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 Chapter 143: You Are Trying to Reach the Sky

Wood landing is equivalent to reaching the shore.

Xiao Cheng should be trading in the timber market right now.

As soon as Bai Lu had this thought, the phone rang.

Xiao Wei's eyes lit up, but he didn't get up. Instead, he turned to Bai Lu and said, "Big brother is calling. There must be something important. Answer the phone quickly."

Bai Lu glanced at the displayed number, confirmed it was the one that had called back before, and to avoid Xiao Cheng bringing up the matter of asking Wang Hao to answer the phone, she picked up the handset and spoke first.

"Ah Cheng, have you eaten? Have you reached the shore? Is everything going smoothly? Have the deals for those fir woods been completed? What are you doing now?"

As soon as Xiao Cheng's name was mentioned, the girl's voice automatically muted the phone.

Listening quietly until she finished, Xiao Cheng answered one by one, "I've eaten, already reached the shore, everything is going smoothly, the fir wood deal is completed, just had dinner with Jiang Zengang."

Xiao Cheng had arranged with the buyers before leaving the province, so trading upon reaching the shore was a natural course of action.

Bai Lu immediately added, "Make sure you secure the money. Don't get cheated. There are many scammers out there. Are you on the street or somewhere else? It sounds a bit noisy on your end, with street vendors shouting and car horns. Why haven't I heard the voices of Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang? Aren't they with you?"

After listening for a while, Xiao Cheng finally understood why the girl at home suddenly behaved so strangely.

He chuckled lightly, "At the entrance of a restaurant, on the opposite street, with people and cars around. Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang are finding a place to stay; they haven't come back yet."

Ignoring the meaningful chuckle in the receiver, Bai Lu instructed, "Make sure to keep the money safe. Don't let anyone deceive you. There are many fraudsters out there. You're in an unfamiliar place, so be careful yourself..."

In the midst of her lengthy advice, Xiao Cheng responded with a simple "okay" when she finished the last sentence, his voice low, mellow, and slightly magnetic.

Then he asked, "Has anyone else come to see you today?"

Xiao Cheng probably knew that when he was away, there would be troublemakers knocking on the door.

Bai Lu sighed in relief, "My mom and my younger brother came to see me, but they left after a while."

Knowing that she didn't want to say more, Xiao Cheng didn't press further and spoke softly, "Wait for me to come back."

"Um..." Huh???

After an instinctive response, Bai Lu realized that Xiao Cheng's words seemed a bit off.

In the past, when Xiao Cheng went out of the province for development, he never returned. The original owner had already fallen into the river, and Xiao Wei was also missing. For Xiao Cheng, the new town had no sentimental value.

After earning a considerable amount of money through numerous setbacks, Xiao Cheng returned once to move the grave. Since then, he never came back.

Now, Xiao Wei was not missing, still at home, and Xiao Cheng had family ties to cherish, so he decided to return.

Bai Lu accurately grasped the truth and responded seriously, "You don't have to worry about home. I'll take care of Xiao Wei. Do what you want to do. Just come back before the college entrance exam, or you can bring Xiao Wei with you. I'll leave this place after I finish my exams. Xiao Wei is only seven years old; it's not suitable for him to stay in the new town alone."

The phone suddenly fell silent.

Silence persisted, and time passed without awareness.

After a long time, when Bai Lu thought there might be no signal on Xiao Cheng's end and he couldn't hear, just as she was about to speak, a cold hum sounded in her ear, cold and brisk even through the receiver.

He seemed angry.

"Are you listening?"

"Take care of yourself, hang up!"

His displeasure was evident in his tone, reminiscent of the night he was drunk and insisted on her shaving her head.

Bai Lu didn't know if he was drunk again or suddenly in a bad mood. She quietly waited for him to hang up.

But he didn't hang up for a long time.

"Xiao Cheng?"

"What!"

The child was indeed angry.

Bai Lu turned to look at the little bald head, handing him the handset, "Do you want to talk to your brother?"

Xiao Wei: "..."

You want to use me as a shield, right?

On the other end of the phone, Bai Lu heard someone calling Cheng Ge, sounding like Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang.

"If you have something to do, go ahead."

"Hang up the phone!"

