like? Can I get into the academy?¡±


    Wei Chiyu coughed and sat up straight. He said with a serious expression, ¡°Don¡¯t be too greedy. You can¡¯t be tooprehensive in divination. If you reveal too many heavenly secrets, I¡¯m afraid something will happen. It won¡¯t be good for you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Yongyan¡¯s face was filled with regret at being cut short. However, it was obvious that he believed Wei Chiyu¡¯s words and did not dare to ask further.


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, could not hold back herughter.


    When he found out the truth in the future, Zheng Yongyan would probably know that Wei Chiyu was lying to him today.


    Although she had only taken a quick look just now, she could tell that Zheng Yongyan would have many admirers. His rtionship path in the future would not be smooth.


    ording to the birth date he had just reported, it was not certain if his wife would be a gentle person. It was in fact destined that the other half of his life was someone who was strong in character.


    If nothing unexpected happened, Zheng Yongyan would probably be a henpecked man in the future.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not say anything.


    It was not good to say everything out, especially when it came to fate. It was better to let nature take its course.


    The three of them chatted along the way home. Before long, the donkey cart entered the vige.


    As for the matter of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gambling of stone and earning arge sum of money, the three of them reached an agreement before entering the vige that no one would tell anyone.


    ¡°This is a secret between the three of us. Remember, keep it a secret.¡± After entering the vige, Zhou Xiaoli did not forget to remind them.


    Zheng Yongyan had a righteous expression on his face. ¡°A gentleman never goes back on his word. Although I won¡¯t lie for you, I won¡¯t be a long-tongued person either. Don¡¯t worry about this.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She trusted him on this point.


    Although Zheng Yongyan was a little arrogant and did not get along with her,


    he believed in the ways of a gentleman and imed that since he had read the books of the sages, he would be a gentleman and would not be petty.


    The donkey cart slowly entered the alley and soon arrived at the entrance of the house.


    Although they had been making sugar for the past few days, Lin Xiujuan and the others kept their guard up. When they made sugar in the courtyard during the day, they would lock the door from the inside.


    Therefore, when they arrived at their house, the door was tightly closed.


    ¡°Mother, aunties, we¡¯re back,¡± Zhou Xiaoli stood at the door and called out.


    As soon as she finished speaking, the wolf cub howled and wed at the door.


    Immediately after, Zhang Lan and the others spoke happily.


    ¡°Ah, Little Li and the others are back!¡±


    ¡°Open the door!¡±


    ¡­


    Immediately after, hurried footsteps approached the door. With the sound of the bolt being removed, the door was opened.


    Zhang Lan and Liu Yan weed them with happy smiles. One of them called for the three of them to enter the courtyard first while the other went to help rein the donkey cart in.


    Zhou Xiaoli bent down to pick up the wolf cub and followed the others into the courtyard.


    Lin Xiujuan and Yonggui¡¯s wife were stirring the beetroot water in the pot. When they saw them enter, they smiled and greeted them.


    Lin Xiujuan: ¡°Little Li, you¡¯re back. How is it? The county is lively, right?¡±


    Liu Yan closed the door and walked back to the courtyard. She smiled and said, ¡°Look at you. That¡¯s the city. Shouldn¡¯t it be lively?¡±


    After saying that, the few of themughed.


    Just as Zhang Lan tied the donkey and before they could even unload the things in the cart, there was another knock on the door.


    Then, Liu Liangcai¡¯s voice rang out.


    Lin Xiujuan immediately said, ¡°Aiya, they¡¯re back from purchasing the beetroots!¡±


    Liu Yan had not gone far and was not far from the door. She immediately walked over and opened the door.


    Sure enough, Liu Liangcai had a pushcart full of beetroots at the door.


    ¡°Good lord, that¡¯s quite a lot.¡±


    Seeing therge pile of beetroots on the cart, Liu Yan eximed in surprise. At the same time, she turned to the side and let Liu Liangcai push the cart in.


    Liu Liangcai said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The vigers in that vige grew it sparingly. Every family doesn¡¯t have a big harvest and hence, many families keep them for themselves to eat and aren¡¯t willing to sell them. In one morning, I was only able to purchase these from three families.¡±


    As Liu Liangcai spoke, he pushed the beetroots into the courtyard. Zhang Lan hurriedly brought him a bowl of water to drink.


    ...


    Hearing this, he said, ¡°It looks like it¡¯s quite a decent amount. I¡¯ll purchase more in the afternoon.¡±


    On the other side, the sugar in Lin Xiujuan and Wang Yuncai¡¯s pot was almost ready.


    Zhou Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Coincidentally, everyone is here. After cooking these two pots of sugar, everyone can rest and drink some water. At the same time, let¡¯s settle the money for our first sugar sale.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone was excited.


    Zhang Lan and Liu Yan smiled and went to the kitchen to distribute the cold green bean tea to everyone. Just then, the two pots of sugar were ready.


    Today, Zheng Yongfu¡¯s three-year-old daughter, Zheng Lingling, was brought over. She had fun with Zhou Xiaoyu and the other two children.


    At this moment, when she heard that she was going to have green bean tea, she jumped happily.


    After Zhang Lan gave each of the four children a bowl of green bean tea, she directed them to sit in the shade of the tree in the courtyard to drink.


    The four children were also obedient. Theyy on the rocks under the tree and drank happily.


    The adults from the three families gathered around the table, drinking green bean tea while waiting for Zhou Xiaoli to report the good news.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli walked out of the back room with the ledger book. After sitting down, she asked, ¡°Uncle Liu, how many beetroots did you buy today? What¡¯s the price?¡±


    ...


    Liu Liangcai immediately put down the bowl and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. On it was the purchase details that he had recorded.


    Because he couldn¡¯t write, there were all kinds of diagrams drawn with charcoal. Fortunately, he could understand them.


    ¡°Hm, I¡¯ve bought beetroots from three families. The first one is a little more than 43 kilograms so let¡¯s count it as 43 kilograms. The second one is 40 kilograms, and the third one is 67 kilograms. The price is still a copper coin for one and a half kilograms. Hence, the total is 100 copper coins.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli wrote it down as she listened.


    Then, she took out the money made from selling the sugar today and smiled. ¡°This is the money we earned from selling the sugar we made these few days. It¡¯s a total of 10 taels and 110 copper coins.¡±


    As soon as the words left her lips, everyone was surprised at it.

 Chapter 88 - 88 Going Up the Mountain

    88 Going Up the Mountain


    Zhou Xiaoli did not split the money directly. Instead, she counted out 100 copper coins and handed them to Liu Liangcai. ¡°The cost of buying beetroots this time was paid by Uncle Liu, so I would deduct it from our profits.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Liu, here¡¯s your 100 copper coins. Take it first.¡±


    Then, she said to everyone, ¡°ording to the ratio we discussed previously, Uncle Liu and Uncle Vige Chief¡¯s families will each take 30%. In other words, each family will get 3 taels and 3 copper coins.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out three taels and three copper coins and handed them to Liu Liangcai and Zheng Yongfu respectively.


    ¡°Please count if it is correct?¡±


    Their hands trembled as they took the money.


    They had only worked for three to four days and had earned more than three taels of silver. This was way much more than what they would earn from working for Landlord Wan!


    More importantly, they could make a living from selling sugar for a long time.


    ¡°This, this is too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why do I feel that it¡¯s so easy to earn money? Haha.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan smiled foolishly.


    Especially Lin Xiujuan, who was holding the three silver ingots like a treasure. Her eyes were about to disappear fromughter.


    Zheng Yongfu had often heard his father talk about how righteous the Zhou family was. He had always felt that his family had taken advantage of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family in this business, so he smiled and said, ¡°Little Li, look at you. Three copper coins is just a small change, and you still want to give it to us. Three taels is already a lot.¡±


    Liu Yan nodded in agreement.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli rejected him with a smile. ¡°Brother Zheng, my father and I are looking to do a long-term business with the two families.¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, even biological brothers have to settle ounts clearly. If we want to cooperate for a long time, we have to settle every ount clearly.¡±


    Seeing that the few of them were stunned, it was obvious that they had never thought of expanding the business or to continue doing this for a long time.


    Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to expand this business? In the future, we can build our own sugar factory and make a name for ourselves. We can sell sugar to the entire Yongchang country.¡±


    Listening to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s imagination, everyone was stunned. They felt that Zhou Xiaoli was too daring.


    Deep in their hearts, they only wanted to make more sugar and earn a little money. How could they dare to think about opening a sugar factory?


    However, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s imagination was still something that they yearned for. If they could really make a lot of money from it, who wouldn¡¯t want it?


    Zheng Yongfu touched the silver in his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Haha, no wonder Father often praises Sister Li for being smart. Then I¡¯ll listen to you and we shall settle the ount properly.¡±


    After Zhou Xiaoli had settled the ounts with everyone, everyone began to chat andugh.


    Zhou Xiaoli brought the green bean tea to the courtyard and saw Wei Chiyu and Zheng Yongyan standing under a tree with four little fellows, talking about something.


    She walked over and heard Zhou Xiaoyu and Liu Fengfeng arguing.


    Zhou Xiaoyu: ¡°My sister is the best. My sister knows many things. My sister knows how to make bamboo dragonflies for us to y with. Does your sister know how to make them?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu spoke proudly.


    Zhou Junjun nodded furiously in agreement.


    Liu Fengfeng was not to be outdone. ¡°My sister is also amazing. My sister knows embroidery and the handkerchief she embroiders can be sold for a lot of money.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu pouted. ¡°What¡¯s so great about it? My sister can count. She even taught me and my brother. I can count to ten. My brother can count to a hundred. Can you?¡±


    Liu Fengfeng shouted, ¡°My sister knows how to sing. She sings very well. Does your sister know how to sing?¡±


    ¡­


    They were arguing back and forth.


    Zhou Xiaoli recalled the short video she had seen in her previous life when she went to the human world to y.


    The two children then were debating whose brother is the best. She covered her face in embarrassment. It turned out that children really do argue about these things. She had thought that it was just a show.


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless when she thought of the final oue of the argument in the video. She quickly interrupted them.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    After saying that, he looked at Zheng Yongyan and Wei Chiyu, who were watching themotion from the side. ¡°How old are the two of you? Why were you standing around and watching them quarrel?¡±


    Zheng Yongyan disagreed. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. They¡¯re just debating, not arguing. Have you heard of two children debating? Children debating should be encouraged.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not be bothered with him.


    However, Zhou Xiaoyu was already hugging Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s leg. ¡°Sister, I already know how to count. Can you teach me something else?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but rub the little guy¡¯s head affectionately. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, she asked Liu Fengfeng and Zheng Lingling, ¡°Do you want to learn together with Little Fishy and Brother Jun?¡±


    Liu Fengfeng immediately looked at Zhou Xiaoli with starry eyes and nodded.


    Zheng Lingling was only three years old and could not even speak properly. However, when she saw that the other older children were ying, she pped her hands and shouted happily, ¡°Yes, I want. I want to.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then go find a small wooden stick. We¡¯ll learn on the ground.¡±


    Hence, Zhou Xiaoli brought a few children and squatted in the open space under the tree. The children started babbling and learning. It was a cozy and warm scene to watch.


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes sparkled. No one knew what he was thinking.


    On the other hand, Zheng Yongyan was extremely shocked. He had always thought that Zhou Xiaoli was the same as those youngdies in the vige who had never studied.


    However, he did not expect her to know so much.


    He could not help but think that since she knew how to read fortunes, she must have been taught by her master.


    The adults who were sitting in the room and talking, looked at the scene in the courtyard.


    Lin Xiujuan was still shocked. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked how Little Li knew how to read.¡±


    She was extremely curious about it when she saw Zhou Xiaoli do the bookkeeping.


    ...


    At this moment, she finally asked the question in her heart.


    Liu Yan and the others were also puzzled. They looked at Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu for answers.


    Zhou Xiaoli had already spoken to Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu a long time ago. The two of them naturally knew what to tell the outsiders.


    Hearing Lin Xiujuan¡¯s question, Zhang Lan smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t this girl get lost in the mountains when she was five years old? She met an old man who lived in seclusion.¡±


    ¡°Later on, Li¡¯er often went to the mountain to look for that old man. This was all taught to her by that old man.¡±


    ¡°This girl has been hiding it from everyone. We just found out about it too.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone cried out in surprise that this was Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s good fortune.


    ¡°Look at the girls in the vige. Which one of them is able to read and study? Even if it¡¯s a boy, he might not have this chance. Little Li is indeed a lucky person.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you ask me, the most important thing is that Little Li is smart. She learned it immediately. Many children have been sent to school, but they haven¡¯t learned anything.¡±


    Everyone jokes for a while more before going home to eat.


    After lunch, Liu Liangcai took the pushcart to collect more beetroots again. This time, Zhou Yu followed along. The two of them took two pushcarts to buy more.


    ...


    The 150 kilograms purchased this morning would onlyst them for a few days.


    After Zhou Xiaoli informed Zhang Lan, she brought the wolf pup with her up the mountain.


    She had made an appointment with her master to have ss in the afternoon.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡±


    She had just reached the door when Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s voice came from the courtyard. ¡°The first lesson after bing a disciple has been dyed till the afternoon. That¡¯s fine, but you dare to bete as well? You really should be punished.¡±

 Chapter 89 - 89 First Lesson

    89 First Lesson


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that Yuan Zhengchun was not really angry, so she was not afraid at all.


    She walked into the courtyard and asked, ¡°Aiyaya, Master dotes on me so much. Why would you bear to punish me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Yuan Zhengchun could not help but snort. He stood at the door with his hands behind his back. His face was stern, but there was no anger in the depths of his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re glib-tongued.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Doesn¡¯t Master dote on me the most? How can that be considered as being glib-tongued?¡±


    !!


    Then, she waved the oilcloth bag in her hand. ¡°I brought you the good tea I mentioned today. I¡¯ll make you a cup now to offer tea as an apology. How about that?¡±


    When he heard that it was good tea, Yuan Zhengchun wanted to scold her with a straight face, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°You little girl, you¡¯re so cheeky. You know that I love a cup of good tea, so you are bribing me with tea leaves.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but smile. ¡°Master, how can this be called bribery? This is called filial piety. Isn¡¯t it right for a disciple to be filial to the master?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun said, ¡°It¡¯s as though your little mouth had honey smeared on it. Alright, alright. You make it sound so nice. Hurry up and make tea. If it¡¯s not as good as you say, I won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry, Master. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled and slipped into the room.


    However, she saw that Yuan Zhengchun had already boiled water on the charcoal stove.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Eh, Master, when did you get a charcoal stove here? Wasn¡¯t it not here yesterday?¡±


    After Zhou Xiaoli entered the room, Yuan Zhengchun sat under the corridor and waited for his disciple to serve him tea.


    Hearing the girl¡¯s question, he said, ¡°Oh, there has always been a charcoal stove, but there was no coal before. Your junior brother just sent the charcoal over. He said that in the future, you have to boil water often. This would make it convenient then.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Wei Chiyu came? Where is he?¡± Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    ¡°Hm, he just left the house when you arrived,¡± Yuan Zhengchun said leisurely. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he went.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and thought to herself, ¡°Wei Chiyu is quite thoughtful.¡±


    No wonder he disappeared after lunch while she was sharing the candied plums with Uncle Liu¡¯s and Uncle Vige Chief¡¯s families.


    He hade to the master¡¯s ce in advance.


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed, but her hands did not stop in making the tea.


    However, as soon as she started, she paused. She did not know the traditional tea brewing procedures here at all as Zhou Xiaoli found it veryplicated.


    In the end, she had no choice but to do it the simple and crude way. Afterall, she had already stir-fried the tea leaves. She could just boil water and pour it into the tea leaves.


    Zhou Xiaoli carried the cup out with satisfaction as she smelt the tea fragrance. She came to Yuan Zhengchun and said respectfully, ¡°Master, please have some tea.¡±


    Looking at the disciple whom he had searched for most of his life, Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard with a satisfied and proud expression.


    After taking the cup of tea, he took a small sip and his eyes lit up.


    He took another sip and scolded, ¡°You wretched girl, your crude tea-making skills have ruined the good tea leaves.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun had a regretful look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t we have some tea tools in the room? There are anvils, tea mills, tea strainer, and tea tray. How can you be so crude?¡±


    As he spoke, he lifted the lid and knocked on the rim. When he saw that the cup of tea was made by pouring the hot water over the tea leaves, he felt that it was such a waste of the good tea leaves.


    Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s voice had raised a little. It could be seen how much his heart ached for the tea.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled in embarrassment. ¡°I know there are tools, but I don¡¯t know how to use them.¡±


    She had seen this method of making tea many times in television dramas.


    However, in the era she lived in, this tea-making culture was no longer popr, so she only watched for the fun of it and never thought of learning it.


    Seeing that Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s heart was aching over it, Zhou Xiaoli could only say in a hurry to appease him. ¡°Master, if you like this tea, I¡¯ll send it to you after you have finish it.¡±


    Despite Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Yuan Zhengchun still felt that it was a pity. His only order was that Zhou Xiaoli had to learn the tea-making culture from him.


    ¡°From now on, if you serve me tea every time in such a manner, I¡¯m afraid my heart will ache.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli went along with Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s words, coaxing Yuan Zhengchun until he beamed with joy.


    ¡°Alright, alright. You knew how to make your Master happy. Hurry up and sit down. We¡¯re going to start the first lesson.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun had already set up two tables under a tree in the courtyard. Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli obediently ran over and sat down.


    Yuan Zhengchun first went to his room, and after a while, he took out a few books and handed them to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Although you have some foundation, your abilities are not systematic. Take these books home and read them properly.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli flipped through it. It was the Book of Changes, Laozi, and Zhuangzi.


    On the other side, Yuan Zhengchun had already started to speak while stroking his beard. ¡°In Laozi¡¯s chapter, it says, ¡®Mysterious and mysterious, the Door of Profundity¡¯. Mysterious is the generalw of all things in the world, which is ¡®Tao¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°There are five techniques in metaphysics, which is what you¡¯re going to learn next. That is, mountains, medicine, fate, divine, and physiognomy. Mountain is the science of achieving immortality, which includes cultivation and alchemy. This is also the most difficult part of the five techniques. Very few people would be able to understand it.¡±


    ¡°Medicine is medicine. It uses meridian science to treat illnesses using prescriptions.¡±


    ¡°Divine is divination. There are Taiyi, Qimen, Six Ren, Meiyi, Six Yao, and so on. Physiognomy is the study of facial features, which is also a major Tao element. There is the Heavenly Resonance Technique, which includes the Stars physiognomy, the Human physiognomy; and the Earth physiognomy, which is also known as Feng Shui¡­¡±


    Although Zhou Xiaoli already knew about this, she listened attentively.


    Among the five techniques, she only knew a little more about physiognomy. The rest were just in the beginning stages.


    Hence, when she heard Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s exnation, she was a little dazed.


    Although Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s small mountain courtyard was simple and crude, it was located in a ce with excellent Feng Shui. In addition, Yuan Zhengchun had set up a Feng Shui formation in the courtyard.


    The entire courtyard was filled with spiritual energy. Staying here could clear one¡¯s mind and make one feel veryfortable.


    Therefore, one taught earnestly while the other learnt earnestly. They did not feel tired at all.


    The wolf cub was also extremely obedient. Ity at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s feet and used its tongue tob its fur and did not disturbed her at all.


    When Wei Chiyu carried the log in, he saw this peaceful sight in the courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Yuan Zhengchun were so engrossed that they didn¡¯t notice Wei Chiyu¡¯s return. Only the wolf cub raised its head and looked at Wei Chiyu when he came in.


    Afraid of disturbing the two of them in the lesson, Wei Chiyu gently put down the log and raised his hand to motion to the wolf cub.


    ...


    The wolf cub looked up at Zhou Xiaoli, who was engrossed in her studies, and then at Wei Chiyu. Finally, it stood up slowly and walked towards Wei Chiyu.


    Then, a wolf and a human stood outside the door.


    Wei Chiyu nodded slightly and looked at the wolf cub. ¡°Do you want to give Little Li a surprise?¡±


    The little wolf cub sat in front of Wei Chiyu and looked at him with pursed lips.

 Chapter 90 - 90 Shock

    90 Shock


    ¡°Yeah, I know you do.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded and spoke to himself,pletely ignoring the question whether the Silver Wolf understood humannguage or not.


    ¡°Therefore, I¡¯m still missing a log. Come with me. I¡¯ll leave the hunting mission to you.¡±


    After Wei Chiyu finished speaking, he pulled the little wolf and walked into the forest.


    !!


    This time, the wolf cub did not bare its teeth at Wei Chiyu. Instead, it obediently followed him into the forest, as if it really understood what he said.


    Thus, when Zhou Xiaoli was done with today¡¯s ss and was about to rest, she found Wei Chiyu busy in the courtyard.


    The wolf pup followed beside him with a rope hanging from its mouth. It circled around Wei Chiyu as if it was helping him with work.


    Zhou Xiaoli was very uncertain.


    ¡°Wei Chiyu, what are you doing?¡± Zhou Xiaoli walked over as she spoke. She looked at the wooden frame that had yet to take shape and guessed, ¡°This is a swing?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli walk over, the Silver Wolf immediately threw away the rope in its mouth. With a howl, it hopped over to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side.


    He even showed off the prey he had hunted to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and patted its head. ¡°Little Wolf, did you hunt this?¡±


    ¡°Howl.¡±


    The wolf cub gave a short howl and rubbed its head against Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s palm, as if responding to her words.


    ¡°Haha, Little Wolf, you¡¯re awesome.¡± Zhou Xiaoli praised the Silver Wolf with a smile. She could not wait to see what Wei Chiyu had built.


    Zhou Xiaoli was sure that it was the swing after seeing the initial appearance of the wooden frame. She eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s a swing!¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded and said softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say yesterday that Master¡¯s courtyard was empty and wanted to nt some flowers and trees and also a swing?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and circled around the shelf, clearly very happy. She waved her hand and called out to her master under the tree.


    ¡°Master, look, Junior Brother is putting together a swing.¡±


    After the ss ended, Yuan Zhengchun could not wait to sit under the tree and make tea.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice, he looked up with a smile.


    Zhou Xiaoli ran over and said, ¡°Master, how about we build a trellis next to the swing and nt some grapes?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun chuckled and said, ¡°As long as you guys are happy. If you want to mess around, go ahead.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s nt another peach tree. The peach blossoms will bloom all over the branches, and it will be very beautiful. We can also make peach blossom wine for Master to drink.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s face was full of smiles when he heard that. ¡°Kid, why are you always talking about food?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled, ¡°Eating is the most important thing.¡±


    Then, she ran to Wei Chiyu to n the grape trellis and to discuss where they should nt the peach tree.


    Yuan Zhengchun picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and narrowed his eyes in happiness.


    The children in the courtyard were very lively while he could sit underneath the tree and drink a cup of good tea.


    That¡¯s nice.


    ¡°Hey, children, do you want to eat at my ce?¡±


    Half an hourter, Yuan Zhengchun suddenly thought of something and asked.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked back at Wei Chiyu and nodded. ¡°Sure. I saw that the wolf cub had hunted a pheasant. Today is the first day of the formal apprenticeship. I¡¯ll make my master a good dish.¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s swing was also done, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡±


    With that, the two of them entered the kitchen one after another.


    Yuan Zhengchun could not help but take a few more nces at the two of them. His junior disciple¡¯s thoughts were in for all to see.


    Doing a charcoal delivery and building a swing.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s good to be young.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun sighed with emotion. He held the tea cup and leaned back in his chair. He took a sip of tea and chuckled. ¡°Fortunately, I have tea.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli stuck her head out of the window and looked at Yuan Zhengchun. She asked curiously, ¡°What is Master talking about?¡±


    Then, she turned around and shouted, ¡°Ah, Wei Chiyu, what are you doing?¡±


    Wei Chiyu, who was covering the pheasant in mud, asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to make Beggar¡¯s Chicken?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the way to make the Beggar¡¯s Chicken dish?¡± he thought.


    Zhou Xiaoli covered her face with her hands. ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s not what I want to do. I want to pluck the feathers, wash it, and marinate it. Finally, I want to wrap it in lotus leaves before applying mud.¡±


    Wei Chiyu stood there with his hands covered in mud and his face full of innocence. ¡°I¡¯ve always done it in this manner in the past.¡±


    Then, he asked in embarrassment, ¡°Did I hinder you in the cooking?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her eyebrows and said with a wicked smile, ¡°Do you want me to teach you a new method?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. He thought of something and asked, ¡°Do you need me to call you ¡®sister?¡¯¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli felt that the word ¡®sister¡¯ had pierced through her heart.


    For those who are highly attracted to voice, a pleasant voice is the best weapon of attraction.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Ahem, be normal.¡±


    Wei Chiyu said innocently, ¡°I¡¯m normal.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to call me sister. Well, how about this? Help me pick some lotus leaves or banana leaves.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of a triumphant smile. He turned around and walked out of the kitchen.


    ...


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli heave a sigh of relief. She could not help but press the back of her hand against her face.


    Damn it, she was a little koi, but she was flirted with by a kid?


    No, no. Zhou Xiaoli shook her head and quickly went back to work.


    Wei Chiyu moved quickly, and he returned after a while. He didn¡¯t find any lotus leaf, but he did pick a banana leaf.


    Thus, the meal ended with Wei Chiyu¡¯s satisfaction and Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s endless praise.


    When she returned home, her family had just finished eating.


    On the way up the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli had informed Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu that she might not being back for dinner.


    Therefore, they were not too worried when she did not return for dinner.


    In the afternoon, Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai bought another 240 kilograms of beetroots.


    The money was paid by Zhou Yu.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately put it on his tab in the ledger book.


    ...


    Then, she called Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu into the room and told them about buying the stones.


    ¡°When Xue Min saw me, I couldn¡¯t sell the pearls, but our family is short of money now, so I thought about what to do.¡±


    ¡°Then, I saw a stone. For some reason, a voice in my heart asked me to buy it, so I spent 10 taels of silver to buy it.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Zhou Yu spat out the water in his mouth.


    He stammered, ¡°How much did you spend?¡±


    Zhang Lan also widened her eyes and covered her chest. However, seeing that Zhou Yu was so loud, she immediately pushed him and handed him a cloth to wipe his face. ¡°Why are you so loud? Listen to Li¡¯er first.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough. That¡¯s right. Continue, Li¡¯er.¡± Zhou Yu took the towel to wipe his face, but his hands were obviously trembling.


    Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°After I bought it, I was also worried, so I asked someone to cut it open. Who knew that there would really be jade?¡±


    ¡°The shop owner epted it directly and gave me 240 taels of silver.¡±


    Zhang Lan had just put down the towel and sat down. When she heard this number, she staggered and almost slipped off the chair.


    Zhou Yu, who had just wiped his face clean and taken another sip of water, spat it out again. He said in disbelief, ¡°How much?¡±

 Chapter 91 - 91 Hiring Workers

    91 Hiring Workers


    ¡°240 taels,¡± Zhou Xiaoli repeated.


    ¡°Cough cough cough!¡±


    This time, Zhou Yu choked on his own saliva and kept coughing.


    Zhang Lan was also shocked. She was stunned for a long time before rushing over to pat Zhou Yu¡¯s back.


    !!


    He was excited and nervous. He was afraid that someone would hear him, so he only dared to speak softly, ¡°More than 200 taels. How, how much is that! I¡¯m afraid farmers like us won¡¯t be able to earn so much in our lives.¡±


    ¡°I told you, Li¡¯er is our lucky star!¡±


    Zhou Yu finally recovered and stopped coughing. He wiped the water off his body and said in a serious manner, ¡°Little Li is indeed our lucky star. Ever since she came to our house, our entire family has prospered!¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. When our Li¡¯er was born, the sky was shining brightly. She was a blessed child to begin with!¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the vige said that Li¡¯er¡¯s fortune was suppressed because Madam Lai treated us badly!¡±


    Now that she was talking about Madam Lai, Zhang Lan was no longer afraid. Instead, she was visibly dissatisfied and angry.


    Zhou Yu knew that his wife had misunderstood his words, but he did not exin it to her. He followed her words and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Our Li¡¯er is a blessed child.¡±


    He did not intend to tell Zhang Lan that Zhou Xiaoli was not his biological daughter.


    Although he had always known the truth, deep down inside, he always felt that the current Zhou Xiaoli was his daughter. It was just that she had arrived a littlete and in a different way.


    At this time, Zhou Xiaoli had already taken out two silver notes, which were in fact, bank notes. However, they all called it the silver notes over here.


    ¡°Father, Mother, here are 200 taels of silver.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoli handed the two silver notes to Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan.


    It could be said that the two of them had never seen what silver notes looked like since they were born. Now that they saw this piece of paper, they were extremely curious.


    Zhang Lan held it preciously and looked at it from left to right. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it. There are so many words on it.¡±


    ¡°This piece of paper worth 100 taels of silver?¡±


    Zhang Lan could not figure it out.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Of course. With this piece of paper, you can go to the designated bank and collect 100 taels of silver.¡±


    Then, she asked Zhang Lan or Zhou Yu to keep the silver notes, but both of them rejected her repeatedly.


    Zhou Yu: ¡°The woman should manage the family ount and money. Besides, you earned the money. You can keep it for yourself.¡±


    Zhang Lan agreed. ¡°Your father is right. You can keep this money for yourself. There¡¯s no need to give it to your father and me.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s so much money. Mother can¡¯t manage it all. It¡¯s not safe to leave it at home either. Just leave it in your alternate space. No one can steal it then.¡±


    Since the two of them insisted, Zhou Xiaoli did not refuse.


    She had already informed the two of them about the stone. Next, they got to the main topic.


    ¡°Father, Mother, for the past few days, we¡¯ve been busy making sugar with beetroots. Second, we¡¯re a little tight on money. We just bought 23 acres ofnd, but we did not have the time to deal with it yet.¡±


    ¡°Now, the sugar-making business has entered the official stage and we have some money on hand. I thought that Father should hire a few people to help us cultivate the 13 acres of forestnd first, either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.¡±


    When Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan heard that Zhou Xiaoli had wanted to hire someone to work for them, their first reaction was to disagree as they were used to doing all the work themselves.


    ¡°Child, you can¡¯t squander just because you have some money. It¡¯s just 13 acres of forestnd. Your father and I will work hard and cultivate it ourselves. There¡¯s no need to hire people. Isn¡¯t this a waste of money?¡±


    Zhou Yu also agreed. ¡°Your mother is right. If we hire a worker to work, we would have to pay each person more than 30 copper coins a day. We haven¡¯t even started earning money, but we¡¯re already spending money.¡±


    ¡°Besides, how can farmers like us hire people to work? If word gets out, I¡¯m afraid the vigers will criticize us for beingzy.¡±


    For the two of them, who had done honest work as farmers for their entire lives, hiring people to work had never been an option.


    Therefore, their reaction waspletely within Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s expectations.


    Hence, she pulled out the famous saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to lead a team, you would work yourself to death.¡±


    She tried to convince them using emotions at first. ¡°Father, Mother, we have the sugar business to take care of now and I have to go up the mountain to take lessons from the Master. How can you take care of it all? Should the two of you be burnt-out or something happened, how sad will my siblings and I be?¡±


    Then, she continued to reason with them. ¡°Why would hiring people to work be considered as beingzy? This is called saving time to do more valuable things.¡±


    ¡°Look at Landlord Wan and his family. Aren¡¯t they also responsible for supervising others to work? Why can¡¯t we?¡±


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, the two of them loosened up a little, but they still couldn¡¯t ept hiring someone to work for them.


    ¡°Landlord Wan is andlord. How can wepare them to farmers like us?¡± He objected.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re ordinary farmers. We have to work hard.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately shook her head. ¡°No, no. Didn¡¯t Landlord Wan and his ancestors also start off as ordinary farmers? It just happened that they had much more money and bought a lot ofnd, so they becamendlords.¡±


    ¡°Of course. As long as we hire people to work and pay them some remuneration, they can help us earn more money. Then, we can use the money we earn to buy morend. In this cycle, won¡¯t we also be able to bendlords?¡±


    Both of them were stunned by Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words.


    Zhang Lan: ¡°Girl, why are you so good with words?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled and went forward to hold Zhang Lan¡¯s arm. She said coquettishly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m worried about you and Father. It¡¯s already very tiring for you to make sugar every day. If you take time to cultivate the forestnds as well, what if you¡¯re overly exhausted?¡±


    ¡°Now that we have money, we can just hire a few people. We won¡¯t hire too many. Let¡¯s hire three or four first and give it a try. If we don¡¯t earn enough money, we won¡¯t hire them.¡±


    This time, Zhou Xiaoli even acted like a spoiled child.


    As expected, Zhang Lan rxed. She looked at Zhou Yu and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we listen to Li¡¯er first?¡±


    Zhou Yu could only shake his head helplessly. ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯ll listen to ourdy. I¡¯ll go and find out tomorrow if anyone is willing to do it.¡±


    After the matter was settled, Zhou Xiaoli immediately smiled brightly. After putting the money into her alternate space, she said with a smile, ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯ll go see what Little Fishy and Brother Jun are arguing about outside.¡±


    With that, she ran out.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes reddened as she watched Zhou Xiaoli walk out of the room. She felt like crying.


    ...


    Zhou Yu could not help but worry. ¡°My dear wife, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡±


    Zhang Lan wiped the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m happy. Li¡¯er hasn¡¯t acted coquettishly with me for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Ever since we moved out of the Zhou family, our Li¡¯er has automatically taken over the running of our entire family. She seems to have grown up overnight. Her independence makes my heart ache.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good now. Our bodies have recovered. With us in charge of the family, our Li¡¯er also knows how to act her age again slowly. How good.¡±

 Chapter 92 - 92 Zhou Junjun Enters School

    92 Zhou Junjun Enters School


    Zhou Yu could not help but hold Zhang Lan¡¯s hand and said guiltily, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for making you suffer so much with me. In the future, with me around, no one can bully you anymore!¡±


    ¡°Hubby¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli, who had just walked out of the door, heard the conversation in the room.


    When she first came to this house, although her father was silly and her mother was sick, her two siblings were very cute.


    Although her mother was weak, she doted a lot on the children. She would always secretly leave the best for the three children to eat.


    Her father was stupid, but when her family was bullied, he would fight back. She liked this family very much and was willing to sacrifice for it.


    However, she still could not integrate into the family.


    During this period of time, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu cared for her meticulously and her siblings trusted her unconditionally.


    She had truly fallen in love with this friendly family and had truly integrated now. Only then did she start acting like a child with Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu.


    She did not expect Zhang Lan to feel this way.


    It seemed that she had to do this more frequently in the future.


    Thinking of this, she went to look for Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun.


    At this moment, the two little ones were ying with Wei Chiyu in the courtyard.


    Zhou Xiaoyu did not know why she liked to y with knives and other weapons so much. Every time she saw Wei Chiyu, she would pester him to teach her powerful martial arts.


    Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t find it annoying at all. Every time he¡¯s here, he would teach the little one a few moves in all seriousness.


    Compared to Zhou Xiaoyu, who liked to jump up and down, Zhou Junjun was much more cultured. At this moment, he was squatting on the ground and writing with a wooden stick.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked over and watched for a while. When she saw that Zhou Junjun was silently writing the Three Character ssic, she could not help but nod in satisfaction.


    The private school usually has its enrollment in the first lunar month before the farmers start nting their crops i.e. after summer in August, or when winter ising in November.


    It was almost November.


    Now that she had money, she could send Zhou Junjun to school.


    Thinking of this, she asked Wei Chiyu, ¡°By the way, Wei Chiyu, you¡¯re familiar with this area. Do you know where there are good private schools?¡±


    Wei Chiyu couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. After a moment, he said, ¡°I know that the nearest private school is in Dazhuang Vige. It¡¯s a private school started by Landlord Wan for his children¡¯s convenience.¡±


    ¡°The children from the surrounding viges are also allowed to study at that school. There are naturally a few private schools in the city but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s good or not.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. Thinking of Zheng Yongyan, he asked, ¡°Where did Zheng Yongyan study?¡±


    Wei Chiyu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Thest time I saw him, he was going to Dazhuang Vige. He should be studying in a private school in Dazhuang Vige then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She had a n in mind.


    The private tutor that Wan Landlord hired for his children must be pretty good.


    More importantly, it was close to home.


    Zhou Junjun, who was at the side, had already heard their conversation. His eyes lit up as he ran over and grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. He asked excitedly, ¡°Elder sister, am I going to study in a private school?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you want to go?¡±


    In an instant, Zhou Junjun¡¯s little head nodded like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°I want to go!¡±


    Looking at Zhou Junjun¡¯s eager eyes, Zhou Xiaoli could not help but smile. She rubbed Zhou Junjun¡¯s head and said, ¡°Alright, tomorrow afternoon, we¡¯ll go to the tutor.¡±


    Zhou Junjun was overjoyed. ¡°Yay, I can study in a private school too!¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli thought of Zhou Xiaoyu.


    This little girl had been moring to study with Zhou Junjun earlier. Why was she so quiet now?


    She looked around and saw that the little girl was still jumping around, motioning around with the small wooden stick she was holding.


    She waved her hand to gain her attention. ¡°Little Fishy,e here.¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli call her, Zhou Xiaoyu immediately stopped what she was doing and jogged over.


    ¡°Sis, why did you call Little Fishy over?¡±


    The little girl had gained a lot of weight from eating. She was no longer as small as before.


    Her little face was round, and her big eyes twinkled cutely.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but squeeze her hand and ask, ¡°Your brother is going to study in a private school. Don¡¯t you want to go?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu blinked and shook her head. She said in a childish voice, ¡°Mr. Private Tutor doesn¡¯t teach martial arts. I don¡¯t want to go. I want to learn powerful martial arts from Big Brother.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why was this girl bing more and more obsessed with martial arts?


    She could not help but ask, ¡°Why do you want to learn martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Beat up the bad people and protect Sis. Also, Father, Mother, and Brother!¡± Zhou Xiaoyu said without hesitation.


    Zhou Junjun immediately said, ¡°I don¡¯t want your protection. I¡¯m a man. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu snorted. ¡°I know martial arts. I¡¯m very powerful.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Then, is there anything else? What do you want to do after learning martial arts?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu thought for a long time before shaking her head. ¡°Little Fishy doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    With the consideration that Zhou Xiaoyu was only four and a half years old and was not in a hurry to start studying, and that the private school might not ept women, she was not in a hurry at this moment.


    When she reached the age of enlightenment, she would hire a teacher to teach the little one how to read and understand.


    Now, Zhou Xiaoli decides to let her be true to her nature.


    ...


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli did not insist. She smiled and waved her hand, letting the two little ones y.


    ¡ª


    The next day.


    It was another busy day.


    As usual, the Liu family and the vige chief¡¯s family came to make sugar while Zheng Yongfu went out to buy beetroots.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu first went to the homestead and chatted with everyone for a while. After confirming that there were no problems, they went up the mountain together.


    In the afternoon, Zhou Xiaoli informed her master that she had to go and went back home.


    She had agreed with Zhou Junjunst night that she would bring him to the private school to meet his teacher. Naturally, she could not go back on her word.


    After packing a gift, she and Zhou Yu brought Zhou Junjun to Dazhuang Vige.


    Dazhuang Vige was thergest vige within a few miles. After entering the vige, the three of them did not stop and went straight to the private school.


    The private school was built just beside Landlord Wan¡¯s residence. It was a simple courtyard.


    ...


    As soon as they approached, they heard the students reading aloud.


    After Zhou Yu tied the donkey cart to a por tree not far from the entrance of the private school, the three of them quietly entered the private school.


    Although the small courtyard was simple, it was very clean. The courtyard was empty so they saw a stone table in the courtyard once they entered.


    This should be a ce for the students to study outdoors when the weather is cool.


    As they walked further in, they could see a ssroom with natural light streaming in. The windows were wide open, and they could clearly see the students sitting in the ssroom, shaking their heads as they recited with the teacher.


    Although Zhou Yu was not educated and did not know much about etiquette, he knew that they should not disturb the teacher in ss.


    Hence, the three of them found a shady spot in the courtyard and stood there respectfully, waiting for the teacher¡¯s ss to end.


    They waited for an hour.


    After hearing the teacher announce that the ss would take a break for half an hour,


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately looked toward the ssroom and saw the old man had walked out of the ssroom with a book in his hand and was walking straight toward the three of them.

 Chapter 93 - 93 He Was A Mute Before

    93 He Was A Mute Before


    Zhou Yu immediately perked up and subconsciously bowed. ¡°Hello, Sir.¡±


    Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoli also greeted the teacher respectfully at the same time, ¡°Hello, Tutor Tang.¡±


    Tang Sheng nodded at the three of them and asked gently, ¡°Why are you here today?¡±


    He had noticed the arrival of Zhou Xiaoli and the other two a long time ago. He saw that after entering the courtyard, they did not walk up to disrupt his ss and instead, they stood quietly outside and waited for him to finish the ss.


    !!


    Although they were farmers, the family was very polite and from this, he had a good impression of the three of them.


    Simrly, Zhou Xiaoli had a good impression of the old man in front of her.


    Although he was more than 50 years old, his eyes were not cloudy. Instead, they revealed wisdom in them.


    His face, although showing traces of age, did not look rigid. Instead, he looked kind and calm.


    After hearing the teacher¡¯s question, Zhou Yu was so nervous that he did not know where to put his hands. He licked his dry lips and recalled what Zhou Xiaoli had taught him when they were walking here.


    He then said respectfully, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s like this. My son has reached the age of enlightenment, so I want to ask you to see if you can ept my son into school.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Sheng¡¯s gazended on Zhou Junjun, who was standing at the side.


    He saw that the child was standing respectfully. When he looked over, he was not reserved and bowed graciously instead.


    He felt even more satisfied with this potential student.


    Then, he asked, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Zhou Junjun replied respectfully, ¡°Sir, this would be my first year of enrollment.¡±


    Tang Sheng stroked his beard. ¡°Hm, enrollment into a school begins at the age of eight. It¡¯s suitable but just a littlete to start studying now.¡±


    He asked again, ¡°Do you recognize any words?¡±


    Zhou Junjun replied truthfully, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already read the Three Character ssic. I can recognize most of the words and know some counting techniques.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Sheng nodded. He felt that he had a better understanding of the situation now.


    Then, he asked, ¡°Before entering the school, you have to pass a test. Only after passing it can you officially enter the school to study. Do you understand?¡±


    Zhou Junjun immediately nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Alright, follow me then.¡±


    As he spoke, he brought Zhou Junjun to the study room.


    As for Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu, they did not follow along. Instead, they stood in the courtyard and waited.


    Now that the tutor was not around, the students were much more rxed.


    Previously, they had only leaned against the window and peered out. Now, many of them had walked out of the ssroom and were looking at Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu curiously.


    These students were not very old. The oldest was a student from the big ss, who was about 12 or 13 years old. The youngest was a student from the beginner ss, who was only seven or eight years old, about the same age as Zhou Junjun.


    Zhou Yu¡¯s attitude towards these elementary school students was also extremely respectful.


    With the mindset that everyone else except the educated are of a lower ss, he had a natural reverence for those who studied.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli was observing the situation in the private school in a casual manner. At this moment, she saw two familiar figures.


    Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle.


    Madam Lai¡¯s two precious grandsons.


    Ever since she removed the Zhou family¡¯s Feng Shui Evil Formation and reced it with the Fortune Breaking Formation, she had not paid special attention to the oue of their family.


    asionally, she heard bits and pieces from others that Zhou Fugui was exiled and that Madam Lai spent a lot of money to save her son.


    The second son of the family, Zhou Fuchun, became a cripple andpletely useless. He threw tantrums at home all day, hitting and scolding his wife and children.


    Ever since Old Zhou fell ill, he had been bedbound.


    This family was crippled and sick. They also lost their pharmacy business in the county city.


    However, she did not expect that that family would still have the money to send their two precious grandsons to school.


    As Zhou Xiaoli was deep in her thoughts, a rock hit the back of her hand.


    With Lai Jinniang¡¯s indulgence, Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle were used to bullying Zhou Xiaoli.


    Now that Zhou Xiaoli had appeared in the school, they kept calling her a jinx.


    They even threw stones at her.


    Zhou Yu immediately stood in front of Zhou Xiaoli and said angrily, ¡°Anfu, Anle, what are you doing? Stop fooling around.¡±


    Zhou Anfu, who had been pampered, was not afraid at all. He stuck out his tongue at Zhou Yu and made a face.


    ¡°She¡¯s a jinx to begin with. She jinxed my grandfather and my second uncle!¡± He shouted loudly.


    There were not many children from the Boyu Vige among these students. Most of them were from the surrounding viges.


    They do not know much about Boyu Vige.


    In addition, since most of the children were only about age eight or nine, they do not know how to form their own judgment yet. As such, many children believed his words.


    This made everyone look at Zhou Xiaoli with fear.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    With these two boys around, she suddenly began to worry if Zhou Junjun would be bullied.


    As expected, the two boys targeted Zhou Junjun next.


    ¡°Let me tell you, the person who just entered the study room with Tutor is the jinx¡¯s younger brother. If he studies with us, we will definitely be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell him not to let the brother of a jinx study with us!¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t let the jinx¡¯s younger brother enter the school.¡±


    There were already a few children jeering along with Zhou Anfu.


    At this moment, a familiar voice rang out and interrupted their jeering.


    ¡°Zhou Anfu, Zhou Anle! The two of you ndered and even hurt others. Now, you¡¯re isting your future ssmate. Be careful of the Tutor punishing you for this.¡±


    The students seemed to be very afraid of the person who spoke. As soon as the voice rang out, they scattered like frightened birds.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked over and saw Zheng Yongyan walking out of the ssroom.


    He held a book in his hand and walked over in his green robe. He really did look like a humble gentleman.


    However, what he said to her next made Zhou Xiaoli feel that what she had just seen was purely an illusion.


    ¡°Zhou Xiaoli, don¡¯t be too touched. I¡¯m not helping you. I just can¡¯t stand the behavior of these two brats.¡±


    Yes, it was still the Zheng Yongyan she was familiar with.


    Zhou Xiao shrugged and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not touched. Don¡¯t tter yourself.¡±


    ...


    Zheng Yongyan did not continue to bicker with Zhou Xiaoli. He nodded at Zhou Yu and asked, ¡°Uncle, is your Brother Jun going to study in the school?¡±


    Zhou Yu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zheng Yongyan nodded and said to Zhou Yu, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. With me around, no one will dare to bully Brother Jun when he enters school.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Anfu, who had run back to the ssroom, stuck his head out of the window and interrupted unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s still not certain if Zhou Junjun can enter the school.¡±


    Zhou Anle chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. Only smart people can enter our private school. Zhou Junjun is so stupid. He only knows how to speak when he¡¯s eight years old. The Tutor would not want him for sure!¡±


    Upon hearing this, many children were shocked. They came over to ask, ¡°He only learned to speak when he was eight years old? Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. You can go to our vige and ask around. Zhou Junjun used to be a little mute!¡± Seeing that many children were interested, Zhou Anfu said proudly.


    ¡°Haha, so it¡¯s a little mute. That means he¡¯s stupid. Such a stupid person will definitely not pass the tutor¡¯s entrance test.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 94 - 94 Strike

    94 Strike


    As the saying goes, a child¡¯s words carry no harm.


    However, sometimes, the malice from a child was even more chilling.


    Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle were spoiled by Lai Jinniang. They were only seven or eight years old now. If no one corrected them in the future, they would turn out bad in the future.


    Just as they wereughing at Zhou Junjun and saying that he would definitely not pass the entrance examination, the door of the study room was opened. Tutor Tang and Zhou Junjun walked out of the study room together.


    !!


    It was obvious that the tutor was smiling.


    ¡°It seemed that the results were not bad.¡±


    That was what Zhou Xiaoli thought.


