Chapter 62 Unexpected Harvest

The two knocked on the door, and soon a man with a yellowish complexion and coarse clothes opened the door, looking surprised at Chen Xue and her father.

Although the two were not wearing gorgeous clothes, even their ordinary attire was of higher quality than the coarse fabric the man wore. Moreover, their demeanor couldn't be hidden.

Seeing Chen Xue and her father, the man showed a nervous expression. "Esteemed guests, is there something you need?"

"We want to buy something..." Chen Yuan got straight to the point. They didn't have time to dawdle; they were meeting Xu Tian in two hours.

"Buy something?" The villager looked puzzled. Why would these two come to his house to buy something? And judging by their attire, they were obviously wealthy city folk. What could he possibly have that would interest them?

"It's not convenient to discuss it out here. Can we come in?" Chen Yuan glanced around. He knew rural folks were gossipy, and buying and selling cattle was illegal, so the more discreet, the better.

The villager hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed. After all, they were wealthy city people, and he didn't dare to offend them.

So, he opened the door and invited them in.

"Baa!"

As they entered, they heard sheep bleating instead of cows mooing.

"Our place is a bit messy..." The villager felt embarrassed. The yard was all dirt, with even the smell of cow dung lingering, and it was his first time meeting city people, so he didn't know how to act.

"Dad, dad..."

Just then, two little girls ran out of the house. The little girls were wearing only one old coat that seemed too big for them, obviously something someone else had worn. Because of the cold weather, their cheeks were a little rosy, and they had two small braids, but when they saw the two strangers, they abruptly stopped.

The second girl behind didn't stop and crashed into the back of the first one, causing both little girls to fall to the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Sis, why did you run into me?"

"You stopped suddenly, why did you stop?"

"Sis, stop copying me!"

"I'm not copying you!"

The two little girls, lying on the ground, didn't get up immediately but started chatting, which seemed amusing.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. My daughters are still playing around." The villager apologized and hurried over to help the two little girls up. "Go inside and play, Dad still has something to do."

"Oh!"

The two little girls got up and turned back to look curiously at Chen Xue and her father, and when they saw that even her father was looking at them, they seemed to be caught and hid behind their father, peeking out with two little heads.

"Kids, want some candy?"

Chen Xue took out a few candies from her space, walked over to the two little girls, crouched down, and handed them the candies.

The two little girls seemed unfamiliar with candy, their big eyes filled with curiosity. Then they grabbed their father's clothes and looked up at him.

"If the esteemed guests give you something, just take it. Don't forget to thank them."

The villager knew that the two were not ordinary people. A few candies might be precious to him, but to the esteemed guests, they were nothing.

Chen Xue handed over the candies, then took the opportunity to pat the little girls' heads.

The two little girls took the candies, then politely thanked her and even handed one to their father.

Seeing this, the villager felt a little relieved. The two strangers seemed to have a good impression of them now.

"We were just passing by and saw you had two cows. We wanted to ask if you had any plans..." Chen Yuan paused, not finishing the sentence, but he believed the villager understood what he meant.

Sure enough, upon hearing Chen Yuans words, the villager's expression changed immediately, and he even looked a bit panicked, glancing around anxiously.

"Esteemed guests, you must be joking. How could these cows be..." The villager stammered, clearly knowing the consequences of buying and selling cows, so even though he had a good impression of the two, he refused without hesitation.

Chen Yuan understood his concerns and quickly reassured him.

"Don't worry! We came here avoiding others, and we'll leave immediately. Nobody will find us."

"Esteemed guests, you don't need to say more. This matter might just cost you some silver, but for us, it's consequences we can't bear..."

Feeling that outright refusal might offend the two, the villager explained hastily, "Our village chief comes by from time to time. If he finds out we're missing a cow, we won't be able to explain..."

Chen Xue and her father fell silent. They suddenly realized they had been too naive.

So, Chen Yuan clasped his fists and said, "We were too presumptuous..."

Seeing this, the villager became anxious. "Esteemed guests, please don't say that. It's my fault."

"In that case, we'll take our leave."

Although they wanted to buy a cow, if the other party didn't want to sell, there was nothing they could do. Moreover, as the man had said, their investment was just some silver, but for him, it was something they couldn't afford. Besides, he was now a criminal, so if the buying and selling of cows were exposed, the consequences would be the same as for the villager.

Lightly sentenced at best, or exile at worst.

In short, they couldn't ruin a family just for their own selfish desires.

Seeing the two about to leave, the villager, remembering that Chen Xue had given candy to his children, had a favorable impression of them and called out to stop them.

"Although cows... can't be sold, if esteemed guests don't mind, we still have a few lambs at home. Would you like them?"

Chen Xue and her father were initially disappointed, but upon hearing the villager's words, they were taken aback for a moment. Then Chen Xue showed a look of joy.

Lamb meat! They could make lamb hotpot! And lamb fat could also be used for hotpot base.

Most importantly, there was sheep's milk. In her previous life, she could drink cow's milk every day, but here, there was no cow's milk, or rather, there was, but it was from yellow cows, not dairy cows.

In any case, if they had a ewe, she could drink sheep's milk every day. Sheep's milk was more nutritious than cow's milk, and even if consumed long-term, it wouldn't make one fat.

You see, in her previous life, sheep's milk was called the "king of milk," which showed its value.

This was pure, natural milk without additives.

Moreover, even if they couldn't finish drinking it, they could use it to wash their faces. If they wanted to indulge a bit, they could even take a sheep's milk bath.

After all, which woman didn't love beauty?

Furthermore, the wool on sheep could be used to make wool sweaters, woolen scarves... Sheep wool was so warm!

Chen Xue didn't expect that since they couldn't buy a cow, they would have this unexpected harvest.

"There are a few lambs just born at home, but because winter is coming, we can't afford to raise so many lambs. If esteemed guests need them, we can sell them at a lower price..."

The rustic villager said, then quickly ran to the nearby sheep pen and drove out a few little lambs.

"How many do you plan to sell?"

Looking at the little lambs, Chen Xue asked happily.

The villager hesitated for a moment before saying, "Three, I'll keep one for myself."

"Okay, I'll buy all three!"

"By the way, pick one male and one female for me."

Chen Xue had already made up her mind. She would let the lambs enter her space, feed them well, and then have them produce more lambs. Then she could drink sheep's milk every day and even wash her face or take a luxurious sheep's milk bath.

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  Chapter 195: Turning the Tide

Li Yuanfu and Song Qiao Ying looked at each other as if they both had questions: Was all of this orchestrated by someone?

Who?

Who instructed Li Jie?

Who wanted to harm Yan Yan?

Li Jie bowed and wept, "It's my fault. When I saw Miss Ou Yan return to this house and Miss Yusha was neglected, I held a grudge against Miss Ou Yan in my heart and wanted to embarrass her at an opportunity... I intended to make her stumble, but I didn't expect Miss Yusha and Sister Zhang to end up falling..."

Sobbing, she knelt in front of Li Yusha, "I'm sorry, Miss Yusha, I didn't mean to harm you, I'm really sorry..."

In the end, she took all the blame upon herself...

Li Yusha felt distressed, "Auntie Li, although you care for me, you used the wrong approach. I haven't been neglected in this house; my parents and sister treat me well. It's actually you who almost wrongly accused my sister, making our parents angry. You really disappointed me!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Yusha, I've let you down all these years..."

Aunt Li knew that after this, Miss Yusha would definitely compensate her even more, so she took all the responsibility upon herself, "No one instructed me in this matter, I envied Miss Ou Yan on my own and wanted to deal with her. It has nothing to do with Miss Yusha and Sister Zhang..."