The child didn't listen, drinking alcohol again and inexplicably getting angry. Bai Lu didn't want to bother with him.

"Just hang up."

Without hesitation, Bai Lu put the phone back on the landline and returned to her room, paying no attention to anyone.

Xiao Wei looked at Bai Lu's back with sympathy.

Even in the face of a crisis, she could still read a book.

After dinner, bath, washing clothes, and hanging clothes, the phone in the main house didn't ring.

Bai Lu and Xiao Wei tacitly forgot that there was still a telephone in the house, each returning to their own rooms to sleep.

Whether they could sleep or not, no one knew.

On the other side of the moon.

Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang ran their legs off, finally finding the "most formal hotel" mentioned by the big brother. They quickly completed the check-in procedures, enduring the fierce gaze of the big brother.

Tomorrow they still had to investigate the market situation of the electronics market. Tonight, couldn't they sleep well?

Who was the little brat who had angered this dragon? They must teach him a lesson when they went back!

Just before Xiao Cheng closed the door, he coldly said, "Do you know where to gather tomorrow?"

"We know! We know!"

"Next to Jianghai Park at the entrance of Yekuke Restaurant on the right side, Neighboring Nianxiangren Restaurant on the left side."

After Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang finished answering, a door slammed in their faces, cold and without any warmth.

"Tsk—I want to know which little brat caused trouble. Watch me deal with him!"

Xiao Dazhuang strongly agreed with Luo Shiliu's words, "I'll deal with him too!"

Tonight seemed exceptionally long.

Xiao Cheng lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. After a while, his gaze shifted to the bedside telephone.

After a while, he turned back to the ceiling.

The dim and gentle light, the empty room, quiet and silent, separated by an invisible boundary.

Even the most beautiful ceiling couldn't hold the distracted gaze. Unconsciously, it returned to the landline on the bedside table.

After a moment, it turned back.

Ceiling, telephone, back and forth.

On a night without stars, even the moonlight seemed dim, as if it heralded the approach of a storm.

Bai Lu was frying chestnuts in the kitchen with the light on.

Xiao Wei had already eaten breakfast and gone to school. The electric chestnut roaster in the kitchen hummed, diligently working, and the preheated sand emitted a fragrant aroma.

Three rounds of sugared chestnuts were already out of the pot. Bai Lu skillfully scooped a spoonful of maltose syrup, ready to pour it into the pot.

Suddenly, the light in the room flickered, and a black shadow swiftly passed from the angle reflected by the window.

The kitchen had two windows, one facing the side of the main house and one facing the outside wall.

The direction the shadow rushed towards was the outside wall.

Next Chapter ▶▶

  Chapter 24: The Terrifying Southern Barbarians

Chen Yuan also chatted with Zhou Yu. The two of them were just missing a pot of wine and a plate of peanuts. They could have talked for even longer.

Even Zhou Yu reluctantly left, repeatedly stating that they could still come to him if they needed anything in the future.

"Dad, what did you say to him to make him so eager?" Chen Xue was curious.

"Oh, nothing much," Chen Yuan replied with some dissatisfaction. "I just hinted subtly that we still have opportunities ahead, and people like him who want to climb up naturally will take the bait..."

In fact, it was indeed the case.

Having served as a bailiff for several years, Zhou Yu was well aware that although these officials had been exiled, who knew if they would be reinstated the next day? This was not an uncommon occurrence.

In fact, he had seen it happen many times.

Even current prime ministers had been exiled multiple times, only to be reinstated by the emperor the following year.

Only those with no foresight would dare to look down on these exiled officials. People with some insight knew that as long as they were alive, these high-ranking officials had the potential to rise again. So, it was best not to offend them, and if possible, to build good relationships with them.

Furthermore, Xu Tian, a bailiff with a background, often whispered in their ears to take good care of Chen's father and the like. After hearing it many times, they remembered it.

After some interaction, they were also willing to help, and Chen's father was generous. Although he didn't know where the rumor came from that he was penniless, Zhou Yu felt that it was somewhat unfounded.

Chen Yuan was obviously very wealthy. Where did the rumor of being penniless come from?