    Tutor Tang said, ¡°Rest time is over. Go back to ss and revise the poem I just taught you. I want to check your progresster.¡±


    Since the teacher had spoken, the students immediately bowed respectfully and walked towards the ssroom.


    ¡°Zhou Anfu, Zhou Anle,e here.¡±


    Although the two boys were spoiled by Lai Jinniang, they were still instinctively afraid of the Tutor.


    At this moment, when they heard the Tutor had called for them, they obediently walked over and lowered their heads, not daring to speak.


    Tutor Tang said, ¡°You two didn¡¯t listen to me at all when I taught you how to be a gentleman! In that case, I¡¯ll punish you to go to the back of the school and reflect on your mistakes.¡±


    Clearly, he had heard what had just happened outside.


    Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle did not dare to make a sound. Although they were not convinced by the reason given, they obediently went to stand as punishment.


    After that, Tutor Tang¡¯s gaze fell on Zhou Xiaoli and he asked, ¡°I heard from Zhou Junjun that you taught him how to calcte numbers and the Three Character ssic?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t expect Tutor Tang to ask her this question out of the blue, so she hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Brother Jun started his enlightenmentte, so I casually taught him a little in my spare time.¡±


    Tutor Tang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The ¡®Vertical Calction Method¡¯. Was this a calction method you came up with?¡±


    Hearing this question, Zhou Xiaoli suddenly understood what had happened.


    It was careless of her. She did not know if this world uses the vertical calction method.


    At that time, she had taught this to Zhou Junjun without much thought.


    It was obvious that he had seen Zhou Junjun use it to calcte when he was testing Zhou Junjun.


    She immediately shook her head. ¡°No, no. When I was young, I met an old man on the mountain. He taught me this.¡±


    Afraid that Tutor Tang would get to the bottom of it, Zhou Xiaoli added, ¡°But that old man disappeared after that, and I couldn¡¯t find him again.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a look of regret appeared on Tutor Tang¡¯s face. He sighed with emotion. ¡°I think that old man must be a great talent. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t meet him. This vertical calction is an extraordinary method!¡±


    He thought of something and asked, ¡°Can I teach it to other students?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Of course. I can give you all the forms.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli agreed without hesitation, which made Tutor Tang like her even more.


    Not only was this girl lively, but her attitude was also extraordinary!


    Then, he sighed. It was a pity that she was a girl. If it was a boy, he would have taken her in no matter what.


    He immediately nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll find a time and go to your house to ask you for guidance.¡±


    As such, Zhou Xiaoli had a better impression of Tutor Tang.


    She was his junior in terms of age, but Tutor Tang was willing to take the initiative to ask her for guidance. It was obvious that he was virtuous.


    At this moment, Tutor Tang started talking to Zhou Yu. ¡°You have brought up your two children well. Well, how about this? You don¡¯t have to wait until next month¡¯s school enrollment period. When you go back, find a day and bring your child toplete the official registration.¡±


    Zhou Yu was excited when he saw that his son could enter school immediately and that his two children were praised by the teacher. He bent down even lower and kept thanking the teacher.


    Zhou Xiaoli saw that Zhou Yu had obviously forgotten about the presence of Landlord Wan. Seeing that he did not mention it for a long time, she asked, ¡°Tutor Tang, do you need us to inform Landlord Wan about my brother¡¯s admission?¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s question, Zhou Yu suddenly remembered and immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Do we need to meet Landlord Wan?¡±


    Tutor Tang smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. The final decision of student enrollment into the school lies with me. Landlord Wan is not in charge of the running of the private school. I¡¯ll let him know when the timees.¡±


    Zhou Yu immediately thanked him again.


    Tutor Tang still had sses to teach so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to disturb him further. After making an appointment with Tutor Tang to teach him the vertical calction forms, the three of them left.


    Zhou Yu was still grinning even after the donkey cart had stepped out of Dazhuang Vige.


    Seeing Zhou Yu¡¯s silly look, Zhou Xiaoli was overjoyed. ¡°Father, if you don¡¯t close your mouth, the flies might fly in.¡±


    Zhou Yu was overjoyed. ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t know how happy I am. Brother Jun, when you go to school in the future, you have to study well under the Tutor¡¯s tutge, understand?¡±


    Zhou Junjun immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry, Father. I¡¯ll definitely study hard!¡±


    Zhou Yuughed sheepishly for a while. He then thought of something and could not help but ask in a worried manner, ¡°Ah, right, Li¡¯er, what¡¯s the situation between you and the vige chief¡¯s youngest son? Did you quarrel?¡±


    Zhou Yu must have been worried about her bickering with Zheng Yongyan in the private school today.


    She immediatelyughed. ¡°No, Father, don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t quarrel with him. That kid just likes to bicker with me.¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Zhou Yu felt relieved.


    He had a good rtionship with the vige chief. It wouldn¡¯t be good if their children quarreled as it may hurt their rtionship.


    As they chatted andughed, the three of them drove the donkey cart slowly towards the vige.


    ¡ª


    After going around a pond, the donkey cart made a turn and they could see the entrance of their vige from afar.


    Zhou Xiaoli had good vision, so as soon as she turned the corner, she saw a group of people gathering in front.


    After taking a closer look, she couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise, ¡°Eh? Father, isn¡¯t that our and Wei Chiyu¡¯s homestead? What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many people surrounding it?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Yu also noticed it and could not help but worry, so he sped up.


    Soon, the donkey cart arrived at the entrance of the vige.


    Sure enough, that group of people was surrounding their homestead.


    The construction workers were no longer building houses. They were simply standing around and whispering to each other. Foreman Cao was not here either.


    Zhang Lan was agitated and arguing with a burly man in his thirties.


    Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan chimed in from time to time.


    Liu Liangcai stood in front of the burly man, looking like he was about to fight.


    The two sides quarreled passionately.


    Zhou Yu couldn¡¯t care less about tying the donkey cart up. When he arrived, he jumped down from the donkey cart and immediately rushed over to protect Zhang Lan.


    Seeing that Zhou Yu had returned, Zhang Lan instantly had someone to rely on and felt confident. She scolded the burly man with confidence.


    Zhou Xiaoli followed closely behind. She quickly jumped off the donkey cart and walked over.


    ...


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Before Zhang Lan could exin to her, the surrounding people who were watching themotion exined the ins and outs of the matter.


    This dark, burly man in his thirties was Foreman Cao¡¯s cousin, Cao Liu.


    This afternoon, when Foreman Cao returned home, he met a group of people who beat him up indiscriminately.


    Now, he had been brought to the county city to see a doctor.


    After that, Foreman Cao¡¯s cousin came looking for trouble.


    They incited the construction workers to use this as a threat to demand that Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu give the workers twice the sry, or they would go on strike.

 Chapter 95 - 95 Let’s Go

    95 Let¡¯s Go


    After knowing the situation, Zhou Yu was also quite angry.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being shameless? The price was set before the house was built. How can it change just like that?¡±


    Cao Liu sneered and pointed at Zhou Yu¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. I heard that your family has a jinx daughter!¡±


    ¡°My brother has been beaten up and is still lying unconscious in the medical hall. He might have been jinxed by your family!¡±


    !!


    ¡°We¡¯re risking our lives to build a house for your family now. You have to give us more money. If you don¡¯t give it to us¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he looked back at the workers and shouted, ¡°We¡¯ll go on strike and stop working for them.¡±


    After Cao Liu¡¯s incitement, many construction workers agreed.


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right, let¡¯s strike if they do not pay us more!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Cao Liu is right. If we work for your family now, we¡¯ll be risking our lives. Who knows when we¡¯ll be unlucky and suffer? If you don¡¯t pay us extra, we won¡¯t dare to work again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. There are old and young people in my family. If anything happens to me, what will happen to my entire family? No, no, even if it¡¯s double the money, I won¡¯t do this job anymore!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I quit too!¡±


    ¡­


    The workers started arguing.


    Naturally, there were also a few workers who could tell right from wrong and spoke up for the Zhou and Wei families.


    However, their voices were quickly drowned out by the other voices.


    Hearing those people¡¯s discussions, Zhang Lan was very angry.


    In the past, when the vigers said that her daughter was a jinx, she was sad but kept it all within. She was suppressed by Lai Jinniang then and did not dare to seek justice for her daughter.


    Things are different now. Zhang Lan¡¯s heart had changed a long time ago.


    She firmly believed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words that ¡°the more others will bully you if you don¡¯t resist.¡±


    Seeing that this group of people was putting all the me on her daughter, she lost it immediately.


    She picked up a stick and rushed over, shouting as she went. ¡°If you dare to say another word about my girl being a jinx, just try it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    As she shouted, she waved the stick as a bat at the group of people.


    That attitude stunned Zhou Yu and Zhou Xiaoli.


    In the next second, Zhou Yu immediately followed them. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his thick muscles, and shouted in a rough voice, ¡°If you dare to talk bad about my girl, I¡¯ll fight you to death!¡±


    Zhou Yu was already very strong, and with the nourishment of the spring water from the alternate space, his strength became greater.


    He could knock out one person with just one punch. Even if they ganged up on him, it was as if he was picking up and throwing away chicks instead.


    Zhang Lan was right next to Zhou Yu. When she saw someoneing over, she closed her eyes and waved her bat wildly.


    The couple was going crazy!


    The surrounding vigers were dumbfounded and could only exim, ¡°The Zhou couple is crazy!¡±


    This shocking scene quickly spread throughout the vige. Almost everyone knew that the Zhou couple would fight to their death for their daughter.


    After that, no one in the vige dared to say that Miss Zhou was a jinx.


    As expected, the more cowardly one was, the more one would be bullied.


    Naturally, this is what happened in the future.


    Seeing that her parents had already taken action, Zhou Xiaoli was unwilling to fall behind. She also picked up her weapon and went up to fight!


    Cao Liu, who had been punched a few times by Zhou Yu, was also furious. A hint of viciousness shed in his eyes. He took a brick andunched a sneak attack at Zhou Xiaoli.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s back was towards him, and she did not see the danger approaching.


    The brick was about to hit the back of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s head.


    At this moment, a pair of hands suddenly appeared and grabbed Cao Liu¡¯s arm in time.


    Immediately, there was a scream, and the brick in Cao Liu¡¯s hand fell to the ground.


    Hearing themotion, Zhou Xiaoli quickly turned around and saw Wei Chiyu grabbing Cao Liu¡¯s wrist. His face was expressionless, but it made people shudder.


    Cao Liu shouted in pain, ¡°It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. Spare me, please spare me, please spare me.¡±


    Wei Chiyu remained expressionless. His strength did not decrease. Instead, he exerted more force and lifted his leg to kick the person away.


    He turned to look at Zhou Xiaoli and asked with concern, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Junior Brother.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu and Liu Fengfeng ran over from behind with the wolf cub, panting heavily.


    ¡°Big brother, you run so fast. We can¡¯t catch up to you.¡±


    Then, Zhou Xiaoyu saw Cao Liu and immediately roared fiercely in her cute voice, ¡°Ah, baddie, it¡¯s this big baddie. He bullied Mother. Big Brother, hit him!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t your big brother already knock him out cold?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu pped his hands and jumped up and down. ¡°Big brother is so awesome.¡±


    Then, she saw Zhou Xiaoli looking at her with raised eyebrows. She immediately hugged Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s leg and said coquettishly, ¡°Sis is the best.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was amused by this little one.


    She looked at Wei Chiyu and asked, ¡°Why did youe down the mountain? Didn¡¯t the Master want to teach you this afternoon?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoyu immediately said, ¡°Liu Fengfeng and I went to look for Big Brother.¡±


    It turned out that after Cao Liu and the others came to look for her, Zhang Lan asked Zhou Xiaoyu and Liu Fengfeng to go to the mountain to call Wei Chiyu.


    ¡°No wonder Wei Chiyu could appear so promptly.¡±


    That was what Zhou Xiaoli thought.


    The scene was controlled after Wei Chiyu arrived.


    The workers who had been beaten by Zhou Yu hid far away and did not dare to go forward.


    On the other side, Cao Liu got up from the ground and cursed with a grimace, ¡°You guys are simply too much! Don¡¯t even think about building another brick in this house. Even if you increase the sry, we won¡¯t do it anymore!¡±


    As Cao Liu spoke, he urged the construction workers to follow him.


    Immediately, many people responded.


    ¡°Pfft! That¡¯s right, we quit!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s all go. I want to see how they build their house without us!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Hmph, the weather is about to turn cold. Without us, where would you find workers to build houses in the short term?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can stay in an unfinished house! When the timees, you can beg us and raise the sry for all you want but we won¡¯t do it!¡±


    ¡­


    The more those people spoke, the more they felt that they were in the right and as if they had gained the upper hand.


    Cao Liu was extremely proud seeing the effect of his words on the workers. He looked at Zhou Xiaoli and the others with a shameless expression.


    The current situation was indeed disadvantageous to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family.


    If they change the workers, they may not be able to find other workers toplete the construction in a short period of time. It was alreadyte autumn, and it would be chilly soon.


    When it started to freeze, they would not be able toplete the construction of the house.


    This group of people dared to be this shameless because they knew that Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family was in a hurry to move into the new house.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli would not indulge them. Moreover, with their character as such, Zhou Xiaoli was worried about handing over the construction of the house to them.


    Therefore, after they said that they are quitting, she said coldly, ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t want to build houses for our two families, leave.¡±

 Chapter 96 - 96 Stealing Workers

    96 Stealing Workers


    Although Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu were also worried that the house could not be built before winter, they were also worried about leaving the construction work to Cao Liu.


    Moreover, they were asking for triple of the sry agreed on.


    Therefore, they had the same thought as Zhou Xiaoli.


    He immediately said, ¡°My girl is right. Since you don¡¯t want to work for our family anymore, leave.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan and Liu Liangcai also spoke at the right time. ¡°Brother Zhou, you don¡¯t have to worry about housing. Anyway, no one lives in my uncle¡¯s courtyard. You can stay as long as you want!¡±


    Liu Yan also nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If they want to leave, let them. If we can¡¯t finish the construction this year, we will just continue it the next year. Who would want to spoil them?¡±


    Wei Chiyu naturally agreed with Zhou Xiaoli. He nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. The house can be built anytime.¡±


    Seeing the Zhou and Wei families¡¯ attitude, the workers could not help but feel a little uncertain. They subconsciously looked at Cao Liu.


    After all, this was arge sum of money. They were worried that since they could not ask for more, they may lose a job and hence end up with nothing.


    Cao Liu did not panic at all. Instead, he looked like he had been looking forward to it. ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t want workers anymore, everyone, follow me!¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that Second Master Wan has a job to be done and needs workers. The sry is much higher than here. Everyone, follow me to Second Master Wan¡¯s!¡±


    The Second Master Wan he was talking about was the younger brother of Landlord Wan.


    When the workers heard this, their eyes lit up. That was the Landlord Wan they were talking about, a rich family!


    Working for Landlord Wan would definitely be more beneficial than working for the Zhou and Wei families!


    They immediately expressed their willingness to follow Cao Liu.


    This scene caused Zhou Xiaoli to raise her eyebrows.


    Was it such a coincidence?


    They had just stopped working for their family, and now they are able to start work at the Second Master Wan¡¯s?


    While Zhou Xiaoli was still in doubt, Cao Liu had already left with the group of people.


    Those people might have felt that the opportunity of working for Landlord Wan is too good to miss or that they knew that they were in the wrong and were afraid of Zhou Yu¡¯s strength.


    They didn¡¯t even ask for today¡¯s sry and left just like that.


    In an instant, the surroundings became much more spacious.


    She originally thought that all workers would leave, but she soon realized that there were still eight or nine people left.


    Among those people, there was a tall and strong man called Ma Fei who always smiled foolishly. He was Foreman Cao¡¯s disciple and often followed him around.


    Every time she came to the homestead, he would greet her loudly.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli had a deep impression of him.


    Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with Cao Liu and the others? He has Second Master Wan on his side.¡±


    Hearing this, Ma Fei snorted and said in a rough voice, ¡°I know that Second Master Wan wants to build a house. A few days ago, he looked for my master, but my master rejected him because he had already agreed to do the work for your families.¡±


    ¡°After that, my master¡¯s cousin somehow hooked up with Second Master Wan. I think my master¡¯s injury today must have something to do with this.¡±


    Towards the end, Ma Fei was filled with righteous indignation.


    Then, he said, ¡°That¡¯s why my master was beaten up. It wasn¡¯t Little Lady Zhou¡¯s fault at all. Now that your houses are not finished, we won¡¯t leave.¡±


    The others agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re not leaving. Young Lady Zhou is benevolent to us. She gave us green bean tea with sugar to cool down when she was afraid that we would get heatstroke. We can¡¯t be shameless people like them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if we¡¯re the only ones left, we¡¯ll build the houses for your two families.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Let¡¯s do it now!¡±


    ¡­


    Unexpectedly, these people were quite loyal.


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed.


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu suddenly said, ¡°There are too few of them. We have to find more workers. I happen to have a friend in the city who has connections in this area.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan saw hope again. They immediately said happily, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment and asked Ma Fei, ¡°Brother Ma, how is your master now?¡±


    Ma Fei sighed. ¡°Master¡¯s injuries are quite serious, but he¡¯s fine. They¡¯re all superficial wounds. He should recover soon.¡±


    ¡°Before the Master was sent to see the doctor, he gave me the blueprint of the littledy¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°So, Young Lady Zhou, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely build the house for you. There won¡¯t be a problem!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. Ma Fei looked simple-minded, but he was actually very aware of what¡¯s going on.


    He knew that she was worried that the workers would not know how to build the house without Foreman Cao being here to guide them.


    Zhou Xiaoli was relieved to hear Ma Fei¡¯s words.


    However, she still had to give praise as this was a way to connect with people.


    She immediately said, ¡°Brother Ma is Foreman Cao¡¯s best disciple. I naturally trust you!¡±


    Ma Fei scratched his head and chuckled. At first, he was a little embarrassed. Then, he patted his chest and promised Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Miss Zhou, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll build a house for you even if I have to risk my life!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Thank you very much, Brother Ma. How about this? We¡¯ll visit Foreman Cao tomorrow and invite some workers to help.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is tired today. Let¡¯s go home first. We¡¯ll start work again after I find the workers.¡±


    Then, she said, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, everyone. I¡¯ll count today as a full day¡¯s work.¡±


    ...


    Hearing this, the smiles on their faces widened.


    They had thought that they would be wasting the afternoon since there is no work to be done and they did not have any prior arrangement.


    Since Zhou Xiaoli was willing to give them a day¡¯s sry, they were naturally happy.


    It was their morals that did not allow them to leave the work unfinished just like that, but they also wanted to earn money.


    Therefore, they all happily said their goodbyes.


    Now that everyone had left and the matter was resolved, Zhou Yu suddenly remembered that his donkey cart was not tied up!


    He immediately pped his thigh and shouted, ¡°My donkey cart!¡± Then, he went to the back.


    Then he saw that their donkey cart was parked outside the homestead. Little Wolf was nestled in front of the donkey cart like a guard, watching it and not letting anyone else approach.


    The donkey was also obediently eating grass at the side.


    Zhou Yu immediately patted his chest and rejoiced. ¡°Aiya, good, good. The donkey cart isn¡¯t lost.¡±


    At this moment, an enthusiastic viger beside him smiled and sighed. ¡°Brother Zhou, what breed is your dog? It¡¯s really powerful!¡±


    ...


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, just now, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw wanted to take your donkey cart away amidst the chaos earlier, but your dog discovered them. Good lord, you should see how your dog bit and chased them away!¡±


    ¡°Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw¡¯s clothes were torn and they were attacked to the ground. I almost died ofughter.¡±


    Old Madam Ma!


    A name that they have not heard of in a long while. Ever since they scammed her of a donkey and two chickens, Old Madam Ma and her daughter-inw had avoided her like the gue.


    She had not seen this mother and daughter-inw duo in the vige for a long time.


    Now, she actually dared to steal the donkey cart. Fortunately, the wolf cub was here.


    Zhou Xiaoli squatted down with a smile and patted the wolf cub¡¯s head. ¡°Little Wolf is awesome. I¡¯ll reward you with meat when we get backter.¡±

 Chapter 97 - 97 Study Crisis

    97 Study Crisis


    ¡°Howl.¡±


    The wolf cub seemed to understand what she meant. It let out a proud cry and circled around Zhou Xiaoli excitedly.


    Zhou Yu exined to that person that their family was a wolf, not a dog. Under that person¡¯s shocked gaze, their family returned home.


    The Zhou family.


    !!


    ¡°This damn Cao Liu has wasted so much of our time and hence, we have earned so much less money!¡±


    As soon as they got home, Lin Xiujuan started scolding Cao Liu angrily.


    ¡°This kind of person should be struck by lightning by the heavens!¡±


    Although she was cursing, her hands moved non-stop.


    She had already pulled Liu Yan along and started squeezing the beetroot juice from the pulp. ¡°Sister-inw Liu, let¡¯s use more strength to squeeze it clean. Little Li said that there will be more sugar this way!¡±


    In terms of earning money, Lin Xiujuan was the most active.


    Her mouth and hands did not stop.


    After Cao Liu¡¯s interlude, everyone began to immerse themselves in making sugar.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli was in discussion with Zhou Yu about going to the county city tomorrow.


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°I just made an appointment with Wei Chiyu. We¡¯ll go to the county city to look for his friend tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, do buy some apprenticeship gifts for Brother Jun along the way.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan and the others knew that Zhou Yu had brought Zhou Junjun to the private school to meet the tutor this afternoon.


    After the ruckus caused by Cao Liu and the others just now, all had forgotten to ask about the oue.


    Hearing Zhou Yu say that he wanted to buy an apprenticeship gift, everyone remembered about this matter.


    Lin Xiujuan immediately asked excitedly, ¡°Is the Tutor going to take in your Jun?¡±


    Zhang Lan was also excited.


    Zhou Yu nodded with a smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Tutor said that we don¡¯t have to wait until next month. We can find an auspicious day and bring our child to the school to be his student officially.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this is good news!¡±


    Everyone was immediately attracted by this news and started discussing.


    Liu Yan smiled and suggested, ¡°This is an important date. It¡¯s best to find someone to count which would be an auspicious day.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We have to find an auspicious day.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°Who do you n to look for? Isn¡¯t Li¡¯s master a fortune-teller?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    At the side, Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need a master for this. I can do it. When I went to the private school, I already calcted which days were auspicious for him to start school. In three days¡¯ time, it will be a good day for Brother Jun to be his student.¡±


    Liu Yan smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Oh, right, do you know what to prepare for the school entrance ceremony?¡±


    When they were still with the Old Zhou family, Zhang Lan saw how Lai Jinniang prepared for her grandsons to go to school, so she knew a little about it. She said, ¡°When I was in the Old Zhou family, I saw Lai Jinniang prepare celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, dried longans and dried meat strips.¡±


    As she has a schr at home, Liu Yan was very familiar with this matter. When she heard this, she nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s an exnation for everything.¡±


    ¡°Celery has the meaning of being diligent and eager to learn, and the essence of studying is diligence. The heart of the lotus seed is bitter, so the meaning of that is that education is a bittersweet event as it requires a lot of effort.¡±


    ¡°Red beans symbolize good luck; red dates symbolize that the student would have achievements soon; dried longans symbolizespletion of merit and the dried meat strips of meat are to express the disciple¡¯ thanks to the tutor. Not one can be missing from the gift.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan teased, ¡°It¡¯s different when one has a schr in this family. Look at how much she knows.¡±


    Liu Yan smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, right, Zhang Lan, are the new clothes you made for your son ready? You have to wear new clothes to enter the school as a student to show your respect to the Tutor.¡±


    Zhang Lan had just instructed Zhou Xiaoli to note down the things she wanted to buy. When she heard Liu Yan¡¯s question, she nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. I have even made new shoes.¡±


    At this moment, an envious expression appeared on Lin Xiujuan¡¯s face. She looked at Liu Liangcai and said, ¡°Hubby, we¡¯re making sugar with Brother Zhou¡¯s family now. If we have enough money, let¡¯s send our Brother Feng to a private school to study too.¡±


    Liu Fengfeng, who was having fun with Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu, heard his mother¡¯s words and his face fell. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to study in a private school.¡±


    Upon hearing Liu Fengfeng¡¯s words, Lin Xiujuan was instantly furious. ¡°Hey, child, why don¡¯t you know what¡¯s good for you? Brother Jun is going to a private school to study. Why don¡¯t you go?¡±


    Liu Fengfeng pouted. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to?¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was very stubborn. She raised the spoon in her hand and was about to give him a good beating.


    Liu Fengfeng was so scared that he covered his head and quickly ran away.


    Lin Xiujuan scolded him while Liu Liangcai shouted after her. The mother and son jumped and chased around in the courtyard.


    In the end, Zhang Lan and Liu Yan stopped Lin Xiujuan, saving Liu Fengfeng from a beating.


    Lin Xiujuan ced her hands on her hips and pointed at Liu Fengfeng. ¡°I¡¯m so angry. Why did I give birth to such a disappointing child?! Other people¡¯s children yearn to go to school when they can¡¯t even afford it!


    ¡°You, on the other hand, I scrimped and saved to send you to school, but you¡¯re unwilling to go. Are you trying to revolt?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today. Otherwise, you won¡¯t know what is what!¡±


    Zhang Lan hurriedly pulled Lin Xiujuan back and advised, ¡°The child is still young. Tell him slowly. Don¡¯t be anxious.¡±


    Liu Yan also nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Tell him nicely. Don¡¯t be anxious. The more anxious you are, the more the child won¡¯t listen to you.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was furious. ¡°Then what should we do?! How did you teach your children that they love to study? My child¡­¡±


    Then, she sighed.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be anxious. A beating won¡¯t solve the problem. Instead, it will make the child hate studying even more.¡±


    To Liu Xiujuan, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words carried a lot of weight. Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, she put down the spoon in her hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiujuan had calmed down, Zhou Xiaoli pulled Liu Fengfeng out from behind her and asked, ¡°Brother Feng, why don¡¯t you want to study in school? Don¡¯t you want to study and take the imperial examinations in the future?¡±


    ...


    Although saying this was a little utilitarian, in this era where everything was inferior to having an education, the children of the lower social ss can only break through the sses if they studied.


    Liu Fengfeng bit his lip and remained silent.


    At this moment, Zhou Junjun said, ¡°Elder Sister, you don¡¯t have to ask him. It must be because he wants to y every day and doesn¡¯t want to study.¡±


    Liu Fengfeng¡¯s face immediately turned red. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think that way.¡±


    It seemed that Zhou Junjun was right.


    Zhou Junjun pursed his lips and said in disdain, ¡°Liu Fengfeng, you¡¯re so shameless. All you know is to y. Studying is so good. There are many good stories in the books. If you don¡¯t study, you won¡¯t even understand the stories.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, if you study, you can take the imperial examinations in the future. You can be a high-ranking official and catch bad people. It¡¯s very impressive!¡±


    Indeed, children of the same age were the most easily influenced by each other.


    Hearing Zhou Junjun¡¯s words, Liu Fengfeng immediately said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t want to y. Who said I don¡¯t want to study? I love studying too.¡±


    After saying that, he ran to Lin Xiujuan and said loudly, ¡°Mother, I want to study. I want to read many, many books. I want to be a high-ranking official and catch bad people!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was stunned for a moment before a smile appeared on her face. She immediately nodded and said excitedly, ¡°Alright, alright. As long as you study, I¡¯ll scrimp and save to send you to school at all costs!¡±


    ...

 Chapter 98 - 98 Of Course It Was

    98 Of Course It Was


    Lin Xiujuan was overjoyed that her son was willing to study and even said that he wanted to take the imperial examination and be a high-ranking official.


    After Liu Fengfeng ran away, she chuckled and said, ¡°Little Li is the smartest!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan now had an inexplicable trust in Zhou Xiaoli.


    Anyway, as long as Zhou Xiaoli is with her, she would feel that only good things would happen.


    !!


    As everyone chatted andughed, the afternoon passed.


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu set off for the county city.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s friend lived in Old Qin Alley within Gonggu Alley in the east of the city.


    Therefore, they went straight to the eastern side after they had entered the city.


    There were several alleys in Gonggu Alley in the east of the city. Many families lived there, big and small.


    After the donkey cart slowly entered Gonggu Alley, they could still see many small shops on the street. There were grain and oil shops, pork shops, tofu houses, and so on.


    This was the first time Zhou Xiaoli hade to Gonggu Alley. She was very attracted by the bustling scene in front of her, so she took a few more nces.


    Noticing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s interest in the shops, Wei Chiyu deliberately slowed the donkey cart down.


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed in contentment as she watched, ¡°Hey, Wei Chiyu, this street is quite prosperous.¡±


    It was somewhat like a modern pedestrian shopping street. Although she was a small koi in her previous life, she also loved to shop.


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. There are many people here. Over time, many businesses formed. When youe backter, you can go shopping.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes lit up and she immediately nodded. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s buy the apprenticeship gift here.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, the donkey cart stopped at the entrance of a teahouse.


    Wei Chiyu said that when his friend was free, he would always be at the teahouse. It was better to look for him at the teahouse than at home.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded, but in her heart, she was thinking that his friend must have loved tea a lot.


    As they spoke, the two of them entered the teahouse one after another.


    It was indeed one of the important ces to gather information as shown in the novels and television shows.


    This teahouse was crowded and rowdy.


    Three to five people sat together at each table, munching on peanuts as they chatted.


    Further in was a stage. At this moment, a storyteller was telling an interesting story about the martial arts heroes.


    The audience below cheered at the right time. It was very lively.


    As soon as Zhou Xiaoli and the other man walked in, the waiter ran over and greeted them.


    Wei Chiyu looked around the teahouse and said to the waiter, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±


    At the same time, a burly man in a gray gown also noticed them. He stood up and waved at them. ¡°Big Brother, over here!¡±


    As he spoke, he walked over and said happily, ¡°Brother, what a coincidence. Why are you free toe to the teahouse for tea?¡±


    Half of his face was covered by his thick beard, and he had a booming voice. Looking at his speech and movements, there was a hint of recklessness.


    Wei Chiyu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence, I¡¯m here to look for you.¡±


    That person was instantly excited. He immediately patted his chest and said, ¡°Did someone offend Big Brother? Big Brother, let me know. I¡¯ll bring people to teach him a lesson!¡±


    Wei Chiyu waved his hand. ¡°No, I¡¯m asking for your help. Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡±


    As he spoke, he nced at Zhou Xiaoli.


    Only then did that person notice Zhou Xiaoli, who was standing at the side. He could not help but scratch his head and smile in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s sit first.¡±


    As he spoke, he ran to his seat and pushed the peanut shell on the table to the side before asking Wei Chiyu and Zhou Xiaoli to sit down.


    ¡°This is Miss Zhou, right?¡±


    As soon as he sat down, that person asked casually.


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at him, doubtful of how he knew her, but she nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Haha, my name is Li Da. Everyone calls me Bighead. Miss Zhou, you can also call me Bighead like Big Brother does.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but smile. She had a good impression of this bearded man. She nodded and introduced herself, ¡°My name is Zhou Xiaoli.¡±


    Li Da immediately said, ¡°I know, I know. I often hear Big Brother talk about you. Miss Zhou is really pretty. You¡¯re even more beautiful than that official¡¯s daughter. No wonder Big Brother always talks about you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu coughed.


    Li Da couldn¡¯t help but look at Wei Chiyu. He immediately chuckled and shut his mouth.


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned. She subconsciously looked at Wei Chiyu and saw that his expression was the same as usual. He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed lightly before saying lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. It¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    Hence, Wei Chiyu briefly exined their purpose foring. Finally, he said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any workers to help us now. Didn¡¯t you know many people in the construction business? Can you help us find some workers?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Da immediately patted his chest. ¡°I thought it was something big. Just leave this matter to me. I guarantee that I¡¯ll find the workers for you tomorrow.¡±


    Upon hearing that the workers could be found tomorrow, Zhou Xiaoli immediately thanked him. ¡°Thank you so much. We don¡¯t need a lot. Just seven or eight people will be enough.¡±


    After being thanked by Zhou Xiaoli, Li Da smiled in embarrassment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m willing to do anything for my big brother. This is just a small matter. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh.


    It seemed that Wei Chiyu held a lot of weight in Li Da¡¯s heart.


    After the matter was settled, they exchanged a few more words before Wei Chiyu left.


    Li Da was very reluctant that his big brother was leaving. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯ve only been here for a while and you¡¯re already leaving. We haven¡¯t even talked properly.¡±


    ...


    Wei Chiyu said, ¡°We still have things to do. Next time, I¡¯ll drink with you.¡±


    When he heard about drinking, Li Da¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you. We won¡¯t go home until we¡¯re drunk!¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Wei Chiyu nodded.


    With that, he stood up.


    ¡ª


    After walking out of the teahouse, Wei Chiyu went to get the donkey cart.


    When he came over, Zhou Xiaoli remembered Li Da¡¯s words and teased, ¡°Hey, Wei Chiyu, Li Da said that you often talk about me. What did you tell him about me?¡±


    Wei Chiyu had just sat on the donkey cart when he heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s question. He was stunned and cursed Li Da in his heart.


    Seeing that Wei Chiyu was silent and his ears were slightly red, the little devil in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart began to stir. She couldn¡¯t help but lean over and tease him. ¡°Hey, Wei Chiyu, I¡¯m asking you a question. Why do you always talk about me? Ah, could it be that I¡¯m so perfect that you can¡¯t help yourself but to fall in love with me?¡±


    When Zhou Xiaoli suddenly leaned in close to him, Wei Chiyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw a sly look in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes.


    His eyes shed and the corners of his mouth curled up. This little girl was having fun teasing him. Was she addicted to it?


    ...


    He had to teach her a lesson.


    Thinking of this, his eyes deepened. He looked into Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes seriously and said affectionately, ¡°Of course.¡±


    When Wei Chiyu turned around, the two of them were very close to each other. And now, Wei Chiyu admitted that he had feelings for her in such an affectionate manner.


    Moreover, the way he looked at her was so deep that it seemed as if he wanted to suck her in. Zhou Xiaoli was immediately embarrassed.


    She jumped away and blushed. ¡°You, you¡¯re spouting nonsense. What nonsense are you talking about¡­¡±


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu¡¯s voice rang out again, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because your cooking is delicious.¡±

 Chapter 99 - 99 Wei Chiyu, I Want to Hit Someone

    99 Wei Chiyu, I Want to Hit Someone


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was stunned.


    Wei Chiyu smiled imperceptibly and exined, ¡°Li Da likes to cook, but his food is terrible and he makes me eat it every time. That¡¯s why I often talk about your cooking.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli felt a little awkward and blinked. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it. I thought it was¡­¡±


    At this point, Zhou Xiaoli immediately paused.


    !!


    However, Wei Chiyu did not let her off. He asked innocently, ¡°Huh? What else do you think it is?¡±


    This time, even Zhou Xiaoli, who prided herself on being thick-skinned, blushed.


    When Li Da said that Wei Chiyu often talked about her, she thought that Wei Chiyu liked her.


    Now that she knew the truth, Zhou Xiaoli was a little embarrassed. She was too narcissistic. Ah, how embarrassing. What should she do?


    Zhou Xiaoli was screaming madly in her heart as she tried to fool him. ¡°Ah, um, I didn¡¯t think much of it. I also guessed that it must be because of this.¡±


    She shifted her gaze and quickly changed the topic. ¡°Ah, right. That Li Bighead looks much older than you. Why does he call you big brother?¡±


    Knowing that Zhou Xiaoli was trying to change the topic, Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes shed with a smile, but he went along with her intentions.


    He replied, ¡°Yes, Bighead is indeed a few years older than me. However, I saved his life before. From then on, he called me his big brother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded in understanding. It turned out that he had acknowledged Wei Chiyu as his boss.


    Then, she said hurriedly, ¡°Ah, um, let¡¯s go shopping quickly. We still have to buy Zhou Junjun the Four Treasures of the Study Room.¡±


    As she spoke, she urged Wei Chiyu to hurry up.


    She was afraid that Wei Chiyu would ask the same question again. It would be so embarrassing.


    Wei Chiyu knew what Zhou Xiaoli was thinking, but he didn¡¯t expose her. He nodded dotingly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked the reins and drove the donkey cart slowly away from the teahouse.


    They first went to a few grain stores and bought red beans, lotus seeds, dried longans, and red dates.


    After that, they went to the butcher shop and prepared to buy the dried meat strips.


    Liu Yan said that the tuition fee was 10 dried meat strips for the tutor.


    Therefore, when Zhou Xiaoli asked for 11 dried meat strips, the butcher was shocked and quickly asked if he had misheard her.


    When Zhou Xiaoli exined that it was for her younger brother who was starting at the private school, he smiled and congratted her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s studying. In the future, he can take the imperial examination and bring honor to your ancestors. Come,e, Miss, your meat strips are ready. You¡¯re doing well.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded with a smile and thanked him. Then, she and Wei Chiyu carried the meat strips onto the cart.


    After that, the two of them went to the stationary shop to buy Zhou Junjun the Four Treasures of the Study Room.


    The Four Treasures of the Study Room were brush, ink, paper, and inkstone which were really quite expensive. No wonder many poor children could not afford to study.


    The tuition fees to give to the tutor every year were actually not that bad. A family only needed to scrimp and they should have enough.


    However, after bing a student and entering the school, he would have to buy gifts to show his filial piety to his teacher on every festive season.


    Coupled with these expensive four treasures of the study room, ordinary farmers could not afford to bring up a schr in their family just by farming.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli was not too worried about money.


    After paying, Zhou Xiaoli took the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone they had bought and left the stationary shop.


    After getting on the donkey cart, Wei Chiyu asked, ¡°Where else do you want to go?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment and asked, ¡°The entrance of the stone gambling den in the south of the city?¡±


    Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t ask further and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    With that, he drove the donkey cart to the southern side of the city.


    After going to the transit station to deposit the donkey cart, the two of them entered the den while chatting andughing.


    The entrance of the stone gambling den was as lively as thest time she came, but this time, Zhou Xiaoli specially came to buy stones.


    Therefore, after entering the den, she began to pretend to be rxed as she strolled around, but she was actively looking for a suitable stone.


    At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded out. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you thedy who bought that stone the other time?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her head and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a tall and thin man wearing a in shirt withrge sleeves, speaking to her.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s look of confusion, the man continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me? You bought the stone that I liked thest time.¡±


    Then, he turned around and said to hispanion, ¡°This is the youngdy I told you about. She¡¯s a newbie. Last time, she bought a stone that I liked and got an ice-type jade. I missed that jade back then!¡±


    Towards the end, that person¡¯s tone of voice was filled with frustration and regret.


    Hearing these words, Zhou Xiaoli immediately understood and remembered who this big brother was.


    However, she wasn¡¯t too warm towards him. She said, ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s you. However, let me correct you. That stone isn¡¯t something you valued. It¡¯s something you didn¡¯t want.¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, the man smiled awkwardly and exined to his friend, ¡°Sigh, at that time, I also took a fancy to it. I hesitated for a moment and wanted the shopkeeper to lower the price for me. Then, this little girl bought it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t want to pay attention to this person anymore. He regretted it and was spouting nonsense to make himself feel better.


    She simply nodded. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    As she spoke, she was about to leave with Wei Chiyu.


    However, that person stuck close to her and introduced himself warmly. ¡°Hey, littledy, don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. My name is Liu Gen. What¡¯s your name? Let¡¯s be friends.¡±


    Wei Chiyu immediately stood in front of Zhou Xiaoli. He frowned and red at Liu Gen. It was obvious that the atmosphere was gloomy then.


    Liu Gen was a little angry. Wei Chiyu had ruined his ns, but when he looked up and saw the man in front of him with a strong aura about him, it was obvious that he¡¯s not one to be trifled with. He became a little afraid. He chuckled and said, ¡°I just want to be friends.¡±


    However, he did take a step back and put some distance between him and Zhou Xiaoli, but he had no intention of giving up.


    ...


    Thus, he followed Zhou Xiaoli around the den.


    As long as Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze lingered on a stone for a few more seconds, he would rush over and pick it up. ¡°Ah, this stone looks pretty good.¡±


    Under his interference, many shop owners carefully inspect their stones after seeing that they were chosen by Zhou Xiaoli. They either refused to sell them or raised the price.


    This made Zhou Xiaoli extremely annoyed.


    After the shopkeeper raised the price again, Zhou Xiaoli was a little angry. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Wei Chiyu, I want to hit someone.¡±


    As she spoke, she moved her wrist.


    Wei Chiyu said, ¡°Let me do the beating. It would hurt you if you hit someone.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned around and pushed Liu Gen to the stall.


    There was a loud bang from the stall¡¯s framework. It was obvious how painful the push was.


    Instantly, Liu Gen cried out in pain. ¡°Ah, young hero, spare me, spare me. I just want to make friends, it¡¯s true.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was greatly angered by this person. Even though he was pushed against the frame, she was not appeased. So she said, ¡°No, I¡¯m so angry, I want to hit someone. Let¡¯s see if I can vent my anger by hitting you.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 100 - 100 Trap

    100 Trap


    Wei Chiyu immediately nodded. He did not let go of Liu Gen¡¯s hand and said to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Use your foot to vent your anger. Your hand won¡¯t hurt then.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    As she spoke, she raised her leg and kicked Liu Gen¡¯s butt, causing him to cry out in pain.


    Zhou Xiaoli finally heaved a sigh of relief as she vented her anger.


    !!


    ¡°Get lost. Stop following me. You¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    After Zhou Xiaoli scolded him, Wei Chiyu kicked him away.


    After being beaten up, Liu Gen restrained himself a lot. He was no longer like a fly that stuck to people.


    However, he refused to give up. Although he didn¡¯t stick to her anymore, he changed to hiding in the dark and followed her quietly.


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that she could not continue like this. She had to think of a way.


    Thest time her stone revealed an ice-type jade, it was indeed a little ostentatious. Many people had already noticed her.


    In that case, whenever shees to buy stones in the future, it would be like today. Her Heavenly Eye should not be wasted like this.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli came to a shop.


    The owner of this shop was the only one among the many shops who did not raise the price and even spoke up for her.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked over with a smile. At first, her gaze lingered on a particr stone for a long time. She even asked him seriously and carefully. Then, she acted as if she wanted to buy it.


    As expected, Liu Gen was like a rabid dog that suddenly rushed out.


    He reached out and snatched the stone up. ¡°Eh, this stone is not bad. Boss, I like it. I want it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned for a moment, but she pretended to be angry and said angrily, ¡°Hey, why are you like this? I took a fancy to this stone first!¡±


    Liu Gen pretended to be surprised, as if he had just seen Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Ah, what a coincidence. It¡¯s you again! Last time, we had our eyes on the same stone. I gave in to you.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we would fancy the same stone this time round. It¡¯s really fate. However, I won¡¯t let you have it this time.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. This person was really shameless since he was the one who rejected the stonest time.


    But now, he regretted it and started to deceive himself. He blinded his own eyes and thought that someone had snatched his stone.


    She regretted that she did not use all of her force in kicking him just now!


    She scolded this person in her heart, while her face was filled with anger as she argued with Liu Gen.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli insisted on fighting for the stone, Liu Gen was even more determined to get it.


    He mmed the table and said loudly, ¡°I¡¯ll state my position. I want this stone no matter what you say today!¡±


    The shopkeeper tried to persuade him. ¡°Liu Gen, thisdy asked about this stone first. You can¡¯t do this. There are rules in our industry. You¡¯ve been here all year round. You should know about it, right?¡±


    Liu Gen said shamelessly, ¡°I naturally know the rules of our industry. You don¡¯t have to remind me.¡±


    ¡°So what if this youngdy asked first? She didn¡¯t say that she liked it, nor did she say that she wanted to buy it. I was the one who voiced out first that I want to buy it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered in her heart and sighed. She pretended to be angry and said, ¡°Fine, fine. I won¡¯t argue with you anymore. I¡¯ll buy something else!¡±


    Liu Gen was extremely pleased. He spent five taels of silver to buy the stone that was the size of two palms put together.


    Then, he ran to cut the stone arrogantly. Unexpectedly, the stone yielded green jade.


    Although it was not a high-quality jade, it was sold for 20 taels of silver so he earned 15 taels of silver instantly.


    Liu Gen seemed to have discovered the way to get rich and was overjoyed.


    ¡°Aiya, Liu Gen my brother, not bad today. You found jade in your first stone of the day. I guess you¡¯re going to be lucky today.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s alright. I have a good feeling today.¡±


    Thepliments from the people around him made Liu Gen even more excited.


    It was worth the effort spent in approaching Xue Min to ask about Zhou Xiaoli before going to her vige to ask about her.


    Zhou Xiaoli was indeed as lucky as the vigers said.


    These five taels of silver were worth it!


    After feeling pleased with himself, he began to look around for Zhou Xiaoli.


    The stone gambling den was only so big and once there was jade found in the stone, news of it spread quickly.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli had also learned that the stone Liu Gen had bought had jade within.


    She was not surprised at all. That stone had spiritual energy, but it was sparse.


    After all, it was bait. It had to have some result to hook the fish.


    As a result, he had already gotten carried away and started to stare at her again.


    The shopkeeper felt a little indignant for Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°This Liu Gen is really too much. Youngdy, don¡¯t be too sad. I still have a lot of good stones here. Look at the others. Perhaps the next one will be even better than Liu Gen¡¯s!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pretended to be sad and nodded. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Liu Gen was wandering not far away from her, so she began to study the stone seriously.


    In the end, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze fell on an area of the shop. She pointed at a row ofrge rocks and asked, ¡°Boss, these raw stones are so big. Are they very expensive?¡±


    The shopkeeperughed and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. These rocks are top-notch rocks from Ningzhou. If there¡¯s jade within, it¡¯ll be worth a lot!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t take the rest of the sentence to heart. She only heard the word ¡°expensive¡± and was satisfied.


    Zhou Xiaoli found arge raw stone with almost no spiritual energy among the pile of raw stones and began to look at it carefully.


    When the shopkeeper saw that Zhou Xiaoli was interested in the stone, he said repeatedly, ¡°Youngdy, you have good taste. This raw stone is the best I brought from Ningzhou this time. Naturally, it¡¯s not cheap. It costs 100 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°However, if you¡¯re lucky and get a top-grade jade or something, this rock will be worth ten thousand gold.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but smile meaningfully when she heard that it cost 100 taels of silver. She praised, ¡°Yes, yes, this is good.¡±


    ...


    Liu Gen, who had quietly approached, naturally heard the shopkeeper say the word ¡°ten thousand gold¡±.


    He could not help but feel restless. However, he had to spend 100 taels of silver to buy it, so he was a little hesitant.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli touched the stone with a look of fondness on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I seem to have a feeling about this stone. I really like it. Alright, let¡¯s be sure¡­¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was about to make a decision, Liu Gen, who was still in a dilemma, gritted his teeth and made up his mind.


    Forget it, let¡¯s take a gamble!


    If there was jade within, he would be rich!


    Thinking of this, he rushed over. He ced his hand on the stone and said first, ¡°Shopkeeper, this stone is not bad. I want it!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli snorted coldly in her heart. He was too anxious.


    However, she still had to put on a show. She immediately said angrily, ¡°Are you done? You snatched my stone earlier, and now you¡¯re doing it again? I took a fancy to this stone first. No way that I would let you snatch it away!¡±


    Liu Gen said shamelessly, ¡°Hey, what are you saying? What do you mean by I¡¯m snatching your things? I was the one who said I wanted this stone first. If you¡¯re hesitating, don¡¯t me others for being faster than you!¡±


    ...

