《I'm the Farmgirl You Can't Mess With》 Chapter 1: Encounter Chapter 1: Encounter Editor: As Studios In the heavy rain, Mu Yangling stood in the rain with herrades. In front of them, the captain was shouting loudly, ¡°You¡¯re soldiers! You¡¯ve studied in university for four years and trained here for a year. Is this all you¡¯re capable of? I¡¯m f*cking embarrassed for you!¡± About to go crazy from anger, the captain stuffed the report card under his team members¡¯ eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourselves? With such results, you still want to enlist in the special forces? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s disgraceful? You might as well skin yourself alive and go home to farm.¡± Standing at attention in the contingent, Mu Yangling felt that her face was burning in spite of the cold autumn rain. She clenched her fists by her side. Coincidentally, the captain saw this as he turned around, and aimed the cannon at her. ¡°Mu Yangling, are you not convinced?¡± ¡°Reporting to Captain, they¡¯re old special forces soldiers¡­¡± ¡°Bullsh*t. Are you going topare seniority with your enemy on the battlefield? You people are there to carry out a mission that could get you killed at any moment. If you¡¯re not careful, your head will be gone. Don¡¯t tell me your enemy won¡¯t fight you if you tell him that he¡¯s 30 and you¡¯re 20? Then you might as well say that you¡¯re women and they¡¯re men, so you¡¯re naturally inferior to them!¡± Mu Yangling hated it the most when people made an issue of gender, even if the other party was her beloved and respected captain. She turned around with a ¡°whoosh¡± and looked at him with eyes full of anger, shouting, ¡°Captain, let¡¯s have a fight!¡± The captain and Mu Yangling¡¯srades: ¡°¡­¡± The captain pointed at Mu Yangling, speechless. In the end, he tossed aside the report card in his hand, rolled up his sleeves, and said, ¡°Come,e on out. If I don¡¯t skin you alive today, I¡¯ll take your surname.¡± Mu Yangling threw away the backpack on her back, took three steps forward and assumed a fighting stance. Just as the captain shouted ¡°Come¡±, Mu Yangling rushed towards him. The two of them exchanged three moves in an instant. The captain caught one of Mu Yangling¡¯s fists andined endlessly in his heart. Even though it had been a year, he was still not used to Mu Yangling¡¯s moves, for this youngss¡¯s tactics were ever-changing. Yesterday, when he exchanged blows with her, she had taken the slow approach. Today, she was like a whirlwind, only caring about attacking and not defending. Moreover, the key was that this girl was incredibly strong. Overwhelmed, he wondered what he should do next. The surrounding team members mourned for their captain in their hearts. In the recent sparringpetition, Mu Yangling had won the individual all-round championship. Notably, she was ranked first in mixed martial arts. Not only did she defeat the special forces captain of her own military region, but she also defeated the special forces captain of the neighboring military region. In fact, the reason their team had cedst this time was all because of them. Although they were tough women, they were still women, after all. Mu Yangling¡¯s capabilities had already crossed the line between that of a man and a woman. It was as if she had truly be a man¡­ With a loud roar, Mu Yangling kicked out. Instantly, there was a bang and a delicate cry. Feeling a pain in her ears, Mu Yangling immediately opened her eyes and looked over with murderous eyes. Shu Wanniang held her stomach, visibly shocked. Then, tears welled up in her eyes. Heart aching, she asked worriedly, ¡°Ah Ling, did you have a nightmare again? Child, look at how you shattered the pit table your father just made.¡± Mu Yangling turned her neck stiffly. Only then did she see the broken pieces of wood on the brick bed. She seemed to have kicked the pit table, thinking it was the captain, again. Mu Yangling jumped up and gathered the smashed wood on the brick bed together. Acting nonchnt, she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go into the mountains to chop some woodter and make another table.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned. ¡°What exactly did you dream of? This is already the fifth table. It was the same when you were young. When you were still drinking milk, you also kicked constantly¡­¡± Shu Wanniang passed her daughter some clothes. Watching her quickly put them on in an undylike manner, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. How could she marry off such a daughter in the future? Mu Yangling naturally wouldn¡¯t say that she had dreamed of the scene where the captain trained and lectured them in her previous life. She only dared to say this in her heart and certainly not out loud. ¡°Mother, where¡¯s Father?¡± ¡°Your father went to look for the Junior Officer to pay taxes again. We haven¡¯t sold our leather goods yet, so we can¡¯t pay the money for the time being. He went to ask if he could dy it for two days.¡± Worry was evident on Shu Wanniang¡¯s face. ¡°With the little we earned this year, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have much money left after paying taxes. I originally wanted to send your brother to a private school, but from the looks of it, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to postpone it for another year.¡± Mu Yangling frowned. ¡°This year¡¯s taxes increased 10% fromst year. Why do they have to raise the taxes every year? If this continues, we won¡¯t even be able to afford rice.¡± Shu Wanniang sighed. ¡°What can we do? The Jin soldiers are always harassing our borders. I heard that those extra taxes go towards our soldiers¡¯ pay.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t.¡± Mu Yangling jumped up. ¡°The Jin soldiers have been harassing the borders every year, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone from our sidee out to resist. What soldiers¡¯ pay?¡± ¡°Child, there are things you shouldn¡¯t say out loud.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her reproachfully, but she didn¡¯t go on. It wasmon toin about the soldiers of the imperial court. She was just being cautious when she reprimanded her daughter. Mu Yangling put on her clothes unhappily. Seeing that her younger brother, Mu Bowen, was still asleep, she went forward and pinched his nose. At the sight of this, Shu Wanniang hit her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. Your brother is still young. Let him sleep a little longer.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips in response. After drinking a bowl of water, Mu Yangling picked up her basket and bow, and prepared to head into the mountains. Just then, Shu Wanniang hurriedly grabbed a piece of tbread from the table and chased after her. ¡°Take a piece of tbread to fill your stomach. How can you not eat when you¡¯re still a child?¡± Mu Yangling nced at Shu Wanniang¡¯s sharp and protruding stomach and hesitated for a moment. Shu Wanniang stuffed the tbread into her hand and stroked her head. ¡°Silly child, you¡¯re still a child yourself. Your father will take care of things. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± With a silly grin, Mu Yangling took the tbread and entered the mountains. She decided to hunt more prey today and sell them to buy more fine rice. Her mother wasn¡¯t used to coarse rice at all, for some reason. She wondered if it had something to do with her mother¡¯s family background, which she had no idea about. Moreover, her father doted on her mother and couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer. Therefore, even though her father was capable and returned with something from his trip into the mountains everyday, in order to maintain such high living standards at home on top of shouldering such heavy taxes, he only managed to save very little money. To make things worse, her mother had fallen seriously ill two years ago and depleted all their savings. As Mu Yangling walked deeper and deeper into the mountains with the piece of tbread in her mouth, she pricked up her ears and peered around. Just like that, she met the eyes of the two dirty youths under the tree. With bright eyes, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin gazed at Mu Yangling¡­ not her, but the tbread that was in her mouth. They involuntarily swallowed their saliva. Even though Mu Yangling had the soul of an adult, she couldn¡¯t help but blush at this moment. She took the tbread out of her mouth. After thinking for a moment, she tore off the saliva-stained part and stuffed it into her mouth, handing the rest to the two youths. Qi Haoran took a careful look at Mu Yangling. After confirming that she did not possess any ill intentions, he quickly tore off half of the tbread and stuffed it into Fan Zijin¡¯s mouth. ¡°Thank you.¡± Fan Zijin ate so quickly that he choked. Seeing this, Mu Yangling had no choice but to remove the water bottle from her waist and hand it over. Qi Haoran flusteredly fed Fan Zijin the water. Thetter tore off most of the tbread from his mouth and only recovered when he swallowed the remaining bit. After ring at Qi Haoran, he stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Miss. My cousin and I were separated from our family and ended up here. May I know what your name and address is? When we find my family, we will definitelye back to repay you.¡± Chapter 2: Help Chapter 2: Help Editor: As Studios Hearing this, Mu Yangling took a closer look at them and realized that something was amiss. Although their skin was also tanned, they did not appear tobor all year round like her father. Instead, they seemed to have specially smeared something over their skin to appear that way. Moreover, the hand holding the tbread was even smoother and more tender than a girl¡¯s, okay? It was obvious that they came from money. Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment. In the end, she pitied the two of them for being so young, so she asked, ¡°Where are your families? Do you need my help?¡± Qi Haoran opened his mouth to answer, but Fan Zijin tugged at him and smiled at Mu Yangling. ¡°Thank you, Miss. We¡¯ve already found the way. It¡¯s not very far away, so we won¡¯t trouble you. Please tell us your address so that we can repay you in the future.¡± When Mu Yangling saw how alert this youth was, her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl into a smile. She wasn¡¯t angry and only shook her head. ¡°No need. It¡¯s just a piece of tbread.¡± She looked at the sky and their location before pointing out the way out of the mountain for them. ¡°If you go that way, you should see a path in half an hour. Just follow that path and walk out.¡± With that, she turned around and left. As Mu Yangling¡¯s back disappeared from view, Fan Zijin copsed to the ground. He red at Qi Haoran and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t divulge our identities to anyone again. Since we¡¯re already in Xingzhou, we¡¯ll be able to find Brother Qi in two days.¡± Qi Haoran rolled his eyes. ¡°How are we going to find him when we¡¯re penniless? Besides, she¡¯s a good person.¡± Fan Zijin jumped up. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I just do. Previously, we were only deceived because we did as you said. If you had listened to me, we wouldn¡¯t have been duped.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of your loose tongue, answering whatever others asked. People who originally didn¡¯t have any ill intentions also developed ill intentions,¡± Fan Zijin argued indignantly. Qi Haoran retorted, ¡°You¡¯re clearly the one who¡¯s a poor judge of character.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who wasn¡¯t careful¡­¡± The two youths started arguing. Qi Haoran had the upper hand at first, but he had never been good at arguing. Hence, he was defeated by Fan Zijin in this verbal match not long after. In his anger, he tore off a piece of the tbread in his hand and stuffed it into Fan Zijin¡¯s mouth. Fan Zijin red back, but gradually calmed down and noticed that Qi Haoran was only holding a very small piece of tbread. Feeling sorry for him, he tore off half of his, gave it to him, and said vaguely, ¡°Eat quickly. Let¡¯s go on our way after you¡¯re done.¡± Qi Haoran snorted and dered, ¡°I¡¯m strong and healthy. I don¡¯t need this. You should eat it yourself.¡± Fan Zijin red at him and snapped, ¡°Take it. I still need your protection. If wee across more local hooligans, I still need you to fight them off.¡± Qi Haoran said smugly, ¡°Now you know I¡¯m great at kung fu, right? What¡¯s the use of doing so well academically? You still need me to carry you when we¡¯re escaping, hahaha¡­¡± After saying that, heughed, clearly pleased with himself. Fan Zijin snorted and mocked, ¡°What¡¯s so great about being brawny and simple-minded? If it weren¡¯t for me, no matter how skilled you are at martial arts, 40 to 50 people would have surrounded you and beaten you into a meat patty.¡± Mu Yangling, who was hiding in the dark, listened to the two youths arguing and saw them feeding each other the tbread in their hands. The corners of her lips instantly twitched. Why did she feel like those two had a love-hate rtionship? How could a piece of tbread be enough to fill their stomachs? Even a nine-year-old girl like her had to eat three or four before she started to feel satiated, let alone these two youths. After some thought, Mu Yangling turned around and left. Not long after, she walked over with a pheasant and a rabbit in her hands. The two youths were still resting on the spot. They didn¡¯t get up, probably because they had no strength in their limbs. However, they were no longer bickering. Mu Yangling had just approached when Qi Haoran jumped over and stood in front of Fan Zijin. He asked warily, ¡°Who is it?¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s back tensed up. Mu Yangling threw the pheasant and rabbit in front of them and said, ¡°These are for you. Prepare the pheasant and eat it. Bring the rabbit to town.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, ¡°If you pass by Mingshui County on your way, bring it to the county to sell. The rabbit should fetch a higher price in the county than the countryside.¡± When Qi Haoran saw that it was Mu Yangling, a big smile immediately spread across his face. He raised his head proudly at Fan Zijin, and the words ¡°Look, I told you she was a good person¡± were written all over his face. The corners of Fan Zijin¡¯s mouth twitched as he silently scolded Qi Haoran for being an idiot. He stood up and bowed to Mu Yangling with a grateful expression. ¡°Thank you so much, Miss. No matter what, you have to tell us your address so that we can have a chance to repay you in the future.¡± Looking at the still-tense Fan Zijin, Mu Yangling had to admit that he was definitely not as adorable as the other youth. Seriously, did she look like a bad person? Seeing that the other party did not rx, Mu Yangling did not mind and said, ¡°My house is very easy to locate¡ªit¡¯s in the vige at the foot of the mountain. My surname is Mu. In the entire vige, only my family¡¯s surname is Mu. You¡¯ll find out once you ask around.¡± With that, she turned around and left. This time, she was really leaving. Mu Yangling wanted to enter the mountain to check out the trap she had dugst night. Her mother did not like to eat pheasant meat, for she found it too dry. Wild animals were indeed low in fats, and the meat was not tender enough. Therefore, aside from what she and her father ate, the rest of the food was sold. A pheasant and a rabbit were not difficult for her to hunt, but they would fetch two catties of fine rice, enough for her mother and younger brother to eat for three days¡­ Mu Yangling shook her head and chased these thoughts out of her mind. She thought to herself, ¡®I¡¯m a soldier after all and can¡¯t be so calctive. They¡¯re children. I should help if I can.¡¯ Along the way, Mu Yangling hung a string of pheasants and rabbits on her waist. Just as she saw thest big trap, she heard a few moans. Mu Yangling let out a cry and sprinted over. A fat wild boary in the trap and was trying to climb up, but its hind legs were probably injured and couldn¡¯t exert enough strength. Coupled with the fact that the trap was big enough, it simply could not climb up. Mu Yangling threw her head back andughed. ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! As expected, the heavens haven¡¯t abandoned me. Now, I have the money to pay taxes.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at the wild boar. After some thought, she still couldn¡¯t bear to kill it, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to bring it out alive. Mu Yangling squatted by the pit and observed the wild boar that was panicking and desperately trying to climb out. Not only did it fail to break through the trap, but it also injured itself in its attempt to do so. Her eyes slid over its limbs, thinking that if she broke them and tied them up, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for her to bring out the wild boar alive. Mu Yangling tossed aside the prey on her body, clenched her fists, and chuckled. ¡°Brother Boar, Brother Boar, you can¡¯t me me for being ruthless. You can only me yourself for being born at the wrong time.¡± As she spoke, she circled around to the back of the wild boar and jumped down,nding nicely on the wild boar¡¯s back. Without thinking, she punched the wild boar¡¯s head. As she hit it, she was careful not to exert too much strength lest she killed the wild boar. The wild boar howled and fell to its knees in the pit. Mu Yangling only beat it until it couldn¡¯t move. Before it could recover, she quickly grabbed its hooves and pulled. With a crack, one of its front limbs was broken. The wild boar kept howling. Amidst Mu Yangling¡¯s quick attacks, soon, its four legs were broken by her, and the entire boar copsed in the pit. Chapter 3: Divine Strength Chapter 3: Divine Strength Editor: As Studios Copsed in the pit, the wild boar could only moan. Mu Yangling happily got off the wild boar and raised the 200-pound wild boar with both hands to throw it up. She had no choice, for at merely nine years old, she was still too short and thus could only throw it. Fortunately, she was skilled at utilizing her strength, so the seriously injured wild boar only howled in shock a little. Mu Yangling then climbed out of the trap and broke the nearby branches to cover the trap again. After which, she hung the rabbit, pheasant, and other prey on her waist. With the wild boar on her shoulder, she left the mountain. Some vigers who were harvesting food at the foot of the mountain eximed when they saw a wild boar moving out of the mountains. It was only when the wild boar approached that they realized Mu Yangling had beenpletely blocked by the wild boar. ¡°Oh my god, isn¡¯t this the eldest daughter of the Mu family?¡± Ma Dazhuang stared at Mu Yangling, whose waist was full of prey and whose shoulder was carrying a wild boar. Seeing the girl who was buried underneath all that prey, he secretly clicked his tongue and said wistfully, ¡°If only she was my daughter.¡± Auntie Ma smacked his head and spat, ¡°If it¡¯s your daughter, are you going to be responsible for her if no one wants to marry her? Geez, Yangling is so¡­ majestic. How can she find a husband in the future?¡± Ma Dazhuang muttered, ¡°She¡¯s not ugly, she¡¯s merely a tad stronger. She can even help out with the family expenses¡­¡± Under Auntie Ma¡¯s gaze, Ma Dazhuang did not dare to continue. Mu Yangling gradually approached. It was only when she heard the voices that she saw Ma Dazhuang and his wife, as the prey had previously blocked her vision. She held the wild boar on her shoulder with one hand and waved at them with the other. With a beam, she asked, ¡°Uncle Ma, Auntie Ma, are you working?¡± Up close, it was even more astounding. Uncle Ma and his wife looked at the prey on her body in shock. Just then, the wild boar suddenly struggled a few times and let out two weak cries, causing the couple to fall to the ground in fear. Mu Yangling pressed the wild boar down with one hand, making thetter unable to move. Auntie Ma pointed at the wild boar with a trembling finger and asked, ¡°Alive?¡± Mu Yangling smiled and nodded. ¡°An alive wild boar is more valuable than a dead one.¡± Mu Yangling felt a little regretful. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that this ce is too far from the county. Otherwise, if I carried it to the county, I would be able to get at least 500 more copper coins.¡± Mu Yangling felt that it was a pity as she rushed home briskly. Having eaten too little this morning, she was famished right now. She decided she¡¯d better go back and fill her stomach before heading to the countryside. Her father should be back by now, right? As Uncle Ma and his wife watched Mu Yangling leave in a daze, Uncle Ma smacked his lips and said, ¡°It truly is difficult for her to get married¡­¡± The Mu family lived alone at the foot of the mountain, and only had three generations in Nearhill Vige. Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather was half a Hu1, but his figure and appearance would suggest he was born from a Han2 mother. Being of a thin and weak frame, he was ostracized by the Hu people, who advocated martial arts. When he was ten years old, he migrated to Nearhill Vige. Seeing that he was honest, the registrar of Mingshui County let him settle down in Nearhill Vige. Because her grandfather did not look like a Hu at all, he easily integrated into the vigemunity. He married one of the daughters of the vige, her grandmother, and the couple subsequently gave birth to her father, Mu Shi. Perhaps due to atavism1, Mu Shi had deep facial features. In addition, he was tall and strong like an ox. As a five-year-old child, he was stronger than the seven-year-olds. This didn¡¯t bother the adults, but the children often didn¡¯t like people who were different from them. Mu Shi was quickly ostracized by the children in the vige, and there were even a few incidents resulting in bloodshed. Considerate of Mu Shi¡¯s feelings, Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather and grandmother moved to the foot of the mountain, where they had less contact with the vige until Mu Shi married and had Mu Yangling and Mu Bowen. Mu Yangling returned home in a sh. Shu Wanniang, who was cleaning the courtyard with a broom, opened her mouth wide when she saw her. She knew that her daughter was very strong, but she wasn¡¯t this strong, right? Having finally reached home, Mu Yangling ced the wild boar on the ground. It was only upon looking up that she realized her mother was staring at her with her eyes wide open. ¡°Mother.¡± Mu Yangling giggled foolishly. With her hands behind her back, she felt a little nervous. She didn¡¯t frighten her mother, right? ¡°Yangling, you¡¯re back?¡± Mu Shi came out of the house. Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. She jumped forward and shouted, ¡°Father, there was a wild boar lying in the trap. I brought it back.¡± ¡°Good job!¡± Mu Shi only saw his wife staring at them with wide eyes after he praised her. He immediately became nervous and went forward to hold his wife. ¡°Wanniang, go in and rest first. I¡¯ll sweep the groundter.¡± Shu Wanniang knew that they were hiding something from her. With tears in her eyes, she asked, ¡°What are you hiding from me?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Mu Shi waved his hand repeatedly. He was most afraid of seeing Shu Wanniang cry. For a moment, he was at a loss and looked at his daughter for help. Mu Yangling could only obediently lower her head and admit her mistake. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s my fault. I was too strong. I was afraid that you would be worried, so I didn¡¯t dare to tell you.¡± Shu Wanniang was indeed worried. She stepped forward and held her daughter¡¯s hand. She squeezed it and said worriedly, ¡°She clearly looks no different from an ordinary nine-year-old girl, but why is she so strong? Even the strong men in the vige aren¡¯t able to carry a wild boar. Don¡¯t do this in front of outsiders again, or I fear no one will dare to marry you in the future.¡± In this chaotic world, such a talent could trigger jealousy and invite trouble. Her daughter¡¯s ability might seem like a boon, but it also had the potential to incur problems. Having inherited the teachings of the court at a young age, Shu Wanniang was naturally more discerning than Mu Shi. Therefore, she was not very pleased about her daughter¡¯s extraordinary strength. However, since they were only living in a small vige now, there was no need to say such things to scare her daughter and husband. Shu Wanniang held her stomach and said, ¡°Alright, hurry up and gather the prey. Since Junior Officer has already agreed to help us dy for three days, we have to gather enough tax money as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will make things difficult for Junior Officer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring the prey to town now,¡± Mu Shi immediately said. ¡°Bring Yangling along too. How can you carry so many by yourself? However, you¡¯re not allowed to carry them over with bare hands. Use a cart to push them over. When you reach town, immediately try to sell them at the inns and restaurants. Don¡¯t linger on the streets for too long, and don¡¯t get into an argument with others¡­¡± ¡°Mother, why do you always have endless instructions when Father goes to town every day?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s ears nearly grew calluses from listening. Seeing that Mu Shi was still listening with a smile, she felt that her father was truly a patient man. Shu Wanniang sighed and said, ¡°With your father¡¯s bad temper, I¡¯m just worried that he¡¯ll get into an argument with someone. Also, I¡¯m afraid that you two will cause trouble outside since you¡¯re both so strong.¡± Mu Shi quickly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wanniang. I won¡¯t argue with anyone.¡± He nced at his daughter and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll also keep an eye on Ah Ling and not let her get into conflict with anyone.¡± Only then did Shu Wanniang smile and enter the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some food for the two of you on the way. You guys pack your things first.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Seeing his wife enter the kitchen, Mu Shi pulled his daughter to the side and instructed, ¡°Why did youe back with the wild boar on your own? You should have told me and let me carry it back. Look, you almost scared your mother.¡± Chapter 4: Inherited Talent Chapter 4: Inherited Talent Editor: As Studios He had known all along that his daughter was strong. In this chaotic world, there was nothing wrong with being strong. In fact, he was even d that his daughter had inherited their ancestor¡¯s talent. Mu Yangling had always thought that this talent of hers came from her previous life. After all, in her previous life, she was also very strong, at least much stronger than her malerades in the team. In this life, this talent had been greatly enhanced. This had made her feel smug for a while, thinking that this was a benefit of being reborn. However, after hearing her father¡¯s words, Mu Yangling realized that this was an inherited talent. Mu Yangling¡¯s great-grandfather was a Hu1 and a warrior of the tribe. It was said that he had never suffered a defeat on the battlefield. Even when he went deep into the enemy¡¯s territory, he could retreat unscathed. Her great-grandmother was her great-grandfather¡¯s spoils of war, a Han woman he had brought back from the battlefield. It was said that she was a stunning beauty who had once caused the warriors of the tribe to fight for her. Fortunately, no one could defeat her great-grandfather and snatch her away from him. Her great-grandfather only had this one wife in his life, and she only bore him one son¡ªMu Yangling¡¯s grandfather. Bearing a great resemnce to his mother, Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather was blessed with gorgeous looks and a refined demeanor. Unfortunately, even his strength was inherited from his mother, causing his father to be worried sick about him. In a tribe where the strong were respected, and a warrior had to prove his strength by defeating allpetitors to be dered leader of the tribe, his son could only be at the mercy of others. In order to train his son, Mu Yangling¡¯s great-grandfather had gathered many martial arts manuals for him. He had even created a set of martial arts for him based on his weak strength and agile body. Unfortunately, her grandfather could only be ranked somewhere in the middle among the tribal warriors even after mastering it. If his son was like the rough men in the tribe, Mu Yangling¡¯s great-grandfather would be satisfied. s, this son was as gorgeous as his wife. This was a disaster in the Hu tribe. Without his protection, he could foresee his son leading a miserable life under others in the future. This was something he could not tolerate. Therefore, after his wife died of illness and he was seriously injured, this warrior gave more than half of his wealth to his only son and chased him out of the tribe to live in a Han ce. The warrior believed that since his son looked like a Han Chinese and possessed martial prowess, he should be able to live well among the Han. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t encounter those difficulties he faced in the tribe. Thus, Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather traveled all the way south and finally settled down in the tiny Nearhill Vige seven miles away from Xingyuan Prefecture, Xingzhou, Mingshui County, Seven Mile Vige. Eventually, he married her grandmother and gave birth to her father, Mu Shi. Now that he had arrived in thend of the Han, his son, Mu Shi, was found to possess the strength that he had once dreamed of. This made Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather feel that fate was ying tricks on him. Because his son had the facial characteristics and extraordinary strength of a Hu, his family was subtly ostracized by the vigers. Even as his wife¡¯s family grew distant with them, Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather no longer thought of moving. This was because the final punishment for this act of escapism in exchange for convenience would eventually befall his descendants. Not wanting his descendants to bear the pain on his behalf, he passed this teaching to Mu Shi, whoter passed it on to Mu Yangling. He warned his descendants not to think of running away when they encountered difficulties, because if they escaped, the punishment mightnd on their descendants, who would in turn suffer even more. Perhaps her grandfather was right. Although Mu Yangling was born with divine strength, her younger brother was not outstanding. At the very least, Mu Bowen, who was already five years old, was like an ordinary child and did not inherit the divine strength of his ancestors. If her grandfather had brought her grandmother and father back to the Hu tribe in the end, their family might not be able to live as well as they did now. After all, she and her younger brother were not bad-looking. ording to her father, they looked like her grandfather, who looked like her great-grandmother. Mu Yangling was much stronger than Mu Shi. In order to allow her to control her strength so that she would not hurt herself and others, Mu Shi had taught her martial arts since she was five years old. It was the martial arts that her grandfather had written on a parchment and passed on to him. Although the warrior of the tribe had sent his son away, perhaps he still had a desire in his heart for his descendants to inherit his divine strength. When his son left, not only did he give him all the martial arts secret manuals he had gathered, but he also wrote down the martial arts he practiced for him to take away. That said, it was actually just some external martial arts, involving merely ordinary moves. There wasn¡¯t even a single manual for internal cultivation. This disappointed Mu Yangling, who was full of anticipation. Other than practicing the martial arts that her father had taught her, Mu Yangling also often used the methods of the special forces learnt in her previous life to train herself. Subduing an opponent wasn¡¯t at all an issue for her. However, she was only a little hunter now and had no use for such tactics. In this chaotic world, Mu Yangling also didn¡¯t wish there came a day when those tactics would prove useful. The father and daughter tied the wild boar to the cart and tied the other small prey to themselves. Then, Mu Shi pushed the cart and they rushed to Seven Mile Vige. It generally took them about an hour to walk from the vige to town. Even if they were fast, it would take them forty-five minutes. As the vigers liked to go to the market as early as possible, the father-and-daughter duo did not encounter anyone along the way at this hour. Although it was a chaotic time, the Seven Mile Vige was still very lively. It was all because the Imperial Court¡¯s restrictions on the civilians had weakened. Now that traders and craftsmen were rtively free toe and go, the civilians¡¯ markets¡¯ development also started to thrive. This was not Mu Yangling¡¯s first time in town, so she looked around and suggested to Mu Shi, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t I bring these things to the stall first? You can push the wild boar to the eatery.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Maybe the shopkeepers would be interested in the small prey.¡± Mu Shi said, ¡°There are many well-to-do families in town. Let¡¯s go to the eateries and restaurants to try our luck first. If it doesn¡¯t work, we cane back and set up a stall.¡± After some thought, Mu Yangling agreed. She followed Mu Shi to the center of the town, where the best inns, eateries and restaurants in the entire town were located. Both eateries and restaurants liked their wild game. Since Mu Shi and she were quite capable, they rarely came back from the mountains empty-handed, so they provided a very steady supply of wild game. As early as five years ago, Mu Shi had already established a fixed supplier rtionship with them. As long as they caught prey, they would let the eateries and restaurants have their pick first before bringing them to the market to sell. Among them, because the eateries tended to order thergest quantity, they had priority over the restaurants. Thergest eatery in town was called the Wafting Fragrance Eatery. The owner¡¯s surname was Liu, and he was one of the three Minister Counselors in the vige; the shopkeeper¡¯s surname was Zhang. Thergest restaurant was called the Drunken Cloud Restaurant. The owner¡¯s surname was Zhao, and he was also a Minister Counselor; the shopkeeper was his nephew. Finally, thest Minister Counselor in the vige opened the Happiness Inn. The owner¡¯s name was Sun Yue, and the shopkeeper¡¯s surname was Qian. As they often had to deal with these three families, Mu Shi had introduced them to Mu Yangling in detail when she followed him to town to sell prey at the age of six. The purpose was to make Mu Yangling be very careful not to offend these three families because they were the most influential people in the vige. Even the county magistrate of Mingshui County had to give in to them. Mu Shi stopped the cart at the side door of the Wafting Fragrance Eatery. The assistant shopkeeper of the eatery opened the door and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle Mu, are you here to deliver wild game again?¡± When he saw the wild boar on the cart, he actually gasped in shock. ¡°Is it still alive?¡± Mu Shi beamed and nodded. ¡°It fell into a trap and thankfully did not die. Considering the rich people in town liked to eat fresh food, and because the weather is so hot, I didn¡¯t dare to kill it at home.¡± ¡°Excellent! Our shopkeeper will definitely like it. Wait for me, I¡¯ll call the shopkeeper over.¡± The assistant shopkeeper ran towards the back excitedly while muttering, ¡°How impressive. He even dares to catch a wild boar alive.¡± It had to be known that wild boars were the most ferocious and, unlike domestic pigs, were not tame. Once they were angered, they would bite and stomp on people. The shopkeeper was originally at the front and only nned to let the assistant shopkeeper buy some wild game to keep as backup. When he heard that there was a live wild boar, he quickly threw down his abacus and ran over. Chapter 5: Reward Chapter 5: Reward Editor: As Studios Shopkeeper Zhang took a look at the wild boar and nodded in relief. ¡°Not bad, not bad. We¡¯ll take this wild boar whole. There¡¯s no need to weigh it. Go to the front and collect eight taels of silver from the ountant. The excess will be considered a reward from our boss.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up, but Mu Shi shook his head and said, ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Zhang. It¡¯s just that this wild boar isn¡¯t worth so much money.¡± Mu Shi took the roe deer from his daughter¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°I wonder if you would like to take this roe deer? I have other small prey here.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang looked at Mu Yangling, who was covered in prey, and Mu Yangling shed him a big smile. Merely feeling that this child was a little silly, Shopkeeper Zhang¡¯s gaze quickly moved away from her face andnded on the prey on her body. He asked, ¡°Are these all fresh?¡± ¡°They were only caught this morning.¡± Mu Shi looked at Shopkeeper Zhang with an honest smile. Shopkeeper Zhang nodded slightly. ¡°Then leave some behind and get the silver at the front. You don¡¯t have to decline. My boss happens to be having a banquet these few days and the old masters like these wild game very much. If you catch any more fresh ones, send them to me tomorrow too.¡± Mu Shi was silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper.¡± He carried the tied-up wild boar and brought them into the patio. Then, he plucked some rabbits, pheasants, and roe deer from Mu Yangling and sent them in. Only then did he circle out and bring his daughter to the front to collect the silver. Everyone was dumbfounded. Even Shopkeeper Zhang, who had interacted with Mu Shi many times, was speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mu Shi to have such strength. No wonder he returns fruitful from the mountain every day, and did just fine even when they closed the hillsides to facilitate afforestation.¡± ¡°Shopkeeper, you must be joking. I haven¡¯t heard of such a thing happening,¡± the assistant shopkeeper said with a smile. Shopkeeper Zhang patted his head and said, ¡°How long have you known Mu Shi? I¡¯ve been dealing with him for more than 10 years. In the past, the Jin soldiers didn¡¯t attack here, and this ce wasn¡¯t the border yet. At that time, the government passed a decree to seal the mountains to facilitate afforestation for half a year. No one dared to go hunting in the mountains, unlike now.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang shook his head and walked into the eatery with his hands behind his back. As hunters relied on the mountain forests for a living, once the mountains were sealed off, their lives would not be easy. The government ruled that they had to seal off the mountain for half a year, from the beginning of winter to the beginning of summer. Unfortunately, it was a chaotic world now, and as things were, the civilians already didn¡¯t have enough to eat. Moreover, since this ce had be a border, the wars often spread to the mountain forests. As a result, the implementation of such a policy was highly ineffective. Mu Shi led his daughter to the front and said to her, ¡°Wait for me here first. I¡¯ll go in and get the silver.¡± ¡°Father, I¡¯ll go in with you,¡± Mu Yangling offered excitedly. Although she had been to town a few times, she had never entered the Wafting Fragrance Eatery. Every time, she would send the things to the side door and her father would go in to collect the money himself. Mu Shi patted her head and said, ¡°That won¡¯t do because we still have a lot of prey. You stay here and look after the cart, while I¡¯ll go in and get it. There are many guests inside. We can¡¯t afford to offend them.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling know why Mu Shi had never asked her to enter the Wafting Fragrance Eatery. Mu Yangling looked down at the prey in her hand and could only nod regretfully. ¡°Then go ahead, Father. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Mu Shi ced the cart by the roadside and strode towards the Wafting Fragrance Eatery. Although Shopkeeper Zhang was in charge of the restaurant, the ountant was another person. Therefore, Mu Shi had to run to the front every time to sign his name before collecting the silver from the ountant. Having already been notified, the ountant was very straightforward. After writing a note for Mu Shi to sign, he directly took out eight taels of silver for him. He smiled and said, ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve earned enough today, huh? Eight taels of silver should be enough for your family to live on for half a year, right? Now that you have some money, why don¡¯t you acquire some assets? This way, you can leave some inheritance for your descendants.¡± Other people didn¡¯t know how much Mu Shi had earned, but as the ountant, he often paid out money to Mu Shi, so he naturally knew that this guy earned much more than he did. Since the ountant had already bought more than 10 acres ofnd, logically speaking, Mu Shi should have acquired even more assets. Mu Shi smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not that capable and can only rely on my children to carve out a path on their own. My wife doesn¡¯t stop taking medicine every year and is soon about to give birth. Furthermore, this silver is for paying the autumn tax. Without this, I won¡¯t even be able to pay the autumn tax.¡± The ountant frowned slightly. ¡°The taxes this year have increased by another 10%. I heard that thebor imposed on the people has also increased?¡± Mu Shi nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m the only man at home. How can I be at ease letting the children and their mother stay at home alone? As such, I can only pay more silver as a substitute, on top of the existing taxes. My family is shouldering a heavy burden.¡± Seven Mile Vige was not a big ce, and the ountant happened to be well-informed and was most interested in such matters. He had indeed never heard of Mu Shi acquiring assets, but word had it that he would go to the pharmacy every few days. The ountant shook his head regretfully and felt a little better. So what if he was great at earning money? His wife was a hindrance. Not to mention leaving a fortune for his son, he might not even be able to earn his daughter¡¯s dowry. Thinking about how Mu Shi¡¯s daughter had followed him to the market with prey on her back all year round, he felt even more sorry for them. Nimbly, he stuffed eight taels of silver into Mu Shi¡¯s hands and said with a smile, ¡°Here. If our boss likes it, you will definitely be rewarded when you send more prey over tomorrow. Don¡¯t spend all your money. Keep some and buy somend. Slowly but surely, you will umte a fortune. Remember, Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day.¡± Mu Shi took the money and nodded in agreement, feeling worried too. His Ah Ling was already nine years old, and would be of marriageable age in a few years. Yet, he hadn¡¯t even saved a single piece of dowry for her. When she got married in the future, her inws would look down on her. It seemed that he had to save something for Ah Ling. Mu Shi left the Wafting Fragrance Eatery with a heavy heart. Shopkeeper Zhang had just finished distributing the wild boar between the parts to be left in the restaurant and those to be sent to the owner. At this moment, he came in and saw Mu Shi leave with his head lowered. Curious, he asked the ountant, ¡°What¡¯s going on? He should be thrilled to receive eight taels of silver.¡± The ountant smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t save a single cent due to this year¡¯s taxes. Also, he still doesn¡¯t have any assets at all, so he¡¯s a little sad.¡± The shopkeeper frowned. ¡°The taxes this year are indeed rather heavy. Most importantly, there¡¯s that additionalbor imposed.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang shook his head. ¡°I wonder how many people are selling their children this year.¡± The ountant nced at Shopkeeper Zhang and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, you only gave him eight taels of silver because of this, right? You have to know that the wild boar is worth five taels at most. Including those roe deer, rabbits, and pheasants, it¡¯s only about six taels. You really have a kind heart.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang snorted and said, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I¡¯m not that kind-hearted. This is a reward from the owner to Mu Shi. Mu Shi has been supplying our eatery for more than 10 years and has never taken advantage of us. Just wait and see. Having received eight taels of silver from me today, when he sends more prey over tomorrow, he definitely won¡¯t charge us a cent for them.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang sighed and said, ¡°The owner admires his magnanimous and just character, and that is why he¡¯s rewarding him.¡± At this moment, Mu Yangling was also asking Mu Shi, ¡°Father, Shopkeeper Zhang clearly said that the wild boar was worth eight taels of silver just now. Why did you keep declining and leave so many small prey behind?¡± While pushing the cart, Mu Shi looked at his daughter who had just reached his ribs. He patted her head and said, ¡°Child, you have to remember that there are some benefits that you can¡¯t take. Shopkeeper Zhang is tolerant of us, so that¡¯s all the more reason to be grateful. He was the one who decided to give us the reward. It¡¯s fine if Boss Liu likes the wild boar, but if he doesn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t we be putting Shopkeeper Zhang in a difficult position for nothing? Tomorrow, bring a few rabbits to Shopkeeper Zhang¡¯s family. I¡¯ll send some prey to the eatery. Even if Boss Liu doesn¡¯t like it, with the prey I send overter, he won¡¯t me Shopkeeper Zhang so much.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling look at Mu Shi in surprise. The other party did not look like her rough father who only knew how to stand still while her mother lectured him. Mu Yangling was secretly rmed. Although she had lived for more than 20 years in her previous life, her living environment was actually simple. She had just graduated from university and joined the army for less than a year before she had to enter the cycle of reincarnation. In the past nine years, she had only lived in and traveled between Seven Mile Vige, Nearhill Vige, and the mountain forests. Naturally, she was nowhere as seasoned in the ways of the world as her father. There were still many things in this world that she had to learn and do. She could not be content with what she already knew or take a short-sighted view. Chapter 6: Eldest Great-Aunt Chapter 6: Eldest Great-Aunt Editor: As Studios Mu Shi patted his daughter¡¯s head and said, ¡°You can¡¯t take advantage of others like this. I¡¯ve been dealing with the Wafting Fragrance Eatery for more than 10 years, so I know them better than you do. They have so many suppliers, but how many have they reced over the years? I¡¯m the only exception. Not only because our family provides them with a stable supply, but also because I¡¯m honest and offer a fair price.¡± ¡°But the Wafting Fragrance Eatery has deep pockets. Why would they care about that little tip?¡± Mu Yangling had always thought that the extra silver was a tip, and not something that was included in the payment. Modern people liked to tip, but the rich people in ancient times were even more fond of doing so. If they were in a good mood, they would tip people with silver leaves. If they were in an extremely good mood, they might even tip people with golden leaves. When Mu Yangling was walking on the streets, she saw rich masters and madams tipping people like this. There were also young masters who tipped with their jade pendants or fan pendants. Those things were not expensive to them, but to Mu Yangling and the others, they were worth much more than the silver leaves. This was because most of the silver leaves used to tip people were eight or six cents, but a jade pendant or fan pendant was worth several taels of silver. ¡°The Wafting Fragrance Eatery has indeed deep pockets, but there¡¯s no reason to tip people like this. If it was the owner of the Wafting Fragrance Eatery who rewarded us this time, we would just thank him. However, the one who made the decision was Shopkeeper Zhang. He¡¯s only an employee. He probably saw that our family had trouble making ends meet, so he simply cooked up an excuse to help us. Since that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t make things difficult for him. Even if we don¡¯t make up for the extra money given, we have to send some prey to the Wafting Fragrance Eatery for free so that others won¡¯t gossip.¡± As he had been struggling alone after his parents passed away, Mu Shi was much smarter than his daughter in the ways of the world and could resist all kinds of temptations. Mu Yangling lowered her head and pondered. Then, she said seriously, ¡°Father, I was too eager for quick sess. I can¡¯tpare to you.¡± Mu Shiughed out loud and rubbed his daughter¡¯s hair in amusement. ¡°Little girl, how old are you? How old is your father? You want to catch up to me now? Wait till you gain more experiences in life.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips and thought to herself, ¡®Combining my age in my previous life and the nine years in this life, I¡¯m older than you. It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯d been spending my time on campus. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to graduate, but I joined the army right after graduating. Although there were times of conflict in the army, my life experience can be described as a piece of white paperpared to Father, who had plenty of experience dealing with vigers, rtives, bandits, and merchants.¡¯ Mu Yangling was a little dejected. Mu Shi found it extremely funny. His daughter was only nine years old. He usually thought that she was too steady and did not have the liveliness of a child, but now it seemed that this child had been imitating adults and covering up her childishness. Thinking of this, Mu Shi was a little worried. He did not know why this child was not fond of ying with the children in the vige. If she could y with the children in the vige, she might be more lively. Mu Shi was pondering ways to let his daughter interact more with the children in the vige when Mu Yangling tugged at his sleeve. Mu Shi looked down at her. Mu Yangling pointed to the left and said, ¡°Father, someone just called out to you.¡± That person had shouted ¡®Rocky1¡¯, so she should be calling out to her father. Mu Yangling had once heard her eldest great-uncle address her father like this. Mu Shi turned around and saw a hunched olddy with a basket looking at him uncertainly. When she saw him looking over, she called out with uncertainty, ¡°Rocky?¡± Mu Shi opened his mouth slightly in shock and carefully identified her facial features. ¡°Aunt?¡± The olddy immediately smiled in relief. She held a basket and held a little girl¡¯s hand as she walked over. She said with a beam, ¡°It¡¯s really you, Rocky. At first, I thought I had recognized the wrong person.¡± Mu Shi was also a little excited. ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re here to market too? I haven¡¯t seen you in three to four years.¡± The olddy nodded with a smile. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been three to four years.¡± Seeing Mu Yangling standing beside Mu Shi, she asked, ¡°Is this your eldest daughter, Ah Ling?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mu Shi pulled his daughter over. ¡°This is your great-aunt. Come, greet her.¡± After a moment of surprise, Mu Yangling realized that this was her eldest great-aunt. She quickly straightened her body and shed her a broad grin as she called out, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt.¡± ¡°Aye, aye.¡± Clearly delighted, Eldest Great-aunt stroked Mu Yangling before taking out five copper coins and stuffing them into her hands. ¡°This is from Eldest Great-aunt. Take it, take it.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Mu Shi hesitantly. Seeing Mu Shi nod, she put away the five copper coins and thanked her. ¡°Thank you, Eldest Great-aunt.¡± Eldest Great-aunt was in high spirits. ¡°Ah Ling has grown up and is already so sensible. Your other kid is already five years old, right?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be five this winter solstice.¡± Eldest Great-aunt said with a hint of mncholy, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? When your cousin got into trouble back then, your wife was about to give birth. In the blink of an eye, five years have passed.¡± Mu Shi also looked a little sad. Seeing that her clothes were neat but full of patches, he asked with concern, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, how have you been all these years?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can still move. I can raise my two granddaughters by nting crops on a few acres ofnd.¡± However, Mu Shi and Mu Yangling knew that Eldest Great-aunt was definitely not doing well. The clothes she was wearing were full of patches, and her hands were full of cracks and thick calluses. It was obvious that she hadbored too hard, and herplexion wasn¡¯t looking too good either. The girl standing beside her was also wearing tattered clothes. Thin and small, her hands were full of calluses from work, and there was ck mud between her fingers. From the moment she saw them, her eyes had been glued to the meat on their cart. To be precise, she was staring at the meat and not moving. When Eldest Great-aunt gave Mu Yangling that five copper coins, the girl looked up at her. There was a hint of envy, worry, and above all, reluctance on her face. Seeing that they were obviously struggling to make ends meet themselves, Mu Yangling suddenly felt that the five copper coins in her palm were scorching. While Mu Yangling was letting her imagination run wild, Eldest Great-aunt had already finished catching up with Mu Shi. She smiled and said, ¡°Then hurry up and go set up a stall. It¡¯s already noon. If you don¡¯t go now, you won¡¯t be able to find a good spot. Your niece and I have to go back too.¡± Her eldest great-aunt had brought the eggs from home to sell here. Now that she had sold them all, she naturally had to go back. The West Mountain Vige she resided in was a little far from town. Mu Shi took a pheasant and a rabbit from the cart and stuffed them into her hands. ¡°Aunt, these are for the two children to nourish their bodies. Take them back for a snack.¡± ¡°How can we do that?¡± Eldest Great-aunt declined. ¡°You depend on this to put food on the table. You¡¯re different from us. We havend and can grow our own food while you rely on these to exchange for food. We can¡¯t ept them. Hurry up and put them away.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Great-aunt, quickly ept it. My father is amazing. We¡¯ll just go into the mountains tomorrow to hunt for more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Aunt. Please keep it. Little niece is already seven years old, right? She needs to eat more meat and fish. My family doesn¡¯t have anything else, but we don¡¯tck such wild game.¡± Mu Shi forcefully stuffed it into his aunt¡¯s basket. Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s face flushed red, clearly very embarrassed. However, after seeing the eager look on her little granddaughter¡¯s face, she did not reject him again. Eldest Great-aunt murmured, ¡°Erm, in that case, thank you, Eldest Nephew.¡± She pulled her granddaughter over and said, ¡°Xin, quickly thank your uncle.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Mu Shi took out five copper coins from his pocket and stuffed them into Xin¡¯s hand. He rubbed her head with his big hand and beamed. ¡°You have to eat well and grow up well.¡± Xin smiled shyly. Eldest Great-aunt opened her mouth and her eyes turned slightly red. Yet, she didn¡¯t say anything to reject him. Chapter 7: Selling Chapter 7: Selling Editor: As Studios Mu Shi took his daughter to the office to pay taxes and get the stall. In the past, markets and marketces did not charge taxes and freely allowed themoners to set up stalls to sell small things. However, the Great Zhou Dynasty had been defeated repeatedly over the years. Coupled with the extravagance of the royal family, it was no longer enough to rely on poll tax andnd tax. Therefore, the taxes onmerce were extremely heavy. Even the markets in the towns and marketces in the countryside started collecting taxes. In the past, when Xingyuan Prefecture was not the border, people had to pay taxes when they entered the city. Later, because Xingyuan Prefecture became the border, other than ordinary taxes, they were also forced to raise taxes for military pay from time to time. Because the taxes were too heavy, Xingyuan Prefecture almost rebelled. In response, the Imperial Court could only cancel the city entrance taxes and some misceneous charges. But even so, the additional taxes they had to pay every year were still very hefty. Therefore, there were fewer people setting up stalls now. Even though they arrivedte, there were still stalls to choose from. Mu Shi was already a regr in the market, so the moment the person-in-charge saw him, he gave him a sign and said, ¡°The stall you usually use is empty. Take it.¡± After thanking him, Mu Shi paid the tax with the copper coins. Then, he pushed the cart to his stall. Seated cross-legged behind him, Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°Father, is that our biological great-aunt? Why haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡± ¡°She even carried you before. When you refused to drink milk, she taught us to feed you with rice soup. You survived thanks to her.¡± Is that so? Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. How could she not remember when she had memories since she was born? Mu Yangling tilted her head and recalled carefully. This made Mu Shiugh and say, ¡°Silly girl, how could you remember when you didn¡¯t yet have memories then? Don¡¯t think about it anymore. Your eldest great-aunt hasn¡¯t returned to our vige since you were four years old. Naturally, you haven¡¯t seen her.¡± ¡°Did Eldest Great-aunt marry far away?¡± In this era, only those who married far away would not return to their parents¡¯ home. Mu Shi shook his head. ¡°No, she lives in West Mountain Vige, which is right behind the mountain. We¡¯ll reach it after crossing the mountain to the west of our house. It¡¯s very near.¡± Mu Yangling was shocked. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Eldest Great-aunt go home? Ahh, it¡¯s dangerous on the mountain. She¡¯s old and needs to take a detour.¡± Although West Mountain was not as dangerous as the mountain in front of their house, it was still lush with ferocious beasts roaming around. Therefore, most people would have to take a long detour, which would take an extra two hours. However, Mu Shi shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Mu Shi pondered and said, ¡°Your eldest great-aunt married into the Ma family of West Mountain Vige. She only has one son, your uncle¡­¡± Eldest Great-aunt Ma-Liu led a hard life. In fact, it could even be said to be tragic. She had lost her husband when she was young. It had not been easy for her to raise her son, but he got involved in a fierce fight and died early. Her daughter-inw also suffered severe injuries in an attempt to save him. Later on, bearing those serious wounds, she gave birth to a baby boy, which died within an hour from birth. Now, she only had two granddaughters to rely on. Mu Shi said, ¡°Your uncle was led astray by his cousin, but not only did that cousin¡¯s family not feel guilty, they even med your eldest great-aunt, saying that she jinxed her husband and children. Your great-uncles couldn¡¯t help her much, so your eldest great-aunt was disheartened and didn¡¯t return to her maternal home.¡± Mu Shi said apologetically, ¡°Back then, your eldest great-aunt treated me well, but all these years, my attention was so focused on the two of you that I forgot about her. She is single-handedly raising two young children, in addition to being bullied by her brother-inw and his wife. I wonder how she¡¯s doing in West Mountain Vige.¡± The more Mu Shi spoke, the more uneasy he felt. His expression became a little ugly. ¡°When we get home, I¡¯ll go to West Mountain Vige to see your great-aunt.¡± Mu Yangling also had a good impression of this great-aunt. When she heard this, she smiled and said, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t I go? You¡¯re so burly. If you go, Eldest Great-aunt will definitely be unhappy, for she¡¯ll think that you¡¯re helping them out of pity. I think it¡¯s better for me to go. West Mountain is not far from our house anyway. With my speed, I¡¯ll be able to cross it in an hour.¡± Mu Shi was never worried about his daughter entering the mountain. His daughter was stronger than him, and her survival skills in the forest were even stronger than his. Mu Shi could only categorize these as talents. Otherwise, he really could not figure out how a nine-year-old child knew how to guard against poisonous snakes and insects in the forest, as well as how to determine the direction in the dense forest. ¡°Boss, how much are these rabbits?¡± A young wife carrying a basket asked. Seeing that there was business, Mu Shi quickly stood up and smiled. ¡°This rabbit costs 20 copper coins a catty.¡± The young woman frowned in disdain. ¡°Has this rabbit been dead for a long time? Is it worth 20 copper coins?¡± Mu Shi patted his chest and said, ¡°It¡¯s all caught this morning. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m famous in this area. I never sell wild animals killed the previous day.¡± The young woman raised her eyebrows and looked at him with a smile. ¡°What if there are leftovers?¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes in her heart, feeling that the other party was wasting her efforts acting coquettish. As expected, Mu Shi replied seriously, ¡°If there are leftovers, our family will dry them and keep them as rations. We never sell leftovers to outsiders.¡± As the young woman hesitated, Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°Sister-inw, the wild animals sold by us are the freshest on this street. Why don¡¯t you ask around? They are all sent over on the same day. Moreover, our wild animals are considered the cheapest on this street.¡± Seeing that she was called ¡®sister-inw¡¯ by a child, the young woman felt happy. Thinking that it made no difference whether she bought it here or elsewhere, and this shop did look good, she pointed at one of the rabbits and said, ¡°Then I want this one. Boss, weigh it for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mu Shi quickly weighed it and said, ¡°Three catties and nine taels. I¡¯ll count it as three and a half catties. Just give me 70 copper coins.¡± The young woman carefully counted out 70 copper coins from her purse and gave it to Mu Yangling. She smiled and said, ¡°If your rabbit is delicious, I¡¯ll be a return customer. But if my husband finds out that it¡¯s not fresh, I¡¯lle back and find you.¡± Mu Shi patted his chest and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our family often sells wild animals on this street. If you don¡¯t find it fresh tonight, just look for me tomorrow.¡± Only then did the young woman leave in satisfaction. Mu Yangling looked at the 70 copper coins in her palm with starry eyes and whispered, ¡°Father, I was the one who shot this rabbit.¡± Mu Shiughed heartily. ¡°Alright, take this money. You can use it to buy candy to share with your younger brotherter.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat candy. I¡¯ll save it to buy some millet for Mother and Brother.¡± Shu Wanniang¡¯s spleen and stomach were weak, and her brother, Mu Bowen, was also a little frail, so they had to eat millet and other nutritious food. Mu Shi was relieved to see that his daughter was so sensible and considerate. Mu Shi often sold wild animals here, so there were many regr customers. In no time, the remaining wild animals were sold out. Mu Yangling happily counted the copper coins and said to Mu Shi, ¡°Father, we¡¯ve earned 538 copper coins. Let¡¯s buy some pork ribster and stew them for Mother.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy you another catty of pork belly.¡± Mu Yangling immediately grinned like a flower, revealing a small dimple on her left cheek, making Mu Shi¡¯s mood improve. When Mu Shi brought his daughter to buy pork, Mu Yangling could not help but swallow her saliva. Although their family had nevercked meat, wild animals¡¯ fat content was nowhereparable to domestic animals¡¯. In this era, other than those rich families who preferred wild animals to domestic animals because they were tired of eating chicken, duck, and fish, ordinary people preferred eating domestic animals because they were fat. Mu Yangling also liked to eat domesticated pork and chicken more now because they had higher fat content. Mu Shi was familiar with Butcher Chang, who lived in town. Usually, when Mu Shi had no time to set up a stall, he would sell wild animals to Butcher Chang and let him resell them. At the sight of Mu Shi, Butcher Chang said with a smile, ¡°Old Mu, I heard that you¡¯ve made a lot of money?¡± There were no secrets in town, which was why the minute Mu Shi left the Wafting Fragrance Eatery, news that he had made eight taels of silver started spreading everywhere. Mu Shi was helpless. ¡°There won¡¯t be much left after we pay the taxes.¡± Butcher Chang was also a little sad. ¡°That¡¯s right. The taxes this year are too heavy.¡± Sticking her head out to look at the pork on his chopping board, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Uncle Chang, give my family a catty of pork belly and a piece of pork rib.¡± Her crisp voice broke the somewhat depressing atmosphere. Butcher Chang grinned. ¡°Alright, youngdy, wait a minute. Uncle Chang will cut it for you now.¡± Chapter 8: The Price of Grains Chapter 8: The Price of Grains Editor: As Studios Butcher Chang had very urate knife skills, perfectly cutting out a catty of streaky pork with just one sh. He took the pork ribs and tied them with a rope before handing them to Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling looked up at her father, and thetter beamed at her. Mu Yangling smiled and took out the copper coins for Butcher Chang. Butcher Chang smiled and said, ¡°Not bad. The youngdy can take care of things now. You¡¯ve given birth to a good daughter, Old Mu.¡± Mu Shi puffed out his chest proudly and waved at Butcher Chang before heading to the grain store. Noticing that the price of grains had increased again, Mu Shi frowned, feeling a little uneasy. After a moment¡¯s thought, he said to the boss, ¡°I want 20 catties of millet, 2 stone of rice, 60 catties of white flour, and 60 catties of ck flour.¡± The boss raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Mu Shi in surprise. Mu Shi scratched his head in embarrassment and smiled. ¡°My family doesn¡¯t grow food, so we can only buy it from elsewhere. Since I made some money today, I bought more so that the food canst for longer.¡± Looking at Mu Shi¡¯s honest appearance, the boss nodded. He said to his child, ¡°Go get a bag for Old Master Mu.¡± One stone of rice was 120 catties. Other than the millet, the rice and flour only added up to 360 catties. As Mu Shi and Mu Yangling had a huge appetite, this bit of food was only enough tost their family for three months. However, these cost quite a lot of money, even though Mu Shi had already chosen medium-grade rice and white flour. Medium-grade rice cost 1 tael of silver and 300 copper coins per stone. Previously, it was only 1 tael of silver and 200 copper coins. It had to be known that it was already the autumn harvest now. Previously, it was only 1 tael of silver and 200 copper coins when there was short supply. Now, seeing that the price had increased by 100 copper coins, Mu Shi could not help but ponder. Medium-grade white flour cost 12 copper coins per catty, while ck flour cost 9 copper coins per catty. The millet was the most expensive, at the price of 18 copper coins per catty. The prices of everything had increased. Mu Yangling usually paid attention to the price of grains, but now, she could not help but quieten down. She knew that something was wrong. After the employee from the grain store packed the goods for them, the boss started calcting the total on his abacus. Mu Yangling had already calcted it in her heart. ¡°The total is 4 taels of silver and 220 copper coins,¡± the shop owner and Mu Yangling said in unison. The boss of the grain store looked at Mu Yangling in surprise. In this day and age, there were very few people who knew how to calcte. There were even fewer people who could calcte so quickly. Mu Shi took out silver to pay, but the 220 copper coins came from Mu Yangling. This way, only 4 taels and 283 copper coins remained from today¡¯s earnings. After deducting the 50 copper coins he had paid for the stall in the market today, he was only left with 4 taels and 233 copper coins. Not to mention Mu Yangling, even Mu Shi could not help but feel a little dejected. Moreover, Mu Shi had wanted to buy more food just in case. Mu Shi did not let his daughter carry the food out, for he had always been careful not to let his daughter show her strength among people other than the vigers. After tying up the things he had bought on the cart, Mu Shi said to his silent daughter, ¡°Get in the cart quickly. I¡¯ll push you back.¡± Mu Yangling quickly climbed onto the cart and sat with her back facing her father. She said in a high voice, ¡°Father, I¡¯m seated. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go now.¡± The cart started to move steadily. Mu Yangling tilted her head to look at the stalls on both sides with some worry in her eyes. As this was the border, other than being affected by natural disasters and seasons, the supply of grains was also affected by the war. She did not know about other ces, but from what the elders in the vige said, it could be considered a bumper harvest this year. The wheat and rice in the fields were gradually ripening, and the vige was slowly starting to harvest its crops. Logically speaking, the price of grains should be slowly decreasing at this time, but at this moment, the price of grains was rising instead. Mu Yangling was not in a good mood, but she did not want to affect Mu Shi, so she could only turn her back to him and try her best to pretend to be cheerful and rxed. However, Mu Shi was not as worried as Mu Yangling. After all, he had been through a lot. Although he was initially worried, he soon got over it and decided that he would cross the bridge when the time came. Standing in front of the door, Shu Wanniang waited for them toe back. Little Bowen squatted at the side and yed by himself. When he saw his father pushing his sister back, he immediately threw away the stone in his hand and ran over. Mu Shi stopped the cart. Mu Yangling jumped down, picked up her younger brother, and ced him on the cart. With a beam, she said, ¡°Sit and let Father push you back.¡± A little out of breath after running all the way over, Little Bowen did not resist when his sister carried him onto the cart with one hand. Instead, he grabbed the bag of grains excitedly and shouted with sparkling eyes, ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± Seeing his son in such high spirits, Mu Shi was overjoyed and quickened his pace. Little Bowen let out squeals of excitement along the way. Soon, the family arrived at the door. Shu Wanniang looked at them with curved eyes and waved at Little Bowen. ¡°Come down quickly. Don¡¯t tire your father out.¡± Mu Yangling carried her brother down and turned around with a smile. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s only a few hundred catties. Father definitely won¡¯t be tired.¡± Mu Shi nodded repeatedly. ¡°Even a few hundred more catties won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Shu Wanniang wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and said gently, ¡°I know you¡¯re strong, but on such a hot day, it¡¯s hard to walk on the road even when empty-handed. Why didn¡¯t you wait for the sun to set beforeing back?¡± Mu Shi smiled innocently and said, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you and our son.¡± Mu Shi looked at Shu Wanniang¡¯s stomach. ¡°You have to be careful now that you¡¯re seven months into the pregnancy.¡± Shu Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I only walk around the house and don¡¯t do heavy work. What can possibly happen?¡± Seeing that her parents were showing off their love, Mu Yangling walked into the house with a bag of rice in each arm. Little Bowen looked at his sister, who was almost drowned underneath the bags of rice, and then at his mother, who was still wiping his father¡¯s sweat. Then, he quickly followed his sister with his short legs. Mu Yangling ced the rice on the ground. When she saw her brother, she took out a piece of candy from her pocket and stuffed it into his hand. ¡°I bought this for you. Eat it quickly.¡± Little Bowen¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Where¡¯s yours?¡± Mu Yangling wrinkled her nose and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like candy. You should eat it.¡± Little Bowen felt that there was no one in this world who didn¡¯t like candy, thus assuming his sister must be saying that to let him have the candy. Therefore, Little Bowen opened the candy wrapper very lovingly and licked it before putting it to his sister¡¯s mouth. He said, ¡°Sister, eat quickly. Let¡¯s take a bite each.¡± Looking at Little Bowen¡¯s saliva, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t bring herself to eat it. She shook her head and waved her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t eat candy. I heard that one who eats too much candy will lose their teeth, so I won¡¯t eat it. You can have it all to yourself.¡± Little Bowen nodded in understanding. ¡°By the way, did you lose your teeth because you ate too much candy?¡± Little Bowen hesitated. ¡°If I eat candy, will I lose my teeth like Sister?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mu Yangling reiterated sternly, ¡°I lost my teeth not because I ate candy, but because I¡¯m growing up. When you grow up, you¡¯ll lose your teeth too.¡± Little Bowen looked at his sister in horror. Mu Yangling turned around and went out to continue moving the remaining grains. Little Bowen faced the candy in his hand alone and muttered to himself, ¡°Since I¡¯ll lose my teeth when I grow up anyway, I¡¯ll just eat more now. In any case, my teeth will fall out¡­¡± Mu Yangling, who had already walked out of the room, happened to hear it. ¡°¡­¡± By the time Mu Yangling finished moving everything back to the room, Shu Wanniang had already gone into the kitchen to prepare food for the father and daughter. Mu Shi stood outside the kitchen and said, ¡°Let me do it. Your stomach is getting bigger and bigger.¡± Shu Wanniang smiled and said, ¡°Those who are seven months pregnant still go down to farm in the fields. I¡¯m just going into the kitchen. Go into the central room and sit down. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Mu Yangling and Little Bowen nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s right, Father. Go in quickly and let Mother cook.¡± Mu Shi patted their heads. ¡°Aren¡¯t you justining that my cooking isn¡¯t great? It¡¯s already good enough to have something to eat. Besides, your father¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t bad either.¡± It was not bad, butpared to their mother¡¯s, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. Mu Yangling and Little Bowen thought to themselves. Chapter 9: Shock Chapter 9: Shock Editor: As Studios In the end, it was Shu Wanniang who cooked. She was no longer the delicate youngdy from 10 years ago. Though her husband doted on her, she could not make things difficult for him while she lived in her own world all the time. Mu Shi took out all the money in the house and counted it. There were more than seven taels of silver in total. He put the copper coins that totaled less than 100 copper coins to the side and sat cross-legged on the brick bed, staring at the seven taels of silver and 500 copper coins in a daze. Shu Wanniang came in with her hand on her stomach and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the tax only six taels? We already have enough, what are you worried about?¡± Mu Shi frowned. ¡°The price of grains in the grain store in town has increased. I¡¯m afraid that the situation at the border will be unstable again.¡± Looking at Shu Wanniang¡¯s big belly, Mu Shi felt vexed. He said irritably, ¡°Why don¡¯t we hide in the south?¡± ¡°How can we?¡± Shu Wanniang was shocked. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s difficult toe back after leaving our homnd. Besides, we¡¯ll incur much expenses should we leave. What can we do with just a tael of silver?¡± How could Mu Shi not know? His wife was heavily pregnant, and his son wasn¡¯t in good health. If they fled south, they would have to have a donkey cart, right? s, their family had nothing except a cart. When outside, even if they could use their own grains, what about other food? There was also amodation, as well as the cost of entering the city. All of these required money. His wife was already seven months pregnant and needed to be careful¡­ However, Mu Shi could not help but feel flustered. This was a kind of vignce that only appeared when facing danger. He had never made a mistake. Feeling thirsty, Mu Shi drank a bowl of water, before touching his wife¡¯s sharp stomach. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s stock up on more food. If something really happens, we¡¯ll escape into the mountains.¡± Shu Wanniang lowered her eyes. ¡°But there are also ferocious beasts in the mountains. Besides, we only have a tael of silver left after paying taxes. How much food can we buy?¡± Mu Shi was a little discouraged. He needed to prepare a sum of money for his wife to give birth. Recalling that it had been a precarious situation thest time she gave birth to their son, he could not spend all the money they had on hand. With a smile, Shu Wanniang patted his hand. She said gently, ¡°Pay the taxes first. There will be a way out when the timees. At most, we¡¯ll just follow the vigers.¡± ¡°But your health¡­¡± ¡°My health isn¡¯t as bad as you think.¡± Shu Wanniang smiled and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s not bad. When the timees, with you protecting us, we¡¯ll be better off than others.¡± Shu Wanniang wasn¡¯t very worried. There would be a way out for sure, no matter what challenges life brought. Ten years ago, she would never have thought that she would cook, make needlework to sell, or even nt vegetables in the fields and wash clothes by the river. At that time, she felt that she would be better off dead than have to live like this. However, when the time came, she felt that there was nothing bad about this life. Yes, it was a little physically tiring, but it was also mentally satisfying. When she got used to itter, she did not even feel tired anymore. Running away might sound very torturous for now, but when the time came, it should not be difficult to ept it. Shu Wanniang had always been open-minded. On the other hand, Mu Shi had always been very nervous about matters concerning his wife. Not quite as optimistic as her, he decided he would go to the county tomorrow to sell all the leather goods at home and leave more money at home for emergencies. Mu Bowen was reading the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯ under a tree while Mu Yangling sat in front of the door and listened to her parents¡¯ conversation in a daze. What¡¯s the quickest way to make money? Mu Yangling pondered while making use of her knowledge and experience from two lifetimes. She came to the conclusion that the fastest way to make a fortune was through robbery! The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched. She threw this thought away and sighed. It was better to let her father worry about this profound problem. Counting on her fingers, she realized that other than fighting, there was nothing else she was good at. As for the various knowledge about mechanical stuff and war that she had learned in university, it was not rted to earning money. Not only was it not rted, it could be said that the things she had learned were not very useful in this era. Machinery manufacturing was based on steel forging and various sophisticated machines. As for war, she studied modern and contemporary modes of information warfare. If she was given a radio, she might be able to modify the monitoring andmunication functions. But what use was that now? She might be able to make guns and ammunition if she was given time to explore, but making hot weapons in the era of cold weapons was undoubtedly a blow to the people of this world. She was not so crazy. Therefore, in summary, other than fighting and hunting, she was useless. Even when it came to cooking, she only knew how to whip up stir-fried vegetables and scrambled eggs, the kind that only had oil and salt added. Mu Yangling was ashamed, feeling like she had lived her previous life in vain, for she felt that she could not do anything for her family. Just as Mu Yangling was feeling ashamed, Mu Bowen obediently called out ¡°Eldest Great-uncle¡±. Mu Yangling snapped out of her thoughts and saw Liu Daqian standing at the door, hesitating. Meeting Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes, Liu Daqian smiled awkwardly. ¡°Ah Ling, where are your parents?¡± Mu Yangling quickly weed him in. ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, my parents are in the house. Come in quickly.¡± In the room, Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang hurriedly put away the money when they heard the sound. Mu Shi handed the things to Shu Wanniang and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go out and wee him.¡± Shu Wanniang nodded. Liu Daqian was Mu Shi¡¯s uncle, so Mu Shi respectfully invited him into the house. Shu Wanniang poured him a bowl of tea. Liu Daqian would never visit without a reason. He took a look at the furnishings in the Mu Residence and saw that it was still the same as when his younger sister was still alive, and even the number of tables and chairs remained the same. He sighed slightly. He also knew that his nephew had a tough life. Although he earned a lot, he also spent a lot. He had married a pampered youngdy. His eldest daughter was not bad, but his son was sickly and had to take medicine and see a doctor every other day. Nevertheless, no matter how bad their situation was, they were still much better off than his family. Liu Daqian clenched his fists and opened his mouth, unable to speak. Mu Shi said, ¡°Eldest Uncle, if there¡¯s anything you need, just say it. I¡¯ll definitely help you if I can.¡± Liu Daqian didn¡¯te to their house often. If there was anything, he would call his grandson over to call Mu Shi over to the Liu family to talk. During the new year and festivals, he only asked his children toe over to give gifts and return gifts. Thest time he came was because Bowen was born, to congratte Mu Shi for finally having a sessor. Liu Daqian heaved a sigh of relief and slumped his shoulders. ¡°Rocky1, have you prepared your tax money?¡± ¡°Yes, a wild boar fell into the trap this morning. That¡¯s how we managed to raise the money.¡± Liu Daqian took a puff of his pipe. His face was slightly red, but he still said, ¡°Your cousins¡¯ taxes haven¡¯t been settled yet. I know it¡¯s difficult for you, but I still need toe over to ask. If you have any money, do help them¡­¡± Liu Daqian had never begged this nephew of his, so it was exceptionally difficult for him to ask this favor. Mu Shi was a little surprised. ¡°Uncle, doesn¡¯t your family contribute grains instead? Why do you have to pay tax money?¡± With a sigh, Liu Daqian said sadly, ¡°This is not considered tax money, but payment to a porter. In the past, one could also contribute grains as payment to a porter, but this year, not only did the price of grains drop by 10%, but the payment to a porter also needs to be paid in silver. Early this morning, your cousin found out from the Minister Counselor¡¯s family that the price of grains is only 420.8 copper coins per stone. It¡¯s almost 100 copper coins less thanst year. We can¡¯t bear to sell it at such a low price.¡± Mu Shi jumped up in shock. ¡°How can it be so little? I went to town to buy rice today, and even the medium-grade rice costs 1 tael of silver and 300 copper coins¡­¡± Chapter 10: Shame Chapter 10: Shame Editor: As Studios One stone of grain could produce at least 70 catties of rice. Even in the worst case scenario, it should be at least 60 catties per half a stone, right? ording to the worst case scenario, 841.6 copper coins could buy one stone of rice. Even if the merchants wanted to earn money, ording tomon sense, the most they should be charging was one tael of silver. In the previous autumn harvests, medium-grade rice was priced at one tael of silver per stone. Mu Shi and Liu Daqian¡¯s faces darkened. Liu Daqian asked with a dark expression, ¡°Did you really buy the medium-rice for 1 tael and 300 copper coins yesterday?¡± Mu Shi nodded. Liu Daqian¡¯s hand trembled slightly. ¡°This, this heartless person actually earned almost twice as much¡­¡± Mu Shi also lowered his eyes and did not speak. The grain stores in the town and the county were owned by rich families, and the three minister counselors in town were among them. Mu Shi said, ¡°I was thinking of going to the county tomorrow to sell the leather goods and stock up on food¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Liu Daqian said angrily. ¡°Every family in the vige has grains. Why do you need to buy it in the town or county? You¡¯ll only benefit those bastards¡­¡± Mu Shi fell silent. Previously, when the price of grain had risen, he was afraid that there had been a change in the situation at the border and he considered going south. However, now, the price of grain where his eldest uncle lived had lowered. Coupled with the increase in taxes this year, it was obvious that someone was maliciously raising the price of rice in the town and the county and lowering the price of grain in the countryside. Liu Daqian naturally thought of the same thing, but there was nothing he could do. He needed to make this year¡¯s payment to a porter in silver. The only thing the vigers could exchange for money was grains. Those people must have colluded to lower the price of grains, so the price of grains would be the same no matter who they sold it to. When Mu Shi saw Liu Daqian¡¯s face full of worry, he thought for a moment and went into the house to take out 1 tael of silver and 50 copper coins. ¡°Eldest Uncle, this is all I have left after paying the tax. Just treat it as me buying grains from you.¡± Liu Daqian tightened his grip on the silver in his hand and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll get your cousins to carry the grains over for youter. It¡¯s all new grains harvested this year.¡± Mu Shi hurriedly said, ¡°Just charge mest year¡¯s grain price.¡± Last year, the grain price at this time of the year was about 495 copper coins. Liu Daqian nodded in agreement and stood up. ¡°My family has the money for the payment to a porter now, but there are so many vigers who are still in the dark. I¡¯ll discuss with the old fellows in the vige and see if there¡¯s any way. We can¡¯t let those people scheme against us like this.¡± Liu Daqian walked away with his hands behind his back. Mu Yangling, who was cleaning the courtyard, shouted when she saw him leaving, ¡°Take care, Eldest Great-uncle.¡± Liu Daqian nodded slightly. ¡°Ah Ling, your cousin Lang picked up two tattered books. You cane to my house and take a look. If they¡¯re useful, bring them back for your younger brother. Your cousins can¡¯t read a single word, so there¡¯s no point in us keeping them.¡± Mu Yangling replied happily, ¡°I¡¯ll go after the sun sets.¡± Liu Daqian¡¯s eldest grandson, Liu Lang, loved to walk around the streets and alleys to y. He would often pick up some things to bring home, and so long as it was anything paper-rted, he would send it to Mu Shi¡¯s house. Because in the entire vige, only the Mu family could read. To be precise, Shu Wanniang was the only one who could read. Mu Shi, Mu Yangling and Mu Bowen all learned how to read from Shu Wanniang. It was also because Shu Wanniang was literate that others didn¡¯t really gossip about her even though she was not very good at doing chores. This was simply because literacy was too esteemed in this era. Seeing that Liu Daqian had left, Mu Yangling ran back into the house and asked anxiously, ¡°Father, should we still stock up on grains?¡± ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s buy it directly from the vigers. We don¡¯t have to go to town or county and can save a lot of money. When the timees, we can just send it to the town mill to grind it into rice.¡± Shu Wanniang sighed and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for everyone to have such a good harvest this year. I thought that everyone¡¯s days would be more rxed, but who knew that the grains would be deliberately undervalued? It really hurts the farmers.¡± Mu Shi scratched his head. There was nothing he could do. ¡°Father, those who are lowering the price are all local squires. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine if we sell the grains to passing merchants? At least we can raise the price.¡± Shu Wanniang shook her head andughed. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think.¡± Mu Shi chimed in, ¡°Now that it¡¯s autumn harvest, there¡¯s more or less grains everywhere. The price of grains has already decreased. Coupled with the long journey, who woulde to the border to transport grains for no reason? Alright, since even we adults can¡¯te up with a good idea, you shouldn¡¯t get involved when you¡¯re just a child.¡± She was being looked down upon. Mu Yangling was furious. Although she looked like a child on the outside, she was an adult on the inside! She was determined to find a way, or else she would have lived for so many years in vain. Mu Shi did not know what his daughter was thinking. When he saw her eyes widen, he said, ¡°This is a matter for adults. You¡¯ve been busy for most of the day. Go y with your brother now. Keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t let him go out and get too much sun.¡± Seeing that Mu Shi was about to turn around and go to the storeroom, Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°Father, why are you going to the storeroom?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and sort out the leather goods. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the county to sell them. Your mother is about to give birth, so we have to leave some money at home.¡± Mu Shi felt sorry for his daughter, who had been working hard for most of the day, so he said, ¡°Go and have fun. If you don¡¯t want to y, go into the house and lie down for a while. Father will wake up early tomorrow and will probably only be back in the middle of the night. So, don¡¯t go to the mountains tomorrow. Stay at home and take care of your mother and brother.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes darted around, before responding and running out to look for her brother. Little Bowen was obediently shaking his head as he memorized the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯ when Mu Yangling ran forward and grabbed the book from his hand. ¡°Stop memorizing and go y with me.¡± Little Bowen struggled for a moment and said, ¡°But Mother told me to memorize till the fifth page before I can go out and y.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already memorized it for so long. Nothing more will stick even if you continue. Why don¡¯t you go y with me for a while and memorize it when youe back in the evening? I¡¯ll help you start the fire and cook dinner tonight, while you focus on memorizing the book.¡± Little Bowen revealed a joyful smile and nodded obediently. ¡°Then, Sister, where are we going to y?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to Cousin Lang¡¯s house first. He picked up two books with words. Let¡¯s see what books they are and if they can be used. Then, I¡¯ll take you to y with Goudan and the others.¡± Goudan was the only son of Widow Liu who lived at the entrance of the vige. Like Little Bowen, he was only five years old. He was the ¡®king¡¯ of the children in the vige who were five or six years old. Little Bowen often yed with them. Little Bowen happily took the book back and put it away. Then, he ran out to hold his sister¡¯s hand and skipped towards Cousin Lang¡¯s house. Most of the people in Nearhill Vige had the surname Liu. Although there was also the surname Ma, Hu, and Zhang, they were the only family with the surname Mu. Therefore, as long as they mentioned the Mu family of Nearhill Vige, everyone knew that they were referring to their family. The Mu family lived at the foot of the mountain, in a residence consisting of five tiled-roofed houses. Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather had built them before he married her grandmother. At that time, countless people were envious, for they were the only family in the vige to live in such a house. 15 minutes to the southeast was the area with the houses most densely gathered in the vige. Eldest Great-uncle¡¯s residence was among them. Eldest Great-uncle Liu Daqian had a total of three sons and two daughters, but in the end, only two sons remained. His second son had died of illness when he was only three years old. His two daughters had died in the military disaster 12 years ago, and Mu Yangling¡¯s grandparents had also died in that military disaster. Therefore, Eldest Great-uncle was now living with his two sons and had not split up the family assets. As it was a busy period during the autumn, the adults were allboring hard to harvest crops in the fields. Since there were not many people in the vige, the siblings did not meet anyone when they walked over. The children above the age of six had probably been deployed to work in the fields. Their eldest cousin, Liu Lang, was pressing his eight-year-old brother, Liu Lun, into a basin to take a shower. As he washed him, he scolded, ¡°Who told you to be disobedient? When Fatheres back tonight, I¡¯ll see if he beats you up.¡± Mu Yangling pushed the door open and entered. She blinked at the two people in the courtyard and asked, ¡°Cousin Lang, Cousin Lun, what are you doing?¡± Liu Lun screamed and grabbed the clothes from the stool to cover his chest. He shouted, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to look. Turn around, turn around! Brother, quickly chase her out!¡± Liu Lang looked at his brother in a daze. Then, he suddenly jumped up and blocked in front of his younger brother. He shouted, ¡°Hey, you guys should go out first. Come in after Ah Lun is done putting on his clothes.¡± Who would care to watch an eight-year-old bathe? Mu Yangling rolled her eyes and brought her dazed brother out, closing the door on her way out. Liu Lun jumped out of the basin and started to put on his clothes in a hurry. Eyes reddened, he looked as if he was about to cry. ¡°She saw it. She must have seen it. Why didn¡¯t you close the door just now?¡± Liu Lang defended himself. ¡°How would I know that someone woulde? Isn¡¯t everyone in the field now?¡± Liu Lun wiped his tears aggrievedly. Liu Lang hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. She definitely didn¡¯t see it. You were sitting in the basin at that time, and you moved so quickly.¡± ¡°She really didn¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°No, definitely not,¡± Liu Lang affirmed. Chapter 11: History Chapter 11: History Editor: As Studios When Liu Lang opened the door with a straight face, Mu Yangling looked at him with a smile. ¡°Cousin Lang, how old is Cousin Lun? He¡¯s too particr.¡± Liu Lang¡¯s face darkened even more. He lectured her with a straight face, ¡°You¡¯re already nine years old, and Ah Lun is also eight years old. You¡¯re going to get married in a few years. Why are you still so rash? Fortunately, only the few of us know about what happened today, plus we¡¯re cousins. If it were someone else, what would you do if they insist you take responsibility by marrying him?¡± Mu Yangling opened her mouth wide and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m only nine years old¡­¡± Liu Lang frowned. ¡°A nine-year-old is already an adult. Third Uncle Liu¡¯s tanned daughter got married when she was 13 years old.¡± Mu Yangling immediately shut her mouth. 13 years old¡­ Liu Lun had already put on his clothes and was washing them. When he saw his cousins enter, he snorted and returned to his room with his head raised. Mu Yangling saw that the corners of his eyes were still a little red and only then did she know that this child really minded. Clueless as to what had just happened, Little Bowen looked at his cousin and sister in a daze and didn¡¯t dare to joke anymore. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Cousin Lang, Eldest Great-uncle said that you picked up two books, so I came to take a look.¡± ¡°Okay, wait for me. I¡¯ll go in and get it for you.¡± Liu Lang left them in the courtyard and returned to his room. Alright, she only took a nce, and now, she was not even qualified to enter the house. Liu Lang handed the two tattered books to Mu Yangling and said, ¡°I picked them up from a family¡¯s trash bin in town. I took them back because I saw that there were words on them.¡± As there was no bookstore in Seven Mile Vige, they had to go to the county if they wanted to buy books. Moreover, because a book was not cheap, books were passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, very few people threw books away like trash in this era. This was the first time Liu Lang had picked up such a treasure. However, as no one in their family was literate, they had no use for it, so he might as well give them to their cousins. Mu Yangling took the two books. The book cover was tattered, as if someone had torn it. Flipping it open, she realized that it was ¡®The Analects¡¯. Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up and she said happily, ¡°Cousin Lang, this is ¡®The Analects¡¯. Although the first five pages were torn, the rest of the book isplete. This is awesome. After I finish reciting the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯, I can read ¡®The Analects¡¯.¡± Liu Lang was incredibly envious because he did not understand what ¡®The Analects¡¯ was at all. He said sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s good that you find it useful. Take it back and use it. I¡¯ll look around again in the future and see if I can find more stuff with words on them.¡± Seeing that he was staring at the book in her hand with desire, Mu Yangling suggested, ¡°Cousin Lang, why don¡¯t I teach you how to read? You¡¯ll have an easier time finding your way when you go out in the future.¡± Though tempted, Liu Lang said hesitantly, ¡°But I can¡¯t afford pen and ink.¡± Mu Yangling smiled. ¡°Our family can¡¯t afford pens and ink either. We just doodle on the ground with tree branches. It¡¯s not as if we¡¯re taking the Imperial Examination. We just need to recognize some words and know how to write. There¡¯s no need to have such pretty handwriting.¡± This was how Shu Wanniang taught her. However, she never allowed Little Bowen to draw on the ground with a tree branch. Instead, she asked him to dip his finger in water and write on the table. She was afraid that he would get used to holding a tree branch and be inert when he switched to holding a penter, thus would not be able to learn calligraphy well. ¡°Then quickly take a look at the other book.¡± Liu Lang urged her. ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯. Cousin Lang, you can keep this book for yourself. Later, we¡¯ll use the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯ to learn how to read.¡± Liu Lang heaved a sigh of relief and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell my parents about this. In the future, I¡¯ll go to your house every day to learn from you.¡± Liu Lang hesitated and said, ¡°Can I bring Ah Lun there? Teach my brother too.¡± ¡°Makes no difference whether I teach one or two. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡± Only then did Liu Lang smile widely. However, Mu Yangling felt a little sad. In her previous life, children who were out of school were very worrying. However, the number of people who were out of school only ounted for a small portion of the poption. However, this era was different. Here, perhaps more than 99 out of 100 people could not read. Only a very small number of people had mastered thenguage. In the entire Seven Mile Vige, only a few families could read. Mu Yangling had once followed Mu Shi to the county. At that time, she did not do anything but go to the bookstore to flip through history books for half a day. Coupled with the information she obtained through indirect means, she knew that this was an era simr to the Song Dynasty. The history of the period before the Later Tang was the same as in her previous life. However, the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms after the Later Tang changed. The Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou, Guo Wei, came from a poor background. After ascending the throne, he humbly epted the opinions of his subjects and could be considered a good emperor. Following his death, his adopted son, Guo Rong, took over the throne. This person revolutionized politics and developed the economy. As such, he could, even more so, be considered a great emperor with exceptional talent and strategies. ording to the history books, he had only been an emperor for six years before he died of illness, leaving many regrets. Due to his early demise, the Zhou Dynasty was swallowed up by the Northern Song Dynasty. However, the history books here recorded that he had been in power for 17 years. Not only did he develop the agricultural economy, but he also conquered and unified the country. Known as the Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, his throne waster seeded by his son, Emperor Gaozong of Later Zhou. Therefore, the Northern Song Dynasty, which had originally unified the country, had disappeared, but history had taken a turn and returned to its original point. Emperor Shizong valued both civil and military affairs, and he was also conscientious in government affairs. However, Emperor Gaozong did not like military officials and feared that the generals would seize the Guo family¡¯s territory if they took control of the military power. Therefore, not long after he ascended the throne, he reformed politics and set up many supervisory bodies to guard against the generals. He even changed Emperor Shizong¡¯s policy of resisting foreign forces to guarding against internal conflicts. Most of the troops in the country were deployed to guard against civil unrest and the rebellion of the generals. Emperor Gaozong said, ¡°In our vast Great China, we have never seen the Yi barbarians rule. On the other hand, the copse of a dynasty always started from an uprising of the unruly civilians and generals. Therefore, in order to protect the stability of our Great Zhou, we have to station soldiers in the military pass to prevent trouble.¡± Hence, the 800,000 soldiers stationed outside the pass were scattered and returned to various parts of the pass. However, they did not expect that the Dangxiang people, the Jurchen race, and other ethnic tribes would gradually grow stronger. Great Zhou went on to lose its cities andnd, and the battle line kept moving south. Before the Great Zhou Emperor could help bring into power the civil officials, the generals had already been suppressed and scattered. He had no choice but to put the aristocratic families in an important position. The Tang Dynasty¡¯s ninth-grade system that had been abolished with difficulty gradually rose again. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty did not announce that they would choose officials based on the ninth-grade system, the Imperial Examination had already been monopolized by the aristocratic families, leading to even fewer people who could read and write. Take Mingshui County for example. There was only one small academy in the huge Mingshui County. Those who could study there were all children of wealthy families who did not have knowledge passed down from ancestors. As there was only one bookstore in the county, if Mu Yangling wanted to buy a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, she had to walk nearly four hours to the county to buy it. Moreover, there were only six shelves of books in the bookstore. Mu Yangling had heard from her mother that most of the books were still in the hands of the aristocratic families. From Mu Yangling¡¯s point of view, the Great Zhou was on the path of decline. Having a literate person in Nearhill Vige was something to be proud of. Shu Wanniang had always been amiable and gentle, so she would seriously teach any child who wanted to learn. Suddenlying into contact with the outside world, the children¡¯s hearts surged with unrealistic thoughts. Third Uncle Liu¡¯s eldest son, Liu Yong, had learnt from Shu Wanniang for a few days before making a fuss about going to the county to take the Imperial Examination. This could be considered shocking news to the Liu family. Third Uncle Liu¡¯s family barely had enough to feed themselves. They did not even dare to fall sick, let alone support a child to study and take the Imperial Examination. The patriarch thought that it was rare for such a determined person to appear in the n. Thus, if he proved himself capable, the patriarch could use the entire n¡¯s resources to support him. Although the cost of studying was high, the rewards from doing well in the examination were equally generous. Therefore, the patriarch went to ask Shu Wanniang about Liu Yong¡¯s talent in studying. Chapter 12: Liu Yong Chapter 12: Liu Yong Editor: As Studios At that time, Liu Yong was already nine years old. He had been learning from Shu Wanniang for more than two months, but up till then he could only recognize a small portion of the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯, and even then, he would miss out a little here and there. Although Shu Wanniang had a soft personality, she was excellent at judging people. If Liu Yong was just dull, she might have fought for him. However, Liu Yong was stubborn, ambitious, and impatient. He was not cut out for studying. Shu Wanniang said to the patriarch, ¡°Liu Yong learned how to read from me. He¡¯s one of the few children who can recognize words faster and is also diligent. Every day, hees to learn from me before dawn and only returns when it¡¯s dark. Other than him, there are five other children in the vige who oftene over. As they¡¯re of simr age and didn¡¯t have any foundation, I taught them together. I only taught them three sentences a day. It was onlyter on, after they¡¯ve built up a foundation, that I started to teach them one page a day.¡± The patriarch was surprised, as he had only asked Shu Wanniang about Liu Yong. He didn¡¯t understand why Shu Wanniang would mention the other five children. Was it to let himpare them? Shu Wanniang continued, ¡°Third Great Uncle¡¯s grandson, Liu Li, is older, the most sensible, and the quickest learner among them. Every day, he would read the words repeatedly with me, memorize them, and then leave. I originally thought that he didn¡¯t like to read, butter on, I saw that when he was working in the fields, he was also reading out loud. When he was free, he would often gesture those words with his hands.¡± The patriarch, Liu He, said proudly, ¡°Liu Li lost his father when he was young and has always been very diligent. He went to the fields to help his mother work when he was only four years old. He¡¯s only doing this because he can¡¯t bear to let go of the work in the fields. Unfortunately, he¡¯s already 11 years old and his family is in a difficult situation¡­¡± Shu Wanniang felt a little regretful, because she felt that Liu Li was the most suitable person to take the Imperial Examination, if the Liu family had to nurture someone. However, from the looks of it, the patriarch wasn¡¯t a fan of the idea. Shu Wanniang paused for a moment and said, ¡°Every time Liu Lies, he will bring a bundle of firewood over. Your grandson, Liu Ping, is also great. Every time hees, he will help me fill up the water vat before leaving, while the other children fight to finish the work in my courtyard.¡± Shu Wanniang smiled embarrassedly. ¡°When theye, my husband and I feel much more rxed.¡± The patriarch listened patiently. He felt that Shu Wanniang was knowledgeable as she was the daughter of a schr, thus there must be a reason she didn¡¯t mention Liu Yong. As such, he did not pursue the matter and only said casually, ¡°It¡¯s only right for them to be filial to you since you¡¯re their teacher.¡± Shu Wanniang nodded and said, ¡°I know that they¡¯re doing this out of filial piety, but it will inevitably affect Liu Yong, who is focused on his studies. In fact, there were several arguments when I was not around. Liu Yong felt that they were too noisy in the courtyard and it affected his ability to study.¡± The patriarch¡¯s smile froze. He leaned forward and asked, ¡°Are you saying that Liu Yong didn¡¯t help you out with the chores?¡± Never one to badmouth others, Shu Wanniang looked a little ufortable. However, she still nodded and said, ¡°That child has been seizing time to practice his calligraphy, studying from morning to night even when it¡¯s busy farming season. Therefore, he can learn to read much faster than others. Others can¡¯t catch up to him, so he asked me to teach him one-on-one¡­¡± Shu Wanniang added, ¡°He used to be very close to the other five kids, but recently, he¡¯s not even willing to greet Liu Li and the others. When he found out that my husband could recognize even fewer words than him, he somewhat stopped greeting my husband too.¡± Seeing that the patriarch¡¯s expression was getting uglier, Shu Wanniang sighed and said earnestly, ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯ll only tell you this. I¡¯ll naturally do my best to teach him since he¡¯s learning from me. However, regarding your deploying the entire n¡¯s resources to support him alone, I can¡¯t tell you for sure what¡¯s going to happen in the future. Best I can do is let you know how he conducts himself.¡± The patriarch asked, ¡°Since he can learn to read faster than others, can he remember all the words he learned before?¡± Shu Wanniang sighed and said, ¡°This is the second key. He has to memorize so many words in a day. He might remember them on the second or third day, but five dayster, he might not be able to recognize all of them. However, he refuses to go back and revise, feeling that it¡¯s a waste of time, and that he might as well continue moving forward ande back to review it again in the future. When ites to learning, one has to move ahead one step at a time. Yet, he only wishes to sprint forward. How then, can he build a steady foundation?¡± Speechless, the patriarch stood up and bowed to Shu Wanniang. ¡°The children have troubled you recently. I¡¯ll go back and discuss it with them.¡± Shu Wanniang sent him off. Liu Yong was indeed not a suitable candidate for the Imperial Examination. Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t even figure out where he got the confidence that he could rely on the Imperial Examination to make a name for himself. The Imperial Examination was currently extremely difficult. Every three years, only 300 schrs would be epted. Among the 300 schrs, the aristocratic families ounted for the majority. There were also other schrly farmers who were strong opponents. After all, with the disparity in educational resources, it was already not bad if more than 5 out of 300 schrs came from poor families. And in this world, how many poor schrs participated in the Imperial Examination? Liu Yong only learned how to read at the age of nine. With no books or a great teacher, on top of not being especially smart, how could he surpass others? If he had a tenacious personality and a noble character, Shu Wanniang might have supported him. After all, diligence could make up for one¡¯s dullness, and an excellent moral character could allow one to ze a trail. However, it had only been two months, and already he had failed to conceal his emotions. Shu Wanniang naturally understood his nature. Among the six of them, he was nine years old. Not to mention the oldest, Liu Li, even the eight-year-old Liu Ping would take the initiative to go back to help out his parents after memorizing those words. He would only take the time to memorize the words when he found the time after finishing his chores. On the other hand, Liu Yong would stay in her courtyard from morning to night, squatting under the parasol tree to study and only leaving when it was dark. When the other five children came to her ce to learn how to read, they would help her do whatever they could, yet he despised them for making a din and affecting him. Every time she washed rice and cooked, he would frown and look unhappy. Although Shu Wanniang had a gentle personality, she was not without a temper. She was considered his teacher, and he was eating and drinking at her house for free. In the end, he was displeased to see her do other chores than teaching him? At that time, Shu Wanniang was pregnant with Mu Yangling, and pregnant women had a tendency to be sensitive and overthink. At night, she often cried with her back facing Mu Shi. The most important thing in studying was tenacity. Sometimes, one had to repeatedly verify and ask questions. However, the fact that he was unwilling to even revise, showed that he was too eager for quick sess. Shu Wanniang did not think that he would be able to seed if she gave him a chance to study for the Imperial Examination. If they were from a wealthy family, she naturally would not meddle in other people¡¯s business. However, the Liu n was too poor. Supporting one person to study for the Imperial Examination meant that they would have to live frugally for the next 20 years or even longer. The dowry of the girls waiting to marry in the family would decrease, and due to this they would not be able to marry into a good family. Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t want them to pay such a huge price to make such a decision, so she was partial to revealing some things to the patriarch of the Liu family. Chapter 13: Delusion Chapter 13: Delusion Editor: As Studios However, Liu Yong begged to differ. He felt that he was hardworking, a quick learner, smart, and full of ambition. Yet, because of Shu Wanniang¡¯s words, he was forced to stop in his tracks. This made him feel angry and resentful towards Shu Wanniang. Now that the patriarch was no longer willing to help him, he could only think of a way himself. He forced his parents to raise money to send him to the county academy to study. However, the Liu family was poor and could not even afford the tuition. Moreover, he had to buy pens, ink, paper, and inkstones to go to school. They might not be able to afford these expenses even if they sold off everyone in his family. Unexpectedly, Liu Yong came up with the idea to sell his younger siblings. The nine-year-old Liu Yong had a younger sister who was eight years old and a younger brother who was six years old. At that time, he tricked them into going to town to sell them to the broker. The children in the vige were free to roam around, and their parents would only call for them when they needed them to do something, or when food was ready. That day, Third Uncle Liu and his wife had gone to the fields and were not at home. When they returned in the evening, they saw that the three children were not at home and did not take it to heart, thinking that they had gone out to y. However, when they finished cooking, the three children were still nowhere to be seen even when the sky turned dark. It was then that Third Uncle Liu and his wife panicked and quickly asked the vigers to help look for them. Liu Yong didn¡¯t hide from anyone the fact that he brought his younger siblings to town. When the adults saw them, they thought that Third Uncle Liu and his wife had asked them to buy something in town, so they didn¡¯t take it to heart. When Third Uncle Liu asked, they naturally told him. The patriarch¡¯s intuition told him that something was wrong. He led Third Uncle Liu into town. On the way, he encountered Liu Yong, who was carrying a bag. When he opened it, he saw that it was filled with brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books. Third Uncle Liu looked at his eldest son, who had his head lowered, and felt an ominous feeling in his heart. However, he still asked with a trace of hope, ¡°Where did you get these? Also, where are your younger siblings? Didn¡¯t you bring them to town?¡± Liu Yong looked at his father calmly and said, ¡°I bought this, because I want to study and be a juren1. I sold my younger siblings. They¡¯re only suffering for the time being. When I seed in the Imperial Examination and be an official, I¡¯ll naturally redeem them and let them live a good life.¡± Third Uncle Liu widened his eyes in disbelief. His fingers trembled as he pointed at his eldest son, unable to speak. The patriarch beside him could not help but secretly feel d that they had not decided to support him, for it would certainly bring trouble for the n. How old were his younger siblings? They had grown up together, yet he actually sold them just like that. What atrocities would hemit as an adult when he was already capable of such a vicious act at such a young age? Seeing that Third Uncle Liu was actually a little dazed after suffering such a blow, the patriarch hurriedly pped him awake and shouted at Liu Yong, ¡°Who did you sell your younger siblings to? Hurry up and tell us! How can you be so ruthless when they¡¯re only so young?¡± Third Uncle Liu came back to his senses and realized that the most important thing now was to get his children back. ring at Liu Yong with red eyes and a fierce gaze, he demanded to know, ¡°Tell me, where did you sell your brother and sister?¡± Fear seized Liu Yong¡¯s heart due to the look in his father¡¯s eyes. The calmness he had disyed just now was merely an act. His palms were already sweating, but he thought that since his younger siblings had already been sold, his parents would not beat him to death now that he was the only child in the family. At most, they would beat him up. Now that his younger siblings were gone, he would be their only son. They would send him to school then. Liu Yong encouraged himself in his heart. Then, he raised his head and said, ¡°I have no idea. I sold them to a passing broker and he has long left. I¡¯m your only son now.¡± Unable to take it anymore, Third Uncle Liu pounced forward and grabbed his eldest son¡¯s neck, pressing him to the ground. His eyes were red, and his ferocious face was twisted. He roared, ¡°How did I give birth to such an unfilial son like you? If I had known, I would have strangled you to death when you were born. I¡¯ll strangle you to death. Tell me, who did you sell your younger brother and sister to? Tell me!¡± Third Uncle Liu had suffered a huge blow and used too much strength, causing Liu Yong¡¯s eyes to bulge slightly. He felt that he was really going to die. In his panic, he lost control of his dder and his entire body reeked of feces and urine. If not for the patriarch and a few nsmen holding Third Uncle Liu back, Liu Yong would definitely have died. The patriarch called for others to pull Third Uncle Liu away. He said to Liu Yong, who was lying on the ground half-dead, ¡°Liu Yong, you¡¯d better tell me clearly who you sold your younger siblings to and who linked you to that person. If you don¡¯t tell me, your father will definitely beat you to death. Your parents are still young. At most, they can have a few more children.¡± Merely nine years old, even if Liu Yong was more mature than others, he could not help but panic after that near-death experience. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I really don¡¯t know who that person is, only that everyone calls him the Yellow-teeth Man. I brought them to Procuress Fang¡¯s house in town, wanting to sell them to her. But she didn¡¯t want them, for she said that it would only count if the adults came. Just as I was feeling helpless, I happened to bump into the Yellow-teeth Maning to choose people when I came out. I made a note. After he came out, I followed behind him. He is also in the human trafficking business, and hade to look for Procuress Fang to buy people. I followed him to his courtyard and sold Brother and Sister to him. Then, I brought the money to the county to buy pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.¡± Having just sold his younger siblings for 10 taels of silver, Liu Yong was overjoyed. At that time, he couldn¡¯t help but take a donkey cart to the county to buy a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. He even bought two books. Upon hearing this, everyone felt their hearts turn cold. The fact that this person could actually buy things so happily after selling his younger siblings, showed just how cold-blooded he was. ¡°Patriarch, let¡¯s go look for Procuress Fang now. She definitely knows who that Yellow-teeth Man is.¡± Third Uncle Liu did not want to waste another moment. Knowing his daughter and youngest son had always been timid, he could only imagine how frightened they were. Understanding that he was anxious, the patriarch immediately handed Liu Yong to his son, Liu Dazhuang. ¡°Take him back and guard him. Then, go and invite Rocky1. He often travels outside and knows many people. Perhaps he might know about this.¡± Liu Dazhuang agreed and carried Liu Yong on his back before rushing to Nearhill Vige. The patriarch also rushed to town with the remaining people. The people bought by the Yellow-teeth Man were sent to the pce and those filthy ces, so Procuress Fang did not like to do business with him. When she heard that the two kids were sold to him, she immediately said, ¡°Then you should hurry to the south. I heard that he intends to set off today and rush back to the south as soon as possible. However, he¡¯s a miser. Since he spent money to buy them from you, there¡¯s no way he will let them go for free. If he bought them with 10 taels of silver, expect to pay at least 12 taels of silver to buy them back.¡± The patriarch, Third Uncle Liu, and the others¡¯ expressions changed drastically. Even if the entire Liu family took out everything they had, they could not afford the 10 taels of silver. Shuddering, the patriarch said, ¡°Quickly go back and ask Liu Yong how much money remained from the sale. We¡¯ll gather the money from other sources and chase after him tomorrow morning, traveling along the main road. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find him eventually.¡± Third Uncle Liu gritted his teeth and knelt in front of the patriarch. ¡°Uncle, I know this is a presumptuous request, but I really can¡¯t wait any longer. I¡¯m going to chase after them overnight. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to go back and help gather the money. Tell the vigers that I, Liu San, will pay back the money I owe even if I have to work as a ve for the rest of my life. I only hope that they can save my daughter and youngest son first.¡± As he spoke, he kowtowed to the patriarch. Clenching his teeth, the patriarch replied helplessly, ¡°Alright, go chase after them with your fifth brother. I¡¯ll go back and help you gather the silver. Once I gather the money, I¡¯lle for you. Don¡¯t be anxious even if you catch up to them. Calm them down first and tell them politely that we¡¯ll pay for their ransom with silver.¡± Third Uncle Liu could only kowtow to him to express his gratitude. Chapter 14: Implication Chapter 14: Implication Editor: As Studios That night, the two teams split up, with Third Uncle Liu chasing to the south. As the other party had a carriage, they were still much faster than Third Uncle Liu walking on two legs even though they were burdened by a group of children. Clearly aware of this, Third Uncle Liu only rested for two hours before he got up and continued chasing after them. Fifth Uncle Liu, who apanied Third Uncle Liu, was extremely exhausted. However, seeing his cousin like this, he did not dare to ask to rest. He could only grit his teeth and endure. Finally, at noon on the third day, they caught up with the Yellow-teeth Man¡¯s donkey cart. His daughter, Erniang, and youngest son, Liu Xing, were among the 23 children. Third Uncle Liu¡¯s lips were dry and he could barely speak. He could only kneel in front of the Yellow-teeth Man and kowtow. His voice was hoarse as he pleaded, ¡°Master Yellow, please show mercy. I want to redeem my children.¡± The Yellow-teeth Man gazed at the travel-worn Third Uncle Liu in shock. Seeing how haggard he looked and how he could barely kneel, he knew that Third Uncle Liu had rushed over overnight. With a frown, the Yellow-teeth Man said, ¡°Who are your children? Let me be clear upfront. The ransom money cannot be less than the price I paid for them. You have to know that I have spent a lot of money on their food and drinks for the past two days.¡± Seeing that his third cousin was unable to speak, Fifth Uncle Liu hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°Of course, of course. It¡¯s just that Master Yellow, our family is poor. One of our children was insensible and secretly brought their younger siblings out to sell. He has actually spent more than half of the money. Could you perhaps be lenient?¡± When Fifth Uncle Liu said this, the Yellow-teeth Man knew who they were talking about. He had bought three pairs of siblings, but only the pair in Seven Mile Vige had been sold by their nine-year-old brother. At that time, he was still extremely surprised that the child was incredibly bold to sell his younger siblings all by himself. However, he only cared about buying people and could not be bothered about what happened after that. Now, it was obvious that their father had caught up. The Yellow-teeth Man thought for a moment and said, ¡°No matter what, it can¡¯t be less than 12 taels. Otherwise, this trip will be a loss for me.¡± Fifth Uncle Liu¡¯s face was filled with worry. He did not know if his family could gather 12 taels of silver, but seeing that the Yellow-teeth Man was already impatient and fearing that he would leave in anger, he anxiously turned to look at his third cousin. Gritting his teeth, Third Uncle Liu said, ¡°So be it. Master Yellow, why don¡¯t you wait for a day? My family will catch up with us soon with the money.¡± Seeing that they had nothing on them, the Yellow-teeth Man knew that they had most likely given chase right after hearing the news. How could a country bumpkin take out so much money at once? They definitely had to borrow from others. After thinking about it, since they could not go much further today, he agreed to stay in the small town ahead and wait. Third Uncle Liu and Fifth Uncle Liu heaved a sigh of relief. Third Uncle Liu took the opportunity to suggest, ¡°Master Yellow, I wonder if you can let me see my daughter and son. They must be terrified at having been suddenly sold.¡± The Yellow-teeth Man frowned at him. Third Uncle Liu hurriedly said, ¡°Master Yellow, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t dare to run away. My family lives in Nearhill Vige. You just need to ask around and you¡¯ll find out where we live. Besides, with so many people guarding them, I can¡¯t run far with the two children with my weak limbs. I just want to see them.¡± The Yellow-teeth Man creased his brows and agreed. He got someone to lift the curtain and find Liu Erniang and Liu Xing from the donkey cart. Sold to the Yellow-teeth Man by their older brother, Liu Erniang and Liu Xing had been terrified for three consecutive days. When they were suddenly brought off the donkey cart, they were hugging their arms in trepidation. They stared at those people in horror, but when they saw their father kneeling on the ground, their grievances and fear immediately turned into loud cries. The two children scrambled into their father¡¯s arms. Third Uncle Liu¡¯s face was also covered in tears as he hugged his children. The fear and rage he had been feeling for the past few days made this man burst into tears while kneeling in the middle of the road. Even the usually cold-hearted Yellow-teeth Man could not help but turn his head and sigh. The originally quiet children in the cart secretly lifted the curtain to take a peek. Eyes filled with envy and jealousy, they could only cry silently. After the father and daughter had cried enough, the group went to the nearest town. Third Uncle Liu had not rested for the past two days and three nights. Now that he had found the children, he was in a dazed state. However, he continued holding onto his children tightly. Too frightened to feel any pain in their hands, Liu Erniang and Liu Xing snuggled tightly beside their father. Third Uncle Liu only heaved a sigh of relief when Mu Shi and Liu Dazhuang rushed over with the money. After Mu Shi redeemed them with 12 taels of silver, they stayed in the town for a night before hiring a donkey cart to rush back the next day. When Third Aunt Liu saw that her children had returned safely, she held them in an embrace and cried. After Liu Yong bought the books, pens, ink, paper, and inkstone, there were only five taels of silver left. The remaining six taels of silver came from Mu Shi, and the one tael of silver was gathered by the various families in the n. Third Uncle Liu promised, ¡°I will pay back all the money we owe as soon as possible.¡± The patriarch looked at Mu Shi, who had lent out the majority of the money. Every family in the n had contributed a few hundred copper coins. Mu Shi said, ¡°I don¡¯t urgently need the silver. Third Cousin, you can slowly return it in the future.¡± Third Uncle Liu forced a smile. Now that the kids had been saved, how should he deal with Liu Yong? After all, not only was Liu Yong his son, he was also the eldest son whom he had always doted on. Although Third Uncle Liu and his wife resented him, they could not be ruthless. Shu Wanniang and Mu Shi also said that he was still a child and he could change his ways if they patiently guided him. Third Uncle Liu could only beat him up and then stop him from learning how to read. He returned the books bought from the bookstore, but he could not receive a refund for the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The soft-hearted Shu Wanniang asked Mu Shi to buy that set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone with three taels of silver. This way, Third Uncle Liu¡¯s family would be more rxed in terms of finances. Liu Yong¡¯s actions this time had a huge impact on the patriarch and the elders in the n. Although he was not obedient and smart in the past, his temperament was not bad, and he also usually took care of his younger siblings. However, after learning how to read, he developed such delusions. The patriarch believed that books had changed his temperament. It would have been fine if they were rich families that could support him to pursue studies, but they were not. His temperament changed due to those delusions, and it was as if he had be possessed. Since that was the case, it was better to not know how to read from the beginning and simply ept their lot for the rest of their lives. It beat fantasizing about things that did not belong to them. Hence, the patriarch stipted that the children in their n were not allowed to study with Shu Wanniang anymore. He even warned the parents that if they did not have the ability to provide for their children to study for the Imperial Examination in the future, they should not send them to study in the first ce, lest they develop delusions. Therefore, even if Liu Lang and the others were Mu Yangling¡¯s cousins and deeply desired to be literate, they didn¡¯t dare to go to Shu Wanniang for guidance. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t dare to say that the patriarch was definitely wrong, but taking such a defensive stance meant that the Liu family would never be able to stand out. Being a child who grew up in postrevolutionary China, her education and life experience had taught her that knowledge could change one¡¯s fate. Although it might not necessarily be on the positive side, one would have a wider range of choices. It was better than being bound to thend and at the mercy of others. At the age of 11 years old, Liu Lang might start a family soon. Knowing he was an exceptionally bright child, Mu Yangling hoped that he would have more options after learning how to read and calcte. Mu Yangling said to Liu Lang, ¡°When the timees,e and find me. I¡¯ll bring you to the entrance of the mountain where the soil is very loose. I¡¯ll teach you how to read and write there, and you can even hunt pigs and vegetables there. My younger brother studies there, too.¡± Liu Lang¡¯s eyes sparkled like stars. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll look for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not tomorrow. My father is going to the county tomorrow and I want to follow him.¡± Chapter 15: Persuasion Chapter 15: Persuasion Editor: As Studios ¡°If you and Uncle are going to the county, won¡¯t Aunt and Cousin be the only ones at home?¡± Liu Lang frowned. ¡°Can Aunt take good care of Cousin?¡± Mu Yangling was a little embarrassed, but she still said, ¡°That¡¯s why I came to look for you. I hope you and Aunt can help me take care of my mother and brother. I¡¯ll buy you candyter.¡± ¡°Why do you have to follow Uncle to the county?¡± Liu Lang was a little unwilling, for he wanted to learn to read with Mu Yangling and didn¡¯t want her to go to the county. ¡°My family has umted a lot of leather goods. My mother is about to give birth and it¡¯s almost winter, so we have to sell them this time no matter what. Due to the fact that my father looks like a Hu, those merchants always bargain down the prices.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re just a kid.¡± Mu Yangling snorted. ¡°That¡¯s still better than my father being bullied by others.¡± Liu Lang had no choice but to take a step back. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll speak to my mother when shees back.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s smile widened when she saw Liu Lun poking his head out of the door. ¡°Cousin Lun, can you bring my brother to y with Goudan and the rest?¡± Liu Lun reluctantly came out with a straight face and said arrogantly, ¡°Alright then, but don¡¯t tell anyone that you saw me bathing today.¡± Suppressing her smile, Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°I really didn¡¯t see anything just now. You chased me out the second I opened the door.¡± Only then did Liu Lun cheer up. He snorted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you saw it either.¡± He went forward and held Little Bowen¡¯s hand, then waved and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to y now. Goudan and the rest are catching crickets at the vige entrance. Do you want to catch them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to y with crickets. I want to y hide-and-seek with them.¡± ¡°In that case, tell themter that I¡¯m going to catch crickets¡­¡± The eight-year-old Liu Lun thought that he had already grown up and would not y hide-and-seek, which to him was a game that only children yed. Seeing that they had left, Mu Yangling took the ¡®The Analects¡¯ book and turned to return. Halfway back, she bumped into Liu Yong, who had just returned from the fields. Mu Yangling smiled at him and nodded slightly. Liu Yong, who was already 18 years old, nced at Mu Yangling and walked over without looking sideways. Mu Yangling sighed. After Liu Yong¡¯s younger brother and sister were found, because they were still young, they were afraid of him at first, though they did reconcile with himter on. However, his parents were wary of him, causing the rtionship between the three siblings to strain considerably. Even the adults and children in the vige did not y with Liu Yong much. Mu Yangling had once studied psychology in school. Children could make people¡¯s hearts soften, but at the same time, they were also the most hurtful because they weren¡¯t able to hide their childish happiness, desires, or evilness. She felt that she understood Liu Yong a little. Back then, Liu Yong was only a nine-year-old child. Before he came into contact with books, he was just a little selfish andpetitive among hispanions. However, aftering into contact with books, he heard that the outside world was so vast. He found out that by studying, he could be sessful, don morous clothes, enjoy delicious food, and live in opulent houses. His inted desire made him neglect other things because he was still a child. His heart was still too young and his considerations were not so thorough. Mu Yangling could tolerate Liu Yong, and persuade Liu Xing and Liu Erniang to hang out with their older brother and talk to him more. s, she couldn¡¯t convince Third Uncle Liu, his wife, and the adults in the vige. Even Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t agree with her sympathizing with Liu Yong. Because in the eyes of Shu Wanniang and the others, Liu Yong had a wicked nature, and no matter how much they taught him, it was something that could not be changed. However, this was other people¡¯s business. Right now, Mu Yangling only wanted to persuade her father to bring her to the county. She ran home and squatted in front of her father, who was tidying up the leather goods. She said with a grin, ¡°Father, look. This is a book that Cousin Lang picked up. It¡¯s ¡®The Analects¡¯.¡± Mu Shi was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Really? That saves one tael of silver. Take it back and keep it well for your mother. When your brother finishes reciting the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯, I¡¯ll buy him the ¡®Thousand Character ssic¡¯.¡± ¡°Father, why don¡¯t we buy it when we go to the county this time? I haven¡¯t been to a bookstore in a long time. Please bring me along to check it out.¡± Mu Shi frowned. ¡°No, we can¡¯t leave your mother and brother alone at home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already thought about it. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll ask Cousin Lang and Aunt to take care of Mother. We¡¯ll definitely be back by nighttime and won¡¯t spend the night outside.¡± Mu Shi still didn¡¯t agree. It would have been fine if it was in the past, but with his wife pregnant now, he felt more at ease with his daughter at home. Mu Yangling had no choice but to beg Shu Wanniang. Thetter replied, ¡°You¡¯re a girl and can¡¯t always go out. If you want anything, just ask your father to buy it for you.¡± As a well-bred youngdy, Shu Wanniang felt that by going hunting in the mountains every day, her daughter had already nearly crossed her bottom line. How could she still follow her father to sell leather goods and do business? With slumped shoulders, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Those itinerant merchants who used to buy leather goods from Father have left. Those merchants that are in the county saw that Father looked like a Hu, so they always lowered the price. Otherwise, Father wouldn¡¯t have carried the leather goods back three times in a row, rather leaving them in the warehouse than selling them. After paying the taxes, our family won¡¯t have any money left. This time, no matter what, we have to sell the leather goods. I¡¯m afraid that those people will lower the price due to Father¡¯s honest appearance. As you can see, it¡¯s not easy for Father to hunt, and leather tanning is really arduous too. It pains my heart to sell them at a low price.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned and said, ¡°But you¡¯re just a little girl. What¡¯s the use of tagging along?¡± ¡°Mother, although I¡¯m a girl, I look like a Han Chinese. Moreover, I¡¯m already 11 years old, and am considered half an adult. I have no problem speaking on behalf of Father regarding this. I¡¯m also meticulous. Besides, I don¡¯t ask for much. I just hope that the price can be raised slightly.¡± This was true. Her daughter usually looked carefree, but she was incredibly meticulous. Even though Shu Wanniang identified as being gentle and thoughtful, she had to admit that her observation powers couldn¡¯tpare with her daughter¡¯s. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Shu Wanniang ultimately agreed because her heart ached for her husband. Mu Yangling cheered. Since her mother had agreed, there was no need to waste her breath on her father. Mu Shi was tidying up the leather goods outside. When he heard his daughter¡¯s cheers in the room, he shook his head helplessly. It seemed like he had to personally go to his uncle¡¯s ce and ask his cousin-inw to take care of Wanniang. In the evening, Little Bowen ran back looking like a mud monkey. After finding out that his sister was going to the county the next day, he made a fuss about wanting to tag along. Mu Yangling put her hands on her waist andughed. ¡°Can you walk? It¡¯s a four-hour walk.¡± Little Bowen blushed and dered angrily, ¡°I want to eat two bowls of rice tonight. Soon, I¡¯ll be able to walk such a long distance.¡± Snorting, Mu Yangling said, ¡°If you continue to bezy and don¡¯t wake up on time every day to exercise, it¡¯d be of no use no matter how much food you eat. Instead, you¡¯ll be like Cousin Lang¡¯s piglet.¡± Little Bowen was scared out of his wits. ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Father. You can only grow up by eating on time and practicing boxing early in the morning.¡± Little Bowen looked at his father with tears in his eyes. Due to his poor health, his son had always been a little delicate. Every morning, he wouldze in bed and refuse to get up. When the weather was cold, he was even more unwilling to practice boxing, further contributing to a deterioration of his health. It would be best if he could be spurred to wake up on time to practice boxing because of this. Mu Shi nodded and said solemnly, ¡°Your sister is right. Look, she wakes up on time every day to practice boxing, that¡¯s why she grows up quickly. Bowen, you¡¯ve got to learn from your sister if you wish to grow up.¡± Little Bowen pondered for a moment before running to his mother¡¯s side. He tugged at the corner of her clothes and said, ¡°Mother, wake me up early tomorrow. I want to get up and do some boxing. This way, I¡¯ll be able to grow up during the new year and go to the county, too.¡± Shu Wanniang dly agreed. Chapter 16: On the Way Chapter 16: On the Way Editor: As Studios It was only four in the morning, but Mu Shi had already woken up. Shu Wanniang woke up and was about to get off the bed when Mu Shi pressed her down and said gently, ¡°Lie down quickly. I can handle this myself.¡± Shu Wanniang whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll make you something to eat.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go to the kitchen myself. You¡¯re pregnant. Lie down.¡± Mu Shi put on his clothes, tucked his wife in, and strode out. He had already prepared the things he needed to bring along with him, but as the journey was too long, he had to make two pancakes and bring them along. In addition, since his daughter wasing along with him, he had to make sure she would not go hungry. After measuring the rice, Mu Shi came out to cook porridge. As he quickly made the pancakes, he took out a handful of pickled vegetables, cut them, and prepared a stir-fried dish out of them. Mu Yangling struggled to get up from the bed. Little Bowen, who was beside her, was sleeping soundly. When his sister got up, he only turned over and continued sleeping. After Mu Yangling put on her clothes, she came out to see that her father was already busy. She immediately sighed at how good a man Mu Shi was. He loved his wife, doted on his children, and was responsible. He was even better than her father in her previous life. She decided to marry someone like him in the future. ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯re up? Quickly wash your face and eat something. We¡¯re about to leave.¡± Mu Yangling nodded, rinsed her mouth, and washed her face. After that, she sat obediently at the dining table and waited for her father to serve the food. Mu Shi ced the cooked porridge on the stove to heat it up. There was charcoal below so that his wife could eat it when she woke upter. Then, he brought a basin of porridge to the table and scooped a bowl for his daughter. ¡°Eat more. We have to walk a lot.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. Still worried, Shu Wanniang got up anyway. Holding her stomach, she came out to look at the father-and-daughter duo. Mu Shi had no choice but to let her sit down at the side. He quickly finished the food and said, ¡°After we go out, go back to sleep a while more. Ah Ling and I will definitely be back tonight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. If you really can¡¯t walk that much, hire a carriage to bring you guys back. Ah Ling is still young. Don¡¯t tire her out¡­¡± Having eaten her fill, Mu Yangling put down her bowl and chopsticks, waved her hand, and said heroically, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Father isn¡¯t even as strong as me. Besides, I don¡¯t have to carry anything. I won¡¯t get tired at all just by walking.¡± Shu Wanniang: ¡°¡­¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her daughter worriedly. Would anyone want to marry her when she grew up? It seemed that she had to prepare more dowries. Mu Shi pushed the cart out of the door, then waved at Shu Wanniang. ¡°Go back quickly. Remember to lock the door. If there¡¯s anything, look for Cousin-inw. I¡¯ve already asked her to take care of you.¡± Mu Yangling climbed onto the cart and sat down. She shouted, ¡°Father, Mother, if we don¡¯t leave now, the sun will rise. We¡¯re only going to the county. It¡¯s not like we won¡¯t be back for three to five days¡­¡± ¡°Got it, got it.¡± Mu Shi turned around, lifted the cart, and walked steadily away. He turned around and looked at his wife. Seeing that his wife was standing at the door and gazing at him, Mu Shi could only quicken his pace and leave. As long as he could not be seen, his wife would naturally go back. This being the time when the dew was the heaviest, he worried that she would catch a cold. As Mu Yangling sat steadily on the cart, she felt sleepy after a while. She turned around and saw that her father was still looking behind from time to time. Sighing, she said, ¡°Father, we¡¯re only going out for a day. What could happen? You¡¯re too careful.¡± ¡°What does a child know? Your mother is different from us. She used to be a rich youngdy with servants following her in and out. Now, she¡¯s pregnant and has to take care of your brother. Furthermore, our house is too close to the forest. It was fine with you around in the past, but you¡¯re following me to the county today. How can I not worry?¡± In the past, when Mu Yangling was not old enough to protect her mother and brother, Mu Shi would choose to go to the county when her cousin-inw was not busy. He would send the three of them to the Liu family ande back at night to pick them up. However, it was a busy time for farming right now. Although he had already asked his cousin-inw, she definitely could not spare much time. Mu Yangling felt that her parents were too clingy. ¡°Our courtyard is built with big solid bricks, and the walls are very tall. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of even if our house is right beside the forest. Besides, I¡¯ve already told Mother to go to Cousin Lang¡¯s house after wee out. What can possibly happen?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being serious enough. Alright, hurry up and try to catch more sleep.¡± The sky was still dark. Fortunately, there was moonlight illuminating their path, so they could see even without torches. Mu Yangling giggled and covered herself with a piece of fox skin. ¡°Then, Father, I¡¯ll sleep first. When I wake upter, it¡¯ll be your turn to sleep.¡± Mu Shi did notment. Mu Yangling was indeed sleepy having woken up so early in the morning. Coupled with the silence on the road, the asional chirping of birds and the rumbling of the cart, she quickly fell asleep. When she woke up again, the sky was already bright. She nced at the morning glow on the horizon and yawned. ¡°Father, what time is it?¡± she asked. ¡°The sun has just risen. What time do you think it is? We¡¯ve only walked a third of the way.¡± Mu Yangling looked left and right. Seeing that there were forests on both sides, she said, ¡°Father, stop for a moment. I¡¯m going to take a piss.¡± Mu Shi¡¯s face twitched. Lowering his voice, he said, ¡°You¡¯re a girl. Where did you learn to speak like a hooligan? Just say you need to relieve yourself. Don¡¯t speak like that again.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mu Yangling jumped off the cart as she agreed and ran into the forest to relieve herself. She had just woken up and wasn¡¯tpletely sober yet, so she identally blurted out the cheeky ng used in the military camp in her previous life. After she was done, Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°Father, go quickly. I¡¯ll look after the cart.¡± Mu Shi walked into the forest with a straight face. After a while, he walked out with the same straight expression. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Father, let me push it. Go up and lie down for a while.¡± Mu Shi did not refuse. He tidied up the leather goods on the cart before sitting on it. Then, he covered himself with the fox skin previously used by his daughter and closed his eyes. ¡°If you see a strangerter, wake me up, understand?¡± Mu Yangling responded and pushed the cart steadily forward. Her strength was even greater than Mu Shi¡¯s. Coupled with the fact that she had been continuously practicing martial arts, it was not tiring for her to push such a cart. Mu Shi knew this, which was why he was so at ease with his daughter doing this. Considering she could easily move with a wild boar weighing more than 200 catties as though it were a vegetable basket, he did not think that a cart of leather goods with him on top of it would be too tiring for her. The father and daughter were used to it, but it did cause the people they met on the road to widen their eyes. Mu Yangling only walked for half an hour before she met people walking towards the county together. Many of them were carrying goods, and there were also people pushing carts like Mu Yangling, but they were undoubtedly adults. Mu Yangling, a nine-year-old child, was too conspicuous among them. Moreover, the cart of leather goods looked to be quite heavy, not to mention that there was such a muscr man on it. This attracted sideways nces from many people who felt that Mu Yangling was being abused. They stared usingly at Mu Shi, who was sleeping on the cart. Unexpectedly, Mu Yangling walked even faster than them. The heavy cart did not at all seem to be a burden to her, and she quickly surpassed them. Mu Yangling walked with a rxed expression for an hour. When she felt tired, she stopped, put down the cart, and sat at the side to rest. Trusting his daughter wholeheartedly, Mu Shi did not wake up. Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before decisively going forward to wake him up. ¡°Father, I¡¯m tired. Wake up.¡± When Mu Shi opened his eyes, the sun dazzled his eyes. He got up to take a look and asked in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s already sote?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Father, are we almost at the city gate?¡± Mu Shi looked around and said, ¡°Soon.¡± He looked at his daughter and asked, ¡°You¡¯re tired? Hurry up and sit in the cart. Father will push you. We have to hurry up. Otherwise, it will be difficult to walk under the sun.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. When the surrounding people saw Mu Yangling addressing Mu Shi as her father, they all looked down on him. To think he asked his daughter to push such a heavy cart while he slept on it¡­ The father and daughter were oblivious to what others were thinking. Mu Yangling sat in the cart and looked around at the people who were hurrying on their way. She looked curiously at the things they had brought. Most of them were handicrafts from home. There were dyed cloth, knitted fabrics, weaved baskets, and so on¡­ There were also jars of various pickled vegetables. Mu Yangling gazed at them curiously. As Mu Shi was fast, he quickly surpassed everyone and got to the front of the crowd. After walking for about 45 minutes, they saw the city gate. A huge smile appeared on Mu Yangling¡¯s face as she shouted in her heart, ¡°Silver, here Ie!¡± Chapter 17: Goodbye Chapter 17: Goodbye Editor: As Studios Mingshui County was a lower county among the 88 counties in Xingyuan Prefecture. However, because it was close to the border and the forest, there were especially many leather goods and Hu products. The merchants in the south liked to buy goods here, so there were more peopleing and going than in Middle County. Thest time Mu Yangling came to the county was more than a year ago in the winter. At that time, it was almost the new year, and Mu Shi happened to earn a sum of money, so he brought his wife and children to the county to buy New Year goods. Over the past year, Mingshui County had not changed much. It was still as lively as before. ¡°Father, where are we going?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the market first. The itinerant merchants are all buying goods there.¡± There were all kinds of goods in the Mingshui County market. Leather goods, in particr, upied thergest area, and beside them were medicinal herbs. Xingyuan Prefecture¡¯s medicinal herbs were as famous as their leather goods. Mu Yangling had already gotten off the cart. Walking beside her father, she looked around. Mu Shi whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve seen these itinerant merchants before. Thest time we came, they bargained me down to a very low price. Let¡¯s go inside and take a look.¡± Mu Yangling saw the itinerant merchants standing behind the stalls. They only nced at Mu Shi for a moment before looking away. Some of them even snorted arrogantly. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but frown. Shouldn¡¯t businessmen value harmony? Her father¡¯s leather goods were considered top-notch in the market. The deeper they went, the more disappointed Mu Shi became. These itinerant merchants were all the ones he had met thest time. There was no difference. Mu Shi stopped in his tracks and said to his daughter, ¡°Stay here and watch. I¡¯ll ask for the price.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mu Yangling sat obediently on the cart. Mu Shi took a piece of fur and went to ask for the price one by one. Meanwhile, Mu Yangling observed the people in the market and specially paid attention to the itinerant merchants nearby who were buying leather goods. She realized that the purchase price they quoted was about the same. Only when they encountered superior-quality goods would one see them raise the price. However, it was not intense. Most of the time, people would withdraw from the bidding after the price was raised twice or thrice. Mu Yangling knew that these itinerant merchants were coborating, and had likely conspired to lower Mu Shi¡¯s price. While Mu Yangling was frowning in disgust, she was unaware that a young man not far away was looking at her in surprise. Qi Haoran grabbed Fan Zijin and pointed at Mu Yangling. He said happily, ¡°Zijin, look who that is. We were just saying that we would go and repay the favor when we have time. In the end, she showed up unexpectedly.¡± Fan Zijin was also surprised to see Mu Yangling sitting on the cart. ¡°Why is she here?¡± ¡°Is there a need to ask? She¡¯s definitely here to sell leather goods. She¡¯s so skilled at hunting, so her family must have umted a lot of leather goods. Let¡¯s go and take a look. If there¡¯s anything good, we¡¯ll buy a few too.¡± Qi Haoran pulled Fan Zijin over. Fan Zijin had a bad feeling, for he found this too coincidental. Once the seeds of suspicion were sowed in his heart, he could not help but think too much. They had just found Brother Xiuyuan and immediately this girl appeared. What if she was a spy sent by the Hus or the Imperial Court? It was also possible that she was sent by an opponent who wanted to deal with Brother Xiuyuan¡­ Fan Zijin was still letting his imagination run wild when Qi Haoran jumped up happily and was about to pat Mu Yangling¡¯s shoulder. Mu Yangling reached out alertly and grabbed Qi Haoran¡¯s hand. With a slight twist, Qi Haoran shrieked and shouted, ¡°Be gentle, be gentle. It¡¯s me, Miss Mu. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Seeing that it was Qi Haoran, Mu Yangling quickly let go. She was also a little surprised to see the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s you? You found your family?¡± Fan Zijin said reservedly, ¡°Thank you, Miss Mu. We found our family when we arrived in the county yesterday afternoon. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I followed my father here to sell leather goods. Young Master Qi, is your hand alright?¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re strong! But I¡¯m fine. I am used to being thrown around since I was young.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him, then looked down at his wrist and smiled coldly. Qi Haoran red at him and asked Mu Yangling, ¡°Miss Mu, where¡¯s your father?¡± ¡°He went to ask for the price.¡± Qi Haoran asked in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t the prices the same? Why is there a need to ask?¡± He and Fan Zijin came over early in the morning to shop and realized that the purchase price for leather goods quoted here were about the same. Mu Yangling said helplessly, ¡°They specially lowered my family¡¯s price and shed the purchase price by half, so my father wants topare who¡¯s offering a higher price and see if it can be raised further.¡± Qi Haoran was astonished. ¡°Why? Did your father offend these itinerant merchants?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Yangling snorted. ¡°They¡¯re just bullying my father because he looks like a Hu.¡± Fan Zijin raised his eyebrows and pointed at Mu Shi, who was asking for the price. ¡°Is that your father?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. Qi Haoran did not have a good impression of the Hus. He took a closer look at Mu Shi and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that his eyes and nose look a little simr to the Hus. He looks a little more majestic, but his appearance isn¡¯t particrly simr. Does your father have Hu blood?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°My grandfather is half-Hu. However, our family has been living in a vige near the mountain for a long time. My father has many old friends in Seven Mile Vige. In the past, things were fine for him in the county. However, for some reason, ever since the itinerant merchants in the county changed, they often lowered the price of my father¡¯s leather goods in the past two years. If not for the fact that we live too far away from Xingzhou, my father would definitely have gone to Xingzhou to sell his leather goods instead of being subjected to bullying here.¡± It was said that Mu Shi looked like a Hu because he was surrounded by Han Chinese. Mu Shi¡¯s eyes were darker, his facial features were rougher, and his nose was higher. Coupled with his majestic figure, he stood out among a group of Han Chinese men who only reached his chin. However, he would not stand out in the military. Qi Haoran had seen many such people in the capital and did not think that they looked like Hus. Fan Zijin pondered for a moment and understood the reason. He said, ¡°Your father¡¯s leather goods seem to be of pretty fine quality.¡± ¡°Of course. My grandfather was an expert at leather tanning, and my father inherited my grandfather¡¯s teachings. The fur sold by us is made from leather hunted and tanned by my father. It¡¯s considered top-notch in the market.¡± ¡°No wonder. Since your family is skilled at hunting and tanning leather, your leather goods should fetch a high price due to the superior quality. It will naturally cost a lot of money to buy your family¡¯s leather goods. The local people hate the Hus, so those itinerant merchants probably conspired to lower the price seeing that your father looked like a Hu. Otherwise, if it was a local Han, the itinerant merchants would not dare to do this.¡± The reason why the itinerant merchants joined forces was to prevent themselves from being bullied by the local people in a foreignnd. In order not to be suppressed too much by the itinerant merchants, the local people would also join forces. If someone was suppressed too much, there would naturally be people protesting against the itinerant merchants. s, Mu Shi was clearly not included. Mu Yangling furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. ¡°Then, are there any itinerant merchants who are also ostracized in this line?¡± Fan Zijin looked at Mu Yangling approvingly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, but you can ask the owner here. He should know.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at the two of them. ¡°Do you know the owner here?¡± Mu Yangling had long noticed that their clothes were morous and they were no longer as disheveled as they were yesterday. Wanting to return the favor from yesterday, Fan Zijin smiled and nodded. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know him, I should be able to see him. If Miss Mu wishes to see him, I can get someone to bring him over.¡± Chapter 18: Help Chapter 18: Help Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling was overjoyed. ¡°Then help me look after the cart.¡± Mu Yangling ran to find her father. Mu Shi was sweating profusely as he negotiated with the itinerant merchant, hoping that the other party could raise the price a little. The other party said arrogantly, ¡°I can only offer you this price at most. If you want to sell it, sell it. If not, leave quickly. Don¡¯t get in our way of conducting business.¡± Though displeased, Mu Shi still squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°Sir, this price is really too low. You¡¯ve seen my leather goods. The quality is much higher than others¡­¡± Upon running over, Mu Yangling saw the other party gazing at her father arrogantly and could not help but be furious. She ran forward and grabbed her father, then snorted coldly and said, ¡°Father, we¡¯re not selling it to him. Even if he wants to buy it, we¡¯re not selling it to him. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah Ling!¡± Mu Shi grabbed his daughter¡¯s hand and frowned at her. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Father, you were the one who taught me the importance of perseverance. Their bids were unkind to begin with, even though you spoke to him so politely. What¡¯s the meaning of this? There are so many merchants in Mingshui County. Surely he¡¯s not the only one? Even if we don¡¯t manage to sell the goods in Mingshui County, there¡¯s still Xingzhou Prefecture.¡± The incredibly strong Mu Yangling simply pulled her father and left. Angered by Mu Yangling¡¯s words, the merchant was about tosh out at Mu Yangling when she red at him fiercely. The surrounding onlookers also stared at the itinerant merchant. As a foreigner in a foreign city, the itinerant merchant could only temporarily suppress his anger and watch Mu Yangling and her father leave. ¡°Father, I never meant to sell the goods to them in the first ce. Why did you beg him?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s heart ached for her father. ¡°If I don¡¯t sell it to them, who can I sell it to?¡± ¡°There must be sects among the merchants. We just have to find out the factions between them. When the timees, I¡¯ll be the one to sell it to them. I asked you to inquire about the price so that we can have more confidence when negotiating the priceter. However, there¡¯s no need for that now. I just ran into two good people. They¡¯ll help us introduce the ownerter.¡± Mu Shi was startled. ¡°Could you have encountered a fraud?¡± By then, Mu Yangling had already dragged her father to Qi Haoran. She didn¡¯t have time to exin and only introduced, ¡°Father, this is Young Master Qi, and this is Young Master Fan. I helped them yesterday, so they want to introduce the owner to us. Young Masters, this is my father.¡± Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin bowed and smiled. ¡°Uncle Mu, I¡¯ve already asked someone to call the owner over. Why don¡¯t we find a ce to sit down first?¡± Seeing that they were dressed gorgeously, Mu Shi heaved a sigh of relief. He looked around and said in embarrassment, ¡°Young masters, why don¡¯t we sit at the tea stall?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Fan Zijin smiled and walked in front with Qi Haoran. The four of them walked towards the nearest tea stall and only asked for a pot of tea. Mu Yangling looked at the two people who kept looking over diagonally and smiled. Those two were probably Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran¡¯s guards, right? Judging by how they were bold and unrestrained in their actions, Mu Yangling guessed that they were in the military. With this thought in mind, Mu Yangling picked up the teacup and downed it in one gulp. However, Qi Haoran was very interested in Mu Yangling¡¯s martial arts skills. ¡°Miss Mu, you were so swift and strong just now. How did you train?¡± Qi Haoran looked at Mu Yangling¡¯s hand with bright eyes. If not for the fact that there should be a prudent reserve between the sexes, and that her father was present, he really wanted to hold Mu Yangling¡¯s hand and study it properly. One had to know that Qi Haoran had been practicing martial arts since he was young and he had always been considered pretty skilled in martial arts all along. He was the same age as Qi Haoran and rarely encountered an opponent who could rival him, even among those two or three years his senior. Yet, the other party had easily grabbed his wrist just now and even made his arm slightly numb. How could Qi Haoran not be curious? Mu Yangling replied casually, ¡°Well, I¡¯m born with great strength.¡± Qi Haoran stared at the nine-year-old girl in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me, but why is there a need to fabricate such a lie?¡± Fan Zijin couldn¡¯t help but tug at his good friend¡¯s sleeve, thinking he should have kept these words to himself and not said them out loud. Fan Zijin smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Miss Mu, don¡¯t mind him. Haoran has an upright and straightforward personality. He didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± Mu Yangling nced at Fan Zijin and felt that the other party had a tendency to overthink things. By Fan Zijin¡¯s words, did he mean that Qi Haoran was straightforward and broad-minded, while she was a scheming and petty person who deliberately hid things from them? Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°Young Master Qi, I¡¯m not lying to you. I truly was born with it.¡± Mu Shi nodded repeatedly and said with a silly smile, ¡°Young masters, my daughter didn¡¯t lie to you. Because my ancestor was born strong, I¡¯m also strong, and my daughter is naturally stronger than others. Before I left this morning, I instructed her to be careful outside, so she might have been too nervous just now. When Young Master Qi suddenly went to pat her, she must¡¯ve lost control of her strength.¡± Fan Zijin nced at Mu Shi¡¯s firm muscles under his clothes and then at Mu Yangling. Imagining the appearance of a grown-up Mu Yangling, he shivered. He hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Haoran and I misunderstood.¡± Qi Haoran opened his mouth, but when he saw Fan Zijin winking at him, he could only stop talking. However, he was actually still unconvinced. He knew his own kung fu very well. Even if his big brother exchanged blows with him, he could still withstand more than a hundred moves. Just now, when Mu Yangling grabbed his hand, she grabbed his lifeline directly. Her strength was so great that he could not utilize any strength. He simply could not believe that anyone could be born with such great strength. Qi Haoran sized Mu Yangling up from head to toe, feeling very envious. At merely nine years old, she already possessed such martial prowess, many levels higher than his. If only he could take a look at the other party¡¯s internal cultivation technique. Qi Haoran was drooling in his heart, but on the surface, he ttered Mu Yangling. He kept thinking that if he could gain her favor, he might be able to watch her practice martial arts. Mu Yangling was also very pleasant to Qi Haoran. It was obvious that he was a rich and powerful person. If they became friends, perhaps their family¡¯s leather goods would not be constantly undervalued in the future. Fei Bai, who had gone to bring the owner over, couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw the two young masters talking andughing with the little girl. He brought the owner forward and bowed. ¡°Fourth Young Master, Young Master Zijin, the owner is here.¡± Owner Zhang hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. He smiled and said, ¡°Greetings to the two young masters. I wonder what the two young masters want to buy. I¡¯ll bring the two of you to take a look now.¡± Fan Zijin closed his fan and said with a smile, ¡°Owner Zhang, you¡¯re too polite. We brothers don¡¯t really wish to buy anything. We just have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Young Master, please go ahead and ask. I will definitely tell you everything I know.¡± ¡°I saw that the merchants in this area are all buying leather goods. Logically speaking, different merchants should be offering different prices. Why is it that every merchant offers the same price?¡± Owner Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Young Master, you might not know this, but the quality of leather goods varies. Everyone knows how much something is worth. Therefore, the price is naturally simr. The market is afraid that these itinerant merchants will deceive the local people, so it has set a range and the prices can only fluctuate within this range. This way, the people won¡¯t suffer too much losses and the merchants will also be able to buy goods.¡± ¡°Oh? Then can you guarantee that fine goods will fetch a good price?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Owner Zhang said proudly, ¡°With patrolling officials in the market, there is no possibility of price oppression.¡± Fan Zijin pulled out a fox fur from the cart and asked him, ¡°In your opinion, how much is this fox fur worth?¡± Chapter 19: Sold Chapter 19: Sold Editor: As Studios Owner Zhang rubbed the fox skin with his fingers and said with a smile, ¡°This fox skin is of high quality and is worth at least four taels of silver.¡± Fan Zijin turned around and asked Mu Shi, ¡°Uncle Mu, what price did those itinerant merchants offer you just now?¡± Only then did Owner Zhang see Mu Shi sitting at the side. His expression changed slightly, and he felt a little uneasy. Mu Shi said, ¡°They offered two taels.¡± With his lips curled, Fan Zijin looked at Owner Zhang and said, ¡°Owner Zhang, there seems to be a huge difference in the price.¡± Owner Zhang smiled apologetically: ¡°I¡¯m afraid those itinerant merchants don¡¯t recognize quality when they see it.¡± Owner Zhang thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll introduce you to a few itinerant merchants whose offers have always been fair.¡± Although he did not know the rtionship between this young master and the Mu family¡¯s father and daughter, it was better not to offend them. Fan Zijin only wanted to return Mu Yangling¡¯s favor and wasn¡¯t prepared to go so far as to stand up for them. Hence, he said readily, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Owner Zhang then.¡± Wouldn¡¯t Owner Zhang be introducing those same few itinerant merchants? This time, they had Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran standing up for them, but they would not have such luck next time. Displeased with the suggestion, Mu Yangling smiled brightly and interrupted, ¡°Owner Zhang, my father is wooden and I¡¯m inarticte. I am just afraid that those itinerant merchants don¡¯t like us. I wonder if there are any leather goods merchants who are as unsociable as us.¡± Owner Zhang nced at Mu Yangling and thought to himself, ¡®You call this inarticte?¡¯ Nheless, he still lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying, ¡°There are two of them. They came from Wenzhou and don¡¯t fit in with others. They have a stall set up in the north corner alone. Why, do you want to sell leather goods to them?¡± Mu Yangling looked at his father. Mu Shi bowed and said, ¡°We want to take a look. Please introduce us.¡± Owner Zhang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not difficult. Come with me.¡± He knew Mu Shi. Every year, he sold the most leather goods, and they were of superior quality. Although he had the bloodline of the Hus, his father had lived in Mingshui County before his birth, and he was born and raised in Mingshui County. Therefore, even though he looked down on him, he still regarded him as a citizen of Mingshui County. He knew a little about him being bullied by the new itinerant merchants after the merchants who used to buy goods from him had left. However, firstly, Mu Shi did notin, so he naturally did not care. Secondly, this matter only involved Mu Shi. Because it was not a good idea for him to challenge so many itinerant merchants alone, he turned a blind eye to it. However, he, too, was not particrly fond of those itinerant merchants. Now that someone was standing up for Mu Shi, he was happy to help. Owner Zhang led them to look for the two merchants from Wenzhou. Most of the local itinerant merchants came from the Hongzhou area, so they often worked together. Only Jiang Rong and Guo Cai came from Wenzhou, so they were ostracized by everyone and couldn¡¯t even find good locations for their stall. Therefore, even if they offered a fair price, there were very few fine leather goods that they could acquire. However, should they increase the offer price, it wouldn¡¯t be worth their effort going to and fro. The two of them were sitting behind the stall and watching wistfully at the crowd up ahead, but there was not a single person in front of their stall. When they saw Owner Zhang bringing people over, the two of them hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Owner Zhang.¡± Owner Zhang nodded slightly and pointed at Mu Shi. ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯ve brought business to you. This is Mu Shi, whose leather goods have always been of outstanding quality. The two of you can have a discussion.¡± With that said, he moved to the side. As the marketce owner, he could not interfere with the transactions on the premises. Jiang Rong and Guo Cai were bewildered. When they got a clear look of Mu Shi¡¯s appearance and then saw the two young masters who were talking softly at the side, they finally calmed down. The first to break the silence, Mu Yangling took the fox skin and took the initiative to promote it to them. ¡°Uncles, this is my family¡¯s leather goods. Please take a closer look. My father¡¯s leather tanning skills are one of the best in Seven Mile Vige.¡± Jiang Rong held it in his hand and touched it before opening it to take a closer look. He nodded slightly at Guo Cai, and Guo Cai said in a low voice, ¡°This fox skin is indeed of fine quality. I wonder how many pieces Brother Mu has?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s eyes lit up and he replied readily, ¡°There are a total of five.¡± ¡°Can you take it out and show it to us?¡± Mu Shi carefully untied a roll of fox skin from the cart and opened it for them to see. The two of them examined it carefully and did not miss a single spot. After a while, they nodded, feeling excited. Jiang Rong calmed himself down and smiled. ¡°This fox fur is indeed of good quality. I wonder how much Brother Mu wants for them?¡± Mu Shi thought about how those merchants had offered two taels of silver just now and were unwilling to raise the price by even 50 copper coins. Originally, he had thought that it would be great if he could sell it for 2 taels 50 copper coins, but now, he decided to sell it for three taels. Just as he opened his mouth, his daughter spoke up at this time. ¡°Uncles, why don¡¯t you name a price first? If it¡¯s suitable, we¡¯ll sell it. If not, we can negotiate further. How about that?¡± Jiang Rong and Guo Cai looked at each other and saw Mu Yangling in a new light. Whoever made the first bid would be at a disadvantage. The two of them wanted to refuse, but the two young masters in luxurious clothes were looking over with a smile. The two of them thought for a moment and said, ¡°Such good fox fur can be sold for four taels of silver in the market.¡± Guo Cai gritted his teeth but did not raise the price. ¡°Then we¡¯ll bid four taels of silver each.¡± He and Jiang Rong did note from well-to-do families. Not only did they sell their assets when they came to Mingshui County to purchase goods, but they also owed a lot of debt. Their wives and children were waiting at home for them to bring money back. Although they knew that the other party had a backer, they did not raise the price. They figured they could always slowly raise the bid if the other party was not satisfied. Mu Shi and Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go with this price.¡± Now that the most expensive fox fur had been sold, only the rabbit fur, wolf fur, and other furs were left. The rabbit fur was still fine, for many nobles in the south liked it. But the wolf fur was a tad difficult to sell. This was because Wenzhou was very far south, and the men there did not like to wear wolf fur. Instead, in the Hongzhou area, men liked to use this fur in winter. However, Jiang Rong and Guo Cai only hesitated for a moment before offering to buy it for a very reasonable price. Watching them take out silver, Mu Yangling smiled until her eyes narrowed. Mu Shi was also delighted. Just the fox fur alone fetched 20 taels. Including the other furs, they earned a total of 48 taels of silver. It was enough for the family to have a good New Year, and not have to worry about money until next summer. Jiang Rong and Guo Cai were also in high spirits. Jiang Rong thought for a moment and said, ¡°Brother Mu, if you have any more furs that you want to sell in the future, you cane to us. If anyone in your vige wants to sell, you can also ask them toe here. I don¡¯t dare to say that the price we offer is the highest, but it will definitely be the fairest.¡± Extremely satisfied with them, Mu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll definitely look for you when I have leather goods in the future.¡± Jiang Rong and Guo Cai immediately responded with a wide smile. Everyone thanked Owner Zhang again. Then, Mu Yangling saw her father take out five taels of silver and stuff it into Owner Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°Owner Zhang, here are our taxes.¡± Narrowing his eyes, Owner Zhang took out a small wolf hair brush. He wrote a receipt for Mu Shi and kept the silver, then smiled at Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin. ¡°Young masters, now that this matter is over, why don¡¯t you let me apany the two of you for a walk?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. We¡¯ll stroll around by ourselves for a while.¡± Qi Haoran had no patience to go shopping with an old man. He said, ¡°Owner Zhang is a busy man. You can go first and don¡¯t have to apany us.¡± Owner Zhang did not force him. He only nodded and smiled before leaving. Chapter 20: Freedom of Speech Chapter 20: Freedom of Speech Editor: As Studios Owner Zhang¡¯s showing up to bring Mu Shi and the others away rmed the itinerant merchants nearby. Everyone secretly paid attention. When they saw Owner Zhang pulling strings for Mu Shi and introducing him to Jiang Rong and Guo Cai from Wenzhou, their expressions turned ugly. However, they also saw Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin beside Mu Shi and his daughter. Although they did not know their identities, judging from their luxurious clothes and the fact that they managed to invite Owner Zhang over, it was obvious that they were not ordinary people. Though some of the itinerant merchants were unconvinced, they had no choice but to suppress their tempers and pretend not to see it. Those who were broad-minded only frowned for a moment before letting go. However, there were also those who were narrow-minded and secretly bore a grudge. One had to know that Mu Shi¡¯s leather goods were of fine quality. They had just been waiting for Mu Shi to take the initiative to ept the low price. If there was a first time, there would be a second time. In the future, they would be able to buy Mu Shi¡¯s leather goods at a low price. Qi Haoran was sensitive to good and evil. Sensing malice, he red back fiercely. Those itinerant merchants who looked dissatisfied could only lower their heads. Qi Haoran snorted and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°What else do you want to buy? I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Mu Yangling nced at her father and said, ¡°We want to go to the grain store to take a look.¡± Seeing that it was still early, Qi Haoran said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you guys.¡± Fan Zijin frowned, unable to understand why Qi Haoran would continue to hang out with them after they had already returned yesterday¡¯s favor to Mu Yangling. Shouldn¡¯t they be going back to look for Brother Xiuyuan now? However, Qi Haoran¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of getting close to Mu Yangling and bing good friends with her. Following which, he would ask her for guidance on martial arts. Although Mu Yangling felt that Fan Zijin was too scheming, considering the other party was just a 12 or 13-year-old boy, she decided to be magnanimous and not be calctive with him. However, Mu Shi was very grateful to the two youths, so he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the eatery. Uncle will treat you to a meal.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling realize that she was hungry. She hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s all thanks to your help today. Do let my father treat you to a meal.¡± Knowing that they didn¡¯te from a well-to-do family, Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, ¡°How can I let you treat us? It¡¯s all thanks to the pancake, pheasant, and wild rabbit you gave us yesterday that we were able tost until the county. We merely spoke a few words earlier on. Let me treat you instead.¡± Without waiting for their rejection, he pulled Fan Zijin to an eatery and entered. Mu Yangling and Mu Shi had no choice but to follow. The four of them chose a seat by the window on the second floor. Qi Haoran asked curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys farm? Why are you going to the grain store?¡± ¡°Our family only hunts but not farms. However, we¡¯re not going to the grain store to buy grains, but to inquire about the price of grains.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Now that it¡¯s autumn harvest, we only need to buy grains in the vige.¡± Fan Zijin smiled and said, ¡°Coincidentally, we just visited the grain store this morning. Right now, medium-grade rice is priced at 1 tael 300 copper coins per stone. Low-grade rice is priced at one tael of silver. I didn¡¯t pay attention to the rest. What else do you wish to find out?¡± Seeing that the Mu father and daughter were frowning, Fan Zijin asked curiously, ¡°Why? Is the price of grains different from that in your vige?¡± Mu Yangling replied with a straight face, ¡°It¡¯s not just different, it¡¯s simply too different. Before we came, my great-uncle evenined to us that the price of grains this year was too low. A few shop-owners went to the countryside to purchase grains, but they only offered 428 copper coins. Although they are grains with the bran intact, there¡¯s still a huge difference in the price. The grain stores in our town also sell grains at this price.¡± Mu Shi said, ¡°Cheap grains and expensive rice. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a thing in my life. Previously, when I went to the grain store to buy rice, I thought that the war at the border was about to begin¡­¡± Mu Shi shook his head and did not say anything else. However, he felt even more mncholic. If the situation in the county and town was the same, then his uncle¡¯s grains would not fetch a high price. Mu Yangling was also a little worried. If the vigers were having a hard time, they would definitely be having a hard time too, since they were all fellow vigers. When the time came and they came looking for help, should they help or not? Besides, Mu Yangling felt aggrieved just thinking about it. She had always taken the farmers¡¯ hardships to heart. It was not easy for them to get a good harvest, but they had to encounter such a situation. It was simply forcing everyone to a dead end. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°If that¡¯s all, it¡¯s fine. At most, we won¡¯t sell the grains. However, not only did the payment to a porter increase this year, but they also stipted that we can only pay in silver and not grains. That way, everyone had no choice but to sell their grains.¡± Qi Haoran asked curiously, ¡°What is payment to a porter?¡± Fan Zijin was equally curious. Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t even know about this? Every year, the tax money and grains paid in lieu of taxes have to be transported to the capital. That¡¯s why you make payment to a porter. If you don¡¯t pay, you have to transport the grains to the capital yourself. It¡¯s a distance of two thousand miles from here to the capital, and it takes half a year to go back and forth, not to mention the expenses on the way, so¡­¡± Mu Yangling shrugged and said, ¡°Do you understand? You have no choice but to pay the payment to a porter. Otherwise, the government won¡¯t ept your taxes. If you can¡¯t pay the taxes, the government can confiscate your wealth and exile your entire family.¡± Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin¡¯s mouths were wide open. Qi Haoran shouted, ¡°How can this be? Didn¡¯t His Majesty say that he would lower the tax burden?¡± Mu Yangling sneered. ¡°You guys really believe it? If His Majesty really wanted to lower the tax burden, he wouldn¡¯t have imposed taxes on the vige markets and marketces. Now, the tax burden from the soldiers¡¯ sries is even distributed to the various viges. A few years ago, they were even charging city entrance taxes. When the Great Ancestor established the dynasty, there were no such fees.¡± ¡°Ah Ling,¡± Mu Shi called out to his daughter disapprovingly. ¡°Be careful with your words when you¡¯re outside.¡± If this was the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty, Mu Yangling would definitely not dare to say such a thing. However, this was the Great Zhou Dynasty. The founding emperor had once issued an imperial decree that stipted the people could practice freedom of speech. He even carved this point on a monolith inscription. Now, it was erected in front of the imperial pce of the capital¡¯s Lin¡¯an Prefecture. Speaking of this, Mu Yangling found it very funny. Back then, when the royal family and the imperial court fled south, there was actually someone who brought the monolith inscription along amidst all that chaos. After the pce of Lin¡¯an Prefecture was built, the monolith inscription was erected in front of the pce again, like a huge mountain pressing down on the emperor¡¯s head. Therefore, three years ago, after the Yuan Family¡¯s army recovered the lostnd, they were transferred south by the suspicious emperor. As a result, the three prefectures¡ªJingzhao Prefecture, Fengxiang Prefecture, and Lintao Prefecture were lost. The battlefront was pushed south to the Xingyuan Prefecture. Furious, the civilians ran to the entrance of the pce to spit. There were even schrs who wrote articles scolding the emperor and the treacherous officials in the imperial court and spread them. Meanwhile, the emperor hid in the pce and did not dare to utter a word. Instead, he had to issue an edict for his own crimes. Only then did the anger of the people subside slightly. At that time, Mu Yangling, who was only six years old, had juste into contact with the books of this world. That first time, she had heard themoners scold the emperor in a teahouse, while the constable sitting at the side actually echoed them. Mu Yangling was nearly scared to death then. What happened to not speaking about state affairs? Mu Yangling realized that the freedom of speech of the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty was even greater than in the modern era. However, the strange thing was that in the Great Zhou, which practiced freedom of speech, no one had ever said anything about overthrowing the emperor. Even if everyone scolded him for not doing a good job and heeding the words of the treacherous officials, no one had ever suggested changing the emperor. Mu Yangling could not help but sigh at the Great Zhou Emperor¡¯s good luck. Hence, Mu Yangling was never afraid of saying these things outside. At this moment, she pouted and said, ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. Everyone says so.¡± Mu Shi lowered his head to eat his food and drink his tea, ignoring his daughter. Chapter 21: Brothers Chapter 21: Brothers Editor: As Studios Although Qi Haoran had always looked down on the cowardice of the royal family, he was still very loyal to the emperor. Since he was young, he had heard from his father how kind the emperor was. Now that he heard Mu Yangling say this, it was inevitable that he could not ept it. Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes widened as well. He stared at Mu Yangling in disbelief and said, ¡°This is just your side of the story. Perhaps this is the doing of the corrupt officials here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the emperor. Be it the doing of a corrupt official or his intention, isn¡¯t it his responsibility nheless?¡± Although it was a shameless argument, the two youths still could not refute her. Frowning, Qi Haoran felt conflicted at the realization that his emperor was not the good person he thought he was. Fan Zijin was also in low spirits, but he quickly caught the main point and asked, ¡°You just said that the grains in the countryside are cheap now, and the rice in the city is expensive?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the doing of the local squires, the officials, or if they¡¯re colluding with each other. In any case, they¡¯re all involved. Anyway, the civilians are leading a hard life now. Fortunately, we can pay grains for the soldiers¡¯ sry. If this needs to be paid in silver as well, themoners really won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± After the four of them finished eating, Mu Yangling said very gratefully to them, ¡°Thank you for today. If youe to Nearhill Vige again, I¡¯ll treat you to mountain delicacies.¡± Qi Haoranughed heartily. ¡°You said it yourself. Don¡¯t deny it when Ie to look for you.¡± Mu Yangling patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We may not have much else, but we definitely don¡¯tck mountain delicacies.