"You may leave; this house will not keep you anymore, and you and your family are not allowed to enter any of the Li family's properties!" Song Qiaoying said, looking at Xiaoqin again, "You too, leave. Anyone who disrespects Yan Yan will face the same consequences!"

"Yes!" Other servants bowed, thinking, "Madam is really good to Miss Ou Yan!"

Aunt Li and Xiaoqin tearfully thanked the master and madam for their kindness, bid farewell to Li Yusha, and apologized to Ou Yan...

Then they went upstairs to pack their things.

"Now, it's time to settle your accounts." Song Qiao Ying's gaze fell on Li Yusha, with a hint of coldness.

Li Yusha hurriedly hugged her legs and cried, "Mom, please listen to my explanation. I did have fantasies about my brother-in-law before, because since I was young, he has been my fiancé. My admiration for him was legitimate, but suddenly one day, my sister appeared."

Li Yusha cried bitterly, "I couldn't control my feelings for him, and I said things I shouldn't have to my brother-in-law. Afterwards, Aunt Zhang criticized me severely, and I realized my mistake. I swear to God, I will treat him as my brother-in-law from now on! If you don't believe me, ask Aunt Zhang. I haven't even seen my brother-in-law during this time! How could I possibly be involved with him?"

"Aunt Zhang!" Li Yusha pretended to call out, as if blaming Aunt Zhang for revealing her secret.

Zhang Mama hurriedly intervened, "Madam, what Miss Yusha said is true. Since then, she has had a boyfriend!"

Li Yusha: ???

Everyone: ???

Li Yuanfu and Song Qiaoying were even more astonished, "A boyfriend??"

"Yes, it's the eldest young master of the Ji family, Ji Tiancheng. He has been pursuing Miss Yusha since junior high school, and it's been exactly six years now. Recently, Miss Yusha was completely moved by him and agreed to try dating him..."

Zhang Mama spoke very sincerely, "Because they've only been dating for a few days, there are too many uncertainties, so I haven't told the master and madam yet, not because I wanted to hide it!"

"We originally planned to tell you after the summer vacation..." Li Yusha blushed with a hint of sweetness, showing that she truly had feelings for Ji Tiancheng.

"Are you really dating Ji Tiancheng?" Song Qiaoying asked, half-believing, half-doubting.

"Madam, I've been with Miss Yu Sha day and night. I can testify! They often chat late into the night, and they've had more than one date! These days, Miss Yueha has been going out frequently, just to meet him!" Zhang Mama said.

"Mama!" Li Yusha mockingly called out, as if Aunt Zhang had exposed her secret.

Zhang Mama hurriedly said, "Miss Yusha, if you have someone who cares for and loves you, the master and madam will be happy for you. It's okay to speak up. Madam, if you don't believe us, tonight the young master Ji will show up. He said he would take Miss Yusha to see a movie. Then you'll know if what I said is true!"

Li Yuanfu and Song Qiaoying glanced at each other. If Zhang Mama and Li Yusha were lying and randomly picked someone, why would that person happen to be free tonight to take Li Yusha to the movies? It must be true that they're dating...

If Li Yusha truly had someone she admired, it would be a good thing. She wouldn't pine after Si Yechen anymore.

They understood Li Yusha. If she couldn't let go of Si Yechen, she wouldn't agree to another boy's pursuit and be with him! In that case, they are truly dating...

Aunt Lan couldn't help but speak up, "Just now, Sister Li asked miss Ou Yan to call Mr. Si to prove her innocence. Can't Miss Yusha call Mr. Ji to confirm if they're really dating?"

"Sister Lan, do you not believe Miss Yusha? Or do you not believe me? Do you think I randomly picked someone? Even if I did, how could Miss Yusha easily be dating someone? Miss Yueha is a sought-after person! Besides, if I made it up, how would I know that person is available tonight to take Miss Yusha to the movies?"

"You..."

"Furthermore, Miss Yusha has only been dating Mr. Ji for a few days. If you call now, it would be inexplicable and would affect the young couple's relationship!"

The Ji family's background is also good, although not as powerful as the Li family's, it's not far behind...

Ji Tiancheng is also quite capable and a flexible kid.

Song Qiaoying added, "Then why did you bully Yan Yan privately?"

"Madam, you've misunderstood again!" Zhang Mama once again took over the conversation to explain, "Doing things like Sister Li, privately targeting Miss Ou Yan because she doesn't like her, shouldn't be blamed on Miss Yusha!"

"Just because Sister Li usually treats Miss Yusha well doesn't mean she can blame the mischief she caused on Miss Yusha! That would be too unfair to Miss Yusha!"

"Miss Yusha never hit or cursed at Miss Ou Yan. It's probably Xiaoqin and Sister Li who messed around and disrespected Miss Ou Yan. Please, madam, judge fairly!"

"Dad, mom, if I really bullied my sister, I swear I'll be struck by lightning and have a miserable death!" Li Yusha was incredulous, knowing that her sworn statement wouldn't come true, so she became fiercer, "I'll be hit by a car when I go out, choke on food, get hit by falling objects..."

"Enough!" Song Qiaoying couldn't stand it anymore, "If you really don't have any other intentions toward Ah Chen and didn't instruct anyone to bully Yan Yan, then this matter is settled. But if I find out you bullied Yan Yan and still have fantasies about Ah Chen..."

  Chapter 129 Clearing the Land and Planting Trees (2)

Mo Yan's eyes turned as she had an idea. She had always wanted to wander deep into the mountains to see if she could find some precious medicinal herbs. Last year, when she went in once, she encountered a pack of wolves that almost scared her to death. Now with Xiao Hua, she could go with more courage.

Then, Mo Yan told Mo Qingze about the arrangement for the fruit seedlings, but she didn't mention anything about Li Xiu.

Mo Qingze was very pleased to hear this, but there were many things to attend to on the construction site, so he couldn't manage the land clearing himself. He instructed Mo Yan a few words before she left.

Mo Yan smiled and agreed. Since she missed the mealtime, she decided to stay on the construction site for lunch.

The food on the construction site was already good, and last night Xiao Hua brought back a small wild boar, making the meal particularly sumptuous. The wild boar was not small, but with about eighty to ninety people, there wasn't much meat left after it was eaten.

Mo Yan left some in a basin for Xiao Hua. This fellow was very picky and refused to eat leftovers from others. Even at home, it was fed with a whole chicken.

Not long after finishing their meal, Yang Bao personally came to the construction site to find Mo Yan, saying that the people for clearing the land were ready.

Mo Yan didn't expect it to be so soon and quickly thanked him. She learned that there were mainly children and women, with only four or five adults doing the labor. Considering the busy farming season, having four or five people was already good.

As for the wages, they were divided into three categories: ten wen per day for children, mainly for clearing weeds and picking stones; fifteen wen per day for women, mainly for digging roots and tree roots; and twenty-five wen per day for laborers, mainly for cutting down thicker trees and digging out large stones buried in the ground, which was not easy work.

The wages provided by Mo Yan were already quite high, and Yang Bao was very satisfied with it. This way, he could go back and explain to those people, which would increase his prestige.

After agreeing to start work at five o'clock tomorrow morning, Mo Yan sent Yang Bao away. Seeing that the sun was slanting westward and Xiao Hua hadn't returned yet, Mo Yan didn't have time to wait any longer. She asked Mo Qingze to tell Xiao Hua not to go up the mountain tomorrow.