 Chapter 101 - 101 Continue Cutting

    101 Continue Cutting


    This time, even the shopkeeper could not stand it anymore. ¡°Liu Gen, aren¡¯t you going too far! I won¡¯t sell it to you this time. I¡¯ll only sell it to this girl.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Gen was instantly infuriated. ¡°Hey, I say, what¡¯s wrong with you? You should sell it to the person who first said that they want to buy it!¡±


    In order to provoke the other party into buying it, Zhou Xiaoli argued with reason and refused to give in no matter what.


    Immediately, the argument between the two sides became more and more intense.


    !!


    Many people saw themotion and ran over to take a look.


    After exchanging information with each other, they understood the reason for the argument.


    Someone could not help but criticize Liu Gen.


    ¡°Liu Gen, that¡¯s not right. How can you break the rules like that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re embarrassing us and the industry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already snatched a stone from her. It can be considered as resolving your regret fromst time. You should let it go. Don¡¯t go overboard.¡±


    ¡­


    The surrounding people discussed animatedly. Many of them felt that Liu Gen¡¯s actions were too shameful.


    Naturally, there were also many people discussing the stone that was being fought over.


    Moreover, some people who had been around in this industry began to analyze this stone.


    In fact, Zhou Xiaoli did not really understand their analysis. She only knew that most of them had quite good evaluations of this stone.


    ¡°Yes, based on my many years of experience, there¡¯s a high chance that this leather-like raw stone can produce the top-grade ss Jade, but it¡¯s also very likely that it will be empty.¡±


    One of the ¡°experts¡± in ancient stone gambling stroked his beard and spoke eloquently.


    Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli almostughed out loud.


    Mm, listening to men like him is like listening to a load of rubbish.


    Could this be the ancient version of a master of nonsense literature?


    Zhou Xiaoli quibbled inwardly.


    Liu Gen, who was at the side, became even more excited when he heard that there was a possibility of the stone producing ss jade quality.


    At first, he was a little hesitant, but now, he¡¯s determined to buy this raw stone no matter what.


    However, the shop owner had said that he would not sell the raw stone to Liu Gen.


    ¡°Hmph, although I¡¯m just a small merchant, I know the rules of our business!¡±


    After saying that, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a much friendlier attitude. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only sell this raw stone to you!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Gen was extremely angry. He was like an ant on a hot pan, extremely anxious.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt that the shopkeeper had a good moral character.


    It was time for him to earn more money.


    Seeing that the setting was about right, she smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, you¡¯re so nice.¡±


    As she spoke, she touched her pocket to take out the money.


    However, in the next second, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s expression changed drastically. She said in horror, ¡°Hey, where¡¯s my purse? It was still on me just now.¡±


    As she spoke, she searched everywhere on her body. Then, she said sadly, ¡°Why is my purse missing!¡±


    ¡°Wei Chi-yu, did you have it?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s face was filled with anxiety, but she silently gave Wei Chiyu a look.


    Wei Chiyu knew what Zhou Xiaoli was thinking, so he immediately panicked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not with me. You bought something earlier, and the purse was with you then. Could it be that you have met a pickpocket!¡±


    ¡°Ah, then what should we do?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was so anxious that she seemed like she could cry.


    However, she praised herself in her heart. ¡°Aiya, my acting skills are really good.¡± she thought.


    On the other side, Wei Chiyu also looked troubled. ¡°Then what should we do? I don¡¯t have enough money on me now to buy this stone.¡±


    The shopkeeper did not think that it was because Zhou Xiaoli did not want to buy it anymore. He hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, look for it again.¡±


    He mobilized the people around him. ¡°Hey, everyone, pay attention. Look around for pickpockets. Don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    Instantly, the surrounding people became vignt.


    They came here to bet on stones either because they had some spare money or because they were gambling with their family¡¯s remaining money.


    No matter what, everyone would have a good amount of money on him. If it was stolen by a pickpocket, it would be terrible.


    Immediately, almost everyone checked for their money bags.


    At this moment, a sneer sounded.


    Liu Gen said mockingly, ¡°What do you mean by meeting a pickpocket? I think she doesn¡¯t have money at all. I¡¯m dying ofughter.¡±


    Then, he clicked her tongue. ¡°Sigh, shopkeeper, your taste is bad. Look at what this youngdy is wearing. You could tell that she doesn¡¯t have money.¡±


    ¡°Besides, how old is she? Would her family give her this amount of money? How can she afford a stone of this price? Tsk tsk, she must have misjudged!¡±


    Towards the end, he smiled smugly.


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered in her heart, but she pretended to be red-eyed and said, ¡°You, don¡¯t talk nonsense. I have money. Didn¡¯t I earn money thest time? My purse was really stolen by a pickpocket!¡±


    Liu Gen did not listen to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s exnation. Right now, he was happily asking the shopkeeper to sell him the stone.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, my family owns a restaurant in the county city. No matter what, it¡¯s easy for me to take out 100 taels of silver. Don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡±


    With that, he generously threw a silver bag over and waved his hand. ¡°This stone is mine!¡±


    ...


    The shopkeeper frowned and looked at Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked helpless andmented, ¡°Forget it, you have to earn money to support your family. You can sell this stone to him. Perhaps it¡¯s fate that this stone isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    The shopkeeper took a deep breath. He had his bottom line in doing business, but earning money to support his family was the most important.


    In the end, he could only nod and sell the stone to Liu Gen.


    ¡°Tsk, why didn¡¯t you do this earlier? You have wasted my time!¡±


    Liu Gen snorted, picked up the stone, and went to the stone-cutting shop arrogantly.


    Immediately, the onlookers followed him. They all wanted to see with their own eyes what the raw stone could produce.


    It could be said that this was the most lively moment in history in front of the stone-cutting shop.


    Apanied by shouts and under everyone¡¯s anticipation, the machine started humming.


    The spinning de hit the stone with a loud sound, and the stone was slowly cut open.


    Finally, the stone was cut through, and the inner color inside the stone could be seen.


    ...


    Almost everyone craned their necks to look.


    However, the jade that Liu Gen was expecting did not appear. Instead, it was reced by a grayish-white stone.


    What was different was that there was a little bit of green color on the cut surface of the stone.


    Instantly, the surroundings were filled with sighs.


    Liu Gen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Why, why isn¡¯t there any! This shouldn¡¯t be!¡±


    The person at the sideughed. ¡°What are you saying? There are naturally all kinds of possibilities for stone gambling. Otherwise, why would there be a saying that one would be poor or rich with just a single sh of the de?¡±


    Liu Gen felt terrible. He looked at the stone and felt a little dizzy.


    ¡°Do you want to keep cutting?¡±


    At this moment, the voice of the stone-cutting master rang out.


    Liu Gen suddenly remembered that when Zhou Xiaoli had to cut it a second time before the ice-type jade was revealed previously.


    Hope immediately reignited in his heart, and he said in a trembling voice, ¡°Cut, continue cutting!¡±

 Chapter 102 - 102 Another Crazy One

    102 Another Crazy One


    The stone-cutting master advised him ording to the rules. ¡°If you cut it again and nothing turns up, this stone would be worthless. Have you thought about it?¡±


    Liu Gen swallowed his saliva and looked at the stone, his eyes bulging. Finally, he finished his appraisal and said, ¡°Cut!¡±


    Then, there was another buzzing sound. The raw stone was cut in half again, revealing the cut surface inside.


    As expected, it was still grayish-white stone mixed with specks of green.


    !!


    Nothing!


    How did this happen?


    Liu Gen¡¯s mind went nk and his legs went weak. He copsed to the ground and muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. It shouldn¡¯t be. Didn¡¯t they say that she was protected by the Dragon King?¡±


    When the surrounding people heard this, they sighed.


    ¡°Liu Gen, have you lost your mind from the blow? What nonsense are you talking about? What protection from the Dragon King?¡±


    ¡°Alright, another crazy one. Hahaha.¡±


    They were talking andughing, but they didn¡¯t find it strange. It was amon sight as stone gambling is a game of high risk and high reward.


    Naturally, there were also people who were greatly disappointed.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, thepetition was so intense just now. I thought it was some top-grade stone so I stopped doing business to take a look. Look, he didn¡¯t even manage to have a low-quality jade. He lost everything.¡±


    ¡°This Liu Gen must have really been kicked in the head by a donkey. That youngdy is a newbie. It¡¯s good for newbies to be lucky in the beginning, but they¡¯ve already opened two. Even if she had beginner¡¯s luck, it should be gone by now. He deserves it for snatching stones from a newbie.¡±


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s a tragedy for him.¡±


    After Liu Yu bought the stone, Zhou Xiaoli did not leave. Instead, she watched from afar. When she saw the oue as she had expected, she sneered.


    She turned around and said happily to Wei Chiyu, ¡°Let¡¯s buy a few stones before going home.¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes darkened, and an imperceptible gentleness shed across his eyes. He nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡ª


    Previously, when many people at the entrance of the arena saw Liu Gen following Zhou Xiaoli and snatching her stone, they thought that this little girl was a powerful person who was hiding something.


    From the looks of it, she was just an ordinary novice who had just entered the industry. Because it was her first time, she had beginner¡¯s luck.


    Instantly, everyone understood what was going on and stopped paying attention to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Sensing that the random gazes had disappeared, Zhou Xiaoli smiled. Alright, she had achieved her goal.


    Zhou Xiaoli, who was in a good mood, hummed a tune and went to the stall that she had already set her sights on.


    She pointed at one of the stones. ¡°This stone looks good. Buy it. Put it in a flower pot when you get home. It will definitely look good.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli blinked as she spoke in an extremely casual manner.


    Wei Chiyu was in charge of paying.


    After all, Zhou Xiaoli just said that her purse was missing. She could not expose herself now by paying.


    Thus, Zhou Xiaoli casually bought three stones and prepared to leave.


    As for the shop owners who had originally raised the prices, they shook their heads when they saw Zhou Xiaoli buying stones as if she was buying steamed buns.


    ¡°I thought she was some powerful figure, but it turns out that she¡¯s just a willful youngdy. Sigh, she¡¯s just relying on her looks to be pampered by her husband now. If her husband gets tired of her, I don¡¯t know how she¡¯ll be cut off!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. If she¡¯s my wife, I don¡¯t care how good-looking she is. If she dares to be such a spendthrift, I¡¯ll beat her to death!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that man is a good person either. He spent money on his wife frivolously. If I were his father, I would be furious!¡±


    As soon as Zhou Xiaoli left, a few people shook their heads and began to discuss Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu.


    It was obvious that they regarded Wei Chiyu as Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s husband.


    Wei Chiyugged behind as he paid for the various purchases. He hadn¡¯t gone far and since he practiced martial arts, he had sharp hearing. He heard those people¡¯s words clearly.


    He couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes. He turned around and walked back. He looked at the person who started the discussion and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m happy to earn money for my wife to spend. I won¡¯t get tired of spoiling her for the rest of my life. Why? Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s tone was clearly very calm, but his sharp gaze could make one¡¯s legs and stomach tremble with just a nce.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question. Why? Are you mute?¡± Wei Chiyu¡¯s tone turned colder.


    His palm seemed to gently hit the table but a finger-sized stone on the table shattered into pieces from the impact.


    That person subconsciously swallowed his saliva and shook his head.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any objections. Young Master and Miss are a perfect match. You will definitely be together for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What about you guys?¡±


    Wei Chiyu looked at the few people who had agreed in unison earlier.


    The few of them immediately waved their hands and shook their heads. ¡°No, no, I do not have any objections.¡±


    Wei Chiyu frowned. ¡°What else?¡±


    Those people were stunned. They looked at each other and immediately understood what he meant.


    ¡°Young Master and Miss will definitely be together for 100 years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Young Master and Miss are a golden couple, a match made in heaven.¡±


    ¡­


    Only then did Wei Chiyu lighten up. He said coldly, ¡°I advise you to watch your mouths. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind helping you to seal it up.¡±


    Those people were so frightened that they kept quiet out of fear and only dared to nod.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli, who had noticed that Wei Chiyu was not following her, turned around and shouted.


    ...


    Only then did Wei Chiyu remove his cold gaze on them. He turned around and walked towards Zhou Xiaoli with a calm expression.


    When Wei Chiyu stood beside her, Zhou Xiaoli asked curiously, ¡°Why did you go back? What are you doing?¡±


    Wei Chiyu said very calmly, ¡°Oh, those people praised us. I went back to thank them.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her eyebrows and looked at the people who were wiping their sweat from afar. She asked suspiciously, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°They praised you for your beauty.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately fell silent. She recalled that she had just used this word to praise herself today.


    She could not help herself but y dumb andugh. ¡°Haha, they have good taste.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Wei Chiyu smiled.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly. If we¡¯rete, the Master will definitely punish me.¡±


    As Zhou Xiaoli spoke, she pulled Wei Chiyu along and prepared to leave.


    At this moment, a sharp cry suddenly rang out.


    ...


    Immediately after, Liu Gen ran over and blocked their path.


    ¡°You want to run after hurting me like that? No way!¡±


    As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and looked like he was going to fight with all his might.


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned and said impatiently, ¡°Why are you so difficult to deal with? You¡¯re the one who stole my stone and made a loss. Are you crazy to look for me now?¡±


    After losing 100 taels of silver, Liu Gen¡¯s eyes turned red and he looked like a rascal. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You¡¯re the one who tricked me. You have topensate me for my losses. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about leaving!¡±


    When the surrounding people saw this, they tried to persuade him. ¡°Liu Gen, forget it. Forget it. You¡¯ve been in this stone gambling den for so many years. Don¡¯t you know? This is what stone gambling is like. When the stone has not been cut open, who knows if it¡¯s a treasure or a dud?¡±

 Chapter 103 - 103 Fist Is Better

    103 Fist Is Better


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It can¡¯t be that you can¡¯t afford to lose!¡±


    Obviously, Liu Gen would not listen to advice.


    Zhou Xiaoli was so annoyed by Liu Gen that she could not be bothered to waste her breath on him.


    She stretched her wrists and ankles and said to Wei Chiyu, ¡°Wei Chiyu, my hands are itching.¡±


    !!


    Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Wei Chiyu attacked.


    Before anyone could see what was happening, Liu Gen was pressed to the ground.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked up to him before punching and kicking him. Of course, she avoided hitting him on his vitals, but wherever her attacknded, it would result in a lot of pain but would not leave obvious scars or hurt his life.


    After a few punches, Liu Gen began to beg for mercy.


    People were watching from the side, but not many dared toe up and stop the fight.


    Thus, Liu Gen was pressed to the ground by Zhou Xiaoli and he received a good beating.


    Finally, after venting her anger, Zhou Xiaoli pped her hands free of dust. She then coldly asked, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you would still dare toe and bother me!¡±


    Liu Gen was beaten until he was crying for his parents. He begged for mercy and said that he would not dare to do it again.


    Zhou Xiaoli kicked him again. ¡°Then get lost! Don¡¯t let me see you again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you!¡±


    Liu Gen was scared out of his wits. He nodded, got up from the ground, and ran away in a sorry state without looking back.


    Zhou Xiaoli snorted andmented that fists were still the most useful when dealing with such people!


    Want to be shameless? I¡¯ll beat you till you don¡¯t dare to make a sound!


    This time, no one came to block their way. Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu sessfully left the den.


    After taking the donkey cart from the transit station, the two of them did not stay any longer and went straight to the clinic that Foreman Cao was in.


    However, they missed him. Foreman Cao had already been brought home by his family.


    Thinking that they would visit Foreman Cao another day, the two of them went home first.


    This time, they rushed home just in time for lunch.


    Zhang Lan brought all the bowls and chopsticks to the table and started to call everyone toe to the table to eat. ¡°Alright, alright. Stop looking at the items. Come and eat.¡±


    ¡°Li¡¯er, Chiyu, quickly go wash your hands. We would have time to move things downter.¡±


    ¡°Brother Jun, stop looking. Take your sister to wash her hands. Your father caught a lot of river crabs in the fish basket set in the riverst night. We have steamed crabs this afternoon.¡±


    Zhou Junjun was gingerly holding the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone that Zhou Xiaoli had bought for him. At this moment, he could not bear to put it down. When he heard Zhang Lan¡¯s shout, he did not move at all.


    At the side, Zhou Xiaoyu was extremely anxious. She kept shouting, ¡°Brother, let me see, let me see.¡±


    Zhou Junjun did not let go at all. He hugged the items tightly to himself. ¡°Third Sister, don¡¯t touch it. Don¡¯t touch it. What if you break it? Elder Sister bought this for me!¡±


    As the two of them argued, Zhou Xiaoyu burst into tears.


    ¡°Bad brother, I will tell Sis that you bullied me.¡±


    Zhou Junjun was still hugging his Four Treasures of the Study Room like a treasure. He snorted and said, ¡°How shameless. Why should you tell our elder sister about our matters? You¡¯re a snitch. You¡¯re a crybaby.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu wiped her tears and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not a snitch. I¡¯m a crybaby!¡±


    Zhou Junjun: ¡°Then why did you still say that you were going to tell our Elder Sister? Tell Elder Sister that you¡¯re a snitch and you¡¯re still crying? You¡¯re such a crybaby!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu wiped her face with her hands and stopped crying. She sobbed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Sis. I¡¯m not a snitch. I didn¡¯t cry either!¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Lan shouted again, ¡°Brother, Third Sister, what are you doing? Come and eat!¡±


    Obviously, Zhang Lan¡¯s tone became more serious.


    The two little ones stopped arguing and went to the dining table one after another.


    Zhou Junjun sat down first, still holding his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled at his actions. ¡°Brother Jun, how are you going to eat with a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in your hands? Put it down for now.¡±


    Zhou Junjun shook his head and insisted, ¡°I can eat with one hand.¡±


    Zhang Lan frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat crabs? How can you eat them with one hand?¡±


    However, crabs were not that tempting anymore. Zhou Junjun blinked and was unmoved.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu walked over after washing their hands.


    With a nce, she saw that Zhou Junjun was still carrying his Four Treasures of the Study Room.


    Zhou Xiaoliughed. ¡°No, Brother Jun, we¡¯re eating. Why are you holding this?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. I told him off, but he still ignored me. This child is really¡­¡±


    In fact, Zhou Xiaoli could understand Zhou Junjun¡¯s feelings. He was just a child. Once he got something he liked, he would love it so much that he could not bear to part with it. He had to bring it with him wherever he went. Otherwise, he would be worried.


    Hence, she smiled and said, ¡°Brother Jun, if you carry them to eat like this, you¡¯ll dirty the paper. Don¡¯t tell me you want to cover the paper with oil before you write on it?¡±


    These words were very effective on Zhou Junjun, who was extremely fond of the items. He started to hesitate.


    Zhou Xiaoli added, ¡°Put them away first. They can¡¯t run away, can they?¡±


    Zhou Junjun lowered his head and looked at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in his arms. In the end, he nodded and ran back to his room to put the Four Treasures of the Study Room away.


    Zhang Lan smiled and said, ¡°These two children listen to Li¡¯er the most.¡±


    Then, she gestured for Wei Chiyu to sit down.


    The entire family sat down. At this moment, Zhou Junjun ran out of the room and said happily, ¡°Elder Sister, I¡¯ve already ced it away!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Good boy, sit down and eat.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhou Junjun nodded and jogged back to his seat.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyu, who was sitting beside him, was unhappy.


    Jumping down from the stool, she raised her butt and picked up her small stool. She staggered to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side and said, ¡°Sister, Little Fishy wants to sit with you.¡±


    Although Zhou Xiaoli was puzzled, she asked Wei Chiyu to move aside to make room for Zhou Xiaoyu. ¡°Alright, put the stool in.¡±


    When their family ate, they did not follow the rules of seniority. They just ate together as a family. Happiness was the most important.


    Therefore, after everyone was seated, it was time to eat.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at Zhou Xiaoyu, who was pouting unhappily, and then at Zhou Junjun. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you sitting with your brother today? Don¡¯t you usually stick to him?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu pouted and said fiercely, ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit with my brother. I¡¯m not ying with him anymore!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was almost amused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you friends with him again?¡±


    This time, Zhou Xiaoyu pouted. ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t be friends with him!¡±


    Upon seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli knew that the two little fellows were throwing a tantrum, so she didn¡¯t care about them anymore. It was better to let them solve these small problems themselves first.


    ...


    Hence, she smiled and said, ¡°I bought you a beautiful hairpin in the city today. Do you want it?¡±


    Children were the easiest to coax. When she heard that, her round eyes lit up and she immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°Alright, have a good meal. After dinner, I¡¯ll help you tie your hair with it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied happily. Then, she focused on her rice bowl and started eating.


    After Zhou Xiaoli finished coaxing Zhou Xiaoyu, she looked up and realized that there was an opened crab in her bowl.

 Chapter 104 - 104 Not Short of Money

    104 Not Short of Money


    She turned her head and saw Wei Chiyu say softly, ¡°This has a lot of crab roe. It¡¯s for you to eat.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened another crab and handed it to Zhou Xiaoyu.


    Zhou Xiaoyu immediately said, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    On the other side, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Chiyu is meticulous.¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°No, Auntie, don¡¯t praise me. Uncle Zhou is the one who¡¯s meticulous.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhang Lan could not help but lower her head to look at Zhou Yu, who had removed the crab meat from the shell for her.


    She revealed a sweet smile and said, ¡°Look at you. Eat it yourself. Give the crab back to me. The children are watching.¡±


    Zhou Yu ced the crab leg meat into Zhang Lan¡¯s bowl. ¡°You eat it. I¡¯m quick at deshelling them. In the past, when we ate crabs, I opened them for you. Now that I have Chiyu to help open them, you should eat more.¡±


    As he spoke, he raised his eyes and looked at Wei Chiyu.


    Originally, he was a little unhappy because he was robbed of his job of opening crabs for his daughter. After Wei Chiyuplimented him, he was happier.


    The meal ended with everyone chatting andughing.


    As soon as he finished lunch, Zhou Junjun couldn¡¯t wait to run back into the house to find his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.


    Zhou Yu and Wei Chiyu carried everything from the donkey cart into the house.


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, tied Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s hair.


    The little girl was simply too beautiful. As soon as she was done, she ran around the courtyard to show off.


    After Wei Chiyu finished moving his things, Zhou Xiaoli went up the mountain with him.


    Right now, Zhou Xiaoli did not want Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan to know about her purchase of the stones.


    First of all, she was worried that the two of them would think too much. Second, she wanted to give them a surprise.


    Hence, she brought the stone to her master¡¯s ce.


    Now, the Master¡¯s courtyard is getting more and more lively. Wei Chiyu had already transnted the peach tree in, but he could not find grapes.


    After the two of them went up the mountain, Yuan Zhengchun sent Wei Chiyu to climb the mountain to practice martial arts.


    Zhou Xiaoli sat leisurely on the swing.


    Yuan Zhengchun sat under a tree and made himself a cup of tea. He looked at the few stones on the table and could not help but smile. ¡°You¡¯re not short of money in your life.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but ask, ¡°Eh, how did you know, Master?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard and chuckled. ¡°I can calcte it with my fingers.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally knew that Yuan Zhengchun was joking, but sheughed and teased, ¡°Master, your prediction is really urate! Then, Master, did you predict that you would notck money in your life too?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun said, ¡°My child, one can¡¯t tell their own fortune.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, chuckled. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already calcted it. Master would notck money in your life for sure.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Yuan Zhengchun chuckled and chatted with Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhou Xiaoli said confidently, ¡°Think about it. Now that I have money, I must be filial to my Master. What does this mean? It means that my Master would not be short of money either.¡±


    Hearing this, Yuan Zhengchunughed. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re actually teasing me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled, ¡°How would I dare? I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchunughed again, his face full of affection. ¡°Kid, you only know how to say sweet words to make me happy.¡±


    Then, he pointed at the stones on the table. ¡°Are you nning to leave these stones with me?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli blinked and said, ¡°Yes, Master, the spiritual energy is abundant here. If I leave the stone here with the Master, perhaps it will be a treasure. Master, do you have an empty room? It¡¯s for me to keep the stones.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun stood up and knocked Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s head with a book. ¡°Screw you, kid. You want to upy your master¡¯s ce?¡±


    Although he said that, his eyes were full of smiles. ¡°Go, go. There¡¯s an empty room in the backyard. Just put it inside.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately jumped down from the swing and said with a smile, ¡°Master, you are the best master in the world.¡±


    After bootlicking, she carried the stones and ran to the backyard.


    Yuan Zhengchun¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t dawdle. Come out quickly after you¡¯re done. We¡¯re going to learn divination this afternoon. The course is very important.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli responded and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    After arriving at the backyard, Zhou Xiaoli immediately found the empty room that her master had mentioned.


    After all, the backyard was very empty. Other than a house and a cowshed, there was only empty space.


    She pushed open the door and walked in. She realized that although the room was empty, it was not dirty.


    In fact, she could keep the stones in her alternate space, but she would not be buying them just this time. There would definitely be more and more stonester.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan, who often went into the alternate space to farm, would probably discover it.


    More importantly, she was going to use these stones to open a shop in the future. It would surely arouse suspicions if she were to take them out of her alternate space suddenly.


    Anyway, her master¡¯s ce was the quietest, so she thought of leaving it here.


    Zhou Xiaoli ced the stone in the room and locked the door. Then, she stood in the courtyard and looked at the empty backyard. Her heart, which wanted to cultivate the fields and grow vegetables, could no longer stay calm.


    After taking another look, Zhou Xiaoli jogged to the front yard.


    At this moment, Yuan Zhengchun had already prepared the tools for today. They were a turtle shell and a few copper coins.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked over and served tea to Yuan Zhengchun ording to the rules.


    Now, every time she served tea, Yuan Zhengchun would make it in advance. He was afraid that Zhou Xiaoli would destroy his good tea leaves again.


    ...


    Zhou Xiaoliined a lot because of this. ¡°Master, my tea-making skills have improved. I can make tea for you now. How can I serve tea to the Master and ask the Master to make it himself? If the founding masters find out, they mighte to me in my dreams and scold me.¡±


    However, Yuan Zhengchun did not listen at all. He said angrily, ¡°Stop it. With your skills, you still have the cheek to say that you¡¯ve improved? My good tea leaves will be ruined in your hands. You can only touch my tea when your skills are simr to mine.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli had a helpless look on her face. It couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, she had a master who treated tea like his own life.


    After Yuan Zhengchun drank the tea, he allowed Zhou Xiaoli to sit down and said, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, kid. You¡¯re my favorite disciple. Your founding granduncles won¡¯t scold you in your dreams.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli took it that Yuan Zhengchun was justforting her after putting down her efforts earlier.


    After a few seconds, she threw it to the back of her mind and asked curiously, ¡°Master, are we going to learn the Six Trigrams today?¡±


    She had heard of this before, but she did not know how to do it.


    Yuan Zhengchun took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Yes, you have a good foundation. Let¡¯s start learning the six lines of divination today.¡±


    ¡°The so-called divine is divination. Taiyi, Qimen, and Six Ren are divination based on forms. Meiyi and Six Yao are divinations based on formations. The divinations done based on writing, dreams, and drawing lots are considered as misceneous divinations. Divinations done based on yarrow and coins are considered as simple divinations which are used to deduce good and bad luck¡­¡±

 Chapter 105 - 105 Meeting a Young Couple

    105 Meeting a Young Couple


    Zhou Xiaoli studied seriously and felt that time sped past quickly. In the blink of an eye, the afternoon had passed.


    Wei Chiyu had long returned from his practice. He was in the courtyard and practiced another round of boxing.


    Thinking of the money that Wei Chiyu spent to buy the stones for her today, she went to look for him.


    However, she recalled that he was angry when she tried to pass him the parking fee the other time.


    This time, Zhou Xiaoli was rather cautious and slowly talked about paying him.


    Wei Chiyu was also strange. This time, he was not angry. It was unknown what he was thinking, but he actually smiled when she spoke to him about this!


    This person who does not smile actually smiled this time.


    He was obviously in a good mood.


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. Why was this person so fickle-minded in his mood?


    She did a quick mental calction of the sum she owed him.


    Of the three stones she bought, one was three taels of silver, and the other two were five taels of silver, making a total of eight taels.


    After counting, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°You helped me pay for the stones today. That¡¯s quite a lot.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the money to Wei Chiyu. ¡°I should return it to you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu didn¡¯t ept it. He said, ¡°No. Take it as payment for your cooking.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    The others had said that he was spending money on his wife, how can he take it back now?


    Just as he nodded, he saw that Zhou Xiaoli put away the money quickly.


    There was a hint of a smile in his eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli was overjoyed. Shemented that Wei Chiyu was a good man who treated money like dirt.


    However, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve been paying me to cook. How long are you nning to freeload at my house?¡±


    Then, she said in surprise, ¡°Are you going to freeload for the rest of your life, or are you going to freeload until you get a wife?¡±


    Wei Chiyu paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli subconsciously felt that Wei Chiyu was talking about getting a wife. She immediately said, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re so generous, I guarantee that I¡¯ll feed you till you are fair and chubby, until you get a wife.¡±


    The corners of Wei Chiyu¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard that she wanted to feed him till he¡¯s fair and chubby.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli went off to look for Yuan Zhengchun to discuss the remation of thend in the backyard.


    ¡°Master, the backyard is so empty. Why don¡¯t we nt vegetables there? That way, we¡¯ll have vegetables to eat.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun nodded. ¡°If you want to mess around, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Master. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°Master, what should we nt? What do you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°I definitely have to nt beans. I love beans.¡±


    ¡°Yes, nt some cucumbers too. I might make a cold dish for the Master in the summer.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli chattered non-stop. From time to time, she would n what to nt in the backyard with Yuan Zhengchun.


    Although Yuan Zhengchun only smiled and listened more than he replied, his heart was warm.


    How long had it been since he felt the noise and warmth of a family?


    It¡¯s good that he now has a disciple.


    Yuan Zhengchun could not help but sigh in contentment.


    Zhou Xiaoli chatted with her master for a long time and had a meal on the mountain before she went down the mountain with Wei Chiyu.


    It was evening and the sun was setting. The clouds were pink and looked extremely beautiful.


    The two of them chatted as the sun set.


    Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli was the one who spoke the entire time while Wei Chiyu listened quietly.


    The wolf cub was in charge of jumping up and down to liven up the atmosphere.


    The two of them and the wolf cub went down the mountain leisurely.


    Just as they arrived at the foot of the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli noticed that there seemed to be two people in the bamboo forest not far away, talking to each other.


    The girl smiled coquettishly from time to time, acting extremely shy.


    The man was dressed in in clothes and was waving a fan in his hand. He could be considered as being elegant and handsome.


    However, there was always a hint of frivolity in his smile.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not recognize this man.


    However, that girl looked a little familiar.


    After the girl smiled after being teased, Zhou Xiaoli immediately recognized the person. Wasn¡¯t she Lin Xiujuan¡¯s daughter, Zhou Yuanyuan?


    If that was the case, the person beside her must be her fianc¨¦.


    Although her family was now working with Liu Liangcai¡¯s family to make sugar, Lin Xiujuan¡¯s attitude towards her had also changed 180 degrees.


    However, her impression of Liu Yuanyuan remained as a simple-minded and headstrong girl.


    ...


    Liu Yuanyuan never came to the Zhou family, and Zhou Xiaoli would not look for her. Therefore, the two rarely interacted.


    At least, until now, she had not seen her for a long time.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli only took a nce and did not pay any more attention to it.


    Together with Wei Chiyu, they quickened their pace and left the ce.


    As Zhou Xiaoli left, Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s fianc¨¦, Chen Dakun, noticed her.


    When he saw Zhou Xiaoli, he was bowled over by her beauty.


    ¡°Who is that youngdy? Why haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡±


    Hearing Chen Dakun¡¯s question, Liu Yuanyuan was startled. She turned around and saw the backs of Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu.


    She was immediately displeased.


    However, when he thought of what her mother and father had said, she did not say anything unpleasant.


    She only said, ¡°It¡¯s a neighbor of mine.¡± After that, she didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ...


    Seeing that Liu Yuanyuan was unwilling to say more, Chen Dakun did not want to make Liu Yuanyuan unhappy, so he did not press further.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli had already returned home. She had long forgotten about seeing Liu Yuanyuan in the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.


    When she arrived at the door, she said goodbye to Wei Chiyu and entered the house.


    They had just eaten at home.


    Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoli were feeding the donkey with hay then.


    Zhang Lan sat at the door and sewed soles onto the shoes while Zhou Yu watered the vegetable fields in the courtyard.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli had returned, Zhou Yu smiled and said, ¡°Girl, you¡¯re finally back. We were just waiting for you toe back. Our wheat should have dried by now.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The ce where we dry the wheat is not a field. There won¡¯t be any rain.¡±


    With that said, Zhou Yu hurriedly finished watering the nts and entered the alternate space to pack his precious wheat.


    Zhou Xiaoli was not idle either. She went to the alternate space to pick fruits for everyone to eat.


    As the family busied themselves, night fell.


    The night passed uneventfully until the next day.


    Due to her master¡¯s request to go for a morning jog on the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli could not sleep in.


    She got up early and went up the mountain.


    When she came back from the mountain at noon, she heard Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan say that Wei Chiyu¡¯s friend had already brought workers over.


    Wei Chiyu had also informed Ma Fei that he would bring the workers to work this afternoon.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but marvel at it. Li Da was really efficient and had found them workers today just as he had said.


    In the afternoon, the nine workers on Ma Fei¡¯s side arrived as well. As soon as the two sides met and with Ma Fei giving instructions, they began to resume work.


    With that, there was no problem with the construction of their houses. Everyone in the Zhou family was relieved.


    Zhou Yu also listened to Zhou Xiaoli and found three helpers from the neighboring White Sand Vige. They were all honest and capable farmers.


    They said that they had discussed among themselves and could start exploring Qingyuan Mountain in the afternoon.


    logo

 Chapter 106 - 106 Apprenticeship

    106 Apprenticeship


    This time, the two major matters at home began to progress slowly.


    The wheat they nted in the alternate space had been harvested. Now, Zhou Yu has begun to nt sweet potatoes in the field.


    In her free time, Zhou Xiaoli would often go to the alternate space to take a look.


    She realized that ever since the back mountain opened up, the subsequent changes had been a little slow.


    The wheat had been collected and yet, the tea orchard at the back of the mountain had yet to be fully revealed.


    It was like leveling up in a game. The further one went, the higher the experience required to level up, and the harder it was to level up.


    However, the two acres of wheat in the alternate space produced a very good harvest. There were 1000 kilograms of wheat!


    More importantly, there was no need to pay farm tax on it. The full 1000 kilograms were their own. It was enough for their family of five to eat for more than a year.


    Now, no one in the family needs to worry about starving.


    Now that food and shelter were no longer a problem, the family felt much more rxed. They were just waiting for Zhou Junjun to go through with the apprentice ceremony and start school tomorrow.


    In the afternoon, the three families made sugar together as usual.


    They were all very familiar with the process now. Moreover, Zhou Xiaoli had thought of a way for them to squeeze the beet juice with a board that helped them to squeeze all of the juices from the pulp while using lesser strength.


    Now, there was no need for two people from each family. One person from each family was enough.


    It was just that the vige chief¡¯s family wasrge so his wife often brought her eldest daughter-inw to work.


    Therefore, they only needed Zhang Lan as representative of their family to help make sugar.


    Zhou Yu pulled himself out and went to work in the field.


    The next day, the three helpers that Zhou Yu had sourced arrived early in the morning.


    As it was their first day of work, they came to their house to look for Zhou Yu.


    After hearing the knock on the door, Zhou Yu hurriedly walked over to open it. When he saw that it was the three helpers he had sourced, he smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re here. Then let¡¯s go straight to the field.¡±


    As their sry was calcted ording to the workload, they too wanted to finish it early so that they had more time to do other work.


    When they heard Zhou Yu say that they would go straight to the field, they were extremely happy.


    Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan noticed the situation at the door.


    After Zhou Yu and the others left, the two of them asked Zhang Lan in confusion, ¡°Workers? Why did you hire workers?¡±


    Seeing their nervous expressions, Zhang Lan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these workers are not here to help us make sugar.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Haha, I knew it. How can we allow outsiders to help us make sugar? It¡¯s not safe.¡±


    Then, she became even more puzzled. ¡°Why are you looking for workers then? And three of them at once.¡±


    Zhang Lan smiled and exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Didn¡¯t my Li¡¯er look for the Mayor and ask for the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain? My family is busy making sugar, so thosends have been deste and remain as forestnd so far.¡±


    ¡°As soon as we discussed it, we decided to hire three workers to help us. We thought that the earlier we clear the vegetation, the earlier we could nt fruit trees on thend.¡±


    Hearing this reason, the two of them were even more surprised.


    Liu Yan was so shocked that she stopped washing the vegetables. ¡°No, what are you guys thinking? Are you stupid? It¡¯s not worth it to buy forestnd in the first ce. You have to pay taxes on it too. Not only will you not be able to earn money, but you will also lose money.¡±


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re hiring workers and even have to pay them. This isn¡¯t how money should be spent!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan, who was obsessed with money, couldn¡¯t understand it the most. At this moment, she nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, Sister Ping is right. It wasn¡¯t easy for us to make sugar and earn some money. You should save it well. Moreover, your Brother Jun has just entered school. He would need to spend money in the future.¡±


    Zhang Lan knew that the two of them were thinking for their family. However, she had already been ¡°brainwashed¡± by Zhou Xiaoli and felt that her Li¡¯er was right.


    Spend small money to earn big money.


    The fruits in their alternate space were so good. The sooner they nted them, the sooner they could earn money from it.


    Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan didn¡¯t understand the situation and hence, their thought process was normal.


    However, Zhang Lan could not exin, so she only said, ¡°If we clear the forestnd earlier, we can nt things earlier to earn money. We won¡¯t lose out.¡±


    Seeing that their persuasion was futile, Liu Yan and Lin Xiujuan stopped trying to persuade her.


    At this time, Zhou Xiaoli had returned home from running on the mountain. Seeing that Zhou Yu was not at home, she asked Zhang Lan about it.

 Chapter 107 - 107: Get Lost, Don ‘t Make Me Kick You!

    Chapter 107: Get Lost, Don ¡®t Make Me Kick You!


    Trantor: As Studios?????? Editor: As Studios


    From then on, all the steps to be a student werepleted, and Zhou Junjun could officially enter the school.


    Tutor Tang said, ¡°The timing of your visit today is just right. It just so happens that ss hasn¡¯t started yet. Zhou Junjun, why don¡¯t you study in school today?¡±


    Zhou Junjun looked at the spacious and bright ssroom with sparkling eyes. He solemnly cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    As for Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu, they could not stay in the private school for long. After bidding farewell to the tutor, they prepared to leave the private school.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli looked up and saw Zheng Yongyan sitting at one of the window seats, reading seriously.


    The private school ssroom was separated by a screen. On one side were the younger students, and on the other side were the older students.


    When she looked over, she could see the screen behind Zheng Yongyan.


    The screen was decorated with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. The flowers that were favored by schrs.


    When Zhou Xiaoli looked over, due to a visual alignment, it was as if a tuft of emerald green bamboo had grown out of Zheng Yongyan¡¯s head.


    Zhou Xiaoli almost burst outughing.


    On the other hand, Zheng Yongyan seemed to sense someone looking at him.


    His eyes moved away from the book and looked over.


    When he saw that it was Zhou Xiaoli, he red at her.


    Zhou Xiaoli made a face at him and left the private school with Zhou Yu under his angry gaze.


    ¡°Father, we would pass by our familys field when we go back. Let¡¯s take a look at it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli suggested after they left the Dazhuang Vige.


    Hearing this, Zhou Yu nodded and drove the donkey cart to the fields.


    Their 20 acres of wastnd were all connected.


    Out of the 20 acres, 10 acres had been cleared before. However, it was overgrown and a little barren as it has been too long since anyone took care of it.


    However, it was much better than the forestnds in front.


    No wonder they said that clearing the forestnd was a physical task.


    Not only were there weeds in those forestnds, but there were also trees, stones, and the ground was firmly packed together. It was not an easy task to make thend ready for cultivation.


    Zhou Xiaoli jumped out of the cart and walked over to greet the three workers.


    Then, she walked around.


    After Zhou Yu tied up the donkey cart, he went to talk to the workers for a while.


    After that, he went to look for Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Father, we have to put up a fence after we nt our fruit trees,¡± Zhou Xiaoli said as she pointed at the vige at the foot of the mountain.


    ¡°There are vigers who often go up the mountain to y in the autumn. When the fruit trees bear fruit, who knows how many people wille up to steal the fruits to eat.¡±


    Zhou Yu immediately nodded. He thought of something and added, ¡°Just the fence alone won¡¯t do. Someone has to watch over it.¡±


    ¡°However, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯ve guarded sweet potatoes in the fields before and am the most experienced at it. When the timees, I¡¯ll bring a bedroll and sleep here for a few days.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    Zhou Yu was right. They do need someone to watch over the trees, but for Zhou Yu to do it was out of the question.


    Perhaps they could find a worker to watch over it then. Or, they could buy a servant.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not say it out loud.


    Back then, she had to spend a lot of effort to convince Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan to hire workers. If they heard that she actually wanted to buy servants, they would definitely not agree.


    It was not that they could not afford servants. Besides, after buying servants, the family had to pay taxes on them every year.


    Without a doubt, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu would definitely not agree.


    Therefore, she kept this thought to herself but did not say it out loud.


    The two of them walked around for a while. The sun was getting stronger and stronger. Zhou Yu l s heart ached for her daughter being out in the strong sun, so he pulled Zhou Xiaoli, who was still exploring, home.


    In this world where entertainment was scarce, themoners did not have any other means of entertainment. When they were not busy with farming, they would just sit together and chat.


    Hence, it wouldn¡¯t take long for news to spread in the vige.


    They were seen hiring workers to clear the forestnds. At this moment, the vigers, who did not have any farm work to do at home and had nothing to do, were discussing on the streets.


    ¡®Zhou Yu e s family went up the mountain to clear the forestnds?¡± ¡°Of course. I heard that they got more than 30 acres ofnd.¡±


    ¡°What? More than 30 acres!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that much I guess. That¡¯s what the people on the street were saying!¡¯


    ¡°The Zhou Yu family is really too bold. Five years ago, the county magistrate encouraged usmoners to clear the forestnds. At that time, the one who cleared the forestnd does not have to pay taxes for the first three years. Many people went to do it, but in the end? No one could earn money. Many thanked the heavens for not making a loss then.¡±


    ¡°The Zhou family is amazing now. Theyve made a lot of money and even hired workers to work. Theyre not afraid of losing money.¡±


    ¡°What? Hire someone to work! Is this Zhou Yu sick or disabled? He just got some money and he¡¯s already cking off? Does he think he¡¯s andlord?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying ofughter. They¡¯ve been silly for so many years. They probably didn¡¯t learn anything. It¡¯s normal that they don¡¯t know how to be in charge. However, where did the Zhou family get so much money?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know! Didn¡¯t the Lu family use a field of beetroots to scam the Zhou family previously? Who knew that the Zhou family would be forced into a corner and thought of a way to make sugar from it? Now, they are making sugar with the vige chief and the Liu family which is very profitable!¡± ¡°Shh, stop talking. The Zhou father and daughter are here¡­


    As the donkeys hoofs clopped on the ground, Zhou Yu drove the donkey cart over.


    With the vigers around, Zhou Yu did not drive the donkey cart very quickly.


    ¡°Ah, Zhou Yu, have you gone to your fields?¡±


    Someone smiled and greeted them.


    Zhou Yu also smiled and nodded in response. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s cooler here.


    Have you all eaten?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Sigh, right, Zhou Yu, I heard that your family is clearing the forestnds on the mountain?


    Zhou Yu was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°Auntie, what you have heard is true. As you know, my family doesn¡¯t have any farnd.¡±


    It¡¯s not a good thing that our family doesn¡¯t have its own farnd. We can¡¯t afford good farnd, so we thought of opening a few acres of forestnd.¡±


    Zhou Yu smiled and said in a vague manner.


    Zhou Xiaoli sat quietly at the side and listened to their greetings. She thought to herself, ¡°As expected, gossip Imows no boundaries. No matter what, humans can¡¯t escape their natural characteristic ofgossiping. ¡±


    At this moment, she suddenly saw someone sneaking around. She looked over and saw Bao Meifang from the Lu family, and her daughter, Lu Huahua, sticking their heads out.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli had noticed them, they decided to walk over.


    Bao Meifang sized up Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s donkey cart with her triangr eyes. Then, she spoke in a high-pitched voice with a jealous tone.


    ¡°Yo, isnt this Zhou Yu? I heard that your family used my familys beetroots to make sugar? Then you have to thank me properly. If not for me, your family wouldn¡¯t be so lucky!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu tacitly ignored her.


    Zhou Yu smiled and nodded at the vigers beside him. ¡°We¡¯ll go back first.¡± As he spoke, he prepared to drive the donkey cart away.


    When Bao Meifang saw that Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu were treating her like air after she had said so much, her face turned green with anger.


    She immediately rushed forward and stopped their donkey cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli knitted her brows tightly, revealing a trace of disgust.


    ¡°Madam Bao! Don¡¯t be so shameless. It¡¯s all because you couldn¡¯t sell the beetroots back then and wanted to scam our family. Why are you asking for credit now?


    ¡°Hurry up and get lost.. Don¡¯t force me to kick you!¡¯

 Chapter 108 - 108: Old Woman Bao’s Thoughts

    Chapter 108: Old Woman Bao¡¯s Thoughts


    Trantor: As Studios?????? Editor: As Studios


    Back then, when the Wang and Sun families went to the Zhou family to cause trouble, Zhou Xiaoli had kicked both of them. Everyone in the vige knew about it.


    At that time, many people said behind her back that Miss Zhou was fierce and might not be able to find a husband in the future.


    Therefore, Bao Meifang subconsciously cowered, afraid that Zhou Xiaoli would alight from the donkey cart to kick her for real.


    However, she was indignant!


    Now the vige often mocked her about the beetroots, saying that she had gone for wool ande home shorn.


    Thev even said that the Lu familv was unluckv. In the hands of the Lu familv. the beetroots were trash that could not be disposed of.


    In the hands of the Zhou family, it became a treasure.


    Thisparison was infuriating and she was furious.


    As the saying went, jealousy drove people crazy. This Bao Meifang was so agitated that her eyes were red.


    Hence, she became stubborn and did not move. She even shouted loudly, ¡°Zhou family, aren¡¯t you too selfish!¡±


    ¡°Now that you have the method to make sugar, you should announce it and tell everyone in our vige for us to get rich together. Isn¡¯t that right, everyone?!¡±


    Many of the surrounding vigers were tempted. Who didnt want to earn money?


    However, they were not as shameless as Bao Meifang. They only thought about it in their hearts and did not show it out.


    Zhou Xiaoli was so angry that sheughed. Bao Meifang.s shamelessness knows no bounds.


    Since that was the case, Zhou Xiaoli shrugged and said calmly, ¡®iWei Chiyu also has a part ining up with the method to make sugar. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    Bao Meifang was deeply afraid of Wei Chiyu.


    That was the living King of Hell who had almost set them on fire and roasted her son.


    She couldn¡¯t help but keep quiet.


    However, she still acted shamelessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me the form today, don¡¯t even think about leaving. Unless¡­ unless you step over me.¡± Zhou Xiaoli sneered, as if she did not dare to do so.


    She immediately said, ¡°A good dog does not block the path. It¡¯s not our responsibility that she chooses to block the road. Father, let¡¯s go! If she still wants to lie in the middle of the road, we¡¯ll just ride the cart over her!¡±


    Zhou Yu was very annoyed with Bao Meifang as well, but since she was a woman, he could not argue with her.


    Therefore, when he heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, he immediately whipped the reins. The donkey let out a cry and charged towards Bao Meifang.


    A person like Bao Meifang seemed to be very ruthless, but she cherished her life very much. As soon as the donkey cart moved, she screamed and ran to the side of the road.