¡± Mu Yangling was not boasting. Mountain delicacies were nothing to the Mu family. Unfortunately, mountain delicacies were not rare here, for this was near to the mountains. Seeing that the father and daughter had walked far away, Fan Zijin asked Qi Haoran, ¡°Why are you so good to her?¡± Qi Haoran looked at Fan Zijin strangely. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°We¡¯ve only met her twice. How did we be friends?¡± Qi Haoran frowned slightly and said disapprovingly, ¡°Zijin, you¡¯re too paranoid. She helped us yesterday and we helped her today. Doesn¡¯t that make us friends now?¡± ¡°Her ancestors have Hu blood, and she¡¯s quite skilled in martial arts. I think we should be careful.¡± Qi Haoran pouted in disagreement and felt something smack his head from behind. Feeling the wind, Qi Haoran tilted his head to dodge the p. His eyes sharpened and he pulled Fan Zijin behind him with his left hand. Grabbing that hand with his right hand, he red towards the owner of that hand. Only then did he see his big brother standing behind him. Stunned, Qi Haoran quickly let go of his brother¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother, why is it you?¡± Surprised at his brother¡¯s vignce, Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s heart ached when he saw his brother¡¯s series of actions. He could only imagine how much hardship this child had gone throughing here from Lin¡¯an Prefecture, to be so vignt and sensitive. Suppressing the pain in his eyes, Qi Haoran asked, ¡°Who did you think it was?¡± Smiling, the servant behind Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°Fourth Young Master, Eldest Young Master arrived upstairs long ago. He ordered the dishes and was waiting for you. He merely didn¡¯t make an appearance seeing that Fourth Young Master and Young Master Zijin were with guests.¡± ¡°Have you finished all the dishes you ordered?¡± Shi Jian was stunned, not quite understanding why the Fourth Young Master asked about this. Still, he shook his head and said, ¡°No, we ordered a lot of dishes. How can Eldest Young Master finish them all by himself?¡± ¡°Have you paid the bill?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had time¡­¡± Qi Haoran heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m not full yet. Let¡¯s go eat again. If we can¡¯t finish it, we¡¯ll pack it back.¡± Shi Jian and Fei Bai were dumbfounded. This was the first time they had seen the Fourth Young Master like this. Fan Zijin frowned, but when he saw Qi Haoran full of smiles, he knew that he had yet to return to his normal state, having been starved previously. This made him feel even more guilty. If he had not been a burden, they would not have suffered so much along the way. Seeing that his usuallywless and tyrannical brother now knew to pack food, Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s heart instantly shattered into a few pieces. His heart ached as if his entire body was soaked in bitter juice. He reached out to stroke Qi Haoran¡¯s head, suppressing the tears in his eyes. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go eat. Order whatever you want. After we¡¯re done, we¡¯ll order your favorite food and pack it back.¡± Qi Haoran looked at his eldest brother in confusion, feeling that something was wrong. However, he was indeed not full from eating with the Mu father and daughter just now. He had no idea that Mu Yangling had such a hearty appetite. Seeing that she was eating so happily, he figured she was extremely hungry. Considering that her family wasn¡¯t well off, he didn¡¯t eat much then. After running around for half a day today, he was famished, and right now, eating was his top priority. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s heart ached for his brother. As soon as he sat down at the dining table, he asked the waiter to add two more meat dishes. He said to his brother, who was wolfing down his food, ¡°Eat slowly. If it¡¯s not enough, we¡¯ll order more.¡± Qi Haoran nodded as he ate. He nced at the dishes on the table and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s enough.¡± Fan Zijin rolled his eyes as he picked up his chopsticks to eat. He said, ¡°You¡¯re nearly bing a rice bucket1.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll grow faster if I eat more. I¡¯m taller and stronger than you now,¡± Qi Haoran said proudly. Fan Zijin choked and retorted, ¡°That¡¯s right. Only the limbs grew though. You have well-developed limbs indeed.¡± Though, his brain didn¡¯t develop much. Unfortunately, Qi Haoran did not understand the hidden meaning behind his words and stuffed a mouthful of food into his mouth smugly. On the other hand, Fan Zijin, who was mocking him, choked. Seated at the side, Qi Xiuyuan watched the two of them bicker with a smile. He was already used to it. When they were almost done eating, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while before going back to the campter. The horses are ready.¡± Fan Zijin said seriously, ¡°Eldest Cousin, can we enter the military camp like this?¡± Qi Xiuyuan snorted and said, ¡°The West Camp is my territory. Who dares to say anything? Just stay in the military camp. I¡¯ll hire a teacher for you and arrange for you to study in the camp.¡± Qi Haoran opened his mouth wide and wailed, ¡°I still have to study? No, Big Brother, I want to join the army and train. I don¡¯t want to study anymore.¡± Qi Xiuyuan snorted. ¡°How old are you? What¡¯s that talk about joining the army? Be good and focus on studying. If I find out that you disobey the teacher, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Qi Haoran straightened his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m not cut out for studying. What¡¯s wrong with me wanting to practice martial arts? In short, I just don¡¯t want to study.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s hands itched, but he remembered that he was outside and had just reunited with his brother. Gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we get back to the military camp.¡± Looking as if he had lost his parents, Qi Haoran stuffed something into his mouth as if he was venting his anger. His cheeks were puffed up, and his eyes were still wide open as he stared at his brother. Not to mention Qi Xiuyuan, even Fan Zijin¡¯s heart softened. He couldn¡¯t help but put in a good word for him. ¡°Eldest Cousin, Haoran is indeed not cut out for studying. I think it¡¯s better to let him study for half a day and practice martial arts for the other half. Otherwise, even if he¡¯s detained in the study room, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be in the mood.¡± Qi Haoran puffed up his cheeks and nodded repeatedly, gazing at his brother expectantly with round eyes. He regretted stuffing his mouth full, making himself unable to speak now. He could only nod. Fan Zijin held his forehead and could not bear to look at him. A smile shed across Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes, but he maintained a straight face. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Chapter 22: Anger Chapter 22: Anger Editor: As Studios Qi Xiuyuan was a fourth-grade general of Lizhou Circuit¡¯s West Camp, the highest inmand in this camp. The West Camp was stationed in Xingzhou Prefecture under Xingyuan Prefecture. Under Xingzhou Prefecture was Shunzheng County, and the army was stationed five miles south of the county. Xingcheng Pass was there, and the mission of the West Camp was to garrison Xingcheng Pass. Because the government office of Xingzhou Prefecture was located in Shunzheng County, there were currently three groups of forces in Xingzhou Prefecture City. The first was the county office of Shunzheng County, which was located in the east of the county. Secondly, the government office of Xingzhou Prefecture was located in the north of the county. Thirdly, the office of this group of generals was located in the south of the county. Although Qi Xiuyuan said that he would bring them back to the military camp, there was actually nothing there. Qi Xiuyuan did not want his brother to suffer, so he brought him back to the residence in Shunzheng County first. After making arrangements for his brother and cousin, he called his trusted aide to the study. The Qis were only a small n in Lin¡¯an Prefecture. Their father, Qi Feng, was merely a fourth-grade imperial censor, and his rank was the same as Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s. Other than the father and son, there were no other members of the Qi family who served as officials. Although civil officials were more esteemed than martial arts officials, it was hard to tell who was more important between a fourth-grade general in charge of the military and a fourth-grade imperial censor. As for Qi Xiuyuan, he was promoted so quickly after his promotion, not only because he had been a guard by the emperor¡¯s side for half a year, but also because his two uncles were both generals. Moreover, he fought fearlessly on the battlefield with no regard for his life, thus umting illustrious battle achievements. That was why he was promoted from a sixth-grade lieutenant to a fourth-grade general in merely two years. His trusted aides knew that Qi Xiuyuan and his father didn¡¯t get along well. It was admirable that he went to the border at the age of 16 and didn¡¯t rely on the Qi family to get to this point. However, the Qi family was a schrly family and had long had a problem with Qi Xiuyuan joining the army instead of studying. Even though he was already a fourth-grade martial arts official and wasn¡¯t inferior to his father, he was still too embarrassed to mention it. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s only connection to that family was his biological younger brother, Qi Haoran. Unexpectedly, half a month ago, he received news that his younger brother had left after leaving a letter behind. Even his cousin had disappeared. Qi Xiuyuan was furious. Although his brother was naughty, he knew his limits. Besides, his cousin was a sensible person. He wondered what his father and that woman must have done to force the duo to simply run away like that. After his anger subsided, worry took over. In this unpeaceful world that they lived in, there were bandits everywhere, and the people were valiant. At only 12 years old, the two of them had never traveled far, and probably did not even know how much a bun cost. Qi Xiuyuan was so anxious that the corners of his mouth were blistering. He could only send his bodyguards to search south. Other than his uncle, his younger brother could onlye to him. Between the two, his younger brother would naturally choose the older brother. Qi Xiuyuan anxiously asked people to search south along the main road, but there was no news. Yesterday afternoon, he received a report from the scouts in Mingshui County. Only then did he know that the two brats had already run to Xingzhou Prefecture. He hurriedly rode his horse to look for them. Although Qi Xiuyuan had not seen his brother for two years, they had been writing letters to each other every month. He naturally knew that his brother minded the baby fat on his face the most. Every time he wrote to him, he wouldin that his round face made him look even younger, causing his ssmates to look down on him. However, when he saw his younger brother this time, not only did the chubby cheeks disappear, but he also looked much more haggard. If not for the fact that he was concerned about maintaining his dignity as an elder brother, Qi Xiuyuan would have hugged his younger brother and cried. Now that he had settled his brother down, Qi Xiuyuan no longer suppressed himself. He kept releasing cold air, so cold that Shi Jian and the few trusted aides who came to listen to the orders shrank their necks. ¡°Send a message to Jiang Ze and tell him not toe back for the time being. Ask him to go to Lin¡¯an and find out why Fourth Young Master and Young Master Zijin ran away from home.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression was cold. His brother and cousin had to use their travel passes to enter and exit the city. If the Qi family discovered they were missing and chased after them, how could they not find them after following such obvious traces? ¡°No,¡± Military Advisor Rong Xuan quickly stopped him. ¡°Xiuyuan, Jiang Ze has an official position, and a general can¡¯t enter the capital without an edict. Once he¡¯s discovered, the consequences will be unimaginable. It¡¯s better to call him back. As for what happened in Lin¡¯an, why don¡¯t you ask Fourth Young Master and Young Master Zijin directly? As for why the Qi family didn¡¯t look for them,¡± Rong Xuan sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Your stepmother is naturally unwilling to find your brother.¡± Qi Xiuyuan frowned. ¡°She¡¯s just my Auntie.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s Auntie, not Stepmother.¡± Rong Xuan readily agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s call Jiang Ze and the others back. Anyway, since we¡¯ve already found them, you can let Jiang Ze teach Fourth Young Master since he wishes to learn martial arts.¡± Qi Xiuyuan only pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°Then send the order to get Jiang Ze toe back. Jinyu, don¡¯t address them as Fourth Young Master and Young Master Zijin. They¡¯re younger than you. Call them by their names directly. Otherwise, call them Little Fourth and Little Second.¡± Rong Xuan, courtesy name Jinyu, was the Military Advisor of the West Camp. He had followed Qi Xiuyuan all the way from Lin¡¯an and was Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s trusted aide. Qi Haoran was the fourth son in the family, and Qi Xiuyuan was the eldest. The second and third sons in the middle were both born of a concubine. Naturally, now that their biological mother had been promoted, they were now considered born of the first wife. After talking about private matters, it was time to discuss serious matters. Qi Haoran said, ¡°I heard something in the eatery today. It¡¯s the autumn harvest now, yet the price of rice and noodles in the grain store has increased.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s guard, Mo Xiong, frowned. ¡°Is the harvest awful this year?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Rong Xuan said with a frown, ¡°I just patrolled a while ago. The crops in the fields are not bad, and the recent weather has been good. How can the harvest not be good?¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at the adjutant quartermaster, He Ming, who was deep in thought. ¡°What¡¯s their price for the rations we want to buy?¡± ¡°1 tael 100 copper coins for one stone of rice. That¡¯s 200 copper coins less than the market price.¡± ¡°Zhao Guang agreed?¡± Qi Xiuyuan asked in a low voice. Zhao Guang was the quartermaster of the West Camp. ¡°Yes, we can buy it as soon as the local government delivers the sry collected.¡± A cold glint shed across Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes. He snorted and said, ¡°The rice in the grain store costs 1 tael 300 copper coins, but they¡¯re only collecting grains for 420 copper coins.¡± Their expressions changed slightly as they looked at each other. ¡°Erm, are we being schemed against?¡± Rong Xuan frowned and said, ¡°We have to investigate this matter since we are permanently stationed in Xingzhou Prefecture. If themoners are forced to a corner, causing them to rebel, we will be the ones suffering.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He Ming¡¯s expression was also a little ugly. ¡°Not only do we not get any benefits, we¡¯ll need to take the me for them.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. Since we have to buy additional military supplies every year, He Ming, why don¡¯t you buy some grains from those vigers during the autumn harvest? There¡¯s no need to lower the price. I believe they¡¯ll be happy to sell them to you at a suitable price.¡± He Ming originally wanted to buy a batch of grains at a low price, but seeing that the general was unwilling to hurt the people, he could only nod and say, ¡°General, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely handle this matter well.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°I remember that Zhao Guang is a direct descendant of the local squire. Jinyu, go and investigate this person. I don¡¯t believe he doesn¡¯t know about this at all.¡± Jinyu knew that Qi Xiuyuan could not tolerate Zhao Guang, so he nodded in agreement. Qi Xiuyuan made some simple arrangements before walking to the backyard. Meanwhile, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin slept for more than two hours and woke up hungry. They rushed back after lunch. It was already dark and they were hungry, so the two of them fumbled to get up and look for food. Chapter 23: Inquiry Chapter 23: Inquiry Editor: As Studios When Qi Xiuyuan pushed open the door and entered, he saw the two of them standing up while eating a te of snacks. Smiling, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much. I¡¯ve already asked someone to prepare food. You might be too full for dinnerter.¡± Qi Haoran threw a piece of snack into his mouth and said, ¡°I can even scarf down a cow now.¡± However, Fan Zijin obediently set aside his snack and stopped eating. Qi Xiuyuan dragged the brothers to dinner. After eating and drinking to their heart¡¯s content, he dismissed all the servants and asked seriously, ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t askst night since I saw that you were as tired as dogs. Plus, I haven¡¯t been free today. Can you tell me now, why you ran away from home?¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at his brother first and said, ¡°You first.¡± Anger shed across Qi Haoran¡¯s face as he said hatefully, ¡°Brother, that woman wants to matchmake you to her own niece. How can she, a concubine, dream of making you take her niece to be your first wife? How will you face others in the future? Moreover, her niece iszy and has a terrible reputation. I don¡¯t want her to be my sister-inw.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him and corrected him. ¡°Madam Wu has already been promoted to first wife.¡± Even more furious now, Qi Haoran snorted. ¡°I won¡¯t acknowledge that.¡± ¡°So you fell out with them because of my marriage?¡± Qi Xiuyuan asked. Qi Haoran felt a little ufortable, so Fan Zijin said, ¡°Eldest Cousin, they wanted to take advantage of your absence to wee the bride into the family so that they could settle this marriage. They asked Haoran to wee the bride on your behalf. Madam Wu locked Haoran in the courtyard, and I only managed to bring him out overnight by bribing the servants in your residence.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°She actually locked Haoran up? Does Father not care at all?¡± Fan Zijin lowered his head and did not speak, but Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°He only has Second Brother and Third Brother in his heart. When was he ever concerned about me?¡± Qi Xiuyuan grabbed his brother¡¯s hand, his eyes shing with coldness and helplessness. That being their father, he could neither hit nor scold him. However, Qi Haoran was very proud. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve run away, they won¡¯t be able to find anyone to substitute as Big Brother. Big Brother, you have to sharpen your vignce and find me a good sister-inw in the future.¡± Qi Xiuyuan lips twitched slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find you a good sister-inw.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t give up just like that.¡± Fan Zijin frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve always found it strange. Why are they in such a hurry to marry Little Miss Wu to Eldest Cousin?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him in disdain. ¡°You don¡¯t even know that? My elder brother definitely won¡¯t marry a girl from the Wu family. They naturally have to settle the marriage while my elder brother is not around.¡± The marriage could be canceled, but the marriage contract could not be canceled. He could either find his wife¡¯s fault and divorce her, or he could only ask for her approval and divorce. But no matter what, it would have an adverse effect on Qi Xiuyuan. Fan Zijin said with a straight face, ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with Little Miss Wu. Otherwise, there¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry.¡± With a wave of his hand, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°That¡¯s not important anymore. Now that Haoran is no longer in Lin¡¯an, she can¡¯t very well ask her two sons to wee the bride on my behalf, right?¡± If she dared to do it, Qi Xiuyuan would dare to say that since Little Miss Wu¡¯s two younger brothers had already suffered in his ce, he didn¡¯t dare to have such a wife. Who¡¯s to say otherwise? As a man, he was naturally not afraid. He just had no idea if the Wu family was that bold. Though marriage was dictated by one¡¯s parents and the words of the matchmaker, it didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t do anything. Qi Xiuyuan looked at Fan Zijin. ¡°Then why did you run out?¡± Fan Zijin shifted his butt ufortably and said, ¡°I apanied Haoran here.¡± Qi Haoran shouted indignantly, ¡°That¡¯s not true. Uncle passed the hereditary privilege to Fan Zixiao when it rightfully belonged to Zijin. In a fit of anger, Aunt raised her sword, wanting to sh Uncle, and the two of them started fighting over this. Zijin felt that it was meaningless, so he ran out with me.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s mother, Xia Tong, and Qi Haoran¡¯s mother, Zhu Wan, were cousins and grew up together. Hence, they were very close. After Zhu Wan passed away, the two aunts of the Zhu family were no longer in Lin¡¯an. Furthermore, Qi Feng didn¡¯t care about his two sons. Qi Haoran, who was only one year old, and Qi Xiuyuan, who was seven years old, were taken care of by Xia Tong, hence they were very close to her. Fan Zijin was two months older than Qi Haoran. When the two little fellows were still learning to crawl, they were already hanging out together all the time. They were like real brothers. In Qi Haoran¡¯s heart, other than his eldest brother, Qi Xiuyuan, the second most important person to him was Fan Zijin. Qi Xiuyuan red at Fan Zijin and said, ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to Aunt. I don¡¯t think you will be able to focus on your studies in Lin¡¯an, so why don¡¯t you stay here for now? I¡¯ll hire a teacher for you.¡± Truly suffocated by the atmosphere at home, Fan Zijin heaved a sigh of relief. That was why he agreed without thinking when Qi Haoran suggested they ¡°escaped¡±. ¡°Since you even prepared your travel passes, why did you not prepare any money? Why were you in such a sorry state? You actually had to be saved by a hunter girl?¡± Blushing, Fan Zijin said guiltily, ¡°We did bring some money, but there was an ident on the way¡­¡± No matter how smart Fan Zijin was, he was only 12 years old and had never traveled far. He and Qi Haoran always had a pageboy following them in and out. With the pageboy paying for their purchases, they did not even know how much a bun cost. Fan Zijin was on guard, but hecked life experience, after all. Hence, they fled in luxurious clothes. Just buying a horse cost more than half of their money. In addition, the two of them encountered robbers, scammers, and people who turned greedy after seeing how rich they were. In short, during this two-month journey from Lin¡¯an to Linzhou Prefecture, it could be said that the two of them had a narrow escape. When they met Mu Yangling, they had already reached their limit. At that time, they ran into the forest as they were being chased by a manor owner. The two of them lost their way and starved for two days, to the point where they almost did not have the strength to move. That was why Mu Yangling¡¯s help was so precious. Not only did she give them food, but she also gave them directions. She could be considered an incredibly good person among the people they met along the way. However, the more Fan Zijin was deceived, the more suspicious he became. Although Mu Yangling had saved them, he still suspected that she had ulterior motives. That was why he was so resistant to Qi Haoran getting close to her. Of course, Qi Xiuyuan was more careful. After all, Mu Shi had a face that was different from the Han people. Though, there were also many mixed-blood Hu-Hans in the army. Still, in order to be careful, he sent people to investigate the Mu father and daughter. At this moment, the Mu father and daughter, who had no idea that they would be investigated, were rushing home. The sky was alreadypletely dark, but Mu Yangling eximed happily when she saw the lights of the vige, ¡°Father, we¡¯re home!¡± Mu Shi chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re fast. Quickly run back and see if your mother is at home.¡± Mu Yangling responded and ran home. As soon as she reached the vige entrance, she saw two torches. Her mother and brother¡¯s faces barged into her eyes. Mu Yangling ran even faster and reached her mother¡¯s side in a sh. She shouted, ¡°Mother, why are you here?¡± ¡°Geez, she¡¯s worried about you and your father. My mouth is turning dry from persuading her, but your mother refuses to go back and insists on standing here and waiting.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling see her aunt, Madam Liu-Zhao, standing at the side. Mu Yangling smiled and bowed. ¡°Thank you for apanying my mother today.¡± Chapter 24: Back Home Chapter 24: Back Home Editor: As Studios ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good that you guys came back safely. How was your trip to the county today?¡± Madam Liu-Zhao asked. Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°It went well.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Shi pushed the cart forward. Mu Yangling quickly took out a piece of pork and a small bag of sweets from the cart and stuffed them into her aunt¡¯s hands. ¡°Aunt, this is for you. I bought some sweets for my cousins.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao quickly pushed it away. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this. You should give it to your brother. It¡¯s not the new year yet, don¡¯t spoil them. Take this meat back to your pregnant mother.¡± Although the Mu family did notck meat, wild pigs were still different from domestic pigs, for thetter had a much higher fat content. On the other hand, it was rare to see meat in the Liu Family unless it was a festival. ¡°There¡¯s more for my mother here. This is for Great-uncle. Please ept it.¡± Mu Yangling pushed it back. They had specially bought more for their family. Shu Wanniang said gently, ¡°Cousin-inw, just ept it. It¡¯s to show appreciation for you apanying us today.¡± Mu Shi also said, ¡°We still have more here.¡± After thinking for a moment, Madam Liu-Zhao epted it. With a heartyugh, she said, ¡°Then go back quickly. The dew is heavy tonight. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Mu Yangling responded. Seeing that her aunt had turned around and left, she carried her brother onto the cart and held her mother¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go home quickly.¡± Little Bowen sat on the cart excitedly with a red face and bright eyes as he gazed ahead. He shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± When they got home, Mu Yangling went into the house first and lit the oilmp. Only then did Shu Wanniang slowly enter the house. ¡°I¡¯m going to cook. Bowen,e and help me start the fire.¡± Mu Yangling took the vegetables from the cart and entered the kitchen. Shu Wanniang heaved a sigh of relief and said to her husband, ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back tonight.¡± ¡°I already said that I would definitely rush back. You worried too much.¡± Mu Shi helped her sit down on a chair and said, ¡°It¡¯s dark and windy outside. You and Bowen shouldn¡¯t have gone out since you two aren¡¯t in good health.¡± Looking at the things they bought, Shu Wanniang saw that there were also two bolts of fabric inside. She asked, ¡°Why did you buy fabric?¡± ¡°The leather goods sold well this time, so I bought things with the spare change. It¡¯s been a long time since you and the children made new clothes, so I bought two bolts of fabric. Later, you can make new clothes for the children and a set for yourself.¡± After Mu Shi took out five taels of silver to pay the tax, there were still 43 taels of silver left. Thus, he simply took out three taels of silver to buy some stuff and only brought back the remaining 40 taels. In the kitchen, Mu Yangling stood and thought for a while. In the end, she stir-fried a dish of chives and scrambled eggs. Then, she cut up pork, cabbage, vermicelli, and other vegetables and stewed them in a pot. Looking at his sister¡¯s actions dazedly, Little Bowen protested, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t cook like this.¡± Mu Yangling red at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s good enough to have something to eat. Anyway, it¡¯s not bad.¡± Pouting, Little Bowen said softly, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t taste good either.¡± However, his sister was too strong, so Little Bowen¡¯s protests were ineffective. In the end, Mu Yangling brought out a pot of stew. Shu Wanniang had just tidied up the things that Mu Shi had bought. When she saw the two dishes on the dining table, she suddenly felt helpless. ¡°Ah Ling, from tomorrow onwards, you have to learn culinary skills from me seriously. Otherwise, what are you going to do when you get married in the future?¡± Mu Yangling said nonchntly, ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll just marry someone who can cook.¡± Shu Wanniang tapped her forehead and said, ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. No matter what, you have to learn some culinary skills.¡± Little Bowen nodded vigorously. ¡°Otherwise, other than Father and me, no one will eat your cooking in the future.¡± Mu Yangling was unconvinced. ¡°This is home-cooked food. I think it¡¯s quite delicious, neither salty nor nd. What¡¯s wrong with moderate-tasting food?¡± ¡°But they all have the same taste.¡± Little Bowen shouted. ¡°Sister, no matter what ingredients you use, they all have the same taste.¡± Seeing that he was shouting aggrievedly, Mu Yangling decided not to hold it against him. She pretended not to hear him and sat down to eat. Pouting, Little Bowen looked at his father and mother. Shu Wanniang promised, ¡°Mother will cook tomorrow. Just make do with this today.¡± Only then did Little Bowen snort and pick up his chopsticks. After dinner, Mu Yangling took out the candy she bought for Little Bowen and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two every day. It¡¯s enough for you to eat for a month.¡± Little Bowen swallowed his saliva and pestered Mu Yangling. ¡°Sister, give me more.¡± ¡°You have to think carefully. If you eat more now, you¡¯ll finish it soon.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Little Bowen could only push the paper bag back reluctantly. ¡°Then help me hide it well.¡± Mu Yangling took out a candy and stuffed it into his mouth, then smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely hide it well for you. Other than me, even Father won¡¯t be able to find it.¡± Little Bowen was very assured about this. His parents would certainly not be able to find things that his sister meant to hide. The family sat together to rest and chat. Only then did Mu Yangling have the time to ask her father, ¡°Father, why did you give Owner Zhang five taels of silver as tax today? Didn¡¯t you only have to pay 1 tael 600 copper coins?¡± ¡°Owner Zhang introduced us to the itinerant merchants, so we have to express our gratitude,¡± Mu Shi said with a smile. ¡°Then you could have given itter.¡± Mu Shi smiled slightly. Although his daughter understood the hurdles, she was still not tactful enough. He said, ¡°That would be too obvious. No one knows better than Owner Zhang how much tax money I¡¯m supposed to pay. By giving him five taels of silver, he naturally knew that I was trying to please him. If I paid 1 tael 600 copper coins in tax, then took out five taels of silver separately, it¡¯d have been too tant. Ah Ling, you have to remember that some things are best done quietly. If you are too indiscreet about it, you¡¯d appear snobbish instead.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her husband with trust in her eyes. Mu Yangling looked at her rough-looking father and then at her mother, who was smiling gently at the side. For the first time, she understood why a well-bred youngdy would willingly live in the countryside with her father, with no resentment in her heart. In the past nine years, she might not have understood her father. Mu Shi calmly epted his daughter¡¯s admiring gaze and asked, ¡°I was about to ask you too. How did you be acquainted with Young Master Qi and Young Master Fan?¡± He would apany his daughter whenever she left the vige, thus he knew everyone his daughter knew. Hence, he did not understand when his daughter had the chance to meet those two noble young masters. ¡°I met them yesterday when I was hunting in the mountains. They got lost in the mountains and must have been hungry for a long time. So, I caught a wild rabbit and pheasant for them and pointed them in the right direction. Who knew that they would run into us today and even help us?¡± ¡°See, those who do good will be rewarded.¡± Shu Wanniang said gently, ¡°If you siblings are in a position to help others in the future, try your best to help them and be kind to them, understand?¡± Mu Yangling and Little Bowen nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, go to sleep quickly. Tomorrow, Father will go into the mountains to hunt some prey and send them to the Wafting Fragrance Eatery in town. Ah Ling, you¡¯ve been traveling all day today. Sleep a little longer tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling cheered and ran to the kitchen to boil water, then take a shower, before going to sleep. Chapter 25: Thinking It Through Chapter 25: Thinking It Through Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling stretched and got up from the bed. While picking up the spoiled beans outside, Shu Wanniang heard themotion, so she came in to take a look. Seeing that her daughter was about to lie down again, she hurriedly said, ¡°Hurry up and get up, the sun is already up to your butt. Your brother has already memorized the books.¡± Mu Yangling could only get out of bed. ¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡± ¡°Your father has gone to town. He should be back soon.¡± ¡°So fast?¡± Mu Yangling was surprised. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he going into the mountains to hunt, too?¡± ¡°There was prey in the trap you set some time ago, so your father came out very quickly. He even left a few pheasants and rabbits for the family. In my opinion, since the two of you can¡¯t eat so much, you might as well sell them at the market.¡± However, recalling thest time she saw her great-aunt, Mu Yangling said absent-mindedly, ¡°It might not be for our family. Maybe it¡¯s for someone else?¡± ¡°For who?¡± Although most of the vigers were rtives of the Mu family and they usually got along well, Shu Wanniang knew that her husband rarely interacted with them. Only after she married over and had children did they interact more with Mu Shi¡¯s uncle¡¯s family. However, the Liu family rarely came here, while she and her husband also rarely went to the Liu family. Only the two children often went to y with the Liu family¡¯s children. During the new year, her husband only asked his daughter and son to bring some things over to his two uncles¡¯ house. Usually, when the father and daughter had a lot of hunting gains and couldn¡¯t sell them, they would rather marinate the meat or dry it in the sun than give it to the poor Liu family. Her husband didn¡¯t usually contact the Liu family, but the Liu family considered the Mu Family under their wing. Whatever policies the higher-ups had, and whenever they heard any news, they would remind the Mu Family. They would also help them fight for more benefits in the vige. Likewise, if anything happened to the Liu family, her husband would also help. It wasn¡¯t that Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t know that something had happened between her husband and the Liu family, but that was all in the past. If her husband wasn¡¯t willing to mention it, she naturally wouldn¡¯t ask. It was just like how her husband wouldn¡¯t ask about her background either, when she didn¡¯t bring up the topic herself. To them, that was all in the past. Now, they had to look to the future, and the most important thing was to live well in the present and the future. Mu Yangling, who didn¡¯t know what her mother was thinking, quickly put on her clothes and said, ¡°It might be for Great-aunt. Thest time we went to town, we met Aunt and saw that her family is having a really hard time.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned. ¡°Great-aunt? Hasn¡¯t your father always disliked her?¡± Even though they were in the same vige, they would only nod at and greet each other when they bumped into each other. ¡°It¡¯s not Second Great-aunt, it¡¯s Eldest Great-aunt.¡± Shu Wanniang suddenly recalled that her husband¡¯s eldest aunt treated her husband quite well. When she gave birth to her daughter back then, she even came over to take care of her for three days. It was just that they had not contacted each other for the past few years. Unable to sit still anymore, Shu Wanniang asked, ¡°Is your eldest great-aunt leading a very hard life? Should we send some rice and noodles over? It¡¯s my fault. I haven¡¯t been keeping in contact with her for the past few years.¡± Mu Yangling knew that her father didn¡¯t interact much with his rtives. Even though they were in the same vige, he only really bothered with her two great-uncles, and didn¡¯t even care about the patriarch of the Liu family. Hence, she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go visit themter.¡± ¡°West Mountain Vige is far away and you don¡¯t know the way. It¡¯s better to ask your father to go.¡± Mu Yangling chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything. If her father carried the things over, her eldest great-aunt would definitely not ept them. Therefore, she had to be the one to do it. Moreover, her father had also told her to directly go over West Mountain, which would be faster than walking on the main road, since West Mountain Vige was just at the foot of the mountain opposite. When Little Bowen saw that his sister had woken up, he put the book away and followed behind her. Mu Yangling almost tripped over him as she walked. She said, ¡°Go y by yourself now. I¡¯ll apany youter.¡± Pursing his lips, Little Bowen looked at his sister eagerly. Mu Yangling immediately understood and said, ¡°You want to eat candy? I¡¯ll get it for you after I wash up. You can y by yourself for a while.¡± Little Bowen sat at the side and supported his chin with his hand, while his gaze followed his sister¡¯s movements. The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched as she sped up her actions. Then, she returned to her room and took out a paper bag. She stuffed a candy into his mouth and Little Bowen sat at the side with the book in his hands, satisfied. After Mu Yangling finished her breakfast, Mu Shi returned. He ced the two pheasants and two rabbits in the basket on his back. After thinking for a while, he returned to his room and took out 50 copper coins for his daughter. He instructed in a low voice, ¡°Think of a way to stuff them into your eldest great-aunt¡¯s hands. Only bring it back if she refuses to ept it. Didn¡¯t you buy three packets of candy yesterday? Take one out and bring it to your cousins.¡± But that was for her younger brother. At the thought of her brother looking at her with bright eyes, Mu Yangling felt a little reluctant. However, on second thought, she decided that she could just go into the mountains tomorrow to hunt more prey before buying more for her brother. Mu Yangling entered the house and took out a bag of candy to ce it in the basket on her back. As she was doing so, she caught her brother stealing nces over, and couldn¡¯t help but rejoice. Fortunately, she had said yesterday that there was only one bag of candy. Otherwise, if he knew that there was another bag that belonged to him but was now being given away, he would definitely burst into tears. ¡°Alright, go quickly. Check if the vigers in West Mountain Vige are bullying your eldest great-aunt. If so, don¡¯t get into a conflict with them. Come back and tell Father instead. I¡¯ll ask your eldest great-uncle and the others to stand up for her.¡± Seeing this, Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Our daughter doesn¡¯t know the way. How can you let her go alone?¡± The father and daughter didn¡¯t dare to tell Shu Wanniang that Mu Yangling was nning to cross the mountain. So he replied vaguely, ¡°Our daughter knows the way¡­¡± Not one to lend herself to worry and anxiety, Shu Wanniang simply assumed that Mu Shi had brought her daughter to West Mountain Vige when he brought her to town, so she didn¡¯t ask further. She went into the kitchen and baked pancakes for her daughter to eat on the way. ¡°This trip will take more than four hours. Take these to fill your stomach on the way ande back early.¡± Mu Yangling carried her basket and agreed. After taking the pancakes, she left. As she watched her daughter¡¯s figure disappear, Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but me her husband. ¡°Ah Ling is only nine years old. Don¡¯t always order her around like an adult. She¡¯s a little stronger, but she¡¯s still young. Aren¡¯t you worried about making her travel so far?¡± Mu Shi said, ¡°A nine-year-old child in the vige can be considered half an adult. Besides, our daughter is smart, and she¡¯s just going to her eldest great-aunt¡¯s house. It¡¯s fine.¡± Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. At nine years old, she had felt sad over trivial matters such as her elder sister receiving a beautiful dress but not her. Meanwhile, at this age her daughter had already taken on the responsibility of supporting the family. At the thought of being only capable of doing some housework, Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but me herself even more. Tears fell from her eyes. Seeing his wife cry, Mu Shi was at a loss. He hurriedly wiped her tears and reflected, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Don¡¯t cry. I spoke too loudly just now. When our daughteres back, I won¡¯t make her go out again. If you¡¯re worried, I¡¯ll go out and chase after her now.¡± Her daughter would be married in the countryside in the future. Surely she couldn¡¯t be as useless as her? Her husband even had to worry about her when she went out. Shu Wanniang shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was too careful.¡± Mu Shi heaved a sigh of relief. He was really worried that his wife would raise their daughter like a nobledy. Chapter 26: West Mountain Village Chapter 26: West Mountain Vige Editor: As Studios The mountain behind the Mu Residence was Chef Mountain, which surrounded half of Mingshui County. Chef Mountain was extremely tall and deep, and there were many wild animals and many wild fruits. Among them, there were the most wild dates. It could be said that Chef Mountain was not only half a barrier surrounding Mingshui County, but it was also one of the pirs of survival for the local people. The Chef Mountain behind the Mu Residence extended all the way from the east. It was already the end here, so the people of Mingshui County collectively called this part the West Mountain or Tail Mountain. This was all because the few mountains here were on the small tail of Chef Mountain. If Mu Yangling wanted to go from Nearhill Vige to West Mountain Vige, she only needed to cross thatst mountain. In the past, for convenience, the vigers of the two viges walked a thin and small path over the mountain. It shortened the traveling time by more than 50%, aspared to bypassing West Mountain and taking the main road. Mu Yangling was used to walking in the mountains, so she was not afraid at all. Carrying a basket that was about the same height as her, she walked up the mountain with light footsteps. Along the way, she even tugged at the flowers excitedly and hummed a tune as she walked forward. Because no one had walked on the path for a long time, the grass and trees had be much denser. Fortunately, traces could still be seen. Mu Yangling hummed a song as she jumped over rocks and whipped the things on the roadside, as she walked towards West Mountain Vige. When she emerged from the mountains, she immediately saw the vige at the foot of the mountain. Smoke had already drifted out from a few houses. Looking up at the sun in the sky, Mu Yangling saw that it was not noon yet, about 11 o¡¯clock. Mu Yangling weighed the basket on her back and thought to herself, ¡®The timing is just right. It¡¯s neither too early nor toote.¡¯ Mu Yangling did not know where her eldest great-aunt¡¯s house was, so she could only go to the vige to ask around first. Hence, she carried the basket on her back and rushed down the mountain. Madam Ma-Zhang was picking out the peeled rice when she saw a youngdying from the foot of the mountain with arge basket on her back. Seeing this unfamiliar face, she could not help but take a few more nces. Unexpectedly, the youngdy ran towards her. Madam Ma-Zhang could only stop in her tracks. The little girl asked her with a smile, ¡°Auntie, do you know how to get to the house of Granny Liu who married over from Nearhill Vige?¡± Married over from Nearhill Vige and was called Granny Liu. Wasn¡¯t that her aunt? Sizing up the little girl, Madam Ma-Zhang asked, ¡°Little girl, where are you from? Why are you looking for Granny Liu?¡± ¡°I came from Nearhill Vige. Granny Liu is my great-aunt. Auntie, do you know how to get to my great-aunt¡¯s house?¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t say why she was here, only revealing her identity. ¡°I do. So my aunt is your great-aunt. Then you have to call me Aunt, since your great-aunt is my aunt.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang picked up the basket and said, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll bring this rice home before leading the way for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡± Mu Yangling would rather call her Auntie, since they were only considered very distant rtives. Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s house was not far away, so she came out very quickly. She looked curiously at Mu Yangling¡¯s basket and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± As she spoke, she reached out to pull it. However, Mu Yangling seemed to have eyes on her back as she quickly took a few steps forward, causing Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s hand to miss. As she walked briskly, she said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing spectacr. It¡¯s just some food I brought from home. My mother said that she hasn¡¯te to visit Great-aunt in a long time and asked me to bring it over.¡± Fortunately, when she was in the mountains, she was worried that the prey inside would be exposed to the sun, so she picked manyrge leaves to cover it. Madam Ma-Zhang was a little embarrassed. ¡°Your mother made pickled vegetables or something?¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling only smiled foolishly and didn¡¯t answer, she asked, ¡°You said that my aunt is your great-aunt, but why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± ¡°This is my first time here, so Auntie naturally hasn¡¯t seen me before.¡± Mu Yangling looked around and asked, ¡°Auntie, is my great-aunt¡¯s house far away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not far. Look, it¡¯s the adobe houses ahead.¡± Mu Yangling looked up and couldn¡¯t help but stop in her tracks. These were the worst adobe houses she had ever seen. The three adobe houses were right next to each other, and there were mud blocks hanging sparsely on the walls. Mu Yangling believed that the houses would probably copse in the strong wind. The wall in front was made from mud and about a meter tall. Mu Yangling did not expect her eldest great-aunt¡¯s family to be so poor. Even though life in Nearhill Vige was not very good, there weren¡¯t such lousy houses. Oblivious to the fact that this house had shocked Mu Yangling¡¯s soul, Madam Ma-Zhang said as she walked in front and led the way, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Your great-aunt is probably in the fields at this time. I wonder if your cousins are at home.¡± Because Mu Yangling ate nutritious foods and had been practicing martial arts, she was slightly bigger-sized than ordinary nine-year-old girls. This was not obvious in the town or county, but in this vige, Madam Ma-Zhang thought that she was already 11 or 12 years old. After all, in a ce where everyone barely ate anything and had thin frames, Mu Yangling¡¯s stature was indeed that of an 11 or 12-year-old girl. Madam Ma-Zhang pushed open the door of Mu Yangling¡¯s eldest great-aunt¡¯s house and shouted, ¡°Xin, Xin, are you home? You have a guest.¡± A thin and weak little girl ran out of the kitchen and looked at Madam Ma-Zhang warily. Upon taking a closer look, Mu Yangling realized that it was the little girl she had seen a few days ago. The seven-year-old girl looked like she was only five years old. She looked at Madam Ma-Zhang uneasily with her big eyes, making Mu Yangling¡¯s heart ache. She took the initiative to step forward. ¡°Cousin, do you still remember me? We just met in town two days ago.¡± Only then did Ma Xin see Mu Yangling. Her eyes lit up as she nodded and said softly, ¡°You¡¯re Uncle¡¯s daughter.¡± Mu Yangling immediately smiled and praised, ¡°Cousin, you have a good memory. My mother asked me toe and visit Great-aunt. Thest time my father went back, he mentioned that he bumped into Great-aunt. Only then did my mother remember that Great-aunt used to marinate delicious pickled vegetables and beans. Coincidentally, my mother is pregnant and really craves sour foods, so she asked me toe and see if your family has any marinated pickled vegetables and beans.¡± Now that she understood the situation, Madam Ma-Zhang frowned and nced at Mu Yangling in disdain. From the looks of it, Mu Yangling¡¯s basket didn¡¯t weigh much, so she assumed that she had covered the top with leaves to make it appear less embarrassing. No wonder she refused to show it to her earlier. It turned out that there was nothing inside and she was here to take advantage of her great-aunt. Madam Ma-Zhang instantly lost interest and saidzily, ¡°Since I¡¯ve already brought you here, I¡¯ll go back and get busy.¡± ¡°Thank you for bringing me here, Auntie.¡± Mu Yangling sent Madam Ma-Zhang out with a smile. Seeing that Madam Ma-Zhang had finally left, Ma Xin heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at Mu Yangling. ¡°Cousin, quicklye into the house and have a seat. I¡¯ll call my grandmother and sister back.¡± Mu Yangling pinched her cheek and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to specially call them since they¡¯ll probably be back soon. Are you going to cook? I¡¯ll help you.¡± Ma Xin was conflicted. The three of them ate porridge every afternoon, with only a side of pickled vegetables. Her cousin was a guest, so she couldn¡¯t offer her these, right? However, Mu Yangling had already entered the house with the basket on her back. She took out all the leaves and retrieved a pheasant from within. ¡°Do you have a lot of pickled vegetables at home?¡± Staring nkly at the four wild animals in the basket on her back, Ma Xin couldn¡¯t help but swallow. She didn¡¯t hear Mu Yangling¡¯s question at all. Chapter 27: Preparing Lunch Chapter 27: Preparing Lunch Editor: As Studios Seeing that she was about to drool, Mu Yangling waved her hand in front of her eyes and chuckled. ¡°Hungry? I cook very quickly. Do you have pickled vegetables at home?¡± Blushing, Ma Xin felt ashamed of how stupid she must be looking right now. She replied softly, ¡°We have pickled vegetables at home. Grandma marinated a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Let¡¯s stew the pheasant with pickled vegetables. It¡¯d be even better if there¡¯s potatoes.¡± Ma Xin hurriedly said, ¡°We have potatoes at home too.¡± But why hadn¡¯t she heard that wild pheasant had to be stewed with pickled vegetables and potatoes? Of course, Ma Xin had never heard of it because it was invented by Mu Yangling. Her cooking philosophy had always been to add some pickled vegetables to remove the fishy smell of pheasants, because she wasn¡¯t fond of ginger. As for potatoes, not only were they delicious, they were also incredibly filling. In addition, they served to absorb the oil. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Go get the potatoes and pickled vegetables. I¡¯ll boil water to remove the pheasant¡¯s feathers.¡± Ma Xin got anxious. ¡°Cousin, let me do it. You¡¯re a guest.¡± Mu Yangling waved her hand and said nonchntly, ¡°You¡¯re still young. Besides, I¡¯m not a guest. Hurry up and go. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be a delicious lunch waiting for your grandmother when shees back.¡± Ma Xin had no choice but to go to the vegetable garden to pluck potatoes while Mu Yangling went to the kitchen to boil water. Madam Ma-Zhang, who was secretly paying attention from afar, twitched her lips when she saw that Ma Xin had only plucked two potatoes. The guest was stingy, and so was the host. She decided it was not worthwhile to freeload this lunch, and that she might as well eat at home. She turned around and left. Mu Yangling and Ma Xin did not know that the two of them had secretly sessfully repelled someone who had wanted to freeload. Mu Yangling had always been a fast worker, so by the time Ma Xin ran back, water was already boiling on the stove and she had even fetched water to clean the kitchen. Ma Xin looked at her in a daze. Seeing this, Mu Yangling took out the paper bag containing the candy, opened it, picked up a candy, and stuffed it into her mouth. She stuffed the rest into her hand and said, ¡°This is for you and your older sister. Hide it quickly.¡± Ma Xin said timidly, ¡°This¡­ Cousin, you should eat it.¡± ¡°I have more at home. My parents asked me to bring it to you. Hide it quickly and don¡¯t let anyone outside see it.¡± Ma Xin grabbed the paper bag tightly and looked at Mu Yangling with eyes as bright as stars. ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡± Then, she turned around and ran back to her room to hide the candy. Seeing that her face was red with excitement when she came out of the room, Mu Yangling looked away and said, ¡°Where do you keep your rice? Go measure it and cook. The boiling water is almost ready. I¡¯ll help you deal with the four wild animals.¡± Mu Shi was afraid that Great-aunt wouldn¡¯t eat the food even if she brought it over, so he specially instructed Mu Yangling to help them clean it up. This way, they wouldn¡¯t be able to sell it and could only eat it themselves. Moreover, the rabbit skin could be sold separately. Aplete rabbit skin could be sold for eight copper coins. Mu Yangling had learned how to peel the skin from Mu Shi, and her skills were not inferior to the butcher in town. Pinching the two dead rabbits, she used a pair of scissors to cut an opening on their heads before skillfully peeling the skin down their backs. In no time, aplete rabbit skin appeared in her hand. Mu Yangling smiled and washed it before drying it on a rock in the courtyard. She said to the dazed Ma Xin, who was squatting on the ground and washing pickled vegetables, ¡°This rabbit skin is good stuff. After you dry it, sell it to a butcher in town. One piece can be sold for eight copper coins. If the fur is dressed, you can sell it for 12 copper coins.¡± Ma Xin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then, then can you help us dress it?¡± Stunned, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Your family doesn¡¯t have the tools, and I¡¯m not very good at it¡­¡± The most important thing was that if she dressed the fur, Eldest Great-aunt would definitely stuff it into her hands and make her bring it back. This was also why Mu Shi wanted his daughter to skin the two rabbits after bringing them over. He knew his aunt too well. She was a woman who was unwilling to owe favors and was alsopetitive by nature. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have not gone back to beg her brothers and nephew when her life was so difficult. Ma Xin was only slightly disappointed, but then she quickly cheered up. Since an egg cost one copper coin, eight copper coins meant eight eggs. How much would two rabbit skins fetch? In any case, it could definitely be exchanged for many eggs. Ma Xin moved even faster. Not only did she wash and cut the pickled vegetables, but she also peeled and cut the potatoes. On the other side, Mu Yangling also removed the feathers of the two pheasants. She ced one in a bucket and iced it with well water while cutting the other. ¡°You can keep this one for dinner. Go and start the fire now. It¡¯s almost time for lunch. Your grandmother and sister should be back soon, right?¡± Ma Xin looked up at the sun and nodded fiercely. ¡°They should be back soon.¡± Madam Ma-Liu and her eldest granddaughter were harvesting in the fields. It was the autumn harvest now. Although their family did not have muchnd, because only the old grandmother and weak granddaughter could work, they were very far behind. Feeling dizzy from the sun, Madam Ma-Liu looked up at her eldest granddaughter and saw her lowering her head to harvest the grain crops in front of her. She couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips. With her health deteriorating, she did not know how long she could live. Her eldest granddaughter was only nine years old, but because of malnutrition, she looked to be only six or seven years old. If she died, one could imagine what would happen to the two children. It would be great if one of the two children was a boy. Then, the n would definitely help her raise the child. Madam Ma-Liu shook her head. Her grandson had died more than four years ago. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back for lunch first. We¡¯lle back in the afternoon.¡± Madam Ma-Liu called her eldest granddaughter and calcted in her heart. ¡°We should be done in two days.¡± Ma Xiuhong put down her scythe, straightened her back, and walked over calmly. ¡°I still have to carry it out for threshing.¡± Madam Ma-Liu sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow. I just hope it doesn¡¯t rain.¡± As the grandmother was old and the granddaughter was young, at most, they could only carry half a load out each time. The two granddaughters could only work together to carry a basket. Each harvest would take about 10 days, but it would take them four days to carry the loads out. Because Madam Ma-Liu was afraid that someone would steal her grains, she slept in the fields with the nket every night. She wondered how much longer she would live. The two of them packed up and walked home. When they passed by the threshing floor, they bumped into Madam Ma-Zhang, who was also going home for dinner. Smiling, Madam Ma-Zhang said, ¡°Fourth Aunt, why are you only back now? There¡¯s a guest at your house today. You should hurry back and take a look.¡± Madam Ma-Liu frowned. ¡°Who could possibly visit?¡± ¡°Aiyo, I heard that it¡¯s your grandniece. She carried such a big basket over.¡± Madam Ma-Liu opened her mouth slightly and tightened her grip on her eldest granddaughter¡¯s hand. Quickening her pace, she said, ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, you¡¯re wee.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang smiled. The person beside her could not help but lower his voice and ask, ¡°Did Fourth Aunt¡¯s grandniece really carry a basket to visit her?¡± Looking pleased with herself, Madam Ma-Zhang replied, ¡°Why would I lie to you? But that basket is full of leaves. From the sounds of it, she came because her mother wanted to eat Fourth Aunt¡¯s pickled vegetables.¡± Many people in the surroundings pricked up their ears to listen. When they heard this, they shed tears of sympathy for Madam Ma-Liu. How many years had it been since any rtives came to her house? Now, someone came and it was to take advantage of her. Someone frowned and felt injustice for Madam Ma-Liu. ¡°Fourth Aunt Ma is already suffering enough. Why are they still taking advantage of her?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a rtive who leads an even tougher life.¡± Chapter 28: Rage Chapter 28: Rage Editor: As Studios When Madam Ma-Liu rushed home with her eldest granddaughter, a faint fragrance of meat entered her senses. Madam Ma-Liu was slightly stunned as she pushed open the courtyard door. Upon hearing themotion, Ma Xin ran out. When she saw her grandmother and sister return, she jumped up happily and said, ¡°Grandma, Cousin is here to visit us. We have meat to eat.¡± Ma Xin lowered her voice at thest sentence. Although she was young, she knew to guard against those who woulde over to freeload should they hear there was good food here. Ma Xin ran over and grabbed her sister¡¯s hand. She tiptoed and whispered in her ear, ¡°Sister, Cousin brought us candy.¡± Hearing themotion, Mu Yangling came out and saw her Eldest Great-aunt. She greeted her with a beam. ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Ah Ling?¡± Madam Ma-Liu was only surprised for a moment before she quickly went forward to push her out of the kitchen. ¡°Child, why are you cooking by yourself? I should be the one preparing food for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Eldest Great-aunt. The dishes are ready. I was just about to bring them out.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu saw the basin full of pheasant meat on the stove, her eyes immediately turned red. ¡°Your father is so considerate.¡± Most afraid of seeing people cry, Mu Yangling quickly brought out the dishes and said merrily, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, you must be hungry, right? Quickly wash your hands and eat. Cousin, quickly bring out the food.¡± Ma Xin responded and pushed her sister. She said in a low voice, ¡°Sister, quickly wash your hands. I¡¯ll go get the rice.¡± Ma Xiuhong had been looking at Mu Yangling from the beginning and didn¡¯t say a word. Now that she was pushed by her sister, she only nodded slightly. Madam Ma-Liu walked around the kitchen and realized that there was a clean pheasant soaked in a wooden bucket and two rabbits hanging in the kitchen. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This is too much. It¡¯s not like the three of us can finish them all. You¡¯re not allowed to bring more next time youe. Since your family lives on this, you should sell them and use the money to buy more grains¡­¡± Surprised, Ma Xiuhong nced at Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling felt that this cousin¡¯s reaction was very strange, so she smiled and said, ¡°You must be the older sister. My father said that I¡¯m two months older than you. You should call me Cousin.¡± A stiff smile appeared on Ma Xiuhong¡¯s face as she greeted her, ¡°Cousin.¡± She then lowered her head to wash her hands. Mu Yangling responded. As the four of them sat at the dining table, Madam Ma-Liu kept putting pheasant meat into Mu Yangling¡¯s bowl and said, ¡°Eat more. You¡¯re still growing¡­¡± Mu Yangling looked at her two cousins, who were much thinner than her, and quickly stopped her. ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, I¡¯ll help myself.¡± As she spoke, she wrinkled her nose and said, ¡°My familycks everything else, but we don¡¯tck these wild animals, so it¡¯s better for you to eat.¡± As she spoke, she picked up the two meatiest pieces from her bowl and stuffed them into her two cousins¡¯ bowls. ¡°Hurry up and eat. My mother often says that I have subpar culinary skills. Try it and see if it¡¯s really as bad as she says.¡± Madam Ma-Liu smiled and said, ¡°Your culinary skills are not bad. It¡¯s just that your mother¡¯s culinary skills are exceptional.¡± Ma Xin wolfed down the meat and eximed, ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s delicious!¡± Ma Xiuhong¡¯s speed of eating meat wasn¡¯t slow either. When she heard this, she only nodded. It was obvious that she didn¡¯t know how to say good things. Mu Yangling ate two bowls of rice and a lot of potatoes and pickled vegetables, but she only ate a few pieces of meat. When Madam Ma-Liu noticed this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorrow. She felt that this child was too understanding. The basin of food was eaten clean by the four people. This was the first time in many years that Ma Xiuhong and her sister were this full from eating, when it was not the new year. They couldn¡¯t help but hug their stomachs and sit at the side. Madam Ma-Liu stood up and cleared the table. She cut open the two rabbits in the kitchen and ced them under the roof to dry. Because she was afraid that someone would see them and steal them, she even took something out to block the view. Madam Ma-Liu stood in the kitchen for a while. There was truly nothing they could offer in return, so the granddaughter slipped over and said, ¡°Grandma, Cousin said that her mother loves your pickled vegetables.¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s eyes lit up. As her nephew¡¯s wife was ady from a wealthy family, she definitely didn¡¯t know how to make such stuff. She could give her more as a gift. However, pickled vegetables were so cheap that Madam Ma-Liu felt embarrassed giving it as a gift. Furthermore, Ah Ling was just a little girl and probably couldn¡¯t carry much. Madam Ma-Liu secretly gritted her teeth and decided that after the autumn harvest ended, she would bring some silk made from the silkworms raised by her as a gift in return. That was what was left after paying the summer tax. She originally wanted to save them up and sell them for the two children¡¯s dowry when they grew up. ¡°Ah Ling, what else does your mother like to eat? I¡¯ll get you more.¡± Mu Yangling replied with a smile, ¡°As long as it¡¯s sour, my mother will like it.¡± Squatting at the side, she watched Madam Ma-Liu take pickled vegetables from the vat. She couldn¡¯t help but say enviously, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, you¡¯re really amazing. You know how to make pickled vegetables and sour beans. My mother has no clue how to make them.¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s pickled vegetables and pickled beans were top-notch. Mu Yangling almost couldn¡¯t stop eating these at the dining table just now. Although Shu Wanniang¡¯s cooking skills were excellent and her dishes were exquisite, she couldn¡¯t master the essence of suchmon dishes. Therefore, such foods weren¡¯t seen at the Mu Residence. Even if they did appear, they were the result of an exchange with the vigers. Madam Ma-Liu picked out quite a bit from every type. Looking at Mu Yangling¡¯s small frame, she picked out some before cing them in the basket on her back. She said, ¡°Since you¡¯re still young, just carry these back for now. Next time, call your father over. I¡¯ll pack two vats to let him bring back. I don¡¯t have much at home, but I do have plenty of these pickled vegetables and pickled beans.¡± Madam Ma-Liu was not being polite. Farming households used oil very sparingly, only choosing to boil their vegetables before adding two drops of oil. Since preserved vegetables went great with rice, were cheap, and could be prepared without much difficulty, every household in the countryside made their own preserved vegetables. Due to the Ma family¡¯s poverty, they tended to stock a lot of these. Of course, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t ask for too much. If she took enough this time, what excuse would she use next time? Hence, she said, ¡°These are enough. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to finish them while they¡¯re still fresh. I heard that sour foods won¡¯t taste good if they¡¯re left in the wind for too long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, so when you go back, ask your mother to mix it up. Don¡¯t keep it. If it¡¯s not enough,e back and get some more.¡± At this point, Madam Ma-Liuined again. ¡°How could your father be at ease letting a young child like you travel such a long distance? Next time, let hime over himself. It¡¯s too dangerous for a youngdy like you.¡± Smiling, Mu Yangling said, ¡°It¡¯s not far at all, as I came over the mountain. I¡¯m fast, so it only took me 35 minutes. It¡¯ll take more than four hours to walk on the main road.¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s body stiffened. Then, she flew into a rage. ¡°Your father actually asked you to climb over the mountain? This scoundrel. You¡¯re only nine years old. With there being so many ferocious beasts in the mountains, isn¡¯t he afraid that you¡¯ll be picked up by wolves?¡± As she spoke, she carried Mu Yangling and checked her from head to toe. After confirming that she was unharmed, she heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you home via the main road. Not anyone can cross that mountain. Only those in their prime would dare to take that path. Even then, they¡¯d have to travel in a group of three to four at least. How could your father make a child like you take the mountain path? He¡¯s really too unreliable.¡± Although the mountain behind was already the tail of Chef Mountain and there were much fewer ferocious beastspared to other ces, the howling of wolves could still be heard at night. The children in the vige were not allowed to go into the mountain. Madam Ma-Liu did not know how carefree Mu Shi was to dare to let his daughter go into the mountains alone. Chapter 29: Incredible Strength Chapter 29: Incredible Strength Editor: As Studios At the thought of having to walk for more than four to five hours under the sun, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but feel her eyes darken. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, please spare me. It¡¯s no big deal walking in the mountains. Besides, if you walk me back via the main road now, it¡¯ll be dark by the time we arrive at my house. You definitely won¡¯t be able to make it back today. Wouldn¡¯t that leave only my two cousins at home?¡± Even the bold and calm Ma Xiuhong couldn¡¯t help but lean against her grandmother¡¯s side and look at her worriedly and fearfully. ¡°Then¡­ then don¡¯t go back tonight. I¡¯ll send you back tomorrow morning.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips. Seeing that Eldest Great-aunt was stubborn, she could only attempt to persuade her againter. She was not used to staying overnight in someone else¡¯s house. Moreover, it was such a short journey. If she didn¡¯t go home, her father and mother would definitely be worried. Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes rolled around and she said, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, I¡¯m strong. How¡¯s your autumn harvesting along? Do you need my help?¡± Madam Ma-Liu smiled and replied, ¡°There are still two to three days before we¡¯re done harvesting. Your family doesn¡¯t farm, so how can you do that kind of work? You¡¯d better stay at home and y with your cousins.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯ve never eaten pork, I¡¯ve at least seen pigs run. I do know how to hold a scythe.¡± Mu Yangling had seen people nt and harvest before, so she felt that it wasn¡¯t difficult. Seeing that she was taller than her by more than a head, Ma Xiuhong felt that she was considered half aborer. So she said, ¡°Grandma, just bring Cousin along. Anyway, there¡¯s nothing fun at home. If Cousin doesn¡¯t know how to do it, she can just y in the fields. Sister can bring her along to y.¡± Madam Ma-Liu hesitated for a moment before agreeing. At one or two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the sun was at its hottest. Mu Yangling did not expect them to go out at this time. When they reached the field, she realized that no one was idle. Many people were busy in the field. Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth was slightly agape. In her previous life, she had also gone to the countryside with her ssmates from the countryside. At that time, it was also the autumn harvest. Her ssmates¡¯ families would go out at around five in the morning ande back at 11 in the morning. Then, they would only go out at around three in the afternoon before returning home at seven¡­ However, looking at Eldest Great-aunt, it seemed like everyone was staying in the fields for an entire day, even when the sun was at its most vicious. Although Nearhill Vige folks also worked hard, everyone avoided the noon when the sun was most vicious and only went out after two o¡¯clock. It seemed that West Mountain Vige was even poorer than Nearhill Vige. The poorer the ce, the harder its residents worked. When they arrived at Eldest Great-aunt¡¯snd, she pointed at the three connected plots and a plot not far away. ¡°These four plots were my family¡¯s fields.¡± The four plots ofnd were quite big. Now, there was only a small plot ofnd left. Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, why didn¡¯t you bring your grains to the threshing floor to dry? It¡¯s still a little wet in the fields. What if it rains?¡± Eldest Great-aunt was dejected. Ma Xiuhong looked at her grandmother and said in a low voice, ¡°My family doesn¡¯t hire anyborers. If we drag the grains out first, we will have to dy the harvesting of the crops.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. She had no experience in harvesting grain crops, but she had plenty of experience in carrying things. When she looked at Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s hunched back and her skinny and petite cousins, she felt even worse. Considering these four plots ofnd were so big, how much effort would it take to transport the harvested grains out? Mu Yangling threw down the scythe and said heroically, ¡°It¡¯s just carrying things. That¡¯s simple. Eldest Great-aunt, let me help you.¡± Madam Ma-Liu didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She said, ¡°How can I let you do heavy work when you¡¯re still so young? Just follow your cousin and learn how to cut the crops.¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t convince her, Mu Yangling ran to pile up the grains and went to the field to pull the thatch. She had seen farmers knead ropes from thatch to bundle the grains up. But after kneading for a while, the two handfuls of thatch were still thatch. The corners of Ma Xiuhong¡¯s mouth twitched. No longer harboring any hopes of receiving help from her cousin, she went forward to help her knead the thatch into a rope and spread it on the ground. She said, ¡°Just pile the grains on top and tie them up.¡± Ma Xiuhong thought about it. Her cousin had never cut grain crops before, so she probably didn¡¯t know how to do that either. She might as well let her and her sister tie up the grains. It would be faster for her and her grandmother to carry them out. Ma Xiuhong said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you knead the rope. Bring the grains over.¡± On the other side, Madam Ma-Liu left them be when she saw that they were having fun. She took the scythe and went to cut the crops herself. Seeing that Ma Xiuhong was struggling to pull the thatch, Mu Yangling went forward to help her pull it out. With her great strength, she grabbed the thatch, rubbed it, and managed to pull it up with a gentle pull. Her movements were fast, and in no time, she finished pulling up the thatch on the side of the field. Ma Xiuhong wiped the sweat off her forehead and said, ¡°Enough, enough. This is enough to knead more than 20 ropes.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling stop and turn around to carry the grains. Ma Xin also carried it over. Ma Xiuhong was weak, so she naturally couldn¡¯t tie up the grains. However, the strong Mu Yangling easily tied up the grains with all the ropes. When Ma Xiuhong looked over, she saw a few tall piles of grains. She hurriedly shouted, ¡°The piles are too big! Grandma and I can¡¯t carry them out. You have to make the pile smaller.¡± Mu Yangling had already tied up six bundles. When she heard this, she smiled and said, ¡°I already said I¡¯d help you carry them out.¡± Ma Xiuhong felt even more helpless, and the scorching sun only added to her frustration and anger. She asked, ¡°How can you carry it?¡± Mu Yangling used her actions to tell her that she could handle it. She raised the bundle of grains with one hand and ced it on her left shoulder. Under the dumbfounded stares of her two cousins, she raised another bundle of grains with her right arm and ced it on her right shoulder. Mu Yangling¡¯s petite figure was instantly buried. Mu Yangling realized that this would affect her vision, so she could only tuck the bundle of grains on her right shoulder under her arm. If not for the fact that she was still too short, she would have preferred to carry it with her hand. But she was too short. If she carried it with her hands, the grains would drag on the ground. Mu Yangling said to Ma Xiuhong, ¡°Cousin, lead the way and tell me where to ce it.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Ma Xiuhong screamed. ¡°Grandma, Grandma,e and take a look at Cousin.¡± Mu Yangling: ¡°¡­¡± Was there a need to be so shocked? When they were at Nearhill Vige, everyone was only surprised to see that she was strong. Little did she know that the vigers of Nearhill Vige were simply just used to it. Madam Ma-Liu didn¡¯t expect Mu Yangling to be so strong. She ran over and shouted, ¡°Put it down, put it down. What if you hurt your waist?¡± Mu Yangling grabbed a bundle of grains and tossed it into the sky. Then, she gently caught it and said, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, don¡¯t worry. I can even carry a wild boar. It¡¯s just two bundles of grains¡ªnot even 200 catties.¡± Eldest Great-aunt looked at the bundle of 70 to 80 catties of grains that was like a brick in her hand and immediately understood why Mu Shi was at ease letting his daughter climb over the mountain by herself. The corners of her lips twitched. ¡°Alright, alright. I know how strong you are now. Stop throwing it.¡± Madam Ma-Liu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Xiuhong, bring your cousin to the threshing floor. Our family¡¯s site is still there.¡± Ma Xiuhong¡¯s eyes lit up as she said happily, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring Cousin over. Grandma, you can stay here and tie up the grains with Sister. While Cousin is here, we can move more to the threshing floor.¡± Madam Ma-Liu hesitated. Mu Yangling was a child after all. Even if she was strong, she could not tire herself out. Hearing Ma Xiuhong¡¯s words, Mu Yangling said generously, ¡°No problem. You guys just focus on tying up the grains. I just need to get home before the sun sets. It takes me just 35 minutes to cross the mountain.¡± Ma Xiuhong¡¯s eyes sparkled even more brightly as she gazed eagerly at Madam Ma-Liu. Madam Ma-Liu nodded and said, ¡°Alright, but you can¡¯t carry it like this. I¡¯ll go to the threshing floor with you and borrow someone¡¯s rice fork to help you conserve energy.¡± Chapter 30: Grief and Indignation Chapter 30: Grief and Indignation Editor: As Studios Seeing that she no longer objected to her crossing the mountain by herself, Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief. She picked up two bundles of grains and left. Her footsteps were so fast that even Madam Ma-Liu almost couldn¡¯t keep up. Looking at Mu Yangling, who was walking briskly in front of her, Madam Ma-Liu only felt her heart tremble. She was afraid that the girl would be crushed by the grains the next moment. Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin ran after them with surprised smiles on their faces, eximing from time to time. The vigers who were pounding on the threshing floor also opened their mouths wide when they saw Mu Yangling carrying two bundles of grains over. They watched in shock. Madam Ma-Liu had already rushed to the front and led Mu Yangling to her family¡¯s site. However, seeing that it was already filled with grains, she could not help but frown slightly. She turned to Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Put it down first. I¡¯ll go and ask whose grains this is.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang, who was standing at the side, blinked and said, ¡°Fourth Aunt, this belongs to Youcai¡¯s family. Youcai¡¯s family said that your family hasn¡¯t had time to harvest the grains yet, so they¡¯re using it first.¡± Madam Ma-Liu originally had a smile on her face, but when she heard that it belonged to Ma Youcai¡¯s family, her face immediately turned cold. If it was someone else, it would be fine. Since her family had no use yet for the threshing floor originally, it would have been left empty anyway. But not if that person was Ma Youcai. Back then, her son¡¯s death was caused by him. In fact, the rtionship between the two families had worsened in the past few years. She was appalled that they actually had the cheek to use her threshing floor. The humiliation and resentment of being bullied for so many years welled up in her heart. So furious that her chest heaved up and down, Madam Ma-Liu turned her head and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°Good child, since you¡¯re strong, throw these things out for me so that they don¡¯t dirty my ce.¡± Everyone knew about the conflict between the two families and felt that Ma Youcai¡¯s family had gone too far, so they didn¡¯t stop them. Someone who was on good terms with Ma Youcai¡¯s family said in a low voice, ¡°How could you ask a foreigner to bully one of our own?¡± Eager to see a show, Madam Ma-Zhang said, ¡°You can¡¯t say that. She¡¯s Fourth Aunt¡¯s grandniece. Besides, if she doesn¡¯t ask her family to stand up for her, who in our vige is willing to speak up for Fourth Aunt¡¯s family? Besides, she¡¯s just a child.¡± Those who had objections immediately did not dare to speak. A married woman could indeed call her family over to speak up for her. If the other party was an adult, they would also speak up for Ma Youcai if he was in the right. However, the other party was just a child and was Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s family. Many of the onlookers sighed. Ma Youcai had many brothers, so even if the vigers knew that his family was not benevolent, no one would go against his family to help Madam Ma-Liu. Moreover, Madam Ma-Liu did not have an heir, and her two granddaughters would have to be married off in the future. If she had a grandson, they would definitely help her. When Mu Yangling saw how angry her eldest great-aunt was and how her two cousins were clenching their fists with reddened eyes, she knew that the people whose grains upied their family¡¯s site must be their enemy. Without any hesitation, Mu Yangling put down her things and raised a bundle of grains in each hand. She turned her head and asked, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, where are we throwing this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where this thing came from. Who knows what kind of filthy and smelly thing it is? Throw it onto the main road. Don¡¯t leave a single bit behind!¡± Grains were the lifeblood of farmers. If they were thrown onto the road, they would definitely thresh, and it would take a lot of effort to pick them up. Mu Yangling hesitated. Filled with resentment, Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin rushed forward and tore open a bundle of grains each before throwing whatever they could manage onto the road. Mu Yangling was stunned. After freezing for a moment, she raised her arm and tossed out a bundle of grains. The grains flew over their heads and fell to the ground with a bang. Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin felt super gratified when they saw this. They rushed back and threw the grains out with all their might. An old man couldn¡¯t bear to see them waste grains like this, so he shouted, ¡°Stop! These grains are our lifeblood!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Madam Ma-Liu spat on that person¡¯s face and red at him with red eyes. ¡°Lifeblood? My lifeblood was killed by them long ago. They forced me and my granddaughters to this extent. Now, they even came to upy my threshing floor. Are you trying to help their family force me to death? Are you? Let me tell you, Ma Dazhong. I¡¯m not afraid of death now. At most, I¡¯ll hang myself alongside my two granddaughters at your door. If I die, it¡¯d be caused by you people. It¡¯s your Ma family who forced us to death. I¡¯ll see who still dares to marry into your Ma family!¡± Madam Ma-Liu shrieked at the top of her lungs, scaring the onlookers. The old man she faced took three steps back. Madam Ma-Zhang, who had been sowing discord, could not help but shrink her neck. The entire venue was silent. Everyone looked at Madam Ma-Liu and knew that she would do what she said. This person no longer had any scruples. As the saying goes, ¡®Those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes, and those who are fierce are afraid of those who don¡¯t care about their lives.¡¯ Now, Madam Ma-Liu was the most formidable, going by that logic. Mu Yangling narrowed her eyes. She was even more certain that Ma Youcai, who upied her eldest great-aunt¡¯snd, was the cousin who killed her uncle back then. Otherwise, her eldest great-aunt wouldn¡¯t be so angry and her two cousins wouldn¡¯t behave like this. After figuring this out, Mu Yangling no longer stood on ceremony. With both hands, bundles of grains were continuously thrown onto the road. The thumping sounds seemed to have struck everyone¡¯s hearts. Everyone looked at Madam Ma-Liu, who was standing in the middle of the threshing floor with a dark expression, and their hearts trembled. Seeing that the situation was not right, some people who were close to Ma Youcai¡¯s family secretly ran back to inform Ma Youcai¡¯s family. However, Mu Yangling was too fast. With a wave of her hand, a bundle of grains flew out. Even the pile of grains that was like a small mountain was quickly thrown away by her. While everyone¡¯s heart ached for the grains, they could not help but be stunned by Mu Yangling¡¯s incredible strength. One bundle of grains could only be carried by a 15 or 16-year-old person. Yet, this child could actually easily lift it up. Even the strongest man in the vige was not capable of such a feat. One had to know that Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s threshing floor was not at the side, but in the middle. There was a certain distance from the main road. Otherwise, Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin wouldn¡¯t have to run to throw the grains out. Looking at the scattered grains on the ground, Madam Ma-Liu snorted. She said to her eldest granddaughter, ¡°Xiuhong, sweep the things out. I feel disgusted looking at them.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Ma Xiuhong replied loudly. She and her sister went to borrow two brooms to sweep all the grains that had fallen to the ground onto the road. The grains instantly fell into the soil. The onlookers more or less revealed pained expressions. Everyone grew grains, so even if those grains weren¡¯t from their own family, they still felt ufortable. Madam Ma-Liu snorted and said, ¡°If it was someone else¡¯s, I would have politely asked them to move the grains away. I wouldn¡¯t even mind if I had to dry mine a few dayster. But not Ma Youcai¡¯s family! Not only did he kill my son, daughter-inw, and grandson, he even provoked the patriarch to snatch my family¡¯snd. Now, they even want to upy my family¡¯s small threshing floor. They¡¯re simply trying to force me to death!¡± As Madam Ma-Liu spoke, she sat on the ground with her two granddaughters in her arms and cried loudly. ¡°Why are you two still alive? Why? If you¡¯re also dead, I could just go to their house and hang myself. Our family of seven can then reunite underground. Let Ma Dafu open his eyes and see how his good brother treats his children and grandchildren. Ma Dafu, you short-lived man, open your eyes and see how your brother and nephew treat your children and grandchildren. They caused your son, daughter-inw, and grandson¡¯s deaths. Now, they¡¯re forcing your two granddaughters to death. If I die, so be it. But what about your only two remaining bloodlines! Come out and take a look. Climb out and take a look!¡± Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin hugged their grandmother and cried loudly, tears flowing out incessantly. Standing beside them, Mu Yangling¡¯s jaw dropped open¡­ Chapter 31: Argument Chapter 31: Argument Editor: As Studios Most afraid of seeing people crying, Mu Yangling was momentarily at a loss. She wanted to hold back Eldest Great-aunt, but thetter shook her off. Hence, she had no choice but to stand behind them. For a moment, all that could be heard on the threshing floor were the mournful cries of the grandmother-granddaughter trio. Ma Youcai¡¯s wife, Madam Ma-Fang, heard the news and ran over. When she saw the grains scattered on the road, she immediately cried and rushed towards Madam Ma-Liu fiercely. ¡°Who did this? Which immoral person actually wasted grains? My family worked so hard and only managed to harvest so little!¡± Madam Ma-Liu pushed her two granddaughters away, stood up, and spat at the approaching Madam Ma-Fang. With her hands on her hips, she said, ¡°I was the one who threw them out. I wonder which beast piled these dirty and smelly things on my family¡¯s threshing floor. Why? Is it not bad enough that Youcai caused the deaths of my family? Now you even want to upy this threshing floor?¡± Madam Ma-Fang jumped up. ¡°Fourth Aunt, don¡¯t talk nonsense. How did my Youcai harm your family? Brother Fugui was clearly beaten to death by the eldest young master of the Wu family.¡± ¡°Pfft, why was Fugui beaten to death by the eldest young master of the Wu family? Don¡¯t you feel guilty? Don¡¯t you have nightmares at night? After you people killed my son, daughter-inw, and grandson, you even snatched thend left behind by Fugui. You¡¯re not humans, you¡¯re beasts. Now, you beasts even want to snatch my threshing floor. Is there any justice in this world? Is there?¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s eyes were red as she red at Madam Ma-Fang fiercely. Thetter took a few steps back and looked away. Ma Youcai¡¯s family ran over one after another. When his mother, Madam Ma-Zhao saw that the grains that she had painstakingly harvested was thrown on the road like that, she immediately wailed and sat on the ground, crying and cursing. Ma Youcai looked at Madam Ma-Liu. Disgust and anger shed across his eyes, but he did not dare to go forward. Displeased, Ma Youcai¡¯s father, Ma Dagui stepped forward and said, ¡°Sister-inw, these grains are the lifeblood of the farmers. Even if Youcai and his wife did something wrong, you shouldn¡¯t have thrown the grains on the road.¡± Madam Ma-Liu snorted coldly. ¡°If these grains weren¡¯t yours, I wouldn¡¯t have thrown this away. I¡¯m afraid that if these things are ced on mynd, the three of us will be beaten to deathter.¡± ¡°You!¡± Ma Dagui¡¯s expression was ugly, but he held himself back. Seeing that the vigers were all looking at him, he sighed and said, ¡°Sister-inw, it¡¯s been four years since that incident. I even brought Youcai to kowtow to you and apologize. Today, in front of the vigers, why don¡¯t we talk it over once more?¡± Triggered, Madam Ma-Liu jumped up and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Tell me how your son killed my son. Tell me how your family upied my family¡¯snd after my son died.¡± As every single word struck a sore spot, Ma Dagui couldn¡¯t help but get angry. ¡°Sister-inw, it was indeed because of Youcai¡¯s rashness that Young Master Wu got into a conflict with Youcai and the others. However, it was Young Master Wu who beat Fugui and his wife to death. Youcai was also injured. When Fugui¡¯s wounded wife gave birth, our family even paid for a doctor for her. But the baby wasn¡¯t fated to live long. How could this be med on Youcai? On the other hand, my brother was fine at first. It was only after you married him that he died. I think it¡¯s just as the witch said. You¡¯re the one who jinxed your son and grandson. They were all killed by you!¡± This was the sore spot in Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s heart. Her eyes widened and she pointed at Ma Dagui, unable to say anything. ¡°As for the farnd, because Fugui didn¡¯t have any sons, we can¡¯t allow outsiders to own our n¡¯s farnd. This was the decision of the patriarch and everyone. What do you have to say about that?¡± As he spoke, Ma Dagui nced at everyone. Everyone lowered their heads slightly when they saw Ma Dagui¡¯s gaze, since they had all more or less benefited from this matter. Feeling as if there was a heavy stone pressing down on her heart, Madam Ma-Liu couldn¡¯t exhale the breath she had inhaled. Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin supported their grandmother on each side and red at him angrily. Ma Dagui had more to say. ¡°Look at how you¡¯ve taught your granddaughters. They actually dare to re at their elders at such a young age¡­¡± Ma Dagui reached out and almost pointed at Ma Xiuhong¡¯s nose. Mu Yangling took a step forward and pulled the three of them back. She pped Ma Dagui¡¯s hand away and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk nicely. To think that you¡¯re an elder. Why are you getting physical?¡± Knowing that there was no way to straighten out the matters of the past, Mu Yangling only said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand the feud between Uncle¡¯s family and your family. I only have a few words to ask Old Master. Does this threshing floor belong to my eldest great-aunt¡¯s family? Did your family upy her threshing floor? Did you ask her for her permission? Your daughter-inw came and shouted at my eldest great-aunt. Is this the Ma family¡¯s upbringing?¡± Frowning, Ma Dagui snorted. ¡°How dare a young child ask me such questions? This is my Ma family¡¯s business. What does it have to do with a child like you?¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t bother to mince her words either. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Old Master doesn¡¯t know the logic that even a child knows. Madam Ma-Liu is my eldest great-aunt, and I¡¯m her maternal family. This isn¡¯t just a matter of your Ma family!¡± Mu Yangling looked around and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t give me an exnation today, I can only go back and call my great-uncle and the others over. When the timees, the Ma family and the Liu family can sit down and have a good talk.¡± Shocked, Ma Dagui looked at Mu Yangling in surprise. Seeing her sharp gaze, he could not help but be taken aback. A child actually knew these principles? Madam Ma-Liu must have taught her, right? Ma Dagui pondered. Without waiting for his answer, Mu Yangling snorted and asked him, ¡°Old Master, why aren¡¯t you speaking? Is Eldest Great-aunt wrong to throw away the grains?¡± Holding back his anger, Ma Dagui said, ¡°We¡¯re all vigers. Even if Youcai temporarily ced them on your eldest great-aunt¡¯s threshing floor, she shouldn¡¯t have thrown the grains on the road.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m also very curious.¡± Mu Yangling tilted her head and looked at them. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, isn¡¯t there a grudge between you people and my great-aunt? Shouldn¡¯t you be avoiding her? Instead, you shamelessly want to upy her threshing floor?¡± Mu Yangling muttered to herself, ¡°You people are so domineering. No wonder you became enemies.¡± Although she was talking to herself, Mu Yangling did not lower her voice. For a moment, the vigers looked at Ma Dagui¡¯s family differently. Ma Dagui¡¯s family was indeed domineering in the vige. It was all because he had three sons and two daughters, plus the fact that his sons-inw were also strong and capable. Ma Dagui was filled with rage, but Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°Anyway, I was the one who threw those things away. What do you want? Don¡¯t think that you can bully my great-aunt just because the Liu and Mu families haven¡¯t been here for many years. Let me tell you, my great-aunt came from Nearhill Vige. Even if 80 years have passed since she married, she will still be a daughter of Nearhill Vige!¡± These domineering words made thedies and daughters-inw in the valley involuntarily exim in their hearts, ¡°Yes!¡± Ma Dagui¡¯s expression turned even uglier. He couldn¡¯t help but look at his wife. Madam Ma-Zhao wiped her tears and went forward. ¡°Sister-inw, I know you¡¯re angry, so I won¡¯t argue with you today. However, you mustn¡¯t waste grains again in the future.¡± Madam Ma-Liu sneered coldly and looked at them with an icy expression. Suppressing the anger in her heart, Madam Ma-Zhao turned around to p Ma Youcai. She shouted, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and collect the grains. Look at how many grains have fallen. What a sin!¡± When Madam Ma-Liu heard this, she wanted to go forward again. Mu Yangling pulled her back and whispered, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, let¡¯s not lower ourselves to their level. I¡¯ll help you move the grains over first.¡± Madam Ma-Liu wiped her tears and forced a smile. ¡°Good child, it¡¯s been hard on you today.¡± ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡± Mu Yangling pulled the three of them into the field. Strong and fast, she finished tying 10 bundles in no time. Using the borrowed rice fork, she forked two bundles of grains at one end and carried another bundle with her hand. In one trip, she managed to transport five bundles of grains. Even Madam Ma-Liu, who was still in a bad mood after quarreling, couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes when she saw this. She hurriedly rushed up to stop her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t carry so many. Just carry two bundles at a time.¡± Smiling, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eldest Great-aunt. It¡¯s not heavy at all.¡± Ma Xiuhong gazed at Mu Yangling enviously, then looked down at her scrawny arms and legs. Shemented sadly, ¡°If only I was as capable as Cousin.¡± Chapter 32: Complaint Chapter 32: Comint Editor: As Studios Even though they had witnessed Mu Yangling¡¯s strength just now, when they saw her carrying four bundles of grains on her shoulders and walking to the middle of the threshing floor with one bundle in her hand, the vigers still could not ept it. Hence, everyone stopped working and squatted on the ground to watch and count the bundles of grains Mu Yangling had carried back. Madam Ma-Zhang said enviously, ¡°Whose daughter is this? She¡¯s really capable. If I had such a daughter, I¡¯d be enjoying life already.¡± ¡°Forget it. With such strength, she must have a voracious appetite. Moreover, when she grows up, how much dowry will she have to prepare for someone to want to marry her?¡± Madam Ma-Zhang was unconvinced. ¡°If such a capable girl is willing to marry into my family, I¡¯ll give her betrothal gifts and won¡¯t ask for a single cent of dowry.¡± Everyone burst outughing. A manughed and said, ¡°Sister-inw, this is just what you think. If she really marries into your family, will it be the man hitting his wife or the woman hitting the man? Besides, if she¡¯szy, who in your family can control her?¡± A kind-hearted young wife shouted, ¡°Alright, alright. The youngdy didn¡¯t offend you, yet you¡¯re gossiping happily about her. If her father hears about it, let¡¯s see if he beats you up.¡± A youth at the side shouted, ¡°If you ask me, Uncle and Auntie, you¡¯re all dreaming. Look at her rosy face and long limbs. Can you afford to raise her? Do you know how old she is?¡± ¡°Children in the vige grow slowly. She must be 11 or 12 years old, right?¡± That said, it was only because they were malnourished. ¡°Auntie, you have excellent judgment.¡± The youth smiled and said, ¡°Xiuhong said that her cousin is two months older than her. She¡¯s nine years old this year. Hahaha¡­¡± The kid ran away after saying that. Realizing that she was being teased, Madam Ma-Zhang reached out to grab him. However, that kid had already started running around the threshing floor, so she couldn¡¯t very well be calctive with a junior. ¡°Only nine years old? Geez, that size.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen many nine-year-old girls in town of this size.¡± ¡°How can that be the same? People in town can eat their fill¡­¡± When Mu Yangling returned with the rice, the youth appeared again and asked loudly, ¡°Little girl, how many bowls of rice do you eat per meal?¡± Mu Yangling looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he asked this question, but she still replied, ¡°Three bowls.¡± The youth smacked his lips and asked, ¡°Rice?¡± ¡°Of course. How could it be porridge? That¡¯s for breakfast,¡± Mu Yangling said. Madam Ma-Zhang said, ¡°Although it¡¯s a little more, it¡¯s not especially much.¡± What Madam Ma-Zhang didn¡¯t know was that Mu Yangling¡¯s bowl was different from other people¡¯s. Because she and her father ate a lot, Shu Wanniang specially gave the two of them a huge bowl each, and one such bowl was equivalent to two normal-sized bowls. Mu Yangling did not take this matter to heart. Now that the sun was already setting, she could at most finish tying up the grains in that half of the field. When Mu Yangling returned to the field, the three of them were already sitting paralyzed in the field. They had already tied up all the grains in this half of the field. The three of them simply weren¡¯t quick enough for Mu Yangling. It was only because Mu Yangling came back to help that it could be done so quickly. Mu Yangling said to Madam Ma-Liu, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, don¡¯t work tonight. Go back and rest. I¡¯lle and help you tomorrow.¡± Ma Xiuhong¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said crisply, ¡°Thank you, Cousin!¡± However, Madam Ma-Liu waved her hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed toe again tomorrow. It¡¯ll be the Mid-Autumn Festival soon. When the first snow falls, the mountain will be sealed. Your family depends on hunting for a living, so you have to hurry up and hunt more prey to prepare for the winter. There isn¡¯t much left. I can handle it by myself.¡± Mu Yangling did not say anything else. Anyway, she would juste again tomorrow. Now that her family¡¯s leather goods had already been sold, that 40 taels of silver would be more than enough to sustain them till next autumn. After she carried five bundles and left, there was only one bundle left in the field. Madam Ma-Liu shouted for her eldest granddaughter to carry it with her. However, the 70 to 80 catties of grains almost bent the olddy¡¯s back. The sight of it made Mu Yangling¡¯s heart tremble in fear. After thinking for a while, she quickened her pace and threw the grains onto the threshing floor, then sprinted back to take the grains from the olddy. Ma Youcai¡¯s family had been watching coldly from the sidelines. When they saw the three of them return, they couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly. Mu Yangling turned her head and red at them. She said to Eldest Great-aunt, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, let¡¯s go back. I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Madam Ma-Liu knew that she was afraid that she would get into another conflict with them, so she agreed. As it was gettingte, Mu Yangling only sat at the Ma residence for a while before carrying her basket and heading home. Madam Ma-Liu wanted to get her more pickled vegetables and pickled beans. She said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so strong before. Now, take more back. Do hurry up and return home before the sun sets.¡± Mu Yangling carried the basket on her back and ran. Raising her voice, she said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should hurry. I¡¯lle back and take it tomorrow.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu ran out with the pickled vegetables, all she could see was Mu Yangling running up the mountain. She could only sigh and turn around to go back. Seeing that his daughter had not returned for a long time, Mu Shi¡¯s originally confident attitude became hesitant. Could it be that his daughter had lost her way? Or had something happened in the forest? He didn¡¯t dare to show any traces to worry his wife, so he could only wait at the mountain pass under the excuse of gathering firewood. However, he had already gathered two bundles of firewood, but his daughter was still nowhere to be seen. Looking up at the sun setting in the west, Mu Shan decided to enter the mountains to look for his daughter if she still hadn¡¯t returned in a while. The forest was too dangerous at night. Considering how bold that girl was, he hoped she was not nning to cross the mountain at night. Mu Shi had just sat down on the grass when he heard footsteps. He quickly stood up and saw Mu Yangling running down the mountain after turning around a few trees. Only then did Mu Shi heave a sigh of relief. Then, he became angry. ¡°Child, I asked you to go to Great-aunt¡¯s house. Why did you onlye back at this time?¡± Panting a little, Mu Yangling ran down and shouted, ¡°Father, Eldest Great-aunt is being bullied. Hurry up and get Great-uncle to back her up.¡± Startled, Mu Shi grabbed his daughter, who had just run up to him. ¡°What happened? Who bullied your eldest great-aunt?¡± Mu Yangling quickly told her father about what had happened today. In the end, she said, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt is old and my cousins are still young. From the looks of it, Ma Dagui¡¯s family often bully Eldest Great-aunt and my cousins. If I wasn¡¯t around today, the three of them could only swallow their anger. She¡¯s a daughter of our Nearhill Vige. We can¡¯t sit by and do nothing while she gets bullied like this.¡± Mu Shi patted his daughter¡¯s head. ¡°You know what ¡®a daughter of Nearhill Vige¡¯ is? Go back quickly. This is a matter for the adults. Don¡¯t get involved.¡± As he spoke, he picked up the firewood and left. Mu Yangling followed behind her father indignantly and said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I know? Last time, when Uncle Ma¡¯s daughter was bullied by her inws, didn¡¯t Uncle and the others go to Four Vige with the Ma family to seek justice for her? They even beat up her husband.¡± Looking at his overexcited daughter, Mu Shi felt his head hurt even more. He could only say vaguely, ¡°Your eldest great-aunt¡¯s matter is a little different.¡± ¡°How is it different? Weren¡¯t they all bullied by their inws?¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t understand. Recalling Ma Dagui¡¯s self-righteous im that Eldest Great-aunt jinxed her husband, children and grandchildren, she shouted, ¡°Is it because of what that bullsh*t witch said? That¡¯s superstition!¡± As a good child who grew up in postrevolutionary China and who joined the military when she grew up, Mu Yangling was never superstitious. Although she had reincarnated after she died and stayed in her mother¡¯s womb with a consciousness for a few months, and was now living in this backward ancient era with the memories of her previous life, Mu Yangling was still not superstitious. In particr, she did not believe in the witch from Four Vige. What sort of a witch was she when her life was not even as good as her family¡¯s? Mu Yangling pestered Mu Shi to stand up for Madam Ma-Liu, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s not care about the grudge from four years ago. This time, it¡¯s Ma Dagui¡¯s family¡¯s fault, right? If you don¡¯t go, Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s life will definitely be even more difficult. Moreover, they said they took back Uncle¡¯snd because she didn¡¯t have an heir. Alright, let¡¯s not talk about whether they¡¯re right or wrong. Even if they¡¯re right, she¡¯s still alive now. Even if they want to take it back, they have to wait for her to die¡­ Pfft!¡± Mu Shi, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. Mu Yangling bumped into his back, hurting her nose. ¡°Father, why did you suddenly stop?¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Chapter 33: Gathering Chapter 33: Gathering Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know what her father said when he went to look for her eldest great-uncle. In any case, when her father came back, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll go to West Mountain Vige tomorrow. Stay at home and don¡¯t run around.¡± Mu Yangling jumped up and said, ¡°I want to go too!¡± Mu Shi frowned. ¡°Nonsense. We adults are going to talk about serious matters. Why would you tag along?¡± ¡°Cousins and I can go to help Eldest Great-aunt with her work while you guys talk about business.¡± Mu Yangling continued, ¡°Her family¡¯s grains are still piled up in the fields. How can the three of them carry all that grains when they¡¯re either old or weak. Since you guys are going there to talk about business, you can¡¯t possibly work in the fields, right? So Father, let me go.¡± Mu Shi red at her. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Anyway, since all the men in the vige have gone, they definitely won¡¯t be able to do anything. What¡¯s wrong with letting Mother go to Great-uncle¡¯s house for a day? We¡¯ll definitely be back before the sun sets.¡± Mu Shi only felt a headacheing on. It was not good for his daughter to have such a temperament and too many ideas. Mu Yangling did not manage to convince Mu Shi, but she convinced Shu Wanniang. She had long heard from her daughter about Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s difficult circumstances. Madam Ma-Liu was Mu Shi¡¯s eldest aunt. Among all his rtives, Shu Wanniang had the deepest impression and feelings for her. It was because she was the only one who came over to help when Mu Yangling was born back then. She was also the one who arranged for the custom of giving bath to the baby on its third day. When Mu Yangling refused to drink milk, she was the one who taught her how to make rice soup for the child step by step. She even served her for five days in the Mu Residence. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had been ill all these years and that Little Bowen¡¯s health also fluctuated between good and bad, Shu Wanniang would have kept in touch with this rtive no matter what. Now that her family¡¯s situation was getting better and she knew that this aunt was not doing well, Shu Wanniang naturally hoped to help out wherever possible. At his wife¡¯s insistence, Mu Shi could only tacitly agree. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Eldest Uncle and the others tomorrow morning and get Liu Lang and Liu Lun to go over. Finally, I¡¯ll make another trip there with Cousin the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bring more meat over. The two of you eat like you¡¯re fighting a war. You have to bring more things since you¡¯re there to help her. Don¡¯t drag your aunt down when the timees.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Mu Yangling continued, ¡°I¡¯ll get up early tomorrow morning and go into the mountains to see if I can catch a roe deer. If I can, we can have that for lunch.¡± ¡°Do you think roe deers are rabbits that run all over the mountain? Do you think you catch one so easily? Quickly take a shower and go to sleep.¡± Mu Shi pushed his daughter out and said to Shu Wanniang, ¡°You¡¯re too easy on her. This child is getting more and more ambitious.¡± Shu Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all because you pampered her. How many things have you two been hiding from me? I merely promised her this one thing.¡± Mu Shi immediately did not dare to say anything else, afraid that his wife would bring up old scores. Most of the vigers in West Mountain Vige had the surname Ma, while most of the vigers in Nearhill Vige had the surname Liu. Therefore, when Mu Shi mentioned itst night, Eldest Great-uncle Liu Daqian went to look for his younger brother, Liu Erqian, and a few cousins who were coteral rtives by blood up to the fifth degree of kinship. Early in the morning, everyone brought their own food and waited at Liu Daqian¡¯s house. Liu Daqian frowned slightly when he saw the half bag of rice that Mu Shi brought over. ¡°What will your great-uncles think if you bring so much?¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s life was difficult. Although everyone was going to speak up for her, ording to the custom, they had to bring their own rice. When the time came, Madam Ma-Liu would cook them together and provide a few pots of vegetables. However, everyone only brought their own rations. It was inevitable that others would be displeased to see Mu Shi bring so much. Mu Shi said, ¡°Ah Ling and I eat a lot, that¡¯s why I¡¯m bringing more.¡± ¡°Ah Ling? Why is she going too?¡± Liu Daqian disagreed. ¡°The child is still young. Don¡¯t speak to her about these things.¡± ¡°Ah Ling said that she wanted to go over and help Auntie harvest grain crops. She also said that she wanted to bring Liu Lang and the others over.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao, who was originally standing at the side, was dissatisfied. Her son had been exhausted from working in the fields for the past few days. How could she bear to let them work in another vige? However, Liu Lang and Liu Lun were tempted. Not by the prospect of work, but by the meat that Mu Yangling was going to bring along. They tugged at their mother¡¯s sleeve and whispered in her ear, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s meat to eat if we go with Cousin.¡± Liu Lun nodded repeatedly and gazed at his mother longingly. Madam Liu-Zhao hesitated and asked Mu Shi, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Ah Ling here?¡± Mu Shi was a little helpless. ¡°That child went into the mountains early in the morning. She said she was going to hunt for a roe deer.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao¡¯s eyes lit up. Since she said that she was hunting for a roe deer, even if there was no roe deer, there should be other meat, right? The children only had a little meatst night, and it was the strip of meat that Mu Shi had given them. However, since their family hadn¡¯t split up their assets, the meat was split between five children and six adults from the two families. Being just more than a catty, the meat was not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. Her mother-inw even hid half of it, nning to add a little every day to add some vor to the dishes. Liu Lang and Liu Lun swallowed their saliva and whispered, ¡°Roe deer meat is delicious.¡± ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯ve eaten it before. It¡¯s only delicious when it¡¯s roasted,¡± Liu Lang said. ¡°Last time, Ah Ling roasted some for us. Unfortunately, Ah Yun almost discovered it.¡± When Madam Liu-Zhao heard the two children¡¯s muttering, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. Still, she looked up at her father-inw, Liu Daqian, and said, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t we let the two children go? They haven¡¯t been to Aunt¡¯s house for a long time. Oh right, let Big Sister follow them, too.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao¡¯s daughter, Liu Rong, was 10 years old this year, and her nickname was ¡®Big Sister¡¯. Her cousin, Liu Yun, was the second daughter of the Liu family, so she was called ¡®Second Sister¡¯. Madam Liu-Zhao¡¯s sister-inw nced at her and said to her father-inw, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t all five children go?¡± Liu Daqian frowned. ¡°Why would we bring along so many children? Just the three of them will do. If they want to help your aunt, they can always go the day after tomorrow. Alright, when will Ah Linge out? We¡¯re leaving now.¡± Mu Shi nced at the sun in the sky and said, ¡°I told her that regardless of whether she can catch a roe deer or not, she has toe out at this time. She¡¯s probably already waiting at the foot of the mountain.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± A group of more than 10 people walked towards the foot of West Mountain. Mu Yangling was sitting on the ground, plucking weeds and waiting in boredom. When she saw theming, she jumped up and waved. Only then did everyone see that the prey beside her was not a roe deer, but a goat. The eldest uncle, Liu Ting, smiled. ¡°Ah Ling is so capable. You can even catch a goat.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Goats aren¡¯t as delicious as roe deers.¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± What should they do if they couldn¡¯t even afford to eat meat? To think she actually despised it like this. Liu Lang and Liu Lun, on the other hand, were delighted. Eyes sparkling, Liu Rong ran to Mu Yangling¡¯s side and called out gently, ¡°Cousin, let me help you carry the basket.¡± ¡°No, my basket isn¡¯t heavy at all.¡± Mu Shi ced the bag of rice in his hand into his daughter¡¯s basket. Then, he carried the dead goat and walked in front. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They passed through the mountains. Because there were many people, they walked a little slower, but they still reached in an hour. Seeing that more than 10 people suddenly entered the vige, half of them being young adults, the vigers of West Mountain Vige could not help but be vignt. Someone ran over to stop them. ¡°Who are you? Why are you in our vige?¡± The eldest uncle, Liu Ting, stood up and said, ¡°We are from the Liu Family of Nearhill Vige. We are here to look for our great-aunt and the patriarch of the Ma Family of West Mountain Vige. Brother, which family are you from?¡± The person who ran out was shocked. Recalling the dispute between Ma Youcai¡¯s family and Madam Liu yesterday, he knew that her family hade to seek justice for her. He pointed at the threshing floor and said, ¡°They¡¯re all on the threshing floor. Ma Youcai¡¯s family went to the patriarch and asked to redistribute the threshing floor.¡± ¡°What?¡± The bad-tempered Liu Zhuang jumped up. ¡°The Ma family has gone too far. Not only did they upy Aunt¡¯s farnd previously, they even want to upy her threshing floor now. Do they still have any shame?¡± Liu Daqian was also furious, but at his age he could suppress his temper. He turned to Mu Shi and said, ¡°Bring the stuff to your aunt¡¯s house and put them down first. Meanwhile, we¡¯ll head to the threshing floor.¡± Mu Shi nodded. Mu Yangling had already dragged the three little ones to look for Eldest Great-aunt. Liu Daqian nodded to himself. It wasn¡¯t good for them to run over aggressively, but he was also worried that his older sister would be bullied. It was good that Ah Ling was running over. With her around, no one could bully his sister. Chapter 34: Lesson Chapter 34: Lesson Editor: As Studios When Mu Yangling pulled the three cousins to the threshing floor, Madam Ma-Liu was holding her granddaughter¡¯s hand and standing stubbornly in the middle of the threshing floor. Her backview appeared sad and lonely. Opposite her, Ma Dagui was persuading his nsmen to redistribute the threshing floor. Like Nearhill Vige, the threshing floor of West Mountain Vige was built with the vigers¡¯ money and divided ording to the size of each family. Ma was a major surname in West Mountain Vige, so they had contributed the most back then. Naturally, they also took the majority. Most of the threshing floor belonged to the Ma family. The threshing floor under Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s name was given to her husband by her father-inw when he was around. On the other side was Ma Dagui¡¯s threshing floor. Her father-inw only had two sons, Ma Dagui and Ma Dafu. Now, Ma Dagui had a very good reason to request for redistribution. Since Madam Ma-Liu did not have any grandsons, and her family had very little farnd, there was simply no need for her family to upy such arge threshing floor at all. On the other hand, he had three sons and more than 10 grandchildren. There were more than 10 people in their family, and they were owning more and more farnd. As such, the threshing floor that his father had previously given him was not enough. His reason was very shameless, but no one felt that his reasoning was wrong. This was because Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s family did not have a male heir. This meant that after she died, Ma Dagui¡¯s family would have priority to take over the house she was living in, her threshing floor, and her vegetable garden. Such things weremon in the countryside. If Ma Youcai hadn¡¯t killed her son, daughter-inw, and grandson, Madam Ma-Liu wouldn¡¯t have objected even if she was unhappy. But not now. Even if she smashed all these, she would not leave them for Ma Dagui¡¯s family. Hence, she stood in the middle of the threshing floor and said clearly, ¡°If anyone dares to share my threshing floor, I¡¯ll die here today.¡± Mu Yangling was furious. ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, why are you speaking of death so easily?¡± She ran forward and pulled her behind her back. She nced at Ma Dagui and said to Madam Ma-Liu, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, you¡¯re really stupid. If you die, my cousins can only die with you. These people can simply use water to wash away the bloodstains in the valley, but won¡¯t they benefit in the end? If I were you, I¡¯d go to the government office and sue them for bullying the weak. If you don¡¯t want to go, it¡¯s simple. Just smash this threshing floor. Whoever wants it can repair it. Since you n to die anyway, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? Before you die, you can drag their entire family down with you. That way, you¡¯d at least havepany on the journey to theherworld, right?¡± Mu Yangling spoke very gently, but everyone was startled by this little girl. Even Madam Ma-Liu couldn¡¯t help but be shocked and secretly worried. She did want to threaten them with her life, but it wasn¡¯t her intention to drag her grandniece down with her. If these words were to spread, everyone in the surrounding viges would probably learn of her grandniece¡¯s unbending personality. This could be an admirable trait for a man, but it wasn¡¯t a good evaluation for a woman. How could she drag her devoted grandniece down? Oblivious to her thoughts, Mu Yangling only said, ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, this is not a decision that their family can make. Why don¡¯t you ask your Ma family¡¯s patriarch what he thinks?¡± Ma Dagui sneered and said, ¡°This is my Ma family¡¯s internal affairs. Since when can an outsider interfere in the Ma family¡¯s internal affairs?¡± ¡°Who said that this is your Ma family¡¯s internal affairs?¡± Liu Daqian rushed over with a group of people. He stepped out of the crowd and sneered. ¡°My Liu family¡¯s great-aunt didn¡¯t marry into your Ma family as a daughter-inw to be bullied by the Ma family.¡± Liu Daqian¡¯s gaze slid across the faces of Ma Dagui and the other elders, causing them to involuntarily tilt their heads. ¡°ording to you, Ma Dagui, your threshing floor is not enough for your family of more than 10. Just because my older sister has a smaller family than you, you want her to share her threshing floor with your family. Does that mean that the other families with only three or four people also need to give their threshing floor to you?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the vigers of West Mountain Vige looked at Ma Dagui with bad expressions. That¡¯s right. If today, they set a precedent and allowed him to upy Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s threshing floor, then the next time Ma Dagui¡¯s family needed a bigger plot of threshing floor, would hee and upy theirs? Sensing Liu Daqian¡¯s sinister intentions, Ma Dagui jumped up. ¡°Nonsense. I clearly didn¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re only targeting my older sister? She¡¯s your sister-inw after all. Yet, you didn¡¯t hesitate to think up such a vicious method to take advantage of my sister¡¯s family. Aren¡¯t those farnds seized by you enough to feed you?¡± Liu Daqian pressed on step by step. He pulled Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin forward and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t they your grandnieces? Are they not your biological younger brother¡¯s bloodline? Or did your younger brother offend you when he was alive, causing you to bear such a grudge?¡± Liu Daqian and Ma Dagui were of the same generation. Unlike Mu Yangling¡¯s words, which were simply treated as a child¡¯s words of anger, his speech had the effect of piercing through people¡¯s hearts. At this moment, everyone looked at Ma Dagui inquisitively. Ma Dagui snorted. ¡°You¡¯re falsely using me. Liu Daqian, on ount that you¡¯re my Ma family¡¯s inw, I won¡¯t lower myself to your level. Everyone knows why my younger brother¡¯s family has fallen. It¡¯s all because your Liu family¡¯s daughter jinxed her husband, children and grandchildren.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Liu Daqian was furious. He turned to Ma Dazhong, who was standing at the side, and said, ¡°Ma Dazhong, what¡¯s your patriarch¡¯s take on this? Did he agree with Ma Dagui¡¯s bullying of my sister? If that¡¯s the case, our Liu family won¡¯t burden your Ma family. Our Liu family can afford to feed three more mouths!¡± With that said, Liu Daqian scolded his son, Liu Ting, ¡°What are you waiting for? Your cousin is dead, but aren¡¯t you human? Your aunt is suffering here and you don¡¯t even know filial piety. Hurry up and pack your aunt¡¯s luggage. Your mother and I won¡¯t ask you to take care of us when we¡¯re old. All you have to do is carry out the customs at your aunt¡¯s funeral after she passes, and raise your two nieces until they grow up and get married. Your younger brother will take care of me.¡± Liu Ting obediently arched his back and replied. He really went forward to support Madam Ma-Liu and said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll bring you back to pack your things.¡± Wouldn¡¯t that expose them to criticisms? The Ma nsmen hurriedly went forward to stop them. How could they dare to let them leave? Ma Dazhong, who had been silent all this while, had no choice but to step forward and apologize. He pulled Liu Daqian back and said, ¡°Brother Liu, our patriarch doesn¡¯t know about this. Why don¡¯t we wait for him toe first?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t. Even I, whoe from Nearhill Vige, know about this. Is he a patriarch hiding in his pants or something?¡± Liu Daqian pushed him away mercilessly and said to the young men of the Liu family behind him, ¡°The few of you are also dull. Your aunt was bullied like this, but you just stood there in a daze. What¡¯s the use of raising you?¡± Upon hearing his uncle¡¯s words, a hot-blooded young man in his twenties rolled up his sleeves and rushed towards Ma Dagui¡¯s three sons. Liu Daqian¡¯s youngest son, Liu Zhuang, rushed forward and punched Ma Youcai in the face. Ma Dagui did not dare to make a sound when Liu Daqian said that he wanted to bring Madam Ma-Liu back to raise her. At this moment, when he saw the young men of the Liu family rushing over, he shouted, ¡°This is my territory. Don¡¯t go too far.¡± Liu Daqian snorted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that old fellow. Your aunt is old and her three nephews don¡¯t have any upbringing. Since she¡¯s not capable of doing it herself, help her teach her three nephews what filial piety is.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the Ma family members, who had wanted to stop them, could not help but stop. This was a matter between Ma Dagui¡¯s family and the Liu family. If they took action, it would be a matter between the Ma n and the Liu n. It might even escte into a conflict between West Mountain Vige and Nearhill Vige. The viges on both sides were close to each other, so everyone more or less had some rtives in the other vige. There were a few families whose daughters-inw were from Nearhill Vige, and some also had daughters who married into Nearhill Vige. Afraid their daughters would be tortured by their parents-inw during the new year, everyone stopped in their tracks and only watched as Ma Youcai and his brothers were beaten up. Mu Yangling¡¯s jaw dropped open in shock, her mouth wide open enough to fit a duck egg. Only now did she realize that her attack prowess was nothingpared to her great-uncle¡¯s. Such matters should indeed be handled by the elders. Chapter 35: Treat Chapter 35: Treat Editor: As Studios Seeing the Liu family beating the Mas up one-sidedly, Mu Yangling was eager to join in. However, before she could roll up her sleeves, Mu Shi rushed over quickly to cover his daughter¡¯s mouth and pull her behind him. Lowering his voice, he scolded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wereing to help your eldest great-aunt harvest grain crops? You brat, who asked you to interrupt? Do you wish to stay unmarried in the future?¡± Mu Shi was on his way there when he heard a few youths vividly saying that his daughter had taught her eldest great-aunt to drag down Ma Dagui¡¯s family before dying. He was so angry that smoke was about to rise from his head. ¡°Hurry up and bring your cousins to harvest the grains. This is a matter for the adults to handle. You¡¯re not allowed to get involved. If you continue to be disobedient, I won¡¯t bring you out in the future.¡± Mu Yangling shrunk her neck and gave a disheartened ¡°oh¡±. Then, she went forward and grabbed Liu Ting and the others, who were watching with relish, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and help Eldest Great-aunt harvest their grains. Cousin, quickly bring us there.¡± Mu Yangling reached out and pulled Ma Xiuhong. Ma Xiuhong looked at her grandmother and then at the scene, feeling a little worried. Liu Ting patted his chest and reassured her. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t worry. With my grandfather around, no one can bully Great-aunt.¡± Ma Xiuhong took her sister¡¯s hand and led everyone to the field. Then, she stole a nce at Mu Yangling and said softly, ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡± Mu Yangling raised her eyebrows. Ma Xiuhong said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Great-uncle and the rest wouldn¡¯t havee.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve called someone to get Great-uncle toe long ago. Although they¡¯re busy, they can still squeeze out a few days to handle Great-aunt¡¯s matter.¡± Ma Xiuhong shook her head and said even more softly, ¡°It¡¯s different for my grandmother. The witch said that she jinxed her husband, children and grandchildren.¡± Mu Yangling frowned. ¡°You believe that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Ma Xiuhong shook her head. ¡°But everyone else does. Grandmother said that Great-uncle also believes it¡­¡± Mu Yangling immediately stopped talking and started pondering. With such a reputation, no matter how hard Eldest Great-aunt worked, she would be ostracized by West Mountain Vige and the Ma Family. Even her maternal family would not like her too much. Otherwise, it was impossible for Nearhill Vige to not stand up for Eldest Great-aunt for the past few years. Ultimately, it was because Great-aunt was still burdened by this reputation. Mu Yangling narrowed her eyes. Four Vige wasn¡¯t too far away¡ªjust turn left along the main road and one should arrive in an hour. As the six children stood in the field, Mu Yangling said, ¡°I¡¯ll go pull the thatch. You guys rub the rope behind. Later, you can bring the grains over and I¡¯ll tie them up. We¡¯ll carry them back when we more or less finish tying them up.¡± Everyone listened to Mu Yangling¡¯s arrangements. The children, including the youngest, Ma Xin, were used to farm work, so they were very fast. Besides, Liu Rong and Ma Xiuhong also took care of her. The children yed around without feeling tired at all. When it was almost noon, the grains in the two fields were all tied up by the six children. Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll carry it in the afternoon. You guys go and y.¡± Chuckling, Liu Ting said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. The uncles are still here. They can just make a few trips each.¡± Mu Shi did not want his daughter to be too tired, but he was not in favor of letting the men of the Liu family help Eldest Great-aunt carry the grains. ¡°Everyone is here to seek an exnation. If we ask them to do farm work, they will definitely feel a little ufortable even if they don¡¯t say it. Therefore, it¡¯s better for us and your two uncles to go. We¡¯re strong, so a few rounds will be enough.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say, Father.¡± Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°Father, where are they?¡± There was no one on the threshing floor now. ¡°He was invited to the Ma family¡¯s patriarch¡¯s house. I guessed that you were almost done here, so I came over to take a look.¡± ¡°What did the Ma family say?¡± Ma Xiuhong and her sister pricked up their ears. Mu Shi stroked their heads and said, ¡°The threshing floor won¡¯t be redistributed. What happened yesterday was Ma Dagui¡¯s family¡¯s fault, and they have to apologize to your eldest great-aunt. But because she also threw their grains on the road and caused them some loss, there¡¯s no need for Ma Dagui to give her anypensation.¡± Mu Yangling frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t they being tantly biased?¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s already not bad to have such an oue, considering Ma Dagui has three sons and seven grandchildren.¡± In this era, it was key to have many sons. Although Mu Yangling was helpless, she had no choice but to adapt to this rule. When everyone returned to the Ma residence, Eldest Great-aunt was already washing rice and cooking. Seeing Mu Yangling and the rest return, she couldn¡¯t help but wipe her tears. She went forward and held Mu Yangling¡¯s hand. ¡°Child, you¡¯re too straightforward, just like your grandmother. Even men will suffer with such a personality, let alone girls. I sincerely thank you, but you can¡¯t be so rash next time. You still have to get married in the future.¡± Afraid that she would be dragged out to be lectured in private if she didn¡¯t nod, Mu Yangling hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Got it, Eldest Great-aunt.¡± Only then did Madam Ma-Liu heave a sigh of relief. She said to Mu Shi, ¡°Go deal with that goat. I¡¯ll bring the children to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables. The rice is ready. Just watch the fire.¡± Mu Shi agreed. Seven or eight-year-old children were already capable of doing housework. Therefore, with the help of the children, Madam Ma-Liu quickly started a fire to cook. Because there was a lot of mutton, Madam Ma-Liu did not have any scruples. She first made arge pot of mutton soup, then two dishes of braised mutton. She then chopped the two rabbits that Mu Yangling had sent over yesterday and turned them into stir-fried rabbit meat. In the past, it was already not bad to have one meat dish on the table. Now that there were so many, Madam Ma-Liu was very satisfied. When Liu Daqian led everyone back and smelled the fragrance, they all swallowed their saliva in unison and looked at the kitchen eagerly. Emerging from the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks, Madam Ma-Liu smiled and said, ¡°Hurry up and set up the table. The food is ready.¡± Liu Zhuang was the first to run out. Smiling, he said, ¡°Let me do it! Aunt, where shall we eat?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat in the courtyard. It¡¯s shaded, windy, and cool here.¡± In order to eat early, everyone rolled up their sleeves and helped set up the tables. Soon, two tables were filled. However, although they swallowed their saliva at the delicacies on the table, no one dared to eat first. They waited for the elders to start eating first. At the elders¡¯ table, everyone looked at Liu Daqian. Seated at the head of the table, Liu Daqian picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and ced it in his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he said to everyone, ¡°Alright, everyone, eat.¡± Liu Zhuang and the others grabbed their chopsticks anxiously. After the uncles and elders picked up some food, they wolfed down the meat dishes. Their families were not like the Mu family, who were born hunters who returned fruitful from the mountains and got to eat meat every day. Although they would also go into the mountains when they were free, it was already not bad if they could hit their prey three out of ten times. When it was busy farming season, they could only run to town to buy a few taels of meat to savor the fragrance of meat. Naturally, the meat was eaten by the children and elders at home. Mu Yangling and the children could not eat at the table, for it was not good for Eldest Great-aunt to be too biased towards them. There was originally only a small bowl of meat, but Mu Shi scooped out quite a bit into two basins for them to eat in the central room. Seated on small stools around a small table made of wooden nks, the six children quickly finished the meat and vegetables in the basins. As Liu Lun grabbed a piece of mutton and nibbled on it, he mumbled, ¡°I knew that there would be meat to eat if I followed Cousin. Cousin, next time you go into the mountains and hunt some prey that you don¡¯t want, do give it to us. My brother is excellent at roasting meat.¡± Liu Rong looked up at her younger brother, then gazed at Mu Yangling longingly. Mu Yangling said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter. I¡¯ve been a little busy recently. If you want to eat meat, look for me. I¡¯ll catch rabbits for you.¡± As she spoke, she frowned. ¡°There are too many rabbits these days. If we don¡¯t catch more, we will have a disaster next spring.¡± Chapter 36: Help Chapter 36: Help Editor: As Studios The children couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like to have a disaster due to an overpoption of rabbits. They only knew that rabbit meat was delicious and that rabbits were difficult to catch. They would go to catch rabbits in the forest under the excuse of collecting firewood, but they often failed. Though they imitated Mu Yangling and set up traps, it didn¡¯t work nine out of ten times. The remaining one time where it did work was a demonstration when Mu Yangling taught them. Hence, Liu Lun drooled and asked, ¡°If there¡¯s a disaster due to too many rabbits, does that mean we can eat more rabbit meat?¡± Ignorance was bliss, truly. Mu Yangling looked at him enviously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let your grandfather hear this, or he¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Rabbits loved to dig holes. Although this was not a grasnd and there was no grazing, so the damage to the ecology could not bepared to the grasnd, the overpoption of rabbits would still have a huge impact on everyone. Not to mention anything else, Nearhill Vige was located at the foot of the mountain. If they were hit by a few storms next year, the soil that had been loosened by rabbits digging holes would be washed down, possibly resulting in mudslides. Mu Yangling had never seen it before, but Mu Shi had witnessed it in Nearhill Vige more than 10 years ago. Therefore, Mu Shi could not help but worry when he saw the number of rabbits in the forest increase and the situation bing increasingly intense. However, his ability alone was limited, and he could only hunt so many rabbits by himself. The mountain forest was too dangerous, so he did not dare to encourage everyone to enter the mountain. Mu Yangling was thinking about how to set up more traps, catch more rabbits, and earn more ie when Liu Daqian put down his bowl and chopsticks. He waved at the people who had also stopped and looked at him. ¡°Alright, you guys can continue eating.¡± As he spoke, he stood up and walked towards Madam Ma-Liu. Everyone knew that the siblings had something to say, so they rxed and continued eating. Liu Erqian slowly filled his bowl with mutton with his chopsticks. Then, he stood up and walked over. His cousin, Liu Dazhu, twitched his lips and silently cursed him for acting strange at such an old age. However, he was old after all, and there were juniors present, so he gave Liu Erqian some face. Liu Erqian followed his older brother and sister and stood at the side to listen to their conversation. Liu Daqian looked at his sister, who was more than 10 years older than him, and sighed slightly. Among the six siblings of the Liu family, only five survived. The third child starved to death when he was four years old, and Madam Ma-Liu was the eldest. Back then, there was a famine. Liu Daqian and the other three siblings only survived because of this older sister who risked her life to enter the mountains to find food. Though tenacious andpetitive, unfortunately, this older sister of theirs wasn¡¯t fated to lead a good life. After thinking for a moment, Liu Daqian said, ¡°Sister, we won¡¯t be able to get the farnd back, but with your brothers around, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of being bullied by them. I¡¯ll get Ah Ting and Zhuangzi toe over tomorrow to help you collect the grains.¡± Madam Ma-Liu wiped her tears and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Your family has to work too. The autumn harvest will onlyst for a few days. If we dy any longer, it will start to rain. I can handle this myself.¡± Liu Daqian didn¡¯t say anything, but his attitude was obvious. Madam Ma-Liu asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for three to four years. Are you still healthy? How¡¯s Third Sister?¡± Liu Daqian¡¯s expression was a little ugly. His eldest sister had married into West Mountain Vige, but his second and third sister had married into Nearhill Vige. Last night, he had gone to look for his third sister and asked her son toe with them, but she had rejected him using all sorts of excuses. That look of extreme disgust was clear as day to him. Liu Daqian felt very ufortable. Back then, all of them doted on this youngest sister, but in the end, she despised her eldest sister. However, Liu Daqian didn¡¯t say it out loud as he didn¡¯t want to upset Madam Ma-Liu. Instead, he said, ¡°She¡¯s doing well. When I came, she even asked me to send you her greetings.¡± This attracted a sneer from Liu Erqian. It was only when he looked up at his brother that he turned his head away. Liu Daqian was furious. He kicked him and said angrily, ¡°How old are you? Why are you still behaving like this? If you don¡¯t speak, no one will think you¡¯re a fool.¡± Liu Erqian said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Liu Daqian was even angrier. How could Madam Ma-Liu not understand? She only felt the anger in her chest surge and her eyes sting. Blinking her tears back, she forced a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t bully Second Brother. He¡¯s already a grandfather. You can¡¯t lecture him like you did in the past.¡± Then, she said to Liu Erqian, ¡°Second Brother, now that you¡¯re already a grandfather, you can¡¯t fool around like before. You have to be an example to your grandchildren.¡± Liu Erqian responded nonchntly and said, ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I¡¯ll go back and eat.¡± As he spoke, he turned around and was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something. He took out a money bag from his pocket and stuffed it into Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s hand, before turning around and leaving. Shocked, Madam Ma-Liu was about to chase after him when Liu Daqian stopped her. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t you know Second Brother¡¯s temper? If you return it, it will arouse his bullish nature, and he might very well just smash the dining table. Hurry up and keep it. The two grandnieces are not young anymore. Just keep this for their dowry.¡± As he spoke, he took out a money bag from his pocket and stuffed it into her hand. With a sigh, he said, ¡°I¡¯m useless as your younger brother and failed to protect you. Don¡¯t me me.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Madam Ma-Liu leaned against the wall and cried. She did resent her two younger brothers. As her parents had died early, she was responsible for raising her four younger siblings. In the end, when she was in trouble, her brothers could not protect her. Her not returning to her maternal home to visit them for the past three to four years was actually a show of her attitude and resentment. But now, it seemed that this matter had hurt her and them, and only stood to benefit her enemies! However, still, she was reluctant to return to her maternal family like she did in the past. Sometimes, Madam Ma-Liu would think that if her younger brothers could not protect her, what was the use of raising them back then? Madam Ma-Liu exhaled and said self-deprecatingly, ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it of use now?¡± After everyone had their fill, Madam Ma-Liu cut the remaining mutton and distributed it to everyone. She said, ¡°Thank you foring today, brothers. Our family is poor and we don¡¯t have much to serve everyone. Please make do.¡± Liu Dazhu smiled and said, ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t spoil them too much. Now that you¡¯ve been wronged, as your younger brothers, how can we note and stand up for you? This is a good life experience for your nephews, too.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Liu Daqian pushed them out. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath here. Hurry up and go back. We¡¯ll leave in the afternoon.¡± Then, he said to the younger generation of the Liu family, ¡°Help your father and uncles walk slowly and make sure no one gets left behind. There are ferocious beasts in the mountains.¡± Everyone responded and helped the elders of their families leave. Liu Ting rolled up his sleeves and said, ¡°Father, let¡¯s carry the grains out for Aunt.¡± When Mu Yangling heard this, she hurriedly said, ¡°Uncles, you can go cut the grain crops. My father and I will do the carrying. We¡¯ll be done in half an afternoon.¡± Liu Ting expressed his doubts, and Mu Shi hesitated. Mu Yangling tugged at his sleeve and said, ¡°Father, let Eldest Uncle and the rest go harvest the grains. With so many people, we will be done in the afternoon.¡± Mu Shi thought about it and agreed. The Ma family still had half a plot of grains left to harvest, but there were many people left behind today. Liu Daqian and his brother, their two sons, and the children could go to the fields to harvest the grains. There were a total of twelve people, and they could finish harvesting in half an afternoon. This way, they wouldn¡¯t have to make another trip tomorrow. Otherwise, even if their two aunts didn¡¯t say anything, they would definitely feel ufortable. Liu Daqian thought about it and agreed. He said to Madam Ma-Liu, ¡°Big Sister, go and borrow the scythe.¡± At the thought of getting everything done by today, Madam Ma-Liu was no longer in the mood to clean up the table. She quickly went out to borrow the scythe and brought them to the field. Mu Yangling and Mu Shi were in charge of transporting the grains out, while the others cut the grain crops together. With so many people and four young men, it was done in less than four hours. Liu Zhuang waved his hand and saw that the Mu father and daughter had already carried the two plots of grains out, and were now sitting on the ridge to rest. The corners of his mouth immediately twitched as he said to his cousin, Liu Xuan, beside him, ¡°She¡¯s too capable. She¡¯s simply stronger than an ox.¡± Liu Xuan nced at his father and said, ¡°Shut up, or Uncle will beat you up if he hears you.¡± After cutting the grain crops for half of the plot ofnd, there was no time to transport them out. Madam Ma-Liu hurriedly urged them to go back. ¡°You should hurry back. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to go down the mountain before dark.¡± Liu Daqian nodded and returned the scythe to her. Waving his hand, he said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go home.¡± Chapter 37: Method Chapter 37: Method Editor: As Studios At this moment, the sun was already in the west. Coupled with the shade of the trees, not only was it not hot on the road, but it was also rather cool. Liu Rong held Mu Yangling¡¯s hand in fear and smiled shyly. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s hold hands.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mu Yangling reached out to pluck a flower by the roadside and adorned her hair with it. ¡°It looks really good on you.¡± Liu Rong lowered her head shyly. Liu Lang and Liu Lun ran forward, ying with each other. Suddenly, a sh of white shed past their eyes, causing Liu Lang to shout, ¡°Rabbit!¡± Liu Lun shouted, ¡°Catch it, catch it!¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop shouting. How are you going to catch it when you¡¯ve already scared the rabbit away?¡± Unexpectedly, just as Mu Yangling finished speaking, the rabbit was so frightened by Liu Lang and Liu Lun¡¯s shouts that it turned around and hit a tree. Everyone was stunned. Liu Lang immediately jumped up and ran over to grab it. The rabbit was stunned for a moment before quickly jumping away. Surprised, Liu Lang fell to the ground. Liu Lun also rushed over, but he tripped over the stone under his feet and fell on Liu Lang. The rabbit looked at the two of them in confusion and was about to hop away. Liu Lang screamed. ¡°Cousin, catch it quickly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have fallen in vain.¡± Mu Yangling stared at the rabbit and jumped towards it. Shocked, the rabbit jumped to the side, but Mu Yangling did not stop. Traces of the rabbit shed across the corner of her eyes and she jumped over as well. She pressed her hand forward and pinned the rabbit under the grass. Holding it tightly with one hand, she used her other hand to pinch its ear and lift it up. Liu Lang and his brother ran over and watched eagerly while eximing, ¡°How impressive!¡± Liu Ting could not help but exim to Mu Shi, ¡°Cousin, Ah Ling is so agile.¡± Meanwhile, Liu Zhuang drooled at the rabbit. ¡°This rabbit is so fat. It must be five to six catties.¡± Liu Ting immediately felt a little embarrassed, for his brother was already in his twenties. Unexpectedly, Second Uncle Liu Erqian immediately nodded and agreed, ¡°Fat rabbits taste delicious braised.¡± Now, it was Liu Erqian¡¯s sons, Liu Yuan and Liu Xuan¡¯s turn to feel embarrassed. Liu Ting was instantly satisfied. Since the first and second branches had already lost face, the eldest brother couldn¡¯t very well berate the second brother. However, Liu Daqian¡¯s face turned red. One was his son, and the other was his younger brother. Both were embarrassing. If not for the fact that Liu Zhuang and Liu Xuan were born in different months, he would really suspect that he and his younger brother identally carried the wrong baby home. Mu Yangling waved her hand generously and said, ¡°Here, take it.¡± Liu Lang immediately revealed a broad grin and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it back and raise it. I¡¯ll get the big rabbit to give birth to a small rabbit.¡± Mu Yangling doused his enthusiasm. ¡°This is a male. It can¡¯t give birth to a little rabbit.¡± ¡°Then catch another female for me.¡± Liu Lang pestered her. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. If we bump into one, I¡¯ll catch it for you.¡± The few of them looked around as they walked down. Just as they were about to leave the mountain, they vaguely saw a grayish-white rabbit. Liu Lun pestered her to catch it. Feeling that catching a rabbit was not difficult, Mu Yangling went. Mu Shi did not stop her. Liu Daqian red at his grandson. After a while, Mu Yangling returned with an even fatter gray rabbit and said, ¡°The one just now ran away.¡± Satisfied, Liu Erqian took the rabbit from her hand and nodded. ¡°Not bad. We¡¯ll braise it and eat it with wine tomorrow night.¡± Mu Yangling looked at him in a daze. Wasn¡¯t it for Liu Lang? Liu Lang was also stunned. Liu Erqian red at him and said, ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you let Second Grandpa have this rabbit?¡± ¡°Alright, you¡¯re already in your fifties or sixties. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Liu Daqian flicked his sleeves and left. Liu Erqian snorted and grabbed the rabbit¡¯s ear before following. Liu Yuan and Liu Xuan wished they could cover their faces. To think their father was still snatching things from his grandnephew at his age. How embarrassing. Not daring to show his dissatisfaction, Liu Lang could only leave regretfully. After today, it was impossible for them to ask Mu Yangling to catch rabbits for them. In the past, they would secretly look for her to get some meat. Grandpa did not allow them to go to Uncle¡¯s house to freeload, nor did he allow them to take the prey Uncle gave them. However, Uncle did not seem to have given them any¡­ While Mu Yangling and her father were on their way home, she said, ¡°Father, when I was chasing after rabbits just now, I saw three or four of them along the way.¡± Mu Shi frowned. ¡°There are so many more?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Considering that was only the periphery, wouldn¡¯t there be even more rabbits inside? If our mountain is already like this, what about the grasnd?¡± There was arge grasnd to the north of Xingzhou Prefecture, which had already been upied by the Jin soldiers. It was not far from Chef Mountain, and there were more rabbits on the grasnd than in the forest. Mu Shi pondered for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s catch more rabbits and sell them at the marketter.¡± However, Mu Yangling was not optimistic. ¡°How many can we sell? Selling more than 10 rabbits a day is already the limit.¡± Although the Great Zhou Dynasty¡¯s economy was rtively developed, there were still very few people who were willing to spend money to buy rabbit meat in a low-ss town like Seven Mile Vige. It was not that they did not work hard, but the customers were not rich. ¡°If not, we¡¯ll make it into jerky and sell it in winter. By then, the mountain will have been closed, and the meat will be easier to sell.¡± ¡°Forget it. Mother is pregnant. If we leave it in the courtyard to dry, Mother will vomit all night.¡± ¡°Then forget it.¡± His wife could not stand that kind of smell. It would be fine if there weren¡¯t many, for he could ce it in one corner of the courtyard, and the smell would disperse when the wind blew. If there were many rabbits, the smell would enter the house when the wind blew. After entering the house, Mu Yangling thought hard for a while. Little Bowen sat obediently beside his sister and looked at her with his face propped up. After a long time, seeing that she did not react, he pouted and said, ¡°Sister, you haven¡¯t given me candy.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Mu Yangling took out the candy packet for him and continued to sit there in a daze. Staring at the remaining candy, Little Bowen was very mncholic. He sighed like a little adult and said, ¡°Soon, I won¡¯t have any candy to eat.¡± Mu Yangling subconsciously replied, ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you when the timees.¡± ¡°But we have to save our family¡¯s money to buy clothes and goat¡¯s milk for our baby brother. I¡¯d better not buy candy.¡± Little Bowen took out a candy and hid it on his body. Mu Yangling frowned. ¡°You ate two today. Why are you still hiding one?¡± ¡°This is for Goudan. I told him that I would exchange candy for his bamboo dragonfly.¡± Eyes lighting up, Mu Yangling pped her hands and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Though we can¡¯t sell it for money, we can exchange it for something else.¡± Bartering had existed for a long time. Even in this day and age, it still existed. It was just that she was used to exchanging goods for money, and it hadn¡¯t urred to Mu Shi that they could do this. Therefore, the Mu family had always been exchanging goods for money and had never thought of bartering. There were too many rabbits in the mountains, so many that they were worthless. However, selling them at a lower price would undoubtedly cheapen the value of the rabbits, and theirbor would not be rewarded. This problem could be solved by bartering. Delighted, Mu Yangling hugged Little Bowen¡¯s head and kissed him. ¡°I¡¯ll exchange for something delicious for you tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling was as good as her word. Early the next morning, she tied a knot with a rope and entered the mountain with her father. Mu Shi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go deeper and take a look. It¡¯ll be great if I can hit a big-sized prey. You can walk around nearby.¡± Mu Yangling agreed. She first chose a good ce to set up the trap before taking out her bow and arrow to hunt rabbits. Today, she didn¡¯t want a single pheasant, and she didn¡¯t even care when she saw a roe deer running past her. She just aimed at the rabbits and shot. The rabbits in the forest had yet to be a disaster, but it was about time. The sharp-eyed Mu Yangling soon found a nest of rabbits. After covering the entrance of the cave with a sack, she found two other rabbit nests. She slowly lit a fire and used smoke to force them to crawl into the cave. Then, Mu Yangling ran back quickly and guarded there. Shortly after, a few gray rabbits rushed out andnded in the sack. Mu Yangling counted. ¡°¡­ Five¡­ seven, eight, nine!¡± Seeing that there was no more movement, Mu Yangling picked up the sack and said with a smile, ¡°So the whole family is here. With so many offspring, no wonder it¡¯s bing a disaster.¡± Chapter 38: Angry Chapter 38: Angry Editor: As Studios When Mu Yangling went down the mountain, the rabbits in the basket on her back were either dead or injured, but the nest of live rabbits were still jumping and struggling in the sack. Little Bowen was still standing under the tree with his hands behind his back, memorizing a book. When Mu Yangling waved at him, the child ran over eagerly. Knowing Little Bowen was timid, Mu Yangling did not let him see the rabbits with a bloody hole in their necks in the basket. Instead, she opened the sack for him to see. ¡°These are the rabbits caught by Sister. Do you like it? If you do, keep one for yourself.¡± Little Bowen¡¯s eyes were sparkling. ¡°One would be so lonely. Let¡¯s raise two.¡± Rabbits could be fattened to the point of being edible in a month or two. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Just one. You still have to gather grass for it to eat. You won¡¯t be able to manage it if it¡¯s two.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Little Bowen stuck his head out and pointed at the whitest one. ¡°Then I want this one. It¡¯s the cutest.¡± Mu Yangling took it out and stuffed it into her brother¡¯s arms. ¡°Hold it tight. Don¡¯t let it escape. I¡¯ll find a rope to tie it up.¡± Little Bowen said happily, ¡°When Fatheres back from the mountains, I want him to help me weave a cage.¡± Mu Yangling mocked him mercilessly. ¡°Forget it. Father only knows how to kill rabbits and eat them.¡± Little Bowen couldn¡¯t help but hug the rabbit tightly and gaze at his sister pitifully. Mu Yangling touched her nose and apologized to her father in her heart. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll look for Great-uncle. He knows how to weave cages.¡± Mu Yangling simply threw the basket at home, took the sack, and carried her brother to look for her eldest great-uncle. Shu Wanniang was sitting under the roof, embroidering. When she saw them, she instructed, ¡°Come back quickly. Your father ising back from the mountains soon.¡± ¡°Got it, Mother.¡± Meanwhile, Liu Lun was crying at home, rolling around and wailing, ¡°Cousin gave that to me to raise. Why are you so ruthless? How could you bear to eat it?¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu1 stepped over him without blinking. Then, she sat on the small stool and chopped the vegetables, not responding to him. Liu Lun howled even louder. Liu Zhuang¡¯s wife, Madam Liu-Zhang, sneered and said with a displeased expression, ¡°Ah Lun, yesterday, you and your brothers and sisters went to your great-aunt¡¯s house to eat good food while your younger siblings didn¡¯t have any meat or fish at all. What¡¯s wrong with them eating a rabbit? Besides, didn¡¯t you also eat itst night?¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu frowned and put down the kitchen knife. ring at her daughter-inw, she said, ¡°What are you talking about? Ah Ting and the others went over yesterday to help your aunt. If you had any objections, why didn¡¯t you ask Ah Yang and the others to tag along yesterday?¡± Madam Liu-Zhao sneered and went forward to pull her son up. What else could it be? Wasn¡¯t it because she couldn¡¯t bear to let her children suffer? Looking at her son, who was crying and snotting, Madam Liu-Zhao felt anger surge from within. She smacked his butt and said, ¡°So what if we eat one of your rabbits? Surely you weren¡¯t waiting for it to give birth to a baby?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was keeping it for.¡± Liu Lun cried. ¡°Cousin has already promised to give me a female rabbit today. Now that you¡¯ve eaten my male rabbit, how will this female rabbit give birth? If there are no bunnies, how will there be rabbits to eat in the future? Tsk, my poor male rabbit.¡± As he said that, he sat on the ground like his grandmother and pped his thigh as he cried. Everyone in the courtyard was stunned. The corners of Liu Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. He stepped forward and gently kicked his younger brother. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not as if you didn¡¯t eat a lotst night. We can just ask Cousin to help us catch another one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go!¡± Liu Daqian frowned, clearly angry. ¡°How many times have I told you not to ept your uncle¡¯s things? I won¡¯t say anything about yesterday since we all came back together. How many times have you taken advantage of your uncle previously? I was wondering why you two brats have gained weight even though we haven¡¯t had meat and fish for half a year. So you¡¯ve been secretly asking your uncle for food.¡± With that, Liu Daqian picked up the stick and was about to hit him. Liu Lun jumped up and hid behind his mother. Madam Liu-Zhao¡¯s heart ached for her son, but she did not dare to stop her father-inw. She could only exin anxiously, ¡°Father-inw, they didn¡¯t ask Uncle for it. They were just ying with their cousin¡­¡± Although Liu Ting and Liu Lun were called fat here, they were actually as thin as spare ribs. However, inparison with a bunch of sticks in the vige, even spare ribs appeared ¡°fat¡±. Heart aching for her grandsons, Eldest Great-aunt Liu went forward to stop him and said, ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s not from their uncle. When have you ever seen Rocky1 hunt meat for us for no reason? Ah Ling only gave her cousins some meat because she felt sorry for them.¡± From time to time, Mu Yangling would bring the children to the cave to roast meat and eat. It was not a secret in the vige. Some families could not bear to interfere when they saw their children sneaking over to eat, because they felt bad for them. ¡°These kids are still young. How would they know about the matters of the old farts? Do you think Rocky isn¡¯t aware? If he doesn¡¯t say anything, it¡¯s because he¡¯s kind-hearted.¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu wiped her tears. ¡°Ah Ling is also a good child. By making a scene now, aren¡¯t you making them grow distant? If you want to hit them, fine. Just tell the children what happened.¡± Liu Daqian choked. How could he say it? Would the children understand if he said it? He returned to his room, huffing and puffing. Madam Liu-Zhao heaved a sigh of relief, but Madam Liu-Zhang, who entered the familyte and did not know the reason, rolled her eyes. In the beginning, it was not that she did not want to take advantage of the Mu family, but because of this matter, she was almost divorced and warned by her inws again and again. Now, she did not dare to say anything about borrowing or exchanging meat with the Mu family even though they had plenty. The daughters-inw of the other families in the vige had also been warned when they married into the family. Therefore, although the Mu family was more well-off than everyone in the vige, no one had ever seeked trouble with them. Even if there was any trouble outside, the elders in the vige would just take care of it by themselves. For example, thest time the Junior Officer apanied the county magistrate over and asked about the ie and assets of the various families, more than ten elders in the vige unanimously helped the Mu family cover up. Since they could afford to eat meat and white rice every day, and drink millet porridge from time to time, how could they be from an inferior family? However, Madam Liu-Zhang only dared to utter such criticisms in her heart and did not dare to say them out loud. After being reprimanded by his grandfather, Liu Lun did not dare to howl anymore. He sat on the ground and wiped his tears. When Mu Yangling came over, she saw this scene and felt that Liu Lun was very pitiful. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± When Madam Liu-Zhao saw Mu Yangling, she quickly smiled. ¡°Ah Ling is here? Come in,e in. Your cousin is crying. You guys can go out and yter.¡± The children¡¯s eyes were glued to the rabbit in Little Bowen¡¯s arms. The six-year-old Liu Yun bounced over and stared at the rabbit in his arms for a moment. Then, she looked at Mu Yangling with eager eyes and said, ¡°Cousin, I want a rabbit too.¡± When Madam Liu-Zhang saw her mother-inw frown, she quickly went forward and pulled her daughter over. She smacked her butt and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Your cousin is catching rabbits to sell for grains.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°Third Aunt, I¡¯m here to look for Eldest Great-uncle. Is he around?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll let him know you¡¯re looking for him.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang went into the house to look for her father-inw. ¡°Eldest Great-aunt, I caught a nest of live rabbits. There happened to be a female in them, so I brought them over for Cousin.¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for it now. Since that male rabbit was eaten by us, we have no use for a female rabbit now. Why are you looking for your great-uncle?¡± Mu Yangling looked at Liu Lun in shock. She did not expect that the rabbit would not even survive a night. Seeing that his eyes were red, she immediately understood what was going on. Liu Yun looked at her eagerly and whispered, ¡°Cousin, give me a little rabbit too.¡± Mu Yangling actually didn¡¯t really like Liu Yun, for she found this child too delicate and scheming. However, the other party was only a six-year-old child, so Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t be too calctive. After some thought, she figured that if she gave it to Liu Lun and didn¡¯t give it to Liu Yun and Liu Yang, the two families would fight. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m here to exchange things with Great-uncle. If your grandfather agrees to help meter, I¡¯ll give you the rabbit.¡± Only by saying this would Eldest Great-uncle allow them to ept the rabbits. Liu Daqian came out with a chuckle. ¡°Ah Ling, what do you need my help with?¡± Chapter 39: Bartering (1) Chapter 39: Bartering (1) Editor: As Studios ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, help us make a few cages for rabbits of various sizes. It¡¯d be best if the baskets are weaved beautifully.¡± ¡°Yo, you have so many requests?¡± Liu Daqian chuckled and nced at the rabbit in Little Bowen¡¯s arms, before nodding and saying, ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll get your uncle to chop a few bambooster. I can make a small one for you in the afternoon.¡± Little Bowen immediately cheered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go pluck the weeds and feed the rabbits.¡± Liu Yun gazed at him enviously, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask Mu Yangling again. She just looked on helplessly. Unable to reject her due to that gaze, Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, I don¡¯t dare to take something from you without giving you anything in return. I just caught a nest of live rabbits. Why don¡¯t I give a few to my cousins to raise? In two or three months, the rabbits will be able to give birth to little bunnies.¡± Liu Daqian nced at the five children and nodded slightly. ¡°Just give them a male and a female one.¡± Mu Yangling only smiled and quickly grabbed two female rabbits from the sack. She gave one to Liu Yun and the other to Liu Lun, then said, ¡°When you guys grow up and want your rabbit to breed,e and look for Little Bowen. His rabbit is male.¡± Liu Lun and Liu Yun hugged their rabbit and shed her a broad grin. Liu Yun carried the rabbit to look for her older brother, Liu Yang, while Liu Lun ran to look for his older brother, Liu Ting, and older sister, Liu Rong. The children gathered around, discussing who would cut the grass and who would be in charge of cleaning the rabbits¡­ Wanting to return home to check on things, Mu Yangling left Little Bowen here. She said to the most mature Liu Ting, ¡°Help me take care of my brother. I¡¯m going to town.¡± She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let the children in the vige bully my brother.¡± Liu Ting nodded repeatedly and patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me around, no one will dare to bully Cousin.¡± In his heart, he was muttering to himself, ¡®With an older sister like you around, the children in the vige would need to eat leopard guts to dare to bully your younger brother.¡¯ Only then did Mu Yangling carry the sack back. Mu Shi had already returned from the mountains and was carrying a roe deer and a bunch of rabbits. He was fretting about where he could sell so many prey. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll go to town with you.¡± Mu Shi sighed and said, ¡°If there¡¯s really no other way, I¡¯ll sell them to a butcher at a low price.¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a huge loss for us?¡± ¡°Then what do you think we should do? If we can¡¯t sell them, the rabbits will develop a stench. The eateries and restaurants don¡¯t need so many rabbits, and we can only sell about 10 rabbits a day in the market.¡± Mu Shi felt regretful. ¡°Even though there are many people in the county who eat rabbits, unfortunately, it¡¯s too far away¡­¡± Every morning, after hunting and entering the county, he could only stay there for a night, because Mu Shi was worried about his family. The rabbits would not be fresh if kept overnight. If it was winter, he would not have such worries. Oblivious to what her father was worrying about, Mu Yangling only said, ¡°No, let¡¯s exchange them. It¡¯s almost winter and the cotton has been harvested. We can exchange for some cotton, or some food. That¡¯s not too bad. We have to give it a try. If it doesn¡¯t work, we can only go to the county. There being so many rabbits in the mountains, it¡¯d be a pity not to hunt them.¡± Mu Shi had no choice but to bring his daughter to town. For efficiency¡¯s sake, the two of them split up. Mu Shi brought the roe deer and half of the rabbits to the restaurants and eateries while Mu Yangling carried the basket of rabbits and walked through the streets. She first found a cotton shop and asked the boss, ¡°Boss, does your family own this shop?¡± The boss nodded. ¡°It¡¯s my shop. Why? Miss, do you want to buy cotton?¡± Mu Yangling nodded shamelessly and asked, ¡°Is it this year¡¯s new cotton?¡± ¡°There are new ones, but most of them are fromst year. Youngdy, if you want to buy new cotton inrge quantities, you¡¯ll have to wait a little longer.¡± Mu Yangling quickly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not looking to buy much. Just a little.¡± Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Boss, would you like to have rabbits?¡± ¡°Rabbit?¡± The boss¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. He did not understand how buying cotton had anything to do with rabbits. Mu Yangling took out two rabbits from the basket on her back and said, ¡°Ie from a hunter family and we don¡¯t grow cotton. My mother asked me to sell these rabbits to buy cotton, but I¡¯d have to pay a lot of taxes at the market. And I might not be able to make it in time. So, I just want to ask if you would like to barter.¡± When the boss heard this, he looked around and checked that there were no patrolling officials. With a light cough, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Knowing that there was a chance, Mu Yangling quickly followed him in. The boss looked at her basket and frowned slightly. ¡°Why are there so many rabbits? Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯ve been kept overnight?¡± ¡°Certainly not. They were all caught this morning. Boss, if you don¡¯t believe me, touch them. They¡¯re still soft.¡± The boss touched the rabbits and saw that they were indeed soft. Some of the blood was even a little warm, so the rabbit probably died not long ago from heavy injuries sustained previously. Relieved, he thought for a moment before asking, ¡°How do you want to do the exchange?¡± As she had never bartered before, Mu Yangling could only look at the boss nkly. The boss¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Realizing that Mu Yangling had never bartered before, he said, ¡°Your rabbits are only worth 60 to 70 copper coins each. My new cotton costs 40 copper coins per catty. If you want to exchange, I¡¯ll give you half a catty of cotton for each rabbit. How about that?¡± Mu Yangling frowned. A rabbit, inclusive of the skin, cost at least 80 copper coins. ¡°The price you¡¯re offering is a little low.¡± The boss replied, ¡°Although it¡¯s a little low, you don¡¯t have to pay taxes. If you set up a stall in the market and those officials deduct more, you will have worked hard in vain today.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling was still reluctant, he said, ¡°This rabbit meat is good, but how many people are willing to spend 70 to 80 copper coins to eat a rabbit in this era? I¡¯m only agreeing because it¡¯s a barter. If you want me to buy it with money, I won¡¯t buy it.¡± The boss wasn¡¯t lying. He merely hesitated for a moment since it was a barter, but if he had to buy it with copper coins, he would rather spend 20 copper coins to buy half a catty of pork should he wish to eat some meat. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll introduce you to a few families that are willing to do the barter. The families nearby are all pretty well-off. They¡¯d likely be willing to exchange one or two catties of cotton for a rabbit.¡± With the boss¡¯s rmendation, it would indeed save a lot of effort. Mu Yangling only hesitated for a moment before agreeing. In any case, it wasn¡¯t as if they could sell these rabbits for money. Seeing that Mu Yangling had agreed, the boss beamed with joy. He carefullypared them before choosing a big, fat, and fresh rabbit among the many rabbits. The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched, and she could not help but say in a low voice, ¡°This rabbit weighs at least seven catties.¡± The smile on the boss¡¯s face widened. Seven catties of rabbit meat was enough for their family to eat for four to five days. All that for only one and a half catties of cotton. What a good deal. Because he had taken advantage of Mu Yangling, he was also more diligent about introducing customers to her. He went out first to weigh one and a half catties of new cotton for her and said, ¡°Keep it well. I¡¯ll tell them the exchange rate is one rabbit for two catties of cotton. How about that? I¡¯m being rather kind, right?¡± Mu Yangling immediately smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± After thinking for a while, she took out a smaller one from the basket on her back and gave it to him. ¡°Uncle, the registrar always bullies me for being young. I probably won¡¯t set up a stall to sell things for money in the future. When the timees, I¡¯ll need to barter for a lot of things. Uncle, since you¡¯re familiar with this street, I hope you can give me a hand when the timees.¡± ¡°No problem, no problem.¡± The boss epted it with a smile and said, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go out and talk to them. I guarantee that they¡¯lle with new cotton.¡± As a businessman, even if he didn¡¯t have a glib tongue, he was at least eloquent. The boss had only been gone for less than 15 minutes when four people followed him in, each of them holding a small bag. ¡°I heard someone wants to exchange for cotton?¡± Mu Yangling quickly stood up nervously. ¡°Hello, bosses. I¡¯m the one who wants to barter.¡± Chapter 40: Bartering (2) Chapter 40: Bartering (2) Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling gestured for them to look at her rabbits and said, ¡°My father went into the mountains this morning to catch these rabbits. I¡¯m exchanging one rabbit for two catties of new cotton.¡± ¡°You caught so many in one morning?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Lowering her head in embarrassment, she said, ¡°We set up a trap in advance. Coupled with the fact that there are many people in our family, we managed to catch so many. Because they are still in the mountains, they sent me to sell the rabbits so that I can use the money to buy some cotton and other things. However, not only will selling these at a stall take a long time, but we also have to pay a lot of taxes, so¡­¡± The owners all understood her plight. One of them sighed and said, ¡°The business tax has increased again. I wonder if my shop will still be around next spring.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The business tax had increased again? ¡°I don¡¯t have money, but it¡¯s not a bad idea to exchange cotton for it. Let me see your rabbits. I¡¯ll choose one to bring back and give my children a good meal.¡± This was Mu Yangling¡¯s first time doing such a thing, but these people were familiar with it. Usually, there were peddlers from the countryside who exchanged grains or other things with them. As long as they could avoid the registrar, everyone was happy to barter. Mu Yangling quickly swapped out four more rabbits. After checking the new cotton they brought, she stuffed it into her bag and carried it on her back. Seeing that Mu Yangling was about to leave, the boss asked, ¡°Miss, what else do you want to exchange for? I see that you still have seven or eight rabbits in your basket.¡± ¡°My mother is pregnant. I want to exchange for some brown sugar, red dates, longan, and other blood-nourishing things.¡± After saying that, she said regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the pharmacy isn¡¯t manned by the owner. Otherwise, I would have gone to exchange for some medicinal herbs.¡± The bossughed loudly and said, ¡°You can¡¯t exchange for medicinal herbs, but these little things are not difficult. Let me tell you, at the end of this street, there¡¯s a grocery store at the left corner. That shop belongs to a rtive of mine. His family isrge and they¡¯re considered well-off. If you want to barter, go there. They¡¯ll definitely say yes.¡± Mu Yangling expressed her gratitude and headed there after leaving the shop. There were not many things that they needed at home, but there were actually quite a lot of little things here and there. When Mu Yangling arrived at the provision store, she directly exined her purpose foring. She also said that she was rmended by the boss not far away. After sessfully exchanging two rabbits for a lot of red dates and brown sugar, she even took a bag of candy before leaving in satisfaction. Mu Yangling went to look for her father. When Mu Shi came out of the restaurant, the roe deer and more than half of the rabbits were gone, with only seven remaining. Seeing that his daughter still had six left, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to the market to set up a stall.¡± ¡°Father, I heard that the business tax has risen again.¡± Mu Shi frowned slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go and ask.¡± The business tax had indeed increased, but not by much. Based on the scale of the Mu family¡¯s stall, they would only have to pay an additional five copper coins a day. However, penny and pennyid up will be many, especially formoners like them. One could do a lot with five copper coins. However, he had no choice but to pay the tax. If he was discovered setting up a stall outside, his goods would be confiscated and he would be fined. Mu Shi looked at the things his daughter had exchanged for and stroked her head. ¡°I¡¯d better go to the county tomorrow. I¡¯ll go there every other day. Stay at home and take care of your mother and brother. Although bartering is one solution, our family is so small and there¡¯s a limit to what we can use. What¡¯s the use of bartering for so many things? Silver is still more practical.¡± Deted by Mu Shi¡¯s words, Mu Yangling said dejectedly, ¡°I forgot about this.¡± Mu Shi smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re still so young. It¡¯s already not bad that you cane up with this method.¡± However, Mu Yangling was a little dejected. She was not young anymore. The father and daughter sold all the rabbits and bought some millet before returning home. Mu Shi told his wife about entering the county and said, ¡°The town folks can¡¯t consume so many rabbits. In the future, Ah Ling and I will enter the mountain in the morning. I¡¯ll go to the county, while she will go to town to deliver goods to the eatery and restaurant. She will be back home in less than an hour. When shees back, don¡¯t let her enter the mountain. Let her y in the vige with her brother.¡± Shu Wanniang nodded hurriedly. ¡°Let her learn some needlework from me. She can¡¯t possibly not know these things when she gets married in the future, right?¡± ¡°Alright, let her y for two hours in the afternoon and learn for two hours.¡± The two of them decided on Mu Yangling¡¯s daily learning schedule from now on. However, Mu Yangling had ns of her own. She would enter the mountains in the morning and leave the mountains at ten in the morning. It would only take an hour to send something to town. She could y with her brother for an hour and then go home for lunch. In the afternoon, she could bring them to catch fish and roast rabbits to eat. She could also go to the cave to y. In addition, she had to fulfill the promise of teaching Liu Ting how to read¡­ Mu Yangling suddenly thought of her eldest great-aunt and turned over with bright and sparkling eyes. Previously, she had been worried that she didn¡¯t have time to look for that witch. Now, she would have time. Mu Yangling chuckled. Even if she couldn¡¯t help Eldest Great-aunt take back the farnd, she could at least make her life in West Mountain Vige easier. Having confirmed her future goal, Mu Yangling got up bright and early the next morning and covered her brother with a nket. Then, she got up, washed up, and followed her father into the mountains. As they were entering the county, the father and daughter no longer restrained their abilities and tried their best to hunt more rabbits. There were indeed many rabbits in the mountains. As long as they went deeper, they could find two rabbit nests within a hundred steps. Mu Yangling sealed a nest and smoked the rabbits out. This method was faster than shooting arrows. She chose the bigger ones and threw them into the sack, letting the smaller ones go. ¡°Father, do you want to bring a few small ones into the city? I heard that the young misses and young masters in the county are much more delicate than those in town and like to raise them. Anyway, you¡¯ll be looking to sell these rabbits to eateries and restaurants when you enter the city. Why don¡¯t you bring a few more small ones and give them to the manager of the restaurant so that they can bring them back for their children or for their young misses and young masters to y with?¡± ¡°Rabbits are dirty. Who¡¯d like to y with that? I¡¯ve only heard of eating rabbits and raising horses and cats. I¡¯ve never heard of raising rabbits.¡± Mu Yangling was unconvinced. ¡°Rabbits are much cuter than cats.¡± Mu Shi picked up a rabbit. ¡°Can those youngdies carry such a fat rabbit? For instance, your mother doesn¡¯t like to raise rabbits, but she has thought of raising cats.¡± To Mu Shi, his wife¡¯s aesthetic sense was much more reliable than his daughter¡¯s. At the very least, his wife was once a rich youngdy. As for his daughter? Alright, it wasn¡¯t that he was being humble as a father, but this child was just a wild child who ran all over the mountains. She was even more like a boy than a boy. Mu Yangling was originally neutral about the idea. But seeing that her father did not trust her, she ran far away and found another rabbit nest. This time, she did not let the little ones go. She brought them over and ced them in the sack, then said, ¡°If they¡¯re still alive by the time you reach the county, take them out and gift them away. Father, trust me. Many little girls and young masters like to raise rabbits. Rabbits are so adorable. Just look at how happy your son is raising one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your brother has nothing to raise. Buy him a horse and see if he still wants rabbits.¡± Mu Yangling stomped her feet. ¡°How is thatparable? A horse costs 80 taels of silver and a rabbit costs 80 copper coins. If it were me, I would prefer horses to rabbits, too.¡± Seeing that his daughter got mad, Mu Shi didn¡¯t dare to anger her anymore. He agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember this. Once I enter the city, I¡¯ll give them to those shopkeepers or owners.¡± Only then was Mu Yangling satisfied. Chapter 41: Cooperation Chapter 41: Cooperation Editor: As Studios Mu Shi caught a lot of prey, but he could not bring them all to the county. Instead, he left a quarter for his daughter to bring to town. ¡°If you can¡¯t sell them all, bring the remainder back and make them into jerky outside where it¡¯s well-ventted, lest the smell gets to your mother.¡± Mu Yangling responded and sent the items to the restaurants and eateries for them to choose from. After which, she carried the remaining four rabbits home. Looking at the dried meat drying in the courtyard, Mu Yangling felt that instead of spending a lot of effort to turn these four rabbits into jerky, they might as well just eat them. After some thought, Mu Yangling used a knife to skin the rabbits and left with two rabbits. When Shu Wanniang saw this, she shouted, ¡°What are you going to do with them? Don¡¯t send them to your great-uncle and the rest.¡± Knowing what had happened back then, Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t want to break the current peace. Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go exchange for some soybeans since there¡¯s none left at home.¡± Only then did Shu Wanniang feel relieved. Mu Yangling ran to look for Widow Liu, whose son, Goudan, was chummy with Little Bowen. At this moment, the two kids were ying together. When he saw Mu Yangling carrying two rabbits over, the little fellow drooled and called out sweetly, ¡°Hello, Sister Mu!¡± ¡°Hello, Goudan. Is your mother here?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in the house.¡± As he spoke, he abandoned his little friend and ran back to the house to call his mother. ¡°Mother, Sister Mu is here!¡± Little Bowen carried his rabbit and ran to his sister¡¯s side. Looking up, he asked, ¡°Is this for Goudan¡¯s family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making an exchange with Goudan¡¯s family.¡± Eager to eat rabbit meat, Little Bowen drooled and said, ¡°Sister, I want to eat it too.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll bring you to the cave to roast rabbit meatter.¡± Little Bowen cheered. Widow Liu quickly came out and smiled. ¡°Ah Ling, why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Auntie, do you have any soybeans at home? I want to exchange for two catties of soybeans with you, to make soy milk and tofuter.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go weigh them for you. Give me a moment.¡± Although Widow Liu was shrewd, she would not take advantage of Mu Yangling, since her son and Little Bowen were good friends. Hence, she weighed ten catties of soybeans for her. After giving her thergest rabbit, Mu Yangling winked at the two little fellows. Little Bowen went forward to pull Goudan and said to Widow Liu, ¡°Auntie, Goudan and I are going to y with my cousins.¡± Widow Liu nced at Mu Yangling and nodded with a smile. ¡°Go ahead. Don¡¯t run too quickly and be careful not to fall.¡± The two brats responded and ran off. Mu Yangling carried the other rabbit to Liu Erqian¡¯s house. Having finished harvesting their grains, his sons and daughters-inw were now threshing and drying the grains in the grain fields. Thus, only he and his two grandsons were at home. Seeing Mu Yangling carrying a rabbit over, he frowned and waved his hands. ¡°Why did you bring this over? Hurry up and leave. Our Liu family doesn¡¯t want your things.¡± ¡°Second Great-uncle, I have something to ask of you.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Liu Zhi and Liu Zheng. Only then did Liu Erqian open his eyes and look at Mu Yangling. He said to his two grandsons, ¡°What are you waiting for? Go next door and y with your cousins.¡± Right away, the six-year-old Liu Zhi dragged his four-year-old brother next door to y with his cousins. Mu Yangling ced the rabbit in the kitchen and squatted beside Liu Erqian. ¡°Second Great-uncle, have you heard of that witch from Four Vige?¡± Liu Erqian¡¯s face immediately turned dark as a ck pot. He snapped fiercely, ¡°It¡¯s difficult not to have heard of her. Child, of all things, why must you believe in such superstitious stuff?¡± ¡°Who said I believe in that?¡± Mu Yangling leaned closer to Liu Erqian and lowered her voice. ¡°Second Great-uncle, to tell you the truth, I don¡¯t believe in such superstitious stuff the most. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t at all buy her im that Eldest Great-aunt jinxed her husband and children. In this world, money makes the mare go. She¡¯s leading a difficult life right nowrgely because of this reputation.¡± Liu Erqian chuckled. ¡°I knew you¡¯re a quick-witted girl. Tell me, what good idea did youe up with? Tell me and I¡¯ll help you. I won¡¯t even ask you to thank me. Just treat it as me being filial to your great-aunt.¡± His words were incongruous, but Mu Yangling did not care and whispered into his ear. Liu Erqian frowned. ¡°You came up with this? It¡¯s not very righteous.¡± Mu Yangling snorted coldly and said, ¡°This is called giving her a taste of her own medicine. How did Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s reputation spread back then? Although I was young at the time, I can easily guess what happened then. After his son caused the deaths of my uncle, aunt, and cousin, he feared that he would have to support Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s family in the future. Plus, he coveted her family¡¯s farnd, so he came up with that vicious idea. We¡¯re just doing the same now. I don¡¯t want to fight for those farnds back. I just hope that Eldest Great-aunt and my two cousins will have an easier time in West Mountain Vige. That way, with some help from us, they¡¯ll do just fine.¡± Liu Erqian was still hesitating. Although he was aimless, he had never done anything wrong, let alone such a treacherous thing. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Then forget it. Let¡¯s just let Eldest Great-aunt live like this. At most, I¡¯ll visit her every few days.