Mo Qingze chuckled, "Could it be that Xiao Hua has become enlightened and can understand human speech?"

Mo Yan smiled and said, "Whether it has become enlightened or not, Dad will know tomorrow, right?"

Mo Qingze thought she was joking and didn't take it seriously. He thought that tomorrow he would have to stew a chicken on the stove to entice Xiao Hua and keep it from going up the mountain.

Early the next morning, Xiao Zhu brought the fruit seedlings to the Mo family.

These fruit seedlings were a bit withered, not only were the young leaves dry, even the bark was wrinkled. If they were not transplanted soon, they would completely die within three to five days.

Mo Yan dared not delay and quickly dug several large pits in the vegetable garden with a shovel, burying the seedlings in the pits and watering them with spirit spring water before feeling relieved.

Originally, she wanted to put the fruit seedlings into the space, but considering the abundant spiritual energy and fast time flow in the space, she was afraid that the barren mountain would not be cleared yet, and the seedlings would take root in the space, making it troublesome to transplant them out. Now, by nurturing them with spiritual spring water like this, even if they were left for ten days or half a month, they would still be alive and well.

Looking at these various seedlings, Mo Yan carefully distinguished them. Unfortunately, the tree species were too small, and most of them looked similar. She could barely distinguish grape, mangosteen, and orange seedlings.

Fortunately, there were many plants, totaling over a thousand. Even if there were only these three kinds, it was still excellent. They wouldn't have to buy fruits without a place to grow them.

After settling the fruit seedlings, Mo Yan hurriedly rushed to Liuyang Village. Before she reached the construction site, Xiao Hua dashed over like a silver lightning from afar.

It had been several days since they had seen each other, and Mo Yan missed it quite a bit. She hugged its huge head affectionately for a while, and Xiao Hua wagged its tail vigorously, whimpering in its mouth. If Mo Yan hadn't been knocked down several times and taught it a lesson, it would probably have knocked her down by now.

Not long after, Yang Bao brought the villagers for clearing the land to the construction site. They brought their own tools such as sickles and hoes. Mo Yan didn't say much and simply gave some instructions before leading dozens of people to a nearby barren hill.

This barren hill was the smallest among the three barren hills, covering only about forty to fifty mu. It was mainly because there weren't many tree seedlings brought by Xiao Zhu, so planting a thousand tree seedlings was more than enough.

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 Chapter 860: Master Meng's Illness is Cured

Da Niu thought about it and realized that now that Shu Yu was back, he had nothing to worry about anymore. But...

"I was entrusted with managing the shop by you and uncle, but instead of improving, I ended up dragging it down. I couldn't do anything when I knew they were making things difficult for us."

"It's not your fault. You were thrown into this situation without any experience, so it's already good that you managed to keep the shop running. How old is that Shopkeeper Qiu? Not just you, but most people end up losing out in dealings with him."

Thinking about it, it was quite unexpected that Shopkeeper Qiu readily agreed to compensate Shu Yu. She wondered what he was thinking at the time.

"Big Brother, don't be disheartened. It's a valuable experience, and with practice, you'll become familiar with it. No one is born knowing how to do business. After experiencing this a few more times, you'll get used to it."

A few more times? Da Niu's mouth twitched. He didn't really want to encounter such situations and people.

But all of that was not important now. The most important thing was that Shu Yu had returned.

It was a joyous occasion, and Da Niu spoke excitedly, "After I sent the second letter, I kept wondering why we didn't receive a reply from you. I thought maybe the letter got lost on the way. But now I see that you've come back."

"Yes, Big brother. Father said since we were already coming back, there was no need to send the letter. Who knows, we might have arrived before the letter," Da Ya chimed in, poking her head out.

Da Niu nodded. "That's true. Besides, some things are better left unsaid in a letter."

Shu Yu thought about the letters that Da Niu had written, which always contained good news and omitted the troubles they faced.

As they chatted, the cart entered Liufang Lane.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Meng family's residence, Shu Yu paused. Da Niu was puzzled, "What's wrong?"

"My father and Da Hu are staying overnight at Master Meng's house tonight. I'll go and inform them," Shu Yu explained.

Da Niu was surprised. "Master Meng has also returned?"

"Yes, Master Meng and the other person went to seek medical treatment in the southwest, and we happened to meet them on the way back."

During the time Meng Yunzheng and Zhao Xi were not in Jiangyuan County, they had been saying that they had gone out to seek medical treatment. It was normal for them to travel such a long distance, especially since they were seen as an eccentric and a madman by others. They would go wherever they heard there were reliable doctors.

They had been away for more than eight months this time, so it wasn't strange to go to such a distant place.

Da Niu didn't doubt it and asked with concern, "Are their illnesses cured?"

"Yes, they are cured."

This was what they had agreed upon. Now, Meng Yunzheng was teaching Da Hu how to read, and Zhao Xi was teaching San Ya medical skills. Pretending to be sick and crazy wouldn't be appropriate anymore.

It was at this time that Shu Yu learned that the reason these two had pretended to be sick and came to Jiangyuan County was not only to help Xiang Weinan find evidence against the former county magistrate and prepare for toppling the Shu family.

It was also because... Meng Yunzheng was of marriageable age, and Gong Qiu had the idea of forming a marriage alliance through him.

Meng Yunzheng had always appeared slow and clumsy in front of the Gong family, but he had an astonishingly beautiful appearance that made people overlook his status as a child of a concubine, especially with the influential Gong family behind him. There were women who wanted to marry him.

Coincidentally, Gong Qiu also intended to form a marriage alliance with a powerful marquis family. The two families had secretly made arrangements.

But Meng Yunzheng was unwilling. Why should he become a pawn in Gong Qiu's hands and contribute to his ambitions?

Therefore, after Gong Qiu discussed the matter with him, he pretended to agree but immediately revealed it to the legitimate wife of the Gong family.

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  Chapter 61 Buy, Buy, Buy!

"Dad, let's split up. I'll go buy seasonings, and you go buy seeds!"

"No, it's too dangerous!"

Chen Yuan refused without hesitation. He couldn't allow his lovely and beautiful daughter to roam the streets alone. What if she got bullied by bad people? What if she got deceived by scammers? What if she tripped and hurt herself on the uneven roads? Seeing his father's firmness, Chen Xue didn't argue further. She knew it was for her own good, and to be honest, despite inheriting memories from her past life, she still didn't understand this world very well.

They first went to buy seeds. Fortunately, it was autumn and winter, so the seeds were readily available after the harvest.

To ensure the seeds adapted well to Nanman, they planned to buy several varieties and experiment to see which ones grew best.

However, Chen Yuan had no experience in farming and didn't know how much seed was appropriate. Thankfully, Chen Xue, who grew up in the countryside in her past life, had a better understanding.

Chen Yuan was a bit baffled. He couldn't believe his refined daughter knew so much about farming. She was supposed to be a refined young lady, not an expert in agriculture.

She even discussed fertilizers and compost with the shopkeepers, impressing them with her knowledge.

In the end, Chen Xue bought sixty catties of seeds, twenty catties of each variety. She figured it was better to buy more since they were still far from Nanman and would pass through several cities where they could buy more if needed.

Additionally, they bought a lot of vegetable seeds, as they were in short supply. Although Chen Xue could grow some vegetables in her space, the variety was limited.

Most importantly, they bought chili peppers. Chen Xue, being from Qiyanzhou, loved spicy food. To her, a meal without chili peppers lacked flavor.

Although the locals used Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, ginger, and garlic in their cooking, they didn't use chili peppers. This made Chen Xue, who was used to spicy food, lose her appetite.