    Then, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu left with Bao Meifang cursing behind.


    The cart slowed down when they almost reached home.


    The donkey cart turned a corner and from afar, they saw a few children ying outside the Liu familys house.


    Two were climbing up the trees by the roadside.


    She walked closer and took a look. Good lord!


    Zhou Xiaoli almost cried out in surprise. Wasn¡¯t the one hugging and climbing the tree haDDilv Zhou Xiaovu?


    Zhou Yu rushed over and pulled her down.


    ¡°You little girl! You jump up and down all day long, but you actually dare to climb a tree today. Would you climb the roof tomorrow? Would you go into the river the day after tomorrow?


    After scolding Zhou Xiaoyu, Zhou Yu l s brows were knitted into a frown, and his face was filled with worry.


    He would never have thought that a cute and adorable girl would be so energetic and restless.


    Zhou Xiaoyu patted Zhou Yu l s chest. ¡°Father, Father, I want to help the little bird home, not climb the tree.¡±


    As she spoke, she pointed at a young bird under the tree and an especially excited wolf.


    The wolf cub seemed to be very curious about the baby bird and was extremely excited.


    It jumped in front of the baby bird and suddenly jumped over. It rubbed its mouth against the baby bird and jumped away. Then, it jumped close to it again.


    The baby bird curled up under the tree, trembling, helpless and pitiful.


    Zhou Xiaoli covered her face. She was too ashamed to continue looking at the scene in front of her. She hurried forward and stopped the Silver Wolf, which was overly excited.


    If it continued ying like this, the young bird would be traumatized for life.


    ¡°Howl, howl-


    The Silver Wolf, which was being hugged by Zhou Xiaoli, was very unhappy. It was still jumping up and down in protest.


    Zhou Xiaoli patted the wolf cubs head. ¡°Be good. You can¡¯t y with the little bird anymore. You would scare it.¡±


    On the other hand, Zhou Yu was still surprised that Zhou Xiaoyu had gone up a tree to dig for a bird¡¯s nest!


    Zhou Xiaoli felt that Zhou Yu was very funny at this moment. She had already climbed up the tree, so why was he concerned about her climbing up the tree?


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoyu exined anxiously to Zhou Yu that she was not going up a tree to dig for a bird¡¯s nest. She was going up a tree to help the bird go home.


    In the end, under Liu Fengfeng and the other children¡¯s flustered exnations, she finally exined the matter clearly.


    It turned out that while they were ying under the tree, the baby bird suddenly fell from the tree.


    Then, after discussing it, they unanimously decided to help the young bird go home.


    Hence, the scene they saw when they were returning home, happened.


    Zhou Xiaoyu pouted and said, ¡°Father, little birdie has left its mother. He must miss home. Let¡¯s help him go home, okay?¡±


    Zhou Yu patted the dirt off Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s body. ¡°Okay, leave it to Father.¡±


    As he spoke, he stood up and held the baby bird in his hand. Then, he raised his head and searched the tree. After confirming the location of the bird nest, he tied his clothes on his waist and climbed up quickly.


    Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s mouth was agape as she said in surprise, ¡°Father is so good at climbing trees.¡±


    After Zhou Yu ced the bird in the bird¡¯s nest, he jumped down from the tree.


    ¡°Alright, the bird has already gone home. Go and y. Don¡¯t climb the tree anymore.¡±


    The children pped their hands happily. ¡°The bird¡¯s home. The bird¡¯s home.¡±


    Then, they swarmed elsewhere to y.


    Zhou Xiaoli also let go of the wolf cub.


    The Silver Wolf seemed reluctant to part with the little bird and even circled around the tree a few times.


    In the end, when he heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s call, he ran home like a wisp of smoke.


    After a long dy in the morning, Zhou Xiaoli did not go up the mountain.


    In the past four days, they had made a lot of sugar. They could now make about


    12 kilograms in one morning.


    Now, there are almost 80 kilograms of sugar at home.


    Everyone was talking about selling the sugar.


    Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°Let¡¯s go tomorrow. There is too much sugar at home. We don¡¯t have space to keep them around.¡±


    Liu Yan nodded and said in embarrassment, ¡°Sure, but my Yongyan has to go to school tomorrow and cant go to the county city to sell sugar. The others don¡¯t know how to sell it, so I¡¯ll have to trouble Little Li to do it.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhang Lan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just let Little Li go again. It won¡¯t be troublesome.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli also nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s alright. I also like to go to the county


    Most importantly, if she wanted to buy stones in the future, she had to go to the county city more diligently.


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°But you can¡¯t always go, Little Li. She still has to go up the mountain to learn from her master.¡±


    ¡°Let my husband learn from Little Li this time and he can bring the others next time.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    At this moment, Zhang Lan Lengs green bean tea was ready. When she saw Zhou Yu had returned, she called out, ¡°Hubby, go and send the tea to the construction workers..¡±

 Chapter 109 - 109: Undercurrent

    Chapter 109: Undercurrent


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Recently, because Wei Chiyu often went up the mountain, Zhang Lan stopped him from making green bean tea at the homestead.


    Instead, she would cook it at home before getting Zhou Yu to send it to the homestead.


    In fact, there was another very important reason why Wei Chiyu was not allowed to make green bean tea. It was too expensive!


    He did not cook it till the green beans bloomed. Zhang Lan had once gone to the homestead and found out about it. After that, she did not allow Wei Chiyu to cook them green bean tea again.


    Zhou Yu responded and carried therge cauldron filled with tea onto the donkey cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli also brought out bowls from the kitchen and followed Zhou Yu to the homestead.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s friend was quite reliable. The workers he found were capable, and they were all experienced builders. They learned very quickly.


    Although they were unfamiliar with working with Ma Fei and the others in the beginning, under Ma Fei¡¯s lead, they quickly reached a tacit understanding and their progress was far more efficient than before.


    Zhou Xiaoliu thought to herself that she had to thank Cao Liu for selecting outstanding construction workers for her.


    Ma Fei stood on the scaffolding and saw the Zhou Family¡¯s donkey cart approaching from afar. He immediately rushed towards Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou


    Soon, the donkey cart arrived in front of the homestead. Zhou Xiaoli jumped down from the donkey cart and looked up at the workers on the scaffolding with a smile. ¡°Brothers, my mother has made tea. Come down and drink it.¡±


    When Ma Fei saw this, he smiled and shouted, ¡®Guys, the youngdy from the Zhou family has brought us tea. Everyone, stop your work ande down to drink the tea. Leti s continue afterwards!¡±


    The workers were very happy. Although the weather had be much cooler and they would not suffer from heatstroke, their mouths were still dry from being under the sun all day.


    Everyone would be happy to have some tea and rest.


    Soon, after Zhou Yu parked the donkey cart, the workers lined up to collect their green bean tea.


    Ma Fei took the tea from Zhou Xiaoli and praised with a smile, ¡°This is the best green bean tea I¡¯ve ever tasted!¡±


    When the other construction workers heard this, they nodded in agreement. The atmosphere was peaceful.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and served a bowl of green bean tea to thest worker. Then, she nced at the newly built house.


    At this moment, the house had a rough outline. Zhou Xiaoli asked, ¡°Brother Ma, how¡¯s the construction going?


    Ma Fei immediately patted his chest and said, ¡°These brothers are very good. Young Lady Zhou, don¡¯t worry. I guarantee that your house will bepleted next month.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. Together with Zhou Yu, they learned more about the progress of the house from Ma Fei.


    For example, the problem of digging wells, cers, and ice cers.


    These people had discussed this with Foreman Cao before they built the house. He knew people who specialized in digging wells, so he could just do them all together.


    However, now that Foreman Cao was injured, they did not know what would happen.


    Ma Fei smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Zhou, Miss Zhou, don¡¯t worry about this. My master has already instructed me that it won¡¯t be a problem to find someone to dig the well and cer.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded, but she remembered that she hadn¡¯t visited Foreman Cao yet. She had to discuss with Wei Chiyu when they should visit Foreman Cao¡¯s house.


    ¡°Um, Miss Zhou, thank you for the green bean tea. We have to get back to work!


    After Ma Fei returned the bowl to Zhou Xiaoli, he called the workers who had finished their green bean tea back to their posts.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu put away the bowls. After bidding farewell to everyone, they led the donkey cart home.


    When the donkey cart passed by the willow tree in the vige, Zhou Xiaoli noticed two pairs of eyes looking in her direction. She could not help but look in the same direction.


    She saw two vige girls about her age standing under the willow tree. Zhou Xiaoli recognized both of them. One of them was the precious daughter of the Lu family¡¯s old woman, Lu Huahua.


    The other was Lai Jinniangs youngest daughter, Zhou Guihua.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not have a good impression of these two people. Now that the two of them were together, it was unknown what troubles they were cooking up.


    When the two of them saw that Zhou Xiaoli had discovered them, they said something to each other and left.


    Zhou Xiaoli stopped paying attention to the two of them.


    The donkey cart soon arrived home.


    After lunch, Zhou Xiaoli told Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan before running up the mountain


    As she busied himself, the day passed.


    The next morning, Liu Liangcai arrived at the Zhou family home early in the morning. Together with Zhou Yu, they carried more than 45 kilograms of sugar onto the donkey cart.


    Zhou Xiaoli was wolfing down the egg soup in the kitchen. Then, she took the freshly made tbread from Zhang Lan and took two bites of it. Mihen she saw that Liu Liangcai and the others were ready, she immediately ran out.


    ¡°Uncle Liu, I¡¯m done eating. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Liu Liangcai could not help butugh. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Eat slowly. We¡¯ll leave after you¡¯re done.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli stuffed thest mouthful of tbread into her mouth and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m done, I¡¯m done.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Lan walked out of the kitchen and asked Liu Lia_ngcai, ¡°Have you eaten? Do you want to eat at home before leaving? I just made tbread.


    ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯ve already eaten. We also had tbreads at home today.¡± As he spoke, Liu Liangcai led the donkey cart out the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli has been traveling to the county city frequently recently. She was familiar with this road to the county city. She closed her eyes and knew how to go.


    The journey was very smooth. Soon, they reached the entrance of the county city. After paying the entrance fee, the two of them entered the county city.


    Today, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s and Liu Liangcai¡¯s purpose in the county city was to sell sugar.


    Therefore, after arriving at the county city, the two of them went straight to Qing Tao WOrkshop.


    This time, the shop assistants immediately recognized Zhou Xiaoli when she entered the Qing Tao Workshop.


    He immediately smiled and weed her. ¡°Miss Zhou, you¡¯re finally here. My shopkeeper has been looking forward to your arrival for a long time.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and nced at Qing Tao Workshop. ¡°Where¡¯s your shopkeeper?


    ¡°My shopkeeper is inside. Wait for me. I¡¯ll go get him now.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the shop assistant ran in.


    At this moment, Liu Liangcai and another assistant had already carried the sugar in.


    After entering the shop, Liu Liangcai looked around and quickly followed Zhou


    Xiaoli. ¡°Little Li, is this the ce where we should sell the sugar to?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s here. Qing Tao Workshop. We¡¯ve signed a contract with their family. Our sugar will only be sold to them.¡±


    Liu Liangcai nodded.


    ¡°Miss Zhou, hahaha, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    At this moment, Qian Zhantangughed and walked out quickly.


    Zhou Xiaoli also smiled and nodded. ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, the business in your shop is booming.¡±


    ¡°Haha, then isn¡¯t it all thanks to Miss Zhou? You don¡¯t know about it, but the sugar you sentst time was all sold in less than two days. However, many people came to ask. Just pre-orders alone makes 6 kilograms.¡± Qian Zhantang chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally here today..¡±

 Chapter 110 - 110: Chance Encounter

    Chapter 110: Chance Encounter


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Then you would be happy to hear that I have brought you more than 95 kilograms today,¡± Zhou Xiaoli said with a smile.


    Qian Zhantang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s sit inside and talk. I made some refreshments.


    Qian Zhantang smiled and led the two of them into the inner room.


    At the same time, he called over two shop assistants to carry the sugar in.


    Thinking that Liu Liangcai would be the one handing over the sugar to Shopkeeper Qian in the future, she started introductions. ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, this is Uncle Liu. If I can¡¯te in the future, Uncle Liu will send you the sugar on my behalf.¡±


    Qian Zhantang immediately looked at Liu Liangcai and greeted him with a smile. Because of Zhou Xiaoli, Qian Zhantang was very friendly to Liu Liangcai.


    The two of them got to know each other very quickly.


    On the other hand, the shop assistants had already brought a scale and weighed the sugar.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, it¡¯s a total of 95 and a half kilograms.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and asked, ¡°Shopkeeper Qian, how was it this time?¡±


    Qian Zhantang¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Not bad, not bad. This is enough for me to sell for a few days.¡±


    After saying that, he stood up and went forward to look at the sugar in the bag. After checking the quality of the sugar, he said to the waiter, ¡°Get 11 strings and 520 copper coins.¡±


    Then, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a smile. ¡°You can do a delivery once every seven days so you don¡¯t have to keeping around. It¡¯s so troublesome.¡± Zhou Xiaoli had the same thought.


    In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient. It was not easy for them to enter the city and moreover, they had to pay the entrance fee every time.


    Thus, Zhou Xiaoli happily agreed to this arrangement.


    Soon, the waiter walked over with the money.


    Qian Zhantang counted first. After confirming that there were no problems with it, he passed it to Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Check and see if the count is correct.¡± In business, it was best to settle ounts openly.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli did not decline. She simply counted the money and confirmed that it was indeed 11 strings and 520 copper coins.


    She epted the money and bade Shopkeeper Qian farewell.


    The money was ced in a package. This time, Shopkeeper Qian had given them strings of money. Eleven strings to be exact. It was heavy, so Liu Liangcai took the package.


    This was the first time Liu Liangcai had so much money with him. He was very nervous. After leaving the door of Qing Tao Workshop, his hand kept touching the package he hid in his clothes carefully.


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed. After getting on the donkey cart, she whispered, ¡°Uncle Liu, you¡¯re so nervous that it¡¯s easy for others to notice. They would be thinking that you must have a treasure in your arms to be so nervous.¡±


    Liu Liangcai immediately understood and scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, yes, Little Li is right.¡±


    As he spoke, he quickly moved his shoulders and took a deep breath to rx.


    In his heart, however, hemented that this youngdy, Zhou Xiaoli, was really extraordinary. She did not tremble at all even when she saw so much money.


    One had to know that when he saw the shop assistant carrying the 11 strings of copper coins over, his heart began to tremble.


    Because the two of them had arge sum of money on them, and Liu Liangcai was so nervous, Zhou Xiaoli did not dare to stay in the county city any longer.


    After Liu Liangcai calmed down, the two of them left the city.


    After leaving the city gate, the donkey cart headed towards Boyu Vige.


    Although the road was not wide, there was not a lot of traffic so they made their way there very quickly.


    The donkey cart went smoothly.


    Just as they turned a corner, a horse carriage drove over.


    As the road was not wide, the cart and carriage could not pass at the same time so they both slowed down.


    Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoli heard a woman¡¯s gentle and anxious voiceing from the carriage. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Immediately after, a woman¡¯s slightly irritable voice sounded. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t you know that the young master can¡¯t take it anymore? What do I need you servants for? I¡¯ll definitely report it to the Old Madam when I get back to punish you severely for the dy!¡±


    The coachman hurriedly said, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a cart in front that¡¯s blocking the way.¡±


    The carriage didn¡¯t look luxurious, but it didn¡¯t attract attention as well. It was something that their donkey cart couldn¡¯tpare to. Moreover, from what they said, the person sitting in this carriage might be the wife or daughter of an official. Therefore, they were determined not to cause trouble.


    Liu Liangcai hurriedly took the initiative to pull the donkey cart to the side of the road and let the other party pass first.


    The driver of the carriage nodded at Liu Liangcai and prepared to go forward.


    At this moment, an exmation suddenly came from the carriage. ¡°Ah! Madam, bad news. The Young Master is vomiting blood!¡±


    ¡°Brother An, Brother An, what¡¯s wrong? Wake up, don¡¯t scare Mother.¡± ¡°Madam, the young master is in trouble. We have to find the doctor quickly!¡± ¡°Where can we find a doctor in the wilderness? Quick, let¡¯s go home!¡±


    Their shouts were not soft to begin with, and they were so close that Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Liangcai could hear them clearly.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not intend to pry.


    However, a maidservant in the carriage suddenly lifted the curtain at this moment to tell the coachman to hurry up. Zhou Xiaoli happened to see the situation inside.


    In the carriage, a young and beautifuldy was carrying a baby in swaddling clothes. Her eyes were red from crying.


    As for the baby in the swaddling clothes, his lips were green and his face was yellow. He closed his eyes tightly and did not react at all. Clearly, he was not in a good state.


    If he does not get treatment in time, she¡¯s afraid that¡­


    It was a baby still in swaddling clothes. Zhou Xiaoli could not bear to see him like this, so she asked, ¡°Madam, do you need help? I know a little about medicine.¡±


    The maidservant at the entrance of the carriage immediately looked at Zhou Xiaoli. When she saw that it was only a small vige girl, her expression turned ugly. ¡°What can you do to help? As long as you don¡¯t block the way, and let us quickly go home to find the doctor, that will be the greatest help to us!¡± Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and said nothing more.


    She offered to help out of pity for the baby, but if the other party did not appreciate her kindness, she did not have the good character to insist on saving him.


    She immediately shrugged and decided to ignore them.


    Liu Liangcai hurriedly drove the donkey cart further into the field on the side. ¡°If you want to cross, go quickly.¡±


    At this moment, the curtain of the car window was lifted suddenly, revealing a pale and sickly face. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and a trace of hope as she looked at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Youngdy, you mean you know medicine?¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded.


    The maidservant at the carriage door frowned and said disapprovingly, ¡°Madam, this is a country girl. How can she treat our Young Master? If we dyed the Young Master¡¯s treatment because of her, what should we do? Let¡¯s hurry home and let the Old Master invite the best doctor.¡±


    The Madam¡¯s face immediately darkened and revealed a trace of anger. She shouted at the maidservant, ¡°Shut up! Am I the Madam, or are you the Madam? One more word from you and you can get lost immediately!¡±


    Then, she looked hopefully at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Miss, please save my son. I¡¯ll definitely repay you handsomely.¡±


    As she spoke, she quickly got another maidservant to get off the carriage and invited Zhou Xiaoli into the carriage.


    After being scolded, the unyielding maidservant did not dare to say anything else. She stood beside the carriage and looked at it resentfully..

 Chapter 111 - 111: Madam Zhao, Zhang Yan

    Chapter 111: Madam Zhao, Zhang Yan


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Due to the urgency of the situation, Zhou Xiaoli did not pay much attention to anything else. After getting into the carriage, she immediately went to check on the baby¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Youngdy, what¡¯s wrong with my son?¡± Thedy¡¯s hands were trembling as she held the child. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli anxiously.


    ¡°He was fine when we started on our journey home. He even smiled at me, but for some reason, he suddenly became like this.¡±


    As thedy spoke, her heart ached so much that tears fell.


    She quickly turned her head away and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not speak, but after inspecting the baby, her expression changed.


    Poisoned! He was actually poisoned.


    Who was so vicious as to poison such a small baby?


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but think of the dirty affairs within big families.


    This baby looked like he was only a few months old. It was pitiful that he was poisoned at such a young age.


    Moreover, the poison had already taken effect. Even if they found a doctor now, the chances of saving him would be tiny.


    However, this baby was lucky to have met Zhou Xiaoli.


    She had the spiritual spring water from the alternate space, so this little guy could still be saved.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heavy expression and silence, the madam felt her heart stop beating, and a trace of despair appeared on her face.


    She had been too anxious. Seeing that her son was about to die, she asked Zhou Xiaoli for help as ast resort. Even if this countryside girl knew some medical skills, how could she have a solution?


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and said, ¡°He can be saved.¡± Then, she took out the acupuncture bag seemingly from her pocket but it was in fact, kept in the alternate space.


    This was the silver needle that her master had just given her. Fortunately, she had a good habit of putting things into her space.


    When the madam heard that Zhou Xiaoli could save her son, her hope was reignited.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli opened the acupuncture bag and removed a silver needle.


    She picked up the little guy¡¯s wrist, found the position of the blood vessel, and gently inserted the needle. At the same time, she injected the spiritual spring water into the little guy¡¯s body through the needle.


    She should have let the little guy drink the spiritual spring water, but it was not convenient for her to take the water out just like that as there were outsiders around, so she used this method.


    However, the effect was not bad.


    As the spiritual spring water was injected into the baby¡¯s body, the greenish-ck color on the baby¡¯s lips gradually faded, and his yellowish face slowly returned to normal, but he was still a little pale.


    His breathing, which was almost non-existent, gradually became even.


    The extremely nervous master and servant were overjoyed when they saw the baby recover.


    ¡°Madam, the Young Master¡¯splexion is normal. The Young Master is fine!¡± Thedy wiped her tears and nodded repeatedly. ¡°My Brother An is fine!¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli put away the silver needle and casually instructed, ¡°The child¡¯s life is not in danger for the time being. When Madam goes back, you need to find a doctor and get him to prescribe some medicine. He should be fine after recuperating for a few days.¡±


    Thedy touched the child¡¯s face and felt that he was breathing evenly. Her face was filled with gratitude. ¡°Miss, you saved my son. I don¡¯t know how to thank you! ¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli put the acupuncture bag back into her pocket and smiled. ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡±


    She had no intention of asking for a reward so she said, ¡°Madam, you should go back quickly. The Young Master is still weak; he needs to see a doctor to get the medicine quickly.¡±


    As she spoke, she was ready to get off the carriage.


    ¡°Hey, Miss, wait a moment.¡± The Madam called out to Zhou Xiaoli, then asked the maidservant beside her to quickly find some money.


    After searching for a while, the maidservant was a little troubled. ¡°Madam, we didn¡¯t bring any silver ingots with us today. We only brought about 10 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°10 taels? That¡¯s too little.¡± Madam frowned and thought of something. She took out a jade pendant from the child¡¯s swaddling clothes and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Miss, you saved my son¡¯s life, so you should be rewarded handsomely. However, I didn¡¯t bring any money with me today. Take this jade pendant as a thank-you gift.¡±


    Just as Madam finished speaking, Zhou Xiaoli had yet to say whether she would ept or reject.


    The maid standing outside couldn¡¯t help but lift the curtain and say, ¡°Madam, this jade pendant is the hundredth-day gift that the Eldest Madam gave to the Young Master. Madam, it¡¯s too expensive for you to use it to pay her!¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, ten taels of silver is enough as payment for the treatment rendered!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Madam red at her, then said to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m in a hurry to go back and treat my baby, so I can¡¯t visit today to thank you. When my baby recovers, I¡¯ll definitely bring my baby to visit you personally to thank you.¡±


    She handed the jade pendant to Zhou Xiaoli as she spoke.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at the jade pendant and nodded. She epted it without hesitation.


    Judging from the madam¡¯s attire, she must be from a wealthy family. Zhou Xiaoli was just a small vige girl. If she hesitated and refused, the other party would think that she was asking for more.


    Therefore, if it could be easily resolved with money, then one should not owe anyone else a favor.


    After receiving the jade pendant, Zhou Xiaoli nodded and bade farewell before quickly getting off the carriage.


    After Zhou Xiaoli got out of the carriage, the maidservant outside the carriage got in with a dark expression.


    Immediately after, Zhou Xiaoli heard the madam scolding her from within.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting unruly. When I go back, I¡¯ll report to the Old Madam and ask her to take you back. I am unable to use you as my maidservant¡­¡±


    Immediately after, the sounds of the maidservant begging for mercy rang out.


    Zhou Xiaoli retreated to the side of the road and let their carriage pass.


    At this moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and thedy said, ¡°Miss, my surname is Zhang, and my name is Yan. My husband¡¯s surname is Zhao. What¡¯s your name? Where do you live? I can visit you to thank you one day.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not think that the other party would reallye, so she said casually, ¡°My surname is Zhou, and I live in a vige not far ahead.¡±


    Zhang Yan nodded and thanked her again before leaving in a hurry.


    Liu Liangcai waited for their carriage topletely pass before driving the donkey cart back to the road. He told Zhou Xiaoli to sit on it before the two of them headed home.


    Thinking of what happened just now, Liu Liangcai was shocked and praised, ¡°Little Li, you actually know medicine and saved people. You¡¯re really amazing.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was a little embarrassed by the praise. She could onlyugh and say, ¡°My master taught me medical skills. Actually, I¡¯m not as good as you say. It¡¯s just that the baby¡¯s condition is special and I happened to read about it in my master¡¯s book.¡±


    No matter what Zhou Xiaoli said, Liu Liangcai still felt that Zhou Xiaoli was very impressive. As the two of them spoke, the donkey cart entered the vige.


    When they were about to reach home, they bumped into Liu Yuanyuan and Lu Huahua, who were standing together and talking, outside Liu Liangcai¡¯s house. Lu Huahua held Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s arm with a fawning expression and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Sister Yuanyuan, thank you for teaching me how to sew a mandarin duck today. You¡¯re so good. You¡¯re beautiful, kind, and good at embroidery. No wonder Brother Chen likes you. You two are simply a match made in heaven.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan was bombarded by the sugar-coated praises. Her face was flushed, and she raised her plump chin slightly. She replied shyly, ¡°No, no.


    Sister Huahua is also very beautiful..¡±

 Chapter 112 - 112: Teaching Lu Huahua a Lesson

    Chapter 112: Teaching Lu Huahua a Lesson


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Liu Yuanyuan was right.


    Lu Huahua was really quite good-looking and did not inherit the look of pettiness that her mother has.


    Instead, she had a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes and a petite figure. She always looked weak and was famous for being a weak beauty in the vige.


    Lu Huahua naturally knew that she was pretty. When she heard Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s praise, a trace of smugness shed in her eyes.


    However, she still stered on a fawning smile on her face. ¡°Sister Yuanyuan, stop teasing me. Oh, right, Sister Yuanyuan, isn¡¯t your family very close to the


    Zhou family? Then your rtionship with Zhou Xiaoli must be very good now.¡± Hearing this, Liu Yuanyuan paused and smiled without saying anything.


    Lu Huahua continued, ¡°There are only a few sisters of our age in our vige. I think we should be closer, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reputation was not good before, and now she has gained a reputation for being domineering and fierce. It will definitely be difficult for her to find a husband in the future. I think we should help Zhou Xiaoli.¡±


    ¡°Sister Yuanyuan, what do you think?¡±


    As she spoke, she looked at Liu Yuanyuan innocently.


    Liu Yuanyuan looked at Lu Huahua in surprise and confusion. ¡°Hm, what¡¯s wrong with you? Have you been bewitched by Zhou Xiaoli? Didn¡¯t you dislike Zhou Xiaoli before? Why are you helping her now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lu Huahua was stunned and thought to herself, ¡°Oh no, I


    actually forgot that I often spoke ill of Zhou Xiaoli in the past.¡±


    However, she did not panic at all. She rolled her eyes slightly and exined with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t that all happen in the past? It¡¯s all because of Zhou Guihua.¡±


    ¡°As you know, Zhou Xiaoli isn¡¯t a jinx at all. It was just a rumor. Look, we¡¯re sisters from the same vige, so we should love and help each other. Didn¡¯t the vige chief often say that people from the same vige should love and help each other?¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go to the Zhou family¡¯s house together! We can also apologize to Zhou


    Xiaoli and make up with her. How about that?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan shook her head without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Lu Huahua cajoled Liu Yuanyuan for so long, but she did not expect the other party to reject her in such a direct manner. She frowned and a trace of displeasure shed on her face.


    ¡°No, why? We¡¯re all sisters of the same age, and your family has such a good rtionship with the Zhou family. Aren¡¯t you afraid that your parents will scold you for going against their wishes?¡±


    Hearing her mention of her parents, Lu Huahua became impatient. She pulled her arm out of Lu Huahua¡¯s hand and said angrily, ¡°If you want to go, you can go by yourself. Why did you have to ask me along?!¡±


    The fawning smile on Lu Huahua¡¯s face disappearedpletely. She stopped pretending and looked at Liu Yuanyuan with an ugly expression. She muttered softly, ¡°No wonder Brother Dakun said that you¡¯ve been spoiled. You¡¯re right.¡±


    Her voice was very soft, like a buzzing mosquito so Liu Yuanyuan didn¡¯t hear her clearly. She frowned and asked, ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly. ¡±


    Lu Huahua immediatelyughed again. ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that if you don¡¯t want to look for Zhou Xiaoli, I¡¯ll go by myself then.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan was a little depressed. Why does everyone like Zhou Xiaoli now?


    Hence, she nodded her head dejectedly, ¡°Oh, go ahead.¡±


    At this moment, Liu Liangcai drove the donkey cart over.


    Seeing the two people at the door, Liu Liangcai called out to his daughter, ¡°Yuanyuan, why are you standing at the door? Didn¡¯t you want to do embroidery with your friends today?¡±


    Hearing the voices, the two of them looked over at the same time.


    When Lu Huahua saw Zhou Xiaoli, her face immediately lit up with joy.


    Liu Yuanyuan, on the other hand, had a normal reaction and was a little depressed. ¡°No, my friends came to our house today. Father, since you¡¯re back, I¡¯ll go back in to cook.¡±


    With that, she turned around and went home.


    Zhou Xiaoli narrowed her eyes and looked at Lu Huahua.


    When she saw her with Zhou Guihua yesterday, she knew that the two of them were up to no good. Today, she came to look for Liu Yuanyuan again.


    What was she nning?


    When Lu Huahua saw Zhou Xiaoli looking at her, she quickly approached her with a smile and said in a friendly manner, ¡°Xiaoli, did you go to the county city to sell sugar? It¡¯s great that you can go to the county city often, unlike me, who might not even go there more than a few times a year.¡± She looked pitiful as she spoke.


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned. Was she trying to act pitiful in front of her?


    However, there was no man here. Who was she trying to show off to? Was she crazy?


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered and ignored her. She did not want to talk to a crazy person.


    ¡°Uncle Liu, I¡¯ll get my mother to open the door for us.¡± With that, she jumped off the carriage and knocked on the door.


    As for Liu Liangcai, because of the conflict between his family and the Lu family, he was not very enthusiastic about Lu Huahua either.


    Only his daughter would hang out with her to do embroidery.


    He felt that the conflict between adults should not affect the children, so he did not interfere excessively in their friendship.


    Therefore, he nodded as a form of greeting and led the donkey cart into the house.


    Zhang Lan, who was in the courtyard, heard Zhou Xiaoli yell and ran over to open the door. When the door opened, Liu Liangcai walked in with the cart.


    Lu Huahua, who had been ignored by Zhou Xiaoli and was busy scolding Zhou Xiaoli in her heart, did not leave. Instead, when she saw that the Zhou family¡¯s door opened, she stuck her head out to look inside in excitement.


    Zhou Xiaoli had a trace of impatience on her face. She knew that Lu Huahua was up to no good. It turned out that she was here to steal her family¡¯s sugar recipe!


    Therefore, she deliberately walked over and stood in front of Lu Huahua to block her view.


    Liu Liangcai quickly led the donkey cart in.


    Looking at Lu Huahua¡¯s sneaky appearance, Zhang Lan was also very disdainful of her. As soon as the donkey cart entered, she immediately closed the door, leaving only a crack for a person to pass through. ¡°Li¡¯er is home.¡±


    At this time, Lu Huahua didn¡¯t manage to see anything and was unwilling to give up. She immediately stepped forward and pulled Zhou Xiaoli back. ¡°Xiaoli, I¡¯m actually here to apologize to you. I used to iste you with the other sisters.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Zhou Guihua instigated me to do that to you. I already know that you being a jinx was just a rumor, so I came to apologize to you.¡± Zhou Xiaoli looked at the hand on her arm in disgust and said coldly, ¡°Let go.¡±


    Lu Huahua refused to let go and said pitifully, ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized. Aren¡¯t you going to forgive me?¡±


    ¡°You insisted on apologizing, why must I forgive you? If you don¡¯t let go, don¡¯t me me for taking action.¡± As Zhou Xiaoli spoke, she forcefully broke free from Lu Huahua¡¯s hand and prepared to walk home.


    No one knew what Lu Huahua was up to. She insisted on following Zhou Xiaoli into the Zhou family¡¯s house. ¡°No, I must ask for your forgiveness. Otherwise, I won¡¯t go home! I¡¯ll do anything you want. I¡¯ll even massage your shoulders and legs.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yan heard themotion at the door.


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan had already run to the door and started scolding


    Lu Huahua.


    ¡°You¡¯re a child. Don¡¯t force me to scold you! You¡¯re a good little girl.. Why do you learn to be as shameless as your mother? What are you looking at? Be careful not to turn blind¡­

 Chapter 113 - 113: Meeting Scum

    Chapter 113: Meeting Scum


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lin Xiujuan¡¯s damage output was simply amazing. No matter how thick-skinned Lu Huahua was, she was still a teenage girl. After being verbally attacked by Lin Xiujuan, she couldn¡¯t even stand steadily.


    She blushed and looked like she was about to cry.


    No one knew who she wanted to impress by putting on a pitiful look.


    Zhou Xiaoli was thoroughly annoyed by people from the Lu family. Seeing that Lu Huahua was not leaving even after being scolded like this, she waved at the wolf cub at the door. ¡°Little Wolf, go!¡±


    Immediately when the Silver Wolf received the signal, it roared and rushed out of the courtyard. It bared its teeth and pounced fiercely at Lu Huahua.


    The wolf cub was not an adult yet and it was only as big as a small dog.


    However, it would enter the mountains to hunt every day. Its wildness and ferocity were not something ordinary dogs would have.


    Therefore, with one leap, he pounced and pushed Lu Huahua to the ground.


    However, the wolf cub did not bite her. It only bit her clothes fiercely.


    However, Lu Huahua was also terrified by it. Her face was pale from fright, and her screams could pierce one¡¯s eardrums.


    Everyone was stunned.


    Then, Zhang Lan hurriedly said, ¡°Li¡¯er, quickly call the little wolf back. Don¡¯t let it bite her for real.


    With the Lu family as such, if their wolf bit her daughter, who knew how much trouble they would cause.


    Just a scare would do.


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally did not want the wolf cub to bite her for real. As such, seeing that she should understand by now, she nodded. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Little Wolf. Come back.¡±


    The wolf cub was biting Lu Huahua¡¯s hair when it heard Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s cry. It obediently jumped down from Lu Huahua¡¯s body.


    Puff!


    Then, the wolf cub snorted in disdain.


    It was simply heartbreaking; that even a wolf would be disdainful of her.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help butugh. Then, she said coldly to Lu Huahua, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off this time. If I see you sneaking around in the future, it won¡¯t be as simple as tearing your clothes.¡±


    Lu Huahua cried as she got up from the ground. Her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were torn open in ces. She was in a sorry state.


    She looked down at her clothes. These were the clothes she had just bought in the county city. Now, they were all torn.


    The more Lu Huahua thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She sat on the ground and cried uncontrobly. ¡°Boohoo¡­ You guys are too much.


    Boohoo¡­¡±


    If not for the fact that she was in such a sorry state, she would look as if she was a damsel in distress for real.


    However, now that she was in such a sorry state, it was not a pretty sight at all.


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    At this moment, the wolf cub suddenly bared its teeth and roared fiercely at her again.


    Lu Huahua trembled in fear and instantly held back her tears. She looked at the little wolf who was about to attack again in fear and shouted. She got up from the ground and ran.


    The wolf cub immediately jumped out and chased after her.


    Lu Huahua was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t care less about being ady anymore. She lifted her skirt and ran like crazy.


    Little Wolf was hot on her heels. It wasn¡¯t until Lu Huahua had fled from their alley that Little Wolf stopped and ran back.


    Meanwhile, everyone had long been amused by Lu Huahua¡¯s sorry state. Lin Xiujuan praised, ¡°Little Wolf, you did a great job this time!¡±


    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s said that dragons give birth to dragons and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. The son of a rat knows how to dig holes. The Lu family is a family full of thieves and trickery. At such a young age, even the daughter knows how to steal and take advantage of others!¡± Liu Yan sighed and said, ¡°The Lu family is really outrageous.¡±


    Everyoneughed for a while before returning home.


    Zhou Xiaoli was in charge of distributing the money for the sugar sale, and before long, she was ready to go up the mountain.


    The wolf cub immediately followed behind her. Zhou Xiaoli was used to the wolf cub following her wherever she went.


    If it wasn¡¯t that she was afraid that some people may be frightened of it, she would have allowed the wolf cub to follow her to the county city.


    Thus, the man and wolf slowly walked up the mountain.


    When she arrived at her master¡¯s ce, Wei Chiyu was not there.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked around and asked in confusion, ¡°Eh, Master, isn¡¯t Wei Chiyu here?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun was making his tea then. When he heard this, he raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Xiaoli. He said in a somewhat jealous manner, ¡°You¡¯re looking for your junior brother as soon as you enter? Why don¡¯t you ask about your master first?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. She leaned over with a smile. ¡°Then,


    Master. are von here?¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun red at her. ¡°You¡¯re really impolite, kid. Hurry up and sit properly. I¡¯m going to test what you learned yesterday. If you can¡¯t answer, hmph, see how I¡¯ll punish you.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun sounded serious, but in reality, he did not intend to punish Zhou Xiaoli at all.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli was not afraid at all. However, she still sat down obediently.


    Perhaps it was because of the qi-gathering formation that her master has set which made people feel veryfortable.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli felt that every time she came to study, time passed very quickly.


    As Wei Chiyu was not around today, he could not go down the mountain with Zhou Xiaoli.


    Yuan Zhengchun was worried that it was not safe for Zhou Xiaoli to go down the mountain alone at ate time, so he did not allow her to stay for dinner with him.


    In fact, he was being overly cautious as Zhou Xiaoli is more than capable of protecting herself with her current martial skills.


    Living alone on the mountain was always lonely, especially when one was old.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli often stayed on the mountain to eat with her master.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Master, you¡¯re underestimating your disciple too much. Who can bully your disciple?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said with a smile.


    How could Yuan Zhengchun not know what his disciple was thinking? This disciple of his always looked carefree and happy, but she had the softest heart.


    This was also why he doted on her so much.


    She was smart and knew how to dote on others. Of course, he would dote and cherish her too.


    Yuan Zhengchun shook his head and chuckled. ¡°My child, when the MatchMaker Deity tied the red thread for you, he must have wrapped it around yourself. ¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Master?¡±


    Was her masterughing at her for being single? No way, she was still a baby!


    Yuan Zhengchun snorted and stroked his beard. ¡°You¡¯re so narcissistic.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh.


    Yuan Zhengchun urged, ¡°Alright, alright. Hurry up and go home. Don¡¯t disturb my peace here.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that Yuan Zhengchun was just worried that it would be dangerous for her to leave the mountainter in the day.


    Hence, she nodded and agreed.


    Before leaving, Zhou Xiaoli turned around and shouted, ¡°Master, I¡¯m leaving tor real now. Don¡¯t mss me too m.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun had a look of disdain and waved his hand. ¡°Hurry up and leave. I won¡¯t miss you.¡±


    Although he wasining, there was a trace of loneliness on her when Zhou Xiaoli left.


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more emotional. Before the child came, I didn¡¯t think this mountain was so quiet.¡±


    Then, he remembered that the girl had been shouting out over the past few days that she wanted to nt vegetables in the backyard and raise chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep.


    He got up, picked up the shovel, and went to the backyard.


    On the other side, Zhou Xiaoli slowly walked down the mountain with the little wolf beside her.


    Just as she passed by a bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain, she was suddenly blocked by someone.


    Zhou Xiaoli subconsciously frowned and looked up at the person in front of her..

 Chapter 114 - 114: I’m a Fierce Woman

    Chapter 114: I¡¯m a Fierce Woman


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhou Xiaoli was expressionless as she looked at the person blocking her way.


    Swoosh!


    Chen Dakun opened the fan in his hand and posed elegantly.


    He pretended to look at Zhou Xiaoli with affection.


    He deliberately lowered his voice, ¡°Youngdy, is your name Zhou Xiaoli? Can I call you Xiaoli?¡±


    After saying that, he even winked flirtatiously at Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    Of course, she did not tremble because she was smitten. Instead, she was utterly disgusted.


    He didn¡¯t think that this made him look really handsome, did he?


    Oh my God!


    And that voice. Could it be that he was trying to lower his pitch to mimic those with a perfect sensual deep voice?


    However, it was so unpleasant to hear. Help!


    Listening to him was simply torture.


    She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She shouted crazily in her heart that she needed to wash her eyes and ears.


    Her heart was in turmoil, but her face was expressionless. ¡°Yes, so, do I know you?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reaction, Chen Dakun was stunned for a moment before he smiled. ¡°You¡¯re indeed different. Interesting, interesting.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at him as if he was crazy. ¡°Oh, if there¡¯s nothing else, please move aside. You¡¯re blocking my way.¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Xiaoli saw that the other party had no intention of giving way. She was annoyed and did not want to be entangled with him, so she was prepared to go around him.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was leaving for real, Chen Dakun immediately took a step back and stopped her. ¡°Hey, Miss Zhou, don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t know me. Let me introduce myself first.¡±


    After saying that, he coughed and fanned himself. He said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m a child schr studying under the Schr Chen Zhuang. This year, I¡¯ll be able to pass the Elementary Schr examination. My name is Chen Dakun. I just want to get to know you. You can call me Brother Dakun.¡±


    As Chen Da Kun spoke, he deliberately emphasized on the word ¡®schr¡¯.


    Unfortunately, Zhou Xiaoli did not care about this word at all. Instead, she almost vomited when she heard him say ¡®Brother Dakun¡¯.


    She did not have a strong impression of Liu Yuanyuan, his fianc¨¦e, already. Now, Zhou Xiaoli was certain that this guy was a scumbag.


    He had a fianc¨¦e, and yet he still came out to fool around.


    As a result, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s expression became even more impatient. She nodded and exposed him on the spot. ¡°Oh, I know you. You¡¯re Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s fianc¨¦, right? If you want to find her, you can go to the Liu family house.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli had revealed his other identity, Chen Dakun was stunned for a moment before he sighed. ¡°Sigh! One can¡¯t disobey their parents¡¯ orders. I have no choice. You live next door to the Liu family, so you should know.¡±


    ¡°Liu Yuanyuan is spoiled by her mother. Her temper is terrible and she¡¯s stupid.


    However, I have no choice as I can¡¯t disobey my mother¡¯s orders.¡±


    Although Zhou Xiaoli did not like Liu Yuanyuan, it did not mean that she agreed with Chen Dakun¡¯s actions.


    At this moment, when she heard Chen Dakun belittling Liu Yuanyuan, she felt that this man was really despicable!


    Wei Chiyu appeared in her mind suddenly. Whenparing the two, Wei Chiyu was fresh and refined.


    At this moment, Chen Dakun was still unaware that Zhou Xiaoli was on the verge of exploding. He was still looking at Zhou Xiaoli with affection. He continued, ¡°In my dream, my future wife must be gentle and pleasant, like you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli snickered as she flexed her wrists and said with a dangerous smile, ¡°Then you¡¯ve misjudged me. I¡¯m not a gentle and pleasant person. Didn¡¯t you ask around in the vige?¡±


    As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoli smiled again.


    The woman in front of him was all smiles and looked so pretty that Chen Dakun was a little dazed.


    This was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


    Hence, he replied in a daze, ¡°Ask about?¡±


    At this moment, he suddenly felt a cold wind blow past his back, and his entire body shivered.


    In the next second, someone grabbed his shoulder. The world spun around him and he fell to the ground.


    The entire process was so fast that he did not even have time to react.


    Then, he heard a man¡¯s voice from above his head.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was also stunned. She looked at Wei Chiyu, who had suddenly appeared, and shook her head. ¡°What could possibly happen to me? Eh, why are you here?¡±


    This was the first time Zhou Xiaoli was so happy seeing Wei Chiyu.


    She could ¡®wash out¡¯ her eyes and ears now.


    Wei Chi clearly felt that Zhou mood improved when she saw him, and his heart could not help but beat rapidly.


    ¡°To pick you up.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli instantly felt like she had been healed.


    Her eyes curved. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the Master¡¯s ce today?¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°I have something to deal with.¡±


    As he spoke, he reached out to touch Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s head.


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned and subconsciously took a step back.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand also paused for a moment before he said softly, ¡°There¡¯s a


    leaf.¡¯


    As he spoke, he plucked a dried leaf from Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hair.


    Under the setting sun, the young man was handsome and the young girl was beautiful. She was so beautiful that it made one¡¯s heart flutter.


    Even the clouds in the sky seemed to have sensed it and turned pink from embarrassment.


    However, this beautiful scene was ring to Chen Da Kun, who was lying on the ground and had mud in his mouth.


    He struggled to get up from the ground and rubbed his face. He pointed at Wei


    Chiyu angrily and shouted, ¡°Rude, rude, you¡¯re simply disgraceful!¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhou, you¡¯re such a gentle and pleasant person. How can you have such a rude friend? It¡¯s an insult to yourself!¡±


    An unpleasant sound rang out which instantly destroyed this beautiful scenery.


    It also reminded Zhou Xiaoli, who had just been healed, of the other party¡¯s disgusting behavior. She could not help but frown.


    Wei Chiyu was about to teach this person a lesson, but he was stopped by Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled gently and said, ¡°I had asked you to ask around before approaching me. I¡¯m not a gentle person, so it¡¯s normal for my friend to be a


    little vulgar.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking and while the other party was still in a daze, Zhou Xiaoli unceremoniously kicked Chen Dakun¡¯s crotch¡­


    A tragic scream rang out from the foot of the mountain. Instantly, countless birds flew up in shock.


    ¡°You b*tch! You¡¯re a b*tch!¡±


    Chen Dakun covered his crotch and rolled on the ground in pain.


    Zhou Xiaoli blinked and spread out her hands before saying in an innocent voice, ¡°I have told you, I¡¯m a fierce woman.¡±


    Chen Dakun was in so much pain that his entire face turned red. It was obvious that Zhou Xiaoli had kicked him hard.


    Even Wei Chiyu, who was at the side, was shocked. He felt a chill in his lower abdomen.


    Zhou Xiaoli ¡°You already have a fianc¨¦e, yet you¡¯re still flirting around. Bah! Scum! Don¡¯t appear in front of me in the future. It¡¯ll hurt my eyes and I¡¯ll have to wash them for a long time.¡±


    With that, she grabbed Wei Chiyu and left.


    After the two of them left, Lu Huahua ran out from behind a rock and pounced on Chen Dakun with a worried expression. ¡°Brother Dakun, are you alright? Boohoo, don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    Chen Dakun was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t care less about pretending to be refined. He couldn¡¯t care less about showing mercy to the fairer sex and roared, ¡°Stop crying! Hurry up and bring me to a doctor!¡±


    Perhaps it was too painful, Chen Dakun¡¯s eyeballs bulged out which made him look a little terrifying. He no longer looked elegant..

 Chapter 115 - 115: To Make Trouble Again

    Chapter 115: To Make Trouble Again


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lu Huahua was frightened by Chen Dakun.


    Perhaps realizing that he had lost hisposure, Chen Dakun endured the pain and lowered his voice. ¡°Miss Lu, stop standing there. Help me call for the doctor quickly.¡±


    As he spoke, the sweat on Chen Da Kun¡¯s forehead kept flowing down. It was obvious how much pain he was in.


    He hated Zhou Xiaoli as much as his body hurt.


    Lu Huahua finally reacted and went forward to support Chen Dakun. She cried, ¡°Brother Dakun, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll bring you to see the doctor.¡±


    With that, she was about to help him up from the ground.


    However, Chen Dakun was in so much pain that he could not stand. Lu Huahua¡¯s small body could not support him at all.


    After a few tugs, Chen Dakun felt that his lower body hurt even more.