¡± Liu Erqian mmed the table and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it, but we can¡¯t do it personally. Although it might not ur to the Ma family that it¡¯s done by us, people might spread rumors about us. I¡¯ll find an old woman in town to do itter. However, this will cost a lot of money.¡± Liu Erqian was worried. Thest time he went to see his eldest sister, he had already given her all his private savings. Now, he really did not have a single cent on him. Mu Yangling patted her chest and said, ¡°Second Great-uncle, leave this to me.¡± Just as Liu Erqian was about to heave a sigh of relief, he heard Mu Yangling say, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go into the mountains to hunt more prey. You take some and sell it in town. It won¡¯t take more than ten days to save up enough money. If all else fails, I¡¯ll steal some of the money from home first, and make up for it after you sell the prey.¡± Liu Erqian jumped up and smacked Mu Yangling. ¡°So you came to me because you needed manualbor? I was wondering why you brought me a rabbit¡­¡± Jumping up, Mu Yangling ran out and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯ve agreed. See you tomorrow!¡± Liu Erqian was so angry that he leaned back, but he could not do anything to her. Touching his old face, he said, ¡°To think you¡¯re doing such things at this age¡­¡± Mu Yangling ran next door to look for Liu Ting and the rest. She winked at them, then ran home to get the remaining two rabbits. ¡°Mother, we won¡¯t be eating at home for lunch.¡± Shu Wanniang rushed out of the kitchen and called out to Mu Yangling, who had already run away, ¡°Your brother has a delicate stomach. Don¡¯t feed him those things¡­¡± However, Mu Yangling had disappeared like a wisp of smoke. Shu Wanniang stomped her feet angrily. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more mischievous. When your fatheres back, I¡¯ll ask him to teach you a lesson.¡± At Mu Yangling¡¯s invitation, Liu Ting said to his mother, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m bringing my younger siblings out to y. We won¡¯t be back for lunch.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao knew that Mu Yangling must be giving them a treat, so she nodded and said, ¡°Go on. Just don¡¯t fight and y in the water.¡± Liu Ting carried Little Bowen on his back while Liu Lun held Goudan¡¯s hand and ran away. Meanwhile, Liu Rong pulled Liu Yun along while Liu Yang walked together with his cousins, Liu Zhi and Liu Zheng. When the children in the vige saw them go to the cave, their eyes darted around before following them. Although Liu Ting did not like people snatching food from them, Mu Yangling had never stopped them, so he could not make the decision to stop them. By the time they arrived at the cave, almost all the children under the age of ten in the vige had arrived. Mu Yangling ced the two rabbits by the water and handed them to Liu Ting. Liu Ting stood on the rock and said, ¡°Today, we¡¯ll eat rabbit meat, but we can¡¯t just eat meat. As usual, each of us will contribute a bunch of vegetables. I¡¯ll be in charge of distributing them. Liu Rong, bring them to pluck some vegetables. Liu Lun, you¡¯re in charge of collecting firewood. Hurry up! Hurry up before we faint from hunger.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the children immediately scattered and ran towards their own vegetable garden. Chapter 42: Buying Grains Chapter 42: Buying Grains Editor: As Studios Liu Ting ced a spare pot on the stove made of y to prepare a random stew of rabbit meat, before dicing half a rabbit to roast. However, since only six-year-olds and above were allowed to eat this, the younger ones could only drool as they watched. This was because Mu Yangling had said that children had delicate stomachs, which was further exacerbated by the fact that they often went hungry, so they were forbidden from eating roasted food. Even Little Bowen could only drool as he hugged the little rabbit. Meanwhile, Mu Yangling was standing in the river with a sharpened wooden stick and aiming at the fish in the water. By the time the rabbit meat was almost cooked, her swift reflexes had allowed her to catch arge grass carp. Mu Yanglingughed and threw it onto the shore. Waving at Liu Ting, she said, ¡°Make fish stew using this.¡± ¡°You should take it back and let Auntie eat it.¡± ¡°My mother can¡¯t stand the fishy smell, and I have no idea how to handle the fish anyway. Just go ahead and stew it here. Let my brother have a bowl of that nutritious fish stewter.¡± Liu Ting agreed. Only then did Mu Yangling carry Little Bowen to eat. Everyone wiped out the food quickly as if they were fighting a war. After putting out the fire and hiding the pot, they hugged their full bellies and returned home. As soon as Mu Yangling got home, she was scolded by Shu Wanniang. Mu Yangling wiped her brother¡¯s face and hands, then ced him on the bed. After that, she took a shower, changed her clothes, before climbing onto the bed to sleep. She pulled the nket over her stomach and said, ¡°Mother, Brother is too quiet. By ying with everyone more often, he¡¯ll be bolder. If all he does is study at home, he¡¯ll be a bookworm in the future.¡± Having said that, she turned around to take an afternoon nap. By then, Little Bowen had already fallen asleep. Shu Wanniang looked at the two children and sighed helplessly. After covering their stomachs with the nket, she went out, closed the door, and returned to her room. That night, Mu Shi did not return. Only after checking the doors and windows, and cing a stick by the bed, did Mu Yangling go to sleep. The next day, she woke up and waited for activity to pick up in the vige before carrying the basket into the mountains. That day, she handed Liu Erqian some prey and sent the rest to the eatery and restaurant, then returned home with the earnings. When Mu Shi returned in the afternoon, Shu Wanniang prepared hot water for him to wash up. Seeing that he looked tired, she asked, ¡°Where did you stayst night?¡± ¡°I found a cheap inn in the city and stayed there for the night. I¡¯m going to take a nap. Wake me up at dinner tonight.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze swept across Mu Shi¡¯s clothes. Seeing her mother¡¯s pained expression, she did not dare to speak. There were some straw crumbs on the back of her father¡¯s clothes. It was obvious to Mu Yangling that her father had slept in the county¡¯snd templest night. Shu Wanniang, on the other hand, didn¡¯t suspect anything and went to prepare dinner for her husband. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Father, rest for a day tomorrow while I enter the mountain to deliver prey to town. You can go to the county the day after tomorrow.¡± Mu Shi nodded. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go rest first. When your brotheres backter, don¡¯t let him enter the room and disturb me.¡± The Mu family¡¯s schedule was decided just like that. Mu Shi would make a trip to the county after resting for a day, and that trip would take two days. All the business in town was handed over to Mu Yangling. While supplying prey to the eatery and restaurant, she secretly earned a small sum of money with Liu Erqian. Right now, the grain in the vige was sold atst year¡¯s price. Liu Erqian specially stayed at home for a day because of this. They did not know who was buying the grains, but it was obvious that the buyer wasn¡¯t one of the three Minister Counselors. Liu Daqian only hesitated for a moment before agreeing on behalf of the vigers and asking for cash. ¡°I wonder who they are. If we offend the Minister Counselors, we¡­¡± Ma Dazhuang¡¯s father was very hesitant. Liu Erqian snorted coldly and said, ¡°So what if we offend them? Are they not ashamed to offer such a price to their fellow vigers? They¡¯re the ones who offended us first. Previously, we were in discussion with a few viges to sell our grains to foreign merchants. Now, there isn¡¯t even a need for that. That should teach them a lesson.¡± Liu Daqian red at his younger brother, before saying to everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve asked around. These people also bought grains at this price in the nearby viges. Those viges are also willing. Not to mention that the Minister Counselors can¡¯t me us, even if there¡¯s a conflict, surely so many of us aren¡¯t afraid of the three of them?¡± As the saying went, ¡®If aw was vited by the masses, it would instead be left unenforced.¡¯ Everyone was relieved to hear that it was not just their own vige. Hence, when the grain buyers came the next day, many families sold their grains to them. Besides having to pay for their payment to a porter, money was needed here and there in everyday life. In addition, this year was considered a bumper harvest year, so everyone could more or less exchange some grains for money. After selling their grains, the vigers¡¯ money bags swelled up, and the entire vige was filled with joy. Not everyone was happy though¡ªMinister Liu, Minister Zhao, and Minister Zhang were almost angered to death. A few days ago, the shopkeepers sent by them to the countryside to buy grains had been turned down because the vigers deemed the price too low. Annoyed at being snubbed, the wealthy trio decided to suppress the aura of those bumpkins by leaving them hanging before subsequently lowering the price even further. They figured those vigers would panic by then and have no choice but to sell their grains to them, no matter how low the price was. Not only in Seven Mile Vige, but the few squires in the county had also conspired to push down the price. Who knew that in just a few days, someone actually dared toe to their territory to buy grains? When they asked around the county, they realized that this situation was not unique to Seven Mile Vige. Even in the state and county, someone was buying grains atst year¡¯s price and even conducting the transactions in cash. The few squires really could not sit still anymore. Unable to determine the background of the person behind this, they did not dare to act rashly and could only gather to think of a solution. Meanwhile, the grain buyers swept past one vige after another. Oblivious to this, the people in Nearhill Vige were just happy to sell their grains and earn money. Liu Erqian even came to look for Mu Yangling and dered proudly, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got money, I¡¯ll go to town tomorrow and find an old woman to make a trip to Four Vige.¡± Mu Yangling looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Your wife won¡¯t beat you up?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Liu Erqian red at her and said, ¡°Can a woman interfere with me? Don¡¯t worry about this matter. Just watch me.¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s lips twitched. She had seen her second great-aunt chase her second great-uncle out of the house with a club. At that time, Second Great-uncle didn¡¯t even dare to let out a fart. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Liu Erqian went to town and paid an eloquent old woman 500 yuan to look for the witch. Although she was called a witch, she was actually just an ordinary vige woman. However, she would make up some nonsense based on one¡¯s appearance. Gradually, everyone believed she had the powers of a witch. In spite of that, her family was not doing well either, for she had quite a few sons and their family didn¡¯t have muchnd. Even though people came to her for fortune-telling, they only paid her ten to 20 copper coins for her hard work. Therefore, when the eloquent old woman sent by Mu Yangling offered her one tael of silver for her to change her statement, the witch agreed despite her hesitation. As for exactly what to say, it would depend on her intelligence. As long as she didn¡¯t implicate Madam Ma-Liu, she could say whatever she wanted. Chapter 43: Rumors Chapter 43: Rumors Editor: As Studios Hence, when Mu Yangling carried some rabbits to visit Eldest Great-aunt again, the atmosphere in West Mountain Vige was rather strange. When the vigers saw Mu Yangling from afar, they avoided her. Though a little puzzled, Mu Yangling still headed straight for her eldest great-aunt¡¯s house. When Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin saw Mu Yangling, their eyes lit up. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Eldest Great-aunt?¡± ¡°Grandma went to the threshing floor. Someone recently came to our vige to buy grains, so Grandma sold all the grains fromst year. Now, we¡¯re just waiting to dry the new grains and store them in the warehouse.¡± Mu Yangling ced the things in the kitchen and asked, ¡°When I entered the vige just now, I saw that the vigers¡¯ attitude was strange. Did someone bully you again?¡± The two children shook their heads in confusion. Ma Xiuhong said, ¡°No, no one has been bullying us recently. Eldest Great-uncle hasn¡¯te over either.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯ll go to your second aunt¡¯s house to take a look.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang was sitting in front of her house, munching on melon seeds. When she saw Mu Yanglinging over, she stood up and patted her sleeve. With a smile, she said, ¡°Aiyo, you¡¯re here to see your great-aunt?¡± Mu Yangling smiled and nodded. ¡°Second Aunt, you seem to be quite free. Have you finished harvesting your grains?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already finished harvesting that little bit of grains long ago. I¡¯m just waiting to thresh it and dry it in the sun.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s gaze slid across her hand. In a hushed voice, she asked, ¡°Lass, are you sending meat to your great-aunt again? Aiyo, after you left that day, the fragrance of meat lingered for a few days. Your family is really good to your great-aunt.¡± She wondered why they were nowhere to be seen for the past three to four years though. With an embarrassed smile, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Our family hunts, so this is all we have to offer Eldest Great-aunt. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to always take things from her.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang asked, ¡°What do you take from her?¡± ¡°A lot. My family doesn¡¯t grow grains, and we don¡¯t even have many side dishes like pickled vegetables, pickled beans, soybeans and peanuts. Even though Great-aunt is generous, my father and I can¡¯t very well keep taking these things from her for free. We can only reciprocate with some stuff ande over from time to time to see if there¡¯s anything we can help with.¡± Mu Yangling pped the wall vigorously and smiled. ¡°My father and I don¡¯t have anything else but strength.¡± Some soil fell off from the impact of that p. Mu Yangling immediately forced a smile in embarrassment. ¡°I failed to control my strength, hehe¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Madam Ma-Zhang alsoughed dryly. Recalling the strength Mu Yangling had disyed thest two times, she didn¡¯t dare to provoke her again. Thinking of the rumors in the vige these few days, she wanted to sell her a favor. Pulling her into the house, Madam Ma-Zhang whispered, ¡°Lass, I have something to tell you. When you go out, don¡¯t tell anyone that I told you this.¡± Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s so mysterious?¡± ¡°Aiyo, isn¡¯t it mysterious? Didn¡¯t the witch from Four Vige say that your Eldest Great-aunt jinxed her husband and children?¡± Seeing Mu Yangling¡¯s cold expression, Madam Ma-Zhang hurriedly added, ¡°Let me finish speaking. There¡¯s a new development about this matter now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Mu Yangling frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe what the witch said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll understand when you grow up.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang continued, ¡°Two days ago, that witch brought something over and left it outside your great-aunt¡¯s house. I heard that there were two catties of brown sugar inside.¡± Sugar was more expensive than salt in this world, and was one of the expensive gifts in the countryside. Here, two catties of brown sugar was considered a medium-grade gift. Why would the witch give Madam Ma-Liu a gift for no reason? Madam Ma-Liu didn¡¯t know who had gifted her the sugar, but many people in the vige who had seen it told her. Since Madam Ma-Liu had a feud with the witch from Four Vige, she immediately asked someone to return it. However, the witch asked her youngest son to send it back. This time, she even added 20 eggs. She only said that she had wronged Madam Ma-Liu, and begged her forgiveness, hoping that she would not hold any grudges against her. Naturally, Madam Ma-Liu had to get to the bottom of this, but the witch refused to speak no matter what. Seeing that she was mumbling, Madam Ma-Liu became even angrier. She threw those things out and cursed, ¡°There is never a foul face but there¡¯s a foul fancy.¡± Then, she simply left it at that. However, right now, the autumn harvest had just ended and everyone was taking a break from all that hard work. Naturally, they would not let go of such good gossip. Some nosy-parkers even deliberately went to Four Vige to find out more. After squatting outside the witch¡¯s house for two days, they heard some things here and there. It turned out that more than four years ago, when Ma Dagui went to her to have his fortune told, she had just recovered from a serious illness and her powers were greatly weakened at the time. Misled, she had made a wrong judgment. Now that four years had passed, she wanted to select a plot ofnd with good Feng Shui, so she took a risk and read her own fortune. Unexpectedly, she suddenly saw that she had done something to umte bad karma, and that this would probably affect her Feng Shui and peace in the future. Not daring to be negligent, she searched the cases by one. Finally, she found that the culprit was the fortune-telling she had done for Madam Ma-Liu four years ago. She had read the fortune wrongly then. Because she caused Madam Ma-Liu to suffer from rumors, this bad karma might befall her instead. Madam Ma-Liu said mysteriously, ¡°That witch was afraid that this matter would affect her peace after her death, so she prepared a big gift to apologize. She¡¯s hoping that your great-aunt can ept that gift and absolve her of her sins.¡± Mu Yangling tried her best to restrain herself from twitching the corners of her mouth. This was obviously gibberish made up by the witch, yet many people believed this. Thankfully, she had given the witch free rein to say whatever she wanted. Evidently, the witch was giving her utmost for that money. Mu Yangling tried her best to look shocked and asked, ¡°Did the witch say who misled her?¡± Madam Ma-Liu pointed to the east and said, ¡°Who else could it be? Back then, it was their family who went to have their fortune told. Later on, it was also their family who benefited. That¡¯s not all. The witch also said that the reason why your uncle¡¯s family is in such a miserable state is because his life is too tough and he robs people of their luck. Your great-aunt¡¯s family¡¯s luck will more or less be snatched away because they¡¯re too closely-rted to him and live in close proximity.¡± Needless to say, this person was Ma Dagui. Mu Yangling frowned. This witch was so ruthless, it was almost as if she had a feud with Ma Dagui. Didn¡¯t she just ask her to fabricate some specious words to turn the attention away from her great-aunt? She wondered if her being so ruthless would have the opposite effect and implicate Great-aunt in the end. Madam Ma-Liu said worriedly, ¡°In this vige, apart from a few with external surnames, who doesn¡¯t have the surname Ma? Almost everyone here is rted to their family, one way or another. No wonder their family has been so prosperous in the past few years. It turns out that it¡¯s because they¡¯ve snatched our luck, especially your great-aunt¡¯s family. I heard that the reason why their family is so prosperous is because all the luck that originally belonged to your great-aunt¡¯s descendants has been snatched away by them.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did the witch say that too?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for her to say that. Everyone can guess it with their eyes closed.¡± Indeed, the wisdom of the working people could not be underestimated. Geez, just look at the rumors. Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Does my great-aunt know about this?¡± ¡°Tsk, who would dare to tell your great-aunt about such a big matter?¡± Mu Yangling quickly took the opportunity to ask a favor of her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to ask Aunt to hide it from my great-aunt for a few more days. If she finds out about this, there¡¯ll definitely be trouble. I¡¯ll tell her when the time is right.¡± Mu Yangling paused and said, ¡°Next time when Ie to exchange things with my great-aunt, I¡¯ll bring a piece of meat for you. Aunt, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Eyes lighting up, Madam Ma-Zhang replied with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Don¡¯t worry, with me around, I won¡¯t let your great-aunt find out. Remember toe and y often.¡± Getting a piece of meat with just a few words was such a great deal. Chapter 44: Gift Chapter 44: Gift Editor: As Studios The protagonist of a rumor was often thest to hear of said rumor. Madam Ma-Liu was so busy every day that she didn¡¯t even have time to drink water, let alone catch wind of that rumor. Hence, she was simply happy that Mu Yangling hade to visit her. She knew that Shu Wanniang came from a wealthy family and didn¡¯t know how to grow vegetables, so she went to the vegetable garden to pick some vegetables. She also took a lot of pickled vegetables for Mu Yangling to bring back and said, ¡°Your mother will be giving birth in three months, right? By then, the weather will be cold and there won¡¯t be much to do in the fields. I can go take care of her during her confinement period. Go back and ask your mother if she¡¯d like that. If she doesn¡¯t mind that I¡¯m clumsy, I¡¯ll start preparing the red cloth.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Great-aunt? My mother often tells me that you were the one who helped take care of her for the first three days after she gave birth to me. If it weren¡¯t for you, my parents would have struggled on their own. They were young then and didn¡¯t even know how to hold a baby.¡± Madam Ma-Liuughed. ¡°Child, your parents weren¡¯t young back then. Your father was 21, and your mother, 17.¡± Mu Yangling lowered her head. Her mother was pregnant with her at the age of 16. Wasn¡¯t 16 considered young enough? Back then, when she was born, she was shocked when she found out about her mother¡¯s age. ¡°Alright, go back quickly. When you run out of these,e here and get some more.¡± Mu Yangling went back, threw down her things, then immediately went to look for her second great-uncle. Shu Wanniang turned to ask Mu Shi, ¡°Ah Ling has been hanging out with Second Uncle often these past few days. I wonder why.¡± Mu Shi replied nonchntly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Before Second Uncle does anything, he needs to ask Eldest Uncle first. Even if Second Uncle isn¡¯t reliable, don¡¯t we still have Eldest Uncle?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s guess was right. Upon hearing that the witch had cooked up such a fantastic reason, Liu Erqian chuckled and pped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll go to your eldest great-uncle and gather some men to go to West Mountain Vige to get back your great-aunt¡¯s farnd. Hmph, let¡¯s see what other reason Ma Dagui¡¯s family has to refuse.¡± ¡°Second Great-uncle, isn¡¯t this witch going too far? Is there some grudge between her and Ma Dagui?¡± ¡°How would I know? If you want to know, go ask her yourself. Alright, don¡¯t get involved in what¡¯s toe. You should let your third great-uncle and the others handle the quarreling. With his eloquence, he can talk the dead back to life.¡± Mu Yangling hesitated. ¡°Third great-uncle isn¡¯t part of our family. Would he help?¡± After a moment of silence, Liu Erqian said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I bring two pots of wine over? But considering I¡¯m older than him, that¡¯s too degrading.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling, let Uncle and the others go. Then, take the money to town to buy two catties of meat and a big rooster. Plus, I¡¯ll bring his grandson to the cave and let him bring Third Great-uncle two wild rabbits. This way, he¡¯ll definitely be willing.¡± Even if he was unwilling, he had to be willing. Liu Erqian¡¯s heart ached for the money. ¡°How much would this cost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll hunt for youter. You can sell the prey in town to make up for that. These days, my father goes to the county every other day and hasn¡¯t been conducting business in the town market.¡± Since they were already halfway through, Liu Erqian naturally could not give up. In spite of his heartache, he could only fork out money for his son to go to town to buy meat and a rooster. He also had to go over and tell his eldest brother what he had done recently. Naturally, it was more appropriate for the eldest brother to step in when it came to such matters. That night, Mu Shi was invited to the Liu family¡¯s courtyard at thest minute. More than 20 people gathered for a discussion. Since the situation was so favorable, it was obviously impossible for Liu Daqian to give up on seeking justice for his elder sister this time. Of course, he would not reveal to them what his younger brother and Mu Yangling had done. He would only tell them about the rumors that Mu Yangling had heard in West Mountain Vige when she went to visit her great-aunt today. Liu Daqian said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to secretly sound out the situation first. If it¡¯s really as Ah Ling said, we have to seek justice from the Ma family no matter what. In the past few years, because of this reputation, not only has Great-aunt not been living well in West Mountain Vige, but the daughters of our Liu family have also had to restrain their tempers and live cautiously in their inws¡¯ families. It¡¯s not that my heart doesn¡¯t ache, nor is it that I don¡¯t feel resentful. Now that there¡¯s an opportunity, there¡¯s no reason for our Liu family¡¯s daughters to suffer anymore.¡± Which of the people present did not have a daughter? Because of Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s reputation, there were also some rumors saying that the daughters of the Liu family were born tough. Although it was not to the extent that their daughters could not be married off, it resulted in them having fewer choices and needing to live cautiously. Those with more daughters were the first to express their opinion. ¡°We¡¯ll do as Uncle says. Now that we know Eldest Aunt was framed by the Ma family, we naturally can¡¯t sit back and do nothing.¡± With someone taking the lead, everyone quickly responded one after another. Liu Daqian chose two smart young men from the n to scout for information with his son before making ns. Liu Daqian said, ¡°We¡¯re nearing the end of the autumn harvest. Those remaining can stay at home to dry the grains. If you want to sell grains, you have to hurry up. Over the past few days, Minister Liu¡¯s steward has often been at the entrance of our vige. I don¡¯t know when the price of grains will change. When everyone¡¯s new grains are in the barn and everyone is free, we¡¯ll make a trip to West Mountain Vige.¡± When they heard that there was time for them to work on their fields, everyone was even more satisfied. Liu Daqian left his third brother Liu Dazhu behind. Liu Dazhu and Liu Daqian were cousins sharing the same grandfather. As Liu Dazhu had been sent to town as an apprentice when he was young, he was smart and his eloquence surpassed most in the vige. Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian had the same thoughts. If they could get Liu Dazhu to go along with them, their sess rate would increase by at least 20%. Last time, Liu Dazhu had also gone to West Mountain Vige, but he had not put in any effort. From his performance, one could tell that he was a smart person and did not offend anyone easily. If they wanted him to help, they had to offer him some benefits. Although Liu Daqian didn¡¯t like his character, he still had to persuade him to help for his sister¡¯s sake. In any case, it could probably be settled with a few gifts. Liu Daqian pushed the gift that Liu Erqian had bought to him and said with a smile, ¡°Dazhu, you have to help out your eldest cousin. You also know that your second brother and I are inarticte. Therefore,ter when we go to West Mountain Vige, we¡¯ll have to rely on you to take the lead.¡± Liu Dazhu smoked his pipe without saying a word. Knowing that he despised the gift, Liu Erqian was secretly angry. After pondering for a moment, Liu Daqian said, ¡°If you can really help your cousin get back her farnd, I¡¯ll give your child, Liu Xiao, the big red packet for the new year.¡± The big red packet was the first Chinese New Year¡¯s gift for the eldest grandson of the direct line of descent. It contained 600 copper coins, and had an auspicious meaning. This was certainly not a small gift. A beam immediately spread across Liu Dazhu¡¯s face. He chuckled and said, ¡°Eldest Cousin and Second Cousin, why are you being so polite to me? Eldest Cousin is also my cousin, so I will naturally help her. Don¡¯t worry, when we go to West Mountain Vigeter, I will help Eldest Cousin get back Eldest Nephew¡¯s farnd even if I have to risk my life.¡± Liu Daqian nodded with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Dazhu. Alright, you can go back first.¡± As he spoke, he carried the gift and sent him out. Liu Dazhu took the things from him and waved his hand. ¡°Brother, you don¡¯t have to send me further. I¡¯ll go back myself. It¡¯s not far.¡± It was indeed not far. The two families were only three houses away. Seeing his figure disappear into the darkness, Liu Daqian sighed and turned to his second brother. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back.¡± Liu Erqian gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°In the future, if anything happens to his daughter, he¡¯d better not look for me. Otherwise¡­¡± Liu Daqian pped him and shouted, ¡°What nonsense is that? How can you say that about your niece? Tomorrow, tell Ah Ling not to give his grandson any rabbits. If not, he¡¯ll be spoiled. She should just eat the rabbits herself.¡± Liu Erqian quickly followed and whispered, ¡°Brother, Ah Ling said that there¡¯s an overpoption of wild rabbits in the forest. She said that there¡¯s no need to use bows and arrows to hunt for rabbits in the mountains now. We just need to remove the traps and we can pick enough to sell in town.¡± Liu Daqian frowned. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Liu Erqian hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°That child told me two days ago that she wanted to bring her uncles into the mountains when she¡¯s free. They¡¯d be able to catch at least a few rabbits. If there¡¯s more, we can make them into jerky so we don¡¯t have to eat a vegetarian diet the entire winter.¡± Liu Daqian red at him. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s greedy, right? Those boys have been following?Rocky1?into the mountains to learn how to set up traps since they were 18 years old, but when have they sessfully caught prey by themselves? Even when they did catch a prey, it was because Rocky pre-selected the location and corrected them over and over again. I won¡¯t allow you to take advantage of them.¡± Liu Erqian stomped his feet. ¡°Brother, things aren¡¯t the same anymore. Now that everyone¡¯s lives have improved a lot, what¡¯s wrong with helping each other?¡± ¡°No means no.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re just stubborn.¡± Liu Erqian was also fuming. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°Alright, even if we don¡¯t take advantage of Rocky, Ah Ling already treats the children to meat so often. Not only does it consume energy, time, it also uses a lot of oil and salt. Isn¡¯t it better to let her instruct her uncles to go into the mountains to work for her? At least the children don¡¯t have to follow behind her eagerly. Neither does she have to be the leader of the children every time shees back from town, taking the children to the cave and serving them.¡± Liu Daqian immediately fell silent. Chapter 45: Teaching Chapter 45: Teaching Editor: As Studios After making up his mind, Liu Erqian found his two sons and two nephews and instructed, ¡°Pack up. Tomorrow, follow your niece into the mountains. The overpoption of rabbits in the mountains are causing a disaster. Now that there¡¯s not much work left at home, your wives will be able to handle the chores here.¡± Liu Ting¡¯s eyes lit up as he secretly became excited. ¡°Second Uncle, did my father agree?¡± Liu Erqian red at him. ¡°What do you think?¡± Although his brother did not agree, he did not stop him. ¡°If you feel bad, pack some agricultural products and send them overter. Because Rocky¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t know how to farm and grow vegetables, they use vegetables sparingly at home.¡± Farmers did notck these things the most, so the four of them readily agreed. When they went to bed at night, Liu Ting told his wife the good news and said, ¡°The children are still growing. If they can eat more meat, they will definitely be stronger and stand more steadily.¡± There were many children in the countryside who died prematurely. Even if the eldest son, Liu Lang, was already 11 years old, there was still no guarantee that he would survive into adulthood, let alone the two even younger children. Madam Liu-Zhao was also overjoyed. ¡°Go into the mountains. I¡¯ll work at home. When you enter the mountains, listen to Ah Ling and stick close to her. If anything goes wrong, run out. You¡¯re the pir of the family. It¡¯s naturally good to have those things, but even without them we can still live well. Don¡¯t be greedy.¡± The other two families also had simr reminders. Only Liu Erqian¡¯s youngest son, Liu Xuan, was not married yet. As soon as he returned home, he curled up in bed and slept. The next day, he woke up in high spirits after the rooster crowed a second time. Compared to his cousins and brothers¡¯ various goals, his was much simpler¡ªhunt rabbits and eat meat. The four brothers tidied up and stood at the entrance of the Mu residence early in the morning. When Mu Shi came out and saw them, he was slightly stunned. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Father, enter the mountain yourself today. I¡¯ll bring Uncles in.¡± Mu Shi hesitated for a moment before nodding. In any case, he usually did not walk the same path as his daughter, and would always go deeper. ¡°Don¡¯t bring your uncles too deep in. Don¡¯t go further than the jujube trees area.¡± Mu Yangling agreed. After watching Mu Shi enter the mountain, she said to her four uncles, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the mountain.¡± They were mainly setting up traps today and woulde back to collect the trapped prey the next day. Mu Yangling was very familiar with this area. After entering the forest and walking for half an hour, they encountered a bunch of jujube trees. The jujubes could be harvested pretty soon, and the young men in the vige woulde in together to pick them. However, there were usually very few people here, so there was a thickyer of fallen leaves on the ground and withered jujubes that had fallen to the ground. Liu Ting reached out to pluck one from the tree and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Not bad. We cane to pick the jujubes in another 20 days¡¯ time.¡± The wild jujubes in the mountains were harvestedter than those nted outside. Mu Yangling looked around and said, ¡°Uncle, rabbits like to nest nearby, but there are also animals who like to eat wild jujubes roaming around, so don¡¯t go far. If anything happens, shout.¡± Mu Yangling had specially brought a big bow into the mountain today to prevent any idents. The four uncles agreed. Mu Yangling patrolled around and made marks after checking the tracks left behind by rabbits. In a while, she would set a trap here. At this moment, the sky had just lit up. The first rays of dawn shone through the leaves andnded on the ground, softening Mu Yangling¡¯s expression. Liu Ting spat twice, picked up the hoe, and walked over. He asked, ¡°Ah Ling, where do we start?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s dig this first. Uncle Zhuang, you and Uncle Yuan will arrange the knot in the ce where I made the marks ording to what my father taught you in the past. Uncle Xuan,e with me. I¡¯ll bring you to find the rabbit nest, and we¡¯ll smoke the rabbitster.¡± Liu Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled. Mu Yangling taught him how to observe animal tracks and determine the size and breed of the animals that left those tracks. However, even after staring for a long time, Liu Xuan couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the two bushes. Why was it that a fox had once passed through that bush? Mu Yangling looked at him strangely. ¡°Uncle Xuan, don¡¯t you smell a stench?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Xuan said, ¡°No, I only smelled the fresh fragrance of wild jujubes.¡± ¡°¡­Then can you tell what¡¯s different about this bush?¡± Mu Yangling pointed at a knee-high bush not far away and asked. Liu Xuan took a closer look and said, ¡°It seems to have been bent.¡± ¡°What about the bush beside it?¡± Mu Yangling pointed at another bush that was also slightly bent. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. ¡°It¡¯s bent too.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Do you know how it was bent?¡± Liu Xuan shook his head. Mu Yangling pointed at the first bush and said, ¡°This was blown by the wind.¡± Liu Xuan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look over there, there¡¯s a big open space. You can feel the wind from here. In other words, this position is facing the wind. From the way the grass is bent down as a whole, with a smooth bend, it doesn¡¯t look like the bent was caused by an animal pressing down upon it.¡± Liu Xuan nodded excitedly. ¡°I get it now.¡± ¡°What about the bush up there?¡± Liu Xuan replied hesitatingly, ¡°Was it also blown by the wind?¡± ¡°No, it was bent by a wild boar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Xuan looked at it repeatedly before asking, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a shallow pig trotter mark on the ground and two pig feces behind the tree.¡± Liu Xuany on the ground and looked for a long time, but he could not see the shallow pig trotter mark. However, he saw the pig feces behind the tree. Though, he would not notice it if he did not deliberately pay attention, because the grass under the tree was very thick. If he did not pry it open, he would not be able to discover it. ¡°Moreover, this grass suddenly bent down from two-thirds of the top, so it must have been crushed by something¡­¡± Liu Xuan looked back and forth between the two bushes, but he still couldn¡¯t tell in what ways the bends were different. Turning his mosquito-like eyes to look at his niece, he said, ¡°Ah Ling, I¡¯d better not learn. Just tell me where the rabbit nest is. I¡¯ll go smoke it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, the rabbit¡¯s nest is in the grass not far from the tree you were looking at just now. Didn¡¯t you see that hole when you went to pry the grass just now?¡± The reason Mu Yangling asked him to look at the two bushes was because she wanted to teach him how to distinguish the rabbit¡¯s holes, but it was obvious that the homework she had prepared was useless. Liu Xuan rubbed his nose and ran to look at the hole. He asked, ¡°Everyone says that there are many exits in the rabbit hole. Where are the other exits?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for it.¡± Mu Yangling walked around the vicinity and found another entrance. She said to Liu Xuan, ¡°Come here and stand guard. Use a sack to cover the entrance. I¡¯ll start a fire to smoke the rabbits.¡± There were many trees in the forest, and even the slightest spark could cause a fire. Therefore, Mu Yangling was very careful every time she started a fire. This being the first time she had brought Liu Xuan into the mountains, she didn¡¯t feel confident leaving such an important matter to him. Mu Yangling taught him some techniques, then pulled out a few handfuls of grass and dried grass and ced them at the entrance of the rabbit hole. After which, she gently lit a fire with the flint. When a lot of smoke rose from the fire, she ced the grass at the entrance and fanned the fire with therge leaves she had just picked. Most of the smoke went into the entrance. After a while, smoke floated out of another entrance. That was how Mu Yangling knew that it was about time. She was afraid that there were still entrances that she had yet to find, so she looked around and nned to run over to block it should smokee out from other ces. The two of them were very lucky. The first rabbit hole they found only had two exits. After a while, exmations came from Liu Xuan¡¯s side. Snow-white rabbits quickly escaped from the hole and rushed into his sack. Seeing that no more rabbits came out, Liu Xuan quickly pressed the sack tightly and shouted happily, ¡°Ah Ling,e and take a look. The snow-white rabbits are beautiful!¡± Mu Yangling ran over to take a look. There was a big snow-white rabbit and four little rabbits quietly squeezed at the bottom of the sack. Mu Yangling said happily, ¡°Uncle Xuan, you¡¯re really lucky! Those young masters and youngdies in the county adore such snow-white rabbits. Let¡¯s hurry down the mountainter and get my father to bring them to the county. They will definitely fetch a good price.¡± Liu Xuan beamed. ¡°How is that due to my luck? It¡¯s clearly Ah Ling who¡¯s blessed.¡± Chapter 46: Perception Chapter 46: Perception Editor: As Studios Whether it was Liu Xuan¡¯s good luck or Mu Yangling¡¯s good fortune, everything went very smoothly after that. They took down several rabbit nests in a row. The grass under the jujube tree was lush, old, and difficult to chew. However, beyond this area, there would be a small hill. There was a small pond there that would not dry up as long as it was not a dry season. The grass inside was tender, so many rabbits liked to dig holes in or near the jujube forest for the convenience of eating the tender grass and drinking water. However, because every year, the vigers woulde here to pick wild jujubes, the Mu father and daughter consciously bypassed this area and left these rabbits for them to hunt when they came to pick wild jujubes. When the time came, each family would be able to split some. Although each family would only get a little, the rabbits in autumn were fat and it was better than nothing. It was Mu Yangling¡¯s first time bringing them here today, so she brought them here to familiarize themselves with the ce. However, they would have to go elsewhere tomorrow, to the ces where Mu Yangling often hunted. It was much more dangerous there, but there were also more prey. When Mu Yangling and Liu Xuan returned with half a bag of rabbits, the three of them had also finished setting up the trap and were sitting on the ground to rest. Each of them was nibbling on two jujubes. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to collect prey.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s trap was set in another direction. Seeing that it was about time now, she brought them over and taught them how to differentiate between traps. When Mu Yangling went over and took out the prey that had fallen into the trap and covered it up, the four Liu brothers were shocked. ¡°We can earn a lot just by relying on the trap.¡± Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°This is because I¡¯m lucky today. Usually it¡¯s not that many.¡± Almost one out of three traps would be destroyed, and only one out of four traps contained prey. Mu Yangling even found a goat in thest trap. The goat had injured its leg after falling into the trap and was looking up at Mu Yangling and bleating. Upon taking a closer look, Mu Yangling realized that its stomach was bulging. She jumped down and grabbed its horn with all her might, then touched the goat¡¯s stomach as she said, ¡°Mommy goat is pregnant with baby goat.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. As Mu Bowen had a weak constitution, she had wanted to buy him a goat for goat milk a long time ago. However, her life in the past had not been good, and her family did not have any spare money. Even though they recently had some money, due to various happenings, this n to get a goat had been dyed. She had not expected to catch a pregnant goat now. Mu Yangling jumped into the trap and said to her four uncles, ¡°Help me carry the other things. I¡¯ll carry the goat out.¡± Liu Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s better for me to carry the goat out with your second uncle. What if you get kicked by the goat?¡± Unlike domestic goats, wild goats were incredibly fierce. Mu Yangling said confidently, ¡°It won¡¯t dare to kick me.¡± If two people carried it, it would more or less cause harm to the goat. Thus, it was best if she carried it. Anyway, she didn¡¯t find it heavy at all. Mu Yangling handed the things to them before jumping down. She nimbly grabbed the goat¡¯s front leg, circled around its back, and picked it up. The goat struggled violently for a while before it realized that not only could it not break free, but struggling would also aggravate its wound. In addition, Mu Yangling kept stroking its chin, so the goat gradually quietened down. It obediently let Mu Yangling carry it out of the trap and out of the forest. There were no bull pens or pig pens in the Mu Residence, only a storeroom. However, it was obvious that a goat could not be raised there. Mu Yangling did not mind and tied it to arge rock with a rope. Next, it was time to divide the prey. Mu Yangling took out the prey that had fallen into her trap and ced it aside. The rest were the rabbits from the rabbit¡¯s nest that she had smoked with her four uncles. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Uncles, the four of you can have these rabbits. If you want to bring them to town to sell, you should go early. You can raise some of the younger rabbits at home first and let my cousins feed them with grass. They¡¯ll definitely be able to fetch a decent price in a few months.¡± Liu Ting pondered and said, ¡°Leave two at home and sell the rest. We¡¯ve never raised rabbits before. What if they die? If the others can¡¯t be sold, we¡¯ll bring them back and raise them first if they¡¯re still alive. If they die, we¡¯ll smoke them into jerky and keep them for winter.¡± The other three had no objections. Mu Yangling stood up and said, ¡°Then jump out. I¡¯m also preparing to go to town. Eldest Uncle, that nest of white rabbits was gorgeous. It won¡¯t sell for much in town, but it¡¯s different in the county. Why don¡¯t you let my father bring it to the county?¡± Liu Ting said with a smile, ¡°You were the one who smoked the rabbit¡¯s nest. We merely benefited from your hard work. If not for the fact that you didn¡¯t want it, we would have nned to give you half of all the rabbits. Since this thing is going to be brought to the county, it¡¯s yours. When it gets soldter, ask your father to buy you candy.¡± Liu Xuan found the nest of rabbits from the sack and handed it to Mu Yangling. With a straight face, he said, ¡°If you refuse, we won¡¯t dare to follow you into the mountains in the future.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before taking it and carefully keeping the rabbits in the cage. Liu Ting and the other three discussed for a while and finally decided that Liu Ting and Liu Xuan would go to town while Liu Zhuang and Liu Yuan would stay at home. Mu Shi quickly came out of the mountains, too. He carried a wild boar on his shoulder and a fiery red little fox in his hand. Seeing that there was sweat on his forehead, Mu Yangling quickly went forward to catch the wild boar. She looked at the fox in surprise. ¡°Father, this color is stunning. It¡¯s even alive!¡± Nodding, Mu Shi threw the little fox into the cage. ¡°I picked it up in the mountains. The big fox is probably dead.¡± Seeing that his four cousins were all here, Mu Shi said, ¡°Did you guys have a bountiful trip today?¡± Liu Ting nodded and smiled. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s all thanks to Ah Ling leading us.¡± A smile appeared on Mu Shi¡¯s face as he said proudly, ¡°Ah Ling has a natural talent in this aspect. She¡¯s even stronger than me. If you want to go to town, hurry up and go early. Ah Ling won¡¯t need as much time since she¡¯s only going to the eatery and restaurant.¡± This meant that she was not going to travel with them. Liu Ting hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. After informing them, he carried his things and bade farewell to the Mu father and daughter. Sensing that something was wrong, Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Shi wiped his sweat and said worriedly, ¡°Something happened in the mountains. There are fallen trees and signs of a fight in the area where I often go. I took a closer look and saw that it was actually a ck bear and a female tiger.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why did theye out?¡± Although Chef Mountain was dangerous, because it was enormous and the entire mountain range was endless, and this ce was at the very end, there were usually very few ferocious beasts like this. They usually had to be careful of wild boars, wolves, and other wild beasts. No matter how powerful Mu Yangling and Mu Shi were, they were no match for a tiger or a ck bear. That was too terrifying. No need for further exnation. Mu Shi was also very frustrated. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re here, but I keep feeling that things aren¡¯t going well this year.¡± After all, Mu Shi had only hunted for more than ten years, so he did not have much experience. In his memory, he did not recall anything simr, but his hunter¡¯s intuition told him that this matter was highly important and dangerous. Seeing that his daughter was also worried, Mu Shi suppressed his anxiety and stroked her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that ck bear won¡¯t run outside. At most, it¡¯ll wander around in the deep forest.¡± ¡°Father, don¡¯t go so deep into the mountain in the future. Anyway, our family has enough money for the winter. Let¡¯s just take it slow.¡± Mu Shi hesitated. ¡°Your mother is going to give birth in winter. We have to prepare more money at home.¡± ¡°No amount of money is as important as our lives. Father, we can still earn money outside. Although it¡¯s a little less, it¡¯s enough for our family to live on.¡± Having heard the entire conversation in the room, Shu Wanniang held her stomach and came out. She looked at Mu Shi with tears in her eyes. ¡°If something happens to you, who else can the children and I rely on?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s heart instantly ached. He quickly went forward to hug his wife and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go too far tomorrow. I¡¯ll walk with our daughter, alright?¡± Chapter 47: Reason Chapter 47: Reason Editor: As Studios This was the reason why the Mu family had never been able to umte money¡ªMu Shi was too sentimental, and the others were toocking in fighting spirit. The patriarch of the Liu family, Liu He, once felt that it was a pity that Mu Shi was too reluctant to leave his family. Otherwise, he would definitely be able to achieve a great career. This was because he did notck ability, EQ, or IQ, but he was unwilling to leave his wife and children to venture outside for prolonged periods. Mu Shi¡¯s father had once umted a lot of money for him. Although a lot of it had been lost in the Hus¡¯ rebellion more than ten years ago, Mu Shi had lived a life of not having to worry about his family for four to five years. In addition, considering he often worked outside, ording to Liu He¡¯s private calctions, Mu Shi could save at least a hundred taels of silver a year. In the end, after marrying a wife, not only did his life not get better, but it instead got worse. At this point, one had to mention Shu Wanniang¡¯s identity. She was the second daughter of the Shu family, and the Shu family was considered a small aristocratic family in Jingzhao Prefecture that was established for two to three hundred years. They had never been powerful, but they had always been firmly rooted in thend of the Jingzhao Prefecture. In fact, they had a history that was decades older than the current dynasty. Shu Wanniang¡¯s father¡¯s family was considered a coteral branch, but their family background was not bad, not inferior to the main branch. Unfortunately, their foundation was a little weaker, so when the imperial court fled south back then, they were abandoned and suffered during the chaos. After all, Jingzhao Prefecture was the hometown of the Shu family. If the?Hus1?were more polite to them, they might just be grateful to the Imperial Court in their hearts and live their lives as they should. However, in less than ten years, half of the family business of the Shu family that had been left behind had been destroyed by the Hus. Father Shu immediately contacted the Yuan family army guarding the border at that time and was willing to give up half of his family business in exchange for protection and aid in escaping south. Of course, the upright and brave Yuan Family Army did not ept the Shu Family¡¯s money and was willing to escort them into the borders of Great Zhou for free. It was when Shu Wanniang fled south to Chef Mountain that they encountered bandits. In the chaos, she was pushed out of the carriage and abducted by the bandits. At that time, the lone and gutsy Mu Shi had lived in the mountains for a long time. Once, when he was hunting, his prey was frightened away by the bandits who rushed in. Upon a closer look, he realized that Shu Wanniang, who was being dragged along by the bandits, had a pale face. Back then, Shu Wanniang had just turned 15 and was still a young girl. It was already very lucky that she did not faint. The moment she got the chance, she wanted tomit suicide, but she was stopped by the bandits and was about to be tortured on the spot. An upright and kind young man, Mu Shi could not stand by and do nothing, so he saved the damsel in distress. Mu Shi saved Shu Wanniang and only stayed at the foot of the mountain for a night before bringing her to look for her family. However, as the conservative Shu family strictly adhered to the rules of etiquette, it was naturally impossible for them to take back a daughter who had been abducted by bandits. In a fit of anger, Mu Shi took Shu Wanniang away. Shu Wanniang was heartbroken for a year and almost died on the sickbed. That year, she almost exhausted Mu Shi¡¯s savings. Mu Yangling had heard Shu Wanniang apologize more than once. Thetter oftenmented that if she hadn¡¯t fallen sick back then, she wouldn¡¯t be so delicate and wouldn¡¯t make her children¡¯s lives so difficult now. Of course, every time this happened, Mu Shi would hold her hand and say gently, ¡°These are all worth it.¡± Then, Mu Yangling carried her brother back to their room, leaving space for the couple. Shu Wanniang was the daughter of a wealthy family, so her family¡¯s standard of living had always far exceeded that of the vigers. They wouldn¡¯t eat chaff or coarse grains that would cause one¡¯s throat to hurt. However, it was also because of such a standard of living that their family¡¯s expenses had always been very high. Their family had never been able to save much money, not to mention that Shu Wanniang had to take medicine for three to four months a year. In the past, Mu Shi, who was very good at earning money, could not bear to leave his wife and children for too long. Ever since he married and had children, the furthest Mu Shi went was Mingshui County. This caused his savings to decrease rapidly, and diminished his ability to save more money. Mu Yangling had transmigrated into a fetus in this world. Since she was six months old, she had consciously kicked or rolled around in her mother¡¯s stomach. Coupled with her intelligent performance since she was born, she had always held a lot of weight in the family. If she was willing to persuade her father to go out and earn more money to support the family, her parents might even consider her opinion. However, she was also a person who desired to live a peaceful life. She felt that since her family already had meat, food, clothes, and shelter, there was nothing more important than staying alive in this chaotic world. Hence, she did not feel that her father should take the risk. Should anything happen, the family could nest together and not go anywhere. Mu Shi was, of course, happy to stay by his wife and children¡¯s side to keep them safe. It was the same now. When Mu Yangling heard that there was a newfound danger in the forest, she refused to let her father go deeper into the mountains. She nned to bring her four uncles around outside to sound out the situation with her father. Anyway, with the abundance of rabbits this year, she didn¡¯t have to worry about not being able to catch prey. If it were someone ambitious, they might plot to kill the ck bear or female tiger. Should they seed, they would not have to worry for the next three years. It had to be known that these two things were valuable from head to toe, from skin to blood. Seeing that Mu Shi had agreed, Shu Wanniang and Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief. Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll buy more millet when we go to town today, and buy some new rice from the vigerster. That¡¯ll be enough for us to eat until next summer. This way, we won¡¯t have to worry even more. If the price of grains increases, so be it. That won¡¯t affect us anymore. We have a vegetable garden at home, and we can easily get meat. Coupled with some extra nourishment for Mother, that¡¯ll be all we need.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mu Shi helped his wife into the house andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of myself. Just focus on taking care of the fetus. I¡¯ll go into the mountains tomorrow to take a look. If I catch fewer prey, I won¡¯t go to the county and will just take care of the business in town.¡± Mu Shi reassured his wife before pulling out the cart and cing the wild boar on it. He then ced the cage containing the little fox and white rabbit on the cart and tied it up. He said to his daughter, ¡°Put your things on it too. I¡¯ll bring them down for you when we reach town.¡± Happy and rxed to not have to carry the things herself, Mu Yangling quickly put the things away. Mu Shi pushed the cart in front while Mu Yangling followed behind her father. Mu Yangling counted the money they had earned recently and asked, ¡°Father, can we save 50 taels of silver after this trip?¡± After doing some calctions in his heart, Mu Shi shook his head. ¡°Probably not. The price of wild boars and rabbits is certain, but I wonder how much this fiery red fox can be sold for.¡± Mu Shi felt that it was a pity. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people sell this thing in Xingzhou Prefecture before. Someone bought it for ten taels of silver specially for the Young Masters and Misses to y with. However, Mingshui County is too small.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a prefect in Xingzhou Prefecture. Of course it¡¯s big.¡± Mu Yangling said as she counted on her fingers, ¡°Even if you can¡¯t sell it for ten taels of silver, it should at least fetch five taels, right?¡± Mu Shi nced at his daughter and shattered her fantasy. ¡°Impossible. Four taels of silver is the highest it can go.¡± Mu Yangling pouted. ¡°Xingzhou Prefecture isn¡¯t far from the county¡ªonly a day¡¯s walk. If you ride a horse, you¡¯ll arrive in a sh.¡± Mu Shiughed out loud. ¡°But how many people in this world can afford to ride a horse? Alright, don¡¯t be unhappy. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything bad about this. Surely all the good things in life can¡¯t be happening to just us, right? There¡¯s got to be something for others too.¡± Mu Yangling was depressed for a moment before she cheered up again. She asked, ¡°Father, do you me us for dragging you down? If Eldest Uncle and the others knew that they could earn an additional six taels of silver just by walking for an extra day, they¡¯d definitely be willing.¡± An annual ie of four taels of silver a year in the countryside was already considered very decent, let alone six taels. The magnanimous Mu Shi said to his daughter with a smile, ¡°Silly child, I¡¯m just d that you don¡¯t despise your father for being useless. I think our family is doing just fine. Why envy those who have more? Money can always be earned.¡± In the end, he just didn¡¯t want to be too far away from his wife and children, knowing he would worry about them. Chapter 48: Targeting Chapter 48: Targeting Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling sent the prey to the eatery and restaurant and collected the money from the ountant. Just as she was about to go out, Shopkeeper Zhang stopped her. ¡°Miss Mu, from tomorrow onwards, bring five more rabbits to me. It¡¯ll be even better if you can catch roe deer. Bring them over. I want them all.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Shopkeeper Zhang, your shop¡¯s business is getting better and better, huh.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang replied with augh, ¡°It¡¯s not that my business is good. It¡¯s just that there have been many outsiders recently. People have to eat, after all. Our Wafting Fragrance Eatery¡¯s business naturally improved.¡± In Seven Mile Vige, only the wild jujubes from Chef Mountain and leather goods were considered specialties. Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Are merchants here to buy leather goods and wild jujubes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. These two groups of merchants will onlye at the end of autumn. Those that came now are here to buy grains.¡± Shopkeeper Zhang¡¯s smile froze when he said this. He more or less knew about themotion outside. Rice was expensive while grain was cheap¡ªthis was just the rich bullying those ignorant citizens, and his boss must also have participated in this. He just didn¡¯t know how much of a loss they would incur this time. Thest time he saw the boss, the man didn¡¯t look too good. ¡°Alright, go back quickly. Deliver the animals early tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling agreed, but when she went out, she nced at the Wafting Fragrance Eatery. There were actually so many peopleing to buy grains? Did that mean the price of grains would increase? It seemed like she had to fork out more money to buy grains from everyone when she returned to the vige. Mu Yangling went straight to the grain store, nning to buy more millet to keep, so she wouldn¡¯t have toe over to buy them for a long time in the future. What Mu Yangling did not expect was that the price of rice had actually decreased. Even millet had returned to its previous price. Mu Yangling asked the shopkeeper of the grain store in surprise, ¡°Why did the price of rice drop again?¡± The shopkeeper nced at her and replied, ¡°Why do you care so much? If you want to buy it, buy it. If not, forget it.¡± His attitude was terrible. Mu Yangling frowned, feeling displeased. If it was in the past, she would definitely turn around and leave, never stepping into this shop again for the rest of her life. However, she had learned to endure it now, so Mu Yangling only nced at the shopkeeper indifferently and waved her hand. ¡°Pack 100 catties of millet for me.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t take to heart the shopkeeper¡¯s rudeness, but her attitude angered the shopkeeper. He snorted coldly. ¡°100 catties? Do you have enough money? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t pay up after I finish weighing the millet.¡± He was no stranger to the father and daughter of the Mu family. When they came here to buy millet, they would at most buy 20 catties. Mostly, they would buy medium-grade rice, and sometimes, they would even buy low-grade rice. Mu Yangling only felt anger boiling in her heart, but she suppressed her temper and looked at the shopkeeper disdainfully. She said arrogantly, ¡°Oh? How much is 100 catties of millet? I¡¯ll count and see if it¡¯s enough.¡± After saying that, she pulled off the money bag from her waist and took out a few strings of copper coins. Some of the money she had brought from home, and some had just been earned. One bunch of money was 1,000 copper coins, while one string was 100 copper coins. They were all strung together, but Mu Yangling ripped the string and scattered the coins on the counter. Then, she took out another bunch of money and did the same. There was now a small pile of copper coins on the counter. With her chin raised, Mu Yangling said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Count it. If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll add more.¡± ¡°You!¡± The shopkeeper was so angry that he pointed at Mu Yangling, speechless. At this moment, the other customers in the grain store all looked over. Everyone knew that the shopkeeper had a lousy attitude. Happy to see him make a fool of himself, they jeered at the side, ¡°I think the youngdy has enough money. Perhaps you should weigh the grains first before counting the money?¡± ¡°Then you have to count properly. There¡¯s almost two bunches of money on this counter, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Why don¡¯t we be witnesses?¡± ¡°Forget it. You only know how to count to 300. Do you know how to count above 300?¡± The shopkeeper looked at Mu Yangling with a dark expression and said, ¡°One catty of millet costs 16 copper coins. Assistant, go weigh it for her.¡± Mu Yangling raised her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I want to buy 120 catties. That¡¯s a total of 1,920 copper coins. Shopkeeper, count.¡± The shopkeeper was so angry that his nose almost crooked. There were only two assistant shopkeepers in the shop. One of the three of them had to do the counting, and it would take at least half an hour. Most importantly, the two assistant shopkeepers in the shop could only count to 900 at most. If the amount was any higher, they would be confused. However, he had other customers in the shop. How much time would this waste? In addition, if he felt ill at ease, he might make a mistake. Once he made a mistake, he would have to start over. It was a simple method for Mu Yangling to find trouble with him, but it was damn useful. Pleased to see him so furious that his nose was crooked, Mu Yangling snorted and stood at the side to watch. The others in the shop also came up to join in the fun. Laughing, they said, ¡°Shopkeeper, start counting! We¡¯re not in a hurry.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯re not in a hurry at all.¡± On the other side, someone whispered as he counted on his fingers, ¡°Is 120 catties millet 1,920 copper coins? This youngdy is too fast at calcting. Was that right?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at who this is? The youngdy of the Mu family has been selling rabbits in the market with her father since she was six years old. Her arithmetic is fast and urate. There¡¯s no mistake. It all depends on the shopkeeper counting the copper coins now.¡± ¡°The shopkeeper had iting. He actually managed to anger the good-tempered youngdy of the Mu family.¡± ¡°Geez, lower your voice. This grain store belongs to the Liu family.¡± There were more and more discussions in the shop, and more and more people gathered around. The shopkeeper had no choice but to count now. He also knew that he had been a little irritable recently. After taking a deep breath, he nced coldly at Mu Yangling before starting to count. Only then did Mu Yangling snort and turn her head away. She naturally knew how much money she had taken out. Not afraid that the shopkeeper would y tricks in front of everyone, she simply leaned against the counter and watched. Shen San stood behind everyone as he listened to their discussion. He looked at the child in the crowd in surprise and smiled. After he finished counting once, the shopkeeper said, ¡°There¡¯s a total of 1,800 copper coins. You¡¯re still short of 120 copper coins.¡± Mu Yangling took out two more strings of money from her money bag and looked at the shopkeeper with a faint smile. ¡°Do you still want me to scatter it for you to count?¡± The shopkeeper took a deep breath before replying with a straight face, ¡°Youngdy, you must be joking. Since you must have counted your money before stringing them up, there¡¯s certainly no need to count anymore.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling snort coldly as she threw a string of money at him. She then counted out another 20 copper coins and tossed it to him. Stepping forward, she picked up the bag of millet, weighed it in her hand, and looked at the assistant shopkeeper. The assistant shopkeeper hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, youngdy. The grains in our shop are all properly weighed.¡± ¡°Of course I know that the grains in your shop are properly weighed, but you have to tie the bag for me. How can I carry it back like this?¡± When the assistant shopkeeper heard this, he realized his folly and quickly turned around to get a rope to tie the bag for her. Only then did Mu Yangling carry the bag of grains and stride away. The people in town were already used to it, so they were not surprised to see Mu Yangling carrying something taller and heavier than her. However, Shen San and the others widened their eyes. Holding the fan in his hand, Shen San turned to his subordinate. ¡°I only heard that the people at the border are valiant, but I didn¡¯t know that a child could be so capable.¡± The subordinate coughed lightly and said, ¡°Third Young Master, that should be an exception.¡± If everyone at the border was so capable, would the Hus still be able to upy half of their territory? Only then did Shen San feel better. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see how the acquisition of grains is going. If it¡¯s fine, let¡¯s retreat. After eating the meat, we have to leave some soup behind. Otherwise, Qi Xiuyuan will be in trouble.¡± Chapter 49: Begging Chapter 49: Begging Editor: As Studios Shen San was the third son of the Shen family in Huizhou. The Shen family of Huizhou was the number one imperial merchant in the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as inws of General Yuan¡¯s family. It was also because of the Shen family¡¯s support that the Yuan family army was able to defend the border while the imperial court was in arrears. The military officials had always been on good terms with the Shen family, and Qi Xiuyuan was no exception. With the Zhang family as the leader, the squires worked together to lower the grain grains, but raised the price of rice. As Qi Xiuyuan was not a civil servant, he could not manage the government affairs of Xingzhou Prefecture. However, they had offended him by targeting military rations, so Qi Xiuyuan naturally did not stand on ceremony. Coincidentally, because there was a drought in Tongchuan, they couldn¡¯t buy grains even if they wanted to. The Shen family was very willing to y the good guy while earning a sum of money, so Qi Xiuyuan took out his military sry to buy grains while sending a letter to Shen San, who happened to be in the Jiangling Prefecture. The Shen family aggressively acquired grains in Xingyuan Prefecture atst year¡¯s price, undoubtedly causing the Zhang family¡¯s n to fail. Now, they had no choice but to take a step back and increase their purchase price of the grains and lower the selling price of rice. When Shen San arrived at the general¡¯s residence in Xingzhou, Qi Xiuyuan was chasing after Qi Haoran with a stick. ¡°Stop right there. If you dare to run again, you¡¯re not allowed to eat at night.¡± Qi Haoran ran even faster, driving Qi Xiuyuan crazy. ¡°I spent so much effort to buy this book, and you tore it up!¡± Qi Haoran felt aggrieved. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I identally did it when I fought with them.¡± Fan Zijin, who hade running after him, almost held his forehead. He quickly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Cousin, everyone was just fooling around. Haoran tore the book by ident.¡± Qi Xiuyuan flew into a rage. ¡°You¡¯re actually fighting outside?! Tell me, how many more things are you hiding from me? Qi Haoran,e over here and let me beat you ten times . Otherwise, I¡¯ll forbid you to eat for two days.¡± Qi Haoran was hesitating between the nk and the meal when he saw Fan Zijin signaling him to run. He quickly retracted his outstretched foot and turned to run. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s angry roar came from behind, making Qi Haoran run even faster. ring at Fan Zijin with red eyes, Qi Xiuyuan reached out to twist his ear. ¡°Did you shoot him a look?¡± ¡°No, Cousin, I¡¯ve always been by your side. How would I have the guts?¡± Fan Zijin begged for mercy. ¡°Cousin, we really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. You know that Haoran is straightforward. Those people beat around the bush, mocking you for being a martial artist, so we naturally couldn¡¯t take it lying down. Being highly skilled in martial arts, he couldn¡¯t hold back his strength. But really, we only pushed them gently. Who knew that those people couldn¡¯t even withstand a light push?¡± Qi Xiuyuan snorted. ¡°What else can those beetles do other than bullying themoners? I originally sent you to the academy to let you interact more with the outside world. Since you¡¯re unhappy, I¡¯ll hire a teacher to teach you at home. That way, you don¡¯t have to pay heed to those people¡¯s words.¡± d not to see those annoying people, Fan Zijin replied happily and looked at Qi Xiuyuan carefully. ¡°Cousin, in that case can Haoran¡¯s punishment be canceled¡­¡± ¡°Canceled my ass.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said angrily, ¡°If he has the ability, don¡¯te back. If hees back, I¡¯ll starve him for a day first. Does he think that those books are so easy to buy? I don¡¯t care if it was him or someone else who tore them. I only know that those books were torn under his care. Hmph!¡± As Qi Xiuyuan turned around angrily and left, he met Shen San standing in the corridor with a smile. Qi Xiuyuan restrained the anger on his face and cupped his fists. ¡°Third Young Master, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already started to wrap up my business. I¡¯ll be leaving Xingyuan Prefecture in a few days, so I came over today to inform General.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll hold a banquet to celebrate for Third Young Master. Coincidentally, I just obtained a jar of 50-year-old Green Bamboo Leaf Liquor not long ago.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m in luck¡­¡± The two of them chatted as they walked. Naturally, they drank and chatted happily at night. Fan Zijin took the opportunity to sneak out and bring Qi Haoran back. The two of them secretly went to the kitchen to get some food before returning to their room to fill their stomachs. ¡°I want to beg Big Brother to let me train in the army,¡± Qi Haoran said as he nibbled on a drumstick. ¡°You¡¯re only 12 years old. Cousin won¡¯t agree.¡± While Qi Haoran was deep in thought, Fan Zijin reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get into trouble. I heard that the quartermaster of the West Camp was killed by Cousin, despite the fact that he¡¯s from the local squire¡¯s family, the He family. Even the magistrate was rmed by this matter. Don¡¯t provoke him.¡± Qi Haoran simply responded insincerely. At night, he sneaked into his brother¡¯s room, and seeing that his brother was not back yet, he could only sit cross-legged on the bed and wait. Qi Haoran fell asleep as he waited. When Qi Xiuyuan returned, he was already sprawled on the bed, unconscious. Qi Xiuyuan looked at his brother with a deep gaze before rubbing his forehead helplessly. He pushed him further into the bed and covered him with a thin nket. Then, he took off his shoes and climbed into bed. Qi Xiuyuan had justid down when Qi Haoran rolled over and hugged him. Qi Xiuyuan said calmly, ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°No.¡± Qi Haoran said in a muffled voice, ¡°Big Brother doesn¡¯t even dote on me anymore.¡± Qi Xiuyuan pped his back and kicked him away. Sitting up, he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t dote on you? I specially hired teachers to teach you. If you work harder, I won¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± Qi Haoran leaned over again. ¡°But I don¡¯t like to study. I want to train in the army.¡± Qi Xiuyuan frowned so hard that his face could squeeze a bug to death. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°The disciples of the Yuan family have to go to the battlefield at the age of 12.¡± Qi Xiuyuan sneered. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming. They im they go to the battlefield at that age, but they¡¯re just training in the army. Have you seen the Yuan family send children under 14 to the battlefield to kill the enemy? You¡¯re only 12 years old, but you¡¯re already thinking of training in the army.¡± Qi Haoran puffed out his chest and dered proudly, ¡°I¡¯m more skilled in martial arts skills and more familiar with military strategies than them. When I was in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, they were never my match when it came to arranging troops and formations. Even Yuan Wng admitted defeat.¡± The corners of Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s mouth twitched. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell his brother that the arrangement of troops on the chessboard was different from the arrangement of troops on the battlefield. However, Qi Haoran looked at his brother persistently. Qi Xiuyuan thought for a moment before saying, ¡°The disciples of the Yuan family all start as foot soldiers when they enter the military camp. You said you want to be like them? Then go to the camp every morning after you finish your studies with your teacher and start as a foot soldier.¡± Qi Haoran gritted his teeth. ¡°Why do you have to follow the Yuan family¡¯s rules? Since you¡¯re a general, why can¡¯t you just let me train the troops directly?¡± Qi Xiuyuan couldn¡¯t help but smack Qi Haoran on the head. This time, the smack was a little heavy, causing thetter¡¯s head to tilt to the side. Still not appeased, Qi Xiuyuan kicked him again before saying, ¡°How can one be a good general if he doesn¡¯t know how to be a good soldier? I started at the bottom too. If you want to manage the soldiers well, you have to know what they¡¯re thinking and doing. There¡¯s a lot to learn here. Put effort into learning. Also, don¡¯t fall behind on your teacher¡¯s homework. Otherwise, I won¡¯t allow you to go to the camp again no matter what.¡± Only then did Qi Haoran reluctantly agree. However, his heart was bursting with excitement. To him, it was fine as long as he could go to the camp. Chapter 50: Request Chapter 50: Request Editor: As Studios Seeing Mu Yangling return home with a bag of millet, Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°Why did you buy so much?¡± ¡°Since I have to buy it sooner orter, I¡¯ll feel at ease if I buy it earlier.¡± Mu Yangling put the things away. When she came out, she was stopped by Shu Wanniang. ¡°I made clothes for you guys. Come and see if they fit.¡± ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t Father forbid you from doing needlework? You¡¯re pregnant now. It¡¯s not good for your eyes.¡± Shu Wanniang only smiled and pulled her daughter over to try. ¡°Your brother has already tried it. Come and try yours too. I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anywhere that needs to be altered.¡± Mu Yangling obediently put on the clothes for Shu Wanniang to see. Shu Wanniang nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll help you tighten the sleeves a little.¡± At this point, she was a little disappointed. Looking at her daughter¡¯s handsome facial features, she said, ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯ll definitely look good in wide-sleeved clothes. But you¡¯re as mischievous as a monkey¡­¡± It was also because of this that Shu Wanniang always made narrow-sleeved clothes for Mu Yangling. ¡°Wide sleeves impede movement. When I enter the forest, they¡¯ll hook onto branches and rocks and cause the clothing to be ruined.¡± Mu Yangling took off her clothes for her mother before running to the kitchen to look for food. ¡°Mother, what are we eating for lunch?¡± ¡°Your aunt just sent over a sausage. I will fry it for you in a while. Now, go and find your brother first.¡± Mu Yangling agreed and ran to Goudan¡¯s house to look for her brother. In the afternoon, the siblings did not go anywhere. They just sat at home practicing calligraphy and studying. Mu Yangling also had to learn needlework. The two uncles of the Liu family only returned when the sun was about to set. There were still eight rabbits left from the twenty-odd rabbits they had brought out, but they were already very happy. After dividing the rabbits, they returned home. Since someone saw theming back with rabbits, when it was time to eat at night, everyone in the vige knew that Mu Yangling had brought her uncles into the mountains. It wasn¡¯t so bad for the others. Although they would say some jealous words, they were still rtives, and there was an unwritten agreement in the past. Besides, it was Mu Yangling who brought Liu Ting and the rest into the mountains, not Mu Shi. Hence, they merely felt jealous and that was it. However, Mu Yangling¡¯s third great-aunt, Madam Fang-Liu, was indignant. Immediately after finding out, she smashed the basin at home and said hatefully, ¡°Such tant favoritism. They even know to send things over to West Mountain Vige. Why aren¡¯t they taking care of their great-aunt from the same vige?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that? I¡¯ll go look for that little girl from the Mu family tomorrow and ask her to bring me and my younger brother into the mountains. You¡¯re her great-aunt. How dare she not listen to you?¡± Fang Zhuzi said. Madam Fang-Liu rolled her eyes and pped. ¡°Good son, you¡¯re the smartest. I¡¯ll look for her tomorrow morning. No matter what, I¡¯ll make sure she brings you guys into the mountain, too.¡± Madam Fang-Zhao nced at her mother-inw and whispered, ¡°I heard that Ah Ling was the one who brought up the matter of entering the mountain. Is it a good idea for us to go to her like this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Madam Fang-Liu scolded her. ¡°You may not care for our family, but can¡¯t you let me improve our family¡¯s life? Speaking of which, Madam Liu-Zhao is actually your older sister. Yet, I don¡¯t see her helping you much. To think she didn¡¯t even say anything about entering the mountains. Why do we have a daughter-inw like you¡­¡± Madam Fang-Zhao shrank her neck and did not dare to speak again. Madam Fang-Liu only stopped ranting when she got tired. The next morning, Mu Yangling checked the doors and windows before carrying her brother to her mother¡¯s room. She ced him on her bed and whispered, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve already closed the doors and windows. You guys can continue sleeping for a while more.¡± The pregnant Shu Wanniang was sleepy, so she responded in a daze and hugged her son slightly before falling asleep again. Little Bowen was even more soundly asleep and did not move throughout. Smiling, Mu Yangling took her bow and arrow, then carried the basket on her back and went out. At this moment, there was already light in the sky, but the sun had yet to appear. There was not even morning light. Mu Yangling narrowed her eyes and looked over. She could only see someone walking towards her not far away. When they got closer, she realized that something was wrong. It was not four people, but seven. Mu Yangling frowned. As Liu Ting approached, he said awkwardly, ¡°Ah Ling, we met Aunt on the way¡­¡± ¡°Ah Ling, since you¡¯re bringing your uncles into the mountains, bring your other two uncles too.¡± Madam Fang-Liu interrupted Liu Ting and took a step forward. ¡°Your two great-uncles aren¡¯t doing so well, as am I. I know you¡¯re a kind child. Since you¡¯re bringing them in anyway, why don¡¯t you bring two more people? I¡¯ll cook delicious food for youter.¡± Mu Yangling snorted coldly and took a step back, before rejecting her tly. ¡°I¡¯ll only bring my four uncles. I can¡¯t afford to bring my other two uncles along. Third Great-aunt, it¡¯s better for you to leave.¡± With that said, she said to Liu Ting andpany, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Madam Fang-Liu¡¯s expression was ugly. She couldn¡¯t help but question loudly, ¡°How can you speak to your elders like this? It¡¯s no trouble at all, isn¡¯t it? Since you¡¯re bringing your four uncles, why can¡¯t you bring two more uncles?¡± Fang Zhuzi and Fang Genzi also stared at Mu Yangling viciously with obvious displeasure. Liu Ting frowned, annoyance evident on his face. He could not help but step forward to stand in front of Mu Yangling. ¡°Aunt, are you asking the Mu family to bring you into the mountains?¡± Madam Fang-Liu was stunned for a moment before jumping up. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. When did I say that?¡± ¡°Then why are you being so aggressive now? Ah Ling was the one who offered to let us follow her into the mountains. And now, she just said she doesn¡¯t want to bring you guys along.¡± Liu Ting looked straight at Madam Fang-Liu. ¡°Aunt, if you continue to ask, I can only invite my father over.¡± Madam Fang-Liu¡¯s face was ashen. The people from Nearhill Vige were forbidden from asking the Mu family to bring them into the mountains. If they insisted on doing so, they had to pay a remuneration that was more than 30% of the proceeds. This was the established rule in the vige. Mu Yangling pushed Liu Ting away and faced Madam Fang-Liu. ¡°I don¡¯t know what agreement Nearhill Vige has with the Mu family. I don¡¯t want to bring you along simply because I don¡¯t like you.¡± Liu Xuan stomped his feet and shouted, ¡°Ah Ling, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± The four uncles felt that Mu Yangling was too straightforward. Even Mu Shi had never been so honest. However, Mu Yangling snorted and continued, ¡°Your Fang family has been bullying me since I was young. You even bullied my mother from time to time, Third Great-aunt. I¡¯d have to be out of my mind to bring you guys into the mountains. Moreover, those two uncles aren¡¯t obedient people. If anything happens to them in the forest, you¡¯ll tear me apart. Therefore, I can bring anyone into the mountains but not you people.¡± As she spoke, she turned around and was about to leave when she saw Madam Fang-Liu ring at her with hatred. Mu Yangling thought for a moment before saying, ¡°If you dare to bully my mother and younger brother when my father and I aren¡¯t around, I¡¯ll dare to smash your house when Ie back. If you don¡¯t believe it, try me.¡± With a slight frown, Liu Ting said, ¡°Aunt,?Rocky1?treasures his wife very much. He¡¯ll be home by noon today.¡± Madam Fang-Liu¡¯s chest was heaving up and down rapidly. She pointed at her nephews and said hatefully, ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯re bullying us orphans and widow, right? I¡¯ll go to the vige chief andin about you.¡± As she spoke, she turned around and left in a hurry with her sons. Liu Yuan frowned. ¡°Cousin, are they really going to look for the vige chief?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if they do look for the vige chief, we¡¯ll have no problem defending ourselves. Let¡¯s go. The morning sun is already out.¡± Liu Ting took the lead to follow Mu Yangling, but he sighed inwardly. He knew that this could very well be one of thest times they entered the mountain like this. Even if Ah Ling took the initiative to bring them into the mountain, it was too eye-catching and triggered jealousy in too many people. For the sake of peace in the vige, their father would probably not agree to let them follow Ah Ling into the mountain again. This, too, urred to Mu Yangling, making her feel frustrated. Chapter 51: Angry Chapter 51: Angry Editor: As Studios Because of that minor episode with Madam Fang-Liu, the few of them were not in a good mood. However, when they arrived at the ce where the traps were set up and saw that most of the traps had been destroyed and there were injured rabbits lying inside, a smile appeared on their faces. Liu Ting carefully untied the ropes, took out the rabbits, tied them up, and ced them in the basket on his back. He reassured Mu Yangling, ¡°Ah Ling, don¡¯t worry. With your great-uncle and the rest in the vige, your mother and brother won¡¯t be bullied.¡± Since Madam Fang-Liu was his aunt after all, Liu Ting couldn¡¯t be too straightforward. However, Mu Yangling said, ¡°If she¡¯s not afraid that my father will tear down her house, she can go ahead and bully them. Hmph.¡± One had to know that her father doted on her mother very much. Even if it was her great-uncle, who Mu Shi had a lot of respect for, who bullied her mother, her father would still tear down the Liu family. Much less this third great-aunt who often bullied them. Mu Yangling knew just how much her father doted on his wife. Liu Xuan also chimed in, ¡°Auntie bullies the weak and fears the strong. When Rockyes back at noon, I think she won¡¯t even dare to show her face.¡± Liu Yuan punched him and red at him. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? That¡¯s your aunt. Hurry up and pick up all the prey in the trap before restoring the trap. We still have to go elsewhere to set up the trap.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips and smiled. When the few of them left the mountain, they were stopped by Liu Lang, who was waiting at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Father, Grandpa told you to go home first and not go to town when you¡¯re back.¡± Mu Yangling snorted and stopped in her tracks. ¡°Let¡¯s split the prey first. Since I still have to deliver goods to town, I won¡¯t be going to Great-uncle¡¯s ce.¡± Since this matter had happened because of them, Liu Ting did not want Mu Yangling, a child, to go back with them either, lest others say unpleasant things about her. Putting down the basket on his back, he said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll split the prey here.¡± Mu Yangling packed arge basket and thought for a moment. Then, she took out two seriously injured rabbits and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take these. Uncles, split the rest.¡± Then, she waved at the envious Liu Lang and went straight to town without returning home. Liu Ting sighed and said to his three brothers, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to follow Ah Ling into the mountain tomorrow.¡± Liu Yuan felt that his breath was stuck in his chest. ¡°Without Ah Ling to lead us, what if we encounter wild boars and jackals when we enter the mountain? Moreover, if we go deeper into the dense forest, we won¡¯t even know the way¡­¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and take a look first.¡± Liu Ting stood up with the basket on his back, then held his son¡¯s hand and left. Liu Langined in a low voice, ¡°Father, Third Great-aunt came to look for Grandpa and used our family of being unjust, secretly taking advantage of the Mu family while excluding them. Grandma red up and quarreled with her, so Third Great-aunt ran out to look for the vige chief to ask the elders to judge.¡± Liu Ting and his brothers looked at each other with ugly expressions. When they returned to the Liu residence, the courtyard was noisy. There were more than ten heads of households sitting inside, while some children were running around. Madam Fang-Liu was sitting on a small stool wiping her tears andining, while Eldest Great-aunt Liu red at her sister-inw furiously. When everyone saw that only the four Liu brothers had returned, they couldn¡¯t help but frown. The vige chief, Liu He, asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the youngdy of the Mu Family?¡± Liu Ting lowered his eyes and bowed. ¡°Ah Ling went to town to deliver the prey. Why are you looking for her, Vige Chief?¡± Liu He took a puff of his cigarette and thought for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Madam Fang-Liu jumped up. ¡°How can it be nothing? Aren¡¯t we going to find Ah Ling and ask her to bring our kids into the mountains?¡± Liu He snorted coldly. ¡°When did I say that? Madam Fang-Liu, don¡¯t misunderstand our intentions.¡± He looked at Madam Fang-Liu and said, ¡°I think you¡¯ve forgotten the rules of our Nearhill Vige.¡± Madam Fang-Liu¡¯s face turned pale. Liu He said, ¡°Out of the 68 families in Nearhill Vige, 67 of them are indebted to the Mu family. Back then, Rocky was kind enough to bring the younger generation into the mountains to find food. The younger generation was insensible and didn¡¯t leave a way out for him. From then on, we made a three-point agreement. Regardless of the surname, no one in Nearhill Vige is allowed to take advantage of the Mu family. It¡¯s only been a few years since that incident. How dare you ask Ah Ling to bring your two sons into the mountains? Madam Fang-Liu, have you forgotten the rules because life has been too easy these past few years?¡± Liu He¡¯s words were a little harsh. He nced sternly at the ten-odd heads of households sitting below and snorted. ¡°It¡¯s good that Ah Ling didn¡¯te. After all, since it¡¯s our side that broke the rules, it has nothing to do with the Mu family. From today onwards, if anyone dares to make such a request to the Mu family again, don¡¯t me us elders for being ruthless.¡± ¡°This started with Daqian¡¯s family, right?¡± Someone shouted. ¡°If Liu Ting and the others hadn¡¯t followed the Mu family¡¯s youngdy into the mountains, how could so much trouble have happened?¡± Frowning, Liu He looked at Liu Daqian. Liu Daqian said, ¡°They won¡¯t follow Ah Ling into the mountain tomorrow.¡± ¡°Uncle,¡± Liu Xuan called out indignantly, ¡°Ah Ling was the one who wanted to bring us into the mountain. She saw that the children were living a hard life, so she brought us in just to give the children a good meal.¡± ¡°I know about that, but I don¡¯t believe she did it for the children.¡± Someone shouted, ¡°Previously, Ah Ling would treat the children to barbequed meat in the cave, but ever since she started bringing you into the mountain, I haven¡¯t seen you people feed any meat to the children.¡± Liu Xuan retorted angrily, ¡°How do you know that we don¡¯t feed the children? Ah Ling just fed them. Didn¡¯t we juste down from the mountain today?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, stop arguing.¡± Liu Daqian said, ¡°Ah Ling is kind enough to give the children a little treat. It¡¯s her business whether she does it or not. In any case, you¡¯re not allowed to follow Ah Ling into the mountains anymore. It¡¯s settled. Put down the things in the basket and pack them up for the children in the vige to try.¡± In spite of his reddened eyes, Liu Xuan ced the things on the ground, not daring to disobey his uncle. It wasn¡¯t that Liu Daqian couldn¡¯t think of a way to distribute the prey, but this way, it was inevitable that they would have to trouble the Mu family, and that was thest thing they wanted. If they implicated Ah Ling, it would be contrary to their original intention. The atmosphere in the courtyard was a little gloomy. Madam Fang-Liu muttered, ¡± Since Ah Ling is so capable, what¡¯s wrong with bringing us along?¡± Under Liu Daqian¡¯s cold re, Madam Fang-Liu shivered and lowered her head. Liu Daqian opened his mouth slightly but ultimately did not say anything overboard. Yet, he was bitterly disappointed in this younger sister of his. Madam Fang-Liu was even more vexed. She had blown up the matter to force Mu Yangling to bring her two sons into the mountains so that the family could have some ie. Who knew that she would end up worse off? Not only did her n not seed, but now, even her nephews could not enter the mountains anymore. In that case, wouldn¡¯t Liu Ting and his brothers resent her deeply? Madam Fang-Liu felt that she was about to catch fire under the fiery gazes from her two sisters-inw. Ignoring his sister, Liu Daqian said to his son, ¡°Sort out the prey and treat your elders to the meat.¡± ¡°Forget it, these things were painstakingly obtained by the brothers. Keep them for Liu Lang and the children to eat.¡± With that, Liu He stood up and was about to leave. Liu Daqian quickly pressed him down and said with a cold expression, ¡°Brother, do you despise my family¡¯s food? Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Liu He could only stay, and the others could only follow suit. Gritting his teeth, Liu Ting pulled his son over. ¡°Go, call all the children in the vige over. I¡¯ll set up two separate tables for youter.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao pulled him back and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Not to mention these meat and vegetables, we¡¯re already going to use up so much rice. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Mother will beat you up tonight?¡± However, Liu Ting said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that if we don¡¯t follow Ah Ling into the mountains, the children will have meat to eat? And the converse? I deliberately want them to watch the children eat meat. When you enter the kitchenter, stir-fry two pots of vegetables for them and cook all the prey we caught today for the children to eat.¡± Chapter 52: Introspection Chapter 52: Introspection Editor: As Studios Madam Liu-Zhao stared at her husband in shock. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Wasn¡¯t this akin to cutting off one¡¯s own nose to spite one¡¯s face? Wouldn¡¯t they be the ones to suffer in the end? Yet, Liu Ting insisted on doing so. He got Liu Lang to call all the children below the age of 15 in the vige over. This way, there would be a lot of children. With there being more than 50 of them in the vige, two tables were simply not enough. However, Liu Ting said, ¡°When the timees, let the children stand. Put the dishes on the table and let them snatch them themselves. Anyway, there¡¯s a lot of meat today. There¡¯s no need to worry about them not being able to snatch any.¡± Looking at her stubborn husband, Madam Liu-Zhao stomped her feet. ¡°In the past, you even said that Liu Zhuang was mischievous. I think you¡¯re even more so than him.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao hesitated for a moment. In the end, she did not tell her father-inw and mother-inw. If her husband wanted to vent his frustration, so be it. It was better than holding that anger in his heart. Madam Liu-Zhaoforted herself as she went into the kitchen to cook. Seeing that her sister-inw had cut all the meat, Madam Liu-Zhang couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Sister-inw, there are only two tables of people. One rabbit is enough. Why did you cut all of them?¡± ¡°This is your brother¡¯s idea. We just have to obey.¡± While Madam Liu-Zhao cooked in the kitchen, Liu Lang brought his brothers and sisters to set up the tables. He ran out and said to hispanions, who were gradually surrounding them, ¡°All of you, go home and get the cutlery. We don¡¯t have much rice at home, but there¡¯s certainly enough meat. Anyone below the age of 15 who can eat meat maye over. Liu Shui, remember to call your three sisters over, do you hear me? And you, bring your brother over too. Since he¡¯s already three years old, he knows not to swallow the bones, right¡­¡± There were more than 50 children. The older ones carried the younger ones, and the younger ones held the older ones¡¯ hands; boys in one group, girls in another. Soon, they filled the Liu family¡¯s courtyard. Shocked, Eldest Great-aunt Liu pulled Liu Lang over and asked, ¡°Why did you bring them here?¡± ¡°Father said to treat them to a meal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s no way to do it.¡± When Mu Yangling treated children below the age of ten to meat, those children went voluntarily. Since some children were thin-skinned and did not dare to go, only about ten to 20 of them showed up each time. Now, her grandson had invited all the children in the vige over. Considering their appetite was not inferior to an adult¡¯s, and there being so many of them, Eldest Great-aunt Liu wondered if they were going to go broke feeding them. Liu Ting led his younger brothers to set up two tables in the central room and personally went to the kitchen to serve the dishes. There were six dishes on the table, all vegetarian. Food was also served to the children¡¯s tables outside. There were five pots of dishes on each table. Other than one pot of vegetables, the rest were all meat dishes. As soon as the dishes were served, the courtyard was filled with the sound of children swallowing their saliva, but no one dared to make the first move. Knowing what his eldest cousin was up to, Liu Xuan strode over and pped. ¡°Eat as much as you can today. There¡¯s enough meat, but take care of the younger ones when you eat. Do you hear me?!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone roared. Liu Xuan waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, everyone, eat.¡± With Liu Xuan¡¯s order, the children rushed forward and aimed straight at the meat and vegetables. Those with younger siblings had to take care of them after stuffing their own mouths. For a moment, the courtyard was extremely lively. The adults in the central room looked at the vegetables on the table then looked at each other. In the end, Liu He picked up his chopsticks before saying calmly, ¡°Eat.¡± Seeing this, the others picked up their chopsticks. However, the fragrance of meat kept wafting in from outside and the children kept cheering. The few of them felt like they were chewing wax throughout the entire meal. Liu Ting was too ruthless. The people of the same generation as Liu Daqian secretly red at him. Liu Daqian ate without any change in expression while pretending not to notice their gazes. Seeing their aggrieved expressions, Liu Ting¡¯s anger dissipated a little. In the kitchen, Madam Fang-Liu looked at the solely vegetarian dishes on the adult¡¯s table and then at the meat dishes on the table outside. She felt as if her heart was on fire. Second Great-aunt?Liu1?snorted and said slowly, ¡°Ting¡¯er is so kind to leave all the meat dishes to the children, leaving only vegetarian dishes in the central room. Sister-inw taught him well.¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu nced at Madam Fang-Liu and lowered her eyes. ¡°How can we old farts have the cheek to snatch this bit of food from the pitiful children when they haven¡¯t eaten a good meal all year round?¡± Madam Fang-Liu had originally wanted to take a step out, but suddenly she could not. Although she was thick-skinned, she was not?that?thick-skinned. Today, she had really gone for wool and came home shorn. Fortunately, her grandchildren were also inside. Otherwise, it would have been an even greater loss. When Mu Yangling came over holding her brother¡¯s hand, the ferocious scene of the children snatching food made her widen her eyes. Little Bowen¡¯s mouth also fell open. The Mu family had nevercked meat, so they had never seen such a brutal scene. However, after Mu Yangling¡¯s shock subsided, it was reced by heartache. She could not help but tighten her grip on her brother¡¯s hand. She had never lived such a bitter life. The worst hardship she had suffered was being unable to afford to eat medium-grade rice and having to make do with low-grade rice, due to not having spare money. That said, their family had nevercked meat. Even when the mountains were sealed, they dared to sneak into the mountains to hunt one or two rabbits and pheasants to fill their stomachs. Therefore, she could not imagine only eating meat on Chinese New Year every year. That was why her heart ached for those children. s, her ability was limited. Best she could do was help the children under the age of ten every now and then. Even so, only a portion of them were willing to shamelessly run to the cave to ept the treat. So, was that really the best she could do? Guilt caused Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes to sting. She recalled what her mentor had asked them in the military academy. ¡°How much do you think you have to do to be deserving of this military uniform?¡± The students replied in unison, ¡°Protect the country!¡± Laughing, the instructor said, ¡°This is your responsibility in the first ce.¡± He looked at them solemnly and continued in a serious tone, ¡°Do your best to help the people you encounter who need help. Live up to your conscience, and therefore, your military uniforms.¡± At this moment, Mu Yangling asked herself, ¡°Did you do your best? Is your conscience clear?¡± After nine years of living as a child, she had already treated herself as a child. But, was she really a child? She had worn a military uniform for six years. Could it be that her ideals had disappeared just because she had reincarnated? Then why did she still possess memories, knowledge, and abilities from her previous life? Mu Yangling was extremely ashamed. Little Bowen felt that his sister¡¯s grip on his hand was a little painful, so he looked at her with tears in his eyes and whispered, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re holding on too tightly.¡± Immersed in self-reflection, Mu Yangling did not hear him. It was Liu Lang who turned around and saw Mu Yangling. He scooped out a bowl of meat and shouted, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re here.¡± His voice exploded in Mu Yangling¡¯s ears. Only then did Mu Yanglinge back to her senses. She quickly let go of her brother¡¯s hand, before grabbing his fair hand again to blow upon it. ¡°Does it hurt? Let me blow on it for you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Sister, what were you thinking about? Why didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Mu Yangling stroked his head. ¡°I was thinking about something important.¡± Liu Lang handed the bowl to them and said, ¡°Do you want to eat? I¡¯ll snatch some food for you.¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°You guys eat. We¡¯re not eating.¡± She looked around the courtyard and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s in the central room?¡± ¡°The elders are all here.¡± Liu Lang said unhappily, ¡°They¡¯re probably still eating.¡± He also knew that his father and second uncle were no longer allowed to follow his cousin into the mountains in the future. Mu Yangling looked at him. ¡°Are you full?¡± Liu Lang thought about it before replying, ¡°There¡¯s room for a bit more.¡± ¡°Stop eating. Help me look after Bowen for a while. I need to look for Great-uncle and the others.¡± Mu Yangling handed Bowen to him. ¡°Do keep an eye on him. There are too many people here.¡± Although most of the children were on friendly terms with Little Bowen, there were also people who didn¡¯t like him and bullied him. And now, all the children in the vige were here. Chapter 53: Idea Chapter 53: Idea Editor: As Studios Those in the central room had already put down their chopsticks. However, the children were still eating outside, so it was not appropriate for them to go out immediately. Thus, everyone could only chat. Since the autumn harvest had just ended, everyone was talking about this year¡¯s harvest and next year¡¯s sowing. The moment Mu Yangling entered, Liu He and Liu Daqian, who were facing the door, saw her. Liu He waved at her with a smile. ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯re here? Come here.¡± Mu Yangling smiled and walked over. She bowed. ¡°Hello, Uncles.¡± Liu Heughed loudly. ¡°Child, you¡¯re still so polite. You¡¯re back from town? Where¡¯s your father? Is he back from the county?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s back at home. I came over with my brother to y.¡± Liu He knew that Mu Shi did not care about this matter at all and only let his daughter handle it. Despite being aware that Mu Shi doted on his daughter, he had not expected him to indulge Mu Yangling so much. Liu He heaved a sigh of relief and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°Good child, I know you have good intentions in bringing your uncles into the mountains. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re farmers, and our most important job is to farm, so they won¡¯t follow you into the mountains anymore. They¡¯ll work in the fields at home.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re worried that the others in the vige will alsoe to us. I indeed have to thank Great-uncle for being so thoughtful. I didn¡¯t consider this matter thoroughly previously. However, I want to continue bringing them into the mountains.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Recently, there have been more and more rabbits in the mountains, and the situation is only worsening. In the past, after I finished hunting in the west, I had to go to the east the next day and slowly move east. I could only return to hunt in the same ce after two months. This way, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the prey decreasing too drastically in one ce due to over-hunting. However, in the past half a month, I¡¯ve been hunting in the west and almost never had to shift. Every day, I can emerge from the mountain with a basket of rabbits.¡± Liu He and Liu Daqian looked at each other before saying solemnly, ¡°Are you saying that there are too many rabbits in the mountains?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°It¡¯s about to be a disaster. If we don¡¯t catch more in the autumn, I¡¯m afraid it will harm the crops nted in the vige after winter.¡± They had never seen rabbits in the mountains harm the crops in the fields, but Liu He had heard that those rabbits could even dig out the roots to eat when they got hungry. They were only more harmful than field mice. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought my four uncles into the mountain. Since the others in the vige have objections, why don¡¯t Great-uncle divide the 47 households into five teams and send a team to follow me into the mountain each day? The people in the team that hunted the prey can split it equally. However, I have a request.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the central room fell silent. Liu Daqian looked at Mu Yangling anxiously, but the others gazed at her with bright eyes. Liu He sat up straight. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I brought them into the mountains because my heart aches for those children. Moreover, everyone knows that my family relies on hunting for a living, so you¡¯re not allowed to sell the prey in the town and Mingshui County. You can only keep it for your own consumption. If you want to sell it, you have to do it outside of Seven Mile Vige and Mingshui County.¡± Liu He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re still a child, you have to tell your father about this¡­¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°I can make the decision on this matter. Don¡¯t worry, Great-uncle.¡± Liu Daqian interrupted, ¡°Then we can¡¯t take advantage of you for nothing. Child, how about we give you half of the prey that we catch on the mountain?¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, there is only so much prey that I can sell in the town and the county. Even if there¡¯s more, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sell it. Besides, my mother is pregnant now, and the smell of smoking the meat into jerky bothers her.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Why not each family give me the skin of half of the rabbits caught each day? How about that?¡± She didn¡¯t want the rabbit meat, but the rabbit skin could be sold. When the time came, she would make leather clothes, gloves, and hats to warm them up during the cold winter. Liu He and the others naturally agreed to such a small request. Mu Yangling stood up and said, ¡°Take out Uncle Ting and Uncle Yuan. This way, there will be 45 households with nine people in each team. The two of them will follow each team every time, and the vigers will listen to their arrangements. I¡¯m only in charge of bringing them in and teaching them how to set up traps and hunt. I¡¯ll leave it to my two uncles to manage the teams.¡± That meant that Liu Ting and Liu Yuan could follow the teams every time and get prey every time. Everyone knew that she was taking care of her two great-uncles, so everyone had no objections and nodded in agreement. Mu Yangling continued, ¡°Since Widow Liu doesn¡¯t have any grown sons, for her family, her prey wille from my two uncles.¡± Considering the oldest male in Widow Liu was merely five years old, they could not very well let Widow Liu follow them into the mountains. Furthermore, the prey given to her family woulde from Liu Ting and Liu Yuan, so no one had any reason to object. This was a pleasant surprise to everyone present. Even though Liu Ting had pranked them, it did not affect their good mood. Everyone looked at Mu Yangling in relief and felt that she was indeed a member of the Mu family. What a kind-hearted girl! Seeing that they had concluded the matter, Mu Yangling stood up and said, ¡°Then Uncle, do make the arrangements. We¡¯ll enter the mountain the day after tomorrow.¡± She paused before acting nonchnt and saying, ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Eldest Great-aunt¡¯s mattering along? Will us entering the mountain dy her matter?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Liu He promised, ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll personally bring your Eldest Great-uncle to West Mountain Vige to visit your Eldest Great-aunt. I¡¯ll also go and greet the vige representative.¡± Liu Daqian¡¯s eyes lit up. Not only was Liu He the vige chief of Nearhill Vige, but he was also the patriarch of the Liu n. If they could get him involved, it would be of significant help. Moreover, with Liu He¡¯s stature, he could invite the vige representative, too. Delighted, the smile on Mu Yangling¡¯s face became even more sincere. ¡°Then wait for me at the foot of the mountain the day after tomorrow after you guys split up into teams. I¡¯ll go back and tell my father.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You can go back. I¡¯ll tally the numbers today and we¡¯ll be able to divide them into teams tomorrow. I¡¯ll get your two uncles to bring people over early in the morning.¡± Liu He personally stood up to send Mu Yangling out. Madam Fang-Liu listened in the kitchen for a while. When she saw Mu Yangling rushing out, she hurriedly ran over and said, ¡°Ah Ling, since you¡¯re singling out your two uncles, why don¡¯t you single out my son too? Let the three of them help you lead the teams.¡± Mu Yangling snorted in response and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like Uncle Zhuzi. Period.¡± Anyway, she was only a nine-year-old child. So what if she was willful and did as she pleased? Liu He also shouted, ¡°Madam Fang-Liu, there¡¯s no ce for you to speak. Get out.¡± Madam Fang-Liu¡¯s face turned red and she was about to retort when Mu Yangling said, ¡°My father is back and is waiting for me at home. If you¡¯re displeased, you cane to my house to talk to my father.¡± How would Madam Fang-Liu dare? She could only suppress her temper and watch as Mu Yangling pulled Little Bowen away. Little Bowen skipped forward as he said, ¡°Sister, Father said that he will send me to school at the beginning of spring.¡± ¡°Shall I get up every morning and piggyback you there?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Little Bowen said arrogantly, ¡°I can walk on my own.¡± Mu Yangling stroked his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to school next year, so you have to learn a few more words. That way, when you go to school, no one will surpass you.¡± Little Bowen immediately dered proudly, ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll definitely get first ce.¡± When Mu Yangling returned home with her brother¡¯s hand in hers, Mu Shi was sitting in the courtyard waiting for her. ¡°You¡¯re back? Come over and tell Father what trouble you got into this time?¡± Mu Yangling squatted in front of her father. Little Bowen followed suit and propped up his chin as he squatted beside his sister. Looking at the two kids in front of him, the anger in Mu Shi¡¯s heart suddenly dissipated. Chapter 54: Past Chapter 54: Past Editor: As Studios It was not that he was not angry with his daughter for making the decision on her own. Still, his anger simply dissipated as he looked at his daughter¡¯s watery eyes and his innocent and carefree son. However, Mu Yangling was very curious. ¡°Father, what agreement does our Mu family have with the vige?¡± Mu Shi nced at his swaying son and pointed at the small stool. ¡°Move it over and sit down.¡± Mu Yangling ran over to bring two stools over, then sat in front of Mu Shi with her brother. Mu Shi said with a hint of mncholy, ¡°I originally wanted to tell you when you grow up, lest you develop resentment in your hearts and grow crooked. But from the looks of it, you¡¯re indeed the descendants of my Mu family. You¡¯re kind-hearted and already know how to help others at such a young age.¡± Mu Yangling blushed at her father¡¯s shamelessness. Shu Wanniang, who was sitting at the door making clothes, burst outughing. Only the naive Little Bowen gazed at his father proudly. ¡°Be serious. Don¡¯t lead the children astray.¡± Shu Wanniang red at him. ¡°Since you¡¯re going to tell them, exin everything clearly so that the children won¡¯t have any doubts in the future.¡± Mu Shi knew that she was talking about his aunt, Madam Fang-Liu. His rtionship with his other rtives was alright, but he waspletely estranged with Madam Fang-Liu, to the point where they wouldn¡¯t even exchange New Year¡¯s gifts. Mu Shi stroked his son¡¯s head and said, ¡°This is going to be a long story. I need to start from your grandfather¡¯s time.¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter carefully as he said, ¡°Ah Ling, you bear a 70% resemnce to your grandfather. You can imagine how handsome your grandfather is, right?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Back then, when your grandfather settled down in Nearhill Vige, it caused a stir in the surrounding viges. Not to mention those girls of marriageable age, even those married young wives forgot how to walk when they saw your grandfather.¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter regretfully and said, ¡°Unfortunately, although your facial features look like your grandfather¡¯s, you didn¡¯t inherit your grandfather¡¯s skin color. You¡¯re easily tanned, while your grandfather¡¯s face was as fair as jade, even after being exposed to the wind and sun for years.¡± Speechless, Mu Yangling touched her face. She was only nine years old now. Although she was a little tanned, her skin was delicate and smooth, while her pores were invisible. She thought she looked beautiful when she gazed in the mirror every day. Little Bowen looked at his sister and then at his father. He asked, ¡°Father, you definitely don¡¯t look like Grandfather. Do you look like Grandmother?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s face darkened. ¡°¡­I look like my grandfather.¡± In short, Mu Yangling¡¯s grandfather, Mu Yan, was drop-dead gorgeous. The moment he arrived, he captured the hearts of thedies in Nearhill Vige and the surrounding viges. Among them were Mu Yangling¡¯s grandmother, Liu Erniang, and her third great-aunt, Liu Sanniang. In the end, Mu Yan proposed to Liu Erniang, which really pissed off Liu Sanniang. Fortunately, Mu Yan was not without ws. Although he was handsome, he had no parents or siblings, and thus could be said to be a lone orphan. Furthermore, he only had a straw hut at the foot of the mountain to live in, and did not even have a plot ofnd to divide up. In contrast, the Fang family that Liu Sanniangter married into could be considered a good family in the vige. Liu Sanniang could only keep hinting that she looked down on Mu Yan and Liu Erniang in this aspect. Although Liu Sanniang was jealous, she did not go overboard due to this feeling of superiority. Not long after, Mu Yan, whom she despised, bought arge plot ofnd at the foot of the mountain and splurged to build five tiled-roofed houses. In fact, the betrothal gift he gave was the most hefty ever in Nearhill Vige. That was when Liu Sanniang¡¯s jealousy turned into hatred. Further deepening those emotions was the fact that Liu Erniang led an enviable life after marriage. It was the Mu family¡¯s man¡¯s nature to dote on his wife, so Mu Yan did not let Liu Erniang work in the fields anymore. She just had to tend to the vegetable garden at home and do some housework. When Liu Sanniang was 25 years old, she already looked like she was 30 years old. On the other hand, Liu Erniang, who was a year older than her, looked like she was only in her early twenties. As the two sisters lived in the same vige day and night and saw each other every day, that kind of jealousy really gnawed at her heart. It was only when Mu Shi was born that she managed to turn the tables. When Mu Shi was first born, he didn¡¯t really look like the Hus. However, he grew too quickly. At the age of five, he already had long limbs like a seven-year-old child. By then, his eyes were beginning to show signs of his Hu lineage. The first to discover it, Liu Sanniang started spreading rumors in the vige. At first, she suspected that Liu Erniang was cheating on her husband because Mu Shi did not look like his parents. Mu Shi¡¯s father was, needless to say, a thing of beauty, and his mother was also a delicate and pretty woman. On the other hand, even though Mu Shi was handsome, he was too muscr. In addition, his facial features were deeper than children of the same age. Under Liu Sanniang¡¯s malicious intent, rumors instantly started spreading. Liu Erniang wanted to die, but Mu Yan understood that it was because his son looked too much like his father. At this moment, he could only calmly admit that he was half-Hu. As the Hu people and the Han people had always been at war, there had been many intermarriages in the past few years. Although the Liu family was angry at Mu Yan for hiding it previously, they let this matter go when they saw that he was sincere in admitting his mistake. However, Liu Sanniang was unwilling to let it go. First, she instigated the children in the vige to ostracize and beat up Mu Shi. Then, she ganged up with the women to shun Liu Erniang. As Mu Shi was highly skilled in martial arts, very few children in the vige could defeat him. Hence, it was the other children in the vige who were beaten up by him. The parents naturally had objections seeing this. It was fine if it was once or twice, but after many times, the people in Nearhill Vige came to think that Mu Shi was brutal by nature due to his Hu lineage, and was always bullying the children in the vige. Meanwhile, Mu Yan and Liu Erniang did not take the children¡¯s quarrels to heart. By the time they realized it, the Mu family had already been excluded by the entire Nearhill Vige. At that time, Mu Shi was merely seven years old. From then on, he no longer had any ymates. Most of the time, he followed his father into the mountains to hunt or squatted outside his house to y by himself. Liu Ting and his brothers came to y with him from time to time, but every time they returned, they would be ostracized by the children in the vige. Sensing that something was wrong, Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian secretly investigated. In the end, they found out that the culprit was their younger sister, Liu Sanniang. This resulted in internal strife within the Liu family, but they could only swallow this bitter fruit. Other than calling Mu Yan and his wife over and scolding Liu Sanniang and forbidding her from ndering the Mu family again, there was nothing else they could do. It was precisely because Liu Sanniang could tell that her maternal family was unwilling to blow things up that she did not restrain herself. Therefore, the rtionship between the Mu family and Nearhill Vige gradually became tense until the military disaster 15 years ago. In the winter 15 years ago, during the snow disaster in the north, a group of Hus secretly crossed the border to the south and plundered their way south. The Yuan family¡¯s army chased them all the way. Although they chased most of them out of the Great Zhou, there were still scattered soldiers who escaped. More than 40 of them escaped to Nearhill Vige. At that time, there were many young and strong men in the vige, but very few people dared to pick up weapons and resist. The 348 people in the 48 families in the vige were almost likembs waiting to be ughtered. In the end, it was Mu Yan who drew his bow and shot arrows, protecting the entire vige as they retreated into the mountains. Mu Shi was familiar with the forest and was assigned by Mu Yan to lead the way. Meanwhile, Mu Yan led the young men in the vige to resist at the back. In actuality though, Mu Yan was the one who did all the heavy lifting. The only other person who helped at all was Liu Erniang, who was shing haphazardly at the side with a big saber. By the time he was carried back, Mu Yan had been stabbed 17 times and was on hisst breath. He had killed 21 people all by himself. He only had time to take one look at his wife and child before closing his eyes. Overwhelmed with grief, the already-injured Liu Erniang breathed herst with her dead husband in her arms that very night. Having lost his parents overnight, Mu Shi suffered a huge blow. That was when he developed a bitter hatred for the cowardice and ipetence of the people from Nearhill Vige. Chapter 55: Working Together Chapter 55: Working Together Editor: As Studios Mu Shi felt that if they weren¡¯t so cowardly, his father wouldn¡¯t have taken on so many attacks, and his mother wouldn¡¯t have been forced to pick up her saber. Therefore, he hated them and despised them even more. Nevertheless, these people were all his mother¡¯s family and part of his n. So, Mu Shi still brought them out of the mountain. Nearhill Vige was burned down. Other than a few houses, everything else was burned down by the barbarians who had escaped. That event resulted in 33 deaths in Nearhill Vige, including his parents¡¯. Nearhill Vige was in a desperate situation. This was only resolved when Liu He brought Liu Daqian and the others to beg Mu Shi to bring the young men in the vige into the mountain. That way, they could at least find a little something to eat from Chef Mountain and survive this winter. Although Mu Shi did not like them, he still agreed. However, the people who were brought into the mountain did not know how to restrain themselves, refusing to let off even the cubs. As a hunter, Mu Shi believed in not overhunting, and would let go of the young ones and pregnant mothers caught. Moreover, instead of simply eating the prey themselves, the vigers even brought the prey to the town and county to sell. Because there was a lot of prey, the price was lowered. This undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the hunters of Mingshui County and Mu Shi. Therefore, after the new year, Mu Shi directly left. Liu He felt very guilty and forced the juniors to kneel in front of the Mu family¡¯s door, but Mu Shi ignored them. This was also one of the reasons why Mu Shi left Nearhill Vige and went into Chef Mountain back then. If not for this, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Shu Wanniang by chance. It was because he had saved Shu Wanniang, that he brought her back to Nearhill Vige. Feeling guilty, Liu He and the elders made the people of Nearhill Vige make an agreement involving Mu Shi. Unless there was a danger of the vige being destroyed, they were not allowed to disturb the Mu family. Also, the vigers of Nearhill Vige were not allowed to nder the Mu family outside, nor were they allowed to coerce the Mu family to bring them into the mountain or gain any benefits from them. In order to execute the agreement better, Liu He asked everyone not to have any dealings involving benefits with the Mu family. If there were no benefits, there would be no disputes. Therefore, even though he could clearly exchange meat for grains with the vigers here, Mu Shi always had to go to town to buy rice and noodles. As a result, although the people of Nearhill Vige were very greedy for meat, no one woulde to ask for or exchange for prey. They didn¡¯t even ept Mu Shi¡¯s prey during festive seasons. Now, Mu Shi still had a faint rtionship with the vigers and did not interact with them at all. Other than entering the mountains and the market every day, he would stay at home with his wife and children. The reason why the tension between the two sides had eased over the years was mostly because of Mu Yangling and Little Bowen. As the two children often went to the vige to y, they slowly became familiar with the vigers. However, this was only between the vigers and the two children. Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang rarely appeared in front of everyone. Tears welled up in Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes as she asked her father, ¡°Then do you still me them?¡± Mu Shi snorted. ¡°Not anymore.¡± However, Mu Yangling was not convinced. ¡°If you want to help those children, go ahead. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Mu Shi stroked her head and said sadly, ¡°Who asked our family to be so kind-hearted?¡± Mu Yangling: ¡°¡­¡± Little Bowen didn¡¯t understand most of it, but he understood thest sentence. He nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re all very kind.¡± ¡°Mother, look at them! Father has led Little Brother astray.¡± Shu Wanniang covered her mouth andughed. Although Mu Shi said that he didn¡¯t care, he still brought his daughter into the mountain to scout and mark out a safe area. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t go any deeper. I don¡¯t know if that ck bear and female tiger are still around. Be more vignt when you bring them into the mountain. Once there are any abnormalities, bring them out of the mountain immediately.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. Safety first. I¡¯ll definitely be careful.¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter in relief. ¡°You¡¯ve already grown up and have a mind of your own.¡± Although his daughter was bing increasingly disobedient, Mu Shi was still very d that his daughter was much smarter than others. At least, he had never seen a nine-year-old child think of doing these. When the time came, Mu Yangling brought 11 people into the mountain and divided them into two groups. One group had five people, and the other had six people. Liu Ting and Liu Yuan each led a group. When Mu Yangling brought them to the ce, she said, ¡°Spread out. Don¡¯t be too far away, but don¡¯t be too close either. Don¡¯t destroy the vegetation and rocks on the ground. We¡¯ll set up traps here today. Then, I¡¯ll bring you to another ce to catch rabbits. Remember, our main target is rabbits. If you see other prey, especiallyrge ones, don¡¯t panic. Come and tell me. If you shout loudly and I can¡¯t make it there in time to save you, you¡¯ll have to take responsibility for your lives.¡± After the 11 of them agreed softly, Mu Yangling looked at Liu Ting and Liu Yuan. ¡°Uncles, make the arrangements. One group will dig the traps, and the other will ce the ropes.¡± Mu Yangling taught them how toy the traps one by one and then scouted the vicinity just in case. After they were done, she checked the traps once more. Then, she waved her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head east. Be careful of the traps. Watch how I finish up and get rid of the traces. You have to remember that we are looking for the tracks left behind by the prey, but the prey will also do likewise. So, you have to remove your tracks when you leave. Otherwise, no matter how perfect your traps are, it will be in vain.¡± As she spoke, Mu Yangling used a tree branch to gently cover up everyone¡¯s tracks. When they left that area, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s more suitable for five people to hunt around. It¡¯ll inevitably be a burden if the group is toorge.¡± Liu Ting andpany did not say a word. Since there were too many people in the vige, it would take a long time to rotate if they formed teams of five people. Furthermore, with limited strength, their gains would be limited too. Mu Yangling had obviously thought of this too, which was why she had requested to divide them into five groups. Mu Yangling led everyone to lie on the grass, where there was arge open grasnd in front of them. She pointed ahead and asked, ¡°Do you see what¡¯s there?¡± Swallowing his saliva, Liu Ting said, ¡°Rabbits.¡± There were many, many rabbits. Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course I know they¡¯re rabbits. I¡¯m asking you to look around. There are many trees on both sides. On one side is where we¡¯re lying now, and on the east is the river. In other words, we only need to outnk the rabbits from three sides to catch them. Did you bring all thes as asked?¡± Liu Ting was only stunned for a moment before he hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes.¡± He gestured for her to look at the things in their hands. Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Good. Later, the three of you will grab thes and outnk them. The remaining two will follow me with a sack to put the caught rabbits inside.¡± Liu Ting did not quite understand. The ce was so big, and the was only so small. How could it stop them? ¡°Come on, you¡¯ll understand after doing it once.¡± Rabbits were timid animals who would escape desperately at the slightest movement. Mu Yangling gave the men the branches she had chosen on the way. On the left and right, the two men each held in their hand a branch with leaves on the end. When they grabbed the and surrounded it, they had to use the branch to stop the rabbits who wanted to escape, from both sides at the same time. Though actually, there was no need to truly stop them from escaping. What they hoped to achieve was that the constant disturbance would literally frighten them to deaths. As Liu Ting and Liu Yuan were both steady people, Mu Yangling arranged for them to be at the back and west. Liu Dazhuang was in charge of the south side. Liu Li and Liu Yong were the most agile, so they followed Mu Yangling to catch rabbits inside. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the south. Uncle Li, go to the west. Cousin Yong, go to the north. Remember, when you catch rabbits, you have to bend over. Immediately give up on those rabbits that have already run past you. Your main task is to catch the ones at the gaps. Let¡¯s try it today. If this method doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll think of another one.¡± Chapter 56: Discovered Chapter 56: Discovered Editor: As Studios Everyone was ready and slowly surrounded the center of the. Mu Yangling, Liu Li, and Liu Yong bent over to catch rabbits in the middle. As soon as they appeared, the rmed rabbits hurriedly fled in all directions. When the rabbits rushed over, the quick-witted Mu Yangling stuffed one in each hand into the cloth bag. With the other hand, she grabbed the bag tightly and continued walking. Mu Yangling had learned martial arts after all, and she was well-experienced, so she did not find it difficult. In contrast, Liu Li and Liu Yong were in a sorry state. Even though they had also caught rabbits before, they could not keep up, only seeding maybe once in three times. In less than half an hour, the two of them were panting. Mu Yangling shouted, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go and block the gap. Take a break and continue catching after you¡¯ve recovered.¡± When Liu Li and Liu Yong heard this, they walked to the gap on their side and raised their hands to chase the rabbits towards the middle. When the three sides of the finally closed, the rabbits were chased to the river. They bounced around the river in panic, but they did not dare to jump down. Rabbits were afraid of water. Seeing that the range was gradually decreasing, Mu Yangling raised her hand and said, ¡°Stop! That¡¯s it. Leave six people to hold the. The rest of you,e in and catch the rabbits.¡± Mu Yangling picked up a fewrge rocks to hold down the corner of the. Then, she got the six of them to step on the to stabilize it firmly. The remaining five people stood with her on the same side of the and caught rabbits with a sack each. There were about 30 rabbits surrounded. This was the first time Liu Li and the others had followed Mu Yangling out to hunt. Seeing this, their hearts surged and they wished they could kneel down with sparkling eyes. In the end, a few bold rabbits fell into the water. However, the moment they entered the water, they iled around haphazardly. It was Liu Ting who picked them up from the water. ¡°Alright, everyone, rest for a while.¡± Mu Yangling got someone to tie up the pockets and leave a few small holes for the rabbits to breathe. Then, she sat at the side and looked at the grass. ¡°There won¡¯t be so many rabbits here for four to five days.¡± Liu Yuan said with a smile, ¡°Considering how timid rabbits are, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll be frightened. By the way, Ah Ling, are there many grasnds like this in the mountain?¡± ¡°Not many. We can¡¯t go elsewhere, because there are ferocious beasts.¡± Mu Yangling said after a pause, ¡°There are many ferocious beasts where there is water and grass. I brought you here because we¡¯re close to the outside. Later, I¡¯ll bring you to the rabbits¡¯ nest.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to town today?¡± Liu Ting asked. As the Mu family was a regr supplier to the eateries and restaurants in town, they had to deliver their prey before lunch every day. ¡°My father went to deliver the prey. I¡¯ll be the one doing the delivery tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling stood up and patted her butt. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll bring you to the rabbits¡¯ nest. The forest is densely filled with trees. Don¡¯t go too far away, in case I can¡¯t see you. If you hear me blow the whistle, gather beside me immediately.¡± Mu Yangling reiterated the rules of surviving in the forest again. Seeing that they had all understood, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± In a day, the group captured 68 rabbits. Considering that each rabbit was different in size, Mu Yangling asked Liu Ting and Liu Yuan to take them back and weigh them, before distributing them ording to their weight. The extra was to be sent to the widowed families in the vige. In the end, Liu Ting gave Mu Yangling eight fat rabbits. Mu Yangling said, ¡°I don¡¯t need this much at home.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still alive. You can feed them and bring them to town tomorrow.¡± After some thought, Mu Yangling agreed. The next day, when she brought people to collect the prey in the trap, they obtained more than on the first day. After a round, all the families in the vige had eaten meat. However, perhaps because they had suffered too much previously, many families were still unwilling to eat enough meat and smoked most of it to hang it up, despite the bountiful gains. No one dared to sell it in town. Liu He sat at the entrance of the vige and watched. Perhaps because of what happened back then, Liu He and the older generation were very strict about this. As for Mu Yangling, as she brought them further east each day, the time needed every day lengthened. Seeing that she had worked hard, Liu Daqian asked Liu Xuan to deliver the prey to town on Mu Yangling¡¯s behalf. Mu Yangling agreed after thinking about it. Since they had already captured most of the rabbits in the forest in the west, they would definitely need more time if they wanted to go further east. The further east they went, the more densely were the rabbits gathered. The grass in the forest had been gnawed until only a section was left. There was even a ce where the stems of the grass had been dug up and gnawed because the rabbits were too densely gathered. Aside from rabbits, all they saw were a few roe deer that had lost weight from hunger. Mu Yangling drooled at the roe deer as she said, ¡°Even though I¡¯ve been eating rabbit meat for a few days, my favorite food is actually still roe deer meat. What a pity¡­¡± Liu Li was puzzled. ¡°Then let¡¯s catch the roe deer. I¡¯ll help you catch them, together with your other uncles.¡± Retracting her saliva, Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°No, they¡¯re already miserable enough. If we eat them, the number of roe deer will probably decrease by a lot next year, so we¡¯d better go catch rabbits.¡± After the rabbit finished eating all the grass, the roe deer that had fainted from hunger could only be eaten by other carnivorous animals. If she also ate roe deer, it would probably be very difficult for them to see roe deer next year. Hence, it was better to let them survive. ¡°Now I understand why it¡¯s said that the urrence of rabbits will affect the farmers¡¯ harvest.¡± Liu Ting¡¯s expression was a little ugly. ¡°With so many rabbits, if there¡¯s no grass to eat in the forest next spring, won¡¯t they have to go down the mountain to gnaw on the crops?¡± Liu Yong¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Since when did Chef Mountain have so many rabbits?¡± The ominous feeling in Mu Yangling¡¯s heart intensified. ¡°What¡¯s behind Chef Mountain?¡± How would Liu Ting andpany know when the furthest they had been was Mingshui County? Therefore, they shook their heads in confusion. Mu Yangling pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Forget it, we¡¯ll talk about thister. Let¡¯s catch the rabbits first. Other than the young ones and the pregnant rabbits, we¡¯ll capture the rest.¡± They managed to catch more this time than ever before, totaling more than 150. . However, due to worry about next year¡¯s crop harvest, thisyer of joy wasced with some mncholy. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s already noon. Everyone, sit down and rest for a while. We¡¯ll head back soon.¡± Liu Ting shouted. As he scanned the number of people, he frowned. ¡°Ah Yuan, where are Dazhuang and Zhuzi?¡± When Liu Yuan heard this, he stood up and looked around. ¡°They went to relieve themselves. Why aren¡¯t they back yet?¡± ¡°Where did they go? Weren¡¯t they told not to stay far away?¡± Liu Ting was displeased. ¡°They headed north. Why don¡¯t I go take a look?¡± Liu Yuan was also a little angry. Zhuzi and Dazhuang were in his group. It didn¡¯t make sense how Zhuzi could be this disobedient despite the fact that he was already the father of two children and was even a year older than him. When Zhuzi said he wanted to go with Dazhuang to relieve themselves, Liu Yuan had instructed him not to go too far. However, the other party felt embarrassed since Ah Ling, a youngdy, was with them, so he pulled Da Zhuang north. Why weren¡¯t they back yet after so long? As Liu Yuan thought about it, he walked in the direction where Fang Zhuzi had gone. Liu Ting shouted, ¡°Be careful. Tell them we¡¯re going back soon and ask them to hurry.¡± Liu Yuan responded. However, it was only after walking for a long distance that he noticed two people squatting on the ground with their heads against each other. He frowned and asked, ¡°What are you guys doing? Even if you¡¯re digging for gold, you should already have dug it out.¡± Startled, Fang Zhuzi and Liu Dazhuang fell to the ground. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡± Sensing that something was wrong, Liu Yuan immediately ran up. Fang Zhuzhu jumped up and opened his arms to stop him. ¡°Liu Yuan, what are you trying to do? Da Zhuang and I were the ones who discovered this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Liu Yuan frowned. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you know that we¡¯re about to leave? Why did youe so far?¡± Embarrassed, Liu Dazhuang went forward and pulled Fang Zhuzi back. ¡°Brother Zhuzi, since Brother Yuan is here, why don¡¯t you get Brother Yuan to help? We¡¯ll split it among the three of uster.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t. I was the one who discovered this. Why should he share it with us?¡± Fang Zhuzi shouted indignantly. Liu Dazhuang frowned and said unhappily, ¡°Brother Zhuzi, I was the one who discovered this.¡± Chapter 57: Escape Chapter 57: Escape Editor: As Studios In spite of his embarrassment, Fang Zhuzi said shamelessly, ¡°It was just a slip of the tongue. The two of us discovered it together.¡± Liu Yuan looked at them with a dark expression and said irritably, ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t want a share. Quickly pack up ande back with me. We¡¯re leaving.¡± Fang Zhuzi pursed his lips and said disdainfully, ¡°Do you know what we found?¡± As he spoke, he moved aside and pointed at a nt on the ground. ¡°This is ginseng. And from the looks of it, it¡¯s at least this old. If we dig this up, Dazhuang and I will be able to eat our fill and wear warm clothes even if we don¡¯t work for the rest of our lives.¡± Liu Yuan looked at the nt on the ground in surprise. ¡°This is ginseng? How do you know?¡± Liu Dazhuang touched his head in embarrassment as he said, ¡°My father has been in poor health for the past two years. When I went to the pharmacy to buy ginseng roots for him, I saw someone selling freshly dug ginseng. I think this one looks very simr. But we don¡¯t know how to dig it out and are afraid of damaging it. I heard from the shopkeeper that if we dig up damaged ginseng, the value will be reduced by at least half.¡± That was why they had dyed for so long. They really didn¡¯t know where to start. At this moment, Liu Yuan also hesitated. This was the legendary ginseng. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call Ah Ling over? Since she oftenes into the mountains, she might know how to go about doing it.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Fang Zhuzi refused decisively and said, ¡°If we let her do it, will we still have a share?¡± ¡°Cousin, what are you talking about? Is Ah Ling that kind of person?¡± Fang Zhuzi spat and said, ¡°She made it clear that she doesn¡¯t get along with me, her uncle. If we really call her over, even if we don¡¯t give her a share, she might even deliberately damage the ginseng while digging it out. When that timees, it¡¯d be no use even if we cry.¡± Liu Dazhuang disagreed with a frown. ¡°Ah Ling isn¡¯t that kind of person. Brother Zhuzi, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± He really regretteding out to relieve himself with Fang Zhuzi. If it were anyone else, there wouldn¡¯t be so much trouble. Liu Yuan waved his hand impatiently and said, ¡°Alright, alright. You can decide what to do. But there¡¯s not much time left. Eldest Cousin is urging us to leave¡­¡± Mu Yangling was lying on the grass with her eyes closed to rest, her ears close to the grass as she listened to the various movements in the mountains. Under the warm sunlight, she was about to fall asleep when she suddenly heard an explosion, causing her to jump up in fright. Shocked by Mu Yangling¡¯s actions, Liu Ting and the others were hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Instead of answering, Mu Yanglingy back down on the grass again to listen to themotion. The muffled sound traveled through the ground to her ears. After confirming it, Mu Yangling jumped up and said, ¡°Quickly pack up and leave. Don¡¯t make too much noise. There¡¯s a ferocious beast. Hurry!¡± Liu Ting¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Zhuzi and Dazhuang went to relieve themselves and haven¡¯t returned yet. Ah Yuan went to look for them.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s expression was ugly. ¡°Which direction did they go? Didn¡¯t I tell everyone not to go far?¡± Everyone looked at Liu Ting and Mu Yangling eagerly, suppressing the fear in their hearts. The forest had always been a dangerous ce to everyone. If Mu Yangling did not bring them along, they would definitely not dare to enter the mountain. Although everything had been going smoothly during this period of time, they had seen wolves leave as theyid in the grass. They had also seen how Mu Yangling avoided the ferocious beasts. Seeing the change in her expression, they knew that the so-called ferocious beast was definitely not a jackal or a wild boar. They did not dare to think about it. Because of Fang Zhuzi and Liu Dazhuang, they couldn¡¯t leave immediately. The team members instantly became restless. Mu Yangling said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go find them and bring them back. Take them out first. Remember, don¡¯t shout on the way. If anything happens, blow the whistle I gave you.¡± As she spoke, she turned and ran in the direction of Liu Yuan and the others. Liu Ting¡¯s expression was dark as he waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The few of them carried their things and ran out behind Liu Ting. It would take at least an hour to exit the mountain. After running for a while, Mu Yangling saw that the three of them were arguing about something. Gritting her teeth in anger, she ran forward to grab Liu Yuan¡¯s arm and roared in a low voice, ¡°What are you guys doing here? There¡¯s a ferocious beasting. Let¡¯s leave quickly.¡± The three of them were shocked. Fang Zhuzi jumped out and said, ¡°No, we still have things to do.¡± ¡°Shut up. I brought you in, so you have to get out right now. Hurry up and leave.¡± However, Fang Zhuzi frowned and said, ¡°Who are you lying to? I¡¯ve been in the mountains for so long, but I¡¯ve never seen a ferocious beast. If you want to leave, go ahead. I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Liu Yuan also said, ¡°Ah Ling, your uncle and the others found a piece of ginseng. Shall we dig it up before leaving?¡± Not wasting her breath on them, Mu Yangling said, ¡°There are two ferocious beasts fighting not far away. If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be the female tiger and the ck bear. Do you want to leave or stay? If you want to leave, follow me. If you decide to stay, that¡¯s up to you. When we entered the mountain back then, we agreed that you would either listen to me or fend for yourself. I won¡¯t be responsible.¡± With that, Mu Yangling turned around and left. If they were herrades, she would have long whipped them. She hated soldiers who didn¡¯t listen to orders the most. Seeing this, Liu Yuan followed Mu Yangling without thinking. Liu Dazhuang hesitated for a moment and hurriedly chased after her. As he did so, he turned around and pulled Fang Zhuzi. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Ah Ling can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Considering Mu Yangling had been entering the mountains every day for more than three years, her judgment was unlikely to be wrong. Fang Zhuzi¡¯s expression was ugly. He looked at the ginseng on the ground and then at the three people who were gradually disappearing. Finally, he stomped his feet, squatted down, and quickly dug with his hands. Roar! Roar! A tiger¡¯s roar sounded. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Fang Zhuzi was so frightened that he fell to the ground, his face pale. He raised his head and looked around. The forest was silent, and he was the only one left. Although he no longer heard the tiger¡¯s voice, the tiger¡¯s roar just now seemed to be exploding in his ears still. Without thinking, Fang Zhuzi threw down the ginseng on the ground and stumbled towards Mu Yangling and the others. Having also heard the tiger¡¯s roar, Liu Yuan hurriedly pulled Mu Yangling back. ¡°Ah Ling, we can¡¯t leave your uncle there alone. I¡¯ll go back and pick him up.¡± Mu Yangling snorted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Based on how timid he is, he¡¯ll definitely catch up. Now that he heard the tiger¡¯s roar, he must be running over here with all his might. Let¡¯s just walk slower and wait for him to catch up.¡± Liu Yuan felt uneasy, unsure if Mu Yangling was right. But seeing how insistent she was, he continued following behind her. After a short while, Mu Yangling stopped and turned around. Liu Yuan and Liu Dazhuang quickly turned around and saw Fang Zhuzi stumbling over. When he saw them, he shouted, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me? If I die, can you afford topensate me?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± With an ashen face, Mu Yangling red at him and said, ¡°If you dare to shout at me again, I¡¯ll shoot you. Do you think the tiger isn¡¯t fast enough?¡± Mu Yangling nced at his crotch, turned around, and quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. We have to catch up to Uncle Ting.¡± Fang Zhuziined, ¡°I¡¯m your uncle after all. Why did you leave me there?¡± As Mu Yangling ran, she said sarcastically, ¡°Didn¡¯t you take the initiative to stay? Besides, there are ten other people here. If anything happens to them, see if the vigers won¡¯t skin you alive. You think they¡¯ll choose to save you over ten other people? Obviously not.¡± Seeing that he was about to re up, Mu Yangling quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to sprint now. Those who can catch up will live. If you can¡¯t catch up and get caught by the female tiger, I won¡¯t be able to save you.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Yangling bolted out like an arrow. Liu Yuan and Liu Dazhuang hurriedly ran after her. Fang Zhuzi gritted his teeth and could only hold his breath as he chased after them, not daring to stay. The four of them quickly caught up with the people in front. When Liu Ting saw Mu Yangling and the rest catching up, he heaved a sigh of relief and ran over. ¡°We heard a tiger¡¯s roar just now.¡± ¡°Quickly get out of here. I believe the ck bear is fighting with the female tiger. Let¡¯s leave quickly, in case theye over.¡± With Mu Yangling leading the way and controlling their speed, the group walked out even faster. However, Mu Yangling still heard increasingly louder sounds. This indicated that the two big creatures were heading this way. Mu Yangling¡¯s expression was ugly. As she ran, she tore off a sack from Liu Ting¡¯s body and said to them, ¡°Quickly run out. We¡¯ll be out in another half an hour. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll lure them away using the rabbits.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. Let¡¯s leave together.¡± Liu Ting growled softly. When Mu Yangling heard the increasingly loudmotion, she said, ¡°Shut up. Are you guys faster than me? You¡¯ll only be a burden if you follow me. Hurry up and run out.¡± As she spoke, she rushed out towards the east. Liu Ting gritted his teeth and stomped his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly. Liu Li, Liu Yong, hand us the things. You two run out and find?Rocky1. Tell him to enter the mountain and bring Ah Ling out.¡± Chapter 58: Watching the Battle Chapter 58: Watching the Battle Editor: As Studios Liu Ting fled with his men while Mu Yangling ran east. After running for a distance, she fished out a rabbit and slit its neck before throwing it on the road. Then, she continued to run forward quickly and threw down a rabbit with its neck slit¡­ She only hoped that this fresh blood could lure them over. Mu Yangling stood in the forest and heaved a sigh of relief when she heard themotioning towards her. Then, she became nervous and quickly ran east. Now that she had sessfully attracted them, she had to make sure she didn¡¯t get killed by them. As Mu Yangling ran, she looked for tall and sturdy trees. After running for nearly seven to eight minutes, she finally saw a tree with branches that were as thick and leafy as an adult. In addition, the tree trunk was so tall that it extended beyond the forest. Without thinking, Mu Yangling swung her arms and climbed up. A bear and a tiger were fighting vigorously. Although they each had their own victories and losses, when they suddenly heard such a hugemotion, they knew that arge wave of prey was attacking. The bear and the tiger were not stupid. Should they continue fighting, it would onlye to an end when either of them died. Since they now had more choices, they were naturally willing to continue living. Therefore, the two of them simply bit each other warily before rushing towards the prey. Their animal nature made them follow the fresh smell of blood where the path forked. In the end, after taking a few steps, they only found a rabbit that was bleeding. The bear and tiger were instantly furious. They still did not know that they had been set up, and only felt that their prey was too stingy to have only left behind one rabbit that was not even enough to fill the gap between one¡¯s teeth. There was no need for the two of them to fight over this mouthful of food. There were too many rabbits in the forest. If they wanted to eat rabbits, they could do so at any time. Therefore, they continued to chase. In the end, when they reached the bottom of a big tree, the two of them lost track of their prey. Even the smell had faded. The two of them paced around anxiously under the tree. In the end, the bear howled angrily at the tiger. Before winter came, they had to store enough prey. Otherwise, they would probably freeze to death and starve to death in the forest. The bear attacked the tiger first. Not to be outdone, the tiger arched its back and roared. It rushed towards the bear as well. The two of them instantly fought until the sky turned dark. From time to time, they would collide with the trees beside them, either knocking them down or rebounding. In the forest, the roars of the tiger and bear would constantly be heard. Mu Yanglingy on the tree and hugged the branch under her tightly. She felt that if she lost her bnce and was knocked down by the two below, that would definitely be the end of her. In the end, the tiger was sent flying by the bear¡¯s palm and mmed into the huge tree. Feeling a jolt, Mu Yangling closed her eyes tightly. Then, she heard the tiger howl. She hurriedly looked down and saw the tiger lying on the ground, on itsst breath. Mu Yangling lowered her breathing and curled up on the tree, not moving at all. The bear tilted its head at the tiger and pped it onest time, killing it for good. Then, it fell lying on the ground, too. Although it had pped the tiger to death, it had sustained significant injuries as well. It was lying on the ground licking its wounds. It also knew that the smell of blood here would attract many enemies, so it simply licked its most serious wounds before standing up, picking up the tiger, and leaving. Mu Yangling stayed on the tree. After confirming that the bear had disappeared, she quickly slid down the tree and ran in the direction of her home without thinking. Halfway there, she met the ashen-faced Mu Shi, followed by more than 20 young men with clubs. ¡°Ah Ling!¡± Mu Shi yelled when he saw his daughter. ¡°Father.¡± Mu Yangling ran towards her father and said, ¡°Father, the bear killed the tiger during a fight. Let¡¯s go out quickly. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be bad if the beares.¡± Although Mu Shi wanted to teach his daughter a lesson, it was not the time to do so. He pulled his daughter and said to Liu Ting and the others behind him, ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly.¡± When the group of people left the forest, the entire vige was waiting outside. Shu Wanniang¡¯s eyes were red as she held her son¡¯s hand tightly. When she saw her husband bringing her daughter out, she heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly held her stomach as she went forward. Mu Yangling obediently called out ¡°Mother¡± and stood at the side. Mu Shi nodded at Liu He and raised his voice. ¡°Thank you, fellow vigers. It¡¯s dangerous to head into the forest these days. Everyone, try your best not to go near. Regarding the hunting, we¡¯lle to a decision after I discuss it with my daughter and the elders in the vige.¡± Having benefited from hunting, the vigers were a little nervous when they heard this. They were afraid that Mu Shi would no longer agree to let Mu Yangling enter the mountain because of this incident. ¡°It¡¯s all Dazhuang and Zhuzi¡¯s fault. Ah Ling asked us toe out of the mountain a long time ago. If they hadn¡¯t dyed us, we wouldn¡¯t have been chased by the tiger and the bear. She wouldn¡¯t have had to lure the bear and tiger away for us, using herself as bait.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all Dazhuang and Zhuzi¡¯s fault. If not for them, we might not even have heard their roars. Ah Ling has been entering the mountains every day for three to four years, and has never met with any danger. She must have retreated immediately upon sensing themotion.¡± For a moment, everyone looked at Dazhuang and Zhuzi usingly. Liu Dazhuang was Liu He¡¯s youngest son. At this moment, he was so ashamed that he wished he could crawl into a hole. However, Fang Zhuzi jumped up and said, ¡°Bullsh*t, how did we dy everyone? If Ah Ling had discovered it earlier, would we have gone to relieve ourselves in the first ce?¡± No one expected Fang Zhuzi to be so thick-skinned. They were all stunned. However, Liu Dazhuang suddenly ran to look for his father. He knew that if the vige lost the chance to enter the mountains because of them, his family would definitely drown in spittle. His great-grandfather, all the way to his father, had held the title of the patriarch of the Liu family. In fact, his eldest brother would be the next patriarch. If his family¡¯s prestige decreased because of him and they eventually lost the position of the patriarch, he would not be able to absolve himself of the me even if he died ten thousand times. Therefore, without thinking, Liu Dazhuang went to his father and told him about the ginseng. He said in shame, ¡°I wanted to dig out the ginseng so that our family could have more money, but Zhuzi and I have never dug it out before, so we didn¡¯t dare to do it. That¡¯s why we were dyed. Father, let¡¯s tell the vigers about the ginseng aspensation.¡± Liu He pondered for a moment before confirming, ¡°You were the one who discovered the ginseng? Not Zhuzi?¡± ¡°I found it and told Zhuzi.¡± ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± ¡°Brother Ah Yuan also knows. I told him when he came to look for uster.¡± Only then did Liu He heave a sigh of relief. He nodded as he said, ¡°Very good. This way, we won¡¯t have to worry about Fang Zhuzi objecting to us taking out the ginseng.¡± At the end of his sentence, Liu He gritted his teeth. Knowing his son, he was certain it was Fang Zhuzi¡¯s idea to hide this matter. It must have been Fang Zhuzi who dyed them from leaving. Although his son had selfish motives, this child had always been soft-hearted and definitely could not have made this decision. Moreover, he did not know how to dig for ginseng. Liu He felt it was a pity that his son had told Fang Zhuzi when he discovered the ginseng. With his character, he would definitely have run back to look for Liu Ting, and Liu Ting would definitely have told Mu Yangling. If that had been the case, even if they hadn¡¯t managed to dig up the ginseng, it wouldn¡¯t have dyed their escape. However, this thought only shed across his mind for a moment before Liu He rejoiced. Fortunately, Mu Yangling was smart. Otherwise, if someone died in the forest this time, he, Liu He, would be undeniably responsible. Reason being, this matter was caused by his son. Liu He decided to bring his son to Mu residence, because Mu Shi had to be the one to make the decision. Chapter 59: Handling Chapter 59: Handling Editor: As Studios Before the vige could decide if they should continue entering the mountains, another big piece of news was exposed. The reason why Liu Dazhuang was dyed was because he had discovered a ginseng. In order to express his apology, Liu Dazhuang was willing to share this ginseng with everyone. However, the problem was, who would enter the mountain to dig for it? That was the ce where the tiger and bear had appeared. At that time, even the vigers in the vige heard their loud roars during their fight. Even though wealth moved people¡¯s hearts, no one dared to go into the mountains to dig. Hence, Liu He went to look for Mu Shi and said, ¡°After thismotion passes, I want you to bring Da Zhuang and the others into the mountains. After you dig out the ginseng, sell them for money to distribute to the vigers.¡± At this point, Liu He said with a sigh, ¡°After all, it was my son who caused everyone to be startled and even put Ah Ling in danger.¡± Liu He had already nned to give a portion of the money to the Mu father and daughter when the money arrived. Firstly, it was to calm them down after the shock they suffered, and secondly, it was to reward them for bringing the vigers into the mountain. However, Mu Shi said, ¡°It¡¯s not Dazhuang¡¯s fault. My child is too bold.¡± There was also Fang Zhuzi¡¯s egging on. Mu Shi did not like Madam Fang-Liu, nor did he like Fang Zhuzi. When he was young, Fang Zhuzi was the one who took the lead in bullying him. This time, because of his dy, his daughter fell into danger. Mu Shi had already made up his mind not to let Mu Yangling enter the mountains again this year. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vige Chief. When the mountains quieten down in two days, I¡¯ll bring them into the mountains.¡± Liu He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Mu Shi agree. Mu Shi turned around and went back to settle the score with Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling was lying on the bed in shame, covering her head with the nket. Little Bowen sat obediently on the bed, patting the nket gently with his small hand,forting his sister with his actions. Shu Wanniang also sat at the side, holding the medicine in her hand. ¡°Let go. I¡¯ll help you apply the medicine.¡± Mu Yangling said gloomily under the nket, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°How can it not hurt when your father didn¡¯t control his strength? I¡¯m your mother, and you¡¯re still shy? Let go quickly.¡± Shu Wanniang tried to pull it away but failed. She said angrily, ¡°Do you want your father to beat you up again? I can¡¯t me your father for beating you up. You¡¯re too stubborn. Instead of running for your life, you actually went to lure the bear and tiger away. Do you think you¡¯re a rabbit? The bear can turn you into minced meat with a p. Do you know that you almost scared me to death?¡± Mu Yangling lifted the nket and said, ¡°Mother, I did the calction in my heart. I just had to climb up the tree before they came over. Alright, even if I¡¯m stubborn and did something wrong, Father can¡¯t spank me. I¡¯m already a big girl.¡± Mu Yangling red and said, ¡°Mu Bowen, what are youughing at? Do you believe that I won¡¯t spank you?¡± Little Bowen hugged his butt with both hands and looked at his mother aggrievedly. ¡°Mother¡ª¡± Shu Wanniang red at her daughter and tugged at her pants. ¡°Take it off. I¡¯ll apply the ointment for you.¡± Mu Yangling tugged at her pants tightly and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m really fine, really. Mother, I¡¯m really not lying to you. Father didn¡¯t use much strength!¡± Just then, Mu Shi came in from outside. Shu Wanniang quickly stopped and stood up. ¡°You¡¯re back? What did the vige chief want to talk to you about?¡± Mu Shi fixed his gaze on his daughter and said, ¡°Dazhuang found a ginseng in the mountains. I promised to bring them into the mountains in two days.¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter and snorted. ¡°I came to tell you that you¡¯re not allowed to enter the mountains again this year.¡± Mu Yangling opened her mouth wide and protested. ¡°Why? Father, at most, I won¡¯t go as deeply into the mountain as you guys. I¡¯ll just stay in the periphery, okay?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mu Shi said. ¡°In the past, I thought you were a cautious person, but this time, you¡¯re too bold. To think you dared to use yourself as bait. Are you tired of living?¡± Every time he thought of this, Mu Shi would get angry. Why had he been so assured to let his daughter enter the mountain alone? Other than his daughter¡¯s outstanding skills in hunting and animal tracking, it was also because of his daughter¡¯s cautious personality. Ever since she was young, whenever she encountered danger, she would make a prompt decision and sessfully choose the right way to escape. There were several times when Mu Shi avoided some danger because he was with his daughter. His daughter was even more cautious than him. However, his daughter, who was cautious and cherished her life, actually ran to be bait. This made Mu Shi angry and jealous. To think his daughter treated the vigers better than him, her father. Oblivious to her father¡¯s thoughts, Mu Yangling only pestered him and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m not bringing the vigers into the mountain just so that they can live a better life, but it¡¯s also to reduce the number of rabbits.¡± Mu Yangling said solemnly, ¡°Father, since you go deeper into the mountains than us every day, you must know that there are too many rabbits in there. There will be even more next spring. When the grass in the mountains is depleted, the rabbits can only go down the mountain to eat crops. If everyone suffers, Father, do you think we can live well?¡± Mu Yangling looked at Shu Wanniang¡¯s stomach and said, ¡°Mother will give birth in winter. Baby Brother will only be three months old at the beginning of spring next year. Bowen also has to go to school. Father, I don¡¯t wish to let my younger brothers suffer.¡± Mu Shi immediately rxed his firm attitude. Mu Yangling held his hand and said, ¡°Father, I won¡¯t bring my uncles in too deep. We¡¯ll just go east and circle around the periphery. What do you think?¡± Mu Shi snorted and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on in the forest first.¡± Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him soften his tone. That night, wolf howls came from the forest, and a few tiger roars came from afar. Other than the children, all the adults in Nearhill Vige were wide awake until dawn. Themotion they heard during the day was enough to scare everyone out of their wits. Mu Shi kept his eyes open, a burning sensation in his heart. As he usually went more deeply into the mountain than his daughter, he knew the situation better than her. If the rabbits in the periphery were in groups, then rabbits could be seen everywhere in the depths of the forest. The rabbits deeper in were not as fat as the ones outside. The rabbits in ces where grass was scarce even showed signs of hunger and thinness. He had seen traces of ferocious beasts in the mountains. They seemed to be storing food for the winter. In the past, although animals also had to prepare for the winter, they had never been so crazy and anxious. Mu Shi vaguely remembered his father saying when he was young that animals on the grasnd were the most spiritual. Their perception of danger was much more urate and early than humans. Mu Shi could only think of one possibility that could make animals store winter food so urgently. Mu Shi reached out to touch his wife¡¯s stomach. Sensing the child gently kick his hand, his wife frowned in difort. Mu Shi¡¯s heart ached. There were likely bad times ahead for his children. No matter what happened outside, he had to support his wife and children. At the very least, he had to ensure that they did not have to worry about food and clothing. Having made up his mind, Mu Shi hugged his wife and closed his eyes before falling asleep. Two dayster, Mu Shi realized that the forest had be much quieter. Only then did he bring Liu Ting, Liu Dazhuang, and the others to dig for the ginseng. Fang Zhuzi made a fuss about tagging along, arguing that he was also one of the people who had discovered the ginseng. Liu He only snorted coldly and did not stop him. The ginseng was still there, and Mu Shi did not know how to dig it up. Fortunately, he had brought a hoe with him. There were many people, so he simply dug down around the ginseng and dug up arge piece together with the surrounding soil. Then, he slowly peeled off the soil, and the entire stalk of ginseng appeared intact in front of him. The ginseng had already taken on a human form. Everyone squeezed together and eximed, ¡°How old must this ginseng be?¡± ¡°At least 50 years old, right?¡± ¡°Gotta be older than that. I think it¡¯s at least 180 years old?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t. If it¡¯s been 180 years, why hasn¡¯t anyone discovered it when it¡¯s in the periphery?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. No one knows for sure anyway. We¡¯ll find out when we bring it to town and ask.¡± Mu Shi put away the ginseng and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this thing won¡¯t fetch a high price in town. Let¡¯s take it to the county.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s only one medicinal shop in town, and it¡¯s the He family¡¯s. Their family even suppresses the price of grains bought from us, let alone ginseng. I think it¡¯s better to go to the county. Although it¡¯s a little far, we¡¯d have many more choices.¡± Hearing Liu Yuan put it that way, everyone agreed. Chapter 60: Benefits Chapter 60: Benefits Editor: As Studios When the item was brought back to the vige, Liu He, who was knowledgeable,ughed and said, ¡°This thing is at least a hundred years old. Take it to the county and don¡¯t sell it for less than 60 taels.¡± As soon as he said this, the entire vige erupted in joy. If it was really worth this much, each family would be able to get at least 900 copper coins from selling it. It had to be known that vigers in the countryside grew their own crops. They would wear their clothes until they became old and tattered, and even then they would mend the holes and continue wearing them. Then, the older ones would hand down the old clothes to the younger ones to be worn for another three years. Therefore, other than when they paid taxes, everyone wanted to exchange things for money. Most of the time, their families did not have any cash. 900 copper coins was an enormous sum of money to them. The vigers were as excited as if it was the new year. Only Liu He¡¯s family and Fang Zhuzi¡¯s family had a strange atmosphere. The atmosphere in Liu He¡¯s family was just a tad gloomy, and they merely felt that it was a pity. However, Fang Zhuzi¡¯s family caused a hugemotion. Madam Fang-Liu poked her son¡¯s head and scolded him, ¡°Why are you so stupid? At that time, you should have dug deeper. Even if you damaged it, it¡¯d at least be worth 30 to 40 taels. Beats getting nothing and getting scolded now.¡± Fang Zhuzi said impatiently, ¡°At that time, the tiger and the bear were about toe. Surely I couldn¡¯t have stood there and waited for them to eat me? Forget about ginseng, you won¡¯t even have a son anymore.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Ah Ling there? You could¡¯ve just used her as a shield, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Dream on. Back then, she simply left without any hesitation after saying that everyone is responsible for their own lives.¡± Fang Zhuzi said hatefully, ¡°We¡¯re all her rtives, but she treats Liu Ting and the rest amiably yet is so nasty towards me. Mother, are you really a biological daughter of the Liu family? Don¡¯t tell me you were picked up from the streets?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t. What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Madam Fang-Liu snapped angrily, ¡°Mu Yangling, this youngss.¡± Madam Fang-Liu gritted her teeth. In the end, she couldn¡¯t figure out how to deal with her, and could only say, ¡°Keep a close eye on Liu Dazhuang¡¯s house. Since you and Dazhuang discovered this together, if the Liu family dares to ask for more, ask for the same amount as them. Do you understand?¡± Fang Zhuzi agreed. The ginseng was sold for a total of 82 taels of silver. It was said that this ginseng was almost 200 years old. They had gone to a few medicinal shops before sessfully negotiating for this price. The vige chief gathered the old and young in the vige and said, ¡°We agreed long ago that this thing was meant aspensation for shocking everyone. There are a total of 68 families in our vige, so each family will be given one to two taels of silver. As for the remaining 340 copper coins, I think we should give it to Ah Ling to soothe her nerves from the fright.¡± As Liu He spoke, he turned to look at Mu Yangling and smiled. ¡°Child, I hope you don¡¯t disdain this. Though it¡¯s not much money, consider this as an apology from your Uncle Da Zhuang.¡± Mu Yangling smiled and went forward to take it. ¡°Great-uncle, my father has already promised to let me continue bringing my uncles into the mountains, but he doesn¡¯t allow me to go so deep in again. So next time, let¡¯s just walk around the periphery of the forest, but we have to go somewhere further.¡± When they heard that the matter of entering the mountain had not been canceled, everyone cheered. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Everyone, rest for two more days. We¡¯ll enter the mountains when it¡¯s quieter. By the way, Great-uncle, when are we going to settle my eldest great-aunt¡¯s matter?¡± Liu He knew that she was worried about Madam Ma-Liu, so he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve already looked for the Ma family. This matter has already been settled. We¡¯re just waiting for the two sides to choose a good day before officially going over to measure thend. If you have nothing to do in the next two days, you can visit your Eldest Great-aunt.¡± When Mu Yangling brought the vigers into the mountain, Liu Daqian took advantage of the time when everyone was grateful to the Mu family to suggest going to West Mountain Vige. With Liu He stepping forward and more than half of the Liu nsmen in their prime going there, no matter how unwilling the Ma family was, they could only give in and agree to temporarily return the farnd they had taken back to Madam Ma-Liu. The Ma n would only take them back after her passing. When Mu Yangling heard this, a huge smile appeared on her face. With that plot ofnd, Eldest Great-aunt Ma-Liu could hire someone to farm it in spring, and would have a much easier time during the autumn harvest. Furthermore, considering how early marriage took ce in this era, Ma Xiuhong would be getting married in a few years. The excess grains could be sold to prepare some dowry for her. Recalling the bountiful gains a few days ago, Mu Yangling nned to give some to Eldest Great-aunt. Mu Yangling was also given a share of the prey, together with the hunting team. However, the prey that her family brought to town had to be fresh. As the hunting distance increased, Mu Yangling could not guarantee that she would return before noon every day. Therefore, Mu Shi would firste out of the mountains and let Liu Xuan help deliver the prey to town. As for the rabbits that Mu Yangling received, she either ate them herself or handed them to Liu Xuan and Liu Zhuang to help turn them into jerky. Liu Daqian felt that since Mu Yangling had done so much for them, it was no trouble at all to help her make some jerky. Now, the jerky was drying in the Liu family¡¯s courtyard. Mu Yangling carried a basket on her back and picked up a basket to hold in her arms. When Eldest Great-aunt Liu saw this, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s good for you to send some to your great-aunt (Ma-Liu), but you don¡¯t have to send so much. I¡¯m afraid she will feel bad.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m making an exchange with her. Alright, I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Mu Yangling went to the mountain and picked a fewrge leaves to cover the basket on her back. Then, she strode towards West Mountain Vige. As soon as Mu Yangling came out of the mountain, Madam Ma-Zhang, who was gathering firewood at the foot of the mountain, saw her. She immediately smiled and said, ¡°Ah Ling,e to Aunt quickly.¡± Mu Yangling nced at the firewood under her feet, turned around, and asked, ¡°Second Aunt Ma, are you here to gather firewood?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to start gathering firewood to prepare for the uing winter.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang nced at Mu Yangling¡¯s basket and asked, ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯re bringing something to your great-aunt again?¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before putting down the basket on her back. She took out a smoked rabbit and stuffed it into Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s hands. ¡°Second Aunt Ma, thank you for taking care of my great-aunt. Although this is smoked rabbit, it tastes pretty good. Take it back and try it.¡± Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s eyes sparkled as she took the rabbit and said with a smile, ¡°How can I ept that? But don¡¯t worry. Knowing your great-aunt is old and Xiuhong is still young, I often ask my son to fetch water for them.¡± When Mu Yangling heard this, regardless of whether it was true or not, she took out another rabbit from the basket on her back and stuffed it into Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°In that case, Second Aunt Ma, please help my great-aunt more in the future.¡± In any case, now that Madam Ma-Zhang had received benefits from her, she could always ask Xiuhong if it was true the next time she came. If Madam Ma-Zhang didn¡¯t help, she could just not give her anything next time. On the other hand, if she did help, she didn¡¯t mind giving her more. Madam Ma-Zhang was pleasantly surprised. Actually, she wasn¡¯t lying. Although she liked to take advantage of others, she really sympathized with Madam Ma-Liu. Therefore, when there was nothing to be busy with at home, she would ask her eldest son to fetch water and carry things for Madam Ma-Liu. Of course, she also did that with the intention of getting some benefits from Mu Yangling. ¡°Then Second Aunt Ma, go ahead. I¡¯ll go look for my great-aunt first.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Go quickly.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s arrival made Madam Ma-Liu very happy. Seeing that she had brought so many things, she knew that Mu Yangling would continue to do so next time even if she asked her not to. So, instead of saying anything, she went straight to the vegetable garden and picked a basket and two bags of vegetables for her to bring back. She said, ¡°The weather is getting cold now. Take them back and put them in the cer so that you can eat them in winter.¡± Chapter 61: Expecting Repayment Chapter 61: Expecting Repayment Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment. ¡°Great-aunt, if you give me so much, your family won¡¯t have any cer vegetables in winter.¡± Eldest Great-aunt said with a smile, ¡°My vegetable garden is big and there¡¯s plenty. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Then, she said, ¡°In the past, because we couldn¡¯t afford meat, we could only grow more vegetables. Even if we were hungry, we could eat these to fill our stomachs. Now that you¡¯ve brought us so much meat, I don¡¯t have to worry about this anymore.¡± Ma Xiuhong tugged at Mu Yangling¡¯s clothes and whispered, ¡°Cousin, just ept it. Otherwise, my grandma will personally send it over. My grandma said that your family doesn¡¯t have much vegetables.¡± There were indeed not many vegetables in the Mu residence. After all, Shu Wanniang did not know how to farm. The small vegetable garden they had was only enough for day-to-day consumption. During winter, Mu Shi could only go to town to buy vegetables and store them. As for Mu Shi, he only knew how to plow thend. Even though Liu Daqian had taught him many times, the vegetables he nted were still half-dead. Meanwhile, Shu Wanniang was only slightly better than him. Therefore, although the Mu family had spare money, they had never bought farnd like other families because they had no idea how to farm. Mu Yangling did not decline and epted it. Only then did a smile appear on Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s face. She rolled up her sleeves and said, ¡°y with your cousins first. Great-aunt will make delicious food for you.¡± As she spoke, she entered the kitchen. Mu Yangling pulled her two cousins to y at the door and asked, ¡°Are you taking back your family¡¯s farnd?¡± Ma Xin was confused, but Ma Xiuhong nodded and said, ¡°Grandma said that Great-uncle wille over in a few days to measure thend and return the title deed after confirming it¡¯s urate.¡± Not as ignorant as her younger sister, Ma Xiuhong looked at Mu Yangling gratefully. As the eldest daughter, because her parents had passed away early and her grandmother liked to nag at her about everything, she was aware of many things. She knew how her eldest great-uncle¡¯s family and the vigers had bullied the three of them. She knew that her grandmother resented her great-uncle and the others for not being able to stand up for her. She also knew that their family¡¯s life only slowly improved after running into Uncle Mu in town. Her cousin had brought her great-uncle and uncles to stand up for them and let the vigers know that they were not without support. Now, she had even stepped forward to ask the Liu family to help them take back the farnd that had been robbed from them. Ma Xiuhong was only slightly grateful to Liu Daqian and the others, but she was extremely grateful to Mu Yangling, so much so she wished she could repay her by being her ve in her next life. However, Ma Xiuhong only kept these emotions in her heart and did not show them. She knew that if her cousin found out, she would probably be embarrassed ande less often in the future. Ma Xiuhong was fond of Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling came with a full load, but she also returned with a full load. Seeing that she had brought back so many vegetables, Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Looks like your father doesn¡¯t have to go to town to buy vegetables this year.¡± Mu Yangling wiped her sweat and nodded. As she brought the things into the cer, she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, the vegetables grown by Great-aunt are even nicer than the ones sold in town.¡± Mu Yangling ced the vegetables in the cer andid them out. Then, she climbed out and moved the stone b over to cover it. pping, she said, ¡°Alright, our family won¡¯t have to worry about vegetables this year.¡± Widow Liu saw Mu Yangling bringing back so many vegetables from West Mountain Vige. At the thought that the Mu family had to buy vegetables from town every year, she went home and packed arge load of ripe cabbages to bring to the Mu residence. ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯ve brought you something.¡± When Shu Wanniang came out and saw the basket of vegetables, she was a little shocked. She asked hesitatingly,?¡°Rocky1?bought vegetables from you, Sister-inw?¡± Didn¡¯t Mu Shi never buy anything from the vigers? Last time, he only bought grains from the vigers because they were having a really difficult time, and because the price of grains in town was expensive. Why was he buying vegetables from the vigers now? Widow Liu held Shu Wanniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s just a little something I grow at home, that I brought for you to try. Get Ah Ling to store them in the cer, so that you can eat them in winter.¡± ¡°How can we do that?¡± Shu Wanniang quickly declined. ¡°Your family only grows so many vegetables. How can we take yours? Besides, we shouldn¡¯t ept rewards without doing anything¡­¡± ¡°Aiyo, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I just know that Ah Ling helped me. It¡¯s only been a month and Goudan has gained a few catties. As long as you don¡¯t mind that it¡¯s too little.¡± As she said that, she threw down the vegetables and walked out. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Remember to let Ah Ling carry it to the cer.¡± Widow Liu did not hide her actions from the vigers. When Liu Daqian saw this, he also asked his two daughters-inw to bring two baskets of vegetables over. When the others saw this, they followed suit. When Mu Yangling brought her mud-covered brother back from outside, there were a lot of vegetables piled up in the courtyard. Shu Wanniang was fretting over them. Seeing Mu Yangling return, Shu Wanniang hurriedly waved her hand and said, ¡°Ah Ling,e over quickly. Hurry up and send these back to the vigers. Otherwise, your father will be angry again when hees back.¡± ¡°Why would he be angry?¡± Mu Yangling carried her younger brother and nimbly stepped over the vegetables in the courtyard. After sessfully reaching her mother¡¯s side, she said nonchntly, ¡°He might even be d now that we don¡¯t need to buy vegetables anymore.¡± ¡°What do you know, child?¡± Shu Wanniang knocked her head and said, ¡°Although your father said that he doesn¡¯t me the vigers anymore, he still bears a grudge in his heart. Otherwise, his rtionship with your great-uncle and the others wouldn¡¯t be lukewarm all these years. Previously, when you brought them into the mountains, your father didn¡¯t say anything and let you fool around. That¡¯s because it was our family who gave the help. Now that they¡¯ve sent these things over, it¡¯s different.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better for us to ept these. Otherwise, the vigers will think that we¡¯re soft and easy to talk to. In the future, they¡¯lle to us for everything.¡± Although Mu Yangling wanted to improve the vigers¡¯ standard of living, she didn¡¯t want to spoil them. A little help in one¡¯s times of difficulty begets gratitude. But too much help and it results in dependency. Furthermore, once that help is stopped, it could result in resentment instead. Mu Yangling had heard too many such stories. Moreover, her father had also encountered such ingrates. Hence, she wasn¡¯t nning on returning the vegetables. Shu Wanniang rebuked, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that one shouldn¡¯t expect to be repaid for their kindness¡­¡± ¡°Mother, if one never receives repayment for their kindness, over time, who would be so free as to do good deeds? I¡¯m kind-hearted and responsible, which is why I don¡¯t expect repayment for my help to the vigers. However, there are very few people in this world who are as good as me. Therefore, in order for more people to do good deeds and help others, we should ept repayment for kindness. Even if it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s still a token of appreciation. When others see that kindness can benefit them, those who can help others will definitely be happy to do so.¡± Shu Wanniang widened her eyes and looked at her daughter. She never knew that her daughter was such a thick-skinned person. For some reason, it felt a little familiar. Shu Wanniang fell into deep thought. When Mu Shi returned from the county the next day, it finally urred to Shu Wanniang. She punched her husband and said angrily, ¡°I was wondering who Ah Ling reminded me of. So it¡¯s you.¡± Mu Shi was puzzled. Shu Wanniang angrily recounted what Mu Yangling said yesterday and said, ¡°This child is too thick-skinned. She speaks as if she¡¯s the most kind-hearted person in the world.¡± However, Mu Shiughed out loud and said, ¡°Your daughter is right. The Mu family has always been kind and responsible, and treat their family extremely better. Honey, am I not such a person?