At first, she thought there were no chili peppers in this world, but now she realized they existed in various varieties, though they were not commonly used in cooking and were sometimes considered fruits.

Chen Xue was speechless. She couldn't understand how people could consider chili peppers as fruits. However, it seemed not all chili peppers could be considered fruits. She only saw large round red peppers, similar to bell peppers, and long slender ones that resembled green peppers but were not called green peppers.

For Chen Xue, a good stir-fry required at least three types of chili peppers to taste delicious.

So, she dragged her father around the entire county to gather several varieties of chili peppers.

Next, they looked for ingredients to make hot pot seasoning. In her past life, it was mostly made with beef fat, but since beef was rare here, they couldn't buy beef fat. Instead, Chen Xue planned to make a spicy hot pot base, which didn't require beef fat and could use any other oil.

However, Chen Xue couldn't forget about beef. She used to eat pork the most because it was cheap, but she also liked lamb. Duck was not her favorite, and she could only accept chicken depending on how it was cooked.

But beef was her favorite, and for a period in her past life, beef was even cheaper than pork.

Unfortunately, she hadn't tasted beef since coming here.

Whether it was making beef fat or wanting to eat beef, Chen Xue wanted to try buying beef.

"Dad, do you think we can buy a few cows?" she asked.

One cow would be enough for them to eat for half a month or even a month, especially with the preservation function of her space. She wasn't worried about it spoiling. If necessary, she could exchange for a refrigerator and a generator from the system.

"Buy cows?"

Chen Yuan was taken aback but quickly understood his daughter's desire for beef. They had bought it a few times before, and his daughter really liked it.

However, the court prohibited the slaughter and sale of cattle. Of course, if the cow died of illness, old age, or accident, it could be eaten or sold.

But the problem was, scarcity increased value. Although beef was also popular among the nobles and wealthy families, whenever beef appeared on the market, it was bought up by them, leaving none for ordinary people.

Moreover, it was expensive, beyond the reach of ordinary people.

However, how could he refuse when his daughter wanted it so badly?

"Come with me!"

Chen Yuan stopped a passerby to ask for directions, then took Chen Xue out of the county to a small village a few miles away.

The meat in the city was quickly sold out, so they still had a chance to buy some in the village. Some greedy people would even sell their own cattle for money.

However, Chen Yuan didn't immediately knock on doors to inquire about buying cows. If they encountered someone with a bad temper, they might get attacked with a hoe.

First, Chen Yuan took Chen Xue around the village to survey. They needed to confirm which households had cows and how many.

Fortunately, it was a village, and the courtyard walls were not high, so they could see into some of the courtyards and even hear the cows mooing.

After a while, Chen Yuan found a target—a rundown courtyard with a collapsed wall and a sheepfold inside.

Several sheep were crowded together in the sheepfold, seemingly asleep, while a young yellow ox was tied next to it. Behind it, a small yellow calf happily lowered its head to eat grass.

Their target was the calf. Even if they sold the calf, it wouldn't affect the family since they already had an ox. Moreover, their house looked dilapidated, indicating they were in need of money. As long as they were willing to pay, they could buy it.

Even if they didn't eat it, they could use it for plowing when they reached Nanman. They were well aware that they wouldn't be provided with plow cattle in Nanman.

Also, they had nowhere to buy them. If they wanted to farm, they had to do it themselves, and the land there had not been cultivated. It was extremely difficult to cultivate the land manually.

Moreover, there were requirements for planting there. They had to cultivate the land within a certain number of days and plant seeds within another certain number of days. Failure to do so would result in punishment.

For light punishment, they would just be beaten or have their grain deducted, or they would have to contribute more during the harvest next year.

For severe punishment, they might be driven out of the village, and they might even starve to death in the wilderness or be captured by the Nanman people.

In short, having a yellow ox would be a huge help in farming.

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  Chapter 194: Investigating One Thing After Another

How did Ou Yan recover??

"This is the truth you want." Ou Yan pressed play at triple speed.

At half past five in the afternoon, a truck stopped at the gate, and Zhang Mama took some servants to unload things from the truck.

Sitting on the sofa, Song Qiaoying remembered that every mid-month, the household groceries would be delivered to the doorstep by a dedicated driver.

From the surveillance angle, the truck's door opened, and several servants carried many things inside the house—rice, various spices, and barrels of cooking oil...

Zhang Mama carried two barrels by herself. When she entered the gate, she accidentally tripped on the threshold and fell forward, spilling the oil all over the ground.

The servants walking ahead heard the sound and wanted to come and help, but Zhang Mama stopped them. From Zhang Mama's actions, it was easy to guess that she was warning them about the oil on the ground, telling them to be careful not to slip.

One of the servants pointed at her clothes, seemingly saying: "Your clothes are all dirty, hurry up and change inside."

Zhang Mama looked down at her clothes and then called the truck driver, seemingly asking why the two barrels of oil weren't tightly sealed.

After a while, Zhang Mama went inside to change her clothes.

Maybe because time passed, she forgot to call someone to clean the floor.

It seemed like everything happened unintentionally, but Ou Yan still noticed a clue.

First, Zhang Mama was responsible for taking care of Li Yusha, the private nurse, so there was no need for her to help carry things.

Second, she went to get the oil from the truck by herself only after all the other servants had brought everything inside...

When she was getting the oil, she hesitated for a while, probably because it took some time to unscrew the bottle cap with her hands. At that moment, the truck door blocked all her actions, so only her feet could be seen standing there for a while.

Being an old member of the household, she naturally knew where the surveillance was aimed. So when she entered the door, she deliberately stumbled on the threshold, pretending that everything happened inadvertently...

"Master, Madam, it's all my fault! I was idle and helped carry things, but I didn't expect the two barrels of oil weren't tightly sealed. Miss Yusha asked me to go inside and change clothes after the spill, and as soon as I finished changing, Miss Yusha asked me to come over for some snacks. I didn't dare to refuse Miss Yusha's kindness and forgot about the oil on the floor for a while. It's all my fault!" Zhang Mama said, pretending to be remorseful and about to apologize.

But the pain on her body made her fall back into the sofa again and again.

"Why weren't the caps tightly sealed?" Song Qiaoying asked coldly, looking at the others. "Nobody cleaned up the spilled oil? Zhang Mama, when you and Yusha fell, you should have remembered this, but when I asked you why you fell just now, you didn't mention it! Seeing Xiaoqin beating around the bush and framing Yan Yan, you didn't step forward to help clarify!"

"Madam, I was wrong! I'm in so much pain from the fall, my mind is full of the pain from my bones and nerves, I didn't think much for a while, plus my old age makes my brain not work well. Please punish me!"

"Madam, it's all my fault. I was anxious when I saw Miss Yusha injured, so I misspoke. Please forgive me!" Xiaoqin also quickly apologized.

One of the servants also explained anxiously, "When we finished moving things in, Miss Yusha said we had worked hard and let us have some snacks. We forgot about it while eating..."

She lowered her head as she said this.

"The truck driver said that maybe they didn't check it properly before sending it over, similar incidents happened last year too..."

"Madam, it's all our fault, please punish us!"

"Punish?" Song Qiaoying glanced at them coldly, "Of course you'll be punished! If Yan Yan hadn't restored the surveillance, how would she be framed by you now? Even if she jumped into the Yellow River, she wouldn't be able to clear her name!"

"Sorry, Miss Ou Yan!" Several servants trembled with fear, hurriedly kneeling down. "Sorry, Madam, sorry, Miss Yusha, it's all our fault..."