    His face turned several degrees paler. There were a number of times in which he wanted to curse, but he was afraid that he would scare her away. There was no one else who could call for a doctor for him, so he could only grit his teeth and say, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t pull. You can¡¯t help me. Go to the vige and call someone to help, or call a doctor for me.¡±


    Lu Huahua¡¯s tears fell nonstop as she nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get someone now. Wait for me.¡¯


    With that, she stood up and jogged towards the vige.


    On the other side, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu chatted as they slowly walked towards the vige.


    They even met Lu Huahua, who was in a hurry to return to the vige.


    Lu Huahua ran past them without stopping.


    Lu Huahua had just been taught a lesson by her wolf cub at noon so Zhou Xiaoli thought that she probably won¡¯t dare to cause any trouble.


    Hence, Zhou Xiaoli only took a nce at her and did not pay any more attention to her.


    She continued to chat with Wei Chiyu as they walked home.


    The days in October were getting colder and colder, and the nights were getting longer.


    Even so, Zhou Xiaoli got up from the warm bed very early every day.


    After putting on her clothes and washing her face, she went out for a morning run.


    This was the rule that her master had set for her. She had to go up the mountain for a morning run every day.


    After running for so many days, she was used to it. Now, she would feel ufortable if she missed a single day.


    After one round, her body was covered in sweat, but she did not feel tired. Instead, she felt refreshed.


    After running down the mountain, Zhou Xiaoli rxed her limbs and slowly walked home.


    Along the way, she greeted the vigers from the same vige as her. The atmosphere was harmonious.


    However, just as she entered the alley and was about to reach her house, she heard amotion.


    The direction of themotion seemed to be heading to her house.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but frown. She quickened her pace and headed home.


    As soon as she reached the door, she heard a sharp voice. ¡°At least you¡¯re sensible enough to know that you have topensate for hitting someone. But let me tell you, our families would not be able to settle the score with just 10 taels of silver!¡±


    Immediately after, Zhang Lan suppressed her anger and said, ¡°Old Madam Chen, don¡¯t push your luck. I¡¯ve already given you the money. What else do you want?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Madam Zhou, what are you saying? What do you mean by giving me the money? Let me tell you, my son was beaten up by your daughter. He¡¯s still lying on the bed and can¡¯t move! If these 10 taels of silver can cure my son, then we can forget it!¡±


    ¡°But if these 10 taels of silver are insufficient, I still have to ask your family for money! If you don¡¯t give me money, we¡¯ll go to the officials!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli knew what was going on with just a few sentences.


    The cause for the quarreling seemed to be that she had hit someone.


    In the past few days, the only one she had only beaten up was Chen Dakun yesterday. There was no one else.


    Therefore, the person who came to cause trouble must be Chen Dakun¡¯s mother!


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli pushed open the door and walked straight to Old Madam Chen. She snatched the money bag from her hand while thetter was caught off guard.


    She shouted, ¡°Father, Mother! We can¡¯t give her the money! Her son deserves to be beaten up. Even if he goes to the magistrate¡¯s office, we¡¯re not afraid!¡±


    ¡°Li¡¯er?¡±


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu were stunned. They quickly asked Zhou Xiaoli what was going on.


    Old Madam Chen, who had her money snatched away, looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a murderous gaze. ¡°Alright, you little b*tch. I was looking for you. You hit my son. I must avenge him today!¡±


    As she spoke, she was about to step forward and tear Zhou Xiaoli apart.


    Seeing this, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan rushed forward at the same time. One stood in front of Zhou Xiaoli, while the other blocked Old Madam Chen.


    Zhou Yu looked at her with an unfriendly expression and warned, ¡°If you dare to touch my daughter, I¡¯ll fight you to my death!¡±


    Zhou Yu looked very fierce. Old Madam Chen was frightened and did not dare to act rashly.


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. Her son asked for it. Yesterday afternoon, when I was on my way down the mountain, her son blocked my way and refused to let me go. If I don¡¯t hit him, who should I hit then?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, if she wants to see the officials, go. Let¡¯s see who will be punished then. Be careful that someone may lose his chance to take the imperial examination! ¡±


    Chen Dakun was a student who might be a High Schr in the future. This had always been Old Madam Chen¡¯s pride and to show off about.


    Hearing this, she cowered.


    When Zhang Lan heard that her daughter was stopped, she knew what was going on.


    Why else would a man stop a woman? He was just trying to take advantage of her.


    Her face was filled with anger. She pointed at Old Madam Chen and scolded, ¡°Your son did a shameless thing and even framed my daughter for it. How can you be so shameless!¡±


    When Zhou Yu heard that his daughter had almost been molested, he was so angry that his entire body trembled. If not for the fact that he could not hit


    women, he would definitely walk over and p Old Madam Chen a few times!


    Old Madam Chen naturally did not believe that her son would do such a thing.


    She immediately scolded, ¡°My son is a student studying under the might of the Emperor. How could he do such a thing? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s your daughter¡¯s fault for being indecent. She¡¯s a girl, but she flirts every day. One look and you can tell that she¡¯s not a good person.¡±


    Zhang Lan was so angry that her eyes widened. She picked up the broom and waved it at Old Madam Chen.


    Instantly, the courtyard descended into chaos.


    At this moment, the Liu family next door heard themotion and walked over curiously.


    Lin Xiujuan was stunned when she realized that it was her future inws who were arguing with the Zhou family.


    She rushed forward and stopped them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t be rash. Is there a misunderstanding?¡±


    Seeing that the Liu family had arrived, Old Madam Chen seemed to have found her supporter. She immediately said self-righteously, ¡°What misunderstanding? It was this coquettish little b*tch who hurt my son. If she caused irreparable damage to my son, I won¡¯t let her off!¡±


    Zhang Lan was not to be outdone. ¡°Pfft, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Why did your son stop my daughter? If you ask me, it¡¯s a good thing done. This kind of lecher should be beaten to death!¡±


    After hearing this, Lin Xiujuan was stunned.


    She regarded Zhou Xiaoli highly as thetter was the money tree in her heart.


    But now that she had a conflict with her future son-inw, whom she was very satisfied with, she did not know who to help..

 Chapter 116 - 116: The Workers Regretted

    Chapter 116: The Workers Regretted


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After a while, Lin Xiujuan said, ¡°Future inw, don¡¯t be rash. Let¡¯s ask the children if there¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡±


    Then, she advised Zhang Lan, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be rash. Let¡¯s understand the situation first. Brother Kun isn¡¯t that kind of person. There must be a misunderstanding! ¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Dakun ran over in a hurry and said loudly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡±


    Then, he ran over and pulled Old Madam Chen back. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. My mother doesn¡¯t know the situation. She¡¯s just too worried about me.¡±


    ¡°It was all a misunderstanding between me and the Zhou family¡¯s Miss. I didn¡¯t see Miss Zhou at that time and blocked her way as she wasing down the mountain. Miss Zhou thought that I was a bad person and was anxious. Hence, she hurt me by ident.¡±


    Chen Dakun exined repeatedly.


    After that, he pulled Old Madam Chen and ran away in a hurry.


    Zhou Xiaoli sneered in her heart. Chen Dakun was afraid that if things got out of hand and she had reported it to the authorities, his reputation would be ruined!


    After all, he was a schr.


    If his reputation was ruined, he would not have the chance to take the Imperial Examination.


    At this moment, Lin Xiujuan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I knew it was a misunderstanding. Brother Kun is a good child.¡±


    Right now, the Liu family and the Zhou family are working well together. On one side was the future son-inw whom she liked a lot, and on the other side was her money tree. Naturally, she did not want to lose either side.


    Thinking that the two families had a good rtionship, Zhou Xiaoli reminded Lin Xiujuan tactfully, ¡°This Chen Dakun doesn¡¯t seem to be as good as the rumors say.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan didn¡¯t listen at all. She thought that there was a misunderstanding between Zhou Xiaoli and Chen Dakun and Zhou Xiaoli said that because she didn¡¯t like Chen Dakun.


    Therefore, she did not take Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reminder to heart at all. She smiled and said, ¡°Little Li, there must be a misunderstanding between you and Brother Kun. Brother Kun is very ambitious and a good child.¡±


    ¡°He became a child schr a long time ago. This year, he might be able to pass the Imperial Examination to be an Elementary Schr. He¡¯s a student studying under the might of the Emperor. He¡¯s not the person you think he is¡­¡± Zhou Xiaoli kept quiet.


    She did not have any evidence that Chen Dakun was a scumbag. If she said too much, the Liu family might not believe her. They might even think that Zhou Xiaoli was deliberately trying to ruin his good marriage to their daughter.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli did not say anything else.


    Anyway, she had already reminded her.


    Seeing that there was nothing else, Lin Xiujuan hurriedly went home to cook.


    After closing the door, Zhang Lan pulled Zhou Xiaoli and checked if she was injured. She kept scolding her, ¡°Child, why didn¡¯t you tell your parents when you came back after such a big thing happened?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes curved. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t want you to worry.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Silly child, what are you afraid of? Remember, Father and Mother will always be on your side. If you encounter anything in the future, you have to tell Father and Mother. Don¡¯t bear it all by yourself, do you understand?


    Zhou Xiaoli felt a warmth in her heart and nodded obediently. She held Zhang Lan¡¯s arm and said coquettishly, ¡°Alright, Mother. In the future, if I encounter any problems, I¡¯ll look for you. It¡¯s just that, Mother, you can¡¯t be annoyed with me then.¡±


    A smile appeared on Zhang Lan¡¯s face. She patted Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°No worries, no worries.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu also ran over to hug the two of them and said cutely, ¡°Little Fishy won¡¯t be annoyed either.¡±


    Instantly, both of themughed.


    The three of them chatted andughed as they entered the kitchen.


    Zhou Yu looked at the backs of the mother and daughter trio and a gratified smile appeared on his face.


    Now that everything was fine at home, Zhou Junjun ran back to his room and started reading loudly.


    When it was almost noon, many uninvited guests unexpectedly came to their house.


    Looking at the eight or nine familiar faces in front of the door, Zhou Xiaoli wanted tough. She raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Yo, didn¡¯t you guys get a good job with Cao Liu? Why are you so free toe to our house today?¡±


    That¡¯s right, these people were the workers who followed Cao Liu on strike and ran away with him.


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, those people felt a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Hey, Miss Zhou, don¡¯t tease us. We were also deceived by that bastard Cao Liu.¡±


    One of them spoke first.


    Immediately, the others started talking at once.


    ¡°Yes, yes, we were deceived¡­


    Zhou Xiaoli received a lot of information from them as they vented their anger and dissatisfaction.


    For example, Cao Liu had first looked for them and said that there was work for Second Master Wan¡¯s family. With that, they put on an act and went on strike.


    Another example was about the stage that they were going to build for Second Master Wan under Cao Liu¡¯s lead. The Second Master Wan wanted to build the stage to please the topdy of the brothel.


    Another example was that Second Master Wan¡¯s wife was known for being a shrew. For some reason, she found out that Second Master Wan had secretly built a stage for the topdy of the brothel.


    Then, she caught Second Master Wan in the act and caused a lot of trouble.


    Hence, the matter of building a stage was left unsettled.


    Not only did they lose their jobs, Cao Liu had also gambled away the wages they earned over the past few days.


    They suffered a double loss. Not only did they not get any money, but they had also lost their cushy job with the Zhou family.


    After hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli wanted tough. She thought to herself, ¡°this is karma.¡±


    Zhou Yu was a little unhappy. He frowned and said loudly, ¡°So, what do you want? Do you want to work for us again?¡±


    Those people immediately nodded and started ttering themselves again.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Big Brother Zhou, look, we had worked on the house for your family previously. We¡¯re familiar with it, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been working for many years. Our skills are not something ordinary people canpare to. We work quickly and well. I guarantee that we can build your house to be strong and beautiful!¡±


    Zhou Yu interrupted them impatiently. ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s no need for that. Our family can¡¯t afford to use you. Now that we¡¯ve found workers and are doing well, you should find another way out.¡±


    When those people heard this, their faces were filled with regret, but they were still unwilling.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, look at how we built your house earlier. We¡¯re more familiar with your house than the neers. We¡¯ll definitely build it faster than them¡­¡± Someone said,


    Were they trying to rece the new workers?


    Zhou Xiaoli was so angry that sheughed. ¡°No, big brothers, where did you get your confidence from? Our new workers are much better than you. They don¡¯t know how to be half-hearted and scheming.¡±


    ¡°You guys should leave quickly. We don¡¯t dare to use you anymore. What if you guys run away again?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli went all out in criticizing them. Those people¡¯s faces turned red and white after being scolded.


    After being rebuked by the Zhou family, those workers left dejectedly.


    As they walked, they scolded Cao Liu for being a jerk. When they passed by the Zhou family¡¯s homestead, they happened to see the workers chatting andughing as they drank green bean tea..

 Chapter 117 - 117: As Long As You ‘re Happy

    Chapter 117: As Long As You ¡®re Happy


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Sigh, the Zhou family is the best family I¡¯ve ever worked for. They have sweet green bean tea every day.¡±


    ¡°Me too. The Zhou family is really good. You don¡¯t know this, but I took on a job for the Second Master Wan previously. Although Second Master Wan is rich, he deducted a lot from my pay too.¡±


    ¡°They were afraid that the workers would drink too much water and waste time in the toilet, so they refused to let us drink water. I was tired and thirsty from those few days of work. Every time I went home, I drank a full bucket of water!¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many people like the Zhou family who are so generous!¡±


    Everyone was talking about how generous and good the Zhou family was.


    At this moment, Ma Fei pped his hands softly and called everyone over. He announced loudly, ¡°Everyone, I have great news for you!¡±


    ¡°The youngdy from the Zhou family said that as the progress is quick, she will pay us an extra tael of silver each as sry after the house ispleted!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the surrounding people immediately cheered.


    Their joy was like a p to the faces of the workers who just passed by.


    At this moment, their intestines were green with regret.


    But what could they do? The Zhou family no longer needed them.


    With nowhere to vent their anger, the few of them med Cao Liu. All of them cursed and wanted to settle scores with Cao Liu.


    Watching those people leave with ashen faces, Ma Fei smiled proudly.


    He had wanted to announce this news to everyone after the house was built.


    However, he saw that the workers who had left with Cao Liu, had gone to the Zhou family.


    He often went to his master¡¯s ce and naturally, he heard about what happened to the Second Master Wan.


    Therefore, when they went to the Zhou family, he knew that these people probably wanted toe back to work for them again.


    However, from their dejected expressions when they left the Zhou family, he knew that the Zhou family did not want them.


    He deliberately announced this good news loudly at this time to anger them.


    Zhou Xiaoli waspletely unaware of this.


    At this moment, she was going to her master¡¯s ce with Wei Chiyu and she shared the good news with him.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m dying ofughter.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed uncontrobly. ¡°It seems that doing work for andlord is not necessarily a lucrative one.¡±


    After hearing this, Wei Chiyu was not surprised at all. He only looked at Zhou Xiaoli, who was smiling happily, and there was a trace of gentleness in his amber eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny?¡±


    Wei Chiyu: ¡°Yes, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned. Looking at Wei Chivu¡¯s serious expression. she guessed that he didn¡¯t mean anything else.


    Blinking her eyes, Zhou Xiaoli automatically ignored these ambiguous words and asked, ¡°Ai, Wei Chiyu, you seem to be not surprised by their ending at all?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°Yes, I informed the Second Madam of the Wan family that her man was building a stage for the topdy of the brothel.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Ah, you did it?¡±


    No wonder Wei Chiyu frequently disappeared for no reason over the past few days ago.


    Wei Chiyu nodded, feeling a little proud of himself. Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but give him a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± This move was really despicable, but she liked it!


    After receiving her praises, Wei Chiyu¡¯s lips curled into a tiny smile. He had always felt that whenever he did good deeds, it should be unted for the world to know.


    Since he was the one who did it, he had to let the other party know!


    Something came to Zhou Xiaoli suddenly and she added, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. We didn¡¯t go to see Foreman Chengst time. We have to find time to go again.¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. ¡°The day after tomorrow. We don¡¯t have any sses the day after tomorrow.¡±


    The day after tomorrow, his master was going to visit his good friend, so he gave the two of them a break.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and agreed.


    In the blink of an eye, two dayster.


    Early in the morning, after eating breakfast, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu drove the donkey cart to Foreman Cao¡¯s house.


    Foreman Cao and Cao Liu¡¯s families were two different families, but the two families were located next to each other, separated only by a wall.


    Therefore, when they arrived at Foreman Cao¡¯s house, they saw the workers from before causing trouble at Cao Liu¡¯s house.


    ¡°Open the door! Open the door! Give us back the money that you owe us!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only right for you to repay your debts! If you don¡¯t pay us, we won¡¯t leave.


    We¡¯ll bet at your door that your family won¡¯t be able to leave!¡±


    The workers were obviously unwilling to give up and continued to argue outside the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu only took a few nces before knocking on Foreman Cao¡¯s door.


    After the bell rang, there was no movement for a long time.


    Wei Chiyu knocked on the door again. After a while, a cautious voice came from behind the door. ¡°Who is it? Who is it?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli still had an impression of this voice. It belonged to Foreman Cao¡¯s wife, so she said, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m from the Zhou family. I¡¯m here to visit Foreman Cao.¡±


    After Zhou Xiaoli mentioned her name, the door opened.


    Foreman Cao¡¯s wife opened the door with just a tiny crack at first. When she saw that it was indeed Zhou Xiaoli outside, she opened the door fully and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Come in,e in.¡±


    After the two of them entered the courtyard, Foreman Cao¡¯s wife hurriedly closed the door again.


    She smiled and said, ¡°Those people have beening to their house every day to cause trouble over the past few days. My man hasn¡¯t recovered yet, so I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll rush to my house as well.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She knew what Foreman Cao¡¯s wife was talking about.


    As Madam Cao spoke, she led the two of them into the room. ¡°Quick, pleasee in.¡±


    Foreman Cao was lying on the bed, resting. He was pleasantly surprised to see


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu.


    ¡°Miss Zhou, Brother Wei, why are you here?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli put down the gift and smiled. ¡°I came to see you. I went to the county town to see you earlier, but I missed you at the clinic. We were free today, so we came to take a look. Foreman Cao, are you feeling better?¡±


    Foreman Cao was very grateful that Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu hade to visit him.


    Using Madam Cao¡¯s strength as support, he sat up and smiled. ¡°They¡¯re minor injuries. It¡¯s not a big problem. I¡¯ll be able to walk soon after recuperating for a while more.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. Although Foreman Cao looked a little sickly, he was in good spirits and was fine.


    After helping Foreman Cao sit up, Madam Cao ran out to bring chairs for Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu.


    After a simple greeting, Foreman Cao asked about the progress of the house.


    In the end, he even consoled Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Young Lady Zhou, don¡¯t worry. My disciple is not bad. With him watching over the construction progress, the house can¡¯t go wrong.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and nodded. ¡°I trust the disciple that you have taught.¡±


    Foreman Cao could not help butugh. ¡°Miss Zhou, you tter me.¡±


    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Zhou Xiaoli politely declined Madam Cao¡¯s invitation to stay for dinner and left.


    When they left the Cao family, the workers were still making a scene at Cao Liu¡¯s house..

 Chapter 118 - 118: Don’t Look, It’s Dirty

    Chapter 118: Don¡¯t Look, It¡¯s Dirty


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    They would probably continue to make trouble over the next couple of days.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled.


    They were like mad dogs biting each other.


    The two of them did not stay for long. They got on the carriage and went to the county city as Zhou Xiaoli wanted to buy some stones.


    Although this was only Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s third timeing to the stone gambling den, the incidents that happened on her previous two trips were still fresh in people¡¯s minds.


    Therefore, many shops in the stone gambling den recognized Zhou Xiaoli.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoli bought stones but did not cut them on the spot.


    Therefore, many people thought that Zhou Xiaoli was only here to buy stones to y, and not many people paid attention to her.


    Soon, Zhou Xiaoli walked around the entire stone gambling den.


    There were quite a few stones that emitted spiritual energy, but none of them were particrly outstanding.


    In the end, Zhou Xiaoli chose three stones that were piled up in the trash. They had good spiritual energy and were cheap.


    Then, she left the stone gambling den with Wei Chiyu.


    Since they had nothing to do today, the two of them were not in a hurry to go back. After depositing the donkey cart at the transit station, the two walked around the county city.


    The street was bustling with activity and Zhou Xiaoli looked from one stall to another.


    She did not buy anything, but it was endless fun doing window shopping. ¡°Wontons. Open the pot. Wontons, open the pot.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli heard the crisp sounds of bamboo hitting one another and the call of the stall owner.


    Zhou Xiao was very interested. ¡°Wei Chiyu, do you want to eat wontons?¡±


    Without waiting for Wei Chiyu¡¯s reply, she dragged him to the stall.


    The wonton stall was a shed built by the roadside. With a few tables and stools, it became a simple roadside stall.


    Business was good. Many people were eating, and there were no empty seats at all.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu enter, the Lady Boss smiled and said, ¡°There are no more seats left. Are you ok to share a table with others?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded nonchntly and said with a smile, ¡°Lady Boss, two bowls of wontons please.¡±


    After savinz that, she pulled Wei Chivu to sit down in front of a burly man.


    Wei Chiyu nced at the burly man in the seat and pursed his lips. In the end, he didn¡¯t say anything and sat down.


    Soon, the wontons were served.


    The taste was not outstanding, but it was not bad.


    Zhou Xiaoli was indeed very happy.


    At this time, Zhou Xiaoli heard the conversation between the customers nearby.


    They were talking about the efficacy of Jinhua Temple in the city.


    One said that someone went to pray for a child, and when they came back, she was pregnant and gave birth to a fat boy. The other said that someone else asked for luck to pass through the entrance examination and that person indeed became a schr.


    Anyway, it was quite lively.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s interest was piqued. After finishing the wontons, she took Wei Chiyu to the legendary Jinhua Temple.


    Jinhua Temple was located halfway up the mountain. The scenery along the way was very beautiful, and there was an endless stream of visitors.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu strolled around the Taoist temple leisurely. After a while, they arrived at the back of the mountain.


    This was arge peach forest. ording to the monk¡¯s introduction, the busiest period for the temple was when the peach blossoms bloomed every year.


    However, it was not the season for peach blossoms, so the back mountain seemed a little deste.


    There was almost no one around.


    Zhou Xiaoli walked around aimlessly and felt that there was indeed nothing to see, so she prepared to leave.


    At this moment, an indescribable noise entered Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s ears.


    She immediately stopped in her tracks and curiously looked in the direction of the noise.


    Just as she saw a man and a woman kissing passionately, her vision darkened suddenly. A pair ofrge hands covered her eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoli was immediately displeased. If it weren¡¯t Wei Chiyu who covered her eyes, she would have thrown that person over her shoulder.


    She felt that the man and woman looked familiar. Just as she was about to confirm it, Wei Chiyu covered her eyes.


    Therefore, she had to move Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand away to check again.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s deep voice sounded in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t look. It¡¯s dirty.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a woman¡¯s coquettish gasp sounded. ¡°Brother


    Dakun, no¡­¡±


    In the next second, she was pulled away by Wei Chiyu. Wei Chiyu only let go of her after they left the peach forest.


    Zhou Xiaoli felt a little awkward.


    No matter how thick-skinned she was, she would blush when she encountered such a thing!


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s reaction was extremely calm. Only he knew if he was indeed as calm as he looked.


    After that, Zhou Xiaoli was no longer in the mood to shop. The two of them left Jinhua Temple in silence.


    After that, the two of them bought some cloth, cotton and some small pastries for the children before leaving the county city to go home.


    As soon as she reached home, she met Liu Yuanyuan at the door. Zhou Xiaoli looked at her thoughtfully.


    At this moment, an illusion appeared again.


    The protagonist in the illusion was Liu Yuanyuan, but she was tied up and thrown into a dark room.


    In front of her were three burly men who smiled lewdly at Liu Yuanyuan, who was crying and begging for mercy.


    Then, the scene changed.


    Old Madam Chen was making a scene as she broke off the engagement in the Liu family. Liu Yuanyuan, who had lost her innocence, was so embarrassed that she hanged herself.


    From then on, Lin Xiujuan lost her mind. Liu Liangcai was mentally and physically exhausted and died soon after.


    The image flickered again and disappeared.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but frown.


    Perhaps because Zhou Xiaoli had stared at Liu Yuanyuan for too long, Liu Yuanyuan also looked at Zhou Xiaoli.


    This time, she did not say nasty things to Zhou Xiaoli as before. She only red at her before turning around and returning home.


    Zhou Xiaoli removed her gaze and returned home too.


    Zhou Xiaoli had been engrossed in thinking about what had happened in the illusion and returned home in a daze, giving Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan a scare.


    Zhou Xiaoli quickly collected her thoughts and said with a smile, ¡°Father, Mother, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about something.¡±


    As she spoke, she hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, I bought cloth and cotton again.


    Come and take a look. It¡¯s very beautiful.¡±


    Instantly, Zhang Lan¡¯s attention was diverted. She went forward to take a look. ¡°Ah, this fabric is really good. It must cost a lot of money.¡±


    It was in to see that her heart was aching at the thought of spending a lot of money.


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not expensive. It¡¯s just ordinary cotton, not silk. You used all the fabric we bought previously to make clothes for us, but you didn¡¯t make any for yourself and for Father. Hence I bought more cloth. Let¡¯s make a few more clothes and throw out the old ones.¡¯ Hearing Zhou Xiaoli say that she wanted to toss the old clothes, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu immediately disagreed.


    ¡°How can that be? Our clothes are still fine. How can we toss them?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. She tugged at Zhou Yu¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Look, there¡¯s a hole in it.¡±


    Zhou Yu chuckled and patted his clothes. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your mother can sew it up and I can wear it again. It¡¯s still fine.¡±


    Then, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Xiaoyu beside him and said with a smile, ¡°We still have the bup that you bought. Your mother made me a few sets of clothes using bup. I¡¯ll just wear that. This cloth is soft and good, suitable for making clothes for you to wear.¡±


    Zhang Lan also nodded in agreement. ¡°We often have to go to the fields to work. It would be a pity if we were to wear this good material and it gets damaged then.¡±


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°No, we have to wear them together. This is the first New Year since we left the Old Zhou family. We have to wear them.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli insisted. Thinking that it was indeed the first New Year since they left the Old Zhou family, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan agreed.


    As they chatted andughed, they carried the cloth into the room.


    Zhou Xiaoli subconsciously looked in the direction of the Liu family and thought of the illusion she had just seen about Liu Yuanyuan..

 Chapter 119 - 119: Conspiracy

    Chapter 119: Conspiracy


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    On this day, Zhou Xiaoli was pondering over the matters in the illusion.


    Before she could figure out anything,


    Liu Yuanyuan suddenly came to look for her the next morning!


    At first nce, Zhou Xiaoli noticed that there was a ball of ckness between Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s eyebrows. It seemed that what happened in her illusion would be happening soon.


    It could be said that Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan had never interacted much. Liu Yuanyuan never took the initiative to look for her, nor would she look for Liu Yuanyuan.


    Even Liu Yuanyuan felt a little awkward when she suddenly came to look for her.


    After a while, her face turned red, but she did not say anything.


    In the end, it was Zhou Xiaoli who broke the awkward silence. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan opened her mouth and said stiffly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the county city to buy rouge today. Do you want to go?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly added, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just feel that Brother Dakun is right. My parents are cooperating with your family. It¡¯s not good for our rtionship to be stiff. I just want to ease our rtionship a little.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Brother Dakun said that you had a misunderstanding about him the other time and he asked me to invite you out. He wants to apologize to you.¡± Towards the end, Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s voice was a little soft.


    Hearing that this was Chen Dakun¡¯s idea, Zhou Xiaoli couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    There must be something up. Chen Dakun probably didn¡¯t have any good intentions.


    On the other side, Liu Yuanyuan saw that Zhou Xiaoli was frowning and did not speak. She pouted and muttered softly, ¡°I knew it. Forget it. I¡¯ll go alone.¡±


    However, in the next second, Zhou Xiaoli nodded and said, ¡°Alright, when are we going?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan clearly did not expect Zhou Xiaoli to agree and was stunned. ¡°Ah? You agree?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and asked again, ¡°Yes. So, when are we going?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan was still a little uncertain, but she still replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in a while.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Alright, just call me when you are ready.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m just going back to get money. We¡¯ll leave immediately. Just wait for me here.¡±


    With that, she immediately ran home. Sure enough, she ran out of the house after a while.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you need me to go home and get the donkey cart? The county city is quite far away.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan shook her head, ¡°No need, no need. Brother Dakun has a horse carriage waiting for us at the entrance of the vige.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and said nothing more.


    The two of them walked towards the vige entrance in silence.


    Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the vige entrance, she saw a simple horse carriage parked there. Chen Dakun was standing anxiously beside the carriage.


    When he saw Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan, his eyes lit up and a greasy smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°Aiya, Miss Zhou! It¡¯s great that you¡¯re here. It was a misunderstandingst time. I thought that your family had a good rtionship with the Liu family, and my family and the Liu family would be one big family in the future, so I wanted to get to know you in advance. I didn¡¯t expect you to misunderstand.


    Hahaha. ¡±


    When she heard that they would be a family in the future, Liu Yuanyuan immediately became shy. ¡°Brother Dakun, what nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Chen Dakun smiled gently and deliberately showed off his love for her. ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. Our uing marriage is agreed by our parents and match-made by the matchmaker. Who dares to say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Brother Dakun, you¡¯re so mean. There are others here.¡± Liu Yuanyuan giggled.


    As they spoke, Chen Dakun actually started flirting with her.


    During this time, Chen Dakun even shot a nce at Zhou Xiaoli, as if he wanted to arouse her jealousy and envy.


    Unfortunately, Zhou Xiaoli immediately thought of the pair making out in the peach blossom forest yesterday. She immediately felt like vomiting.


    Suppressing the difort in her stomach, she nodded faintly. ¡°Yes. I thought we were going to the county city. Shall we go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. You twodies quickly get in the carriage. I¡¯ll drive the carriage for you twodies.¡±


    Chen Dakun immediately chuckled.


    As he spoke, he invited Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan into the carriage as though he¡¯s a gentleman.


    Liu Yuanyuan shyly got into the carriage first, followed by Zhou Xiaoli.


    The moment they got into the car, a trace of malice shed across Chen Dakun¡¯s eyes, but Zhou Xiaoli caught it.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes narrowed. There was indeed something fishy going on.


    After the two of them sat down, the carriage began to move slowly.


    On the way, Zhou Xiaoli lifted the curtain of the carriage to take a look. They were indeed on the road to the county city.


    Chen Da Kun was a vain person who cherished his reputation. He would not leave evidence of his misdoings.


    He would probably not do it himself.


    Zhou Xiaoli came along because she did not want the events in the illusion to happen and cause the Liu family to suffer a tragic end.


    First of all, she was grateful for Liu Liangcai¡¯s kindness, and second, she didn¡¯t want their new sugar business to go down the drain because of this.


    She still didn¡¯t have much feelings for Liu Yuanyuan. If it wasn¡¯t for the huge impact that woulde should the illusione true, she would only give a reminder to her and not follow her.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli did not take the initiative to find a topic to talk about throughout the entire process. When she had nothing to do, she would close her eyes and enter her alternate space to find several suitable weapons.


    Liu Yuanyuan did not know what to say to Zhou Xiaoli, so the two of them were very silent along the way.


    During this period, Chen Dakun was the one outside. He took the initiative to find a few topics to talk about.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli was not enthusiastic at all. The conversation died down after a few words.


    After entering the city, Chen Dakun smiled and said that he wanted to bring the two of them to buy the best rouge avable.


    ¡°The Rouge Pavilion in the county city has the best rouge. I heard that they¡¯ve just received a new batch of goods these few days. The girls in the county city love it so much that they can¡¯t bear to part with it. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll bring you guys to buy it.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s reaction was calm. She walked quietly, but her eyes were observing her surroundings.


    Liu Yuanyuan was very happy.


    At this moment, Chen Dakun suddenly pulled her back and asked in a low voice, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell your parents that you came to the county city with me, right?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan nodded and said shyly, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell my parents about the two of us. I still remember what Brother Dakun told me.¡¯


    Chen Dakun had been using the excuse of protecting her reputation to prevent her from telling Liu Liangcai and Lin Xiujuan about their frequent trysts. On the other hand, Liu Yuanyuan firmly believed this and was extremely obedient.


    Since Liu Yuanyuan said so, Chen Dakun smiled. ¡°Yuanyuan, you¡¯re so obedient. Bring Miss Zhou to Old Wang¡¯s Alleyter. I¡¯ve prepared a big surprise for you there. It can ease your rtionship with her. After this matter is over, I¡¯ll buy you the best rouge.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan, who firmly believed in Chen Dakun, immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Chen Da Kun¡¯s eyes shed. He looked at Liu Yuanyuan with pity and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go prepare the surprise first.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Then, Liu Yuanyuan ran forward and said to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Xiaoli, I suddenly remembered that I have to go to Old Wang¡¯s Alley to find a friend.. Can you apany me to Old Wang¡¯s Alley first?¡±

 Chapter 120 - 120: Beat Him At His Own Game

    Chapter 120: Beat Him At His Own Game


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli had been paying attention to her surroundings, so she noticed


    Chen Dakun¡¯s departure.


    However, she still asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Young Master Chen?¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan found an excuse and said, ¡°Brother Dakun has something to do. He said that he would bring us to buy rougeter.¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, I need to go to Old Wang¡¯s Alley to meet a friend. Come with me, or we¡¯ll be separated.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan racked her brains, trying to think of all sorts of reasons for Zhou Xiaoli to agree to go with her.


    Unexpectedly, Zhou Xiaoli agreed immediately.


    Liu Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment before leading Zhou Xiaoli to Old Wang¡¯s Alley.


    Old Wang¡¯s Alley was an old alley. There were many dpidated houses around it that had not been torn down. Most of them were abandoned, and only some old people lived here.


    Hence, this ce seemed exceptionally deserted.


    Zhou Xiaoli was immediately on high alert when she saw the old alley.


    Just as the two of them entered the alley, they felt a heavy blow on the back of their heads. Their vision darkened and they fainted.


    When Zhou Xiaoli woke up again, it was already night time, and she was in a room filled with junk.


    It was the room where Liu Yuanyuan was tied up in the illusion.


    However, unlike the illusion, she and Liu Yuanyuan were not the only ones in the room.


    With the faint light from the window, they could see several ck shadows in the room. It seemed that they were all kidnapped here.


    She had sensed that something was wrong after walking into the alley.


    However, if she had dealt with them and chased them away,


    Chen Dakun would definitelye out after the incident and make up a story to remove himself cleanly of any wrongdoings.


    It was just a temporary solution.


    What she wanted was for Chen Dakun¡¯s true identity to be exposed so that he could not cause trouble in the future.


    Therefore, she did not resist at all and yed along.


    As she thought about this, she took out a knife from her alternate space and cut the rope that bound her wrists.


    Then, she walked to the side and found Liu Yuanyuan.


    She gently called her a few times to wake her up.


    Liu Yuanyuan was confused for a moment before she opened her eyes. It took her a long time to figure out the situation and she panicked.


    Zhou Xiaoli whispered, ¡°Shh, don¡¯t make a sound. The robbers are outside.¡±


    As she spoke, she pointed outside.


    As expected, the sound of firewood crackling could be heard. The noise of a few men drinking and chatting could be heard.


    Liu Yuanyuan nodded in fear.


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli took out a knife and cut the rope on Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s body before pulling out the thing that was stuffed into her mouth.


    Liu Yuanyuan immediately asked with a trembling voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    At this moment, a woman¡¯s valiant voice sounded from the side. ¡°We met human traffickers. What else could it be?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately looked in the direction of the voice and saw a figure moving in the corner. She moved over and whispered, ¡°Dear sister, help me cut the ropes too.¡±


    Due to the dim light, she could not see the woman¡¯s exact appearance, but she could vaguely see a rough outline. It was less feminine and gentle, but rather masculine.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and took out a knife to cut the rope binding her hands.


    Liu Yuanyuan trembled in fear. She bit her lips tightly to prevent herself from making a sound and her eyes were filled with horror.


    At this moment, the calm Zhou Xiaoli had be her source of strength. She subconsciously moved to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side and asked softly, ¡°We, we, what should we do now?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Let¡¯s understand the situation first and see how many people are there.¡±


    As she spoke, she quietly moved to the window and listened to themotion outside.


    Liu Yuanyuan followed suit.


    The untied girl also walked over.


    As soon as they approached the window, the conversation outside became much clearer.


    With the light from the bonfire, they could clearly see the situation outside through the window.


    There were three people eating meat and drinking wine by the bonfire. There was another one who was whistling and peeing not far away.


    At this moment, the three people beside the bonfire started talking about their harvest today.


    One of them, a fatty, smiled lewdly and said, ¡°One of the two caught today is really good-looking. She doesn¡¯t look like a vige girl at all. Her skin is soft and tender. I¡¯m f*cking reacting!¡±


    The burly man sitting beside him also smiled in a greasy manner. ¡°I really want to have a taste of that girl!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have any bad thoughts. Big Brother said that this kind of girl is worth a lot of money when we send her to the barbaric ce!¡± Another bearded man reminded them.


    The fatty snorted and said indifferently, ¡°Those barbarians are really lucky!¡±


    ¡°However, we can¡¯t touch this girl, but we can touch the other one, right?¡±


    The bearded man said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s up to you. In any case, we still have to put her back.¡±


    At this moment, the person who went to pee came back. He whistled and said loudly, ¡°Count me in. I haven¡¯t touched a woman for a long time!¡±


    As he spoke, he chuckled. ¡°This youngdy¡¯s fianc¨¦ is really ruthless. I heard that he thought of a way to ruin the woman¡¯s innocence in order to break the engagement!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, what are you worried about? Come and drink. It¡¯s only fun when you¡¯re done drinking!¡±


    Then, there was another noisy round of fist games and drinking.


    At this moment, Liu Yuanyuan trembled even more.


    How could she not tell who they were talking about?


    She would never have thought that the Chen Dakun whom she trusted so much was actually such a person.


    Tears fell one by one. If not for the fact that her lips were shaking, she would have cried out loud.


    The woman at the side clicked her tongue and shook her head.


    Zhou Xiaoli was afraid that Liu Yuanyuan would alert the kidnappers outside, so she frowned and scolded in a low voice. ¡°Stop crying. If he hurts you, you can take revenge on him! What¡¯s the use of crying?¡±


    After being scolded by Zhou Xiaoli, Liu Yuanyuan looked at Zhou Xiaoli in a daze and forgot to cry.


    The woman on the side also looked at Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Do you have a way to escape?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve just thought of a way, but I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    After a few pots of wine, the four human traffickers were satisfied. Other than the bearded man, the remaining three began to fight over who would go first.


    After an argument, Fatty won and staggered towards the house.


    The remaining twoughed lewdly and sat back down by the bonfire to continue drinking.


    With the sound of the lock being unlocked, the door was opened from the outside.


    The fatty didn¡¯t even close the door and walked in impatiently. He rubbed his hands and chuckled. ¡°Littledy, I¡¯m here.¡±


    At this moment, Liu Yuanyuan was pretending to be unconscious on the straw strewn all over the room.


    The fatty was so excited at the prospect of what¡¯s going to happen that he didn¡¯t notice the number of people who should have been tied up.


    After finding Liu Yuanyuan, he walked over with a lewd smile.


    Just as he was about to pounce on Liu Yuanyuan, Zhou Xiaoli silently appeared behind him and pressed the shiny dagger against his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move and don¡¯t make a sound. Otherwise, I¡¯ll cut your neck!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s cold voice rang out. She exerted force with her hand, and the sharp de sliced his flesh open. Blood flowed down his neck.


    The cold de stimted his skin.. The fatty quivered and instantly sobered

 Chapter 121 - 121: Scared to Death!

    Chapter 121: Scared to Death!


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After holding the fatty hostage, Zhou Xiaoli did not waste any more time. She immediately worked together with Liu Yuanyuan and the woman to tie the fatty up and stuff a cloth into his mouth.


    She was still worried that he may do something so she took a stone and knocked him out in the end.


    After checking that the rope was secure, the three of them quietly went to the door.


    The house where they were being held was some distance away from where the kidnappers were drinking.


    It was dark at night, so the three of them crouched down and quietly left the house.


    There was a haystack not far away on the right of the door. The three of them quietly moved behind it.


    The kidnappers had drunk a little and their minds were not clear. It was the middle of the night, so they did not notice them.


    However, there was no movement in the room. They would probably notice that something was wrong soon.


    In such a short period of time, if four burly men were to chase after them, they might not be able to escape.


    Furthermore, it would be a struggle for Zhou Xiaoli to deal with four strong men at the same time. She must think of a way to deal with them one by one.


    As expected, seeing that there was no movement in the room for so long, the robber became suspicious.


    One of them said, ¡°Hey, why isn¡¯t Fatty moving at all?¡±


    The other person said nonchntly, ¡°Maybe he fell asleep halfway through it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, hahaha, this fatty can¡¯t do it either. He¡¯s down after drinking so little wine.


    Let¡¯s go in and take a look. I have tough at him.¡±


    As they spoke, the two of them joked and prepared to get up.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli and the other two had already crouched down. Using the shadows, they bypassed the dried wheat stalks on the ground and entered the bamboo forest beside the wheat stalks.


    The ce where they were imprisoned was a single courtyard in the wilderness. There was only one room in the courtyard which is where they were imprisoned in, and it was surrounded by forest.


    This was a ce that the human traffickers found as they were afraid of being discovered by others. It also made things easier for Zhou Xiaoli to do her tricks.


    Just as the two kidnappers were about to go to the room to check, there was amotion in the forest.


    The kidnappers were instantly attracted by the noise and looked in the direction of the forest.


    ¡®Who!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    They called out a few times, but no one replied.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an animal from the mountains,¡± the bearded man said.


    At this moment, anothermotion sounded in the forest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me someone escaped!¡± The bearded man said doubtfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I tied them up tightly. They¡¯re all weak little girls so it¡¯s impossible for them to escape.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go take a look. What if it¡¯s a wolf pack? I heard that there are many wild beasts in the mountains!¡±


    ¡°You go then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. If you want to go, go!¡±


    The two men started arguing.


    Finally, the bearded man roared, ¡°Alright, Wugou, you go!¡±


    Wugou was immediately unwilling. ¡°Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are?! Why don¡¯t you let Niuzi go!¡±


    The bearded man stood up with a bang and shouted, ¡°Boss told you to listen to me before he left! Why? Do you have a problem with the Boss¡¯ decision?¡±


    Wugou knew that he would not be able to defeat him in a fight.


    As he was also afraid that he wouldin to the Boss, he reluctantly walked into the forest.


    He cursed under his breath as he went.


    ¡°If I find out which bastard is causing trouble inside, I¡¯ll kill him!¡± As he spoke, he entered the forest.


    At this moment, a white shadow shed through the forest.


    That immediately jolted Wugou awake.


    He rubbed his eyes and thought that it was an illusion.


    Then, another white figure shed past.


    This time, Wugou saw it clearly. He screamed in fear and turned to run.


    ¡°Ghost!¡±


    ¡°Ghost, ghost, there¡¯s a ghost!¡±


    Wugou ran back and roared before panting loudly.


    ¡°Wugou, are you f*cking drunk? Where would the ghoste from!¡± Niuzi cursed.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, it¡¯s true. I saw it. A white figure floating in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Are you f*cking sick? There¡¯s no ghost here!¡±


    Although he was scolding him, his voice was clearly a little timid as well.


    This ce was in the wilderness and there were many graveyards around. In the middle of the night and with the wind whistling past, it was indeed a little terrifying.


    Wugou: ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m not seeing things. If you don¡¯t believe me, go take a look!¡±


    In the end, the bearded man stayed behind to guard the door. Wugou and Niuzi carefully walked into the forest.


    ¡°Ahhh¡ª


    Not long after the two of them entered, a scream sounded in the forest and then there was silence.


    The bearded man waited outside for a long time, but the two of them did note out. He was anxious.


    ¡°Wugou? Niuzi?¡±


    He tried to call out a few times, but there was no response.


    The bearded man sensed that something was wrong, so he grabbed his weapon and ran into the forest.


    As soon as he entered the forest, he felt a gust of cold wind pass through the forest. His hair stood on end.


    This was a simple formation set up by Zhou Xiaoli which could gather Yin energy. Due to the limited time, she could only set up a small area, but it was enough.


    The Feng Shui formation was to give them a mental blow first so that they could find a chance to escape.


    The bearded man was very vignt. He called out to Wugou and Niuzi a few more times, but the only response he received was the rustling of leaves.


    Just as he looked around and arrived at the position that Zhou Xiaoli and the others had set up, there was a sudden movement above his head. In the next second, a white figure descended from above.


    The bearded man was shocked. He raised the knife in his hand and shed at the white figure.


    The white shadow was shed apart, and straw scattered on the ground.


    Only then did he realize that this was a scarecrow. There was probably a trap.


    However, it was already toote. The stone in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand had already smashed into the back of his head.


    Zhou Xiaoli drank the spiritual spring water daily for a long time now and trained with her master every day.


    Although she did not use any powerful technique, her strength was extraordinary for a girl of her age and size.


    Blood poured from the bearded man¡¯s head on the spot. Before he could react, he fell headfirst.


    Liu Yuanyuan and the other woman quickly rushed out from the back and skillfully tied the person up with ropes.


    After everything was settled, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Impressive. You have great strength! Ah, right, my name is Zhang Shu.¡± Zhang Shu introduced herself enthusiastically.


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°Zhou Xiaoli.¡±


    Liu Yuanyuan also whispered her name.


    Zhang Shu was obviously very interested in Zhou Xiaoli. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you


    Sister Xiaoli. Sister Xiaoli, you¡¯re really strong. How did you train for it?¡±


    Just now, while Zhou Xiaoli was using the stones to knock the men out, Zhang Shu realized that she could not move the stones at all. Zhou Xiaoli could actually carry them easily.


    It was obviously not the time to talk about this at this moment. Zhou Xiaoli only said vaguely, ¡°We¡¯re all farmers. We often do farm work, so we are stronger.¡±


    Zhang Shu looked at the rough clothes they were wearing and nodded. She felt that Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words were very believable, so she did not ask further.


    Zhou Xiaoli looked at the sky. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no danger now. We can go now. You still remember the way back, right?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli asked.


    Zhang Shu nodded. ¡°Of course I remember. You guys don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m really unlucky. I saw someone being kidnapped, so I took a few more nces and was kidnapped as well.. What about you guys? Aren¡¯t you guys leaving together?¡±

 Chapter 122 - 122: Annulment

    Chapter 122: Annulment


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°We¡¯ll leaveter. We have to deal with these people first.¡±


    Zhang Shu had no intention of leaving at all. When she heard that they were going to deal with these people, she became interested. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you. How are you going to deal with these bad guys?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not say much and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s pull them into the courtyard first.¡¯


    She immediately did as she said.


    The three youngdies dragged the three burly men into the courtyard and ced them together with the fatty.


    Then, they found a basin of water and sshed it on them.


    As soon as the kidnappers woke up and saw Zhou Xiaoli and the other two, they immediately cursed and swore.


    The men¡¯s curses were unpleasant and noisy. Zhou Xiaoli took out a stick and hit each of them. ¡°Damn it, if you don¡¯t want to be beaten up, shut up. It¡¯s so noisy!¡±


    Thinking that he should and would not be frightened by a little girl, Wugou kept going on. ¡°Little b*tch, how dare you scheme against me. You don¡¯t want to live anymore¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was toozy to talk nonsense.


    She stepped on the other party¡¯s crotch and immediately he let out a pig-like cry.