¡± Blushing, Shu Wanniang reached out to twist the flesh on Mu Shi¡¯s waist. Mu Shi held his breath and did not dare to make a sound. He could only look at his wife pleadingly. Shu Wanniang snorted coldly before letting go. Heaving a sigh of relief, Mu Shi said, ¡°Ah Ling is right. We should ept the things. If there¡¯s too much, we¡¯ll just give them away. There are many people outside who can¡¯t afford to eat. If we don¡¯t ept them, it¡¯ll be fine if it¡¯s just once or twice. As time goes by, I¡¯m afraid the vigers will think that it¡¯s only right for our Mu family to help them. I¡¯m only allowing it this year due to the overpoption of rabbits in the mountains. Next spring, I won¡¯t allow Ah Ling to bring them into the mountains again.¡± Mu Shi had long passed the hot-blooded age of seeking benefits for everyone. Furthermore, his heart had hardened because of the betrayal back then. Chapter 62: Heavy Snow Chapter 62: Heavy Snow Editor: As Studios Woken up by the cold, Mu Yangling realized that Little Bowen had burrowed into her arms. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw her brother¡¯s dark head. She turned to look out of the window, but there was only white light. It was already dawn? Why didn¡¯t she feel anything? Mu Yangling thought in a daze. Then, she shuddered and widened her eyes to look out of the window. This was¡­ snow. It was snowing! Mu Yangling hurriedly got up and shouted, ¡°Father, Mother, get up quickly. It¡¯s snowing.¡± Mu Yangling quickly took out a thick nket from the wardrobe and covered her brother with it. Then, she put on a cotton shirt and went out. Now awake, Mu Shi covered his wife with a nket beforeing out. He saw that it was white outside, and the snow was already half a finger deep. ¡°Father, why is the snow so thick? It¡¯s only the end of September. It¡¯s not even winter yet,¡± Mu Yangling shouted. Mu Shi looked gloomily at the heavy snow outside as he said, ¡°The weather has changed. Go and put on a few more clothes. Father will go look for the vige representative. We have to quickly inform everyone to get up. Otherwise, people will freeze to death.¡± With the plummeting temperature, people might not wake up from their sleep, so they had to be woken up quickly. Mu Yangling quickly entered the house to put on her clothes as she said, ¡°Then Father, go quickly. I¡¯ll go find Eldest Great-uncle and ask him to wake up all the vigers.¡± Mu Shi nodded and went into the house to change. Just then, Shu Wanniang sat up with the nket around her and said worriedly, ¡°Be careful on the way since the ground is slippery. Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± ¡°I understand. Lie down quickly. You can¡¯t catch a cold. I¡¯ll make a trip to the county to get some medicine for you and Bowenter.¡± Knowing his wife and son both had weak constitutions, Mu Shi worried that they would fall sick due to the cold. After Mu Shi went out, Mu Yangling woke up Little Bowen, who was still in a deep sleep. She took off his shirt and rubbed his entire body. Seeing that he was crying loudly, she could not help butfort him. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine after you warm up. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to take bitter medicine if you fall sick.¡± Seeing that his forehead was covered in sweat, Mu Yangling took a dry towel and dried him. She quickly dressed him and carried him to Shu Wanniang with the nket wrapped around him. ¡°Mother, you and Bowen warm up. I¡¯ll go find Eldest Great-uncle first.¡± ¡°Be careful. Come back as soon as you alert them.¡± Mu Yangling was also worried about her mother and brother being alone at home, so she agreed. As she stepped on the snow in her cloth shoes, Mu Yangling felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to her heart, causing her entire body to shudder. As there was still more than half a month before the winter solstice, and Mu Shi and Mu Yangling could not bear for Shu Wanniang to do too much needlework, she had yet toplete this year¡¯s leather boots. However, Mu Shi had finished them up two days ago. Mu Yangling could only wear cloth shoes now. The leather boots fromst year were still there, but unfortunately, many of them were damaged. Mu Yangling ran to Liu Daqian¡¯s house and knocked on the door, shouting, ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, get up quickly! It¡¯s snowing heavily.¡± Seeing that there was no movement inside at all, Mu Yangling became worried. She simply kicked the door and shouted, ¡°Hurry up and get up! It¡¯s snowing heavily! People are going to freeze to death!¡± Liu Ting and Liu Zhuang woke up in a daze. When they saw the snow outside the window, they were shocked. Liu Ting scrambled up and shook Madam Liu-Zhao as he shouted, ¡°Hurry up and get up. It¡¯s snowing heavily!¡± Madam Liu-Zhao¡¯s lips were turning blue from the cold. When she woke up, her limbs were trembling. When Liu Ting saw this, he wrapped her in the nket and shouted, ¡°Hurry up and check on the three children. Hurry!¡± Only then did Madam Liu-Zhao wake up. With the nket wrapped around her, she rushed out to check on the children. Liu Ting ran to knock on his parents¡¯ door, while Liu Zhuang also ran out. Liu Ting shouted at him, ¡°Hurry up and open the door for Ah Ling!¡± As he kicked his parents¡¯ door open, he saw that her parents were only covered with a thin nket and their faces were pale. Stunned, he pounced on them to rub their hands and feet. Mu Yangling also ran in. Seeing this, she shouted, ¡°Hurry up ande in to rub their bodies. Uncle Zhuang, bring the gong ande with me to wake everyone up.¡± The reason why Mu Yangling came to the Liu family was because the Liu family had two gongs. As long as the gong was sounded, the entire vige could hear them. As Liu Ting grabbed a nket from the cab and covered his parents with it, he shouted at Liu Zhuang, ¡°Hurry up and get the gong! I¡¯ll take care of things here. Sister-inw, bring the children here and burn charcoal to warm them up. Honey, use a curtain to partition the room then wipe Mother¡¯s body. I¡¯ll wipe Father¡¯s.¡± Liu Zhuang and Mu Yangling came out with the gong. As they sounded the gong, they shouted, ¡°It¡¯s snowing heavily¡ªquickly get up¡ª¡± As Liu Zhuang walked, he sounded the gong, while Mu Yangling went forward and knocked on every door. Not long after, the lights in the vige lit up, indicating that each of the houses had someone getting up. As for those who lived by themselves, Mu Yangling and Liu Zhuang would break in and wake them up if there was no response. Then, they helped to rub their bodies and start a fire to boil hot water. Just as they started the fire, the young men in the vige came over to take over. ¡°Hurry back and put on more clothes. We¡¯ll take care of things here.¡± ¡°What about the other families in the vige?¡± Liu Dazhuang replied, ¡°My father has already sent people over. Go back quickly.¡± ¡°He sent someone to Goudan¡¯s family, too?¡± Mu Yangling asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my sister-inw brought people over,¡± Liu Dazhuang said. ¡°Fortunately, you woke us up. Otherwise, we don¡¯t know when we would have woken up.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling feel relieved. She informed Liu Zhuang before going home. As her mother and brother were alone at home now, Mu Yangling was also a little worried about them. When Mu Yangling rushed back, Shu Wanniang had already woken up and was boiling water and cooking porridge in the kitchen. Mu Yangling quickly went forward to support her. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re pregnant. Why did you get out of bed?¡± ¡°Your brother is very cold. I think he might feel better after eating a bowl of hot porridge. Hurry up and eat a bowl to warm up.¡± ¡°I understand, Mother. Go back first. I¡¯ll watch the fire.¡± Mu Yangling helped Shu Wanniang into the house before turning around to return to the kitchen. At this moment, the entire world was covered in white, but the water clock in the room told her that it was merely sometime between 3am and 5am. Yet, it was already as bright as day. Mu Yangling was a little worried about Mu Shi, for she did not know if he was safe on the way. Due to this heavy snowfall, three elders in the vige died and a child died prematurely. Before winter arrived, the vige had already begun holding funerals. Extremely worried, Liu He said to Liu Daqian, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be freezing cold this year. I wonder if the elders and children in the vige can survive.¡± Liu Daqian frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not even winter yet¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not even winter yet.¡± Liu He¡¯s hand trembled as he twirled the tobo. This year¡¯s snow came too suddenly. Even he almost didn¡¯t survive. After returning from the county, Mu Shi informed the restaurants and eateries in the county that they might not be able to supply them with prey in the days toe. Also, he informed his contacts in town that they could only deliver the goods to them after helping his family settle down. Shopkeeper Zhang of Wafting Fragrance Eatery had no objections. Although Drunken Cloud Restaurant was dissatisfied, they understood that this was a natural disaster and Mu Shi could not be held responsible. Chapter 63: Accept Chapter 63: ept Editor: As Studios With the gloomy sky overhead, Mu Shi looked up at the dark clouds and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°It¡¯ll probably snow again tomorrow. I wonder how your eldest great-aunt¡¯s family is doing. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll wake up early and go to her house to take a look. At the same time, I¡¯ll clean up the roads in the mountains.¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯s very dangerous to walk on the mountain path in such heavy snow.¡± Mu Shi smiled and stroked her head. ¡°Since the snow in the mountains fell upon the trees instead, there¡¯s less snow on the road than outside. Even if the mountain path is difficult to walk on, with my experience, I won¡¯t fall.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and nced at Shu Wanniang. She said in a low voice, ¡°Father, you have toe back quickly. Mother has been a little uneasy these past few days.¡± Mu Shi also turned around to look at his wife. There was still about a month before she was due to give birth. He did not know if the sudden change in the weather was the reason for Wanniang¡¯s difort, but she had been frowning for the past two days and could not sleep at night. Mu Shi didn¡¯t dare to leave the house for too long, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Father will be back soon. If your mother isn¡¯t feeling well, go find your eldest great-aunt and the others and ask them to help.¡± Although he said that, Mu Shi did not want to hand his wife over to others. Therefore, the next day, when Shu Wanniang was still sleeping, he got up and dressed. Without eating breakfast, he climbed the mountain to West Mountain Vige. It usually took Mu Yangling 45 minutes to cross the mountain. Even though it was difficult to walk on the snowy road, it still only took Mu Shi 45 minutes this time. When he arrived at West Mountain Vige and saw Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s house, Mu Shi¡¯s entire face turned cold. The left half of the Ma residence had been crushed by the snow. Xiuhong¡¯s two children were wearing cotton-padded jackets and seated around the brazier. However, since there was wind leaking from one side, even if there was a fire, the two children were still snuggled up tightly. Mu Shi looked around but did not see Madam Ma-Liu. His gaze darkened as he strode into the Ma residence. ¡°Xiuhong, where¡¯s your grandmother?¡± Ma Xiuhong looked up in surprise, her eyes red as she shouted, ¡°Uncle!¡± When Ma Xin saw Mu Shi, she burst into tears. Xiuhong wiped her tears and said, ¡°Grandma went to look for the vige chief because our house copsed. Grandma went to look for the vige chief yesterday and wanted everyone to help build a simple house. However, the vige chief said that many families in the vige were also affected by the snow and couldn¡¯t spare time to help us for the time being. Last night, we sat around the brazier for the entire night, and Grandma didn¡¯t ask us to sleep. The minute dawn arrived, she went to look for the vige chief.¡± The vige chief of West Mountain Vige was also the patriarch of the Ma family. Mu Shi knew very well what the Mas were like. Moreover, every family had indeed suffered from the snow disaster this time. Nearhill Vige fared okay only because Liu He was around. That person took the n¡¯s well-being as his responsibility and valued his reputation the most. That was why he always ced his family at the lowest priority and helped others tide over their difficulties first. The patriarch of the Ma family did not have such high morals. Most importantly, Liu He enjoyed prestige in Nearhill Vige. As for the patriarch of the Ma family, recalling how Ma Dagui dared to point at the patriarch¡¯s nose and scold him, Mu Shi did not think that they would help his aunt build a house. Looking at the weather, it would probably snow heavily again this afternoon or night. If they really spent the night in such a house, even if they managed to stay awake, they would either die or fall seriously ill. Mu Shi said, ¡°Pack up. Uncle will bring you back to my house.¡± Xiuhong¡¯s eyes lit up, but then dimmed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Grandma will agree¡­¡± ¡°Just take out everything in the house. I¡¯ll talk to your grandmotherter.¡± Ma Xiuhong knew where the valuables were. The aged Madam Ma-Liu feared that she would suddenly die one day, so she had told her eldest granddaughter where the money and deeds were hidden. The Ma family only had a couple things that were valuable. Besides that, there was only their food, clothes, and the smoked meat that Mu Yangling had sent over previously. Ma Xiuhong took arge basket and packed all these things. By the time Madam Ma-Liu returned, she had almost packed everything. ¡°Stay at your house?¡± Madam Ma-Liu widened her eyes and nced at her two granddaughters. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded and said, ¡°Alright, but there are so many things at home. It¡¯s going to take some time to bring them over.¡± The only issue was that the Ma family¡¯s grains were piled up in the house. Mu Shi definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to carry everything over. Mu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, why don¡¯t we store these grains here first? When the n frees up some timeter, my cousins and I wille over and help you rebuild the house.¡± Madam Ma-Liu wiped her tears and nodded, her voice choked. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Madam Ma-Liu brought two rabbits over to look for Madam Ma-Zhang and asked her family to help safeguard the grains left in her house first. Madam Ma-Zhang had benefited a lot from Mu Yangling during this period of time. Seeing that Madam Ma-Liu was apanied by Mu Shi and that she had brought a gift, she was naturally willing. She immediately called her husband to help Mu Shi carry the grains over, and also invited a few nearby families to be witnesses. With Mu Shi¡¯s strength, it merely took him a few trips. Worried about leaving his wife at home, he said to Madam Ma-Liu after transporting the grains to Madam Ma-Zhang¡¯s house, ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Are we walking through the mountains?¡± Madam Ma-Liu nced at the snow on the trees on the mountain. ¡°I¡¯ll carry the two children. Don¡¯t worry, Aunt. Nothing will happen.¡± Since the big basket was not full, Mu Shi simply ced Xin in the basket. Although she was already seven years old, she was of about the same size as Bowen, so she fitted right in the basket. Mu Shi instructed Xin, ¡°Hold onto the ropes on both sides of the basket tightlyter. Don¡¯t be afraid. If there¡¯s anything, tell Grandma and Uncle, understand?¡± Xin nodded carefully. Mu Shi wanted to carry Xiuhong, but she said, ¡°Uncle, I can walk by myself.¡± Mu Shi did not force her. He helped Madam Ma-Liu and Xiuhong walk forward. Whenever they reached a narrow spot, he would turn sideways to help them down. By the time the four of them made it out of the mountain, they were more or less in a sorry state. Fortunately, it only took them slightly more than an hour. Seeing that their lips were turning blue from the cold, Mu Shi said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry home so that you can warm up.¡± There were a total of five rooms in the Mu family. Other than the one in the middle that was used as the central room, the one on the left was upied by Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang, the one on the right was upied by Mu Yangling and Little Bowen, and another one was filled with misceneous items. Thest one was used as a backup. Shu Wanniang had originally nned to move Little Bowen out of the room next spring and let him stay in a separate room. As the siblings grew older, it would not be appropriate for them to stay in the same room anymore. Therefore, that room was very clean,plete with a brick bed, nket, and other necessities. The three of them only needed to tidy up a little before they could live there. Mu Yangling boiled hot water in the kitchen to warm them up. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better after taking a bath.¡± Ma Xiuhong shrunk back in shame and said softly, ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡± Mu Yangling nced at her wet shoes and mended cotton clothes, then smiled. ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t you help me start the fire? I¡¯m not good at housework.¡± Ma Xiuhong said happily, ¡°Alright. Cousin, go and rest. I¡¯ll start the fire.¡± Ma Xiuhong pulled her sister to squat in the kitchen to start the fire. Chapter 64: Defense Chapter 64: Defense Editor: As Studios This was the first time Little Bowen had seen his two cousins. Since Ma Xin was about the same age as him, as soon as they arrived, he followed behind Ma Xin. Mu Yangling let the three children stay in the kitchen while she went into the house to find her old clothes and boots. Mu Yangling grew up quickly and had to rece her clothes almost every year. Other than the most difficult years where she had to recycle her clothes, Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang were unwilling to let the two children suffer. Shu Wanniang made two sets of new cotton clothes for the kids every year and kept most of their old clothes. Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xin were much smaller than Mu Yangling, so they could wear her clothes from a few years ago, as well as her old boots. Mu Yangling found three to four sets of clothes for them and said, ¡°Go take a shower and change into them first. I¡¯ll make some hot food for you.¡± Holding the clothes, Ma Xiuhong¡¯s eyes reddened as she muttered, ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡± Mu Yangling only smiled. On the other side, Madam Ma-Liu had already changed her clothes and was sitting in the room talking to Shu Wanniang. In just half a day, the three of them settled down in the Mu family. Since Shu Wanniang was about to give birth, with Madam Ma-Liu around, she and Mu Shi felt much more at ease. The entire Mingshui County was caught in the midst of a snow disaster, and people kept freezing to death. Merely five dayster, Mu Shi brought Mu Yangling to town to resume delivery of the goods. Along the way, they saw people holding funerals. ¡°Father, won¡¯t it be even colder in winter? Won¡¯t more people die then?¡± Mu Shi remained silent. He didn¡¯t have much time to worry about others. What he worried about was his wife and the baby in her stomach. In such freezing weather, it was easy for newborns to die prematurely. In addition, considering Shu Wanniang¡¯s health had always been poor, Mu Shi was extremely worried about giving birth in such cold weather. Meanwhile, in the West Camp, Qi Xiuyuan and the others had another worry. ¡°It¡¯s been snowing for two consecutive days. The snow outside is already as thick as a finger.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said worriedly, ¡°The snow in the north is probably even heavier.¡± Jiang Ze didn¡¯t understand. ¡°General, what does the disaster in the north have to do with us? Anyway, that area is upied by the Hus.¡± Qi Xiuyuan picked up the book on the desk and hit him on the head. ¡°That¡¯s stillnd that belongs to Great Zhou. Even if it¡¯s upied by the Hus now, the people there are still the Great Zhou¡¯s citizens. I don¡¯t want to hear these words again.¡± Rong Xuan also said, ¡°Besides, if the disaster in the north is serious, I¡¯m afraid the situation on the prairie is even more serious. If they don¡¯t have enough food, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll invade the south. Should that happen, Xingyuan Prefecture will bear the brunt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°If the Hus go south, our West Camp will definitely be the vanguard. However, the defense line around Chef Mountain in the east is too long. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± Looking at his capable subordinate, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°Therefore, I want to redesign the patrol route. Even if we can¡¯t immediately stop the Husing south, we have to send the news as soon as possible so that we can send reinforcement as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°But we need the approval of the emissary to reorganize it.¡± Rong Xuan did not think that this matter could be aplished so easily, so he said, ¡°General, if we¡¯re changing our defense tactics to prevent the barbarians from attacking from Chef Mountain, it¡¯s toote to apply now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to act first and reportter. A general in the field is not bound by the orders from his sovereign. Rong Xuan, draft a document immediately and report the change in defense in detail. I¡¯ll set up the defense on my side.¡± Jiang Ze immediately requested, ¡°General, let me lead the team.¡± However, Rong Xuan disagreed with Qi Xiuyuan overstepping his boundaries. ¡°General, if the emissary uses this as a reason to punish you¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan snorted. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said confidently, ¡°Who else can he put in charge to guard the northwestern region now?¡± Enlightened, Rong Xuan smiled, but he felt a little sad. While feeling that Qi Xiuyuan had a strong position, it saddened him to know that there were no other deployable talents in the court. Thinking of the current situation, Rong Xuan felt that his country was not far from destruction. Emissary Lu of Lizhou Circuit was a civil official and the emperor¡¯s trusted aide. As the emperor had always given in to external forces whenever possible, Qi Xiuyuan and his men did not have a good rtionship with the emissary. Jiang Ze said proudly, ¡°General, let me bring my troops to patrol the area around Chef Mountain. If the Hus dare toe, I¡¯ll make sure they won¡¯t be able to return. I¡¯ll also let the emissary see how we defeat the Hus.¡± Rong Xuan nced at him from the corner of his eye and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the emissary doesn¡¯t fear that you¡¯ll lose to the Hus, but that you¡¯ll win against them, right?¡± When the simple-minded Jiang Ze heard this, he said with a re, ¡°Why? Shouldn¡¯t he be happy to see us win the battle?¡± Why? Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Xuan smiled mockingly. This was because winning a battle meant expanding the war. If the Great Zhou lost, they only needed to pay somend, gold, silver, and silk. However, if the Hus lost, they would fly into a rage out of humiliation andunch arge-scale southern attack. The citizens of the Great Zhou would also want to take back their homnd, so the war between the two sides would expand. The expansion of the war meant that the expenses of the Imperial Court would increase. Having lived extravagantly for more than 20 years, the Great Zhou could no longer afford the war. Now, the imperial court could only give the soldiers food and rations, but not a single cent of the promised sry. Even Qi Xiuyuan had not received any sry for half a year. Now, the soldiers of the various armies were thinking of ways to resolve the problem themselves. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s method was only to collect from the local people and borrow from the rich. Why did the Yuan Family Army only recognize the Yuan Family but not the current emperor? That was because the Yuan Family was the one supporting them. Thus, they were called the Yuan Family Army and only recognized the Yuan Family. The more victories they won, the more military merits they would umte, and the more prestige they would have. Naturally, the emperor would be afraid, which was why the Yuan family¡¯s army was so taboo. Four years ago, in the Battle of Reconquisition, the emperor had forcefully summoned them back, leading them to lose the Jingzhao Prefecture. Therefore, Qi Xiuyuan had to act first and reportter because he feared that if he submitted the report now, the emissary would probably ask him to defend the West Camp and not attack back to avoid harming the diplomatic rtionship between the two countries. Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Xuan agreed to call everyone over the next day to make arrangements. Puzzled, Mo Xiong asked, ¡°General, north of our Xingyuan Prefecture is the Jingzhao Prefecture. The Jingzhao Prefecture is much richer than ours. Even if the disaster there is more serious than ours, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Considering we¡¯re much poorer than them, we should be the ones to rob them instead.¡± ¡°The Jingzhao Prefecture was only prosperous four years ago. As the Hus were not good at nting, after they upied the farnd, they started nting grass and raising horses there. Over the past four years, themoners have suffered indescribably. Now that the snow disaster has struck, they¡¯re the ones having the most difficult time. Since the Hus can no longer extract any benefits from there, in order to deal with the snow disaster on the grasnd, they must go south to plunder.¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at everyone as he said, ¡°Therefore, we have to start the defense as soon as possible. This was why I gathered everyone here today. Since more than half of our Great Zhou¡¯snd has been lost, we can¡¯t afford to lose any morend. Otherwise, we will be eternal sinners.¡± As soon as Qi Xiuyuan said this, everyone immediately stood up and cupped their fists. ¡°I¡¯m willing to follow you to guard the country and protect our Great Zhou!¡± Chapter 65: Seeking a Military Position Chapter 65: Seeking a Military Position Editor: As Studios ¡°Brother, I want to patrol like Jiang Ze, too.¡± Qi Haoran shouted as he rushed into Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s study. Since this was a matter of secrecy, Qi Xiuyuan had never told Qi Haoran about the patrolling before. How did he find out? Qi Xiuyuan asked, ¡°Who said that Jiang Ze¡¯s going there to patrol?¡± Qi Haoran tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? But when I went to the 3rd Division today, I realized that half of the elites had been transferred away. There were scouts from the 1st and 2nd Divisions transferred under Jiang Ze. Isn¡¯t there going to be a war?¡± He looked at his eldest brother and said unhappily, ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t leave me behind while you fight alone. I want to follow you, too.¡± Straightening his neck, he said with red eyes, ¡°If you leave without me, I¡¯ll snatch a horse and head to the battlefield myself.¡± Furious, Qi Xiuyuan pressed Qi Haoran down and spanked his butt. ¡°Why are you going to the battlefield? Are you courting death? You¡¯re only 12 years old this year!¡± As he spoke, he smacked his butt. As Qi Haoran struggled, he shouted, ¡°Why can¡¯t I fight? I can already withstand 120 moves from you. Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t have enoughmanders under you? So what if you let me lead a couple dozen men? With the heavy snow, those Hus will definitely go south to plunder.¡± Qi Xiuyuan paused and pulled him up. With a solemn expression, he asked, ¡°How did you know that the Hus would definitely go south to plunder?¡± Although Qi Xiuyuan had changed the defenses, it was only a precaution, for he was not sure if the Hus would go south. However, Qi Haoran seemed certain that they would do so. Qi Haoran said matter-of-factly, ¡°If I were a Hu, I¡¯d definitely go south. Not only would I be able to obtain food for the winter, but I¡¯d also be able to weaken the Great Zhou¡¯s military power. Perhaps after winning a few battles, the Great Zhou might evenpensate me with porcin and silk. With so many benefits, why wouldn¡¯t I go south? I¡¯d also have a ready-made reason. Since the snow disaster results in a shortage of supplies, the Hu Imperial Court will definitely be willing to let the soldiers go south to try.¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at his brother in surprise. He was only 12 years old this year, right? Not only did he usually look dumb and adorable, he did quite terrible in his studies, and his teacher wouldin to Qi Xiuyuan every time he checked his homework. Qi Xiuyuan recalled that Rong Xuan had once praised Qi Haoran¡¯s ability to train soldiers. In just a month, he had united the misceneous soldiers of the 4th Division. He started seriously contemting his brother¡¯s future. Forget about letting him take the Imperial Examination. Even he could not bear to look at the essays that Qi Haoran had written, let alone those knowledgeable examiners. In that case, he could only pursue the martial arts path. Looking at his young brother, Qi Xiuyuan felt a little bitter. Going to the battlefield was equivalent to handing half his life to the heavens. Qi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t want his brother to live his days licking off blood from the edge of the knife like him. But other than martial arts, what other path could Qi Haoran take? Qi Xiuyuan immediately felt that he was too ipetent as an elder brother. His younger brother was already 12 years old, but he had yet to determine his future direction on his behalf. Qi Xiuyuan asked him, ¡°Have you ever thought about your future?¡± Qi Haoran replied matter-of-factly, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be a general by Big Brother¡¯s side. Big Brother, when you be an emissary, I¡¯ll be a general under you.¡± Qi Xiuyuanughed out loud and said loudly, ¡°If I really be an emissary, I¡¯ll definitely transfer you under mymand.¡± The emissary was a first-rank official. How many people in the world could reach this position? Qi Xiuyuan only treated this as a joke, but Qi Haoran was serious. He admired his big brother the most and felt that he was simply the most capable person in the world. He was much better than their father, who only knew how to argue in the imperial court. ¡°Alright, you can go back first. I¡¯ll transfer you to work under me after I be an emissary.¡± Qi Haoran jumped up when he heard that. ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t change the topic. After you be an emissary, I want to be a general under you. For now, while you¡¯re still a general, I¡¯ll be a sectionmander under you. Just give me a few men and I¡¯ll lead them to patrol. Brother, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Qi Haoran almost jumped onto Qi Xiuyuan and wheedled. Qi Xiuyuan said with a straight face, ¡°You have no military merits or experience. How can you be qualified to be a sectionmander? Don¡¯t mess around. If word gets out, I¡¯ll be charged with favoritism.¡± Qi Haoran rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re lying to me. How many generals in the various armies don¡¯t bring in their own people? Brother Rong Xuan couldn¡¯t even withstand three punches from me. Isn¡¯t it because of your shielding that he could be a Military Advisor?¡± Qi Xiuyuan red at him. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Your Brother Rong Xuan is extremely smart and relies on his own ability.¡± ¡°The military isn¡¯t just about intelligence. If you¡¯re not skilled in martial arts, no matter how smart you are, you won¡¯t be able to walk out of the battlefield alive. Brother, you can¡¯t just be biased towards your good friends and not your younger brother.¡± Qi Haoran hugged Qi Xiuyuan while crying dramatically. Qi Xiuyuan said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re too young. The soldiers won¡¯t be convinced.¡± ¡°Then Big Brother, let me lead the misceneous soldiers of the 4th Division. They won¡¯t have any objections, right?¡± Qi Haoran looked at Big Brother with tears in his eyes. After a moment of silence, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°The casualty rate of the misceneous soldiers in the 4th Division has always been very high. You¡¯ll be in danger if you lead them¡­¡± Qi Haoran patted his chest and said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely be able to stay alive. Just let me be a toonmander of the 4th Division.¡± Qi Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you only wanted to be a sectionmander just now?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s only if it¡¯s the 1st Division, 2nd Division, or 3rd Division. If it¡¯s the 4th Division, you¡¯ve got to let me be a toonmander.¡± Qi Haoran chuckled. The 4th Division consisted of the old, weak, sick, and disabled who had been eliminated by the various divisions, or the cowardly recruits who had failed their training. There was a division in every army that specially contained these people, and they were used as cannon fodder. Not hard-hearted enough to push those who would definitely die on the battlefield into the battlefield, Qi Xiuyuan only let them be in charge of logistics and some messy work. Of course, the 4th Division also received the worst treatment. However, no matter how soft-hearted Qi Xiuyuan was, in the event of a huge battle, they had to be sent to the battlefield. It was only right that a warrior should die on the battlefield. The following war might not happen, and even if it did, the men from the 4th Division might not be needed. Hence, Qi Xiuyuan agreed after some thought. It was good to let his brother temper himself there. If the 4th Division was really required on the battlefield, he could just drag him out. Having gotten what he wanted, Qi Haoran left happily. Fan Zijin was squatting outside the courtyard, waiting for him. When Qi Haoran saw him, he jumped over and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Fan Zijin stood up and patted his clothes. ¡°Based on your happy expression, did Cousin agree to let you lead the troops to patrol?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qi Haoran patted his shoulder proudly and said, ¡°I¡¯m a person with a job now. I¡¯m a toonmander now.¡± Fan Zijin sneered and immediately restrained his expression. Bowing seriously, he said, ¡°Cousin, in that case, I, your Military Advisor, greet you.¡± Fan Zijin emphasized the word ¡°Cousin¡± hard. Qi Haoran was dumbfounded. ¡°What Military Advisor?¡± Fan Zijin nced at him from the corner of his eyes and said, ¡°Every general has a like-minded Military Advisor by his side. General Yuan has Shen Mu by his side, and Cousin has Brother Rong Xuan by his side. Who do you have by your side? In order for you to have a smoother path in the future, I¡¯ll reluctantly be your Military Advisor.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is this how you use the term ¡®like-minded¡¯?¡± Chapter 66: Traitor Chapter 66: Traitor Editor: As Studios After his brother left, Qi Xiuyuan fell into deep thought. Since his brother could guess his defense from his arrangements, could others do the same? Qi Xiuyuan called Rong Xuan over. Thetter pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°The possibility is not high. The information about the various camps is actually well-contained. Only Haoran and Zijin cane into contact with this information at the same time.¡± ¡°No matter what, we should still be careful,¡± Qi Xiuyuan said. ¡°The defense hasn¡¯t beenpleted yet. Nothing must happen.¡± Rong Xuan immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell them to be careful. Those who are assigned to the patrol team will be told to keep it a secret.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded. However, none of them expected that the problem would appear internally. One of Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s trusted aides, Lu Cheng, had already snitched before they finished setting up the defenses, and even before Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s document reached the emissary. The emissary directly sent an army supervisor to keep an eye on Qi Xiuyuan, and the toonmander of an elite troop who escorted the army supervisor over also stayed on in Xingzhou Prefecture. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression was ugly. ¡°Why did Lu Cheng betray me?¡± He felt that he had treated his subordinates well. Lu Cheng had been under hismand for three years. When his mother fell seriously ill, his sry was not enough to seek medical treatment, and it was he who had given Lu Cheng silver taels and medicinal herbs. Lu Cheng was also grateful to him for that. There was once, he even shielded him from a knife on the battlefield to save him. He really could not fathom why Lu Cheng would betray him. The people sitting below lowered their heads in silence. After asking them to leave, Rong Xuan patted Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He must¡¯ve received greater benefits. But no matter what, the most important thing now is to deal with it.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s aura became sharp, and his gaze was like a falcon. ¡°We can¡¯t use the original defense, but we still have to send people to patrol around Chef Mountain. They¡¯re underestimating me if they think they can restrain me with an army supervisor and a toonmander.¡± ¡°Huang Jian said that the Imperial Court is in the midst of negotiating a marriage alliance with the Jin Kingdom. Since our dynasty might send a princess to marry over, the emissary forbids us from destroying the diplomatic rtionship between the two countries,¡± Rong Xuan said. Qi Xiuyuan was so angry that his liver hurt. ¡°How many princesses has our imperial court married over to the Jin Kingdom? Do they think that by doing so, the Jin soldiers won¡¯t attack us? There¡¯s no way the Hus and the Hans can ever be a family in the true sense. Not to mention that the princesses who marry into the Jin Kingdom can¡¯t give birth to children, even if they do give birth to an heir who ends up ascending the throne, the heir will still be a Hu, not a Han.¡± Frowning slightly, Rong Xuan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Making peace with rulers of minority nationalities in the border areas by marriage is still effective¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan sneered. ¡°Of course it¡¯s effective. With the dowry that the princess brought over, the Hus will be obedient for at least a year or two.¡± Qi Xiuyuan did not agree with such an act. They were a vast country, yet they had to sacrifice their princesses in exchange for a few years of living in shame. Rather than that, he would rather they fight a grand battle. If they lost, he would just die for his country. At the very least, he would die with dignity. However, Great Zhou was strong in academics and weak in martial arts. Every time they were defeated in a major battle, a princess would be sent out for marriage alliance. Not only did they marry princesses over to the Jin Kingdom, but the Great Zhou also did the same with Xia, Tibet, and Western Liao in order to keep the peace. In the ten years after the imperial court fled south, because the emperor did not have a princess of suitable age, almost all of the daughters of the imperial n and important ministers had been conferred as princesses. However, be it true princesses or conferred princesses, none who married over could live past 25 years old, nor had a son or daughter before their passing. If it was just one or two instances, Qi Xiuyuan could treat it as an ident. But not a single one of the princesses had any children left behind. Qi Xiuyuan felt sad for the princesses and even more indignant to see Great Zhou¡¯s precious princesses be humiliated on a foreignnd. It was almost impossible for Qi Xiuyuan to temporarily keep out of the Jin Kingdom¡¯s way in order to facilitate the marriage alliance between the two countries. In fact, he couldn¡¯t wait to destroy the marriage alliance. At the very least, he could prevent a princess from dying in a foreignnd. Moreover, his camp was here. If he merely held on and didn¡¯t counterattack, it would be his soldiers and the people under his rule who would die. He and the soldiers were fed and clothed by themoners here. How much of a beast would Qi Xiuyuan be to stand by and watch while themoners get robbed? Hence, Qi Xiuyuan told Rong Xuan with certainty, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this matter. We¡¯ll only lower the specifications of the defense. If Huang Jian dares to stop us, let hime and find me.¡± ¡°What about Lu Cheng?¡± Qi Xiuyuan pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Let him continue to be the lieutenant.¡± Rong Xuan raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re not going to deal with him?¡± The corners of Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he said coldly, ¡°He only bypassed me to report some things to the emissary. This is not a crime. Besides, I¡¯m curious to see if he wille and exin things to me.¡± For traitors, sometimes silence was harder to endure than movement. Rong Xuan did not say anything else. Lu Cheng didn¡¯te to Qi Xiuyuan to exin, and Qi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t find trouble with him. Instead, Qi Haoran threw a gunnysack over Lu Cheng on his way home and beat him up. The next day, Lu Cheng showed up at the military camp with a swollen face. When Fan Zijin heard this, he was so angry that he kicked Qi Haoran and shouted, ¡°Why did you hit his face? Since you knew to put a gunnysack over him, why didn¡¯t you just strike him at painful yet inconspicuous spots?¡± Qi Haoran shouted, ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t hit him where it hurts? I dare to say that he must be suffering from internal injuries right now.¡± ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t hit his face. With that face, those who don¡¯t know better would think that Big Brother ordered it.¡± Fan Zijin sneered and said, ¡°Cousin still wanted to give him a chance to exin, but I saw that he had no intention of repenting at all. If he really feels guilty, he should have stayed at home to recuperate. He should have made up some excuse to take leave instead of wandering around the army with such a face. Are you afraid that others won¡¯t know that you beat him up?¡± Qi Haoran jumped up and said, ¡°How would others know that I beat him up? I threw a gunnysack over him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really stupid.¡± Fan Zijin patted his head and said resentfully, ¡°Brother Jiang Ze couldn¡¯t take it anymore and got someone to spread the news that Lu Cheng betrayed Cousin. Now, everyone holding the rank of a toonmander and above knows that Lu Cheng offended Cousin and that there¡¯s a grudge between them. At this time, Lu Cheng was put in a sack and beaten up. Anyone would guess that it was to avenge Cousin. Who else in Xingzhou Prefecture can do such a thing for Cousin? Those who know might say that you¡¯re doing this out of brotherly love and disdain for traitors. Those who don¡¯t know might think that you¡¯re arrogant and do whatever you want with Cousin¡¯s power. Some even more sinister people might say that it was Cousin who instructed you to do this.¡± Qi Haoran did not expect there to be so many twists and turns. For a moment, his head hurt. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re seriously injured, you should just rest in bed from today onwards,¡± Fan Zijin said seriously. ¡°What did you say?¡± Qi Haoran widened his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t even lose a single strand of hair. What¡¯s that about being seriously injured? Don¡¯t damage my prestige. With Lu Cheng¡¯s pathetic martial arts skills, no way is he able to hurt me.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him as he said slowly, ¡°If I say you¡¯re sick, then you¡¯re sick. Lie down obediently.¡± With that, he turned around and went to the city to find three good physicians with great fanfare. He left them in the general¡¯s residence to treat Qi Xiuyuan. Then, he took out a piece of ginger and rubbed it forcefully against his sleeve. After which, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve, causing his eyes to immediately turn red. When Fan Zijin raised his head again, he looked overwhelmed with grief and indignation. The two servants were dumbfounded, but Qi Haoran was already used to it. Every time Fan Zijin revealed such an expression, it meant that someone was going to be unlucky. Chapter 67: Counterattack Chapter 67: Counterattack Editor: As Studios Sure enough, Fan Zijin ran to the military camp with two servants to stop Lu Cheng and reprimanded him. ¡°My cousin is young and insensible. When he heard the rumors outside, he inevitably felt indignant for my cousin. It¡¯s his fault for attacking you, but you¡¯re a few years older than him after all, and you¡¯ve been to the battlefield and seen bloodshed. You could¡¯ve just taught him a lesson. Why did you have to hit him so hard?¡± With a dark expression, Lu Cheng looked at Fan Zijin gloomily and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. When did Fourth Young Master cause trouble for me?¡± Fan Zijin snorted coldly. ¡°You know very well whether he did.¡± As he spoke, he stared at the injury on his face and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe out in such a pitiful state. If anything really happens to my cousin, I¡¯ll definitely seek justice for him.¡± With that, he red at Lu Cheng viciously before leaving with a flick of his sleeves. Lu Cheng¡¯s heart was even more gloomy, for he was truly seriously injured. Qi Haoran¡¯s martial arts skills were not bad, and he had practiced internal cultivation since he was young. Coupled with the anger in his heart, he had not shown mercy. Even if Lu Cheng tried his best to avoid it, he still sustained pretty significant injuries. He had originally nned to pretend that nothing had happened and wait for everyone to guess that it was Qi Haoran who had done it before revealing that he was seriously injured. By then, even if Qi Xiuyuan feigned ignorance, the soldiers would definitely not believe him. With the decrease in Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s prestige, coupled with a few tricks, should the emissary want to rece the general in the future, the soldiers would not have much objections. Only then would he be able to subdue everyone faster. Unexpectedly, all of this was ruined by Fan Zijin. When he came out to say these words, everyone knew that he had injured Qi Haoran. Previously, in order to y the part of a silent victim, he had been putting on a gentle appearance and insisting that those were just superficial wounds¡­ If he were to now say that he had suffered internal injuries, no one would believe him after Fan Zijin had said. Besides, after this fiasco, he no longer dared to say that. If he said it now, it would be equivalent to admitting that he had ulterior motives. Lu Cheng gritted his teeth. Rong Xuan, who had rushed over to watch themotion, heaved a sigh of relief. He smiled at Jiang Ze beside him and said, ¡°This Young Master Fan is quite quick-witted. No wonder the general agreed to let him be Fourth Young Master¡¯s Military Advisor.¡± Jiang Ze smiled and said, ¡°Young Master Fan is the same as you, full of tricks up his sleeves.¡± Rong Xuan looked at Jiang Ze and smiled. He said gently, ¡°Thank you for your praise. Don¡¯t worry, I am slightly more so than him.¡± Jiang Ze wished he could sew his mouth shut. He looked at Rong Xuan pleadingly. ¡°Military Advisor, I¡¯m praising you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Xuan looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Thank you for your praise, then.¡± Jiang Ze looked at Rong Xuan with tears in his eyes. He was really praising the Military Advisor for being smart. When Qi Xiuyuan heard about this from the guard, he smashed the table angrily and asked the guard gloomily, ¡°You said that Lu Cheng injured Haoran?¡± The personal guard quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°General, don¡¯t worry. I personally went to the residence to take a look just now. Fourth Young Master isn¡¯t injured. He¡¯s just detained in the courtyard by Young Master Fan. The doctors invited have been arranged to stay in the side courtyard.¡± Only then did Qi Xiuyuan look better. He didn¡¯t me Lu Cheng for wanting to rece him. As long as there was a chance, who wouldn¡¯t want to be a general? In fact, he himself wished to rece the emissary. However, Lu Cheng should never have implicated Qi Haoran. If he wanted to step on Qi Haoran to climb up the ranks, he had to first ask for his permission. In Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s heart, Qi Haoran was his only kin. How could he tolerate Lu Cheng using him? Initially, he had wanted to hear Lu Cheng¡¯s exnation, but there was no need for that now. ¡°Let Haoran stay at home and rest for a few days. After some time, let him go to the 4th Division. I¡¯ll arrange for someone else to do the patrolling.¡± The guard said, ¡°General, Overseer Huang¡­¡± ¡°Treat him with courtesy and don¡¯t worry about anything else for now. I want to see what his stand is.¡± The army supervisor sent by the emissary might not necessarily be on the same side as the emissary. Xingzhou Prefecture, with its hardships countless times higher than Xingyuan Prefecture, was not a good ce. How many officials in the court were willing toe here? While Xingzhou Prefecture was in turmoil, Linshan Vige slowly recovered from its sorrow and life began to get on track. After the funerals in the vige werepleted, everyone stayed at home due to the freezing cold. Because the weather had suddenly turned cold, about half of the vegetables left in the fields that had yet to be harvested froze in the snow. Although they were harvested on the third day, there was still not much that could be preserved. Fortunately, they had saved a lot of smoked meat previously. In addition, the autumn harvest could be considered a bumper harvest. As long as they could ensure that the firewood supply could keep up, they should do alright this winter. At this moment, Mu Yangling was sitting on a small stool around the brazier. From time to time, she would ce a few peanuts beside the brazier and a few skewers of meat on it. As the fragrance of meat wafted out, the three children sitting at the side could not help but swallow their saliva. Little Bowen looked at the meat skewers on the brazier with sparkling eyes and asked, ¡°Sister, how long until we can eat?¡± ¡°Wait a little longer.¡± Mu Yangling nimbly flipped over the meat skewers. ¡°Go and ask Father if he wants to eat.¡± Little Bowen said in a dilemma, ¡°If Father wants to eat too, it definitely won¡¯t be enough.¡± Xin also looked at the 20-odd skewers of meat worriedly. Xiuhong said, ¡°It¡¯s hard on Uncle to enter the mountains. We should let him eat it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more. If Father wants to eat, let him pick out the remaining rabbit meat. I roast meat very quickly.¡± The reason Mu Yangling enthusiastically roped Mu Shi in was because she wanted to help out. Mu Yangling was not good at picking meat and had only picked out very little meat after working for the entire morning. On the other hand, with his excellent knife skills, Mu Shi could clean up a rabbit in no time. Mu Yangling wanted her father to scrape the meat off the rabbit¡¯s bones. Xiuhong instantly understood her cousin¡¯s intention, so she volunteered, ¡°I¡¯ll call Uncle over to eat meat skewers.¡± When Xiuhong ran to look for her uncle, Shu Wanniang and Madam Ma-Liu were both here. Quick-witted, she also called out to them. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, do you want to eat meat skewers? Cousin roasted a lot of meat skewers.¡± Shu Wanniang smiled as she shook her head. ¡°No thanks. The four of you can go ahead.¡± Mu Shi also said, ¡°You guys eat. Just bring a few skewers for your grandmother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s broiled, but I can¡¯t eat this roasted meat. Your sister and little cousin are still young. Watch over them and don¡¯t let them eat too much, lest they get heaty.¡± However, Mu Shi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He asked, ¡°How many skewers did you guys roast?¡± Xiuhong couldn¡¯t count, so she could only say, ¡°Cousin said there are more than 20 skewers.¡± Mu Shi raised his eyebrows. ¡°More than 20 skewers aren¡¯t even enough to fill the gaps between your cousin¡¯s teeth.¡± He said to Shu Wanniang, ¡°Ah Ling must want me to go over and scrape the meat.¡± Shu Wanniang nudged him and said, ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you going? Ah Ling is mischievous. What if she identally hurts herself with your dagger?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s dagger had been passed down to him by his father, who had inherited it from his brave father. That dagger could slice through iron as though it were mud, and was not something that could be bought with money. Mu Shi always brought it with him when he went into the forest. Mu Yangling had been eyeing it for a long time, but Mu Shi did not allow her to use it. Shu Wanniang was even more fearful that she would be injured and strictly forbade her from touching it. However, if Mu Shi did not go, this child would probably take the opportunity to use it under the excuse that the kitchen knife was not sharp enough. Chapter 68: Barbecue Chapter 68: Barbecue Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling only roasted fresh rabbit meat. At this moment, the weather was cold, and there was thick snow on the ground. Mu Shi and Mu Yangling were no longer going into the mountains to hunt, but the traps they had set up previously still remained. Every two to three days, the father and daughter would go into the mountains together to see if prey had been caught in these traps. If so, they could eat a fresh meal. If not, they would eat smoked meat and dried meat. Most of the prey that fell into the trap were rabbits. Up until now, Mu Yangling had only encountered one roe deer. Pity though, Mu Shi had sent it to the town¡¯s eatery instead of eating it themselves. That was why Mu Yangling used rabbit meat to make meat skewers. Over the past few days, Mu Yangling had invented many ways to eat rabbit meat. Her culinary skills were not particrly good, but she had many ideas. For example, she would mince the rabbit meat and knead it into meatballs before cooking it in a soup¡­ In the past, Shu Wanniang doted on them and prepared for them all kinds of delicious food. Even though Shu Wanniang wasn¡¯t in a state to cook right now, there was Madam Ma-Liu. Mu Yangling was in charge of dicing and mashing the rabbit meat, for she was strong and had great endurance. She didn¡¯t even mind doing it for the entire morning. Then, Madam Ma-Liu marinated the rabbit meat and gently kneaded it into meatballs, before adding them into the soup. This was exactly what they atest night. Even Shu Wanniang, who never fancied rabbit meat, had a small bowl. Not to mention the two carnivores, Mu Yangling and Mu Shi. The children also enjoyed the dish very much. This morning, Mu Yangling followed Mu Shi into the mountains and brought back two wild rabbits from the trap. One was kept for Madam Ma-Liu to stir-fry at night. Mu Shi had wanted to throw the remaining one outside to freeze with snow, but in the end, he asked Mu Yangling to skin it, wash it, and make roasted meat with it. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Although the winter day was short, there was nothing to do. Little Bowen couldn¡¯t always read books, so Mu Yangling set up a grill to roast meat. Speaking of barbecued skewers, Mu Yangling¡¯s favorite was still roe deer meat or deer meat. Unfortunately, it was cold and snowy now, so they couldn¡¯t go too deeply into the mountains, nor could they track the prey. Mu Yangling was feeling sorry for her cousin and brother. ¡°Roast deer meat tastes so good in winter. When the weather clears up and it¡¯s a little warmer, Father and I will go into the mountains to hunt a deer. When the timees, we¡¯ll roast deer meat for you to eat. Put the deer meat on the tray and you just have to rub a little sesame oil on it. Then, sprinkle some salt and chili. Ah, if only there¡¯s cumin. Just add a little and roast it until it¡¯s 70% cooked.¡± Mu Yangling revealed a satisfied expression. ¡°Once you eat it, I can guarantee that you won¡¯t forget the taste.¡± Little Bowen and Xin¡¯s saliva dripped down. Little Bowen took a deep breath and asked eagerly, ¡°Can I eat roasted venison too?¡± ¡°Of course, but you¡¯re weak and can¡¯t eat too much. Father should eat more.¡± Mu Yangling chuckled. ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll use this treasure to make wine for Father.¡± Xin and Little Bowen asked innocently, ¡°What treasure?¡± Mu Yangling was about to speak when she was pped on the head. Turning around, she saw Mu Shi standing behind her with a dark expression. ¡°Where did you learn such nonsense at such a young age?¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter with a dark expression. ¡°You¡¯re even leading your younger siblings astray.¡± Mu Yangling touched her nose and admitted her mistake. ¡°Father, I know I was wrong. I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± However, Mu Shi knew that she was just paying him lip service and was not serious at all. He started worrying. His daughter seemed to be too mature for her age. He did not know who she had heard this nonsense from. He decided he¡¯d better not bring her to town next time, lest she was led astray. Mu Shi said with a straight face, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to such nonsense in the future.¡± Mu Yangling agreed with an honest expression. Only then did Mu Shi grunt and take out the dagger. He took out the remaining half of a rabbit, picked out the meat, before cing it on the te. Xiuhong, Xin, and Little Bowen excitedly took the skewers of meat and Mu Yangling roasted them. Soon, there were more than 20 skewers on the other side of the te. Mu Yangling stuffed a skewer into her mouth and pushed the rest over. ¡°Eat them while they¡¯re hot. Otherwise, they won¡¯t taste good when they¡¯re cold.¡± Xiuhong let Mu Shi eat first. Mu Shi took a skewer and said, ¡°You guys eat. I¡¯ll just have one skewer.¡± He swiftly picked out the rabbit meat and ced it on a te. Then, he instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t be gluttonous. If you eat too much, you¡¯ll get heaty and I¡¯ll have to make tea for you guyster. Ah Ling, watch over them since you¡¯re the eldest.¡± Mu Yangling agreed. After Mu Shi left, she stuck out her tongue and said to the three of them, ¡°Let¡¯s skewer the meat. We¡¯ll eat half of it today and roast the rest tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling took two skewers and stuffed them into her mouth. Her mouth was filled with oil as she sighed in satisfaction. ¡°Wild rabbits are so fresh, fragrant, and sweet. The domestic rabbits I used to eat simply can¡¯tpare.¡± Xiuhong¡¯s face was filled with confusion. ¡°Cousin, did you need to buy domesticated rabbits? Can one raise rabbits at home? How do you go about doing it?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve eaten it before.¡± Mu Yangling said vaguely, ¡°Since pigs and chickens can be domesticated, why can¡¯t rabbits be raised at home?¡± Xiuhong thought about it carefully before nodding. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not knowledgeable. Perhaps I¡¯ve just never heard of it.¡± Mu Yangling blinked as she tilted her head. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of rabbits being raised?¡± Xiuhong shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it. How does one go about doing it? They know how to dig holes, so how can they be raised?¡± As she spoke, she looked at Mu Yangling with sparkling eyes and asked, ¡°Cousin, if rabbits can be raised, can our family raise a few rabbits next year? We can sell them after fattening them up.¡± Upon hearing Xiuhong¡¯s question, Mu Yangling realized that she didn¡¯t exactly know how to raise a rabbit. Since Mu Shi was knowledgeable, she nned to ask him tonight. Uninterested in this topic, Little Bowen and Xin ate meat skewer after meat skewer while they were talking. By the time Mu Yangling snapped out of her thoughts, Little Bowen had already eaten seven to eight skewers. Anxious, she quickly stopped him. ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯re not allowed to eat so much. Otherwise, if you can¡¯t eat dinner tonight, Father will beat me up.¡± Little Bowen made a fuss. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. You guys are also still eating.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, we won¡¯t eat anymore, too.¡± Mu Yangling knew that children imitated others. Although she still wanted to eat, she could only suppress it and say, ¡°Let¡¯s drink some water first. I¡¯ll roast the rest for you tomorrow.¡± Mu Shi went to Liu Daqian¡¯s house and discussed with him about building a house in West Mountain Vige after the weather cleared up. Half of the Ma family¡¯s house had copsed. Although they could not start work at the moment due to the terrible weather, as soon as the sky cleared up, they would go over to help build it. Meanwhile, Mu Shi helped pay for the materials such as bricks and wood first. Since nobody knew when the weather would clear up, Mu Shi asked Madam Ma-Liu to stay in the Mu residence in peace. Most importantly, with Madam Ma-Liu around, Mu Shi felt much more at ease. With Shu Wanniang due to give birth in about a month, Madam Ma-Liu was more reliable than Mu Shi and Mu Yangling, with her wealth of experience. Seeing Shu Wanniang take out a needle and thread to make clothes for her unborn child, Madam quickly snatched it over and said, ¡°You can¡¯t use needle and thread. Otherwise, your eyes will be blurred in the future, and it won¡¯t be good for the child.¡± Madam Ma-Liu looked at the half-made clothes in the basket and smiled. ¡°This isn¡¯t difficult. I can help you finish it up. I may not be able to stitch embroidery upon them, but I won¡¯t lose to anyone when it¡¯s just in making clothes.¡± Madam Ma-Liu did not know how to embroider, but every woman knew how to sew clothes. Clothes made for children usually did not have embroidery and only required fine stitches. Shu Wanniang said happily, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the clothes Aunt made for Xiuhong and Xin. Indeed, my needlework can¡¯tpare. I¡¯m more than happy to have you help me make clothes for the baby.¡± Chapter 69: Requesting Chapter 69: Requesting Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling took out a cabbage from the cer. ¡°Let¡¯s eat noodles with stewed cabbage tonight.¡± Xiuhong and Xin pped and cheered. Bowen sniffed and said, ¡°Do put more noodles and less vegetables.¡± Mu Yangling tapped his nose and said, ¡°Dream on. We don¡¯t have so much noodles at home.¡± Little Bowen pouted and said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t like noodles, why don¡¯t you give me your portion and I¡¯ll give you my cabbage?¡± ¡°Thanks but no thanks. There¡¯s no shortage of cabbage at home.¡± Seeing Little Bowen pout, Xiuhong hurriedly offered, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ll give you my portion.¡± ¡°Xiuhong, don¡¯t indulge him. We need to eat a nutritionally-bnced diet, so we can¡¯t just feed him noodles. We should let him eat more vegetables and meat.¡± Little Bowen pointed out indignantly, ¡°But you and Father don¡¯t like to eat vegetables and always eat just meat. You and Father are disobedient, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mu Yangling forced herself to say, ¡°Who said I don¡¯t like vegetables? Eating more vegetables will make me prettier. I eat vegetables every day.¡± Snorting, Little Bowen pointed out mercilessly, ¡°You only eat one serving of vegetables for every half a te of meat. Whenever Mother tells you to eat more vegetables, you would say that vegetables wouldn¡¯t give you enough strength, and that you¡¯d turn into a rabbit if you actually eat more greens.¡± Mu Yangling yed dumb. ¡°Did I say that?¡± Little Bowen nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiuhong and Xin covered their mouths andughed. Mu Yangling knew that if she continued, she would be exposed even more, so she stuck out her tongue and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you out to y.¡± Mu Yangling brought them to look for Liu Lang and the others. Due to the freezing weather, all the children stayed at home to warm up by the braziers. The Liu family was the same. The entire family was sitting in the central room. Madam Liu-Zhao and Madam Liu-Zhang were doing needlework at the side while the children were ying with ropes on the brick bed. When Eldest Great-aunt Liu saw Mu Yangling and the children, she quickly waved her hand. ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯re here. Come in quickly. Ah Lang, Ah Rong, your cousins are here to y with you.¡± She then went to hold Xiuhong and Xin¡¯s hands. Seeing the frostbite and yellowish medicine applied on their hands, she said sympathetically, ¡°Poor child, why are you so cold? I have some ointment here. I¡¯ll let you bring some back to apply at home.¡± Liu Rong also slid down the brick bed and ran over to hold Xiuhong¡¯s hand. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s get on the brick bed quickly. The floor is cold.¡± Seeing her cousin¡¯s enthusiasm for the sisters, Liu Yun snorted in disdain and picked out her things from the pile to put away. She looked at them warily in case they stole them. No one noticed her thoughts. Little Bowen had already thrown off his shoes and climbed into the brick bed, and Mu Yangling was busy taking care of him. However, Madam Liu-Zhang saw that the sisters were wearing cotton clothes that were neither new nor old. While she went forward to support them, she touched them. She could tell that the cotton wool was soft and good material. How could the two children of the Ma family afford cotton clothes when they couldn¡¯t even afford to feed themselves? Moreover, these were not new. When they arrived that day, she had seen from afar that their clothes were filled with patches. If they had such fine cotton clothes, why didn¡¯t they wear them when they were traveling on the mountain path? It was even more impossible to say that it was new. Who would buy cotton clothes that were neither new nor old? It was most likely Mu Yangling¡¯s old clothes, right? Madam Liu-Zhang felt a little ufortable. They were all her rtives, and their family was from the same vige. In addition, Mu Bowen came here every few days to y. In terms of closeness, their family should be closer to the Mu family, right? Moreover, this was her grandmother¡¯s maternal family, and that was just her great-aunt¡¯s family. In terms of blood ties, they were clearly much closer. And not only did Madam Shu not instill sense into her insensible daughter, she merely knew how to indulge her. Madam Liu-Zhang¡¯s expression turned ugly after touching Xiuhong¡¯s clothes. As she wasn¡¯t a scheming person, it immediately revealed on her face. Sensitive by nature, Xiuhong immediately detected Madam Liu-Zhang¡¯s disgust, and her heart skipped a beat. She retracted her hand and smoothed her clothes, then turned around and pulled her sister over, smiling at Madam Liu-Zhang. ¡°Hello, Second Aunt.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang smiled stiffly. Looking at the cotton clothes on the sisters, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Xiuhong, where did you buy these cotton clothes? Since the weather is so cold these days, I want to buy a set each for your cousins, too.¡± The smile on Xiuhong¡¯s face widened as she replied, ¡°We didn¡¯t buy this. Cousin Ah Ling gave it to us. She merely wore it for a season before outgrowing it.¡± When Madam Liu-Zhang heard this, she took the opportunity to turn around and say to Mu Yangling, ¡°Ah Ling, do you have any more old clothes? If yes, do give a set to your cousins. Otherwise, they won¡¯t be able to go out for the entire winter.¡± Mu Yangling was stunned. If she helped Liu Yun and her siblings, she¡¯d have to give some to Liu Rong and Liu Lun, too. Then, there were Second great-uncle¡¯s children. How could she possibly have so many old clothes? Moreover, she had handed all her old clothes to Madam Ma-Liu and asked her to alter them into something Xiuhong and Xin could wear. Xiuhong was also startled. She merely wanted to show off her rtionship with Cousin Ah Ling and make this aunt jealous. She didn¡¯t expect her to be so thick-skinned to directly ask for something. She felt that she had caused trouble and couldn¡¯t let her cousin face it alone, so she rushed in front of Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t my cousins have any clothes to wear? Why don¡¯t I go back and bring a few over? Cousin Ah Ling¡¯s clothes have only been worn for a season. Ah Ling¡¯s mother originally wanted to alter two pieces of clothing to make them bigger before letting Cousin wear it. When she saw that me and my sister didn¡¯t have any clothes to wear, she altered them for us. Since my cousins don¡¯t have any, I¡¯ll go back and tell Aunt and Grandma to alter two pieces for them.¡± After saying that, she lowered her head and said shyly, ¡°I just don¡¯t know if it¡¯s enough¡­¡± When Eldest Great-aunt Liu heard that Madam Liu-Zhang was actually asking a child for clothes, her face instantly turned cold. She red at her and pulled Xiuhong over. ¡°Good child, don¡¯t listen to your aunt. Come and warm yourself by the fire with Great-aunt.¡± ¡°Those clothes are as thin as summer clothes. Why can¡¯t I ask for two pieces when the family can¡¯t afford to make new ones?¡± Madam Liu-Zhang muttered, but her voice was so loud that everyone in the room could hear her. Eldest Great-aunt Liu red at her angrily. Madam Liu-Zhao quickly went forward and tugged at her sister-inw, then smiled apologetically at Eldest Great-aunt Liu and said, ¡°Mother, Sister-inw must be still sleepy. I¡¯ll bring her out to wake her up.¡± With that, she dragged Madam Liu-Zhang out. Mu Yangling pulled the Xiuhong sisters over and sat beside the brazier, pretending not to have heard Madam Liu-Zhang¡¯s words. After Madam Liu-Zhao pulled Madam Liu-Zhang out, she scolded, ¡°Those clothes belong to Ah Ling. She can give it to whoever she wants. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that our family doesn¡¯t want to owe the Mu family too much. Why did you still ask for it? You should be d Father-inw wasn¡¯t in the room. If he heard those words, you¡¯d be in for it.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang said indignantly, ¡°We already owe her in any case. Besides, we¡¯re her great-uncle¡¯s family. The Ma family is just her great-aunt¡¯s family. Why is she treating their family more intimately than our family?¡± Madam Liu-Zhang had married over early, so she knew the reason. However, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her toment on the matters of the older generation, so she only replied vaguely, ¡°We¡¯re all rted by blood. How can there be any difference in closeness?¡± Chapter 70: Lesson Chapter 70: Lesson Editor: As Studios Madam Liu-Zhao knew that Mu Yangling¡¯s grandmother had been raised by Madam Ma-Liu. Hence, in terms of closeness, her father-inw might not beparable to Madam Ma-Liu. In addition, she had been the one who had taken care of Shu Wanniang during her difficultbor back then. As such, this affection was irreceable. Seeing that her sister-inw was not listening, Madam Liu-Zhao said, ¡°Just go and keep on asking. Ah Ling is not someone who cares to save face. If you really anger her, she will even dare to retort in front of Father-inw. She¡¯s not saying anything now on ount of the fact that you¡¯re her aunt. If this gets to Father-inw¡¯s ears, even Liu Zhuang will be reprimanded.¡± Liu Zhuang¡¯s temper was a little fiery. If he was really taught a lesson by Liu Daqian because of her, he would definitely kick up a fuss when he returned home. Although Madam Liu-Zhang¡¯s expression was still ugly, she did not dare to mention this topic again. Xiuhong, who was in the room, was also a little uneasy. Mu Yangling patted her hand tofort her. Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was a little strange, Liu Lang asked Mu Yangling, ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go to the cave to roast meat in a few days. Just the few of us.¡± When Madam Liu-Zhang, who had entered the house, heard this, she thought that Liu Lang was going to bring out the smoked meat at home. She hurriedly said, ¡°Roasted meat is heaty and heavy in vor. How can it be as delicious as stir-fried meat? Ah Lang, don¡¯t waste the good stuff.¡± Displeased, Madam Liu-Zhao said, ¡°Ah Lang didn¡¯t say that he was going to bring out the smoked meat at home. In the past, Ah Yun and her siblings also ate so much roasted meat with Ah Ling. Why didn¡¯t you say roasted meat was heaty back then?¡± Mu Yangling said calmly, ¡°Second Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I still have meat at home. We¡¯ll use mine.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang said awkwardly, ¡°Although your family¡¯s meat isn¡¯t exquisite, don¡¯t eat it for fun. It¡¯s not easy to enter the mountains in the cold now.¡± ¡°Aunt, we never use smoked meat to roast meat. We only use fresh meat. That¡¯s way more delicious.¡± Liu Lang continued, ¡°Ah Ling neveres out of the mountains empty-handed. She¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s little prey in winter. When the timees, just the few of us will go. Don¡¯t ask the others along.¡± Little Bowen took the opportunity to say, ¡°We must get Goudan toe along.¡± Knowing Goudan was Little Bowen¡¯s best friend, Liu Lang nodded and said, ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry, plus my cousins, it¡¯ll just be the few of us.¡± Then, he said to Xiuhong and Xin, ¡°Let me tell you, although Ah Ling¡¯s cooking skills are average, she¡¯s superb at roasting meat. Even her father can¡¯tpare to her.¡± Xiuhong grinned. ¡°I know. We¡¯ve already tasted my cousin¡¯s roasted rabbit meat.¡± Liu Lang was instantly jealous. Since these sisters lived with Ah Ling, they and Bowen would be the first to eat anything delicious. Thinking back to the past, when Ah Ling had delicious food, after giving it to Bowen, it¡¯d be given to the few of them. Now, they were ced lower on the priority list. Xiuhong could tell that he was jealous and raised her head proudly. When Liu Lun saw this, he snorted indignantly and squeezed to Mu Yangling¡¯s side. He looked at her eagerly. ¡°Ah¡­ Cousin, let¡¯s go to the cave tomorrow, okay?¡± Liu Rong, Liu Yang, and Liu Yun looked at Mu Yangling eagerly. Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go into the mountains tomorrow to take a look. If there¡¯s anything in the trap, we¡¯ll go. If there¡¯s nothing, then forget it.¡± The few of them immediately cheered. The strange atmosphere dissipated with theirughter, and Eldest Great-aunt Liu finally smiled. Mu Yangling and Xiuhong quickly forgot about the unhappiness just now. After ying in the Liu residence for half a day, they bade farewell and went home. By then, Madam Ma-Liu had already prepared food. Seeing them return, she waved and said with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s also soup. I even said that if you guys don¡¯te back soon, I¡¯d get your father to call you guys over. Quickly wash your hands ande sit down. We¡¯re about to eat.¡± Shu Wanniang was in the kitchen starting a fire for Madam Ma-Liu. Ever since Madam Ma-Liu hade, she didn¡¯t have to cook nor do housework anymore, for Madam Ma-Liu always rushed to do them. Initially, Shu Wanniang was not used to it. Later, seeing that Madam Ma-Liu was uneasy after being rejected, she knew that she was uneasy because she was living under someone else¡¯s roof, so she let her do it. Usually, she would help her. Over the past few days, the two of them had more or less settled down. Madam Ma-Liu was uneasy, but Shu Wanniang respected Madam Ma-Liu, treating her as if she was her mother-inw. Firstly, her mother-inw was raised by Madam Ma-Liu back then. Secondly, when she had a difficultbor, it was her who encouraged her. After her daughter was born, she was unwilling to drink milk. It was also her who took care of her by her side, taught them to feed the baby with rice soup, and waited on Shu Wanniang for three days of confinement. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know that Shu Wanniang had already thought so much. All she knew was that the te of braised rabbit meat on the table was making her drool. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had to set an example for her younger siblings, she would definitely pinch a piece to try. Also hungry for meat, Xiuhong and the others sat at the table and waited eagerly for thest dish to be brought to the table. When Madam Ma-Liu brought out the soup and saw their anxious expressions, she smiled and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re hungry. Hurry up and eat. There¡¯s a full pot of braised meat today. There¡¯s definitely enough for everyone.¡± Shu Wanniang nced at the braised rabbit meat and felt that it was greasy. Thus, she quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere and said thankfully, ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯re a hunter family. Otherwise, how could we afford to raise these two children?¡± Mu Shi had to eat meat at every meal, and Mu Yangling¡¯s appetite was exactly the same as her father¡¯s. She looked small, but she ate a lot. For lunch and dinner, she ate three bowls of rice and arge basin of meat, in addition to vegetables. Although she always only ate a few mouthfuls of vegetables each time, she had to have some at every meal. Bowen seemed to like eating vegetables more, but that was only whenpared to his father and sister. Compared to other people, this kid was also a voracious carnivore. If these two children had to be raised in someone else¡¯s house, they really wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. Only the Mu family could guarantee that they would have enough meat every day. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to be able to eat.¡± Madam Ma-Liu looked at them with a smile. ¡°If you eat more now and grow stronger, you¡¯ll be stronger and more capable than others in the future.¡± For the farmers, strength and diligence were everything. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t Rocky more promising than others now? That¡¯s because he¡¯s strong.¡± Madam Ma-Liu turned to look at her two granddaughters and said, ¡°I only hope that they can be half as capable as Ah Ling in the future.¡± As Mu Yangling ate, she said incoherently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Great-aunt. My cousins are smart and will definitely be more promising than me.¡± At this moment, the atmosphere in the Liu family was a little stagnant. During the day, Eldest Great-aunt Liu did not make an issue of it because Mu Yangling and the others were around. Now that there was only her family left in the house, she could speak freely. First, she scolded Madam Liu-Zhang and ended the lecture by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. You¡¯d better put those thoughts away. Our Liu n and the entire Nearhill Vige owe the Mu family. If I find out that you spout nonsense to Ah Ling again, you can go back to your maiden home directly.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang¡¯s expression changed. Being chased back to one¡¯s maiden home was a great humiliation. Chapter 71: Giving Birth Chapter 71: Giving Birth Editor: As Studios Sensing a pain in her stomach in the middle of the night, Shu Wanniang opened her eyes in difort and felt her lower abdomen drop. Having experienced giving birth twice, she knew that she was about to give birth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Shi woke up the moment Shu Wanniang moved. He pressed the nket down and looked up at her. ¡°I think I¡¯m about to give birth.¡± Shu Wanniang took a deep breath and tried her best to use a calm tone. ¡°Call the midwife over.¡± ¡°Why so soon? Aren¡¯t you due only in half a month¡¯s time?¡± Anxious, Mu Shi quickly got up and put on his clothes as he touched her stomach. ¡°Does it hurt badly? I¡¯ll call Aunt over to take a look.¡± ¡°Put on more clothes¡­¡± Shu Wanniang hurriedly shouted when she saw Mu Shi running out with merely a shirt draped over his shoulders. However, he had already slipped out of the room. ¡°Aunt, get up quickly. Wanniang is about to give birth.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu heard this, she hurriedly got up. Her two granddaughters also rubbed their eyes and got up. She quickly pressed them down and said, ¡°Lie down quickly. You won¡¯t be of any help anyway. Xiuhong, take good care of your sister.¡± Madam Ma-Liu hurriedly put on her clothes and followed Mu Shi to see Shu Wanniang. Seeing the two of them enter, Mu Yangling, who was already in the room, quickly gave way to them. Madam Ma-Liu touched her stomach and said, ¡°She¡¯s about to give birth. Hurry up and go to town to find a midwife. I¡¯ll boil hot water while we wait.¡± Then, she looked outside and saw that it was snowing again. Worry appeared in her eyes. She pulled Mu Shi outside and said in a low voice, ¡°The snow is slippery. You have to be careful. I¡¯ll get Ah Ling to get your two aunts to keep watch over your wifeter. Don¡¯t panic and walk slowly.¡± As there were many instances of people falling to their deaths or bing crippled on a snowy day, Madam Ma-Liu could not help but worry since Mu Shi was the backbone of the family. Mu Shi simply nodded nonchntly, then entered the house and put on his clothes. Holding Shu Wanniang¡¯s hand, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Then, he said to Mu Yangling, ¡°Keep an eye on your mother.¡± After a pause, he lowered his voice and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°If¡­ save the mother.¡± Mu Yangling nodded solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I know what to do.¡± Only then did Mu Shi open the door and run towards town. It was not far from here to town. When the weather was good, Mu Shi could travel back and forth in an hour at his usual speed. Now that it was snowing and there was thick snow on the ground, he could only run in ces where the snow was not thick. If he encountered thicker snow, he could only try his best to stride forward. Seeing that Mu Shi had left, Madam Ma-Liu hurriedly entered the house to look at Shu Wanniang and asked Mu Yangling to find her two sisters-inw. Seeing that Xiuhong had also gotten up, she instructed, ¡°Xiuhong, go to the kitchen to boil water. Boil more just in case.¡± Madam Ma-Liu found the items needed to deliver the baby to be soaked in hot waterter. After everything was arranged, she sat in front of Shu Wanniang¡¯s bed and asked gently, ¡°Does it still hurt now?¡± Shu Wanniang shook her head. ¡°The pain has passed. Don¡¯t worry, Aunt. It shouldn¡¯t be that fast.¡± However, Madam Ma-Liu was not so optimistic. Although she had only given birth to one child, she had gone over to help the women in the vige give birth. As time went by, she became knowledgeable in the topic. Since this was already Shu Wanniang¡¯s third time giving birth, her uterus should open very quickly. She was afraid that she would not be able to wait for the midwife toe. However, as Shu Wanniang¡¯s stomach was too big, the delivery would probably not go smoothly. In the event that shested until the midwife arrived, it only meant that it was going to be a difficultbor. Madam Ma-Liu did not want to see such a situation. Giving birth was equivalent to having one foot in the gates of hell. If it was a difficultbor, more than half of one¡¯s body would be in the gates of hell. Whether one could be pulled back from those gates would depend on luck. While Madam Ma-Liu was letting her imagination run wild, Eldest Great-aunt?Liu1?and Second Great-aunt?Liu2?rushed over with their respective daughters-inw. Seeing that Mu Yangling was sitting in the delivery room, Eldest Great-aunt Liu quickly chased her out. ¡°How can a youngdy like you be here? Quickly get out.¡± Mu Yangling grabbed the head of the bed as she said, ¡°My father asked me to stay here and watch over my mother. I¡¯m not going out. Great-aunt, let me stay here.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s words confirmed Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s dominance over everyone else. Madam Ma-Liu was also worried that Shu Wanniang would feel uneasy if Mu Yangling left, so she patted her hand and said to Eldest Great-aunt Liu, ¡°Let her stay here since this is her baby brother. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Seeing that her sister-inw had spoken, Eldest Great-aunt Liu did not object anymore. Madam Ma-Liu instructed Madam Liu-Zhang, ¡°Go to the kitchen and boil more water.¡± Then, she instructed Madam Liu-Zhao, ¡°I¡¯ve taken out everything needed. Soak the items in the boiling water and make sure to wash them clean.¡± Then, she said to Eldest Great-aunt Liu and Second Great-aunt Liu, ¡°Since you two have a few children and are experienced, stay in the room with me.¡± The two of them agreed. When they went forward to touch Shu Wanniang¡¯s stomach, they couldn¡¯t help but frown. Shu Wanniang usually didn¡¯t look fat, and her stomach had always been typically big during her pregnancy. Why was her stomach so big now that she was so thin? This was what Madam Ma-Liu was most worried about. The most worrisome thing in giving birth was that the fetus was too big or in an improper position. Shu Wanniang was afraid of the cold. As soon as mid-autumn rolled around, she started wearing an extrayer of clothes than others. By the time it waste autumn, she was already wearing manyyers, so it was impossible to tell if she was fat or thin. Even the size of her stomach had been covered by her clothes. By the time Madam Ma-Liu was brought over, it was already snowing heavily. This was all the more reason why Madam Ma-Liu had no idea her stomach was so big. It was only a few days ago when the midwife came to touch her stomach that Madam Ma-Liu saw how big it was. When she told the midwife, the midwife also agreed and urged her to be careful. Mu Shi had originally nned to go to town in a few days to fetch a midwife to stay at his house, but who knew that the child would be born so early? This time, the three of them sat in the house worriedly. No one dared to tell Shu Wanniang and Mu Yangling about this. An hour after Mu Shi left, Shu Wanniang¡¯s uterus began to open. Waves of pain swept through her nerves. Mu Yangling held her hand tightly and encouraged her in a low voice by her ear. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be anxious. Take it slow. Let¡¯s take a deep breath with Great-aunt first¡­¡± By the time Mu Shi ran home with the midwife on his back, Shu Wanniang had been screaming for nearly 15 minutes. ¡°Rocky, you¡¯re back. Quick, get the midwife toe and take a look. Wanniang¡¯s fetal position doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± The midwife had been carried by Mu Shi along the way, which helped conserve her strength. Without hesitation, she rushed into the delivery room and pulled apart the woman¡¯s legs to take a look. Then, she touched her stomach and said, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the fetal position. I reckon the child is too big. Hurry up and boil a bowl of brown sugar water for the pregnant woman.¡± Then, she said to Shu Wanniang, ¡°Stop shouting and save your strength. Only exert more strength when I tell you to do soter. You¡¯ve given birth to two babies. Even if this baby is a little bigger, it won¡¯t be a problem. Just listen to me.¡± The midwife¡¯s confident attitude made Shu Wanniang¡¯s heart rx. She couldn¡¯t help but believe her. Only then did the midwife turn to Eldest Great-aunt Liu and say, ¡°Go get a basin of hot water¡­¡± Shu Wanniang was in pain again. The midwife quickly went forward to hold her down and said, ¡°Take a breath and hold it in. Yes, that¡¯s it. Alright, exert more strength. Hurry!¡± Shu Wanniang followed her instructions and bit the cloth in her mouth tightly. Holding her daughter¡¯s hand tightly, she heard the midwife shout, ¡°Very good. I see the baby¡¯s head now! Come, let¡¯s take another breath. Yes, take a deep breath. Hold it in and exhale hard. Exhale hard¡­ I see the child¡¯s shoulder now! Let¡¯s do it again¡­¡± Just as Shu Wanniang felt something slip from her body, she heard the midwife exim happily, ¡°Great, great, it¡¯s a boy!¡± Chapter 72: Twins Chapter 72: Twins Editor: As Studios Shu Wanniang turned her head to look at the wrinkled child and revealed a tired but satisfied smile. Mu Yangling, who was sitting by Shu Wanniang¡¯s bed, realized that something was wrong. This child was even smaller than Little Bowen when he was just born. Although more than four years had passed, it was still the first time she had seen a newborn child, so Mu Yangling had a deep impression of it. At that time, Little Bowen was a little weak when he was born. The midwife even said that he was not as heavy as other full-term newborns. But didn¡¯t they just say that the mother¡¯s stomach wasrge and that it might be difficult to give birth because the baby was too big? Why was this baby even smaller than when Bowen was born? The midwife quickly noticed this abnormality and quickly handed the baby to Madam Ma-Liu, before checking on Shu Wanniang. However, Shu Wanniang still felt a slight pain in her stomach. This waspletely different from the rxed feeling she had after giving birth in the past. The midwife touched it and eximed in surprise, ¡°There¡¯s another one in the stomach!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone in the room changed. Giving birth was already hard, and giving birth to twins was even more difficult. Not only was the probability of the child dying prematurely increased, but the probability of maternal death was also very high. Before they could finish worrying, Shu Wanniang gave birth to a baby girl. It was a tiny bundle, and when the midwife pped it on the butt, it only let out two soft kitten-like cries. Feeling sorry for the baby, Mu Yangling quickly carried her over carefully. The midwife looked at her for a while and said worriedly, ¡°She¡¯s so small. You have to be careful and make sure she stays warm and well-fed.¡± The addition of two new members to the Mu family made Mu Shi both happy and worried. His son looked weak, but at least his cries were loud and clear, and he was even stronger than when Bowen was born. However, his youngest daughter was like a kitten. She did not open her eyes and would only cry softly when she was hungry. Mu Shi secretly measured that his youngest daughter was only the size of his palm. He was very worried about whether she would survive. Madam Ma-Liu taught him, ¡°Whether the child is strong or not depends on the milk. As long as your wife¡¯s milk is good and you pay attention to keeping the baby warm, she will definitely be okay.¡± Mu Shi immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy chickens and eggs immediately. If there¡¯s anything else that¡¯s needed, I¡¯ll go buy it immediately.¡± ¡°Your wife will get heaty if she eats anything too greasy. I¡¯ll teach youter. Go to town and buy the things. I¡¯ll prepare it for her when youe back.¡± Mu Shi heaved a sigh of relief. He felt that it was an excellent decision to bring his aunt¡¯s family over to stay. Little Bowen and Xin were lying in front of the bed and looking at the two babies sleeping side by side. Little Bowen quietly reached out to touch his baby sister¡¯s face, then quickly retracted his hand as if he was afraid of being discovered. He whispered to Xin, ¡°It¡¯s so smooth.¡± Xin said enviously, ¡°It¡¯s great that you have a younger brother and sister.¡± Mu Yangling brought a bowl of noodles to Shu Wanniang. ¡°Mother, try it quickly. Great-aunt made it for you. It¡¯s chicken soup made from an old mother hen. There are also two eggs inside.¡± Sitting up, Shu Wanniang saw that the sky was bright outside. She asked, ¡°Have your elders been sent away?¡± ¡°They left as soon as you fell asleep. The midwife only left at dawn. Father gave her 100 copper coins and two smoked rabbits.¡± ¡°What about your father?¡± ¡°He went to town to buy something. Mother, eat up. After you¡¯re full, I¡¯ll bring my baby siblings over for you to see. Then, you can think up a nice name for them.¡± Both Mu Yangling and Mu Bowen¡¯s names were given by Shu Wanniang. Shu Wanniang said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve already chosen a name. Previously, I thought that if it was a boy, it would be called Bosi. If it was a girl, it would be called Kejia. Your father also agreed. But I didn¡¯t expect it to be a boy and a girl. Since that¡¯s the case, we can use both names.¡± Mu Yangling carried the two babies over and showed them to Shu Wanniang. She gently tapped their foreheads and said, ¡°You have names now.¡± In the evening, Mu Shi brought back two cages of chicken and 100 eggs. Coupled with the dry goods at home, it was enough for Shu Wanniang to undergo 40 days of confinement. Mu Shi handed the things to Madam Ma-Liu, who used all her culinary skills to prepare food for Shu Wanniang. Half a monthter, the two babies were fed until they were fair and chubby, and looked about the same age as a full-term child. Shu Wanniang wrapped the two babies in soft swaddling clothes as she said to Mu Shi, ¡°We did things simply for the custom of giving bath to the babies on their third day, but we have to do a good job with their one-month-old banquet. We can¡¯t let the two little fellows suffer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already asked Aunt to help when the timees.¡± ¡°By the way, has Aunt¡¯s house been rebuilt?¡± Shu Wanniang asked. As the weather had turned sunny, Liu Ting had brought people to West Mountain Vige two days ago to help Madam Ma-Liu rebuild her house. ¡°I was about to speak to you about this. I¡¯m thinking of asking Aunt to stay here for the rest of the winter. We have two babies at home now, and Bowen also needs someone to take care of him. Ah Ling and I have to go into the mountains from time to time, so you definitely won¡¯t be able to take care of him alone. So not ask Aunt to stay here for the time being? When the winter passes and Bowen goes to school, Ah Ling and I will be able to help.¡± ¡°Did you tell Aunt?¡± Mu Shi smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to her. Just focus on your confinement. However, Mu Shi did not expect that this could only be an empty promise. Shu Wanniang was destined not to be able to have a smooth confinement. In the middle of the night, Mu Shi suddenly opened his eyes. He jumped off the bed andy on the ground to listen carefully for movement, but there was silence. Everything was normal, but he felt uneasy. This was a feeling he only had when facing danger. This intuition was inherited from his ancestors and came from the bloodline of someone who lived on the grasnd. In the other room, Mu Yangling also opened her eyes. Puzzled, she turned to look at Little Bowen, who was sleeping at the side. It was rare for her to have insomnia. She closed her eyes and was about to force herself to fall asleep when she suddenly heard the door open next door. Mu Yangling got up in confusion. Why did her father go out sote at night? Mu Yangling put on her clothes and walked out as well. Mu Shi was climbing onto the roof and looking around. Seeing his daughtering out, he was shocked. ¡°Why are you awake?¡± ¡°I just woke up all of a sudden. Father, why did you climb onto the roof?¡± Mu Shi looked at the red light that soared into the sky from West Mountain Vige with a gloomy expression. ¡°Something happened in West Mountain Vige.¡± Mu Yangling hurriedly climbed up to take a look and saw thick smoke rising into the sky from the north. There was a faint red light. Because the trees in Chef Mountain were dense and tall, she could not see very clearly, but she could not be wrong about the billowing thick smoke. ¡°West Mountain Vige is on fire? But the fire shouldn¡¯t be so severe.¡± This wasn¡¯t like the modern ages where houses were closely connected. Other than biological brothers who subsequently divided up their ancestralnd, there was a certain distance between each family¡¯s homesteads. Even if there was a fire, at most three to five houses would be caught in the fire. How could there be such thick smoke? It felt like the entire vige was in mes. ¡°If it was just a simple fire, I wouldn¡¯t be so flustered. Something must have happened. Hurry up and wake your mother and siblings up. Pack our things first. I¡¯ll go look for the vige chief.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t understand, but she still followed Mu Shi¡¯s instructions to wake up her great-aunt, mother, and the others. She packed all the valuable things in the house that needed to be taken away. Seeing that her younger siblings, who were only half a month old, were lying quietly on the bed, she turned around and packed two small nkets. She tied them tightly with a rope and found the two-wheeled cart that had been kept in the storeroom. Chapter 73: Chaos Chapter 73: Chaos Editor: As Studios This cart was made by her grandfather. Back then, he wanted to buy a horse, but he didn¡¯t have any connections. Later on, as the Mu family¡¯s money slowly dwindled, this cart was left idle. Later on, Mu Shi made a wheelbarrow out of it and stored it in the storeroom. Mu Yangling did not know what had happened, but seeing how panicked Mu Shi was, she reckoned she should take this out. By the time Mu Yangling finished packing up, Mu Shi had already brought more than ten people to West Mountain Vige with torches to investigate the situation. Liu He got someone to fetch them to the Liu family¡¯s courtyard. The entire vige was there, and no one spoke in the chilly night. Mu Yangling wrapped Shu Wanniang and the two babies in the nket and stuffed Little Bowen and Xin in. Then, she whispered to Madam Ma-Liu, ¡°Great-aunt, help me take care of my mother. I¡¯ll go ask Great-uncle what¡¯s going on.¡± Looking at the mes in West Mountain Vige, Madam Ma-Liu said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go. With such a big fire, there¡¯s an 80% chance that the Hus are attacking.¡± Mu Yangling was shocked. ¡°There are stationed troops in our Xingzhou Prefecture.¡± Madam Ma-Liu smiled bitterly. ¡°Four years ago, when the Hu people attacked south, Liuxia Vige was burned down just like that. No one in the vige, old and young, walked out alive. At that time, our West Mountain Vige was lucky. Before the Hu people reached us, the soldiers of Xingzhou Prefecture arrived. However, Liuxia Vige was long gone. If the Hu people came down again, wouldn¡¯t it be our West Mountain Vige¡¯s turn this time? I wonder how many vigers can survive.¡± As West Mountain Vige and Nearhill Vige were only separated by a mountain, Mu Yangling was inevitably anxious. She did not know why Mu Shi had to run to West Mountain Vige at a time like this. Having lived for decades, Madam Ma-Liu exined in a low voice, ¡°Only the vigers of our two viges know about the path from West Mountain Vige to Nearhill Vige. Your father wants to seal that path. If the Hus take the main road, they won¡¯t be able to reach Nearhill Vige and will go straight to another vige. We just have to stay in the Liu family¡¯s courtyard and wait for the Xingzhou Prefecture¡¯s troops.¡± Mu Yangling looked up at Chef Mountain and did not ask things such as, ¡°What if the vigers of Xishan Vige betray them?¡± She only said, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to send someone to inform the Xingzhou Prefecture¡¯s garrison?¡± ¡°How do we inform them?¡± Madam Ma-Liu looked troubled. ¡°It takes a day and a half to walk from here to the prefectural capital.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just inform the government office? It¡¯s their job to inform the troops.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t want to sit around and wait for death. Madam Ma-Liu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go speak to your great-uncle and see if he agrees.¡± Although it only took half a day to get to the county office from here, they needed to take the main road. Once they reached the main road, they might encounter the Hus. Once they encountered the Hus, the only fate that awaited them was death. No one was willing to let their son do such a dangerous thing. Hence, Liu Daqian did not ask Liu He and directly rejected the idea. ¡°Our Nearhill Vige is in a special location. As long as we seal the path, the chances of our vige being discovered will be very low.¡± Mu Yangling looked angry. ¡°No matter how low the probability is, it¡¯s still possible. At that time, when the Hus rush over from the main road, can we only wait to be wrapped into dumplings? Besides, there are many viges along the main road. Even if we can¡¯t inform the county office, it¡¯s good if we can warn them. They¡¯repletely in the dark now and might not even know it when the barbarians rush into their vige. We should save as many lives as we can. Even if we encounter the Hus, we have hands and feet. As long as we run into the forest, with our familiarity with this ce, we can easily hide. Didn¡¯t we hide in the forest four years ago when the Hus attacked south?¡± Mu Yangling watched as they lowered their heads in silence. Knowing they were unwilling to take the risk for others, she flicked her sleeves angrily and left. Saving others was akin to saving oneself. There were only a few hundred people in Nearhill Vige, but most of them were either the elderly or children. There were only more than a hundred young and strong men. If they really encountered brave and experienced Hus, the entire vige could only bembs waiting to be ughtered. Nearhill Vige was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the other side was facing the main road. Although it was possible for the Hus to overlook it, once they were discovered, their only options were to rush past the Hus and onto the main road, or enter the mountains to hide. There was no need to think about rushing past the Hus. Even if Mu Yangling wanted to use this method, no one else would have the guts to do so. However, it was too cold and snowy to enter the mountain in such weather. The young and strong might be fine, but how many elders and children could withstand it? Even if it was for Shu Wanniang and her younger siblings, Mu Yangling would not choose this path. Before Mu Yangling could persuade Liu He, someone pointed at the foot of the mountain and said, ¡°There¡¯s a fire there. Rocky and the others are back.¡± Mu Yangling quickly turned around and saw that someone had already gone to wee them. Mu Shi and the rest were all covered in blood. Liu Ting even had a knife wound. When Liu He saw this, he turned pale with fright. ¡°You encountered the Hus?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s expression was as dark as water. ¡°The Hus discovered that path. We encountered five people first and killed them for fear of being followed back. However, there should still be more behind us. We can¡¯t stay here anymore. We have to leave immediately.¡± ¡°How is that possible? Only the people in the two viges know about that trail. How can the Hus know?¡± ¡°The vigers of West Mountain Vige have already built their houses all the way to the foot of the mountain. It¡¯s not far from the path.¡± As soon as Mu Shi said this, everyone¡¯s suspicious gazes on Madam Ma-Liu immediately disappeared. That¡¯s right. It was very likely that the Hus would discover that small path when they burnt down the houses. It might not be due to a betrayal by the people from West Mountain Vige. The vigers of Nearhill Vige did not go to West Mountain Vige often, so they did not know about this. Even Liu Ting, who often went to West Mountain Vige recently, had not noticed this. However, Madam Ma-Liu, her granddaughters, and the girls who had married over from West Mountain Vige all knew about this. Those who had family in West Mountain Vige cried bitterly. ¡°Is there no one left alive in West Mountain Vige?¡± Mu Shi and the others did not answer. The Hus typically spared no one in their plunders. Perhaps the women would be kept alive, but they would most likely be living a life worse than death. ¡°Alright, stop crying. Hurry up and pack your things. We¡¯ll leave now.¡± Liu He instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t take too many things. Staying alive is more important.¡± Although Liu He said that, no one could bear to leave their family property behind. Some elders sat on the ground and cried, refusing to leave no matter what. There were also some who wished they could bring everything at home with them. Looking at the chaos, Mu Yangling was so angry that she fell backward. From the looks of it, Nearhill Vige would probably be in turmoil before the Hus could attack. ¡°Father, we can only stay for another half an hour. We must leave in half an hour.¡± Mu Shi¡¯s expression was also very ugly. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. ¡°Go take care of your mother. I¡¯ll go talk to the vige chief.¡± Mu Yangling turned around to find a rope. She spread the nket on the cart and ced Shu Wanniang, Bosi, and Kejia beside her. Then, she stuffed Bowen and Xin in and covered them with a nket before tying them together with a rope. She also fixed their things to the cart. Meanwhile, the vigers were still flustered. Chapter 74: Departure Chapter 74: Departure Editor: As Studios Having found Liu He, Mu Shi informed him, ¡°We¡¯re running for our lives, not ying. Ask them to throw away anything burdening them. Ask them to carefully consider if they want their lives or money. Also, I¡¯ll leave with my wife and children in half an hour. Whether they can catch up will depend on their ability. I won¡¯t stop and wait for them.¡± Mu Shi looked at him seriously and said, ¡°I¡¯m not my father and mother. My wife and children are very weak. I¡¯ll be with them every step of the way.¡± In other words, Mu Shi would not sacrifice himself for the sake of Nearhill Vige like Mu Yan. Liu He¡¯s expression changed. He looked at him with aplicated expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get someone to inform them to prepare to escape immediately.¡± Only then did Mu Shi turn around and return to his wife and children¡¯s side. He took out the dagger from his pocket and handed it to Mu Yangling. ¡°Good child, I have to take care of your mother and siblings, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t take care of you. You have to stay by my side at all times and protect yourself, understand?¡± Knowing this was Mu Shi¡¯s greatest weapon, Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before taking it and tying it to her leg. ¡°Father, let¡¯s take with us all the arrows at home.¡± Mu Shi nodded. ¡°Choose a sturdy stick, too. If you really encounter the Hus, snatch their sabers. With a weapon, your chances of survival will be higher.¡± Mu Yangling ran back and carried her bow and arrow on her back. She chose a stick and ced it on the cart. Seeing that half an hour had passed, she ignored the vigers who were still packing and started pulling the cart with her father. Madam Ma-Liu held Xiuhong¡¯s hand and followed closely beside them. When Liu He saw this, he shouted at the vigers, ¡°Shut up! How long are you going to argue for? The Mu family has already left. Those who wish to follow, hurry up and follow. Those who are unwilling to leave, find a ce to hide. Don¡¯t guard the house. Otherwise, the moment the Huse, you¡¯ll just die for nothing.¡± As soon as Liu He said that, everyone realized that Mu Shi had already pushed the cart 100 meters away. Liu Daqian, Liu Erqian, and their family were also following behind the Mu family. When Madam Fang-Liu saw this, she cried loudly, ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, Big Sister, why did you leave without me?¡± Liu Daqian and the others did not even turn their heads. Liu He shouted in a low voice, ¡°Shut up. The Hus are on the mountain. Are you afraid that they won¡¯t be able to find our Nearhill Vige?¡± Madam Fang-Liu¡¯s cries were stuck in her throat. Because of Liu He¡¯s prestige, everyone became much more orderly after throwing a tantrum. Liu He instructed, ¡°Just take some cotton clothes, nkets, and grains. Don¡¯t bring anything else if you can. Don¡¯t start a fire and make any noise on the way. Try your best to keep up with the Mu family.¡± Liu He nced at the vigers before turning around to say to his sons, ¡°In the face of disaster, fend for yourselves. Now that we¡¯re fleeing for our lives, there will be constant conflicts on the way even though we¡¯re a family. If we¡¯re separated, try your best to stay alive. We¡¯lle back when the Hus retreat.¡± Liu Dazhuang stood at the side with red eyes as he supported his mother. He nced at his brothers and nodded in agreement. Liu He and his family also followed the Mu family. When the vigers saw that the vige chief¡¯s family had left, they no longer dared to continue packing. They hurriedly grabbed whatever they had packed and followed with their families. An hourter, there were only a few vigers left in Nearhill Vige who refused to leave. The others had already grabbed their things to chase after the Mu family. As there was snow on the ground, with the moonlight shone on the ground, the road was illuminated and they could see the road clearly even without lighting a fire. Other than the cold, the group did not have much difficulty. Looking back, Mu Yangling saw that the road was filled with people. There were only about 300 people, but they were stretched out over a great distance. Having graduated from a military academy, she felt that if they encountered the Hus now, they would only die. The best solution was to wait and wait for the people behind to catch up before forming a square formation and advancing. Seeing that they were about to enter the main road, Mu Yangling pulled her father back and whispered, ¡°Father, we can¡¯t walk by ourselves. Otherwise, if the Hus are on the main road, we¡¯ll meet them head-on. With only ten or so young men here, we are no match for the Hus. Let¡¯s wait for them. When they catch up, get the vige chief to form a square formation ording to their families and advance warily. It¡¯s best if we can choose a few people to scout the way. Otherwise, if we walk around aimlessly, we won¡¯t even know how we died.¡± Although Mu Shi had traveled extensively, he really didn¡¯t know much about military formations. Hearing this, he pondered for a moment and felt that since his daughter was good at hunting in the forest, perhaps she had talent in this aspect. Hence, he nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m the only male in our family. Since we¡¯re the ones who mention it, we have to send someone from our family.¡± Mu Shi didn¡¯t want to abandon his wife and children to scout the way ahead, so he was conflicted. Mu Yangling looked at Shu Wanniang and her younger siblings. Seeing that they were fine despite still being in shock as they sat on the wooden nks, and that Madam Ma-Liu and Xiuhong could follow Mu Shi closely, she said, ¡°Father, let me go. I¡¯m a hunter and I¡¯m good at this. Just take good care of the family.¡± ¡°No way.¡± The first to object, Shu Wanniang almost reached out to grab her. ¡°How can you do such a dangerous thing when you¡¯re still a child? The Hus are different from the wild beasts in the forest.¡± ¡°Mother, I¡¯m very fast. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Father. If I encounter danger, I can always run into the forest. Who knows this forest better than me? Someone has to step forward, after all.¡± Mu Yangling went to persuade Mu Shi again. ¡°Father, you know my strength and martial arts skills well. I can easily defend myself against three to five people. Even if they¡¯re Hus, they¡¯re at most a tad stronger than Han Chinese. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mu Shi looked at the team behind him and did not say anything. Mu Yangling pointed out the dreadful alternative to him. ¡°If no one goes, our family will be walking right at the front. If we really encounter the Hus, Mother and my younger siblings will be the first to suffer.¡± There was no way Shu Wanniang could escape, let alone the two newborn babies. When the Hus rushed forward, could Mu Shi protect every single one of them? Even if Mu Yangling was with them, there was no way to keep everyone in the family safe. Therefore, the best way was to investigate the situation in advance. If there were any Hus ahead, they would avoid them. If they couldn¡¯t avoid them, they could think of a way to take care of their wives and children who were walking in the back. Mu Shi stroked Mu Yangling¡¯s head as he said with red eyes, ¡°Then you have to be careful. If you encounter danger, run into the mountains. Don¡¯t worry about others. Protecting your own life is more important.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. Only then did Mu Shi turn around to look for Liu He. When the people behind caught up, Liu He found the elders in the vige and said, ¡°Rocky said that if we continue walking like this, we¡¯ll be cut down like melons by the Hus. We have to form a square formation. After discussing it with Daqian and Erqian, we¡¯ve decided to split everyone into five teams like when we went hunting in the mountains previously. The family members of each team member will stick to that same group. Every group will surround the children and elders in the middle, while the young and strong will guard outside with their things. We¡¯ll head west. Hopefully, we¡¯ll reach the county safely tonight. Once we¡¯re there, we¡¯ll be safe.¡± No one else had any objections. Since the elders had agreed, the young men could only listen to their orders. The gathered vigers of Nearhill Vige quickly divided into five teams. Mu Shi chose six more people to lead the investigation with Mu Yangling. The six chosen people had all followed Mu Yangling into the mountain before, so they obeyed her orders very well. The group of seven left first and headed for the main road. Chapter 75: Encounter Chapter 75: Encounter Editor: As Studios At midnight, it was the quietest time of the night. As Mu Yangling led them along the road, they could only hear their own breathing and footsteps, so any sudden sound would appear especially abrupt. When Mu Yangling heard the clicks, she raised her hand to stop everyone. She brought the six of them and hid behind a tree on the side of the road. Liu Li whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s the sound of hooves.¡± Liu Li and the others looked at each other in anticipation and fear. If it were the Han Chinese, they would have a messenger. But if it were the Hus¡­ Mu Yangling waved her hand for everyone to lower their bodies. This time, even without her reminder, everyone heard the sound of horse hooves. A group of ten cavalrymen passed by them. Under the reflection of the snow, Mu Yangling could see very clearly that they were wearing Hu costumes. Mu Yangling¡¯s expression changed slightly. The ones heading south were actually Hu cavalrymen? Then how could they possibly escape? Mu Yangling clenched her fists as she waited for the ten cavalrymen to run far away beforeing out from behind the tree. ncing in the direction where the cavalrymen had left, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to look in front. The Hu cavalrymen are most likely going to scout the way ahead. Let¡¯s look behind. Cousin Li, go back and inform my father and the others to immediately bring everyone onto the main road and advance towards the county with all their might.¡± Liu Xuan said in surprise, ¡°But there are Hu cavalrymen in front. What if they turn back?¡± A vicious glint shed across Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes. She looked at Liu Yong and said, ¡°You¡¯re my best student when ites to setting up the traps. Take the three of them and run forward for half an hour. Set up traps in the middle of the road, digging five small pits side by side, leaving a distance of three steps between them. It should only be as deep as a fist.¡± As she spoke, she took a bundle of rope from her waist and handed it to him. ¡°ce the rope in front of the traps. Once you see them riding back, pull the rope up. After they fall into the trap, run into the forest. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely that you¡¯ll encounter them before Ie back, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Liu Yong, who dared to sell his younger brother and sister at the tender age of nine, was publicly acknowledged as a heartless person in Nearhill Vige. He took the rope from Mu Yangling¡¯s hand and looked at her solemnly as he asked, ¡°Do you trust me that much?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°I trust you. Your parents and brother are still at the back.¡± Liu Yong felt a lump in his throat. He tightened his grip on the rope and looked up at her seriously, then said word by word, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I die, I¡¯ll make sure they leave their horses behind.¡± If the cavalrymen did not have horses, they would not be so terrifying. The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s lips curled up slightly. After sending them off, she brought the remaining two people to investigate the back. After walking for about 35 minutes, they saw mes soaring into the sky from afar. Liu Xuan pounded the ground in hatred. ¡°These barbarians!¡± Mu Yangling looked deeply for a while before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go. They burned this vige down, so they¡¯ll definitely move forward.¡± The three of them hurriedly rushed back, but the people of Nearhill Vige had already fallen into chaos. The Hus who had burned down West Mountain Vige had already caught up from the path. All the people who had stayed behind to guard their property had been killed, and the vige had been burned down. The vigers, who had just walked onto the main road, turned around and saw that their houses had turned into a sea of fire. They immediately cried out loud. Mu Shi was so angry that his face turned ashen. He shouted, ¡°What are you crying for? Hurry up and run forward in teams. Hurry!¡± Also anxious, Liu He hurriedly handed his youngest grandson to his eldest son and shouted, ¡°Everyone, leave quickly! Hurry! The Hus are about to catch up.¡± Recalling the Hus¡¯ rebellion 12 years ago, everyone wiped their tears and gritted their teeth as they ran forward. However, how could the vigers, who were dragging their luggage and bringing the old and young, outrun the Hus? Five or six Hus with sabers dashed out from Nearhill Vige and went forward to sh people randomly. Heads rolled to the ground, their eyes still wide open. The team walking at the backmost was instantly thrown into chaos. Hearing themotion in front, Mu Shi shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s the young and strong? Didn¡¯t I ask you to protect the square formation?¡± Liu He¡¯s face was ashen. Everyone immediately sprinted ahead when they saw the Hus, leaving the old, weak, women, and children behind. How could they resist? As Mu Shi pushed the cart forward, he looked at his wife and children in the cart. In the end, he gritted his teeth, lowered his head and walked forward, ignoring the people at the back. He might be able to save them if he gave up his wife and children to go to the back, but once he lowered this cart, he might be separated from them forever. Regardless of whether the Hus would catch up or not, in such a chaotic situation where people¡¯s movements were restricted, they could be squeezed off the cart and be trampled upon at any time. Mu Shi could not help but tell himself that he was not his parents. He had to be responsible for his wife and children first. Face covered in tears, Shu Wanniang hugged the children in her arms tightly, not daring to ask her husband to turn around and save the people at the back. At this moment, even Liu He and the others could not turn around. They could only try their best to get the young men with families behind to turn around and save them. However, because they did not know how many Hus were behind them, very few people dared to go back. When Mu Yangling, Liu Xuan, and Liu Dazhuang arrived, they only saw six Hus ughtering the vigers as if they were in an uninhabited ce. Those who were shed and killed didn¡¯t even get a chance to wave their hands to stop them. This was the first time Mu Yangling had seen a dead person in this world. Before she could react, she fiercely hit a Hu person with the stick in her hand. With her astounding strength, he was knocked to the ground as the stick struck his back. Mu Yangling leaped forward and deftly hooked the saber in his hand with her foot. With a sh, she slit his neck. The murderous Hus did not notice Mu Yangling and the other two at all and continued to kill in front. With the saber in hand, Mu Yangling went forward to kill another Hu from the back. Only then did the other four see Mu Yangling. Shocked, they shouted in Hunguage, ¡°Where did this childe from?¡± Mu Yangling understood what they were saying. She originally wanted to swiftly finish off the remaining four people, but when she saw Liu Xuan and the others¡¯ angry and terrified gazes, she changed her mind and threw away the saber in her hand. Instead, she raised her stick and went up to them. Before the Hus could react, Mu Yangling suddenly attacked and hit one of their hands and legs with the stick. That person fell to the ground and could not get up for a long time. The remaining three howled and rushed forward with sabers. Mu Yangling struck each person with the stick once. This was the benefit of having great strength. With her incredible strength, she could take on ten at one go. Moreover, Mu Yangling had learned martial arts such as grappling and knew where the most vulnerable part of the human body was. Hit in that spot, it would hurt so much that the attackee wouldn¡¯t be able to straighten their body, but it wouldn¡¯t be fatal. Mu Yangling kicked the saber to Liu Xuan and Liu Dali¡¯s feet and said, ¡°Keep an eye on them. If they dare to move, kill them.¡± Mu Yangling said to the chaotic crowd, ¡°Go ahead and cry. It¡¯s best if you attract the remaining Hus as well. When the timees, you can go down and reunite with your fellow vigers.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone stopped crying and covered their mouths, not daring to cry out loud. Only then did Mu Yangling snort coldly and sweep her gaze across the scene. There were a total of 18 corpses lying on the ground, and there were also more than ten people covering their wounds. Mu Yangling¡¯s expression was a little ugly. There were so many of them. Even if they pounced on them one by one, surely they could eliminate six Hus, right? The other party was holding cold weapons, not hot weapons that allowed them to kill people with a bang before they even got close. Mu Yangling really couldn¡¯t understand why they would rather cower on the ground and wait to be killed than take the risk of being injured. If it was her, she would drag someone down with her even if she died. Chapter 76: Heel Rope Chapter 76: Heel Rope Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling pushed the three Hus to the middle and handed the six sabers to the people from Nearhill Vige. ¡°Kill them.¡± Startled, everyone held the sabers and did not dare to go forward. They were mere farmers. They did not even dare to fight and injure others, let alone kill people. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t have time to slowly nurture them. She kicked one of them in and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t kill them, they¡¯ll kill you. It¡¯s either they die or you die. Your choice. These six people are just scouts and the Hus who set the fire will catch up soon. If you want to die, continue to dy. I¡¯ll leave with my father first.¡± Liu Xuan tightened his grip on the saber in his hand. Seeing that Mu Yangling was about to turn around and leave, he immediately roared and rushed forward to sh at a Hu. When the others saw this, their eyes turned red. Bravely, they quickly rushed forward with their things. Mu Yangling felt nauseous and her heart ached. She had never thought that there woulde a day when she would use such a method to force someone to kill people. Mu Yangling seemed to have returned to her previous life. In the forest at the border, the captain whispered in her ear, ¡°Kill them. If they don¡¯t die, we¡¯ll be the ones to die. No, perhaps you don¡¯t have to die. You can escape. Then, only I will die.¡± The captain had apanied her for more than a year and trained her day and night. On the other side were the vicious drug dealers. Although Mu Yangling¡¯s heart was trembling, her hands were very steady as she killed every single one of the eight drug dealers. That was Mu Yangling¡¯s first time killing someone. Other than the pause after the first shot, everything else went smoothly. After that, she didn¡¯t even need to see a psychiatrist. Even the captain of the special forces who had served for eight years said that Mu Yangling was much stronger psychologically than he was back then. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t say it out loud, but she didn¡¯t like the way her captain forced her to kill people. Yet now, she was using her captain¡¯s method to force others to kill people. As Mu Yangling stood at the side and watched, Liu He felt his heart turn cold after rushing over. This child was only nine years old, but she was actually so ruthless. When Mu Yangling turned to look at Liu He, he quickly restrained his expression and asked respectfully, ¡°Ah Ling, how¡¯s the situation at the back?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a group of Hus about ten miles away. I don¡¯t know how many of them there are, but we definitely won¡¯t be able to make it far if we escape like this.¡± Liu He asked for her opinion. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re asking me, I won¡¯t hide it from you. If we want to survive, someone has to sacrifice themselves. Someone has to stand up to stop them or lure the Hus away.¡± Liu He smiled bitterly. ¡°Who would be willing?¡± ¡°Therefore, we have to force them. Other than the only son and widowed families, every family has to produce a young man. Great-uncle, I¡¯ll give you 15 minutes. I¡¯ll bring Uncle Xuan and the others to the front to block the Hus whoe out of the vige. If you can do it, I¡¯ll bring them to cover you guys. I can¡¯t ensure that they¡¯ll survive, but I can guarantee that everyone¡¯s chance of survival will increase by 50%. If by the time Ie back, no one volunteers, then everyone can only run for their lives and depend on no one. Although my father is the only young man in my family, I can take his ce since I am strong. I¡¯d have no problem protecting my mother and younger siblings.¡± After experiencing life and death, the vigers were alreadyining. When someone beside them heard Mu Yangling¡¯s words, he said hatefully, ¡°Ah Ling, you and your father are the equivalent of ten young men in the vige. If you and your father were willing to help, how could so many of us have died?¡± Mu Yangling sneered. ¡°Who are you to me? Why would I abandon my mother and siblings to save you? Since you want to say that, I¡¯m even more unwilling to save you. From now on, we¡¯ll go our separate ways.¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions changed when they heard that. Liu He took a step forward and pped that person to the ground. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? The Mu family has done enough for Nearhill Vige. They have no obligation to help you.¡± He turned around and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°Ah Ling, don¡¯t lower yourself to his level. He¡¯s just blinded by greed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s blinded by greed, right?¡± Mu Yangling sneered. ¡°Is everyone disappointed to see that my father and I aren¡¯t as selfless as my grandparents?¡± The vigers who were swept by Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze lowered their heads, not daring to look at her. Liu Xuan¡¯s expression was also very ugly. He took a step forward and stood behind Mu Yangling to show his support. Liu He was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Ah Ling, bring Liu Xuan to the back to stop the Hus froming out of the vige. I¡¯ll bring some men to do a tally. When youe back, I¡¯ll be sure to give you a definite answer.¡± Mu Yangling looked towards the front of the square formation, where her parents and rtives were. Mu Yangling only hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she did not go forward to check on them. Instead, she chose six people and handed them a saber each to bring to the main road at the vige entrance. In front, Mu Shi hid his wife and children¡¯s cart behind the bushes under the main road and took a stick to lie in ambush. Liu Yong was looking at him with sweat all over his forehead. ¡°Uncle Mu, will the Hus really turn back?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. With themotion here, if those ten people ride back on horses, they will definitely discover this ce. With the arrogance of the Hus, they will definitely disdain to dismount and check. Instead, they will rush over directly. When the timees, you will trip the horses and I will take care of the rest.¡± Liu Yong looked in Shu Wanniang¡¯s direction with aplicated gaze. ¡°Uncle Mu, you should take Madam and leave quickly. We¡¯ll only be a burden to you.¡± Mu Shi looked at Liu Yong in surprise. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for all of you, but for myself. With the cavalrymen around, none of us can escape.¡± The square formation at the back was in a mess, and their team was already very far ahead. At this moment, they were lying in ambush here to deal with the cavalrymen that might turn around. As such, Mu Shi still did not know what had happened at the back, nor did he know that his daughter was so bold as to form a ¡°death squad¡± to stall for time so that the rest could escape. If Mu Shi knew, he would probably not be in the mood to ambush the enemy anymore. Instead, he would jump up and beat Mu Yangling up. Used to hunting in the forest, Mu Shi had better hearing than ordinary people. He vaguely heard the sound of horse hooves and immediatelyy on the ground to listen carefully for a while. Counting silently, he realized that it matched the number Liu Yong had mentioned. He said in a low voice, ¡°They¡¯re here. Hurry up and get ready.¡± Liu Yong and another person held the rope and hid on both sides of the road. Mu Shi said in a low voice, ¡°When you hear my roar, pull the rope immediately.¡± Liu Yong responded and tightened his grip on the rope in his hand. Mu Shi held the stick in his hand as he stared at the situation in front of him with a cold gaze. As the sound of horse hooves gradually approached, Mu Shi recalled that his father had once told him that horses were extremely fast and their strides were huge. No matter how outstanding the cavalrymen were, it was impossible for them to make the fast-moving horses stop immediately. When facing the cavalrymen, they must not let the cavalrymen get close. Otherwise, they would only be killed. Their best shot was to knock the cavalrymen off their horses, and only then could they stand a chance to survive. Otherwise, they could only run into the forest and hide behind trees to avoid the attacks¡­ At this moment, Mu Shi¡¯s mind was filled with the tricks his father had taught him. His daughter was still too naive. Did she think that they could trip the horses with just a rope? Mu Shi was not even 50% confident that they would seed. If they were lucky enough to trip them, they might be able to escape this cmity. Else, their entire family might very well die here. With the cavalrymen around, he would not be able to escape with his family no matter how hard he tried. Chapter 77: Killing the Enemy Chapter 77: Killing the Enemy Editor: As Studios As the ten horses charged forward with three in the front, four in the middle, and three in the back, Mu Shi stared at them intently. The people on the horses had clearly discovered the vigers in front of them, for they were elerating and brandishing their sabers. Mu Shi let out a long roar as they got closer and closer. When they were only 20 steps away, Liu Yong and the others, who were lying in ambush, closed their eyes and pulled up the heel rope with all their might. It was already toote for the three cavalrymen in front to rein in their horses by the time they heard the long whistle. The horses¡¯ hooves tripped on the rope, causing them to lose their footing. The men fell from the horses, and the horses behind immediately plunged into chaos. Three horses in the middle fell amidst the chaos. As for the others, they identally stepped on the small traps in the ground because of their confusion. The horses copsed to the side, and the cavalrymen fell from them¡­ The minute the first team fell down, before the situation even settled down, Mu Shi rushed forward and hit a cavalryman on the head with his stick, killing him immediately. Flipping over, he snatched the man¡¯s saber before immediately turning around and slitting another person¡¯s neck. The person behind had just fallen off his horse when he was killed by Mu Shi before he could even react. Thest group of Hus had no choice but to dismount because of the chaos created by the horses. They surrounded Mu Shi with the remaining two Hus in front. Since it was five against one, Mu Shi gripped his saber tightly, not daring to be careless. The cavalryman let out a strange cry and rushed forward with his saber, but he was blocked by Mu Shi¡¯s saber. Mu Shi kicked his abdomen, causing him to fly out. Then, he turned around and blocked another person¡­ By then, Liu Yong had already gotten up from the ground. When he saw Mu Shi fighting with the Hus, a ruthless glint shed across his eyes. He quietly crawled out and grabbed a saber. Seeing that the Hu who had been kicked away by Mu Shi had gotten up and was about to rush over again, he secretly hid behind him and stabbed him¡­ Liu Yong¡¯s hand trembled slightly, but his eyes were fierce as he stared fixedly at the other party. Seeing that the other party was not dead, he even pulled out his saber and stabbed him again. The young men surrounding them couldn¡¯t help but gulp when they saw this. They said in a low voice, ¡°Liu Yong is really ruthless.¡± However, Liu Zhi watched intently as Mu Shi fought four Hus all by himself. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go help too. Uncle Mu is being restrained and can¡¯t kill them at all. Why don¡¯t we go over with our saber? Even if we don¡¯t manage to kill them, we can at least help stall them.¡± As soon as Liu Zhi finished speaking, Liu Yong had already rushed forward with his saber. He had never learned saber techniques and could only sh randomly. Although he failed to sh the Hus, he did force them to divert their attention to deal with him. The Hu person originally wanted to get away from Mu Shi to kill Liu Yong, but unexpectedly Mu Shi suddenly shed at him. He had no choice but to turn around and defend. This way, they could neither kill Mu Shi nor Liu Yong. Seeing this, Liu Zhi ran over without hesitation, picked up a saber from the ground, and rushed over to deal with a Hu person with Liu Yong. Extremely annoyed to see that it was two against one, the Hu person turned around and was about to kill Liu Yong and Liu Zhi when Mu Shi kicked him on the waist and sent him flying. Liu Yong chased after him and slit his opponent¡¯s neck before he could even raise his head¡­ When the other young men hiding saw this, they ran out one after another. They either picked up the saber on the ground or helped Mu Shi with a pole stick. Covered in blood, Mu Shi went forward to check on the horses and realized that the good horses had all run into the forest and could not be chased back. The rest had injured their legs and could not be ridden at all. Mu Shi was a little vexed that he didn¡¯t retain a good horse. This way, they would have a means of transport to bring news to the troops. ¡°Rocky.¡± Madam Ma-Liu stumbled out of the forest. ¡°How is it? Wanniang was worried about you.¡± Mu Shi wiped the blood off his face and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve already dealt with them. Ask them to carry on moving.¡± He turned around to see Shu Wanniang. Shu Wanniang wrapped a cotton cloth around her children¡¯s heads so that only their noses was exposed. Seeing Mu Shiing over, she couldn¡¯t help but sit up and look eagerly behind him. When she didn¡¯t see her daughter, she felt disappointed and worried. ¡°Ah Ling isn¡¯t back yet?¡± Mu Shi shook his head. ¡°This child has probably gone far. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s better at escaping than me. She¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡± Poor Mu Shi did not know that Mu Yangling had brought people to ambush the Hus in Nearhill Vige again. As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Yong walked over with a saber in his hand. He hesitated and did not go forward. When Shu Wanniang saw him, she paused for a moment before asking gently, ¡°Ah Yong, why are you here?¡± Liu Yong looked up at Shu Wanniang and immediately lowered his head. ¡°Uncle Mu, the vige chief is here. He wants to see the heads of households.¡± Mu Shi frowned slightly. Hadn¡¯t they already discussed beforehand that his daughter would scout the way at the back while he would scout the way in front? What other requests did they have when the Mu family was already in charge of the most dangerous positions? However, in front of Shu Wanniang, Mu Shi could not ask, lest she worry. Mu Shi stood up and patted her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look first. Rest for a while.¡± Seeing that his aunt and Xiuhong were both having difficulty holding on, he cleared a corner of the things at the back of the cart and handed them tworge cotton-padded jackets. ¡°Aunt, you and Xiuhong sit at the back and rest for a while. We¡¯ll continue on our way when I return. Watch your surroundings. If there¡¯s anything, shout loudly. I¡¯m not far away.¡± Madam Ma-Liu agreed and helped her eldest granddaughter onto the cart. When Mu Shi reached the road, he realized that Liu He had gathered all the heads of households and young adults in the vige. Liu He nced at Mu Shi before quickly looking away in shame. Since Mu Shi was the only young man and only son in the Mu family, his family actually did not need to send anyone. But in the entire vige, only he and Mu Yangling had some martial arts skills and could unite the vigers. Liu He sighed and raised his voice to tell them about Mu Yangling¡¯s request. ¡°Now that Ah Ling has already brought her uncles to block the Hus froming out of the vige, I have to count the number of people here.¡± Sighing, Liu He said, ¡°Fellow vigers, this isn¡¯t the first time the Hus have attacked our vige. 12 autumns ago, Mu Shi brought us into the mountains and Mu Yan led people to block the Hus behind. But even so, many of us died.¡± ¡°This time, it¡¯s even more serious. The snow in the forest is as deep as a finger. Not to mention the elderly and children, even the young and strong might not be able to survive a night inside. Therefore, we can only escape into the county. However, it¡¯s not only our vige that¡¯s invaded by Hus now. Ah Ling said that there¡¯s another team behind us. We don¡¯t know how many people there are. If we don¡¯t send people to stop them, I¡¯m afraid not a single one of the 300 people in our vige will be able to make it to the county¡­¡± The heads of households lowered their heads. Liu He continued, ¡°Ah Ling also said that she has parents and younger siblings, she will be the sole representative from her family. You guys should discuss it now. One person from each family. Other than those with only one son in the family, every household has to give up one person. When shees back, if it¡¯s not decided yet, she¡¯ll just leave with her father and family. If that should happen, everyone can only fend for themselves.¡± Choosing between possibly sacrificing one member or gambling with their entire family was a no-brainer. However, for each family, deciding who to choose was the toughest decision of their lives. Chapter 78: Choice Chapter 78: Choice Editor: As Studios Looking at the children who they had raised with great difficulty, the parents were in agony. Third Uncle Liu looked at Liu Yong and his youngest son, Liu Xing, and finally stood up himself and said, ¡°I¡¯ll represent my household.¡± However, Liu Yong pulled him back and stepped forward. ¡°Let me do it.¡± ¡°Ah Yong!¡± Third Uncle Liu eximed. Liu Yong looked at his father solemnly and said, ¡°Father, I was wrong nine years ago. This time, I¡¯m stronger than you. I even killed someone just now.¡± Third Uncle Liu opened his mouth but no words came out. Liu Xing said with reddened eyes, ¡°Brother, let me go.¡± Liu Yong only nced at his brother before turning around and standing behind Liu He. Liu Daqian also looked at his two sons. Liu Zhuang took a step forward and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it for my family. Eldest Brother is the eldest son, so you should support our parents.¡± Liu Ting hurriedly went forward to stop his younger brother, but Liu Daqian stopped him and said in a deep voice, ¡°Your younger brother is right. Let him go.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang hugged her children and burst into tears, but she didn¡¯t dare to say that she wouldn¡¯t let Liu Zhuang go. Most families would choose to let their eldest son stay and their second son go. When it came to Liu Erqian, there was no choice. Liu Xuan was already by Mu Yangling¡¯s side, but Second Madam Liu stood up and forced Liu Yuan¡¯s wife to swear. ¡°Xuan¡¯er doesn¡¯t have children yet. If he dies, your family has to promise to pass on a son to him so that the family line doesn¡¯t end with him.¡± Liu Yuan and his wife had no objections. When it was Liu He¡¯s turn, he was silent for a long time before finally saying with difficulty, ¡°Dazhuang is also by Ah Ling¡¯s side.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Liu He¡¯s wife immediately cried bitterly and went forward to hit him. ¡°Why did you choose him? Why did you choose him? He¡¯s only 18 and hasn¡¯t gotten married yet.¡± Among Liu He¡¯s five sons, the eldest four were married. As Liu Dazhuang was the youngest and hade by in his autumn years, the old couple doted on this child the most. Now that they wanted him toe out, everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. Liu He¡¯s eyes were also red, but this was a choice he had to make. The vigers were still hesitating. If he didn¡¯t show his attitude, they might not havee to a decision by the time Mu Yangling returned. His four sons would definitely have objections. Since Dazhuang was already following behind Mu Yangling, if he were to choose from the other four sons, they would probably start to have internal strife before they even started fleeing. Therefore, he had no choice but to choose his youngest son. As expected, with Liu He¡¯s choice, the rest went much smoother. Some families couldn¡¯t bear to part with their children, so the heads of households who weren¡¯t even 40 years old stood up on their own. Some sons couldn¡¯t bear to see their fathers die, so they pulled them back and volunteered themselves. There were those who were considerate of their families, and there were naturally also those who were biased. In short, in 15 minutes, Mu Shi saw plenty of dramatic scenes concerning life and death. But what about him? Mu Shi felt his heart turn cold. Others could offer a son in his twenties, but his daughter was only nine years old! How could Mu Shi let his daughter do such a thing? He took a step forward and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll represent the Mu family. Let Ah Linge back and take her mother and the others away.¡± Once Mu Shi said this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Compared to Mu Yangling, everyone naturally trusted the tall and muscr Mu Shi more. Liu He didn¡¯t refuse and only said, ¡°Ah Ling will be back soon. Now, everyone, go pack your things. If you have anything to say to your family, quickly say it. Don¡¯t make too much noise. The Hus are right behind us.¡± Only then did everyone disperse. Mu Yangling quickly brought the men back, covered in blood. Everyone was more or less injured, but they all came back alive. At this moment, they were still wearing the Hu costumes. Mu Yangling only managed to get rid of the Hus so quickly by using these clothes to confuse them. Seeing that his daughter was covered in blood, Mu Shi pulled her over and searched her up and down. Mu Yangling hurriedly said, ¡°Father, this isn¡¯t my blood. It¡¯s all from the Hus. I didn¡¯t even lose a strand of hair.¡± Mu Shi¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Who asked you to do such a dangerous thing? Didn¡¯t I tell you to only scout the way?¡± ¡°We had no choice, Father. You have no idea, but the Hus kill the vigers like they¡¯re cutting melons. This way, even if our family manages to avoid them by being at the front, they¡¯ll definitely catch up from behind eventually. How can our family escape when that happens?¡± Mu Yangling tried to convince Mu Shi in a hushed voice. ¡°Father, I¡¯m not being selfless, but I¡¯m doing this for personal gain.¡± Mu Shi snorted coldly. ¡°Go ahead and argue. What¡¯s that about fending for oneself? I think you¡¯ve already made up your mind to take charge of this matter from the beginning.¡± Mu Yangling could only rub her nose. Mu Shi¡¯s eyes were burning. Seeing that his daughter was resembling more and more like his father, his heart felt as though it was being stabbed by a knife. ¡°Why are you two so much alike? Why don¡¯t you think about your parents and your younger siblings? You¡¯re just like your grandfather. He¡¯s a Hu, and the blood of a Hu flows in you, too. Why are you so biased towards the Han people?¡± Mu Shi had always been brooding over his father¡¯s choice to protect the vigers and abandon him. It was fine if it was his mother since she was born and raised in Nearhill Vige. But what about his father? He was clearly ostracized by the vigers and had a faint rtionship with them. Why did he risk his life to protect them? In the past, his daughter was only concerned about taking care of the family. He was even proud to have given birth to a daughter who took after him. He had thought that this child only looked like her grandfather but did not take after him in temperament. Now, not only did she look like him, but she was equally selfless. The only difference was, his father did things without saying a word. In contrast, her daughter¡¯s bark was worse than her bite. Even though she would say things like going their separate ways, she kept turning around to save the vigers. So he was the unconventional one in the Mu family? Seeing that her father was being stubborn, Mu Yangling quickly pulled him into the forest and said in a low voice, ¡°Father, I¡¯m not lying to you. How fast can we run with Mother and my younger siblings? Saving them is akin to saving ourselves. Otherwise, even with us two around, can we really protect our family if the Hus rush up like a swarm of bees?¡± Mu Yangling looked at Mu Shi seriously as she said, ¡°Father, I can distinguish between family and outsiders.¡± She had her ideals and bottom line, but she also knew that she was not a soldier now, and this was not a socialist society. She stuck to her bottom line, but she would not choose to protect the civilians at the expense of her own life, like in her previous life. Mu Shi looked at his daughter suspiciously. ¡°Are you serious?¡± His daughter had been helping the vigers, even bringing them into the mountains to hunt earlier on. Mu Yangling nodded fiercely. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you, Father. I¡¯m very good at escaping. If I can¡¯t defeat the Hus, I¡¯ll just run into the mountains and hide for two to three days. When it¡¯s safe, I¡¯lle out to look for you.¡± Although Mu Shi was still worried, he did not object. Mu Yangling took the opportunity to say, ¡°Father, we can¡¯t live without you, so it¡¯s better for me to go.¡± Mu Shi said with a straight face, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Father.¡± Mu Yangling pestered him. ¡°What can a nine-year-old child like me do? I might not even be able to protect Mother. Most importantly, I¡¯m better at escaping and fighting in a war than you.¡± ¡°Fighting in a war?¡± Mu Shi looked at her suspiciously. ¡°How do you know how to fight in a war?¡± He knew that his daughter was good at escaping, but what was the deal with fighting in a war? ¡°Father, this is a talent I inherited from our ancestors. In any case, just now when I went to investigate, my mind suddenly buzzed when I saw the Hus. It was as if something suddenly clicked inside of me and I suddenly knew how to march and set up military formations. Really, I¡¯m not lying to you. Otherwise, where do you think I got the ability to kill nearly 20 Hus with just five to six people?¡± Mu Shi immediately believed it. Reason being, their divine strength had been inherited from their ancestors, and his daughter was even stronger than him. Therefore, it was not impossible for her to have inherited the talent to fight in a war. Seeing this, Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief. As expected, their ancestors were indeed formidable¡ªshe could just attribute everything to their ancestors. It was even more useful than praying to Bodhisattva Guan Yin. Chapter 79: Trap Chapter 79: Trap Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling called the 54 chosen people to her side. The 18 broadswords and 10 sabers obtained after killing the Hus were distributed. The remaining people held kitchen knives, hoes, sticks, and other tools that they deemed suitable. Mu Yangling said in a deep voice, ¡°When we fight the enemiester, you can take the opportunity to seize their weapons. For now, make do. Remember, our mission is not to kill, but to lure the enemy away or dy them. Try your best to stay alive.¡± Liu Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t this still running for one¡¯s life?¡± ¡°Yes, but you have to listen to my orders. No one is allowed to escape in a disorderly manner.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and said to Liu He, ¡°Vige Chief, you still have to choose five to six people to report to the county. There are many viges along the way, and we aren¡¯t just saving people from our vige. I wonder how the town is doing.¡± The road they were taking now didn¡¯t pass through town. Thinking of the cavalry that had ambushed them just now, Liu He wasn¡¯t too optimistic about the situation in town. In the end, Mu Yangling said goodbye to her father. ¡°Father, don¡¯t tell Mother and Bowen about this. Just say that I¡¯m scouting ahead.¡± Mu Shi nodded and touched his daughter¡¯s head, his throat dry. It took him a while before he could speak again. ¡°Be careful.¡± Mu Yangling nodded, carried her dry food, and left with her men. After watching them leave, Liu He and the rest followed Mu Yangling¡¯s instructions and chose six people to go to the county to report, with as little baggage as possible. The rest immediately rushed on their way. Mu Shi did not dare to tell Shu Wanniang the truth, and only said that he had already sent someone to the county to report the situation, with Ah Ling leading the way. Mu Yangling used a rock to draw a few paths on the ground, then said, ¡°There¡¯s a fork in the road one mile ahead. To the east of that path is Luocong Mountain, and to the west is Jialing Lake. There¡¯s no cover on Luocong Mountain, so it¡¯s not beneficial to us. However, the trees beside Jialing Lake are dense. After luring the Hus all the way here, immediately run into the forest. How many people can survive depends on everyone¡¯s ability.¡± Liu Xuan asked in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re just luring them over?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Mu Yangling nced at them and said, ¡°We still have to do our best to eliminate them. Otherwise, just the 55 of us won¡¯t be able to lure all the Hus behind us. We can only anger them so that they will persist in pursuing us. I know it¡¯s very dangerous, but our parents, wife, and children are ahead. We have to take this risk.¡± The selected people pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°Alright.¡± Mu Yangling stood up and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go make some preparations first.¡± Looking at the dense trees on both sides of the road, Mu Yangling could not help but rejoice. Fortunately, in ancient times, there was nock of forests. Coincidentally, her fortey in jungle warfare. ¡°We are few in number, and you guys don¡¯t have any experience in killing enemies, so we have to use as many traps as possible.¡± Mu Yangling assigned the missions and asked Liu Xuan to bring Liu Li to the front to guard. As long as they saw the Hus, they were to immediately report it. The Hus were nowhere in sight all the way until Mu Yangling and the others finished setting up the traps. They could not help but look at each other. Liu Zhuang felt uneasy. ¡°Could they have changed their route?¡± Mu Yangling carefully recalled the map of the nearby area, then said in a low voice, ¡°Unless they retreat, they will have to pass by here to invade other viges.¡± If the Hus did retreat, it would naturally be a great blessing for them, but was that possible? Mu Yangling didn¡¯t need to think to know that it was impossible. It wasn¡¯t easy for the Hus to go south. How could they retreat just like that? ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. If there¡¯s still no movement, we¡¯ll go ahead and take a look.¡± Liu Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but breathe into his hands. It was already midnight, the coldest time of the day. Not only him, but everyone else¡¯s bodies also couldn¡¯t take it. Mu Yangling turned around and said, ¡°Move on the spot. That way, you won¡¯t feel cold.¡± Just then, Liu Xuan suddenly ran over with Liu Li, his face filled with grief and indignation. ¡°Ah Ling, the Hus are here.¡± ¡°How many people?¡± ¡°More than 50, but they¡¯re holding more than 20 unmarried girls and young wives. Ah Ling, they¡­ they¡¯re all animals.¡± With that said, Liu Xuan couldn¡¯t help but hammer the ground. As the nearby viges were all part of Seven Mile Vige, every vige nearby more or less had rtives in Nearhill Vige. When they saw the pitiful state of those women and thought of the Hus¡¯ modus operandi, they felt a mix of grief and indignation. Mu Yangling¡¯s expression was gloomy as she said in a low voice, ¡°Alright, go andy in ambush first. I¡¯ll go lure them in.¡± ¡°What if we identally injure those women?¡± Liu Xuan asked. ¡°No, the Hus won¡¯t let those women charge in front. However, we still have to think strategically if we want to save them.¡± Mu Yangling thought of the nearby terrain, and remembered there was a ce where they could hide people. Since they were going to be cannon fodder to lure the Hus away, they couldn¡¯t bring those women along. Otherwise, not only could they not save them, but it would also hurt them. Mu Yangling got the men toy in ambush while she stood at the entrance with a small bag on her back. The barbarians giggled as they came over with sabers. Behind them, there were two rows of women strung together with ropes, their clothes disheveled and their faces numb. Mu Yangling could not help but clench her fists. She finally knew why this group of Hus had only appeared now. A cold glint shed across Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes, but she quickly restrained her expression. The moment the Hus discovered her, she screamed, ¡°Mother, the Hus are here. Run!¡± The Hus let out a strange cry, and the 20 or so people in front immediately raised their swords and started giving chase. The remaining 20 or so peopleughed as they tightened the rope in their hands and pulled the women over to guard them. Mu Yangling¡¯s nimble body shuttled through the forest as she squalled and led the way for them. When she turned around and saw the Hus chasing after her, she hid and quietly sneaked to Liu Yong¡¯s side. Taking the broadsword from him, she whispered, ¡°Lead them here. Remember, don¡¯t show yourself. Do as I taught you¡ªthree against one. After killing them, immediately hide and circle around this area. I¡¯ll then bring Liu Xuan and Liu Li to save the women.¡± Liu Yong nodded because he was the first to kill at Mu Shi¡¯s order. Although the vigers were still unconvinced by him, they would listen to his orders. Mu Yangling also thought highly of him. This person was ruthless, rational, and calm, which made him the best deputy candidate. Liu Xuan, Liu Zhuang, and the others could notpare to him. Mu Yangling carried her bow and arrow, then quietly left with Liu Xuan and Liu Li. On the other side, Liu Yong saw that five Hus had already stepped into the range of the trap and that the others had also entered the range. With a wave of the cloth in his hand, a row of wooden thorns smashed down from the sky with a bang. Before the five of them could react, they were pierced like hedgehogs. Seeing that the trap had seeded, everyone was filled with confidence, and their initial nervousness slowly disappeared. In contrast, the Hus started panicking. They were used to fighting on the grasnd and were good at siege battles, but they rarely fought in the forest. They always had a fear of the unknown. Therefore, the leader of the barbarians decisively shouted, ¡°Retreat! Quickly retreat!¡± However, the panicked Hus identally stepped on the trap and fell into the pit filled with wooden thorns. Although they did not die, they were seriously injured. At this moment, the Hus also knew that they had been deceived. Liu Yong smiled coldly and said in a low voice, ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± Chapter 80: Battle in the Forest Chapter 80: Battle in the Forest Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling nocked the arrow and shot both arrows at the same time, prating the two people who wereughing loudly in front of her. rmed, the Hus shouted, ¡°There¡¯s an ambush! It¡¯s an ambush by the Han people!¡± As Mu Yangling moved, she quickly drew her arrow and nocked her bow. Liu Xuan and Liu Li ran to the forest on both sides and kept shaking the trees. Struck by terror, the Hus thought that they had already been surrounded by the Han Chinese. They drew their swords and broke out of the encirclement. Mu Yangling¡¯s aim was perfect, and she killed five people in an instant. This instilled some fear in the Hus. They had trailed after General Wu Shu to plunder resources on the enemy¡¯snd while he led his division to the county. Since they were not soldiers and did not have the ability to be under hismand, they could only scavenge whatever remained in the viges. As long as they wield the butcher¡¯s knife, the timid Han people could only kneel and beg for mercy. Therefore, more than a hundred of them were divided into four teams. When the two teams gathered in front, they originally thought that they could sweep through the viges in the countryside. But from the looks of it, they seemed to have fallen into the Han people¡¯s trap. Wu Ye felt a little regretful. Those Han Chinese were so sly that for four years, General Wu Shu had only managed to fight with the Han generals to a draw. If even an impressive figure like General Wu Shu could not take her down, they might really have fallen into a trap. Freaking out, Wu Ye cried out loudly, ¡°We fell into a trap!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the startled Hus simply grabbed the abducted women before starting to run away. However, just as one of them grabbed a woman¡¯s hair to drag her to his side, an arrow pierced through his neck. Seeing this happen one after another, Wu Ye was the first to give up on the women and flee with his broadsword. When the others saw that the leader, Wu Ye, had already fled, they decided to abandon the women, too. They could always snatch other women in the future, but if they lost their lives, that would be the end of it. Behind the tree, Mu Yangling gripped thest arrow tightly. Liu Xuan rushed forward and cut the rope. Together with Liu Li, he pulled the women who were sitting on the ground up and urged in a low voice, ¡°Get up quickly! They¡¯reing back!¡± Seeing the numb expressions on those women¡¯s faces, Liu Xuan scolded angrily, ¡°Hurry up and run! My niece is still baiting them ahead and there are only three of us. Do you want us to die saving you?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, these women finally reacted. They supported each other and stumbled as they followed Liu Xuan and Liu Li into the forest. After pushing these women into the cave, the two of them used trees and dead branches to hide them, then said in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯ll go lure them away. You guys hide here and only leave at dawn. Don¡¯t make a sound, or none of you will survive.¡± After saying that, he pulled Liu Li and ran out. Mu Yangling had already started killing the Hus with her broadsword. After running for a while, Wu Ye realized that no one was chasing after him. Even the arrows that had been shooting at him earlier had disappeared. Wu Ye¡¯s intuition told him that he had been deceived. Just as he turned around to run back with his men, a child suddenly jumped out of the forest and shed hispanions. Furious, Wu Ye and hispanions picked up their sabers and were about to surround her, but the child nimbly alternated between attacking and retreating into the forest. The other party was too strong. When the sabers and swords collided, hispurlicue1trembled and he almost dropped his saber. Moreover, the men around him were injured by her one after another, but they didn¡¯t even manage to touch the corner of her clothes. Wu Ye forgot that the previous team hadn¡¯te out after entering the forest and directly chased after her with his saber. When Mu Yangling lured them to the trap, she blocked their sabers with her sword. She kicked Wu Ye in the stomach and sent him flying. Then, she used the momentum to kick someone¡¯s leg and flip over. Turning around, she ran to hide behind a big tree. Just as the Hus scattered and surrounded her, Liu Yong suddenly brought people to attack from the nk. Three against one, they soon managed to kill several Hus. Wu Ye rolled behind a tree at the side and peeked out to observe those people¡¯s killing moves. Seeing that they were not organized and only knew how to sh randomly, he figured they only had the upper hand because it was three against one, and because his men could not spare the time to attack. Enlightened, Wu Ye shouted, ¡°They¡¯re not soldiers, they¡¯re Han civilians. Kill that child! Only that child knows martial arts.¡± When Liu Yong heard the shout, a cold light shot out from his eyes. He took the opportunity to stab his opponent before turning around to kill Wu Ye. However, he was shed by a Hu. He only managed to raise his saber to block the attack before falling to the ground. The Hu personughed. ¡°The Han people are all little yellow chicks who can¡¯t withstand a single blow. Boys, form a formation and kill them.¡± Mu Yangling was helping Liu Xuan and the others restore the trap when she heard this. She shouted, ¡°Stop them from gathering and disperse them.¡± ¡°No, Ah Ling, there are too many of them.¡± There were still more than 20 of them left. When it was three against one, they were somewhat evenly matched. However, considering the barbarians were more formidable than them, their odds of winning weren¡¯t high if it was two against one. ¡°Ah¡ªCousin.¡± When Fang Zhuzi saw that his cousin had been killed beside him, he was so frightened that he could not even hold his saber steadily. He swung his saber around and said, ¡°Ah Ling,e and save me!¡± As the Hus gradually gathered together, the Nearhill Vige men died one after another. Mu Yangling gritted her teeth and tied the knot before bending down to pick up the sword. She said in a low voice, ¡°You guys keep guard here. I¡¯ll lure the enemy over.¡± A Hu person kicked Liu Dazhuang away and shed at Liu Yong¡¯s head. Mu Yangling raised her saber to block and forced the Hu person back three steps. With a backhand sh, she slit his neck. Mu Yangling pulled Liu Dazhuang up as she shouted, ¡°Retreat, quickly retreat!¡± Mu Yangling went forward to save her men and asked them to retreat in a team while she killed the enemy and lured them into a trap. Her figure was light as she stepped over the trap. The moment the Hus following behind stepped on the ground, they sank and fell into the trap. Even if they didn¡¯t die, they would be severely injured. Mu Yangling took this opportunity to burrow into the forest. The other young men from Nearhill Vige were also hidden, leaving only the Hus outside. Wu Ye held his saber and turned it warily as he advanced carefully step by step. Fearing that the enemy would target stray men one by one, the barbarians gathered together and advanced cautiously. This was the effect that Mu Yangling wanted. Seeing that the other party had entered the shooting range, Mu Yangling let out a long roar and turned around. At her signal, Liu Xuan cut the rope, and a row of wooden stakes flew over from not far away. The Hu people screamed in fear and dodged in all directions, but because they were standing too closely, they tripped. Amid this chaos, five wooden stakes pierced right through the chests and abdomens of three Hus¡­ Wu Ye fell sitting on the ground and was about to get up to escape when a row of wooden thorns suddenly fell on his head. Those who had yet to get up and escape widened their eyes and died with grievances. Seeing this, the remaining Hus went crazy and shouted, ¡°Us brave eagles on the grasnd have never been afraid of death. Let¡¯s kill them! We must kill them!¡± With a wave of Mu Yangling¡¯s hand, everyone bent down and tried their best not to show their faces. When she turned around and nodded slightly at Liu Li, thetter suddenly raised his saber and sprinted into the deep forest. The sound of Liu Li running alerted the Hus. This time though, the Hus were much more cautious. Although they did chase after Liu Li, they were no longer rash like before. Instead, they slowly chased forward as if they were scouting, and would look up at the sky from time to time. Mu Yangling took out the dagger that Mu Shi had given her and followed behind them. Taking advantage of the fact that the person walking at the backmost was unguarded, she covered his mouth and nose, slit his neck, and dragged him behind a tree. Liu Xuan, Liu Yong, and the others widened their eyes as they watched from behind while Mu Yangling quietly dealt with the Hus one by one. The people in front did not seem to notice at all. With Liu Li leading them in circles around the area, by the time the Hus realized that something was amiss, they turned around and realized that there were only six of them left. They started freaking out. Sitting on the ground, Mu Yangling whispered to Liu Yong, ¡°Bring our men over and kill them.¡± Chapter 81: Pursuit Chapter 81: Pursuit Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling led them to clean up the battlefield. Out of the 55 people, only 42 survived. Mu Yangling picked out the corpses of those from Nearhill Vige and got someone to dig a hole on the spot. ¡°Let their familiese here to collect the corpsester.¡± Liu Yong walked to Mu Yangling¡¯s side and asked curiously as he looked at the miserable-looking Hus on the ground, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Hus are excellent fighters? That even five Han Chinese are no match for one Hu?¡± Mu Yangling squatted down to take a look, her expression solemn. Although they were all wearing Hu costumes, they were not military uniforms. ¡°They¡¯re not soldiers. They¡¯re just ordinary Hu civilians.¡± ¡°Then will the vige chief and the others encounter soldiers?¡± If the ordinary Hu civilians were already so powerful, how powerful were the soldiers? ¡°We¡¯ll rest here for 15 minutes before leaving.¡± Liu Xuan ran to Mu Yangling¡¯s side and asked in a low voice, ¡°What about the women in the cave? Should we bring them along?¡± ¡°No, how can we drag them along when we might not even be able to keep our lives? Let them hide in the cave. As long as they don¡¯t climb out or make a sound, no one will discover them.¡± Mu Yangling led her men to chase after Mu Shi and the others. It was already dawn. By the time Mu Yangling caught up to them, they were not far from the county. The vigers were surprised and happy to see them return with injuries and blood. But those who did not see their family member return cried bitterly, for they knew that their loved ones would nevere back. Mu Yangling ran to the front to look for Mu Shi. Seeing her daughter in such a sorry state, how could Shu Wanniang not know that they had hidden something from her? However, now was not the time to ask. She only pulled Mu Yangling over to size her up. Seeing that only her palm was cracked and there were no other injuries on her body, she was relieved. Mu Yangling was extremely exhausted. After all, she was only nine years old, and she had been fleeing and killing enemies since midnight. Now, she was just forcing herself to hold on. Mu Shi quietly took out some dry food and stuffed it into her mouth. Then, he stuffed her under the nket and said, ¡°Sleep for a while. We¡¯ll be able to reach the county soon with me pushing the cart.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyelids were a little heavy, but she still said, ¡°Father, those Hus weren¡¯t soldiers. Where did the Jin soldiers go? Without the army leading the way, they wouldn¡¯t have the guts to rush¡­¡± ¡°Alright, what matters most is that we manage to escape. It¡¯s the Imperial Court¡¯s business where the Jin soldiers go.¡± Mu Shi pressed his daughter down indifferently, lifted the cart, and started pushing it. When the others saw this, they quickly took their things and followed. However, after walking for less than half an hour, Mu Shi stopped. All the vigers of Nearhill Vige behind him also stopped and looked up at the mes soaring into the sky. Trembling, Liu He walked to Mu Shi¡¯s side and pointed at the fire. ¡°What¡¯s that? What¡¯s that?¡± Mu Shi only remembered what Mu Yangling had asked him just now. ¡°Where did the Jin soldiers go?¡± The vigers who had been fleeing the entire night knelt on the ground. ¡°The county is gone. Where else can we escape to?¡± Mu Yangling, who was only sleeping lightly, woke up startled. When she opened her eyes, she saw the mes soaring into the sky in front of her. Her expression changed and she got out of the cart. ¡°Father, are the Jin soldiers still in the city?¡± ¡°They must be.¡± Mu Shi said, ¡°This fire just started. I didn¡¯t see it before.¡± ¡°Then where will they go after burning the city?¡± Mu Yangling became anxious. For the first time, she regretted staying in herfort zone aftering to this world and had not tried her best to understand it. Liu He calmed down. ¡°After plundering the county, it¡¯ll be the town¡¯s turn. They probably won¡¯t let off the viges they pass by on the way either. They bypassed Xingcheng Pass and avoided the West Camp to plunder resources on the enemy¡¯snd.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s faces turned even more ashen. The Han people all knew that if the Hus attacked cities with the aim of upyingnds, usually only those stubbornly resisting at the pass would be ughtered. Aside from that, the Hus would at most snatch grains and wealth. However, if their aim was to plunder resources on the enemy¡¯snd, the Hus would ughter everyone, including the old and the young. Not only would they plunder women, grains, and wealth, it wasmon for them to set fire to the vige in this case. ¡°We can¡¯t stay on the main road.¡± Liu Daqian said, ¡°The Jin soldiers will see us the moment they leave the city.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve walked into a dead end.¡± Third Uncle Liu squatted on the ground and covered his head in frustration. As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately questioned the Mu father and daughter. ¡°If we had stayed in the vige, perhaps nothing would¡¯ve happened.¡± Liu He hit them with his walking stick and shouted, ¡°If you had stayed, you¡¯d have ended up in the same state as the people guarding the vige. Are there fewer people in West Mountain Vige than in our Nearhill Vige? Does West Mountain Vige still exist now?¡± Everyone lowered their heads and did not speak. Liu He turned to ask Mu Yangling, ¡°Ah Ling, what do you think we should do?¡± After his youngest son returned, he asked in detail about how they had killed the enemies. Although he did not see it with his own eyes, he also realized that Mu Yangling was better at fighting a war than Mu Shi. Mu Yangling replied without thinking, ¡°Let¡¯s go north to Jialing Lake. By walking along theke, we¡¯ll reach the West Camp.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave. My son went to report and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Third Great-aunt ran out and grabbed Mu Yangling¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah Ling, quickly think of a way to save your uncle and the others. They went to reportst night and haven¡¯t returned yet. Do you think they¡¯ll be stuck in the county?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Yangling raised her chin to indicate that they should look ahead. ¡°The east gate of the county has just opened. Those who could escape have already escaped. I¡¯m afraid they haven¡¯t entered the county yet.¡± Following her gaze, everyone saw arge group of people rushing over. Some with good eyesight climbed up the tree beside them and looked around. They shouted, ¡°Oh no, there are many people fleeing ahead. There are probably more than a thousand of them.¡± Mu Yangling made a prompt decision. ¡°The people behind, turn around and form the first square formation. Turn around one by one. This will now be the fifth square formation. Go forward immediately and take a small path to Jialing Lake. Hurry!¡± The people behind hurriedly turned around and ran forward. Mu Shi also quickly turned the cart into a bay. The people from Nearhill Vige hurriedly fled in the direction of Jialing Lake. Madam Ma-Liu held Xiuhong tightly, her face pale. Since she was old and had been running for most of the night, It was inevitable that could not take the cold and exhaustion anymore. Noticing her abnormality, Mu Yangling went forward, picked up the two luggage bags from the cart, and threw them into the forest at the side. Then, she picked up the two of them and ced them on the cart. She and her father pushed the cart and moved quickly. ¡°Ah Ling, I can¡¯t sit¡­¡± ¡°Just sit.¡± Mu Yangling interrupted her and said, ¡°You¡¯re so light that I can easily carry you with one arm. I still need you to help take care of my motherter.¡± Mu Yangling led her men all the way to Jialing Lake, while the people who had escaped from the county scattered in all directions as the Jin soldiers rode out to chase after them. At the fork in the road, they saw many footprints heading towards Jialing Lake. Ah Su, who was in the lead, shouted, ¡°There are many footsteps here. Many people must have fled here. There are actually traces of carts and ox carts among them. I¡¯ll lead a small team to chase after them.¡± There were 21 people in the small team. Immediately, the 21 horses chased along the path in an orderly manner. Mu Yangling had not thought of cleaning up the traces on the road at all. Firstly, It was unnecessary since there was arge group of refugees following behind. Secondly, there was no time. Therefore, when Liu Yong, who had been left at the back to investigate, ran over and said that the sound of hooves wasing towards them, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t have time to make any more arrangements. She could only get the people who survivedst night toe out with swords and cover all the vigers as they left. Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang only had time to take one look at their daughter. Before they could say a word, Mu Yangling ran away with her men. Chapter 82: Bloodbath Chapter 82: Bloodbath Editor: As Studios As the sound of hooves was urgent and was about to reach them, Mu Yangling only had time to throw three ropes at Liu Xuan and the others. Seeing as she no longer had any hope of tripping the horses, she only wanted to do her best to stall them. The people from Nearhill Vige had already left most of their luggage behind. At this moment, they were retreating to Jialing Lake with little to no belongings. Having long seen Mu Yangling and the others¡¯ actions, corners of Ah Su¡¯s mouth curled into a mocking smile. He spurred his horse forward and jumped over the rope that suddenly jumped up. With a wave of his saber, he rushed towards one of them. Mu Yangling shouted, ¡°Into the forest, quickly!¡± The Jin soldiers behind Ah Su drew their bows and shot arrows, killing five to six people in the blink of an eye. With reddened eyes, Mu Yangling pulled out her saber and rolled on the ground. Sliding under the horse, she swiftly cut off the horse¡¯s leg with one sh. The horse neighed in pain and raised its front hooves, throwing the person on the horse off. Mu Yangling rolled out from under the horse¡¯s stomach and swung her saber at another horse¡¯s leg¡­ Since horses were the bestpanions of the Jin soldiers, this undoubtedly made them furious. The others brandished their sabers and were about to kill Mu Yangling, but with Mu Yangling wandering among the horses, it was a little inconvenient for them to turn around. Mu Yangling knocked down five horses like a loach before rolling into the forest. As the other horses were implicated amid the chaos, there were now only 12 of them still sitting on their horses. The Jin soldiers who were still alive after being thrown off their horses charged at Liu Xuan andpany. Although Liu Xuan and the others had fought a battle with Mu Yangling earlier on, they mainly relied on the power of the traps. Now that they were facing the Jin soldiers head-on, even if three of them surrounded one person, they would quickly be defeated. Mu Yangling took the time to turn around and look. Seeing that there were less than 30 of her men left, she shouted, feeling rmed, ¡°Hide, quickly hide!¡± Seeing that his nsmen were dead and Liu Xuan was severely injured, Liu Zhuang immediately roared and shed at a Jin soldier crazily. He shouted at Liu Xuan, ¡°Leave quickly!¡± Liu Xuan held his stomach and turned to run. The Jin soldier who was stopped saw this and was about to sh at Liu Xuan when his raised hand was suddenly struck by a rock. His hand went numb and the saber dropped to the ground. Liu Zhuang raised his sword and chopped off his head. Seeing that Liu Zhuang was out of danger, Mu Yangling turned around and stopped three Jin soldiers. Ah Su saw it clearly from his horse and gave up on chasing after the others. Turning around on his big horse, he charged over, roaring, ¡°Kill her! She¡¯s the leader!¡± Mu Yangling turned around and nced at him. With all her strength, she cut off the sabers of the three Jin soldiers with one sh and killed the three men with another. As she turned around and ran into the deep forest, she shouted, ¡°Run in! Quickly escape!¡± This was a signal, a signal to lure the enemy into the deep forest and use their lives to make the enemy stay. Liu Yong and the others knew that they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to walk out alive this time. Thinking of their parents and family members who were fleeing towards Jialing Lake, they roared and sprinted into the deep forest ording to Mu Yangling¡¯s instructions. The Jin soldiers who had nocked their arrows could not aim urately at all. Nine out of ten arrows that were shot out missed. They could only give up on using their bows and spur their horses forward to pursue. However, the deeper they went, the denser the forest became. Eventually they couldn¡¯t turn their horse around at all. Sensing that something was wrong, Ah Su waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat and stop chasing.¡± But it was toote. Sharp rocks kept shooting out from behind the forest, hitting the horses¡¯ butt and neck. The horses kept raising their hooves and neighing, throwing many Jin soldiers off. Furious, Ah Su jumped off his horse, raised his bow, and shot at the ce from which the rocks were shot. However, the arrows missed. Ah Su rushed out with his men and realized that there were two traces. Gritting his teeth, Ah Su said, ¡°Split into two teams. We must kill these Han people.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ah Su¡¯s adjutant, Wu Lin, replied. ¡°Captain, we¡¯re eagles on the grasnd and aren¡¯t familiar with the forest. It¡¯s not a good idea for us to be scattered.¡± Ah Su snorted and said, ¡°Our warriors can fight five Han Chinese alone. Since there are less than 30 of them, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? We need to kill them all as soon as possible and chase after their nsmen.¡± However, we just lost eight men. Wu Lin saw Ah Su¡¯s cold expression and knew that his pride would not allow him to admit that his warriors had been killed by a few despicable Han Chinese. Ah Su led the six of them in a direction, and Wu Lin could only bring the remaining six. ¡°We definitely can¡¯t split upter.¡± Wu Lin¡¯s subordinate responded. Mu Yangling and Liu Yong ran in front with the remaining men. Seeing that they were a certain distance away from the Jin soldiers, she lowered her body and said, ¡°Let¡¯s ambush one team first, then deal with the other team.¡± Seriously injured, Liu Xuany on the ground and looked at Mu Yangling. His eyes swept across everyone. Other than Mu Yangling, Liu Zhuang, and Liu Yong, everyone else was more or less injured. He was the most severely injured and could not even stand up now. ¡°Ah Ling, even if there are only seven people in their team, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re no match for them.¡± The difference in abilities between the Jin soldiers and the Hus they metst night was like heaven and earth. Liu Li crawled to Mu Yangling¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave immediately? Since you¡¯re so familiar with the forest, you can definitely bring us out.¡± ¡°But if they can¡¯t find us, they¡¯ll definitely go out and chase after my father and the others. Even if we¡¯ve scared their horses away, they can catch up on foot quickly with their speed.¡± Liu Zhuang continued, ¡°When the timees, it¡¯ll be like wolves entering a flock of sheep. All our efforts will be in vain.¡± ¡°Therefore, we have to keep them in the forest. Even if we all die, we have to ensure they stay behind.¡± Mu Yangling gritted her teeth and said, ¡°When they split up a little more, we¡¯ll take action.¡± At that moment, Qi Haoran had just arrived at Mingshui County with his men. When he saw the thick smoke billowing in Mingshui County and the corpses lying everywhere in the county, he was immediately furious. ¡°Darned Tartars!¡± ¡°Little General, themoners have all fled to the west and east. Those Tartars have all chased to the east.¡± The west of Mingshui County was their territory, the West Camp. The Tartars had chased to the east in order to plunder resources on the enemy¡¯snd. Qi Haoran gritted his teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s go save them.¡± As he spoke, he took the lead and ran out. Riding beside him, Fan Zijin said, ¡°We only brought 200 people and are severely outnumbered by the Tartars. Didn¡¯t Cousin only let you guard the county?¡± ¡°The county¡¯s defense has long been destroyed. What¡¯s there left to defend? Saving people is more important. Damn Tartars, I¡¯ll kill them all!¡± ¡°How are you going to do that when you¡¯ve never killed anyone before?¡± Fan Zijin continued to dissuade him. Qi Haoran was skilled in martial arts, but it wasn¡¯t as if his knowledge in military formations would be of any use under such circumstances, considering this fellow had never fought on the battlefield. Qi Haoran was young and fearless, but Fan Zijin knew they had to be more strategic. Otherwise, they might not even be able to return alive to see his cousin. Qi Haoran did not have as many considerations as Fan Zijin. He had always wanted to be a general. Now that he saw the Jin soldiers plundering, arsoning, and killing, he could not hold it in anymore. If not for the fact that there were no Jin soldiers in front of him, he would not have suppressed his temper and would have simply charged forward with his broadsword. Qi Haoran led his men and gave chase. Soon, they caught up to Wu Shu¡¯s battalion. They were surrounding themoners and plundering, dragging out the young wives and youngdies among them. Burning with anger at the sight of this, Qi Haoran shouted, ¡°Wu Shu, let go of them. If you have the guts,e and fight me first.¡± Chapter 83: Match Chapter 83: Match Editor:As Studios Knowing it was toote to stop them, Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes darkened. ncing at themoners, he reined in his horse with a smile. ¡°The Hu people have always said that Han people are sly. But today, it seems that you Hu people aren¡¯t inferior in that aspect either. You sent troops to attack Xingcheng Pass while secretly crossing Mount Jiexi to attack Mingshui County. You¡¯re much slyer than us Han people. This goes to show that rumors might not be credible. Wu Shu ims to be a warrior of the grasnd. Going by the same logic, this might not be true, too.¡± These words provoked the Jin soldiers, and Wu Shu was even more furious. He originally wanted to ughter thesemoners before exchanging blows with the Han soldiers, but at this moment, he turned around and shouted, ¡°Just you two kids? Be careful or I¡¯ll crush your heads.¡± Qi Haoran snorted. ¡°Then let¡¯s see if you have the ability. Let¡¯s go somewhere spacious so that I can let you see what I¡¯m capable of.¡± As he spoke, he mounted his horse and left first. Seeing that Qi Haoran was making big moves and did not mind that he was right behind him at all, Wu Shu immediately narrowed his eyes. This person was either highly-skilled and bold or had something to rely on. Meanwhile, Fan Zijin was so nervous that he broke out in a cold sweat. To think this silly boy revealed his back to the enemy just like that. ncing at Wu Shu from the corner of his eye, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that thetter did not give the order to attack. Fortunately, this guy was also a goon. If it were him, he¡¯d long have attacked from behind. Unexpectedly, after riding a few steps forward, Qi Haoran said to him, ¡°Zijin, that Wu Shu is a fool. Don¡¯t worry, I can definitely defeat him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fan Zijin was speechless for a while before asking, ¡°How do you know that he¡¯s a fool?¡± ¡°I deliberately revealed my back to him, but he was actually so stupid that he didn¡¯t attack. What is he if not a fool?¡± Tightening his grip on the reins, Fan Zijin suppressed his temper. With a wooden face, he asked, ¡°Why did you deliberately reveal your back to him?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him as if he was staring at a fool. ¡°I was luring him, duh. Otherwise, what if he decides to kill thosemoners? By revealing my back to him, even if he wants to ughter thosemoners, he¡¯ll definitely rush up and finish us off first. What an excellent opportunity, yet he actually gave it up. Since he¡¯s so stupid, he¡¯ll definitely chase after us and thosemoners will be safe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fan Zijin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re very smart. If you can return to West Camp alive, I¡¯ll definitely praise you in front of Cousin.¡± Even the stupidest person would not do something like revealing their back to the enemy. Qi Haoran smiled brightly and epted Fan Zijin¡¯s praise. He even patted his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me protecting you, you¡¯ll definitely be able to make it back alive.¡± Behind them, Wu Shu waved his hand and abandoned the besieged citizens to follow closely behind Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin. Hmph, they were just somemoners. He could always turn around and chase after them after killing the Han soldiers. Surely a two-legged person couldn¡¯t outrun a four-legged horse? Qi Haoran had once brought people to patrol this area, so he knew that there was an open area not far from Jialing Lake. He directly led them there. He and Mu Shi weren¡¯t taking the same path because he was already 50 miles east of the county at the moment. There was a main road nearby that led to Jialing Lake. Qi Haoran upied the upper reaches first and whispered to the deputy general beside him, ¡°Prepare your bows and arrows. After I kill Wu Shu, immediately shoot the Jin soldiers opposite. Only shoot one arrow. Kill as many as you can. Then, charge forward before the other party picks up their bows and arrows. Since there are only a few of us, we¡¯ll only charge three times. Next, listen to my orders.¡± Qi Haoran thought that after the other party had lost their general, he would annihte the enemies in one go amidst the chaos. If not, he could only try his best to disperse them and chase them to the other side of Jialing Lake. Qi Haoran turned his head slightly to look at the shallow Jialing Lake in the north. At this moment, ice had yet to form on Jialing Lake. He had specially chosen this ce for the other party to escape. As long as they did not block the enemies¡¯ escape route, they would not risk their lives. Seeing him turn his head to look at theke, Fan Zijin¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he immediately understood his arrangements. The corners of his lips curled up slightly and his spirits lifted, surprised that Haoran had actuallye up with such an idea. It could be seen that he had put in a lot of effort and thought into this. On the other side, Wu Shu shouted after he finished arranging his troops, ¡°Kid, how do you think we should fight?¡± Qi Haoran took the lead and drew his sword. ¡°Naturally, us two generals will battle to determine the victor.¡± Wu Shu sneered. ¡°Just you? Kid, are you weaned yet?¡± Even if Qi Haoran looked stronger than ordinary children, the baby fat and childishness on his face could not be hidden. It was obvious he was a 12 or 13-year-old child. The Jin soldiersughed and looked at Qi Haoran in disdain. However, Qi Haoran was not angry. He only said in a low voice, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll let you see if I¡¯m weaned or not.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the horse under him rushed out. Wu Shu narrowed his eyes slightly and took out his saber before going forward. The two of them instantly exchanged five to six moves. Qi Haoran shed with his sword, and Wu Shu tilted his head to avoid it. Qi Haoran¡¯s sword shed over at such a fast speed that Wu Shu was in a sorry state. When the saber and sword collided, Wu Shu¡¯s palm felt slightly numb and his heart skipped a beat. He knew that he had encountered a worthy opponent. Taking advantage of the moment when he was in a daze, Qi Haoran kicked his horse, then jumped up and kicked Wu Shu. Wu Shu had no choice but to put his hands together to block it, but Qi Haoran stabbed his right chest with his sword¡­ Wu Shu felt a sharp pain in his right chest and was instantly kicked off his horse by Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran shouted, ¡°Wu Shu is dead. Kill all the invaders!