"Therefore, besides using both kindness and power, there are many other means..." Chen Yuan imparted some of his experiences in officialdom to Chen Xue. Although his daughter wasn't going to become an official, it wouldn't hurt for her to learn a little more.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled overhead, and everyone's faces changed instantly.

"Pick up the pace!"

"Snap!"

"If you don't want to end up soaked, hurry up and move!"

"The inn is not far ahead. Once we get there, we can rest."

The bailiffs looked at the darkening sky and felt the gusty wind, urging everyone on by waving their whips.

The prisoners also grew anxious. If they didn't find shelter from the rain soon, they would all get drenched.

Getting wet was one thing; if they fell ill, the bailiffs wouldn't kindly fetch a doctor for them.

The Chen family also quickened their pace. Although they had a carriage to shelter from the rain, their servants didn't. If the servants fell ill, it would be troublesome.

Boom!

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes.

Despite everyone hastening their pace, they still couldn't reach the inn before the rain. Helplessly, the officials had to retreat to the carriage to seek shelter from the rain, while the prisoners had to take cover in the woods.

Splash!

The raindrops, as big as beans, fell from the sky, pounding the ground. Soon after, the wind roared, swirling up sand and leaves, howling at the people.

The prisoners huddled under the trees, trying to minimize the area exposed to the rain, even shielding the elderly and children among them.

The pouring rain soon enveloped the entire world. The prisoners shivered under the trees like a circle of quails.

Boom!

Lightning flashed, and the loud thunder scared countless children into screams.

Luckily, there were no lightning strikes.

"A rainy autumn brings the cold!" Chen Yuan looked at the rain outside, unable to help but sigh. After this rain, the weather would turn cooler.

Because of the heavy rain, the officials had sought shelter, so there was no need to rush anymore. The Chen family huddled in their carriage.

"Today is the second day of exile. Although it's still early, we need to consider our plans after being exiled to the Southern Wilderness..." Chen Yuan had never been to the Southern Wilderness, but he had heard some things. "The environment there is extremely harsh, filled with miasma, snakes, rats, ants, and so on..."

In short, in the Southern Wilderness, poverty and harsh conditions awaited. Those exiled there would generally not survive for more than a few years.

Although Chen Xue had never been there, she could refer to the harsh conditions of the ancient southern regions from her previous life, which were similar to the Southern Wilderness here.

The Southern Wilderness was extremely humid and inhospitable, not to mention various dangers like miasma, snakes, rats, ants, and occasional harassment by the Southern Barbarians.

These exiled people were sent to the Southern Wilderness not only to develop it to make it suitable for living but also to defend against the Southern Barbarians.

Of course, they weren't sent there to fight the Southern Barbarians; after all, they couldn't stop them even if they went. They were sent for logistical support.

These exiled criminals would be arranged in exile towns and villages to cultivate the land, grow crops, and provide food for the soldiers stationed there.

The soldiers were busy with training on ordinary days and had no time for farming. Moreover, the area was remote, and they couldn't purchase food, so they needed these exiled people.

"So, I asked Xu Tian..." Chen Yuan looked at his wife and daughter. "Our destination for exile is Xinxiang Village, which was established just last year. The last group of exiles is living there..."

"Xinxiang's environment is extremely harsh. It's said that three hundred people were exiled there last year, and this year, there are less than fifty left..."

"Hiss~" The crowd couldn't help but gasp. Less than fifty left out of three hundred people - what did that high mortality rate indicate? It indicated that the place was truly harsh.

"Although I don't want to scare you, the reality may be even more severe..." Chen Yuan sighed. The border guards would probably report false information to save face and secure their official positions.

So, it was possible that even fewer people had survived in Xinxiang.

"Why is the death rate so high... Dad, have you found out the reasons?" Chen Xue was nervous. She thought the journey of exile was terrifying enough, only to find out that it was just the appetizer.

"Food, diseases, Southern Barbarian invasions... these are all issues!" Chen Yuan sighed. "Especially food... after we arrive there, we won't be provided with food. At most, they will provide some seeds, but seeds can't be eaten. If next year's harvest doesn't meet the requirements, we will be driven out and left to starve in the mountains..."