It was all because they were greedy and, with Miss Yusha's constant care and conversations, they forgot about this matter.

"Zhang Mama, your responsibility is to take care of Yusha. Although you kindly helped carry things, when the oil spilled, you should have at least called others to clean it up. I understand that you forgot due to old age, considering you've taken care of Yusha for eighteen years, and now you're injured like this, I'll penalize you with one month's salary, but this won't set a precedent."

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam!" Zhang Mama, grateful, looked provocatively at Ou Yan, as if to say, "What can you do to me?"

Ou Yan lightly lifted her lips, as if everything was within her expectations.

"You guys, forgot to clean the floor after having snacks, causing Yusha to fall, and almost causing Yan Yan to suffer undeserved accusations. You'll be penalized with two months' salary!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam!" Several servants, grateful, felt fortunate they weren't fired...

You know, the treatment at the Li family is one of the best in the country!

"And you!" Song Qiaoying's gaze fell on Aunt Li. "You said something just now, you know it in your heart!"

Aunt Li hurriedly knelt down, "Madam, it's all my fault. Miss Yusha has been very good to me over the years. She's injured like this, and I was too anxious, so I misunderstood Miss Ou Yan. I'll apologize to Miss Ou Yan right away!"

She had said that if she had misunderstood Ou Yan, she would kneel down and apologize!

At this moment, she knelt down in front of Ou Yan, "Miss Ou Yan, it's all my fault for speaking recklessly due to anxiety, please forgive me! I'm from the countryside and lack education! Please forgive me considering I've served this family for twelve years. Please spare me this time? I'll kowtow to you!"

Aunt Li really bent down and knocked her head three times in a row!

Anyway, keeping her job was the priority.

Ou Yan's gaze fell leisurely on her, lips curling slightly, "Aunt Li, when you were deleting the surveillance, did you ever think that I would be misunderstood, disliked, and looked at with strange eyes?!"

Everyone looked at Aunt Li in shock!

She deleted the surveillance?

Aunt Li was also stunned for a few seconds. How did this girl know?!

"Because, for high-end surveillance devices, to prevent malicious deletion, when you delete it, the front camera will automatically take a photo and save it. You deleted half an hour of surveillance footage but forgot to delete your own photo."

Aunt Li was completely dumbfounded, not expecting to be outsmarted, ruining herself!

"Miss Ou Yan, I was wrong, I was confused for a moment, please forgive me..."

Zhang Mama felt anxious inside; the surveillance device didn't even have a front camera. Ou Yan was bluffing, but Aunt Li, being simple-minded, got scared and confessed!

"At this point, you still won't say who instructed you from behind?" Ou Yan's expression was calm, her voice indifferent.

But Aunt Li was already sweating coldly, subconsciously looking at Zhang Mama and Li Yusha...

The two of them also looked nervous and uneasy, as if saying: Don't say it, don't betray us!

  Chapter 128 Clearing the Land and Planting Trees (1)

"You know?" Mo Erni screamed in disbelief, then casually said, "So what if people find out? I didn't start the fire. If anyone should be blamed, it's that stupid girl, Little aunt. What does it have to do with me?"

"She's your aunt, how can you say that? If it weren't for you instigating her, she wouldn't have done such a thing."

Mo Yonglu looked at his daughter with pain in his eyes. In the past, he might not have been a good person, but he would never have harmed his siblings or relatives. But now, his own daughter spoke such heartless words. Was this his retribution?

"aunt? What kind of aunt is she?" Mo Erni's face was full of sarcasm. "She's always taking advantage of my grandparents' favoritism, bullying her younger relatives. Every time I get a nice headband, it's always taken by her! She's jealous of Mo Yan, that bitch, because she's prettier and dresses better. Even if I didn't provoke her, she would still cause trouble. Do you think your good sister is anything good?"

To be betrayed by his own brother and to still believe in sibling affection, how naive and foolish! Mo Yonglu was speechless, his hand trembling as if he wanted to discipline her, but faced with Mo Erni's icy gaze, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He knew that his only sister had been spoiled by their parents, but she was only a few months older than Mo Erni and was treated like a daughter by him. In the past, he thought their relationship was very close, but he never expected his daughter to harbor such deep resentment.

Mo Erni looked at her stunned father with indifference. "If you want to expose this matter, I won't blame you. After all, what good is a useless father like you to me?"

After saying this, without waiting for Mo Yonglu's reaction, she picked up the firewood from the ground and walked away without looking back.

Mo Yonglu stood dumbfounded in place, his eyes filled with confusion. He had already regretted his past mistakes and just wanted to honestly farm the land, serve his parents, and raise his children. But he realized too late, and everything was too late.

...

The construction site was bustling with activity. Several makeshift stoves were emitting white smoke, and waves of strong aroma wafted in the air from the cooking rice, indicating that the glutinous rice was almost steamed. Several villagers were using shovels to scoop the well-prepared rice paste into buckets and carry them to Master Lu and the others for wall construction.

With many hands, the work progressed quickly after the main house was built. Including Master Lu, a total of thirty-one people were experienced workers who built walls quickly and efficiently. A model of a four-person room had already taken shape, and if the weather was good, it would probably be completed in another half month.

Mo Yan made a round of the construction site before heading to a row of simple grass sheds nearby. These sheds were for Master Lu and the others to rest and sleep at night. Mo Qingze also lived here and was currently using an abacus to calculate something.

"Dad, do you need any help?" Mo Yan picked up the account book and flipped through a few pages, asking.

Mo Qingze shook his head. "Just some accounts from the construction site. Dad can handle it."

Mo Yan nodded and looked around but didn't see Xiao Hua, so she asked.

"She's probably in the mountains. She can't stay on the construction site during the day; she wanders in the mountains during the day and only comes back at night. She even caught a small wild boar yesterday!" Mo Qingze praised, "She's a good wolf."

Mo Yan was greatly surprised to hear this. That silly thing looked like a foodie, yet it could catch a wild boar?

Mo Qingze could see what she was thinking. "After all, it's a wolf. Even if it's raised by people, it still has its wild nature. Fortunately, it doesn't cause trouble and has been on the construction site for so long without anyone realizing it's a wolf."

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 Chapter 859: Compensation

The shopkeeper pursed his lips, his expression turning unpleasant.

Shu Yu smiled and said, "If our shopkeeper had received the goods on time this afternoon, we could have finished making the clothes by the beginning of the You hour. But because of your problem, we were delayed for over an hour. Now, there's less than a quarter of an hour left until the You hour, and even if you deliver the goods, it won't make it in time."

I believed in your nonsense. If it was really so urgent, Da Niu could have taken the required fabric and hurried back, right?

What customer? It's obviously fabricated.

But if Shu Yu said there was a customer, then there was a customer. If the manager really questioned her, she would definitely be able to find such a person.

With this in mind, the manager's face changed slightly. "So, what you mean is..."

"Because of your actions, our clothing production was delayed, and we lost an important customer as well as our shop's reputation. Shouldn't you be responsible for this loss?" Shu Yu said.

"You..."

Shu Yu narrowed her eyes slightly. "What's wrong? It was you who violated the terms of the contract first. No matter how you look at it, you can't argue with reason in this matter. Otherwise, shall we report it to the authorities?"

Report it to the authorities?

The shopkeeper wanted to sneer. You have a murky relationship with County Magistrate Xiang. If we report it, he'll stand on your side.

Seeing that Shu Yu didn't intend to let it go, and with customers outside wanting to come in, the manager could only swallow this loss.