¡± The moment Wu Shu was kicked off his horse, the soldiers of the 4th Division drew their bows and shot arrows. More than 20 Jin soldiers were instantly killed. It only took Qi Haoran mere seconds to jump up from his horse and kick Wu Shu down. The Jin soldiers could not react at all due to the suddenness of it all. Qi Haoran leaped back onto his horse and charged towards the Jin soldiers with his sword raised. When the soldiers of the 4th Division saw the little general take the lead, they felt strong emotions surging in their chests. They immediately drew their swords and shouted, charging at the Jin soldiers. The Jin soldiers were already a little flustered because of Wu Shu¡¯s death. Now that they were suppressed by the aura of the 4th Division, they immediately became a little chaotic. Qi Haoran had never killed anyone before, but he was born to be a general. After three rounds of attacks, the Jin soldiers werepletely defeated. Qi Haoran made a prompt decision and shouted, ¡°Leave all of them behind!¡± He immediately turned his horse¡¯s head and rushed in again. He stabbed his sword at the Jin soldiers, and they fell off their horses with a plop¡­ Fan Zijin, who knew that he would only be a burden, stayed obediently at the edge and watched Qi Haoran kill the enemies with his mouth agape. He did not like fighting and killing. Compared to fighting, he preferred to stay in his room and n strategies. But at this moment, watching Qi Haoran kill the enemy, he could not help but feel heroic. He stared fixedly at Qi Haoran. Cousin had once said that Haoran¡¯s talent in war was not inferior to his. Now, it seemed that Cousin was right. Fan Zijin raised his head slightly and smiled happily. ¡®Then, let me stay by your side and assist you.¡¯ Seeing as more than half of the Jin soldiers were killed, Wu Shu¡¯s deputy general knew that they could not stay any longer. He waved his hand and ordered, ¡°Retreat, retreat quickly!¡± Taking the lead, he scooped up Wu Shu¡¯s corpse before stepping into Jialing Lake, leaving a group of Jin soldiers to resist. The others hurriedly followed. Qi Haoran killed the remaining Jin soldiers and waved his hand to stop everyone from chasing. He said coldly, ¡°Let them leave. There must be some Jin soldiers left in our Great Zhou territory. We¡¯ve got to find them. Otherwise, the people will not be at peace.¡± Fan Zijin rode to his side and said, ¡°Send scouts out to investigate. This is the fastest way. For now, let¡¯s search up Jialing Lake first.¡± Qi Haoran was puzzled, so Fan Zijin exined, ¡°On the way here, I carefully paid attention to the traces on the road and realized that there were many footprints left by themoners on a path from the east of the county to Jialing Lake. The ground was covered in hoof prints. They should have fled in the direction of Jialing Lake, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still alive.¡± Chapter 84: Saved Chapter 84: Saved Editor:As Studios Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened. Whether they lived or not, they had to kill the pursuing Jin soldiers. Otherwise, more civilians would suffer. On the way, Qi Haoran asked Fan Zijin curiously, ¡°We¡¯ve never stopped our horses. How did you know that there were traces there?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten the two scouts I asked you for? They reported it.¡± Fan Zijin increased the speed of his horse as he said, ¡°Since Wu Shu was leading a battalion, they must be followed by a small group of scattered soldiers. Why don¡¯t we split our men into a few teams to go out and save the civilians? That will be faster.¡± Qi Haoran agreed after thinking about it. He divided the people into three teams, with two scouts in each team. ¡°If you encounter a strong enemy, escape if you can. If you can¡¯t escape, send a signal for help.¡± Everyone agreed. Only then did Qi Haoran ride his horse towards Jialing Lake. It took a person half a day to walk 40 miles on foot, but it only took them a few minutes on horseback. They encountered the sorry-looking Nearhill Vige vigers after turning into the path. At this moment, Mu Shi was extremely sorrowful. The probability of his survival for his daughter who had gone to stop the cavalrymen was almost zero. At this moment, when he heard the sound of arge number of horse hooves, he felt that there was no way out. If not for his wife and children, he really wanted to rush up and fight to his heart¡¯s content. The cavalrymen arrived in an instant. The sharp-eyed Liu Ting shouted in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s the West Camp! It¡¯s the soldiers of the West Camp, our fellow Han Chinese!¡± When Qi Haoran reined in his horse, the first person he saw was Mu Shi since he was standing at the front. He said in surprise, ¡°Uncle Mu, why is it you?¡± He scanned the crowd but did not see Mu Yangling, so he frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Mu?¡± For the first time in his life, Mu Shi bent his knees and knelt on the ground. ¡°Please save my daughter, Young Master Qi. She¡­ she brought men to stop the Jin soldiers who were chasing after us.¡± Fan Zijin raised his eyebrows and looked at Mu Shi in surprise. That nine-year-old girl went to stop the Jin soldiers? However, Qi Haoran did not feel that anything was wrong. He only asked anxiously, ¡°Where are they?¡± Mu Shi knew his daughter well. She would definitely lead the enemies into the forest, so he said, ¡°They should be in the forest behind.¡± Fan Zijin frowned. Before Qi Haoran could speak, he said, ¡°Wu Shu¡¯s Jin soldiers are all cavalrymen. Why would they enter the forest? Besides, we¡¯re not familiar with the forest. If we enter, we might be ambushed at any time.¡± Moreover, he was still suspicious of the Mu father and daughter. His eyes swept across the faces of the vigers of Nearhill Vige, but it did not seem like a trap. Qi Haoran only frowned and thought for a moment before waving his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look. If the Jin soldiers really enter the mountain, we have to find them. Otherwise, they¡¯re a potential disaster.¡± Raising her head, Shu Wanniang saw that Fan Zijin was frowning, and immediately knew that he was afraid of being ambushed in the mountains. She grabbed her husband¡¯s hand and said gently, ¡°Bring them into the mountains. With you leading the way, they can find Ah Ling faster.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at him pleadingly. ¡°She¡¯s our daughter. We can¡¯t let her take the risk alone. We¡¯re already safe now, right?¡± At the side, Liu Ting immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rocky. Go ahead and enter the mountain. We¡¯ll take care of your wife here.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao also said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle. I¡¯ll make sure she stays safe. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°Even though I¡¯m old, I¡¯m still of some use. Go quickly.¡± Mu Shi patted his wife¡¯s hand and looked at Little Bowen. ¡°Bowen, you¡¯re a boy. You have to protect your mother and younger siblings, understand?¡± Fan Zijin followed his gaze. Not only did he see the little Mu Bowen, but he also saw the two babies in their swaddling clothes. Knowing that more than half of the people in Nearhill Vige were rted to Mu Shi, he finally let go of the worry in his heart. Qi Haoran left ten of his men behind to protect the vigers and brought the rest away. When they arrived at the ce where Mu Yangling and the others had gone to stop the Jin soldiers, everyone discovered the obvious traces without Mu Shi pointing it out. Mu Shi said, ¡°The trees inside are dense, making it unsuitable for riding. Little General, we can only enter on foot.¡± Following the traces, Qi Haoran and the others quickly saw the corpses of the Jin soldiers and the horses left in the forest. However, Mu Shi also saw plenty of young men from Nearhill Vige. They were all in their twenties and were of the same generation as him. When they met in the vige yesterday, they even greeted each other. But now, they were lying in a pool of blood. At the thought that his daughter could be suffering a fate worse than death, Mu Shi was so anxious that his eyes turned red. He quickened his pace. Along the way, Qi Haoran¡¯s deputy general and the soldiers behind him were very surprised. ording to Mu Shi, there were only 40-odd vigers. How could they kill so many Jin soldiers? It was not that the Han people looked down on their kind, but the Han people were indeed inferior to the Hu people in battle. Firstly, their height and strength were inferior. Secondly, the Hu people had started killing since they were young while the Han people were mostly honest farmers. Be it innate or acquired, they were inferior in terms of fighting. Even the trained Han soldiers could only take on the Jin soldiers if it was five against one, let alone these untrained farmers. Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin naturally thought of this too. Fan Zijin could not tell why, but Qi Haoran gradually understood after seeing the third trace. The vigers had exploited the advantages of the forest to kill the Jin soldiers one by one. It could be seen that there was someone in Nearhill Vige who was good at jungle warfare. Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. In the past, they had always arranged their troops and formations in open spaces during battle. However, the Hus¡¯ horses were excellent and they were highly-skilled in martial arts. If the Great Zhou Empire wanted to defeat them, they would have to pay a huge price. However, what if they could lure them to fight in the forest? Just as this thought shed through Qi Haoran¡¯s mind, he heard the sound of swords and sabersing from ahead. The few of them looked at each other and rushed forward. They saw Mu Yangling fighting one against four, dealing fatal attack after fatal attack on the Jin soldiers. She was injured as well. Mu Shi and Qi Haoran rushed forward without thinking¡­ When Ah Su and Wu Lin saw the appearance of the Han soldiers, they immediately howled. ¡°You Han people are treacherous. You actually used tricks to lure us into the mountains.¡± Mu Yangling was like a demon, and her eyes were filled with hostility as she swung her saber over and cut off Ah Su¡¯s arm. As the saber pressed tightly against his neck, she looked at him and articted each word clearly, ¡°You killed mypatriots and kidnapped my sisters. Do we have to lie down obediently and let you kill us? Whose logic is this?¡± With that, she shed with the saber. Ah Su¡¯s eyes widened, and blood spewed out of his neck. Just like that, he died with regrets. The others had also been dealt with by Qi Haoran. Mu Shi was about to kill Wu Lin when Fan Zijin saw the glint in his eyes. Thinking of how his cousin had been expelled from the West Camp for no reason, he stopped him. ¡°Wait, detain him. I have something to ask him.¡± Qi Haoran was dissatisfied. ¡°They¡¯re Jin soldiers. They deserve to be killed. If you have anything to ask, just ask me.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him. ¡°Do you know how many bowls of rice the Jin soldiers eat a day and how many times they go to the toilet? You make it sound like you know everything in the world.¡± Qi Haoran touched his nose and could only wave his hand. ¡°Tie him up. Be careful not to let himmit suicide.¡± Only then was Fan Zijin satisfied. However, when he saw Qi Haoran turn around and approach Mu Yangling obsequiously, he felt ufortable again. Why did this kid keep pestering her? She was just a vige woman who knew some moves. However, Qi Haoran was praising Mu Yangling. ¡°You¡¯re really impressive to be fighting one against four. Just now, I saw that every move of yours hit the enemy¡¯s vital points precisely. Can you teach me?¡± However, Mu Shi was more concerned about Liu Xuan and the others. Seeing that his daughter was alone, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Ah Ling, where¡¯s your uncle and the others?¡± Exhausted, Mu Yangling sat on the ground and said, ¡°We¡¯re separated, but there aren¡¯t many of them left alive. They¡¯re injured. Father, quickly bring people to find them.¡± Chapter 85: Loss Chapter 85: Loss Editor: As Studios Including Mu Yangling, there were a total of 55 people. In the end, only nine survived. When Mu Shi and his men found Liu Xuan andpany, three of them were already on theirst breaths. Having lost too much blood, Liu Xuan had already gone into shock. Mu Yangling looked at them and said emotionlessly, ¡°Find a doctor for them. Whether they can survive or not will depend on fate.¡± Liu Zhuang hugged Liu Xuan, his face filled with tears. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already endured until now, Ah Xuan, you must hang on and wake up.¡± Qi Haoran admired them for being able to kill the Jin soldiers instead of escaping blindly. He waved at his subordinates and said, ¡°Hurry up and find the military doctor. Get them some good medicine and put the expenses under my name.¡± This time, 89 people from Nearhill Vige died in the war disaster. However, after seeing the empty viges and county post-massacre, the people in Nearhill Vige could only feel relieved. As Qi Haoran could not apany them, he only asked two soldiers to send the vigers to the prefectural capital. Along the way, there were constantly refugees joining in. By the time they reached the prefectural capital, there were already nearly 2,000 disaster-stricken people following behind the vigers of Nearhill Vige. With so many people suddenly rushing to Xingzhou Prefecture, the prefectural magistrate of Xingzhou, Wu Shancai, and the county magistrate of Shunzheng County, He Bao, hurriedly brought their men over. Worried about letting so many refugees enter the city, Wu Shancai was about to close the city gate, but the four city gates were guarded by Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s men. He could notmand them at all. Since the refugees were brought back by the soldiers of the West Camp, the soldiers guarding the city let them in without thinking. Furious, Wu Shancai shouted, ¡°What is Qi Xiuyuan trying to do? Is he trying to throw this ce into a state of anarchy? With so many refugees surging in, how do we maintain security and enough food supply?¡± He Bao nced at him and cupped his hands. ¡°Sir, I heard that General Qi is in the city. Why don¡¯t we ask him?¡± Wu Shancai choked. Last night, when the Hus suddenly attacked the city, he was instructed to close the south city gate and lock Qi Xiuyuan outside the city. At that time, Qi Xiuyuan dared to jump over the city gate and kill his way to his government office to drag him up Xingcheng Pass to face the Hus. He was only allowed toe down after the Hus retreated. After all that, how could he dare to provoke him? Seeing that he had quietened down, He Bao stopped talking. At this moment, in the general¡¯s residence, Qi Xiuyuan kept issuing orders, leaving only the 1st Division to guard the pass, and sending the 2nd and 3rd Divisions out to save themoners. Aware of the fact that arge number of refugees had surged into the prefectural capital, Qi Xiuyuan pondered for a moment before saying to Rong Xuan, ¡°Since Wu Shancai is still a suspect, I¡¯m worried about leaving the refugees to him. Bring someone to inform him that the West Camp is willing to share the burden of the prefecture. From today onwards, our soldiers will maintain the safety of the city.¡± Rong Xuan raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Wu Shan won¡¯t agree, for that would mean cing his life in our hands.¡± ¡°He has no choice but to agree.¡± Qi Xiuyuan was filled with anger. ¡°The moment I was transferred out of the city, the Hu people attacked the city. If not for our special means of contact, I¡¯d probably still be in Xingyuan Prefecture now. The defenses of Xingyuan City Pass would have been breached by the time I heard the news. What do you think would happen to me since I¡¯m the garrison general?¡± Rong Xuan also suspected that someone was colluding with the Hu people. Filled with fog, Mount Jiexi was not easy to walk through. Other than by ident, the Han people could not reach the Hu people, and the Hu people could not reach the Han people either. It could only be that there were Han people guiding the Hus. Otherwise, if the Hus could climb over from Mount Jiexi, with such a long defensive line, the Imperial Court would not have merely set up a West Camp here. ¡°Are you suspecting Wu Shancai?¡± ¡°Last night, I clearly told him my identity. ording to the rules of the border city, the city gate will close on time, but not to the messenger and soldiers guarding the city. Since I¡¯m themander of the West Camp, not only should I be able to enter and exit the four city gates freely, even if I reach the Xingyuan Prefecture, he has to open the door for me obediently. Where did the southern city gate get the courage to stop me? They said that the magistrate ordered to open the city gate for no one.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°I was stopped outside the city gate for five hours. How many soldiers andmoners died because of this dy? I have to settle this score.¡± When Rong Xuan thought of the losses this time, he sighed slightly. Now, the Imperial Court could not even afford to pay the soldiers and relied on the local people to support them. Therefore, soldiers could only eat 70% of their fill. These days, it was even harder to conscript soldiers than it was to give birth. In addition, since they had not been able to protect the people this time, it would probably be even harder to collect the taxes to pay out the military sry next year. ¡°General, the little general sent someone back to pass a message. He has already killed Wu Shu, who was attacking Mingshui County. His main group fled north across Jialing Lake, leaving behind a small group of Jin soldiers to burn. As too many people were affected, the little general requested to send more reinforcements to bring the civilians over.¡± Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up as they asked in unison, ¡°Haoran killed Wu Shu?¡± The soldier nodded proudly. ¡°The general pierced a hole in Wu Shu¡¯s right chest with his sword. It¡¯s a pity that we didn¡¯t manage to snatch his corpse. Otherwise, how impressive would it be to hang it at the city gate?¡± However, Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Xuan¡¯s smiles froze. ¡°You stabbed him in the right chest?¡± Wouldn¡¯t that mean that he could still be alive? In the chaos, Haoran couldn¡¯t have gotten off the horse to check that he was no longer breathing. However, it was good that they could win the battle. The battle to defend the city was at a critical stage when he suddenly received an urgent report from Mingshui County. Since he really could not spare any troops, he asked Qi Xiuyuan to bring the 4th Division there. Initially, he simply aimed to protect Mingshui County for as long as possible. Who would have thought that before Qi Haoran arrived at Mingshui County, the county magistrate of Mingshui County, Qian Shu, would suddenly flee at thest minute and take away a group of bailiffs? Only County Deputy Song Zhi insisted on guarding the city with the remaining people. Seeing that they were about to lose, he opened the east and west gates and let the entire county¡¯s citizens out. s, even if he guarded the north gate with his life, he could notst until Qi Haoran arrived. The entire county fell into a sea of fire and 40% of the citizens were ughtered, not to mention the towns and viges under Mingshui County. Qi Xiuyuan had been a garrison general here for four years. During his time here, the Jin soldiers had attacked countless cities and plundered resources on their enemy¡¯snd innumerable times. Although he could not guarantee victory in every battle, he had never put the people in such a dangerous situation. His defenses and strategies were all exposed. Instead of saying that he was angry that someone was colluding with the Jin soldiers, it was more urate to say that he hated himself for his negligence and ipetence. Those who were familiar with his defense and strategy were definitely people around him. However, he and Rong Xuan werepletely oblivious. To him, what was this if not ipetence? Oblivious to the general¡¯s thoughts, he continued, ¡°The general even asked someone to send someone back from a vige and asked us to take good care of him. He said that his benefactor was among them.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Qi Xiuyuan came back to his senses and asked, ¡°Are you from Nearhill Vige?¡± He had investigated his brother¡¯s journey north, so he naturally knew that Mu Yangling was his benefactor. The soldier nodded. ¡°They¡¯re the vigers of Nearhill Vige. General, they¡¯re very impressive. There were only 50 plus of them, yet they managed to finish off more than 40 Hus and 22 Jin soldiers.¡± Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Xuan looked at each other in surprise, a glint in their eyes. ¡°Are they all ordinary vigers?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re just ordinary vigers who only know how to farm. However, there was a young Miss Mu with them. She¡¯s so strong that she can crush a person¡¯s bones with her small hand.¡± The soldier chuckled. At that time, in their excitement, they went forward to pat Miss Xiao Mu¡¯s shoulder, and one of the guys almost had his hand crushed by her. Chapter 86: New Warfare Method Chapter 86: New Warfare Method Editor: As Studios When Fei Bai brought the medicine over, he carefully sized up Mu Yangling. He saw that her face was pale and her eyes were tightly closed, and there was a faint smell of blood on her body. How could she be as impressive as everyone said when she was clearly no different from a nine-year-old girl? Sensing that someone was approaching, Mu Yangling suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Fei Bai warily. Fei Bai felt a chill in his heart and his body froze on the spot. It was only when Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes turned warm that Fei Bai felt alive again. With a stiff smile, he said, ¡°Miss Mu, your medicine is ready. Drink it quickly.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Mu Yangling took the medicine and drank it in one gulp. She asked, ¡°Is your little general not back yet?¡± ¡°Soon, soon.¡± Fei Bai said respectfully, ¡°The general has already ordered the Fourth Young Master to return. You should be able to see him tonight.¡± Seeing Mu Yangling¡¯s indifferent expression, he said cleverly, ¡°The few people who came with you have been attended to by the doctor. They¡¯ve all taken medicine and we¡¯re just waiting to see if they can wake up tomorrow.¡± A grateful expression appeared on Mu Yangling¡¯s face as she said sincerely, ¡°Thank you for taking care of them, Sir. Please note down the cost of the treatment first. We¡¯ll definitely repay you when we have the moneyter.¡± ¡°Miss Mu, you¡¯re too polite. My Fourth Young Master said that you¡¯re his benefactor. This is what our Qi family should do.¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t be considered their benefactor. It was nothing. Besides, he has long returned the favor. Since he saved our lives this time, we¡¯re the ones who are indebted to him.¡± Seeing that thisdy was tactful, Fei Bai became even more respectful. ¡°Miss Mu, your parents have also entered the residence. I¡¯ll invite them over now.¡± There were more than 200 people from Nearhill Vige, so the Qi Residence naturally could not amodate so many people. Liu He did not allow Mu Shi to be indebted because of this, so other than Liu Xuan and the few injured people, everyone stayed in the east of the city with the refugees. Mu Shi¡¯s family was invited into the general¡¯s residence, and Madam Ma-Liu and her granddaughters were also brought over by Mu Shi. Fei Bai personally went over to invite them. Mu Shi quickly walked in and touched his daughter¡¯s forehead. He then checked her wound and only heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no fever or inmmation. Shu Wanniang came in with the children, Madam Ma-Liu, and the others. ¡°Ah Ling, how are you?¡± Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. How are my uncles?¡± Shu Wanniang lowered her head. Sighing, Mu Shi said, ¡°Liu Yong and the others are fine. It¡¯s just that your Uncle Xuan and Cousin Li aren¡¯t yet in a stable condition. Whether they can survive or not depends on fate.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Where did Cousin Li get injured?¡± She remembered that when she went to lure the Hus away, he only suffered some light injuries. ¡°There¡¯s a deep cut on his back. He lost too much blood. Liu Yong said that when they were changing paths, they encountered a lone Jin soldier who got separated from his group. By then, they were already so severely injured that they only had the strength to breathe. It was all thanks to your Cousin Li and Liu Yong that the Jin soldier was killed. Otherwise, your Uncle Xuan and the others wouldn¡¯t have survived.¡± Seeing that his daughter was silent, Mu Shi stroked her hair and said, ¡°Good child, you¡¯ve done very well. If it were me, I might not even be half as good as you. The little general and the rest were all praising you. Your Great-uncle He also said that they¡¯ll set up a longevity que for youter.¡± Mu Yangling did not feel proud. Along the way, she had seen themoners sitting by the roadside hugging their loved ones¡¯ corpses and crying. A three or four-year-old child had lost his parents and was standing ignorantly in the middle of the road. Mu Yangling clearly realized that this was not the peaceful China in the 21st century, but an era of war. Here, human lives were worthless like grass. However, even a de of grass had its own emotions and yearned to live. But here, once the invaders invaded, they could only ce their hopes on the Imperial Court. Unfortunately for them, this Imperial Court was not too reliable. If they wanted to survive, they had to rely on themselves. Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°Father, when we go back, I¡¯ll teach them some martial arts and military formations, okay? So that the next time the Hus dare to enter the pass again, we won¡¯t be so passive.¡± Mu Shi thought for a moment and agreed. In fact, in the border city, manymoners knew some martial arts and war tactics. It was just that the Xingzhou Prefecture had only been designated as a border for a short period of time, and themoners had yet to adapt after living like this for hundreds of years. ¡°Mother, how are my siblings?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± Shu Wanniang said with a faint smile, ¡°Your younger siblings are smart. They know that we¡¯re running for our lives and haven¡¯t cried sincest night.¡± Mu Yangling turned to look at the two babies. Seeing that Little Bowen and Xiuhong Xin were standing silently at the side, she knew that the three children had suffered a huge impact. She sighed slightly and said, ¡°Father, brew some medicine for Bowen and my cousins to calm down. Also, note down the medicine given to my uncles so that we can repay the moneyter. Since Qi Haoran has already returned the favor by helping us, we can¡¯t benefit for nothing this time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep the prescriptions and pay him back when we have the money.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t let the two of you pay for it all.¡± Seeing that Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t say anything, Madam Ma-Liu knew that she wouldn¡¯t object. She could only stand up and say, ¡°I¡¯ve seen that medicine. There¡¯s even ginseng inside. How much would one prescription cost? Furthermore, there are a total of eight people. Are the two of you nning to repay the debts for the rest of your lives? They suffered those injuries because of the vige, so the vige has to contribute some money at least.¡± Mu Yangling smiled bitterly. ¡°Great-aunt, our vige was burned down. Do you think everyone can fork out the money? Besides, the other 46 families have already lost their loved ones. If we¡¯re gathering money to treat the ones who are injured, shouldn¡¯t we give more to the families that lost a member? There¡¯ll be no end to this. Qi Haoran hasn¡¯t actually asked us to fork out the money. It¡¯s just that my family doesn¡¯t want to owe anyone a favor. If you ask them for money just to avoid owing anyone a favor, they definitely won¡¯t be willing.¡± Mu Yangling sighed. ¡°Poverty is the key thing here. They don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re going to survive on this winter.¡± As they only cared about escaping, the grains they brought out were only enough tost for a few days. What was going to happen when they ran out of grains in a few days? Since the vige had already been plundered by the Hu people and burned down, how much could possibly remain? Fortunately, because the Mu family had savings, they should do fine until next summer. When Qi Haoran rushed back in the evening, he ran to report to Qi Xiuyuan first. Just as he turned around and was about to run home, Qi Xiuyuan grabbed his cor from behind. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? What if your soldiers see you like this?¡± ¡°Brother, I want to go back and check on Mu Yangling. I wonder how she¡¯s doing. You have no idea. She was covered in blood and almost injured her vitals in several ces.¡± Qi Xiuyuan stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back with you. I heard that she¡¯s very skilled in martial arts. Have you sparred with her before?¡± ¡°No. When she recovers, I¡¯ll go and spar with her. Brother, she¡¯s a hunter and is very familiar with the forest. After those Hus entered, she totally led them by the nose. This is despite the fact that her subordinates are all just farmers who only know how to farm. If it were our soldiers, we would definitely have been able to deal with the Jin soldiers behind with ease. At the very least, we wouldn¡¯t have suffered such heavy losses.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°If we could make some arrangements in advance, I believe our chances of winning would be higher. Brother, why can¡¯t we lure the Jin soldiers into the forest and engage in junglebat?¡± ¡°Junglebat?¡± First time hearing it, Qi Xiuyuan fell into deep thought. Qi Haoran urged, ¡°Brother, our horses have always been inferior to the Jin soldiers¡¯. They were born on the grasnd and grew up on horseback. In terms of riding skills, most Han Chinese can¡¯tpare to the Hu people. However, our Great Zhou has many forests. Since they have already attacked all the way to our Great Zhou territory, why do we have to fight ording to their methods every time? We should fight in the forest since horses aren¡¯t very useful there.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s words opened up another world for Qi Xiuyuan. Chapter 87: Heartache Chapter 87: Heartache Editor:As Studios Since ancient times, there had been manybat techniques and they were not limited to just one type. However, there had never been abat technique that specifically targeted the forest. This was because the forest had always been one of the country¡¯s sources of wealth. Very few people would lure their enemies into the forest to avoid destroying the trees and beasts in the mountains. Although Qi Xiuyuan was tempted by Qi Haoran¡¯s suggestion, he did not agree immediately for he could not sacrifice the next generation¡¯s interests for a temporary victory. If he won a battle in the forest by this method and the other soldiers followed suit, what would happen if the Hu people burned the forest in anger? In Xingzhou Prefecture, manymoners relied on Chef Mountain and Mount Jiexi for a living. If they were really burned down, everyone would curse the Qi family¡¯s ancestors to the 18th generation. ¡°Jungle warfare is not a bad idea, but it can¡¯t be used on arge scale. However, if we encounter a small group of elite soldiers from the Jin soldiers, it may be feasible to lure them in.¡± As long as they controlled the degree well, the Hus would not dare to take the risk of burning the mountains. After all, they had to pay a huge price in doing so. Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. Even if I don¡¯t use the forest, I¡¯d be able to defeat them all one day. Not only the Jin soldiers, but also West Xia and Tibet. I will definitely be able to take back our homnd.¡± Qi Xiuyuanughed loudly and patted his young brother. ¡°How ambitious. Alright then. I¡¯ll wait for you to seed and bring honor to our ancestors.¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not doing this to bring honor to our ancestors.¡± Qi Haoran said proudly, ¡°When I be a first-grade general, I¡¯ll request for my mother to be conferred a title so that her memorial tablet can be ced in the Qi family¡¯s ancestral hall.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s gaze darkened. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, from tomorrow onwards, not only will you have to practice martial arts twice as hard, but you also can¡¯t neglect the homework set by Teacher Fang. There¡¯s no first-rank general who isn¡¯t well-read.¡± Qi Xiuyuan continued with a smile, ¡°I heard that General Yuan spends two hours a day studying. You can¡¯tpare to General Yuan, but you have to learn from him in hopes of surpassing him one day.¡± General Yuan was Qi Haoran¡¯s second idol apart from his older brother. Although Qi Haoran did not like to study, he still nodded and agreed. The smile on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face widened. When he went back with his brother to visit his benefactor, Fan Zijin was already at home and had just finished showering. Seeing the two of them enter, he hurriedly stood up and greeted Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Xiuyuan nodded slightly and asked, ¡°Are you injured?¡± ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. With me around, how would I possibly let him get hurt?¡± Qi Haoran rushed to say. Fan Zijin also nodded. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not injured. On the other hand, a certain someone seemed to be a little blind and kept running into the sword in the other party¡¯s hand.¡± As he spoke, he nced at a certain someone standing at the side. Qi Xiuyuan looked at Qi Haoran. He had long smelled the faint smell of blood on his brother¡¯s body, but seeing that he was alive and kicking, he knew that his injuries weren¡¯t serious. How could onee out of a battlepletely unscathed? It was good to let him suffer a little. Hence, Qi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, he said, ¡°Okay, remember to stop in time next time. Just don¡¯t run into the enemy¡¯s sword.¡± Qi Haoran puffed out his chest and promised, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely be careful next time.¡± However, Fan Zijin was a little dissatisfied. Qi Haoran¡¯s wound was not shallow, but he had only bandaged it briefly before running to look for Qi Xiuyuan. He worried that the wound had ruptured. It was fine if Qi Haoran was carefree and insensible, but why did Cousin let him be? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and see your little benefactor.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°I¡¯ve long wanted to thank them in person, but I haven¡¯t been able to find the time. This time, since they came to the prefectural capital, I have to wee them warmly.¡± Qi Haoran followed excitedly as he praised Mu Yangling to Qi Xiuyuan. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s so strong, I can¡¯tpare to her even if I use my internal energy. I wonder what martial arts she¡¯s learning.¡± Fan Zijin followed behind them with a dark expression. After holding it in for a while, he waved his hand and called his servant, Yanmo, over. ¡°Go to the front yard and find the doctor. Fourth Young Master is injured.¡± Qi Xiuyuan, who was walking in front, smiled when he heard that. He shook his head andughed. The two kids quarreled every day, but their rtionship had always been superb. Standing next to them, he looked less like the biological brother. Qi Xiuyuan nced at his brother, who was still dancing with excitement. He sighed slightly, thinking it might be a good thing. How could he have the time to look after this kid when he had to be on the battlefield all year round? With Zijin around, he could at least restrain him a little. Based on how protective Zijin was of him, he would not let him suffer. This being the first time Mu Shi and the others had seen an important figure like the general, they stood up nervously and bowed. On the other hand, Shu Wanniang was calm and quiet. After bowing, she simply took half a step back and stood behind Mu Shi. With her head lowered slightly, she looked extremely prim and proper. However, Qi Xiuyuan couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces at her. When she bowed just now, it was as natural as flowing water. Her mannerisms were clearly different from the simple and rough ways of Mu Shi and the rest. However, Qi Xiuyuan then quickly turned to look at Mu Yangling, who was on the bed, and asked gently, ¡°How¡¯s Miss Mu¡¯s injury?¡± Leaning against the bed, Mu Yangling replied, ¡°Thank you, General Qi. I¡¯m much better now. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for two more days.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re already in the prefectural capital, just focus on recuperating. You can count on Haoran and Zijin to deal with the other matters. If you have any requests, just ask. To be honest, if you hadn¡¯t helped these two silly boys back then, it¡¯s still not certain if they would have been able to walk out of the mountain forest.¡± ¡°General Qi, you must be joking. At that time, they were not far from the exit. Even without my guidance, they would have been able to see the exit after taking a few more steps. Once they left the mountain and met the vigers, everyone would be willing to help. I didn¡¯t do much, really.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to walk out even if they knew the way. Although it¡¯s a piece of cake to you, it¡¯s a life-saving grace to them. Miss Mu, just stay here in peace and let them repay you.¡± Mu Yangling was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. Changing the topic, she said, ¡°General Qi, I wonder how things are outside? I¡¯ve lost contact with many of my rtives and friends.¡± Mu Yangling was not lying. Although her grandfather was an outsider, her grandmother was a native. Not to mention anything else, her father¡¯s cousins had all married into neighboring viges, which meant they had rtives all around. Qi Xiuyuan was silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, ¡°We suffered heavy losses. Only two viges in Seven Mile Vige survived. The other viges were razed to the ground. Only three to four out of ten people survived.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s expression changed, and the atmosphere in the room instantly became heavy. Unustomed to it, Qi Haoran pushed his eldest brother away and went in front of Mu Yangling to ask, ¡°Miss Mu, you haven¡¯t answered me when I asked you what martial arts you learnedst time. I¡¯ve checked the wounds of those Hus. Seeing as many of their swords were chipped, one can see just how strong you are. Tell me, I¡¯ll learn from you. I¡¯ll teach you the martial arts I¡¯ve mastered so you won¡¯t lose out.¡± Qi Haoran bragged, ¡°The martial arts I learned are from my uncle¡¯s family. What¡¯s most impressive is the internal cultivation technique. You can practice this internal cultivation technique continuously to endlessly generate internal energy. When you attain a high level of mastery, you can circte your internal energy without stopping. You have to know that if your internal energy circtes with every move you make, it means that you have a set of armor protecting you at all times. Moreover, it¡¯s extremely powerful. With a light squeeze, you can crush a stone¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan shook his head, smiling but not stopping him. Although this internal cultivation technique was taught to him by his uncle, it was actually not from the Zhu family. It looked powerful, but to be able to cultivate it to the level Qi Haoran described was like reaching the heavens. At least, no one in the martial arts world had ever mastered it. In fact, very few people could even attain the fifth level. That was why Qi Xiuyuan had objected when Qi Haoran chose this book among the many internal cultivation techniques. Chapter 88: Internal Energy Cultivation Technique Chapter 88: Internal Energy Cultivation Technique Editor:As Studios Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve never learned internal cultivation techniques before. I only know some martial arts. If you want to learn them, I can teach you at any time.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t think that her martial arts skills were all that great considering this was a world where top pugilists and internal cultivation techniques existed. Case in point, Qi Haoran could jump ten meters high, but she couldn¡¯t. At the end of the day, all she could rely on was her innate divine strength and her archery skills. However, it was useful on the battlefield. In the martial arts world where opponents could be skilled in qinggong and internal energy cultivation techniques, she could be destroyed in minutes. When she heard Qi Haoran say that after mastering his technique, it¡¯d be like wearing a bulletproof vest all the time, it wasn¡¯t that Mu Yangling wasn¡¯t tempted. She just wasn¡¯t confident that she could master it. Most importantly, she didn¡¯t have anything of equal value to exchange with him. Qi Haoran didn¡¯t believe it. Mu Yangling was so strong. How could she be born like this without cultivating her internal energy? If she was a boy, he might have believed her, but she was clearly a girl. Hence, when Mu Yangling had gotten a little better, Qi Haoran came to look for her excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s exchange internal energy cultivation techniques first. Your wounds are almost healed now, so you can meditate and cultivate.¡± As he spoke, he sat cross-legged opposite Mu Yangling and looked at her expectantly. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Then, you can teach me your cultivation technique.¡± Mu Yangling looked helpless. ¡°Young Master Qi, I really don¡¯t have an internal cultivation technique.¡± Qi Haoran tilted his head. ¡°Is it because your family forbids you from imparting your cultivation technique to outsiders?¡± Qi Haoran was very conflicted and upset. After pondering in silence for a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t learn it in that case. But it¡¯s fine to spar, right? I¡¯m willing to teach you my cultivation technique for free.¡± Fan Zijin, who was eavesdropping outside, felt that Qi Haoran was too silly. It was obvious to him that Mu Yangling was simply unwilling to teach him. Mu Yangling was silent for a moment before pulling Qi Haoran out. Fan Zijin immediately stood up straight and opened the fan in his hand. The moment the door opened, a smile appeared on his face. When he saw Qi Haoran, he smiled even more vibrantly. ¡°What a coincidence. Is Miss Mu feeling better?¡± As Mu Yangling¡¯s hearing was better than ordinary people, she had long heard Fan Zijin¡¯s footsteps. It was just that she didn¡¯t want to expose him. Nodding, she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m much better. Thank you for your concern, Young Master Fan.¡± Having learned internal cultivation techniques since he was young, Qi Haoran¡¯s senses were even more sensitive than Mu Yangling¡¯s. When he heard this, he rolled his eyes, but he didn¡¯t expose him out of consideration for their friendship. Mu Yangling pulled Qi Haoran into the garden. Fan Zijin naturally followed closely behind. Mu Yangling stood in front of a rockery and said to Qi Haoran, ¡°I really haven¡¯t learned any internal cultivation techniques. My grandfather is half-Hu. My great-grandfather was the number one warrior of their tribe and had immense strength since he was young. However, my grandfather didn¡¯t inherit his father¡¯s divine strength. Furthermore, because he looked no different from a Han person, he was ostracized by the Hu tribe. That¡¯s why my grandfather left the grasnd and came here. My father has been strong since he was young and I¡¯m even stronger than my father. Before I even weaned, I could already smash a table with a wave of my hand.¡± The disbelief on Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin¡¯s faces remained. Mu Yangling said with a straight face, ¡°If this didn¡¯t happen to me, I wouldn¡¯t believe it either.¡± Then, she turned around and hugged the rockery with both arms. Under Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin¡¯s widened eyes, she slowly raised the rockery. Qi Haoran¡¯s mouth was so wide open that one could probably stuff a big duck egg into it. He pointed at Mu Yangling and then at the rockery that was as tall as two people and as wide as three people lying horizontally. How heavy must this be? Mu Yangling gently put down the fake mountain and said calmly, ¡°Now you should believe me, right? No matter how powerful an internal cultivation technique is, it¡¯s impossible for a nine-year-old child to lift this rockery. If you still don¡¯t believe me, I can let you check my meridians. There¡¯s not a trace of internal energy in them.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You can check the meridians? Teach me.¡± Fan Zijin was also full of interest, and their attention was instantly diverted. Mu Yangling, on the other hand, was a little embarrassed. She asked shockingly, ¡°Can¡¯t you people with internal energy check other people¡¯s meridians? Isn¡¯t that how it¡¯s written in books?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin felt deted. Waving his hand, Qi Haoran said, ¡°That¡¯s all nonsense. How can you believe it? You can¡¯t even check your own meridians, let alone check someone else¡¯s.¡± Mu Yangling immediately asked curiously, ¡°Then how do you know if your internal energy has improved?¡± ¡°You can sense it.¡± Qi Haoran said righteously, ¡°The internal energy is stored in the lower dantian. When you¡¯re cultivating internal energy, the dantian is as warm as spring. Even a minor improvement will turn it as hot as a me. One can feel the internal energy flowing through their meridians, but it¡¯s impossible to look inside.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll be able to practice qinggong after cultivating internal energy?¡± Qi Haoran sized up Mu Yangling and shook his head after a while. ¡°You¡¯re not suitable to practice qinggong. Your lower body is too heavy.¡± Mu Yangling was disappointed for a moment before asking, ¡°Then do you think I¡¯m suitable to practice internal cultivation?¡± ¡°Anyone can practice internal cultivation.¡± Qi Haoran said, ¡°The key is to nourish one¡¯s health and temper one¡¯s internal organs to achieve the effect of strengthening one¡¯s body. If you want to learn it, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°Can one be as powerful as the people in the pugilistic world?¡± Mu Yangling asked curiously. Qi Haoran said disdainfully, ¡°Internal cultivation is meant to strengthen one¡¯s body. Coupled with moves, it¡¯s used for self-defense. However, the people in the pugilistic world use it to fight and seize territory. Why are youpeting with them? You¡¯re a girl and you¡¯re strong. It¡¯s enough for you to learn some internal cultivation to strengthen your body. Unlike me, I want to protect the country and be a general in the future, so I have to improve my martial arts.¡± Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin: ¡°¡­¡± Fan Zijin turned his head and smiled at Mu Yangling. ¡°Miss Mu, if you want to learn internal cultivation, why don¡¯t you learn the set that Haoran is learning now? Although this set of cultivation techniques is not easy to practice, mastering 10% is already enough to serve you plenty. You¡¯re a girl, so there¡¯s no hurry.¡± ¡°Since this cultivation technique is so difficult, why did Young Master Qi choose this one?¡± ¡®Well, it¡¯s because he¡¯s stupid and overambitious.¡¯ Fan Zijin cursed inwardly, but Qi Haoran already said proudly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because I¡¯m talented. No matter how difficult an internal cultivation technique is, it won¡¯t be a problem for me.¡± Fan Zijin turned his head away, while Mu Yangling was amused by his proud look. Qi Haoran said, ¡°I¡¯ve already cultivated to the third level. Don¡¯t doubt me. Although it¡¯s only the third level, I can already withstand 120 moves from my brother.¡± ¡®That¡¯s only because Cousin went easy on you.¡¯ Worried that Qi Haoran¡¯s bragging would get out of hand, Fan Zijin quickly changed the topic. ¡°Miss Mu, I¡¯ve seen the traps youid in the forest. Some of the traps don¡¯t seem to be targeted at wild beasts, right?¡± Mu Yangling was stunned for a moment before admitting with a smile, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s targeted at people.¡± To be precise, it was targeted at the Japanese, but she had borrowed it. ¡°Did Uncle Mu teach you those traps? I wonder if you can teach them to us. I¡¯ve checked and there are two very intriguing traps among them.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll draw the pictureter and write down the sort of situations it¡¯s suited for. You¡¯ll figure it out slowly.¡± Since the other party was even willing to impart to her his internal cultivation method, there was no reason for her to hoard information. Chapter 89: Mortgage Deed Chapter 89: Mortgage Deed Editor: As Studios ¡°These are gathered by each family. Although it¡¯s not enough, it¡¯s better to return as much as possible. When the harvestes next autumn, everyone will repay the remaining amount.¡± Liu He stuffed the silver that each family had voluntarily contributed into Mu Shi¡¯s hands. Although Mu Shi was rtively well-off, Shu Wanniang and Little Bowen had both fallen sick from the cold. Coupled with Mu Yangling¡¯s injuries, he wouldn¡¯t have much money left. As such, it was impossible for him to repay the medical fees paid by the Qi family. Madam Ma-Liu saw this and naturally did not want her nephew to suffer such a big disadvantage, so she went to look for Liu He behind Mu Shi¡¯s back. In the past few days, the refugees from the entire prefecture had arrived at the prefectural capital one after another. The vigers of Nearhill Vige also learned about the situation everywhere from them. It could only be summed up in two words: extremely tragic. Mingshui County suffered the most. Reason being,ing from Mount Jiexi, the Jin soldiers first passed by Mingshui County and Changju County. Since the county magistrate of Changju County guarded the city gate with the bailiffs and did not let the Jin soldiers enter, only the viges on the other side of Mount Jiexi suffered. However, the county magistrate of Mingshui County abandoned his citizens and simply ran away. Not only did the Jin soldiers plunder the county and massacre the people there, but they also entered the various viges of Mingshui County via the open city gate. Below that, other than a small vige that could only be reached by crossing Chef Mountain and another one with a hidden location that were spared, the other viges were all burned to ashes. Nearhill Vige was still considered alright, totaling 263 survivors because many had fled. In contrast, some viges had beenpletely massacred, while others only had 10 to 20 survivors. This made the vigers of Nearhill Vige even more grateful to Mu Yangling. If she had not led them, Nearhill Vige might have be the second West Mountain Vige. Liu He said regretfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many people in West Mountain Vige survived. I heard that it was burned to the ground and the vige is covered in blood. Those damn barbarians didn¡¯t even let off newborn children.¡± As Nearhill Vige was very close to West Mountain Vige, many families had rtives there, so they inevitably felt sad when they heard the news. Seeing that everyone was silent, Liu He tapped his pipe and raised his voice. ¡°Alright, the living are more important. Dacang, what news did you find out from the government office? Did the magistrate say when the warehouse will be opened for disaster relief?¡± Liu Dacang was Liu He¡¯s eldest son. If nothing unexpected happened, he would take over as the patriarch of the Liu family and the vige chief of Nearhill Vige in the future. Liu Dacang¡¯s expression was a little solemn as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve asked around. The government office refuses to say anything. There are already manymoners surrounded there. Later, when I privately pulled aside a bailiff to ask, he told me that the government office probably won¡¯t open the warehouse to provide disaster relief.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Liu Erqian jumped up. ¡°How are we going to survive the winter if they don¡¯t open the warehouse to provide disaster relief? Our grains have been snatched, and even our houses have been burned down¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Liu Daqian pulled his younger brother back and lectured him. ¡°What¡¯s with all that unnecessary fuss at your age? Don¡¯t you feel ashamed acting like this in front of the younger generation?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be ashamed about?¡± Liu Erqian muttered unhappily, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Didn¡¯t we finish all the food we brought from home?¡± Liu He looked at his son and asked, ¡°Did the bailiff say how the magistrate ns to deal with us refugees?¡± Liu Dacang lowered his voice and said with reddened eyes, ¡°He said that the squires pity us and are willing to lend us their stored grains for the time being. They just need us to mortgage our title deeds.¡± The pipe in Liu He¡¯s hand fell to the ground and Mu Yangling looked up with a sharp glint in her eyes. Liu Daqian and the others fell silent. After looking left and right, Fang Zhuzi walked forward with his walking stick and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Let¡¯s just mortgage it. We can always pay it back next autumn.¡± For the first time, Madam Fang-Liu smacked her son¡¯s head and cried, ¡°You prodigal thing, what do you know? If you mortgage that, don¡¯t even think about getting it back. Have you seen something be taken out again after entering thendlord¡¯s house? They¡¯re forcing us to our deaths!¡± Liu He¡¯s expression was dark as his chest rose and fell rapidly. ¡°The government office¡¯s not even taking out a single grain?¡± ¡°Father, don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Liu Dacang hurriedly supported him. ¡°This is only the bailiff¡¯s side of the story. Let¡¯s wait a few more days and see. Perhaps the government office will open the warehouse and release the grains.¡± Those were merely Liu Dacang¡¯s words offort. Because just three dayster, the magistrate stood in his office andined of being hard up. ¡°The tax grains have already been transported to Lin¡¯an Prefecture. In addition to the military sry allocated to the West Camp, there¡¯s no more money and grains in the prefecture. However, don¡¯t worry, everyone. I¡¯ve already discussed it with the local squires. They¡¯re willing to temporarily lend you their grains to let everyone have a good New Year. But in order to prevent some sneaky people from not repaying, we need everyone to mortgage their title deeds. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t have title deeds. You can always mortgage your farnd. Once it¡¯s verified, you can borrow the grains. If you don¡¯t have any farnd, you can sign an employment agreement with the few phnthropic masters first. When everyone returns the grains borrowed next autumn, these title deeds will naturally be returned, and the agreement will be void.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked. Many people were tempted, but some older elders held their juniors back and did not allow them to go forward. As for Nearhill Vige, Liu He, Liu Daqian, and the others also suppressed the noisy vigers and said in a hushed voice, ¡°We can¡¯t agree to this. Land is the lifeblood of farmers. Once it¡¯s mortgaged, we won¡¯t be able to get it back.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the magistrate say that we only have to return the grains next year?¡± Still tempted, the young man coaxed with a smile, ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, just agree. We¡¯ve been starving for two days already. If this goes on, we¡¯ll die of hunger soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What use is a title deed to a dead man?¡± Fang Zhuzi touched the pocket where the title deed was ced, still tempted. Madam Fang-Liu held her eldest son tightly and forbade him from going forward. Although she could not reason with him, she knew that this was not a good thing. They absolutely mustn¡¯t exchange their title deeds for food. Otherwise, their family would have to starve in the future. Although Fang Zhuzi and the others were extremely tempted, Liu He was highly respected. With him standing in front with a dark expression, no one dared to step forward. 12 tables had already been set up at the entrance of the government office in front. The names of the various squires were written on the front, and there were people carrying bags of grains at the back. If anyone was willing to mortgage theirnd, they could register with their deeds before immediately taking away the grains. Seeing the grains, everyone was even more tempted. Mu Yangling saw that a few people had already walked forward with their title deed. Tsk, fancy acting like saints while doing such a wicked thing. If this continued, no matter how respected Liu He was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress everyone. Most importantly, everyone was running out of food now. The government and the squires were tantly colluding and telling everyone that they could only starve to death if they didn¡¯t mortgage their title deed. Even if Liu He understood this, could he watch his fellow vigers starve to death in the end? This was practically a dead end. Everyone would have no choice but to mortgage their title deed. And after this matter, how many people would be lifelong ves for the squires? Chapter 90: Interrogation Chapter 90: Interrogation Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling broke free from Mu Shi¡¯s hand and pushed through the crowd to stop the person who was about to take out his title deed. Looking at Magistrate Wu with bright eyes, she raised her voice to ask, ¡°Magistrate, forgive me for being impudent, but I really have some questions to ask you. As the magistrate, you¡¯re supposed to be like our parent. We can empathize with you and don¡¯t dare to ask you to treat us like your children. All we want is a fair and honest treatment.¡± Then, without waiting for Wu Shancai to answer, she continued solemnly, ¡°Sir, although I¡¯m ignorant, I know that every prefecture and even every county has a warehouse storing relief grains. Every autumn harvest, the old grains would be reced with new ones, and the old grains would be sold. If Mingshui County¡¯s defense is breached, even if the relief grain warehouse is robbed, there will still be the grain warehouses of the two subordinate counties. Furthermore, the relief grain warehouse of the prefectural capital is three times that of the county. Even if the other prefectures and counties are unwilling to lend Mingshui County grains, the prefectural capital should take out some to help the refugees. Why are we themoners asked to mortgage ournd deeds in exchange for grains? Then where did the tax grains we paid in the past go?¡± As soon as this was said, everyone looked at Wu Shancai suspiciously. ¡®That¡¯s right! There¡¯s still grains in the grain warehouse. Grains that came from us. Why isn¡¯t he taking them out?¡¯ Wu Shancai¡¯s expression did not change. Minister Liu, who was standing beside him, took a step forward and scolded, ¡°Ignorant child, hurry up and leave. How can you be so impudent in front of the magistrate? What are you waiting for? Quickly chase her away.¡± ¡°Minister Liu is right. I¡¯m indeed ignorant. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking the magistrate. As Old Sage Kong says, ¡®If you don¡¯t know, you have to ask. Otherwise, you¡¯ll never know if you don¡¯t learn¡¯. Besides, the magistrate loves the subjects as if they were his own children. Why would a minister like you exceed your authority when he hasn¡¯t even chased me away?¡± Mu Yangling looked at him sharply and nced around. ¡°But I also have a few words to ask Minister Liu and the other Minister Counselors.¡± ¡°Youngdy.¡± Magistrate Wu interrupted her with a smile. ¡°If you have any questions, you can ask me in private. Let¡¯s not waste everyone¡¯s time. You have to know that their families are still waiting for them to bring back the grains.¡± As he spoke, he sighed sadly. ¡°It¡¯s my ipetence that didn¡¯t allow the people under my rule to live and work in peace.¡± ¡°Magistrate Wu, what I¡¯m asking is rted to everyone present. I believe they also want to know. How am I wasting anyone¡¯s time? As for the ipetence you mentioned, that¡¯s finally something truthful that came out of you.¡± Ignoring his pale face, Mu Yangling continued, ¡°I heard that the county magistrate who fled Mingshui County, Qian Shu, is your favorite disciple. Back then, it was you who rmended him to be promoted to county magistrate. He abandoned the city and fled, leaving the citizens to fend for themselves. I heard that he¡¯s hiding in your residence now. I wonder how you n to deal with him?¡± ¡°Also, Magistrate Wu said that the Minister Counselors are lending us their stored grains out of the kindness of their hearts. However, we don¡¯t know how much the interest on the borrowed grains is, and when we¡¯re required to finish repaying. After we mortgage thend deed, will thend belong to us or the masters? When will thend deed be returned to us? When springes, do we get to farm ournd, or are the masters going to use thesends? Before you exin these things clearly, we don¡¯t dare to borrow the grains.¡± As she spoke, she smiled. ¡°However, since our prefectural capital has a relief grains warehouse, we might not need to mortgage our title deed in exchange for grains.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone put away their title deed and begged, ¡°Sir, we¡¯re at the end of our rope. Please take pity on us and open the warehouse to provide disaster relief.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s understandable that Mingshui County has no grains since its defense has been breached, but the prefectural capital and other county cities¡¯ defense has held. Sir, you can¡¯t leave us to perish.¡± Wu Shancai said loudly, ¡°Fellow vigers, I know that it¡¯s difficult for everyone, but the grains in this food relief warehouse are meant to deal with natural disasters. Without the imperial court¡¯s decree, I don¡¯t dare to open it. The best course of action now is for everyone to mortgage their title deed first. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll immediately write a letter to request for the opening of the grains relief warehouse. How¡¯s that?¡± With Mu Yangling¡¯s lead, a few elders stood up and asked, ¡°Sir, before we mortgage our title deed, please answer this youngdy¡¯s questions. We also want to know the answers. In addition, must we return the grains next autumn or do we have a few years¡¯ grace? Sir, you also know that we poormoners rely on the heavens to survive. We have no idea if the heavens will bless us with good weather next year. I doubt we can finish repaying within one year! Since thisnd is our lifeblood, it¡¯s better for you to make things clear to us.¡± The expressions of the squires standing behind Wu Shancai sank. Minister He snorted coldly and said, ¡°We¡¯re lending you grains to let you live out of the goodness of our hearts, but you¡¯re interrogating us instead.¡± With that, he flung his sleeves and said, ¡°Whether to borrow or not, it¡¯s your choice.¡± With that, he cupped his fists at Wu Shancai and said, ¡°Magistrate Wu, we¡¯re only willing to lend them grains on your ount. Since they don¡¯t appreciate it, there¡¯s no need for us to be annoying here. Men, raise the tables. Let¡¯s go.¡± After exchanging a look, the other Minister Counselors also instructed their servants to pack up the tables and chairs and leave. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but panic, fearing that they wouldn¡¯t have any grains to eat if they left. It had to be known that they had been hungry for a long time. They might be able to withstand the hunger for a few more days, but their parents, wives, and children couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Sir, our questions aren¡¯t difficult. Why are you and the masters unwilling to answer? Or is it really as the outside world says? Did you collude with the masters to plot against us to obtain our title deeds?¡± A burly man stepped forward and shouted. Wu Shancai pointed at them with a trembling finger. ¡°Unrulymoners! Unrulymoners! A group of unrulymoners! Everything I did, I did it for you. Yet here you are, ndering and insulting me like this. Men, arrest them. Arrest them all!¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re so muddle-headed. Don¡¯t you know thew that even a nine-year-old child like me knows? Emperor Shizong once legited that officials are not allowed to punish the people for their speech. We¡¯re just asking you a few questions. Not only did you not answer, but you¡¯re also punishing us? Do you not want to answer, or are you unable to?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Can¡¯t I scold a mere magistrate like you when I even dare to scold the emperor?¡± An old woman walked out with a walking stick and said, ¡°These masters don¡¯t have to scare us. There are tens of thousands of refugees affected. Surely the magistrate can¡¯t let all of us starve to death?¡± ¡°Cut the crap. You just have to tell us if there are grains in the relief grain warehouse. Although we¡¯re uneducated, we know that one should be adaptable in times of emergency. I don¡¯t have any housingnd nor farnd. Although I am strong, I don¡¯t wish to be a ve. Besides, we have also paid a lot of tax grains in the past years. Just tell us if you¡¯re going to open the warehouse.¡± A burly man asked Wu Shancai aggressively. As soon as these words were spoken, everyone cheered. Who would be willing to mortgage their title deed if they could receive grains for free? They all surrounded Magistrate Wu and demanded an exnation. Wu Shancai was furious, yet he could not do anything to these unruly people. He could not help but me Emperor Shizong in his heart. Back then, when he wrote the legition, he was too tolerant of these unruly people. Now, they could not be beaten nor arrested. Seeing this, Advisor Huang said in a low voice, ¡°Sir, let¡¯s avoid them for the time being. Let them starve for another two days and they¡¯ll know how to behave.¡± Wu Shancai snorted and red at Mu Yangling, then turned around and flung his sleeves. ¡°Chase them away. Go and find out who that child is.¡± Chapter 91: Abusing Power Chapter 91: Abusing Power Editor:As Studios They were initially so confident that they would seed, and they even arranged for someone to take the lead in mortgaging their title deed. Who knew that someone woulde out and cause trouble? Besides, the other party was even just a child. Not only was Wu Shancai furious, but those squires also looked at Mu Yangling as if she was an enemy who had killed their father. Wouldn¡¯t cutting off someone¡¯s source of ie be equivalent to killing their father? The Hus¡¯ attack on the city this time was an unexpected event, but they had long nned to buy more fields and ves. However, farmers held on to their fields as if they were precious treasures. Unless there was a major change, who would sell theirnd for no reason? In the past, they could forcefully buy thend or acquire it through giving out high-interest loans, but ever since Qi Xiuyuan was stationed in Xingzhou Prefecture, they had to be careful. Although it was said that military officials were not allowed to interfere in local government affairs, his father was an imperial censor whose duty was to impeach officials. As such, they really did not dare to offend him too much. As for the local squires, although they looked down on Qi Xiuyuan, they could still tell which was the more powerful party since he had soldiers. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to have a chance to scheme against these bumpkins openly, but it was ruined by a child. They couldn¡¯t help but hate her. Ignoring their gazes, Mu Yangling returned to the general¡¯s residence with Mu Shi. ¡°You¡¯ve offended both Wu Shancai and the squires of Xingzhou Prefecture.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s teasing voice came from behind. Mu Yangling turned around and saw Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin smiling at her. Mu Shi hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Greetings, young masters. My daughter has embarrassed herself in front of the two of you. I¡¯m afraid we will implicate the residence because of this matter. We¡¯ll move outter.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of them?¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, ¡°Uncle Mu, just stay here for as long as you want.¡± He then looked at Mu Yangling in admiration. ¡°Well said. Zijin also said that they¡¯re colluding with each other. It¡¯s a pity that my elder brother can¡¯t interfere in local government affairs. Otherwise, he would certainly impeach him.¡± Emperor Shizong imposed more restrictions on the actions of officials and advocated more tolerance for the people ording to the rule ofw. On the other hand, Emperor Gaozong believed that the copse of the country was mostly started by unruly civilians and generals, so he imposed more restrictions on military officials and even transferred all the troops stationed at the border to prevent civil unrest. If not for the decree previously set by Emperor Shizong that prevented him from easily changing the constitution, Emperor Gaozong would probably have reformed thew. Therefore, the current situation in Great Zhou was very strange. Among those casting covetous eyes upon Great Zhou, there was Great Jin in the north, West Xia and Tibet in the west, and Dali in the south. Given his weak personality, the Great Zhou Emperor would give in to outsiders if he could. If he could not fight, he would try his best not to. Even if he was forced to fight, he still wanted to restrain his generals and not offend the neighboring countries. At the same time, he had to prevent the generals leading the troops from bing stronger. As for themoners, the Great Zhou Emperor could scrape from them as much as he could. This exined all the varied and strange taxes that appeared. What Mu Yangling found most baffling was the degree to which Great Zhou practiced freedom of speech. Themoners would scold the corrupt officials and the king for being muddle-headed as they took out silver to pay taxes. The emperor was scolded by themoners all the way to the entrance of the pce, but he did not even dare to let out a fart. In fact, he even turned around and wanted to issue an edict for his sins. The confrontation between the civil and military officials had reached an unprecedented height. It wasmon for the emperor to not allow military officials to interfere in local affairs. In order to avoid suspicion, the military officials had always turned a blind eye as much as possible. Naturally, Qi Xiuyuan had to avoid getting involved, too. ¡°But Mingshui County fell because the county magistrate escaped with his men. Are we going to let him off just like that?¡± If Qian Shu had not taken away more than half of the bailiffs, Mingshui County would not have been breached so quickly. Qi Haoran snorted coldly. ¡°Of course we can¡¯t let this matter go just like that. My brother has already written a memorandum to impeach him. How long can that corrupt official hide for?¡± Seeing that the streets were filled with refugees, Qi Haoran protected them as he headed to the general¡¯s residence. ¡°Tough luck getting the grains from the disaster relief warehouse though. My brother said that since these squires and Wu Shancai are colluding with each other, it will be extremely difficult for you guys to get the grains from Wu Shancai.¡± Qi Haoran looked around and lowered his voice. ¡°With our West Camp guarding the prefectural capital, it¡¯s impossible for you to riot and force him to submit.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s face was filled with surprise. ¡°Who said that we¡¯re going to riot?¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t mind squabbling and such, but to attack would be to rebel. It wasn¡¯t as if she was tired of living. Qi Haoran had an expression that said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± He said, ¡°You were just short of using your fists just now. Aren¡¯t you going to riot?¡± Mu Yangling snorted and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to attack. I¡¯m not a fool to attack an official.¡± The Mu family did not have any fields, so it was even more impossible for them to sell themselves as ves. Two days ago, Shu Wanniang had suggested going south, and Mu Shi had agreed. Currently, they were just waiting to leave after the people in Nearhill Vige settled down. Now that Xingzhou Prefecture was designated as the border, in the future, there would definitely be more and more Hus going south to plunder resources on the enemy¡¯snd. In the past, when there was only Shu Wanniang and Little Bowen, Mu Shi and Mu Yangling were capable of protecting them. But with the addition of the newborn twins, how could they protect so many people? It wasn¡¯t as if they had three heads and six arms. The best solution was to leave this ce and go south to find a beautiful ce to settle down. Shu Wanniang did not have any ties here. Mu Shi only felt a sense of responsibility for Nearhill Vige and his feelings for it were indifferent. Now, he was just waiting for the vigers to settle down on ount of his parents. Although Mu Yangling was reluctant, she understood her parents¡¯ decision. Since they would not be living in Xingzhou Prefecture in the future, why would she be afraid of offending the squires here? They were only powerful in this province and county, so there was no need to worry. Furthermore, they were staying in the Qi Residence, and the military and civil officials were not on good terms to begin with. Adding fuel to the fire was not a big deal. Thinking of this, Mu Yangling looked at Qi Haoran sincerely and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Haoran was confused. ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me borrow your power.¡± Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not staying in the Qi Residence, I wouldn¡¯t dare to argue with Magistrate Wu and those squires.¡± Qi Haoran was stunned for a moment before he reacted. Then, he waved his hand and said, ¡°No big deal. Go ahead and rely on our influence and see who dares to bully you.¡± Fan Zijin wished he could step on him. What if Mu Yangling really took advantage of his power and went around bullying others? Mu Yanglingughed and replied heartily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Seeing that she was in good spirits, Qi Haoran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He pulled her over to avoid Mu Shi and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are your injuries healed now?¡± ¡°More or less. Why?¡± Itching to spar, Qi Haoran stole a nce at Mu Shi before lowering his voice even more. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the drill ground to spar.¡± Qi Haoran had long wanted to spar with Mu Yangling, but he had never found an opportunity. Though she was staying at his house, she had been injured all this while. He had been waiting for this opportunity. Eager to see what the legendary ancient martial arts were like, Mu Yangling nced at her father and saw that he was looking at the items in the stall with Fan Zijin. She nodded slightly. Standing at the side, Mu Shi awkwardly took the drum from Fan Zijin¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fan. Our two children already have this. There¡¯s no need for so much.¡± Fan Zijin smiled faintly as he said, ¡°They¡¯re children. No harm keeping a few of these around. It¡¯d be of use when they have younger siblings in the future.¡± When Mu Shi heard this, he could only ept it. Fan Zijin nced sideways at the two of them. Seeing that they had already finished their discussion, he no longer helped them attract Mu Shi¡¯s attention. When Mu Yangling returned, she changed into a set of light clothes and ran to the drill ground. Qi Haoran was already waiting there. Even Fan Zijin had changed into a martial arts uniform and was standing there. Seeing Mu Yanglinging over, Qi Haoran revealed a big smile that was as bright as the sun in the sky, almost blinding her. Chapter 92: Spar Chapter 92: Spar Editor:As Studios Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at the weapons on both sides of the drill ground and asked, ¡°What weapons are you good at?¡± ¡°Sword and spear.¡± Qi Haoran picked out a spear and twirled it. He asked with a smile, ¡°What about you?¡± Mu Yangling looked at the weapons regretfully and said, ¡°I¡¯m good at using bows and daggers. I¡¯m most skilled at using a dagger.¡± Other than marksmanship, Mu Yangling was most outstanding in closebat. As such, her weapons of choice were naturally daggers or daggers. Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°My archery skills are not bad either. Let¡¯s sparter.¡± Qi Haoran raised his spear and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s spar?¡± ¡°I want to see your spearmanship before we spar.¡± Fan Zijin waved his fan and smiled. ¡°This is a little unfair to Haoran.¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as she looked at the folding fan in his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just want to see his spear technique. If you think it¡¯s unfair, I can show you my movester.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± As soon as Qi Haoran finished speaking, he threw out his spear and danced in the arena. Like a dragon coiling around its body, the spear tore through the air. Mu Yangling could feel the force behind it, and her eyes lit up as she watched attentively. Qi Xiuyuan, Rong Xuan, and Jiang Ze were viewing from a high spot. Jiang Ze praised, ¡°Good spearmanship. Fourth Young Master¡¯s spearmanship is not inferior to the Yuan family¡¯s.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s lips curled up happily. Though he felt proud of him, he said, ¡°The Yuan family¡¯s spearmanship is invincible on the battlefield. Haoran is still young. How can hepare?¡± Did he mean that his spearmanship would be able topare to the Yuan family¡¯s when he grew up? Rong Xuan touched his nose and lowered his head to look at the arena. Mu Yangling had already assumed a posture and was practicing. When Jiang Ze saw Mu Yangling¡¯s punches and shes, he burst outughing. ¡°How did this Miss Mu learn such a fist technique? I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be knocked down before she can even throw out a punch. Luckily she¡¯s not in the pugilistic world.¡± Qi Xiuyuan also smiled and shook his head slightly. ¡°Since she¡¯s not from the pugilistic world, she just needs to learn some martial arts to protect herself¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the smile on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face gradually disappeared. He looked solemnly at Mu Yangling¡¯s increasingly fast fist technique. Rong Xuan and Jiang Ze looked at each other in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Xiuyuan took a closer look and almost moved with Mu Yangling¡¯s movements. After a while, he said solemnly, ¡°This fist technique indeed isn¡¯t enough to let her survive in the pugilistic world, but it¡¯d serve her well in the army.¡± As he spoke, he turned around and went down. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a closer look.¡± Fan Zijin lost interest after watching for a while. From how he saw it, this was just an ordinary fist technique and could not evenpare to the few basic fist technique manuals he had. However, as Qi Haoran watched with a serious expression, his eyes became brighter and brighter. Having studied martial arts since he was young, he could already carry a wooden sword and follow behind his uncle to practice by the time he was three. Therefore, by Mu Yangling¡¯s fifth move, he realized that although her fist technique looked simple, every move was aimed at a person¡¯s weaknesses. It might not be worth mentioning in the martial arts world, but it was very suitable to be used in the military. Though a top pugilist in the martial arts world could take the head of a general even when up against tens of thousands of soldiers, that was merely one person¡¯s sess. A natural general, what Qi Haoran pursued was the strength of his troop as a whole. There was only one general, but there were tens of millions of soldiers. Mu Yangling¡¯s movements were simple and powerful, attacking the enemy¡¯s weaknesses with every strike. Because it was easy to learn and the movements were slow, it was suitable forrge-scale training. If the entire army mastered this, he did not believe that when they fought the Hus again, five Hans would not be able to take down one Hu. Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at her. ¡°Who taught you this set of fist techniques? Can I learn it?¡± If he could learn it, then Zijin and his older brother could also learn it and slowly spread it. ¡°¡­This is Military Boxing. I don¡¯t know who created it, I just know how to do it.¡± Fan Zijin looked at her suspiciously, but Qi Haoran¡¯s focus was on the words ¡®Military Boxing¡¯. ¡°Military Boxing? Isn¡¯t that a boxing technique learned by the military?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s especially outstanding inbat. It¡¯s useless when used against people like you who can fly, but it¡¯s enough to deal with some non-martial artists.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. How many people in this world can be from the martial arts world? How many of them can learn the high-tier martial arts in the martial arts world? My brother and I only know some martial arts because of my uncle¡¯s family.¡± Qi Haoran threw away his spear. ¡°Why don¡¯t we spar?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mu Yangling clenched her fists and said happily, ¡°You can use your internal energy to strengthen yourself. I¡¯m very strong.¡± Qi Haoran also wanted to know how strong Mu Yangling was, so he used 50% of his internal energy when he punched. Unexpectedly, Mu Yangling grabbed his fist fearlessly and pulled him forward. She threw a kick at him, and Qi Haoran immediately flew up horizontally to dodge¡­ Mu Yangling¡¯s footnded on the ground with a dull thud. Fan Zijin: ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the fighting duo, he did not want to speak anymore. Not knowing how strong Qi Haoran was, Mu Yangling did not use her full strength. After the two of them tested each other a few times, they roughly knew how much of her strength the other party could withstand. In the end, Qi Haoran used 100% of his internal energy, while Mu Yangling only used 60% of her strength¡ªmore than enough to fight Qi Haoran. The two of them fought. At first, there were some techniques and fancy moves, but in the end, they were almost entangled together. Watching from the side, Fan Zijin was speechless and felt that his teeth were a little sore. In the end, Qi Haoranughed heartily and shouted, ¡°That was awesome! Let¡¯s do it again next time.¡± Mu Yangling touched the wound on her waist as she said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll probably have to wait for a long time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is your wound ruptured?¡± Qi Haoran asked nervously. ¡°No, but at least it won¡¯t heal so quickly now.¡± ¡°Haoran, How can you spar with Miss Mu when she hasn¡¯t recovered from her injuries yet?¡± Qi Xiuyuan, who had been watching from the side for a long time, walked over. Mu Yangling quickly smiled and said, ¡°General Qi, my injuries are almost healed.¡± ¡°Although you¡¯ve almost recovered, it¡¯s still not appropriate for you to exercise vigorously. I¡¯ll get a doctor to take a look at youter.¡± Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°Miss Mu, I saw that you were handling the blows with ease just now. I can see that you¡¯re very skilled.¡± ¡°Brother, although she doesn¡¯t know internal energy, she¡¯s born with great strength. In fact, she even has an advantage over those of us who have internal energy. We still have to divert our attention to control our internal energy, but she doesn¡¯t need to.¡± Qi Haoran was very envious. ¡°If only I was born with divine strength. Brother, doesn¡¯t any of our ancestors have Hu blood?¡± Rong Xuan and the others lowered their heads and shrugged. Veins popped out on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s forehead. If not for the fact that there were outsiders around, he would have beaten this kid up. Fan Zijin rolled his eyes impolitely and nced at Rong Xuan and the others. In the end, he resisted the urge to hit him. Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s not like the Hus are all born with divine strength. However, I heard from my father that my great-grandfather¡¯s tribe has several warriors with divine strength. If you really want it, you can go to that tribe and marry their descendants. Perhaps the children you give birth to will inherit divine strength.¡± Qi Haoran blinked. ¡°But the Hu women are so strong. I don¡¯t like that. If I were to marry a Hu woman, I might as well marry you.¡± The onlookers: ¡°¡­¡± As a ¡®parent¡¯, Qi Xiuyuan felt extremely vexed as he looked at his innocent younger brother. Chapter 93: Exposed Chapter 93: Exposed Editor: As Studios ¡°Miss Mu, can you teach us your Military Boxing? I want to see if it¡¯s suitable for the soldiers to learn.¡± Qi Xiuyuan was much more honest than Qi Haoran and immediately suggested a trial. Mu Yangling was stunned for a moment before she understood. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m d to be of help.¡± Military Boxing was something they had to learn in the army, but ancient martial arts had a richer heritage. Mu Yangling wasn¡¯t sure if there were any fist techniques in the army that were more suitable. As a general of an army, Qi Xiuyuan obviously knew more about it. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach Young Master Qi from tomorrow onwards. I¡¯ll only leave after he masters it.¡± Qi Xiuyuan thought that she was going to leave the general¡¯s residence and return to Nearhill Vige, so he smiled and said, ¡°Your Nearhill Vige has been burned down. Why don¡¯t you stay in the general¡¯s residence first and go back when springes?¡± ¡°We¡¯re thinking of moving south only after the vigers in Nearhill Vige settle down.¡± ¡°Moving south?¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s smile froze for a moment before he asked, ¡°You¡¯re leaving Xingzhou Prefecture?¡± Mu Yangling nodded with a reluctant expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. The first snow of this year has only been brought forward a month, and the Hus have already gone south to plunder resources on the enemy¡¯snd. I¡¯m afraid there will be a huge drought in the summer. In that case, the Hus will only invade the borders with increased frequency. We have many children in our family, and my father is afraid that he won¡¯t be able to protect us, so we have to go south. Although it will be difficult to leave our hometown, it¡¯s better than losing our lives.¡± ¡°Who said that there will be a drought in the summer?¡± Qi Xiuyuan asked. Rong Ze also looked over with concern. Mu Yangling looked a little embarrassed. ¡°This is just my guess. It might not be true.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression softened as he asked gently, ¡°I wonder how you deduced this.¡± Mu Yangling said truthfully, ¡°This year¡¯s first snowfall is a month earlier than in the past and it even snowed continuously for five days in a row. The snow outside even reached a finger deep. My eldest great-uncle said that ording to the experience of the older generation, there will definitely be less rain in theing year. If we¡¯re unlucky, we might even encounter a drought. However, I thought that there¡¯s a limit to the amount of rain in the sky. Since snow is converted from raindrops, now that it¡¯s snowing so much in advance, there will be less rain in the sky. When springes and the snow turns into water, the river water will probably rise. Since rain is typically the most intense in summer, how can there be rain when the timees?¡± Mu Yangling briefly exined the principle of rain conservation. When Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Ze heard her childish thoughts, they smiled and said, ¡°You think too much for a child.¡± However, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin believed her. Fan Zijin said, ¡°Cousin, I think she¡¯s right. It¡¯s better to take precautions early.¡± Qi Xiuyuanughed. He felt that although his cousin usually looked steady, he was still a child. To think he even believed such words. However, he knew that his younger brother and cousin were stubborn. If he didn¡¯t take it to heart, these two brats would pester him all day. Hence, Qi Xiuyuan nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pay attention to this.¡± The three children were relieved. When Qi Xiuyuan saw Steward Zhu, he said, ¡°The Mu family will be heading south soon. Wrap up a handsome sum of money and hand it to them when they leave.¡± Steward Zhu hurriedly agreed. ¡°Eldest Young Master, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely make the preparations.¡± However, Rong Ze said, ¡°If the Mu family wants to go south, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be possible in the short term.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He described what had happened at the government office today and said, ¡°Wu Shancai is obviously plotting to take their fields with the squires. He won¡¯t take out grains to help the refugees. If the Mu family wants to wait for the people from Nearhill Vige to settle down before leaving, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll have to wait.¡± Anger appeared on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face. ¡°They really know how to take advantage of the situation. They¡¯re even more detestable than the Tartars.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s impossible for us to interfere in local government affairs.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression was solemn as he asked, ¡°If most of thend in Xingzhou Prefecture is in their hands, do you think we can still collect our military sry next year?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rong Ze immediately said, ¡°We can¡¯t let them seed. I¡¯ll discuss it with the advisors now.¡± Only then was Qi Xiuyuan satisfied. These people even tried to avoid the additional national taxes, not to mention the tax involving the military sry. With 10,000 soldiers under him, he did not want the soldiers to riot because they could not eat their fill. Did Wu Shancai think that he could do whatever he wanted just because he couldn¡¯t interfere in local government affairs? Qi Xiuyuan had never been someone who would suffer losses. That day, he got Jiang Ze to bring men to surround the prefectural capital and capture the former Mingshui County magistrate, Qian Shu. By abandoning the city and escaping, Qian Shu was negligent of his duties. However, Qi Xiuyuan could also say that he had colluded with the enemy to betray the country and deliberately let the Jin soldiers enter the city. Back then, Wu Shancai had locked him outside the city gate. This debt had yet to be settled, so Qi Xiuyuan did not mind stirring up more trouble. Meanwhile in the government office, Wu Shancai mmed the table angrily, feeling as if he had swallowed a fly. ¡°Qi Xiuyuan is too much!¡± Wu Shancai was so angry that he paced around in circles. ¡°Not only did he send a little kid to cause trouble for me, but he even dared to send troops to surround my government office. He¡¯s trying to rebel. I¡¯m going to impeach him and get His Majesty to give me justice!¡± Advisor Huang wiped the cold sweat off his forehead as he advised in a low voice, ¡°Sir, Qian Shu is still in the government office. We can¡¯t let Qi Xiuyuan take him away from the residence. Otherwise, he will definitely implicate you should he be charged.¡± Advisor Huang did not think that the emperor would listen to Wu Shancai¡¯s one-sided story. After all, Qi Xiuyuan had a very good reason to surround the government office with his men. The most damning thing was that the culprit was truly in the government office. And Wu Shancai¡¯s words attacking Qi Xiuyuan were all spections. There was no evidence at all. Advisor Huang regretted not insisting on dissuading Wu Shancai when he locked Qi Xiuyuan outside the city gatest time. Otherwise, the grudge between the two of them wouldn¡¯t have been so deep. Having been here for four years, he had interacted with Qi Xiuyuan for four years and knew him better than this magistrate. Qi Xiuyuan looked magnanimous and open-minded, but he was never one to suffer a loss. Now that Wu Shancai had offended him, he would remember this grudge for ten years. ¡°Then what do you think we should do? His men are all outside the government office now. How can we send them away?¡± Wu Shancai asked irritably. Advisor Huang was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you dress up and go out to question him? Let Qian Shu pretend to be a bailiff and follow you out. You can let him leave halfway. As for his family, since outsiders don¡¯t know them, you can just lock them up for the time being.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. But what should I question him about?¡± ¡®You might not even be able to meet General Qi.¡¯ ¡°¡­Sir, just ask about the things you mentioned about General Qi just now. It¡¯s best if you can get him to make him turn over that child who spoke up this morning. This way, you¡¯d be able to answer to Minister He and the other squires.¡± Wu Shancai nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. That child surnamed Mu is indeed despicable. Remember, her family¡¯s taxes will be increased by 30% next year, and the vige she¡¯s in will have their taxes increase by 20%.¡± Advisor Huang opened his mouth, but in the end, he lowered his head and agreed. Wu Shancai asked Qian Shu to disguise himself as a bailiff, then walked out with him in an aboveboard manner. Advisor Huang followed closely by his side. As soon as he went out, he met Jiang Ze¡¯s eyes and rm bells immediately began ringing in his heart. His intuition told him that something was wrong. Just as he was about to ask Qian Shu to hurry back, Wu Shancai had already stepped forward aggressively and shouted, ¡°Jiang Ze, you¡¯re just a lieutenant. Not only did you not kneel when you saw me, but you¡¯re even sitting on your horse calmly. This is simply preposterous.¡± Qian Shu hurriedly followed closely behind Wu Shancai. Advisor Huang, who wanted to stop Qian Shu: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 94: Arrest Chapter 94: Arrest Editor: As Studios Jiang Ze chuckled. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s the magistrate. Forgive my poor eyesight, but I really couldn¡¯t tell it was you right away. My eyes were glued to the person behind you, so I didn¡¯t see you for a moment. Please forgive me.¡± In spite of his apology, he didn¡¯t even get off his horse. Instead, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Boys, open your eyes and take a closer look. Is the person standing behind the magistrate in a bailiff uniform Qian Shu?¡± Turning pale with fright, Qian Shu fell sitting on the ground as he defended himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t collude with the enemy to betray the country! I didn¡¯t!¡± Then, he hugged Wu Shancai¡¯s thigh and cried. ¡°Sir, Sir, I didn¡¯t collude with the enemy to betray the country. I merely abandoned the city because I was timid. I really didn¡¯t betray the country. You have to save me. I¡¯m the Young Master¡¯s uncle.¡± Wu Shancai¡¯s face turned pale as he scolded, ¡°What are you shouting for? Go away.¡± He turned to look at Jiang Ze angrily. ¡°Jiang Ze, you¡¯re not worthy of talking to me. Let your generale. Qian Shu is a local official and belongs to my jurisdiction. It¡¯s not within your general¡¯s power to punish him.¡± Jiang Ze¡¯s expression slowly darkened. He looked at Wu Shancai coldly and said slowly, ¡°Magistrate Wu, Qian Shu is under your control, but he allowed the Jin soldiers to enter the city. Colluding with the enemy and betraying the country involves the Ministry of War. Our general has the right to investigate. Now, Qian Shu came to you instead of going anywhere else. I remember that when General Qi returned to the city to save the people, he was locked outside the city gate by the magistrate. If my general hadn¡¯t tried his best to jump up the city gate, Xingzhou Prefecture would probably have been captured by the Jin soldiers, right?¡± Advisor Huang couldn¡¯t help but close his eyes. The thing he was most worried about had still happened. It was Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s fault for failing to protect the county well, but it was also a fact that he had missed a good opportunity by being locked outside the city gate. As such, it was very likely that the Imperial Court would not convict him. However, Magistrate Wu, who had ordered the city gate to be closed and not let anyone enter the city, was in danger. In addition, Qian Shu was Wu Shancai¡¯s favorite student and had abandoned the city to escape. Qian Shu¡¯s half-sister was also his Third Concubine. It would be too easy to frame him. Cold sweat broke out on Wu Shancai¡¯s forehead, but he could not say that he was instructed by someone. Once he said that, he would immediately be deemed guilty. Now, he could only push the me to the soldiers guarding the city. ¡°Men, bring Qian Shu back for interrogation. Magistrate Wu, if you have any questions, juste to the West Camp to ask.¡± The soldiers rushed forward and pulled out Qian Shu, who was hiding behind Wu Shancai. Qian Shu hugged Wu Shancai¡¯s thigh tightly and wailed, ¡°Sir, save me. I¡¯m innocent! I¡¯m really innocent¡­¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you eaten? Why does it take you so long to arrest one person. Look, he even tore Magistrate Wu¡¯s clothes. Hurry up and pull him out.¡± The two soldiers who came looked at each other before exerting strength. Not only did they pull Qian Shu out, but they also tore Magistrate Wu¡¯s clothes. Jiang Ze looked at Magistrate Wu¡¯s sorry state in satisfaction. Qian Shu was dragged to the West Camp. When he saw the soldiers eyeing him covetously, he bowed with a bitter expression. ¡°I really didn¡¯t collude with the enemy and betray the country. I really didn¡¯t.¡± Qi Xiuyuan walked over and circled him three times, before saying with a smile, ¡°Of course I know that you couldn¡¯t have done that. It¡¯s not as if you have the ability. But you need to stay in the West Camp for a while. By the way, we need someone to wash our soldiers¡¯ clothes. Before we behead you, here¡¯s your chance to make some contribution.¡± Qian Shu¡¯s legs trembled slightly, and his voice trembled. ¡°Be¡­ behead?¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Why? Do you think you can still live? You abandoned your people and fled from the city. It would have been fine if you had escaped without a trace and stayed under the radar after changing your name. However, you ran to Magistrate Wu¡¯s residence. You should be d that I didn¡¯t force you to confess to the crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. Nine generations of your family would have to be beheaded for that.¡± Qian Shu knelt on the ground with a plop, filled with endless regret. Qi Xiuyuan snorted and turned to leave. He instructed Jiang Ze, ¡°Take him away. If you have any dirty work to do recently, feel free to order him around.¡± Jiang Ze nodded. After watching Qi Xiuyuan leave, he squatted in front of Qian Shu and smiled. ¡°Do you know how many people died in Mingshui County?¡± Qian Shu looked at him in a daze. ¡°Less than two-thirds of the people in the three viges survived, and this was especially severe in the Seven Mile Vige. Almost all the viges were burned to the ground by the Jin soldiers. If you hadn¡¯t escaped with most of the bailiffs, they would have been spared. Our reinforcements would have arrived in another hour. Just one hour. Tell me, do you think you ought to be killed?¡± Qian Shu muttered, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I just didn¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Jiang Ze stood up and looked down at him. ¡°No one wants to die, but because of you, so many people died. You deserve to be killed. Before you die, be of some contribution to us.¡± In fact, in Jiang Ze¡¯s opinion, not only did Qian Shu deserve to be killed, but Wu Shancai also deserved to be killed. If he had not locked the general outside the city gate, they would not have been so passive and wouldn¡¯t have taken so long to send reinforcements. Wu Shancai panicked and looked at the refugees surrounding the government office. Gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°Advisor Huang, why don¡¯t we take out some grains to help the refugees? We can¡¯t have them surround the ce all the time.¡± Ever since Mu Yangling exposed the fact that a relief grains warehouse, the refugees refused to mortgage the title deed no matter what. Even worse, they gradually surrounded the government office and could not be chased away no matter what. With the group of starving refugees outside, Wu Shancai could not sleep well at night. It had only been two days, but he could not take it anymore. Advisor Huang, who knew Magistrate Wu and the squires¡¯ n, thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Minister He and the others will have objections¡­¡± ¡°I have objections too. It¡¯s not as if the refugees are surrounding their homes.¡± Magistrate Wu paced around. ¡°If you ask me, they¡¯re really ruthless. The interest they set is higher than loan sharks. Only a stupid person would borrow grains from them.¡± ¡°Their only two options are to starve to death or borrow grains. Once they can¡¯t take the hunger any longer, they¡¯ll naturally cave in.¡± Magistrate Wu sneered. ¡°Other than giving in, they could also riot. When the timees, we¡¯ll be the first to suffer.¡± ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you mention it to General Qi and ask him to send troops over to protect you?¡± Magistrate Wu rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re already mortal enemies. Do you think he¡¯ll agree?¡± ¡°How do you know that he won¡¯t agree since you haven¡¯t even mentioned it to him?¡± Advisor Huang said meaningfully, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s still a long coboration between you and General Qi in the future. He¡¯ll still have to rely on you to raise the military sry for next year.¡± After pondering, Magistrate Wu asked, ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s feasible?¡± Advisor Huang nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Magistrate Wu said, ¡°Get someone to prepare a sedan chair. We¡¯ll go to the West Camp now.¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s better to take the carriage. Considering there are refugees on the way, it¡¯s safer to take the carriage.¡± Magistrate Wu nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes. Take the carriage. Go and prepare the carriage.¡± At this moment, Mu Yangling was taking out thest piece of silver for Mu Shi. Sighing, she said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about returning the money for the medicine. It¡¯s already good enough that we¡¯re not borrowing additional silver from them now.¡± Mu Shi put away the silver and said nonchntly, ¡°As long as we¡¯re alive, we can always earn money. The most important thing now is to buy more grains. Can¡¯t let the vigers starve to death after they finally managed to escape from the murderous Hus.¡± Shu Wanniang took out a silver hairpin. ¡°Take this, too. Buy as much as you can.¡± Mu Shi stopped her. ¡°This won¡¯t help much anyway. I bought this for you when we got married. Unless it¡¯s for the children, I won¡¯t allow you to spend it.¡± Shu Wanniang lowered her head and smiled shyly. ¡°Just buy another one for me in the future. Aren¡¯t times difficult now?¡± Seeing her parents showing off their love, Mu Yangling felt her teeth ache. She covered her eyes and said, ¡°Tsk, I think I¡¯m about to get a sty.¡± Chapter 95: Fight Chapter 95: Fight Editor: As Studios Shu Wanniang¡¯s face turned even redder, like a ripe apple. Stunned for a moment, Mu Shi actually forgot to reprimand his daughter. Seeing Mu Shi like this, Shu Wanniang¡¯s face turned even redder. Mu Yangling hurriedly dragged her brother out. Outside, Little Bowen was still covering his eyes when Mu Yangling pped his hand away. ¡°Alright, stop covering them. Your fingers are so wide apart that I can stuff a rabbit in between. What¡¯s the use of covering them?¡± Little Bowen put down his hand and retorted, ¡°I learned it from you. Also, you¡¯re lying. How can one possibly stuff a rabbit between the fingers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration, not a lie. Alright, stop talking nonsense. Go and see how Cousin Lang and the others are doing.¡± Mu Yangling pushed him and turned to look for Liu Yong and the others. The one in the most precarious state, Liu Xuan, had already woken up and had to rest in bed. With themotion outside, Magistrate Wu could not take out the grains for relief. The refugees surrounded the government office, and in response, Qi Xiuyuan sent soldiers to surround ityer byyer. The tables of the squires were ced at the entrance of the government office. As long as someone brought their title deed as coteral, they could borrow grains. This morning, more than ten people mortgaged their title deeds. It was like a floodgate had opened. The refugees who could not stand the hunger any longer took out their title deeds or signed themselves away as ves in exchange for grains. Even though the elders and smart people among the refugees knew that this was a trap, they had no choice but to watch helplessly. Originally, they wanted to surround Magistrate Wu and force him to take out grains for disaster relief. However, now that the soldiers of the West Camp were surrounding outside, once a conflict broke out, they would definitely die. Many people vented their anger on the soldiers of the West Camp. Even the vigers of Nearhill Vige felt that the West Camp was helping the wicked. Mu Yangling could more or less guess why Qi Xiuyuan did this, but she didn¡¯t think that Qi Xiuyuan would let others take advantage of him like this. Although she had only known Qi Xiuyuan for more than ten days and had only met him a few times, from his actions, he wasn¡¯t someone who was willing to suffer losses. Something would most likely happenter. Mu Yangling¡¯s guess was right. Angry at Magistrate Wu for letting his older brother take the me for such a severe incident, Qi Haoran went straight to beat up Magistrate Wu¡¯s three sons, not even letting the youngest, who was eight years old, off. He pressed him to the ground and walloped him until he screamed. Qi Xiuyuan was dragging his brother into the study room to scold him. ¡°¡­If you want to beat them up, so be it. But couldn¡¯t you have dragged them into the alley? Instead, you beat them up in front of so many people. Do you think I¡¯m not in enough trouble already?¡± Qi Haoran muttered, ¡°A man should be open and aboveboard¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan kicked him, and Qi Haoran jumped up to avoid it. His foot barely touched his clothes and sessfully left a blurry footprint on it. Qi Haoran chuckled. At least it didn¡¯t touch his butt¡­ Fan Zijin, who was sitting at the side and watching, turned his head away and ignored Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s weak punches. When themotion stopped, he turned around and said, ¡°Cousin, I was the one who asked Haoran to beat those people up in public.¡± Only then did Qi Xiuyuan restrain his anger. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Cousin, everyone knows that Haoran has a short temper. It would be strange if Haoran didn¡¯t react at all after Wu Shancai framed you for such a big matter. Isn¡¯t it better now? Didn¡¯t Wu Shancai not even show up at our ce? Later, you can just send some medicinal herbs to the Wu family. Since Haoran didn¡¯t go easy on them, he could just let his three sons lie in bed and rest for four to five days.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Zijin is the smartest.¡± He turned to face Qi Haoran with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯ll be satisfied if you¡¯re half as smart as Zijin.¡± Qi Haoran was annoyed. ¡°No matter how much you like him, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s your younger brother.¡± With that, he pulled Fan Zijin and ran out. The angry Qi Xiuyuan was left behind. Qi Haoran pulled Fan Zijin out and said indignantly, ¡°Why should everyone say that you¡¯re smart? When we were young, didn¡¯t I always stand up for you? I was the one who stood up for you when you were bullied in school.¡± Fan Zijin looked at him pitifully and said sincerely, ¡°I never knew that you thought that way.¡± Qi Haoran choked for a moment. Unable to retort, he simply said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me in such a tone. I don¡¯t understand. If you don¡¯t speak properly, I¡¯m going to be mad at you.¡± With that, he turned around and ran. Fan Zijin was not anxious at all as he walked away. Yanmo, who was following behind Fan Zijin, was even more rxed. He had been serving the two masters since he was young and knew them very well. No matter how much the two of them quarreled, they would definitely make up in an hour. There was once Young Master Zijin secretly took Fourth Young Master¡¯s cricket out to y and ended up identally killing it. Thetter had sworn that he would never speak to him for the rest of his life. It was a record four hours before Fourth Young Master acknowledged Young Master Zijin¡¯s existence again. The two of them had been together ever since they learned how to crawl. It had always been Young Master Zijin who came up with the mischievous idea and the Fourth Young Master who executed it. This time, their running away from home was the same. Everyone thought that Young Master Zijin had run away from home with Fourth Young Master, but only he knew that it was Young Master Zijin who had urged Fourth Young Master to run away from home. Even the route was prepared by Young Master Zijin. At that time, he and Xibi were almost beaten to death. They were only spared from such a fate because of a letter left behind by Young Master Zijin. Later, Young Master Xiuyuan sent someone back to report their status, so he was sent by Madam to serve Young Master Zijin. As for the two servants serving Fourth Young Master, who cared about their lives? In any case, they were Madam Wu¡¯s people and often snitched on them. Just as Fan Zijin reached the door of the study, he saw Qi Haoran standing at the door angrily. He floated past him without looking sideways and said calmly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you running anymore? Are you not mad anymore?¡± Qi Haoran snorted and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be magnanimous. Tell me honestly, are you hiding something from me?¡± Fan Zijin sat down in front of the desk and poured himself a cup of tea. He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hide anything from you, but there¡¯s something I didn¡¯t have time to tell you.¡± Qi Haoran pulled a stool and sat down in front of Fan Zijin. He red at him and asked, ¡°What does this have to do with me hitting Wu Shancai¡¯s sons?¡± Fan Zijin nced at Yanmo, who immediately went out to guard the door for the two of them. Only then did Fan Zijin say, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that Mo Xiong, who was with Cousin after we returned, disappeared?¡± Qi Haoran stared at him in confusion. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t paying attention. Some time ago, Cousin¡¯s messenger pigeons had been flying around. In the past few days, even Brother Rong hasn¡¯t been around. I¡¯m guessing that Cousin must be up to something big this time. He¡¯s doing major stuff, so it¡¯s inevitable that he¡¯ll overlook small details. I could only help him fill in the gaps. At this moment, it¡¯s only reasonable for you to beat up Wu Shancai¡¯s three useless sons. Now, not only is Wu Shancai relieved, but I believe Xingyuan Prefecture is also relieved.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with Xingyuan Prefecture?¡± ¡°Plenty.¡± A cold glint shed across Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Cousin and Wu Shancai have worked together for more than four years. Although there were small conflicts in the past, things looked harmonious on the surface. Why did he suddenly lock Cousin outside the city gate? He was doing so at the risk of getting beheaded and having his assets confiscated. Other than the capital, only the people from the Xingyuan Prefecture canmand him.¡± ¡°Last time, I heard from Cousin and Brother Rong that the traitor came from Xingyuan Prefecture. Since the capital is too far away from here, it definitely can¡¯tmand Wu Shancai in time.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Mo Xiong went to catch the traitor?¡± Fan Zijin chuckled. ¡°This is up to Cousin and the rest to deal with. We just have to cause trouble for Wu Shancai during this period of time. Today, we beat up his useless sons. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go and beat up his brother-inw. We¡¯ll even beat up Minister He and Minister Liu as well. However, you have to know your limits. Just let them lie down for two to three days. Don¡¯t go overboard.¡± Qi Haoran clenched his fists and said smugly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m the best at fighting.¡± Chapter 96: Selling Land Chapter 96: Selling Land Editor: As Studios The dejected refugees carried their title deed to the table to register. Then, they ced the deeds down and took a bag of grains from behind before leaving with a sad expression. The squires¡¯ ountants looked increasingly smug. Qi Xiuyuan, who was standing in the corner, saw all of this. He also smiled and said to Jiang Ze, ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to get these title deeds back once they mortgage them. Then why hold on to such unrealistic thoughts? They might as well sell thend and exchange it for grains.¡± Jiang Ze blinked and said, ¡°General, you¡¯re right.¡± Qi Xiuyuan: ¡°¡­¡± After a while, Qi Xiuyuan sighed and looked up at the sky. His heart twitched. If only Rong Xuan was here. Alternatively, it would be good if Mo Xiong was around, too. At least he didn¡¯t have to say anything else. After Qi Xiuyuan was done being mncholic, he turned to Jiang Ze and smiled faintly. ¡°Spread these words in a different version. Make sure that the refugees sell theirnd to these squires instead of mortgaging them to borrow grains. The grains borrowed aren¡¯t even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.¡± Realization dawned on Jiang Ze. He scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, General. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely get it done for you.¡± He added, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone find out it was your idea.¡± Qi Xiuyuan red at him. ¡°We definitely can¡¯t let them trace this back to West Camp.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t even have a clue.¡± Feeling that there was no one around him to deploy, Qi Xiuyuan returned to the entrance of the residence and saw a few ragged people standing not far away. Mu Yangling was standing opposite them, stuffing a few pieces of silver into their hands. Qi Xiuyuan was deep in thought. He knew that the vigers of Nearhill Vige were in the refugee settlement in the east of the city, but since the Mu family did not ask him for help, he naturally would not take the initiative to ask. There were more than 200 people here. If he had to feed them for a month, he would definitely go broke doing so. Hence, he avoided them as much as he could. But now, it seemed like there was no need to do so. Qi Xiuyuan took the initiative to step forward and bowed with a smile. ¡°Seniors.¡± Liu He and the others hurriedly avoided epting his bow. ¡°General, you¡¯re too polite. We don¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re elders, so it¡¯s only right for you to receive my greetings.¡± Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°A few days ago, I wanted to invite you elders over as guests, but I was too busy toe.¡± Although he knew that he was just being polite, Liu He was still so excited that he couldn¡¯t speak. Qi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t seem to notice their tattered clothes and chatted with Liu He and the others for a while. Seeing that Liu He and the others were extremely restrained, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Eldest Great-uncle, you guys can go back first. I¡¯ll take good care of my uncles and cousins.¡± Liu He hurriedly bade farewell. Seeing that Qi Xiuyuan was staring at their backs, Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°General, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Xiuyuan seemed to have juste back to his senses. He lowered his head and smiled, then looked straight at Mu Yangling and asked, ¡°The squires are all borrowing grains from the government office. Why aren¡¯t your great-uncle and the others going?¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips and said without thinking, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to repay them after borrowing their grains.¡± Seeing the smile on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s lips, her heart skipped a beat. She tilted her head and asked, ¡°General, do you think we should borrow their grains?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qi Xiuyuan smiled faintly and said, ¡°I just think that you should sell thend to them and get more grains.¡± ¡°But, but thend is their lifeblood. If they sell it all, how can they live in the future?¡± ¡°They might not have nond.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said meaningfully, ¡°And the person holding the title deed might not be the owner of thend.¡± Mu Yangling fell deep in thought. When she came back to her senses, Qi Xiuyuan had already walked far away. Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before turning around and running after Liu He. ¡°You want us to sell all ournd to Minister He and the others?¡± Liu He stood up in shock. Liu Daqian also stood up and looked at her with widened eyes. Mu Yangling nodded solemnly and looked at Liu He persistently. ¡°Great-uncle, exchange as much as you can.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Recalling that Mu Yangling currently lived in the general¡¯s residence, his eyes lit up. ¡°Did you hear something?¡± Mu Yangling frowned. Qi Xiuyuan had reminded her out of goodwill. Although she didn¡¯t know the reason, she trusted him. Qi Xiuyuan had also seen Liu He just now, but he didn¡¯t mention it when he was around. Instead, he only secretly reminded her after Liu He left. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want anyone to know about his involvement. Mu Yangling naturally couldn¡¯t implicate him. ¡°Great-uncle, I was just guessing. I thought that since the vigers can¡¯t stand the hunger anymore, they might as well sell theirnd. Anyway, even if the ministers acquire so much farnd, they can¡¯t very well farm everything themselves, right? We can just rent it from themter. When we have some time on our hands, we can see if we can reim more farnd. We¡¯ll be alright eventually.¡± Liu He looked at Mu Yangling seriously for a while and sat down on a rock to smoke. He knew that this was just some excuse cooked up by Mu Yangling. She was not such a rash person to suggest such a thing based purely on these mere guesses. She must have heard some news from the general¡¯s residence. Perhaps General Qi had told her just now. Otherwise, why would this child chase after them after just parting ways with them? The reason why the general¡¯s residence was willing to take in the Mu family, Dazhuang, and the other seriously injured people was because Ah Ling had once saved the two young masters of the general¡¯s residence. Considering this, they probably wouldn¡¯t lie to Ah Ling. Liu He¡¯s hands trembled slightly. In the end, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. ¡°Sell it. Sell it all. Dacang, bring over our title deed.¡± ¡°Father, we can¡¯t sell thisnd. The Liu family has umted for three generations to only have this small plot of farnd. If we sell it all, how are our descendants going to live?¡± Liu He looked at him with a burning gaze. ¡°My word is final. Go get it!¡± Liu Dacang knelt on the ground for a while. Finally, he wiped his tears and took out the title deed wrapped inyers from his bag. On his knees, he handed it to his father. Liu He took the title deed and touched it reluctantly. His great-grandfathers had reimed thend bit by bit. The previous generations of the Liu family had died from exhaustion reiming thesends. But now, they had to use these things to exchange for sustenance. Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian looked at each other. In the end, they gritted their teeth and waved their hands to get their sons to find their title deed. Liu Ting and Liu Yuan took it out with reddened eyes, but they trusted Mu Yangling more than Liu Dacang. Although Ah Ling was young, the two of them had stopped treating her as a child ever since she brought them into the mountains to hunt. After Liu He, Liu Daqian, and Liu Erqian expressed their stance, the other families also took out their title deeds one after another. But there were also some who were unwilling and stood at the side without saying anything. Liu He did not force them. He brought the families who were willing to sell theirnd and contacted the refugees in the nearby viges to go to the government office to talk to Minister Liu and the others. Comparing selling and borrowing, selling thend would fetch them more grains, right? After Liu He sold thend, he carried back a few bags of grains. Cries immediately broke out in the refugee area they were in. Everyone was overwhelmed with emotions when they heard that. Soon, the refugees all burst out crying. Chapter 97: Investigation Chapter 97: Investigation Editor: As Studios However, the next day, under Jiang Ze¡¯s instruction, rumors that one wouldn¡¯t be able to im back their mortgagednd deed started spreading. Since the interest was so high, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to repay it by next autumn. When the time came, the squires would definitely seize theirnd. In that case, they might as well just sell it now. Hence, in less than two days, when someone brought their title deed to the government office, it wasn¡¯t to mortgage it but to sell it. If the squires didn¡¯t buy it, they would find someone else. These squires were not the only ones in the prefectural capital. There were also some rich farmers, smallndowners, small businessmen, or medium-grade squires who wanted to buynd¡­ This was different from what Minister Liu and the others had imagined. The grains needed to buynd were different from the grains needed to lend out grains. The former was twice as much as thetter. However, looking at the refugees leaving one after another, Minister Liu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Buy it. Otherwise, these bumpkins will go to Xingyuan Prefecture to sell theirnd. You have to know that there are also many families there who want to buynd at a low price.¡± Minister He thought about it before gritting his teeth in agreement. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s smile widened. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know what would happen, but she felt uneasy when she saw everyone selling and buyingnd. She ran to look for Qi Haoran to ask for information. Qi Haoran had been happily beating people up these few days. When he heard this, he waved his hand indifferently and said, ¡°What can happen? My brother is busy catching traitors these few days. How can he have the time to care about local government affairs? You don¡¯t have to worry. If Wu Shancai really goes overboard, I¡¯ll write a letter to the capital and impeach him. Let¡¯s see if he can remain so smug.¡± Fan Zijin, who had been feeling nervous, suddenly rxed. He stood at the side and nodded with a smile. ¡°Haoran and I have many friends in Lin¡¯an Prefecture. Their fathers are all officials in the imperial court who can help. Miss Mu, don¡¯t worry.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Fan Zijin suspiciously. ¡°Is that so?¡± Then why was he so nervous just now? Fan Zijin nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get anything out of him, Mu Yangling could only leave in disappointment. Unable to understand why she was in low spirits, Qi Haoran hurriedly chased after her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You can always buy back yournd when you earn moneyter. On the other hand, Zijin said that the Imperial Court encourages the remation ofnd. The reimednd will belong to the individual who reimed it, and there are even tax cuts for the first two years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. How can a farmer earn money other than farming? In the past, when they hadnd, they couldn¡¯t earn more than a few taels of silver a year. Now that they don¡¯t havend, they¡¯d have difficulty even feeding themselves.¡± Mu Yangling sighed and said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s so good to be a tenant of thendlord¡¯s family? You have to pay them 60% of the harvest. When it¡¯s peak farming season, thendlord will even force them to work for him. When it¡¯s not so busy, they can¡¯t be idle either. They¡¯re only slightly better off than thendlord¡¯s long-term workers. Forget about earning money, they should be thanking the heavens if they weren¡¯t dying of exhaustion.¡± Qi Haoran was dumbfounded. ¡°The tenant farmers are suffering so much?¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°What else do you think? Though tenant farmers don¡¯t have to pay farm taxes, they can¡¯t avoid the poll tax andnd tax. They only get 40% of the grains a year. After deducting these for taxes, how much do you think there will be left for their family to eat? In the past, our Nearhill Vige used to eat thick porridge for half a year, ck and white steamed buns for two months, and all kinds of misceneous grains for the remaining four months. However, as a tenant farmer, we¡¯d have to eat chaff for at least half a year. That¡¯s something used to feed pigs.¡± Qi Haoran looked embarrassed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s easy for me to earn money. Why don¡¯t I lend you some?¡± Qi Haoran touched his deted wallet. Mu Yangling nced at his wallet and said, ¡°Come on, that bit of money of yours isn¡¯t even enough for us to fill the gaps between our teeth. Actually, I came to look for you to find out what would happen, and also for some reassurance. These two days, I have been uneasy for fear that I have led the vigers to a dead end.¡± After a moment of silence, Qi Haoran said, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go ask my brother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Mu Yangling pulled him back. ¡°You also said that the general is busy. Don¡¯t cause trouble for him. Never mind if you don¡¯t know.¡± Recalling that Fan Zijin¡¯s expression had been strange just now, her eyes darted around and she whispered into his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t ask the general. Ask Fan Zijin.¡± ¡°Zijin? If he knew, I would have known long ago.¡± The two of them would always tell each other everything. ¡°Maybe he just found out and hasn¡¯t told you yet.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Go and ask him. You must tell me when you find out.¡± Qi Haoran agreed. Poor Fan Zijin thought that Qi Haoran didn¡¯t know anything and wouldn¡¯t leak any secrets, so he didn¡¯t follow the two of them and got screwed over by his brother just like that. Qi Haoran ran to look for Fan Zijin. As soon as they met, he asked, ¡°I heard from Mu Yangling that Big Brother hinted to her to get the people from Nearhill Vige to sell all theirnd. Do you know why?¡± Fan Zijin had never been wary of Qi Haoran. When he heard this, he nodded and said, ¡°I know. Cousin got some news from the capital. Selling thend is more worth it than mortgaging the title deed.¡± Qi Haoran hurried over. ¡°What news?¡± Seeing that there were only the two of them in the room, Fan Zijin did not hide it from him and said in a low voice, ¡°If I tell you, you have to be careful not leak it out.¡± Qi Haoran hurriedly nodded. Fan Zijin whispered in his ear. Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Fan Zijin nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Qi Haoran jumped up and said, ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll get Big Brother to let me be in charge of the 4th and 5th Divisions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming too much. Even the number one general under Cousin, Hua Hui, isn¡¯t leading two divisions. If Cousin really hands the 4th and 5th Divisions to you, that would be terrible.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips. Fan Zijin sighed and said, ¡°I think Cousin is most likely going to hand over the 5th Division to you. Thest time he asked you to go to the 4th Division, the soldiers of the West Camp didn¡¯t say anything, but they all felt that Cousin is biased towards you. This time, you¡¯ve made a great contribution and sessfully trained the misceneous soldiers of the 4th Division to be somewhat decent. Now, everyone is more or less convinced. However, you¡¯re only 12 years old after all, so Cousin can¡¯t give you a title. Without an official position, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to manage the 4th Division anymore.¡± Qi Haoran was so anxious that his eyes turned red. How could he still remember what Mu Yangling had asked him to do? He immediately shouted, ¡°If you want to take advantage of my results, you should first see what I¡¯m capable of. I want to see who dares to take over the 4th Division.¡± The soldiers of the 4th Division were initially so cowardly. They were old, disabled, weak, and some were so timid that they cried out when they saw a chicken being killed. How much effort had he spent to make the 4th Division be somewhat decent? To think they were taken from him just like that? For the sake of the 4th Division, he had skipped ss every other day and as a result, got beaten up by his eldest brother every other day. He practically ate and slept in the camp. Was it easy for him? Fan Zijin¡¯s heart ached for hispanion, but there was nothing he could do to help. Who asked them to be so young? There had never been anyone in the court who became an official at the age of 12, let alone a general. Fan Zijin patted his brother¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait another two years. In two years, we¡¯ll be 14 years old. When the timees, we can ask Cousin to apply for a title for us.¡± Chapter 98: Secret Chapter 98: Secret Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran lowered his head and did not speak. Seeing that he was pretending to be mncholic, Fan Zijin pped him. ¡°Alright, you can put on this sad face in front of Cousin. I actually think the 5th Division is not bad. Since almost all of them are locals, their families can arrive immediately. Managing them is equivalent to managing a bunch of locals familiar with the territory. Although they¡¯re new recruits, as long as you train them, they¡¯ll definitely be stronger than the 4th Division.¡± At the thought of Mu Shi and Mu Yangling¡¯s strength, Qi Haoran was instantly delighted. ¡°You¡¯re right. The seedlings of the 5th Division are stronger than the 4th Division.¡± The moment Qi Haoran raised his butt, he knew what he was thinking. Fan Zijin said leisurely, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. The Mu family won¡¯t be included.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Mu say that her entire family is moving south? Just based on the favor she has done for us, Cousin won¡¯t make things difficult for them.¡± Actually, Fan Zijin really didn¡¯t think that Mu Yangling had done them much kindness. They had already repaid her for that meal in Mingshui County. Saving them this time was considered their duty, but sending them a doctor and paying for their medicine would be going way beyond that, right? However, Haoran, this fool, foolishly thought that giving someone a meal in adversity was tantamount to giving them a new lease on life. His cousin was also grateful and wanted to repay his kindness. So he just watched with folded arms, happy to let this silly kid feel at ease. ¡°Go south?¡± Qi Haoran was a little sad. ¡°Have they already made up their minds? I think Xingzhou Prefecture is a pretty nice ce. It¡¯s much better than Lin¡¯an Prefecture.¡± ¡°Lin¡¯an Prefecture is the capital, the most prosperous ce in the world. Only a fool like you would think that this destend is better than the capital.¡± Qi Haoran red at him. ¡°Then tell me, do you prefer staying in Lin¡¯an or here?¡± ¡°Here, of course.¡± Fan Zijin sighed. ¡°Although there are no restaurants or beautiful sceneries here, I¡¯m free and carefree. Cousin dotes on me and unlike Lin¡¯an Prefecture, we don¡¯t have any of those vexing troubles here. Naturally, this is better.¡± Only then was Qi Haoran satisfied. ¡°Exactly! This ce is better. The ¡®little pony¡¯ that Big Brother chose for me is about to arrive. That¡¯s a thousand-mile horse that cost more than 800 taels of silver. When the timees, you can raise it with me. I can lend it to you for a ride.¡± ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t care for it.¡± Fan Zijin stood up and said, ¡°I still prefer beauties and books.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be like your father in the future.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s face turned cold and he said seriously, ¡°No, I won¡¯t be as shameless as him. At the very least, I¡¯ll distinguish between the legitimate wife and concubines, and give my legitimate wife the respect she deserves.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that still mean you¡¯ll have plenty of concubines? With Aunt¡¯s personality, she definitely won¡¯t agree. There¡¯s bound to be conflicts. If the concubines are insolent, your being smart won¡¯t help.¡± Qi Haoran advised. ¡°Concubines destroy the harmony of a family. Look at my family and yours. Neither is happy. For the sake of our descendants, don¡¯t take concubines if you can.¡± Fan Zijin looked at him strangely. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to have such awareness.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Qi Haoran said proudly, ¡°I figured it out a long time ago. A man should focus on making contributions instead of being distracted by women.¡± Since 12-year-old teenagers were most interested in the opposite sex, the two virgin boys immediately moved closer to each other. Fan Zijin tugged at him and asked, ¡°Then don¡¯t you find it annoying to be with one woman all day long? Take my father for example. After seeing spring flowers today, he can admire the autumn moon tomorrow. If there¡¯s only one wife, he¡¯d have to face her regardless of his mood.¡± Qi Haoran looked at him as if he was looking at a fool. ¡°There are all kinds of spring flowers and autumn moons in the brothels outside. If you tire of looking at your wife, just go there to check them out. As long as you don¡¯t take them back and don¡¯t have a bastard son born, won¡¯t the family be peaceful?¡± Fan Zijin looked at Qi Haoran thoughtfully. After a while, he said, ¡°Good idea!¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t have that much time to argue with women. Alright, I need to practice martial arts now. You should go study, too.¡± With that, he waved his hand and turned to leave. Behind him, Fan Zijin said coldly, ¡°I remember that Cousin arranged a schedule for you. You¡¯re supposed to study ¡®Higher Education¡¯ with the teacher this afternoon, right?¡± Qi Haoran ran away. Seeing that he would be attending ss alone again in the afternoon, Fan Zijin was so angry that he picked up the cup on the table and threw it at him. Qi Haoranughed out loud. ¡°Why would I study ¡®Higher Education¡¯ when I haven¡¯t even memorized ¡®The Doctrine Of The Golden Mean¡¯ yet? Go and learn by yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Cousin to punish you by making you copy ¡®The Analects¡¯ a hundred times.¡± Qi Haoran was long gone. Qi Haoran only came back to his senses after running to the drill ground. He had yet to tell Mu Yangling about that matter. It was confidential, but since he had already promised to tell her about it, he still went to look for her after some hesitation. However, he pulled her into the garden and, in a lowered voice, made her promise not to tell anyone, including her parents. Mu Yangling nodded without thinking. Qi Haoran looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you suspicious?¡± ¡°Suspicious of what? I¡¯m merely asking you for peace of mind. Regardless of whether it¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing, thend has been sold and the grains have been eaten. We can¡¯t go back on our word even if we want to.¡± Upon hearing her words, Qi Haoran felt even more conflicted. After a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s both a good thing and a bad thing. Anyway, you didn¡¯t lose anything by selling thend, but ultimately it¡¯s not exactly a good thing either. I think being a soldier is a good thing, because at least you can protect the country and make contributions. But the people don¡¯t seem to fancy being soldiers.¡± Mu Yangling widened her eyes. ¡°What soldier? What does this have to do with being a soldier?¡± Qi Haoran touched his nose and whispered into Mu Yangling¡¯s ear. What she heard made her feel as if she had been struck by lightning. She did not screw the vigers of Nearhill Vige over, but the emperor was screwing over the entire Mingshui County. No, more urately speaking, it was half of the citizens of Xingzhou Prefecture. As expected of a ¡®god-like¡¯ emperor. Qi Haoran waved his hand in front of her and said, ¡°You promised not to tell anyone about this.¡± Mu Yangling stared at him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean we can¡¯t go south either?¡± She shuddered and hurriedly asked, ¡°My younger siblings are still young. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯ll also be enlisted?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As soon as my Big Brother heard that you wanted to move, he removed you guys from the list. If you want to leave, you can do so anytime.¡± Mu Yangling felt sour and bitter at the same time. She was at a loss as to what to do. She had been a soldier in her previous life and did not think that there was anything wrong with being a soldier. In her previous life, being a soldier was an honorable thing. However, that was not the case here. Bing a soldier meant that that person¡¯s descendants would also have to be soldiers in the future. Being a soldier meant being poor and single. Just thinking about Little Bowen carrying a broadsword and standing on the battlefield covered in blood in the future, leaning against the entrance of the camp with white hair when he was old, and not having a child by his side, Mu Yangling felt as if there was a rock pressing down on her heart. Therefore, Mu Yangling was very d that she could get in through the back door. She just felt that she had let down the vigers in Nearhill Vige. Chapter 99: Imperial Edict Chapter 99: Imperial Edict Editor: As Studios After five days, the refugees either mortgaged theirnd or signed themselves off as ves to the squires to obtain the capital to survive. After obtaining the grains, everyone began to pack up and go home. Their houses had been burned down, and it was winter now. No matter what, they had to work hard to build a straw hut for their families to shelter them from the wind and snow. Minister He and the others smiled until their faces were full of wrinkles. They smiled at Wu Shancai and said, ¡°Thankfully, Magistrate Wu has helped maintain order these few days.¡± Wu Shancai said absent-mindedly, ¡°No, this is my duty.¡± Seeing his solemn expression, Minister Liu asked, ¡°Sir, is there something troubling you?¡± Wu Shancai sighed. ¡°The Lin¡¯an Prefecture has settled the matter of the Jin soldiers attacking the city. The messenger from Xingyuan Prefecture wille to announce the decree today.¡± ¡°So fast?¡± Minister Liu was very surprised. When did the Imperial Court be so efficient? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Surprised as well, Wu Shancai sighed and said, ¡°I wonder how many people will be affected this time.¡± Actually, what he wanted to say was that he didn¡¯t know if he would be reced. Would he be fired or demoted? But no matter how hard he tried to find out, he failed. The unknown was always scary. Thinking that the oue would be revealed in a while, he felt even more uneasy. Even though Minister He and the others had just sent him a lot of silver, he was still unhappy. Very unhappy. Minister He and the others looked at each other, their good mood affected as well. They had worked well with Wu Shancai, and they had invested a lot of money in him over the years. If he were to be reced by someone else, they would definitely have to spend a lot of money to bribe him. They also needed a period of time to get used to each other. However, no one expected that the 2,000 elite soldiers of Xingyuan Prefecture woulde with the messenger and surround the prefectural capital. Shocked, Wu Shancai¡¯s legs trembled as he ran to look for Qi Xiuyuan. Thetter also came out in shock. ¡°Why is the messenger surrounding the prefectural capital?¡± Wu Shancai asked with a trembling voice, ¡°General, you don¡¯t know either?¡± Qi Xiuyuan frowned, and Wu Shancai¡¯s heart turned even colder. ¡°The emperor won¡¯t fire us both, right?¡± Qi Xiuyuan said angrily, ¡°Who¡¯s with you? If the emperor really deals with me because of the siege, I¡¯ll deal with you first.¡± With that, he flung his sleeves and left. Not in the mood to bicker with him at this moment, Wu Shancai hurriedly jogged after him. The messenger and Dai Wei, who had brought the troops over, were already waiting in the government office. Strangely, Minister He and the others were also there. Wu Shancai hurriedly jogged forward and smiled apologetically. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the messenger and General Dai had arrived. I was negligent. Why don¡¯t the two of you go into the residence to freshen up first?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± The messenger nced at Wu Shancai condescendingly and said, ¡°I still have to go to General Yuan after announcing the decree here. Let¡¯s not dy.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll listen to you, sir.¡± Wu Shancai quickly got someone to set up the incense table. Qi Xiuyuan asked Dai Wei coldly, ¡°Why are you surrounding Xingzhou Prefecture, General Dai?¡± Dai Wei snorted and turned his head away without answering. The messenger, who was treating Wu Shancai coldly, said to Qi Xiuyuan with a beam, ¡°General Qi, no need to be anxious. This is something wonderful. His Majesty is helping you solve your worries.¡± Qi Xiuyuan frowned. Minister He and the others, who were standing at the side, looked at each other with an ominous feeling. Speaking of which, why was the messenger making them stay here while he announced the decree? The messenger could read their confusion, but they weren¡¯t important enough for him to answer. Hence, he merely gave them a half-smile. The ominous feeling intensified. The imperial edict was indeed here to solve the biggest problem for Qi Xiuyuan, but it also gave him another problem. The Emperor ssified half of the people in Xingzhou Prefecture as military households. Because of this war disaster, other than families with only sons and widows, all others were ssified as military households. This time, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue had reformed the military system. In the past, when one was drafted as a soldier, they would leave their hometown and join the army alone. Perhaps they would never return to their hometown for the rest of their lives. Other than the lieutenants and a small number of soldiers who had survived, very few people who were unmarried before joining the army could get married and have children. This was all because soldiers were poor. Some soldiers just wanted to eat their fill, while some soldiers were drafted. The war in the country had been ongoing. In the past few years, many households had been conscripted into the army, but the royal family was extravagant and the treasury had always been empty. Not to mention Qi Xiuyuan, even General Yuan¡¯s sry and rations had been deducted. Qi Xiuyuan had been a general for four years, but he had only given ordinary soldiers a sry once. As for the rations, they were considered lucky to be able to eat and drink their fill. This time, the Imperial Astronomers had long predicted that the Hu people in the north would go south to plunder every time the weather changed. Therefore, as soon as the emperor received the news, he sealed it off. In fact, he was worried about the sry and rations of the various armies. He still had to celebrate the new year, but there was no more money in the treasury. Once a war broke out, where would the rationse from? Moreover, what would happen next year? What would happen the year after? Like the generals, he worried about the rations and military pay. The emperor gathered Qin Fang and his trusted aides together and finally came up with a solution. He wanted the soldiers to fret about their own sry and rations. The emperor nned to allocate arge plot ofnd for them to farm themselves. With a tap of the red brush-pen on the decree, tens of thousands of families in his kingdom became military households. Every household would produce a young man to join the army while the remaining people would farm at the rear. 40% of the harvested crops would be handed to the army, and the remaining 60% would go to the military households themselves. The military sry and rations woulde from the 40%. Whether there was enough rations would depend on the capabilities of the various armies. The Emperor was washing his hands off of the matter. When the emperor decided on this n, the Jin soldiers happened to be attacking Xingzhou Prefecture. As a result, Mingshui County became heavily impacted by the disaster. The emperor did not want to waste time sending people to relief the disaster, so he directly made them all military households, tossing this problem over to Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Xiuyuan was originally quite worried, but Wu Shancai, Minister He and the other ministers solved this problem for him. It might seem to others that Wu Shancai, Minister He, and the squires had plotted against the refugees. In Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes though, it was them who had taken out grains to help him feed his future subordinates. At this moment, looking at the pale faces of Wu Shancai and the squires, the anger he had been feeling for the past few days finally dissipated. Qi Xiuyuan was very happy, but he questioned the messenger coldly, ¡°Even if the military system is changed, these military households won¡¯t be able to harvest anything until next autumn. What are we going to do about the military sry and rations before that? Also, where do we get the seeds, farming tools, and plowing oxen after spring? I only know how to fight and not farm.¡± The messenger felt awkward. He also knew that this matter was a little difficult for him, but this decree was personally issued by the emperor, and in the future, the various armies would follow this system. The messenger tried his best to speak as carefully as possible. ¡°General Qi, the national treasury really can¡¯t provide any grains now. Since the system has already been changed, you¡¯ll naturally have to start raising the military sry and rations. This is the rule for all armies.¡± Seeing that Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression turned even uglier, the messenger hurriedly added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, General Qi. The Imperial Court will provide good seeds, farming tools, and plowing oxen. They will definitely arrive in Xingzhou Prefecture before spring.¡± Chapter 100: Enlisted Chapter 100: Enlisted Editor: As Studios ¡°This year, the Imperial Court only paid a quarter of the rations that should have been given to our army. When are they going to pay the rest? The military sry handed in this year is even less thanst year, but our army has already expanded from the 3rd Division to the 4th Division. Also, many soldiers died on the battlefield in this battle to defend the city. The Imperial Court has to give their familiespensation, right?¡± Cold sweat trickled down the messenger¡¯s forehead. After a while, he said, ¡°General, this, the treasury is empty¡­¡± ¡°When will the treasury not be empty?¡± Qi Xiuyuan interrupted the messenger and snorted. ¡°Considering the treasury is empty every year, I think His Majesty should rece the Minister of Revenue. Has it never urred to him to find the reason?¡± The messenger immediately fell silent. The title of the Minister of Revenue was held by Minister Qin Fang, who was the emperor¡¯s favorite. Who dared to fault him? Qi Xiuyuan snorted coldly. Looking around, the messenger saw Minister He and the others lying weakly on the ground, so he said in a low voice, ¡°General Qi, actually, Prime Minister Qin has already solved the problem for you. All you have to do is carry out thest step. General Lu Ji of the East Camp is dealing with it himself. Although his methods are a little forceful, it works.¡± Qi Xiuyuan followed his gaze and looked at Minister He and the others with a strange expression. ¡°I can do whatever I wish?¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t go too far,¡± the messenger said vaguely. Although their voices were soft, Minister He and the others were close to them and heard them clearly. For a moment, they felt sorrow. When the messenger saw that Qi Xiuyuan no longer mentioned asking for money or rations, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. He puffed out his chest and said, ¡°General Qi, Magistrate Wu, I¡¯ve also been ordered to escort Mingshui County¡¯s county magistrate, Qian Shu, back to the capital. He will temporarily be reced by the County Deputy, Song Zhi. I¡¯ve also brought with me the booklet stating which areas are designated as military fields. You can discuss it with Magistrate Wu.¡± After arriving in a grandiose manner, the messenger left them in shambles before leaving in a hurry. Minister He and the others looked up at Qi Xiuyuan and asked expectantly, ¡°General Qi, about the military households¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll carry it out ording to the imperial decree, of course. Old Master He, Old Master Liu, Old Master Fang, you all seem to be on the register. Go back and prepare.¡± The expressions of the three of them changed drastically as they begged for mercy. ¡°General, look at us. We¡¯re old and can¡¯t even hold a saber. How can we go to the battlefield? We¡¯re willing to donate rations to help you.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said nonchntly, ¡°The three of you have countless descendants. Even if you can¡¯t go to the battlefield, don¡¯t you still have your children and grandchildren? The three of you can just enjoy life at home.¡± The three of them had many sons and grandsons. It was not that they could not bear to part with a son and grandson, but once they were ssified as military households, the fields under their names would also be military fields. 40% of their gains would be taken away. How was it different from taking their lives? As for the other squires who were spared, they shrunk their necks and stood at the side, afraid they would be implicated. Qi Xiuyuan ignored them and turned to Wu Shancai. ¡°Magistrate Wu, you should tell the various counties to be prepared. I¡¯ll send someone over to verify with youter.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Dai Wei¡¯s soldiers were still gathered outside. At this moment, everyone knew that he was doing this to prevent themoners from causing trouble. As soon as Qi Xiuyuan left, the imperial edict was announced to the public. For a moment, the prefectural capital was filled with the cries of themoners, but there were also bachelors who ran to the streets and shouted, ¡°This is the time for us to make contributions to our country and make something of ourselves!¡± Often, people would throw rotten vegetables at that person as soon as they shouted this. No matter how good the imperial decree made it sound, being given seeds, farnd and farming tools meant little to themoners, since joining the army and fighting in a war often meant death. Qi Xiuyuan moved very quickly. Seeing that the people in the city were agitated, he handed Jiang Ze a booklet and asked him to build a stage in the city to make an announcement. ¡°His Majesty is benevolent. Seeing that the people have no one to rely on, he issued this decree. Once enlistment happens, they and their family will receive farnd¡ª40 acres for men, 20 acres for women, and 20 acres for minors. These are all freeholds. In addition, every family will get another 100 acres as military fields. Everyone, I know that you have most likely mortgaged your title deeds. If there are no idents, you can only rent fields or be ves after spring. In that case, why don¡¯t you give it your all for this cause? If you contribute to the battlefield, your family will have some farnd to live off of. Moreover, by joining the army, you¡¯ll be doing your part in protecting the country. Now that the Tartars are rampant, if the country ceases to exist, you won¡¯t have a ce to call home.¡± The agitated citizens gradually calmed down. Someone questioned, ¡°Can we really obtain so much farnd after registering as a military household?¡± Jiang Ze nodded solemnly. ¡°This is an imperial edict. Of course it¡¯s true.¡± Someone counted with his fingers for a long time but still could not calcte how much farnd his family could obtain. However, he knew that it was something that they would not be able to obtain even if they worked hard for three lifetimes. He could not help but click his tongue. ¡°Where did the Imperial Court get so much farnd?¡± Someone said from the side, ¡°I heard that Minister He and the others have also been enlisted into the military. Even someone so rich isn¡¯t spared from the same fate, so what else do we have toin about?¡± Someone immediately chuckled. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t Minister He be going to the battlefield with me?¡± ¡°Dream on. He can just randomly pick one among his many sons. How can a bachelor like youpare to him?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to be on the battlefield with the son of andlord.¡± The atmosphere below instantly changed. Jiang Ze, who was standing on the high tform, twitched his lips and pretended not to hear it. Seeing that themoners were appeased, Jiang Ze heaved a sigh of relief and felt his mood improve. On the other hand, Qi Xiuyuan, who had returned to his residence and had just flipped open the booklet, was not in a good mood. He tapped his finger on the booklet, upon which a name was written¡ªMu Shi! Mu Shi. He clearly remembered that he had crossed out his name. Although the other party was strong and he really wanted the help of this capable man, this was not where Mu Shi¡¯s aspirationsy. Most importantly, since they had helped Haoran and Zijin, Qi Xiuyuan was naturally willing to fulfill their wishes. But why was his name here? The Mu family seemed to have offended an extraordinary person. Qi Xiuyuan couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he went to find the answer himself. With the booklet in hand, he went to look for Mu Shi. The Mu family had already packed their things and were just waiting for the vigers in Nearhill Vige to be enlisted into the military before leaving. Mu Shi decided to bring Madam Ma-Liu and her granddaughters along. The Ma family did not have any males, so they were not enlisted into the military. As such, they were free toe and go. Their fields had also been designated as military fields. Even if they were not designated as military fields, their title deeds were not with them. The first time they went to the government office, it was to register the title deed. The second time they went to ask, those plots ofnd had already be Minister Liu¡¯s. They knew that thend had been upied and it was very difficult to get it back. Although they were aggrieved, ants could not move an elephant, so they could only ept it. On one hand, Mu Shi was worried about them. On the other hand, he felt that Shu Wanniang and the twins were still young. So, he suggested that Madam Ma-Liu follow them. Although Madam Ma-Liu was unwilling to leave her hometown, she agreed for the sake of her two granddaughters and their livelihood. At this moment, they had already packed their things. When they saw Qi Xiuyuaning over, they thought that he was here to bid him farewell and hurriedly weed him enthusiastically. Unexpectedly, Qi Xiuyuan handed a booklet to Mu Shi and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been enlisted into the military, and you¡¯ve been given the position of a sectionmander. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to leave now.¡± The expressions of the Mu family changed drastically. Chapter 101: Stay Chapter 101: Stay Editor: As Studios ¡°Your name is on the register. I can report your death and leave, but this way, you¡¯ll have to change your name.¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at them with a deep gaze. ¡°Uncle Mu, did you offend someone in Lin¡¯an? Otherwise, I can¡¯t figure out who would add your name.¡± Mu Shi¡¯s expression changed. He calmly took the booklet and looked at it before saying, ¡°General Qi, please allow me to discuss it with my wife and children.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded. ¡°The matter of military status will be implemented in the next few days. I can postpone yours for now. Tell me when you¡¯ve thought it through.¡± Mu Shi was grateful. His daughter had only rendered them a little help back then, and the Qi family had repaid her with so much. Now, it was the Mu family who owed the Qi family a favor. Mu Shi respectfully sent Qi Xiuyuan out. When he returned to the house, he saw his wife holding the booklet and crying sadly. His daughter and son were looking at her in confusion. Sighing slightly, Mu Shi went forward to hug his wife before saying to his daughter, ¡°Bring your brother out and tell your great-aunt and the others to stop packing first.¡± Mu Yangling nced at her mother and obediently led her brother out. When they reached the door, she did not leave. Instead, she hid at the door to eavesdrop. Mu Bowen¡¯s eyes sparkled as he squatted beside his sister without making a sound. Inside the house, Mu Shi was holding his wife¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. It might not be what you think.¡± Shu Wanniang shook her head with tears in her eyes. ¡°I know it¡¯s them. Who else can we offend in Lin¡¯an? They¡¯re afraid that if I go back and others find out about my matter, it will ruin the Shu family¡¯s reputation. But we only want to move south. I¡¯ve never thought of going to Lin¡¯an. I¡¯ve never thought of it.¡± Mu Shi hugged his wife in silence and patted her shoulder tofort her. ¡°What should we do?¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her husband in panic. Mu Shi looked out of the door with a deep gaze. After a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s stay.¡± Shu Wanniang covered her mouth and cried bitterly. Staying behind meant that Mu Shi was going to join the army, which was akin to handing over half his life to the heavens. This was the first time Shu Wanniang felt resentful towards the family that had raised her. However, Mu Shi wanted his wife and children to live in an above-board manner and have the freedom to go wherever they wished. Since the Shu family had been paying attention to them, even if they changed their names, they would definitely be able to find them. He did not want to live under the surveince of others in the future. Thus, joining the army was his only option. After making up his mind, Mu Shi went to look for his daughter. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Father, is Mother¡¯s family very powerful? They¡¯ve been monitoring us?¡± Mu Shi frowned. ¡°The Shu family can be considered an aristocratic family. Although they¡¯re only a branch family, they have a lot of assets. Perhaps they came across some opportunities in Lin¡¯an.¡± ¡°But Mother is their daughter after all. Didn¡¯t you say that Mother is their legitimate daughter? Don¡¯t they feel sorry for her?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s expression was ugly, but he did not say anything. Mu Yangling¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I understand, Father. But if you join the army, what will happen to Bowen and Bosi in the future? Bowen is so weak, we should thank the heavens if he can live to a ripe old age. Now, you can only pray to God and hope that your second son inherits the divine power of your ancestors. Or at the very least, that he¡¯s healthy. If that isn¡¯t the case, you can only have another child.¡± The corners of Mu Shi¡¯s mouth twitched as he pped her. ¡°Are you that unconfident in Father? I¡¯ll work hard to build military merits. As long as I get promoted to the fifth-grade, I¡¯ll be stripped of my status.¡± Although military status was passed down from generation to generation, as long as a soldier made it to the fifth-grade, they could remove their family from the register. However, their sons and grandsons could also enjoy the status and benefit from protected appointments should they choose to remain in the military. Therefore, although many soldiers who made it to the fifth-grade had the chance to remove their households from the register, they would not do so for the sake of their descendants. Even if their descendants were a disappointment, with the protected appointments system for hereditary privileges, their lives would not be too miserable. ¡°When the timees, will Father still be willing?¡± Mu Yangling looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Not like we have a choice. Can your brother join the army given his health?¡± Mu Shi looked at his daughter regretfully. ¡°If only you were a son.¡± Mu Yangling muttered, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a girl. If they let me join the army, I might be able to be a general too.¡± Mu Shi didn¡¯t hear his daughter¡¯s muttering and discussed with her, ¡°Your great-aunt¡¯s family doesn¡¯t have anynd left either. I originally wanted them to leave with us, but since we can¡¯t leave now, we can¡¯t leave them behind, too. Since our family received quite a lot ofnd, and none of us knows how to farm, why don¡¯t we let your great-aunt live with us?¡± Mu Yangling had no objections. ¡°Father, go ask Mother for her opinion.¡± ¡°Your mother has no objections.¡± Mu Shi knew his wife well. He could make the decisions himself. ¡°Then you can discuss it with Great-aunt.¡± Madam Ma-Liu sat by the bed in silence while Xiuhong and Xin stood on either side of her. Mu Shi said, ¡°Aunt, Mother often told me about her life when she was young. When Grandfather and Grandmother passed, she was only three years old. You were the one who brought her up. At that time, there was nothing to eat at home, but you insisted on leaving all the food to my mother and the others even if it meant you had to starve. My mother¡¯s marriage was even arranged by you¡­¡± Madam Ma-Liu wiped her tears and said, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. Why are you bringing this up?¡± Mu Shi half-knelt in front of her. ¡°Aunt, a few years ago, because I was sad about what happened to my parents, Wanniang and Bowen¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good either, so I neglected you. I¡¯ve always felt guilty. The Ma family¡¯s fields are currently under Minister Liu¡¯s name, and Minister Liu is on the register. So, those fields will probably be taken as military fields. Why don¡¯t you and your granddaughters live with us?¡± At this point, Mu Shi said in embarrassment, ¡°You also know that I don¡¯t know how to farm, let alone Wanniang. She¡¯s not in good health and still has two young ones to take care of. Having an elderly person at home is like having a treasure. If you don¡¯t mind, our two families can be one. When my nieces grow up, I¡¯ll give them a dowry and take care of you in your old age.¡± Tears welled up in the corners of Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s eyes. She turned her head and wiped her eyes. In a choked voice, she said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you losing out too much like this?¡± Mu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, what are you talking about? I was worried that you would suffer a loss. You know that just like my father, I don¡¯t know how to farm. In the future, I¡¯ll still need your guidance from the side. Otherwise, our family can only starve.¡± At this point, it wasn¡¯t that Mu Shi wasn¡¯t worried. After bing a soldier, it was clearly impossible for him to enter the mountains to hunt every day. As for farming, he didn¡¯t even know how to grow vegetables. Could he really grow grains? Mu Shi was extremely worried. Madam Ma-Liu lowered her head and pondered. Living under someone else¡¯s roof was different from staying in one¡¯s own house. She was old and didn¡¯t have much to worry about, but her two granddaughters were at an age where their personalities were malleable. She didn¡¯t want to cause any bad influence on the two children. Secretly anxious, Xiuhong reached out and tugged at her grandmother¡¯s sleeve. Madam Ma-Liu lowered her head to look at her and heard her mutter, ¡°I like Cousin Ah Ling.¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she nodded in agreement. Chapter 102: Arrangement Chapter 102: Arrangement Editor: As Studios When Qi Haoran heard that Mu Yangling and the rest were not leaving, he immediately jumped up happily and ran to look for her. ¡°That¡¯s great. We can practice martial arts together in the future.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t even look at him. ¡°Dream on. I need to farm. How can I have time to practice martial arts?¡± Qi Haoran was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re a girl. Why do you have to farm too?¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°My father has to enter the camp to train. Who else in my family can farm?¡± Qi Haoran opened his mouth and thought of Shu Wanniang¡¯s gentle and virtuous appearance. Indeed, she did not look like someone who could farm. Mu Yangling went up to Qi Haoran and asked, ¡°My father became a sectionmander. Do you know who the toonmander is?¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s expression turned solemn with a hint of smugness. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know who the general of that camp is.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Me!¡± Qi Haoran looked up and waited for Mu Yangling to praise him. Mu Yangling said with her mouth half-open, ¡°This is abusing one¡¯s power for personal gain.¡± Qi Haoran jumped up and said, ¡°I¡¯m relying on my true abilities.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips. ¡°No matter how capable you are, you¡¯re only 12 years old. How can you be a general? Did your Big Brother give you the title?¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I¡¯m only in charge of the 5th Division for the time being. The general in name is still Big Brother, but Big Brother said that I¡¯m in charge of everything in the 5th Division.¡± Mu Yangling said affirmatively, ¡°Have all the good seedlings been picked?¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face flushed red as he said angrily, ¡°Isn¡¯t your father still under me? Hmph, even if all the good seedlings have been chosen, I can still surpass them.¡± Having heard this, Mu Yangling worried even more about her father¡¯s future. What future could he have in a group of leftover soldiers? Qi Xiuyuan was obviously handing Qi Haoran 5th Division for practice. Mu Shi was naturally pretty safe in such a team, but he seemed to have no future. ¡°Then work hard. I¡¯ll wait for you to give my father a bright future.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t doubt me. I¡¯m really capable.¡± Seeing that his face had turned red, Mu Yangling¡¯s expression turned serious and she said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re only 12 years old and already you can lead troops to war. You¡¯re really capable. I also heard that the soldiers of the 4th Division were previously very cowardly.¡± After receiving Mu Yangling¡¯s affirmation, Qi Haoran¡¯s expression improved a lot. He heard Mu Yangling continue, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re not cut out for studying and can¡¯tpare to Fan Zijin in terms of scheming, but you¡¯re clearly a brave general in war¡­¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s expression stiffened slightly before he felt relieved. Although she didn¡¯t praise himpletely, on ount that she had more or less spoken the truth, he didn¡¯t hold it against her. Mu Yangling really felt that Qi Haoran was very impressive. Thinking about the children she encountered in her previous life, what were they doing when they were 12 years old? A primary school student would look forward to going home to watch cartoons every day after school. If he was naughty, he might even roll around on the ground for a toy. It was very impressive that Qi Haoran could eat, live, and train with the soldiers in the army. He could even bring them out to kill Tartars and save people. In her previous life, parents who had such a capable son would be so proud. Of course, children in this era matured very early. It was said that Wu Shancai¡¯s 14-year-old son already had two concubines. Recently, the marriage that had been in discussion had been ruined because his concubine identally got pregnant. It seemed that Qi Haoran was also involved in this matter. Mu Yangling sized up Qi Haoran, with a focus on his lower body. She asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re so capable, there must be many youngdies who want to marry you, right? When do you n to get married? Let me say this first. My family doesn¡¯t have a single cent now. It¡¯s best if you wait a few years before getting married. By then, I might be able toe up with a congrattory gift.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face turned even redder, this time due to embarrassment. He said angrily, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Who¡¯s talking about marriage?¡± As he spoke, he turned to leave. Halfway there, he turned around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange a good ce for your family.¡± Not only did that ce have gorgeous scenery, it was essible and the nearbynd was fertile. The neighbors were all good at farming. Thend in Xingzhou Prefecture was vast and sparsely popted, and there were more forests than farnd. Under the country¡¯s encouragement to convert forestnd into agriculturalnd, there was truly nock ofnd. However, most of the arablend was in the hands of the squires. Plus, the farmers also owned some. ording to Song Zhi¡¯s statistics, the average plot ofnd owned per household in Mingshui County was less than 10 acres, excluding those owned by the squires. Since 200 catties of wheat could be produced per mu, each household would have 2000 catties of wheat a year. However, if thend in the hands of the squires in Mingshui County was included, the average per household then became 28 acres. From this data alone, one could see that the squires owned a lot ofnd. Song Zhi told Qi Xiuyuan that this was even without counting the hidden fields. Therefore, adding the arablend owned by the government and the reimednd that had yet to be used for agricultural purposes, each military household would receive a sizable plot ofnd. In addition, since more than half of the people in Mingshui County had died this time, the arablend owned by the deceased was now ownerless. The emperor tasked Qi Xiuyuan to distribute those to the military households, too. The title deeds that Minister He and the others had spent so much effort to lure the refugees into mortgaging as coteral were all invalidated. All the transactions made after the military household register was created had be invalidated. Sure, Minister He and the others could ask the refugees to give back the grains they had borrowed. But now that they were already in the refugees¡¯ stomachs, could they still get the grains back? Even if someone was willing to return it, Qi Xiuyuan was unwilling. What a joke. If they returned the grains, wouldn¡¯t he have to find grains to feed them instead? Hence, he decided to let them continue eating the borrowed grains. As for the debt, Qi Xiuyuan pretended not to see that. When Mu Yangling heard Qi Haoran¡¯s gloating report, she mourned for the few squires in her heart and asked, ¡°Then, Minister He and the others have really been enlisted into the military?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qi Haoran said gloomily, ¡°More than half of theirnd was confiscated and they also donated arge amount of grains. Hence, Big Brother let them off and made the decision to remove their names from the booklet.¡± Mu Yangling was stunned. ¡°They¡¯re actually willing to do that?¡± This was so ruthless that it was no wonder the ancient people loathed soldiers so much. If put in their shoes, she¡¯d feel the same, too. Most of the family assets that they had painstakingly umted was gone in an instant. Inparison, she felt that socialism was better. Although it was impossible to be fair in everything, at least they maintained fairness on the surface. Fan Zijin, who was at the side, said with a smile, ¡°They don¡¯t really have a choice. After bing registered as a military household, their losses will be even greater. Qin Fang is not stupid. Only one-third of the squires were chosen this time. Without the alliance of others, these people won¡¯t be able to rebel.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s gaze shifted, and a mocking look shed across his eyes. ¡°The person chose well, too. If I didn¡¯t know that Qin Fang had been staying in the capital and hadn¡¯t been to Xingzhou Prefecture, I would have suspected that he had been living in Xingzhou Prefecture. He¡¯s even more familiar with the matters here than Cousin.¡± Mu Yangling raised her eyebrows. Did this mean that Qin Fang had spies in Xingzhou Prefecture? Anger shed across Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes as well. Snorting, he said, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll pull out that nail.¡± Mu Yangling was surprised again. Did this mean that they actually knew who that person was? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The emissary is not on their side. Otherwise, the messenger sent this time wouldn¡¯t be so polite to Cousin.¡± Seeing that they were mentioning this in front of her without any scruples, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Hey, you guys are too fearless. I think you ought to discuss this in a more private ce.¡± Chapter 103: Oh No Chapter 103: Oh No Editor: As Studios Fan Zijin looked at her in disdain. ¡°Why would we waste time doing that when we know you won¡¯t betray us?¡± ¡°¡­How do you know I won¡¯t?¡± Fan Zijin said firmly, ¡°Your entire family is in our hands.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and left, not talking to them anymore. Seeing that he had finally angered her, Fan Zijin immediately felt extremelyfortable. A joyful smile appeared on his face. Qi Haoran nced at him in disdain. ¡°Childish.¡± He turned around and chased after Mu Yangling. ¡°I¡¯m saying this in front of you because I trust you. Really!¡± Just as Mu Yangling was about to believe him, Qi Haoran asked, ¡°Do you have time now? Come with me to the drill ground to fight.¡± Mu Yangling continued walking even faster. After spending half a month, Qi Xiuyuan finally divided up the territories of the five divisions. Of the five divisions, four of them hadmanders leading them. Only the 5th Division didn¡¯t have one, for Qi Xiuyuan handed it over to Qi Haoran to manage. The other four generals had no objections at all. This was because Qi Haoran¡¯s 5th Division was made up of misceneous soldiers¡ªthe injured, the weak, the sneaky, and the old were all thrown into the 5th Division. The four generals even felt that the general was giving the young master a difficult problem. When the soldiers of the 5th Division saw Qi Haoran, they all called him Little General. The four generals also called him ¡®Little General¡¯ loudly. The 5th Division¡¯s camp was in Mingshui County. Aside from the 5th Division, half of the 3rd Division¡¯s camp was also in Mingshui County. Poor Song Zhi. He had just be a county magistrate, but he was already facing a huge problem. Since more than half of Mingshui County had be a military district, he could now only manage the remaining half. It was less impressive being a county magistrate nowpared to being a County Deputy back then. The Mu family was assigned to Qi Haoran. After they were allocatednd, their entire family moved out of the General¡¯s Residence. The other vigers of Nearhill Vige were scattered into other camps. Among them, Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian¡¯s family were in the 3rd camp, which was not far from them. However, Liu He¡¯s family was asked to go to the 1st camp, which was currently in the West Camp¡¯s territory. The Mu family was allocated a total of 180 acres ofnd. Among them, 100 acres were military fields and 80 acres were freehold fields. Out of those 80 acres, 40 acres were Mu Shi¡¯s, and Shu Wanniang and Mu Bowen were also each allocated 20 acres. As the newborn Mu Bosi was not yet three years old, he was not allocated anynd. In ancient times, babies had a low survival rate. Only when they lived past three years old could their condition barely stabilize and be ssified as underage. As for Mu Yangling, she was a girl and had never been considered a ¡°underage¡± by the country. Poor Mu Yangling. Now, she could not even be considered a person. The various viges in Mingshui County had been destroyed by the Hus, and very few were spared. With Qi Haoran taking care of them, they were lucky to be assigned a thatched hut in Chenggu Vige not far from Mingshui County. Now, it had been renamed Chenggu Garrison because this area had be a military garrison. The 5th Division¡¯s camp was at the foot of Luocong Mountain, which was not far away. This area was a part of Luocong Vige. In the county, it was very dignified to be the vige chief of Luocong Vige, and this position had always been held by a member of the He family. Shocked by the sudden change, the He family resigned from the position. Happy that there was no one restricting him, Song Zhi squeezed out a rare smile for Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran admired his courage to defend the city alone and was even more polite to him. The two of them miraculously chatted happily, as if they were old friends. This was how Mu Yangling felt, but Qi Haoran and Song Zhi didn¡¯t think so. Qi Haoran felt that he was already an adult and was on the same level as Song Zhi. Song Zhi felt that he was only 27 years old and had yet to reach his prime, so he could call Qi Haoran his brother. Regarding this, Fan Zijin only bowed respectfully when he saw Song Zhi again and greeted him, ¡°Uncle Song.¡± Qi Haoran: ¡°¡­¡± What a brother. Song Zhi: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯d better not y with these brats in the future.¡¯ ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± This was Mu Yangling¡¯sughter after hearing Qi Haoran describe the entire incident from his perspective. Mu Yanglingy on the brick bed and couldn¡¯t help but hammer the brick bed as sheughed. The rocks beside the brick bed fell with a rustling sound, stunning Mu Yangling. Mu Bowen jumped up and shouted, ¡°Sister, you broke our brick bed.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Mu Yangling was stunned. ¡°I controlled my strength.¡± Ever since she was five years old, Mu Yangling had gradually mastered control over her strength. These days, she would no longer identally break a stool with her arms or a brick bed with her legs. Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin both stood stiffly and looked at the fallen rocks on the ground. Mu Yangling smiled awkwardly as she touched the edge of the brick bed. ¡°It must be because it¡¯s not sturdy to begin with¡­¡± Mu Yangling looked at the rock in her hand and was speechless. She swore that she had really only touched it lightly just now. She had not used any strength at all, and this rock had simplynded in her hand just like that. Fan Zijin took two steps back. Only when he felt that he was safe did he say insincerely, ¡°Perhaps.¡± Mu Yangling looked up and red at him. Qi Haoran went forward and tried to break a rock off with all his might, but the brick bed remained as it was. Mu Yangling¡¯s expression frozepletely. Qi Haoran scratched his head and asked in confusion, ¡°Could it be that your strength has increased again? Bowen, has your sister¡¯s appetite increased these past two days?¡± Little Bowen pondered seriously. After a while, he shook his head and said, ¡°No, she¡¯s still eating three bowls of rice like before.¡± Mouth agape, Fan Zijin turned around and went to the Mu family¡¯s kitchen to take out a bowl. He asked, ¡°This kind of bowl?¡± Little Bowen nodded as usual. ¡°Yes, this is my father and sister¡¯s bowl.¡± Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran looked at Mu Yangling¡¯s stomach. Mu Yangling held her stomach and shouted, ¡°What are you looking at? I eat a lot and work a lot. Try it. Who can hunt more than me in the mountains?¡± Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin looked away at the same time. After a while, Qi Haoranforted her dryly. ¡°You eat so well. Since you¡¯re not picky about food, it¡¯s easy to raise you.¡± Mu Yangling became even angrier and red at him. Rubbing his head, Qi Haoran looked at Fan Zijin helplessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you try to see if your brick bed is sturdy?¡± Without waiting for Mu Yangling to react, he raised his leg and kicked it. As soon as his heel touched the brick bed, the four of them saw cracks appear on the brick bed before it copsed under their gazes. Qi Haoran turned around stiffly and looked at the dumbfounded Mu Yangling. He chuckled and said, ¡°This brick bed does seem a little unstable.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Mu Yangling shouted, ¡°My brick bed¡ª¡± Qi Haoran turned around and ran, not forgetting to grab Fan Zijin. Mu Yangling chased after him and ran out of the vige. cing her hands on her waist, she shouted, ¡°Qi Haoran, you¡¯d better not appear in front of me again.¡± Out of breath from being pulled by Qi Haoran, Fan Zijin shouted, ¡°This is your fault. Why are you pulling me along? What has this got to do with me?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on the same side. Are you still my brother?¡± Fan Zijin said decisively, ¡°One should take responsibility for their own actions.¡± Qi Haoran pretended not to hear her. Chapter 104: Hardship Chapter 104: Hardship Editor: As Studios Fei Bai brought over two thick nkets and smiled apologetically at Mu Yangling. ¡°As soon as our master came back, he asked me to send them to you. He said that even if he has to endure the cold, he can¡¯t let you and Young Master Bowen suffer the cold. Where should Iy the nket for you?¡± ¡°Your master is capable of saying such a thing?¡± Mu Yangling nced at him from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Has his mouth been smeared with honey or is he crazy?¡± Fei Bai chuckled and did not dare to reply. With an tsunderely snort, Mu Yangling took the nket from his arms and touched it. Seeing that it was indeed very thick, she was satisfied. ¡°Did you make that up yourself, or did Fan Zijin teach you to say it?¡± ¡°Oh my god, how would I dare to lie to you?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°So Fan Zijin was the one who taught you. Hmph, go back and tell them that on ount of their sincerity, I won¡¯t hold it against them for breaking my brick bed. I¡¯ll ept this nket as theirpensation.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely ry the message.¡± ¡°Hurry along, then.¡± Fei Bai wiped his cold sweat and went out. As soon as he went out, he rode his horse and galloped away. Recalling thisdy dared to beat up the Fourth Young Master on the ground, with that monstrous strength of hers, she could easily make him suffer with a p. It was better not to offend her. Mu Yangling hugged the nket and happily went to look for her great-aunt. This thatched house was a real thatched house made of yellow mud. The roof was low and covered with thatch. As Mu Shi was tall, his head almost touched the roof the moment he entered the dim house. In the cold night, it was unknown if the house was leaky. They did not bring many nkets from home. Previously, they had thought that they could at least keep cozy on the heated brick bed for tonight. Tomorrow, Mu Yangling would bring her two cousins into the mountains to gather firewood. Even if there were not enough nkets and firewood, they could still survive the winter by keeping warm on the heated brick bed. s, that was before she identally pped off the rocks on the edge of the brick bed, and Qi Haoran copsed the brick bed with a kick. They did not dare to light a fire at night for fear of identally starting a fire in the house? There were a total of five thatched huts. Mu Shi, his wife, and the twins had stayed in one, Mu Yangling and Little Bowen stayed in the second, and Madam Ma-Liu and her granddaughters stayed in the third. There were also one on the left and right. One was used as a kitchen, and the other was used to store misceneous items. Such conditions were considered superior among the military households. Now that many civilian houses had been burned down, Qi Haoran had arranged for several families to stay in one hut. Some could even only live in the shed area of the camp with their families. They would only have a house to live in after Qi Haoran arranged for his men to build huts for everyone tomorrow. Hence, Qi Haoran really took good care of the Mu family. However, Shu Wanniang was very worried. In two years, her son would grow up. He couldn¡¯t still sleep with his daughter then. There was also Xiuhong and Xin. They were girls and had to have their own rooms. However, with the Mu family¡¯s current situation, it was hard to say if they could have enough to eat in the future. Hence, Shu Wanniang sat in the house with worry. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t think too much about it. She had hands and feet, was strong, and didn¡¯tck wisdom. There was no reason for her not to survive. She knew that she just had to get through the current situation first. Mu Yangling carried a nket for her great-aunt and the others and ced it together with the previous one. She said, ¡°Great-aunt, Qi Haoran and the others sent this over. Put the old ones underneath and cover yourself with the new nkets. Don¡¯t heat up the brick bed tonight. Since Qi Haoran can copse the brick bed in my room with a kick, who knows if yours is sturdy or not?¡± The great-aunt had long heard themotion over there, but with Qi Haoran and the others around, she didn¡¯t dare to go over. Now that she heard that Mu Yangling¡¯s brick bed had copsed, she hurriedly asked, ¡°If your brick bed has copsed, where will you sleep at night?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go over to sleep with my mother. Don¡¯t worry, Great-aunt. The brick bed in my father¡¯s hut is huge.¡± ¡°What if it copses with so many of you lying on it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mu Yangling had never thought of this question. She said in surprise, ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°Come and sleep with us. We¡¯re light.¡± Xiuhong happily went forward and grabbed Mu Yangling¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s right, Cousin. Sleep with us.¡± Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She carried another nket to Shu Wanniang¡¯s ce and looked at the twins who were still sleeping soundly. Sighing, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that out of the four children in the family, except for me, who got to enjoy life when I was born, the rest would end up suffering.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? What are you worried about when your father and I aren¡¯t even worrying?¡± Shu Wanniang picked up the hay from her hair and said, ¡°Your father is still here. You and your brother just have to be happy.¡± In Shu Wanniang¡¯s heart, her husband was omnipotent. Mu Yangling was not so optimistic. ¡°Mother, Father doesn¡¯t know how to farm. Besides, Father has to go to the camp to train now that he¡¯s a soldier.¡± Shu Wanniang¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Isn¡¯t he only going to the battlefield during wartime?¡± ¡°Mother, dream on. If they don¡¯t train while things are peaceful now, will soldiers still be soldiers in wartime? They¡¯d certainly have to train. Moreover, Father and the others are still new recruits, so they have to train even harder.¡± Besides, they were under themand of Qi Haoran, who was passionate about training soldiers. She had no doubt he would train them super hard. Mu Shi only returned from the campsite when it was dark. By then, Great-aunt had already prepared the food. Seeing that he had returned, she hurriedly called Xiuhong to serve the food. ¡°How did it go?¡± Shu Wanniang went up to him and asked, ¡°Why are you back sote?¡± ¡°Since everyone is new, they have to be trained from the ground up. I wanted to figure out their situation, hence I¡¯m back only now.¡± Mu Shi was a sectionmander leading 100 men. If he wanted to figure out the situation of each family before tomorrow, he naturally had to ask them one by one. The entire family sat down and ate together. After dinner, Shu Wanniang asked, ¡°What are we going to nt on ournd?¡± Mu Shi said nonchntly, ¡°We¡¯ll nt whatever others nt. The seeds will only arrive in two months. We¡¯ll talk about it when the timees. Let¡¯s think about how to survive this winter first. The food at home canst us until spring, but what should we do after spring? The camp will manage my meals, but I don¡¯t know what you guys will be eating when the timees.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go into the mountains to take a look after gathering some firewood tomorrow.¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang shouted at the same time. Mu Shi looked at his daughter sharply. ¡°Look at this weather. Are you courting death by entering the mountain? I¡¯ll think of another way. If you dare to enter the mountain, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Even Mu Shi would definitely not enter the mountain in a snowy day unless he had no choice. Not to mention the wild beasts that could not find food in the mountain, if one lost their way in the cold, they might just end up staying in the mountain forever. Mu Yangling shrunk her neck and responded. Seeing that they still didn¡¯t get to the point after talking for a long time, Madam Ma-Liu couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to discuss the spring nting any further?¡± What was there to discuss? Didn¡¯t they say that they would nt whatever the others nted? The entire family looked at Madam Ma-Liu in confusion. Madam Ma-Liu sighed. At this moment, she somewhat understood what Mu Shi had said back then. If she hadn¡¯te, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to farm. Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°There¡¯s a total of 180 acres ofnd at home. Do you think you can nt all of them? Although the Imperial Court is giving plowing oxen, we won¡¯t necessarily receive one. Even if we do, won¡¯t it be exhausting for the oxen to plow so many fields? You have to choose the fertilends to farm.¡± ¡°Before farming, you have to plow the soil and remove the weeds. Be it nting wheat or rice, you have to serve thend well before that. Also, you need to start thinking about the fertilizer that you¡¯ll need when spring arrives. These preparations have to be done before then.¡± Chapter 105: Rules Chapter 105: Rules Editor: As Studios Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s gaze swept between Mu Shi and Mu Yangling before finallynding on thetter. She said, ¡°If your father¡¯s around, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for us to nt more than half of the 180 acres ofnd. However, your father won¡¯t be at home, so we have to rely on the old and weak. It¡¯s already not bad if we can nt 20 acres. Even if we have plowing oxens, we can only nt an additional 10 acres. Rocky, you have to rify how much grains we have to hand over to the army after autumn. Otherwise, we won¡¯t even be able to submit enough for the army¡¯s share.¡± Mu Yangling and Mu Shi looked at each other. Neither of them had thought of this. They had already obtained thend, but they still couldn¡¯t nt it? ¡°Then, should I go and take a look at our family¡¯snd tomorrow? But Little General is gathering the troops for a lecture tomorrow. I can¡¯t spare the time,¡± Mu Shi said, vexed. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll go.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get firewood in the morning and go to check out thend with Great-aunt in the afternoon. Father, you don¡¯t know how to ess the condition of the soil, so it¡¯s useless even if you go. Why don¡¯t you let Great-aunt go and see it? When the timees, we can just farm the fertilends. Since we only have to pay 40% to the army, isn¡¯t there still 60% for us to eat? We¡¯ll just try to nt as much as we can.¡± Xiuhong quickly said, ¡°My sister and I can help, too.¡± Little Bowen quickly squeezed over. ¡°Me too, me too.¡± Mu Yangling nced at their small bodies and ignored them. Xiuhong said indignantly, ¡°Cousin, I can do a lot of work. I¡¯ll go get firewood with you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mu Yangling said readily, ¡°Then you have to get up early tomorrow.¡± Xin and Little Bowen also wanted to go. ¡°Forget about it. The two of you are still growing. You should sleep more.¡± Then, she said, ¡°You two stay at home to take care of the baby twins. They need someone to apany them.¡± Only then did the two of them stop pestering her. There weren¡¯t many families like the Mu family who hadnd but couldn¡¯t nt all of it. This was because those who enlisted as soldiers mostly had at least a brother, and the old and young in the family could all work. Although 100 to 200 acres was a lot, they could more or less finish nting it if they started early and returned homete. Take Liu Daqian¡¯s family for example. After Liu Ting and Liu Zhuang drew lots, it was decided that Liu Zhuang would be a soldier. And in the future, Liu Lang would take over from him. This way, no one would lose out. Liu Daqian and his wife, plus Liu Ting, Madam Liu-Zhang, and the children could all work in the fields. But since they had also been distributed quite a lot ofnd, they were also thinking they should check out thend tomorrow and choose the fertile ones to serve first. The rest could be discussedter. At this moment, Qi Haoran was also checking the booklet which listed thosends. He said proudly, ¡°With so muchnd, our rations won¡¯t have to be controlled by others in the future.¡± Not as optimistic as him, Fan Zijin took out a book and showed it to him. Qi Haoran flipped through it and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Xingzhou Prefecture¡¯s grain production over the years, followed by the grain production in Jiangnan. Big Brother Rong spent half a month getting someone to copy and collect the data.¡± After flipping it open, Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why is there such a huge difference?¡± ¡°Otherwise, why do you think the people under the provisional government are worse off than those in Jiangnan, when their average household owns ten acres ofnd aspared to Jiangnan¡¯s three acres?¡± Fan Zijin said with a sigh, ¡°Jiangnan is and of fish and rice. The water conservancy facilities are iparable to other ces, let alone Xingzhou Prefecture. Moreover, the climate and fertility of thend in both ces are good. It¡¯s already not bad if the autumn harvest of Xingzhou Prefecture could be half that of Jiangnan. Last time, Song Zhi said that an acre could produce 200 catties of wheat. That was the best production level among thendlords. Do you think our army can have such production capacity?¡± Qi Haoran threw down the booklet and asked, ¡°Then how much do you think we can collect, considering they¡¯re handing over 40% to the army?¡± Fan Zijin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It still depends on how many plowing oxens the Imperial Court can give us. Although we have a lot ofnd, there are few people. We definitely won¡¯t be able to finish nting these fields. If we have a lot of plowing oxens, we can farm more. Having the civilians hand over 40% to the army is the Imperial Court¡¯s idea. Cousin might not adopt this method.¡± Qi Haoran said solemnly, ¡°Big Brother won¡¯t raise taxes. He¡¯s not such a person.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that Cousin will raise the taxes, but there might be some hard rules added. For example, the number of military fields that must be farmed, and the number of freehold fields that must be farmed. Only in this way can we ensure the rations for the next year. Otherwise, once a war breaks out, we can only forcefully collect rations for the military from the people. Should that happen, Cousin will definitely lose the hearts of the people. This is something that no one wants to see.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference? They¡¯re going to farm anyway. If they can farm, they¡¯ll definitely farm.¡± Fan Zijin red at him. ¡°What do you know? When His Majesty said to hand over 40% of the crops, he¡¯s referring to the freehold fields. They have to hand over 60% of the crops for the military fields. If they all focus on nting crops in the freehold fields or do shoddy work in the military fields, will the grains collected by the army be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth?¡± Fan Zijin was right. This was what Qi Xiuyuan had been busy with for the past few days. He had to set a rule to at least ensure the supply of rations to the army without making themoners too sad. Rong Xuan had hired several ountants from Xingyuan Prefecture and invited Song Zhi, who was familiar with the people¡¯s livelihood, to n this. The rations had always been one of the most important resources in the army. With no worries about rations, the soldiers could train and fight in peace. When Mu Shi and the soldiers gathered at the camp in the morning light, the document issued by Qi Xiuyuan was also in Qi Haoran¡¯s hands. Qi Haoran flipped through it andughed. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll announce it now.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s method was very simple. Every household was allocated 100 acres of military field, he stipted that the cultivation of the military field must not be less than 40 acres. Also, he stated that the average yield of the military field and the freehold field must not differ by more than 20 catties. This ensured the amount of farming and the average yield of the military fields. Naturally, the rations collected would not be too little. Hearing this, Mu Shi was even more worried. Didn¡¯t this mean that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to nt an acre of their freehold field? Mu Shi stood below and listened to Qi Haoran¡¯s lecture dejectedly. At this moment, Mu Yangling brought Xiuhong to the foot of the mountain. Mu Yangling looked around and said, ¡°It¡¯s more convenient from my ce, the mountain¡¯s right outside our doorstep. In contrast, we have to walk for half an hour starting from here. How troublesome.¡± However, Xiuhong felt that it was great. She had been farming since she was young and preferred to see endless fields. Chenggu Garrison was two miles south of Mingshui County, and half an hour south was the middle section of Chef Mountain. There were dense trees here, and one could look down at Chenggu Garrison from above. Mingshui County was in the north, and Luocong Mountain was in the northwest. The camp was at the foot of Luocong Mountain, and in the east was the main road leading from Seven Mile Vige to Mingshui County. There was arge area of t fields below. At the thought of the golden grains during the autumn harvest, Xiuhong felt happy. So, she did not feel that there was anything wrong. If the mountain was too close to home, she would feel afraid and depressed. Mu Yangling had already walked into the mountains with the scythe. ncing at the forest, she said in disappointment, ¡°There¡¯s not much dry firewood on the ground. Go and pick it up while I cut the branches.¡± Xiuhong ran over to pick up the firewood, while Mu Yangling picked up the withered branches and chopped them. With her strength, she could cut off a branch with two shes. Sometimes, she could simply snap it with her hands. Xiuhong clicked her tongue when she saw this. She felt that even if her uncle was not at home, with her cousin around, farming should not be too difficult. Chapter 106: The Mu Family’s Land (1) Chapter 106: The Mu Family¡¯s Land (1) Editor: As Studios After Mu Yangling chopped tworge piles of firewood and tied them up, some people arrived in the forest one after another. Everyone was here to chop firewood. When they saw that Mu Yangling had already chopped so much, they took a few more nces and dispersed. Everyone was new and did not know each other. Mu Yangling stuck two sticks in and lifted it, then waved at Xiuhong and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Xiuhong quickly tied the small bunch of firewood she had picked up with a straw rope and carried it on her back. Seeing that she was having a hard time carrying it, Mu Yangling simply picked it up from her back and carried it herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Great-aunt must be waiting for us.¡± Xiuhong had to jog to barely catch up to Mu Yangling. The few strong men who were cutting trees in the mountains smacked their lips when they saw this. ¡°That pile of firewood must be more than 100 catties. How impressive. I wonder which family¡¯s son it is.¡± Upon hearing this, Mu Yangling¡¯s back stiffened slightly. Xiuhong had already turned around angrily and shouted, ¡°This is my (female) cousin. My uncle is a sectionmander.¡± The tree-cutters shrunk their necks and did not dare to say anything else. Mu Yangling turned around and said with a smile, ¡°Uncles, you can go in a little deeper. I¡¯ve already finished cutting those outside.¡± Then, she said, ¡°It¡¯s best to just cut some branches off instead of chopping down the entire tree. Otherwise, the officers will be angry.¡± Seeing that she was kind, the uncle who was chopping down the tree mustered his courage and asked, ¡°Do the officers care about these things?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Mu Yangling frightened them. ¡°My father said that the trees in the mountains are meant to protect the camp. If we cut them down, we¡¯ll be the ones to suffer in the future. Therefore, the officers have long told my father that we can chop firewood, but only the branches. We¡¯re not allowed to cut down the entire tree.¡± The people who were chopping down the trees stopped when they heard this. They hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, ¡°Thank you, youngdy. We won¡¯t cut down the entire tree, just some branches.¡± Since her father was appointed a sectionmander right away, perhaps he had some connections and was well-informed. The tree-cutters walked a little further in and no longer cut down entire trees. Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief when she saw this. There were many people in the 5th Division. If they all went up the mountain to cut down the trees, who knew how many forests would be ruined? She was still hoping to rely on the mountains in the future. When Mu Yangling and Xiuhong returned home, Great-aunt had already made pancakes. She stuffed two pancakes into Mu Yangling¡¯s hands and said, ¡°We¡¯ll leave now. Xiuhong, stay at home and take care of your little cousins. Watch them carefully. Don¡¯t let them run out to y lest they get bitten by wolves.¡± ¡°Sigh, Grandma, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of them.¡± Madam Ma-Liu took a scythe and sighed at Mu Yangling. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have a hoe. Go to Nearhill Vige and see if you can find some farming tools. Although those damn Hu people set fire to the houses, the farming tools might not be damaged. Go and look for them. With the farming tools, we can start work early.¡± With Mu Yangling¡¯s speed, she could make a round trip in a day. She agreed. The Mu family¡¯s fields were mainly in the east¡ª30 acres of military field and 80 acres of freehold field connected together. At a nce, arge area belonged to the Mu family. The remaining 70 acres of military field were in the south. Although they were not connected, they were not far from each other. Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°From the distribution of thend, we can tell that Little General is taking care of us. Otherwise, we¡¯ll probably have to waste a lot of time traveling between the fields like the other families. In the future, you have to be more polite to Little General. Don¡¯t quarrel with him for no reason.¡± ¡°When have I ever quarreled with him?¡± Mu Yangling retorted. ¡°I¡¯ve always been amiable to him.¡± ¡°Then why did you scare him away yesterday?¡± Mu Yangling snorted and didn¡¯t say anything. When Madam Ma-Liu reached the edge of the field, she squatted on the ground and dug down. Reaching out, she rubbed the mud in the ground. After walking for a while, she said, ¡°Thisnd is not good. It looks like a raw field that hasn¡¯t been nted for a few years.¡± Madam Ma-Liu walked along the edge of the field. The further in she walked, the colder her heart became. Having been ntingnd for her entire life, she was extremely familiar with thend. It would take a lot of manpower and fertilizer to have a good harvest in such and, something their family doesn¡¯t have right now. Seeing that Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s expression was getting darker and darker, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. She kicked the ground under her feet, unable to tell if it was good or bad that there were weeds growing above. At this moment, many families were checking out theirnd. Some even sent their entire families out. Other than those who represented their family to enlist as a soldier, everyone else was squatting in the field to look. The Mu family¡¯s fields were the most deserted. Madam Ma-Liu happened to walk to a junction when an old man nced at his wife. The old woman shouted in her direction, ¡°Older Sister, is this your family¡¯snd?¡± Madam Ma-Liu smiled and replied loudly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s ours. Thisrge area and the 80 acres on that side are all ours.¡± ¡°Aye, that¡¯s good. Since they¡¯re connected, it¡¯s easy to get to the fields. This is my family¡¯snd. It¡¯s also 40 acres. Please take care of us in the future.¡± The old woman paused and said, ¡°My husband¡¯s surname is Hu, and my maiden family¡¯s surname is Fang.¡± ¡°Sister Fang, my maiden family¡¯s surname is Liu. Just call me Big Sister Liu.¡± Madam Ma-Liu smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s indeed convenient since the fields are connected. But I¡¯ve been walking for almost 35 minutes, and saw that they¡¯re all the lowest-gradends converted from forests. I¡¯m panicking.¡± Madam Hu-Fang walked up and reached out to dig the mud. She rubbed it in her palm and the mud quickly dispersed. Bit by bit, it fell to the ground. Madam Hu-Fang said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s terrible, indeed. My family¡¯snd is a little better than yours¡ªat least there¡¯s still some moisture. From the looks of it, it¡¯s been farmed for seven to eight years. It¡¯s considered medium-grade. Sister, don¡¯t be anxious. Let¡¯s go deeper. The fields inside might be more fertile.¡± Madam Ma-Liu forced a smile. ¡°I think so too. The 110 acres can¡¯t possibly all be low-grade, right?¡± However, Mu Yangling had an ominous feeling in her heart. Qi Haoran, that muddle-headed fool, was as undiscerning as her. He wouldn¡¯t have identally allocated her such a lousy piece ofnd thinking it¡¯s good-qualitynd, right? Madam Hu-Fang nced at Mu Yangling and smiled. ¡°Sister, this is your granddaughter, right? She¡¯s so beautiful. Why are only the two of you here today for something so major? Where¡¯s your son?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t my granddaughter. She¡¯s my grandniece. My son died a long time ago and I¡¯m now living with my nephew. Oh, he¡¯s the sectionmander in this area and was called to the camp early in the morning. My nephew¡¯s wife is taking care of the children at home, so I brought my grandniece over to take a look.¡± Madam Hu-Fang¡¯s eyes lit up and she replied even more enthusiastically, ¡°So it¡¯s Section Commander Mu¡¯snd. It must be fate that our two families¡¯nd is so close to each other. It doesn¡¯t matter if you have few family members. I have three sons. I¡¯ll get them to help youter.¡± ¡°No need, no need. Even though your family has many members, you¡¯ve got a lot ofnd, too. How can I trouble you when you can¡¯t even handle your own work?¡± Madam Ma-Liu went forward and stood beside Madam Hu-Fang as if she hadpletely forgotten the purpose of her visit. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t interrupt, Mu Yangling could only take a stick and walk around. From time to time, she would poke the stick into the ground. She seemed to understand now. The soil was a little yellow, and it took a lot of strength to insert the stick into it. The soil that was pulled out was hard and loose, such that it scattered with a light kick. This kind of soil didn¡¯t seem good. Mu Yangling remembered these characteristics in her heart. Chapter 107: The Mu Family’s Land (2) Chapter 107: The Mu Family¡¯s Land (2) Editor: As Studios On the other side, Madam Ma-Liu shouted after she finished the conversation, ¡°Ah Ling,e over quickly. Let¡¯s go over there and take a look.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Mu Yangling jogged forward. Seeing that Madam Ma-Liu was sweating, she said, ¡°Great-aunt, let me carry you.¡± ¡°No need. Your great-aunt isn¡¯t old yet.¡± As Mu Yangling helped her forward, she heard her sigh. ¡°In the past, I thought that it would be great if we could have a lot ofnd. That way, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothes. Now that we do havend, nting it has be a problem.¡± ¡°Great-aunt, if thisnd is too lousy, we won¡¯t nt it. Isn¡¯t there still 70 acres of military field over there?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. If we don¡¯t farm thisnd, it will never be fertile. In another two to three years, it will be a wastnd. How vexing would the people who reimed it back then be?¡± Madam Ma-Liu said in a low voice, ¡°I asked your grandmother just now. Since your father manages a hundred families, if we really have no choice, we can ask your father to use his power and deploy a few people over to work for us. No matter what, we have to fix up thisnd.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Mu Yangling objected without thinking. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for everyone. If my father uses his power for personal gain, won¡¯t the toonmanders and the generals above be able to use their power for personal gain, too? Won¡¯t the soldiers below be exhausted? Let¡¯s nt it ourselves. If we really have no choice, we can just leave it alone for the time being. When we have money in two years, we¡¯ll spend money to hire people. There¡¯ll be a way.¡± Madam Ma-Liu said in surprise, ¡°But isn¡¯t it only right for higher-ups to ask the subordinates to work?¡± Mu Yangling: ¡°¡­ In the past, it might be the way things were, but it can¡¯t be the case with my father.¡± Seeing that she was upright, Madam Ma-Liu sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. If you don¡¯t want him to abuse his power, so be it. Let¡¯s take a look further. Perhaps there¡¯s fertilend ahead.¡± The duo spent another half an hour walking from the military field to the freehold field. Finally, they started seeing medium-gradend, as opposed to the low-gradend seen earlier. However, Madam Ma-Liu and Mu Yangling¡¯s hearts had already turned cold. Out of 110 acres ofnd, more than 60 acres were considered inferior. What kind of luck was this? Mu Yangling gritted her teeth in hatred towards Qi Haoran as she walked to the area near the riverbank. Mu Yangling stuck her stick in and pulled it up again. Soft and sticky, the brown soil was turned out with a little moisture. Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s face was almost covered in tears. ¡°This is high-gradend. Finally!¡± At this moment, she was so tired that her feet were trembling. Mu Yangling looked up and said, ¡°Great-aunt, there are more than ten acres ofnd here. We¡¯ll nt grains on all ten acrester. Don¡¯t worry. With my strength and your guidance, our family will definitely have a bumper harvest.¡± Madam Ma-Liu sat on the ground and looked up, wiping her tears. ¡°How can I be at ease? Why did Little General give us such a plot ofnd? Ah Ling, if you still have the strength, carry me to the south to take a look. If I don¡¯t take a look, I¡¯ll feel uneasy.¡± Mu Yangling also feared that the 70 acres of military field in the south was inferiornd. That would kill her. Mu Yangling squatted down and carried Madam Ma-Liu on her back. She quickly walked south as sheforted her. ¡°Great-aunt, don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t you sayst night that with our ability, we can only nt 20 to 30 acres ofnd? There are also 30 acres of medium-gradend here. Coupled with the high-grade ten acres, it¡¯ll be enough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but your younger brothers will grow up. Eventually, these plots ofnd will be left to them. You may not think it¡¯s a big deal now, but you¡¯ll know what a huge loss it is in the future.¡± ¡°Great-aunt, you¡¯re worrying too much. Is Bowen someone who can farm? When springes, we¡¯ll send him to school. Perhaps he can be a top schr when he grows up.¡± Madam Ma-Liu was stunned. ¡°I thought you can¡¯t take the Imperial Examination if you¡¯re in a military household? How can Bowen be the top schr?¡± ¡°When my father bes a general, he can rid our family of the military status,¡± Mu Yangling said confidently. Madam Ma-Liu was discouraged. ¡°How can it be easy to be an official? It¡¯s already not bad if he can keep his life.¡± Nheless, Mu Yangling had great confidence in her father. The two of them silently went to thend in the south. Upon reaching, Mu Yangling put her down and Madam Ma-Liu began to check. When the sun set in the west, she sighed, having finally finished walking through these 70 acres ofnd. ¡°The situation of these 70 acres is still not bad. There are about 30 acres of medium-gradend and 10 acres of high-gradend. The remaining 30 acres are low-gradend. Although it¡¯s still low-grade, the soil quality here is much better than there. At least, it¡¯s been cultivated for more years than thend in the east. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s no river in the south. It¡¯ll be a problem in the future.¡± ¡°Since this is near to the mountains, I¡¯m afraid there will be wild boarsing down in spring. We have to keep a close watch when the timees. Otherwise, the grains will be wasted.¡± Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Great-aunt, it¡¯s getting dark. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and ask your father for his opinion.¡± Mu Shi was already home. He didn¡¯t have much of an opinion though. In terms of farming, he was inferior to Shu Wanniang and Mu Yangling. At least the mother and daughter still knew how to nt vegetables, whereas he was someone who couldn¡¯t even grow vegetables. So, he said, ¡°Aunt, you make the decision. I¡¯ll listen to you. However, we have to nt at least 40 acres of this military field. This is an order from the higher-ups. Moreover, we can¡¯t be shoddy about it. They¡¯re going to inspect itter.¡± Mu Shi nced at his wife and said, ¡°From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯m going to the camp to await orders and build houses with the soldiers. After building the civilian houses, we still have to build barracks. The little general said that we have to get these done before spring. Aside from that, we also have to take out four hours to train the soldiers every day. The snow disaster in Great Jin is more serious than ours, and we might have to go south after some time. Therefore, from tomorrow onwards, I have to eat and live in the camp.¡± ¡°But Father, the camp hasn¡¯t been built yet, right? Where are you going to stay?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stay in the shed for the time being so that everyone won¡¯t have to waste time going home every day. This is what the little general said. In the future, we can only go home once every ten days. Ah Ling, after I go to the camp, you have to take good care of your mother and younger siblings, understand?¡± Mu Yangling nodded solemnly. Mu Shi entered the house and took out a broadsword, handing it to her. ¡°This was taken from the Jin soldiers previously and I hid one for you. I¡¯ll leave this here for you. Put it away carefully. If anyone dares to attack our family, protect them using your ability, the way you fought the Jin soldiers. If anything happens, you can count on me. I¡¯ll leave that dagger for you too. Bring it with you everywhere you go. Your grandparents will bless you.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Father, I still have something to tell you.¡± Mu Yangling wanted to speak to him about the problem of chopping trees. Since building houses and cutting firewood required trees, the forest would definitely suffer if they did not exercise control. ¡°Father, the Hus burned down our houses. Those roof beams and whatnot must not have beenpletely burned down. We can use whatever can still be used. If they can¡¯t be used, we can always burn them as firewood. When you guys enter the mountain to chop trees, you can¡¯t chop consecutive trees. It¡¯s best to chop one every five trees. Otherwise, if the wild beasts in the mountains don¡¯t have a ce to stay, what if they run down the mountain? This isn¡¯t the end of Chef Mountain, but the middle section of Chef Mountain. There are many wolves and ferocious tigers inside that can kill should they run out.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll tell the toonmander when I see him tomorrow.¡± Seeing that his daughter was still worried, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell the little general when I see him.¡± At the mention of Qi Haoran, Mu Yangling gritted her teeth in hatred and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Father, tell Qi Haoran that I¡¯ll look for him to y when I¡¯m free.¡± Chapter 108: The Mu Family’s Land (3) Chapter 108: The Mu Family¡¯s Land (3) Editor: As Studios Indeed, as he had said, Mu Shi could not go home after moving to the camp. Instead, he trained in the morning and brought people to build houses in the afternoon. Qi Haoran actually followed them at all times. Although he did not carry bricks to build the houses, he stood at the side andmanded. No matter howte it was, he would stay till the end. During lunch, he would scoop out a ck steamed bun and squat down to eat with everyone. Some people who initially looked down on him because of his young age gradually put away their contempt. Qi Haoran had unexpectedly won over the hearts of the soldiers, and the training situation in the morning was also slowly improving. Qi Haoran told them very clearly that the Hus would attack south again. When that happened, they would be the first to be affected, followed by their parents, wives, children, and siblings. If they wanted to survive and protect them, they had to double their training and not rx. Otherwise, they would suffer the same fate as the civilians who died in the previous war. Although the people from the 5th Division were still the weakestpared to the other four divisions, at least theirbat awareness had caught up. Fan Zijin followed Qi Haoran for two days. By the third day, he refused to follow Qi Haoran to the camp no matter what. With a book in hand, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to conduct the training. I¡¯ll help you settle the logistics and ask Cousin when the farming tools will arrive.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still two months before spring. What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand nonchntly. Fan Zijin took out a farming book from the bookshelf. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought previously, but that¡¯s not what the book says. When spring arrives, they¡¯ll need to start nting the seeds, and many preparation work has to be done before then. In fact, the preparation should be done byte autumn and early winter, lest it¡¯d be toote. We can¡¯t dy the farming tools anymore. Without them, they won¡¯t be able to work.¡± Qi Haoran took the farming book in shock and flipped through it. Then, he stuffed it back into Fan Zijin¡¯s arms and said with relief, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you. Oh right, take care of the Mu familyter and choose some good farming tools for her.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take special care of such a small matter, right?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him in confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that farming tools are very important?¡± Choked, Fan Zijin said indignantly, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be biased towards them for everything. It won¡¯t be good for you if your soldiers find out. Your current prestige is umted by eating and working with them every day. It didn¡¯te easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a general. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to be biased?¡± Qi Haoran said righteously. ¡°Besides, since I want to put Mu Shi in an important position, it¡¯s only natural for me to be more respectful to his family. Moreover, we¡¯re friends with Mu Yangling. I¡¯m a fair person, I¡¯ll let the soldiers under mymand know that as long as they follow me, they won¡¯t suffer any losses.¡± Fan Zijin: ¡°¡­Even then, there¡¯s no need to do them these small favors. Didn¡¯t you say that you gave them the best fields? They¡¯ll be more grateful if you only help them asionally. By the way, which piece ofnd did you assign to them? I¡¯ll take a look tomorrow while I¡¯m there to understand the situation of the farmers. When I go to Cousin¡¯s ce in two days, I¡¯llpare the situation with that of the other camps.¡± Qi Haoran pulled out the map and pointed at the two circles on it. ¡°Here, I drew it myself. One near water, one near the mountains. The two best plots ofnd.¡± Seeing the two plots ofnd on the map, Fan Zijin: ¡°¡­¡± Fan Zijin looked up with a big smile and praised, ¡°They¡¯re indeed great ces. Mu Yangling must be overjoyed. Come with me tomorrow and let her thank you properly.¡± Qi Haoran said proudly, ¡°Do I need her to praise me? I don¡¯t have time for the next two days. Let her save the praise for now. When I have time, I¡¯ll go and listen to her praise.¡± Fan Zijin forcefully controlled his facial expression as he waved his hand. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back first. Take your time to look at the map.¡± Then, he hurried out. As soon as he reached the courtyard, he couldn¡¯t help but hold onto the railing andugh. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yanmo supported him, feeling both amused and worried. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Fan Zijin wiped his tears with his fingers and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that my stomach hurts. Let¡¯s go. Help me walk. I¡­ I can¡¯t walk anymore. Hahaha¡­ What great ces indeed! Mu Yangling must be furious. Hahaha¡­¡± Fan Zijin had been flipping through farming books and booklets that contained information of arablend for two days. With his almost photographic memory, he had some impression of Mu Yangling¡¯s two plots ofnd. In those two plots ofnd, only less than 25 acres were high-grade fields. The rest were medium-grade and low-grade, though mostly low-grade. Indeed, Qi Haoran¡¯s habit of screwing his friends over had not changed. Mu Yangling got up early in the morning, took the bow from the wall, and ced it in the basket on her back. She carried it on her back and was about to leave. Madam Ma-Liu had already woken up. Seeing that Mu Yangling was about to enter the mountain before dawn, she hurriedly ran out and said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s enough firewood at home for a few days. Since it¡¯s such a cold day, we¡¯ll go in after the sun rises. You¡¯re still young. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± Mu Yangling also replied in a lowered voice, ¡°Great-aunt, I want to take the opportunity to go into the mountains. These few days, food has been scarce. My mother still has to breastfeed, and Bowen and the others are still growing up. Besides, I¡¯m craving meat. I¡¯ll go into the mountains to gather more firewood today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to West Mountain Vige to take a look.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu heard that she was going into the mountains to hunt, she grabbed her and pulled her into the house. She said angrily, ¡°Child, why are you so disobedient? Aren¡¯t you courting death by entering the mountains in the middle of winter? Have you forgotten what your father said? I know you feel sorry for your mother and younger siblings, but this isn¡¯t the time to take risks. Tell me, why are you going into the mountains? Do you want to make your mother go blind from crying? Don¡¯t go anywhere today. Turn over the thatch on the roof for me so that the snow won¡¯t slip through when it snows next time.¡± ¡°Great-aunt.¡± Not daring to shake her off forcefully, Mu Yangling could only let out a cry and agree. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t go into the mountains to hunt, alright? But I have to gather firewood. Otherwise, how will we survive the cold when it starts to snow in a few days?¡± Madam Ma-Liu stared at her as she hung the bow and arrow back before letting her go out. Carrying the basket on her back, Mu Yangling went straight into the mountain. She found a ce that no one had chopped before and started chopping off branches. She snorted. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything without a bow and arrow? I have many ways to catch rabbits.¡± Then, she said regretfully, ¡°If there weren¡¯t so many people entering the mountain, I would definitely set up traps.¡± Unfortunately, there were too many people. If she set up a trap at this time, it was unknown if it would catch wild beasts or humans. Mu Yangling hacked for a long time. By the time the sunpletely rose and the morning light shone into the forest, Mu Yangling¡¯s back had also started sweating. Seeing that there was quite a lot of firewood piled up on the ground, she put down the knife and tied it up. She pulled out a dagger from her pants and cut a sharp stick. After hiding the firewood behind the bushes, she determined a direction as she entered the mountain. Although it was snowing in the mountains making it unconducive for walking, it would leave many traces. Mu Yangling only walked for 15 minutes before she saw obvious traces. Mu Yangling looked at the traces on the snow and couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°There are really a lot of rabbits in this forest. We won¡¯t have to worry about food in spring.¡± Mu Yangling swallowed her saliva and calcted in her heart. It was just right. When spring arrives, she would go into the mountains to hunt rabbits and sell them in the county. With the money, she could buy more fine rice for her younger siblings to grind into rice soup. This way, they wouldn¡¯t cry in the middle of the night due to hunger. While Mu Yangling was letting her imagination run wild, two rabbits ran out. Swiftly, she stabbed the sharp stick in her hand through one and kicked the other with her leg. The rabbit flew out and knocked into a tree before fainting. Picking up the two rabbits, Mu Yangling was satisfied. ¡°We can finally eat meat.¡± Chapter 109: Suggestion Chapter 109: Suggestion Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling hid the rabbits in the pile of firewood and carried it back. Madam Ma-Liu was bringing Xiuhong to tidy up the private plot ofnd behind the house used for nting vegetables. Madam Ma-Liu nned to tidy it up first and sow the vegetable seeds when the weather turned warmer. After cing the firewood in the kitchen, Mu Yangling secretly ced the two rabbits at the door. She waved at Xiuhong who was standing at the back of the house. Xiuhong nced at her grandmother before sneaking back. ¡°Cousin, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hunted two rabbits. Bring them with you when you bring Xin to pick up firewoodter. When youe back, say that you picked them up in the mountains.¡± Xiuhong¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°You can even pick up rabbits?¡± ¡°Why not? Just say that while you were picking up firewood, two rabbits rushed over as they were fighting each other. You waved the firewood in your hand and hit one, but the other rabbit hit a tree and fainted. Also, say that there were many rabbits in the forest, but unfortunately, you didn¡¯t dare to go in.¡± Xiuhong blinked and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll remember everything, Cousin.¡± ¡°Then hurry up and go. I¡¯ll go work with your grandmother.¡± ¡°Cousin, Young Master Fan is here.¡± Xiuhong was about to leave when she saw Fan Zijin riding his horse over. Mu Yangling straightened her back and looked over. Waving at Xiuhong, she said, ¡°Go quickly. Just pick up some firewood at the foot of the mountain.¡± After Xiuhong jogged away, Mu Yangling stood by the roadside and waited for Fan Zijin toe over. Fan Zijin looked down at Mu Yangling and asked with a smile, ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied with thend given to your family?¡± Mu Yangling replied with an insincere smile, ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied. Where¡¯s Qi Haoran? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy training and building houses with the soldiers all day long. He doesn¡¯t even have time to do his homework.¡± The teacher that their cousin had hired for them had already lost his temper several times. If not for the fact that their cousin had paid him a lot of tuition, he would have quit long ago. Mu Yangling was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Is he unable to distinguish between good and badnd?¡± Fan Zijin burst outughing. ¡°Never mind him. Even for me, I¡¯ve only learnt a little about the topic in the past two days. Why? Can you distinguish?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no expert either, but I know that you¡¯ve got to have moisture to farm. There can¡¯t be too much or too little. If there¡¯s too much, it¡¯ll result in water logging. If there¡¯s too little, there¡¯ll be drought.¡± ¡°Even a three-year-old knows that.¡± ¡°That three-year-old must not know that the river will rise in spring this year. Perhaps it will flood thend near the river. When summeres, there might even be drought.¡± Putting away the smile on his face, Fan Zijin jumped off the horse. He walked to Mu Yangling and asked solemnly, ¡°Is it your guess again?¡± Mu Yangling looked at him persistently. ¡°Even if there¡¯s no drought this summer, it¡¯s beneficial for everyone to repair the water conservancy facilities.¡± ¡°You make it sound so nice. Don¡¯t we need people for that? Now, everyone has to build houses, build camps, and train. Even if we give Haoran three heads and six arms, he won¡¯t be able to do it.¡± Fan Zijin was a little frustrated. While he didn¡¯t want Haoran to be too tired, he did feel that what Mu Yangling said made sense, so he was momentarily conflicted. Mu Yangling was also a little discouraged. ¡°But I¡¯m really worried that if the harvest next year isn¡¯t good, there might not be enough rations. I¡¯m afraid that so manymoners will have no food and clothing. All of us are under General Qi¡¯s charge. Do you think the Imperial Court will open up a warehouse to provide disaster relief?¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s expression darkened as he pondered seriously. Seeing that his expression was not good, Mu Yangling sighed and said, ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s important now is when the farming tools will arrive. There are so many weeds in the field. We have to remove them. Otherwise, how are we going to nt in spring?¡± Fan Zijin coughed lightly and asked, ¡°How do you n to nt it?¡± Mu Yangling red at him. ¡°How else? I only have two hands. There are only two and a half people in my family who can work. I¡¯m one, my great-aunt is another, and Xiuhong is considered half. I¡¯ve never farmed before, so I don¡¯t know how much I can nt. However, I¡¯ll first nt wheat on the 20 plus acres of high-gradend on both sides, then serve the medium-gradend in the military field in the south. Even if it¡¯s rough farming, we¡¯ve got to nt 40 acres of that.¡± Mu Yangling looked at him sadly. ¡°You guys chose great plots for me.¡± Fan Zijin coughed ufortably and said, ¡°Thisnd was chosen by Haoran. He felt that thend in the east is connected to the river and forms arge area, so it must be an excellent choice. Furthermore, you¡¯re used to hunting in the south. There¡¯s enoughnd there, so he drew a circle there for you.¡± Mu Yangling snorted. ¡°Thank him for me.¡± Fan Zijin lowered his head and smiled faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring him the message.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu returned from the fields and saw Fan Zijin¡¯s back view, she rebuked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you invite Young Master Fan into the house?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that our brick bed will copse again.¡± Seeing Madam Ma-Liu looking at him reproachfully, Mu Yangling hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°No, isn¡¯t there nothing to entertain guests at home? It¡¯s not good to let him in.¡± Only then did Madam Ma-Liu remain silent. ¡°Great-aunt, I¡¯ll go to the fields with youter. Let¡¯s get rid of the weeds in the high-grade fields first.¡± ¡°How can we get rid of the weeds without a hoe?¡± Madam Ma-Liu asked worriedly. ¡°Set a fire. The ashes from burning it can even be used as fertilizer.¡± ¡°How can we?¡± Madam Ma-Liu waved her hand and said, ¡°What if the fire spreads to the forest identally? No, no, definitely not.¡± Mu Yangling patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Great-aunt. I have a way to make sure it doesn¡¯t spread to the forest. Not only that, but it won¡¯t even spread anywhere near someone else¡¯s field. In a while, we¡¯ll go and pluck the grass at the edge. We can¡¯t burn the weeds there. If we put some distance between them, the fire won¡¯t spread.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the wind blow over?¡± ¡°Therefore, we have to choose a windless morning to do it. Just wait and see. I¡¯ll burn a little at a time and let it slowly spread it over. Once it expands, I¡¯ll put it out. It definitely won¡¯t go out of control.¡± Although Mu Yangling had never set a fire before, she had undergone fire-fighting training and had abundant theoretical knowledge. She decided to test it out tomorrow morning. Seeing how confident she was, Madam Ma-Liu slowly believed her. ¡°Then let me know when you start the fire. I have to be prepared.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t dare to set the fire alone.¡± ¡°If we can burn it with fire, it will be much easier. We just have to plow the soil and fertilize itter.¡± Madam Ma-Liu pondered and said, ¡°How about this? If there¡¯s wind tomorrow, go to West Mountain Vige. If not, go the day after tomorrow and find more farming tools as soon as possible. We can¡¯t wait for the higher-ups to assign us the farming before we start working. Otherwise, we definitely won¡¯t be able to do much.¡± Mu Yangling agreed. At noon, the three little ones returned with three bundles of firewood. Xiuhong and Xin each carried a rabbit. As soon as they entered, they shouted, ¡°Grandma, Grandma! Look at what we brought back!¡± When Madam Ma-Liu came out and saw the rabbits, she was stunned. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Xiuhong regurgitated Mu Yangling¡¯s excuse, gesturing with her hands vividly. Not to mention Madam Ma-Liu, if Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know what was going on in advance, she would have believed her. Madam Ma-Liu was all smiles. ¡°Alright, alright. However, you can only go to the foot of the mountain in the future. You can¡¯t enter the mountain, understand?¡± Xiuhong nodded with a smile before turning around to give Mu Yangling a smug look. Chapter 110: Fire Chapter 110: Fire Editor: As Studios Shu Wanniang nced at the two rabbits and red at her daughter. Having raised her, she was most familiar with her daughter¡¯s hunting methods. Mu Yangling stuck out her tongue and went forward intimately to hold her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll bring the rabbits to the county to exchange for some eggs to nourish you. This way, my baby siblings will have milk to drink.¡± Shu Wanniang thought about how the twins had been crying from hunger for the past few days and squeezed out an ugly smile. She stroked her daughter¡¯s head and said, ¡°Alright, just exchange one. You can keep the other one for dinner.¡± Madam Ma-Liu took the rabbit from Xiuhong¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go instead, lest others bully Ah Ling seeing her young age.¡± Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t ask for more. Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s bargaining skills were unparalleled. That night, Madam Ma-Liu brought back 35 eggs. At the rate of two eggs a day for Shu Wanniang, this shouldst them for some time. Mu Yangling went to bed early in the morning. She got up before dawn the next day and woke Xiuhong and Xin up for the first time. After putting on thick clothes for them, she said, ¡°We¡¯ll burn the weedster. I¡¯ve checked¡ªthere¡¯s no wind now.¡± Madam Ma-Liu had already gotten up and cooked porridge for them. She made everyone eat the porridge before leaving to warm up their bodies. Little Bowen got up in a daze and wanted to tag along too. Mu Yangling stuffed him under the nket and said, ¡°Be good and continue sleeping. You¡¯re still young. If you fall sick, our family won¡¯t have the money to buy medicine for you. Stay at home and take care of the twins. We¡¯ll be back in the morning.¡± Mu Yangling quickly finished two bowls of porridge, took the lighter, and left. When they arrived at the edge of the field, Mu Yangling handed them a branch with leaves. ¡°Xiuhong, you and Xin guard one end. Great-aunt, guard another end. I¡¯ll guard the third.¡± ¡°What about here?¡± Great-aunt asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Thisrge piece ofnd is our family¡¯snd. Let the fire burn in this direction, don¡¯t let it spread too wide. Control it slowly and let it burn inwards. When you leave, you must ensure that the mes are extinguished.¡± After Mu Yangling finished speaking, she walked to the side and used hay to ignite the weeds. The high-gradend here was alright, for the weeds were only seven to eight centimeters tall. However, the deeper they went, the worse it became. Perhaps because it hadn¡¯t been cultivated for a long time, the weeds at the the worst plot ofnd did not even reach a person¡¯s calves. When the fire spread there, the fire would definitely be very strong. Mu Yangling waited for the fire to burn for a distance before using a branch to extinguish the scattered fire points. She followed the mes in front and said, ¡°That¡¯s it. When we walk forward, we have to extinguish the mes behind us. There¡¯s dew on the grass now, so it won¡¯t burn very quickly. We¡¯ll go back when the dew is almost dry.¡± Xiuhong, Xin, and Madam Ma-Liu understood and nodded. They used the hay to start a fire before moving to the side. The four of them guarded the fire as they gradually walked inwards. By the time the sun came out and gradually dried the dew on the hay, the four of them had already burned nearly ten acres ofnd. Mu Yangling led them to put out the fire and walked around again. After confirming that the mes had all been extinguished, she spread out the pile of ashes. She only left after seeing that the sparks had lost thest bit of red light in the cold air. Xiuhong and Xin followed Mu Yangling¡¯s instructions and quickly surveyed the area that had been burned. The happy Madam Ma-Liu said excitedly, ¡°Fire really works. Look, this way, we can finish burning all the weeds in the fields in just a few days.¡± Mu Yangling looked up at the sky. ¡°I wonder if it will affect the air?¡± ¡°What?¡± Madam Ma-Liu looked up in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Great-aunt, let¡¯s go back. After resting for a while, we¡¯lle and cut the grass. The grass further down is too high and lush. We have to create a firebreak1 first. Otherwise, I won¡¯t dare to burn it.¡± Madam Ma-Liu didn¡¯t understand, but she knew that she just had to do as Ah Ling said. Nodding, she agreed. After dawn, the Hu family was the first family to discover that the Mu family had burned weeds. Seeing the vines and weeds swaying in the cold wind, Old Hu could not help but click his tongue. ¡°That old sister-inw is really bold. She even dares to set fire in such weather. If she¡¯s not careful, she can burn thisnd, too. It might even spread to the mountain.¡± Madam Hu-Fang said, ¡°Just focus on getting rid of your weeds. You¡¯re interfering too much. I think their family is only burning the short grass at the front. They have to do the same as us for the back part.¡± Straightening his back, Old Hu said with a sigh as he looked at such arge piece ofnd, ¡°In the past, I¡¯ve always wanted morend. Now that I have it, I¡¯m worried. How long will it take to get rid of so much weed?¡± Madam Hu-Fang buried her head in her work and did not speak. Considering there were many people in their family, by starting early and returning homete, they would eventually be able to finish the work. The Mu family, on the other hand, wasprised of the elderly and little ones. Weren¡¯t they in an even more worrisome position? In the afternoon, the Mu family brought the scythe over. Madam Hu-Fang looked up at them, then said while squatting down, ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I? They still have to cut it.¡± ¡°Mother, that¡¯s not right. Why aren¡¯t they cutting from the side but from the inside?¡± Madam Hu-Fang¡¯s eldest daughter-inw, Madam Zhang, asked curiously. Madam Hu-Fang and Old Hu looked up and couldn¡¯t figure it out for a long time. Mu Yangling asked them to carve out a firebreak that was a meter wide. The grass was cut off at the root, and they only needed to hoe this grasster. As such, their workload would be greatly reduced. This time, Little Bowen was also here. It being his first time doing farm work, he moved around swiftly. Mu Yangling was terrified when she saw this, afraid that he would cut his hand. Seeing that the sky had darkened, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. We¡¯lle back tomorrow and cut ording to the path I showed you today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to West Mountain Vige to see if I can find some farming tools.¡± It took half a day to walk from Chenggu Garrison to West Mountain Vige. Mu Yangling woke up early in the morning. When she reached the intersection of Nearhill Vige, Mu Yangling could not help but enter. This was the ce where she had lived for nine years. She was born here and grew up here. Now, it was filled with burned houses, including the Mu family¡¯s. The houses were burned ck, and the beams had caved in. Mu Yangling searched inside but could not find anything. Not long after they fled to the county, Liu He was worried about the vigers and asked Liu Dacang to bring back more than 20 young men to collect their corpses. He couldn¡¯t very well let his fellow vigers die in the wilderness. The bailiffs who came here for the statistics would only throw them into a huge pit and bury them. There wouldn¡¯t even be a straw mat. At least if the vigers of Nearhill Vige were to bury the corpses themselves, they could erect named tombstones for them. Even the things in the vige had been tidied up. Mu Yangling sighed as she stood in front of her house. She then turned around and walked towards West Mountain Vige. The situation in West Mountain Vige was worse than Nearhill Vige, but it could be seen that West Mountain Vige had never been cleaned up. Mu Yangling entered the house and after rummaging around, actually found some iron pieces among the ruins. Mu Yangling ced them in the basket on her back and found her great-aunt¡¯s house. Seeing that her house was still in the same state as when it copsed, her eyes lit up. Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s house copsed during the first snowstorm. Later, Mu Shi brought Liu Ting and the rest over to repair it, but it had yet to bepletely repaired. Then, the two heavy snowfalls caused the kitchen to copse, too. Mu Shi considered that Shu Wanniang had to be taken care of and that the weather was cold, so he asked Great-aunt and the others to stay in the Mu Residence. He decided to build the house when it was warmer. Unexpectedly, because the house had copsed, the Hu people did not set fire to it. It was the only surviving house in the entire West Mountain Vige. Mu Yangling carefully went into the storeroom to search. When she saw the hoe, shovel, and iron plow on the ground, her spirits immediately lifted. ¡°It¡¯s good that Great-aunt¡¯s house copsed. Not only is she fine, but her things are also safe.¡± Mu Yangling ced the things into the basket on her back and did some choosing. Seeing that there was nothing else, she carried the basket, picked up the iron plow and hoe, before rushing to Chenggu Garrison. Chapter 111: High Hope Chapter 111: High Hope Editor: As Studios Madam Ma-Liu was very happy to see her bring back so many things. Touching the iron plow with her hand, she said, ¡°This was left behind by your uncle. It¡¯s been used for 11 years. I didn¡¯t expect to find this thing again.¡± Madam Ma-Liu put the things aside and said, ¡°Since there¡¯s an iron plow, let¡¯s start plowing the soil after we burn all the weeds in the field.¡± Of course, Mu Yangling agreed. The next day, the four of them set off to burn more than 20 acres ofnd. After noon, they went to set up a firebreak. When the Hu family saw this situation, they were secretly tempted. After the Mu family finished burning this piece ofnd, Old Hu walked on the edge of the field. As he looked at the ck ashes that did not go beyond the firebreak, he said with a sigh, ¡°This is a good method.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask them? If we don¡¯t ask in detail, I won¡¯t dare to set fire to it.¡± Old Hu nodded thoughtfully. However, before the Hu family could ask, Qi Haoran rode his horse to look for Mu Yangling. ¡°I heard that you saved a lot of effort by burning all the grass in the fields.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say. I¡¯ve spent several days setting up a firebreak. If I¡¯d set fire directly, the fire would probably have spread to your camp.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That means there¡¯s a way to burn it. Tell me and let others learn from it. Fan Zijin said that we haven¡¯t gotten the farming tools yet. I¡¯m afraid the sowing of the crops in spring will be dyed and the rations will be a problem. If there¡¯s a good way, you¡¯ve got to share it with me.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Bring me to the fields. Since you said so, I¡¯ll tell you whatever I have in mind. However, I can¡¯t promise that it will work. It¡¯s up to you whether you believe it or not.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Haoran originally only wanted to train his troops, but two days ago, he went back and saw that Big Brother was so anxious about the rations that dark circles had appeared. Also, he almost fought with a few generals from Xingyuan Prefecture. Coupled with the emphasis on the importance of rations in the art of war, he felt that he could not rx. Among the farmers, Qi Haoran was most familiar with Mu Yangling, so he naturally came to her immediately. Qi Haoran mounted his horse and pulled Mu Yangling up to sit behind him. He asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the east first. My family has 110 acres ofnd there. We just burned that yesterday.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Qi Haoran took credit and said, ¡°I was the one who specially assigned that plot to you.¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Thank you, huh.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. In the future, if there¡¯s morend to be assigned, I¡¯ll help you choose the best.¡± Mu Yangling snorted. ¡°Please don¡¯t be so kind. Thend adjacent to ours which belongs to the Hu family is all of medium-grade on the east side. And 30 acres of theirnd in the south is high-gradend. Although it¡¯s a little scattered, thend is fertile. They also have 20 acres of high-gradend in the west¡­¡± Qi Haoran tilted his head in confusion. ¡°The Hu family? I don¡¯t know them. Are you old friends with them?¡± ¡°No, I just want to tell you that there are only 23 acres of high-gradend in my family¡¯s 180 acres ofnd. Most of the remainingnd is low-gradend that produces a poor harvest of even corn. Slightly under half of it is medium-gradend.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s body stiffened slightly. ¡°The fields are ssified into high-grade, medium-grade and low-grade?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeing that the tips of his ears had turned red, Mu Yangling burst outughing. She poked his waist and said, ¡°Alright, actually, this isn¡¯t bad either. My family¡¯snd is of poor quality, but we don¡¯t have many family members, so we might not be able to nt so much. It¡¯s even more of a loss if someone else receives suchnd.¡± Qi Haoran scratched his head, not knowing what to say. He was being kind, but he didn¡¯t seem to have done anything good. When they arrived at the edge of the field, Mu Yangling pointed at the Mu family¡¯snd and said, ¡°Here, these are all burned out.¡± Qi Haoran saw the ashes on the ground and nodded. ¡°How many days did it burn?¡± ¡°Eight days. I almost died of exhaustion when setting up the firebreak. If I did it bit by bit and plowed the soil like other people, I¡¯d probably have died a hundred times. Therefore, if you want others to adopt my method, I¡¯ll definitely teach them. However, you have to be careful when setting the fire. If the firebreak isn¡¯t done well, it¡¯ll be very difficult to control the fire once it spreads. Qi Haoran, there are many forests in Mingshui County. If you¡¯re not careful, it¡¯ll result in a disaster. Therefore, you have to think carefully.¡± Qi Haoran said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡± The two of them rode to the river. Qi Haoran jumped off the horse first before picking her up. ¡°What are you doing here? The river has long frozen.¡± ¡°This is really what I wanted to speak to you about. It¡¯s snowed five times this year, right?¡± Qi Haoran, who hadn¡¯t counted, looked at Mu Yangling nkly. Mu Yangling walked to the river and stopped. ¡°Other than mountains, there are many small rivers in Mingshui County. However, as long as there¡¯s a drought, the river will stop flowing. Few can store water. Qi Haoran, it¡¯s only early winter now, right? There might still be heavy snowter. If what I told you about the summer drought is true, the water level in the river will definitely rise when spring snow melts. Should that happen, we might not be able to keepnd like this.¡± Mu Yangling stepped on the ground and said, ¡°After summeres the crucial growth period of wheat. If there¡¯s no water at this time and the river is cut off, how much rations do you think we can guarantee next year?¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Repair the water conservancy facilities.¡± Seeing that he was frowning, Mu Yangling was about to persuade him when he said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get them to stop training and take half a day off every day to repair water conservancy facilities.¡± Stunned, Mu Yangling stared at Qi Haoran in a daze. However, Qi Haoran looked up at the endless field and sighed with mncholy. Qi Haoran ran back to the camp in low spirits. At the thought that he didn¡¯t have to work tomorrow, he simply rode his horse and returned to the West Camp overnight. He barged into Big Brother¡¯s study and looked at him aggrievedly. Qi Xiuyuan put down the brush and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pursing his lips, Qi Haoran said aggrievedly, ¡°Big Brother, if the Hus invade, will you let the 5th Division go to war?¡± ¡°That depends.¡± ¡°Depends on what?¡± Qi Xiuyuan said coldly, ¡°The 5th Division is a ragtag army. Unless more than half of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions end up dead or injured, I won¡¯t send 5th Division to the battlefield.¡± Although he had long known that this would be the oue, Qi Haoran still felt terrible hearing it with his own ears. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Haoran, if you want to bring them to the battlefield, you have to train the 5th Division like how you trained the 4th Division.¡± ¡°How is this the same? When I was in the 4th Division, I only focused on training them. But now that the military system has changed, everything has changed. Since the 5th Division has to build houses and whatnot, there¡¯s almost no time for training,¡± Qi Haoran said irritably. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re just managing a division and you can¡¯t take it already? Then what about me? Do you think I just need to train them to know how to fight? I have to take care of rations, weapons, winter clothes, military sries, the soldiers¡¯ pensions, and even deal with the cooperation and confrontation with the Xingyuan Prefecture. If you want to catch up or even surpass me, you have to learn all of this.¡± Seeing his younger brother lower his head in frustration, Qi Xiuyuan stood up and walked to his side to pat his head. He said, ¡°Sharpening a knife will not dy the cutting of firewood. You¡¯re already great at training soldiers, but it¡¯s far from enough to only train soldiers. I asked you to take over the 5th Division not only because you¡¯re young and can¡¯t receive a title, but also because I want you to slowly learn how to be a good general. I will let you do whatever you want in the 5th Division. No matter what you do, I will support you. I hope that one day, you can surpass me.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at Big Brother. Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan couldn¡¯t help but pat his head again. Chapter 112: Indulgence Chapter 112: Indulgence Editor: As Studios Having regained his fighting spirit, Qi Haoran had a good night¡¯s sleep. However, Mu Yangling could not fall asleep. She propped her chin on her hand and sat at the door of her house, looking at the fields outside in a daze. Of course, repairing water conservancy facilities was only beneficial to future generations, but what about the people at this time? Now that everyone had to build houses, build camps, train, and farm, how could they have the time to repair the water conservancy facilities? At this moment, Mu Yangling was no longer very insistent on her idea. She was not an architect, and she didn¡¯t have any practical experience in terms of farming. When Mu Shi returned tiredly with his bag, he saw his daughter¡¯s conflicted expression. His daughter was forthright and cheerful, and was never one to take things too hard. What was going on? Mu Shi frowned slightly and went forward. As he gently patted her back, he asked, ¡°Why are you sitting at the door?¡± ¡°Father?¡± Mu Yangling jumped up. ¡°You¡¯re back. Why are you so dirty? Come in quickly.¡± Seeing that Mu Shi was covered in mud, Shu Wanniang quickly went forward to catch his bag and said, ¡°I¡¯ve boiled hot water. Hurry up and wash yourself.¡± Seeing that he had lost weight in just ten days, Shu Wanniang¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but ache. When she came out, she pulled her daughter over and poured out 23 copper coins from her purse to hand to her. ¡°Hurry up and run to the county to buy some meat for your father to nourish himself.¡± This was the family¡¯sst bit of money. Mu Yangling pushed it back and stood up to take the bow and arrow from the wall. She said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll just walk around outside. I definitely won¡¯t go deep and won¡¯t get lost. Don¡¯t tell Father.¡± With that, she turned around and ran. Shu Wanniang chased after her daughter for two steps. When she saw that her daughter had disappeared, she stomped her feet and tightened her grip on the copper coins in her hand. When Mu Yangling returned with a roe deer, she thought that her father would scold her. Unexpectedly, her father smiled at her and waved. ¡°Hurry up and bring the roe deer in. Are you waiting for me to help you bring it in?¡± Mu Yangling immediately revealed a big smile as she skipped to her father¡¯s side. ¡°Father, let Mother braise it tonight. With no fats in my stomach, I don¡¯t have the energy to work.¡± Mu Shi sighed in his heart and nodded with a smile. He took the roe deer from his daughter¡¯s hand and poured a pot of hot water over it from the kitchen. Then, he took a knife and scraped the skin. In less than half an hour, he had cut up the roe deer on the chopping board, and handed it to Xiuhong to bring into the kitchen. With slightly reddened eyes, Shu Wanniang rolled up her sleeves and cooked. Ever since Madam Ma-Liu moved into the Mu family, she rarely cooked. However, today, she used all her skills to cook a table of dishes for everyone. Not to mention Mu Yangling and Mu Shi, even Little Bowen¡¯s eyes lit up as he swallowed his saliva. They finished all the meat dishes on the table. As Mu Shi ate, he picked up some food for Shu Wanniang and said, ¡°Eat more. You¡¯ve lost weight.¡± Mu Yangling picked up a piece of food for everyone, taking extra care of Little Bowen and Xin. Mu Yangling ate until her stomach was round. As she sat on the stool, she did not want to move. ¡°Father, aren¡¯t you going to build a house? Why do you look like you came out of a pile of mud?¡± ¡°I dide out of a pile of mud.¡± Mu Shi said drowsily, ¡°Doesn¡¯t building a house require mud? As a sectionmander, I¡¯m in charge of digging mud. We dug a huge pit at the other end of the camp¡­¡± Mu Yangling was feeling sleepy too, but when she heard this, she shuddered and shook her father excitedly. ¡°Father, what did you say? You guys dug a huge pit in the mud?¡± Mu Shi sobered up in response. Frowning, he said, ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong? Now that everyone doesn¡¯t have time to build stone houses, we¡¯ve got to use mud to build the houses.¡± ¡°Can all types of mud be used? For instance, the mud by the river.¡± ¡°Of course not. We have to use yellow mud to build a house. It has to be more sticky. Only by mixing mud and withered grass to make mud bricks can we build a house. If any type of mud will do, do we have to dig up mud in the camp and transport it elsewhere?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯m sure other than the camp, that type of mud can be found elsewhere. Let¡¯s look for more. Perhaps you can build a reservoir while digging.¡± ¡°What reservoir?¡± ¡°Water conservancy. To store water. This way, even when a drought urs in the future, or if the river is cut off, at least the water in the reservoir canst us for some time. It¡¯d be even better if we can dig a few more channels to the field before the ice melts. This way, even if there¡¯s a drought in the future, the field won¡¯tck water immediately. Previously, I was worried that repairing the water conservancy facilities would consume too much manpower, but now, it seems that some things can be done simultaneously.¡± Mu Shi pondered. Overjoyed, Mu Yangling stretched. ¡°Father, you should rest. I¡¯m going to sleep too. Since I won¡¯t be working in the fields tomorrow, I¡¯m going to look for Qi Haoran.¡± Mu Shi watched as his daughter left in a hurry. He opened his mouth and turned to ask his wife, ¡°Does Ah Ling often y with Little General?¡± ¡°Not very often, but every few days, Young Master Fan or the little general woulde to talk to Ah Ling. That servant called Fei Bai would send a letter over from time to time.¡± Shu Wanniang paused and said, ¡°I also feel that it¡¯s not good for Ah Ling to interact with them like this, but this child has a mind of her own now. I can¡¯t control her anymore.¡± Shu Wanniang had always been in a weak position in the family. When her husband was around, she listened to her husband. And when he wasn¡¯t around, she listened to her daughter. If both her husband and daughter were not around, she would even listen to Little Bowen. Her greatest w was that she was gentle, but that was also her greatest strength. Most importantly, she would never hurt her husband and children. Even though she knew that Mu Yangling¡¯s actions were not good, she would indulge her when she realized that she would hurt her daughter if she tried to stop her. Now, she only hoped that her husband could persuade her daughter. After all, this world had more restrictions on women. When Mu Yangling interacted with Qi Haoran and the others, the world would not judge Qi Haoran, but they would think that Mu Yangling did not know the rules. Her husband would definitely mind in the future. Her daughter was young and insensible, but Shu Wanniang had to consider it on her behalf. However, Mu Shi was thinking about what his daughter had said to him today. His daughter seemed to have taken a huge step forward, and even he could not catch up to her. What was he going to do? Restrain her, and let her hunt and farm for the rest of her life to support her family? Then let her marry a capable farmer and continue living like this after having children? In the past, Mu Shi did not think that there was anything wrong with this. He felt very happy with such a life, but now, he was a little resistant to the idea that his daughter¡¯s future would pan out simrly. With no money in the family, when they encountered a disaster, their daughter would have to start over with nothing like they did now. When Ah Ling was born, their family was still rather well-off. It was only after Wanniang took medicine for a few years that the family¡¯s assets slowly emptied. When Bowen was born prematurely and Wanniang almost bled to death, the Mu family suddenly faced difficulties. If the Mu family had more money at that time, Bowen and Wanniang would not have suffered so much. The same logic applied to their present situation. If the Mu family had more assets, even if they encountered a military disaster, the Mu family would not have nothing now. Her daughter even had to take the risk to enter the mountains for her mother to eat an egg. Mu Shi slowly hugged his wife tightly and said gently, ¡°Let her go. As long as she¡¯s happy.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her husband in surprise. Mu Shi patted her shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want her to live the same life as us. That child has ideas and is smart. Let nature take its course. There were even female officials in the Imperial Court during Shizong¡¯s era.¡± ¡°How is that the same?¡± Although Shu Wanniang still didn¡¯t agree, she didn¡¯t insist. Chapter 113: Setback Chapter 113: Setback Editor: As Studios This was the first time Mu Yangling came to the camp to look for Qi Haoran. Not only did Qi Haoran run out, but Fan Zijin also followed behind him. ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Haoran hurriedly asked. ¡°Nothing happened. I just thought of a good idea and came to tell you that.¡± Mu Yangling looked at him with bright eyes. ¡°What do you think about building a reservoir while you dig for mud to build the houses?¡± Qi Haoran was stunned for a moment before he was overjoyed. ¡°You mean to build a reservoir at the ce where we dig for mud? That¡¯s right. Since we have to build civilian houses and barracks, we need a lot of mud. This can save a lot of effort.¡± Fan Zijin, who was standing at the side, could not help but dampen their spirits. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming too much. Are you sure there¡¯ll be yellow mud suitable for building houses in the ce where you build the reservoir? Vice versa?¡± Qi Haoran and Mu Yangling were both optimistic. He waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find somewhere suitable for both. I¡¯ll send some men to take a look now.¡± Fan Zijin looked at the enthusiastic duo and swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. Forget it, he would just apany them. As Mu Yangling walked, she said, ¡°The reservoir can¡¯t be built just like that. Why don¡¯t we go to the county and ask the registrar? Since they¡¯re in charge of agriculture, they might be able to introduce a few talents to us.¡± ¡°Alright, we know nothing about farming. I also want to ask Song Zhi for more people who know how to farm.¡± Mu Yangling nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, certainly. You can also find those old men who are very good at farming in the fields. They know a lot. When you bring them over, you must introduce them to me.¡± Mu Yangling had only seen farming before. At most, she had learned a little about it from books and television in her previous life, but there were too many modern factors mixed in. She was not sure if what she knew could be applied to the present. More importantly, understanding did not equate to practice. She had never farmed before. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll get someone to call youter.¡± Looking at the two extremely confident people, Fan Zijin felt a little defeated for no reason. The two of them were people who did whatever they wanted without thinking about the consequences. One Qi Haoran was already tiring enough for him. Now, there was also Mu Yangling. When would the days of cleaning up their mess end? When Song Zhi heard that Qi Haoran wanted to build a reservoir, he naturally agreed to help. Even though most of Mingshui County had be under the control of the army, it was still under Mingshui County¡¯s jurisdiction. Of course, he would be d to see Mingshui County do well. Therefore, Song Zhi expressed that apart from manpower and material resources, he would support Qi Haoran on a technical level. Qi Haoran had manpower; as for logistics, he could ask his brother for it. The only thing hecked was technical support. When he heard that they were going to build the reservoir and dig out mud to build houses at the same time, two drops of cold sweat slid down Song Zhi¡¯s forehead. After some deliberation, he persuaded, ¡°Erm¡­ the ce where the reservoir is built might not have the yellow mud that¡¯s suitable for building houses.¡± Qi Haoran nodded and said, ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I came to look for Magistrate Song. I want to find a ce that¡¯s suitable for building a reservoir which also has mud suitable for building houses.¡± Song Zhi: ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll get someone to take a look.¡± When the soldiers under Qi Haoran heard that he wanted to build a reservoir, they objected agitatedly. In the past ten days, they had already been exhausted from training and work. Most importantly, they could only eat until they were 70% full. If they were to build a reservoir in addition to all that, they suspected they would die from exhaustion. When several of them went home and saw that their brothers were still the same while they had grown as thin as bamboo poles, they immediately felt unbnced. Themotion in the military camp became even more serious. Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened. He did not expect the greatest resistance toe from his subordinates. Fan Zijin said, ¡°We have to give them benefits. Otherwise, we will suffer if they ck off.¡± Frowning hard, Qi Haoran said aggrievedly, ¡°Haven¡¯t I given them enough? I¡¯ve alreadypressed the four hours of training every day to two hours. What can I aplish in two hours a day? I can¡¯t even line them up properly.¡± Seated beside him, Mu Yangling supported her chin with her hand. ¡°We have to let them eat their fill and rest enough. It¡¯s best if we can let them have meat. This way, they¡¯ll be willing to work. There¡¯s still at least two months before the snow melts. It¡¯s enough time for us to dig the reservoir.¡± ¡°You make it sound so nice. We don¡¯t have enough grains to feed them. Meat? If there¡¯s enough vegetables, they should be thanking the heavens already.¡± Fan Zijin said unhappily, ¡°The army is very poor. It¡¯s only because Cousin takes care of them that they can eat until they¡¯re 70% full. You don¡¯t know how dissatisfied the generals of the other divisions are.¡± This was because in their opinion, the possibility of the people from the 5th Division going to the battlefield was very low, but the treatment they received was better than theirs. In the army, good things were reserved for elite soldiers. Mu Yangling¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Then what should we do? Conscript the able-bodied soldiers from the military households? Then everyone will definitely have greater objections.¡± Qi Haoran snorted and stood up. ¡°If anyone dares to have any objections, just tell them toe at me.¡± Qi Haoran left angrily, leaving Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin looking at each other. Fan Zijin med Mu Yangling. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault foring up with this rotten idea.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t say that when these reservoirs start working.¡± Fan Zijin snorted. Mu Yangling pped her butt and left to go back and plow the soil. At this time, Mu Shi was already in the field. He was acting as the ox pulling the iron plow at the front while Madam Ma-Liu was holding the iron plow at the back. They had finished plowing 80-90% of thend after a morning¡¯s work. After Mu Yangling ran back, she took a hoe and started plowing from another direction. Xiuhong brought Xin and Bowen to pick up the grass stalks at the back. After piling them up, she took them to the edge of the field to discard them. Mu Shi took a break halfway and came to look for his daughter. ¡°How is it? What did Little General say? Are we going to build the reservoir?¡± Because he had to find a suitable ce and because of themotion caused by the soldiers below, Mu Shi had already rested at home for three days. Mu Yangling shook her head in frustration. ¡°We have to wait for him to think of a solution.¡± Mu Shi squatted beside his daughter and patted her shoulder. ¡°Then let¡¯s fix ournd first.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. Although the construction of the houses and the reservoir had been put on hold for the time being, everything else was progressing very smoothly. In the past three days, Mu Yangling had taught them how to go about setting fire to the fields. All the families had started to set fire to the grass. Now, one-third of the grass in the fields had been burned. Qi Haoran even sent people to guard the fields every morning. Once the fire went out of control, they would immediately go and salvage the situation. He also strictly stipted that no more fires were allowed after the sun came out. Qi Haoran had the power to order for someone to be killed in the military, so no one dared to vite his ban. Mu Yangling stood up and pulled up the iron plow. ¡°Father, you can plow thend. I¡¯ll pull it.¡± She still felt that pulling the iron plow was the easiest. It was simr to carrying Little Bowen on her back. Compared to plowing the ground, at least now she didn¡¯t have to bend down. Knowing that his daughter was strong, Mu Shi knew that pulling the iron plow was not considered hard work for her, so he waved his hand and let her go. As she pulled the iron plow, Mu Yangling moved along quickly and steadily. Madam Ma-Liu was focused on holding the iron plow from behind. Seeing the deep and wide plowednd, she took the time to look up at Mu Yangling and felt that she was more useful than a cow. Chapter 114: Plowing the Land Chapter 114: Plowing the Land Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling was not tired, but Madam Ma-Liu was exhausted by now. She turned around and saw that they had already plowed two acres ofnd, so she hurriedly said, ¡°Alright, alright. That¡¯s all for this morning.¡± Mu Yangling turned around to take a look. ¡°Let¡¯s plow some more. Otherwise, when will we finish plowing?¡± Madam Ma-Liu rebuked, ¡°Do you really want to plow all 180 acres? First plow those 23 acres of high-gradend, then plow the medium-gradend. Let¡¯s leave the rest as it is. It¡¯s already not bad if we can nt 50 acres.¡± Mu Yangling still felt that it was too little. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a look first. Perhaps we can do more.¡± Mu Shi red at her as he went forward to support the iron plow. ¡°You¡¯re not tired, but your great-aunt is. Go rest.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling see that Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s hands were trembling. For a moment, she smiled awkwardly. ¡°Great-aunt, I was distracted just now. You should rest.¡± Madam Ma-Liu was dumbfounded. ¡°You can even pull a plow when you¡¯re distracted?¡± Mu Yangling said nonchntly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just walking straight? It¡¯s very simple.¡± Madam Ma-Liu turned around and looked at Mu Shi. ¡°Since Ah Ling isn¡¯t tired,e and support her. Just press down a little harder like I taught you and hold onto the iron plow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mu Shi held onto the iron plow and said to his daughter, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Mu Yangling walked forward at her usual speed, but suddenly, there was a tremor behind her. After walking for a while, she heard her great-aunt shout, ¡°Stop! Stop quickly!¡± Mu Yangling turned around and saw that the ground that Mu Shi had plowed was curved and of varying depths. Mu Shi looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll try again. Maybe I¡¯ll seed.¡± Madam Ma-Liu nodded helplessly and advised him from the side. At one moment, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t use too much strength. You won¡¯t be able to move the plow like that.¡± At another moment, she said, ¡°Press the plow back. Don¡¯t be too fast. That way, it¡¯ll result in a curved path. Hold your hands steady.¡± At another moment, she said, ¡°Do use some strength. Look at the soil¡ªonly oneyer came out. It¡¯s not even as deep as your feet.¡± In the end, not only was Mu Shi exhausted, but even Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s saliva had dried up. She looked at Mu Shi worriedly. ¡°This won¡¯t do. Plowing is the simplest and others can learn by simply watching. How are you going to farm in the future?¡± Mu Shi rubbed his head and said after a while, ¡°Aunt, like my father, I¡¯m not cut out for farming. Why don¡¯t we nt casually?¡± ¡°How are you going to provide for your family? With your sectionmander¡¯s military sry? Is it enough for Wanniang to get medicine?¡± Madam Ma-Liu hit the back of his hand with a stick. ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Mu Yangling quickly threw down the rope and ran up. ¡°Let me do it. I think I know how to do it after listening to your instructions. I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± Frowning, Madam Ma-Liu pped Mu Shi. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pull the plow.¡± Mu Shi hurriedly gave the iron plow to his daughter and went forward to pull the plow. As Mu Yangling had great strength since she was young, she would always identally crush or smash something. When she was still in infancy, she had started learning to control her strength. It was only when she was six years old that shepletely mastered control over her strength. Only then did Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang dare to let her carry Little Bowen. In the past, Mu Yangling could break Shu Wanniang¡¯s bones if she identally touched her with a light wave of her hand. In order to master control over her strength, Mu Yangling asked Shu Wanniang to knead a few balls with flour. She pinched and kneaded them with her hands to make them not concave or too spread out. Today, Mu Yangling¡¯s control of strength surpassed everyone else. Therefore, after she mastered the iron plow, other than initially when she made the ground uneven, when she mastered the strength she should maintain, the soil that was dug out was new and deep. The smile on Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s face deepened as she said, ¡°Ah Ling inherited your grandmother¡¯s capability. Your grandmother was as smart as you in the past. She easily learned everything after watching it a few times.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Mu Shi and sighed. Clearly, she felt that Mu Shi did not inherit his mother¡¯s intelligence and capability. Mu Shi looked even more embarrassed. Mu Yangling smiled. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry in the future, Great-aunt. I¡¯ll farm my family¡¯snd.¡± However, Madam Ma-Liu sighed in her heart and looked at Bowen, who was running around picking grass stems. Ah Ling was a girl after all and would get married one day. Surely she couldn¡¯t abandon her husband¡¯s family ande back to help her maternal family farm? Considering Bowen¡¯s poor health, it was already not an easy feat for him to grow up into adulthood. Therefore, Madam Ma-Liu looked at Mu Shi again and felt that it was best to work hard to reform her nephew and let him master this. When Bosi grew up in the future, Mu Shi could teach his second son. This way, even if Bowen did not know how to farm in the future, he would at least have a younger brother to help him. Mu Shi shivered, feeling that someone was talking about him behind his back, and it was not a good thing. Because Mu Yangling was a quick learner, with the three of them taking turns, they finished plowing six acres ofnd in a day. The Hu family watched as Mu Yangling pulled the plow as if she was pulling a stick. Seeing her walk quickly and steadily, they were simply envious and jealous. ¡°That youngdy is so strong.¡± Old Hu¡¯s youngest son, Hu Gui, said unhappily, ¡°She¡¯s born with great strength because her father has the bloodline of a Hu. If you¡¯re envious, you should¡¯ve asked Great-grandfather to marry a Hu woman. Perhaps then, the three of us brothers will have great strength.¡± When Old Hu heard him talk about his ancestors this way, he was so angry that he raised his whip and was about to whip him. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Strength alone isn¡¯t enough for farming. I heard from Second Brother that the Mu family used to be hunters. They¡¯re good at hunting, but they don¡¯t know anything about farming. If it weren¡¯t for his aunt guiding them from the side, they might have been sitting at home like the He family in the east. There¡¯s still a long way to go. With theirck of experience, it¡¯s not certain if they can sessfully farm thisnd. In our family, your father is the number one expert in farming in our vige. Third Son, you ought to learn from him. Now that your second brother went to join the army, this family is counting on you and your eldest brother. Do you hear me?¡± Hu Gui snorted and agreed. At the side, Hu Man¡¯s wife, Madam Hu-Jin, had her head lowered. When she heard her mother-inw say that the family would be depending on the third son and eldest son in the future, she couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists and turn to look at her husband. As if he did not hear anything, Hu Man squatted on the ground and kept cutting the grass quickly. Now, only the Mu family had plows and hoe in the entire vige. The other families had also returned to their vige to search, but they could only find some iron pieces sporadically. They could not even find a single hoe. In addition, the grass in the field had not beenpletely removed. Now, only the Mu family had plowed the soil on theirnd. Madam Hu-Jin sighed. When she returned, she walked beside her husband and said, ¡°Since Section Commander Mu is your superior, go greet himter.¡± Hu Man nodded and slowed down. Madam Hu-Zhang turned around and looked at them. Without saying anything, she walked back to her husband, Hu Dian. While the sun was setting in the west, the Mu family started packing their things to return. Mu Yangling carried Bowen with one arm and Xin with the other as she ran forward. Xiuhong chased after them with a smile. Mu Shi carried everything and walked behind the empty-handed Madam Ma-Liu. When Hu Man saw this, he hurriedly handed the scythe in his hand to his wife and took two steps forward to take the iron plow from Mu Shi¡¯s shoulder. Chapter 115: Showing Them Who’s Boss Chapter 115: Showing Them Who¡¯s Boss Editor: As Studios ¡°Big Brother Mu, let me do it.¡± ¡°No need, no need.¡± Mu Shi dodged slightly and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m strong. These aren¡¯t heavy.¡± Smiling, Hu Man took the hoe from him and said, ¡°Although it¡¯s not heavy, it¡¯s notfortable to carry so many things on your body. Since our houses are not far away, let me help you carry one.¡± ¡°Big Brother Mu, is Little General really going to build the reservoir?¡± Mu Shi nodded. ¡°Most likely. The elders all said that things might be bad next year. It¡¯s always a good thing to make some preparations in advance.¡± Hu Man lowered his head and did not say anything. Actually, he did not want to build a reservoir either. It was too tiring. The three of them were originally of about the same size. But now, after going to the military camp for just ten days, it was apparent he had lost a lot of weight, especially when he stood next to his two brothers. When he returned, his wife hugged him and cried all night. Seeing him sigh like this, Mu Shi said helplessly, ¡°Little General also knows how difficult it is. He has lost a lot of weight himself. He¡¯s still a child.¡± Hu Man was a little enlightened. Only then did he remember that Qi Haoran was only 12 years old. After a while, he said, ¡°I forgot that Little General is still young.¡± Mu Shi smiled. ¡°Many people have forgotten.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s actions during this period of time made everyone forget his age and truly treat him as a general. Mu Shi and Hu Man felt that Qi Haoran¡¯s improvement was great enough. The rate at which he was improving exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. Even Qi Xiuyuan was shocked. After Qi Haoran ran away alone, he went into the county to look for Song Zhi. Then, he went to Minister Sun¡¯s house and Minister Zhao¡¯s house to sit for a while. In less than two days, the Sun and Zhao families brought over 20 carts of food and dered that they were lending it to Qi Haoran. In addition, there were two heavy-duty carriages at the back. It was said that the boxes on them were filled with silver. The next day, Qi Haoran called all the soldiers back and directly named the able-bodied men who had been recruited. Other than those who had already joined the army, each family could only keep at home one young man. The rest of the males between the ages of 14 and 45 had to join the construction of the water conservancy facilities. The army would cover all three meals. If anyone dared to ck off, they would be sent to the 1st Division. As soon as these words were spoken, no one dared to object. The 1st Division was different from the 5th Division. The 1st Division was promising, but they also risked their lives. They had the chance to make contributions at all times, but they also constantly faced the risk of death. Didn¡¯t these men not want to be soldiers because they didn¡¯t want to die? The eldest son, Hu Dian, had no choice but to follow Hu Man to build the water conservancy. Now, only Hu Gui was left in the Hu family. Qi Haoran¡¯s resolve was not just limited to building a reservoir. He invited Song Zhi and a few people in the county who were knowledgeable about building water conservancy facilities. Not only did he set up three reservoirs, but he also nned to open a few channels to introduce water into the fields. This meant that the channels had to pass through the fields. Although it was convenient to irrigate water like this, it also resulted in a significant loss of farnd. Many people were unwilling to let the channels pass through their fields because the ditch that Qi Haoran wanted to dig was ten meters wide, almost like a river. The farnd here had been divided into pieces, and ownership wouldn¡¯t change thereafter. It was impossible for the army topensate them for itter. Others might not be willing, but Mu Yangling was very willing. She ran to look for Qi Haoran. ¡°Thend on the east side of my house is by the river. You can build it through my family¡¯snd. You can dig all the way to the south where my family¡¯s other plot ofnd is. Don¡¯t worry, I have no objections no matter how big of a ditch you dig. Just don¡¯t touch my high-gradend.¡± d that she was so supportive of his work, Qi Haoran patted his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell those old men. They definitely won¡¯t dare to pass through your high-gradend.¡± Mu Yangling smiled brightly. When Fan Zijin returned and heard Qi Haoran praising Mu Yangling, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°She¡¯s very smart. Her family has so muchnd that they can¡¯t finish farming it. By building it on hernd, isn¡¯t she the one to benefit?¡± Qi Haoran snorted. ¡°She¡¯s not the only one who can¡¯t finish farming. Why don¡¯t I see others who are willing? In the end, those people are too selfish. Hmph, just wait and see. When I have a bumper harvest next year, let¡¯s see what else they have to say.¡± After saying that, Qi Haoran went to look for someone to discuss building the houses. Although they had to build the water conservancy facilities, the construction of the houses could not be dyed either. Yanmo hurriedly rushed in to look for Fan Zijin. ¡°Master, the generals in front are here again. They said that they want to talk to Fourth Young Master about something.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s face fell and a cold glint shed across his eyes. Standing up, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± Qi Haoran was an acting general, and there were two trainingmissioners and four regimentmanders under him. Even the toonmanders below were transferred from the other divisions. Putting aside the toonmanders, which one of the two trainingmissioners and four regimentmanders wasn¡¯t a veteran in the army? There were all sorts of reasons why they were pushed to the 5th Division by the other divisions, but they all had amon characteristic, which was that they were not capable. Fan Zijin looked down on them, but it was undeniable that the operation of the 5th Division depended on these people. At least before Qi Haoran and he developed trusted aides, these people had to be present. Otherwise, the soldiers in the 5th Division would dare to rebel. Fan Zijin came out to meet them with a cold expression. The two trainingmissioners opened their eyes and nced at him. They asked bluntly, ¡°Young Master Fan, the person we want to see is Little General. We failed to see him for three consecutive days already. Is Little General nning to leave us alone?¡± Seated at the head of the table, Fan Zijin looked at them coldly. ¡°Haoran has gone to the West Camp. Cousin wants to summon him for questioning. If anyone wants to see him, you can do so when hees back from the West Camp.¡± Training Commissioner Han¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Yesterday, you said that Little General was going to patrol. Previously, you said that he was going to look for Magistrate Song. Today, he¡¯s off to see General. Then, is he going to see the emissary tomorrow?¡± Fan Zijin chuckled and looked at him mockingly. ¡°Why? Does Training Commissioner Han have a problem with Haoran going to see the general? Then you can go to the West Camp to lodge aint against him. Cousin has always been fair. Even if Haoran is Cousin¡¯s biological younger brother, he will deal with it impartially.¡± Bullsh*t. If the general knew how to deal with things impartially, would he have handed the 5th Division to his 12-year-old brother to manage? Fan Zijin took a sip of tea and said slowly, ¡°Training Commissioner Han, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re secretly nning. Haoran is upright and doesn¡¯t think about those dirty things, but I¡¯m not so easy to fool. To tell you the truth, Haoran doesn¡¯t handle the ounts, so the grains borrowed from the Sun and Zhao families are all in my hands. It¡¯s now in the storeroom of my residence.¡± Training Commissioner Han¡¯s expression immediately changed. He stood up with a whoosh and said angrily, ¡°These grains are borrowed in the name of the 5th Division, and you¡¯re only apanying Little General to train. How can you control the resources of the 5th Division?¡± Fan Zijin snorted nonchntly. ¡°Not only am I taking charge of these borrowed grains, but all the ount books of the 5th Division are also in my hands.¡± Fan Zijin nced at them from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know? The 5th Division was abandoned and their purpose here is to farmnd for the army. What do you think your chances of sess are if you run back to the West Camp toin about Haoran now?¡± Chapter 116: Sharing Chapter 116: Sharing Editor: As Studios The six of them did not speak because they knew that the possibility was zero. Putting aside the fact that Qi Haoran was the general¡¯s younger brother, just as Fan Zijin had said, the existence of the 5th Division was to farm for the other four divisions. Other than Qi Xiuyuan, who wanted to train his younger brother, the generals of the other four divisions did not think that the 5th Division could go to the battlefield. This was because the 5th Division consisted of those leftover soldiers, including these trainingmissioners and regimentmanders who had also been eliminated by the various divisions. As such, they just had to farm well. And what Qi Haoran was doing now was to try to farm better. Training Commissioner Han and these few regimentmanders wanted to be in charge. However, not to mention that Qi Haoran didn¡¯t trust them, even the other four assistantmanders knew their character. If the resources were to be handed over to them, how much would end up being used on the soldiers in the end? Training Commissioner Han also knew this, and his expression turned even uglier. Seeing that they were all silent, Fan Zijin¡¯s expression changed slightly. He said, ¡°The soldiers of the 5th Division are all leftovers picked by the various battalions. If we want to train them to a decent standard, we¡¯ll have to rely on you. However, next year will be different from the previous years. The frequency of the Hu people attacking south might increase. Didn¡¯t the 1st Division fight with the Jin soldiers outside the pass two days ago? The other four divisions have limited energy for farming and can only rely on our 5th Division. Therefore, Haoran and I definitely won¡¯t allow anyone to cause trouble at this time. After the sowing season, Haoran will have a brand new method of training soldiers. At that time, please help him.¡± As he spoke, he sighed sadly. ¡°I can only help him with some farming matters.¡± The few of them perked up when they heard that, thinking that Fan Zijin would let go of the 5th Division¡¯s resources and focus on agriculture. They looked at each other and felt that it might not be a bad idea to wait a few more months before taking over the authority of the 5th Division. There was no need to go against Qi Haoran at this time and piss him off. One had to know that Qi Haoran was famous for being a little tyrant in the army. Although he usually ate and lived with the soldiers, if someone provoked him, he dared to hit even the generals in the camp, let alone the few of them. Fan Zijin sent them out. Seeing that their backs had disappeared, his expression darkened. Yanmo said, ¡°Master, you should tell Fourth Young Master.¡± ¡°Tell him for what? Don¡¯t you think he has enough to be frustrated about? Let them be smug for a few days. When we free up some time, we¡¯ll deal with them.¡± Fan Zijin snorted. He had been really busy these few days. Qi Haoran did not know how to manage the ounts. He went to force the Sun and Zhao families to lend him so much grain, but he did not n out how much to cook per day. At this rate, they would be finished by these soldiers in less than two months. Hence, Fan Zijin could only take over this responsibility. Hence, not only was Qi Haoran busy, but he was also not free. This group consisting of Training Commissioner Han were all leeches that had an insatiable greed. Previously, they had taken for themselves a lot of the things that Qi Xiuyuan had given to this division. Previously, it happened due to his and Haoran¡¯s negligence, but now, they could not let them do whatever they wanted. Therefore, the resources of the 5th Division were tightly held by him and Haoran. Haoran was already in a terrible fix over the matters outside. Of course, Fan Zijin did not want to bother him with these scheming matters. Anyway, having done a lot of cleaning up after Haoran back in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, he was already familiar with it. Just as Qi Haoran turned so tanned and thin that Mu Yangling almost couldn¡¯t recognize him, the construction of the house was finallypleted, and the water conservancy project was also halfpleted. Qi Haoran was very satisfied with this result, whilst Song Zhi was almost in tears. ¡°I¡¯ve long wanted to build the water conservancy facilities in Mingshui County, but Magistrate Qian had always felt that it was a waste of money and effort, so he put it aside. I didn¡¯t expect that now that Mingshui County has be a military district, the water conservancy facilities ironically end up sessfully built.¡± The registrar said, ¡°Sir, this is just a simple water conservancy project. If we want to benefit our descendants, the manpower and resources required far exceeds this scale. I think¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Qi Haoran interrupted him. ¡°I know that it¡¯s just three reservoirs and two ditches. It¡¯s not much of a water conservancy project, but my ability is limited now. I had to borrow grains to build this much. If your county office is willing to provide some support, I¡¯ll build a big one. How about that?¡± The registrar immediately did not dare to speak. Song Zhi also looked up at the sky and said, ¡°The weather is really good today.¡± Qi Haoran looked up at the sky and pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s so gloomy and it¡¯s about to snow. How is it good?¡± Only then did Song Zhi notice that the sky was dark and the wind blowing against his body was a little cold. He frowned. ¡°Is it going to snow? Can we continue with the project tomorrow?¡± Qi Haoran nced at him. ¡°What do you think? My men are also humans. Hmph.¡± As he spoke, he turned around and ordered, ¡°If it snows tomorrow, order the entire camp to go home and rest. Everyone can receive three days of rations.¡± The soldiers and able-bodied men working on this project were overjoyed when they heard this, and they worked even harder. Song Zhi rubbed his nose and followed Qi Haoran with a smile. cing his hand on Qi Haoran¡¯s shoulder, he said, ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s even better if it snows. Come over with your cousin to my ce to drink. Look, you¡¯ve all grown so thin recently.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to look for my Big Brother. What¡¯s the point of drinking with you?¡± Mu Yangling, Madam Ma-Liu, and the others had already plowed 23 acres of high-gradend and 60 acres of medium-gradend. However, they were helpless about the remaining 100 acres of low-gradend. It was a pity to leave thend there, but it was already not bad that they could nt 83 acres ofnd. Madam Ma-Liu was nning to bring them to break up the mud and tten the ground. This way, the soil would be looser and easier to nt. There would also be less grass in theing year. When Mu Shi returned with a small bag of grains, Mu Yangling and the others were in the fields. Shu Wanniang was sitting in the room, embroidering. When she saw Mu Shi walk in, she was in a daze for a moment before reacting. Then, she quickly got up and took the things from his hand. ¡°You¡¯re back. Hurry up and go in. I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± Mu Shi shook his head with a smile. ¡°Maybe you can boil water for me to bathe first.¡± Mu Shi stuck his head out to look at the twins and clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s only been 23 days since Ist saw them, but they¡¯ve already grown so big?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that children grow up quickly.¡± Shu Wanniang went to boil hot water for him. Mu Shi was shocked to see the embroidery that Shu Wanniang had ced in the basket. He picked it up and, seeing that there were embroidery patterns on both sides, his face instantly darkened and he could not help but clench his fists. Hearing his wife¡¯s footsteps, Mu Shi quickly put down the embroidery and turned around with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What do you want to eat? Ah Ling went into the mountains again a few days ago. There¡¯s still some meat in the kitchen.¡± Seeing Mu Shi frown, Shu Wanniang spoke up for her daughter. ¡°She didn¡¯t go too deep. Just near the ce where they gather firewood.¡± Mu Shi rxed his brows and smiled. ¡°I like to eat everything you cook. Make whatever you want.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wanniang saw the basket beside Mu Shi and smiled as she went forward to pack it up and bring it back to her room. ¡°Then take care of the kids. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen.¡± Mu Shi nced at the basket and nodded in agreement. Chapter 117: Invitation Chapter 117: Invitation Editor: As Studios When the snow fell in the middle of the night, Mu Yangling felt cold and got up to take a look. The air she exhaled turned into white fog. Frowning, Mu Yangling put on her clothes. She opened the door a crack and looked out. Only then did she realize that it was as bright as day outside. A cold wind blew over and Mu Yangling shivered. She hurriedly closed the door and climbed back into bed. This wouldn¡¯t do. It was getting colder and colder, but there was still nearly a month before the new year. She had to heat up the brick bed. Mu Yangling thought as she fell asleep in a daze. The next day, Mu Yangling went to discuss it with her father. ¡°Father, let¡¯s make the brick bed while we have time. Otherwise, it¡¯ll only get colder and colder.¡± Mu Shi wrapped the twins and Little Bowen in the nket and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Hu Manter and get him to help. I¡¯ll make yours today.¡± Mu Yangling saw that Little Bowen only had his head revealed outside of the nket and was full of smiles. She scratched his face and asked, ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Little Bowen whispered, ¡°Sister, I want to go out and build a snowman.¡± Mu Yangling touched his clothes and shook her head. ¡°No, your clothes are too thin.¡± Little Bowen was disappointed. Mu Shi put on his clothes and was about to go out when he saw that his daughter had also lost weight. Seeing that the baby fat on her face had disappeared, his heart ached. He knew that when he was away at the camp, the burden of the entire family could only fall on his daughter. He turned around and stroked her head. Smiling, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be busy today. Bring your brother and cousins out to y. Don¡¯t stay at home all the time. There are many other children nearby. Go and y with them.¡± What was so fun about ying with other children? Mu Yangling did not want to go, but when she saw Mu Shi looking at her gently, she could only nod. After eating, Mu Shi went to look for Hu Man. In the end, not only did Hu Mane, but Hu Man¡¯s eldest brother, Hu Dian, also came to help. Hu Man was Mu Shi¡¯s subordinate to begin with, and when Hu Dian went to build the water conservancy facilities, he was assigned to Mu Shi. They had all seen Little Generaling to look for Mu Shi from time to time, so it could be seen that he was viewed in high regard. He might have a bright future ahead, so it would not be a bad thing to be chummy with him. Since Mu Yangling did not have to do anything today, she just sat on the bed with her younger siblings and yed some small games. From time to time, she would check on the twins. As the men in the north all knew how to build brick beds, and the three of them were capable, the brick beds were ready by the time afternoon rolled around. Mu Shi didn¡¯t have time to wait for it to dry slowly, so he dried it slowly on a low fire. Madam Ma-Liu had already taken the remaining meat to cook. When Hu Man and Hu Dian saw the table full of meat dishes, they couldn¡¯t help but swallow their saliva. Although Qi Haoran used the borrowed money to buy meat for them and they could find one or two thin slices of meat in the dishes every afternoon, that was merely enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. It was unlike the Mu family¡¯srge tes of meat dishes. Hu Dian could not help but ask, ¡°Big Brother, where did you get the meat from?¡± ¡°We hunted prey in the mountains. Quickly sit down and eat. We¡¯ll also have to trouble you tomorrow and the day after.¡± Madam Ma-Liu took two bowls of dishes to her room, and the women and children ate in her room. Looking at the heavy snow outside, Madam Ma-Liu sighed. ¡°How good would it be if we had nted wheat before winter? When snow falls like this, the wheat will definitely grow well in spring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll nt winter wheat next year,¡± Mu Yanglingforted her. The next day, Mu Shi kicked down the brick bed in Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s room and made a new one. Mu Yangling was originally squatting in front to watch themotion when she heard someone shouting outside, ¡°Mu Yangling,e out quickly!¡± Mu Shi and Mu Yangling recognized Qi Haoran¡¯s voice and hurriedly went out. Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin rode on their horses and said smugly, ¡°Mu Yangling, follow us into the mountains to hunt.¡± Seeing that Mu Shi was covered in dust, they asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Making a brick bed.¡± Seeing that they were wearing short-sleeved clothes and had bows and arrows on their backs, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but be tempted. She turned around and looked at her father eagerly. Mu Shi thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°Even though you¡¯re more familiar with the forest, do be careful. Take good care of Little General and Young Master Fan, understand?¡± Mu Yangling nodded and ran back to her room to get her bow and arrow. She promised Bowen and the others, ¡°Wait for me toe back. We¡¯ll eat meat tonight.¡± The three children watched helplessly as their sister (cousin) jumped onto Qi Haoran¡¯s horse and left together. Xiuhong pulled a long face and said after a while, ¡°I don¡¯t like them.¡± Little Bowen drooled and said, ¡°I want to eat venison.¡± Xin was also drooling. ¡°I want to eat too.¡± Hu Man and Hu Dian were purely envious. They did not expect Mu Shi¡¯s daughter to be on such good terms with the little general. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin tied their horses to a tree. ncing at Yanmo and Fei Bai, Yanmo immediately said, ¡°Young Master Fan, Fourth Young Master, don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be any problems with leaving the horses here.¡± ¡°You can go into the mountains?¡± Fei Bai said proudly, ¡°Fourth Young Master, don¡¯t worry. Although we can¡¯tpare to you and Young Master Fan, we can still shoot arrows.¡± Yanmo shot him a nce and remained silent. ¡°Alright, follow me. You can carry the preyter.¡± ¡°What prey do you want to hunt? Are you going deep into the mountains?¡± Qi Haoran said proudly, ¡°Since it¡¯s the deep winter, of course I¡¯m going to hunt deer. We¡¯ll roast deer meatter.¡± Seeing that he was beaming with joy, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there something joyous? Why are you so happy?¡± Qi Haoran could not hide the smile on his face. ¡°My Big Brother praised me and allowed me to skip school this year.¡± Qi Xiuyuan rarely praised Qi Haoran and always praised Fan Zijin instead. Hence, Qi Haoran minded this very much, because he felt that he had always been very hardworking. Although he always dozed off in ss and often did not understand what his teacher taught, he would not skip ss unless there was an urgent matter. This time, many people objected to the repairing of the water conservancy facilities, but Big Brother praised him and even asked him to do whatever he wanted. Qi Haoran could not help but feel ted. He wanted to find a few people to share in his joy, but in Xingzhou Prefecture, other than Fan Zijin, only with Mu Yangling could he rx and express his thoughts freely. Hence, Qi Haoran dragged Fan Zijin to look for Mu Yangling without thinking. Mu Yangling was far more familiar with the forest than Qi Haoran. She led them carefully into the deep forest and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never entered the deep forest here, so I don¡¯t know where there are deer, but if we find a ce with water, we should be able to find their traces.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the water frozen now?¡± Fan Zijin asked in confusion. Qi Haoran said, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. The water in the forest usually won¡¯t freeze. In winter, the temperature inside the water is warmer than outside.¡± Mu Yangling nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to find a ce with water. Before that, we can also hunt other prey.¡± Mu Yangling pulled out the arrow behind her and nocked her bow. The two of them also saw the roe deer sprinting away. Mu Yangling¡¯s arrow left the bow and pierced straight into the roe deer¡¯s neck. After the impact, it fell to the ground and struggled a few times before lying down weakly. Mu Yangling ran up and said happily, ¡°Roe deer meat is delicious too.¡± Qi Haoran swallowed his saliva and nodded repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s indeed delicious.¡± Chapter 118: Hunting Chapter 118: Hunting Editor: As Studios ¡°There they are!¡± Qi Haoran suppressed his excitement and said, ¡°There are two of them. Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Look at that stomach. It¡¯s a female deer pregnant with a baby deer. Let¡¯s look for the deer herd and see if we can find it. When the timees, we¡¯ll shoot the male deer.¡± Mu Yangling pulled Qi Haoran back and said, ¡°Deer are social animals and have always moved together. The deer herd might be nearby.¡± Qi Haoran patiently continued to wait behind the bushes. Unable to stand the cold, Fan Zijin blew at his hands and asked, ¡°Are we just going to wait?¡± ¡°There¡¯s water here and these two deer are here to drink water. Can¡¯t go wrong guarding the water.¡± Qi Haoran couldn¡¯t help but look at Mu Yangling. ¡°Do you hunt deer often?¡± ¡°Nah. We only go into the mountains in autumn and winter. The deer in the mountains aren¡¯t like rabbits, so we don¡¯t dare to hunt too many. There are many hunters in Xingzhou Prefecture.¡± Qi Haoran nodded and said regretfully, ¡°When we were in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, if we wanted to hunt, we could only go to the hunting ground because there were very few huge prey in the forest. Deer meat is truly delicious. It was already not bad if we could get a pair of its hind legs in winter. When I heard from Big Brother that there were deer herds in Chef Mountain, I dragged Zijin over.¡± Lin¡¯an Prefecture was prosperous, so the prices were naturally high. Here, one could buy a deer for ten taels of silver, but in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, one might not be able to buy it for 100 taels of silver because there were too few things and too many nobles. As the Qi family and the Fan family were only third-grade and fourth-grade families, they could notpete with the influential people in the capital. Having followed Mu Shi into the mountains to hunt deer a few times, Mu Yangling already had a hunting method. At this moment, she brought the four of them to find a suitable ambush location. Indeed, not long after, deer walked over one after another. They lowered their heads and drank water in the waterhole with the two deer. From time to time, they would look up warily at their surroundings. When the number of deer exceeded 18, Mu Yangling took out the weeds in her mouth and whispered, ¡°My arrows are very urate. The moment I shoot, you¡¯ll be able to see blood. What about you?¡± Qi Haoran hurriedly expressed his stance. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not weak either. I can shoot it at the neck in one shot.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Fan Zijin, who turned his head away. Qi Haoran helped him out. ¡°He¡¯s good at studying.¡± Mu Yangling understood. ¡°Then the two of us will be in charge of shooting the deer, and the rest of you will be in charge of rounding up¡­¡± After making some arrangements, Mu Yangling took two steps forward with Qi Haoran. ¡°Remember, only kill male deer. How many you can kill depends on luck. Don¡¯t chase after them.¡± There were many ferocious beasts in the forest. If they chased after the deer herd, they might lose their way. Should that happen, no matter how capable they were, they would only be ughtered. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± As soon as Mu Yangling finished speaking, she stood up and nocked an arrow at the same time. The arrow flew out and pierced into the neck of a male deer under Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze. The male deer fell to the ground in pain and could only raise its neck and scream silently. Qi Haoran, who was beside her, was not slow either. Almost at the instant Mu Yangling shot out her arrow, his arrow also shot out and aimed at the neck of a male deer. The deer herd immediately became chaotic and fled in all directions. Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran did not stop. They kept drawing their bows and shooting arrows. Some hit the deer¡¯s neck, killing it with one arrow, and some hit the deer¡¯s body and were carried away by the deer. Fan Zijin brought Fei Bai and Yanmo to surround and capture such deer, so as to not let them escape. After the deer herd dispersed, Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran jumped up and ran to help stop the injured deer. Fan Zijin ran through the forest in a sorry state. In the end, he simply sat on the ground angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it anymore. You guys do it yourselves.¡± However, Qi Haoran was having a great time. He jumped up and punched the injured deer¡¯s head, causing it to fall to the ground with a bang. He let out a carefreeugh and shouted, ¡°Awesome!¡± Mu Yangling threw a rock at him. ¡°Shut up. Do you think themotion isn¡¯t loud enough? Hurry up.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed a deer that was running towards her and pressed it down with all her might, knocking it out with a punch. Fan Zijin¡¯s mouth fell open. How much strength did she have to exert, considering the running momentum and the weight of the deer? Although Qi Haoran was also shocked, he had fought with Mu Yangling many times and so recovered from his shock quickly. When everyone dragged over the deer they had hunted, everyone was shocked. ¡°There are actually five of them. Not bad, not bad.¡± Mu Yangling was very satisfied. ¡°Let¡¯s drag the deer out.¡± Fan Zijin frowned. ¡°Do you think I can drag it?¡± Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran looked at his limbs and shook their heads together. Mu Yangling said, ¡°I can take two myself.¡± Qi Haoran gritted his teeth. ¡°I can carry two, too.¡± Fan Zijin frowned and pulled him back. ring at him, he said, ¡°Alright, if you can¡¯t carry them out at once, why can¡¯t you make two trips? Do you think a deer is like a rabbit?¡± ¡°If we go out now, we might not be able to get the deer when wee in again. The animals in the forest have sharp noses and the smell of blood here is too strong.¡± After some pondering, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s weave a raft and drag it out. I always do this when I hunt too many prey in the mountains.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You have time to weave a raft, but you don¡¯t have time to go out and call for help?¡± ¡°Fei Bai, go and pull a few vines over with Yanmo. Hurry up. Qi Haoran,e and help me. Fan Zijin, just stay here and watch.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and left after saying that. Qi Haoran hurriedly followed. Before leaving, he didn¡¯t forget to re at Fei Bai and Yanmo. ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± Fei Bai and Yanmo hurriedly ran to pull at the vines, leaving Fan Zijin to stare at them. Mu Yangling climbed onto a tree and snapped a branch before throwing it down. She said to Qi Haoran, ¡°Break all those leaves and twigs.¡± She was strong, had good eyesight, and climbed trees quickly. In just a short while, she climbed five trees and threw down seven branches as thick as a child¡¯s arm. Then, she jumped down from the tree and removed the twigs and leaves with Qi Haoran. When the two of them dragged the tree branches back, Fei Bai and Yanmo were still tugging at the vines. Qi Haoran couldn¡¯t stand it and went over to help. He exerted strength in his hand and a vine was pulled off. Qi Haoran handed it to her. As soon as Mu Yangling arranged the branches, she took the vines and wrapped them around them. In less than 15 minutes, a raft was ready. Mu Yangling tugged at it and felt that the vines were strong enough, so she said, ¡°Alright, two deer can be ced on it.¡± As he spoke, he picked two of the smaller deer and ced them on the raft. Then, he carried the fattest one and pulled the raft using his hand. Turning around, he said, ¡°Alright, the remaining two are yours. Hurry up.¡± Fan Zijin, Fei Bai, and Yanmo watched with their mouths agape. Qi Haoran had already picked arger one to carry. Although he was only 12 years old, he had practiced martial arts since he was young, so it was not difficult for him to do so using his internal energy. However, Fei Bai and the others were different. Although they were two to three years older than Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin, they still had difficulty carrying a deer. Fan Zijin gritted his teeth and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll carry it with you.¡± Fei Bai and Yanmo quickly got to work. Chapter 119: Eating Meat Chapter 119: Eating Meat Editor: As Studios By the time the group walked out of the forest with difficulty, Fan Zijin copsed on the ground from exhaustion. Mu Yangling was rxed, and Qi Haoran was at ease. After he ced the deer on the ground, he waved his hand. ¡°Fei Bai, ride back and get Uncle Mu to pick us up. We¡¯ll barbecue deer meat at the Mu residence tonight.¡± Mu Yangling picked up from the raft the roe deer that was killed first and ced it on the horse¡¯s back. ¡°Bring it back to my father. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to take itter.¡± Fei Bai agreed with a bitter expression. Seeing that he had left, Qi Haoran then discussed with Mu Yangling about dividing the spoils. Or rather, the prey. ¡°Since you put in a lot of effort and led the way, thus helping us to find the deer herd so quickly, you should take three while I take two. How does that sound?¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°There are many of you and you contributed a lot. It¡¯s better for you to take three while I¡¯ll take two. If you hadn¡¯te to look for me, my father definitely wouldn¡¯t have allowed me to enter the mountain.¡± Seeing Qi Haoran frown in disapproval, she said, ¡°If you think I¡¯m at a disadvantage, give me a pair of deer whips and deer antlers. How about that?¡± Qi Haoran widened his eyes. ¡°You like to eat such things?¡± Fan Zijin wished he could close his eyes. Bursting outughing, Mu Yangling said, ¡°It¡¯s not for me. The deer antlers are for my father and mother. As for the deer whip, I¡¯m going to sell it to the pharmacy.¡± As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°You can save your remaining two pairs for your Big Brother. He¡¯ll definitely like them.¡± Qi Haoran reacted by blushing. Mu Yanglingughed out loud. Seeing that Qi Haoran was being bullied, Fan Zijin retorted, ¡°You¡¯re really a concerned daughter, huh. You even prepared deer antlers for your parents.¡± Mu Yangling snorted. ¡°Well, I¡¯m filial to my parents. I¡¯m happy to!¡± Fan Zijin wanted to say something, but Mu Shi had already jogged over with the Hu brothers. When they saw the prey on the ground, the Hu brothers were stunned. Mu Shi, who was already used to it, went forward to greet Qi Haoran. As he picked up a deer, he said, ¡°Little General, let¡¯s go back quickly. My wife has already prepared food.¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not eating with you guys. I¡¯ll just roast venison with Mu Yangling and the others.¡± When the group returned to the Mu Residence, Mu Yangling ced Qi Haoran¡¯s three deer aside and chose a fat and strong deer from her share to cut. Mu Shi hurriedly stopped her and said, ¡°Let me do it. Go change your clothes quickly ande back to entertain the Little General.¡± Mu Yangling chuckled and ran to change. Qi Haoran was circling his prey in satisfaction. He took out a dagger from his calf, cut off the deer antler and deer whip, and handed them to Little Bowen. ¡°Here, this is what your sister wants. Give it to herter.¡± He turned around and instructed Fei Bai to go back and get someone to bring the things back. He decided to leave one behind to eat with Zijin and have the rest brought back to the West Camp to give to Big Brother. Yes, he would also send some to Song Zhi. Standing at the door, Xiuhong looked at them for a while, before pulling her sister and turning around to clean up the grill. She took out a few potatoes from the corner of the house, washed them, and cut them into slices. Mu Yangling, who had changed her clothes, came out and praised her loudly upon seeing this. ¡°Xiuhong, you¡¯re so thoughtful. We¡¯ll roast potatoes to eatter. It¡¯s a pity that there aren¡¯t any vegetables. Otherwise, it¡¯d be even more delicious.¡± Xiuhong pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I knew you would like it. Cousin, shall we roast venison tonight?¡± ¡°Of course not. There¡¯s also roe deer meat. It¡¯s delicious even if it¡¯s roasted. My father¡¯s knife skills are especially good, so I asked him to cut it into thin slices.¡± Mu Yangling smacked her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s no chili or ketchup. Otherwise, the roasted venison would definitely taste even more awesome.¡± However, because Shu Wanniang was worried about the children¡¯s stomachs, she made some porridge for them using bones. This way, everyone could eat a bowl of porridge before the barbecue. Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin couldn¡¯t escape this either. As Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran had big appetites, that small bowl of porridge was not even enough to fill the bottom of their stomachs. They finished it readily. Little Bowen wanted to skip it, but Shu Wanniang red at him. He had no choice but to eat a small bowl of bone porridge obediently. Little Bowen rubbed his stomach aggrievedly and said, ¡°I¡¯m almost full. I won¡¯t be able to eat muchter.¡± Mu Yangling looked at the charcoal absent-mindedly and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you eat itter.¡± Little Bowen felt even more aggrieved. The Mu family didn¡¯t bring their grill with them when they fled their vige previously, so they used a makeshift one this time by digging a pit on the ground. Rocks were ced around it and the charcoal was ced in to be heated. Then, a rectangr piece of iron was ced upon it to form the grill. Fan Zijin looked at it with his mouth agape. He muttered, ¡°Can you actually roast something using this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure this will work. After brushing it with oil, I¡¯ll be able to put the meat inter,¡± Mu Yangling said confidently. Qi Haoran also looked on with interest. He had never used such a simple grill before, but he still wanted to learn the skill of being able to construct a grill anywhere. Since it was certain that he would go out to war in the future, there were things he couldn¡¯t bring with him. If he could construct a grill whenever he wanted, he was willing to do so even if it was a simple one. Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the piece of iron. As there was a fire in the courtyard, he could clearly see the ck stuff on it. He tried enduring it, but he could not hold it in anymore. Pointing at the thing on it, he asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Xiuhong nced at it and said nonchntly, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the mark left behind from the forging.¡± ¡°Forging iron? Why haven¡¯t I seen it before on other grills?¡± ¡°Uncle Liu¡¯s forging skills are not good enough so the pieces of iron aren¡¯t even. If not for that, we wouldn¡¯t have been willing to use these iron pieces to make a grill. Perhaps with an additional piece of iron added, that¡¯s enough iron to make a scythe.¡± ¡°Scythe?¡± Fan Zijin had a bad feeling. His intuition told him not to ask further, but he could not help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t this piece of iron a whole piece of iron? What else was this used as before?¡± Mu Yangling nced at him strangely. Even Qi Haoran couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°They¡¯re farmers. How can they get iron?¡± The country had strict control over iron. Xiuhong said, ¡°Who knows what it was used for? Since it was found in our vige, it¡¯s either a scythe or a shovel. When Cousin found it, the iron had already been melted. This cooledter, so we couldn¡¯t tell what it was before.¡± Mu Yangling had already ced the meat slices neatly in and sprinkled some salt. Before it was cooked, Qi Haoran picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, shouting, ¡°Delicious!¡± However, Fan Zijin could not pick up his chopsticks no matter what. The image of a scythe and shovel kept appearing in his mind. Qi Haoran didn¡¯t know what he was conflicted about. Seeing that he didn¡¯t make a move, he picked up a piece of freshly cooked food and stuffed it into his mouth before it turned cold. Chuckling, he said, ¡°Hurry up and eat. Mu Yangling¡¯s culinary skills are not bad. It¡¯s delicious! Look, it¡¯s all snatched up by them.¡± Fan Zijin: ¡°¡­¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t notice Fan Zijin¡¯s expression. She had to take care of Little Bowen, stuff food into her own mouth, and help Xiuhong and Xin snatch a few pieces of roasted meat from time to time. How could she notice others? Qi Haoran ate aggressively, always picking up the food as soon as it was cooked or even before it was cooked. Seeing that Xiuhong was no match for him, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but knock his chopsticks with her chopsticks. ¡°Eat slower. My cousins haven¡¯t eaten much yet.¡± Qi Haoran said, ¡°The venison here is better than the ones in the capital. Don¡¯t you think so, Zijin?¡± Fan Zijin red at him fiercely before snatching the meat from Qi Haoran¡¯s chopsticks. Qi Haoran was baffled. He did not know how he had offended him, but every time he picked up a piece of meat, Fan Zijin would snatch it away. It was fine if it happened once or twice, but after it happened too many times, Qi Haoran inevitably got angry. ¡°What are you doing? Must you snatch food from my mouth?¡± Fan Zijin sneered and stared at him. The first to weaken his aura, Qi Haoran muttered, ¡°If you want to snatch it, so be it. But I want to eat too. I¡¯ll give you half, alright?¡± As he spoke, he picked up a piece for Fan Zijin and another for himself. It was the same for the rest. Before he ate, he picked up a piece for Fan Zijin. Fan Zijin tormented him for a long time before his anger dissipated. However, by then, he realized that he was already full. To think he was full from eating meat roasted using such a piece of iron! Chapter 120: Learning How to Ride a Horse Chapter 120: Learning How to Ride a Horse Editor: As Studios In the end, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin left with their bellies full. Mu Yangling and her siblings also ate until their mouths glistened with oil. Finally, they went to sleep in satisfaction. The next morning, Mu Yangling woke up early and ran to look for her father. ¡°Father, let¡¯s drag that deer to the county and sell it?¡± ¡°Mingshui County has just suffered a cmity. Other than a few officials, who else can afford it?¡± ¡°Then sell it to them.¡± Mu Shi smiled and said, ¡°They don¡¯t care for it. I heard that the Sun family is raising dozens of deer in their farm, waiting to kill them during the new year.¡± Mu Yangling frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I have to go to the prefectural capital to sell a deer?¡± She was very unhappy, for she had originally thought that it would be easier to buy and sell things now that she was living beside the county. But it turned out, she still had to travel. The open-minded Mu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Just keep it at home for you guys to eat.¡± Madam Ma-Liu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s two deer. How can we possibly eat so much? Last night, after Ah Ling and the others ate a hind leg and you shared some with the Hu family, there¡¯s still more than half of that deer left. In my opinion, you should sell that half too. Don¡¯t we still have roe deer meat at home?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sell the other half. I like to eat venison. Great-aunt, we can keep it for some nourishment. Just sell that whole one. If I can¡¯t sell it in the county, I¡¯ll bring it to the prefectural capital. I¡¯ll go look for Qi Haoran. He said that he¡¯s going back to visit his brother today, so I can take his carriage.¡± With that, she turned around and ran without waiting for Mu Shi and Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s agreement. Mu Shi was a little stunned. In the past, although his daughter had ideas as well, she would definitely ask for his permission before doing it. Mu Shi shook his head and smiled. Forget it. Since his daughter was already grown up, he couldn¡¯t control her much. Mu Yangling ran all the way to the camp. Qi Haoran was about to leave when he saw Mu Yanglinging over and stopped in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to the prefectural capital?¡± Qi Haoran nodded. ¡°You want to go with us?¡± ¡°Bring me along.¡± Mu Yangling said with a grin, ¡°Otherwise, how long would it take me to carry a deer on my back?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you. Go back and pack up.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Don¡¯t you not know how to ride a horse yet? I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll go back now.¡± As she spoke, she turned around and ran home. ¡°Great-aunt, I¡¯m going to the prefectural capital. Is there anything you want to buy?¡± Madam Ma-Liu shook her head. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I need, I can just go to the county. Why the need to go so far? Go ande back quickly. Be careful on the way.¡± Mu Yangling nodded in agreement and ran to ask Shu Wanniang. Thetter turned around and handed her an embroidered handkerchief. ¡°I embroidered this. Send it to the embroidery store and ask how much it can fetch. If the price is suitable, sell it.¡± Mu Yangling took the embroidered handkerchief and saw that one side was embroidered with verdant bamboo, while the other side was a budding flower. She couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°Mother, your embroidery is gorgeous. This is double-sided embroidery, right? Why didn¡¯t you teach me before?¡± Shu Wanniang tapped her forehead and said angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t I teach you? What else can you do besides cross-stitching clouds? You don¡¯t even know how to match the thread yet.¡± Mu Yangling touched her nose and chuckled. ¡°I have you to rely on, don¡¯t I? Don¡¯t worry, with your skills, I¡¯ll learn it even if it means I¡¯m going to blister my hands doing so.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned and reprimanded her. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± After hesitating for a moment, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell your father about this first. Let me know the price first. If it¡¯s suitable, I can embroider a screen next time. Perhaps our family will have more money then.¡± Mu Yangling blinked and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Nodding, she promised, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t tell Father.¡± Mu Yangling hid the handkerchief in her sleeves before running out to greet Mu Shi. She took three deer whips and picked up the deer before running off. Mu Shi only had time to say, ¡°Be careful.¡± Mu Yangling threw the deer into Qi Haoran¡¯s carriage and sat in front of him. As she grabbed the reins, she asked excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ll take off now, okay?¡± The moment Qi Haoran nodded, Mu Yangling imitated Qi Haoran and tapped the horse with the tip of her foot. The horse leaped out. Qi Haoran leaned back and hugged Mu Yangling¡¯s waist, startled. While Mu Yanglingughed heartily against the wind, Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened as he shouted, ¡°Slow down, slow down. Watch the road. Are you going into the forest?¡± Mu Yangling hurriedly tugged at the rope, wanting the horse to move to the right. Unexpectedly, the horse leaned more and more to the left. Qi Haoran had no choice but to hold her hand and rx the reins. He said, ¡°You can¡¯t hold the reins tightly. This will make the horse ufortable. Rx a little. Use your left leg to touch the horse¡¯s stomach slightly. When you pull the reins to the right, it will move to the right. You have to control your strength well and not be too anxious.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling calm down and listen carefully to Qi Haoran¡¯s teachings. Initially, Fan Zijin was sitting on his horse and waiting to watch them make a fool of themselves. However, when he saw that Mu Yangling could control the horse by herself at the second attempt, he could not help but purse his lips. This was simr to Qi Haoran¡¯s skills. It seemed like she was a quick learner. Mu Yangling invited Fan Zijin. ¡°Do you want toe with us? We¡¯ll run over first and then run back.¡± ¡°As if I have nothing better to do.¡± Mu Yangling was also straightforward. ¡°Alright, stay behind and help us look after the things in the carriage. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, she turned her horse around and slowly galloped forward. Fan Zijin, who was left behind, could not suppress his anger. So in the end, he had to y guard to their goods huh. By the time the convoy arrived at the city gate, Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran had already run back and forth three times. She didn¡¯t dare to say that she already knew how to ride a horse, but at least in the future, when she needed to escape on a horse, she would be able to ride it and know how to control the direction and speed up. When they arrived at the prefectural capital, Mu Yangling had to part ways from Qi Haoran. She jumped down from her horse and said, ¡°Remember to look for me when you go back tonight. I still have to ride your horse back.¡± ¡°No problem, but where can I find you? You might as welle to the Qi Residence.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look for you at the Qi Residence after I¡¯m done.¡± Fan Zijin nced at her deer and asked, ¡°Who are you nning to sell the deer to?¡± ¡°To an eatery or restaurant.¡± The Mu family mostly sold their prey to them. Fan Zijin frowned slightly and said, ¡°How much money can you earn? You might as well sell it to the rich families in the prefectural capital.¡± Not wanting to interact with them, Mu Yangling frowned. In the past, when she went to the eateries to sell prey, she had also met people who wanted to buy prey from her. However, those people looked down on people like Mu Shi. Not only that, but they even ordered Mu Shi and the others around as if they were their servants. Hence, the Mu father and daughter didn¡¯t like to deal with those rich people. Although they earned less selling to the eateries and restaurants, they were interacting as equals. There was no such thing as who was of higher status. Mu Yangling thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just sell it to the eateries and restaurants. I don¡¯t know those rich people.¡± Fan Zijin said with a smile, ¡°We can introduce you. Although we haven¡¯t been in Xingzhou for long, we still know a lot of people.¡± Chapter 121: Business Chapter 121: Business Editor: As Studios The person Fan Zijin wanted to introduce her to was Wu Shancai¡¯s pitiful eldest son, Wu Jin. It was said that when Wu Shancai named him, he had wanted to name him ¡®Jinshi1¡¯. But he felt that it was too in-your-face, so he omitted the word ¡®shi¡¯. Unfortunately, his surname was Wu2, so Qi Haoran often ridiculed him for it. The 18-year-old Wu Jin was a few years older than Qi Haoran and the others. However, when facing Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin, he was either verbally abused by Fan Zijin or physically beaten up by Qi Haoran. In short, he was very pitiful. Fan Zijin pushed Wu Jin out without thinking and said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you can sell it for a good price.¡± Qi Haoran was displeased. ¡°Why should the deer I caught be eaten by Wu? No way!¡± Fan Zijin nced at him. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t sell it to Wu Jin, you¡¯d have to sell it to someone else anyway. Isn¡¯t it the same? I think it¡¯s much better to sell it to Wu Jin than to others.¡± After thinking for a while with a straight face, Qi Haoran did not object. Fan Zijin said with a smile, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll help you find Wu Jin first before going back.¡± Fan Zijin looked at Yanmo, who immediately rode towards the academy. At this time, the eldest young master of the Wu family should be studying in the academy. At their invitation, Wu Jin was brought to the three of them. When he saw Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin, he couldn¡¯t help but shrink his neck. It had only been more than a month since he was beaten upst time. Seeing Qi Haoran now made his body hurt. Fan Zijin said amiably, ¡°Young Master Wu, winter is here. Wanna buy a deer and have some venison?¡± When Wu Jin saw the three deer in the car behind him, he was conflicted. ¡°Erm¡­ erm, our family has already been gifted¡­¡± Seeing that Qi Haoran was ring at him, he quickly changed his words. ¡°Ok I¡¯ll buy another one for my father out of filial piety.¡± Fan Zijin was all smiles. ¡°We can spare one here. Since Young Master Wu is so filial, how about we fulfill your wish?¡± As he spoke, he gave Mu Yangling a look. Only then did Mu Yangling understand that they were bullying this fellow. Hesitating, she did not go forward. Even if Qi Haoran was doing this for her own good, she could not bring herself to force others. She wondered how to turn this down without making them lose face. Seeing this, Fei Bai thought that she was worried that Young Master Wu could not afford it. He quickly went up and whispered, ¡°Miss Mu, this is Magistrate Wu¡¯s son and he has a lot of money. You just have to carry the deer down.¡± When Mu Yangling heard this, she turned around and returned to the carriage. She carried the deer down and ced it in front of Young Master Wu. Then, she took out the deer whip from her bag and asked, ¡°Young Master Wu, do you want this? It¡¯s very effective. You can bring it back to make wine, or give it to your father.¡± Young Master Wu¡¯s eyes widened as he stared nkly at Mu Yangling. After a long while, he stiffened his neck and lowered his head to look at the deer in front of his feet. Then, he looked at her and eximed after a while, ¡°Amazing!¡± Mu Yangling tilted her head and looked at him. She felt that this Young Master Wu waspletely different from her father, making her heart soften slightly. Fan Zijin could tell that Mu Yangling¡¯s heart had softened and noticed her hesitation. Snorting, he said, ¡°Young Master Wu, this deer whip is great, too. Didn¡¯t you just take in a concubine? This should be of use to you.¡± Fan Zijin pretended to say casually, ¡°By the way, have your two maids1 been promoted to concubines?¡± Mu Yangling instantly retracted her sympathy for him and looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Young Master Wu, Little General and Young Master Fan personally hunted this deer, okay?¡± Young Master Wu touched the pouch on his body. Seeing that Qi Haoran was staring at him with widened eyes, he had no choice but to take out the pouch and say, ¡°I¡­ I only have 20 taels on me¡­¡± Before Mu Yangling nodded vigorously, Qi Haoran said unhappily, ¡°Are you dismissing a beggar? Venison in Lin¡¯an Prefecture costs way more than 20 taels.¡± Mu Yangling was about to nod when she forcefully retracted her head and looked at Wu Jin. Wu Jin licked his lips. He didn¡¯t dare to ask his father for money. Although he didn¡¯t know anything about general affairs, he had treated his ssmates to venison. A treat for more than 20 people merely cost him about 10 taels of silver, including wine and other snacks. How could the remote Xingzhou Prefecturepare to Lin¡¯an Prefecture? Wu Jin thought for a moment and whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t I ask my ssmates and see if I can borrow some money from them? I¡¯ll give them all to you, okay?¡± Qi Haoran frowned, while Fan Zijin nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait for Young Master Wu here.¡± Seeing Wu Jin run away, he turned to Qi Haoran and said, ¡°Don¡¯t push him too hard. It¡¯ll be troublesome if his father finds out.¡± Qi Haoran said unhappily, ¡°20 taels of silver is considered too expensive? When I was in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, no one sold me a whole deer even if I offered 100 taels of silver.¡± ¡°Xingzhou Prefecture isn¡¯t like Lin¡¯an Prefecture. You can buy silk and satin from any cloth shop in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, but only three or four shops here have them. In fact, some things can only be bought in Xingyuan Prefecture.¡± However, Mu Yangling was very happy. She waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m willing to wait. I¡¯ll wait however long it takes.¡± Initially, she thought that it would be good enough if she could sell three deer whips for 15 taels of silver. She did not expect to get more than 20 taels of silver. Although there was suspicion of bullying here, it seemed eptable if the target was Wu Shancai¡¯s son. In the end, Wu Jin didn¡¯t dare to stand Qi Haoran and the others up. He hurriedly ran back after managing to borrow money from his ssmates. He even took out the silver pieces and said with an embarrassed expression, ¡°I only gathered 32 taels¡­¡± Seeing the dissatisfaction on Qi Haoran¡¯s face, his voice became softer and softer. Mu Yangling quickly took the money bag from him and nodded. ¡°Enough, enough. Thank you for this, Young Master Wu.¡± Seeing that he only had a servant with him and was weak, she asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I carry it to your residence for you?¡± Wu Jin stole a nce at Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran snorted. ¡°Look at his thin arms and legs. Does he look like he can carry it by himself? You¡¯d better help him bring it to his residence.¡± Mu Yangling put the money bag away and said to Qi Haoran, ¡°Then you guys can go home first. I¡¯ll bring it to his residence. I still have something to doter, so I¡¯ll look for you guys after I¡¯m done.¡± As Qi Haoran treated Mu Yangling as an adult, he nodded and said, ¡°Then go ahead. When you arrive in the city, just bring up my name.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Qi Haoran liked Mu Yangling¡¯s straightforwardness the most, for he didn¡¯t have to be restrained around her. Mu Yangling carried the deer on her shoulder and turned around to say to the stunned Wu Jin and his servant, ¡°Young Master Wu, let¡¯s leave quickly.¡± It was Wu Jin¡¯s servant who came back to his senses first and tugged at his master¡¯s clothes. Wu Jin came back to his senses and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, follow me.¡± Along the way, Wu Jin kept stealing nces at Mu Yangling. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so strong. What¡¯s your rtionship with Young Master Qi?¡± Seeing Mu Yangling look over, he hurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t answer.¡± Mu Yangling seemed to find Wu Jin¡¯s behavior a little funny. She smiled and replied, ¡°My father is Little General¡¯s subordinate. I¡¯m naturally strong, and my father is also very strong.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± When Wu Jin heard this exnation, he heaved a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He then behaved more naturally towards Mu Yangling. Seeing that they were about to reach the government office, Wu Jin hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in through the side door.¡± If his father found out that he had been bullied by Qi Haoran again, he would definitely be angry again. In fact, he himself would also be lectured. He did not want to kneel in the ancestral hall again. Mu Yangling followed him to the side door and handed the deer to the Wu family¡¯s servants. Then, she waved at Wu Jin and said, ¡°Young Master Wu, my father is very good at hunting. If you have any prey you want to eat next time, tell me. My father will definitely help you catch them.¡± ¡®How would I dare to buy it from you again when your prey is so expensive?¡¯ Wu Jin thought as he sent Mu Yangling away with a smile. Chapter 122: Resolutely Not Leaving Chapter 122: Resolutely Not Leaving Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling also knew that this might be a one-time deal. Those words were just a slip of the tongue. Touching the silver in her arms, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. With this silver, the family could at least be more rxed financially. She decided to buy some fine rice for her twin siblings. The two babies had lost weight from starvation these few days. Also, she wanted to buy a few hens to nourish Shu Wanniang¡¯s body. When they fled, they did not bring enough nkets. Although Qi Haoran had sent two nkets over, they were still short of one. So, this had to be bought as well. Also, not much of the grains given by the West Camp was left. Hence, she had to buy more while the grain prices were not very high now to avoid running out of it¡­ Mu Yangling calcted the things she needed to buy in her heart as she walked to the embroidery workshop. Mu Yangling looked up at the signboard that read ¡®Brocade Workshop¡¯ before walking in. The shopkeeper of Brocade Workshop looked up at Mu Yangling before lowering his head again. The assistant quickly came up to greet her. ¡°Miss, what do you want?¡± ¡°Do you buy embroidery handkerchiefs here?¡± The assistant was stunned. He sized up Mu Yangling and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, but we have very high requirements.¡± Mu Yangling took out Shu Wanniang¡¯s embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve and asked, ¡°What about this kind of double-sided embroidery?¡± The assistant took it and was shocked. He hurriedly showed it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper finally looked up from the ount book. He flipped the embroidered handkerchief and looked at Mu Yangling. With narrowed eyes, he asked, ¡°Youngdy, where did this embroidered handkerchiefe from?¡± Mu Yangling frowned. She didn¡¯t like his tone, but she still replied, ¡°My mother embroidered it. I wonder if your embroidery workshop will ept it.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The shopkeeper put the embroidery handkerchief aside and said, ¡°This handkerchief of yours is not bad. We¡¯ll pay 500 copper coins a piece. If you can use such an embroidery method to embroider a screen, it will be worth more money. I wonder if your mother has any other embroidery?¡± Seeing the glint in his eyes, Mu Yangling changed her mind at thest minute and said, ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s hard to say if my mother will sell it or not. She asked me to check how much this handkerchief will fetch. If it¡¯s suitable, I¡¯ll sell it. If it¡¯s not, forget it.¡± Mu Yangling took back the handkerchief on the table and stuffed it into her sleeve. She said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Hey, wait, we want this handkerchief. No matter how much it is, we will take it. Why are you taking it away, youngdy?¡± ¡°The price that you offered is different from what my mother said. I¡¯ll ask the next shop,¡± Mu Yangling said innocently. The shopkeeper¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he squeezed out a smile. ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I thought that you only had this handkerchief, so I quoted you the market price. If you have more, I¡¯ll naturally give you a better price.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling stop and turn around. The shopkeeper thought for a moment and gritted his teeth. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you 600 copper coins for this handkerchief. How about that? But in the future, you can only sell your embroidered handkerchiefs to me.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Mu Yangling nodded with a smile. She took out the handkerchief and handed it to him before leaving with 600 copper coins. Mu Yangling went to the market and chose some gifts for Little Bowen and the other two children before turning to look for Qi Haoran. Since she could buy the stuff from the county after returning home, there was no need to buy them from the prefectural capital and carry it back. In the Qi Residence, Qi Haoran was roasting venison for Qi Xiuyuan while talking about his hunting process. As Qi Xiuyuan listened with a smile, he stuffed meat into his mouth and said, ¡°You¡¯re living a good life in Mingshui County huh.¡± As he spoke, he sized up his brother. Seeing that he had grown up and matured a little more than when he first arrived at Xingzhou Prefecture, a gratified smile appeared on his face. Qi Haoran chuckled. ¡°This ce is much better than Lin¡¯an Prefecture.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Father sent a letter asking you to go back. He said that he had helped you get a spot in the Imperial Academy for you to go back to study.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m not going back. It sounds nice, but we don¡¯t know who the spot will be for after I return. Besides, I don¡¯t like to study either.¡± Qi Xiuyuan ignored him and turned to look at Fan Zijin. ¡°Zijin, your mother also wrote to me and said that she hopes that you can go back.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s expression turned cold as well. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ll go back when Haoran goes back.¡± Qi Xiuyuan sighed. ¡°You have to know that Xingzhou Prefecture is iparable to Lin¡¯an Prefecture. The teachers I can hire for you are far inferior to those in the Lin¡¯an Academy.¡± ¡°Cousin, when ites to studying, it depends more on the individual. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be worse off without a teacher¡¯s guidance. Besides, with people quarreling at home every few days, I might not be able to focus on studying when I go back. Plus, my father is extremely biased. I might as well stay here instead of going back.¡± Qi Xiuyuan pondered for a long time. Seeing that both of them were insistent, he could only nod and agree. It was impossible for him to let his brother go back. It was fine if he wasn¡¯t aware in the past, but now that he knew that his brother wasn¡¯t doing well in Lin¡¯an and Madam Wu schemed against him in every way, how could he let his brother return to the wolf¡¯s den? However, Fan Zijin was different. His mother was still around, and he still had ways to nurture his younger brother on the martial arts path. On the other hand, Fan Zijin was a promising student. How could the teachers herepare to the teachers in Lin¡¯an Prefecture? He didn¡¯t want to dy his cousin¡¯s future. Qi Xiuyuan was still deep in thought when Mu Yangling was brought in. The moment she entered, she smelled the fragrance of roasted meat and her stomach growled. When Qi Haoran heard the sound, he turned around andughed when he saw Mu Yangling. ¡°Are you hungry? Come over quickly. I¡¯ve just roasted the meat. I¡¯ll let you try my cooking today.¡± Qi Xiuyuan snapped out of his thoughts and pped his brother¡¯s head. He said angrily, ¡°Speak properly.¡± Qi Haoran turned serious and said to Mu Yangling in all seriousness, ¡°Mu Yangling,e and sit down to eat.¡± Mu Yangling, who originally looked a little awkward, couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. She greeted Qi Xiuyuan, ¡°General Qi.¡± A warm smile appeared on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face as he said warmly, ¡°Come and sit. I heard from Haoran that you brought them into the mountain.¡± ¡°I grew up in the mountains and am more familiar with them, so I brought them along.¡± Mu Yangling sat beside Qi Haoran. Seeing that Fan Zijin looked a little down, she could not help but elbow Qi Haoran and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Haoran turned to look at Fan Zijin and said, ¡°Nothing. The meat has been sliced. Hurry up and roast it.¡± However, he pulled a stool and sat beside Fan Zijin. He leaned close to his ear and said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave. If you leave, who will be my Military Advisor?¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s brows rxed slightly. After ncing at his cousin, he asked, ¡°What if Cousin insists on sending me away?¡± Qi Haoran patted his chest and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°If he insists on sending me away, you can roll on the ground and beg him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Qi Haoran lowered his head and pondered for a moment. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t send you away.¡± Fan Zijin, who was just joking, could not help but feel guilty when he saw his serious expression. He turned his head and picked up a piece of roasted meat from the grill and ced it on his te. Chapter 123: Agreement Chapter 123: Agreement Editor: As Studios When Mu Yangling took out the money bag and ced it on the table, the entire family widened their eyes. Even Shu Wanniang could not help but touch the silver. Mu Shi asked with a slight frown, ¡°How can a deer be sold for so much money? Ah Ling, although we¡¯re short of money, we can¡¯t cheat others.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Father, do you still not trust my character? When have I ever cheated anyone? This time, it was Little General and Young Master Fan who helped find a big client.¡± ¡°Since Little General found him, that¡¯s all the more reason not to take advantage of him,¡± Mu Shi said. Shu Wanniang and Madam Ma-Liu also nodded. Being honest people, they felt that they should gift this deer to Little General¡¯s friend since Little General had done them a favor. ¡°That customer is Magistrate Wu¡¯s eldest son. He bought the deer to show filial piety to his father. The price was also negotiated by Young Master Fan and Little General.¡± Mu Shi was silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°He¡¯s indeed a big customer. Since Little General was the one who pulled the strings, keep this money well.¡± Since this money came from Magistrate Wu, it wasn¡¯t overboard to ept this money. Only then did Mu Yangling happily put away the money bag and take out ten taels of silver. ¡°Great-aunt, let¡¯s go to the county to buy things tomorrow. Buy some grains and hens, and hundreds of eggs for my mother. See if there¡¯s anything weck at home. We¡¯ll buy them all at once.¡± Shu Wanniang opened her mouth, but Mu Shi held her hand and looked at her with a smile. Shu Wanniang swallowed her words. At night, when Mu Shi was not paying attention, Shu Wanniang pulled her daughter over and asked, ¡°Ah Ling, how much did you sell the handkerchief for?¡± ¡°600 copper coins.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned. ¡°So little?¡± ¡°Mother, double-sided embroidery consumes too much energy. Since you still have to breastfeed, you¡¯d better not embroider that. Embroider something else. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll fetch decent money, too.¡± ¡°Did you ask how much a double-sided embroidered screen can fetch?¡± Mu Yangling answered in a deted tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask. That shopkeeper isn¡¯t honest. Even if I asked, he definitely wouldn¡¯t tell me. However, I feel that it should be quite expensive.¡± Shu Wanniang thought for a moment and finally said, ¡°Ah Ling, give me some money. I¡¯ll go to the county to buy some needles, thread, and satin. I want to embroider a big screen.¡± She gently stroked her daughter¡¯s head and smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯ve always relied on you and your father. Now, I want to do something for you guys. Even if I can¡¯t hold up the sky for you, I can at least share some of your weight.¡± ¡°But why are you hiding this from Father?¡± Mu Yangling asked in confusion. Her mother clearly did not want her father to know about this, so Mu Yangling instinctively felt that there was more to it. Her mother was used to keeping her worries to herself and had always been very careful with her. Afraid of identally hurting her, Mu Yangling did not dare to make the decision. After a moment of silence, Shu Wanniang sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your father won¡¯t agree.¡± This double-sided embroidery method was passed down by the Shu family¡¯s ancestors. It was impossible to tell which generation¡¯s ancestor had brought it over from their maternal family to pass it down to a Shu family¡¯s daughter. In short, every girl had to learn it after turning eight years old. Some seeded, and some did not. As Shu Wanniang had a gentle and patient personality, she was the best at double-sided embroidery among her sisters. Even her smartest sister could notpare to her. However, the Shu family also had rules. They could make this for themselves and gift it to others, but they were not allowed to sell it. They were very strict about this rule. In the past, no matter how difficult life was, Shu Wanniang had never thought of using double-sided embroidery to earn money. However, she saw how tired her husband was and how her daughter, who had always had some baby fat, became sharp-faced. In addition, because of the resentment of being stopped from going south, Shu Wanniang decided to make use of this embroidery skill to make some money. Even though she wanted to help her husband and daughter, she didn¡¯t know how to farm and was weak. She couldn¡¯t do anything else, but she could do embroidery. Shu Wanniang sat by the brick bed uneasily. After making the bed, Mu Yangling crawled to Mu Shi¡¯s side and whispered in his ear, ¡°Father, hurry up and coax Mother.¡± Mu Shi red at her, his heart sour, bitter, and sweet all at once. Taking advantage of the time when his daughter went out to get hot water, he went forward and held his wife¡¯s hand. He said in a low voice, ¡°Do whatever you want. However, don¡¯t tire yourself out lest you hurt your eyes.¡± Tearing up slightly, Shu Wanniang held her husband¡¯s hand tightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. Mu Shi patted her back. Actually, he didn¡¯t want his wife to make money by doing double-sided embroidery. Firstly, he didn¡¯t want to have such entanglements with the Shu family, and secondly, he didn¡¯t want his wife to have a knot in her heart because of this. After Mu Yangling bought some fine rice and ground it into powder, she steamed it with two eggs every day. Before the new year, the twins¡¯ faces turned chubby again. Mu Yangling was overjoyed to see this. Every day when she came back, she would kiss them. It was the same today. When Mu Yangling kissed their faces, Hu Dian¡¯s voice sounded outside. Mu Yangling put down the child and walked out. Shu Wanniang was hiding in the kitchen helplessly. ¡°Uncle Hu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Hu Dian nced at the kitchen. During this period of time, he also knew that Mu Shi and Mu Yangling were in charge of the Mu Residence. When Mu Shi was not at home, he only needed to look for Mu Yangling. On the other hand, Mu Shi¡¯s wife stayed at home all day and almost did not go out. She was like a well-bred youngdy. As this thought shed across his mind, Hu Dian smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve received word that the farming tools and plowing oxen assigned by the Imperial Court have already arrived. They¡¯re asking every family to collect them. Your father isn¡¯t at home, so someone from your family should go as well.¡± A smile bloomed on Mu Yangling¡¯s face. ¡°The items are here? Are there many?¡± Hu Dian touched his head and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t gone yet. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a lot. Why don¡¯t we go and take a look together?¡± ¡°Uncle Hu, you can go first. I¡¯ll pack up before leaving.¡± Hu Dian agreed. Mu Yangling turned around and ran to look for Madam Ma-Liu. Not knowing how to assess farming tools, she had to find her great-aunt to go with her. By the time Mu Yangling and Madam Ma-Liu rushed to the camp area, there were already many people standing in front of the camp area. There were old and young people, and Mu Yangling was the only child there. The person in front shouted, ¡°The higher-ups have already divided the farming tools. Every family has a limited number of things. However, because there are limited plowing oxens, they are divided ording to section. Each section will receive five oxen, to be shared among the section. You have to remember that these oxen belong to the camp. Don¡¯t work them to death after bringing them back. If they really die, that¡¯s it. Do you hear me?¡± The people below were already moring loudly. Someone shouted, ¡°Since each section only receives five oxen, when will it be our turn?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are so many families and each family has so muchnd¡­¡± The person above shouted, ¡°You think it¡¯s too few? If you think it¡¯s too few, you can choose not to have it. It¡¯s not as if you had oxen at home in the past? Behave yourself. If you continue making a ruckus, you won¡¯t have any.¡± Everyone immediately fell silent. Mu Yangling was instantly discouraged. She said to Madam Ma-Liu, ¡°Since there are only five cows per section, I think our family can forget about using it.¡± However, Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°Since your father is a sectionmander, he should get to use it first.¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m strong. We should let his subordinates use the oxen instead. Consider us setting a good example to help Qi Haoran out.¡± Chapter 124: New Year Chapter 124: New Year Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling took an iron plow and two hoes back. It was said that the seeds would only arrive after the New Year. This being clearly different from everyone¡¯s expectations, everyone was a little depressed. Mu Yangling only sighed, but some people cried on the spot. With the absence of a plowing oxen and theck ofbor at home, they could only give up nting arge piece ofnd. Unbeknownst to everyone, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin were standing in a corner of the camp and watching them. Seeing that everyone¡¯s faces were downcast, they could not help but clench their fists. Fan Zijin patted his shoulder. ¡°Alright, I know you don¡¯t feel good, but Cousin has already said that the situation of the other camps is even worse than ours. General Lu Ji from the East Camp ran to Xingyuan Prefecture to cause a scene and is still locked up in jail. I reckon he¡¯ll spend New Year¡¯s Eve in jail. Don¡¯t tell me you want Cousin to go to jail too?¡± Anger appeared on Qi Haoran¡¯s face, but he still couldn¡¯t help but p the tree trunk beside him. ¡°They¡¯re simply beetles. They¡¯re even greedy for these things. When I be a general, I¡¯ll be the first to behead them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t General Yuan a great general now? But isn¡¯t he not saying a word now?¡± There was sadness in Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes. ¡°The country is not like a country, and the court is as good as non-existent. If you take it seriously, you can only be beaten into the dust. In the past, General Yuan couldn¡¯t stand such things the most. Isn¡¯t he turning a blind eye now?¡± After all, the person at the top was standing behind them. Even angrier, Qi Haoran clenched his fists so tightly that they creaked. Seeing this, Fan Zijin hurriedly advised, ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. This is different from the past. Cousin can¡¯t handle it either.¡± Qi Haoran snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that stupid. I¡¯ll remember this debt and deal with them after I make a contribution.¡± Fan Zijin heaved a sigh of relief. Qi Haoran had always kept his word. Since he said to wait, he would definitely not re up now. ¡°But what about the farming tools and plowing oxen? What good can so little do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Worry appeared on Qi Haoran¡¯s face. ¡°Since they tampered with the plowing oxen and farming tools, do you think they also tampered with the seeds?¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s expression changed. Seeds were different from farming tools and plowing oxens. If thetter two items were missing, they could still usebor to make up for it. At most, they could nt less. However, if the seeds were too inferior or too few, they would really have to starve next year. Fan Zijin turned around and said, ¡°Stay in the camp. I¡¯ll go back and discuss it with Cousin. Since the seeds haven¡¯t been nted yet, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s still a way.¡± Qi Haoran hurriedly sent him out. ¡°Thene back quickly.¡± No matter how disappointed they were, they had to live on. Because they had obtained the farming tools, the next day, the farmers appeared to be in full swing on the edge of the field. It would be the new year soon, so everyone had to hurry up with their work in the field. Mu Yangling still brought her great-aunt and Xiuhong to the fields every day. She and her great-aunt plowed the fields while the three children ran all over the ground to pick up the grass stems. When it was almost the new year, she finally finished plowing the 83 acres ofnd that her family had to farm and simply leveled thend a little. Other than Mu Yangling, everyone else felt that they could not straighten their backs. Thinking that it was almost the new year, Mu Yangling no longer brought them to the fields. Instead, she brought them to the county to buy new year goods. Mu Shi and the others finally finished building the water conservancy facilities on the third day after New Year¡¯s Eve. They had also finished building the civilian houses. Qi Haoran nned to let them continue working on the remaining half of the camp after New Year. The entire camp was allowed to go home for the New Year. Therefore, the whole family was going to the market this time. Shu Wanniang also came out with the twins. Along the way, Madam Ma-Liu discussed with Mu Yangling in a low voice, ¡°We still don¡¯t know what the situation will be like in spring. You have to spend your money sparingly. It wasn¡¯t easy for you to save up a little.¡± Mu Yangling nodded continuously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Great-aunt. We definitely won¡¯t buy those useless things. Wouldn¡¯t that be wasting money?¡± Madam Ma-Liu heaved a sigh of relief. However, this sigh of relief came too early. Mu Yangling brought them straight into the cloth shop and bought a set of cotton cloth for everyone. Then, she bought a lot of cotton and a lot of dried jujube and sugar cakes from the provision store. She also bought all kinds of sacrificial items for the ancestors. No matter how much Madam Ma-Liu tried to dissuade her, she refused to listen. Seeing that Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang were letting Mu Yangling make the decision while the other three children watched eagerly, she swallowed the words that were about toe out of her mouth. After all, this past year had not been easy. Besides, she had already paid for everything. If she continued nagging, she would be dampening everyone¡¯s spirits. Before returning home, Mu Yangling took out another piece of silver and handed it to Mu Shi. ¡°Father, go buy some grains from the grain store. I don¡¯t know how Eldest Great-uncle and the others are doing. I¡¯ll send them some stuffter.¡± Mu Shi paused for a moment before taking the money from his daughter¡¯s hand. He stroked her head and praised, ¡°Ah Ling is even more considerate than your parents now.¡± Mu Yangling raised her head proudly. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you know whose daughter I am?¡± Mu Shiughed out loud, and Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. This time, Madam Ma-Liu did not stop them because rtives should help each other out. Now it was the Mu family who helped them, and in turn, they would return the favor in the future, forming a virtuous cycle. This was the simplest principle. Mu Shi and Mu Yangling carried arge pile of things home, while Madam Ma-Liu and Shu Wanniang carried the twins. The three children helped carry some stuff each, too. When they entered the vige like this, the vigers could not help but secretly look over. Even the Hu family could not help but stand in front of their door and watch enviously. Everyone was living a miserable New Year¡¯s Eve, and very few people could afford to buy New Year¡¯s goods. The Mu family was considered the first in the vige. When Mu Shi returned home and tidied up the things, he said to Mu Yangling, ¡°It¡¯s almost the new year. Let¡¯s send them to your Eldest Great-uncle and the others tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling nodded and packed up the things she nned to give to them. Early the next morning, the father and daughter carried their things and set off. As Liu Daqian and the others were not far from them, it would take them less than an hour to walk. However, their environment was moreplicated than Chenggu Garrison. Chenggu Garrison was filled with military households, but Chaoxi Vige had a mixture of military personnel and ordinary civilians. With so many soldiers suddenly stationed in the vige, the vigers could not help but feel a little nervous. Mu Yangling had heard from Liu Lang that the children of those families in the vige were unwilling to y with them. The father and daughter carried the things and walked straight from the entrance of the vige to a mud house in the middle of the vige. Mu Yangling shouted, ¡°Great-uncle, we¡¯re here to visit you.¡± Just as Liu Daqian¡¯s voice sounded, Liu Lang had already rushed out to open the door. When he saw Mu Yangling, he rushed up with a howl and circled around her. He said aggrievedly, ¡°Why are you only here now? Didn¡¯t you say that you woulde and y with me when you¡¯re free?¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve been free?¡± Mu Yangling took out a bag of candy from her pocket and handed it to him. ¡°Here, this is for you guys.¡± Liu Lang happily handed the things to his younger brother behind him and asked with a smile, ¡°What did you bring to my family this time?¡± ¡°Ah Lang, step aside. Who talks like this?¡± Liu Zhuang came out of the house and pped his nephew away, weing the father and daughter in. Chapter 125: Liu Li Chapter 125: Liu Li Editor: As Studios Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian¡¯s families were still neighbors, and they were having an even more difficult time than the Mu family¡¯s. At least the Mu family had Mu Yangling to hunt a rabbit or something in the mountains from time to time for a snack. Coupled with the money from selling deer previously, their lives gradually improved after the initial difficulties. However, the Liu family did not have any additional ie. Mu Shi carried the things into the house and said, ¡°Eldest Uncle, this is for you and Second Uncle.¡± Mu Shi put down the two bags of grains and took out two pieces of meat from the basket on his back. Mu Yangling took out half a bag of grains and half a piece of meat alone and said, ¡°Great-uncle, this is for Cousin Li. Get Ah Lang to send it overter. We¡¯ll leave the rest to Great-uncle He, and let him distribute some to the vigers.¡± Although the Liu family had been divided into various camps, they were from the same n and the family tree remained unchanged. So, the things to be distributed to the vigers should be handed over to Liu He. Liu Daqian looked at the things that were given to Liu Li in surprise and asked, ¡°Why are you giving this to your Cousin Li?¡± After hesitating for a moment, he asked, ¡°Your Uncle Zhuzi¡­¡± ¡°Father.¡± Liu Ting interrupted his father and said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for Ah Ling and the rest. Shitou has to go to the camp, so there¡¯s only her and Aunt left at home. Considering they¡¯re small and weak, it¡¯s not easy for them to squeeze out this bit of grain. I¡¯ll take care of Zhuzi¡¯s side.¡± Upon hearing this, Liu Erqian, who had entered the house, snorted coldly. ¡°Why does Big Brother still remember them? Second Sister can¡¯t wait to treat us like strangers. She might even me us for going near them.¡± Liu Daqian sighed. ¡°After all, we¡¯re rted by blood.¡± Mu Shi and Mu Yangling did not speak. They did not have any feelings for Madam Fang-Liu, so they naturally would not consider them when preparing the New Year goods. As for giving the stuff to Liu Li, it was because his family was having a really difficult time. Back then, Mu Yangling fought alongside him, so she inevitably became closer to him. Hence, she prepared some stuff for him. Liu Erqian turned to Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Deliver the things yourself and receive their thanks in person yourself. Their house is at the end of the vige.¡± Now that every family was hungry, if Liu Daqian really sent the things over, there would be more gossip in the Liu n tomorrow. The Mu family was different. Mu Yangling was not a member of the Liu family, so she could give the things to whoever she wanted. ¡°Alright, then Great-uncle, sit down first. I¡¯ll send it to them now. Father, apany Great-uncle and the others.¡± Mu Yangling carried her things and went out. Liu Li¡¯s house was at the end of the vige, half a vige away from Third Great-uncle¡¯s house. Ever since Liu Li was pushed out to kill the enemy with Mu Yangling, he and his widowed mother started growing distant with his grandfather and two uncles. Later on, when their family became a military household, he was the one who was pushed out to be a soldier. That was when he forcefully initiated a split of assets with them and moved to live at the end of the vige with his widowed mother and only son. Having lost his father when he was young, Liu Li was brought up by his widowed mother. His third great-uncle¡¯s family did not split up their assets, so the mother and son lived with his two uncles. He had lived carefully since he was young and had yet to discuss marriage even though he was already 20. In such a situation, by right he shouldn¡¯t have been chosen to fight the enemy with Mu Yangling back then. However, when it was their family¡¯s turn to choose someone, his two uncles didn¡¯t want their children to take the risk and were also afraid of death. Thus, Third Great-uncle made the decision to push this eldest grandson out. At that time, when he was on the verge of death, Liu Li had once told Mu Yangling that he had wanted to volunteer himself for no other reason than the fact that his two uncles had raised him since young. However, his grandfather and uncles¡¯ anxious decision still disappointed him. He felt that he would not survive that, so he asked Mu Yangling to take care of his widowed mother in the future. At that time, he and Liu Xuan were the most seriously injured. Mu Yangling almost thought that they would not survive, but somehow, he made it. Before Qi Haoran said that he would pay for their medical expenses, Third Great-uncle¡¯s family had clearly expressed that they would give up on Liu Li. Because of this, Liu Li¡¯s widowed mother almost had a conflict with Third Great-uncle. After that incident, when Liu Li woke up, he became distant from his grandfather and two uncles. When he was pushed out to join the army, Liu Li did not object at that time. However, after the fields were divided, he suggested splitting up the family assets. Mu Yangling still remembered how Liu Li stood in front of Liu He and disregarded everything. Liu Daqian and the older generation felt that Liu Li did not know the bigger picture and shouldn¡¯t have contradicted his elders. However, Mu Yangling sympathized with him and admired his determination. This era was different from Mu Yangling¡¯s previous life. In her previous life, the concept of the family was weak. Many things were rted to cause and effect. However, here, family was an important concept and one was expected to obey the n¡¯s wishes unconditionally. However, who had considered Liu Li and his mother¡¯s feelings? Liu Li took away the freehold field under his and his mother¡¯s name and moved to the end of the vige. Thereafter, he almost cut off all contact with the main family. When Mu Yangling carried the things over, he was sitting at the door and fixing the iron plow. He had an iron plow and four hoes under his name. He directly took an iron plow and a hoe, leaving only two hoes for his two uncles. No matter how much his aunt and grandmother kicked up a fuss, he refused to relent. When Liu Li took the things away, he said that if anyone dared to cause trouble for him and his mother, he would tell the toonmander that they had already split up their family assets. In that case, one of his two uncles would definitely have to enlist in the army. Afraid that Liu Li would fall out with them, they naturally did not dare to cause trouble. They could only watch helplessly as he took away the only iron plow. ¡°Cousin Li, what are you doing at home?¡± Mu Yangling ced the things in front of him. Liu Li hurriedly stood up. ¡°Ah Ling, why are you here? Hurry up and have a seat inside. Mother, Ah Ling is here. Quickly start a fire and cook.¡± ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Madam Liu-Ma wiped her hands and ran out. When she saw Mu Yangling, she pulled her in enthusiastically. ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯re here. Hurry inside and have a seat. Aunt will cook for you.¡± ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be anxious. My father is at my great-uncle¡¯s ce. I still have to go backter. I¡¯m here to give Cousin and you something.¡± Mu Yangling handed the things to them and smiled. ¡°We¡¯re going back in a while. This is for you. Have a good New Year this year.¡± Madam Liu couldn¡¯t help but wipe her eyes. Ever since her son and father-inw split up their family assets, the vigers didn¡¯t interact much with her. However, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t seem to see it. After putting down her things, she was about to walk out and Madam Liu Ma couldn¡¯t stop her no matter how hard she tried. Liu Li held his mother¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother, pack up at home. I¡¯ll send Ah Ling off.¡± Liu Li walked beside Mu Yangling and said solemnly after a while, ¡°Ah Ling, thank you. If you need anything in the future, just look for me. I¡¯ll definitely do whatever I can for you.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Liu Li seriously. ¡°Cousin Li, this is all I can do. The one who really treats you well is Aunt. You¡¯re her only son, so you have to take care of yourself.¡± Liu Li nodded with a dark expression, his eyes as bright as the stars. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely live well.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling smile. ¡°Cousin Li, tell Aunt to look for me in Chenggu Garrison if there¡¯s anything in the future.¡± Liu Li nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Mu Yangling punched his shoulder. ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve been through life and death together.¡± Among the few people who survived, other than Fang Zhuzi who hid behind others and survived, which one of them didn¡¯t fight to the death? Chapter 126: Stealing Fish Chapter 126: Stealing Fish Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling squatted at the edge of the field and rubbed the mud in her hands. With a sigh, she stood up to say to her great-aunt, ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± Great-aunt looked up at the sky and the sun shone brightly into her eyes. Despite wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket, she could only feel a little warmth. It was almost February 2nd, but the ice and snow had yet to start melting. How could it meltpletely at the end of February? If the temperature in the fields couldn¡¯t keep up, the seeds couldn¡¯t be sown. The camp had already distributed the seeds. Great-aunt had carefully checked and found that there were no problems with the seeds. Furthermore, Mu Yangling was very surprised to see that there were enough seeds. She wondered what method Qi Xiuyuan had used to make the Imperial Court distribute so many seeds. ¡°Ah Ling.¡± Madam Hu-Jin jogged over with a smile and shouted, ¡°Hurry up and take a look. The ice in the ground has melted!¡± Mu Yangling jumped up. ¡°It melted? It hasn¡¯t started melting when I checked it yesterday.¡± Madam Hu-Jin smiled and said, ¡°It always happens suddenly, doesn¡¯t it? Everyone went to take a look. Isn¡¯t there a canal that passes through yournd? Do you want to take a look?¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Mu Yangling abandoned what she was doing and dragged Xiuhong along to take a look. Many people gathered by the river to watch themotion. The melting of the ice in the river meant that the temperature in the ground would also rise. It would not be long before the seeds could be nted. Mu Yangling ran to the river and knocked on the ice with her stick, making a thumping sound. She exerted a little force with her hand, and the ice cracked. The ice fell into the river, and the flowing river immediately swallowed the ice and disappeared from under the ice. Mu Yangling smiled until her eyes curved. The ice had indeed melted. As the ice was shattered, a fish jumped out of the river. Xiuhong eximed, but Mu Yangling subconsciously swept the fish that hadnded on the ice to the side, not letting it fall into the river again. ¡°Fish!¡± Xiuhong shouted and was about to run up to grab it when Mu Yangling grabbed her cor and pulled her back. ¡°Are you courting death? The ice has thinned.¡± Xiuhong was anxious. ¡°Cousin, what a big fish! Take it back for Aunt to eat. It¡¯s perfect for milking.¡± Mu Yangling carefully moved the fish to the shore with a stick, grabbed it with her hand, and whispered to her, ¡°Run back and pick the bucket.¡± Xiuhong¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked around carefully. When she realized that no one was paying attention to her, she nodded repeatedly and jogged home. Mu Yangling took her stick and walked towards the canal in her field. Although the canal had been dug, there was no water inside because the ice had been frozen. However, there was a thinyer of ice and snow that was a foot deep. As the canal was dug in the middle of Mu Yangling¡¯snd, she was standing alone in the huge field. She turned to look at the Hu family¡¯snd. The Hu family was also standing on their ownnd and looking at the ice in the river with a smile on their faces. From her angle, she could not see what they were doing. Simrly, it could be seen that they definitely could not see what she was doing here. Mu Yangling squatted at the mouth of the canal and knocked on the ice with the stick in her hand, but it did not break. After cing aside the fish that had jumped up just now, she looked upstream. This river came from Jialing Lake. Once the snow melted, the water volume should not be low, and would probably fill three reservoirs and three canals. Thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be long before she could nt the seeds, Mu Yangling was in a good mood. Xiuhong ran over with two wooden buckets, panting. ¡°Cousin, can we still catch fish?¡± ¡°Depends on our luck.