    Zhou Xiaoli said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be like him, then listen to me obediently. Answer whatever I ask!¡±


    She directly stepped on the man¡¯s crotch. This lethality was simply unbelievable.


    Even the bearded man, who was not afraid of anything, turned pale when he heard Wugou¡¯s cries.


    Liu Yuanyuan and Zhang Shu were also stunned. They looked at Zhou Xiaoli withplicated expressions on their faces.


    Seeing that she had finally gotten their attention, Zhou Xiaoli pped her hands with the stick and asked, ¡°Who bribed you to kidnap me and her?¡± She pointed at Liu Yuanyuan as she said.


    The robbers looked at each other and answered honestly, ¡°It¡¯s Chen Dakun.¡±


    When they first heard their conversation, it was only a guess as to who¡¯s the culprit.


    After hearing them say the name, Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s body swayed. She muttered,


    ¡°Why? If he doesn¡¯t want to, he can break off the engagement. Why did he do


    Fatty said, ¡°Why else? It¡¯s because he has a new lover.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, had already guessed why Chen Dakun was doing this.


    If he took the initiative to break off the engagement and the reason was that he had a new lover, it would definitely ruin his reputation.


    For a sanctimonious person like Chen Dakun, he naturally wanted to use a method that did not damage his reputation to break off the engagement.


    In that case, if Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s innocence was damaged and he broke off the engagement, not only would his reputation be preserved, but he would also be the victim.


    As for kidnapping her, he was probably taking revenge for her kicking him in the crotch that day.


    It was really disgusting of him to think of such a despicable method!


    Zhou Xiaoli felt even more disgusted by Chen Dakun.


    At this moment, the sky was starting to brighten. Zhou Xiaoli untied the other two women who had been tied up by them and sent them home. Then, she brought the four robbers to the magistrate¡¯s office.


    Only Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan went to the magistrate¡¯s office. Zhang Shu did not go. She disappeared after going down the mountain.


    There have been cases of human trafficking in Wenshui County recently. Just as the county magistrate was busy investigating the case, Zhou Xiaoli brought the culprits to his door.


    The county magistrate was overjoyed.


    After Zhou Xiaoli exined everything, the county magistrate specially sent a horse carriage to escort Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan home.


    Meanwhile, in Boyu Vige, the Zhou and Liu families were in a mess.


    The daughters of the two families did not return for the entire night. They were extremely anxious and searched overnight.


    The vige chief even mobilized the vigers to search together. However, there was still no news of Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan even though the sky was already bright.


    Lin Xiujuan sat on the ground and cried uncontrobly.


    Zhang Lan was dizzy and could not stand up. If not for Zhou Yu¡¯s support, she would have fainted long ago.


    ¡°Hubby, where do you think our Li¡¯er would go?¡±


    Zhou Yu was also extremely anxious, but heforted his wife. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will definitely be fine. Our Li¡¯er is blessed. With the protection of the gods, nothing will happen. It will definitely be fine.¡±


    Although he said that, he was not confident as she had not returned home for the entire night after all.


    He was afraid that she had encountered human traffickers!


    Just as they were in a terrible fix, the Chen family came to add fuel to the fire.


    When she saw Chen Dakun and Old Madam Chen, Lin Xiujuan thought that they were here to help. Her eyes turned red as she went forward. ¡°Future inws, why are you here?¡±


    However, before she could vent her emotions to them, she heard Old Madam Chen say mercilessly in a sarcastic voice, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call me that. I don¡¯t have inws like you.¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was stunned. She didn¡¯t quite understand what Old Madam Chen meant. ¡°No, Inws, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do I mean?¡± Old Madam Chen raised her voice. ¡°How dare you ask me what I mean? You raised a good daughter!¡±


    ¡°Everyone,e and judge. Back then, when the matchmaker was here to matchmake, you praised your daughter to no end. Who knew that she was just a promiscuous little b*tch!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was furious hearing her demean her daughter like that. ¡°Old Madam Chen, don¡¯t talk nonsense. How dare you mock my daughter like this?


    I¡¯ll fight you to my death!¡±


    As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and wanted to fight with her.


    Old Madam Chen immediately took a few steps back and shouted, ¡°Everyone is watching. Why? Do you want to hit me?! Don¡¯t you know what your good daughter did?¡±


    ¡°What, your daughter didn¡¯te back all night and you¡¯re still in the dark?¡±


    Hearing that they hadn¡¯t returned for the whole night, everyone started to ask questions.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Liu and Miss Zhou didn¡¯te back for the entire night. The entire vige is helping to find them right now. What happened?¡±


    Old Madam Chen sneered and said in a high-pitched voice, ¡°Then you¡¯ve suffered all night to look for her and it¡¯s all for nothing. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s moaning sweetly in the arms of a few men right now!¡±


    These words were so explicit that everyone could tell what she was getting at immediately.


    ¡°She must have gone to look for men!¡±


    The people around them immediately started discussing. Some of them turned angry because they had not slept for the entire night to look for them.


    Lin Xiujuan was furious. ¡°You dirty thing, how dare you frame my daughter like this!¡±


    As she spoke, she rushed forward crazily and started fighting with Old Madam Chen.


    Lin Xiujuan and Old Madam Chen pulled each other¡¯s hairs and scratched each other¡¯s faces. They were going at each other, but it was obvious that Lin


    Xiujuan had better stamina. Old Madam Chen was beaten up a little badly.


    In the end, the fight only ended when the people around them went forward to pull them apart.


    Old Madam Chen was so angry that she pped her thighs in anger. ¡°How shameless. Your daughter cheated on her fianc¨¦ and didn¡¯t follow the rules of a woman. You don¡¯t want me to say it, but I insisted! Someone in my vige saw it with their own eyes. Your daughter was behaving intimately with a man in the county city and followed him into the house!¡±


    ¡°A man and a woman were alone in the same room. It was obvious what could happen!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re angry? I haven¡¯t lost my temper yet. With a fianc¨¦e like your daughter, my son¡¯s reputation will be damaged!¡±


    ¡°My son is a future Elementary Schr. I¡¯ll tell you today that the marriage between our families is over!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was also furious. At this moment, she threw her previous pride of having an Elementary Schr as her son-inw to the back of her mind and shouted, ¡°Forget it, forget it.. Who cares about your lousy marriage? We don¡¯t want to marry our daughter to your family and have someone like you as her mother-inw!¡±

 Chapter 123 - 123: You Reap What You Sow

    Chapter 123: You Reap What You Sow


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    However, Old Madam Chen refused to give up and shouted at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°Just breaking off the engagement is not enough! You have to return all the betrothal gifts we gave to your family during the engagement ceremony! Not only that, your family has topensate my son with 10 taels of silver! Otherwise, your entire family can forget about living well!¡±


    Old Madam Chen¡¯s words touched Lin Xiujuan¡¯s two bottom lines at the same time.


    Her daughter and her money.


    Why would Lin Xiujuan be willing to do as she said? Her eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°Old Madam Chen, don¡¯t take advantage of me! You¡¯re ndering my daughter¡¯s innocence and want my family topensate you. Don¡¯t even think about it! Your family regretted this marriage. You can forget about taking back any of the betrothal gifts given during the engagement ceremony back then.¡±


    Although Lin Xiujuan scolded her fiercely, she was actually extremely anxious. Her daughter had not returned for the entire night, so something must have happened.


    However, she would never believe that her daughter had gone to the county city to find a man!


    She knew her own daughter very well. As a mother, she knew how much Liu Yuanyuan liked Chen Dakun and how important this marriage was to her.


    How could her daughter go out and find a man!


    Old Madam Chen snorted and pressed on. ¡°Your daughter is a little b*tch. She didn¡¯te back for the entire night and still wants to be innocent? Pfft!¡±


    Zhang Lan endured the waves of dizziness in her head and stood up. She looked at Old Madam Chen and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°Madam Chen, you keep saying words that destroy a youngdy¡¯s innocence. Do you have any evidence?


    Without evidence, it¡¯s nder. We can report it to the officials!¡±


    At the thought that her daughter had not returned for the entire night, Zhang Lan¡¯s heart was in turmoil. Now that the Chen family had ndered the Liu family¡¯s daughter¡¯s innocence, her daughter¡¯s innocence was naturally gone as well.


    Old Madam Chen was fearless. ¡°Report to the officials? Alright, let¡¯s report to the officials. Who¡¯s afraid of who! Let me tell vou. someone in our vige saw it with his own eyes. This is the evidence.¡±


    ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, then we¡¯ll all wait here. When the Liu family¡¯s girles back, let us all see what the adulterous couple looks like!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan cursed and rushed forward, wanting to tear Old Madam Chen apart.


    They were about to fight again.


    Chen Dakun came out at the right time and grabbed his mother.


    He looked very polite. He first bowed to Lin Xiujuan and Liu Liangcai before saying, ¡°Uncle, Aunt, our families have a marriage arrangement. It¡¯s supposed to be a harmonious matter. There¡¯s no need to make things so ugly.¡±


    ¡°Since Yuanyuan has someone she likes, I won¡¯t force her into an unhappy marriage. Let¡¯s forget about this marriage. As for the betrothal gifts given during the engagement ceremony, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to return it. After all, I¡¯m not fated to be with Yuanyuan. Consider it as my blessing to her.¡±


    Chen Dakun¡¯s every move was polite, and his words were appropriate. No one could find any fault with him.


    However, he med the annulment all on Liu Yuanyuan while he was innocent and upright.


    Even Lin Xiujuan felt that she would be in the wrong to re up. She was so angry that her mind was nk.


    The surrounding people could not help but praise Chen Dakun for being magnanimous.


    ¡°As expected of a student studying under the might of the Emperor. Look at the attitude that he has.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is his fianc¨¦e, yet to be his wife and yet she has already caused such a scandal. Who can stand it? Child Schr Chen actually disregarded the past and is willing to give her his blessings. He¡¯s really magnanimous.¡±


    The more they praised Chen Dakun, the more Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s reputation would be ruined.


    Just as the Chen mother and son had the upper hand, a horse carriage drove over.


    Immediately after, someone shouted, ¡°Hey, look, isn¡¯t it the Liu family¡¯s daughter and the Zhou family¡¯s daughter who got out of the carriage?¡±


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Sure enough, they saw Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan alighting from the carriage one after another.


    ¡°Ah, why is there an official!¡±


    Seeing that there were actually two bailiffs apanying them, everyone was stunned.


    Lin Xiujuan and Zhang Lan were also stunned. They were a little afraid of these two officials.


    However, their concern for their daughters won. In the end, they rushed over and grabbed their own daughter.


    First, they checked to see if their daughter was injured. Then, they expressed their concern for them.


    ¡°How worrisome. I was so worried. Where did you go? Did you encounter danger?¡±


    ¡°Why did youe back with the official? Did something happen?¡± The others pricked up their ears in curiosity.


    On the other hand, Chen Dakun¡¯s eyes widened as he felt uneasy.


    Something¡¯s not right. ording to his n, the only person who woulde back would be Liu Yuanyuan, who was in a mess and had lost her virginity.


    Why was Zhou Xiaoli back?


    Shouldn¡¯t she be sold?


    He felt even more uneasy looking at the two bailiffs who sent them back.


    Indeed, in the next second, a cold gazended on him.


    Then, Zhou Xiaoli pointed at him and said, ¡°Officer, he¡¯s the one who colluded with the human traffickers and led us to the alley. He knocked us out and kidnapped us!¡±


    Hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, everyone was shocked and looked at Chen Dakun in disbelief.


    When Lin Xiujuan and Zhang Lan heard that they had been kidnapped by human traffickers, they were so frightened that they almost lost their minds. Their hands which were holding on to their daughter trembled.


    Then, they heard that their daughter had been betrayed by Chen Dakun. They immediately red fiercely at Chen Dakun and rushed over like a madman, wanting to hit him.


    ¡°Chen Dakun! You¡¯re so vicious. You¡¯re a schr. Where have your years of education gone?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry my daughter, so you set up such a vicious scheme to harm my daughter. You¡¯re really vicious. I¡¯ll fight you to my death!¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Lan and Lin Xiujuan were about to hit her precious son, Old Madam Chen was immediately unwilling. She stood in front of her son and shouted, ¡°Bullsh*t, don¡¯t wrong my son. My son is a student studying under the might of the Emperor!¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡±


    When she thought about how her precious daughter had almost been sold to human traffickers, Zhang Lan gritted her teeth in hatred. She wished she could skin him alive.


    She spat at Old Madam Chen. ¡°Don¡¯t say that he¡¯s a student studying under the might of the Emperor, that¡¯s an insult to the true students!¡±


    Chen Dakun was panicking, but he was also hoping that Zhou Xiaoli and Liu Yuanyuan did not have any evidence.


    Hence, he straightened his neck and said, ¡°Don¡¯t use me. Do you have evidence?¡±


    Old Madam Chen also raised her head. ¡°That¡¯s right! Do you have evidence?¡± Zhou Xiaoliughed. ¡°Four human traffickers have already been arrested and they have confessed who their boss is. He¡¯s probably arrested by now. Chen Dakun, do you think they won¡¯t give you up?


    As soon as her words left her lips,


    The two bailiffs stepped forward to tie Chen Dakun up.


    Old Madam Chen was anxious to protect her son and stopped them from arresting him. In the end, the bailiff pulled out his saber and she was so frightened by it that she copsed to the ground.


    In the end, the bailiffs tied Chen Dakun up as he howled.


    The county magistrate had sent two bailiffs to send Zhou Xiaoli back and to arrest Chen Dakun. Now that they hadpleted their tasks, the two of them were about to leave.


    Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai thanked the two officers and sent them away. Old Madam Chen was still sitting on the ground, crying her eyes out as she watched her son being taken away.


    The surrounding vigers sighed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. I didn¡¯t expect the refined Child Schr Chen to be such a person.¡±


    At this moment, someone who understood the education system sneered. ¡°Child Schr? Chen Dakun hasmitted a huge crime of kidnapping people.. I¡¯m afraid that with his title of Child Schr gone, it will be difficult for him to take the Imperial Examination in the future!¡±

 Chapter 124 - 124: Reaping What She Sowed

    Chapter 124: Reaping What She Sowed


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Son, my son¡­¡±


    Old Madam Chen was still shouting in the direction of the bailiffs as if she was mourning.


    When she heard that not only would her son¡¯s title as a child schr be lost, but it would also be difficult for him to take the Imperial Examination in the future, she immediately cried even harder.


    Then, she thought of something and pointed at Liu Yuanyuan. ¡°Yes, you, you are all jinxes. It¡¯s all because of you that my son was arrested,¡± she scolded.


    After cursing, she rushed forward like a madman. Her eyes were about to pop out, and she looked terrifying.


    Liu Yuanyuan shivered. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts as she was embarrassed and angry.


    Lin Xiujuan went up and pped Old Madam Chen. ¡°Your son deserves to be arrested! What has it got to do with my daughter? My daughter is truly unlucky to be rted to your family!¡±


    The surrounding people also criticized Old Madam Chen.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli sneered. ¡°Your son indeed did this because of a woman. Stop fighting.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli spoke unhurriedly. Her gaze slowly fell on Lu Huahua, who had been hiding in the dark and observing quietly. She stretched out her hand and pointed. ¡°But it¡¯s not the Liu family¡¯s daughter. Moreover, because of her¡­¡± Everyone immediately followed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand and looked over, only to see a frightened Lu Huahua.


    ¡°The human traffickers had already confessed that Chen Dakun and Lu Huahua had hooked up and wanted to cancel the engagement with the Liu family. However, Chen Dakun thought too highly of himself and felt that he was a


    child schr. He did not want to take the initiative to cancel the engagement as that may ruin his reputation. Therefore, he discussed with Lu Huahua and came up with a way to ruin her innocence.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli slowly exined what had happened. The surrounding people were shocked and angry.


    They had never seen such a vicious person.


    Lin Xiujuan scolded Lu Huahua for being indecent. If she wasn¡¯t worried about her daughter, she would have rushed forward and torn her apart.


    Lu Huahua was shocked and furious. ¡°You, you¡¯re ndering me. I, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± After all, she was still young. Lu Huahua felt guilty even as she retorted.


    In the end, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and ran away with her face covered.


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at Old Madam Chen. Seeing that she was not surprised at all, she knew that thetter had long known that her son had hooked up with Lu Huahua.


    At this moment, Old Madam Chen roared, ¡°Lu Huahua is a little b*tch, but it¡¯s all because your daughter is ipetent and made my son disinterested.


    That¡¯s why he was seduced by a vixen and made such a huge mistake¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli and the surrounding onlookers were also shocked by Old Madam Chen¡¯s shameless words.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°On our way back, we heard that the county magistrate was very angry at the human traffickers for kidnapping people. He ordered all the criminals involved to be sent to the border to serve their sentence. Old Madam Chen, if you don¡¯t hurry to see your son, perhaps you may never see him again.¡±


    Her words were effective. Old Madam Chen immediately panicked. She shouted, ¡°My son.¡± Then, she cried and headed towards the county city.


    The matter was temporarily settled.


    Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai thanked the vigers who had helped them in the search all night and brought their girl home.


    After returning home, they were faced with a series of questions. Zhang Lan held Zhou Xiaoli in her arms and reprimanded Chen Dakun for his evil deeds.


    After this incident, Liu Yuanyuan locked herself in her room.


    Lin Xiujuan was filled with regret. She med herself for not discovering the ugly side of the Chen family sooner.


    As for Lu Huahua, who seduced someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦, her life was not easy either.


    Her reputation had been tarnished. Her entire family was criticized by the vigers because of this. Now, they hid at home and did not dare to go out.


    With this reputation, she would probably not be able to get married in the future.


    However, things didn¡¯t end then.


    A few dayster, Old Madam Chen came over and quarreled with the Lu family.


    Old Madam Chen scolded Lu Huahua for being a little vixen who seduced others. She had caused her son to be beaten up and was now bedridden. She wanted the Lu family topensate her with 20 taels of silver to treat her son.


    Naturally, the Lu family was unwilling, so they started arguing.


    During the argument, the reason why Lu Huahua seduced Chen Dakun was also revealed. Since Liu Yuanyuan always listens to whatever Chen Dakun said, she first got close to Chen Dakun and wanted to make use of him topel Liu Yuanyuan to steal the secret recipe of making sugar for her.


    Unexpectedly, Liu Yuanyuan listens to Chen Dakun in all aspects, but she would never agree to steal the secret recipe of making sugar.


    That was what happened.


    The Lu family did not pay, so Old Madam Chen came to the vige every day to cause trouble. The two families quarreled for a few days before it ended with Lu Huahua being diagnosed as pregnant.


    The next day, Old Madam Chen¡¯s attitude changed 180 degrees. She said that as long as Lu Huahua married into the Chen family, this matter would be over.


    Although Old Madam Lu was not a good person, she doted on her daughter. She felt that the Chen family was a wolf¡¯s den. Even if her daughter could never marry in the future, they could not marry her to the Chen family. However, Lu Huahua was determined and insisted on marrying him.


    Hence, Lu Huahua married into the Chen family.


    The marriage ceremony waspleted hurriedly without a betrothal gift or dowry. A monthter, rumors spread that Lu Huahua had a miscarriage.


    When others saw Lu Huahua again, she was in a delirious state. She ran back to the Lu family in a crazed manner to ask for help. Ever since this incident, Old Madam Lu had fallen ill. Now that the Lu family was controlled by her eldest daughter-inw, she chased Lu Huahua out and even called Chen Dakun to take her away.


    When she saw Chen Dakun again, Zhou Xiaoli was shocked.


    Chen Dakun no longer looked like a schr then. He had lost a lot of weight, and his eyes were sunken. His eyes were fierce, and he looked like a fiend.


    Rumors were that Lu Huahua had a miscarriage because of him.


    ¡®I¡¯SR tsk.


    Zhou Xiaoli clicked her tongue and said without much emotion, ¡°I heard that


    Chen Dakun lost his ability to bear children after he was beaten as punishment.


    After that, he became violent and unpredictable. Lu Huahua has suffered the consequences of her own actions.¡±


    Suddenly, her vision went dark. A pair of hands blocked her vision. Wei Chiyu¡¯s pleasant voice rang out beside her ear. ¡°Stop looking. It¡¯s dirty.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but smile and nodded naturally. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t look at him anymore.¡±


    Thete autumn wind was somewhat chilly, and Zhou Xiaoli subconsciously hugged herself tightly. A cloaknded on her suddenly.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but smile. The two of them walked side by side to their new house.


    The two houses were already built. The furniture that she had customized earlier was alsopleted and ced inside the house. They would be able to move in soon.


    ¡°We still have to hold a housewarming banquet. The new house has to have guestsing in and out so it would be better for the upants to stay in it,¡± Zhou Xiaoli thought out loud.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any rtives or friends.¡±


    Wei Chiyu spoke at the right time, and there was a trace of pity in his tone.


    She turned around and saw Wei Chiyu¡¯s amber eyes looking at her. It seemed empty but at the same time, the way he looked at her was that of an abandoned kitten.


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed. She couldn¡¯t stand the way he looked at her.


    She reached out to stroke him, but in the end, she held back. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it together with my family.¡±


    Soon, the day of the housewarming banquet arrived.


    Only close friends and family were invited. Although there were not many people, the atmosphere was very lively.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu stood at the door and weed the guests with smiles on their faces. Zhou Junjun had also taken leave from his teacher today and stood beside Zhou Yu to greet the guests.


    Everyone who came in praised him for his good manners.


    Zhou Xiaoyu, the wild one, had already run out to y with a few children.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu, on the other hand, sat leisurely in a corner, drinking tea. It was reallyfortable.


    Everything was perfect.


    Until an uninvited guest arrived..

 Chapter 125 - 125: Housewarming Banquet

    Chapter 125: Housewarming Banquet


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Aiyo, look, look at this house. It¡¯s really imposing.¡±


    When she heard this sarcastic voice, the smile on Zhang Lan¡¯s face froze.


    Everyone looked over and saw a woman in her forties walking over arrogantly with a seven or eight-year-old child in tow.


    Zhou Xiaoli also stood up.


    Zhou Xiaoli had an impression of this woman. She was Zhang Lan¡¯s uncle¡¯s wife, Ji Guizhi.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s parents passed on many years ago when she was very young. In order to get Zhang Lan¡¯s family¡¯snd, Ji Guizhi took in Zhang Lan and her brother.


    However, they did not treat Zhang Lan and her brother well. During the first few years in her Second Uncle¡¯s house, the siblings were freebor for the family.


    Later on, when Zhang Lan reached the age of marriage, she was almost sold to a cripple at the vige entrance. Fortunately, Zhou Yu had already fallen in love with Zhang Lan at that time and paid money to save Zhang Lan.


    After that, Zhou Yu became a fool. Ji Guizhi no longer allowed Zhang Lan to return to their home for visitation. It could be said that she had cut off all ties with their family.


    Therefore, Zhang Lan had only informed her brother¡¯s family and did not invite them to the housewarming banquet today.


    However, they did not know why she hade here and brought her grandson as well.


    Worried that they had ill intentions, Zhou Xiaoli stood up and walked over to stand beside Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan put a smile on her face again. She held Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand to reassure her. Then, she said, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re here. Come in and sit.¡±


    Ji Guizhi raised her head and snorted. ¡°Aiya, you¡¯ve made a fortune. You¡¯ve even built a brick house! Have you forgotten about your uncle¡¯s family? If it weren¡¯t for the Cui family¡¯s daughter who returned to her family home yesterday, I wouldn¡¯t have known.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lan, don¡¯t forget. If we hadn¡¯t taken you and your brother in back then, you would have died.¡±


    Zhang Lan had a fake smile on her face. ¡°How can that be? It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t want us to go back for visitations. I thought that since you were so unwilling to see us, I wouldn¡¯t disturb you. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t invite you.¡±


    Ji Guizhi was embarrassed for a moment, but she quickly recovered. ¡°I-I was just worried that you would have to bring gifts whenever youe back to my house for visitations. My heart aches for you.¡±


    Zhang Lan continued to fake a smile. ¡°Aunt, there are still guests behind. Why don¡¯t you go and sit first? I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    Ji Guizhi snorted and dragged her grandson into the courtyard.


    Zhang Lan patted Zhou Xiaoli and said in a low voice, ¡°Your Second Aunt-inw is not easy to deal with. We¡¯re having a housewarming banquet today. It won¡¯t be auspicious if we make a fuss. Let¡¯s see what she ns to do first. It¡¯s just the addition of a stool to the banquet for now.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. Today was a joyous asion for her family. It would be bad luck if they were unhappy, so she did not say anything else.


    However, if she did not know what was good for her and wanted to cause trouble at the housewarming banquet, she could not me her for being rude then.


    Not long after Ji Guizhi entered, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s uncle and aunt arrived. Zhang


    Lan¡¯s eyes immediately curved into crescents as she went forward to hold Li Yanru¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister-inw, you¡¯re finally here. Are you tired from the journey?¡±


    Li Yanru was also full of smiles. ¡°I¡¯m not tired, I¡¯m not tired. Sister, we just heard that you were chased out of the house by your mother-inw.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look for us? The moment my husband found out about it, he didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. He kept saying that he was an ipetent younger brother.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes turned red as she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you guys either. How can I bother you with my family¡¯s matters? It¡¯s fine now. Look, we have our own home now.¡±


    Li Yanru¡¯s eyes turned red as she nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s great.¡±


    Then, she saw Zhou Xiaoli at the side and immediately said with a smile, ¡°Little


    Li, you¡¯re getting more and more beautiful.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said obediently, ¡°Hello, Uncle and Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Hey, alright, alright.¡¯


    Li Yanru and Zhang Ze bothughed.


    Then, he looked at Zhou Junjun on the other side. ¡°Brother Jun has grown taller. You are of the age toe out to receive guests now. I heard that you¡¯re studying in a private school. That¡¯s great.¡±


    Zhou Junjun immediately greeted him politely. Zhang Lan smiled. ¡°Quick, quick, sit inside first.¡±


    ¡°Li¡¯er, bring your uncle and aunt to the house.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately nodded and led the two into the courtyard..

 Chapter 126 - 126: Untitled

    Chapter 126: Untitled


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Soon, all the guests arrived. Everyone took their seats and the dishes were served one after another.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were in charge of chatting with and attending to the guests. Zhou Xiaoli was not required to do anything today.


    However, her second aunt-inw¡¯s arrival was a surprise.


    She had no choice but to spare some energy to keep an eye on her. She would definitely drag her out if she dared to create any trouble.


    Fortunately, even after the housewarming banquet had started for a long time, Ji Guizhi did not cause any trouble other than wolfing food down like she had not eaten in a long while.


    The housewarming banquet, other than the asional sound of people snatching food, could be considered as harmonious.


    Some people were happy, while others were unhappy.


    The Old Zhou family, who was not invited, was not peaceful.


    Hearing the sound of firecrackers andughtering from the Zhou family, they were about to die of jealousy.


    Especially Lai Jinniang, who stood in the courtyard and cursed.


    ¡°What an unfilial son. He has be rich and doesn¡¯t care about his parents anymore. His father has been sick in bed for so long, but I haven¡¯t seen hime over to take a look. We had raised an ingrate.¡±


    However, because of the previous lesson learnt, Lai Jinniang only dared to curse in her courtyard after closing the door. She did not dare to go to the Zhou family to cause trouble.


    At this moment, a slightly low-key carriage drove into Boyu Vige.


    Many vigers gossiped on the streets as the arrival of this carriage caused quite a stir.


    At this moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing the beautiful face of a woman.


    Zhang Yan smiled appropriately. ¡°Old friend, may I ask if there¡¯s a Zhou family in your vige?¡±


    Just by looking at the woman¡¯s attire, one could tell that she was either rich or noble. The vigers did not dare to be negligent and replied warmly.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Why are you looking for the Zhou family?¡±


    Zhang Yan said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for an old friend. May I ask where the Zhou family lives?¡±


    The vigers started to murmur among themselves.


    ¡°Which Zhou family do you think they¡¯re looking for? Old Zhou family or Zhou Yu¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°It must be the Old Zhou family. Zhou Yu just recovered not long ago. How could he know such an important person? It must be the Old Zhou family.¡±


    Everyone thought about it and felt that it made sense.


    Although Old Zhou¡¯s eldest son had fallen into dire straits recently, he had been doing very well in the city previously.


    Moreover, Old Zhou had a son-inw who was in the jade business in the county city.


    It was not strange at all for them to know such an important person.


    While they were discussing, the daughter-inw of the Lu family turned her eyes and rushed forward. She said warmly, ¡°Madam, I know where the Zhou family is. Let me lead the way for you!¡±


    Zhang Yan nodded. ¡°In that case, thank you.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed a bag of pastries to the Lu family¡¯s daughter-inw as a thank-you gift.


    Seeing this, the surrounding vigers¡¯ eyes widened. They hated themselves for not being as fast as the Lu family¡¯s daughter-inw and hence, missed out on this.


    However, they could only watch regretfully as the woman from the Lu family jogged to lead the carriage away.


    Soon, the carriage arrived at Old Zhou¡¯s house. Zhang Yan alighted from the carriage and looked at the house in front of her.


    She first heard a string of curses in the courtyard.


    Zhang Yan subconsciously frowned, but thinking that this was the house of her benefactor, she did not say much.


    The daughter-inw of the Lu family was already knocking on the door and shouting, ¡°Old Madam Lai, Old Madam Lai, open the door quickly. Your family has a distinguished guest!¡±


    Initially, when the carriage passed by the vige, it attracted many people to watch themotion. After her shouts, more people looked on.


    Lai Jinniang was still angry. When she heard the knock on the door, she muttered, ¡°What esteemed guest? What esteemed guest?¡±


    However, she still opened the door. When she saw the carriage outside, she was stunned.


    The daughter-inw of the Lu family said with a smile, ¡°Madam, this is the Zhou family.¡±


    Madam Lai looked over and her eyesnded on the beautiful madam at the door. When she saw the clothes and jewelry on her, her eyes widened.


    She nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re the Zhou family. We¡¯re the Zhou family.¡±


    At this moment, she seemed to have regained her dignity and raised her head.


    So what if her son¡¯s pharmacy was closed? So what if that ingrate Zhou Yu earned money? Would they have an esteemed guest like their family?


    Lai Jinniang was even more proud under the envious looks of the surrounding vigers.


    Zhang Yan pretended not to see Lai Jinniang¡¯s behavior and said politely, ¡°Old Madam, I¡¯m here to look for your granddaughter. Is your granddaughter at home?¡±


    Madam Lai was stunned, thinking that she had misheard. ¡°Granddaughter?


    You¡¯re looking for my granddaughter?¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t she be looking for her son?


    Zhang Yan nodded.


    Although Lai Jinniang found it strange, she still called her two granddaughters over. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam, look, these two are my granddaughters.¡±


    Looking at the two girls who were only seven or eight years old, Zhang Yan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not them. It¡¯s a 10-year-old girl.¡±


    At this moment, other than Old Zhou and his youngest son, who was lying on the bed and could not move, everyone else in the Zhou family heard themotion and came out to stand at the door.


    Hearing Zhang Yan¡¯s words, Lai Jinniang pulled her daughter aside. ¡°You are looking for my daughter, right? She¡¯s in her teens this year.¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s gazended on Zhou Guihua and she shook her head. ¡°No, is everyone in your family here?¡±


    Lai Jinniang nodded. ¡°My daughters and granddaughters are all here.¡±


    Zhang Yan sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not the family that I was looking for then. I found the wrong ce. Sorry for disturbing you.¡±


    With that, Zhang Yan prepared to leave.


    The old woman at the side could not help butfort her. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s look around again.¡±


    When Lai Jinniang saw that Zhang Yan was about to leave, she felt terrible. She was so arrogant just now, but now she felt that everyone wasughing at her.


    She immediately stopped Zhang Yan from leaving and said excitedly, ¡°No, Madam, I still have a big daughter. My big daughter is in the city, and my son-inw runs a jade shop¡­


    Her benefactor was so young, so she was definitely not married.


    Zhang Yan shook her head and interrupted her. ¡°It¡¯s not her. The person I¡¯m looking for is from the vige. Her surname is Zhou. She¡¯s a 10 years old girl.


    She shouldn¡¯t have gotten married yet.¡±


    At this moment, someone shouted, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t she talking about Zhou Yu¡¯s eldest daughter? Isn¡¯t she just 10 years old?¡±


    Zhang Yan instantly looked over and said excitedly, ¡°Old mister, is Zhou Yu here?¡±


    That person shook his head. ¡°No, no. Zhou Yu has already cut ties with the Old Zhou family. They live at the entrance of the vige, in a newly built house. They¡¯re holding a housewarming banquet today. You should have seen them when you entered the vige.¡±


    Zhang Yan immediately felt that it should be the person she was looking for. She hurriedly thanked him, got into the carriage, and went straight to the vige entrance.


    Lai Jinniang and her family stood at the door in jealousy.


    Zhou Guihua snorted coldly. ¡°If she¡¯s not looking for our family, she must be looking for Zhou Xiaoli? That little b*tch, Zhou Xiaoli, how could she know such a high-ranking madam?¡±


    Lai Jinniang: ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s blind.¡±


    After venting their anger, they went home and mmed the door. This was the only way they could get back at her.


    The vigers watched themotion andughed. Then, they followed the carriage to the Zhou family to watch what themotion was about.


    At that time, the Zhou family¡¯s housewarming banquet went very smoothly.


    Immediately after, they heard the vigers shouting outside the door.


    Zhou Xiaoli thought something was wrong. She put down her cup and walked out first.


    Then, a beautifuldy came down from the carriage. When she saw thedy¡¯s appearance, Zhou Xiaoli was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s you, Madam Zhao.. Why are you here?¡±

 Chapter 127 - 127: Two-Day Promise

    Chapter 127: Two-Day Promise


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Back then, Zhou Xiaoli did not tell Zhang Yan her name and address because she did not think that Zhang Yan woulde looking for her.


    However, she did not expect her toe looking for her indeed. Zhou Xiaoli was very surprised.


    Zhang Yan, on the other hand, had stepped forward in excitement and grabbed


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Lan, Zhou Yu, and the others heard themotion and walked out.


    Seeing that it was an unfamiliar face, he was a little puzzled. ¡°Li¡¯er, who is


    ¡°Father, Mother, this is Lady Zhao,¡± Zhou Xiaoli quickly introduced.


    Zhang Yan hurriedly went forward to greet Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu and briefly exined how Zhou Xiaoli had saved her son. ¡°Sister Zhou is my son¡¯s savior.


    Don¡¯t call me Lady Zhao, just call me Yan¡¯er.¡±


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu did not dare to do so, so they called her Lady Zhao.


    Zhang Yan did not insist. Instead, she ordered her servants to bring down many gifts from the carriage.


    The people looking on were envious.


    Especially Lai Jinniang, who came secretly to spy. Her eyes were red with jealousy.


    Seeing that there were so many gifts being brought into the house, Zhou Xiaoli auicklv refused.


    ¡°It was a piece of cake for me to save him back then. Lady Zhao, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡±


    Zhang Yan said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to you, but it¡¯s a life-saving favor to me. I think these gifts are too little. Don¡¯t refuse anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a few years older than you. If you don¡¯t mind, call me sister. From now on, we¡¯ll call each other sisters.¡±


    Since the other party had said so, Zhou Xiaoli could not say anything, so she could only agree, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Sister Zhang.¡±


    Zhang Yan was happy. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    As she spoke, she said to the old woman beside her, ¡°Quickly carry Brother An down to meet his savior.¡±


    The old woman at the side agreed and got into the carriage. After a while, she walked down with a baby.


    ¡°Brother An, quickly thank your aunt.¡±


    The little fellow didn¡¯t know how to speak yet, but when he saw Zhou Xiaoli, he began to babble. Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. She teased the little fellow for a while before leading them into the house.


    On the other side, when Ji Guizhi saw the bags of gifts being carried into the house, her eyes widened and the greed in her eyes could not be concealed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Zhou family to know such a rich person!¡±


    When Ji Guizhi saw Zhou Xiaoli bring in a rich woman, she was so excited that she pulled her grandson and prepared to run over.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and talk to your cousin!¡±


    However, before she could leave the table, someone blocked her line of sight.


    She looked up and saw a handsome man. However, his abnormal eyes carried a terrifying warning. The cold aura around him made her legs and stomach tremble.


    Although Ji Guizhi was not from Boyu Vige, she had heard that there was a living King of Hell in Boyu Vige who ate people without blinking. He had a pair of strange eyes.


    She immediately grabbed her grandson tightly and sat down, not daring to move another inch.


    Zhou Xiaoli gave Wei Chiyu a grateful look and led Zhang Yan into the main hall.


    As Zhang Yan hade to express her gratitude to Zhou Xiaoli, she did not sit down at the table to eat.


    Instead, Zhou Xiaoli drank tea and chatted with her in the room.


    As they chatted, the two of them realized that they hit it off very well. They joked that they regretted not meeting sooner.


    Zhou Xiaoli also liked Brother An very much, so she took him from the nanny¡¯s arms and hugged him to tease him.


    Brother An seemed to have sensed something. He did not cry at all when Zhou Xiaoli hugged him. Instead, he giggled.


    ¡°Brother An likes his sister very much,¡¯


    Zhang Yan smiled and said, ¡°Usually, at home, other than the nanny and me, he doesn¡¯t allow anyone to carry him.¡±


    The wet nurse smiled and said, ¡°Brother An is smart. He knows that Miss Zhou is kind -hearted.¡±


    Zhang Yan sighed. ¡°Poor my Brother An. He¡¯s at home, but he¡¯s not as at ease as when he¡¯s outside.¡±


    After that, Zhou Xiaoli gained a rough understanding of her situation from Zhang Yan.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s husband¡¯s family was of a noble family lineage, the Zhao family. The current head of the family was the nephew of thete emperor. Although he was of the Imperial Family¡¯s bloodline, the emperor did not like him and sent him to the remote Qingzhou prefecture to be a training envoy.


    Her husband was the eldest son in the family, and her mother-inw was the second wife. She had another pair of children, a boy and a girl.


    Even without saying the rest, Zhou Xiaoli could roughly guess the rest of the story.


    Now that the second wife had her own son, she wanted more. As the eldest son, he became a stumbling block in her path.


    There was no need to mention anything else.


    Zhang Yan continued, ¡°My husband has been weak and sickly since he was young. Over the years, he became seriously ill and couldn¡¯t get out of bed. A few days ago, when you saw me, I had gone to my maiden family¡¯s temple to ask for a safety talisman for my husband.¡±


    When Zhang Yan mentioned her husband, there seemed to be stars in her eyes. It could be seen that the two of them were very loving.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but say, ¡°You two must be very loving.¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s ears turned red as she nodded. ¡°Yes, my husband and I were childhood sweethearts. Now that he¡¯s sick on the bed, Brother An is his only bloodline. Therefore, I¡¯m really grateful that you saved my son.¡±


    ¡°And this time, I have a presumptuous request. I want to ask you to help save my husband.¡±


    After saying that, she looked at Zhou Xiaoli and hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t agree to it. I won¡¯t force you. The main thing is that I¡¯m at my wits¡¯ end now and I¡¯m willing to try any method.¡±


    Towards the end, Zhang Yan¡¯s expression dimmed.


    If it were any other time, Zhou Xiaoli would have refused. However, she and Zhang Yan hit it off at first sight, so she had the intention to help. Hence, she nodded.


    Zhang Yan immediately perked up. ¡°It¡¯s great that you cane!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°However, I can¡¯t guarantee that I can cure your husband¡¯s illness. I have to see your husband¡¯s condition first before making a decision.¡±


    Zhang Yan was nheless very happy. She nodded quickly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s


    okay. I¡¯m very happy that you agreed to help me.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while more. After agreeing to visit in two days, Zhang Yan bade farewell and left.


    After sending Zhang Yan off, their family¡¯s housewarming banquet was almost over.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu sent the guests off one after another.


    At this moment, Liu Yuanyuan suddenly came to Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Be careful of your Second Grandmother. I just heard her talking at the table. She seems to be here to ask your family for money.¡±


    Ever since the kidnapping incident, Liu Yuanyuan¡¯s attitude towards her had changed.


    She even apologized to her solemnly a few days ago and sought her forgiveness.


    Regarding this, Zhou Xiaoli smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t have much feelings for Liu Yuanyuan to begin with, so there was nothing that she would or would not forgive.


    However, Liu Yuanyuan took her silence as she had forgiven her and wanted to form a closer rtionship with her.


    Hearing her warning, Zhou Xiaoli nced at Ji Guizhi, who sat there and was unwilling to move her butt, and nodded. ¡°Thank you, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me.¡± Liu Yuanyuan smiled and followed Lin Xiujuan home.


    Finally, other than her uncle¡¯s family who remained chatting with Zhang Lan, all the other guests left.


    Oh, and Ji Guizhi, who still remained sitting down.


    ¡°Aiyo, look, look, this brother and sister are really close! Did you think about who raised them? How ungrateful of them to leave their uncle and aunt alone when they are all grown up.¡±


    Now that the banquet was over, Zhang Lan was not afraid that Ji Guizhi would ruin the atmosphere at the banquet, so she did not indulge her at all.


    ¡°Aunt, I respect you as an elder, so I call you Aunt. Back then, when you sold me to the Zhou family and chased my brother out of the house, we had already broken off our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here alone today, I¡¯ll treat you well as a guest and I think I have done more than enough.. Now that the banquet is over, aren¡¯t you leaving?

 Chapter 128 - 128: Going to the Zhao Residence

    Chapter 128: Going to the Zhao Residence


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Are you trying to kick me out?¡±


    Ji Guizhi¡¯s eyes widened. It was hard to believe that this was something the cowardly Zhang Lan would say.


    Zhang Lan did not give in at all. ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t have any intention of chasing you out. It¡¯s just that the banquet is over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand. Aunt must be feeling sorry for your niece and so, you wanted to stay and help our family wash the cutleries and bowls?¡±


    As she spoke, she called out to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°Little Li, quickly bring out a dishcloth for your second grandaunt.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s movements were fast. She even brought out the basin.


    Ji Guizhi¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m not staying. It¡¯s just that, now that my nephew-inw has made a fortune, so much so that he was able to build a house and boughtnd. Do you think you can give¡­¡¯


    She knew that she was here to take advantage of her. Zhang Lan was not surprised at her words at all and interrupted her.


    ¡°Aunt, you don¡¯t know. We were chased out by the main family and almost slept on the streets. We even borrowed a sum of money to build this house.¡±


    ¡°As for thend we bought, it¡¯s all slopes that no one wants. It¡¯s really difficult for us now. Aunt, why don¡¯t you help me?¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Lan was crying wolf more than she could, Ji Guizhi stopped pretending. Since she couldn¡¯t get any benefits from being soft, she simply turned cold.


    ¡°Alright, stop pretending. There was a rich madam who came to your house to give you a gift just now. Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t have money.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, would you be able to marry Zhou Yu and have such a good life today? If you have a conscience, quickly take out some money and help your cousin repay his debt. Otherwise, I won¡¯t leave and let the people on the streets see how nasty you are, you ungrateful thing!¡±


    Li Yanru nervously held Zhang Lan¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t give her money. You don¡¯t know that our cousin is involved in gambling and his family has lost everything. If you give it to her this time, Second Aunt will definitely pester you for life.¡±


    Seeing Li Yanru and Zhang Lan whispering to each other, Ji Guizhi immediately flew into a rage. ¡°Li, you b*tch, what are you muttering about? Don¡¯t egg your sister on not to give me money!¡±


    Zhang Lan was also stubborn. She insisted that her family had no money and threw a bag of sweet potatoes to Ji Guizhi. ¡°If you want money, we don¡¯t have it even if you beat us to death. It¡¯s not easy for you toe here. Take this bag of sweet potatoes back. We can¡¯t give you anything else.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lan, you ingrate. You want to send me away with a bag of sweet potatoes? Don¡¯t even think about it¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Wei Chiyu suddenly jumped down from the top of the wall. With a crack, a stick as thick as an arm broke.


    Ji Guizhi was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    ¡°Aunt, you should take the sweet potatoes and leave. Otherwise, even this bag of sweet potatoes will be gone.¡±


    Fearing Wei Chiyu¡¯s reputation, Ji Guizhi didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She was truly afraid that she wouldn¡¯t even have a bag of sweet potatoes.


    Hence, she grabbed the bag of sweet potatoes and ran out of the Zhou family¡¯s house.


    Immediately,ughter sounded in the courtyard.


    Li Yanru looked at Zhang Lan in surprise. ¡°Sister, I haven¡¯t seen you for so long. I realized that you¡¯ve changed a lot.¡±


    Zhang Lan smiled. ¡°I have to grow up. If I¡¯m still as weak as before, how can I protect my children?¡±


    As she spoke, she looked lovingly at the three children in the courtyard.


    Li Yanru nodded in relief. ¡°Husband has always been worried about Sister. Seeing you like this, we are relieved.¡±


    The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries and called Zhang Ze, who was talking to Zhou Yu, to leave.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Xiaoli brought out a bag of sweet potatoes, a bag of fine noodles, a bag of rice, two pieces of bacon, and a smoked chicken. They ced them all on their uncle¡¯s cart.


    The two of them kept refusing.


    ¡°Sis, Sis, what are you doing? We only brought a few steamed buns when we came. Why are you giving us so much back? It¡¯s not easy for you and our


    Brother-in w too.¡±


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu stopped them from moving the things out of the cart.


    In the end, after the two sides argued for a long time, Uncle finally epted the gift and said goodbye to them with a smile.


    Zhou Xiaoli stood at the door and looked at the ¡®battle¡¯ of giving gifts. She felt a little emotional. It turned out that giving gifts was a tradition.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli looked at Wei Chiyu and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Little Junior


    Brother. I didn¡¯t expect that your tyranny would be so useful one day.¡±


    Two days after the house-warming banquet ended, a carriage arrived at the entrance of the Zhou residence. It was sent by Zhang Yan to bring Zhou Xiaoli into the Zhao residence..

 Chapter 129 - 129: To Cure Or To Harm?

    Chapter 129: To Cure Or To Harm?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Wei Chiyu went with her.


    To put it nicely, her master was worried about her going to the prefecture alone. As her junior brother, he should be responsible for protecting her safety.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not expose his true intentions. She brought some of the local specialties that Zhang Lan had prepared and set off for the prefecture.


    Boyu Vige was a certain distance from the prefecture. They set off in the morning and only arrived in the afternoon.


    The carriage slowly stopped in front of a vermillion-colored gate. Wei Chiyu and Zhou Xiaoli alighted from the carriage one after another.


    What greeted them was a mansion that was not too luxurious. The courtyard was surrounded by pink walls and green willows.


    The coachman knocked on the door and exined the identities of Zhou Xiaoli and the other man to the servant who opened the door.


    ¡°These two are friends that Madam invited to cure the Eldest Young Master.¡±


    The servant who opened the door scrutinized Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu. ¡°Old Ma, you didn¡¯t pick up the wrong person, did you?¡± he snorted with disrespect. Old Ma hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. They are the benefactors who saved the young master. They are Madam¡¯s esteemed guests.¡±


    The servant did not say anything else, but the contempt in his eyes remained.


    He stepped aside and let Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu into the mansion.


    Old Ma led the way and headed straight for Zhang Yan¡¯s courtyard without any dy.


    Although she did not know much about the Zhao Family, Zhou Xiaoli could guess that the rtionships in the Zhao Residence were veryplicated. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhou Xiaoli did not look sideways the entire time.


    However, this doesn¡¯t mean that trouble would note looking for them.


    ¡°Halt!


    At this moment, a slightly coquettish voice rang out, and they were blocked by a beautiful madam.


    ¡°Who are you? How did you get in? Why are you letting anyone into this residence? Are the guards dead?¡±


    Thedy sized up Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu with a look of disdain.


    Old Ma quickly introduced the two of them again.