Chen Xue now understood the situation there. After they arrived, they would be arranged in the village, and the bailiffs would only provide seeds. They had to figure out the food themselves.

Just after being exiled, where would they get food? They could only forage in the wilderness, but what kind of environment was the Southern Wilderness? It was full of forests, snakes, rats, ants, tigers, leopards, and wolves, all in large numbers.

Many people either starved to death or were eaten by tigers, leopards, and wolves, or bitten by snakes, rats, ants, leading to death.

In short, in that place, even nine lives wouldn't be enough.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry!" Just as everyone felt heavy-hearted, Chen Xue spoke up. "I have thousands of kilograms of food stored in my space, so we don't need to worry about food..."

"Not just food." Chen Yuan thought ahead. "Miasma is also a big problem. The reason for such severe casualties is probably because of the miasma..."

"Furthermore, snakes, rats, ants... these are also problems. The creatures there are not like those here; they are wild and bloodthirsty..."

Without solving these problems, it would be extremely difficult for them to survive in the Southern Wilderness.

Chen Xue also felt a headache, but suddenly she thought of something and her eyes lit up. She had an exchange system in her space!

As long as she had money, nothing was a problem.

For miasma, she could exchange for detoxification pills and so on.

For snakes, rats, ants, she could exchange for realgar, insecticides, and so on.

As long as she had money, she could achieve anything, and moreover, the Southern Wilderness had hardly been developed, full of various medicinal herbs, simply a treasure trove.

As long as she picked medicinal herbs and let the system recycle them, she could gain contribution points, and then use the contribution points to exchange for insecticides and other items, thus forming a cycle...

Without spending her own money, she could live comfortably in the Southern Wilderness.

PS: Made it to Qingyun, happy ^_^, very grateful for Sister Tang's support, of course, also grateful for the support of all the readers, Happy New Year··*

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  Chapter 34: Space Upgrade

In the space, Mo Yan stood dumbfounded in place, looking at the land that had expanded nearly fifty times its original size. She could hardly believe her eyes!

She pinched her thigh hard, finally believing that she wasn't dreaming. The space had indeed upgraded, expanding to fifty mu in one go.

However, who could tell her why the space suddenly upgraded? Just the day before yesterday when she entered, there were only four red lines on the pearl!

Mo Yan, feeling a bit confused, pressed her temple. Upon recollecting what she had done these past two days, she realized there was nothing special, except for the chaotic scene last night when she saved Xiao Ruiyuan.

Right, Xiao Ruiyuan!

Mo Yan suddenly widened her eyes. Could it be that the space suddenly upgraded because of him? But how could that be possible? She remembered accumulating a hundred and nine red lines in her previous life before experiencing the first upgrade of the space, and even then, the upgrade only expanded the land from one mu to thirty mu, twenty mu less than this time.

In her previous life, the space underwent a total of four upgrades, with each upgrade becoming more difficult. The key to upgrading was the red lines. Although the length and thickness of each red line varied, she had never encountered a situation like this, where one person could match over a hundred red lines!

Mo Yan suddenly felt that she didn't understand the space at all. During this time, she had been supplying Lin Yong and the others with food, helping the elderly, weak, women, and children get through difficult times. However, after over a month had passed, there was no change in the red lines on the pearl, not even an increase of one, while this time, she only saved one Xiao Ruiyuan, and the space upgraded effortlessly, even adding so much land at once.

After thinking for a while, Mo Yan couldn't figure it out and decided not to bother thinking about it anymore. Anyway, the upgrade of the space was a good thing. With so much land, she could finally make a big move!

Looking at the mature potatoes and sweet potatoes, Mo Yan enthusiastically began digging. To say she was digging was an overstatement. The soil in the space was soft and fertile, so she only needed to gently pull the stem of the potatoes, and the buried potatoes would come out easily. The same applied to sweet potatoes. As for the stems, she let them rot in the ground, which served as excellent fertilizer.

It took her quite some time to harvest the potatoes and sweet potatoes from nearly one mu of land. After finishing, she carried a basket and started collecting eggs. With over forty hens laying eggs every day, the quantity was considerable. Due to the fast flow of time in the space, ten days had passed inside while only one day had passed outside. So, every time she entered, she could collect over four hundred eggs, keeping some for her family's consumption and selling the rest to the grocery store, while also leaving a few for Lin Yong.