"It's true that we didn't consider it thoroughly. I have a piece of excellent fabric here. Consider it compensation for your losses. How about that?" the shopkeeper proposed.

"Let me take a look at it," Shu Yu replied.

The shopkeeper reluctantly had someone bring the fabric over. Shu Yu touched it and nodded. "Considering your sincerity, I won't pursue it any further." The main reason was that the food and drinks in the cart were about to go cold. If they delayed any longer, their hungry family members would starve.

"But a shop like yours with no integrity, I don't intend to continue doing business with you. Let's consider the contract between us terminated."

The shopkeeper also didn't want to continue working with her. "To terminate the contract with Lu Shopkeeper ahead of time, I find it regrettable as well. But since our cooperation isn't very compatible, we can only hope for another opportunity in the future."

No, there won't be another opportunity.

Shu Yu had Da Niu take the fabric and discussed the termination of the contract for another day. Then she turned around and left.

The shopkeeper expression grew uglier. An assistant approached and whispered, "shopkeeper, is that Shopkeeper Lu? Wasn't she exiled? How did she come back?"

"Who knows? Left unchecked, she has become so unruly. We'll know in a few days." Did they really think they could do as they pleased with County Magistrate Xiang backing them up?

For now, they had suffered a loss. When the master of the house returned, they would have to take revenge. Did they think the largest cloth market in Jiangyuan County was easy to bully?

After leaving the shop, Shu Yu saw that Da Ya and Zhou Qiao had already loaded the fabric that was outside onto the cart. She waved her hand and said, "Let's go. We need to hurry back. Our family must be anxiously waiting."

As the cart started moving, Da Niu finally let out a long sigh. "Ah Yu, we really won't be getting our supplies from this cloth market anymore? Although that Shopkeeper Qiu, isn't a good person, the fabric from their shop is indeed the best in our county."

"The best in our county, but it's nothing special in the capital city," Shu Yu said, holding the reins and looking at Da Niu who was sitting beside her on the cart. She smiled and continued, "Our family now has two carts, and we might even add more in the future. It's convenient to go to the capital city for supplies. The round trip will only take two days."

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  Chapter 60 Betrayal by Zhao Guang

After Captain Sun and the others entered the city, Zhao Guang sneaked into the city secretly. Normally, his behavior would have been punished if Captain Sun had found out. However, in reality, Captain Sun agreed to let him enter the city because he knew Zhao Guang was Guo Qiang's man, and he had openly expressed his intention to kill Chen Yuan in front of everyone before.

Therefore, Captain Sun believed that Zhao Guang's entry into the city was to assassinate Chen Yuan, which aligned with his own thoughts or plans. He was waiting for Chen Yuan to die so he could then manipulate Chen Xue and force her to reveal those abilities.

However, Zhao Guang's intentions were different. He entered the city with only one purpose: to seek medical treatment or confirm if the poison in his body had been neutralized. If the poison had been neutralized, he wouldn't need to curry favor with the Chen family. If not, he would seek help from a doctor.

After inquiring, Zhao Guang found the most skilled doctor in the county.

"Doctor, please help me check if I am poisoned," he said.

The doctor examined him by checking his pulse, tongue, and eyelids. After a moment, the doctor withdrew his hand and said, "You are not poisoned."

"Really?" Zhao Guang was skeptical. "I accidentally ingested poison before and felt itchy all over. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"It's impossible," the doctor shook his head. "I've been practicing medicine for twenty years; how could I be mistaken? You're not poisoned."

"However, you do have an illness, and it's not light."

"You're the one who's sick, and your whole family is sick!"

Hearing this, Zhao Guang's joy of not being poisoned turned into anger. "Are you cursing me? I'll wreck your medical shop!"

However, shortly after leaving the pharmacy with medicine in hand, Zhao Guang began to feel itchy and in pain all over his body, causing panic.

"Quack doctor!"

He hurried back to the doctor, grabbed his collar, and demanded answers. But the doctor, unable to diagnose his symptoms, advised him to seek another opinion.

Frustrated, Zhao Guang stormed out and visited other pharmacies, but no one could help him.

Meanwhile, Chen Xue and her father saw Zhao Guang's plight from a distance and realized his intentions. Chen Xue had initially scared him with psychological tactics, but later decided to make him genuinely itchy using a special medicine from her space.

Realizing that Zhao Guang couldn't find help, they continued with their plans without concern for him.

As Zhao Guang's desperation grew, Chen Xue and her father were relieved to have only one person they could trust: Xu Tian.

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  Chapter 59: City Commotion

"This won't do!" Chen Xue stepped forward to support Chen Yuan. "My father is not in good health and can't move around easily alone."

Chen Yuan, feigning illness: "..."

But he quickly reacted and started coughing. "Cough, cough, cough, water, give me water!"

Chen Xue: "..."

I just said a few words, and Dad, you're already acting, even adding your own dramatics!

Seeing Chen Yuan looking as if he were on death's door, everyone exchanged glances. Fortunately, Xu Tian handed over the water jug, allowing Mr. Chen to take a few sips and "save" himself from his dire condition.

Being sick is even better!

Captain Sun's eyes lit up with joy. With this situation, maybe Guo Qiang's men won't need to act; Chen Yuan might just die, and then he could better control Chen Xue.

Although he had been repeatedly rebutted by Chen Xue, he believed it was all Chen Yuan's doing behind the scenes. After all, he used to be an assistant minister in the Ministry of Revenue.

"Don't worry, we'll have someone take care of him."

Seeing Captain Sun unmoved, Chen Xue frowned. She was increasingly disgusted with this fickle Captain Sun.

To be honest, she had a lot of things in her space, even invisible killing tools. Although they were a bit expensive, if she wanted to exchange them, it was not impossible.

However, coming from Earth in her previous life, she couldn't bring herself to kill without reason.

Although she couldn't kill, she could punish Captain Sun and make him suffer a bit. After all, she had encountered so many people, but Captain Sun was the most detestable.

She had to go into the city this time.

She glanced at Chen Yuan and said, "Dad, be careful. Don't worry about me and Mom. Zhao Guang and Kuang Wei will protect us. Anyway, if they can't stop them, I can do whatever I want..."

For some reason, when Chen Xue said this, Captain Sun's heart skipped a beat. He had taken away a group of people, leaving only Zhao Guang and Kuang Wei.

Without him, they couldn't control them at all.

By then, maybe within this exiled group, Chen Xue would become the leader, with the final say.

More importantly, only Chen Xue seemed to know that mysterious technique. If he waited to come back, the whole exiled group might become Chen Xue's people, which would be too costly.

If their home was ransacked, wouldn't he be sidelined and become a puppet?

Thinking of this, he became somewhat panicked, but he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he put on a compassionate expression.

"Forget it, forget it, I'll let it go since you're so filial."

After saying that, he looked at Xu Tian. "The paperwork is up to you, and they are also your responsibility. If they run away, you'll be held accountable!"

Watching Captain Sun hastily enter the city with his men, the Chen family didn't show any signs of happiness. Instead, they frowned.

How could Captain Sun be so kind?

Not only did he agree to let them enter the city together, but he also asked them to follow Xu Tian. Didn't they know that Xu Tian was in cahoots with them?

However, regardless of the situation, without the interference of others, it would be more convenient for them to act.

"Captain, are we just going to let them go like this?" Qian's bailiff was somewhat unwilling.

Captain Sun ignored him and called two other subordinates. "You two, keep an eye on Chen Yuan. If he encounters danger, don't intervene, but his daughter, make sure she doesn't die."