    Thedy raised her eyebrows and sized up Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu. The disdain in her eyes could not be concealed.


    ¡°This is the doctor that the Eldest Sister-inw found to treat the Eldest Brother. They are dressed too shabby. If you didn¡¯t say it, I would have thought that they came from some vige to beg for food!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned for a moment. She lowered her head and looked at the clean clothes that she was wearing. Although it was not silk, it was not that sloppy, right?


    It seemed that Old Ma had been specially sent by Zhang Yan to pick up Zhou Xiaoli, so he was quite proficient in dealing with these matters.


    ¡°Second Madam, although the two of them are simply dressed, their medical skills are very impressive. They saved the Young Master¡¯s life back then.¡±


    ¡°Second Madam, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll quickly bring the benefactors to see Madam. I¡¯m afraid Madam will be anxious.¡¯


    With that, he bowed to the Second Madam and left in a hurry with Zhou Xiaoli in tow.


    Second Madam Zhao looked at Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s back and said disdainfully, ¡°It seems that Eldest Sister-inw is anxious because of Eldest Brother¡¯s illness. Our family has hired many famous doctors for Eldest Brother, but they can¡¯t cure him. I don¡¯t know where she got this beggar from and whether they are meant to cure or to harm people.¡±


    The maidservant at the side reminded her softly, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve heard that there are often some divine doctors who live in seclusion among themoners. Their medical skills are very outstanding. Perhaps they can cure the Eldest Young Master.¡±


    Second Madam Zhao was obviously disdainful of them. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the two of them? They are mere kids. How can they be divine doctors?¡±


    Even though she said that, she still brought the maidservant and sashayed towards the Eldest Young Master¡¯s courtyard.


    On the other hand,


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu arrived at Zhang Yan¡¯s courtyard. Zhou Xiaoli had a sensitive nose, so she asked about the smell of medicine before entering the house.


    Hearing the servant¡¯s report, Zhang Yan ran out of the room excitedly.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re finally here. Quick, follow me into the house.¡±


    As she spoke, she pulled Zhou Xiaoli into the room.


    ¡°You¡¯ve traveled for a long time, so you must be hungry. Take a seat first. I¡¯ve prepared some food for you.¡±


    Zhang Yan was not in a hurry to bring Zhou Xiaoli to see her husband. Instead, she asked the servants to bring food from the kitchen.


    Soon, a servant came up with tea and snacks.


    Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu had been on the road since morning and had not eaten anything along the way. They must be hungry.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli was grateful for it and settled down to eat. After giving the gift to Zhang Yan, she sat down.


    ¡°These are all specialties made by my family. They¡¯re nothing special so I hope you would not mind me giving these to you.¡±


    Zhang Yan smiled and epted all the gifts. She said happily, ¡°You don¡¯t know, but I haven¡¯t eaten smoked meat in a long time. I miss it very much.¡±


    The nanny who was helping to keep the gifts also smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. A few days ago, Madam was still nagging about it. Miss, you came at the right time.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli also brought over the strawberries she picked from her alternate space. Zhang Yan looked at the red fruit and was a little surprised. ¡°What fruit is this? I¡¯ve never seen it before. It is really beautiful.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, ¡°I found these fruits on our mountain. They have a very special taste, so I nted some in the fields. I brought them for you to try today.¡±


    The red fruit was so red and appetizing.


    Zhang Yan pinched one and took a bite out of it. Her eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s so fresh and delicious.¡±


    At this moment, an untimelyugh came from outside the door.


    ¡°Hahaha, oh my god. Sister-inw, what are you eating for you to be so excited about it.¡±


    The smile on Zhang Yan¡¯s face froze.


    Zhou Xiaoli frowned as well.


    In the next second, Second Madam Zhao walked in with a handkerchief in her hand. When she saw Zhou Xiaoli, she covered her nose, as if there was a smell on Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhang Yan smiled an insincere smile. ¡°Sister-inw, why are you so free toe to my courtyard today? What a rare guest.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, Sister-inw, you can¡¯t say that. I heard that you have found a divine doctor for our Eldest Brother, so I came to take a look. If our Eldest Brother can recover from his illness, it will be a great joy in our residence.¡±


    Although she said that, there was no sincerity on her face.


    She held her nose and looked at the local specialties on the table. Her disdain became stronger.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect Sister-inw to invite these two people. The table of snacks that she ate was enough to pay off 10 piles of her so-called local specialties and wild fruits from the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, please don¡¯t tell me that she is your family¡¯s poor rtive who came to take advantage of you!¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s expression was not good. ¡°Sister Zhou is my sworn sister and Brother An¡¯s savior. Madam Niu, you¡¯d better control your mouth. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave. Sister Li still has to treat your brother.¡±


    Second Madam Zhao was unwilling to leave. She walked to a stool at the side and sat down. ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯m also concerned about the Eldest Brother¡¯s condition. You don¡¯t know this but my husband is very sad because of the Eldest Brother¡¯s illness. If Miss Zhou can really cure the Eldest Brother of his illness, I can tell my husband as soon as possible and make him happy, right?¡± Seeing how shameless she was, she would not leave, that¡¯s for sure. Although Zhang Yan was angry, she could not fall out with her. Hence, she pretended that she did not exist.


    After instructing the nanny to keep the gifts from Zhou Xiaoli, she brought Zhou Xiaoli to the Eldest Young Master Zhao¡¯s room..

 Chapter 130 - 130: There’s Hope

    Chapter 130: There¡¯s Hope


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Second Madam Zhao rolled her eyes and stood up to follow them.


    Zhang Yan ignored her and spoke to Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°My husband was born prematurely and his body was weak. When he was four years old, he identally fell into the water. When he was rescued, he was on hisst breath. Fortunately, he survived, but from then on, he fell ill with a cough.¡±


    ¡°He has seen many doctors all these years and has taken a lot of medicine, but he hasn¡¯t recovered. They all say that my husband has tuberculosis and can¡¯t be saved¡­


    At the end, Zhang Yan¡¯s face was filled with sorrow.


    Zhou Xiaoli patted her hand tofort her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. I¡¯ll take a look at the situation first.¡±


    As they spoke, they arrived at Zhao Yingji¡¯s room.


    Zhou Xiaoli asked Wei Chiyu to wait in the outer room and was about to follow Zhang Yan in when she turned around and saw Second Madam Zhao covering her nose with a handkerchief. She stood far away and looked over.


    ¡°Sister-inw, why are you standing so far away? Let¡¯s go in together. Don¡¯t you want to see your brother¡¯s condition?¡±


    Second Madam Zhao wanted to avoid doing that and kept rejecting Zhang Yan¡¯s invitation.


    ¡°No need for that, no need. I¡¯ll just stay in the courtyard. It won¡¯t be nice for me to go in as well as I may disturb the doctor in her diagnosis. Hehe.¡± Zhang Yan sneered. She knew what was going on.


    In the Zhao family, almost everyone thought that her husband had tuberculosis. They were afraid that it would be contagious and avoided him.


    Her sister-inw was standing in the courtyard because she was afraid that her husband would get better!


    Zhang Yan sneered and ignored her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you in.¡±


    With that, she brought Zhou Xiaoli into the room.


    Autumn had just started, but the room was filled with basins containing burning charcoal. The room was warm.


    Zhang Yan said, ¡°My husband¡¯s body is weak and he¡¯s afraid of the cold and the wind. As soon as autumnes, we have to keep the charcoal burning in the room.¡±


    Zhang Yan exined and quickly walked to the bed. She helped Zhao Yingji up and introduced them.


    ¡°Husband, this is Sister Zhou whom I told you about. She was the one who saved our Brother An back then.¡±


    Zhao Yingji used Zhang Yan¡¯s strength to sit up. When he saw Zhou Xiaoli, he was a little surprised. ¡°Miss Zhou is so young, but your medical skills are already so good. You¡¯re really amazing. I heard from Yan¡¯er that you saved our Brother An. As a father, I should visit and thank you, but my body does not allow me to leave the courtyard..


    Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yingji had already coughed a few times.


    In the end, he coughed until he could not breathe.


    Zhang Yan hurriedly fed him water to calm his breathing. Gradually, Zhao Yingji regained his breath.


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli say, ¡°Young Master Zhao, you¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s also the Young Master¡¯s good fortune.¡±


    After exchanging a few words, Zhou Xiaoli went forward to take Zhao Yingji¡¯s pulse.


    Half an hourter, Zhou Xiaoli walked out with a heavy expression.


    After Zhang Yan helped Zhao Yingji lie down, she hurriedly followed.


    As soon as she arrived outside, she asked impatiently, ¡°Sister, how is it? My husband?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head and sighed, ¡°The situation is a little bad.¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and her lips trembled. In the end, she still asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli sighed again. ¡°Young Master Zhao¡¯s illness has dragged on for too long. I don¡¯t have much confidence to cure him. If we want to be conservative, I could use medicine to keep him alive for a while longer.¡±


    After Zhou Xiaoli took his pulse, Second Madam Zhao hurried over and eavesdropped on their conversation.


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, she sneered and could not help but mock her.


    ¡°Aiyo, Sister-inw, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but if you¡¯re doing this for the Big Brother¡¯s sake, you should find famous doctors. Perhaps there¡¯s still some hope for him then.¡±


    ¡°Why had you brought such a country bumpkin? Are you trying to cure Big Brother or harm him?¡±


    With that, she sneered and turned to leave with her maidservant supporting her.


    Before she left, she even said to the maidservant, ¡°Father-inw has found many famous doctors to treat Eldest Brother. If this little beggar can cure the Eldest Brother of his illness, I¡¯ll take her surname. Hahaha.¡¯


    At this moment, Zhang Yan was really sad. She could not be bothered with Second Madam Zhao¡¯s sarcasm.


    She sat down weakly. Tears welled in her eyes, and her whole body sank.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve already guessed the oue, but I just won¡¯t give up. I just want to try¡­¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°We should give it a try. Otherwise, how can we cure him of his illness?¡±


    Zhang Yan raised her head and looked at Zhou Xiaoli. She was a little confused, but she asked hopefully, ¡°Sister Zhou, what do you mean?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and walked to the table. She sat down and picked up a pen.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that there was no hope at all. I just said that I¡¯m not confident.¡±


    Zhang Yan was still a little stunned. A momentter, her eyes lit up. ¡°Sister


    Zhou, you mean that you have a way, right?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true that your husband doesn¡¯t have tuberculosis, but his condition is due to his weak lungs over the years. However, because it has dragged on for too long, his condition is indeed very bad, but it¡¯s not hopeless.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yan grabbed Zhou Xiaoli excitedly. ¡°I knew you would have a way. Sister Zhou, you¡¯re really my benefactor!¡± Zhou Xiaoli said helplessly, ¡°Sister Zhang, I¡¯m writing a prescription.¡±


    Zhang Yan also realized that she had lost herposure and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°I was too excited. You don¡¯t know, but in all these years, you¡¯re the first to say that my husband has hope. I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    Now that her arm was free, Zhou Xiaoli continued to write the prescription. ¡°Take this prescription for three months. After three months, I¡¯lle back to observe the effects.


    Knowing that her husband could be saved, Zhang Yan¡¯s words were like an imperial edict to Zhou Xiaoli.


    However, Zhou Xiaoli pulled her back and whispered, ¡°Sister Zhang, I shouldn¡¯t say much about this matter. After all, it¡¯s your family¡¯s matter. However, since you call me your sister, and I do treat you as my biological sister, I have to say a few words.¡¯


    Zhang Yan was touched. ¡°I also treat you as my biological sister. If you have something to say, say it. Don¡¯t worry, you are not an outsider to me.¡±


    Only then did Zhou Xiaoli open her mouth and say, ¡°The Zhao Residence isplicated. I¡¯m sure you know that even if I don¡¯t tell you, there are many people in the Residence who don¡¯t want your husband to get better. Do you understand?¡±


    Zhang Yan was not surprised. ¡°Of course I know. My Brother An was poisoned the other time. That person was the old maidservant who was with mest time. I had immediately dealt with her when I returned home.¡±


    ¡°I know why my Sister-inw came just now as well. She just wants to see if my husband can survive.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. Zhang Yan was definitely not an ignorant girl. Otherwise, she would have been ousted by the people in the Residence long ago.


    However, that was not what she wanted to remind her of. She looked around with a troubled expression.


    Zhang Yan immediately understood what Zhou Xiaoli meant and immediately used various excuses to send all the servants out.


    Only then did she say, ¡°Sister, do you have something to say?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was not in a hurry to answer. Instead, she asked, ¡°Sister, do you trust me?¡±


    Zhang Yan said without hesitation, ¡°Of course I believe you.¡±


    After receiving an affirmative answer, Zhou Xiaoli continued, ¡°Sister Zhang, you naturally know more about the ways the things and people work in the Residence than I do.¡±


    ¡°However, I took a look at you and the Eldest Young Master Zhao earlier and I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a viin in your residence. If this person is around, I¡¯m afraid your courtyard will suffer a cmity within a month.¡±


    Zhang Yan was shocked. ¡°Sister, you, you¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not hide anything. ¡°Sister Zhang, I didn¡¯t tell you. I¡¯m actually a metaphysical disciple and know some things about it..¡±

 Chapter 131 - 131: Character Divination

    Chapter 131: Character Divination


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhang Yan was indeed shocked as she had nevere into contact with metaphysics in the past.


    She asked, ¡°Are you the kind of fortune teller who reads Feng Shui?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°You can say that. Fortune-telling and Feng Shui are just a


    part of metaphysics.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli gave a simple exnation without giving Zhang Yan the details.


    However, it was obvious that Zhang Yan was very interested. ¡°How do you do that? Is it about palm reading, physiognomy, and touching bones?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. Unable to take Zhang Yan¡¯s enthusiasm, she helped her take a quick look.


    She picked the rtively harmless things to share. For example, she could tell from Zhang Yan¡¯s palm and physiognomy how her parents were, how many brothers and sisters she had, or that she was a rich person.


    It could be considered as proving her prowess.


    Zhang Yan was mesmerized by her words and was so excited that she couldn¡¯t control herself. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. If I didn¡¯t know about your situation, I would have suspected that you went to my family to do an investigation.¡±


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really amazing. I¡¯m really lucky to be able to meet you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was almost hugged by the excited Zhang Yan. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Sister Zhang, you¡¯re also very special. If you were any other youngdy from a rich family, she would probably think that I¡¯m unlucky and not want to be close to me.¡±


    Zhang Yan said with a straight face, ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re pretentious, but I feel extremely honored.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while before getting to the point. Zhou Xiaoli pulled Zhang Lan to sit down. ¡°Since Sister Zhang trusts me so much, I¡¯ll help you get a divination and help you catch this person.¡±


    Zhang Yan sat up straight and nodded seriously. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you,


    Sister. If you need anything, just let me know.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at the brush and paper at the side. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any divination tools with me today. Let¡¯s do character divination then. Sister, think about what you want and write a word.¡±


    Zhang Yan was stunned. She picked up the pen but did not put it to paper for a long time.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not urge her, but merely reminded her, ¡°Sister, you just have to focus on what¡¯s on your mind and write it.¡±


    Zhang Yan nodded and could not help but think of her husband¡¯s body. Thinking of how difficult it was for the two of them at home, she could not think of a word for a moment. In the end, she simply drew a horizontal line, the simplest word of one.


    After saying that, she tapped the word on the paper with her pen and said,


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m done. Do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked up and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°One is a simple word and a quick stroke of the brush. It means that you are eager to get out of this predicament and change the current situation.¡±


    ¡°However, when you stretched out your hand and pointed at the word, you changed it from ¡®one¡¯ into ¡®wood¡¯. Your expectations were destroyed by this word ¡®wood¡¯. And the wood refers to the person who would ruin your expectations. This person hated you very much and she probably wanted you to die. ¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, Zhang Yan was shocked, but she was also a little puzzled. She asked, ¡°Sister, what you said is extremely true. That¡¯s my current state of mind. However, why did you say that I had changed the word from ¡®one¡¯ to ¡®wood¡¯ when I tapped the word?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and looked at the pen in her hand. She said softly, ¡°Sister, you used the tip of the brush to tap on the word which is akin to going through it. Isn¡¯t the word ¡®wood¡¯ formed?¡±


    Zhang Yan followed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze and saw that the brush was indeed made of bamboo. Wasn¡¯t bamboo wood?


    At that moment, she felt that character divination was really unpredictable and magical.


    In fact, character divination was one of the more difficult types in divination. Because karma was unpredictable, it was possible that different people would have different exnations even if they wrote the same word.


    It was also possible that if the same person wrote the same word under different circumstances, there would be different exnations as well.


    The mysteriousness of it all depended on the prediction of the prophet. This required the prophet to have extremely strong intuition and talent.


    ¡°Sister Zhang, I¡¯ll do a little more today to help you find this person. Don¡¯t worry too much about it and write another word.¡±


    Zhang Yan nodded cooperatively. It was difficult for her and her husband to take each step in this courtyard. As the saying went, it was easy to dodge a spear, but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. She was afraid that someone would stab them in the back.


    Now that she had met Sister Zhou, everything would be fine. Thinking of this, when she picked up the pen again, her mind was no longer nk.


    She picked up the brush and neatly wrote the word ¡¯cause¡¯.


    Zhou Xiaoli sat at the side and watched. She smiled and said, ¡°Sister, write another word. ¡±


    Zhang Yan paused for a moment. Recalling what Zhou Xiaoli had said just now, she felt relieved, so she wrote the word ¡°heart¡±.


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s gaze fell on the word ¡°heart¡±. Her expression was unfathomable as she exined.


    ¡°The word ¡¯cause¡¯ refers to a person. This person is within your house. The word ¡®heart¡¯ means that this person has a certain amount of weight in your heart. The words ¡¯cause¡¯ and ¡®heart¡¯ mean that you have helped this person in the past. However, this person wants to cast away the help that you have provided to him or her and stab you with a knife to trap you in this situation.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that Zhang Yan already had someone in mind, so she said, ¡°Sister, It you nave someone m your mind, why don¡¯t you test mm or her secretly and confirm if it¡¯s true before making a decision?¡±


    Zhang Yan nodded. She did have a candidate in mind, but she found it hard to believe. Even if she had to suspect anyone else, she would never suspect her!


    At this moment, there was amotion outside the door. Then, Nanny Wang, who was beside Zhang Yan, quickly walked in to pass the message.


    ¡°Madam, the First Madam and the Old Madam are here. Please move to the main hall.¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s expression changed. She knew that the First Madam must have found out about what had happened in her courtyard and pulled the Old Madam over to investigate.


    She immediately nodded and instructed, ¡°Alright, give the order to serve tea to the First Madam and the Old Madam first. I¡¯ll be there in a while after I change.¡±


    With that, she quickly burned the paper on the table and said, ¡°Sister Zhou, wait here for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯


    With that, she quickly walked out.


    At this moment, the two madams had already sat down in the main hall. When they saw Zhang Yan enter, the old madam said, ¡°Yan¡¯er,e and sit with Grandmother.¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s gaze softened a little. She went forward and held the olddy¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandmother, why are you here in my courtyard? I just asked someone to make lotus seed soup. I was going to bring it to youter.¡±


    The olddy smiled kindly and pulled Zhang Yan to sit beside her. ¡°I know you¡¯re filial. I just heard from Shn that you found a doctor to treat Brother Ji, so I came to take a look.¡±


    Then, she looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor? Has she left?¡±


    Zhang Yan smiled and said, ¡°Not yet. She¡¯s the young girl from the Zhou family who saved Brother An¡¯s life the other time.


    Speaking of this, the olddy was heartbroken when she recalled the old maidservant who betrayed her. That old maidservant originally served at her side and she had sent her to her granddaughter-inw as she trusted her, but she did not expect that she had almost harmed her precious great-grandson instead.


    Every time she thought of this, she regretted it endlessly. At the same time, she was very grateful to Zhou Xiaoli, who saved her great-grandson. She immediately said, ¡°Quickly invite her over then, I have to thank her properly.¡± Zhang Yan nodded and asked Nanny Wang to call Zhou Xiaoli over.


    After a while, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu followed Nanny Wang into the hall.


    After seeing Zhou Xiaoli, the olddy was also stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°Aiyaya, you must be my Brother An¡¯s benefactor. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so young. Come over quickly. Let me take a look..¡±

 Chapter 132 - 132: The Zhao Family’s Inner Residence

    Chapter 132: The Zhao Family¡¯s Inner Residence


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The olddy thanked Zhou Xiaoli profusely. In the end, she even took off a jade bracelet from her wrist and gave it to Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli refused repeatedly. ¡°Old Madam, this is too expensive.¡±


    However, the olddy did not allow Zhou Xiaoli to refuse. She put the bracelet on Zhou Xiaoli and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re Yan¡¯er¡¯s god-sister, you¡¯re also my god-granddaughter. Take this bracelet as a wee gift for you.¡±


    Since the olddy had already said so, if Zhou Xiaoli continued to refuse, it would be an insult to the olddy. Hence, she smiled and epted it generously.


    After a round of introductions, the olddy liked Zhou Xiaoli even more.


    She asked about her grandson¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Old Madam, your grandson¡¯s condition has dragged on for too long. The situation is a littleplicated. I can only do my best.¡±


    The olddy was somewhat disappointed.


    However, the doctors had already said that her grandson had only a year or two left, so the olddy could ept her diagnosis as such.


    Inparison, Zhou Xiaoli said there was still hope.


    After regaining her senses, she said, ¡°Miss Zhou, I¡¯ll leave my grandson in your hands. If you need anything, just tell me. The Zhou Residence will cooperate with you in all ways. If you can cure my grandson, you¡¯ll be a great benefactor to my entire family.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. It¡¯s my duty to cure and save people. Don¡¯t worry, Old Madam. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    The atmosphere between the three of them was harmonious. In the eyes of the First Madam and Second Madam Zhao, it was especially ring and hateful.


    Especially for Second Madam Zhao.


    The olddy watched Zhang Yan grow up. Usually, the olddy was closer to her as well.


    Now, a country girl came along and made the olddy so happy as well. So much so that she gave her such an expensive bracelet!


    Displeased, she muttered softly, ¡°A country bumpkin. Grandmother thinks too highly of her.¡±


    On the other hand, the First Madam did not bat an eyelid. When she heard what her daughter-inw muttered, she red at her and made her shut up. Only then did she say with a gentle smile, ¡°Old Madam, it¡¯s a joyous thing for you to have another granddaughter now.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli turned to look at her.


    First Madam continued, ¡°Miss Zhou, right? You looked like a lucky girl. I like you so much as well.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Yan¡¯er that Miss Zhou¡¯s medical skills are outstanding. If she can save Brother An who was poisoned, she can definitely cure Brother Ji of his illness.¡±


    Putting on a tall hat on Zhou Xiaoli.


    At this moment, Zhang Yan said, ¡°First Madam, it was not just a day or two that my husband was sick. We had invited many famous doctors to take a look before and they said that even with medication, he could onlyst only a year or two.¡±


    ¡°Sister Zhou can only try her best. It would be best if she can treat my husband.


    If she can¡¯t, you can¡¯t me her too.¡±


    The First Madam¡¯s expression did not change, but the loving expression remained on her face. ¡°Look at you, child. I feel sorry for Brother Ji too and hope that he can recover from his illness. I didn¡¯t say that I would me Miss Zhou should she fail, did I?¡±


    As she spoke, she looked at the Old Madam with a smile. ¡°Old Madam, don¡¯t you think so? I knew it. Yan¡¯er always thinks too much.¡±


    The olddy waved her hand. ¡°Alright, alright. Yan¡¯er, take good care of Miss Zhou now. Let¡¯s visit Brother Ji.¡±


    As she spoke, she stood up.


    The First Madam immediately stepped forward and supported the olddy as they walked out.


    After they walked away, Zhang Yan sighed and said, ¡°First Madam is thete madam¡¯s sister and also the old madam¡¯s niece.¡±


    ¡°My husband was raised by the First Madam. She had always done her best in raising him. When my husband was two years old, she secretly drank contraceptive soup as well..¡±

 Chapter 133 - 133: Going Home

    Chapter 133: Going Home


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhang Yan heaved a sigh. After pulling Zhou Xiaoli to sit down beside her, she continued, ¡°Later on, this matter was discovered by the Old Madam. She thought that she was unwilling to get married to her son, but who knew that the First Madam actually cried and said that my husband was still young and weak. If she became pregnant at this time, she would not be able to take good care of my husband.¡±


    ¡°She also said that she was afraid that my husband would feel terrible if she had a child. MV husband is her sister¡¯s flesh and blood, so she can¡¯t have a child now.¡±


    Zhang Yan took a sip of tea and looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a smile. ¡°Sister Zhou, after hearing this, do you think that the First Madam is an extremely good person?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips.


    ¡°If all of this is true, the First Madam can indeed be considered as a very good stepmother.¡±


    Zhang Yan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only you, but the Old Master and the Old


    Madam also thought so.¡±


    ¡°Even my husband respected and loved the First Madam, treating her as his biological mother.¡±


    At this point, Zhang Yan smiled. ¡°This is the power of the First Madam. She¡¯s very good at pretending. Even if my husband and Iter discovered that she didn¡¯t treat my husband with sincerity and even wanted him to die of illness sooner, the Old Madam and the Old Master wouldn¡¯t believe it no matter what.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while before the servants came to report that the Old Madam and First Madam had left after seeing the Eldest Young Master.


    Only then did Zhang Yan call her trusted maid to go to the pharmacy to get the medicine.


    Now that it waste, Zhang Yan was afraid that Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu would not be able to make it back home in time, so she asked them to stay one night in the residence.


    In the middle of the night, Zhou Xiaoli was woken up by amotion. She put on her clothes and came out. She saw that Zhang Yan¡¯s room was brightly lit, and the sound hade from her room.


    Wei Chiyu also walked out of the room. When he saw Zhou Xiaoliing out dressed only in a thin piece of clothing, he immediately put his cloak on her.


    ¡°The weather is chilly. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nced at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake too?¡±


    Wei Chiyu nodded. He had always been a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest movement.


    As the two of them spoke, Zhang Yan¡¯s room door opened. Two old women walked out of the room with a young woman restrained between them.


    The young woman was gagged, tied up, and thrown into a carriage before the carriage left the courtyard.


    Zhang Yan was dressed neatly and watched the carriage leave. When she turned around, she saw Zhou Xiaoli standing in the courtyard.


    She called Zhou Xiaoli into her room.


    Zhou Xiaoli finally understood what was going on. After doing the character divination, Zhang Yan already had a candidate in mind, but she did not re up. Instead, she set up a trap tonight.


    Unexpectedly, that person stepped into it.


    When Zhang Yan said this, her dark eyes dimmed.


    ¡°She¡¯s my cousin. When her family was in trouble, my family took her in. My entire family has always treated her extremely well and I treat her as my biological sister.¡±


    ¡°However, I didn¡¯t expect that my kindness would be hatred in her eyes.


    She said that my entire family looked down on her and pitied her. What a joke.¡±


    Zhang Yan sighed. ¡°Whenever she smiled at me and pretended to have a deep sisterly rtionship with me, her heart was actually filled with jealousy and hatred! Even the drama shows can¡¯tpare to her. Sister Zhou, why do you think the human heart is soplicated?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said indifferently, ¡°Even the abyss would have a bottom, but one¡¯s heart is unfathomable. She is not worth your kindness and love.¡±


    Zhang Yan shook Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank goodness I have Sister Zhou.¡±


    After saying that, her gaze involuntarily fell on Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s clothes. She looked at Wei Chiyu, who was waiting for Zhou Xiaoli outside the door in the cold wind, and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Is good newsing soon for Sister and Young Master Wei too?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned. She subconsciously turned around to look at Wei


    Chiyu, and the tips of her ears immediately turned red. She rebuked, ¡°Sister Zhang, don¡¯t spout nonsense. We¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Zhang Yan raised her eyelids and said with a smile, but she had an all-knowing expression on her face.


    Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. She was toozy to exin, so she said that it was gettingte and said goodbye to Zhang Yan.


    Back in the courtyard, Zhou Xiaoli returned the cloak to Wei Chiyu and said angrily, ¡°The wind is so strong. Are you stupid? Don¡¯t you know how to go back to your room instead of standing in the wind?¡±


    Faced with Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s sudden ¡®anger¡¯, Wei Chiyu was stunned. He then said,


    ¡°I wanted to wait for you.¡±


    In the end, he added, ¡°It¡¯s not cold.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. ¡°Hurry up and go back to your room. It¡¯s already veryte.¡±


    With that, Zhou Xiaoli took the lead and returned to her room.


    The next day, after having breakfast at the Zhao Residence, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu bade farewell and left.


    Before leaving, Zhang Yan stuffed the carriage full of gifts for Zhou Xiaoli.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not refuse, so she could only ept it.


    The journey was quite peaceful. When it was close to noon, the carriage returned to the vige. Zhang Lan had waited at the vige entrance for a long time with Zhou Xiaoyu. When they saw the carriageing over, they hurriedly walked forward. When she saw Zhou Xiaoli get off the carriage, she immediately beamed with joy.


    Zhou Xiaoyu shouted and rushed over like a small cannonball. She hugged


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s leg and said, ¡°Sis, Sis, Xiaoyu almost missed you to death.¡± Zhou Xiaoli bent down and pinched Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s chubby little face. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day since west met, and you already miss me so much.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoyu nodded like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°Yes, I have missed you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli carried Zhou Xiaoyu into the carriage with a smile. After chatting with Zhang Lan, they went home together.


    The coachman had to rush home as soon as possible, so he politely declined the Zhou family¡¯s invitation to stay. After helping to move the gifts in the carriage into the courtyard, he bade farewell and left.


    Not far away, Old Madam Lu was tiptoeing and stretching her neck to look into their courtyard. Zhang Lan naturally saw her too. The smile on her face immediately disappeared and she closed the door.


    As winter approached, beetroots were no longer in harvest, and their sugar production work stopped temporarily.


    Everyone was busy stocking up on winter supplies.


    The Zhou family was also very busy.


    Zhou Yu carried his ax up the mountain every day and hoarded firewood for the winter. Zhou Yu was strong and worked quickly. In a few days, they had a good pile of firewood, enough for them tost through the winter.


    They had also collected two batches of grains in the alternate space. They had enough tost their family even to the next winter.


    As the saying went, with food in hand, one does not have to panic. They did not panic at all this winter.


    However, in the eyes of outsiders, their family had no food.


    Therefore, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhang Lan went up the mountain every day to y and dig for wild vegetables and fungi. With Zhou Xiaoli around, they could often pick up pheasants and wild rabbits too.


    In just half a month, they had five smoked chickens and four smoked rabbits hanging in the courtyard.


    On market day, Zhou Yu went to the county city to buy a lot of food, including millet and soybeans.


    However, they were all stored in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s alternate space as seeds to nt in the fields.


    As their family worked hard, the fog at the back of the mountain gradually dissipated, revealing almost all the tea trees in the orchard.


    The 30 acres of slopes that they had bought had also been farmed before winter. When spring came, they would be able to nt fruit trees and tea leaves.


    While everyone was busy, a heavy snowfall silently arrived, and the sky turnedpletely cold.


    Auspicious snow was a sign of prosperity. The snowfall was big and could be said to be a good sign.


    The vigers cleared their courtyard and the road at the door despite the heavy snow. Zhou Yu also kept sweeping with a shovel and a broom.


    However, the snow was too heavy. As soon as they cleared the firstyer of snow, anotheryer had formed.


    The children were the happiest. They braved the snow to y..

 Chapter 134 - 134: Laba Festival

    Chapter 134: Laba Festival


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    However, before they could y, the adults pulled them home by the ears.


    The snowsted for three days.


    When the snow stopped, it was as if the entire world had turned white. The entire family worked to clean up the snow in the courtyard.


    Zhou Yu even climbed up to the roof and shoveled the snow off to prevent the roof from being crushed by the snow.


    It was unknown if it was because of the approaching new year or because of the heavy snow, but the vige became a little livelier.


    The children, who had been trapped at home for a few days because of the snow, were bored out of their minds. As soon as the snow stopped, they ran out to y.


    They rolled around in the snow in small groups.


    Zhou Junjun carried his textbooks and went to school instead.


    He was really hardworking. Even though it snowed heavily, he went to school every day.


    The weather was getting colder these days and Zhou Junjun had frostbite on his hands and feet.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s heart ached, so she used the rabbit skin they picked up on the mountain in autumn to make knee pads for him.


    Zhou Xiaoli used small ss bottles in the alternate space and asked Zhang Lan to cover them tightly with a cloth before filling them with hot water. She made them into a hot water bottle for Zhou Junjun.


    Before Zhou Junjun left the house, Zhang Lan instructed, ¡°Keep this for yourself and don¡¯t let others see it.¡±


    It was mainly because the ss bottle inside may attract unnecessary trouble.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Zhou Junjun¡¯s heart was warmed by his family¡¯s concern. He took his books, carried the hot water bottle, and jogged out of the house.


    The low temperature for the past few days had frozen the river in the vige.


    The children in the vige could not wait to go to the river to y, catch fish, and skate. It was very lively.


    Even Zhou Xiaoyu was itching to y by the river every day.


    However, a few troublemakers in the vige went to the river to y when the temperature was not that cold a few days ago. They fell into the river as the ice had not frozen over yet.


    Fortunately, there were adults by the river at that time, so nothing unfortunate happened.


    Therefore, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan refused to let Zhou Xiaoyu y by the river.


    Now that a thickyer of ice had frosted over the river, Zhou Xiaoyu pestered Zhou Yu to bring her to the river to catch fish. They created a fishing hole and indeed caught two fishes.


    At night, Zhang Lan stewed fish soup for them to drink.


    When it started snowing heavily, her master gave Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu a break. Now that the snow had stopped, she would go up the mountain every day.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the Laba Festival. New Year was getting closer.


    Snow began to fall early in the morning.


    Zhang Lan woke up early and cooked a thick pot of eight-treasure porridge. It was sumptuous. She added peanuts, red dates, red beans, cinnamon, and so on, and cooked a huge pot of it.


    She even made the usual Laba garlic. The festive atmosphere was palpable.


    Zhou Xiaoli came out of the room wearing a thick winter coat and a red cloak. When she came into contact with the cold air, she couldn¡¯t help but sniffle.


    Zhou Yu and Wei Chiyu were up and were warming wine by the fire in the kitchen.


    Zhou Xiaoli went into the kitchen and took a sip of hot wine to warm herself up.


    Zhang Lan red at Zhou Yu. ¡°Look at you. Why are you drinking hot wine early in the morning? You even made the two children drink with you on an empty stomach. You¡¯re not allowed to drink anymore. Your stomachs will hurtter.¡±


    Faced with his wife¡¯s reprimand, Zhou Yu grinned and got up to help Zhang Lan prepare the dumpling filling for lunch.


    Zhou Xiaoli snickered and was about to secretly drink another cup when Wei


    Chiyu snatched it away.


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately red at him in a threatening manner.


    However, Wei Chiyu was not afraid at all. He slowly put down the wine cup and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, Little Li said that she still wants to drink.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was instantly furious and hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t. He was being shameless. Wei Chiyu wanted to drink it.¡±


    After saying that, she raised her leg to kick him.


    Wei Chiyu reached out and grabbed her ankle. Zhou Xiaoli threw another punch, but it was blocked by Wei Chiyu.


    Looking at the two children ying in front of her, Zhang Lan shook her head and suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Oh, right. Li¡¯er, go with Chiyu and invite your master toe down the mountain. It¡¯s a festival afterall, don¡¯t let your master be all alone on the mountain..¡±

 Chapter 135 - 135: Making Dumplings

    Chapter 135: Making Dumplings


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli had the same idea, so she nodded.


    The two of them left after taking the umbre.


    The snow had just begun to fall, so the mountain path was still easy to walk on. The two of them chatted along the way and soon arrived at their destination.


    When the two of them arrived, Yuan Zhengchun was cooking.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t cook anymore. It¡¯s the Laba Festival today. Come down the mountain with us.¡±


    Seeing his two disciples arrive, Yuan Zhengcun immediately beamed with joy. However, he did not like to trouble others, so he refused.


    Zhou Xiaoli naturally knew her master¡¯s temperament, so she did not give him a chance to refuse.


    ¡°Master, you can¡¯t refuse. In the past, you didn¡¯t have a cute disciple like me. It¡¯s fine if you celebrate the holidays alone then, but now that you have a cute disciple like me, how can you celebrate the holidays alone? Wouldn¡¯t that make taking me in as a disciple moot? If word gets out, people will criticize me for being unfilial.¡±


    With that, she and Wei Chiyu supported him from both sides and were about to escort him down the mountain.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a ruffian.¡¯


    Yuan Zhengchun could not do anything to Zhou Xiaoli. Although he was saying what a ruffian Zhou Xiaoli was, his face was full of smiles as he followed Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu down the mountain.


    By the time the three of them went down the mountain, it was snowing heavily. There was already a thickyer of snow on the ground.


    Every family in the vige had basically closed their doors. On the way home, they did not encounter a single viger.


    When they reached home, Zhou Yu had already made the meat filling and was cooking radishes with Zhang Lan.


    This year, their family had stocked up more than five kilograms of pork. Today¡¯s Laba dumplings were the first time in their family¡¯s history that they had wrapped so much pork in it.


    Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli and the other two had returned, Zhou Yu stopped what he was doing and called Yuan Zhengchun into the room to sit.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Xiaoyu brought the Eight Treasures Porridge into the house.


    ¡°Master, we don¡¯t have much delicious food at home. Have a taste of the Eight Treasures Porridge we made this morning.¡±


    Zhou Junjun ced the dishes and pancakes on the table.


    The pork, cabbage, and tofu stew that Zhang Lan cooked was the best dish to entertain guests in the countryside.


    Yuan Zhengchun waved his hand repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m Xiaoli¡¯s master. We¡¯re all on the same side. You don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and joked, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t treat you as an outsider. Today is the Laba Festival, so we have to eat something good. Besides, didn¡¯t you say that your disciple doesn¡¯tck money in her life? How can we consider cabbage as a good dish then?¡±


    ¡°My mother wanted to make dumplings in the afternoon. Master, you have to help when the timees.¡±


    Her words made Yuan Zhengchunugh. ¡°You wretched girl, I¡¯m the best at making dumplings.¡±


    He was afraid of troubling others.


    After Zhou Xiaoli finished speaking, she ran back to the kitchen to help Zhang Lan serve the Eight Treasures Porridge.


    Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu had not eaten breakfast either. The entire family sat in a circle on the brick bed and ate a delicious breakfast.


    After breakfast, Zhou Junjun braved the snow to deliver a holiday gift to his teacher.


    Zhou Xiaoyu and the wolf cub were ying with the snow in the courtyard.


    Yuan Zhengchun seized the opportunity to keep Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu in the room and test them on their learnings.


    After Zhang Lan finished making the fillings for the dumplings, the two of them were finally free to go. The family gathered in the kitchen and started making dumplings.


    It was snowing heavily. The family in the kitchen talked andughed around the stove while the children were making a racket at the side.


    This was ordinary happiness.


    It had been a long time since Yuan Zhengchun felt such warmth in his heart. The smile on his face never stopped.


    It snowed for an entire day, and the ground outside was covered in a thickyer of snow.


    Yuan Zhengchun was invited to stay by Zhou Xiaoli..

 Chapter 136 - 136: Fight

    Chapter 136: Fight


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    It was not until the snow stopped the next day that Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu sent Yuan Zhengchun back to his courtyard on the mountain.


    After the Laba Festival, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. Days passed quickly.


    Before the new year, Zhou Junjun would go to school daily to study. Everything was peaceful, but unexpectedly, before the holidays, something happened.


    On this day, Zhou Xiaoli was on her way to invite her master toe home for New Year¡¯s Eve celebrations, which would happen on the day after tomorrow.


    That was when Zhou Junjun¡¯s ssmate in the private school came to the house and called for Zhou Yu. He said that Zhou Junjun fought with his ssmate in the school and the teacher invited his parents to the school to discuss.


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were shocked. They put down their work and followed the student to the private school.


    Zhou Xiaoli hurriedly followed them.


    When they arrived at the private school, they met Lai Jinniang and her eldest son at the door.


    Because of what Lai Jinniang did in the past, the two families had cut ties a long time ago.


    Moreover, their entire family was worried about Zhou Junjun¡¯s situation. As such, when they reached the entrance of the private school, they rushed in.


    Completely ignoring Lai Jinniang in the process.


    Immediately, Lai Jinniang started cursing and swearing before following them into the private school.


    When she saw Lai Jinniang at the private school, Zhou Xiaoli suspected that the person who had a conflict with Zhou Junjun was Lai Jinniang¡¯s grandson.


    As expected, she guessed it correctly.


    At this moment, the tutor sat at the head of the table with a serious expression on his face.


    Zhou Junjun and Madam Lai¡¯s two precious grandsons, Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle, stood in front of their tutor with their heads lowered.


    Before them were books scattered on the ground and a broken ss bottle.


    The only difference was that Zhou Junjun was fully dressed, while Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle had disheveled hair and scratched faces.


    Seeing her precious grandsons in such a sorry state, Lai Jinniang screamed and rushed up.


    ¡°Oh my god, my good grandson. Why is he beaten up like this? His face is disfigured. Oh my god!¡±


    Her heart ached for her grandsons, so she pointed at Zhou Junjun and scolded him again.


    The tutor¡¯s expression, which was already ugly,pletely darkened.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan also felt sorry for Zhou Junjun, but they knew that this was a private school. After observing that their son was fine, they stood quietly at the side and waited for the teacher to speak.


    Seeing that Lai Jinniang was about to attack Zhou Junjun, Zhou Xiaoli stopped her.


    ¡°Madam Lai, this is a private school, not your courtyard. You can¡¯t be that unreasonable.¡±


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s words, Lai Jinniang also realized that they were in the private school. Looking at the tutor¡¯s facial expression, she dared not speak and red at Zhou Junjun from the corner of her eyes.


    Seeing that all had finally quietened down, the teacher said solemnly, ¡°I invited the parents of the two families here today mainly to talk about the children.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of who is in the right or wrong, the private school is not just a ce to read and write, but also a ce to cultivate one¡¯s character. Is fighting in front of Confucius¡¯ statue an attitude that a student should have?¡± The teacher¡¯s tone was heavy. It was obvious that he was furious.


    Zhou Junjun¡¯s face was tense, but when he heard his teacher¡¯s words, he lowered his head further. ¡°Sir, I know my mistake.¡±


    However, the stubbornness in his eyes clearly meant that he had no regrets.


    The tutor stroked his beard and shook his head. Then he looked at the two brothers crying on Lai Jinniang¡¯s legs and frowned.


    ¡°Zhou Anfu, Zhou Anle, do you know your mistake?¡±


    The two brothers were obviously unconvinced, but they nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Looking at Lai Jinniang, who was protecting her grandsons like a dragon guarding its treasure, the teacher was a little helpless. He said, ¡°You fought in school because I didn¡¯t teach you well. I hope you can think about what you did wrong today. When you are home, copy what I said today five times and hand it to me tomorrow.¡±


    Upon hearing that they were punished with homework, Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle immediately had pained expressions on their faces. They cried and begged their grandmother for mercy.


    Lai Jinniang¡¯s heart ached and she hurriedly said, ¡°Sir, we haven¡¯t figured this out yet. Why are you punishing them? Look at my grandson¡¯s face. It must be Zhou Junjun¡¯s fault!¡±


    The teacher frowned and said, ¡°No matter what the reason is, both sides are at fault for fighting in school.¡±


    ¡°As parents, we should let our children realize that fighting is not the solution.


    It¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Lai Jinniang obviously wanted to say something.


    However, the teacher did not want to talk anymore. He stood up and said to the three children, ¡°Alright, go home with your parents. Think about what I said today.¡±


    Seeing that his teacher was leaving, Zhou Junjun immediately bowed and bade farewell.


    As soon as the tutor left, Lai Jinniang seemed to regain her full energy and wanted to make a scene.


    Zhang Lan immediately stood in front of her child.


    Zhou Xiaoli pointed at the portrait of Confucius hanging in the ssroom. ¡°Madam Lai, this is a private school. The portrait of Confucius is still there. You¡¯d better stop!¡±


    Lai Jinniang was furious. ¡°Okay, okay, little b*tch, everyone is taking this¡­


    She said fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second that this matter is over. I¡¯ll wait for you at the door!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled coldly. What a joke. Of course, this matter was not over.


    Just by looking at the ss bottle on the ground, she could guess what had happened. Madam Lai was bound to pay for it with her money!


    Lai Jinniang took her two precious grandsons and left the private school first.


    On the other hand, Zhou Junjun stayed behind to clean up the ssroom which was in a mess. He did not allow Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan to help.


    The tutor happened to pass by the window and saw it. He nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with satisfaction.


    After a while, the ssroom was cleaned up. Only then did Zhou Junjun carry the shattered ss and leave the private school silently with Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu in tow.


    Under Zhou Yu¡¯s questioning, Zhou Junjun finally relented and told them what had happened.


    Zhou Junjun had always been very careful and treasured the hot water bottle. Today, Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle secretly stole his hot water bottle when Zhou Junjun went to the tutor¡¯s study room. They even cut it open with scissors and took out the bottle hidden within.


    Just as they were wondering what it was, Zhou Junjun returned and happened to catch them in the act. He was furious and asked them to return the ss bottle.


    The ss bottle was sparkling and beautiful. Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle were used to dominating over others, so they were unwilling to return it.


    Zhou Junjun politely asked the other party to return the item and apologize. When the other party did not listen, he tried to snatch it back.


    Seeing that Zhou Junjun cared so much about the ss bottle, the two of them immediately had evil intentions. They threw the ss bottle to the ground in front of him, which of course, shattered into the various fragments that he now carried with him.


    In a moment of anger, he started fighting with them.


    Zhou Yu was angry. ¡°Child, you¡¯re a student. How can you fight with others!¡±


    Zhou Junjun straightened his neck. ¡°They broke my hot water bottle. They deserve to be beaten up! If it all happens again, I¡¯ll beat them up again!¡±


    Zhou Yu¡¯s temper red up immediately. ¡°You brat, you¡¯ve already read so much, yet you¡¯re still so stubborn. The Tutor has said so much, but you still don¡¯t know where you have made a mistake!¡±


    Zhou Junjun snorted. ¡°I was wrong! I shouldn¡¯t have beaten them in school.. I should have beaten them outside after ss!¡±

 Chapter 137 - 137: Compensation

    Chapter 137: Compensation


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that she was not a magnanimous person. She was just a rtively lucky ordinary fish who was also a petty person and would definitely take revenge against those who crossed her.


    Therefore, when she heard Zhou Junjun¡¯s words, she almost couldn¡¯t help herself and cheered out loud for him.


    However, Zhou Yu was so angry that he red at him. As such, Zhou Xiaoli did not dare to show her emotions.


    Zhou Yu raised his hand as if he wanted to strike him. However, considering where they were, he forced himself to calm down and he pped his own thigh instead.


    ¡°My child, are you trying to anger your father to death!¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve studied for nothing. You don¡¯t look like a student at all. If you¡¯re like this, you don¡¯t have to continue your studies in the future!¡±


    No one needed to say much about how much Zhou Junjun loved to study. Now that he heard Zhou Yu say that he was not allowed to study anymore, his eyes immediately turned red.


    Zhang Lan was stunned for a moment. She immediately turned around and red at Zhou Yu. ¡°What are you in a hurry for? We¡¯re still in school. Stop talking. When we get home, you can talk reason with the child slowly.¡±


    Actually, Zhou Yu did not feel good when he said that he would not let Zhou Junjun continue his studies. He regretted his harsh words.


    Hence, he snorted and did not say anything else.


    The four of them walked out of the school in silence.


    Sure enough, Lai Jinniang and the others were waiting for them at the entrance of the private school.