¡± Mu Yangling threw the fish into the bucket and used a stick to pierce through the ice that she had knocked earlier, causing air to enter the water. After waiting for a while, two fish jumped up from the water. Overjoyed, Mu Yangling took the bucket and quickly caught a leaping fish. The other fish fell onto the ice, so she swept the fish into the canal with her stick¡­ Fish kept jumping up, and Mu Yangling repeated her actions. As long as they fell onto the ice, she would sweep them into the canal. Xiuhong¡¯s heart itched as she watched, and she really wanted to jump into the canal to scoop up the fish. However, Mu Yangling did not allow her to go down. Since there were only twoyers of ice at the mouth of the cana, if water suddenly rushed out of the ice¡­ it would be bad. When it was about time, Mu Yangling jumped into the canal and picked up the fish. When the Hu family looked over curiously, they only saw the two children ying at the entrance of the canal. They didn¡¯t think much of it and saw that it was gettingte. Mu Yangling and Xiuhong filled two wooden buckets with fish before returning. Xiuhong carefully looked around. When Mu Yangling saw this, she smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will see.¡± At most, others could only see them carrying wooden buckets. They definitely could not see what was in the buckets. The houses in Chenggu Garrison were far apart from each other. Although it was inconvenient to visit other households, it also ensured the privacy of each family. Mu Yangling returned home from the fields without meeting anyone. ¡°Mother, Great-aunt, look what I brought back for you.¡± Mu Yangling showed them the wooden bucket as if it was a treasure. When Madam Ma-Liu saw so many fish inside, her eyes lit up and she asked, ¡°Has the ice melted?¡± ¡°It¡¯s starting to melt. These fish jumped up when I broke a hole in the ice. I didn¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Mu Yangling said happily. Madam Ma-Liu looked at her in amusement and said, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who knows this logic. When everyone sees someone knocking on the ice hole in two days, everyone will know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to earn much. I just want to catch more to raise before everyone realizes what¡¯s going on. We can cook one a day to nourish everyone¡¯s bodies,¡± Mu Yangling said as she watered the fish. However, Madam Ma-Liu was worried. ¡°How are we going to raise so many fish?¡± ¡°We can freeze them.¡± Mu Yangling said matter-of-factly, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a cer at the back? I¡¯ll move the tank down and fill the bottom with ice. Then, I¡¯ll put the fish inside and cover it with ice. Also, pile some ice outside the tank. Considering the temperature in the cer is low, it definitely won¡¯t melt in 20 to 30 days. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mu Yangling did as she said. As the cer was empty, she figured they would not have any use for this until winter, so she was free to use this cer as she pleased. Not to mention piling some ice, even filling the entire cer up with ice would not be a problem. Mu Yangling took the and carried the wooden bucket to the river. Then, she used a stick to stab the ice cubes intorge pieces. After that, she used the to scoop up the ice cubes and ced them in the bucket. When a fish jumped out of the water, she also scooped the fish into the bucket. After making two trips back and forth, she realized that the bucket could only hold a limited amount of ice, so she simply used wooden nks to partition the two-wheeled cart and push it to the riverside. After she filled the cart with ice, Xiuhong followed behind excitedly to pick up the fish. In the end, she came over with a bucket full of fish and said regretfully, ¡°Cousin, many fish jumped up and fell into the water again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Fish have to give birth too. If the fish that fell into the water give birth, there will be even more fish in the river next year.¡± Mu Yangling ced the wooden bucket on the cart and pulled it up. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s movements were too loud this time. Old Hu stood at the door and asked loudly, ¡°Ah Ling, what are you pulling?¡± ¡°Ice. I went to the river to get some ice for the cer.¡± ¡°Why are you moving ice all of a sudden? You¡¯ll freeze in the cold.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t find an excuse for a moment, Xiuhong shouted, ¡°I tend to suffer from a loss of appetite and weight in the summer. When my cousin heard about this, she said she¡¯d store up some ice for me to use in the summer.¡± Chapter 127: Farming (1) Chapter 127: Farming (1) Editor: As Studios Standing on his tiptoes slightly, Old Hu saw that there was indeed ice on the cart. As the wooden bucket on the cart was too far away, he could not see it clearly and could only vaguely see the ice on the surface of the bucket. ¡°Children like to fool around. This river is dangerous. Don¡¯t get too close and be careful not to fall into it.¡± Mu Yangling responded and pulled the cart back to the backyard. Seeing that the two children¡¯s hands were red from the cold, Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for them. ¡°Alright, alright. This is enough. You¡¯re not allowed to go again. Aren¡¯t you afraid of freezing?¡± Mu Yangling took out the bucket. There was a piece of ice on it, and under it was a struggling big fish. She first put the ice in and piled up half of the cer before carrying the vat in and freezing it with ice. There were still a few lively fish in the wooden bucket. Little Bowen put them in water to be raised, so that they would get to eat fresh ones these few days. Mu Yangling took two out for Shu Wanniang and drooled. ¡°Mother, braise one and poach the other.¡± Shu Wanniang tapped her forehead with a smile. ¡°Gluttonous cat.¡± The fish that Mu Yangling picked out weighed three to four catties. Shu Wanniang was originally worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it, but surprisingly in the end, it was picked clean by the children. By the time they were done, there was only a set of fish bones and some soup left on the table. Mu Yangling hugged her stomach and said, ¡°The fish that are naturally caught in the river are delicious. I¡¯ll go to the river to chisel ice tomorrow.¡± Shu Wanniang said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re lucky today. It¡¯s only because the ice surface hasn¡¯t been broken yet that you could catch so many fish after digging a hole. Today, after you broke the ice surface, the ice on the top started to melt. Since the oxygen in the water won¡¯t be as scarce as before, how can you catch as many as today again?¡± Mu Yangling chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try, regardless. If there are fish, I¡¯ll take them. If not, I¡¯ll just transport the ice back and put it in the cer.¡± Shu Wanniang was stunned. ¡°Why are you going again? Isn¡¯t there enough ice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough, but I just want to get more to store in the cer. Perhaps this ice might not have melted by the time summer arrives and can be used to reduce the heat.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her daughter helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it cold?¡± ¡°I like to y with water.¡± Hearing her daughter¡¯s words, Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t stop her. She just said, ¡°Then be careful. Don¡¯t fall.¡± Mu Yangling agreed happily. The next day, when Mu Yangling went to the river again, someone was already knocking on the ice. It turned out that early in the morning, someone came to the river and saw that there were fish in the hole Mu Yangling had created. So, he ran home to get a to catch the fish, which triggered the ¡®ice-knocking battle¡¯. After Mu Yangling loaded two carts of ice andted a bucket of fish, she stopped. Instead, she squatted at the entrance of the canal and watched the speed at which the ice melted. Two dayster, there was only a thinyer of ice left on the river. Some of that ice had even melted into the water. The water level rose to the edge of everyone¡¯s farmingnd. Only then did everyone snap out of their enthusiasm for fishing and look at the river nervously, afraid that it would rise further and drown theirnd. Mu Yangling saw that there was already water leaking into the canal from the river, but because there were still some ice blocks blocking the way, there was not much watering out. After looking up and down, Mu Yangling finally knocked off theyer of ice with her stick. The water that had been blocked instantly spewed into the channel. At this moment, Qi Haoran was also standing at the entrance of Reservoir No. 1. Seeing the ice on the river melt and the water level rise, he took the hoe from Mu Shi and shattered the ice at the entrance. Then, the water in the river slowly changed course and flowed into the reservoir¡­ Qi Haoran returned the hoe to Mu Shi and said, ¡°Go and smash the ice at the entrances of the other two reservoirs. Also, clean up the ice at the mouth of the canal. Announce to the entire camp that they will have a seven-day break after training for a day tomorrow. After seven days, regardless of the situation of your farming, I want all of you to return to the camp for training. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Only then did Qi Haoran leave with his sword. Following behind him, Fan Zijin said, ¡°Considering the other camps didn¡¯t give their soldiers a break, is it a good idea for you to do this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s not good about it? Anyway, Big Brother said that it¡¯s not our turn to go to the battlefield for the time being. In that case, we might as well guarantee next year¡¯s rations first,¡± Qi Haoran said gloomily. ¡°Big Brother Jiang has already faced the enemy three times with his troops¡­¡± Fan Zijin smiled when he heard that. ¡°Alright, next year at thetest, I¡¯m sure you will get to go to war.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to fight with my trained soldiers.¡± Mu Yangling did not know about Qi Haoran¡¯s lofty aspirations. Her biggest goal now was to be a farming expert and lead her family to a rich and healthy life. On the night Mu Shi returned home, Madam Ma-Liu poured out the seeds she had brought back and said, ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll nt wheat first. As for rice, we¡¯ll use the 13 acres near the river to nt rice. We¡¯ll nt wheat on the remainingnd. Coincidentally, the seeds given to us are also mostly wheat.¡± As Mu Yangling squatted on the ground and touched the rather plump seeds, she asked, ¡°Then when are we going to start raising rice seedlings?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go down when the weather clears.¡± Madam Ma-Liu was used to farming and had already calcted in her heart before the ice melted. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll take out the plow and plow the ten acres of high-gradend in the south first.¡± Mu Shi and Mu Yangling did not know anything about farming, so they did whatever Madam Ma-Liu said. The next day, the family carried their things to the edge of the field in the south. When Madam Ma-Liu saw the tender green seedlings on the ground, she said with a happy smile, ¡°Now that the temperature of the ground has risen, the grass is sprouting. We can start nting now. Come, bring the plow over. I¡¯ll teach you to start nting.¡± Mu Yangling eagerly carried the iron plow over and let Madam Ma-Liu help her plow two lines. ¡°Rocky, did you see it clearly? Plow this depth at this speed. When you nt the seedster, cover the mud with your feet and it¡¯ll be done.¡± Madam Ma-Liu said regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have fertilizer. There isn¡¯t even base fertilizer this year, so we can only nt without any fertilizer. Later, I¡¯ll get your uncle to go to the city to ask around and see if he can buy some night soil to make up for it.¡± Mu Shi and Mu Yangling widened their eyes. ¡°N-night soil?¡± Madam Ma-Liu red at them. ¡°What¡¯s there to make a fuss about? If there¡¯s not enough fertilizer in the fields, don¡¯t we have to go to the city to buy night soil? Since we have a lot ofnd, we are buying inrge quantities. Plus, we¡¯ll go with your uncle and the others to see if we can lower the price.¡± Mu Yangling felt her stomach churn. After a while, she heard herself ask, ¡°Do you use the night soil directly after buying it?¡± ¡°Of course not. Dream on. How can our family have so much money to buy night soil? We still have to dilute it with water and mud. Moreover, too much of it will damage the seedlings. Anyway, this is a matter for the future. Let¡¯s nt thend first. Rocky, you help with the plow. I¡¯ll go nt the seeds.¡± Mu Shi stared at the iron plow in front of him and couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He knew very well that he hadn¡¯t mastered it at all. Seeing her father¡¯s conflicted expression, Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t I do it?¡± Mu Shi immediately stuffed the iron plow into his daughter¡¯s hands. ¡°Alright, you do it. I¡¯ll do the pulling.¡± Mu Yangling: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 128: Farming (2) Chapter 128: Farming (2) Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling tried back and forth a few times. After plowing three lines, she finally mastered the technique. This made Mu Yangling very proud. ¡°Father, perhaps I was born to farm.¡± Mu Shi nced at his daughter¡¯s hand and thought of her strength. He said, ¡°I¡¯d believe it if you said that you¡¯re a natural hunter. Back then, when I first brought you into the mountain, you already managed to catch a roe deer alive.¡± But that was a skill from her previous life. Mu Yangling criticized silently, ¡®Aren¡¯t hunting skills simr to catching people?¡¯ No matter what Mu Shi said, Mu Yangling was very smug. The father and daughter worked together and soon covered a great distance. When Madam Ma-Liu saw that it was more than an acre, she waved her hand and said, ¡°Alright, stop nting first. Otherwise, the soil will dry upter.¡± The father and daughter walked to Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s side. Madam Ma-Liu taught them how to nt the seeds step by step and said, ¡°Scatter it in slowly like this. It has to be in the middle. Don¡¯t go nted. Also, it can¡¯t be too much or too little.¡± Mu Yangling asked curiously, ¡°Who set the rule that it should be this density?¡± Madam Ma-Liu was stunned for a moment before she said in amusement, ¡°Who made the rules? For generations, we nted them like this. In the past, there were people who disobeyed that rule and thought that they could harvest more by nting more. Who knew that the wheat seedlings that grew turned out too dense? In the end, the wheat ears weren¡¯t even as long as a finger. What a waste.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu said that, Mu Shi became nervous. He squatted on the ground and carefully counted the number of wheat. Mu Yangling was speechless by the sight of this. ¡°Father, when will you finish nting like this? Just an approximation will do.¡± Mu Yangling stuffed the wheat seed into his hand. ¡°Try it.¡± Mu Shi grabbed a handful of wheat seeds and carefully tapped them down. Madam Ma-Liu frowned when she saw this. The wheat seeds in the gully were sometimes densely spaced and sometimes sparsely spaced. Exasperated, she turned to look at Little Bowen and the others. The children had already walked far away. Madam Ma-Liu went forward and taught Mu Shi again. After going back and forth three times, she gave up. ¡°Rocky, nting is the simplest. Just leak a little between your fingers and the perfect amount of wheat will fall. Why can¡¯t you do it?¡± Mu Shi was in a difficult position. ¡°Aunt, my palm is big and that wheat won¡¯t listen to me. When I¡¯m nervous, the amount dropped decreases. When I rx slightly, it will fall out of control¡­¡± Madam Ma-Liu looked at her nephew speechlessly. After a while, she said, ¡°Forget it. You¡¯d better follow behind and cover the seeds with soil. You know how to do this, right? Use your feet to cover the seeds in the gully.¡± Mu Shi nodded repeatedly. ¡°I know how to do that.¡± Madam Ma-Liu watched for a while and only went to the front to dibble in the seeds after confirming that there was indeed no problem. When she passed by where Mu Yangling was, she looked down and couldn¡¯t help but nod to herself. Although her nephew was a little stupid, Ah Ling was indeed cut out for farming. At the front, Little Bowen, Xiuhong and Xin were also holding a small bag of wheat and dibbling in the seeds. Because Mu Shi was covering the soil behind them, they didn¡¯t have to turn around and thus progress wasn¡¯t slow. By noon, their family had finished nting two acres ofnd. Madam Ma-Liu wanted to bring them back to eat, but Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°Great-aunt, bring Bowen and the rest back. Get Xiuhong to bring us foodter. You guys can rest for a while beforeing back. My father and I will stay here to smooth thend.¡± Madam Ma-Liu frowned. ¡°We don¡¯t need to rest for that long. We¡¯lle after eating.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Mu Yangling hurriedly said, ¡°The sun is shining brightly. Although my father and I don¡¯t need to rest, you guys have to rest for a while. Otherwise, if you fall sick from exhaustion, you¡¯ll have to buy medicer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine with me and Xiuhong. We¡¯re used to doing this.¡± Mu Yangling insisted, ¡°Great-aunt, just listen to me. Even if youe, I won¡¯t ask you to work. You might as well rest at home.¡± Mu Yangling knew that this was the time for rush-nting and none of the farming families took a break at noon. However, she felt that there were many ways to earn money, but health was of the utmost importance. She did not want to waste her health now and rack her brains to nourish itter. Shu Wanniang and Little Bowen were examples of the fact that even with money and medicine, one wouldn¡¯t necessarily gain health. Knowing Mu Yangling¡¯s temper, Madam Ma-Liu could only do as she said. After they left, Mu Yangling squatted in front of the gully to take a look. Instead of burying it, she went to dig up the soil that her father had just covered. The corners of Mu Shi¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What are you ying with?¡± Mu Yangling asked her father, ¡°Father, since the malt breaks through the soil after it sprouts, should we cover a thin or thickyer over it? If it¡¯s thinner, the malt will definitely break through the soil easily. But if the weather is colder, will the frost cause the malt to freeze to death? If it¡¯s thicker, it will definitely keep it warm. But if the malt isn¡¯t strong enough, won¡¯t it die buried underneath the soil if it can¡¯t break through it?¡± Mu Shi: ¡°¡­How would I know?¡± After a pause, he asked curiously, ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Wasn¡¯t itmon sense that soil could keep something warm? The father and daughter stared at each other. Mu Shi only thought that this was a child¡¯s imagination and did not take it to heart. However, Mu Yangling kept asking herself this question in her heart: ¡®Should the soil be deeper or thicker?¡¯ Also, it took too much time to plow and bury seeds on so muchnd. Even if the 13 acres of high-gradend in the east could be irrigated to nt rice towards the end, the remaining 60 to 70 acres had to be nted as soon as possible. Forget about the first two conditions. Without machinery, they could only rely on manualbor. But what about the work of covering the soilter? With Mu Yangling¡¯s limited knowledge of agriculture, she felt that there was something that could rece manualbor. Mu Yangling was walking around in the gully when Mu Shi threw her a stick and shouted, ¡°Alright, Ah Ling, stop thinking about it. Follow me to the canal to look for fish. Your mother has been craving fishtely and the ones in the cer aren¡¯t fresh enough¡­¡± However, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t hear what Mu Shi was saying anymore. She jumped up and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± Squatting down with the stick, she swiped it horizontally. The soil on the gully slowly slid into the gully to cover the seeds. Mu Yangling looked at her father smugly. Mu Shi said in amusement, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but only the two of us can use this method because this will require a lot of strength.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°Father, that¡¯s not the method I¡¯m thinking of. Just wait and see. Anyone can use the method I¡¯m thinking of.¡± She remembered that when she went to the countryside to y in the past, she had seen farmers ce a farming tool upside down to cover seeds with soil. Mu Yangling¡¯s blurry memories gradually became clearer because she now had a clear goal. She didn¡¯t know what specific uses that farming tool had, but she was certain that she could draw it. Regardless, it was bound to be of some use and was much more advanced than the farming tools in this world. Mu Yangling wanted to try it out with her father when she was free. ¡°Father, let¡¯s go cut trees.¡± Mu Yangling looked at her father with sparkling eyes. Looking at his daughter, who was spouting nonsense, Mu Shi said with a straight face, ¡°I want to catch fish. Ah Ling, you said it yourself that the depth of soil used to cover the seeds varies. Do you think the soil that slides down this way will be of suitable depth? Your great-aunt and the others have never tried this nting method.¡± Chapter 129: Farming (3) Chapter 129: Farming (3) Editor: As Studios In a spirit of bold imagination and scientific verification, Mu Yangling said very seriously, ¡°So, Father, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m going to use two acres of high-gradend and two acres of medium-gradend for experiments. Father, believe me, farming has to be constantly improved in practice. One day, I¡¯ll create a record of producing 800 catties per acre.¡± Mu Shi was dumbfounded. Even if he didn¡¯t know how to farm, he knew that the best yield of wheat now was 200 catties. A yield of 150 to 180 catties wasn¡¯t unheard of either. As for the inferior fields, it was already not bad if they could produce 70 to 80 catties per acre. His daughter actually wanted to yield 800 catties? ¡°Father, don¡¯t look at me like that. What I said is true.¡± Mu Yangling became serious for a moment. Then, she recalled that in the modern era, even with fertilizers and pesticides, farmers could only produce 1,000 catties per acre. Realizing that she did not seem to understand these things, she changed her words. ¡°At the very least, we can yield 500 catties per acre.¡± Having recovered from his shock, Mu Shi snorted and said, ¡°If you can get 200 catties per acre of yield, I¡¯ll be so happy that I¡¯ll run around the camp area.¡± Seeing his daughter ring at him, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that 200 catties of acre can be easily achieved. From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s a yield level only achieved by experts using good-qualitynd. Not only is thend fertile enough, but it also has convenient ess to water. On top of that, it also has to be meticulously cultivated. Do you think our family can do it?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Mu Shi wasn¡¯t confident, but that he didn¡¯t know how to farm and didn¡¯t have time. In his family, only his daughter and aunt were capable of working. No matter how strong his daughter was, how could she be able to farm meticulously with so muchnd? It was already not bad if she could finish farming. Mu Yangling choked and said, ¡°We have to give it a try. Father, let¡¯s go cut two trees before Xiuhonges. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t dy farming.¡± Mu Shi could onlypromise and follow his daughter to the mountain to cut two trees before dragging them back at night. Since Mu Shi did not know carpentry and Mu Yangling¡¯s skills were even better than his, she opted to do it herself with the blueprint in her mind. Using a knife, she cut off the branches and pared the wood until it became cylindrical. Then, she drilled two holes at both ends and used two thinner wooden sticks to connect the two smooth logs. Finally, she tied the ends with a rope and pulled them. Seeing that it was rather stable, Mu Yangling smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Ah Ling, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Madam Ma-Liu looked at the thing she had made curiously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s long and rectangr. Are you using it to transport things? That¡¯s not right either. Since it¡¯s hollow in the middle, what can it hold?¡± ¡°Great-aunt, I n to use it to cover the seeds with soil. This way, we won¡¯t have to slowly do it line by line and can save a lot of time. Today, we only nted more than four acres. How long will it take to nt 83 acres ofnd?¡± Madam Ma-Liu frowned. ¡°Can this thing cover the seeds with soil?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll put a board on it to pull things.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu heard her say this, she didn¡¯t think that it was a waste of time anymore. She turned around and returned to the house. ¡°Then pack up ande and eat quickly. You¡¯ve been working hard for the entire day.¡± Mu Yangling agreed. After eating, Bowen sat on the brick bed and read a book under the light. Xiuhong and Xiny at the side and looked at him enviously. Mu Yangling came in after taking a shower. When she saw this, she took out a book called ¡°Thousand Character ssic¡± from the box and waved. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll teach you how to read.¡± Xiuhong and Xin quickly crawled over and asked with sparkling eyes, ¡°Cousin, can we learn to read too?¡± ¡°Why not? When we have money in the future, I¡¯ll send you two to school.¡± Xin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Cousin, really?¡± Mu Yangling nodded, but Xiuhong said, ¡°Only boys can go to school. Cousin, my sister and I won¡¯t go. You should send Cousin there. He cane back and teach us after learning it at school.¡± ¡°Alright, Bowen can teach us after hees back.¡± Xiuhong pursed her lips and smiled, looking at Mu Yangling happily with her dark eyes. After reading for a while, Bowen couldn¡¯t help but crawl to his sister¡¯s side to join in the fun. Mu Yangling stroked his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s read it together.¡± After reading a few pages, Mu Yangling taught Xiuhong and Xin two words in particr. ¡°Just remember these two words tonight and memorize them during the day tomorrow. I¡¯ll teach you two other words tomorrow night.¡± Xiuhong and Xin agreed happily. Mu Yangling asked Bowen to read at the side while shey on the brick bed to think about something. For various reasons, grain production in this world was very low. This was due to factors such as seeds, farming methods, water conservancy, and so on. As for high-end things like fertilizers and pesticides, it was better to leave it to the future generations. Recalling she had heard of hybrid rice1, she wondered if wheat could also be hybridized. Improving the seeds seemed to be a very high-end thing. In terms of water conservancy, all they really needed was manualbor. Qi Haoran was a good person and she might be able to ask him for help. As for the farming method? Mu Yangling felt that she should learn the current farming method first. As for the modern farming method, as long as thend was fertile enough and the water sufficient, one could not go wrong if they meticulously cultivated thend. Since farming relied heavily on experience, she reckoned she should listen to the experience of the elderly. With her intelligence, even if five years was not enough, she was certain she should be able toe up with a brilliant n in no more than ten to twenty years. Mu Yangling turned over and thought in a daze. If she managed to achieve a high yield of wheat and rice per acre, she could farm less and harvest more grains. At that time, she could earn more money and Bowen would no longer have to worry about medical fees¡­ When Mu Yangling woke up the next day, the sky was already slightly bright. By the time she got up, washed up, and finished breakfast, the first rays of the morning sun were shining over. Madam Ma-Liu stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should get to the fields early since your father will be returning to the camp in a few days.¡± Mu Yangling brought along what she had madest night. After plowing and nting, Mu Yangling ced the thing on top and pulled it a few times. The soil would indeed fall into the gullies to cover the seeds, but the amount of soil fallen was little. In some instances, it was not even enough to cover the seeds. When Madam Ma-Liu saw this, she said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. It¡¯s not even enough soil to cover the seeds.¡± Frowning, Mu Yangling thought for a moment. She casually picked up two wooden nks and ced them on top. Then, she ced the iron plow on it and pulled it a few times. The soil on the gully was pushed down,pletely covering the seeds this time. Madam Ma-Liu did not expect the effect to be so good. After circling around, she smiled. ¡°This thing is indeed not bad. You should give it a name.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a rake.¡± pping and cheering, the three kids called out ¡°rake¡± one after another. Mu Shi and Madam Ma-Liu were speechless for a while. Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°If you call it a rake, what about the real rake?¡± Mu Yangling thought of the two rows of iron teeth she had seen on the wood in her previous life and said, ¡°Let¡¯s call this the ¡®double-sided rake¡¯ then.¡± Madam Ma-Liu couldn¡¯t see any simrities between this thing and a rake, but there was no need for her to argue with Mu Yangling over a name. Waving her hand, she said, ¡°Alright, ¡®double-sided rake¡¯ it is. Hurry up and farm. Xiuhong, quickly bring your sister and cousin over to get the seeds. Ah Ling, go and pull the plow with your father. While the ground is still a little wet now, we should plow it first. We¡¯ll cover the soil when the sun rises a little.¡± Mu Yangling agreed. With the addition of the new tool today, the family finished nting one more acre ofnd than yesterday. However, not to mention Madam Ma-Liu, even Mu Yangling was not satisfied and felt that progress was still too slow. Chapter 130: Help Chapter 130: Help Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling rubbed her eyes, grabbed Xiuhong, and asked, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s someone on ournd?¡± Xiuhong stood on tiptoes to take a look. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s someone. Someone must havee to steal the wheat seeds.¡± ¡°Who would steal the wheat seeds nted on the ground?¡± Mu Yangling ran over to take a look. Behind her, Mu Shi and Madam Ma-Liu also narrowed their eyes and looked over. Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°Why does that figure look so familiar?¡± Of course it was familiar. It was an acquaintance! Mu Yangling shouted happily, ¡°Uncle Zhuang, Cousin Li, why are you here?¡± Standing in the field were Liu Zhuang, Liu Xuan, Liu Li, and Liu Yong. Liu Lang was squatting on the ground. When he saw Mu Yangling running over, he jumped up and shouted, ¡°And me. How could you not see me? I¡¯m here to help you farm.¡± Liu Lang said casually, ¡°My grandfather said that you and Uncle have never farmed before and asked us to help.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Liu Li and Liu Yong. She didn¡¯t expect them toe too. Liu Li stood at the side uneasily, while Liu Yong looked at Mu Yangling calmly and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here to help.¡± Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment but did not refuse. Mu Shi was only stunned for a moment when he saw them. Mu Yangling nced at the wheat seeds they had brought and knew that it was definitely not enough, so she said, ¡°Father, go back and get more wheat seeds.¡± Mu Shi nodded and handed the things to Mu Yangling. Liu Zhuang and the others also started to work. With the addition of these five, their speed increased a lot. In just a day, they had actually nted about 12 to 13 acres. Liu Xuan repeatedly flipped the ¡®double-sided rake¡¯ that Mu Yangling had made. Seeing Mu Yangling looking at him, he asked with a smile, ¡°Ah Ling, did you make this? Not bad. I wonder if you can make one for me. With this, we¡¯ll be able to farm at a faster speed.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll cut down some branchester and make it for you when I get back tonight.¡± When Mu Yangling said that, Liu Zhuang also requested for one. Mu Yangling looked at Liu Li and Liu Yong and waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll make one for each of your families when I get back.¡± Liu Yong smiled and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s not too difficult to make. I can make it myself when I go back. You should make it for Ah Li.¡± Liu Li smiled awkwardly, but he did not refuse. There were only him and his mother in their family. If they had this thing, their work speed would definitely increase a lot. Mu Yangling wanted to ask them to stay for dinner before going back, but Liu Zhuang did not wait for her invitation and simply carried his things back. Liu Li and Liu Yong also left together. On the way, Liu Yong sneered when he saw Liu Li walking with his head lowered. He quickened his pace and walked to his side. Turning his head, he asked, ¡°Why are you avoiding us like a girl?¡± Without looking at him, Liu Li said in a muffled voice, ¡°Everyone in the n is avoiding me. Why are you even speaking to me?¡± Liu Yong¡¯s eyes were filled with sarcasm. ¡°Aren¡¯t the people in the n avoiding me too? We¡¯re the same now. If you don¡¯t despise me, just call me along if you need anything in the future.¡± Liu Li stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. With raised eyebrows, he asked, ¡°The patriarch and my grandfather have already said that I¡¯m an unfilial and disloyal person. Are you willing to interact with such a person?¡± Liu Yong said nonchntly, ¡°The people in the n also said that I¡¯m unfilial and disloyal. Neither of us has the right to criticize each other.¡± Liu Li was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, ¡°The people in the n are right. You are indeed unfilial and disloyal.¡± Liu Yong was so angry that he kicked him and snapped, ¡°I¡¯ve already changed my ways. Just say if you¡¯re willing or not.¡± Liu Li was silent. He did not object or agree. Liu Yong snorted and walked away. Behind him, Liu Li opened his mouth and muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t object.¡± Liu Yong caught that. Not sure whether tough or cry, Liu Yong turned around and pulled him over. ¡°Alright, it just so happens that my sectionmander despises me for dragging them down and is thinking of a way to chase me out. I¡¯ll look for you in your sectionter.¡± Liu Li frowned. ¡°You have connections?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liu Yong said frankly, ¡°Connections can always be built. Just wait. We can look out for each other from now on.¡± Liu Yong smiled slightly, and his gloomy temperament instantly disappeared. Liu Li turned to look at him and couldn¡¯t help but admire his good luck. Liu Yong had good parents, a good younger brother, and a good younger sister. Although his parents med him for what he had done back then and hated him, they still treated him as their son after the period of anger. Although they were guarded around him every day, they treated him well. Ever since he took the initiative to stand up and fight off the enemy with Mu Yangling, the knot in his parents¡¯ hearts disappeared and they now treated him extremely well. His younger brother even worshiped him as an idol. As long as he didn¡¯t do anything atrocious like selling his parents and younger brother, the entire family would agree with his decisions. Sometimes, Liu Li was so envious that he wanted to beat him up. Liu Yong was clearly not doing as well as him in the past and was isted by the family. As for Liu Li, he had a grandfather, uncles, and a bunch of cousins. He had thought that the entire n was his backer, but now, he felt like he had nothing left. Only his mother was still by his side. ¡°Are you still going tomorrow?¡± Liu Li nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s help for two days. We¡¯ll go again tomorrow.¡± Liu Yong said with a frown, ¡°Your family situation is different from mine. I still have my parents and younger brother at home. You and your mother are the only ones in your family. If you go for two days, can you finish nting your own fields?¡± Liu Li didn¡¯t say anything, so Liu Yong advised, ¡°Forget it. Otherwise, Ah Ling will feel guilty when she finds outter. Since we only have a few days off, you should settle your own fields first.¡± Liu Li remained silent. Liu Yong thought that he had agreed, but he was surprised to see Liu Li show up again the next day. Mu Yangling frowned slightly at the sight of Liu Li, but she didn¡¯t say anything and just pulled a plow in front. When they finished work at night, Mu Yangling took out a few fish from the wooden bucket at the head of the field and handed them to them. ¡°Take these fish back and don¡¯te back tomorrow. You guys have a lot ofnd to tend to yourselves.¡± Liu Lang took it in surprise and asked, ¡°Where did this fishe from? Geez, it¡¯s so cold.¡± Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°I caught these some time ago and froze them with ice. It¡¯s still considered fresh. Hurry up and take it back.¡± Liu Lang was about to drool. Liu Li and Liu Yong also took one fish each. The few of them went back together, but in fact, Liu Zhuang led Liu Lang and Liu Xuan in front, leaving Liu Yong and Liu Li walking at the back. The two of them didn¡¯t mind and slowly walked back with their things. Looking at their backs, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Liu Li and Liu Yong seem to have been isted by the n.¡± Mu Shi frowned, feeling slightly ufortable as it reminded him of how he had been isted by the vigers when he was young. Madam Ma-Liu also looked up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Your Great-uncle He and Eldest Great-uncle are getting more and more muddle-headed as they get older. Liu Li¡¯s grandfather is extremely biased and didn¡¯t even say a word of fairness. Now that the child has established himself, your Great-uncle He disdains him for being unfilial. Liu Li isn¡¯t a bad person. Ah Ling, you ought to interact more with him in the future.¡± Madam Ma-Liu lost her parents when she was young and grew up with her siblings. She lost her husband when she was young and her son when she was middle-aged. Therefore, although she was a woman, her breadth of mind was not inferior to a man¡¯s. In fact, she could see further than the patriarch, Liu He, in some matters. Chapter 131: Upholding Justice Chapter 131: Upholding Justice Editor: As Studios When Mu Shi returned to the camp, there were still more than ten acres of wheat left to nt. Mu Yangling and Madam Ma-Liu spent three days nting that with one pulling a plow and the other supporting the plow. Now, only two acres of high-gradend and two acres of medium-gradend remained unnted in the southern corner. ¡°Ah Ling, I think we should nt it like the rest. Why experiment?¡± Madam Ma-Liu felt that she could barely straighten her back and dreaded the thought of slowly dragging this out. However, Mu Yangling insisted. ¡°Great-aunt, there are many ways to farm. I want to try different methods so that we can choose a better method next year. Although it¡¯s a little tough, it¡¯s all worth it. However, the intensity of thebor these few days is too high. You can rest for two days. Since there¡¯s nothing else going on right now, let¡¯s leave these two plots for two days.¡± Not used to resting before finishing her work, Madam Ma-Liu frowned. However, Mu Yangling stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Cousin Li¡¯s house to take a look. His family has 40 acres ofnd, and there¡¯s only him and his mother working on it. Now that Cousin Li has returned to the camp, he definitely hasn¡¯t finished nting. I¡¯ll go over to help for two days. You and the kids can rest.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu heard her say that, she thought of the difficulties of being an orphan and a widow. So, she hurriedly said, ¡°Alright, go quickly. I¡¯ll take care of things at home.¡± Mu Yangling carried a fish to Liu Li¡¯s house early in the morning. As it had been a long time since she had entered the mountains, the only non-vegetarian food they had been eating was fish. Although they were a tad sick of it, they needed meat for the strength to work. Despite the fact that it was notte when Mu Yangling reached Liu Li¡¯s house, Madam Liu-Ma was no longer at home. Sticking her head into the courtyard, Mu Yangling saw that there was an iron plow in the corner. She supported herself with one hand on the wall and jumped in. She threw the fish into the kitchen, carried the iron plow, and jumped out again. Since it was peak farming season at the moment, the only ones who remained in the vige were children under the age of five who could not go to the fields. Mu Yangling casually pulled one over and asked, ¡°Do you know where Liu Li¡¯snd is?¡± ¡°Who is Liu Li?¡± Mu Yangling pointed at Liu Li¡¯s house. The child she grabbed replied in a childish voice, ¡°Oh, you mean Grandma Ma? Hernd is at the foot of the ridge. I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± When Liu Li requested for a splitting of family assets, he was very unyielding. He did not want the 100 acres of military field, but chose the best 40 acres ofnd that was connected together. Third Great-uncle was wary of his current status and did not dare to object forcefully. He could only swallow this anger, but he could not help treating him with a snarky attitude. When Mu Yangling arrived at the foot of the ridge, Third Great-aunt was standing on the ridge and scolding Madam Liu-Ma for crossing the line and upying hernd. Madam Liu-Ma swallowed her anger and held the hoe as she worked in the field, pretending not to hear her. Many families at the foot of the ridge were secretly watching themotion. They all knew that Madam Liu-Ma was Third Great-aunt¡¯s daughter-inw. If Madam Liu-Ma retorted, it would be considered unfilial and she would drag her son, Liu Li, down. At that time, people would probably say that an unfilial mother naturally gave birth to an unfilial son. For the sake of her son, Madam Liu-Ma could only endure this anger. She would not even tell her son when he returned. Mu Yangling, who was standing at the back, felt her face darken when she heard the gossip. She strode over with the iron plow on her back and stood directly behind Third Great-aunt. ¡°Third Great-aunt, what are you cursing at?¡± Third Great-aunt was shocked. When she turned around and saw Mu Yangling, she couldn¡¯t help but smack her. She snapped, ¡°Why are you standing behind someone and talking? You don¡¯t make any sound when you walk. Are you a cat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already walking very loudly. Third Aunt, you were too focused on scolding people and didn¡¯t notice.¡± Looking embarrassed, Third Great-aunt asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Her gaze was glued to the iron plow on her shoulder. Mu Yangling said frankly, ¡°I¡¯m here to help Cousin Li. Why? Are you also here to help your grandson? That¡¯s true. Uncle passed away early, leaving only Aunt and Cousin Li at home. Now that Cousin Li has gone to the army on behalf of your entire family, the widow is left on her own. It makes sense that you¡¯vee to help. Third Great-aunt,e and help me with the plow while Aunt nts the seeds.¡± Third Great-aunt¡¯s face darkened, but she couldn¡¯t say anything unpleasant to Mu Yangling. She could only suppress the anger in her heart and curl the corners of her lips as she said in a strange voice, ¡°Yo, Ah Ling didn¡¯t even help her own great-uncle¡¯s family, but came to help Ah Li first?¡± Mu Yangling replied with a nonchnt smile, ¡°My great-uncle has a lot of family members and doesn¡¯t need my help. However, Cousin Li only has his mother. Although his family doesn¡¯t have muchnd, one person can¡¯t finish farming alone. Shouldn¡¯t I help out? Besides, earlier on, Cousin Li ran over to help my family farm for two days even though he was having such a difficult time himself.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s voice was not soft. Everyone in the field heard her and lowered their heads in embarrassment. Everyone in the Liu n, including those who came from Nearhill Vige, had received Mu Yangling¡¯s favor. They all knew that the Mu father and daughter did not know how to farm, but other than Liu Li and Liu Yong, no one was willing to go over and help. Liu Zhuang and his brothers went over because they were the closest rtives and always got involved. They simply couldn¡¯tpare. Never mind Liu Yong¡¯s family because he still had parents and a younger brother. However, Liu Li¡¯s family was really struggling as he could only rely on his widowed mother now that he was away at camp. Liu He was originally sitting on the ground to rest, but when he heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but stand up in shame. Back then, he had wanted to finish nting his family¡¯snd before asking Liu Dacang to go over to help. After all, the Mu father and daughter didn¡¯t know how to farm, so their speed would definitely be slow. When the time came, they could just go and help tie up the loose ends. Who knew that Mu Yangling would run over to help Liu Li before she finished nting her ownnd? As the patriarch, he felt even more ashamed. Not caring what they thought, Mu Yangling pulled Third Great-aunt to the field. Thetter hurriedly struggled and said, ¡°Ah Ling, it¡¯s hard for Great-aunt too. Look at how muchnd our family has. How can I find time? I¡¯d better go back and farm my ownnd first.¡± Mu Yangling lowered her head to look at the ground under her feet as she said, ¡°From what I heard just now, Aunt has crossed your family¡¯snd? This is a serious matter and can¡¯t be dyed.¡± Her gaze swept across the crowd andnded on Liu He. ¡°Since Great-uncle He and all the vigers are here, why don¡¯t we let them measure it? Otherwise, the harmony within the family will be ruined.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, even Third Great-uncle couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He hurriedly walked over and said, ¡°Ah Ling, your great-aunt is spouting nonsense. Since there are no signs on the edge of the field, it¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯ll see wrongly.¡± Mu Yangling asked him directly, ¡°Third Great-uncle, do you think Aunt has upied your family¡¯snd?¡± Third Great-uncle was silent for a moment. Seeing that Mu Yangling was staring at him with bright eyes, insisting that he give an answer, he could only lower his head and say, ¡°No, it¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯s seeing things since she¡¯s old.¡± ¡°Alright, since Third great-uncle is worried about being mistaken due to theck of signs, I¡¯ll set up a sign for you.¡± Mu Yangling put down the iron plow and walked towards the road. When she reached the roadside, she picked thergest stone and ced it at the intersection. She patted the stone and said to Third Great-uncle and his wife, who were dumbfounded, ¡°No one can move such a big stone. In the future, no one can upy the other party¡¯snd. Everyone just needs to take a look to know where the boundary lies.¡± Third Great-uncle and Third Great-aunt felt as if they had swallowed an extremely bitter pill. Madam Liu-Ma, who was originally touched and wiping her tears, couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing when she saw this. Chapter 132: Mutual Help Chapter 132: Mutual Help Editor: As Studios Liu Ting also could not help but smile when he heard that. He handed the plow in his hand to his cousin, Liu Yuan, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go over and help.¡± Liu Daqian frowned slightly, but Liu Erqian had already waved his hand and said, ¡°Go, go.¡± Liu Ting walked over and took the iron plow from Madam Liu-Ma¡¯s hand. ¡°Let me do it. You go and nt the seeds.¡± Madam Liu-Ma rubbed her hands awkwardly and looked at Mu Yangling. Smiling, thetter said, ¡°Aunt, quickly go and nt the seeds. Let Uncle Ting help.¡± Only then did Madam Liu-Ma stop nting. Initially, since Mu Yangling was noting, she could only use the hoe to slowly start nting. With Mu Yangling pulling a plow, her speed increased by more than three times. Now that she had Liu Ting¡¯s help, it was even faster. Mu Yangling walked at a moderate pace as she pulled the iron plow. Liu Ting spoke to her as he held the plow. ¡°Have you finished nting yournd?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s still four acres left.¡± Liu Ting widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°There are only four acres left from 180 acres? Your family is quite fast.¡± Mu Yangling smiled awkwardly. ¡°Uncle Ting, my family is only nting the high-grade and medium-gradend. We¡¯re not nting the low-gradend.¡± Liu Ting thought about the ratio of the threends and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not bad still. As long as it¡¯s nted well and the heavens give us face, we should have a huge harvest in autumn.¡± Knowing that Liu Ting had misunderstood, Mu Yangling chuckled and said in a low voice, ¡°My family¡¯s low-gradend spans 97 acres.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Ting said with a dark expression, ¡°You¡¯re only nting 83 acres?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°This is too wasteful. Since it¡¯s still early, you should nt morend. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have seeds.¡± Thinking of the wastednd, Liu Ting¡¯s heart ached. Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take a lookter. If there¡¯s still enough time, we¡¯ll try our best to nt more.¡± At the thought that only Mu Yangling and his aunt could work in the Mu family, Liu Ting couldn¡¯t help but sigh and stop talking. The two of them worked even faster now that they had stopped talking. After half a morning, they had left Madam Liu-Ma far behind. Mu Yangling was not tired yet, but Liu Ting, who was holding the plow, had already lost his strength. Mu Yangling stopped what she was doing and waved at Liu Ting. ¡°Uncle Ting, let¡¯s rest.¡± Liu Ting let go of the iron plow and nodded in agreement. Mu Yangling turned around to look at the plowed gullies andpared them with her fingers. She realized that the gullies plowed by Liu Ting were slightlyrger than the ones her great-aunt had taught her. When Liu Ting saw her gesturing, he walked over and squatted beside her. ¡°By making it a little bigger, the wheat will be stronger and the wheat ears will be longer.¡± Liu Ting swiped the soil on the ground and said in a low voice, ¡°I came to this conclusion after farming for more than ten years. Unfortunately, other than your Uncle Zhuang and Uncle Xuan, your great-uncle and the rest don¡¯t believe me. They don¡¯t even ask me to plow now.¡± Mu Yangling said in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t the result obvious after nting it for a year?¡± Liu Ting smiled bitterly. ¡°If we expand the gully, the number of wheat seeds we nt will decrease. Who knows if the wheat harvested will be enough to make up for that?¡± Mu Yangling fell silent. After a while, she said, ¡°That¡¯s not difficult. Can¡¯t you just nt using one method in one year and the other method in another year, thenpare the gains?¡± Liu Ting patted her head in amusement and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The climate differs from year to year, making the harvest unstable. How can wepare?¡± ¡°Uncle, why don¡¯t you choose a piece ofnd and split it into two parts? You can nt each part each way. This way, the climate, fertility of soil, fertilizer and weeding will be the same. Won¡¯t you know which method is better when you harvest the crops in autumn?¡± Liu Ting fell into deep thought, and his eyes gradually lit up. He lowered his voice and said excitedly, ¡°This is a good idea. I¡¯ll tell your great-uncleter. Actually, I¡¯ve secretly tried it with your Uncle Xuan and the rest in the past. I keep feeling that this method of mine will yield more¡­¡± Mu Yangling was all smiles. ¡°Uncle, give it a try. Let me know when the results are out. I¡¯ll do the same next year.¡± Liu Ting nodded. Mu Yangling saw that on Liu Daqian¡¯s side, Liu Yuan was pulling a plow from time to time, while Liu Erqian was holding the plow. Liu Daqian and her aunts were nting together. As they had to rest from time to time when pulling a plow, they did not plow enough. Madam Liu-Zhang and the others would sometimes go up to rece Liu Yuan. Mu Yangling threw away the soil in her hand and ran over. She took the rope from Liu Yuan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let me do it. Uncle Yuan, take a rest.¡± Liu Yuan grabbed the rope tightly. ¡°How can you do that when you just finished pulling the plow? You ought to take a rest.¡± ¡°Sigh, pulling a plow is like putting a rope on my shoulder. It¡¯s not at all tiring for me. Uncle Yuan, rest.¡± She raised her voice and said to Madam Liu-Zhang, ¡°Aunt, I came over to help Cousin Li. Now that I¡¯m helping your family to pull the plow, you have to help Cousin Li¡¯s family nt seeds and rece my uncle.¡± When Madam Liu-Zhang heard this, she smiled and said heartily, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go rece him now to prevent him from cking off over there.¡± Smiling, Madam Liu-Zhao said, ¡°Ah Ling, you saw that your AuntTing1was fast so you specially asked her to help Cousin Li, right? What kind of bewitching potion did your Cousin Li feed you for you to dote on him so much? Tell me, so that I can learn it to let you help my family.¡± Eldest Great-aunt Liu red at her second daughter-inw and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to speak, just keep quiet. No one will think that you¡¯re mute.¡± Madam Liu-Zhao choked. Liu Yuan¡¯s wife hurriedly said, ¡°I want to learn too. Ah Ling,e home with Aunt during lunchter so that we can be closer.¡± Mu Yangling agreed immediately. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be sure to eat a lot if you¡¯re cooking. You have to cook a lot.¡± ¡°There¡¯s definitely enough food for you.¡± Only then did the atmosphere improve. Mu Yangling did not feel tired when pulling a plow, and her speed was well-proportioned. On the other hand, the person holding the plow had to be reced continuously. This way, after two hours, Mu Yangling was far ahead of the people nting the seeds. The gully she created would be enough for them to nt until the afternoon. Only then did Mu Yangling throw away the plow and run back to nt the seeds with Madam Liu-Ma. When Madam Liu-Zhang saw hering over, she didn¡¯t go back. The three of them worked in Liu Li¡¯s field. When they were almost done nting the crops on thend that Mu Yangling had plowed today, Mu Yangling wanted to use the ¡®double-sided rake¡¯ to cover the seeds with soil. Seeing this, Madam Liu-Ma quickly pulled her back. ¡°Good child, it¡¯s already half-past noon. Let¡¯s not cover the soil first. Let¡¯s go back and eat beforeing back. At least rest for a while.¡± Mu Yangling replied with a smile, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll finish nting the plowednd. You can go back and cook first. I¡¯ll go back after covering the seeds with soil. Otherwise, if the wheat seeds are sunbathed like this and the moisture in the soil dries up, it will definitely not be easy to germinate.¡± Then, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I brought a fish and left it in the kitchen. Aunt, go back and cook first. I¡¯m fast and will be done soon.¡± Madam Liu-Ma hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Mu Yangling¡¯s nting speed was not as fast as theirs, but no one couldpare to her speed of pulling a plow and pulling a rake. It was very stable, and thend plowed was of even depth. Madam Liu-Ma could not help but feel envious and jealous when she saw this. She felt that it would be great if this was her daughter or son. Chapter 133: Exchange Chapter 133: Exchange Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling covered the seeds with soil and was about to pack up and leave when Liu Lang ran over to invite her. ¡°Come to my house for a meal.¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll go to Cousin Li¡¯s house.¡± Mu Yangling nced at the Liu family¡¯s fields and said, ¡°Go back and tell your mother that if she stilles over in the afternoon to help Cousin Li nt crops, I¡¯ll go over and help you plow. In the evening, while the sun isn¡¯t vicious, I¡¯ll help you plow enoughnd to keep you upied tomorrow morning. How about that?¡± Since Mu Yangling¡¯s advantage was her strength, she could achieve the greatest results by helping to pull the plow and alternating between the two sides. Even though there is one fewer person plowing on the Liu family¡¯s side, the number of people nting seeds did not decrease. Since she would always be ahead of the people nting the seeds on each side, there would no longer be a phenomenon of them not having enough plowednd to nt. On the other hand, now that Liu Li¡¯s family had an additional person helping to nt the seeds, their speed was not slow either. Liu Lang knew for certain that his parents would agree. However, looking at Mu Yangling¡¯s petite frame, he was very worried. In a lowered voice, he asked, ¡°Can you handle this? You¡¯ve been pulling the plow for a day. Even cows have to rest.¡± Mu Yangling said nkly, ¡°I don¡¯t feel tired, because to me, it¡¯s just like walking for a day. Considering I¡¯m in good health, I can even walk for a day and a night, much less a day.¡± Liu Lang, who could barely pull the iron plow, looked at Mu Yangling speechlessly, his eyes filled with grief and indignation. Mu Yangling chuckled in embarrassment and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, doesn¡¯t your section have plowing oxen? Isn¡¯t it your turn yet?¡± Liu Lang said unhappily, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The plowing oxen is still at my sectionmander¡¯s house. Before his family finishes nting their crops, the subordinates won¡¯t have their turn. By the time it¡¯s my family¡¯s turn, the nting season will have long passed.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Your sectionmander actually wants to finish nting his family¡¯snd before passing the oxen to someone else?¡± ¡°Otherwise, do you think everyone is as fair and kind-hearted as Uncle to give up using the oxen and rotate it between his subordinates?¡± Liu Lang said angrily, ¡°If only my family had been assigned to the same section as your family back then. Then, our family would definitely be able to use an ox and won¡¯t have to work so hard now. In fact, my father copsed on the bed right after returning, his shoulders visibly twitching. My mother has cried a few times over this.¡± Each section was only allocated five plowing oxen. Mu Yangling felt that since her father didn¡¯t know how to plow thend or nt, it would be a waste to leave the plowing oxen at her house. So, she suggested that each family could only use an ox for four hours before letting the oxen rest for an hour. Then, the oxen would be passed on to the next family. When it was the Mu family¡¯s turn, they would skip it. Mu Shi had always listened to his daughter, so he did as his daughter suggested. With Mu Shi in charge, nobody bullied the weak in his section. However, it was different for the other sections. Most of the sectionmanders would hoard the plowing oxen for a long time or favor his rtives and friends. Mu Yangling could also imagine that. But she did not have any good solution, so she waved her hand and said, ¡°How about this? I need help with detailed work in two days. If your mother agrees to help me, I¡¯ll help you plow yournd. What do you think?¡± ¡°Detailed work? In what way?¡± Of course, the more detailed the experimental plot, the better. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t exin it in a short period of time, so she said, ¡°You¡¯ll know in two days. Anyway, go back and ask your mother. If she agrees, ask her toe over with you and your brother to help me the day after tomorrow.¡± That was equivalent to pulling out three of the Liu family¡¯sborers. Liu Lang was an expert in farming. At the age of 12, he could already be ordered around as if he was an adult. Although Liu Lun was younger, Madam Liu-Zhang was famous in the vige for her ability. Under hermand, oneborer was as good as 1.5borers. Hence, her two sons were equivalent to threeborers. Liu Lang replied after some hesitation, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and ask my mother for her opinion.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang agreed without thinking. She twisted her husband¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°If you and Uncle Yuan have to pull a plow for hundreds of acres ofnd, your shoulders would be totally wrecked by the time you¡¯re done. Do you not want these two arms anymore? I¡¯ll only be there for two days. No matter how detailed the work is, it¡¯s only four acres in two days. To Ah Ling, pulling a plow is like ying. With her help, how much easier will you and Uncle Yuan have it?¡± Liu Ting also lowered his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Father won¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your father is being stubborn. I¡¯ll talk to Mother and ask her to persuade Father. Second Uncle will definitely agree.¡± When Mu Yangling carried the plow back to Liu Li¡¯s house, Madam Liu-Ma was standing at the door and looking around. When she saw Mu Yanglinging over, she heaved a sigh of relief and was about to take the iron plow from her shoulder with a smile. ¡°The food is ready. Go wash your hands and eat.¡± Mu Yangling avoided her hand slightly and smiled. ¡°Aunt, let me do it myself.¡± Mu Yangling ced the iron plow in a corner of the courtyard. Only then did she have the time to size up their courtyard. Smiling, she said, ¡°Aunt, your house is really clean.¡± Madam Liu-Ma smiled and said, ¡°Your Cousin Li cleaned this up. He can¡¯t bear to see it dirty and messy, and has to tidy up everything before he feelsfortable. Quickly wash your hands and eat. I¡¯ve braised the fish you brought. We don¡¯t have much to offer you. Hope you don¡¯t mind it.¡± Of course, Mu Yangling wouldn¡¯t mind. She washed her hands and sat down at the table boldly. She said to Madam Liu-Ma, ¡°Aunt, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with me. Cousin Li and I went through life and death together. When we fought the Hus back then, he even helped me block the Hus¡¯ knives. If you need anything in the future, just go to Chenggu Garrison to look for me. I¡¯ll definitely help if I can.¡± Madam Liu-Ma was stunned for a moment before she said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re all from the same vige. You¡¯re younger than him, so it¡¯s only right for him to take care of you. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t do anything, but you two juniors havee over to take care of me.¡± Madam Liu-Ma wiped her tears and continued, ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s fate. Back then, your cousin even studied under the guidance of your mother. In the past two years, when he saw your mother, he even addressed her as ¡®Teacher¡¯. By the way, are your mother and younger siblings alright? This war is really chaotic.¡± Back when Shu Wanniang gave birth, Madam Liu-Ma was one of the rare people who sent eggs over. At that time, Mu Yangling still remembered Madam Liu-Ma teasing the twins with a smile, saying that she was here to visit Liu Li¡¯s junior brother and sister on his behalf. The memories onlysted for a moment before Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°My mother is doing well, and so are my younger siblings. Aunt, if you want to see them, you can go over and take a look.¡± After Mu Yangling finished eating, she sat at the threshold and took a nap. Madam Liu-Ma did not disturb her. After doing the housework, she went into the house to weigh the wheat seeds. Waking up with a start, Mu Yangling raised her head and said to Madam Liu-Ma, ¡°Aunt, do weigh more. Aunt Ting1 mighte over to help in the afternoon. I¡¯ll go over to my great-uncle¡¯s ce after I¡¯m done plowing here. You and my aunt can nt the seeds together.¡± Madam Liu-Ma paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Will this inconvenience your aunt? Y-Your Cousin Li isn¡¯t very popr in the n at the moment.¡± Although it was difficult, Madam Liu-Ma still said it. Mu Yangling half-closed her eyes and leaned against the door frame. She said nonchntly, ¡°Who cares? We live our own lives. Why should we care about those gossips? Aunt Ting isn¡¯t that kind of vulgar person.¡± Mu Yangling dared to say that because she knew that Madam Liu-Zhang was indeed not that kind of person. She was an open-minded and straightforward good person. Mu Yangling felt that she would not be wrong about her. Chapter 134: Idea Chapter 134: Idea Editor: As Studios By the time Mu Yangling and Madam Liu-Ma reached the fields, the Liu family had already started eating. When Liu Ting saw them, he threw down the things in his hand and came over. He said to Mu Yangling with a smile, ¡°Come, Uncle will plow with you.¡± Mu Yangling looked at his hand and shook her head. ¡°Let Aunt Ting do it. Uncle, you should rest. My father has medicinal wine. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll bring half a bottle over tomorrow.¡± Liu Ting¡¯s face was slightly red, so Madam Liu-Zhang smiled and pushed him away. ¡°Alright, alright. Do you think you¡¯re the one actually pulling the plow? I still have to push forward with all my might. With Ah Ling pulling the plow, I just have to push a little harder into the ground. Go away, don¡¯t dy our efforts.¡± Her words made everyoneugh, Liu Ting could only rub his nose and return, handing the iron plow to his wife. Mu Yangling first started plowing in Liu Li¡¯s fields, before running to the Liu family¡¯s side. When the people in the nearby fields saw that Mu Yangling could plow enoughnd for three families, they couldn¡¯t help but envy the Liu n¡¯s good luck. They said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian¡¯s family. After all, they¡¯re biological rtives. However, Liu Li¡¯s family is so lucky. They don¡¯t seem so chummy with the Mu family usually.¡± What the people not from Nearhill Vige paid attention to was, ¡°This youngdy¡¯s strength is simply divine. If our son can marry her, even if we don¡¯t have plowing oxen in the future, we won¡¯t have to worry about farming anymore.¡± However, this was just a thought. Under the envious and jealous gazes of the others, Mu Yangling alternated between helping the two families. Even though Third Great-uncle¡¯s family was furious, they did not dare to offend Mu Yangling at this moment. The Mu family was no longer just rtives to the Liu family; there was now also a debt of gratitude. Didn¡¯t they see that Mu Yangling didn¡¯t feel any pressure at all when she contradicted Third Great-uncle? Liu He didn¡¯t say a word. When the sun was about to set in the evening, Mu Yangling went over to help Liu Daqian¡¯s family plow arge area ofnd. Before she left, she said to Madam Liu-Ma, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯lle back tomorrow. Bring more wheat seeds when youe to the fields.¡± Madam Liu-Ma agreed. Madam Liu-Zhang also gave Mu Yangling an answer. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you and Ah Lang say. I¡¯ll go to your house the day after tomorrow and help you do that detailed work. However, let me be clear upfront that you need to give me instructions. I have no idea what that delicate work should be like.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt. I¡¯ve already thought about it. Just do as I say.¡± There were only a few experiments that Mu Yangling wanted to conduct. There were two ways of nting wheat seeds. One way was to directly nt the wheat seeds in the soil like what they were doing now, and the other way was to first soak them in water to allow them to sprout before nting them. The two types of wheat seeds would then be covered with soil using two different ways. One way was to use one¡¯s feet to cover the seeds with soil as per tradition, while the other way was to use a ¡®double-sided rake¡¯ to cover the seeds with soil. The depth would vary. The two types of wheat seeds were divided into one acre of medium-gradend and one acre of high-gradend. Each of that one acre would be further divided in half for the two different methods of covering the seeds with soil. Next, fertilization and irrigation would be carried out on each plot ofnd simultaneously and in exactly the same way. Finally, when autumn came, she wouldpare the harvest reaped in each experimental plot. These four acres ofnd were more even than thend they had farmed previously. Because she wanted them to try their best to plow as deeply and cultivate as intensely as possible, Mu Yangling nned to spend one to two days on the four acres ofnd. Only she, Madam Ma-Liu, and Madam Liu-Zhang would work on these four acres. Little Bowen and the others were still young, so it was inevitable that they would be negligent. Hence, she sent them out to do other work. If this experiment was sessful, Mu Yangling¡¯s next experimental target would be rice. Compared to flour products, she still preferred to eat rice. s, the production yield of rice was even lower in Xingzhou Prefecture. Therefore, everyone chose to nt wheat, leaving only a littlend to nt rice. Wheat seeds also ounted for the majority of the seeds that were distributed. It was the same for the Mu Family. They only reserved 13 acres of high-grade farnd for growing rice. However, in fact, Mu Yangling preferred nting these two in equal amounts and in staggered timings. This was because they could nt wheat in February and nt rice in March. This way, the timing would be staggered, the intensity ofbor would decrease, and everyone could farm more meticulously. Before that though, Mu Yangling had to solve the problem of the production yield of rice. If rice remained so low-yielding in Xingzhou Prefecture, not to mention the othermoners, even the Mu family would probably not utilize arge area to nt rice. There was really a long way to go. Mu Yangling felt extremely regretful. In her previous life, she shouldn¡¯t have listened to her father and gone to a military school. Instead, she should have attended an agricultural university. If she had done so, she wouldn¡¯t be so clueless now. Whoever said that agriculture was an unpopr profession? It was clearly the most useful profession. When Mu Yangling returned home, she squatted in the basin and looked at the wheat seeds that she had soaked. Seeing that some of the wheat seeds had already sprouted, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I was worried that the water would be too cold for it to sprout.¡± At this point, Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up slightly. She looked at Madam Ma-Liu. ¡°Great-aunt, why don¡¯t we try using warm water? Perhaps the wheat seeds will germinate faster.¡± Great-aunt¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You child¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t find a suitable word to describe her and could only say in annoyance, ¡°Even if there are a lot of wheat seeds, you shouldn¡¯t be this wasteful. The higher-ups have spread the word that the Imperial Court is only distributing wheat seeds this year. We¡¯ll have to rely on ourselves next year. You should be more careful and keep these wheat seeds until next year. If not, keep them to make a bowl of porridge for your younger siblings in the event there¡¯s a shortage of crops.¡± Mu Yangling waved her hand nonchntly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Great-aunt. I definitely won¡¯t let you guys starve. I¡¯m conducting an experiment now, aren¡¯t I? I won¡¯t take too much. I¡¯ll just try a handful. If it doesn¡¯t work, we can then forget it.¡± Without waiting for Madam Ma-Liu to object, Mu Yangling ran into the house and came out with a handful of wheat. She mixed some hot water with cold water and poured the wheat in when she felt that it was only slightly warm. Xiuhong and the others squatted at the side and watched curiously. Seeing that Shu Wanniang only smiled and watched them fool around without stopping them, Madam Ma-Liu said unhappily, ¡°Wanniang, you should take Ah Ling in hand. If this child is already like this now, all the more she won¡¯t listen to you in the future.¡± Lowering her head, Shu Wanniang said gently with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Aunt. I¡¯ll just listen to her. She¡¯s right. There¡¯s a lot of wheat seeds at home and we can¡¯t use them all. Why don¡¯t we let her y¡­ I mean, do an experiment with it. Perhaps she¡¯ll really find a better nting method than now?¡± ¡°Everyone has been farming like this for generations.¡± Madam Ma-Liu said unhappily, ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone going through all this trouble. Could it be that she can increase the yield of an acre from 200 catties to 250? Such a high yield is only possible through meticulous farming. Our family isn¡¯t arge one, so it¡¯s already not bad if we can produce more than 100 catties per acre.¡± Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t know how to farm and hadn¡¯t even farmed before, so she didn¡¯t have deep-rooted thoughts like Madam Ma-Liu. In her opinion, since even the dynasties and heavens could change, what couldn¡¯t be changed in this world? She had always been supportive of her daughter, but Aunt was an elder. Shu Wanniang¡¯s upbringing prevented her from contradicting her, so she could only beat around the bush before the two of them and try her best to blur out their conflict. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t nning to discipline Mu Yangling, Madam Ma-Liu could only sigh. She thought to herself, ¡®Out of sight, out of mind¡¯, as she went to the kitchen to cook for the children. Chapter 135: Not Good Chapter 135: Not Good Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling went to the West Vige to help for two days. On the third day, Madam Liu-Zhang brought her two sons over. Mu Yangling did not ask Liu Lang and Liu Lun to nt the seeds. She only gave them a hoe and asked them to crush the clods of earth and tten the ground with Xiuhong. Liu Lang asked as he walked around the edge of the field, ¡°This ground is considered t now. What precious thing are you nning to nt? Should we tten it further?¡± ¡°Just wheat. Continue ttening it. Can¡¯t you see that the clods of earth on the ground are too big? It¡¯s ufortable to walk barefoot on the ground.¡± Liu Lang pursed his lips. ¡°Try finding a spot that doesn¡¯t hurt your feet.¡± Mu Yangling had seen it before. In her previous life, when she went to herrade¡¯s house to y, she happened to see someone farming. When the farm equipment went around, the soil spat out was fine and slippery. It was so soft andfortable to step on, unlike now, where there were clods of earth everywhere. Even though she had already used a hoe to hit the clods of earth for a while, they were still rather sizable. Of course, there was no way Mu Yangling could show Liu Lang this now. She figured it was unlikely for him to witness it in his lifetime. When Madam Liu-Zhang heard this, she pped him on the head. ¡°Hurry up and get to work. You¡¯re talking too much.¡± Liu Lang ran to join Liu Lun. Mu Yangling took out the germinated wheat seeds. Madam Liu-Zhang looked at them and said in surprise, ¡°Why have these seeds germinated? How are we going to nt them?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll nt germinated seeds in these two acres.¡± Mu Yangling pointed at one acre of high-gradend and one acre of medium-gradend and said, ¡°So we have to be careful not to damage the malt.¡± This was indeed detailed work. Madam Liu-Zhang frowned and asked suspiciously, ¡°Can it really be nted like this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. Since it¡¯s just two acres ofnd, it¡¯s fine even if there¡¯s no harvest.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang looked at Mu Yangling speechlessly. As a farmer, not to mention two acres ofnd, even 0.2 acres would make her heart ache. Madam Liu-Zhang was d that her father-inw was not here. Otherwise, he would have quarreled with Mu Yangling. Farmers simply couldn¡¯t stand to see seeds andnd being wasted. Mu Yangling carefully poured the wheat seeds onto the dustpan and said to Madam Liu-Zhang, ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s plow first and nt the seedster.¡± Madam Ma-Liu walked around the field as she watched them and said, ¡°What¡¯s the use of that bit of fertilizer? From how I see it, you might as well do without the fertilizer altogether.¡± Since Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t find any fertilizer, she could only use the ¡®fertilizer¡¯ that had been umted in thetrine pit at home and ask a few families for some cow dung and river mud. Although it was little, it was better than nothing. ¡°No, even if we don¡¯t have enough base fertilizer, we can¡¯t do without itpletely. Great-aunt, just do as I say and fertilize it.¡± Mu Yangling was very insistent on this. Madam Ma-Liu pouted in dissatisfaction. ¡°If only you¡¯re as thoughtful towards the othernd aside from these four acres.¡± When Mu Yangling nted the other fields, she did exactly as Madam Ma-Liu said. However, these four acres ofnd had to be done ording to her ideas and were also the most meticulously cultivated. Since Madam Ma-Liu was counting on the other fields for harvest, she was naturally dissatisfied to see that Mu Yangling had given all the advantages to these four acres ofnd that might not yield anything. Looking at Mu Yangling¡¯s smiling face, Madam Ma-Liu could not re up. She could only do as she was told helplessly. After plowing, Mu Yangling carefully nted the germinated wheat. Half of it followed Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s density, but she strictly requested for the other half to be nted more densely. Madam Liu-Zhang did as she was told. After nting the seeds, Mu Yangling and Madam Liu-Zhang carefully buried the seeds with their feet on half thend. Then, they covered the other half with the ¡®double-sided rake¡¯. After that, Mu Yangling checked carefully and covered the gaps with soil. This way, she would finish nting two acres a day. There was still some time, but Mu Yangling stopped Madam Liu-Zhang from doing more and said, ¡°We have to nt two acres in one day. We¡¯ll nt the other two acres tomorrow.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang straightened her back and looked at the other two acres. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Now that everyone was free, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to my house to rest? When you go backter, bring two fish with you.¡± Liu Lang clicked his tongue. ¡°You haven¡¯t finished eating all the fish at home? How many days has it been?¡± Xiuhong said proudly, ¡°Cousin caught a lot. It¡¯s going tost us more than a month.¡± Bowen covered his mouth in disdain and said, ¡°My mouth smells like fish. I don¡¯t want to eat fish anymore. Sister, I want to eat rabbit meat.¡± Xin also looked at Mu Yangling eagerly. Mu Yangling looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was still at the top of the mountain. There was still some time before sunset, so she said, ¡°Alright, you guys carry the things back. I¡¯ll go up the mountain.¡± Everyone knew that Mu Yangling was familiar with the mountains, so they were very assured to let her go. Mu Yangling jogged up the mountain. At this moment, there was no one in the forest. She carefully avoided the trees and entered the mountain. It was spring now, and the wild beasts in the forest were the hungriest after a winter. Without a bow and arrow, she did not dare to go deep. She only held a stick and carefully circled around the periphery. She had only walked 300 to 400 meters when she saw a patch of green grass emerging from the snow. As snow in the forest melted the slowest, it had notpletely melted yet. However, there was a lot of green grass on the ground. It was tender and green, making for a joyful sight. The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s lips curled up slightly. However, after turning around a big tree, Mu Yangling could not help but widen her eyes. She could no longer maintain the smile on her lips. The snow in front of her was extremely chaotic, and many footprints could be seen. The grass had all been gnawed away, and some of the grass stems had even been dug up. Mu Yangling¡¯s heart kept sinking. She didn¡¯t even need to squat down to look at the footprints. Just by the smell, she could tell that it was done by rabbits. Moreover, it was by arge number of rabbits. This was the best news for the hunters, but the worst news for the farmers. Thinking of the number of rabbits in the forest in autumn, Mu Yangling¡¯s heart kept sinking. Mu Yangling walked around. This time, she paid attention to the situation of the grass on the ground and realized that the grass further in was especially badly damaged. The grass on the periphery was still better, but she could still see traces of rabbit bites. If this was the case now, what if they finished eating all the grass in the forest in a few days? At that time, the crops in the fields would have just sprouted. Mu Yangling suppressed the panic in her heart and determined a direction to walk over. A group of rabbits were gathered around munching on grass. When Mu Yangling saw the imaginary enemy, she could not help but feel angry. She jumped out and before the rabbits could react, she swung her stick over and knocked two rabbits unconscious¡­ Frightened, the rabbits fled in all directions. Mu Yangling did not chase after them. She just kept waving the stick in her hand and knocked the rabbits unconscious. Then, she grabbed two live rabbits with her bare hands and counted the eight rabbits lying on the ground. Only then did the anger in her heart dissipate a little. Mu Yangling tied the rabbits together with a rope and carried them out with one hand. With the other two rabbits held in another hand, she walked home with a dark expression. Chapter 136: Worry Chapter 136: Worry Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling carried a bunch of rabbits down the mountain. When she returned home, she was surrounded by a few enthusiastic children. Mu Yangling forced a smile as she handed the unconscious or dead rabbits to them. ¡°We¡¯ll eat one tonight and give one each to Eldest Great-uncle and Second Great-uncle¡¯s family. Keep the rest and sell them in the county tomorrow.¡± Then, she handed the two rabbits that were still alive to Bowen and Xin. ¡°Here, you can raise these. If we raise more at home, I won¡¯t have to hunt for meat in the future whenever you crave meat.¡± Mu Yangling picked two big and fat ones for Liu Lang to bring back. ¡°You guys should hurry back too. Be careful on the way. I¡¯ll catch a few more for you when youe tomorrow.¡± Liu Lang and Liu Lun agreed happily before walking home with their mother¡¯s hand in theirs. Madam Ma-Liu was also in a good mood. She picked out the unconscious rabbits and stuffed them into the cage, then said, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go out early to sell these. You guys go to the fields first.¡± Not in the mood to care about this now, Mu Yangling agreed halfheartedly. Xiuhong could tell that Mu Yangling was unhappy, so she went to her side and asked in a low voice, ¡°Cousin, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Yangling sighed. ¡°Our fields are too close to the mountain and there are many wild animals in the forest. I¡¯m afraid the crops will be ruined in the future.¡± Xiuhong¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°What wild animal will go down the mountain? Wild boars?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of wild boars. I can block them out by digging a few traps outside. But, I¡¯m worried about rabbits.¡± Xiuhong giggled. ¡°Cousin, are you afraid of rabbits? I think you¡¯re excellent at catching rabbits.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not afraid of one or two, but I¡¯m afraid of thousands or tens of thousands of rabbits. No matter how powerful I am, I can¡¯t stop thousands of rabbits.¡± Xiuhong¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°How long will it take to eat so many rabbits?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°You¡¯re focusing on the wrong thing. If these thousands of rabbits run into ournd, we can forget about harvesting any crops. Moreover, ournd is mostly in the south.¡± Mu Yangling was so worried that her hair was about to turn white. She could not think of any good way to stop the rabbit tide. Could she keep hunting rabbits? This was obviously impossible. They had to start nting the rice seeds at the beginning of next month, and the remaining 100 acres of low-gradend could not bepletely barren. She nned to plow some low-gradend to nt wheat after she scattered the rice seeds in two days¡­ How could she have the time to go hunting in the mountains? How many could she hunt alone? Mu Yangling held her chin in worry. Xiuhong didn¡¯t have a good solution either. She supported her chin and sat at the side, her mind filled with rabbits. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but drool. ¡°There are so many rabbits that we can eat until we grow up. Cousin, if we can capture and sell all these rabbits, I wonder how much money our family can earn.¡± ¡°Do you think rabbits are like sweet potatoes just sitting there waiting for us to pick?¡± ¡°Cousin, what are sweet potatoes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr to potatoes. It grows in the ground and doesn¡¯t move.¡± Mu Yangling stood up and patted her butt, then waved her hand and said, ¡°Alright, stop thinking about it if you can¡¯t think of a good idea. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Mu Yangling shouted towards the kitchen, ¡°Great-aunt, rabbits have to be braised to taste good.¡± Great-aunt chided, ¡°I know, I know. Braise half and stew the other half. Your mother doesn¡¯t like braised food. Hurry up and wash your hands. The dishes will be ready soon.¡± The next day, Madam Ma-Liu woke up before dawn to make breakfast for them. Then, she carried the rabbits in the cage to the county to set up a stall. Mu Yangling waited for the sun to rise outside before getting up with difficulty to wash up. After breakfast, she brought her things to the plot ofnd in the east. After crossing the wooden bridge over the canal, Mu Yangling lowered her head to look at the water in the canal. By now, the snow and ice upstream had all melted. The three reservoirs were all filled with water, and more than half of the three canals was now flowing with water. The soldiers and civilians could not help but rejoice when they saw this. Fortunately, they had repaired the water conservancy facilities previously. Otherwise, who knew how muchnd would have been destroyed by the water. Qi Haoran was even morecent. Because of this matter, he became even more unyielding in the army. The trainingmissioners and regimentmanders no longer dared to casually refute his orders. Mu Yangling only lowered her head to look at the water in the ditch before looking in the direction of Chef Mountain. She wondered if what the elders said was true. Would there be a drought this summer? If there was, wouldn¡¯t the rabbits in the forest starve even more? If they were miserable, Mu Yangling would be miserable, too. Mu Yangling looked at Chef Mountain and sighed. She only hoped that the grass inside wouldn¡¯t run out until she thought of a solution. Soon, Mu Yangling was no longer in the mood to worry because Madam Liu-Zhang had brought Liu Lang and Liu Lun over. When they saw that Mu Yangling was the only one in the field, they asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you alone?¡± ¡°I asked Bowen and the others to sleep a little longer. Let¡¯s get to work first. Since today¡¯s seeds haven¡¯t sprouted, the time required will be even shorter.¡± Liu Lang pursed his lips and clutched his chest as he looked at his mother usingly. ¡°Mother, when can you let me sleep a little longer?¡± Before his mother could p him, he jumped behind Mu Yangling. Madam Liu-Zhang could only re at him and say, ¡°Your Cousin Ah Ling is even younger than you. Why don¡¯t I see youparing yourself to her? Your Cousin Bowen is still young. Aren¡¯t you ashamed topare yourself to a baby?¡± Liu Lang stuck out his tongue and said, ¡°But you didn¡¯t feel sorry for me when I was five years old, either. Didn¡¯t you drag me out of bed early in the morning to work?¡± Madam Liu-Zhang red at her. ¡°You were still peeing your pants when you were five. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to ask you to work. Were you capable of working back then?¡± Liu Lang¡¯s handsome face instantly turned red. As his memories of being five years old were very vague, he really didn¡¯t remember. He only guessed that his childhood had been very ¡°pitiful¡± based on his current situation. Madam Liu-Zhang snorted coldly. He was still too inexperienced to fight with her. He was not a prodigy like Bowen who could remember things at the age of three or four. After they finished nting the remaining two acres ofnd, Mu Yangling still had to go into the mountains to hunt. This time, she carried arge basket and a bow. Liu Lang was eager to try. ¡°Ah Ling, I¡¯ll follow you into the mountains.¡± Mu Yangling tilted her head and thought for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°No, the wild beasts in the mountains are hungry now. If I really encounter a ferocious beast, I can run fast alone. I won¡¯t be able to escape with you.¡± Madam Liu-Zhang quickly stopped him, too. As such, Liu Lang could only watch regretfully as Mu Yangling carried her basket and bow into the mountain. This time, Mu Yangling was well-prepared and gained even more. She only came out of the mountain when the basket on her back was filled. At this moment, the sun had already set halfway down the mountain. Mu Yangling quickened her pace and walked home. Madam Ma-Liu had already returned and was greeting Madam Liu-Zhang. Mu Yangling took out six rabbits and ced them in another basket. After thinking for a moment, she picked up another rabbit and threw it in. She said to Madam Liu-Zhang, ¡°Aunt, let me send you back.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not far.¡± ¡°Let Ah Ling send you guys. After all, you live in a different vige and it¡¯s not peaceful outside. It¡¯s not safe for you to bring the two children along.¡± Since Madam Ma-Liu said so, Madam Liu-Zhang could only agree. Mu Yangling picked up a stick and carried the basket on her back. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They had only walked halfway when the sun hadpletely set. Only the afterglow of the sun shone on the ground from the horizon. The four of them could not help but speed up. When the sky gradually darkened, Liu Lun pointed ahead and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s someone there. I think it¡¯s Father and Uncle.¡± Chapter 137: Secretly Chapter 137: Secretly Editor: As Studios When Liu Ting saw that his wife and children were not back yet and remembered that the Hus had just retreated, he could not help but call Liu Yuan out to take a look. Seeing them, Liu Ting quickly walked forward. He took the hoe from Madam Liu-Zhang¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Why are you sote?¡± Madam Liu-Zhang blushed and red at her eldest son. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Mu Yangling followed them to the door of their house, then took out a rabbit and divided the rest into two portions. She handed them to Liu Ting and Liu Yuan. ¡°Uncle Ting, this is for you. I¡¯ll go to Cousin Li¡¯s house to take a look.¡± Not standing on ceremony with her, they took it and said, ¡°Then go quickly. We¡¯ll wait for you here. We¡¯ll send you backter.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°If you send me back there, I¡¯ll have to send you back here again. That way, we can forget about sleeping tonight. You should hurry home. Considering my superb strength and the fact that I¡¯ve even killed someone before, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Liu Ting frowned. ¡°You¡¯re a child after all.¡± Mu Yangling insisted and pushed him into the house. Waving her hand, she said, ¡°Alright, alright. Go in quickly. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and was about to run when Liu Yuan stopped her and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here for the night? It¡¯s too dangerous for you to be outside at night.¡± ¡°How can I be at ease when there¡¯s only Great-aunt and my mother at home with the kids? Uncle, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve even broken through the dragon¡¯s pool and tiger¡¯s den. If some clueless people decide to rob me, they should count themselves unlucky.¡± After some thought, the few of them agreed. They loosened their grip and Mu Yangling rushed out like an arrow. Mu Yangling ran to Liu Li¡¯s house and knocked on the door. Madam Liu-Ma¡¯s vignt voice came from inside. ¡°Who is it?¡± Hearing her voice tremble slightly, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but frown. She raised her voice and said, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s me, Ah Ling.¡± Madam Liu-Ma hurriedly came out of the house to open the door for her and asked in surprise, ¡°Ah Ling? Why are you here?¡± Mu Yangling waved the rabbits in her hand. ¡°I¡¯vee to visit you after sending my Aunt Ting home.¡± Mu Yangling followed her into the house and ced the rabbits in the kitchen. Looking around, she asked, ¡°Aunt, did anyone bully you in the vige?¡± Madam Liu-Ma forced a smile. ¡°Who dares to bully me? Our Liu n is considered a big n in this vige.¡± Although the Liu n had been scattered into the 4th and the 5th Division and some of them had even been assigned to the 3rd Division, considering that they were from the same n, thend assigned to them by the higher-ups was almost all in this area. No matter how unfavored Liu Li was by his nsmen, they were still of the same n and the Liu n would indeed protect Madam Liu-Ma against outsiders. But what if she was bullied by a fellow nsman? Mu Yangling¡¯s expression was a little ugly, but she did not ask further. She was not familiar with Madam Liu-Ma, so she could only wait for Liu Li toe back when he was on break and tell him. Putting the matter in her heart, Mu Yangling¡¯s attention shifted to the soil and the rabbits in the mountains. Madam Ma-Liu had been checking the skies every night. After confirming that it would be sunny for the next few days, she said to Mu Yangling, ¡°Let¡¯s water the seedlings tomorrow.¡± The rice was nted in the high-gradend facing the river in the east. Mu Yangling bore open a hole for the water to flow before repeatedly plowing thend. It wasn¡¯t untilte in the afternoon did she redirect the water towards a deeper area where the saplings could be grown in partitions. Madam Ma-Liu stood at the side and guided them the entire time but didn¡¯t go into the fields herself. Little Bowen and Xiuhong Xin were also asked to learn. She said, ¡°How many more years can I live? You have to learn how to farm. Otherwise, who will be able to teach you when I¡¯m no longer here?¡± Mu Yangling carefully scattered the seeds on the ground. After careful observation, she looked up and asked, ¡°Great-aunt, is this density right?¡± After more than ten days, Madam Ma-Liu already understood what Mu Yangling meant by density, nt spacing, and so on. When she heard this, she lowered her head to take a look and nodded. ¡°More or less. That¡¯s it. Scatter on these few ridges. When the sun is about to set in the evening, let some water into the fields. Be careful not to drown the seeds. Just let the water reach this part.¡± Mu Yangling firmly memorized the depth and agreed. Xiuhong also wanted to go into the field, so Mu Yangling gave her some seeds. Seeing that Madam Ma-Liu had already left, Mu Yangling said in a low voice, ¡°Xiuhong, do you think the seedlings will grow better if we soak them like wheat seeds?¡± Xiuhong looked around and whispered excitedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t we give it a try?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes sparkled as she patted Xiuhong and said, ¡°My good sister, you really understand me. I¡¯ve already secretly soaked a little in my room previously. It¡¯s under the brick bed and has already germinated. Take advantage of the time when Great-aunt is going to the vegetable field to secretly take it out. We¡¯ll scatter those seeds in thest half of the ridgeter.¡± Xiuhong listened to Mu Yangling, put down the seeds, and ran home. Seeing this, Little Bowen and Xin quickly helped them keep watch. The four little ones secretly scattered the germinated seeds in thest half of the ridge. Mu Yangling covered it up a little. After confirming that one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if they didn¡¯t get close, she straightened her back and touched her lower back. ¡°I¡¯m really exhausted.¡± Bowen obediently went forward to massage her waist. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll help you massage.¡± Although Bowen had been under the sun for a few days, his face was still fair and tender. Because of the sun, his face was flushed like a ripe red apple. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but touch it and said happily, ¡°Step on my back when we get back tonight. I¡¯ll reward you with roe deer meat.¡± Bowen pped his hands and said, ¡°Sister, are you going into the mountains to hunt? That¡¯s great!¡± Then, he said, ¡°Sister, I think hunting is better than farming.¡± ¡°But the money earned from hunting is definitely not enough to pay for the military rations. When there¡¯s no rice to eat, you won¡¯t think that hunting is better than farming.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Chef Mountain and said, ¡°Chef Mountain doesn¡¯t belong to our Mu family, but themoners of Xingzhou Prefecture. We can¡¯t kill the goose thatys the golden eggs. There are only so many prey in the mountains and they reproduce at such a slow rate. If I hunt recklessly, what will be left of Chef Mountain in a decade or two?¡± There were so many rare species in the future, and the country had no choice but to legite to protect those animals. Other than war, over-hunting by the predecessors was also an important factor leading to the near-extinction of many species. At the moment, who would dare to say that bears and tigers were rare animals? The probability of encountering those things in the deep mountains and forests was too high. Deer herds appeared in groups. Wild boars were a scourge. As for rabbits, the thought of them made Mu Yangling chuckle. Soon, everyone would probably be angry and afraid instead of happy when they saw rabbits. Thinking of the rabbits in the mountains, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t sit still. Looking up at the sky, she waved her hand. ¡°Alright, you guys can go back. I¡¯ll go into the mountains to hunt some rabbits. If I¡¯m lucky, I might be able to catch a roe deer.¡± ¡°Cousin, Grandma said that rabbits aren¡¯t easy to sell. The people in the city don¡¯t have money after being robbed by the Hus. We have to go to the prefectural capital.¡± Mu Yangling frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can catch more of them alive before bringing them to the prefectural capital to sell.¡± When Mu Yangling came out of the mountains, she carried a basket of rabbits on her back and even held a few in her hands. Her movements were known by the people in the vige, but because she rarely interacted with them, no one dared to ask her. However, many people came to ask Madam Ma-Liu, who wanted to hide it. After all, this was a way to make money. Unexpectedly, Mu Yangling shouted happily, ¡°Great-aunt, you¡¯ve got to tell them that there are many rabbits in the mountains.¡± Chapter 138: Angry Chapter 138: Angry Editor: As Studios Extremely worried about rabbits running rampant in the mountains, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t ask for more if someone was willing to enter the mountains to hunt rabbits. If not for the fact that she didn¡¯t have time, she would definitely take the lead and not take a single cent. It had to be known that out of the 83 acres ofnd that the Mu family had nted, 40 acres ofnd were in the south, ounting for half of thend. As soon as the rabbits headed down the mountain, the first to bear the brunt was her family. Mu Yangling hugged Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Great-aunt, since you chat with them, do invite the men in their family who can make the decisions. We¡¯ll treat them to a meal with rabbit meat. After entering the mountains in the past two days, I more or less know where there are the most rabbits. I¡¯ll teach them to set up some simple traps and make markings so that people don¡¯t fall into the traps. They¡¯ll definitely catch a lot of rabbits.¡± Madam Ma-Liu pulled her back resentfully and said, ¡°Silly child, hunting is your forte. In such a time ofck, our family relies on your skills. Why are you still teaching others? You should think for yourself.¡± ¡°Great-aunt.¡± Mu Yangling said anxiously, ¡°The situation in the mountains isn¡¯t as simple as you think. Now that there is an overpoption of rabbits in the mountains, those creatures will eat everything. After they finish eating the grass in the mountains, won¡¯t theye and harm our crops? Moreover, now that the grass has been eaten by the rabbits, the only fate that awaits other animals that eat grass is death. You yourself said that my specialty is hunting. Surely I can¡¯t hunt rabbits all year round, right? It¡¯s so much work and doesn¡¯t even fetch as much as a deer.¡± Great-aunt immediately stopped talking. Mu Yangling looked at her eagerly. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll go, alright?¡± Madam Ma-Liu stood up and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t have the strength to cook for them.¡± Mu Yangling patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Leave the cooking to me. Our family doesn¡¯t have much grains, so we won¡¯t treat them to rice. We¡¯ll just have meat.¡± Great-aunt muttered in dissatisfaction, ¡°They¡¯ll be even happier if the entire meal consists solely of meat. I wonder how much these rabbits will fetch if they¡¯re sold.¡± Mu Yangling sent her great-aunt out happily before turning around to skin and cut the rabbits¡¯ flesh. Mu Yangling was good at cooking arge pot of meat. She would cut the rabbits clean and wash them before chopping them intorge pieces. After using some fat to season the pot, she would pour arge basin of rabbit meat and add some ginger and garlic. When she felt that they were cooked, she would take the pot off the fire. Before Great-aunt returned, she had already finished cooking the third pot. After helping her to start the fire, Xiuhong looked worriedly at the chunks of rabbit meat rolling in the pot. Xin and Little Bowen stood at the kitchen door hand in hand, their mouths slightly open. Their stomachs, which had originally felt quite hungry, instantly stopped feeling hungry. Little Bowen looked at the spat Mu Yangling constantly flipped, and then at the two pots of rabbit meat on the stove. He decisively turned around and ran to find his mother. ¡°Mother, what are we eating for lunch?¡± Shu Wanniang was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t your sister cooking in the kitchen?¡± Little Bowen pouted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat Sister¡¯s cooking. Mother, go cut some shredded radish and make porridge for us.¡± He thought to himself, ¡®Sister is really too scary! I might as well eat Father¡¯s cooking.¡¯ ¡°Doesn¡¯t your sister¡¯s cooking taste good?¡± Shu Wanniang ced her baby twins on the brick bed for them to climb on. She got up and went to the kitchen, just in time to see her daughter pour a spoonful of water into the pot. Then, Mu Yangling used the lid to cover the pot before pping her hands and saying to Xiuhong, ¡°Alright, it should be cooked in another 15 minutes.¡± Shu Wanniang pointed at her daughter, speechless. After taking a deep breath, she said angrily, ¡°Ah Ling, who taught you to cook like this?¡± Mu Yangling was startled. Only then did she see her mother standing in the kitchen. Shrinking her neck, she said, ¡°Mother, I think the dishes made this way are quite delicious. This is called home-cooked food.¡± Mu Yangling could swear that this was what home-cooked dishes were like. In her previous life, whenever she went home to cook, her father would bring his oldrade home and kept showing off. Those uncles also ate with relish. Why was she so despised here? Although her cooking was far inferior to her great-aunt and mother¡¯s, it was really not bad at all. However, Shu Wanniang could not ept such culinary skills. She said to her daughter, ¡°From tomorrow onwards, you have to take time out every night to learn culinary skills from me. Ah Ling, you¡¯re capable, and I won¡¯t stop you from doing those things, but I hope you be even more outstanding. At the very least, you can¡¯t fall behind in the culinary skills and needlework that girls should know. Otherwise, I¡¯ll confiscate your bow and arrow. Even if our family has to eat chaff and vegetables, I won¡¯t allow you to enter the mountains again.¡± When Shu Wanniang got angry, everyone shrunk their necks and became cautious. Although Shu Wanniang usually let the kids be and allowed them to develop freely, it was also terrifying when such a person red up, because they would never change their minds once they decided on something. Shu Wanniang was such a person. Sighing, Mu Yangling looked at the rabbit meat in the pot. She asked Xiuhong, ¡°Is my cooking really that bad? It¡¯s clearly moderately oily and salty. It¡¯s very tasty.¡± Having been eating Shu Wanniang¡¯s dishes for almost half a year, Xiuhong¡¯s taste buds had be rather picky. After hesitating for a while, she did not go against her conscience tofort her cousin. Instead, she whispered, ¡°Your cooking is alright. Those who don¡¯t get to eat meat much will definitely think that your cooking is especially delicious. But anyone who¡¯s tasted Aunt¡¯s cooking won¡¯t want to eat what you make anymore.¡± Later on, Mu Shi summarized the difference in one sentence: His daughter¡¯s cooking was like the big pot of dishes he ate in the military camp these days, while his wife¡¯s dishes were like the most exquisite banquet dishes in the prefectural capital¡¯s top restaurant. How could Mu Yangling¡¯s culinary skillspare to hers? Anyway, this was a matter for the future. Now, although Mu Yangling¡¯s culinary skills were despised by the Mu family, it was well-received by the men of Chenggu Garrison. Those who came could not help but swallow their saliva when they saw the meat on the table. When they heard that it was for them, no one could help but snatch it. Three full pots of rabbit meat entered everyone¡¯s stomachs, but no one was full. Everyone looked at Mu Yangling, and Old Hu said in embarrassment, ¡°Ah Ling¡¯s culinary skills are so good that we almost forgot where we are. By the way, Ah Ling, where did you get so many rabbits from?¡± Xiuhong scoffed at Old Hu¡¯s question. The Hu family was the closest to the Mu family. Wasn¡¯t it Old Hu who discovered and spread the news that Mu Yangling had gone into the mountains to hunt rabbits? However, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t mind. She told them about the situation in the mountains, but didn¡¯t mention the potential impact on the Mu family. She only said, ¡°I also know that the vigers are having a difficult time, too. There are many rabbits in the mountains, so everyone can enter the mountains to try their luck in their free time. However, there are also many ferocious beasts in the mountains. Therefore, it¡¯s best for everyone to enter the mountains in groups and not go too deep.¡± Mu Yangling poured a ss of water and raised her ss. ¡°Everyone knows that my father is a sectionmander. Since all of you here are under my father¡¯smand, only when you guys do well can my father do well. Since I have discovered good stuff, I naturally won¡¯t forget everyone. I just hope that everyone can get along harmoniously. I don¡¯t wish to hear about scheming and dirty things. Otherwise, I, Mu Yangling, won¡¯t give others face.¡± Someone secretly nced at Old Hu, causing him and a few others to blush and lower their heads to avoid Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze. Chapter 139: Easily Chapter 139: Easily Editor: As Studios Since the aim was to hunt as many rabbits in the mountains as possible, Mu Yangling naturally wouldn¡¯t keep this under wraps. Shortly after telling the vigers in Chenggu Garrison about it, she went to look for her uncle and even specially brought them into the mountains to mark out a safe area for everyone before letting the vigers spread the news. This way, at the very least, it could slow down the reproduction speed of some rabbits. Mu Yangling was only worried that the vigers who entered the mountains might not listen to her advice and enter the depths of the mountains. However, Mu Yangling had already gotten someone to set up warning signs at various mountain passes. Also, she had spread the word that since the mountains were dangerous, they should enter in teams and were not allowed to go deeper. In the end, if anyone still refused to listen to her advice, Mu Yangling could only say that she had tried her best. Those who could enter the mountain were all adults and had their own judgment. Mu Yangling did not think that she should be responsible for them. With these vigers as a buffer, she believed that she could dy the rabbits froming out of the mountains. After patrolling the wheat fields that were nted first and starting to germinate, she ran to the camp to look for Qi Haoran regarding the issue of manpower. Mu Yangling leaned against the wall and looked down at the camp below. When she saw that the patrolling soldiers had just walked away, she nimbly jumped in. Qi Haoran was looking at the map in the tent, staring at the position of Xingcheng Pass without moving. After a long time, he circled a position with his pen and said to Fan Zijin, ¡°If I were the one deploying the troops, I¡¯d definitely set up an ambush here first. Then, I¡¯d lure the Jin soldiers to attack, before turning around andunching a counterattack. Finally, I¡¯d have the men hiding in ambush to alle out and surround the enemy.¡± Fan Zijin looked up at the map before continuing to look down at the book in his hand. He said indifferently, ¡°Now that Cousin is leading the troops, his main focus is on ¡®stability¡¯. He won¡¯t agree to this move. It¡¯s good if you can sessfully lure them into a trap, but I¡¯m afraid that the other party will sense it first. At that time, they¡¯ll pretend to have failed and counterattack you. It would be bad if they make use of your trap to attack Xingcheng Pass at close range.¡± Just then, Qi Haoran suddenly shouted at the door, ¡°Who is it?¡± He strode forward and lifted the curtain. Mu Yangling¡¯s raised hand almost hit his nose. Startled by Qi Haoran¡¯s shout, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Haoran frowned. ¡°How did you get in?¡± Although the construction of the camp was notplete, the wall was the first to bepleted. Since there were people guarding the four gates, there was no reason for him not to receive a report about Mu Yangling¡¯s visit. ¡°I climbed the wall.¡± Mu Yangling said matter-of-factly, ¡°The soldiers guarding the door didn¡¯t let me in and refused to inform you of my arrival, so I had no choice but to climb the wall myself.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened, and Fan Zijin could not help but put down his book. His expression turned solemn as he asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t get discovered along the way?¡± Mu Yangling sneered and said, ¡°How can anyone find out when your defense is sox? If anyone found out, would I still be here talking to you? Alright, Qi Haoran, I came to look for you because I have something urgent to discuss with you. Are you willing toe into the mountains with me?¡± ¡°Whatever for?¡± Qi Haoran asked casually. What he cared about the most was that Mu Yang had easily climbed over the wall and entered his tent. If this ce were to be infiltrated by the enemy during a war, he would probably die without realizing what had happened. Hence, he asked, ¡°What route did you take when you climbed over the wall just now? How many passersby did you avoid? Tell me in detail.¡± Mu Yangling was focused on the rabbits in the mountains. Instead of answering, she pulled Qi Haoran back and said, ¡°Follow me into the mountains first. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling wasn¡¯t in the mood to borate about it, Qi Haoran was afraid that she would brush him offter, so he said seriously, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow you into the mountains, but you have to tell me in detailter.¡± Mu Yangling paused before saying, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to exin this matter in a matter of a few words. I¡¯m so busy now I wish I could clone myself. So, instead of exining in words, I¡¯ll re-enact the scene for you to seeter. Follow me and you¡¯ll naturally know what the problem is.¡± By now, Mu Yangling had realized what Qi Haoran was concerned about. Being from the army in the past, she naturally knew the potential damage that this negligence could cause Qi Haoran. However, she had never been good with words. In the past, she had to rack her brains to write reports. Now, it was even more so. In addition, what she said or wrote might not beprehensive due to theck of time. It was better to let Qi Haoran witness it himself and let him think for himself. Mu Yangling had her own considerations. Although they had only interacted a few times and hadn¡¯t known each other for long, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by Qi Haoran¡¯s talent. She had heard from her captain in the past that when it came to dealing with such a person, one shouldn¡¯t impart to him the knowledge grasped. Instead, she should guide him to think for himself and let him learn on his own, master, and contemte the essence of the matter. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know how to teach people, but she knew how to do the same thing as the captain. How far this could go would ultimately depend on Qi Haoran¡¯s talent. Just as this thought shed across her mind, Qi Haoran had already agreed. He found it really refreshing to follow behind the enemy and watch how the enemy broke into his camp. Feeling his blood boil, Qi Haoran said eagerly, ¡°Shall we start now?¡± ¡°No, I told you that you have to follow me up the mountain first.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Qi Haoran agreed immediately and turned to change his clothes. He asked casually, ¡°Why are we going to the mountains?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you what it means for the rabbits to conquer the mountains.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that the ck bears and the female tigers are overlords in the mountains. When did rabbits¡ªa species that can be crushed with one hand¡ªbe king of the mountains?¡± Mu Yangling chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯ll show you.¡± Curious, Fan Zijin also changed into lightweight clothes. Fei Bai and Yanmo brought their horses over and wanted to follow them. Waving her hand, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Alright, you guys don¡¯t have to follow me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to bring you along. How troublesome.¡± Frowning, Fei Bai said in a low voice, ¡°Fourth Young Master, you can¡¯t leave the camp at will. Recently, Hu spies have entered the city¡­¡± Qi Haoran rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be caught so easily? It¡¯s best if theye and try to catch me. I¡¯m getting worried that I won¡¯t be able to find them.¡± Fan Zijin nced at Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re going to the mountains, not the city.¡± Mu Yangling patted her chest and promised, ¡°I will definitely protect the two young masters. Fei Bai, don¡¯t worry.¡± Mu Yangling drooled as she touched the horse. Then, she climbed up and sat down before waving her hand and saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Qi Haoran jumped onto the horse in disdain and said, ¡°Since you want to ride a horse, you could¡¯ve juste to me. It¡¯s not as if I can¡¯t bear to let you ride it.¡± Riding on the horse, Mu Yangling replied smugly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m so free like before? My family relies on me to farm. Now that it¡¯s a busy time for farming, I worked hard to squeeze out an entire day toe out today.¡± Qi Haoran asked curiously, ¡°Is it very difficult to farm?¡± Sighing, Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult. Despite all my efforts, ultimately I still have to rely on the heavens. It¡¯s really not easy to be a farmer.¡± Having asionally walked around the edge of the fields a few days ago, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin fell silent. Moreover, the soldiers who returned to camp after farming seemed to have fallen seriously ill, looking much thinner than before. They could see for themselves that it was not easy for farmers. Chapter 140: Ambition Chapter 140: Ambition Editor: As Studios As Mu Yangling led them all the way into the mountain, some rabbits not far away ran past them. Without thinking, Qi Haoran jumped up to catch them. Grabbing one in each hand, he looked at Mu Yangling proudly. ¡°How is it? I¡¯m awesome, right?¡± Mu Yangling asked him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you discover anything along the way?¡± Fan Zijin said, ¡°There are a lot of rabbits.¡± Frowning slightly, Qi Haoran looked around. Finally, he lowered his head to look at the grass by his feet. Fan Zijin followed his gaze and also frowned slightly. At this moment, everything was reviving, but more than half of the grass on the ground had been eaten. Some of the grass stems had even been dug out. The brothers looked at each other before asking Mu Yangling together, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you see it. You¡¯ve heard of the locust gue, but you must have never heard of the rabbit gue, right? This is the rabbit gue.¡± Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin widened their eyes. ¡°There¡¯s even such a thing as a rabbit gue?¡± ¡°Anything that exceeds the limits of the environment will culminate in a disaster. My father and I had a premonition long before winter, which was why we brought the people from Nearhill Vige into the mountains to hunt. However, we didn¡¯t expect the situation to be more serious than we thought. It¡¯s just early spring now, and the rabbits in the forest have already bitten their way to the periphery. In a month or two, there won¡¯t be any grass to eat in the forest. When that happens, the rabbits can only go down the mountain, and at the foot of the mountain are our crops.¡± Since this concerned military rations, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin immediately became serious. Mu Yangling continued, ¡°Moreover, the overpoption of rabbits in the forest will definitely affect other animals. I¡¯m worried that the food chain of Chef Mountain will be destroyed. This is a serious matter that will affect future generations in Xingzhou Prefecture.¡± Qi Haoran asked, ¡°What¡¯s a food chain?¡± ¡°It means that big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp. In the context of the forest, it means that ferocious beasts eat small animals, small animals eat herbivores, and herbivores in turn eat grass. Now that the grass has been eaten by rabbits, the other herbivores will definitely have no room to survive. Carnivores may be able to eat rabbits now, but once the rabbit gue passes, how many rabbits will a tiger have to catch to fill its stomach? As for deer, wild boars, and other herbivores, they might die in this disaster, and their numbers could decrease drastically¡­¡± Fan Zijin nodded. ¡°I understand. It means the bottom levels of the food chain affect the upper levels. Moreover, such an impact will only be even more serious as time passes.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? Can¡¯t we just capture all the rabbits?¡± Qi Haoran drooled. ¡°I love rabbit meat prepared in all ways¡ªstewed, braised, or roasted.¡± Speechless, Fan Zijin and Mu Yangling looked at him and said, ¡°You can catch so many rabbits?¡± Mu Yangling brought Qi Haoran to see just how many rabbits there were in the forest. ¡°Actually, since rabbits are animals that hide during the day ande out at night, there¡¯s rtively fewer rabbits out and about right now. Perhaps it¡¯s because there¡¯s not enough grass that so many rabbits have appeared in the day recently. In the past, if I wish to catch rabbits, I had to either dig holes or set traps the day before. Because of the traps set during the day, when the rabbits came out to move at night, I could more or less reap some prey.¡± Mu Yangling carefully led the two of them through the forest as she observed a few rabbit groups. Finally, she said, ¡°Do you grasp the gravity of the situation now? If you can capture half of the rabbits, I¡¯ll already be very impressed.¡± Mu Yangling squatted on the grass and said worriedly, ¡°Moreover, what should we do with the rabbits after catching them? We definitely won¡¯t be able to eat so much by ourselves. Even if we bring them to the prefectural capital and a few nearby county cities, there¡¯s still too much to be consumed. Though rabbit skin can be kept, rabbit meat can¡¯t be kept now that the weather is gradually getting hot.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked at the two of them and said, ¡°If you have a way to catch rabbits, I have a way to get rid of these rabbit meat and rabbit skins.¡± Fan Zijin looked at Qi Haoran seriously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you still owe the Sun and Zhao families a lot of silver and grains? We have to think of a way to repay them, right?¡± Shocked, Qi Haoran and Mu Yangling shouted in unison, ¡°You can¡¯t be so evil as to use rabbit meat and rabbit skin as repayment, right?¡± Fan Zijin rolled his eyes at the two of them and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but do you think they¡¯re that stupid?¡± Seeing that there were only the three of them and countless rabbits in the dark, Fan Zijin said, ¡°Haoran, do you still remember that on the way to look for Cousin, we met a kind farmer who gave us a bag of jerky?¡± Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes. Other than Mu Yangling, she¡¯s the only other good person we encountered. It¡¯s just that the quantity wasn¡¯t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. In the end, she even pointed the wrong way for us¡­¡± Fan Zijin was speechless. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good that you remember. I¡¯m saying that the jerky is rabbit jerky. Since it¡¯s something that even you and I think is delicious, do you think others won¡¯t find it delicious? Moreover, it¡¯s super easy to preserve. I¡¯ve long felt that we shouldn¡¯t ce all our hopes on the harvest of the fields. Just as Mu Yangling said, farming depends on the heavens. If the heavens don¡¯t give us face this year, does that mean we won¡¯t be able to survive? You can force the Sun and Zhao families to lend you grains once, but can you always force them to provide grain? Therefore, we have to find other ways.¡± With eyes as bright as stars, Fan Zijin clenched his fists and said, ¡°Mu Yangling, you think this is a disaster, but I feel that this is an opportunity given to us by the heavens. Haorancks everything, but he doesn¡¯tck manpower. The healthy, the timid, the brave, the scheming, the cunning, the disabled, the old, and even those who haven¡¯t even turned 12 years old. Aren¡¯t you worried that it won¡¯t be easy to help settle down those old, weak, and disabled people? Hand them over to me. Not only can I settle them down, but I can also alleviate your worries about the debts owed to the Sun and Zhao families.¡± Qi Haoran and Mu Yangling stared at him in shock. In the end, Qi Haoran jumped up and hugged him as he shouted, ¡°Good brother, I¡¯ll give you all the manpower you want. Tell me how you want to go about doing it and I¡¯ll definitely get it done for you.¡± Mu Yangling stammered, ¡°Y-You guys aren¡¯t going to do market research or something first?¡± Qi Haoran looked at her in disdain. ¡°Zijin has never failed in anything before. Why would we need to do market research? Speaking of which, what is market research?¡± Mu Yangling: ¡°¡­¡± Ignoring Qi Haoran, she asked Fan Zijin seriously, ¡°Then what do you think I can do?¡± Regardless of whether the rabbits could be sold in the end, her crops would be saved after the rabbits were captured. Fan Zijin looked at Qi Haoran and said, ¡°We¡¯re not familiar with hunting and most of the soldiers under hismand are farmers.¡± ¡°There are many hunters in Xingzhou Prefecture. My father is one of them.¡± Mu Yangling paused before continuing, ¡°However, it seems that all the hunters have been chosen to go to other camps. In the 5th Division, only my father is a hunter.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened and he said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ll look for Big Brother tomorrow and get him to transfer the soldiers who were hunters previously over.¡± This time, Fan Zijin and Mu Yangling did not object and nodded in unison. Mu Yangling even said, ¡°Since General dotes on you so much, he will definitely agree as long as you pester him long enough.¡± Chapter 141: Cooperation Chapter 141: Cooperation Editor: As Studios ¡°My father is very familiar with the forest. If we get him to lead a team to teach everyone how to set up traps, we will definitely be able to catch a lot of rabbits,¡± Mu Yangling said. ¡°Besides, setting up traps or digging up rabbit nests don¡¯t take up too much time. You just have to go and pick up the prey in the traps the next morning. Since there are already so many rabbits out in the day, I¡¯m sure there are as many rabbits out at night as there are people on the streets during the Lantern Festival. The traps set up will definitely be useful.¡± Qi Haoran widened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been here at night?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°Although I¡¯ve never been here at night, I can tell from the traces on the ground. Actually, although there were many rabbits before winterst year, there were never so many of them. I didn¡¯t expect them to reproduce so many descendants in just one winter.¡± Rabbits could breed at three months of age, and each litter contained at least four to five babies. Going by this calction, the number of newly added rabbits was quite sizable. However, Fan Zijin asked curiously, ¡°Since rabbits grow so quickly, why have people never thought of raising rabbits? Instead, people usually raise chickens and ducks? Isn¡¯t rabbit meat more expensive than chicken and duck meat?¡± Lowering her head, Mu Yangling fell into deep thought. After a while, she said, ¡°Rabbits are difficult to raise because they tend to run away when given a chance. Moreover, rabbits are more difficult to sell. After all, most farmers raise chickens and ducks for their own consumption now. Very few people specially raise them for the purpose of selling.¡± However, Qi Haoran said, ¡°We rarely get to eat rabbit meat in the restaurants and eateries when in Lin¡¯an Prefecture. If we want to eat it, we either ask our servants to buy it or hunt it ourselves. If there are many rabbits, the restaurants and eateries can sell dishes made using rabbit meat, like here. The customers will naturally be willing to spend.¡± Fan Zijin looked at him in admiration. ¡°That¡¯s true. Selling northern goods in the south is a profitable business.¡± Fan Zijin tried to tempt Mu Yangling. ¡°Miss Mu, why don¡¯t we cooperate? You¡¯ll raise rabbits, and I¡¯ll be in charge of selling rabbits to the south. We¡¯ll split the profits 30-70.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°70% for me and 30% for you?¡± Fan Zijin looked at her strangely and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s 70% for me and 30% for you.¡± Feeling that he was being too unfair, Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the baby rabbits¡ªyou or I?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s you,¡± Fan Zijin said matter-of-factly. ¡°I¡¯m only in charge of selling them. The work of raising rabbits is all yours.¡± This time, Qi Haoran also felt that Fan Zijin was being too unfair to Mu Yangling. Both of them being his good friends, he felt conflicted before deciding to handle this fairly. He pulled Fan Zijin back and said, ¡°This is too disadvantageous to Mu Yangling.¡± Fan Zijin sneered. ¡°She¡¯s at a disadvantage? If not for the fact that she¡¯s familiar with us, I would at most buy rabbits from her at a bargained-down price before reselling them. That way, she won¡¯t even get a single cent of the profits.¡± Qi Haoran and Mu Yangling¡¯s jaws dropped. Fan Zijin continued, ¡°Do you think those rabbits can be sold so easily? I have to stop the merchants from going south and find restaurants and eateries to coborate with. With so many rabbits transported to the south, if they¡¯re alive, I have to ensure that they stay alive all the way to Lin¡¯an Prefecture. If it¡¯s something like jerky, I have to find someone to smoke it or steam it. I haven¡¯t even factor in the spices needed. These expenses will all be on me.¡± The more Fan Zijin spoke, the more he felt that he was suffering a loss. He said, ¡°No, 30-70 is too much of a loss for me. We should split it 20-80.¡± Mu Yangling hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. How could there be spices in the jerky given to you by the farmer?¡± Fan Zijin snorted and smiled. ¡°Maybe spices weren¡¯t used in the past. But can¡¯t I improve upon it since I intend to earn money from this? Considering those who can afford to eat meat all the time aren¡¯t the poor, the better the taste, the better it will sell. It¡¯s settled then. We¡¯ll split it 20-80.¡± Mu Yangling could only turn her head to look at Qi Haoran. She did not know how to do business, so she had no idea if Fan Zijin¡¯s calction was right. This was because after taking in consideration various factors, the cost and risk that Fan Zijin had to bear seemed to be greater than her who was raising the rabbits. However, 20% seemed too low, right? In her previous life, Mu Yangling was very good atputing, mathematics, and even physics and chemistry. She was one of the top students in her ss, but good mathematics did not mean that she knew how to do business. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t understand, let alone Qi Haoran. After hearing Fan Zijin¡¯s words, he waved his hand and said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s split it 30-70.¡± Then, he chuckled at Fan Zijin and said, ¡°Since Mu Yangling is a girl, you should give in to her more.¡± Mu Yangling nodded repeatedly. Fan Zijin snorted and asked her, ¡°Let me say this first¡ªthis rabbit business better be of a sizable scale. Have you thought about where to buy baby rabbits? If you don¡¯t have enough money, I can lend you some temporarily.¡± Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to buy baby rabbits. Aren¡¯t rabbits found everywhere? Besides, since no one raises rabbits these days, you can¡¯t buy baby rabbits from other people.¡± Mu Yangling was very certain about this because when she sold wild rabbits back then, she had once wanted to sell them for more money since they were wild. Unexpectedly, her father looked at her strangely and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t all rabbits wild?¡± Rabbits were all wild. Other than some people who raised one or two rabbits as pets, there were no domestic rabbits. Therefore, if they wanted baby rabbits, they could only go for wild baby rabbits. Mu Yangling turned around and said to Qi Haoran, ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring people into the mountains to hunt for rabbits in rabbit holes? Ask your men to keep the baby rabbits for me. Remember, you must keep all the rabbits in the nest. When the timees, I¡¯ll give you one-third of my 30%.¡± Fan Zijin swallowed the words he was about to say. ¡®Not bad. Mu Yangling is working for her 30%.¡¯ Qi Haoran agreed without thinking. ¡°Then where do you n to raise the rabbits?¡± ¡°I still have more than 60 acres of low-gradend in the east that I haven¡¯t nted. I¡¯ll raise them there.¡± Fan Zijin frowned. ¡°They won¡¯t be stolen?¡± Stunned, Mu Yangling scratched her head and said, ¡°Then should I go out and guard at night?¡± Fan Zijin looked at her body suspiciously. Nodding, Qi Haoran said, ¡°That¡¯s one way to go about it. I¡¯ll go around telling everyone that those rabbits belong to me. Let¡¯s see who still dares to have any designs on them.¡± Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s a better idea.¡± After the three of them agreed, Mu Yangling showed them how a hunter hunted for rabbits. Then, she walked out with Qi Haoran, covered in rabbits. Fan Zijin walked two steps behind them, unable to understand why they didn¡¯t find it dirty or smelly to hang rabbits on their waist like this. Mu Yangling hung the rabbits on the horse and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my house first to ce the rabbits. My mother makes a delicious braised rabbit meat dish. Let¡¯s eat at my house tonight.¡± ¡°Sure, but you have toe back to the camp with me after you put down your things. I¡¯d like to see how you managed to make your way to my tent while avoiding the patrol soldiers.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± She had been training for such offensive and defensive battles since she was in her sophomore year. After entering the army, she had even participated in arge military exercise. Her usual training mainly involved infiltrating the enemy¡¯s military camp, investigating the enemy¡¯s situation, or assassinating themander-in-chief. In the modern era, she even deployed infrared defense. In this era without such high technology, missions could only be simpler. Besides, Qi Haoran¡¯s soldiers had only been effectively trained for less than a month. Chapter 142: Infiltration Chapter 142: Infiltration Editor: As Studios ¡°Auntie Mu, ask Fei Bai to send more ingredients over. Take your time to prepare the food. We might be backter.¡± Qi Haoran felt that they would have toe back veryte if they wanted to infiltrate the military camp stealthily. Mu Yangling said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t listen to Qi Haoran. I¡¯m hungry. We¡¯ll be back in an hour at most. Hurry up and cook. We¡¯ll eat the minute we get back.¡± After saying that, she pulled Qi Haoran out of the door and said, ¡°It¡¯s only half an hour from the military camp to the entrance of your tent. It¡¯ll be very fast.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face was full of shock. ¡°Is it so easy to infiltrate my military camp?¡± Mu Yangling turned around and looked at Fan Zijin, who was following behind the two of them. ¡°You want to tag along too? It¡¯s not that I want to discourage you, but if you follow us in, I¡¯m afraid it will take a little more time.¡± Fan Zijin snorted and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to enter via the entrance openly.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling remain silent. Mu Yangling rode her horse and brought them around to the side of the military camp. This ce was far from the military camp¡¯s entrance, so nobody noticed them. Mu Yangling whispered to Fan Zijin, ¡°If you want to leave, leave quickly.¡± Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly. ¡°You¡¯re too big of a target here. You¡¯ll expose us.¡± Despite being annoyed at being despised by the two of them, Fan Zijin rode away without saying a word. Seeing that he had entered the gate, Mu Yangling got off the horse and hid the horse in a recess. There was soil and rocks in front that blocked out others¡¯ view, so it was not easy for anyone to discover the horse. Mu Yangling whispered to Qi Haoran, ¡°Actually, if we want to enter the military camp silently and try our best to dy being discovered, we have to sneak in on foot. Otherwise, it¡¯s very easy to be discovered and arouse suspicions if we tie the horses outside.¡± Mu Yangling gestured for him to look around. ¡°There are weeds and vines here. It¡¯s impossible for anyone to discover someone if they hide inside. Besides, you don¡¯t have a watchtower.¡± ¡°Watchtower? Is it like the one on the city wall?¡± Qi Haoran asked in a low voice. Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Since this is not a small camp, you should set up watchtowers at the four corners. Even if no one is attacking now, the military camp needs to be guarded at all times. If the guards discover any military intelligence, they can also report it quickly. If you do a good job setting it up, no one will be able to enter or exit the military camp unnoticed.¡± Qi Haoran wanted to ask more questions, but Mu Yangling raised a finger by her mouth, indicating for him to be quiet. She leaned her ear against the wall. Qi Haoran imitated her and stuck his ear close to the wall. He saw Mu Yangling counting one to four on her fingers. When she counted four, the sound of footsteps happened to pass by and gradually faded into the distance. Qi Haoran¡¯s expression was a little strange. He knew that there were four people in a patrol team, but only because it had been arranged by him. Could it be that Mu Yangling could tell how many people there were just from the sound of their footsteps and even know exactly when they would pass by? Mu Yangling led him to continue squatting. When the next patrol team passed by, Mu Yangling whispered, ¡°The interval between patrols is 15 minutes. This can be calcted based on breathing. Let¡¯s go in now and not waste any time.¡± With that, Mu Yangling took two steps back and rushed up to step on the wall. She grabbed the top and jumped in with a light leap. The entire process took less than two breaths. Qi Haoran was only stunned for a moment, but he did not retreat. Circting his Qi in his stomach, he lightly flew to the top of the wall before jumping down. As soon as hended on the ground, Mu Yangling grabbed his hand and ran forward. Another patrol team had already appeared in Qi Haoran¡¯s line of sight. Although they still needed some time to reach the spot where they hadnded just now, they were already in his line of sight. Without any hesitation, Mu Yangling pushed him behind a pir while she hid in the shadows of a tent. Qi Haoran widened his eyes. Mu Yangling was standing beside the tent, but the patrolling soldiers could not see her at all. They walked forward without looking sideways. Frowning, Qi Haoran quickly discovered the crux of the matter. Since Mu Yangling stood in the shadows, no one would notice that someone was standing there unless they deliberately looked that way. A living person was standing there, right under his soldiers¡¯ noses. However, Mu Yangling did not give him a chance to think. Almost as soon as those people walked past, she went forward to hold Qi Haoran¡¯s hand and pulled him to the side. Qi Haoran looked up at the patrolling soldiers and thought that they would be able to see them as long as they turned around slightly. However, Mu Yangling would definitely have a way to deal with the situation then. Seeing that there was no one around, Mu Yangling said in a hushed voice, ¡°The time between two patrols is too long. If it¡¯s five minutes, the moment the first team disappears around the corner, the other team will appear around the corner. This path can then certainly be seen.¡± ¡°How long is five minutes?¡± Qi Haoran had never heard of such a unit of time. Mu Yangling was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s one-third of 15 minutes.¡± Qi Haoran nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go to your tent.¡± Mu Yangling pulled Qi Haoran along and was about to follow the route she took in the morning when she suddenly heard arge number of footsteps. Having also heard it, Qi Haoran turned to look at Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling raised her eyebrows and pulled Qi Haoran in a different direction, hiding behind a pile of clods of earth. This was used to build houses in the camp area. Now that Qi Haoran had divided his soldiers into five teams, each team would take turns to build houses every day. Therefore, there were still many clods of earth and bricks in the camp that Mu Yangling could use as cover for the two of them. However, Qi Haoran wondered, ¡®If there were no more clods of earth and bricks in the camp, what would Mu Yangling use as cover?¡¯ Arge group of soldiers had already lined up in front. The leader shouted, ¡°Search this area. From here to Little General¡¯s tent, don¡¯t miss a single spot. The treasure that Young Master Fan lost might have been dropped along the way. You have to find it before dark, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mu Yangling gritted her teeth and whispered, ¡°Fan Zijin is really vengeful for doing this just because of a statement I made.¡± However, Qi Haoran chuckled and asked gloatingly, ¡°How are you going to get to my tent now? Can you still get there in half an hour? It¡¯s almost 15 minutes now.¡± Mu Yangling snorted, thinking that he was underestimating her. She pulled Qi Haoran and quietly walked away from the back. Instead of taking the originally intended path, she pulled Qi Haoran to the back and lowered her voice as they walked. ¡°Remember, if you encounter such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the future, you must seize the opportunity. Hmph, Fan Zijin has transferred men here to block our way. Since he can¡¯t mobilize the soldiers who are training, he can only deploy the soldiers who are patrolling or resting. That way, the defense in other ces will weaken, and even the entire camp¡¯s line of sight will be directed a certain way by him. With the other cesx in defense, it¡¯s really the best opportunity to sneak in. Look, we¡¯ve been walking for so long, but we haven¡¯t met a single person along the way.¡± Stunned, Qi Haoran was dragged forward by Mu Yangling. From time to time, they would avoid the patrolling soldiers. In less than 15 minutes, he arrived at the back of his tent. There were two rows of soldiers guarding in front. It seemed like they were also transferred over by Fan Zijin. Mu Yangling took a few nces forward before dragging Qi Haoran to the seam behind the left side of the tent. Just as Qi Haoran was curious about what she was going to do, Mu Yangling pulled out a dagger from the calf of her pants. Chapter 143: Protection Chapter 143: Protection Editor: As Studios Under Qi Haoran¡¯s dumbfounded gaze, Mu Yangling sliced open the tent slowly. During this period, only a faint sound could be heard. If Qi Haoran wasn¡¯t watching, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have noticed this subtle sound. Mu Yangling sliced until there was enough space for one person to enter before putting away her dagger. Then, she gently climbed in. Under Mu Yangling¡¯s re, Qi Haoran could not help but slowly crawl in. Then, the two of them looked up and saw Fan Zijin sittingfortably in the middle chair, drinking hot tea and looking out of the tentfortably. Qi Haoran opened his mouth to speak, but Mu Yangling red at him fiercely. Qi Haoran immediately shut his mouth. Mu Yangling walked over quietly. When she passed by the table in the corner of the tent, she even picked up a chopstick from it¡­ The spot they entered was very ingenious; it happened to be at the right rear of the tent. Fan Zijin was sitting on the chair right in front of Qi Haoran, his gaze facing forward and unable to see the situation behind. Mu Yangling went behind Fan Zijin and gently pressed the chopstick against his neck. She pressed one hand on his shoulder and Fan Zijin instantly couldn¡¯t move. With the chopstick pressed against his neck, Fan Zijin¡¯s body stiffened. In an instant, he regained hisposure and put down the teacup easily. He asked gently, ¡°Mu Yangling?¡± Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but admire him. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that her hand was pressed upon his shoulder, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have noticed his momentary stiffness. He was only 13 years old, but he was already so scheming. No wonder he coulde up with the idea of selling rabbits in the south. Mu Yangling put away the chopstick and said with a smile, ¡°How did you guess that it was me?¡± Only then did Fan Zijin turn around and see Mu Yangling standing behind him. Naturally, he also saw Qi Haoran and the big hole not far away. With a smile on his face, he said calmly, ¡°Other than you, who else would dare to do this? I don¡¯t have any value to be assassinated.¡± However, Mu Yangling became serious and said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re General Qi¡¯s cousin and Qi Haoran¡¯s ymate since he was young. Not only do you have the value of being assassinated, but you also have the value of being kidnapped. If I were a Jin, I¡¯d definitely capture you in order to restrain General Qi.¡± Fan Zijin looked at Mu Yangling in surprise. Mu Yangling had already turned around with a smile and said to Qi Haoran, ¡°How is it? I didn¡¯t lie to you, right? It didn¡¯t take more than half an hour.¡± Qi Haoran, who was slowly savoring the experience, nodded and said, ¡°My defense is indeedcking in many aspects. After I make some adjustments and adjust the deployment of the soldiers, I¡¯ll invite you to infiltrate again.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Mu Yangling was very forthright. ¡°Let¡¯s just treat it as a game. Mm, let¡¯s call it ¡®Assassin and General¡¯. How about that?¡± Fan Zijin pursed his lips in disdain. ¡°How unoriginal.¡± However, Qi Haoran felt that this name was appropriate. Mu Yangling was already hugging her stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. I¡¯m starving.¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand to call Fei Bai over and asked him to find someone to repair the tent. Then, he brought the two of them out of the military camp. Only Fei Bai and Yanmo were left staring at therge hole in the tent with their mouths agape. No matter how hard they racked their brains, they could not figure out why such a huge hole would appear in therge tent. It looked like someone had specially cut it open. The three of them arrived at Chenggu Garrison very quickly. By now, the vigers of Chenggu Garrison were already used to it. Since the young general and Young Master Fan came to y with her from time to time, they all knew that the youngdy of the Mu family had a good rtionship with them. Rumor had it that even General Qi was very friendly and polite to Mu Yangling. Thinking about how her parents were extraordinary, rumors gradually appeared that Mu Shi was the son of a general who had to hide his identity and make a living under General Qi due to persecution by the Imperial Court. And because General Qi admired Mu Shi¡¯s father¡¯s heroic bearing, he took good care of him. Otherwise, with Mu Shi¡¯s innate strength, why would he not be transferred to the 1st or 2nd Division but stay in the 5th Division to farm? General Qi definitely couldn¡¯t bear to see the descendant of that general die, so he arranged for him to be in the safest 5th Division. Although this position was a little useless, at least he could keep his life. As for Mu Shi and his daughter, their divine power was inherited from their ancestors. There was also an exnation for how extraordinary Mu Yangling¡¯s mother, Shu Wanniang, was. They guessed that General Mu must have arranged for his son to be married to her before the incident, so Shu Wanniang¡¯s status must also be extraordinary, perhaps the legitimate daughter of a certain aristocratic family. Because the family wanted to break off the engagement, she insisted on eloping with her fianc¨¦, Mu Shi, and lived here in seclusion. Otherwise, how could an ordinary farmer¡¯s wife have such a bearing? Her words and actions were like a fairy¡¯s flowing clouds and flowing water, so graceful. The Mu family naturally didn¡¯t know about such spections, but Chenggu Garrison and even the soldiers in the military campter respected Mu Yangling¡¯s family very much. Other than a small number of people, everyone gave in to the Mu family and admired them. Mu Shi and Mu Yangling had always thought that it was because their family had set an example for Chenggu Garrison, that it was due to their n¡¯s charm and prestige. Of course, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know about this yet. At this moment, she was fighting with Qi Haoran over a rabbit leg. She elbowed him and Qi Haoran felt a pain in his chest. He shouted, ¡°Save your strength. I¡¯m dying.¡± Mu Yangling snatched the rabbit leg and said impolitely, ¡°With internal energy protecting your body, it¡¯d be strange if you die. You¡¯ve already eaten two just now. This is my brother¡¯s. If you snatch it again, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± As she spoke, she ced the rabbit leg in Little Bowen¡¯s bowl. Little Bowen seemed to be afraid that Qi Haoran would snatch it from him, so he picked up the rabbit leg and took a bite. Qi Haoran looked at his saliva in disdain and picked up a piece of rabbit meat. He stuffed it into his mouth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care for rabbit legs.¡± Shu Wanniang red at her daughter. ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯re too rude. How can you treat Little General like this?¡± Then, she turned to Qi Haoran and said, ¡°Little General, don¡¯t me her. Although Ah Ling is usually mischievous, she knows how to treat guests. It¡¯s just that this child dotes on her younger siblings too much. If you¡¯re fond of this, I¡¯ll cook more for youter. You can bring it back to the military camp to eat. If you want to eat it in the future, feel free toe over. We don¡¯t have anything else at home, but we have enough rabbit meat.¡± This time, it was Qi Haoran¡¯s turn to feel embarrassed. He said, ¡°Auntie Mu, I was just fooling around with Miss Mu. It¡¯s not that I have to eat rabbit legs. Your braised rabbit meat is also very delicious.¡± Fan Zijin nodded. ¡°The other dishes are also delicious. Auntie Mu¡¯s cooking is really awesome.¡± Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly and praised, ¡°Even the head chef of Zhenxiu Restaurant, the best restaurant in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, isn¡¯t even one-tenth as good as you.¡± Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have many hobbies in my life. I just like to make some dishes and embroider some flowers. I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Mu Yangling looked up at the baby fat that had already disappeared from Qi Haoran¡¯s face and turned to Shu Wanniang. ¡°Mother, make some for them to bring back so they can eat it tomorrow.¡± Then, she said to Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin, ¡°The camp is not far from my house. It takes less than 15 minutes to ride back and forth. Whenever you have time,e to my house for a meal. Just remember to bring some rice and noodles over. We will provide the vegetables.¡± Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin looked at the dishes on the table. At the thought of therge pot of food in the military camp that was like pig feed, they hurriedly nodded. ¡°Great!¡± Fan Zijin even found a better reason and said seriously, ¡°Coincidentally, aren¡¯t we going to work together? We can discuss it when wee over for a meal.¡± Xiuhong looked up at him and pursed her lips before lowering her head, feeling disdain in her heart. It was obvious that he wanted to eat her aunt¡¯s food, but he still found such an excuse. Chapter 144: Understanding Chapter 144: Understanding Editor: As Studios After sending Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin away, Shu Wanniang finally had the time to ask her daughter, ¡°What did Young Master Fan mean by working together just now?¡± Mu Yangling told him about Fan Zijin¡¯s n to sell the rabbits to the south. ¡°He might smoke the rabbits into jerky or turn them into rabbit meat cubes to transport to the south. He needs a lot of rabbits, so I¡¯ll be in charge of breeding them.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned. ¡°Ah Ling, there are only so many people in our family now. How are we capable of doing this? Besides, no one has raised multiple rabbits before. Are you sure you can raise them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to raise herds of wild rabbits. Don¡¯t we still have more than 60 acres of low-gradend to the east of our house? Let¡¯s raise the rabbits there. I¡¯ll discuss with the two of themter and see if we can buy seeds of grass from the Hu people in the north.¡± Mu Yangling chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to nt wheat, but surely I can nt grass?¡± Shu Wanniang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do we still need to nt grass? Aren¡¯t there plenty on the edge of the fields, in the mountains, and by the river?¡± ¡°There is, but it¡¯s not enough to feed the rabbits. Moreover, we have to cut it ourselves. You conceded that there aren¡¯t so many people at home. Later, I¡¯ll get someone to dig a ditch around the 60 acres ofnd before fencing it up with a. The rabbits can only stay inside obediently. I¡¯ll try my best to ensure their food supply.¡± Listening from the side, Xiuhong hurriedly promised, ¡°Aunt, we can also help Cousin. Sister and I can do things like mowing grass.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Farming will be less busy in two months. When the children in the vige are free, I can invite them to cut the grass. Mother, don¡¯t worry. If the rabbits end up dying, we can always skin them and eat them. In any case, we won¡¯t lose out.¡± Shu Wanniang was stunned. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to buy baby rabbits to raise rabbits?¡± ¡°Where can we find so many little rabbits to buy? We¡¯re just going to catch them from the mountains. I¡¯ve already discussed it with Qi Haoran. When the timees, I¡¯ll take 20%. He¡¯ll take 10% and Fan Zijin will take 70%.¡± Mu Yangling continued after a pause, ¡°Since our family doesn¡¯t have money now, I¡¯ll have to ask Fan Zijin for money to buy grass seeds. He has to provide the grass seeds for the first year no matter what.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at her daughter in a daze and couldn¡¯t find any objections. After a while, she said, ¡°Then other than grass seeds, this business doesn¡¯t require any other capital.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk. The most important thing is to capture the rabbits in the mountains. Only then will our crops in the south be safe.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t have much confidence in the rabbit trade. Even if Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran were very confident, her main aim was still to rescue her own crops. In any case, since she had no intention of nting those 60 acres of low-gradend, she considered nting grass and raising rabbits there an experiment. Mu Yangling went to sleep, feeling rxed. In the military camp, Fan Zijin could not fall asleep no matter what. This was the first major thing he was doing sinceing to Xingzhou Prefecture. Having vaguely found his future direction and value, he paid unprecedented attention to this matter. He felt that he had to design every step and key point perfectly. Hence, Fan Zijinid on the tablete at night to n. Meanwhile, next door, Qi Haoran was already snoring softly and sleeping like a dead pig. The next day, Mu Yangling went to the 60 acres ofnd to take a look. Squatting in the field, she said worriedly, ¡°Do you think I should build a small house for the rabbits or something?¡± Bowen was puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t rabbits know how to dig holes? Isn¡¯t that their home? Why do you want us to build it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but if we raise them, they won¡¯t be wild rabbits anymore. If we build a house for them or something, they might change their habit of digging holes everywhere.¡± Xiuhong said directly, ¡°Cousin, our family doesn¡¯t have money at the moment.¡± Xin nodded repeatedly. ¡°Grandma said that she wants to nt wheat on the 30 acres of inferiornd in the south.¡± Mu Yangling felt her entire body ache. After a while, she said, ¡°We can¡¯t nt so many fields now. We¡¯re nearing the end of the sowing season.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Grandma said that we should start today.¡± Xiuhong said, ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go to the south quickly. Grandma must have brought the wheat seeds over.¡± Mu Yangling was discouraged. ¡°Alright, but let¡¯s just nt five acres and nothing more.¡± Great-aunt didn¡¯t want to leave the fields uncultivated, but Mu Yangling persuaded, ¡°Great-aunt, we still have to harvest after nting. When we¡¯re nting, I still have some strength to stay ahead, but when we harvest, I won¡¯t be able to keep up with Xiuhong. When the timees, we¡¯ll have to rely on you to harvest so muchnd all by yourself. Should we encounter heavy rain, our efforts for more than half a year will be wasted. I think we can only nt another five acres at most because I want to first see the harvest of the low-gradend.¡± ¡°Then do we just leave the other fields uncultivated?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we nning to raise rabbits? When the timees, we¡¯ll nt grass there and cut it for the rabbits to eat. What do you think?¡± Just like Shu Wanniang, Great-aunt felt that Mu Yangling¡¯s idea of raising rabbits was unreliable. However, Mu Yangling was right about the fact that this was a business without capital, so she might as well give it a try. Seeing that she was silent, Mu Yangling took it that she had agreed. In order to prevent her from being sad, she said, ¡°It¡¯s really because the harvest of rice and wheat is too close. If there¡¯s a longer amount of time between the two harvests, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave thesends uncultivated, too.¡± Great-aunt looked up at Mu Yangling, who only reached her chest. Yet, her slightly immature face was filled with seriousness. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart, feeling that she was asking too much of this child. After escaping from Nearhill Vige, because Mu Yangling took the initiative to bear most of the risks, she subconsciously treated her as an adult even though she always called her a child. During this period of farming, she had been treating her as a strongborer, but in fact, she was still a child. When Great-aunt thought of her own health condition, her heart couldn¡¯t help but soften. Forget it, so be it. Leaving thend uncultivated was better than ruining the child¡¯s health. At the thought of this, Great-aunt immediately felt that even nting five acres was a stretch. She said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just nt another two acres today and see how the harvest of this low-gradend goes.¡± Blinking, Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to nt five acres?¡± Great-aunt red at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m old and tired, alright? Let¡¯s just nt whatever we can today.¡± Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t ask for more, and Xiuhong and the others were also happy. Children didn¡¯t like farming, for they felt that farming was too taxing. While Mu Yangling was nting two acres of low-gradend, Qi Haoran ran to Qi Xiuyuan and snatched 20 soldiers who had hunting experience over. He asked them to take turns leading teams into the mountains to catch rabbits and try their best to catch them alive. Meanwhile, Fan Zijin began to count the soldiers who could not go to the battlefield and train. From now on, these people would have to work with him. On the day Qi Haoran¡¯s men started to enter the mountains, Mu Yangling came to talk about the grass seeds. Fan Zijin agreed to help them get the seeds, but he did not agree to pay for the seeds alone. He said, ¡°All three of us have a share in this business. Since we¡¯re splitting the money between the three of us, everyone has to chip in.¡± Chapter 145: Seeds Chapter 145: Seeds Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling gritted her teeth. ¡°Why are you so stingy when the grass seeds aren¡¯t even expensive? Don¡¯t you know that my family is poor?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s not expensive, you can definitely afford it.¡± Fan Zijin nced at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that raising the rabbits is your responsibility. Haoran and I are already taking good care of you by helping you pay for two portions. This is only for the first year and you won¡¯t get such treatment the next year. Also, Haoran will get all the profits from the wild rabbits in the mountains this time. No one is allowed to touch them.¡± Mu Yangling had no objections to this, but she just didn¡¯t want to pay for the grass seeds. As Bowen had already finished his medicine, she had to enter the city today to buy another prescription for him today. Soon after, she would also send Bowen to study in the academy when the new term started. This would all cost money. There wasn¡¯t much money left from the deer salest time, so Mu Yangling decided to fight Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran to the end on this issue. Fan Zijin adamantly disagreed. Other than Qi Haoran, who else could take advantage of him? If Mu Yangling got her way this time, she might do the same thing in the future. Even if it wasn¡¯t much money, it wouldn¡¯t be good. Seeing that Fan Zijin could not be persuaded, Mu Yangling gritted her teeth and said, ¡°At most, I¡¯ll borrow the money from you first. I¡¯ll return it to you when I earn money.¡± Fan Zijin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care to lend such a small amount of money.¡± When Qi Haoran returned with his whip, he saw the two of them confronting each other. His eyes darted around before he pulled Mu Yangling out and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you quarrel with Zijin again?¡± Mu Yangling snorted and said, ¡°Who would quarrel with him? I¡¯m just trying to reason with him. Nobody knows how this business will turn out in the future. Yet, I have to be the only one to invest money in it from the beginning. I don¡¯t mind providing thebor, but I really can¡¯t fork out the money.¡± Qi Haoran rubbed his head and said, ¡°It requires an investment of money?¡± Qi Haoran thought about his wallet and realized that he didn¡¯t seem to have any money left. Recently, he even had to borrow money from Zijin when he went to the county restaurant to eat. ¡°It¡¯s the money for the grass seeds. If we want to raise rabbits, we have to nt some grass. Fan Zijin wants us to split it evenly.¡± Qi Haoran felt vexed. ¡°Is it very expensive?¡± Mu Yangling red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even take out two taels of silver.¡± ¡°Two taels per person? That¡¯s not expensive.¡± Qi Haoran patted his chest and said, ¡°I have it.¡± Mu Yangling sat cross-legged on the grass and said sadly, ¡°Two taels is indeed not expensive. In the past, I could afford it, but I can¡¯t now.¡± Qi Haoran sat beside her and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll lend it to you.¡± Mu Yangling looked at him and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me why I don¡¯t have money? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that I just sold a deer for 35 taels of silver when winter came.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯ve been using that 35 taels of silver until now?¡± Qi Haoran looked at her with admiration. ¡°50 taels of silver isn¡¯t even enough tost me a month!¡± Qi Haoran did not have a sry, but he had to socialize. Qi Xiuyuan only gave him 50 taels of silver a month, which was not enough for Qi Haoran to spend. As such, he had to borrow money from Fan Zijin every month. However, Mu Yangling felt that he was sponging off his brother too much. She asked, ¡°What do you do with the 50 taels of silver?¡± Qi Haoran was confused. ¡°It¡¯s just gone without me doing anything.¡± Mu Yangling: ¡°¡­¡± Qi Haoran scratched his head and said, ¡°If it¡¯s only two taels of silver, I can afford it. Why don¡¯t I help you fork out this sum of silver? Even when including Zijin¡¯s share, it¡¯s only six taels of silver.¡± Qi Haoran felt that this money was really too littlepared to his expenses. He didn¡¯t understand why Zijin wanted to fight Mu Yangling over this. Didn¡¯t Zijin have more money than him? Mu Yangling patted his shoulder and said like they were close brothers, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely return it to youter.¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand and said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s only two taels of silver. There¡¯s no need to return it.¡± ¡°How can I do that?¡± Mu Yangling lowered her head shyly, before raising her head again and punching Qi Haoran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you.¡± Qi Haoran nodded happily. ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with me.¡± It was only two taels of silver, not 200 taels. Although Mu Yangling said that, she remembered this favor in her heart and felt even closer to Qi Haoran. Meanwhile, Fan Zijin, who had secretly run over to eavesdrop, could not help but grind his teeth. Mu Yangling was really cunning to have taken advantage of his absence to cheat Haoran of his money. Fan Zijin snorted and turned to leave. Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran were still chatting happily. In the end, it was Qi Haoran who paid for the grass seeds. He handed the money to Fan Zijin and asked him to find someone to buy the grass seeds. In fact, the reason why they could buy good grass seeds so easily was because of the Hus¡¯ grazing. The ce upied by the Hu people outside Xingcheng Pass was originally a good farnd. However, after the Hu people upied it, because they did not know how to farm and had no desire to farm, they scattered grass seeds in the fields and turned the farnd into a grasnd for grazing. Because they nted grass every year, it wasn¡¯t difficult to buy grass seeds. The difficult part was buying seeds from the other side when the two armies were fighting. If the Jin soldiers discovered them, they would most likely be captured. However, the bold Fan Zijin found a soldier who had been a scout and simply went over. Mu Yangling only knew that he went over to buy seeds, but she did not know that he was carrying other missions on his shoulders. Not to mention Qi Haoran, even Fan Zijin was unwilling to let the scout go over there just to buy those few bags of seeds. ¡°Sister, what are we going to buy?¡± Little Bowen held Mu Yangling¡¯s hand tightly and looked curiously at the lively crowd on the street. After a winter of recuperation, the county gradually regained its former liveliness. This was the first time Little Bowen had seen such a lively scene. In the past, when they came to buy New Year¡¯s goods, it had not been so lively. ¡°Let¡¯s find a bookstore and buy you some school supplies. We¡¯ll go to the pharmacyter to buy you medicine.¡± Xin said with a bitter expression, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re so pitiful to have to take medicine every day.¡± However, Bowen was already used to it. ¡°Why is taking medicine pitiful?¡± Mu Yangling quickly interrupted Xin and said to Bowen, ¡°Your cousin Xin just thinks that the medicine is very bitter, but actually, it¡¯s not pitiful to take medicine at all. It¡¯s pitiful to need medicine but not have the means to take it.¡± Bowen nodded. ¡°I know. Just like Grandma Hu. She¡¯s sick yet she can¡¯t afford medicine. She had to endure her sickness without medicine. She¡¯s so pitiful.¡± Some time ago, Grandma Hu had a high fever. Since the Hu family did not have money to buy medicine, they only used cold water to cool her down and she had to endure the sickness for two days. Although she could walk now, she had clearly lost weight. Bowen, Xin, and the other children were shocked to see her in her current state. Although it was bad to speak about others behind their backs, Mu Yangling still taught them, ¡°So in the future, when you¡¯re sick, you have to take medicine, especially when it¡¯s such a serious illness. Don¡¯t feel bad about the money. Even if you have to sell everything, you have to get through the illness first. You have to know that people are the most important thing in this world. If you lose your wealth and things, you can always earn them again. If someone loses their life, they¡¯re gone forever.¡± Mu Yangling was someone who had been reborn. When she thought about how her father had sacrificed himself in a foreign country and how she had also died in the forest, she still couldn¡¯t understand. Did everyone reincarnate after death, or was she the only exception? Did she forget to drink Old Lady Meng¡¯s soup1 when crossing the Bridge of Helplessness2? However, it remained unchanged that a death was a death. As an independent individual, even if he could reincarnate or be reborn, this person would no longer be the same person. The Mu Yangling in the modern world was already dead. Even if Mu Yangling had the memories of her previous life, she was a different person now. Because here, she had parents and rtives that she cared about and did things that she would never have done in her previous life. Chapter 146: Preparation Chapter 146: Preparation Editor: As Studios Seeing that his sister was in a daze, Little Bowen couldn¡¯t help but hold her hand nervously. ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Yangling came back to her senses and put on a gentle smile. Patting his head, she said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go find the bookstore first. The old bookstore is no longer open because of the Jin soldiers. I wonder where this new bookstore is now.¡± After walking around the county, Mu Yangling finally found the new bookstore in a corner of the street where the old bookstore had been previously. Mu Yangling looked at the slightly blocked facade at the protruding corner of the wall and then looked up at its que. Only then was she certain that this was really the bookstore she had been looking for. Speechless, Mu Yangling pulled Bowen in and asked the boss, who was sleeping on the recliner, ¡°Why did you open a bookstore here? It took us a long time to find this ce.¡± The bookstore owner raised his eyelids and nced at them. Then, he lowered his eyes and said, ¡°All the academies and private schools in the county know that my bookstore is located here. You can go and take a look at whatever you want to buy. Just pay the bill when you¡¯re done browsing.¡± So this boss was only counting on business from the academies. Mu Yangling muttered as she pulled Bowen in. She took the book list that the academy¡¯s teacher had written for him and chose a few books. Then, she went to choose a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. ¡°Bowen,e and take a look. Which one do you want?¡± This being Bowen¡¯s first time shopping in a bookstore, he reached out to touch the inkstone on the table lovingly before reluctantly looking away from it. He said obediently, ¡°Sister, just choose for me.¡± Mu Yangling stroked his head and reached out to pick up the inkstone he had touched just now. She chose a few more brushes from the brush holder before bringing him to look at the inksticks. As these were all marked with prices, Mu Yangling knew at a nce if she could afford them. Hence, she didn¡¯t need to ask the boss for the price. When choosing ink, Mu Yangling hesitated. She picked up a rtively cheap inkstick and asked the boss, ¡°Will this smudge?¡± The boss opened his eyes and took a look. ¡°Yes.¡± He nced at Mu Bowen, who was beside her feet, and said, ¡°Inksticks below 500 copper coins will smudge. If you want something better, buy something that costs 800 copper coins or one tael of silver.¡± The inksticks here were sold in packs of ten pieces. Should one wish to purchase an individual piece, it would be more expensive. Since inksticks were bought for the purpose of studying, people would usually buy a pack at once. Frowning, Mu Yangling thought for a moment. In the end, she put down the ink in her hand and picked up an inkstick respectively costing 800 copper coins and one tael to smell. In the end, she decided to buy the ones costing one tael of silver. After choosing the items, Mu Yangling brought them over and asked the boss to settle the bill. The boss knew at a nce that it was for a new student. He nced at Mu Bowen before asking Mu Yangling, ¡°Where are the adults in your family?¡± ¡°They¡¯re busy, so I came here with my brother.¡± Mu Yangling flipped through the booklet beside her. She remembered that she had always prepared notebooks to record notes when she was studying. After all, there were so many notes that there wasn¡¯t enough space in her textbook to record them. Hence, Mu Yangling took out another nk booklet and handed it to the boss. ¡°I¡¯ll take this too.¡± The boss¡¯s lips curled up slightly as a smile appeared on his face. He nodded in admiration. ¡°You sure know how to choose. Is he not the first person to attend school in your family?¡± Mu Yangling was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°My mother and father are both literate. I can read a few words too.¡± However, only she and her mother were properly educated. What her father knew was taught by her mother. For a family with so many literate individuals, the boss mistakenly assumed them as schrly farmers. Schrs tended to have a certain air about them, so upon identifying that they were schrly farmers, and seemingly not well-off, the boss intentionally omitted the price of some items. In the end, hezily calcted the abacus and said, ¡°A total of 9 taels and 520 copper coins.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Isn¡¯t it 10 taels and 320 copper coins?¡± She searched through the items before finally pointing at the two tubes of brushes and pile of paper. ¡°You forgot to calcte these two, right?¡± The boss red at her and wrapped it up for her. Then, he said, ¡°10 taels and 300 copper coins then. I¡¯ll round down those 20 copper coins for you.¡± Mu Yangling was a little confused by his re, but she still thanked him and took out money from her pocket. Just as she was about to turn around and leave with the things, the boss asked, ¡°How did you calcte so quickly?¡± ¡°What? Oh, you¡¯re talking about tallying the bill?¡± Mu Yangling said matter-of-factly, ¡°I calcted it mentally.¡± The boss frowned but did not ask in detail. He nced at their baskets and said, ¡°Your brother has to buy a briefcase for school. Otherwise, how can he bring books to the academy?¡± The boss pointed at a corner and said, ¡°The briefcases are over there. Go take a look. I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡± Mu Yangling looked at the boxes and thought to herself, ¡®No matter how cheap it is, we won¡¯t be able to afford it.¡¯ If they bought this on top of the medicine, they¡¯d be using up all their money and could only hope Great-aunt could sell the wild rabbits. It was good to have some spare money at home. Besides, Bowen wouldn¡¯t be able to carry a briefcase considering it was so heavy. Mu Yangling declined the boss¡¯s good intentions and held Bowen and Xin¡¯s hands as they left. Xiuhong followed closely behind. After walking far away, Xiuhong said unhappily, ¡°Cousin, that boss isn¡¯t friendly at all.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°This boss is not friendly, but he¡¯s very interesting. He¡¯s even better than the previous bookstore owner.¡± Mu Yangling brought them to the pharmacy and took out Bowen¡¯s old prescription for the shopkeeper to see. The shopkeeper looked at the prescription and then at Mu Bowen. Seeing that his face was still rosy, he asked, ¡°When did you start taking this prescription?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been taking it for five months. It was prescribed by the doctor when our family was still in Seven Mile Vige. He¡¯s been taking medicine previously, but it was a different prescription previously.¡± Mu Yangling took out a cloth bag from her pocket and showed him the previous prescription. ¡°This is the prescription for my younger brother before he was two years old. This prescription was given two years ago. When the symptoms started, he took one set every two days. Usually, he takes one set every two days. This one was given inte autumnst year. Usually, he takes one set every two days.¡± Nodding, the shopkeeper said, ¡°These are all medicinal herbs that nourish the body. They¡¯re not very toxic, but since he¡¯s still young, it¡¯s more or less harmful to take medicine for so many years. If you want to change the prescription, why don¡¯t you ask my boss to take his pulse and have a new prescription written? If the chronic illness in his body has been cured, then there¡¯s no need to take medicine anymore. Food therapy is much better than taking medicine.¡± Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She held her brother¡¯s hand and went to see the boss. Benevolence Hall was a century-old pharmacy in Mingshui County with a ster reputation. Other than an in-house physician, the owner, the Pang family, also treated patients here. Today, the head of the Pang family, Pang Kongqing, was the one attending to patients. Mu Yangling led Mu Bowen over and a smile bloomed on his face. He waved at him kindly. ¡°Come and let Uncle take a look.¡± Pang Kongqing¡¯s face was gentle and amiable, making people subconsciously trust him. Even Mu Yangling could not help but have a good impression of him, let alone Bowen, who was so young. Pang Kongqing smiled, making Little Bowen¡¯s previous nervousness dissipate slightly. He sat obediently on the chair and extended his hand to him. Chapter 147: Food Therapy Chapter 147: Food Therapy Editor: As Studios After Pang Kongqing finished taking his pulse, he looked at Little Bowen and asked softly, ¡°What did you eat this morning? Do you usually eat like this? What did you eatst night? What about yesterday afternoon?¡± Little Bowen answered them one by one in a clear and organized manner. Pang Kongqing could not help but take a few more nces at him before nodding slightly. Looking at their clothes and limbs, he understood the situation. After pondering for a moment, Pang Kongqing picked up a pen and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°I¡¯ll prescribe him a warm and nourishing prescription. His diet is usually rather light, but he has to eat nutritious foods as well. Although he¡¯s born with a congenital deficiency, he¡¯s been nursing his health rather well. At this rate, he should be able topletely stop using medicine in three to four years.¡± Mu Yangling frowned. Although Traditional Chinese Medicine was rtively gentle and Bowen was taking a warm nourishing prescription, there would definitely be medicinal poison left in his body after consuming it for seven to eight years. Pang Kongqing could tell what Mu Yangling was thinking at a nce. Sighing, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no better way, but that method of nursing one¡¯s health is too meticulous. I¡¯m afraid your family can¡¯t afford it, and your ability and energy are insufficient.¡± ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you tell us about it? Perhaps my family has a way. Even if we can¡¯t do it now, we can adopt the method when we have the ability in the future.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Pang Kongqing with bright eyes when she heard that there was a safer way. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult actually. You have to know that food and medicine have the same origin. In ¡®The Yellow Emperor¡¯s Innerssic1¡¯, there¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡®Grains nourish, fruits assist, livestock enhance, vegetables supplement. When vors harmonize and are consumed, they replenish essence and improve energy.¡¯ However in the case of food therapy, to achieve a better nourishment effect, the ingredients and the precision of the cooking are not something an ordinary family can afford.¡± Pang Kongqing paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°First and foremost, it requires one to have the utmost exquisite culinary skills. After cooking, you have to preserve most of the nutrients in the ingredients so that they can take effect from the inside out. Over time, one¡¯s cirction will be enhanced, and their essence energy will naturally be abundant. Moreover, because it¡¯s food therapy, there¡¯s no medicinal poison. One¡¯s internal organs will be nourished, allowing them to regain perfect health.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling understood, Pang Kongqing said with a smile, ¡°I see that you and your younger siblings have calluses in your hands. Other than the new calluses on your younger brother¡¯s palms, the rest are old calluses. Based on this, I don¡¯t think your family is rich. If your younger brother chooses to stop taking medicine and opts for food therapy instead, he has to eat in such a way for years without stopping. Although this warm nourishment prescription is a medicine, it has its own benefits. At least, when your family falls into difficult times, it¡¯s fine to pause consumption for two to three months. He¡¯ll recover after taking it for three to four years. On the other hand, food therapy will definitely take longer and consume more time.¡± Mu Yangling lowered her head and thought for a moment. Then, she looked up and said seriously, ¡°Sir, please give us a prescription for food therapy. It¡¯s best if you can write down clearly how to prepare the ingredients and if there¡¯s anything he needs to avoid eating.¡± Pang Kongqing looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Someone in your family knows how to cook? This food therapy is very detailed.¡± ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. My mother¡¯s culinary skills are not bad. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for her.¡± When Pang Kongqing heard her say this, he turned around and went into the inner room to take out a booklet. He said, ¡°This is the food therapy prescription I wrote. Preparation methods are written below. Of course, it¡¯s only a rough idea. If your mother¡¯s culinary skills are good, she can improve upon them. However, you have to try your best to ensure that the nutrients in them are preserved. I¡¯ve also recorded all kinds of cooking methods suitable for specific foods.¡± Mu Yangling did not expect Pang Kongqing to treat them so well. She could not help but decline. ¡°This must be very precious, right? How can I take it away? Why don¡¯t I make a copy?¡± ¡°¡­ Take it, I have multiple copies. But, I have a condition. Your brother has toe over every half a month for me to take his pulse. Also, if you find a way to improve the cooking method, you have to write me a copy.¡± Then, he said, ¡°In return, your brother doesn¡¯t need to pay for any treatment here. Whatever your brother needs to use, I¡¯ll give it to him for free. How about that?¡± Mu Yangling widened her eyes and looked at him. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re experimenting on my brother?¡± Pang Kongqing waved his hands and said, ¡°No, no. This food therapy is indeed better than the warm nourishing prescription, but I don¡¯t know just how good it is. After all, no one can persevere for years. Actually, I just want to test the taste of the dishes in this booklet¡­¡± Under Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze, Pang Kongqing had no choice but to confess. ¡°The dishes in the booklet do have the effect of food therapy, but the taste is a little strange. Although it¡¯s strange, it¡¯s at least better than bitter medicine. At least, it¡¯s guaranteed that there¡¯s no medicinal poison and no future trouble¡­¡± Mu Yangling took the booklet and flipped through it. She realized that it was only a simple cooking method for a single ingredient, as well as some things to pay special attention to. The main aim of the entire booklet was to ensure nutrition. Therefore, some dishes were half-cooked because being too cooked would cause some nutrition of the ingredients to be lost. The amount of oil and salt was also strictly restricted. Mu Yangling felt that she had lost her appetite just by flipping through the booklet. She looked down at her brother and began to hesitate. One of the greatest joys in life was to ¡°eat¡±. With this booklet, although the ingredients were exquisite, ording to his cooking methods, the deliciousness of the food would undoubtedly be lost. How could her brother, who was still so young, lose such an important thing as the joy of eating? Mu Yangling put away the booklet and said to Pang Kongqing, ¡°Sir, I think I have to go back and discuss it with my parents.¡± A foodie himself, Pang Kongqing knew the pain as he had tried all the food therapy recipes here. He hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Go back and ask your parents for their opinions first. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Seeing that they were about to turn around and leave, Pang Kongqing quickly stopped them and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I prescribe a few recipes for your brother¡¯s food therapy first? When you get back, you can make them for your brother to try.¡± Pang Kongqing coughed lightly and said, ¡°Although my recipes are a little unptable, it¡¯s true food therapy. You don¡¯t add any medicinal herbs in it at all, unlike medicinal cuisine recipes where you have to add medicinal herbs when stewing vegetables.¡± At the mention of medicinal cuisine, Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s also a doctor who prescribed a medicinal cuisine recipe for my brother. He¡¯s actually eaten it for a while. Although it has a medicinal taste, the taste isn¡¯t especially terrible. What do you think about changing to medicinal cuisine?¡± Pang Kongqing was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. Since there¡¯s medicine in medicinal cuisine, it actually works faster than food therapy. However, because there¡¯s medicine in it after all, there¡¯s more or less some medicinal poison. If it¡¯s an ordinary person, medicinal cuisine will naturally be better than food therapy. However, your brother has been taking medicine for many years since he was born. There¡¯s already enough medicinal poison umted in his body. It¡¯s naturally best not to add more at this time. Moreover, using food therapy can slowly eliminate the medicinal poison that has already umted in his body.¡± In other words,plete food therapy was the best solution. Mu Yangling could only bring her brother home first. As today was Mu Shi¡¯s day off, Mu Yangling squatted at the entrance of the vige and waited for him. She figured she should ask her father for his opinion on this matter. Mu Yangling felt that losing the chance to taste delicacies was a terrible thing, but Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang agreed without thinking. Shu Wanniang even med Mu Yangling. ¡°Child, what¡¯s there to reject when it¡¯s such a wonderful thing?¡± ¡°But Mother, Physician Pang said that those dishes all taste pretty crappy. Little Brother has to eat that kind of thing for three meals a day and won¡¯t be able to eat the delicious venison and rabbit meat I roast. Isn¡¯t that sad?¡± Xiuhong nodded fiercely from the side. ¡°If I could only stand at the side and watch while my cousin and the others were eating roasted meat, I would be very pitiful too.¡± Mu Yangling looked at her parents with an expression that said, ¡°Right, right? I¡¯m not lying to you, right?¡± She said, ¡°So we have to ask Bowen for his opinion and see if he¡¯s willing to eat those strange-tasting stuff and give up on eating all kinds of delicacies with us.¡± Chapter 148: Meeting Chapter 148: Meeting Editor: As Studios Little Bowen looked around and finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Sister.¡± Mu Yangling opened her mouth wide and was momentarily at a loss. Mu Shi immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s use this method. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s costly. I will think of a way.¡± Shu Wanniang also said, ¡°I¡¯ll study that food therapy booklet again and see if I can improve the taste. Ah Ling, I know what you mean, but to us, nothing is more important than your brother¡¯s health. When he recovers, what can¡¯t he do in the future?¡± Having instantly lost the courage to object, Mu Yangling asked her father curiously, ¡°Father, what can you think of?¡± Mu Shi rubbed his daughter¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You just have to take good care of the family. I heard that you¡¯re doing business with Little General and Young Master Fan? Then you have to be more careful. Don¡¯t let them suffer a loss.¡± ¡°How is that doing business? I¡¯m just helping them raise rabbits. The business aspect is Fan Zijin¡¯s responsibility.¡± Seeing that her father was unwilling to tell her, Mu Yangling did not ask further. The next day, she went to the streets to buy the ingredients on the food therapy booklet. As the three meals each day differed, there were many things to buy. Also, some of those ingredients were quite expensive. Great-aunt had taken out all the money earned from selling rabbits over the past few days. It was only when Mu Yangling had money in her purse that she didn¡¯t panic. After buying the goods, she carefully kept them in the basket on her back. On the other hand, Pang Kongqing from Benevolence Hall was very happy to know that the Mu family had agreed to the food therapy treatment. He even introduced two provision stores to Mu Yangling. It was said that the things from these two stores were not bad, where dry fruits and misceneous grains could be bought. It was said that the quality was even better than the goods from legitimate grain stores. Mu Yangling remembered that she still had barley rice to buy, so she went to one of the provision stores. As soon as she entered, she saw the owner of the provision store pushing someone out. ¡°We really can¡¯t ept this. Not many people here eat this.¡± ¡°Why not? You can eat it with grains after grinding it.¡± The person dragging arge sack had a worried expression on his face. His skin was dark and red from being frequently under the sun, so one could tell at a nce that he was an old farmer. The boss waved his hand and said, ¡°Who would be willing to eat this except during disaster years? Hurry up and take it away. I really don¡¯t ept such stuff here.¡± As he pushed, a few corn kernels fell out andnded in front of Mu Yangling. When Mu Yangling bent down to pick it up, she was surprised to see that there was already corn at this time. The old farmer squatted on the ground with red eyes and was about to cry. He wiped his eyes and choked. ¡°Didn¡¯t people say that this is good stuff? Why isn¡¯t it epted? My mother is still waiting for the money to get the medicine. We¡¯re really screwed by the Old Emperor. How muchnd have we wasted nting this thing?¡± The boss could not bear it and could not help but say, ¡°That¡¯s from an old almanac. Emperor Shizong has been dead for so many years and the current Emperor has long forgotten those words. It¡¯s also because you live in the deep mountains and old forests that you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside. Do you think it¡¯s still the same as before? It¡¯s been decades since people nted maize. It¡¯s not delicious and it¡¯s a waste of goodnd. The yield is not high either. I really don¡¯t understand why Emperor Shizong promoted it so much and even went all the way out to the sea to look for it.