Although he said this, he was muttering to himself. Guo Qiang, oh Guo Qiang, I've given you such a good opportunity; you'd better make good use of it.

His subordinates were somewhat puzzled. What danger could Chen Yuan encounter? But they nodded obediently anyway. Regarding the captain's order to save Chen Yuan's daughter, they revealed a lewd smile.

It was just a pity that they couldn't enter the city with them this time.

On the other hand, after parting ways with Xu Tian, Chen Yuan and his daughter walked through the lively streets. It was Chen Xue's first time exploring a market in a different world.

"Let's go, let's take a look!"

Seeing her daughter so excited, Chen Yuan also smiled. He even stopped a vendor selling candied haws and bought all of them, carrying them himself.

"Let's bring them back for your mother to taste!"

Hearing her father's words, Chen Xue suddenly felt that the candied haws in her mouth were not delicious anymore; they even tasted more sour.

"A dozen of them in one bundle. Can Mom eat so many?" Chen Xue rolled her eyes.

"It's not like we have to finish them all at once." Chen Yuan didn't mind. "With you here, we can eat them later."

Toolman Chen Xue: "..."

"Dad, let's go buy hot pot ingredients!"

"Wait, come with me first!"

"Captain Sun is so kind to let us into the city. Obviously, something is not right. Let's be careful."

Mr. Chen led Chen Xue into an alley, then, when no one was looking, he let his daughter take the candied haws and put them away. Then they turned a few corners, and when they came out again, they had changed their appearance.

Obviously, they had changed their clothes, and even Chen Xue had modified her appearance with modern makeup techniques. After makeup, even her own mother wouldn't recognize her, let alone others.

When they left the alley, they saw two bailiffs running past them. It seemed they didn't even notice them, or if they did, they didn't pay any attention.

After all, in their impression, Chen Yuan and his daughter didn't dress like this, not to mention their faces weren't recognizable either.

"Where are they?"

The bailiffs scurried around the alley, even inquiring about people, but they couldn't find Chen Yuan and his daughter, their faces turning pale.

"What's going on? Is it possible to see ghosts in broad daylight?"

"We're done for. If the captain finds out we lost them, will he kill us?"

The two panicked, but Chen Xue had already happily gone shopping. With their appearance changed, they weren't worried about being exposed, so they didn't bother to hide anything and just bought whatever caught their eyes.

After all, today they had only one goal: shopping!

PS: Seeking support ()

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  Chapter 58: Struck by Lightning

When Xu Tian was about to take Chen Yuan and Chen Xue to Wen County, they were stopped by the bailiffs.

"Bailiff Qian, what do you mean by this?"

Xu Tian glared at him because he knew Bailiff Qian was deliberately causing trouble.

"What do I mean?" Bailiff Qian sneered, "I should be asking you what you mean! Bringing a criminal into the city? Who gave you the right? Who gave you the courage!"

Although he had decided not to have any contact with the Chen family and would let his subordinates handle any trouble, fate had other plans.

He followed Captain Sun with the intention of entering the city in style, but unexpectedly ran into Xu Tian bringing the Chen family along.

Captain Sun had long decided to deal with the Chen family, so he had been silently signaling his actions to Bailiff Qian.

Bailiff Qian understood Captain Sun's intentions but didn't want to take action himself, so he looked to his subordinates for help.

However, his subordinates were too dense to understand his silent signals and instead thought there was something wrong with his eyes, asking if he had gotten sand in them and if they should blow on them to help.

Bailiff Qian was furious!

Having no other choice, he had to take matters into his own hands. If Xu Tian really brought the Chen family into the city, it would be too late to stop them.

"The captain already agreed to it!"

"Oh, is that so? Why wasn't I informed? When did this happen?"

As Bailiff Qian was speaking, he noticed Chen Xue, behind Xu Tian, raising her hand as if she was about to snap her fingers.

His heart skipped a beat, instinctively wanting to stop her, but Chen Xue suddenly stopped and spoke up.

"Don't you remember? When we were cooperating, Captain Sun personally said it. Isn't that right, Captain Sun!"

Chen Xue glanced at Captain Sun, who was nearby and uninvolved. She knew that Bailiff Qian was just a small fry; even if they dealt with him, there was still a bigger boss behind him. It was better to handle the boss herself.

Captain Sun didn't expect Chen Xue to involve him, but instead of evading, he just shrugged.

"Is that so? I don't remember such a thing!"

Chen Xue and the others narrowed their eyes. Although they had expected it, Captain Sun's flip-flop still angered them.

"Is Captain Sun planning to go back on his word?" Chen Yuan stepped forward, blocking his daughter, and questioned, "If this gets out, it might damage Captain Sun's reputation!"

"Shut up! Who do you think you are to talk to our captain like that?" Other bailiffs immediately jumped out to protect their leader.

But Chen Yuan wasn't afraid. He stared firmly at Captain Sun. He had seen much larger scenes; how could he be intimidated by a few bailiffs?

"Are you threatening me?" Captain Sun narrowed his eyes, his tone calm but those who knew him knew he was already angry.

"I'm just speaking the truth!"

Chen Yuan continued to stare at Captain Sun without flinching. Since Captain Sun had decided to turn against them, he saw no reason to give him face.

If they didn't assert themselves, Captain Sun and his men would keep pushing.

"Heh!" Captain Sun suddenly laughed. "Sorry, but you're threatening the wrong person."

With that, his face turned cold, and he said sharply, "Keep an eye on them. If they dare to leave, they will be punished for fleeing, no mercy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bailiffs surrounding the Chen family closed in.

For a moment, the atmosphere became tense.

At this moment, Bailiff Qian suddenly stepped forward and whispered, "But... if you can teach us that technique, maybe we can let you enter the city!"

"Okay."

Chen Xue nodded without hesitation, surprising both Captain Sun and Qian Wei. They hadn't expected her to be so straightforward, and for a moment, they didn't know how to respond.

They had already thought of dozens of ways to deal with the Chen family, but they compromised after just one attempt?

They felt as if they had punched cotton.

"But..." Chen Xue suddenly changed her tone, "You know that I learned from the Immortal of Kunshan. This technique cannot be taught to others casually. But if you become my disciple, then it's okay."

"Impossible!"

Captain Sun immediately refused without hesitation. He couldn't possibly accept a little girl as his master. If news of this got out, where would he put his face?

Moreover, if they dared to impersonate the Immortal of Kunshan, even as disciples, they would offend the so-called Immortal of Kunshan and face retribution.

Was he trying to get himself killed?

"Well then!" Chen Xue shrugged. "My master has told me that if I teach others this technique without authorization, I will face retribution, struck by lightning."

Boom!

As soon as Chen Xue finished speaking, a thunderous sound suddenly came from the surroundings, startling everyone.

Captain Sun and the others were horrified, quickly stepping back a few steps and distancing themselves from Chen Xue, then looking up at the sky.

But they found that it was a clear day with no clouds in sight, let alone dark clouds, yet they had really heard thunder.

"This..."

Captain Sun stared at Chen Xue, feeling somewhat panicked. Could she really be the disciple of the Immortal of Kunshan?

Otherwise, how could there be thunder right after she mentioned facing retribution, struck by lightning?

Just as Captain Sun was staring at himself in confusion, Chen Xue discreetly put away her recording pen, feeling fortunate that she had recorded thunder sounds a few days ago.

Just as Captain Sun and the others were at a loss for what to do, Chen Xue looked at Xu Tian and gave a small cough. Xu Tian snapped out of his surprise.