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli and the otherse out, Lai Jinniang immediately shouted sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re dilly-dallying and taking your own sweet time toe


    out. I think you just want to wait until we run out ot patience and go home. Then this matter will be over. Let me tell you, you can dream on!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli almostughed out of anger.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let this matter go just like that, that¡¯s for sure. However, this is the entrance of the private school. Let¡¯s not argue here.¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, the mayor¡¯s house is right beside us. Let¡¯s go straight to the mayor¡¯s house and let the mayor be our witness. How about that?¡±


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui were stunned. They looked at each other.


    Zhou Fugui straightened his neck and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just a small matter. Is there a need to trouble the mayor? Besides, everyone knows that the mayor has a good rtionship with your family. What if the mayor is on your side?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he heard the mayor¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh, whose side am I on?¡±


    ¡°Ma-mayor, you, why are you here.. ¡®


    Zhou Fugui suddenly turned around and saw the mayor walking over with a dark expression. He was so frightened that he stuttered.


    ¡°Hmph! I didn¡¯t know that I was such an unjust person in your heart.¡± The mayor snorted.


    Zhou Fugui smiled bitterly and waved his hand. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Lai Jinniang hurried to help her son get out of the awkward situation.


    ¡°Yes, yes, mayor. That¡¯s not what my Fugui meant.¡±


    The mayor harrumphed and ignored them. Instead, he turned to Zhou Xiaoli and the others and invited them to his home with a smile.


    Therefore, even though Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui had unpleasant expressions on their faces, they went to the mayor¡¯s house.


    When they arrived at the mayor¡¯s house, the mayor stroked his beard and said, ¡°How about this? Didn¡¯t Zhou Fugui say that I was unfair? If I help you judge today, you won¡¯t be convinced of my sole judgment. It just so happened that Landlord Wan is in my house today. How about the two of us help you judge?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s family naturally had no objections to it.


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui hesitated before agreeing.


    Hence, the two families exined the cause and effect of the matter to the two of them.


    Landlord Wan nodded and looked at Lai Jinniang and the others. ¡°In that case, we don¡¯t have to judge at all. Your grandsons destroyed Zhou Junjun¡¯s things in the first ce, and Miss Zhou wants you topensate for it. This is reasonable.¡±


    Then, he looked at the Zhou family and said, ¡°Your child, Zhou Junjun, was the first to strike and Madam Lai¡¯s grandsons were injured. They wantpensation for the medical fees. This is reasonable as well.¡±


    ¡°In that case, the matter would be solved when both of youpensate each other..¡±

 Chapter 138 - 138: Was It Gold! Why Was It So Expensive!

    Chapter 138: Was It Gold! Why Was It So Expensive!


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui smiled brightly and nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Landlord Wan. You¡¯re really wise.¡±


    ¡°This little b*tch broke my grandson¡¯s face. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any other injury that they have. I want them to pay for my grandson¡¯s medical fees.¡±


    Lai Jinniang looked as if they were the rightful party. No one knew where her confidence came from.


    ¡°They have topensate us with at least five taels of silver!¡±


    After saying that, she looked down her nose at Zhou Xiaoli and the others.


    As expected, she had asked for arge sum of money.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan frowned.


    Zhou Xiaoli gave them a reassuring look.


    ss was called zed ss in this world, and it was not cheap. Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan had never seen it before, so they naturally did not know about the price, but it did not mean that Zhou Xiaoli did not know.


    Then, she smiled and agreed. ¡°Okay, we¡¯llpensate you.¡±


    With that, she took out five taels of silver and gave it to Lai Jinniang.


    ¡°Li¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    Zhang Lan, Zhou Yu, and Zhou Junjun looked at Zhou Xiaoli at the same time. Lai Jinniang asked for so much money. She was obviously trying to extort them.


    Zhou Junjun regretted his actions. He was wrong. He was the one who caused this trouble, but his family had to help him settle the consequences.


    He did not want his family to fork out money. Five taels of silver was enough for him to study for more than half a year!


    ¡°Sis, don¡¯t give it to her. I scratched Zhou Anfu and Zhou Anle¡¯s faces. They¡¯re just superficial wounds.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli patted his shoulder and looked at Lai Jinniang. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid you the medical fees. Let¡¯s talk about thepensation to my family.¡±


    Lai Jinniang didn¡¯t realize the seriousness of the problem and immediately said, ¡°Okay, tell me, how much is this lousy thing worth?¡± Zhou Xiaoli sneered and made a number with her hand. ¡°20 taels.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Lai Jinniang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°20 taels? Why don¡¯t you go rob someone?¡± This little b*tch was worse than her!


    Zhou Xiaoli shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not like some person who intentionally asks for morepensation. This thing is zed ss. The cheapest zed ss Cup costs more than 10 taels of silver each. The most expensive one costs more than 100 taels of silver. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Landlord Wan. Landlord Wan is experienced and knowledgeable. He definitely knows about it.¡±


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui still thought that Zhou Xiaoli was just taking the opportunity to ckmail them.


    ¡°What zed ss? I¡¯ve never heard of it. Was it gold! Why was it so expensive!¡±


    Landlord Wan, who was sitting at one side, said, ¡°Miss Zhou is right. This is zed ss. Although it¡¯s colorless, it looks like a high-quality product. 20 taels isn¡¯t much to pay for such a product.¡±


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui swallowed their saliva.


    ¡°How is that possible? How can this be zed ss? How can this family of debt collectors afford to use such a thing and casually use it to make a hot water bottle?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Zhou Xiaoli did not react, but Landlord Wan¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯m lying to you? I¡¯m not highly educated but I happen to have a zed ss product at home and that¡¯s why I know what zed ss looks like.¡±


    The mayor walked out of his corner with a smile. ¡°Alright, Madam Lai, you¡¯ve agreed topensate each other for your respective losses. Let¡¯s talk about the money payable to the Zhou family now.¡±


    Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui did not want to give it to them, but they were at the mayor¡¯s house.


    However, they didn¡¯t have that much money!


    After her eldest son¡¯s medicine shop was sealed, their family never recovered from the loss. Now, all of her money was spent and her two grandsons could no longer afford to go to a private school as well.


    By asking her to take out the money now, wasn¡¯t it akin to killing her?


    However, Zhou Xiaoli did not want to let her go. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you can give us whatever you have now. We¡¯ll write an IOU with the mayor and


    Landlord Wan as our witnesses.. You can take your time to pay us back!¡±

 Chapter 139 - 139: Landlord Wan ‘s Request

    Chapter 139: Landlord Wan ¡®s Request


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Thus, she returned the five taels of silver that she had just extorted from Zhou Xiaoli.


    Lai Jinniang looked pained.


    Zhou Xiaoli tapped her finger on the silver and said indifferently, ¡°We¡¯re still short of 15 taels.¡±


    The mayor immediately looked at Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui.


    Lai Jinniang¡¯s face was bitter. She sat on the ground and shouted, ¡°Aiya, I don¡¯t have any left. Even if you kill me, I don¡¯t have any money!¡±


    She had thought it through. She would take out the money that Zhou Xiaoli had just given her and forget about anything else.


    If they want her to write an IOU, so be it. When the time came, she would use the excuse of not having any money to decline paying. As time passed, who would remember?


    Lai Jinniang had a good idea. Zhou Xiaoli knew that she couldn¡¯t get 20 taels of silver back, but she wouldn¡¯t let her off easily as well.


    She immediately said, ¡°I just saw that you have money on you and your son. I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t have it.¡±


    The mayor¡¯s expression was a little ugly now. Clearly, he was a little impatient. He raised his voice a little. ¡°Madam Lai, Zhou Fugui, you had agreed to this n earlier, but you¡¯re being uncooperative now. In that case, I¡¯ll call the people from the Police Division.¡±


    When they heard about the Police Division, Lai Jinniang and Zhou Fugui panicked.


    This was especially true for Zhou Fugui. He had been locked up in a prison before. It was cold and damp inside. There were even rats biting people and he had been tortured. He did not want to go in again for the rest of his life.


    He immediately took out a tael of silver from his pocket. ¡°Sir Mayor, this is all I have. Really, please don¡¯t call the people from the Police Division!¡±


    Seeing the mayor¡¯s ugly expression, he turned and red at Lai Jinniang. ¡°Mother! Where¡¯s the money? Take it out!¡±


    Lai Jinniang covered her chest. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have money on me. It¡¯s true!¡±


    Zhou Fugui didn¡¯t care if she was his mother. He immediately grabbed the money and gave it to Zhou Xiaoli while Lai Jinniang screamed and cursed at him for being unfilial.


    ¡°Mayor, we only had this much left. My father is still sick in bed and we can¡¯t stop his medication. Our family¡¯s wealth has long been depleted.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli counted the two taels of silver in her hand. She did not want to push them too far as well. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take this much for now. You can slowly return the rest.¡±


    Zhou Fugui heaved a sigh of relief and pressed his thumbprint on the IOU that the mayor drafted.


    In fact, Zhou Xiaoli didn¡¯t expect Lai Jinniang¡¯s family to pay the rest after signing the IOU.


    However, with this IOU, Lai Jinniang would avoid them when she saw them again, which would save them a lot of trouble.


    Lai Jinniangid on the ground, unwilling to leave. ¡°Oh heavens, why is my life so miserable? I raised the two of them, but they¡¯re all ingrates and unfilial children. They¡¯re forcing me to die.¡±


    Zhou Fugui was furious and reprimanded his mother in a nasty tone.


    ¡°Why are you crying? It¡¯s all because of you! I already said that it¡¯s a conflict between children. They can just apologize to one another, but you insist on making a mountain out of a molehill!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re greedy and yet, you still want to provoke Big Brother and the others! Previously, you were the one who hankered after their pearls. You¡¯ve harmed our family so much. Isn¡¯t that enough? I think you¡¯re the real jinx of our Zhou family!¡±


    With that, he flicked his sleeves angrily and left.


    After being scolded by her son, Lai Jinniang cried even harder and scolded her son for being unfilial.


    However, no one cared about her at all.


    After crying for a while, she felt that no one was paying attention to her and became embarrassed. She got up and ran away with her two grandsons.


    Zhou Yu repeatedly thanked Landlord Wan and the mayor for their help.


    The mayor smiled and said, ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re too polite. Your family was in the right in this matter to begin with. We¡¯re just witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I treat Little Li as my biological niece. I can¡¯t watch my niece be bullied, right?¡±


    After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Xiaoli and the others were about to leave when the mayor stopped them.


    ¡°Little Li, wait. Come over here.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked over and nodded. After informing Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan, she followed the mayor to the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± The mayor said in embarrassment, ¡°Landlord Wan heard about my family¡¯s ancestral grave transfer and found out that I know a particrly powerful metaphysical master.¡±


    ¡°Many things had happened in his family recently. That¡¯s why he made a special visit to my ce today. Hm.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Xiaoli.


    He quickly added, ¡°I know. You want to keep a low profile. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you, I¡¯ll help you to reject him.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Landlord Wan helped my family today. I can help him take a look. Does he also want to see his ancestral grave?¡±


    The mayor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that. Landlord Wan didn¡¯t say much. If you are willing to help, I¡¯ll tell him.¡±


    Over at the other side, Landlord Wan had been looking at them whispering.


    After a while, the mayor walked over and said something to Landlord Wan.


    Landlord Wan looked at Zhou Xiaoli in shock and disbelief.


    ¡°Young Lady Zhou, so you¡¯re the expert who helped the mayor to move his family¡¯s ancestral graves. I didn¡¯t expect the expert to be a little girl. It¡¯s really surprising.¡±


    After saying that, he quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m not looking down on you for being young. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m too surprised, haha.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled and nodded slightly, ¡°Landlord Wan, why don¡¯t we talk inside?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    The mayor hurriedly asked his wife to make tea.


    As soon as they entered the house, Wan Landlord said with impatience,


    ¡°Master, you have to help me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Landlord Wan. If I can help, I will.¡±


    Only then did Landlord Wan heave a sigh of relief and say, ¡°Ever since this year, my family has been gued with idents. Our business is not as good as before. Recently, my family has been falling sick one after another as well.¡±


    I invited many Feng Shui masters to take a look. The Feng Shui masters said that there was a problem with our ancestral grave, but they couldn¡¯t tell us the exact problem.¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, I happened to hear that the mayor knows a metaphysical master. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m here to visit. Master Zhou, please help me.¡±


    The other party kept calling her master, making Zhou Xiaoli feel old.


    She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°How about this? It¡¯ste today. How about we visit your house tomorrow?¡±


    Landlord Wan was excited. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    When the mayor who had just entered the room heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Landlord Wan. Since Little Li has agreed to help, there will definitely be no problem.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli waved her hand. ¡°Mayor, you¡¯re ttering me. I only know a little about it. I¡¯ll only know if it can be solved after I see it tomorrow.¡±


    The mayorughed, his face full of certainty. He was even more confident than Zhou Xiaoli was.


    ¡°Little Li, don¡¯t be so humble!¡±


    After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Xiaoli stood up and left.


    Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were apanied by the mayor¡¯s son and wife in a separate room. When they saw Zhou Xiaoli walk out, they stood up.


    They came in a hurry and did not bring a donkey cart, so they walked home. It was not far anyway.


    ¡°Little Li, why is Landlord Wan looking for you?¡± Zhang Lan walked beside


    Zhou Xiaoli and asked with concern, ¡°Why is he so polite to you?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli knew what Zhang Lan was worried about. She smiled and held


    Zhang Lan¡¯s arm. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Your daughter is very powerful.


    Landlord Wan came to me for help..¡±

 Chapter 140 - 140: Five Yellow Ghosts

    Chapter 140: Five Yellow Ghosts


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    In the blink of an eye, it was the second day.


    After Zhou Junjun returned homest night, he thought about it himself. After a night of thinking, he seemed to have figured it out.


    The next morning, he ran to the private school without eating breakfast.


    After Zhou Xiaoli had her breakfast, Landlord Wan came looking for her.


    He came personally to invite Zhou Xiaoli, which showed how much he valued her.


    Zhou Xiaoli said goodbye to Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan before getting into Landlord Wan¡¯s carriage.


    As soon as they boarded the carriage, Zhou Xiaoli said, ¡°Landlord Wan, there¡¯s no need to take a detour to your ancestral grave. Just go straight to your family head¡¯s residence. The problem isn¡¯t with the ancestral grave.¡±


    Landlord Wan was stunned. Although he was suspicious, he did not ask further and instructed the coachman to drive home directly.


    Along the way, Landlord Wan asked Zhou Xiaoli some questions about metaphysics from time to time. Zhou Xiaoli also picked some unimportant topics to talk about.


    Landlord Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with respect.


    ¡°Master Zhou is really amazing. You¡¯re so young, but you had a deep mastery of metaphysics! I didn¡¯t believe it when I heard that you were the expert who helped the mayor¡¯s family move their ancestral grave. Now that I think about it, it was too short-sighted of me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed. ¡°You tter me, Landlord Wan.¡±


    Landlord Wanughed. ¡°No, no. By the way, who did Master Zhou study under?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli did not try to hide anything, so she told him the truth.


    Landlord Wan¡¯s eyes widened. He was about to stand up when his head hit the roof of the carriage with a bang.


    Then, he sat down again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I was too excited! No wonder Master Zhou is so powerful. It turns out that you¡¯re the disciple of the famous Master Yuan ! ¡±


    Then, heughed. ¡°In that case, there will definitely be no problem for you to help me deal with the problems at home.¡±


    ¡°Master, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Following the coachman¡¯s voice, Zhou Xiaoli was invited out of the carriage by Landlord Wan.


    After getting off the carriage, Zhou Xiaoli looked around and fixed her eyes on the residence in front of her. She couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    As expected, she was right. The problem was not with the ancestral grave, but with this residence!


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s serious expression, Landlord Wan¡¯s heart could not help but pound furiously. He asked carefully, ¡°Master Zhou, is there something wrong with my house?¡±


    Then, he said, ¡°When we built this house back then, my father hired a very powerful Feng Shui master to take a look. We¡¯ve lived here for so long. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Landlord Wan looked puzzled.


    Zhou Xiaoli removed her gaze and did not answer Landlord Wan¡¯s question. Instead, she asked, ¡°Landlord Wan, with your main residence as the center, has there been any construction or soil movement in a three-foot-radius area this year?¡±


    Landlord Wan immediately widened his eyes and nodded heavily. ¡°Yes, yes. My second brother suddenly had an idea. He dug and built a lotus pond there.


    There was indeed soil movement.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She immediately understood and said seriously, ¡°Landlord Wan, your family has offended the Five Yellow Fiend!¡±


    Landlord Wan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Five Yellow Fiend? Is it very serious?¡± he immediately asked in excitement.


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and exined, ¡°The Five Yellows is known as a poison, a malignant star. It was also known as the Wuji Great Fiend or the Dutian Great Fiend. It is the most ferocious star among the Nine Stars.¡± ¡°It ruled over all natural disasters and was a rather terrifying constetion.¡±


    ¡°As the constetions are different every year, if one unknowingly moves the soil at the Guansha area of the year, it will definitely bring disaster to the family. At best, the family¡¯s business will fail and wealth would be lost. At worst, the family will suffer a bloody disaster!¡±


    After hearing Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s exnation, Landlord Wan¡¯s face turned pale.


    What had happened to his family in the past year confirmed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s theory.


    His lips trembled. After a long time, he barely found his voice. ¡°Master, is there a way to resolve it?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°I do have a way, but it¡¯s a little troublesome.¡±


    Landlord Wan immediately said, ¡°Master, please save my family. I will definitely thank you!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t thank me. I¡¯m a person who distinguishes between gratitude and grudges. You helped my family yesterday, so it¡¯s considered as me returning the favor. I can¡¯t stand by and do nothing. However, to resolve the Five Yellow Fiend, I need something specific. I also need Landlord Wan to cooperate with me.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Landlord Wan immediately patted his chest. ¡°As long as you can help me settle this, Master, feel free to tell me whatever you want!¡±

 Chapter 141 - 141: Consequences of Not Listening to Advice

    Chapter 141: Consequences of Not Listening to Advice


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°The Five-Yellow Fiend¡¯s energy can be dissolved by metal. We can hang the


    Six Emperor Coins here. The Six-Emperor Coins are considered as metal in the Five Elements and can easily dissolve the Five-Yellow Fiend¡¯s energy.¡± Zhou Xiaoli exined.


    Landlord Wan immediately replied, ¡°Six Emperor Coins, right? I¡¯ll prepare it immediately.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t know how to make it. It needs to be paired with a talisman to have the best effect. I¡¯ll make it myself.¡±


    ¡°What you need to do is first fill in the fish pond that has been dug. It¡¯s not good to have a fish pond or nts in that area this year. If you don¡¯t fill it in quickly, I¡¯m afraid something will happen in your house in the next two days.¡±


    Hearing that the consequences were so serious, Landlord Wan¡¯s face turned pale. He nodded and immediately replied, ¡°No problem. Master, as soon as you give the order, I¡¯ll immediately get someone to fill it in!¡±


    Landlord Wan could be said to be swift and decisive. Perhaps he was afraid of the potential consequences as well. As soon as the words left his lips, he called the butler and ordered for the fish pond to be filled.


    The butler received the order and immediately set off with more than 10 servants and tools to fill the pond.


    Zhao Xiaoli was stunned for a moment at their speed before continuing, ¡°Also, you have to be careful. This year, red is taboo as red can increase its ferocity.¡±


    ¡°ck and white are the favored colors. White is considered as gold in the Five Elements, and ck is water. It can dilute the poisonous gas of the Five Yellow Fiend, reduce the toxicity, and achieve an overall bnce.¡±


    Landlord Wan took note of all her instructions.


    He couldn¡¯t help but to admire her. ¡°As expected of Master Yuan¡¯s disciple. You are really impressive. You didn¡¯t even have to enter the house and only took a look to know the reason. That¡¯s really impressive.¡±


    ¡°You tter me.¡¯


    Zhou Xiaoli waved her hands again.


    Actually, she sort of cheated. After all, she had the Heavenly Eye and could clearly see the ck foul aura floating above the Wan family¡¯s residence. There was no need for her to perform a divination to infer.


    Landlord Wan wanted to invite Zhou Xiaoli into his house, but Zhou Xiaoli refused.


    ¡°No, send me back now. This Five Yellow Fiend is very poisonous. I can¡¯t dy any longer. I have to go back immediately to make the Six Emperor Coins.¡±


    With the safety of the family at stake, Landlord Wan did not dare to keep Zhou Xiaoli any longer. He quickly called for the coachman and wanted to send her back personally.


    However, misfortune did note alone.


    At this moment, Second Landlord Wan suddenly ran to them in anger and questioned them loudly.


    ¡°Brother, why are you filling in my fish pond?¡±


    Landlord Wan immediately exined the ins and outs of the matter. In the end, he emphasized, ¡°If we don¡¯t fill it in, I¡¯m afraid our family will have a cmity soon!¡±


    However, it was obvious that Second Landlord Wan did not believe a word he said.


    He nced at Zhou Xiaoli and said in disdain, ¡°No, Big Brother, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you being led by the nose by a little girl who hasn¡¯t even grown her hair out!¡±


    ¡°You believed what she said? The position of the fish pond was calcted by Master Wang in the prefecture city. It can resolve the bad luck that our family had this year. What happens if you fill it up now?!¡±


    Landlord Wan¡¯s expression turned a little ugly. He red at him. ¡°Second Brother! Don¡¯t be rude. Miss Zhou is Master Yuan¡¯s eldest disciple! Her words are more reliable than your useless Master Wang. This fish pond will kill our family. We have to fill it up!¡±


    Second Landlord Wan had a look of disbelief on him. ¡°Master Yuan¡¯s disciple? She said it herself? No, Big Brother, don¡¯t be deceived by her. How can a country girl know Master Yuan? She¡¯s just a fraudster who wants to cheat money!¡±


    Landlord Wan was a little embarrassed. He ignored Second Master Wan and apologized to Zhou Xiaoli before saying, ¡°Master Zhou, you can go back first.


    I¡¯ll handle the fish pond.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded and agreed. After all, this was a matter for the Wan family to decide. She had already done her best by reminding him. If the other party didn¡¯t listen, she had no reason to persuade him any further.


    After bidding farewell to Landlord Wan, she got into the carriage.


    Upon returning home, Zhou Xiaoli immediately went up the mountain and began to prepare the Six Emperors Coins.


    When Yuan Zhengchun saw that Zhou Xiaoli hade up the mountain and was fiddling with something, he could not help but look at it out of curiosity.


    He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Oh, Six Emperor Coins and Five Yellow Fiend.


    Who¡¯s so unlucky?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled and began to tter Yuan Zhengcun.


    ¡°Aiyaya, as expected of the famous Master Yuan. He¡¯s really amazing.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun stroked his beard and sat down. He red at her and said, ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Who are you helping? How much are you nning to charge?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli casually replied, ¡°Master, look at what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯s as if your disciple is a money-grubber.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun harrumphed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you are?¡±


    Then, he changed the topic. ¡°However, you have to think carefully. There are big and small consequences to the disclosure of heavenly secrets. Although Landlord Wan¡¯s family is not a big family, they are still considered rich. Helping him avoid risks would bring more karmic hindrance than if you were to help ordinary people.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli knew that her master was concerned about her. Her heart warmed, and she immediately became serious.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. As long as you know your limits.¡±


    Yuan Zhengcun stroked his beard and stood up. He walked towards the study room. When he reached the door, he thought of something and turned around to say, ¡°Don¡¯t be overly involved in earning money all day. When you¡¯re done with the making of the Six Emperor Coins, don¡¯t forget about today¡¯s homework. If you don¡¯t do well, I¡¯ll punish you severely.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m your most obedient disciple.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli chuckled and coaxed Yuan Zhengchun back to the study room.


    It was two dayster when Zhou Xiaoli was finally done with the making of the Six Emperor Coins and infused them with spiritual energy by cing them in her master¡¯s courtyard.


    When she brought her things to the Wan family again, she saw that white cloth was draped over the Wan family¡¯s door.


    Zhou Xiaoli was stunned.


    Soon, she learned the truth from the people around her.


    It turned out that a house in the Wan family had suddenly copsed for no reason. Second Landlord Wan¡¯s wife was unfortunately smashed to death by the tiles falling from the roof.


    Second Landlord Wan was also seriously injured.


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. This was the power of the Five Yellow Fiend!


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli sighed over what had happened, Landlord Wan came out to wee her.


    Landlord Wan looked much paler inparison to how he was two days ago.


    As soon as he weed Zhou Xiaoli into the house, he asked impatiently,


    ¡°Master, are you ready? Please help us.¡±


    Before Zhou Xiaoli could say anything, Second Master Wan rushed out of the room with the help of a servant.


    ¡°Big Brother, is Grandmaster Zhou here? Grandmaster Zhou, Grandmaster Zhou..


    Before he even reached her, he was already shouting for her.


    ¡°Master Zhou, you have to save us. It¡¯s all that third-rate Taoist priest¡¯s fault for lying to me! He caused endless trouble in my family. When I recover, I won¡¯t let him off!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli looked over and realized thatpared to Landlord Wan, Second Landlord Wan looked even more miserable.


    ¡°Second Brother, why did youe out of the room? The doctor said that you can¡¯t walk for now. Quick, help the Second Master back to his bed!¡±


    When the servant received the order, he hurriedly supported Second Landlord Wan back to the room. Second Landlord Wan did not give up and turned his head to shout, ¡°Master, you have to help us. It¡¯s fine no matter how much money you ask!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her eyebrows.


    She still remembered that two days ago, Second Landlord Wan did not trust her. Why did his attitude change so quickly?


    Landlord Wan sighed and told her the whole story..

 Chapter 142 - 142: First Heart-to-heart Talk

    Chapter 142: First Heart-to-heart Talk


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    It turned out that two days ago, after Zhou Xiaoli left, Second Landlord Wan refused to fill in the fish pond and started arguing with Landlord Wan.


    Hence, the fish pond was not filled up immediately.


    Unexpectedly, the next day, what Zhou Xiaoli said came true. Cmity struck the family, and it happened to him. His wife passed away, and he was badly injured.


    As such, Second Landlord Wanpletely believed what she said.


    That was why his attitude towards her had changed 180 degrees.


    Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. Since that was the case, she did not dy any longer and immediately began to dissolve the Five Yellow Fiend formation.


    In the eyes of Landlord Wan, Zhou Xiaoli merely paced back and forth in the courtyard. In the end, she hung up the Six Emperors Coins, seemingly in a rxed manner.


    In fact, the entire process had consumed a lot of Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s energy.


    After everything was settled, her forehead was covered in sweat.


    ¡°Alright, the Five Yellows have returned to their rightful positions. As long as we do not disturb the Six Emperor Coins, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Landlord Wan heaved a sigh of relief and immediately ordered a table full of dishes and wine for Zhou Xiaoli.


    This time, Zhou Xiaoli did not refuse. After the meal, she returned home with 500 taels of silver.


    Apart from the favor she had done for the mayor thest time, this was the first bucket of gold that Zhou Xiaoli had earned with metaphysics.


    However, she did not intend to use the money. When she had the chance in the future, she would use the money to set up a charity.


    She would use the money she earned from doing Feng Shui divinations for charity.


    After all, what she was doing was disclosing heavenly secrets and may even change fates.


    With her Heavenly Eye, she was not worried that the five faults and three deficiencies would ur to her.


    However, she had a family. She had to umte blessings for them.


    After the new year, time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the Lunar New Year.


    After pasting new couplets on the door and putting on new clothes, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu stepped on the snow and went up the mountain to help their master paste couplets on his door.


    They even brought him down from the mountain to their homes for the new


    year.


    Wei Chiyu also had a home in this new year. They made dumplings and set off firecrackers together. It was extremely lively.


    Zhou Xiaoli wore a bamboo-green jacket with a red cor. She jumped around like a koi, looking extremely festive.


    ¡°Master, this is my new year wish for you. I wish you a Happy New Year, and I wish you great health and a hearty appetite. Wishing that you have countless riches and power. Give me a red packet.¡±


    Yuan Zhengchun stroked his goatee and smiled until wrinkles appeared on his face.


    With a smile, he ced a pouch in Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°Thank you, Master-¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli dragged her voice as she shifted away.


    Then, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun, who were standing behind her, were revealed.


    The two little guys muttered lots of auspicious words and happily received red packets.


    Then, the three of them lined up to pay their New Year greetings to Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu.


    The house was filled withughter and joy.


    Zhang Lan was so happy that her eyes turned red. This was the first New Year since they left the Old Zhou family. It was also the happiest New Year that they had.


    At this moment, she handed a pouch to Wei Chiyu.


    Wei Chiyu immediately refused.


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie. I¡¯m not a child anymore. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Zhang Lan smiled and stuffed the pouch into Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Come, take it. What nonsense about being an adult or a child? In my eyes, you¡¯re a child. It¡¯s the new year. The elders have to give money to the younger generation. This is called New Year¡¯s money. You can¡¯t reject it.¡±


    Wei Chiyu lowered his head to look at the pouch, then raised his head to look at Zhang Lan. His heart was filled with warmth. ¡°Thank you, Auntie. Happy New Year, Auntie.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s right. Happy New Year!¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoli ran over and patted Wei Chiyu. ¡°Hey, Junior


    Brother, how was it? How many pouches did you get?¡±


    ¡°Aiya, you only have one. Wei Chiyu, this won¡¯t do.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pretended to be surprised. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to greet the others.¡±


    As she spoke, she pulled Wei Chiyu up.


    On Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve, every family would try to be happy.


    No matter how poor they were, they would do their best to make a good meal. They would light a string of firecrackers and pray for their family to prosper in the new year.


    Listening to the asional sound of firecrackers being lit, Zhou Xiaoli looked up at the sky.


    This was the first New Year she had celebrated as Zhou Xiaoli.


    Although there were no fireworks or Lunar New Year programs to watch, it was a simple pleasure.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was looking up at the sky, amotion broke out in the room.


    It turned out that Zhang Lan had asked Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun to sleep, but the two of them refused.


    They were moring about staying up for the new year.


    Zhang Lan could not do anything to them.


    Zhou Xiaoli suddenly stood up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we have to stay up tonight!¡±


    When she was still a koi, the Heavenly Pce was way more advanced than this world. They could even project the Spring Festival G show in the mortal realm onto the big screen.


    Therefore, during the Spring Festival, she had unknowingly followed the humans in the human world to stay awake till midnight.


    However, there was no electricity and no cell phone here, so it was impossible to stay awake while doing nothing.


    Hence, she did notst long before her eyelids started to flutter. Her head drooped and almost hit the table.


    Wei Chiyu was quick enough to grab her head before she hit herself.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Go to sleep if you¡¯re sleepy.¡± Zhou Xiaoli stood up and patted her face. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy, I¡¯m not sleepy. I can still endure!¡± As she spoke, she even cheered herself on. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy because I¡¯m sitting down. I¡¯m going for a walk.¡±


    As she spoke, she lifted her skirt and ran out.


    Wei Chiyu shook his head dotingly and got up to follow her. ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll follow her.¡±


    At this moment, snowkes began to fall outside again. Zhou Xiaoli rubbed her hands and stomped her feet while standing under the corridor.


    Wei Chiyu walked over and handed her the warm sleeve pouch. ¡°The plum blossoms in my courtyard have bloomed. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli nodded. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    As she spoke, she took the lead and rushed into the snow.


    Her feet crunched on the soft snow.


    When she turned around, she realized that Wei Chiyu had stepped on her footprints.


    She was stunned andughed.


    ¡°Wei Chiyu, you¡¯re so childish! No, no, I don¡¯t want to be the one opening a path. Wei Chiyu, walk in front. I want to walk in your footsteps.¡±


    Hence, the two of them walked slowly on the snow, one in front and one behind. Their shadows were long, and there was a sense of peace.


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s courtyard was nted with yellow wintersweet. Small flowers stood proudly among the snow.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.


    Zhou Xiaoli reached out and tapped the branch of the plum blossom, causing it to sway in the wind.


    ¡°I heard that we¡¯re celebrating the new year today to pray for our parents to have good health. I hope that Father and Mother will be healthy and will always be as happy as today.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but turn to look at Wei Chiyu.


    ¡°And you?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes were a little blurry, and his exquisite chin seemed to be immersed in cold air.


    After a while, he suddenly spoke with a hint of loneliness in his voice.


    ¡°My mother died when I was six.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli paused. This was the first time Wei Chiyu had spoken about his family.


    ¡°Can you tell me about it?¡±


    Wei Chiyu¡¯s beautiful brows furrowed, as if the memory was very painful for him to bear.


    But he opened his mouth nheless.


    ¡°I have a vague memory of my mother. I only remember that she was always very gentle.¡±


    ¡°But when I was three years old, that man judged that I would bring disaster to his family because of my eyes¡¯ color.¡±


    ¡°He ignored my mother¡¯s objections and sent me to the countryside. He didn¡¯t even allow my mother to meet me. My mother was so worried that she fell ill not long after. When I was six years old, she passed away.¡±


    At this point, Wei Chiyu¡¯s amber eyes revealed a trace of bloodthirsty hatred.


    ¡°That man! He didn¡¯t even let me see my mother for thest time!¡±

 Chapter 143 - 143: Do I Look Like It?

    Chapter 143: Do I Look Like It?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Every time Wei Chiyu mentioned that man, he could feel a bloodthirsty hatred in him.


    He didn¡¯t even want to call him his father. It was obvious how much he hated him.


    Zhou Xiaoli was not good atforting people, so she reached out and held Wei Chiyu¡¯s hand instead.


    Feeling the warmth on his hand, the bloodthirsty hatred in Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes gradually subsided.


    Zhou Xiaoli apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked you this at this time.¡±


    Wei Chiyu held Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand and said seriously, ¡°Never say those three words to me.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli raised her head and looked at Wei Chiyu. For a moment, things seemed heated.


    Just as the two of them seemed to be looking at each other with affection, a string of firecrackers suddenly went off which instantly woke the two of them up from their trance.


    Zhou Xiaoli instantly withdrew her hand.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s midnight. I¡¯m going to make a wish for my parents!¡±


    With that, she pressed her palms together and made a wish.


    After a while, Zhou Xiaoli opened her eyes and heard Wei Chiyu ask, ¡°What wish did you make?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. It won¡¯t work if I tell you.¡±


    Wei Chiyu smiled and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I can do for my mother.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips. ¡°I know what you can do for your mother.¡±


    Wei Chiyu was stunned and looked at Zhou Xiaoli, ¡°What?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli: ¡°Live happily! This must be what your mother wants you to do for her the most.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Chiyu¡¯s eyes were deep. ¡°Li¡¯er, thank you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoliughed heartily and punched Wei Chiyu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are you thanking me for? We¡¯re friends!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a strong gust of wind blew over, carrying with it powder snow. Zhou Xiaoli immediately shivered and retracted her hand to put it into her warm sleeve pouch.


    ¡°Aiyaya, it¡¯s so cold. I can¡¯t take it anymore. I miss the warm bed!¡±


    With that, she ran home.


    After the Spring Festival, Zhang Lan brought Zhou Xiaoli to visit others.


    She first went to the vige chief¡¯s house, then to the Liu family.


    When they returned home, they saw that many families had visited their family.


    Most of them were from the same vige and had a good rtionship with their family.


    Lin Xiujuan and the vige chief¡¯s wife also came with their sons and daughters.


    Liu Liangcai and the vige chief each brought a pot of wine to drink with Zhou


    Everyone was happy.


    At this moment, someone started talking about the Zhou family¡¯s prosperity.


    ¡°Aiya, Brother Zhou, your family is rich now. When can you bring us along on the ride!¡±


    Zhou Yuughed out loud. ¡°Of course, we can do it together next year!¡±


    Instantly, everyone became excited.


    ¡°Really? What good business did Brother Zhou have to share?¡±


    Zhou Yu looked at Zhou Xiaoli andughed. ¡°It¡¯s like this. The three families were doing the sugar business together.¡±


    ¡°Now, the three of us havee up with a n. We want to expand our business and when springes, we¡¯ll prepare to build a sugar factory in the vige. You can nt beetroots on whichevernd that you have at home!¡±


    ¡°Our family will ept it all. Moreover, after you¡¯re done farming, you cane to our sugar factory to work. Sry will be calcted at 40 copper coins a day!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. My family has three acres of poor farnd which I can¡¯t grow any food on. If I don¡¯t nt anything, it¡¯ll be a waste of thend. I¡¯ll nt beetroots on it all as soon as springes!¡±


    ¡°Me too. Me too.¡±


    The men drank and chatted. The women sat on the warm bed and chatted. The naughty children yed in the courtyard.


    Lin Xiujuan¡¯s family celebrated a prosperous new year this year with a smile on their faces.


    She looked at the children ying in the courtyard and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve discussed it with my man. I¡¯ll send Brother Feng to a private school in spring.¡±


    Zhang Lan: ¡°That¡¯s a good thing!¡±


    When they talked about the private school, someone thought of something and said in a mysterious voice.


    ¡°Hey, did you guys know? Madam Lai¡¯s two grandsons have dropped out of school!¡±


    Lin Xiujuan was surprised. ¡°Really? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡±


    The old woman continued, ¡°It happened a few days ago. I heard that their family ran out of money. Their family quarreled every day and it was chaotic. I lived next door to their house and was so annoyed by the noise.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was peeling peanuts then, but her heart was as clear as a mirror.


    Although she had changed the formation she set up in the old Zhou family¡¯s courtyard to a weak Feng Shui formation, living in that formation for a long time could also make them lose money and cause chaos in their homes. Even with this oue, Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s heart did not soften at all.


    This was all their own doing and they deserved it!


    After the Spring Festival, it would be the Lantern Festival. Unfortunately, since they live in the vige, they would not be able to see the pretty sights.


    Just as Zhou Xiaoli was feeling regretful, Big Sister Zhang arrived with Little


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately weed her warmly into the house.


    ¡°Come, let me hug Little An and see if he¡¯s gained weight.¡±


    Zhang Yan was all smiles. ¡°Brother An, this is Aunt Zhou. When you grow up, you have to be filial to Aunt Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help butugh. ¡°How old is Brother An? How can he understand words right now?¡±


    Zhang Yan smiled. ¡°Of course he can understand, right, Brother An?¡±


    As if he really understood, Little An actually started babbling.


    Such a cute baby.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not even want to let go of him.


    Zhang Yanughed at her. ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m here to bring you to my house today. There are fireworks in the prefecture city tonight.¡± Finally, she added.


    ¡°Take Wei Chiyu with you and let him protect you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli rolled her eyes at her. ¡°I¡¯m a strong girl. Do I look like I need protection?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    At this moment, Wei Chiyu came out of nowhere and spoke slowly.


    Zhou Xiaoli was speechless. ¡°You should not have eavesdropped on my conversation with Sister Zhang.¡±


    However, in the end, Wei Chiyu still followed them.


    As Zhang Lan was worried, she insisted on Wei Chiyu following them.


    When they arrived at the prefecture city, the sky had just turned dark. They went to the Zhao Residence for a meal before heading to the streets.


    Zhou Xiaoli did not expect the Lantern Festival in ancient times to be so lively.


    There werentern riddles, acrobatics, and rows of rednterns on the street. They were extremely beautiful.


    When it was time, there was an explosion and fireworks bloomed.


    It was not as beautiful and colorful as what she had seen in her previous life. However, for some reason, she felt that this was the most beautiful fireworks she had ever seen!


    ¡°I heard that Lingyun Pavilion is a good ce to watch fireworks. Shall I take you there?¡±


    Wei Chiyu suddenly said.


    Zhou Xiaoli could not help but nod. ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°Sister Zhang, let¡¯s go to Lingyun Pavilion!¡±


    Zhang Yan rolled her eyes and said regretfully, ¡°Aiya, that might not be possible. I have to go back and feed my husband his medicine. You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll look for you guyster!¡±


    After saying that, she pulled her maidservant backwards with her and said regretfully, ¡°Aiyaya, that husband of mine is very pretentious. He won¡¯t drink his medicine if I¡¯m not the one feeding him it!¡±


    When they were far away, the two of them immediately hid and secretly looked at Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Hey, Chun Tao, how was my acting? Isn¡¯t it good?¡±


    Chun Tao looked helpless.. ¡°Mydy, madam, you¡¯re so convincing!¡±

 Chapter 144 - 144: Best Sister

    Chapter 144: Best Sister


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhang Yan smiled slyly. ¡°Right? I think so too.¡±


    Chun Tao was happy from the bottom of her heart.


    It had been a long time since her miss had been so lively and carefree.


    ¡°Miss Zhou is really amazing. She can always make Miss so happy.¡±


    Zhang Lan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s because she treats me with sincerity. In return, I¡¯ll treat her with sincerity too.¡±


    After saying that, she suddenly eximed in surprise. ¡°Ah, they¡¯re leaving. Come, let¡¯s follow them.¡±


    As she spoke, she pulled Chun Tao and followed. ¡°Miss, are you trying to matchmake Miss Zhou and Young Master Wei?¡±


    Chun Tao hurriedly caught up to her miss.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Look at howpatible the two of them are. It¡¯s just that Young Master Wei is always in a daze. If I don¡¯t help create some opportunities for them, I don¡¯t know when he will seed.¡±


    Wei Chiyu, who was said to be in a daze, was bringing Zhou Xiaoli to the Lingyun Pavilion.


    However, they did not go up the normal way.


    He brought Zhou Xiaoli to the roof of the Lingyun Pavilion directly.


    Zhou Xiaoli, who had just steadied herself on the roof, was still afraid. However, she forgot to be afraid the moment a firework exploded with a loud bang.


    ¡°Wow, this is too beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it looks good.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy for Zhang Yan to catch up to them in the Lingyun Pavilion. When she saw where the two of them went, she felt terrible.


    ¡°How am I supposed to get firsthand information on this?¡±


    Chun Tao, who was standing at the side, held back herughter. ¡°Miss, there are so many people in the Lingyun Pavilion. Isn¡¯t where they are now, the perfect spot for them to cultivate their rtionship?¡±


    Zhang Yan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I can¡¯t see it.¡±


    Chun Tao suggested, ¡°Miss, since we¡¯re already here, do you want to take a look at the Lingyun Pavilion?¡±


    Zhang Yan sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re already here.¡±


    With that, the two of them walked into the Lingyun Pavilion.


    The fireworks lit for the Lantern Festivalsted for an hour.


    Although the Lantern Festival in ancient times did not have the beautifulnterns of modern times, there was no pollution either. The people could set off fireworks to their hearts¡¯ content.


    After watching the fireworks, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu went to guess thentern riddles and won severalnterns.


    In the end, she chose the kointern which she liked the most and returned to the Zhao residence happily.


    As soon as she returned, Zhang Yan ran to her room to gossip.


    Every sentence she said was about the two of them.


    If Zhou Xiaoli could not tell that Zhang Yan was trying to matchmake her and Wei Chiyu, she would be a fool.


    Zhou Xiaoli held her forehead and said helplessly, ¡°Sister Zhang, I¡¯m only 11.¡±


    Zhang Yan didn¡¯t care at all. She nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Won¡¯t you reach theing of age in two years¡¯ time? You¡¯re not young anymore.¡± Zhou Xiaoli:


    She did not want to talk about this topic anymore and immediately changed the topic.


    ¡°Oh right, Sister Zhang, how¡¯s Brother-inw¡¯s condition now?¡±


    At the mention of her husband, Zhang Yan immediately forgot to gossip about Zhou Xiaoli.


    She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Sister Li¡¯er, you¡¯re really amazing. Your brother-inw took your prescription and it worked in a few days!¡±


    ¡°However, I suppressed the news and told the public that your prescription is useless. It can only keep him alive.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°Sister did the right thing!¡±


    It¡¯s aplicated situation in the Zhao Residence now. It was best not to spread the news before her husband waspletely cured, lest it cause trouble.


    The reason why she came was to suggest to Zhang Yan to hide his condition from everyone else.


    Zhang Yan pulled Zhou Xiaoli back and said in a guilty manner, ¡°However, Sister Lit er, I¡¯ll have to trouble you. If you stay in my house, you might be criticized. ¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Do you think I care about that?¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s face was filled with gratitude. ¡°I know you don¡¯t care about it. I just feel apologetic to you.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli pretended to be angry. ¡°Are we still friends? If you keep saying that, I¡¯m going to get angry.¡±


    Zhang Yan immediately beamed with joy and grabbed Zhou Xiaoli¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say anything else. I, Zhang Yan, swear that you¡¯re my best friend in this life!¡±


    As soon as the two sisters met, it was as if they had endless things to talk about. They chatted untilte at night before reluctantly parting to sleep. The next day.


    Zhou Xiaoli had just gotten out of bed, and as expected, she was mocked.


    She had arrivedst night and had gone to the street to look at thenterns immediately. Therefore, Second Madam Zhao only found out that Zhou Xiaoli had arrived this morning.


    Hence, she brought her maid over early in the morning.


    ¡°Yo! Yesterday, Sister-inw said that she was going to fetch a rtive. I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t cured Big Brother of his illness, yet you still have the cheek toe. Why? Are you running out of food at home again and hence,e to my house to ask for money?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli, who was stretching her body, rolled her eyes at her.


    This person must be very free for her toe to her early in the morning.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Second Madam Zhao bossing her around, Zhou Xiaoli would have suspected that the former actually loved her deeply.


    Since Zhou Xiaoli had ignored her, the Second Madam Zhao could not vent her anger and spoke even more harshly.


    ¡°What an uneducated country bumpkin! Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli was immediately surprised. ¡°Ah, Second Madam Zhao, it¡¯s you who¡¯s talking. I was wondering what was making such a big noise early in the morning?¡±


    Second Madam Zhao was furious.


    ¡°How dare you say that I¡¯m a thing? How uneducated!¡±


    Zhou Xiaoli had an innocent look on her face. ¡°What? Does the Second Madam


    Zhao think I¡¯m wrong? Are you not a thing?¡±


    Second Madam Zhao was so angry that her face turned pale. She stuttered but did not manage to form a full sentence for a long time. Since she was unable to scold her, she wanted to be physical instead.


    At this moment, Zhang Yan, who was holding back herughter, walked out.


    ¡°Hey, Sister-inw, what are you doing? This is my esteemed guest!¡± Second Madam Zhao looked disdainful.


    ¡°Tsk, she hasn¡¯t even cured Big Brother of his illness yet. How can she be an esteemed guest?¡±


    However, she still put down her hand and did not dare to hit Zhou Xiaoli.


    ¡°Sister Li is my godsister and she is also Brother An¡¯s savior. If she¡¯s not considered as an esteemed guest, who is? It couldn¡¯t be your aunt whoes to the residence every day to freeload?¡±


    Second Madam Zhao was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately exploded.


    ¡°Zhang Yan, that¡¯s my aunt. How is she not an esteemed guest?¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, you said that she was your son¡¯s savior. Who knows if you said that on purpose to help your poor rtives?¡±


    Zhang Yan couldn¡¯t be bothered with her and sneered. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You can say whatever you want. That¡¯s right. I advise you to go back and take a look. I just paid my respects to the olddy, but I heard from the Old Madam that she wants to invite your aunt out.¡±


    Second Madam Zhao said, ¡°What? You must have sprouted nonsense in front of the Old Madam!¡±


    Zhang Yan nced at her. ¡°I¡¯m not someone who likes to stir up trouble. I heard that your good aunt sold Old Madam¡¯s favorite cat. Old Madam is absolutely angry now. You¡¯d better be careful.¡±


    After saying that, she pulled Zhou Xiaoli and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s really ufortable to hear a dog barking so early in the morning. Let¡¯s go and have breakfast. We¡¯ll listen to the operater. Old Madam has invited a troupe to the residence.¡±


    With that, she left with Zhou Xiaoli.


    Second Madam Zhao stomped her feet in anger and ran to the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard in a panic..


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!