After putting all the eggs in a bamboo basket and watching the hens frolic around, Mo Yan felt a bit troubled.

Previously, when the space was only one mu in size, collecting eggs was not difficult. But now that the space had expanded to fifty mu, wouldn't she have to run her legs off?

After thinking about it, she decided to buy some bamboo and fence off an area for the chickens, so she wouldn't have to step on chicken droppings every time she entered. She had had enough!

Smelling the sweat on her body, Mo Yan happily ran to the Ling Pool beside the Jade Platform, planning to wash herself clean before leaving.

"Mmm, it feels so comfortable!"

Soaking in the Ling Pool, Mo Yan sighed with comfort, closing her eyes and enjoying the spiritual energy flowing through her body in the water. Besides the expansion of the area and the faster flow of time, another thing she was satisfied with was the Ling Pool, which was only about ten square meters in size. Currently, the space was only at level two, and the water in the Ling Pool had only two functions: accelerating the growth of all things and strengthening the body.

Accelerating the growth of all things meant that it could make crops grow faster, although it couldn't instantly make them grow to maturity. But reducing the time by half was still acceptable.

As for strengthening the body, it wasn't for drinking, but for bathing. The water in the Ling Pool was rich in spiritual energy, which could penetrate the body through the pores, expelling impurities and toxins from the inside out, thereby strengthening the body.

As the space level increased, the Ling Pool would also upgrade accordingly. In her previous life, the Ling Pool had only upgraded three times, reaching the level of treating illnesses and saving lives. As for what level it could reach after further upgrades, Mo Yan didn't know.

After soaking for nearly half an hour, Mo Yan almost fell asleep. Sensing the heat surging in her body, she knew it had already taken effect, so she didn't soak any longer. After putting on her clothes, she left the space, planning to quietly sneak back to her room through the main hall. However, as she was passing by, a cold voice suddenly came from behind, startling her to the point where she almost lost half of her soul.

"When did you come out?"

Xiao Ruiyuan looked at the sneaky woman, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He couldn't sleep just now, so he went to stand in the courtyard for a while. He didn't expect to see her returning to her room just as he was about to enter. However, he hadn't noticed her coming out.

Mo Yan's face turned pale at the words. She had been found out!

In the darkness, Xiao Ruiyuan couldn't see her expression, but seeing her not speak, he asked again impatiently, "When did you go out?"

Mo Yan turned stiffly and looked at the figure standing at the doorway, her mind blank, unable to utter a word. It wasn't until her wrist was pinched, and a warm sensation spread through her body that she snapped out of it, kicking out reflexively.

"Brat! Let go!"

Xiao Ruiyuan swiftly let go of her hand, a hint of irritation suddenly appearing on his ice-cold face. However, the smoothness of her wrist seemed to linger in his palm.

Mo Yan snorted and turned around to enter her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Xiao Ruiyuan stood at the door for a moment, finally pushing aside the weird feeling in his heart and turning back to his own room...

Next Chapter▶▶

Next Chapter▶▶

Chapter 141: Settling the Accounts

The door was closed, and family matters were kept private.

Bai Lu slowly rose from the small stool, her expression calm as she locked eyes with Li Xuelan: "You say I have no conscience, but have I ever been in your eyes? Do you have any regard for me in your eyes?"

"Your eyes only see Bai Chaojie, right?"

The painful aftermath of Bai Chaojie's affair echoed through the entire front yard, making the situation even more miserable.

Hearing this, Li Xuelan couldn't help but feel heartache: "Xiao Jie is your younger brother. Can't you let him off a bit? As his elder sister, must you compete with him for everything? Will letting him off lead to his death?"

"Throughout our lives, how many times have I let him off?"

Before Li Xuelan, who only had Bai Chaojie in her eyes, could retort, Bai Lu began to recount the unfair treatment she had endured in the Bai family since childhood.

"When Bai Chaojie was six years old, playing with other kids and making a mess with mud, I, at the age of six, was asked to wash the clothes for the whole family and learn to cook. Starting from the age of six, all the chores, from doing laundry to cooking and fetching water, were mine."