He stepped forward, but still subconsciously glanced at Chen Xue because he felt the thunder came from her side.

"Captain, there's really no need for this!" Xu Tian was somewhat displeased. "We've brought prisoners into the city before, why is it suddenly not allowed this time?"

"This time is different." Captain Sun's confidence was not as strong as before.

"Why is it different?" Xu Tian had already rehearsed the dialogue with Chen Xue in advance and said, "Master Chen is the 'mastermind' this time. If we don't let him come with us, what if he runs away? What if someone attacks the exiled group to save him?"

Who would be crazy enough to attack an exiled group? After all, it would be a slap in the face to the court. How could the court let them go?

And even if they managed to rescue the Chen family, where could they run to? There was no place under the heavens where they could hide.

Others might think like this, but Captain Sun had another idea.

"If we let Chen Yuan enter the city, the Chen family will scatter, and Guo Qiang's men will have a better chance to strike. When Chen Yuan gets into trouble, only Chen Xue will be left. With just a little girl like her, it will be easy to control her."

Although Captain Sun was somewhat apprehensive, he still didn't give up on trying to obtain Chen Xue's unknown technique.

"Fine!" After some consideration, he nodded and pointed at Chen Yuan. "Then let him enter the city alone!"

Chen Xue frowned. It wouldn't do for her father to enter the city alone. He had bought so many supplies; there was simply no place to store them, and he didn't even know what spices were needed for hotpot.

More importantly, her father was now penniless, and it would be difficult for her to discreetly give him a large sum of money in front of everyone.

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  Chapter 57: Pursuit

Seeing the couple lying in a pool of blood, the group of bandits didn't care at all, even laughing and discussing their previous exploits.

At this moment, another bandit came running from afar.

"Brother Hei, General Pingwei has caught up, just dozens of miles away."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces changed. Aside from General Pingwei's reputation, their numbers were several times theirs, and they were well-armed.

Though they were ruthless, they weren't fools, knowing that confronting them directly would only lead to death.

"No worries, I've long had a plan!" Brother Hei waved his hand confidently.

"Put their bodies in the carriage, and check if there are any other clothes in the carriage. Change into the coachman's clothes and ours!"

The bandits quickly understood the leader's intention, throwing Zhang Xuan and his wife's bodies into the carriage and changing into their clothes.

Concerned that the coachman might fall off the carriage, they tied him to it, pretending he was still alive and driving the carriage.

After arranging everything, Brother Hei took out a dagger and stabbed the horse's buttocks.

"Yah!"

The horse neighed in pain and dashed forward, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

"Clean up the traces, let's leave!"

After saying this, Brother Hei looked up and saw a black shadow in the sky. He frowned. Was it an eagle or a vulture?

Moments later, the group quickly disappeared into the forest, leaving no trace behind.

Meanwhile, on a hill several dozen miles away from the bandits, a group of armored soldiers followed a dignified young man.

"General!"

"There's a fire in Xishan Village, it seems that bandits have entered the village. We haven't confirmed if they're the Black Mountain Bandits we're chasing!"

A scout hurried over, kneeling down to report his findings.

The faces of the people behind General Pingwei changed. Liu Heiwu was ruthless and merciless, killing without hesitation. He had previously ruled over Black Mountain, hence the name Black Mountain Bandits.

However, the main point was that Liu Heiwu and his men never left survivors.

They often raided villages, killing, looting, and burning everything to the ground, sparing no one, regardless of age or gender.

Each villager was tortured before death, and their bodies were often mutilated. After killing all the villagers, Liu Heiwu and his men would set fire to the village.

It was the despicable actions of these bandits that made General Pingwei, who had originally intended to return to the capital to report, stop and decide to wipe out these bandits first.

He had ordered his men to spread out and hunt down the bandits throughout Youzhou. Although some were doing the work of others, the local officials in Youzhou were incompetent and unable to eliminate these bandits, so he took matters into his own hands. After all, it was the common people who suffered the most from this.

"Anyway, let's rescue the villagers first." General Pingwei quickly gave orders. If it was indeed the Black Mountain Bandits attacking the village, the villagers were in even greater danger.

So, they had to hurry.

"Xu Mao, take a hundred men to Xishan Village to rescue the villagers. If you encounter bandits, show no mercy."

"General, what if you're left with only ten men?" Xu Mao became anxious. Ten men weren't enough to protect the general's safety. "These bandits are not only arrogant but also very cunning. He is worried they might be using a diversionary tactic."

After all, they knew there were pursuers behind them, yet they openly attacked the village. They were either lunatics or had a plan.

"Lieutenant, even if we encounter the Black Mountain Bandits, ten men are enough." General Pingwei waved his hand. "Don't waste any more time. Hurry up and rescue the villagers."

Xu Mao stopped arguing. He knew the general's strength very well; he could truly take on ten men alone. The other soldiers were also not weak; they were all seasoned veterans who had experienced life and death on the battlefield. These bandits, no matter how tough, were no match for the general.

Xu Mao immediately rushed to Xishan Village with his men, while General Pingwei continued to search for clues to Liu Heiwu and his men's whereabouts.

"General, there's a carriage over there!"

One of his men pointed to a speeding carriage on the official road not far away. The coachman's clothes were identical to those of the Black Mountain Bandits they had just eliminated.

"Stop the carriage!"

General Pingwei's face darkened. "Lin, you take some men to search for clues along the official road. The rest, follow me to chase the carriage."

As soon as he finished speaking, the men split up and took action.

Although they knew it might be a trick by Liu Heiwu, they still had to go, because there was still a glimmer of hope in their hearts that they could save the people on the carriage.

Yes, they could tell that although the coachman was wearing the clothes of the bandits, he was not one of them.

And how could Liu Heiwu and his men escape on a carriage on the official road? That would be as good as announcing their presence.

If it were anyone else, seeing a carriage speeding along the official road would be normal, but they had all come from the battlefield and had killed many people. They were very clear about the difference between the living and the dead.

So, they could tell at a glance that the coachman was already dead, and the horse was running on its own.

They quickly caught up with the carriage and intercepted it. When they saw what was inside, they were filled with anger.

"These despicable bandits, I won't spare them!"

The men were filled with righteous indignation.

General Pingwei's face was dark, clearly filled with anger. "Bury them properly, then we'll pursue Liu Heiwu. We can't let him continue his killing spree."

They only hoped to eliminate Liu Heiwu before he killed again.

Meanwhile...

The exiled group was completely unaware of what was happening dozens of miles away. At this moment, they were very happy.

Because they had arrived not far from Wen County.

Although the exiled group wouldn't enter the county city, the bailiffs had to deliver documents to the county yamen, so they had to rest here.

Having walked with shackles for so many days, many people's feet and ankles were already rubbed raw, and their originally plump bodies had lost a lot of weight.

What was once high spirits had now become dejected. The long journey had left them parched and exhausted, coupled with insufficient food, causing many to collapse.

Now that they had the chance to rest, they naturally felt very happy.

Chen Xue and the others were also very happy because they could take this opportunity to go to the county city to buy supplies, even hot pot ingredients.

Chen Yuan, curious about the hot pot his daughter had mentioned, had not been able to try it because they lacked ingredients. Now that they had the chance, he naturally wanted to get the ingredients and experience it.

However, being penniless, he had to ask his daughter for money.

"Dad, didn't we agree that I would also go?" Chen Xue hurriedly said. She had space to store many items and naturally wanted to go on a shopping spree.

However, their plans were interrupted by an unexpected event.

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