"At the age of ten, while Bai Chaojie was playing with other kids after school and on weekends, I, just turning ten, was asked to help at the brickyard, carrying bricks, drying bricks, stacking bricks. After finishing the work, I still had to do the laundry and cooking."

"When the family could only afford porridge, Bai Chaojie had porridge, and I had porridge water. When we could afford meals, Bai Chaojie had a proper meal, and I had porridge. When there was meat, Bai Chaojie had meat, and I had vegetables. When we had chicken, Bai Chaojie had chicken legs and wings, and I had chicken head, feet, and back..."

"Bai Chaojie got new shoes and clothes every year, while my clothes were patched and mended continuously. When the shoes became too small, I squeezed into them. I kept patching the clothes until there were more stitches than fabric, and only then could I afford the cheapest new clothes."

"When Bai Chaojie had a slight cold or fever, you would rush him to the hospital for treatment. When I was sick, I would only rest for a couple of days, not doing laundry or cooking, lying in bed and enduring it. If I survived, it was my luck; if I didn't, it was my fate. Did any of you care about whether I lived or died?"

Li Xuelan admitted that she did favor Bai Chaojie, but she absolutely denied disregarding Bai Lu's life: "If I didn't care about your life, would you still be alive now?"

"Your brother is a boy. He will grow up to carry on the Bai family line, continue the family name, and take care of your father and me in our old age. If I don't treat him well, who else should I treat well?"

"When a daughter gets married, she becomes part of her husband's family. The one to take care of us in our old age will be the son-in-law's family. Will you still care about our well-being in the future? Even if I treat you poorly, I gave birth to you, raised you, and have the merit of bringing you up. Shouldn't you offer a helping hand when you face difficulties in your natal family?"

Li Xuelan didn't think favoritism was wrong; the merit of giving birth and raising a child always outweighed everything: "If I were really heartless, I could have abandoned you after giving birth. You would have ended up like the beggars in the alley last year, starving or freezing to death."

While Li Xuelan did have the merit of nurturing the original owner, it didn't mean she could erase everything the original owner had done.

Since Li Xuelan wanted to settle things this way, Bai Lu decided to tally up everything, so Li Xuelan couldn't use the merit of nurturing to argue in the future.

"You did bear me for ten months, and I acknowledge that debt." Bai Lu didn't argue with the facts.

But when something was wrong, it had to be corrected: "As for raising me, I started taking on all the major and minor household chores for the family from the age of six. Whether I had time or not after school and on weekends, I had to go to the brickyard to help you with chores in exchange for Bai Chaojie's wages. During this time, my living conditions were worse than those of the servants in the old landlords' homes. Where is the nurturing merit?"

Li Xuelan was momentarily speechless by Bai Lu's articulate words, feeling that Bai Lu was no longer the same.

The Bai Lu she had watched grow up, who endured everything and was timid and weak, seemed to have changed.

She no longer listened to her, was no longer foolish and silly, and could calculate everything clearly.

Li Xuelan couldn't accept this unfamiliar Bai Lu and became even more blunt: "Do you think education doesn't cost money? From elementary school to high school, all the tuition and textbook fees were provided by the family. Can the chores you did compensate for such a large sum of money?"

"It can't."

Accepting the truth, Bai Lu calmly overturned it: "Isn't the 30,000 yuan Xiao Cheng gave me enough?"

Li Xuelan was speechless.

Bai Lu continued, "Didn't you ask me where the money from selling candied chestnuts went? I'll tell you now that I returned all of it to Xiao Cheng."

"That night, nothing happened between Xiao Cheng and me. The pregnancy test result was a hospital mix-up with the same name; I wasn't pregnant at all. You used the child as leverage to extort the 30,000 yuan dowry money from Xiao Cheng without any justifiable reason."

"If Xiao Cheng accuses us of extortion, both you and I will end up in jail. If I hadn't hurriedly sold candied chestnuts and returned the money to him before the truth came out, do you think you could still stand here peacefully?"

Li Xuelan knew very well who Xiao Cheng was, and saying he was ruthless would be too kind. No one in this world had ever plotted against Xiao Cheng and walked away, either crawling back or being carried back.

At this moment, Li Xuelan noticed Bai Lu's belly, which didn't look like that of a seven or eight-month pregnant woman at all.

She also noticed that Bai Lu's figure was not as slim as before, and her skin was fairer and more delicate than before.

Working at the brickyard exposed her to the wind and sun, and even if Bai Lu had naturally fair skin, prolonged exposure could turn it into a yellowish color. If it weren't for her delicate facial features and beautiful appearance, it wouldn't look good at all.

Moreover, Bai Lu's hands, due to frequent labor, had developed a thin layer of calluses. In winter, they would become dry and peel. They would turn white for a while, but as soon as she worked at the brickyard again, calluses would form, and it had nothing in common with the soft and tender appearance before her.

Li Xuelan remembered clearly that when Bai Lu moved to Xiao Cheng's house, she was a thin and fair girl who would fall with a gust of wind.

Being able to develop such fair and tender skin, spending the winter comfortably in Xiao Cheng's house without exposure to the wind and sun, lying at home every day, was the only way to restore her fair skin. After the calluses on her hands peeled off and new skin grew, she didn't do any work, resulting in the current fair and tender appearance.

A body no longer thin, with a healthy and sunny complexion, proved that Bai Lu was living well in Xiao Cheng's house.

It seemed that Li Xuelan had found the reason why Bai Lu suddenly became unfamiliar and helped Xiao Cheng.

"Is 30,000 yuan enough to cover your education expenses? Then what about the life-saving grace you admitted to? Without me, there would be no you. I endured the hardships of pregnancy for ten months and gave birth to you with great effort. I just asked for the recipe for candied chestnuts. Isn't it reasonable?"

"It's not excessive."

Bai Lu remained calm, her tone plain: "But I have the right to choose not to give it."

Saying something disrespectful, she continued, "When you are old, bedridden, and if you need care, I will fulfill my duty as a child to arrange for a high-level caregiver to take care of you."

"If you want me to serve you like before, be your obedient servant, and obey your every command, it's impossible."

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 142: Beep Beep Beep

Xiao Wei came back from school and saw someone rare coming out from his own doorstep.

It was Bai Lu's mother and Bai Lu's younger brother.

Bai Lu's younger brother seemed to be walking clumsily, trembling with each step, supported by Bai Lu's mother.

While walking, he shouted in pain, complaining, "Bai Lu, that arm of yours is like a broomstick turning outward! It caused me to injure my leg. Mom, why didn't you ask Bai Lu for medical expenses just now? Why didn't you continue asking Bai Lu for the recipe for sugar-coated chestnuts? What do I do if I don't have money to buy the bicycle I have my eye on?"

"Without Bai Lu giving me any, what can I do? When we get home, I'll discuss a solution with your dad. Don't fuss about your foot injury. We'll figure out a way to get you the bicycle after your foot heals, alright?"

"That's more like it!"

As the two figures moved farther away, Xiao Wei quickly ran back home and closed the door behind him.

The vegetables in the big washing basin were already cleaned, packed in a bamboo basket. Bai Lu was about to carry it back to the kitchen.

Hearing the door closing, she subconsciously turned her head and accurately caught the little guy's X-ray scan once again.

Seeing her turn around, he immediately withdrew, holding the straps of his small backpack, saying, "I saw your mother and your younger brother."

Bai Lu nodded, indicating that she knew and carried a basket of vegetables towards the kitchen.

Xiao Wei was stunned for a moment, never expecting that Bai Lu would just walk away without explaining. Wasn't his question clear enough?

"They came to see you for something?"

"No."

Bai Lu had no intention of telling the little spy.

Later, when he reports to Xiao Cheng tonight, he will likely exaggerate the situation and describe it as if a battle had taken place.

But Xiao Wei obviously didn't believe it. He kept following Bai Lu to the kitchen without putting down his backpack. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He asked quite seriously, with a puzzled expression on his little face.

Bai Lu pinched the chubby face of the little bald head and pretended not to understand, smiling, "Tell you what?"

"Why did your mother and your younger brother come to see you?"

Seeing that the answer was not in hand yet, Xiao Wei resisted the urge to slap away the hand that kept pinching and poking his face.

But Bai Lu took advantage of the situation, touched his head, and gave a very perfunctory answer, "Nothing, they just came to see me and left after seeing me."

Xiao Wei immediately turned away without letting her touch his head.

He put his backpack on the chair, washed the rice, and lit the fire in the hearth with a clearly unhappy face.

Bai Lu, without sympathy, laughed, "What do you want for lunch?"

The little bald head puffed out his cheeks without answering.

"Boiled fish or sour cabbage fish?" Bai Lu asked while saying, "This morning when I let the old hen and the little chicks out of the cage, a big fish flew up from the river. I helped it complete the reincarnation process and prepared the fish slices."

She took out a small enamel basin from the cupboard as she spoke. The basin was filled with well-marinated and fragrant fish slices.

However, Xiao Wei was attracted by her strange description and couldn't help turning his head to take a look, getting caught in the act and instantly turning back.

The sound of cutting vegetables accompanied by a light laughter ensued.

"Ding Ling Ling—"

The laughter was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Both Bai Lu and Xiao Wei were stunned, looking at each other in disbelief.

"Was that a phone ringing just now?"

Their voices fell at the same time, and the ringing sound echoed again, "Ding Ling Ling—"

The deafening sound penetrated the main house and rushed into the kitchen, ringing in their ears like beating drums.

Xiao Wei's little face froze, turning towards the direction of the main house, "It seems like a real phone call."

"Shall we answer the phone?" Xiao Wei, who had returned to his senses, suggested.

Bai Lu agreed, "You go."

Carrying a mix of nervousness, curiosity, and a little excitement, Xiao Wei quickly ran to the high table in the main house.

He picked up the still ringing white telephone receiver.

Opening his mouth, he said, "Hello."

The familiar male voice from the other end, familiar words came through, "Where's Bai Lu?"

This time, Xiao Wei didn't have the extreme anticipation of the first two times, so he didn't get drenched in cold water, just halfway.

His little heart only cooled down by half.

"In the kitchen preparing stir-fry."

"Still haven't eaten?"

"No."

"I'll call back later."

"Beep Beep Beep—"

From picking up the phone to hanging up, it was less than a minute. Xiao Wei held the phone dumbfounded, suspecting that he had hallucinated and answered a fake call.

However, the clear "beep beep" sound in his ears and the constantly replaying familiar low voice of the man in his mind assured him that it was not an illusion; the call was real.

Big brother really called just now!

And he said he would call again later!

Xiao Wei put the receiver back on the telephone, quickly ran back to the kitchen, and said, "Sister-in-law, big brother called."

Bai Lu's hand trembled a bit as she added half a spoonful of salt to the pot, closed her eyes, and then calmly withdrew the spoon.

She started to add chili.

"Why did you come back so soon?" Xiao Wei sat back in front of the hearth, quickly stuffed firewood into the hearth, and recounted the entire conversation:

"Big brother asked what you were doing. I said you were cooking. Big brother asked if you had eaten. I said no. Big brother said he would call again later, and then the phone beeped."

Seeing the little guy stuffing bamboo firewood into the hearth in a hurry, Bai Lu couldn't help but support her forehead. Was there a need to be in such a hurry?

A fragrant meal was quickly prepared.

After eating, Bai Lu and Xiao Wei sat in front of the Eight Immortals table, waiting for the phone.

One big and one small pair of hands, elbows on the table, small hands supporting the chin, both staring at the high table.

Staring at the white telephone on the table.

"Your brother said earlier that the ship would arrive in the neighboring province this morning. Has he already landed now?" Bai Lu, who had nothing to say, chatted with the little bald head beside her.

The little bald head shook his head, "I don't know."

Bai Lu asked again, "Did you hear the sound of a ship's whistle when you were listening to the phone just now?"

The little bald head shook his head again, "Didn't hear it."

"Then, did you hear his voice sounding anxious?"

"I couldn't tell, so it must be very anxious."

"This... maybe there's something very important. Besides his voice, were there any other sounds on the phone?"

"None... it seems like there was."

Bai Lu stared at the little bald head, and the little bald head immediately entered into a state of meditation, earnestly recalling for a while.

Then he said, "There was the sound of wood falling."

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