¡± The boss shook his head and patted the old farmer¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I pity you too, but I have to support my family. I really have no choice. You should find another store. Perhaps someone will ept it.¡± The boss turned around and saw Mu Yangling carrying a basket on her back. He quickly asked with a smile, ¡°Youngdy, what do you want to buy?¡± ¡°Barley rice.¡± ¡°Ah, I just received a new batch. It¡¯s top-notch and cheap. Come in and take a look.¡± Mu Yangling raised her feet and was about to walk in when she turned around and saw the man sitting on the steps, looking nkly at the peopleing and going on the street. Mu Yangling stopped in her tracks and turned to ask the boss, ¡°Did hee from the deep mountains?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. No one hase out for decades. I heard that his mother is seriously ill and the barefootdoctor1in the mountains can¡¯t treat her. That¡¯s why he wanted to bring her out to see a doctor, so he brought the grains from home to pay for the medicine. However, no one wanted the corn even if it¡¯s free. It¡¯s been decades since anyone nted this.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Isn¡¯t the yield of corn very high? Why isn¡¯t anyone nting it?¡± This time, it was the boss¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°Corn is high-yielding? The corn nted on good-gradend and carefully cultivated doesn¡¯t even harvest as high a yield as wheat. It¡¯s not delicious either. I really don¡¯t understand why Emperor Shizong insisted on finding this thing.¡± The boss sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s said in the history books that this is a failure of Emperor Shizong. After spending so much manpower and resources, all they got back was a useless grain. That¡¯s true. Emperor Shizong was born as an emperor, and he has never farmed before. How would he know that corn is high-yielding?¡± Because he was a transmigrator, of course he knew. Moreover, he was not wrong. Corn was indeed high-yielding. At leastpared to wheat and rice, it was very high-yielding. Mu Yangling thought in her heart. When she came out after buying barley rice, the man had already carried his sack and ced it on the cart. She saw him walk to a corner, pick up a ck-haired person wrapped in a nket, and carefully ce her on the cart. Mu Yangling knew that it was his mother. Seeing him push the car helplessly, Mu Yangling could not move. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t like to eat corn. In fact, she hated it very much. In elementary school, she would even vomit when she saw corn porridge. In high school, she couldn¡¯t understand why so many people liked such cheap and disgusting food when she saw her ssmates order corn porridge every time they went out to eat porridge. Even if the corn porridge they ate at that time was sticky glutinous corn and not the yellow corn that was used to feed pigs, she still could not ept it. Because she was sick of eating it, having eaten it since she was young. Those few years when she was stationed at the border with her father were the most arduous. She still remembered that year when there was a drought and the local people reaped a poor harvest. Every family could only eat yellow corn. As her father¡¯s regiment saved all the rice and white flour and sent them to the welfare institutes and nursing homes for the children and elders, she could only eat yellow corn with her father. Large corn kernels were crushed and ced in a pot to boil. Mu Yangling was only five years old at that time. Before dawn, her father made her wake up and sit in front of the stove to watch the fire, while he went to lead the soldiers to do morning exercises. She could only keep the fire going, hoping to make the corn porridge softer. However, even after using arge pot to cook for two hours, the corn was still hard and took a long time to chew it before she could swallow it. When the corn kernels slid into her throat, there was even a rustling sound. She truly disliked it, but she had no choice but to eat it. Her father said that corn porridge was actually very delicious, and it was just that that year¡¯s corn was too old, that¡¯s why it hurt the throat when consumed. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t believe it at all. In her opinion, corn was disgusting. That year, the drought made her eat corn porridge for a year and a half. From then on, she stopped eating corn. Mu Yangling felt that she still hated corn, especially now that she was seeing another family sad because of corn. But it was undeniable that corn was indeed a high-yielding crop and could be prepared in many ways. Chapter 149: Shizong’s Failure Chapter 149: Shizong¡¯s Failure Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling turned around and walked to the man¡¯s side. She asked, ¡°How much is your maize?¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly straightened his back and said happily, ¡°Whatever. You can pay whatever price you want.¡± Mu Yangling looked at his mother. Seeing that she was tightly wrapped, she asked, ¡°You brought your mother to see a doctor? What illness did the doctor say it was?¡± The man wilted and muttered, ¡°Yes, the doctor from the Benevolence Hall said that my mother is old and exhausted herself in her younger days. As such, she has to buy a lot of warm and nourishing medicine. When they saw that I didn¡¯t have money, they didn¡¯t charge me for the consultation fee, but they refused to agree to exchange the maize for medicine.¡± Mu Yangling sighed and touched her purse. ¡°Let me see your corn.¡± When the man heard this, he quickly opened his pocket for her to see. Mu Yangling held it in her hand and took a closer look. When she realized that the corn had dried very nicely and could be used as seeds, she threw it down and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have enough money on me, so you have to go somewhere with me. If you¡¯re lucky, I can buy all your maize.¡± In Xingzhou Prefecture, the only person Mu Yangling could seek help from was Qi Haoran, so Mu Yangling brought him to the entrance of the military camp. When Qi Haoran ran out, he saw the two of them squatting in front of the cart. He nced at the man curiously and asked Mu Yangling, ¡°Who is this? Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Something major.¡± Mu Yangling patted her butt and stood up. She asked, ¡°Do you know about the corn that Emperor Shizong mentioned?¡± Qi Haoran responded with a nk look. He had no idea. Mu Yangling pursed her lips. As expected, she couldn¡¯t count on him. She looked at Fan Zijin, who was slowly walking out of the military camp. Fan Zijin asked slowly, ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°Wherever Qi Haoran is, you can be found. Wherever you appear, there will be an encyclopedia. Fan Zijin, give us an introduction to the corn that Emperor Shizong mentioned.¡± Actually, Mu Yangling did not know about this historical event either, but she felt that Fan Zijin must know. Without going through the history books, she could only find out from Fan Zijin. Sure enough, Fan Zijin only nced at him before starting to exin, ¡°The corn was something that Emperor Shizong had painstakingly sent a fleet down to Nanyang to find. Back then, Emperor Shizong had once said in front of all the civil and military officials that corn is high-yielding. If the Central ins obtained it, they would not starve even in the deste years. The officials believed him and agreed to Emperor Shizong sending troops out to sea to search for corn. However, by the time the corn was found, Emperor Shizong had long passed away. The farmers nted the corn ording to Emperor Shizong¡¯s wishes. Despite careful cultivation, the harvest was not good, causing farmers to suffer huge losses. In addition, the corn was not delicious, so they gradually abandoned it. Because the corn was well wrapped, everyone started calling it ¡®maize,¡¯ but it was actually a satire on Emperor Shizong. Maize is not the noble rice of the aristocracy.¡± Fan Zijin sighed before continuing, ¡°Actually, Emperor Shizong has great talent and great strategies. He rarely makes mistakes, but he has suffered setbacks repeatedly in agriculture. One year, Emperor Shizong held a banquet for hundreds of officials. After getting drunk, he said that in the future, wheat and rice could be produced at a high yield of 1000 catties per acre. However, in fact, no matter how hard the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue tried, they could only increase the entire country¡¯s production yield from 110 to 150 catties per acre. Jiangnan is better, and it¡¯s not difficult to produce 200 to 300 catties of rice per acre. However, because our Xingzhou Prefecture¡¯snd is of poor quality and water conservancy facilities are inconvenient, a yield of 200 catties per acre is the maximum it can reach. No one has ever dreamed of yielding 1000 catties per acre. Because of this, Emperor Shizong¡¯s wisdom has been discounted a bit. However, it¡¯s undeniable that it was Emperor Shizong who pacified the war and unified the world, allowing the people to live and work in peace. He even established a policy that¡¯s beneficial to helping the people to recuperate and build up strength. Unfortunately, Emperor Shizong died too early.¡± Fan Zijin did not say the rest, but Mu Yangling already understood because of the many sighs she had heard in the teahouses and restaurants. Mu Yangling¡¯s focus was on corn now. She asked, ¡°Then how did you nt them? Why isn¡¯t the harvest as high as wheat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only half-experienced in agriculture. Coincidentally, there¡¯s no record of the nting of maize in the agricultural books I read.¡± Fan Zijin continued after a pause, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s precisely because this corn was so highly praised by Emperor Shizong that everyone was so unwilling to mention it after it failed. Now that no one is nting maize anymore, why are you asking?¡± Mu Yangling pulled open the man¡¯s sack for them to see and said, ¡°He nted this. It¡¯s said that most of their vige is nting this because their county magistrate said that whoever can grow corn of high quality and high yield will be rewarded by the emperor. This order was passed down by their ancestors by word of mouth, therefore they had actually been nting this for decades. Because they haven¡¯t left the mountain much, they actually don¡¯t know that the world outside has changed.¡± Stunned, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin widened their eyes and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the county magistrate in charge of their county, as well as the registrar who went to collect taxes, also have no idea?¡± Wiping his tears, the man said, ¡°Back then, after our vige nted corn, we sent it to the county magistrate. The county magistrate didn¡¯t give us the reward money and only said that we would be exempted from taxes in the future. He only asked that we keep nting corn. No one came to our vige to collect taxes for so many years. We have to cross three mountains to get out of our vige. The terrain is steep and the vige has everything, so we never came out. We had no idea that the emperor had already been reced several times. Someone even said that our vige was no longer part of the Great Zhou but the Jin Kingdom. Isn¡¯t that nonsense? Our household registration passes were issued by the Great Zhou.¡± This time, Mu Yangling, Qi Haoran, and Fan Zijin opened their mouths wide and asked in unison, ¡°Where exactly do you live?¡± The man said nkly, ¡°It¡¯s in the mountains. Our vige is called Four Tray Vige.¡± ¡°No, I mean which town, county, or prefecture do you belong to? You should know this, right?¡± Qi Haoran asked anxiously. The man looked at him nkly, not understanding what he was asking. In the end, it was the old person on the cart who lifted the nket with difficulty. She exhaled and said, ¡°We live in Qingshu Town in Baoshan County. My son has never left the mountain, so the children don¡¯t quite remember since the elderly don¡¯t really mention it.¡± The elderly woman panted a few times as she spoke. The man quickly went forward to support his mother and looked at Mu Yangling eagerly. ¡°Youngdy, didn¡¯t you want to buy my corn? Are you going to buy it or not? I need to bring my mother to get the medicine.¡± ¡°Yes, of course we¡¯ll buy it.¡± Qi Haoran jumped out and said, ¡°How much is it? I¡¯ll buy it all. But since I¡¯m buying your things, you have to do me a favor.¡± Miraculously, Fan Zijin did not object. Mu Yangling blinked and immediately understood their n. Baoshan County had been upied by the Jin Kingdom four years ago and was indeed under the Jin Kingdom¡¯s rule now. The Four Tray Vige they were in might have escaped a cmity because of its istion and remoteness. Since they belonged to Baoshan County, they definitely had a way to reach Baoshan County. However, he actually chose toe to Mingshui County to seek treatment. What did that mean? This meant that there was a path that they did not know that led to Baoshan County from Mingshui County. Chapter 150: How to Plant It Chapter 150: How to nt It Editor: As Studios In the end, Fan Zijin had to fork out money to buy his corn because Qi Haoran really didn¡¯t have a single cent left. Such seeds were naturally useless for the two of them, so Mu Yangling took over and said to the two of them seriously, ¡°Actually, corn is truly a high-yielding crop that can grow in the drnds, and doesn¡¯t need to be served more meticulously than wheat. When I go back, I¡¯ll nt it in the remaining 20-odd acres of low-gradend in the south.¡± Mu Yangling touched the sack and sighed slightly. ¡°Although I don¡¯t like to eat corn, I can¡¯t deny that what Shizong said makes sense. Now that it¡¯s a chaotic world, who knows if the heavens wille out and interfere? Therefore, it¡¯s still better to have an additional life-saving item.¡± Mu Yangling pinched the corn and said in the end, ¡°I prefer to call it maize. Sounds more unptable and cheaper.¡± This time, even Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin could sense the deep displeasure in her tone. Fan Zijin looked at her suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯ve eaten maize before?¡± He had also seen the description and image of corn in ¡®The Alternate Matter Records¡¯. That was why he could recognize this thing immediately after Mu Yangling mentioned it. Why did it seem like Mu Yangling was very familiar with this? Instead of exining, Mu Yangling just looked at the mother and son and asked Qi Haoran, ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Qi Haoran replied with a serious expression, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll keep them here. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange their amodation. The military doctor will treat his mother¡¯s illness, and the medicinal herbs will be provided by me.¡± A bear-like glint shed across Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.¡± After that, it was all confidential. Qi Haoran stopped talking and Mu Yangling stopped asking. Fan Zijin went over to discuss with the man. Although he had juste out of the mountains and was an honest man, he was still vignt. Moreover, Qi Haoran was a soldier. Themoners had never had a good impression of soldiers. Fan Zijin pointed at Mu Yangling and said with a smile, ¡°This is our younger sister. She wants to nt the maize you brought here, but she has never nted them before, so we hope that you can stay and give her some pointers.¡± Fan Zijin looked at the old woman lying on the bed and said worriedly, ¡°Your mother¡¯s body is so weak. Even if she takes the medicine, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to travel such a long distance back. Why don¡¯t you stay and wait for your mother to recover before leaving?¡± The man looked at his mother and agreed without thinking. He rubbed his hands helplessly and said, ¡°But how can I live in the military camp? Why don¡¯t I just find some ce to stay in the county? If the youngdy wants to nt seeds, she can juste and look for me.¡± How could Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin let him leave in peace, let alone let him stay in the military camp? This person¡¯s identity had yet to be investigated clearly. Even if he and Fan Zijin already believed his words, they had to investigate further. Otherwise, what if he was a Hu spy? There were many secrets in the military camp. Qi Haoran walked over and said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to stay in the military camp. I have a friend in the county who has a house there. Bring your mother there to stay. I¡¯ll get someone to take care of youter. The military doctor will also go over to treat your mother. When we¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll invite you over to help see how to nt the maize.¡± Qi Haoran waved his hand and called a group of soldiers over. He pointed at them and said, ¡°Let them send you there.¡± That man was so frightened that he fell sitting on the ground. He looked at Qi Haoran with a pale face. Looking at the soldiers with sabers and armor, he felt that he might be sent to prison. Before Qi Haoran knew what had happened, Mu Yangling had already taken two steps forward tofort him. ¡°Uncle, Little General is concerned about your mother.¡± Mu Yangling tried her best to show a look of reverence and admiration on her face. She said affectionately, ¡°Little General is a very kind person. It¡¯s really because of this that I thought of bringing you here to look for him. As long as there¡¯s any difficulty, as long as he can help, he will do his best to help the people. Everyone in a radius of five kilometers knows this, so everyone adores Little General.¡± That man looked at Qi Haoran suspiciously. He was clearly just a teenager. Was he really that powerful? Thinking of this, Qi Haoran didn¡¯t seem terrifying. Which man in his twenties or thirties would be afraid of a youth in his teens? Seeing that his expression had softened a little, Mu Yangling continued, ¡°Just now, Little General told me that he respected Emperor Shizong the most. How could Emperor Shizong be wrong? It must be that the people aren¡¯t nting the corn the way Emperor Shizong had in mind, so Little General ns to personally experiment. We must try to produce the high-yielding and drought-resistant maize that Emperor Shizong envisioned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s corn.¡± The man mustered his courage and corrected her. ¡°We call it corn there.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s corn, but we have to conform to the requirements of the times. It¡¯s no big deal to refer to it as maize. Don¡¯t you think the name ¡®maize¡¯ is more appropriate?¡± Only then did the man stop objecting. Mu Yangling then asked, ¡°Uncle, after talking for so long, I still don¡¯t know your surname.¡± The man looked at her nkly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your surname?¡± ¡°My surname is Zhuang1.¡± The man scratched his head and smiled foolishly. ¡°They all say that I have a great surname, so the crops I grow are the best. Take corn, no, maize, for instance. In our vige, my yield is the highest. Last year, one acre of my maize fields harvested about 300 catties.¡± Only then did Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°So much? Back then, when we nted it for the first time, the yield was only 56 catties per acre.¡± A mouthful of blood stuck in Mu Yangling¡¯s throat. ¡°How did you produce such a strange yield?¡± This time, everyone looked at Mu Yangling. She immediately shut her mouth and said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s treat Grandma Zhuang first. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± The man hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you carry the corn back.¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s just two sacks. I can do it myself.¡± As she spoke, Mu Yangling picked up one sack in each hand, nodded to Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin, and strode away. Only the man was left with his mouth agape as he watched Mu Yangling leave. Fan Zijin had been paying attention to him. Seeing that his expression did not seem to be fake, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. After Mu Yangling carried the corn home and poured it out, she realized that all the corn was not bad and was very plump. She believed that it would work well as seeds. Looking at the corn, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but think of her previous life. Speaking of which, that previous Mu family1 could be considered to have no progeny anymore. Now that she and her father were dead in that world, she didn¡¯t know if there was anyone to offer incense to her grandparents in the future. However, when she thought about how loyal their entire family was, she felt that there should at least be someone offering incense to her ancestors. She just didn¡¯t know if there were many. Mu Yangling let her imagination run wild for a moment before packing the corn again. As soon as Xiuhong and the others opened the door, they saw a golden patch on the ground. Having never seen this thing before, their mouths immediately fell open. Little Bowen ran to his sister¡¯s side and asked in surprise, ¡°Sister, what is this? It¡¯s gorgeous! Can it be eaten?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the county to buy food ingredients for your brother? Why did you carry this back?¡± Mu Shi asked with widened eyes. Only Shu Wanniang hesitated for a moment before asking uncertainly, ¡°This is corn, right?¡± Mu Yangling looked up at her mother. ¡°Mother, do you recognize it?¡± Chapter 151: Planting Chapter 151: nting Editor: As Studios Shu Wanniang replied with a slight smile, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. It¡¯s just that when I was young, I heard from the steward that my ancestors had actually been secretly trying to nt this thing because Emperor Shizong said that this thing was a treasure. In addition, it indeed has a gorgeous golden-yellow appearance. But they didn¡¯t seed even after trying for many years. Later on, although the yield per acre was higher than wheat, because it wasn¡¯t delicious, they didn¡¯t feel that it was worth it. In addition, the second-generation corn really differed too greatly from the first-generation corn. It¡¯s much smaller in size. After a few generations, the corn couldn¡¯t be used as seeds anymore.¡± ¡°Mother, how exactly do you grow corn?¡± Shu Wanniang shook her head in confusion. ¡°I only vaguely heard about these things from the housekeeper¡¯s wife. I¡¯ve never seen it before, so how would I know? But it should be simr to nting wheat and rice.¡± It was indeed simr to wheat and rice. Mu Yangling stood at the edge of the field and looked at Zhuang Dawei stiffly as he gave instructions on growing corn, and important matters to pay attention to. Great-aunt listened very seriously. She touched the corn kernels and said, ¡°It¡¯s about the same as nting wheat since you sprinkle it like this. It¡¯s just thinner.¡± Zhuang Dawei nodded repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little thinner.¡± Unable to stand it anymore, Mu Yangling went forward and snatched the corn seeds. ¡°Corn isn¡¯t nted like this.¡± She did not know how to grow wheat and rice, for she had only seen the corresponding TV shows on the agricultural channel in her previous life. However,she did know how to grow corn. Because she hated it, she had even run to the fields to see how this annoying corn was grown. Although she had only seen it before and it was very long ago, those memories were rather clear when she tried to recall them. The corn was spaced wide apart, about a foot away from each other. If it was really scattered like wheat as Zhuang Dawei had said, it would be strange if the corn could grow well. Mu Yangling somewhat understood why the corn here was low-yielding and the corn kernels were getting worse generation by generation. ¡°Do you all grow corn like this?¡± Mu Yangling asked Zhuang Dawei. Zhuang Dawei looked at her nkly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this how all grains are nted?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ah Ling. Since you¡¯ve never nted corn before, you¡¯d better listen to Brother Zhuang. Having nted corn for several years, surely he¡¯s more knowledgeable in this area than you?¡± ¡°Great-aunt, you can¡¯t nt corn like this.¡± Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t exin it for a moment, so she could only say, ¡°Anyway, you have to listen to me this time.¡± Qi Haoran stood on Mu Yangling¡¯s side. ¡°Since you guys haven¡¯t managed to produce a high yield of corn after so many years, let¡¯s listen to Ah Ling.¡± Fan Zijin also stood on Mu Yangling¡¯s side. ¡°I think Miss Mu seems to be very familiar with corn. Let¡¯s listen to Miss Mu.¡± When Mu Yangling heard the hidden meaning in Fan Zijin¡¯s words, she snorted and said, ¡°My luck is soaring. God sent me a dream and said that the Divine Farmer reincarnated. Not only do I know how to nt corn, but I also know how to nt other things.¡± Qi Haoran looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you even know how to nt wheat and rice?¡± Choking, Mu Yangling said, ¡°That¡¯s because I lost my memory. Because God passed on so many abilities to me at once, I failed to capture everything in my memory all at once. I¡¯ll slowly recall it in the future.¡± Other than the starry-eyed Xiuhong, Xin and Little Bowen, who were looking at her with reverence, everyone else thought that she was talking nonsense. Great-aunt reprimanded her. ¡°How can you speak so casually of ghosts and gods? Hurry up and hit your mouth.¡± Mu Yangling chuckled,pletely unconcerned. She distributed the seeds into small bags and said, ¡°There¡¯s no fertilizer now, so we can only nt them without. In spite of that, we have to standardize our method. If we really nt them like you do, these two bags of seeds won¡¯t be enough to nt ten acres ofnd. How about this? nt two seeds every two feet, step on them gently with your feet, and then cover the seeds with soil.¡± After Mu Yangling demonstrated it once, Great-aunt and Zhuang Dawei found it uneptable. ¡°Only two seeds every two feet? What can grow out of this?¡± ¡°Corn, of course. Listen to me.¡± Mu Yangling insisted, ¡°That¡¯s what God told me. This is exactly how corn should be nted.¡± Trusting his daughter, Mu Shi took the seeds from her hand first. This was because unlike the wheat that had to be continuously scattered and only two seeds needed to be ced each time, he actually seeded at the very first try. Then, it was Xiuhong and Little Bowen¡¯s turn. Because they trusted Mu Yangling endlessly, Xin naturally followed her sister and eagerly used her clothes to carry some seeds. It was Qi Haoran¡¯s first time farming, so he curiously picked up some seeds as he walked beside Mu Yangling. Only Fan Zijin continued to stand there. Although he trusted Mu Yangling, it did not mean that he wanted to go to the fields personally. He turned around and returned to the military camp to drag a few of his subordinates over. Every one of them had lost an arm. Despite this, it did not hinder their movements. They hung the cloth bag around their neck and nted the seeds with one hand. Then, they covered the seeds with the soil using their feet and finally caught up to Mu Shi. Seeing this, Zhuang Dawei and Great-aunt sighed and could only go and help. Qi Haoran saw that they were progressing at a pretty good speed. But since it was more than 20 acres ofnd after all, it was not easy to finish nting so quickly. He threw down the seeds and ran to Mu Yangling, who was pulling a plow. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go back to the camp and order more men toe over?¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you do so. I have to pull a plow in front in any case.¡± Seeing how easily she pulled the iron plow, Qi Haoran¡¯s hand itched. ¡°Let me try.¡± Fan Zijin frowned. ¡°Why do you like to do this too? If your soldiers find out, it will damage your prestige.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m close to my men. Besides, I have a share in thisnd.¡± Mu Yangling stopped in her tracks and looked at him with Fan Zijin. Qi Haoran shouted, ¡°Why? Are you nning to pocket all the profits by yourself? Zijin and I bought these seeds together.¡± Coming back to his senses, Fan Zijin hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, Haoran and I bought these seeds together. No matter what, we have a share.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips and continued to pull the plow. Naturally, she did not believe that they would take a fancy to the small amount of profits from farming hernd. This was just an excuse for them to mess with her crops from time to time. Thinking that she still needed their reputation to hold sway over the vigers in the business of raising rabbits, she didn¡¯t take heart. Waving her hand, she said, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s a share for you both. Hurry up and find men to help out.¡± Mu Yangling looked at the disabled soldiers and said, ¡°Find people like them.¡± Fan Zijin looked at Mu Yangling. ¡°You¡¯re so kind.¡± Mu Yangling said calmly, ¡°They only became like this because they were protecting the country. Since the country¡¯s already made them bleed and cry, there¡¯s no need to put them in further torment.¡± Fan Zijin snorted nonchntly. However, Qi Haoran¡¯s face darkened. With clenched fists, he said, ¡°One day, I won¡¯t let them cry after bleeding, and I won¡¯t allow anyone to put them in further torment.¡± As the Xingzhou Prefecture was at the border, there would be constant wars of various scales every year. If there were wars, there would be casualties. If a soldier died in service of his country, the army would give their familiespensation. Although the Imperial Court gave them little, Qi Xiuyuan would make up for it. However, Qi Xiuyuan could only let those who had to retire due to injuries or disabilities take some money back to their hometown. That paltry sum was only enough for their travel expenses. Those soldiers went out healthy and returned home disabled. It wasn¡¯t so bad for those whose parents were still alive, for they would at least still be fed. Those whose parents had passed away and had to rely on their brothers were inevitably bullied. Even if they lived with their parents, as time passed, there would be resentment. Therefore, the disabled veterans who returned to their hometown either became lonely for the rest of their lives or left home again and wandered alone. Most of them became beggars, and some evenmitted suicide because they could not stand the humiliation. Therefore, the soldiers who entered the battlefield either risked their lives to protect themselves or risked their lives to fight. After being injured, they fought the enemy as if they had a death wish. They were willing to die to earn a pension for their family, but they were not willing to live so aggrievedly. Chapter 152: Questioning Chapter 152: Questioning Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran was domineering and even a little childish. However, he was able to quickly gain the morale of the army. Other than his ability and personal charm, the most important thing was that he unconditionally epted the veterans and injured soldiers that were eliminated from the various battalions. Some of these soldiers nearly forgot where their hometown was. Many of them didn¡¯t have the courage to return to their hometowns, let alone those injured soldiers. If the troops were willing to let them stay, it was a way out for them. They were naturally extremely grateful to Qi Haoran, who epted them unconditionally. Before Qi Haoran came, those injured soldiers didn¡¯t receive such treatment. Most of them were sent home after their wounds healed. These soldiers could do what they could in the 5th Division, but there were too many injured and disabled soldiers. Now that the 5th Division¡¯s kitchen had to be tended to by the disabled soldiers, they could not go into the mountains to hunt or train on the drill ground. Those whocked arms or legs could only hand over bricks when building houses. However, they would be more or less despised by others in the military camp. This was especially true of the new recruits, who had yet to develop sympathy with one of its kind. They simply felt that these people would snatch food from them and loathed them from the bottom of their hearts. Mu Yangling¡¯s suggestion to let these people farm would only make them feel that they were still very useful and not freeloading. When the other soldiers in the military camp saw that they were working for Qi Haoran, they would also restrain themselves. Fan Zijin did not have any extra feelings for those disabled soldiers. Other than his mother, Qi Haoran, and cousin, to him there were only two types of people¡ªthe useful and the useless. However, since Qi Haoran had such determination, although he did not agree, he would try his best to help him achieve it. Mu Yangling pulled the plow to and fro twice. Seeing that Qi Haoran was a little down, she put the rope on his shoulder and said, ¡°You do it. I¡¯ll go nt the seeds.¡± Only then did Qi Haoran snap out of those feelings and pull the plow forward forcefully. Zhuang Dawei, who was holding the plow behind, shouted, ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± He didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as he looked back. Seeing that the gully was curved and sometimes shallow and sometimes deep, he said with a bitter expression, ¡°Little General, you¡¯re walking too fast. Look, the ground you plowed is curved.¡± Qi Haoran turned around and saw that it was indeed so. He said in confusion, ¡°That¡¯s how Mu Yangling did it.¡± ¡°Miss Mu moves at a uniform speed. Also, she walks straight and has great strength. I just needed to press down. How is that the same as what you did?¡± Fan Zijin narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, ¡°Pulling a plow requires technique and ordinary people can¡¯t do it? Then, does supporting the plow require technique?¡± Zhuang Dawei replied with a smile, ¡°Of course. There¡¯s more to supporting the plow than pulling the plow. I¡¯m afraid you young masters will have to put in a lot of effort to learn it.¡± ¡°How long did it take you to learn how to plow?¡± Zhuang Dawei scratched his head innocently. ¡°I¡¯ve been helping my father hold the plow ever since I could remember. I mastered it at the age of 12. It¡¯s hard to say how many years it took me to master it. However, farmers all know how to do such work. Little General, just walk ording to the line plowed by Miss Mu and walk forward at a slower speed.¡± Fan Zijin gave Qi Haoran a look. Qi Haoran sessfully interpreted it and asked casually as he pulled forward, ¡°Then who pulled the plow in your fields back at home?¡± ¡°My cousin and I took turns.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have oxen at home?¡± Fan Zijin asked in confusion. Zhuang Dawei smiled. ¡°Other than the rich, very few people in the vige can afford oxen. In our vige, only the vige chief¡¯s family has one. Everyone else pulls a plow.¡± Fan Zijin said, ¡°That¡¯s indeed quite tough. Haven¡¯t you thought of doing something else to change the current situation? For example, doing business.¡± ¡°What business can we do when the mountains and roads there are dangerous? We don¡¯t have the capital.¡± Fan Zijin said, ¡°I heard that the red jujube in Baoshan County is very famous. You can nt some red jujube and transport them to Baoshan County to sell. You shouldn¡¯t have a problem finding customers there.¡± Zhuang Dawei shook his head. ¡°The road from our vige to Baoshan County is even harder to navigate than the road to Mingshui County.¡± Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran looked at each other and feigned a casual tone. ¡°It¡¯s a long walk from your vige to Mingshui County. What about Baoshan County? Are there no other viges on the way?¡± After a night of rest, Zhuang Dawei had lowered his guard against them. Also, Qi Haoran had indeed brought a military doctor to treat his motherst night, whose diagnosis was simr to the one they received at Benevolence Hall. The military doctor even prescribed medicine for her. At this moment, he was filled with gratitude. Hence, he answered whatever the two of them asked. By the time Qi Haoran walked for 20 rounds, Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran had roughly grasped the information about that path. Qi Haoran happily threw the rope to Mu Yangling before leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and get some men to help you.¡± Qi Haoran ran away like a wisp of smoke. Mu Yangling had just picked up the rope and put it on when he ran back and shouted at Mu Shi, ¡°Mu Shi, return to camp in advance.¡± Qi Haoran would only call Mu Shi¡¯s name in the military camp or on missions. Mu Shi could only respond loudly, throw down his things, and chase after him. Shortly after Mu Shi left, more than ten people came to help. Although they were disabled, they had all farmed before. Other than the fact that they were still getting used to this at the beginning, they slowly got the hang of it. Mu Yangling was concerned about their disability, so she let everyone rest for 15 minutes every hour. Great-aunt understood Mu Yangling¡¯s concerns, so she didn¡¯t work. Instead, she sat at the edge of the field with the children or went to check the wheat fields. A few veterans also went to plow the wheat field. Since they were farmers before joining the army, they had special sentiments for thend. Just as they started plowing, someone eximed, ¡°The seeds have germinated.¡± Mu Yangling jumped up and ran over to take a look. Seeing that the dug wheat had already sprouted tender buds, a smile immediately bloomed on her face. ¡°That¡¯s great. I wonder how the other spots are doing.¡± The veteran who had dug up the soil stood up with a smile. ¡°Youngdy, since I¡¯m lucky today, I¡¯ll help you dig up another spot.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± Mu Yangling led him to dig three spots in a row. The wheat seeds inside had all germinated. This time, the veteran could not hide the smile on his face. Digging the soil to check the seeds was a matter of luck. It was obvious that he was very lucky to discover germinated seeds three times in a row. He felt that his luck would definitely be super good these days. Envious of the veteran¡¯s good luck, the other soldiers expressed to Mu Yangling that they wanted to join in the fun in hopes of having some of that good luck rub off on them. Not knowing the significance of this matter, Mu Yangling felt that this was merely something normal. Before her great-aunt could speak, she waved her hand and said, ¡°Go ahead, uncles. Just remember to bury the seeds well after uncovering them.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Everyone found a spot to dig. Some dug up wheat seeds at every try, while others only seeded once every three times. As they dug up many spots, Mu Yangling had a certain understanding of the sprouting situation. As for the veterans, they had more or less dug up germinated wheat seeds. Feeling lucky for doing so, they were all overjoyed. Because of this matter, Mu Yangling got along more harmoniously with them. In addition, she was a soldier in her previous life and did not mind their roughness. The veterans weren¡¯t so restrained afterwards. In just two days, they helped Mu Yangling nt corn on all 28 acres of inferiornd. Mu Yangling kept the remaining few catties of seeds and nned to see how the nted seeds grew first. If the harvest was found to becking, she would make up for it when the time came. Chapter 153: Sowing Grass Seeds Chapter 153: Sowing Grass Seeds Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling opened the sack to take a look and rubbed the light brown seeds. She asked, ¡°Are these grass seeds?¡± Fan Zijin nodded. ¡°These are enough for you to nt 60 acres ofnd. Take them back.¡± Mu Yangling asked hesitantly, ¡°How does one nt this? Can you just sprinkle them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fan Zijin looked at her seriously. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll know?¡± ¡°¡­ Then I¡¯ll just scatter it casually. Anyway, it¡¯s grass. It¡¯s going to grow no matter what, right?¡± Fan Zijin thought for a moment and said, ¡°Grass can be seen everywhere. Even if it¡¯s trampled, it can grow well. So I guess you can just sprinkle the seeds casually.¡± Seeing that he thought the same way, Mu Yangling was instantly relieved. She carried the seeds and was about to leave. When she reached the door, she turned around and asked, ¡°Where did Qi Haoran and my father go?¡± Fan Zijin frowned. ¡°This is a military secret. It¡¯s not your ce to ask.¡± Mu Yangling sighed and turned to leave without asking further. On the other hand, Fan Zijin looked at her back in surprise. He had thought that she would pester him until the end. Mu Yangling had been to the camp twice, but not only could she not see her father, but Qi Haoran, who would definitely appear every time, was also nowhere to be seen. She was not a fool. She was still a soldier in her previous life, so she naturally knew what they would do after learning about that route from Zhuang Dawei. However, it was precisely because she knew that she could not help but ask. Now that Mu Yangling had given up on asking, Fan Zijin felt uneasy. After some thought, he asked the person who had gone to help Mu Yangling nt cornst time to go along with her, to find out how Mu Yangling was feeling. Since those veterans had never nted grass before, they did as they were told when Mu Yangling told them to casually scatter the seeds. Xiuhong also brought Xin and Bowen to help. These people scatteredrge handfuls byrge handfuls and actually finished all the work in a day. Mu Yangling waved goodbye to the veterans and started patrolling the fields. From time to time, she would kick some of the more densely scattered grass seeds to spread them further. By the time Madam Ma-Liu returned from selling rabbits in the city and rushed over upon hearing the news, everything had already been settled. She could only stomp her feet and shout, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me toe back? Aren¡¯t you ruining things?¡± Madam Ma-Liu ran over and pulled Mu Yangling¡¯s ear to make her look at the sky. ¡°Are you nting grass or feeding birds?¡± Mu Yangling gaped. ¡°Birds eat grass seeds?¡± Madam Ma-Liu red at her. Mu Yangling could only look at Xiuhong and the rest. The children retracted their hands and listened obediently as they were lectured. Looking at the seeds on the ground and then at the pitiful children, even if Great-aunt was fuming, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to scold them anymore. She could only think of ways to remedy the situation. In the end, she said, ¡°Before the sky turns dark, follow me back and ce a few scarecrows in the fields. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere else tomorrow. Come over with a stick to chase away the birds that flow down.¡± Looking at the vast 60 acres ofnd, Mu Yangling¡¯s legs instantly went weak. Xiuhong and the other two kids also looked at Mu Yangling pitifully. Mu Yangling stammered, ¡°Even if the birds eat seeds, they shouldn¡¯t be able to eat much, right? There¡¯s so muchnd¡­¡± Under Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s re, she couldn¡¯t continue. Mu Yangling could only say that she would definitelye to chase the birds away tomorrow. However, it drizzled that night. This was the first spring rain since the beginning of spring this year. Not in the mood to cook, Madam Ma-Liu stood under the roof and looked up at the dense spring rain. She said happily, ¡°Excellent! After this spring rain, wheat and rice should be able to grow.¡± Then, she thought of the grass seeds that had just been scattered and said to Mu Yangling thankfully, ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have encountered this spring rain. You can leave aside the work in the fields first.¡± Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief. Mu Yangling finally understood what it meant by ¡®spring rain is as precious as oil¡¯. This spring rainsted for two days intermittently. When Mu Yangling went to the fields to take a look again, the wheat seeds had already broken through the soil. Surprisingly, the grass seeds that had just been nted actually sprouted. Meanwhile, the rice in the rice seedling field had already turned into a sea of green. ording to Great-aunt¡¯s estimation, they would be able to transnt the rice in another 20 days. Then, before that, Mu Yangling had to irrigate the fields and harrow the soil again to prep it for farming. Since it was 13 acres ofnd, there was a lot of work to be done. Moreover, Great-aunt felt that if they had the time, they could farm meticulously instead of going about it in a rough manner like when they nted the wheat. ¡°The 13 acres of fields have to be fertilized. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go into the city and ask around to see if I can buy enough fertilizer. Ah Ling, you just have to plow the fields. I will deal with the base fertilizer.¡± ¡°Fertilizer?¡± Great-aunt red at her. ¡°Night soil. Didn¡¯t I tell youst time that it costs 1.2 copper coin a barrel? I have to negotiate the price and see if it can be lowered to one copper coin a barrel.¡± ¡°Great-aunt, you won¡¯t just pour it into the field directly, right?¡± Mu Yangling hurriedly asked. ¡°What else do you expect? When you pour it in, rake it again and let the fertilizer seep into the fields. This will allow the rice to grow better.¡± Unable to ept it, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Let¡¯s just use the river mud likest time.¡± ¡°How will this do? Last time, I was just making do with the river mud. River mud is hard. It¡¯s not even as good as the mud in the ground.¡± Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°Great-aunt, river mud is made of mud clots and is very nutritious. It¡¯s much better than the mud in the ground. This is what the books say. Let¡¯s dry the river mud and night soil before sprinkling it in the field. This matter is decided.¡± With that, Mu Yangling ran away. Madam Ma-Liu could not stop her at all. Although she had never seen or heard of mixing fertilizer with river mud, she did not object when she heard Mu Yangling say that she had read it in a book. Mu Yangling had just run out when she was stopped by Yanmo. ¡°Miss Mu, my young master is looking for you everywhere.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°Nonsense. Isn¡¯t it easy to find me? I¡¯m either at home, in the fields, or in the mountains. There are only three ces I can be found. Why would you need to search everywhere? Tell me, why is your young master looking for me?¡± Yanmo chuckled and skipped over the previous question. He went straight to the point. ¡°My young master said that there are already more than 100 little rabbits umted in the camp. He asked when you could take over. Our camp has to send a portion of our manpower to help you cut the grass every day. We¡¯re a little short on manpower.¡± Mouth opening slightly, Mu Yangling turned around and pointed at the half-finished shed in the courtyard. ¡°Do you think this shed can hold rabbits? Back then, we agreed that I would only take over after my grass grows. Now, my grass has only germinated.¡± Yanmo said with an apologetic smile, ¡°Miss Mu, it¡¯s because there aren¡¯t enough houses in the campsite.¡± After saying that, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Just help us out. Eldest Young Master doesn¡¯t know about what my Young Master and Fourth Young Master are doing. Tomorrow, Eldest Young Master wille to inspect the campsite. If he sees Young Master and Fourth Young Master doing these things in the campsite, won¡¯t he be angered to death?¡± Mu Yangling said in disbelief, ¡°Didn¡¯t Qi Haoran ask General Qi for many soldiers who know how to hunt? How could General Qi not know?¡± ¡°Fourth Young Master only said that he wanted them to bring people into the mountains to catch rabbits for the people in the camp to eat. He didn¡¯t say that he wanted to do business. Since the food supply in the various camps is tight, Eldest Young Master didn¡¯t stop them. Miss Mu, Eldest Young Master won¡¯t agree to Young Master and Fourth Young Master doing business.¡± Wouldn¡¯t that be a huge loss for her? No matter what, she had to help them cover it up. Mu Yangling agreed without hesitation. ¡°But I¡¯m only halfway through building this shed. How about this? Go back and tell your young master to send some people over to help me. It¡¯ll bepleted in four hours. Also, the skies will probably clear tomorrow. He has to help me build ten sheds in the pastoral area.¡± Seeing Yanmo¡¯s eyes widen, she said, ¡°I won¡¯t take advantage of him. I¡¯ll give him the rabbits from the first batch for free, and it¡¯ll be counted as the 5th Division¡¯s profits alone. How about that?¡± ¡°I still have to go back and ask Young Master for his opinion.¡± ¡°Go on, go on. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± Chapter 154: Trouble Chapter 154: Trouble Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling poured out all the copper coins from the money bag on the brick bed and waved at Xiuhong and the others. ¡°Come over and help me count how much money we have.¡± Xiuhong looked at the small pile of copper coins on the brick bed and climbed up happily. ¡°Cousin, you have a lot of money.¡± Mu Yangling gently stroked these copper coins and sighed. ¡°They won¡¯t be mine soon.¡± Bowen also climbed onto the brick bed. When he heard this, he asked, ¡°Sister, are you giving it to me?¡± Mu Yangling knocked him on the head. ¡°Dream on. Didn¡¯t you see the hundreds of rabbits outside? I predict that there will be rabbits sent over tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Fan Zijin isn¡¯t kind enough to send over the grass that we need to feed the rabbits, so we have to get the grass ourselves. It¡¯s fine now as there aren¡¯t many rabbits and they¡¯re small. Xiuhong and I can cut enough grass in an hour every day when we go to the mountains, but we won¡¯t be able to handle it in the future. When the sheds in the pastoral area are built, we¡¯ll put the rabbits there. By then, there will be at least 1,000 of them. It will take a long time for the grass to grow. Before that, we have to cut the grass ourselves. Therefore, I want to pay someone to help.¡± Seeing that so much money would soon belong to someone else, Xin immediatelyy on the coins reluctantly and shouted, ¡°Cousin, give me the money! I¡¯ll go cut grass for you.¡± Mu Yanglingughed out loud and patted her butt. ¡°Since you¡¯re still young, you¡¯re not allowed to go up the mountain. Your sister and I will go. You stay at home with Bowen to take care of Bosi and Kejia. Though we¡¯re paying a small sum of money now, we can earn big money in the future.¡± Not troubled at all, Mu Yangling calcted the copper coins and felt relieved when she felt that it was enough. Since Fan Zijin had already agreed to her suggestion, how could she not agree to such a good thing? At this moment, he had already assigned some men to build sheds for her in the pastoral area in the east. The sheds were built on 60 acres ofnd. As it had been nned from the beginning, Mu Yangling did not nt any grass in this area. It was only 10 feet away from the ditch she had dug and the sheds were built in a row. Nine of the sheds would be used to raise rabbits, and she would live in the remaining one when she came over to take care of the rabbits from time to time. As themotion here was huge, the first to be alerted was the Hu family. Because the shed area was at the other end of the river and not adjacent to the Hu family¡¯snd, they did not know the exact situation. However, this did not stop Old Hu froming over to ask for information. The soldiers who were building the sheds had long received Fan Zijin¡¯s instructions. ording to them, Little General had asked Mu Yangling to help him raise rabbits, so this was Little General¡¯s business. When Old Hu heard this, he didn¡¯t dare to ask around anymore. Before night fell, everyone in the vige knew that Mu Yangling was raising rabbits for Qi Haoran. Some were envious, and some pitied her. However, no matter what, no one dared to provoke her, let alone have any designs on those rabbits. This dispelled any objections the Hu family initially had with regards to the Mu family using the adjacent plot ofnd to nt pasture. After all, if pasture was nted on the adjacentnd, the seeds would blow due to the wind in the future, and theirnd would also be affected. However, if the person behind this was Qi Haoran, everything would not be a problem. No one would dare to object. Extremely busy right now, Mu Yangling was oblivious to all this. Other than cutting grass, she also had to plow the fields every day. Although she was strong, because this was the first time these 13 acres ofnd had been converted into farnd, the soil was a little hard. In order to soften and loosen the soil, she needed to keep plowing the fields and remove all the weeds within. Thisrge paddy field became Mu Yangling¡¯s first agricultural endeavor. Madam Ma-Liu stepped on the field and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s enough, let¡¯s just leave it for now. When the seedlings grow up, we¡¯ll start transnting them. By the way, when I went to the south to check on the fields just now, I realized that the maize had also grown. However, it¡¯s too sparse and the corn is spaced too far apart. Will there really be a sufficient harvest like this?¡± ¡°Great-aunt, maize grows tall. We have to leave enough space for it to grow and let it¡­ bask in the sun. Only then can the maize growrge and have a good harvest. If we really nt it like wheat ording to Zhuang Dawei, it¡¯d be a blessing from the heavens that the maize can grow properly.¡± Mu Yangling sighed in her heart, unable to understand why Emperor Shizong hadn¡¯t borated upon how to nt corn. If he had, his people wouldn¡¯t have taken so many detours and wasted hundreds of years. How could Mu Yangling know that Emperor Shizong himself had no idea how to farm? Because he had never even seen others farm before, he did not even have basic agricultural knowledge. Looking at her cornfield, Mu Yangling realized that already one-third had grown. She was satisfied. Going at this rate, at least half of it would grow. Then, she went to check on the wheat field. The wheat was growing pretty well, too. At least, it was better than the nearby families. The other families who had alsoe to check on their fields also realized this problem. They shouted at Mu Yangling, ¡°Miss Mu, your crops are really growing well. Did you use fertilizer?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have fertilizer. We just nt them directly like everyone else.¡± ¡°Then why do yours look so much better than ours?¡± The other party muttered, doubtful. Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I plowed the ground deeply enough before nting the crops.¡± The other party looked at her speechlessly for a while before turning around and leaving decisively, while thinking to himself, ¡®The members of the Mu family are all freaks. Do they think that everyone is as strong as an ox like them and doesn¡¯t feel fatigue?¡¯ Mu Yangling scratched her head, not understanding why the other party had left. ¡°Miss Mu.¡± Fei Bai ran over stepping on Mu Yangling¡¯s wheat field. Mu Yangling shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t step on my wheat!¡± How could Fei Bai care so much? With a light tap of his toes, he ran to Mu Yangling¡¯s side quickly and said anxiously, ¡°Miss Mu, quickly follow me up the mountain to pick up my young master.¡± As soon as Fei Bai ran closer, Mu Yangling saw the bloodstains on the corner of his clothes. Her pupils constricted, and she calmly blocked the gazes of the farmers. She asked in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡± Fei Bai said anxiously, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to exin it in a short time. Miss Mu, follow me up the mountain first.¡± Mu Yangling red at him and snapped softly, ¡°General Qi is in the 5th Division today. Do you want to die? Hurry up and hide the anxious expression on your face.¡± Fei Bai¡¯s face turned pale, but in an instant, he squeezed out a smile. The anxious expression on his face instantly disappeared. He nced at the farmers who kept stealing nces at them and raised his voice with a smile. ¡°Miss Mu, Little General found a female tiger in the mountains. He knows that you¡¯re strong and wants to ask you to enter the mountains to help. Your father is also there.¡± With a smile on her face, Mu Yangling raised her voice and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. However, whether we can defeat it will depend on luck.¡± This time, Mu Yangling no longer cared about the wheat field. She cut directly through the wheat field and went up the mountain. Only when she entered the mountains and the people outside could not see her did she ask anxiously, ¡°What happened? Why do you have blood on you?¡± Fei Bai did not hide it anymore. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said, ¡°Miss Mu, my young master is seriously injured, but we can¡¯t let anyone know about this. Did Eldest Young Mastere alone, or did he bring someone with him?¡± ¡°He brought the assistantmanders of the 1st, 3rd and 4th Divisions over, as well as many soldiers. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Then we can¡¯t let them notice it. We¡¯ll inform Eldest Young Master when the time is right. Miss Mu, I¡¯ll have to trouble you for this matter. No matter what, you have to hide my Young Master¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Fei Fei¡¯s face was pale and his eyes were red. ¡°My Fourth Young Master has caused a huge disaster.¡± Chapter 155: Severe Injury Chapter 155: Severe Injury Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling was shocked. ¡°What trouble did he cause? Why is he avoiding people?¡± Fei Bai kept his mouth shut. Although Mu Yangling would find out sooner orter, he could not be the one to tell her about the truth. Qi Haoran and the other two were hiding behind a huge rock. When they saw Fei Bai bringing her over, they hurriedly came out. After ncing at Mu Yangling, he scolded him in a low voice, ¡°Why did you bring her here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to go see Young Master Fan?¡± Fei Bai said with red eyes, ¡°I know you trust her. Moreover, she¡¯s Uncle Mu¡¯s daughter. Young Master Zijin¡¯s ce is too far away. You can¡¯t afford to wait any longer. Moreover, there are too many people in the camp.¡± Fei Bai looked at him as he said, ¡°Right now, Eldest Young Master is touring the camp with a few other generals.¡± Bai Li nced at Mu Yangling and turned to leave without saying anything else. Fei Bai quickly pulled Mu Yangling and followed. Bai Li was the personal guard Qi Xiuyuan assigned to Qi Haoran. He usually did not appear by Qi Haoran¡¯s side. After all, in Xingzhou Prefecture, no one would be stupid enough to offend Qi Haoran. This was the second time Mu Yangling had seen him. Qi Haoran was lying behind a huge rock with a pale face. Although his clothes were neat, Mu Yangling could still smell the faint smell of blood. Mu Shi was also sitting at the side with a pale face. Mu Yangling looked at him with concern but did not ask. After all, everyone could tell that the person who needed attention the most was Qi Haoran. Mu Yangling squatted beside him and asked, ¡°Where are his injuries?¡± Panting, Fei Bai said, ¡°He was stabbed in the back and waist. Although the bleeding has stopped for the time being, it¡¯s not handled well. Miss Mu, you have to quickly get a doctor for Young Master. We can¡¯t let outsiders notice anything amiss.¡± Mu Yangling was worried. ¡°But how can we bring him out? There are many people working in the fields now. We¡¯ll be discovered as soon as we go out.¡± Fei Bai was stunned for a moment. ¡°Young Master¡¯s injuries can¡¯t dy any longer.¡± Mu Shi looked up at his daughter and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. Ah Ling, carry Little General out first. We¡¯ll walk beside you and try our best to block others¡¯ vision.¡± He then looked at Bai Li and said, ¡°Change into Little General¡¯s clothes and walk on Ah Ling¡¯s left. Try your best to keep your body low. Ah Ling, go and get a roe deer. When you carry Little General outter, carry the roe deer on your shoulder.¡± Fei Bai and Bai Li: ¡°¡­¡± Mu Yangling responded before sprinting into the forest. As she often moved around this area, she knew best where to hunt animals. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to conserve her energy. She sprinted over and rushed towards a roe deer. The frightened roe deer jumped up and wanted to run, but it was knocked down by Mu Yangling¡¯s fist. She carried the roe deer on her shoulder and ran back. As Mu Shi was also injured and could not exert much strength at this moment, he could only let his daughter carry Qi Haoran carefully. With the three of them surrounding Mu Yangling, their tall figures blocked most of the gazes that were directed at her. A small portion of the people who did see her would be distracted by the roe deer on her shoulder and ignore the fact that she was also carrying something in her arms. Mu Yangling walked home briskly and carried Qi Haoran to her room to ce him on the brick bed. Only then did she unbutton his clothes. They realized that his chest had already split open, and blood was slowly seeping out. With reddened eyes, Fei Bai said, ¡°The wound must have burst open on the way because the mountain path is difficult to travel. Miss Mu, please quickly call a doctor over.¡± ¡°Wait here. You can go in and out, but Bai Li must stay in the house.¡± Mu Yangling ran out and saw Shu Wanniang, who had heard themotion and came out to check on the situation. Thinking quickly, she pushed Shu Wanniang into the house. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re sick now and can¡¯t get off the brick bed. I¡¯ll go get a doctor for you now. Please don¡¯t get off the brick bed.¡± Shu Wanniang paused before asking, ¡°Ah Ling, what are you doing? Is your father back?¡± Mu Yangling nodded and whispered, ¡°Mother, the situation is urgent now, so I won¡¯t borate. Anyway, you have to pretend to be sick now and deceive everyone except our family. No, it¡¯s best if you can deceive our family too. I¡¯ll go get a doctor now. Don¡¯t go out.¡± Mu Yangling ran out. Shu Wanniang sat on the brick bed for a while. In the end, she lifted the nket andy down on the brick bed. She was smarter than Mu Yangling had imagined. In fact, because she had grown up in a prominent family, she was more meticulous than anyone else in such matters. Therefore, when Mu Yangling came back with Pang Kongqing from Benevolence Hall, Bowen and Xin were standing on the steps crying with red eyes. Xiuhong was also boiling hot water in the kitchen with red eyes. Great-aunt was anxiously pacing around Shu Wanniang¡¯s room. Mu Yangling had just run to the door when she heard her great-aunt ask her mother anxiously, ¡°Why are you so shy? Let me see where the smell of bloodes from. Why is it so strong? You¡¯re making me so anxious.¡± Startled, Mu Yangling hurriedly pushed the door open to enter. Shu Wanniang was lying on the brick bed. When she saw her daughter pulling a doctor in, she hurriedly waved her hand to indicate that she was fine. Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief and pulled the doctor to her room. Great-aunt grabbed the doctor and shouted, ¡°Doctor, you have to save my nephew¡¯s wife. Although her health has always been poor, she has never bled so much. You have to help her.¡± Noticing something amiss, the originally-anxious Pang Kongqing looked at Mu Yangling suspiciously. Mu Yangling waved at her great-aunt and said in a low voice, ¡°Great-aunt, just continue shouting like this while I bring the doctor to my room.¡± Great-aunt¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How¡­¡± Just as she said this word, Shu Wanniang nimbly covered her mouth and whispered, ¡°Aunt, my husband is back.¡± Great-aunt pulled away her hand and, seeing that something was amiss, also said in a hushed tone, ¡°I know that Rocky is back. Isn¡¯t he sitting outside?¡± At the thought of Mu Shi¡¯s unusually pale face, her expression changed slightly. She looked at Pang Kongqing before looking at Mu Yangling suspiciously. ¡°Did you invite the doctor over for Rocky?¡± Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t know, but she didn¡¯t intend to ask her daughter. She just pulled Great-aunt over and said, ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s not worry about it. My stomach hurts. Please bring me a basin of hot water.¡± This was naturally an excuse. Madam Ma-Liu thought for a moment and still went. Mu Yangling pulled Pang Kongqing to her room. Pang Kongqing hurriedly wanted to break free from her, but he soon realized that she was quite strong and couldn¡¯t get away from her. His expression couldn¡¯t help but change. ¡°Miss Mu, I only agreed to treat your mother, but I didn¡¯t agree to anything else.¡± Mu Yangling threatened him in a lowered voice, ¡°Physician Pang, you¡¯ve alreadye this far and even heard something you shouldn¡¯t have. Do you think you can still leave?¡± Pang Kongqing was furious. ¡°You¡¯re threatening me? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a doctor.¡± Mu Yangling sneered. ¡°Is Physician Pang alone?¡± Seeing his expression change slightly, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Physician Pang, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just inconvenient for my cousin to go to your pharmacy. We¡¯ll certainly pay the consultation fee. Although he¡¯s a person who lives a dangerous life, he¡¯s also the most trustworthy. You¡¯ll benefit greatly from treating him. He definitely won¡¯t find trouble with you over such a small matter.¡± Chapter 156: Coercion Chapter 156: Coercion Editor: As Studios Pang Kongqing¡¯s face was still pale as he looked at Mu Yangling suspiciously. ¡°Y-Your cousin is a bandit?¡± As soon as he said that, Pang Kongqing wished he could bite off his tongue. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t be too curious. Mu Yangling looked at him with a faint smile and casually picked up a stone at the door. She tossed and caught it before exerting strength to crush it. While Pang Kongqing stared at her with his mouth agape, Mu Yangling said calmly, ¡°Our Mu family¡¯s ancestors have Hu blood, so we¡¯re a little stronger. Naturally, we can livefortably even though we live a dangerous life. It¡¯s just that my mother doesn¡¯t like my father doing such stuff. Physician Pang, our Mu family is very loyal.¡± ¡°Y¡ªyou¡¯re bandits from Mount Daluo?¡± Pang Kongqing had only heard that the leader of a group of bandits in Mount Daluo had Hu blood. Could it be that this ¡°cousin¡± was the beloved son of the bandit leader? Knowing the bandits of Mount Daluo were the most ferocious, Pang Kongqing did not dare to dy any longer. If he offended them, it was not impossible for them to sneak into Mingshui County to massacre the Pang family. Seeing that Pang Kongqing had obediently followed Mu Yangling to her room, Shu Wanniang and Great-aunt heaved a sigh of relief. At this moment, Fei Bai had already hidden himself. Only Bai Li looked at Pang Kongqing coldly with a straight face and a sword lying on hisp. Pang Kongqing shivered a little, and Mu Yangling quicklyforted him. ¡°Physician Pang, don¡¯t worry. This is my cousin¡¯s servant. He won¡¯t do anything to you. Come and take a look.¡± Bai Li had already put on some simple makeup for Qi Haoran. At this moment, his face was even covered by a handkerchief. This attempt to hide his appearance was quite conspicuous. Suspicion shed across Pang Kongqing¡¯s eyes, but he had no choice but to calm down and take his pulse. However, he heard two children discussing softly outside. ¡°Cousin is so pitiful. He can¡¯te to the city to y in the future.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Cousin said that she¡¯s already covered his face. No one will see his face. In the future, Cousin can stille to the city to y with us.¡± Mu Yangling had obviously heard the voices too. After ncing at Pang Kongqing, she went out and pulled the children away. Through the window, Pang Kongqing could not hear her reprimanding the children clearly. However, when he saw the handkerchief on the patient¡¯s face, he no longer had the desire to investigate. In fact, he even hoped that the handkerchief would be more stable and not fall off. Otherwise, if he saw the true appearance of the bandit¡¯s beloved son, he might really die without a burial ce. Mu Yangling held Xiuhong and Bowen¡¯s hands and walked to the kitchen. Only then did she squat in front of them and pat their heads. ¡°You¡¯ve done very well. When your Brother Haoran wakes up, I¡¯ll ask him to buy you delicious food.¡± Xiuhong was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She was only a few months younger than Mu Yangling, and naturally knew how serious this matter was. She only hoped that Qi Haoran could survive this ordeal and not die in their house. Otherwise, their entire family would be implicated by him. Still confused, Bowen asked in confusion, ¡°Just now, Cousin and I were ying by the field. We clearly saw Brother Haoran and the others leave. Why did theye back in the blink of an eye?¡± It turned out that after Mu Yangling left, Shu Wanniang realized the many loopholes. She could only get Bai Li to continue pretending that Qi Haoran and Fei Bai had left their house and returned to the military camp, while instructing others to stop Qi Haoran¡¯s bleeding. As long as they left the vige and changed into their clothes where no one could see them before sneaking back from the north, their tracks would be easily covered. This was because that area was filled with bushes and trees. She was also the one who had scared Bowen and Xin into crying. No one had expected Great-aunt toe back so early today, not to mention that she had returned with Madam Hu-Fang. Shu Wanniang could only pretend to be seriously ill with a handkerchief stained with roe deer blood in her trouser pocket. She managed to trick Madam Hu-Fang, but even Great-aunt was startled. Now, as long as one investigated carefully, they could still find some suspicious signs, but at least ordinary people would no longer notice anything abnormal. Mu Yangling sighed and went out to help her pale father into the kitchen. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Father, where are you hurt?¡± Exhaling, Mu Shi said, ¡°There are a few wounds that have stopped bleeding. I¡¯ll get your mother to apply the medicine for meter. Nothing is more important than Little General at the moment. Ah Ling, hold the doctor backter. Don¡¯t let him leave before Little General is out of danger.¡± Mu Shi took out a bag of silver from his pocket and stuffed it into her hand. He whispered, ¡°Buy medicine with thister. Make sure to get the premium herbs. Also, think of a way to secretly inform Young Master Fan and General. We can¡¯t hide this from them. Little General has caused a huge disaster and we have to make up for it as soon as possible. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid it will implicate the entire Great Zhou.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth fell open. What kind of trouble did Qi Haoran cause that involved the entire country? A sound came from the room. Mu Yangling turned around and saw the half-hidden Bai Li looking over. She hurriedly ran over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Li looked at Pang Kongqing. Having just finished examining the wounds on the patient¡¯s body, Pang Kongqing wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and nced at Bai Li. Then, he said to Mu Yangling, ¡°He¡¯s injured his vital points. I don¡¯t know if he can be saved.¡± Seeing Bai Li¡¯s expression change and looking at him fiercely, he hurriedly added ¡°But I¡¯ll try my best. However, if he has a fever or his wound is inmed, there¡¯s nothing much I can do and can only leave it to fate.¡± ¡°In that case, Physician Pang, please write the prescription.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Pang Kongqing was afraid of angering Bai Li, so he hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll write two prescriptions for him now. One for internal consumption and one for external application. How about it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Pang Kongqing only wanted to quickly finish writing the prescription and leave, so he did his best to write it. He even specially exined it to Mu Yangling, who was reading the prescription. In the end, he even habitually added, ¡°My pharmacy has all these herbs¡­¡± Pang Kongqing wished he could bite off his tongue. However, Mu Yangling had already folded the prescription and ced it in her arms. She said to Pang Kongqing, who was looking at her expectantly, ¡°Physician Pang, as my mother is seriously ill, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to stay here for the night. Tomorrow, when my mother¡¯s life is out of danger, I¡¯ll send you away.¡± Not looking at Pang Kongqing¡¯s incredulous eyes, Mu Yangling directly instructed Bai Li, ¡°Let Physician Pang rest in my room. Watch over him and be more polite.¡± Bai Li nced at Pang Kongqing and nodded. Pang Kongqing could only watch as Mu Yangling left. He turned his head stiffly to look at Bai Li, put on a stiff smile, and greeted, ¡°Brother, please take care of me.¡± Bai Li nced at him coldly, turned around and sat down on the stool at the side. Pang Kongqing turned his head to look at the patient, but the person lying on the bed had yet to wake up. He could only look at Bai Li, who was constantly releasing cold air. For the first time, he hoped that Mu Yangling woulde back soon. Mu Yangling sprinted all the way to the county, but she did not go to Benevolence Hall to get the herbs. Instead, she went to another medicinal shop. The shopkeeper did not think too much about it and simply packed the herbs for Mu Yangling. Chapter 157: Notification Chapter 157: Notification Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling quickly sent the medicine back and handed it to Fei Bai, who was hiding in the kitchen, for him to brew the medicine. Only then did she push her father to Shu Wanniang¡¯s room and hand the medicine to her. ¡°Mother, apply the medicine for Father. I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± Mu Yangling went to the camp to look for Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin. Qi Xiuyuan would only stay here for a day. If she went to look for him now, she could still find an excuse to muddle through. It would be difficult to look for him when he returned to the prefectural capital. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as easy to cover her tracks. The reason why Qi Xiuyuan came was because Qi Haoran had, on a whim some time ago, requested to go into battle. The assistantmanders were eager toe over to take a look at Qi Haoran¡¯s training results. If he could really be like how he trained the 4th Division back then, there was nothing wrong with agreeing to let him fight. Qi Xiuyuan was happy to agree to this, since it was a glorious matter for his younger brother. Moreover, the recent war with the Jin soldiers hade to an end, so he brought a group of people over. Unfortunately, Qi Haoran had brought people into the mountains to hunt and probably wouldn¡¯te out for three to five days. Fan Zijin exined to everyone with a smile, ¡°Haoran is energetic. Not only does everyone have to train their troops, but they also have to build a campsite. Hence, now that he¡¯s free and happened to hear that some wild beasts went down the mountain to destroy grains, he brought a few people into the mountain. Thest time he went into the mountain, he stayed for four days beforeing out. I don¡¯t know how long he¡¯ll stay this time.¡± At this point, Fan Zijin smiled helplessly and said, ¡°So I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disappoint everyone this time. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let everyone review the troops.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nced at his cousin and did not say anything. Jiang Ze smiled and said, ¡°No big deal. At most, we¡¯lle again next time. Just look at this camp area and it¡¯s obvious that Little General has spent a lot of effort. It¡¯s much more organized than our old camp area.¡± With Jiang Ze and Fan Zijin livening up the atmosphere, everyone gradually forgot that Qi Haoran was not at the campsite. Qi Xiuyuan brought everyone to y for a day. When he saw that the sky was about to turn dark, he stood up and smiled. ¡°Alright, we should go back.¡± Fan Zijin quickly invited him to stay. ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t you stay here for dinner with the assistantmanders? Everyone, try our 5th Division¡¯s food.¡± The corners of Jiang Ze¡¯s mouth twitched. He had thought that he would invite them to a restaurant in Mingshui County. It was obvious that Fan Zijin did not want to keep them. Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes darkened even more. He nced at Fan Zijin without batting an eyelid and shook his head. ¡°No need. There are so many assistantmanders here so we can¡¯t stay outside overnight. Everyone has to go back today.¡± However, before they reached the entrance of the 5th Division, they heard amotion. Qi Xiuyuan could vaguely hear crying and couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What¡¯s going on ahead?¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, for he recognized Mu Yangling¡¯s voice. How could Mu Yangling cry? Back then, she didn¡¯t even cry when she crawled out of the pile of corpses. Moreover, she knew that his cousin woulde today, but she had promised him that she would help him cover it up. Jiang Ze had already strode out. When he saw Mu Yangling crying at the entrance of the camp, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. He shouted, ¡°Miss Mu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Yangling wiped her tears and pushed a soldier away before running to Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s side. ¡°General Qi, please save my mother.¡± ¡°Your mother?¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at her in surprise. ¡°What happened to your mother?¡± ¡°My mother is sick and urgently needs good ginseng. But my family doesn¡¯t have money or connections and can¡¯t afford good ginseng at all. General, please help save my mother.¡± Mu Yangling reached out to grab Qi Xiuyuan. Her fingers couldn¡¯t help but tighten as she gently tapped his wrist. Qi Xiuyuan nced at her without batting an eyelid and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any good ginseng here either, but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get someone to go back and look for it now.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Ze and said, ¡°Take the soldiers back first. Then, get the butler to find the 100-year-old ginseng in the storeroom and send it over immediately.¡± He then said gently to Mu Yangling, ¡°Miss Mu, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll go take a look with you. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll send a post to invite a famous doctor from the prefecture capital.¡± Mu Yangling wiped her tears again and looked at Qi Xiuyuan gratefully. Fan Zijin immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look too.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded. ¡°Bring the military doctor along.¡± Yanmo dashed off, and not long after, the military doctor came out with a first aid kit. The four of them got on their horses, and Qi Xiuyuan smiled as he reached out to Mu Yangling. ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll bring you.¡± Mu Yangling reached out to him and sat behind him. Qi Xiuyuan waved at Jiang Ze below and rode out on his horse. After the horse ran far away and Mu Yangling was sure that no one would hear them, she whispered into Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s ear, ¡°General, Qi Haoran is seriously injured and is lying in my house now. Fei Bai said that he caused a huge disaster. No one must know that he¡¯s injured.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression darkened as he asked, ¡°How is he now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still unconscious. He¡¯s injured his vitals.¡± Qi Xiuyuan silently sped up. Fan Zijin followed a few steps behind the two of them. As the wind was strong and the horses¡¯ hooves were fast, he could not hear what the two of them were talking about at all, but his intuition told him that this matter had something to do with Qi Haoran. Thinking about how Qi Haoran had gone deep into the enemy¡¯s territory this time, he could not help but worry. Could something have happened to that silly boy? The horse stopped at the Mu residence and Qi Xiuyuan quickly walked in. Mu Shi hurriedly came out of the house to wee him. Qi Xiuyuan only nced at him and smelled the blood and medicine on him. He nodded slightly at him and asked in a low voice, ¡°Where is he?¡± Mu Yangling had already run in from outside and said to Qi Xiuyuan, ¡°General, thank you foring to see my mother. Come here and have a seat first.¡± She directly invited him to her room. As soon as he entered the room, Bai Li knelt down in front of Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Xiuyuan did not even look at him and directly sat by the brick bed to look at the unconscious Qi Haoran. At this moment, Fei Bai had already applied medicine for Qi Haoran. His entire body was wrapped in a white cloth, and his face was pale as hey on the bed lifelessly. Qi Xiuyuan looked at him deeply for a while before turning to look at Bai Li with anger in his eyes. Mu Shi and Bai Li knelt at Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s feet and did not dare to say a word. Even though Mu Yangling¡¯s heart ached for her father, she did not dare to speak at this moment. Fan Zijin followed Qi Xiuyuan into the house. When he saw Qi Hao on the brick bed, his body swayed. Holding onto the door frame, he barely managed to stand still. Trembling, he tried to feel his breath under his nose. After being pped away by Qi Xiuyuan, he heaved a sigh of relief and looked at him with red eyes. ¡°Cousin, Haoran is still alive, right?¡± ¡°Of course he¡¯s alive.¡± Qi Xiuyuan suppressed his anger and growled. ¡°If he dares to die, I¡¯ll go to the King of Hell¡¯s pce and drag him back.¡± Fan Zijin slumped on the edge of the brick bed while Qi Xiuyuan said to Yanmo, ¡°Invite the military doctor in. Go outside and guard the door. Don¡¯t let anyone peep.¡± Now that something had happened in the Mu residence today, the vigers would stand far away and peep at them. Some of them were thick-skinned enough to stand outside the wall and look in without hiding anything. This was also the reason why Mu Yangling did not dare to show it. Qi Xiuyuan naturally understood her concerns and directly asked Yanmo to stand outside. Country bumpkins were all afraid of those in power. Seeing Yanmo, no matter how curious they were, they didn¡¯t dare to get close and peek. This made it easier for them to speak inside the room. At least now, Qi Xiuyuan felt at ease kicking Bai Li away, causing him to fall to the corner with a bang. He didn¡¯t have to worry about the people outside hearing it. Chapter 158: Temptation Chapter 158: Temptation Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling touched her chest without batting an eyelid, feeling pain. Mu Shitou lowered his head and knelt respectfully. After Bai Li was kicked away, he got up and knelt properly. He lowered his head and did not dare to speak. xThe military doctor sat on the stool and took Qi Haoran¡¯s pulse, as if he didn¡¯t see anything. After taking his pulse, he checked the wounds on Qi Haoran¡¯s body. Then, he stood up and bowed to Qi Xiuyuan. ¡°General, Little General¡¯s injuries are serious. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not skilled enough.¡± Seeing Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s ugly expression, he said, ¡°As Little General¡¯s vital points are injured, he has to be sent to Doctor Liu at the Concentrated Hall in Xingyuan Prefecture. Perhaps he might be able to save him.¡± Bai Li¡¯s expression changed and he looked up at Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Xiuyuan asked, ¡°What happens if we don¡¯t send him to Xingyuan Prefecture and can only let him be treated in Xingzhou Prefecture?¡± The military doctor paused and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Then we can only ask Pang Kongqing from Benevolence Hall to help. Although he¡¯s young, his research on internal illnesses is far better than others. This makes him understand a person¡¯s internal organs better than others. As for the external injuries, I believe I can handle it. I¡¯m 70% confident that Little General¡¯s wound won¡¯t inme.¡± Qi Xiuyuan waved his hand and said, ¡°Go out and wait. I¡¯ll ask again.¡± Bai Li said in a low voice, ¡°General, Pang Kongqing is in the room next door. Why don¡¯t we get the military doctor to go to the kitchen to take a look at the medicine?¡± Qi Xiuyuan was furious. What kind of trouble did his brother get into that he had to be so careful? Looking at his brother on the bed, Qi Xiuyuan was really angry and heartbroken. In the end, his anger shifted to Bai Li and he asked coldly, ¡°I asked you to protect and take care of him, not let him risk his life.¡± With a pale face, Bai Li lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Qi Xiuyuan waved his hand and asked the military doctor to go to the kitchen to take a look at the medicine. The military doctor also knew that he was doing this to hide his whereabouts and try not to let Pang Kongqing, who was in the next room, discover him. In fact, Pang Kongqing could not discover it at all because he was tied to a pir by Bai Li. Not only was his mouth stuffed, but his eyes were also blindfolded. If not for the fact that the effect was not great, Bai Li would have plugged his ears, too. At first, he only heard many footsteps and knew that someone wasing. Then, there was a loud bang, as if something had hit the wall. Now, Pang Kongqing only wanted to pretend to be dead. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to ask for help, but he had no idea who the person outside was. What if it was an aplice? It was fine if he died, but he didn¡¯t want to implicate his wife and family in the end. Pang Kongqing really regretted it. He shouldn¡¯t havee just because Mu Bowen was cute. However, he was a doctor. Even if the person who hade to invite him wasn¡¯t Mu Yangling but someone else, he would still havee¡­ While Pang Kongqing was letting his imagination run wild, Qi Xiuyuan was asking Bai Li what was going on. Bai Li looked up at Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin. Fan Zijin sat there in a daze and did not move, his eyes focused on Qi Haoran. He, who had always been smart, did not catch Bai Li¡¯s hint. Besides, even if he did, he would not leave. There was nothing about Qi Haoran that he did not know about? The n to infiltrate Baoshan County from Four Tray Vige to investigate the enemy was perfected by him and Haoran. However, Mu Yangling stood up and was about to leave. Qi Xiuyuan nced at Mu Shi and waved his hand to stop her. ¡°You can stay. Zijin is family, but you¡¯re also someone Haoran trusts.¡± He still didn¡¯t know what trouble Haoran had caused. Judging by Bai Li¡¯s appearance, it seemed to be pretty serious trouble. As such, he would probably have to find Mu Yangling to cover it up in the future. Anyway, her father already knew the truth, so he might as well let her know, too. Qi Xiuyuan did not treat Mu Yangling as a child. Instead, he felt that she was more reliable than Mu Shi. Although this was an intuition, Qi Xiuyuan believed it very much. He would never ignore any of his intuitions. However, Qi Xiuyuan had thought of all kinds of things, but he did not expect his brother to get into such trouble. After confirming that there were only the few of them in the house and that there was no one in the courtyard outside, and that Yanmo was guarding outside, Bai Li said in a low voice, ¡°General, Little General killed the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wo Ben, in Hanzhong Prefecture¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s pupils constricted. He grabbed his clothes tightly and looked at him in shock. Fan Zijin also widened his eyes and turned his head, almost twisting his neck because he moved too quickly. On the other hand, Mu Yangling was the calmest. In her eyes, the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom was just a symbol. In this chaotic world where even the emperor might be captured, killing a Crown Prince wasn¡¯t such a big deal in her opinion. Seeing that Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin were silent, Mu Yangling could only ask softly, ¡°Have your identities been discovered?¡± Bai Li shook his head. ¡°We were dressed as Hus in Hanzhong Prefecture. At that time, there was a sudden conflict. After Little General killed him, we looked through the things on his body and found out that he was the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom. We retreated almost immediately, but we were still discovered. We only escaped after a bloody attack. General, this matter must not be exposed. The Jin Kingdom already has the ambition to invade our Great Zhou. If this matter is exposed, Little General¡­¡± Bai Li looked at Qi Xiuyuan anxiously. Fan Zijin also knelt in front of Qi Xiuyuan and hugged his leg. ¡°Cousin, quickly save Haoran. I was the one who agreed to let him go over. You know that he has always listened to me. Just take it that I did this.¡± Qi Xiuyuan pped him and said hatefully, ¡°What do you think I want to do? Haoran is my biological younger brother! Can he be saved if you take the me? Knowing what those people in Lin¡¯an are like, the Qi family and the Fan family will probably perish.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s face turned pale. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but look at them in shock. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Didn¡¯t Bai Li say that they still discovered their identities? Then, we just have to clean up the loose ends and frame them to keep them busy.¡± Mu Yangling racked her brains and recalled the often-yed ploys in television dramas. Coupled with her past drills and the battle of wits and bravery with the drug lords, she said, ¡°For example, we can frame the other princes of the Jin Kingdom, such as the Eldest, Second, and Third Princes. Whoever has the ambition to fight for the throne has the potential to be framed. Also, didn¡¯t the Xia Kingdom next door take the opportunity to plunder resources on the Jin¡¯snd in the previous battle with the Jin soldiers? Since they¡¯re also bad people, let them fight each other. Anyway, the Jin and Xia Kingdoms are next to each other, making it more convenient for them to enter the Jin Kingdom than us.¡± Seeing that Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression was still ugly, she added, ¡°Anyway, in their eyes, the Han people are physically weak,ck resources and timid, and are only capable of boasting and scheming. Even if we admit to killing the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom, I don¡¯t think they will truly believe it was us. We should, however, be wary that they use this as an excuse to attack our Great Zhou.¡± Only then did Qi Xiuyuan look at Mu Yangling with surprise in his eyes. Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes lit up. He grabbed Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s robe and said, ¡°Mu Yangling is right. Cousin, let¡¯s do as Mu Yangling says.¡± Qi Xiuyuan red at him and pulled him up. He stood up, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply to Mu Yangling. ¡°Thank you, Miss Mu.¡± He looked at Mu Yangling deeply and smiled. ¡°Speaking of which, Miss Mu has done us three brothers a huge favor. You saved us again this time. I¡¯m really grateful. Miss Mu, if you need help in the future, just look for me or Zijin. As long as we can do it, we¡¯ll definitely help you achieve it.¡± Chapter 159: Arrangement Chapter 159: Arrangement Editor: As Studios This was the first time someone had said such solemn words to Mu Yangling. She waved her hand in a panic. ¡°No need, no need. Haoran is my friend. It¡¯s only right for me to help out a friend. Moreover, this matter is also rted to my father. Being his subordinate, it¡¯s my father¡¯s responsibility to protect Qi Haoran.¡± A smile and admiration shed across Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes. It was obvious that he was very satisfied with Mu Yangling. Seeing this, Bai Li boldly stepped forward and said, ¡°General, it¡¯s all thanks to Section Commander Mu that I was able to escape with Little General from Hanzhong Prefecture this time.¡± Qi Xiuyuan lowered his head to look at him. Only then did he see Mu Shi kneeling on the ground. He quickly reached out to help him up and patted his hand. ¡°You and your daughter are both excellent. Thank you for your trouble this time. Go and rest since you¡¯re also injured. It¡¯s fine with Ah Ling here.¡± With Qi Xiuyuan changing the way of address from ¡®Miss Mu¡¯ to ¡®Ah Ling¡¯, it was as if they were much closer now. Mu Shi nced at his daughter, bowed, and slowly left. Qi Xiuyuan turned to look at his brother. If it were any other matter, he could still bear it alone and take the risk to bring his brother to the Xingyuan Prefecture to seek medical treatment. But now, if he was not careful, he and his brother might be consigned to eternal damnation. His brother might even have to bear all the infamy. Therefore, he could only follow the second n of the military doctor. Qi Xiuyuan asked Mu Yangling, ¡°What excuse did you use to invite Pang Kongqing over?¡± Mu Yangling scratched her head and exined in embarrassment how she had threatened Pang Kongqing. Qi Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment before looking at her in admiration. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. There are six stockades and eight gangs in Mount Daluo. The leader of the third-ranked Tiger Heaven Stockade happens to have a Hu bloodline. Pang Kongqing definitely hasn¡¯t seen that person before and doesn¡¯t know his situation. Let him think that Haoran is from the Tiger Heaven Stockade. I¡¯ll make some arrangements and try my best to clean up the tail. I¡¯ll leave Haoran with you for the next few days and bring him away when he¡¯s out of danger.¡± Mu Yangling patted her chest and promised, ¡°General, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely take good care of Qi Haoran.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded with a smile. He lowered his head to look at Qi Haoran and sighed slightly. Seeing this, Mu Yangling wanted to quietly retreat. Bai Li knelt on the ground and did not dare to move. Seeing this, Mu Yangling quickly went forward to help him up and walked out with him. Only the three brothers were left in the room now. Bai Li broke free from Mu Yangling¡¯s grip. His face was a little dark, but he still cupped his hands and thanked her. ¡°Thank you, Miss Mu.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Mu Yangling looked around and said worriedly, ¡°Are so many of you going to stay here for the night?¡± There were only a few rooms in their residence, so it was not a problem to keep Qi Haoran and Bai Li for the night. They could just tidy up a room and let them stay there. However, Pang Kongqing could not stay in Great-aunt¡¯s room all the time. It would be best if he could chase him to Mu Yangling¡¯s room too. Then, the military doctor would stay in the storeroom, and the Mu family could stay in the main room. However, if Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin stayed too, they had to avoid meeting Pang Kongqing, so there would be no ce for them to settle down. Just as Mu Yangling was fretting, Fei Bai came over and bowed respectfully. ¡°Miss Mu, my eldest young master said that he¡¯ll just stay in the storeroom for the night. He told you not to be restrained. After we hide, you can get Physician Pang to take a look at Young Master.¡± ¡°How will that do? I should let the general stay in the main room,¡± Mu Yangling said apologetically. Fei Bai chuckled softly and said, ¡°Miss Mu, there¡¯s no need to be polite with my Eldest Young Master. It¡¯s just to avoid that person now. In a while, Eldest Young Master and Young Master Zijin will pretend to leave ande back quietly when it¡¯s dark. Tonight is the most crucial. Eldest Young Master and Young Master Zijin must watch over Fourth Young Master.¡± After Qi Haoran got injured, he had been dragged into the forest by Mu Shi. He had originally brought nine people out, but only four of them survived. The other six had sacrificed themselves to protect him while he left. The past three days had not been peaceful, and Qi Haoran¡¯s injuries had worsened. ording to Pang Kongqing, he had already reached his limit today. If he could survive it, everything would be fine. If he could not, even the gods and Buddhas would be helpless. Hence, Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin would definitely watch over Qi Haoran. Of course, Mu Yangling was also keeping watch. With such a time bomb living at home, no one was in the mood to eat. However, Great-aunt still cooked a simple meal. After feeding the children, she entered her room and carried a nket out. When Pang Kongqing heard someone enter the room, he whimpered twice. Great-aunt couldn¡¯t help but nce at him. Her conscience was a little uneasy, but she still turned her head ruthlessly, picked up the nket with trembling hands, and left. ¡°General, do you really n to let him stay in the storeroom? How can anyone live there when it¡¯s so damp there? It¡¯s better to stay in my room. Our family can sleep in your mother¡¯s room for the night.¡± The sun had just set when, under the gazes of the vigers, Qi Xiuyuan left with Fan Zijin, whose eyes were slightly red. After returning to the military camp, he did not immediately turn around to return to the Mu residence. Instead, he found his trusted aide and made a series of arrangements. When the sky outside had turnedpletely dark, he picked up a box on the table and left with Fan Zijin again. This was the 100-year-old ginseng that Jiang Ze had sent over. It was originally an excuse, but he didn¡¯t expect it to really be used. However, it wasn¡¯t used on Mother Mu, but on his younger brother. Thinking about how his usually lively and active younger brother had suddenly be like this, Qi Xiuyuan was really angry and hateful. He hated the Hus and himself even more. He clearly knew that his younger brother was unreliable, but he still transferred him here alone. He did not take good care of him. This was the opposite of what he had said when he wrote a letter and quarreled with his father. ¡°My younger brother will be ten times better off here than in Lin¡¯an Prefecture.¡± If he was in Lin¡¯an Prefecture, he would not have been so seriously injured no matter what. When Fan Zijin turned around and saw that his cousin¡¯s expression was not good, he knew that he had a knot in his heart. He pulled his sleeve and begged, ¡°Big Cousin, don¡¯t be angry and me yourself. Otherwise, Haoran definitely won¡¯t be able to recuperate properly when he wakes up. Actually, this matter isn¡¯t his fault. If not for Wo Ben disregarding human lives and treating us Han Chinese as subhumans, Haoran wouldn¡¯t have killed him so impulsively.¡± Qi Xiuyuan sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted General Yuan. Considering he has more connections in the Jin Kingdom than us, we still need his help to sow discord.¡± Shocked, Fan Zijin hurriedly said, ¡°Eldest Cousin, how can we tell outsiders about this?¡± In Fan Zijin¡¯s opinion, Bai Li was assigned to his cousin by his uncle, and his indenture was also in his cousin¡¯s hands. That made him his cousin¡¯s death warrior. Mu Yangling was naturally one of them. The military doctor was alsopletely under their control, so it was fine if he knew. However, General Yuan had a high position and authority. Although he was noble and upright, Fan Zijin still could not trust him. He was afraid that one day, should a conflict arise between them, they would be the ones who would be sacrificed. Qi Xiuyuan naturally knew what Fan Zijin was thinking. Smiling, he touched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. Of course, I won¡¯t tell him what Haoran did. I¡¯ll just say that my people found out that the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom was killed in Hanzhong. It¡¯s up to him what he thinks.¡± Since Hanzhong Prefecture was on guard and the entire Jin troop was mobilized, it was impossible for General Yuan to not know anything. Whether they could find out about the death of the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom depended on their own abilities. Chapter 160: Heat Chapter 160: Heat Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling and Bai Li escorted Pang Kongqing to the room to take care of Qi Haoran. Seeing that Bai Li and Pang Kongqing looked tired, Mu Yangling went out to move a few benches over and put them together. She simplyid a nket on top and said to Pang Kongqing, ¡°Physician Pang, lie here and rest.¡± Pang Kongqing really wanted to re at Mu Yangling and reject her, but he could not withstand his sleepiness at all. He could only snort coldly in his heart and climb up with a cold expression to pull up the nket to cover himself. In order to anger Mu Yangling, he deliberately did not take off his shoes and ced his feet under the nket. The nket was half-covered by him, and he was afraid that he would not be able to use it in the future. However, Mu Yangling pretended not to see it and said to Bai Li in a low voice, ¡°You should rest too. I¡¯ll watch over him.¡± Having protected Qi Haoran for three days, Bai Li¡¯s body was already at its limit. Hearing this, he did not refuse and leaned against the wall to rest. Mu Yangling propped her chin on her hand and sat by the brick bed to look at Qi Haoran. Because he had lost too much blood, his face was still pale even after taking the medicine. Mu Yangling looked at him in a daze, and only then did she feel a little strange. Qi Haoran seemed to be only 13 years old now, but he could already affect the diplomatic rtions of several countries. Mu Yangling poked his face and sighed. Actually, it wasn¡¯t Qi Haoran¡¯s fault. If it were her, she would definitely have made a move, too. She heard that the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom had already tortured more than 40 beautiful children to death. If she didn¡¯t meet him, she could still treat it as a legend and ignore it. However, she couldn¡¯t ignore it if she saw it. Qi Haoran¡¯s actions saved more than 20 children. In the middle of the night, Qi Haoran suddenly had a fever. Pang Kongqing had no choice but to get up and help him apply acupuncture to lower his temperature. Mu Yangling kept recing his wet handkerchief. In the end, the wet handkerchief had to be changed every 15 minutes. Even the military doctor could not be bothered to hide it. He changed his clothes and covered his face to help. At this moment, Pang Kongqing no longer had the spare brain capacity to think about who had suddenly appeared, let alone care about who was pacing around outside the door. He only knew that this person was extremely valued by this group of people. If he died, he would probably not be able to live either. In the end, seeing that the handkerchief was useless, Pang Kongqing said, ¡°Go and get fresh water from the well. It¡¯ste at night, so the water temperature should be low.¡± He muttered, ¡°If only there was ice.¡± He knew that this was impossible. Xingzhou Prefecture didn¡¯t have much heat in summer, so the people didn¡¯t have the habit of storing ice in the cer. Even rich families rarely used ice. However, Mu Yangling shuddered and said, ¡°I have ice at home. It¡¯s river ice that I preserved in winter.¡± Pang Kongqing stomped his feet. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and get it.¡± Mu Yangling casually took a basin and ran to the backyard. She opened the cer and couldn¡¯t wait for the air to enter. Holding her breath, she climbed down as the cold air rushed into her bones. She couldn¡¯t care less and squatted down to dig out two pieces of ice. Then, she stuck her head out of the cer and took a deep breath. Seeing this, Fan Zijin hurriedly ran over and asked in a low voice, ¡°How is it? Did you get it?¡± After Mu Yangling leaned over and handed the basin to him, Fan Zijin picked it up and ran away. Seeing that he had run over, Qi Xiuyuan hurriedly knocked on the door and the military doctor came out to bring it in. At this moment, Pang Kongqing¡¯s mind waspletely focused on Qi Haoran and he did not pay attention to the outside at all. Seeing that his face was still covered with a handkerchief, he turned around and said to Bai Li, ¡°We can¡¯t use a handkerchief on him anymore. We have to make his breathing smooth. Since I¡¯ve already given him acupuncture, it¡¯s useless to use the handkerchief again. Go brew the medicine and cool him down with ice. Just blindfold me.¡± Pang Kongqing was not curious about his appearance at all. Knowing he would die if he saw his face, that curiosity disappeared no matter how curious he was. Bai Li did not say anything else and directly covered his eyes. He lifted the handkerchief on Qi Haoran¡¯s face. At this moment, his face was flushed and his breathing was heavy. When he touched it, it felt like heated iron. Bai Li¡¯s eyes turned red and he looked at the military doctor anxiously. The military doctor shook his head slightly. There was nothing he could do now. Mu Yangling ran in and helped break the ice before applying it on his head. She then wiped his palms and feet with cold water to lower his temperature. After a while, Mu Yangling broke out in a sweat and Qi Haoran¡¯s temperature finally decreased slightly. The military doctor shook his head and lowered his voice. ¡°That won¡¯t do. If the temperature doesn¡¯t drop, even if we save him, he will be a fool. This temperature is enough to cook an egg.¡± Of course, Mu Yangling knew that. Moreover, looking at the situation, it was already very fortunate that he could be a fool. If this continued, he would definitely die from the fever. Mu Yangling was anxious. In the end, she thought of something and said, ¡°Wine! Use wine. Which one of you has wine that has about 35% alcohol content?¡± ¡°What¡¯s 35%?¡± The military doctor turned to ask her. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t care less anymore. She recalled that Old Hu had saidst time that his family used to brew wine. There were still a few jars of good wine passed down from his ancestors at home. When his grandson got married, he would take out one jar as a betrothal gift. He had even unted this a few times. Without thinking, Mu Yangling rushed out and rushed straight to Old Hu¡¯s house. She shook Old Hu awake in his sleep. The Hu family was shocked by Mu Yangling. Old Hu almost rolled off the brick bed. When he saw that it was Mu Yangling, he asked angrily, ¡°Ah Ling, what are you doing in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Grandpa Hu, where¡¯s your wine?¡± ¡°Why do you want my wine?¡± Old Hu asked her in a daze. Mu Yangling took out a piece of silver from her pocket and ced it in front of him. ¡°My family urgently needs wine. Where¡¯s your wine?¡± Old Hu¡¯s eyes darted around, and he wanted to raise the price. Just as he was about to shake his head, he was pushed down by his wife. Seeing Mu Yangling¡¯s anxious expression, Madam Hu-Fang knew that she needed it urgently. Thinking of the rumors outside that Shu Wanniang was seriously ill and probably wouldn¡¯t live for more than a few days, she quickly got off the brick bed and said, ¡°My old man kept it in the cer. I¡¯ll bring you to get it.¡± Mu Yangling could naturally tell what Old Hu was thinking. Although she was angry, this was not the time to fuss about it. She gave Madam Hu-Fang a grateful smile and followed her. ¡°Hey, wait a minute.¡± Old Hu got up and chased after her. He shouted, ¡°This wine has been passed down in our family for generations. We won¡¯t sell it easily. Ah Ling, don¡¯t think that you can bully usmoners just because you¡¯re the daughter of the sectionmander.¡± Old Hu moved quickly and blocked the cer. Mu Yangling was furious, but she couldn¡¯t snatch it by force since the thing did belong to someone else. She could only look at him coldly and say, ¡°Old Hu, I won¡¯t hide it from you. I¡¯m here to save a life. No matter how much money it is, I¡¯ll owe you first and repayter.¡± Shaking his head, Old Hu said, ¡°This thing can¡¯t be bought with money. This is something passed down by our ancestors. How can we give it to someone just like that?¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t have time to waste on him. She took out all the silver from her body and threw it at his feet. Staring at the silver on the ground, Old Hu¡¯s eyes widened. Madam Hu-Fang went to push him and snapped angrily, ¡°What are you doing? Ah Ling is using this to save a life! Move aside.¡± Old Hu came back to his senses and pushed Madam Hu-Fang away. With his head raised, he said to Mu Yangling, ¡°I¡¯m not selling this wine.¡± Mu Yangling was so angry that sheughed. Instead of being furious, she calmed down. Softening her expression, she said to Old Hu, ¡°How about this, Grandpa Hu? I¡¯ll use my father¡¯s sectionmander position to exchange for it. Give me the wine, and I¡¯ll let Second Uncle Hu be the sectionmander.¡± Old Hu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mu Yangling exuded a terrifying aura and looked at him coldly. ¡°Of course. Grandpa Hu, can you give me the wine now?¡± Old Hu felt a force pressing down on him, making him unable to move. When he came back to his senses, Mu Yangling had already gone down to the cer, and he was covered in cold sweat. Old Hu shivered and hesitated, but this hesitation disappeared when he saw the silver on the ground and thought of Mu Yangling¡¯s promise. Chapter 161: Out of Danger Chapter 161: Out of Danger Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling carried all the wine in the cer back and ced it in front of Qi Xiuyuan. ¡°See which jar of wine is the strongest.¡± Qi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t ask why. He opened the seal and took a sip from each jar. After tasting every jar, he picked out a jar of wine for Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling ran into the room and wiped Qi Haoran¡¯s palms and feet with a soft cloth. She said to Bai Li and the military doctor, ¡°Come on, wipe his palms, feet, and armpits.¡± Mu Yangling sighed. ¡°We can only try our best now.¡± Qi Xiuyuan opened the door and entered. Shocked, Bai Li turned his gaze towards Pang Kongqing. At this moment, Qi Xiuyuan could not care less. He walked to the side and picked up a piece of cloth to help wipe them. Fan Zijin also ran in. No one in the room spoke for a moment, and everyone quietly helped Qi Haoran cool down. Although there was an unhappy incident, it had taken Mu Yangling less than ten minutes to run to the Hu family¡¯s house to get some wine. However, Qi Haoran¡¯s temperature seemed to have increased again, and there was even a cold handkerchief on his forehead. Although Qi Xiuyuan and the others were still working hard, they didn¡¯t have much hope. The military doctor didn¡¯t know why they were using alcohol to lower his temperature. In his knowledge, alcohol was only used to disinfect and prevent inmmation. But now, he had no choice. Since Mu Yangling had found alcohol, he would do as he was told. While things were busy over here, those in the main room could not fall asleep as well. Mu Shi was also having a fever at this moment and was lying weakly on the brick bed. Shu Wanniang looked out worriedly as she took care of him. Great-aunt was also sitting by the brick bed in a daze. Finally, she looked at the children lying on the brick bed and asked Mu Shi softly, ¡°If Little General¡­ will General me us?¡± Mu Shi shook his head. ¡°General is not a narrow-minded person.¡± Wiping her tears, Great-aunt said regretfully, ¡°Little General is such a good child.¡± When Mu Shi recalled Qi Haoran¡¯s expression when he stood in front of those children, he couldn¡¯t help but think of his daughter. Clenching his fists, he got up, lifted the nket, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± Shu Wanniang pressed him down. ¡°You¡¯ll only add to the trouble if you go over. Considering you can¡¯t even stand steadily, it¡¯s better for you to sit and wait. Ah Ling will take care of things over there.¡± Mu Shi said with reddened eyes, ¡°Wanniang, you don¡¯t know how beastly that person is. Those children are only seven or eight years old, and the youngest is only five or six years old¡ªjust a tad older than Bowen. It¡¯s not enough for him to torment those children himself. He even gave them to his subordinates when he was tired of ying with them. None of the children chosen by him walked out alive. If the one who met him back then was Ah Ling, then the one lying on the bed now will be¡­ Let me go over and take a look.¡± Shu Wanniang was shocked. She only knew that her husband seemed to have offended a big shot when he went out with the Little General, so they fled back after getting attacked. However, she did not expect that person to be so evil. Thinking of her daughter¡¯s character and way of handling matters, and remembering that Qi Haoran was only three years older than Ah Ling and was a child to begin with, she could not help but loosen her grip on Mu Shi¡¯s hand. Mu Shi got off the bed and walked out. At this moment, the military doctor in the room was happily feeling Qi Haoran¡¯s temperature. In the end, he asked Qi Xiuyuan in a low voice with uncertainty, ¡°Do you think his face is not as red as before?¡± Mu Yangling turned to look at the hourss and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s been more than a quarter of an hour. It should have some effect by now. Let Physician Pang take a look.¡± After Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin left, Mu Yangling helped Pang Kongqing over to take Qi Haoran¡¯s pulse. With his eyes covered, Pang Kongqing took his pulse. After a long time, he let go. After hesitating for a long time, his nature as a doctor prevailed. ¡°I need to see his face.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Bai Li, who opened the door and went out. Qi Xiuyuan entered and stood behind Pang Kongqing. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Take off his blindfold.¡± Pang Kongqing¡¯s body stiffened. After his blindfold was removed, he still closed his eyes tightly. He did not even dare to look at Qi Haoran, let alone turn behind to look at Qi Xiuyuan. With a soft chuckle, Qi Xiuyuan said gently, ¡°Physician Pang, don¡¯t worry. Even if you see my brother¡¯s face, I definitely won¡¯t hurt you. However, I hope that you can forget everything that happened yesterday and tonight after leaving here tomorrow.¡± Pang Kongqing nodded hurriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, hero. I won¡¯t remember anything when I wake up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Then Physician Pang, open your eyes and take a good look at my brother.¡± Pang Kongqing carefully opened his eyes and nced at Qi Haoran. Seeing that there were no abnormal signs, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He carefully looked at Qi Haoran¡¯s expression before opening Qi Haoran¡¯s mouth to look at his tongue. After a while, he opened Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes to look at his pupils. After knowing what was going on, he let go. Only then did he notice Qi Haoran¡¯s facial features. Pang Kongqing had never seen Qi Haoran before. At this moment, he only felt that this person had sharp eyebrows, clear facial features, and even some cute baby fat on his cheeks. Even if such a child was not adorable enough to be loved by everyone, at least he would not be annoying. How could such a child be a little bandit? Pang Kongqing shook his head in his heart. Without turning around, he looked at Qi Haoran and said, ¡°His condition has improved, and his temperature is slowly decreasing.¡± Although he had been blindfolded, he actually knew everything that had happened in the room. Coupled with the fact that the room was filled with the fragrance of wine, he naturally knew that they were using wine to lower his temperature. Taking into ount his pulse, he estimated in his heart before saying, ¡°Wipe him with wine once every 15 minutes. When the temperature drops a lot, wipe it once every half an hour.¡± Seeing that he was so familiar with this, the military doctor said unhappily, ¡°Since you know that wine can lower one¡¯s temperature, why didn¡¯t you mention it before?¡± Pang Kongqing was stunned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know wine could lower the temperature. I only found out after you used it.¡± The military doctor suddenly did not trust him. If this was the first time he had seen it, how did he know that the patient should be wiped once every x minutes? Mu Yangling looked at Pang Kongqing in admiration, feeling that this person was indeed impressive. She turned to Qi Xiuyuan and nodded slightly. Qi Xiuyuan nced at the military doctor, and thetter immediately did not dare to question him anymore. Qi Xiuyuan was still standing behind Pang Kongqing. ¡°Thank you, Physician Pang. I¡¯ll definitely repay you in the future. I¡¯ll have to trouble you tonight. When my brother¡¯s fever subsides, I¡¯ll get someone to send you back.¡± Pang Kongqing forced a smile and only heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the person behind him close the door after leaving. That person¡¯s presence was too strong. Inparison, Mu Yangling looked much cuter, even though he had been threatened by her before. Although Pang Kongqing had already seen Qi Haoran¡¯s face, Bai Li still covered his eyes. Mu Yangling, Qi Xiuyuan, and the others wiped Qi Haoran twice more. Only then did his temperature return to normal and his face no longer flushed. Qi Xiuyuan asked Pang Kongqing to take Qi Haoran¡¯s pulse and confirm that he was out of danger. After he readily fulfilled the agreement, he was knocked out before being sent back in a carriage. When Pang Kongqing woke up in the carriage and jumped down, he saw the bustling streets. In front of him was his own medicinal shop. He immediately felt that life was so wonderful after being reborn. The shopkeeper came out and asked curiously, ¡°Boss, why are you back so early? Didn¡¯t you say that you went to the mountains to pick herbs?¡± Chapter 162: Repaying Kindness Chapter 162: Repaying Kindness Editor: As Studios Pang Kongqing red at him. ¡°When did I say that I went to the mountains to pick herbs?¡± Pang Kongqing was extraordinarily resentful. Why didn¡¯t his family look for him when he had gone to the Mu residence to attend to a patient and had not returned all night? The shopkeeper said in surprise, ¡°Shunzi came over yesterday to inform us. He said that after you finished treating the Mu family, on the way back, you heard someone mention some nts in the mountains and suspected that they were precious medicinal herbs, so you went into the mountains. Coincidentally, you bumped into Shunzi and asked him toe back to inform us. Yesterday night, Madam even med you for not bringing along more people.¡± The boss had done this many times, so although Madam and heined, they were never worried. Knowing the boss was more timid and afraid of death than anyone else, he would definitely not go to dangerous ces. Why did something not sound quite right? Pang Kongqing¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Go and find out what happened to Shunzi.¡± He waved his hand and left. Halfway there, he stopped and said, ¡°Since he said that I went up the mountain to pick herbs, just leave it at that. In the future, if anyone should ask, just tell them that.¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s expression also turned serious as he nodded in agreement. Looking at the carriage at the side, he asked, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll get someone to send this carriage to the Thousand Mile Carriage Dealer.¡± Pang Kongqing almost fell. He turned around and red at him. ¡°You¡¯re saying that this horse belongs to the Thousand Mile Carriage Dealer? It doesn¡¯t belong to our family?¡± Startled, the shopkeeper was even more puzzled. He pointed at the horse carriage and a mark on the horse¡¯s butt and said, ¡°Boss, this horse and carriage are both from the Thousand Mile Carriage Dealer. The mark is still here.¡± After saying that, he continued with a bitter expression, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t think about raising horses anymore. It¡¯s better to raise a donkey as a means of transportation. Our family bought horses twice. Every time, they were expropriated just as they became fat and strong. If this continues, no matter how big our family business is, it will be reduced to nothing.¡± Because the Pang Family had two medicinal shops and had umted wealth for more than 100 years, they were considered rich. However, the previous patriarchs of the Pang Family had always been upright and could be considered kind-hearted. Therefore, although the Pang Family had made a fortune earlier than a few Minister Counselors, their family wealth was far inferior. In Pang Kongqing¡¯s generation, because Pang Kongqing¡¯s hobbies were a little strange, he spent his family¡¯s wealth at a rtively faster rate. Fortunately, the Pang family was diligent and thrifty. They had always had ie and a solid foundation, so he didn¡¯t manage to waste away the entire family fortune. However, for the sake of the next generation, the shopkeeper felt that he had to keep a close eye on the owner no matter what. Oblivious to what the shopkeeper was thinking, Pang Kongqing only felt angry. He had thought that this horse and carriage belonged to those bandits. Since they had sent him back in a carriage, this thing naturally belonged to him. On ount of that rather handsome horse, he had reluctantly forgiven them for being domineering and unreasonable. But now, Pang Kongqing decided to never forgive them. Pang Kongqing, on the other hand, did not know that someone had taken note of his reaction. That person turned around and reported it to Qi Xiuyuan. Since Qi Haoran was out of danger, Qi Xiuyuan was in a rxed mood. At that moment, he chuckled and said to Fan Zijin, ¡°This Physician Pang is quite interesting. Since he likes horses, we¡¯ll find a horse to gift to himter. In the future, when we go down to recruit horses, we¡¯ll tell Song Zhi not to conscript horses from the Pang family in the future. Just use the reason that the Pang family has a good reputation in Mingshui County and has always been charitable. Consider it a reward to them from the Imperial Court.¡± ¡°Cousin, you¡¯ve already helped him a lot by helping him find the traitor in the Pang family. Why bother to buy him a horse? If there are too many traces, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan shook his head and educated him. ¡°Zijin, you can¡¯t bepletely stuck in such mundane matters in life. If you¡¯re restrained because of fear, you¡¯ll lose yourself. Although he came under our coercion, he did his best for Haoranst night. Half of the reason why Haoran was able to escape danger was because of him. We have to remember this favor in our hearts.¡± Although he knew that repaying kindness would increase the chances of this matter being leaked, Qi Xiuyuan was meticulous but never overcautious. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have be a general at such a young age. Mu Yangling was twisting a handkerchief to wipe Qi Haoran¡¯s body. Fan Zijin mulled over what his cousin had just said as he walked in. Looking up, he saw that Mu Yangling had removed all clothes from Haoran save for a pair of underpants. He jumped up in fright and ran up to cover Haoran with a nket, before shouting at Mu Yangling, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mu Yangling red at him. ¡°I¡¯m wiping his body. Can¡¯t you see that he¡¯s covered in sweat? The military doctor said that his sweat has to be dried with a towel. Otherwise, he¡¯ll get sick again if it seeps back into his skin.¡± Fan Zijin blushed. ¡°But you can¡¯t wipe him yourself. You¡¯re a girl. Aren¡¯t you shy?¡± Rolling her eyes, Mu Yangling said, ¡°I¡¯m only 10 years old, and Qi Haoran is only 13 years old. Your thoughts are really dirty. Since you don¡¯t want me to wipe him,e here and take over.¡± Mu Yangling stuffed the towel into Fan Zijin¡¯s arms, got up, patted her butt, and was about to leave. Halfway there, she turned around and said, ¡°By the way, when I was cooling him down repeatedlyst night, I saw his bare body, too. Why didn¡¯t you stop me at that time?¡± Fan Zijin pointed at Mu Yangling with trembling fingers, so angry that he could not speak. Mu Yangling snorted smugly and opened the door to go out. The moment she stepped outside, she was greeted with Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s smiling face. The smile on Mu Yangling¡¯s face froze slightly. She raised her hand and greeted, ¡°General, you¡¯re here to see Qi Haoran.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded with a smile. Stepping aside, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve been busy for a day and a night. Go rest and reassure your family.¡± Mu Yangling nodded and walked to the main room as steadily as possible. After entering the room and closing the door, she couldn¡¯t help but stick out her tongue. It didn¡¯t seem right to say that she had seen him naked in front of his older brother. Qi Xiuyuan entered the house and took the towel from Fan Zijin¡¯s arms. He carefully wiped the sweat off Haoran¡¯s body. The anger on Fan Zijin¡¯s face had already disappeared. He said, ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s send Haoran back to the camp or the General¡¯s Residence. Otherwise, how can he recuperate here?¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s movements were gentle. Upon hearing this, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for another two days. When his wound scabs over, I¡¯lle over and bring him home. I¡¯ll get a deputy general to take over the 5th Division for the time being. I haven¡¯t cleaned up the traces yet, nor have I made any arrangements. He can¡¯t go back for now.¡± Seeing the displeasure on Fan Zijin¡¯s face, he said, ¡°The military camp is different from Pang Kongqing. Pang Kongqing doesn¡¯t have any interaction with us, so no one will think of investigating us through him. However, there are many spies in the military camp and our residence, from the Imperial Court, the government office, and even other generals. As long as they get some clues, they might be able to find out about that matter, so we have to be careful.¡± Fan Zijin nodded. ¡°So, stay here for the next two days and think of a way toe here more often. I¡¯ll get someone to protect the Mu residence, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Qi Xiuyuan continued after a pause, ¡°Also, I¡¯ve already gotten someone to prepare Haoran¡¯s substitute. In the next two days, I¡¯ll let the substitute stay in the military camp and let people think that Haoran has returned. When Ie to pick Haoran up in two days, you and the substitute will leave the military camp. So, not only do you have toe here, but you also have to ensure that the identity of the substitute won¡¯t be discovered.¡± After thinking for a while, Fan Zijin had an idea and nodded in agreement. Qi Xiuyuan nodded slightly. Although this cousin was not as magnanimous as his younger brother, his intelligence was not something ordinary people couldpare to. Chapter 163: Consolation Chapter 163: Constion Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran took the medicine from Fan Zijin¡¯s hand with a bitter expression. Raising his head, he gulped down all the medicine. Fan Zijin quickly stuffed a candy into his mouth. Qi Haoran smacked his lips and felt better. Looking outside, he saw Little Bowen and Xin leaning against the door, looking at him. He looked around the courtyard but didn¡¯t see Mu Yangling and her other cousin, so he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mu Yangling?¡± ¡°She went to chase the rabbits into the shed.¡± Fan Zijin waved nonchntly and called Xin in to take out the medicine bowl. He asked Qi Haoran, ¡°Why are you looking for her?¡± ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just strange that I didn¡¯t see her when I woke up.¡± The tips of Qi Haoran¡¯s ears were a little red. The two of them were so close that they could wear the same pair of pants. Looking at his shy expression dazedly, an idea suddenly appeared in his mind. He pointed at Qi Haoran and asked, ¡°Were you not unconscious?¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face exploded with redness as he argued, ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t unconscious? I just could still hear movement. I kept wanting to open my eyes, but I just couldn¡¯t. I was in a daze and felt like I was floating on the clouds.¡± Hence, although he was mostly unconscious, he heard many things and naturally knew that Mu Yangling had stripped him bare in order to save him. Fan Zijin pulled a long face and looked at Qi Haoran seriously. ¡°Since you have memories, there¡¯s no need for me to say it again. You¡¯ve caused a lot of trouble this time. Eldest Cousin has already decided not to let you return to the 5th Division until you recover from your injuries. There will also be a lot of punishment after this. You¡¯d better be mentally prepared.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips nonchntly. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯m not afraid. Even if I were to do it all over again, I¡¯d still kill him.¡± A sharp glint shed across Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes. Fan Zijin sighed and did not say anything else. Instead, he turned around and left. He hade here under the excuse of checking on the rabbits, so he naturally had to go to the shed area to take a look. Mu Yangling carried all the rabbits to the shed. There were 100 rabbits in one shed, and now, two sheds were full. The third shed was also filled with 80 rabbits. Xiuhong dragged the grass out and threw it in for them to eat. Seeing that their appetite was not bad, she smiled at Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Cousin, I think the rabbits will be ready for sale soon.¡± Mu Yangling took the time to take a look and said, ¡°We can¡¯t always feed them grass. We should also feed them some hayter.¡± ¡°Do we need to buy hay too?¡± ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s for sale. If not, we¡¯ll dry it ourselves.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and looked at the green pasture. Nodding in satisfaction, she said, ¡°At this rate, we should be able to release the rabbits in 20 days.¡± ¡°But what if the rabbits escape?¡± Xiuhong looked at the 60 acres ofnd. Considering it was such a big piece ofnd, if the rabbits dug a hole and hid, they wouldn¡¯t know where to look. ¡°That¡¯s true. Since we haven¡¯t bought a to stop them yet, it¡¯s better not to release them for the time being. When we earn money and buy a, we¡¯ll fence them up and release them. At that time, they can dig holes if they want. Anyway, since it¡¯s only 60 acres ofnd, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find them somehow.¡± Xiuhong disagreed. ¡°But if they keep digging holes and ruining the grass, what will they eat?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When the timees, I¡¯ll definitely train them so that they won¡¯t dare to destroy the grass.¡± The reason why Mu Yangling made this shed was to try her best to tame their wild nature. When they became more docile, she would release them. Even if there were some rabbits that were difficult to tame, she wasn¡¯t afraid. It couldn¡¯t be that all rabbits liked to dig holes and didn¡¯t like to live in the shed, right? Fan Zijin walked over and stuck his head out to look at the rabbits in the sheds. He asked, ¡°How long will it take to put the first batch up for sale? Most of the rabbits in the mountains have been caught. Soon, the first batch of rabbit meat will be sent south.¡± Fan Zijin had long sent someone to find the woman who had given them the diced rabbit meat. At this moment, she was arranged to help prepare it in the camp. The first batch of rabbit meat had already been made, and Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran both felt that it was delicious. He nned to sell this in the dry goods stores at a high price. As for the other older rabbit meat, he had it smoked dry and made into cured rabbit meat. When the time came, these would be sent south with the trade caravan. Fan Zijin hoped that Mu Yangling¡¯s first batch of rabbits would be able to make it in time for the first trip south. Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, ¡°Since Chef Mountain is so big, you guys should continue hunting at other spots. Of course, you guys will feel that there are no more rabbits if you keep hunting rabbits in the same area. Go east, or go west a little. There must be a lot of rabbits in these two ces.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before continuing, ¡°But remember not to kill them all. Leave some small ones in the mountains. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be any rabbits in the mountains next year.¡± Fan Zijin refused. ¡°Haoran is in charge of hunting. I don¡¯t have the power to order them around.¡± Mu Yangling gritted her teeth and went back to look for Qi Haoran. As Qi Haoran carefully stirred the noodles, he said, ¡°You really worry a lot. After worrying about people, you¡¯re even worried about animals.¡± He said nonchntly, ¡°This is just a matter of words. I¡¯ll simply tell themter.¡± When Qi Haoran saw that he could no longer stir the noodles, he raised his chin and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that it¡¯s inconvenient for me? Come and feed me quickly.¡± Mu Yangling picked up the noodles and fed him. One moment, Qi Haoran despised it for being too much, and the next moment, he despised it for being too hot. Mu Yangling was so annoyed that she almost smashed the bowl in his face. It was only when she red at him that he calmed down and ate the noodles obediently. Qi Haoran stole a nce at her and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Hu family. Don¡¯t worry, when I recover, I¡¯ll help you teach them a lesson. Even if Hu Man bes a sectionmander, I can still take him down.¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ve already promised him. Besides, this has nothing to do with Second Uncle Hu. He¡¯s an honest person and is on good terms with my father. Don¡¯t make things difficult for him.¡± Mu Yangling picked up arge chopstick-full of noodles for him and sighed. ¡°Great-aunt said that Second Uncle Hu isn¡¯t having a good time either. Because Old Hu and his wife are biased, Second Aunt Hu has suffered a lot at home. I think it¡¯s not bad for him to be a sectionmander. At least he can be more unyielding at home.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Qi Haoran seriously and said, ¡°I know it¡¯s wrong of me to promise them privately, but since I agreed at that time, it¡¯s no different from you agreeing. Even if they don¡¯t know that the wine was meant to save you, we can¡¯t forget about it. Otherwise, if others find out in the future that I didn¡¯t repay the favor as promised and instead took revenge on them, they will criticize you.¡± A vicious expression shed across Qi Haoran¡¯s face. Snorting coldly, he said, ¡°It¡¯s just the most ordinary sorghum wine. You paid more than ten taels of silver for something that can usually be bought with a few hundred copper coins. How dare he covet the sectionmander position? Is that so worthless?¡± Mu Yangling knocked his forehead and said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s the thing that saved your life. Is your life worth this much?¡± Qi Haoran snorted. ¡°I¡¯m priceless.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re priceless, so what¡¯s there to be angry about? Hurry up and eat your noodles before sleeping. Your big brother should being to pick you up tomorrow afternoon. By the way, my father¡¯s injuries aren¡¯t light either. Give him more leave and let him rest at home.¡± Qi Haoran agreed without thinking. Qi Haoran waited for Mu Yangling to leave before his face darkened. He didn¡¯t have a good temper like Mu Yangling. Even if Hu Man was pitiful, he had to torture him and the Hu family a little. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t feel good. Chapter 164: Argument Chapter 164: Argument Editor: As Studios Although Mu Shi¡¯s injuries were not as serious as Qi Haoran¡¯s, they were not light either. After the military doctor prescribed medicine for him, Mu Yangling brought the medicine back to Shu Wanniang and asked her to take care of him. The children were also made to stay at home. After Qi Haoran left, Great-aunt finally heaved a sigh of relief. She patted her chest and carried the hoe into the field. On the way, the people they met greeted them one after another. ¡°Auntie, how¡¯s Sister-inw Mu? I heard that Benevolence Hall¡¯s physician stayed at your home for the night?¡± ¡°Section Commander Mu is back, right? Sister-inw Mu usually looks a little weak, but she¡¯s not that sick. Why did she suddenly fall seriously ill?¡± Madam Ma-Liu said with a dark expression, ¡°Everyone has their own fortunes. Who can say for sure? However, my nephew¡¯s wife¡¯s illness is already much better. Physician Pang¡¯s miraculous medical skills brought her back to life that night. Now, my nephew has taken a long leave to take care of her at home.¡± Someone said enviously, ¡°Sister-inw Mu is so lucky. Not only does she not have to do farm work usually, but Section Commander Mu also dotes on her so much. The daughter she gave birth to is also capable and can handle all the farmwork alone.¡± These words were extraordinarily sour. When Great-aunt heard this, she snorted coldly in her heart and pulled Mu Yangling and Xiuhong away. She retorted, ¡°It¡¯s indeed difficult to find someone like my nephew. Also not anyone can give birth to someone like his daughter. If you regret it, you can always find another one while you¡¯re still young.¡± The expression of the person who spoke sourly froze. Old Hu walked slowly behind her. He was already dissatisfied when he heard the form of address ¡®Section Commander Mu¡¯. Now that he saw that Madam Ma-Liu and Mu Yangling did not refute, he was even more dissatisfied. He strode forward and caught up. ¡°Ah Ling, you have to keep your word that night. Your father isn¡¯t a sectionmander anymore. How could you not correct her?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, many people stopped and looked over. The mes of gossip burned in their chests. Mu Yangling was stunned, for she didn¡¯t expect Old Hu to stop her on the street and confront her about this. She couldn¡¯t help but frown. However, Madam Ma-Liu was furious. She pushed Old Hu away and scolded, ¡°Talk about kicking someone when they¡¯re down. Is your wine made of immortal water? Huh? Ah Ling spent 17 taels of silver to buy your three jars of wine, but that¡¯s not enough for you. You actually forced her father to give the position of sectionmander to your second son. Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s a life-saving thing? How can you be so heartless? To think that back then I even told Ah Ling to let your family have the plowing oxen first knowing your family was in difficult times. You¡¯re really ungrateful!¡± Old Hu¡¯s face flushed red as he shouted unhappily, ¡°Ah Ling was the one who said those words. What has it got to do with me? Surely the Mu family¡¯s words have to count for something? That wine has been passed down in my family for more than 50 years. It hasn¡¯t been easy to keep it until now!¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Madam Ma-Liu spat on his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting your tongue? Haven¡¯t you sold that wine before? Go and ask the Fang family at the vige entrance. That jar of wine of yours was sold for a few hundred copper coins. Why is it that when ites to Ah Ling, it costs more than ten taels of silver on top of a sectionmander post? You merely took advantage of the fac that our Mu family was in a hurry to save a life, so you raised the price on the spot. Unless I turn blind and break my leg in the future, I won¡¯t have anything to do with your family again!¡± ¡°Great-aunt!¡± Mu Yangling pulled her back. Madam Ma-Liu shook off her hand and looked at Old Hu coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we keep our word. My nephew doesn¡¯t care about the sectionmander position. I only hope that your second son can sit firmly in this position. Hmph!¡± Old Hu pointed at Madam Ma-Liu with a livid expression as he covered his chest. ¡°B*tch, b*tch!¡± Tears shed in his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry in his heart. Mu Shi had already umted a lot of power in the vige. Now that Madam Ma-Liu had caused a scene, it would be even more difficult for his second son to establish his prestige in the vige. Old Hu felt a faint regret in his heart. He shouldn¡¯t have confronted Mu Yangling about this on the streets just to force her to admit it. But who knew that Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s personality would be so strong? Madam Ma-Liu pulled the two children to the field with a dark expression. She spat at the Hu family¡¯s field and said to Xiuhong, ¡°None of you are allowed to y with their childrenter. If I see you do that, I¡¯ll break your legs.¡± Xiuhong shared amon enemy with her. ¡°Grandma, I definitely won¡¯t y with the Hu family¡¯s children.¡± Sighing, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Great-aunt, didn¡¯t you say that Second Auntie Hu was having a hard time? Why did you bring this up? It¡¯ll be even harder for Second Uncle Hu and Second Auntie Hu in the future.¡± ¡°They deserve it. Didn¡¯t they get any benefits now? Am I forbidden to say anything when they dare do something like this?¡± When Madam Ma-Liu saw the Hu familying over, she deliberately raised her voice and shouted, ¡°I want everyone to know that they shouldn¡¯t be a bitch and still expect to be hailed saints in the end.¡± Mu Yangling tugged at her sleeve and whispered, ¡°But this has nothing to do with Second Uncle and Second Auntie Hu. It was Old Hu who suggested this.¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s expression froze before she snorted. ¡°Serves them right, too. Who asked them to have such a father?¡± Mu Yangling was instantly rendered speechless. The expressions of the Hu family members were very ugly. Madam Hu-Jin looked at the ground under her feet and thought of the vigers pointing at her along the way. In the end, she mmed the hoe on the ground and turned to leave. Furious, Old Hu shouted, ¡°Second Daughter-inw, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to my parents¡¯ house. Father, even if you aren¡¯t afraid of being criticized, I am. My husband and I are both honest people. He also has a good rtionship with Big Brother Mu. By doing this, aren¡¯t you pushing us to our deaths? Anyway, if he doesn¡¯t want to be a sectionmander. Whoever wants to be that can have the post.¡± ¡°How dare you! Come back,e back!¡± Seeing that Madam Hu-Jin did not stop, Old Hu snapped angrily, ¡°Fine, go ahead and leave. If you dare to leave, I¡¯ll ask my son to divorce you!¡± Madam Hu-Jin¡¯s body stiffened, and she stood there with red eyes for a while before running away. Hu Gui also dropped the hoe in his hand and said unhappily, ¡°Father, you¡¯d better apologize to the Mu family. If you do this, we won¡¯t be able to live in the vige in the future.¡± ¡°What do you know, brat?¡± Old Hu said, ¡°When your second brother bes the sectionmander, these people will all be controlled by your brother. No matter how dissatisfied they are, they won¡¯t dare to show it. Otherwise, your second brother can have them killed byining to the superiors.¡± ¡°But our family¡¯s reputation is already ruined. I haven¡¯t even gotten engaged yet. Can that blockhead Second Brother suppress others? Why should our family sacrifice our reputation to help him? I don¡¯t agree.¡± Old Hu fell silent. Hu Dian red at Hu Gui and said to his father, ¡°Father, since things have alreadye to this, let¡¯s think of a way to fix our rtionship with the Mu family. Regardless of whether Second Brother is willing to do this or not, our family can¡¯t make an enemy of the Mu family. This time, when Miss Mu¡¯s mother fell seriously ill, General Qi even came over personally to visit her. I heard that Miss Mu once saved Little General and Young Master Fan. That¡¯s why the rtionship between their two families is so good. Even if Second Brother bes the sectionmander, he will still be under Little General¡¯s thumb.¡± Madam Hu-Fang, who had been silent all this while, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Old man, forget about the sectionmander position. I didn¡¯t agree with you taking advantage of them back then. Now that things have be so tense with the Mu family, it won¡¯t do our family any good.¡± Seeing that no one in the family supported him, Old Hu was so angry that he squatted on the ground and said, ¡°Who am I doing this for? It¡¯s all for you and our family. Now, all of you are ming me. Since you¡¯re unwilling, go and make peace with the Mu family yourself. Anyway, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± Hu Gui¡¯s expression was ugly. ¡°Father, you were the one who caused this mess. Now, you want to throw it to us with just one sentence?¡± Chapter 165: Silver Chapter 165: Silver Editor: As Studios In the end, the Hu family parted on bad terms. Mu Yangling did not know about this, but she had not expected the rtionship between the two families to deteriorate to this extent. However, the most important thing to her was naturally her family. In any case, the Hu family were irrelevant to her. If the rtionship with them worsened, so be it. Shee would just not interact with them in the future. Mu Yangling was very optimistic about this matter. However, Mu Shi wasn¡¯t as nonchnt. He had a good rtionship with Hu Man and didn¡¯t want to be enemies with him just like that. Therefore, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°When I recover, I¡¯ll speak to the Hu family about this. Since you were the one who promised them this, we can¡¯t me them instead.¡± Mu Yangling muttered, ¡°At that time, Old Hu was being aggressive, so I came up with this idea. I didn¡¯t do it willingly.¡± ring at his daughter, Mu Shi said, ¡°Grandpa Hu is so much older than you. He¡¯s your elder. Should you be addressing him as ¡®Old Hu¡¯?¡± ¡°Why are you ming her?¡± Great-aunt protected Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Is he acting like what an elder should be like? Since he dared to do such a thing, he shouldn¡¯t be afraid of gossip. I don¡¯t care what the rtionship between you and Hu Man is like. But in any case, you¡¯re not allowed to give in to the Hu family. If not, they¡¯ll think the Mu family is a bunch of pushovers!¡± ¡°Aunt!¡± Mu Shi had a headache over Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s stubbornness, but there was nothing he could do. Shu Wanniang was sitting on a stool embroidering. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Husband, other than the second branch of the Hu family, there¡¯s no one in that family worthy of being friends with. If you feel bad, just tell the people in the vigeter and express your attitude. In the military camp, as long as you have a good rtionship with Second Uncle Hu, there¡¯s no need to spend so much effort to repair the rtionship between the Mu and Hu families.¡± Only then did Mu Shi remain silent. Seeing this, Madam Ma-Liu knew that he had agreed. She snorted and pulled Mu Yangling out. When only the couple were left in the room, Mu Shi took out a bag of silver from the bag he had brought back and handed it to her. ¡°Keep these well just in case.¡± Shu Wanniang was surprised. ¡°Why are you giving me the money? You should give it to Ah Ling.¡± In the past, Mu Shi was in charge of the Mu family¡¯s finances. Later on, when Mu Shi went to the military camp, his daughter was in charge. Shu Wanniang had never been in charge of the family¡¯s finances. Seeing that his wife didn¡¯t ask about the origin of the money, Mu Shi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give some to Ah Ling too, but that child spends money freely. This is for you to keep safe. In the future, when our family runs out of money and needs it urgently, you can take it out. Since I¡¯m in the military camp, it¡¯s inconvenient for me toe and go. There are many things that I can¡¯t take care of at home.¡± Mu Shi continued after a pause, ¡°We obtained this money after killing someone. Are you afraid?¡± Shu Wanniang took the money bag from his hand and said in a low voice, ¡°Since you even dared to kill someone, what am I afraid of? Besides, didn¡¯t you say that that person is an evil person?¡± Mu Shi heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t want to hide what he had done from his wife, but he was afraid of scaring her if he told her. Mu Shi was not so worried about his daughter. He handed the other bag of silver to his daughter. Before he could tell her the origin of the money, his daughter had already opened the money bag and asked, ¡°Did the general reward this or did you snatch this after killing that person?¡± Both of them knew that ¡®that person¡¯ referred to the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wo Ben. Three ck lines slid down Mu Shi¡¯s forehead. In the end, he said, ¡°I obtained this after killing him. There are 68 taels of silver in this bag. Keep it well and don¡¯t spend money extravagantly.¡± Mu Yangling tied up the money bag and looked at her father with bright eyes. ¡°Dad, just you wait. Your daughter is doing something big. When I seed, I will definitely earn a lot of money.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about raising rabbits, right? I only saw you throwing money in, but I didn¡¯t see you taking money home. Who told me that this was a capital-free transaction back then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the rabbits have yet to grow up.¡± ¡°Even after they grow up, it¡¯s a long cycle. I forgot to ask youst time. I only found out today that the money will only be distributed when Young Master Fan¡¯s trade caravan returns from the south. You¡¯re even giving the first batch to Young Master Fan for free. Then do you think our family can earn any silver before next year?¡± Frowning, Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°Father, I know that the cycle is a little long. Before that, I could only go up the mountain to hunt from time to time to supplement the family¡¯s expenses. However, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. The cycle of breeding and nting is long to begin with. I only know how to hunt. I want to earn a lot of money easily, but I don¡¯t have the ability. Even if Fan Zijin wants to earn money, he has to tirelessly organize a trade caravan to go south out of his own pocket. It¡¯s still unknown if this trade is profitable.¡± Mu Shi frowned and looked at her. Mu Yangling said to him sincerely, ¡°So, Father, if I lose money in this business, you can¡¯t beat me up.¡± Mu Shi¡¯s hand, which was hanging by his side, itched, but he did not raise it in the end. However, Mu Yangling had already jumped up and ran away. She took the money bag back to her house and took out all the money to count it. In the end, she hid the 60 taels. The remaining money should be enough for ordinary household expenses. Coupled with the ie from hunting every day, it was more than enough. This way, she didn¡¯t even have to worry about buying nourishing ingredients for her younger brother. Mu Shi was not the only one who received the money. Qi Haoran and Fei Bai, who had returned with them, received as much money as him. It could be said that everyone who followed Qi Haoran to Hanzhong Prefecture had plundered some silver. However, only he, Qi Haoran, and Fei Bai returned alive with the silver. As for Bai Li, his duty was to guard Qi Haoran closely. Even though everyone was already dividing the silver in full swing, he was unmoved and stayed by Qi Haoran¡¯s side throughout. They had set up an ambush in the forest in the suburbs to surround and attack the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom. Of course, at that time, they did not know that the young man in embroidered clothes was the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom. Qi Haoran simply hated the other party for snatching the Han children and killing them like this. He only went with the thought of getting rid of evil for the people. After killing someone, he naturally had to clean up the battlefield. Other than Fei Bai, Mu Shi, and Bai Li, the rest of the people who followed Qi Haoran were all veterans from the battlefield who were familiar with doing these things. In the end, they even stripped the clothes of the well-dressed Hus. At that time, they even joked that these clothes could be exchanged for a lot of money. Mu Shi was still not used to it, but Qi Haoran was the fastest to get limated, for he had long run out of money. This time, he had secretly run to Hanzhong Prefecture using Zijin¡¯s money. It was great that this group of people was so rich. When he returned, he could repay all his debts and still have a lot of money left. Qi Haoran took the initiative to take off the clothes of the most gorgeously-dressed young man in the lead. This was how the seal of the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom was discovered. Holding the seal, Qi Haoran knew at a nce that he had gotten into trouble. No matter how much he disliked studying, he could recognize the words on the seal. At that time, Qi Haoran only knew that he could not let anyone find out, at least not before they escaped from Hanzhong Prefecture. He also knew that these children would die if they returned. After weighing the pros and cons, he still could not bear to harm them. He sold these children to the human traffickers, pretending that these children had nothing to do with them. It was because this action dyed their escape and revealed their whereabouts that the enemy caught up with them so quickly. However, Qi Haoran did not know that not only had his actions saved those twenty-odd children, but they had also helped him to hide himself. Chapter 166: Spies Chapter 166: Spies Editor: As Studios The Jin Kingdom was about to fall out because of the Crown Prince¡¯s death, especially in Hanzhong Prefecture. They were still on guard. The assassination of the Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom in the territory of the Jin Kingdom angered the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom. In order to find out the truth, he even sent the Third Prince, Eliduo, and the Fourth Prince, Wulie, over. Just like the Emperor, Eliduo and Wu Lie thought that the Crown Prince might have been assassinated by someone from another country. However, after looking at the murder scene and the investigation documents, the two of them could not help but hesitate. The crime scene was in a mess. The Crown Prince and his guards had their valuables taken and even their clothes stripped. This was clearly a robbery. If this was an illusion deliberately made up by the other party, what would exin the fact that the children had been sold to human traffickers? ording to the governor of Hanzhong Prefecture, the reason why they could discover the other party¡¯s tracks so quickly was because they had revealed their tracks when selling the children. Therefore, this was very likely a robbery and murder case. The two princes¡¯ expressions were a little ugly. Their Crown Prince had actually died at the hands of the Han people like this? The governor stole a nce at them and said in a low voice, ¡°The Crown Prince never reveals his whereabouts when he goes out. Even I had no idea that His Highness had arrived in Hanzhong Prefecture before. Those people probably were unaware, too.¡± Even the governor of Hanzhong Prefecture did not receive the news, so how could the people outside know? Moreover, ording to the investigation, the Crown Prince hade to Hanzhong Prefecture on the spur of the moment after hearing that there was a talented and intelligent boy in the Zhou family in the suburbs. While ying, he ran over to snatch the boy. At the same time, he snatched away a few other six-year-old boys from two nearby viges that caught his eye. The governor had also heard a little about the Crown Prince¡¯s special hobbies, but he did not dare to show too much in front of the two princes. However, he hinted simply that this was most likely a murder and robbery. But would the two princes admit it? Of course not. This was a great humiliation to the Jin Kingdom. The Third Prince waved his hand and said, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s death was caused by a spy from another country. You have to find out the truth as soon as possible. We can¡¯t allow others to bully our Great Jin Dynasty. We will definitely take revenge for today¡¯s incident.¡± The governor¡¯s mouth was filled with bitterness, but he had no choice but to agree. However, he was thinking about whether there had been any abnormal movements in the Great Zhou recently. He wondered if he could push the me to the Great Zhou. However, considering the Great Zhou had always been timid, it was obvious that such a thing was not done by them. The governor scratched his ears and cheeks. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°Princes, do you think those children should¡­¡± He made a throat-slitting gesture. The Third Prince was about to nod when the Fourth Prince hurriedly stopped him. ¡°No, we¡¯ve just separated Big Brother from this matter. If we specially kill those twenty-odd children, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to hide it anymore. Weren¡¯t they sold to a human trafficker? Just instruct that person to sell them far away.¡± Failing to change the topic, the governor sighed inwardly. He could only find ¡°evidence¡± to show that the Crown Prince had been killed by a spy from another country. When the human trafficker left Hanzhong Prefecture with the twenty-odd children, he encountered a group of people who wished to buy these children on the way. Having been threatened by the governor, the human trafficker had no choice but to sell this cart of children far away. Now that he heard that the buyer wanted to send these children to the brothel in the Great Zhou, he naturally agreed. Great Zhou was certainly far enough, so the governor would not have any objections, right? Furthermore, considering these children were all good-looking with beautiful faces, the human trafficker was not surprised at all that they were chosen and sold to such a ce. After these children were sent to Qi Xiuyuan, Qi Xiuyuan turned to his brother and said, ¡°Can you recuperate in peace now?¡± Clutching his chest as heid on the bed, Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, Big Brother. What arrangements are you making for these children?¡± Qi Xiuyuan red at him. ¡°How else? They¡¯re originally citizens of the Great Zhou Dynasty and are Han Chinese. Naturally, I¡¯ll send them to school to study or learn some skills. After eight to ten years, when they grow up and gradually forget about this matter, I¡¯ll let them go home.¡± Qi Haoran waspletely relieved. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re really a good person.¡± Qi Xiuyuan flicked his forehead and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when you rolled around on the ground two days ago and asked me to save them.¡± Qi Haoran chuckled and tried to curry favor with Qi Xiuyuan. ¡°Brother, I only said those words out of anger!¡± ¡°Alright, go and recuperate. I¡¯ll get someone to send these children away.¡± After Qi Haoran left, Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face darkened. Bai Li came in from outside and knelt on the ground. He said in a low voice, ¡°General, the Zhou family¡¯s head said that he¡¯s willing to be of service to you.¡± Qi Xiuyuan sat in the chair and said after a while, ¡°I don¡¯t have much use for him now. Just tell him that I¡¯ll remember his kindness to the Great Zhou Empire. I¡¯ll raise his son well for him. If he wants to, he cane and visit him anytime.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Li paused for a moment before saying, ¡°General, a few families of the people who received the news also have the same intention. Some families are willing to move their entire families here and serve you as ves for the rest of their lives.¡± ¡°If theye back, they won¡¯t have that value.¡± Qi Xiuyuan took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Moreover, I don¡¯t want to force them to repay this debt of kindness. If they have the ability toe over, I will arrange their identities and reunite their families. As for bing servants or ves, forget about it.¡± Qi Xiuyuan continued after a pause, ¡°You can also check out those families. If there are suitable talents, choose and nurture them. Their identities are wless in the Jin Kingdom, so it will be very easy for them to do certain things in the future.¡± Bai Li understood what the general meant. He hoped that those people could be his spies in the Jin Kingdom, but if they were unwilling, the general would not force them. Bai Li thought for a moment and had an idea. He bowed and agreed. Not long after, several families secretly crossed the border and fled to Great Zhou. When they found out that it was the Han people who had escaped from the Jin Kingdom, Wu Shancai and Song Zhi were very concerned and specially arranged for them to be in the viges under their jurisdiction. Theyforted them and filled in the travel passes for them. The Great Zhou had always been kind to the Han people who escaped from the Jin Kingdom. In fact, they hoped that more survivors could escape. After all, they would add to the poption. If more people escaped, they could collect more taxes. This was a political achievement for the prefectural magistrate and county at the border. Qi Xiuyuan sent the children of those families to them, while the children of those families who did note continued to be raised by him. The Zhou family¡¯s servants had been here a few times. Seeing that although their young master¡¯s life here was not as good as at home, it was still not badpared to most people¡¯s lives, so they respectfully returned to report to the head of the family. The head of the Zhou family only had this one son. He had five daughters older than the son and three daughters younger, but he only had this one son. Therefore, when his son was snatched away, he almost died. Actually, when Qi Xiuyuan came looking for him, he was not far from death. When he found out that his son had been saved and sent to Xingzhou Prefecture, he instantly came back to life. He was also a citizen of the Great Zhou, so he naturally sided with the Great Zhou. Coupled with this matter, he hated the Hus to the core. This time, the head of the Zhou family had directly sent his daughters to Xingzhou Prefecture, while he stayed in Hanzhong Prefecture with his wives and concubines. He wanted to be Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s spy. Extremely satisfied, Qi Xiuyuan said to Jiang Ze and Bai Li, ¡°This person is trustworthy.¡± Jiang Ze and Bai Li almost rolled their eyes. Of course he was trustworthy. He had already sent his son and daughters over. How could he not be trustworthy? Chapter 167: Putting Up For Sale Chapter 167: Putting Up For Sale Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran waspletely oblivoius to all this. Qi Xiuyuan used an excuse to transfer him back to Xingzhou Prefecture and restrained him in the residence to recuperate. In less than two days, he got sick of it and could only get Fei Bai to call Fan Zijin back. Thinking that it was something urgent, Fan Zijin abandoned his business and rushed back. When he realized that Qi Haoran was just bored and wanted to find someone to talk to, he immediately rolled his eyes. However, since he was already back, Fan Zijin still apanied him for a long time. Later, when Qi Haoran sent someone to call him again, Fan Zijin only returned six out of ten times. Most of the time, he was still focused on the business of the 5th Division. Unable to take it anymore, Qi Haoran wanted to go back to the 5th Division. Qi Xiuyuan was also annoyed by him, so with a wave of his hand, he asked the deputy general toe back and let Qi Haoran go back. However, he strictly asked him not to train before he recovered. Seeing that he didn¡¯t have to be locked up anymore, Qi Haoran agreed to anything. As Qi Haoran was seriously injured back then, Mu Yangling had thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to see him for more than half a year. Who knew that he would return in just ten days? Although his movements were still a little unsmooth, as long as one didn¡¯t pay special attention, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. Mu Yangling looked suspiciously at the spot where his wound was. Qi Haoran waved his hand nonchntly and said, ¡°The wound has long healed. If Big Brother hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would have returned long ago.¡± ¡°How can it be so fast?¡± Mu Yangling looked at him suspiciously. Since Mu Yangling was not an outsider, Qi Haoran said casually, ¡°I¡¯m talented. My wounds heal faster than others since I was young.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him before exining to Mu Yangling, ¡°Haoran practices internal energy cultivation, so his wound naturally recovers faster than others.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± There¡¯s such a benefit to internal energy? Tempted, Mu Yangling wondered if she should learn it too. Qi Haoran had already poked his head out to look at Mu Yangling¡¯s rabbits and asked, ¡°Why are there so many people here today?¡± ¡°The first batch of rabbits is leaving the fence today, so everyone is here to watch the show.¡± Back then, some of the rabbits that Fan Zijin had sent over were not small to begin with. He had raised them in the camp for four to five days, and Mu Yangling had raised them for nearly 20 days. At present, they had already grown to the point where they could be ughtered. In addition, Fan Zijin¡¯s trade caravan had already agreed to set off in seven days. Now, there were still four days to make thest batch of diced rabbit meat and cured rabbit meat. Hence, Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin decided to put the rabbits up for sale after some discussion. When Qi Haoran heard that they were going to catch rabbits from the shed, he immediately rolled up his sleeves excitedly. Fan Zijin wanted to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± Although those rabbits were trapped in the shed, their wild nature did not change, so they were not so easy to catch. Considering Qi Haoran was still injured, his wounds could rupture should he move too much. However, Fan Zijin couldn¡¯t stop Qi Haoran. When Mu Yangling saw this, she reached out and pressed a hand on his shoulder, rendering him unable to move instantly. Mu Yangling said with a dark expression, ¡°If you want to cause trouble, don¡¯te here. If the general finds trouble with meter, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Qi Haoran could only suppress his excitement and stand outside to ¡®watch the battle¡¯. Xiuhong climbed in with the soldiers. Those soldiers went in to catch rabbits, but Xiuhong was there tofort the young rabbits. Seeing that Xiuhong was doing a good job, Qi Haoran raised his chin and said, ¡°Your cousin is quite capable. It seems like you bring her along wherever you go.¡± Mu Yangling said proudly, ¡°Of course my cousin is capable.¡± Qi Haoran walked around and saw Little Bowen and Xin standing outside handing tender grass to Xiuhong. He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Bowen is going to school in spring? Why hasn¡¯t he gone yet?¡± ¡°ss will only start tomorrow.¡± Mu Yangling said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll bring him to the academy to see the teacher tomorrow.¡± After Mu Yangling finished speaking, she was no longer in the mood to chat with him. She went forward to help put the rabbits into the basket that Fan Zijin had brought over and counted the number. Fan Zijin also went forward and picked out a few unqualified ones from time to time to throw them into the shed. After a while, there were 238 rabbits ready to be put up for sale in thest batch. It was not a lot, but Mu Yangling was very satisfied. She said to Fan Zijin, ¡°The next batch of rabbits should be three to four times more than this batch.¡± Fan Zijin nodded. ¡°You¡¯d better think of a way to raise the young rabbits. In another ten days or so, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to send you any more suitable young rabbits.¡± This meant that the rabbit gue on the mountain had subsided. Mu Yangling¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she nodded in agreement. This batch of rabbits was quickly sent to the 5th Division. In order to make it easier for Fan Zijin, Qi Haoran assigned the southwestern part of the camp to him. Everyone knew that this area was used to amodate the disabled soldiers and veterans, and the crops they farmed might be their military rations in the future. Hence, the soldiers in the camp were not dissatisfied. Even the two trainingmissioners and the four regimentmanders tacitly agreed with Qi Haoran¡¯s actions. However, after seeing the scale of this ce, the two trainingmissioners were tempted again. They were amazed just by counting in their hearts the number of rabbits sent to the camp every day. No matter how worthless rabbit meat was and how cheaply it was sold, it would be a considerable ie. Hence, the two trainingmissioners had been causing a lot of trouble recently, eager to take over this area from Fan Zijin. The deputy general that Qi Xiuyuan had sent previously was only trying to smooth things over. Now that he had left and Qi Haoran had returned, the two trainingmissioners quietened down. Fan Zijin pretended not to know what had happened and did not tell Qi Haoran. He only invited Mu Yangling to visit their workshop. Mu Yangling, who had yet to check out that ce, went to the West Camp with them after asking Xiuhong to bring Bowen and Xin back. Fan Zijin¡¯s workshop was divided into four parts. One was in charge of ughtering rabbits, one was in charge of processing the chosen tender rabbits into diced rabbit meat, one was in charge of processing the remaining rabbits into cured rabbit meat, and the other was in charge of skinning the rabbit. Mu Yangling picked up a piece of diced rabbit meat and took a small bite. Extremely tender, the diced rabbit meat was easily bitten off. The thick fragrance of meat filled her mouth. Mu Yangling finished one piece and picked up another piece to stuff into her mouth. Nodding at Fan Zijin, she said, ¡°This is indeed delicious, but have you thought of how to preserve it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Fan Zijin brought Mu Yangling over to take a look. There were already many earthenware pots piled up in the storeroom. ¡°These are all earthenware pots. After they¡¯re sent to the south, they¡¯ll be sold to and retail at dry goods stores.¡± Then, he led the two of them to the other side. On this side, there were exquisite porcin jars. Some were round blue and white porcin, while others were slender and warm long bottles. Fan Zijin casually picked up a bottle and opened the cork. He poured out a diced rabbit meat and handed it to Mu Yangling. ¡°Try it and taste the difference.¡± Mu Yangling took a bite and chewed for a while before saying, ¡°It¡¯s more fragrant and delicate.¡± Qi Haoran reached out to grab it. ¡°Let me try it.¡± Fan Zijin pped his hand away. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to eat these things since you¡¯re still sick.¡± He turned to Mu Yangling and nodded. ¡°I specially got someone to make this. This is better than that batch. When the timees, we¡¯ll just sell it in jars and bottles.¡± Chapter 168: Suggestion Chapter 168: Suggestion Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling carefully touched the porcin and asked, ¡°The cost is quite high, right?¡± ¡°Fortunately, the price is not low either, so the profit is considerable.¡± Fan Zijin turned around and picked up another can. He waved his hand and said, ¡°If there are buyers, that is.¡± Pondering, Mu Yangling said, ¡°If only there was a bag that was waterproof and preserved the quality.¡± Fan Zijin did not take it to heart. Such a bag only existed in one¡¯s imagination, and the paper was not cheap either. In that case, they might as well use porcin. Such porcin looked exquisite, but it was actually iparable to the few types of exquisite porcin kilns in the south. The cost was not as high as Mu Yangling had imagined. However, Qi Haoran asked curiously, ¡°What kind of bag is so good? Paper and cloth are not waterproof. Could it be oil paper and oil cloth? But it¡¯s dark and not exquisite at all. Who would buy it?¡± Mu Yangling briefly described it and said, ¡°When the timees, you can engrave little white rabbits and logos on the bag to give it an exquisite look. Of course, it¡¯s hard to say if it can be made.¡± Fan Zijin fell into deep thought and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should have a trademark and logo that belongs to us. That way, people will know that this thing is ours at a nce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mu Yangling said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m talking about the bag.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s gaze was instantly diverted as he shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll name it.¡± Fan Zijin nced at him and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. I¡¯ll even trouble you with the logo.¡± Qi Haoran patted his chest and agreed. He drooled as he looked at the bottles and jars. ¡°Zijin, let me try some. Since my wound has already healed, it¡¯s fine to eat a little. I definitely won¡¯t tell Big Brother.¡± ¡°No.¡± Fan Zijin went out and handed a jar to Mu Yangling. ¡°This is for you. Take it back and try it.¡± Qi Haoran was instantly jealous. Why was Fan Zijin so attentive to Mu Yangling? His gaze swept across the two of them. Seeing Mu Yangling ept it without standing on ceremony, he was even more unhappy. Fan Zijin only thought that his pal was angry because he did not get to eat the diced rabbit meat and did not think much about it. Mu Yangling clearly thought so too. Before she left, she even patted his shoulder and said, ¡°When your injuries recover, Young Master Fan will give you as much as you want to eat.¡± Qi Haoran said unhappily, ¡°When did you be so close to Zijin? You call me by my full name, but you refer to him so politely.¡± Mu Yangling opened her mouth slightly and said, ¡°Alright then, Little General. I¡¯ll call you that from now on. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Qi Haoran looked at her nervously. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Mu Yangling burst outughing. ¡°Why would I be angry? Alright,e to my house when you¡¯ve recovered. I¡¯ll get my mother to cook delicious food for you.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s mood instantly improved. ¡°You said it yourself.¡± Mu Yangling nodded and carried the jar back. This being the first time the children had eaten this kind of diced rabbit meat, they all found it delicious. Even Great-aunt and Shu Wanniang couldn¡¯t help but eat two more. However, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t let the children eat too much. She said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of spices in this thing and it¡¯s easy to get heaty from eating it. You kids can only eat four pieces a day at most. Two for Bowen.¡± Bowen pouted, but he also knew that his sister was doing this for his own good. Picking up thest one, he stuffed it into his mouth and puffed out his cheeks while he chewed. Seated on the brick bed, Bosi and Kejia kept drooling non-stop. They stretched out their hands to reach for the jar. Mu Yangling quickly put it away and hid it. Smiling at the two little ones, she said, ¡°You¡¯re still young. You can¡¯t eat this yet.¡± Bosi clenched his tiny fists and looked at his sister with tears in his eyes. Kejia, on the other hand, was so angry that she kept wailing and grabbing at Mu Yangling with her hands. Mu Yanglingughed out loud, picked up Kejia, and threw her up. With a smile, she said, ¡°Little girl, why are you even fiercer than your brother?¡± Shu Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled. She looked at her eldest daughter and then at her youngest daughter. ¡°All the girls in our family have such tempers. On the other hand, the boys are refined. It should be the opposite.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good that girls have such tempers.¡± Great-aunt said, ¡°Otherwise, if they¡¯re too gentle, they won¡¯tin even when they¡¯re bullied in the future. It¡¯s better for boys to be more refined so that they won¡¯t cause trouble when they go out in the future. If they¡¯re more tolerant, everything will be safe and smooth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. With your wealth of experience, you must be wiser than us.¡± Great-aunt smiled in satisfaction when she heard this. She looked at Xiuhong and Xin and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Xiuhong. Although this child is usually quiet, she is sharp-tongued and has a mind of her own. So, she won¡¯t let herself suffer in the future. But Xin, this child is too soft-hearted.¡± Great-aunt patted Shu Wanniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Not everyone is as lucky as you. It¡¯s not a good thing for a girl to be soft-hearted.¡± Madam Ma-Liu had been domineering her entire life. She knew that in this world, women were already at a disadvantage. If she continued to be soft-hearted, she would be bullied. Face slightly reddened, Shu Wanniang lowered her head and did not speak. After Great-aunt left, she stood up and took out a basket from the inner room. She handed it to Mu Yangling and said, ¡°This is a gift I prepared for the teacher at the academy. Bring it with you when you bring Bowen over tomorrow and say something nice to him.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. Shu Wanniang called Bowen over again and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for our family to support you to go to school. You have to study hard in school and not fight with others. But if someone bullies you, don¡¯t swallow your anger either. You¡¯re a schr, so you should have the bearing of a schr. Do you understand?¡± Mu Bowen agreed seriously. ¡°Mother, I understand.¡± Only then did Shu Wanniang nod in satisfaction. After saying some encouraging words, she took out the school bag that Ah Ling had asked her to sew. ¡°Your sister asked me to make this for you. Later, put your books and stationery box in it. Just carry this to school every day.¡± Mu Bowen took the bag in surprise and gave his sister a big smile. Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but rub his hair. Early the next morning, Mu Yangling changed into clean clothes and held Bowen¡¯s hand as they headed to the county. As Great-aunt was going to set up a stall to sell the rabbits, she carried a basket on her back and wanted to walk with them. ¡°Great-aunt, let me carry it.¡± Mu Yangling wanted to take her basket. Great-aunt blocked her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯ve just changed into clean clothes. If you dirty it again, it¡¯ll be a waste of effort. Let¡¯s go quickly. It¡¯s just a basket. Don¡¯t I carry it into the city like this every day?¡± Mu Yangling had been busy with work in the fields, so Great-aunt had officially taken over the work of setting up a stall in the city to sell prey. Every day, she would enter the city to sell at the morning market. When they arrived at the city gate, there were already people queuing up to enter the city one after another. Most of them were rushing to the morning market like Madam Ma-Liu. When Mu Yangling brought Bowen to the entrance of the academy, there were already many parents and students waiting at the entrance. Chapter 169: Ruining the Crops Chapter 169: Ruining the Crops Editor: As Studios Although it was still a long time before the academy opened, many people would rush over early to wait in ordance with the principle of respecting their teachers. Mu Yangling also wanted to leave a good impression on the teacher, so she brought Bowen here early. She didn¡¯t expect him to not be the earliest. As Brightminds Academy was not big, there were only two teachers. One had the surname Liu, and the other had the surname Qin. The two teachers were ex-ssmates and good friends. After passing the Imperial Examination and getting the title of ¡®xiucai1¡ä, they set up this academy together. This way, it would be convenient for them to study while earning some ie at the same time. It had long been agreed upon that Brightminds Academy could at most only ept 50 students at any one time. When the time came, the two teachers opened the door and said to everyone, ¡°First-time students, please stand to the right. Students from previous years, stand to the left.¡± Mu Yangling quickly pulled Bowen to the right. When the two teachers saw that the students had separated, they nodded slightly. Mr. Liu walked over with a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m your teacher. Now,e in with me to register.¡± Actually, they had already registered and made payment before spring. This time, they were just taking attendance of the students who had confirmed their registration. Parents were not allowed to enter the ssroom, so Teacher Liu set up a table at the door. The parents lined up with their children and reported the students¡¯ names first before reporting their own. Then, they handed the things to Teacher Liu. They could not help but tell the teacher to educate and scold their child as much as they deemed fit. When it was Mu Yangling¡¯s turn, Mu Yangling ced the basket at Teacher Liu¡¯s feet and brought Bowen in front of her. Bowing slightly, she greeted Teacher Liu, ¡°Teacher Liu, my brother has poor health. Please take care of him.¡± This being the first person to beg him to take care of a student, Teacher Liu looked up and saw Mu Yangling. He immediately smiled. He had an impression of this child. Other families had fathers or elder brothers bringing students to register, but this boy from the Mu family was brought over by his elder sister. It was said that because their father had joined the army and their mother was weak and had to take care of their younger siblings to take care of, that was why the parents could note. Taking a closer look at Mu Bowen, he realized that he was indeed younger than his peers and his face was not rosy enough. He nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. You can go back first.¡± He then turned to Mu Bowen and said, ¡°Go to the ssroom and wait. Find a seat and sit down first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± Mu Yangling pulled Bowen to the side and stroked his head. She said gently, ¡°Have you remembered what Sister instructed you in the past?¡± Bowen nodded vigorously. ¡°I remember everything.¡± Bowen looked at the ss excitedly. This was the first time in his life that he had left his sister¡¯s side to y with so many unfamiliar children. Seeing that he was not afraid, Mu Yangling was relieved. She patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Then go in quickly. Listen to your teacher and don¡¯t bully your ssmates or be bullied.¡± Bowen nodded and ran into the ssroom excitedly with his school bag. Mu Yangling stood outside and watched for a while. Because parents were not allowed to stay in the academy, she reluctantly went back. Worried, Great-aunt handed the stall to a familiar person halfway through selling the prey and ran over to take a look. When Mu Yangling saw this, she smiled and said, ¡°Great-aunt, go back quickly. Bowen has already entered the school.¡± Great-aunt stuck her head out to take a look and asked, ¡°Is the teacher easy to talk to?¡± ¡°Teacher Liu is very gentle.¡± Mu Yangling had chosen this academy back then because she had found out about the two teachers¡¯ character. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Won¡¯t we know how things went when Bowen returns from school tonight?¡± After some thought, Great-aunt agreed. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and set up the stall. You should go back quickly too. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to nourish the corn? Hurry up and go. I¡¯ll look for you in the fields when I get back.¡± Up until now, Madam Ma-Liu still did not understand where Ah Ling¡¯s corn nting method came from. However, since she had already listened to her in the beginning, she could only continue to listen to her. After 20 days, the corn in the fields had grown. In some pits not a single seedling had grown, but in others, three or four had grown. It was obvious that they had identally nted too many in thetter instance. But now, looking at it, there were more that had not grown than those that had grown. Mu Yang felt that there were three possible reasons for this. Firstly, it was because the seeds were not good. Secondly, it was because they did not use fertilizer. Thirdly, the plowing was not good enough. After all, this was nearly 30 acres ofnd. Mu Yangling had only plowed once, but the clods of earth were stillrge. Thend was not very good, so the corn naturally did not grow well. Therefore, what Mu Yangling had to do now was transfer the seedlings from the pits with more seedlings to those pits with no seedlings, to bnce them out. Mu Yangling handed a two-foot-long sharp bamboo stick to Xiuhong and Xin and said, ¡°Dig with this. Be careful not to hurt the roots when you dig. Just nt the seedlings in the pits. Remember, choose the small and inferior ones, and leave the big ones. Keep the good ones in the original pit. Do you understand?¡± Xiuhong and Xin nodded repeatedly. After searching for a long time, the two children said, ¡°There are so few with three or four stalks. Cousin, can we dig up the ones with two stalks?¡± After hesitating for a moment, Mu Yangling said, ¡°We¡¯ll dig the closer ones. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s not enough. Since there are still corn seeds left at home, we¡¯ll fill the pits with seedster.¡± It was probably not good to just nourish the seeds. Therefore, this time, Mu Yangling directly added some fertilizer and mixed some cow dung with the ashes of the wood from the stove. Before dibbling in the seeds, she dug and threw down some fertilizer. This way, even if this batch grewter, its growth would not be too badpared to the ones that grew earlier. Mu Yangling and the rest worked for four days before they were done with the 28 acres ofnd. When they were done, Mu Yangling specially went to the east to see her rabbits and crops. When she approached, she realized that something had eaten a portion of the rice crops that her family had just nted. Mu Yangling ran over. The piece ofnd that had been gnawed on was near the river. Mu Yangling ran over to take a look and realized that it had been ruined. Anger surged within her. Without even wandering around, she saw the ox footprints by the river in the field. Gritting her teeth, she turned around and ran back to the vige. Seeing Mu Yangling¡¯s gloomy expression, Great-aunt asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is something wrong with the rabbits?¡± ¡°What can possibly be wrong with the rabbits? Those are Little General and Young Master Fan¡¯s rabbits. Even the heavens wouldn¡¯t dare to treat those rabbits unfairly.¡± Mu Yangling was furious as she asked, ¡°Great-aunt, who¡¯s in charge of grazing the oxen in our vige?¡± Seeing that she looked like she had eaten a firecracker, Great-aunt said in a daze, ¡°Who else could it be? Hu Man became the sectionmander, so the oxen will naturally be distributed by the Hu family. Aren¡¯t we going to start plowing the wheat fields soon? The oxen are all at their house.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and ran to the Hu family¡¯s house. Seeing that the door was closed, she kicked it open and shouted, ¡°I want the person who grazed the oxen today toe out!¡± The door mmed against the wall with a loud sound. The Hu family¡¯s wives, who were preparing food in the kitchen, were shocked. Madam Hu-Fang ran out and saw that it was Mu Yangling. She immediately smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s Ah Ling. Why are you here?¡± Old Hu walked out with a dark expression and looked at Mu Yangling gloomily. Chapter 170: Conflict (1) Chapter 170: Conflict (1) Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling looked directly at Old Hu. ¡°Are the section¡¯s oxen all at your house?¡± Madam Hu-Fang felt a little awkward when she heard this. When Mu Shi was the sectionmander, he was very fair. Instead of hoarding the oxen for his own family, he distributed them to his subordinates to let them take turns ordering the oxen around. However, when it came to the Hu family, the five oxen were all raised in their house. However, facing the aggressive Mu Yangling, she couldn¡¯t not answer. So, she nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Ah Ling, you want to use them? If so, I¡¯ll ask your uncle to send them to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m just here to ask who went out to graze the oxen today.¡± Hu Dian¡¯s son, Hu An, carefully hid behind Madam Hu-Zhang and did not dare to show his face. At this moment, he was looking for his uncle with wide eyes. Hu Gui had already turned around and returned to the house when Mu Yangling questioned him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Madam Hu-Zhang walked forward with a smile and grabbed Mu Yangling¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah Ling, speak slowly. Your Grandma Hu is old and can¡¯t withstand a scare.¡± Mu Yangling sneered. ¡°Grandma Hu can¡¯t take the scare, but can my great-aunt take it? The seedlings I nted less than ten days ago were eaten by the oxen. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that the crops in the fields are the lifeblood of the farmers. Who grazed the oxen today?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically. With an ugly expression, Old Hu reached out to pull his grandson¡¯s ear and asked, ¡°Let me ask you, did you let the oxen eat their crops?¡± Hu An shouted in panic, ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t!¡± However, Old Hu didn¡¯t listen to his exnation. He picked up the stick and was about to hit him when Mu Yangling stopped him and pulled Hu An behind her. She said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to find a scapegoat. If it was really Hu An who did it, I wouldn¡¯t be so angry. The footprints in the field belong to an adult. No matter what, you have to call that person out today. If it was Hu An who was in charge of the oxen, I can understand that he lost control of the oxen seeing as he¡¯s only four years old. But if it¡¯s an adult, that cow has already eaten a portion of the crops. Isn¡¯t it pretty obvious it was done on purpose?¡± Madam Hu-Zhang was looking at her son nervously, but after hearing Mu Yangling¡¯s words, how could she not understand? She turned around and ran back to the house to grab Hu Gui. ¡°Why are you so ruthless? Little An is your nephew. He¡¯s only four years old, but you¡¯re making him a scapegoat. Come out and make things clear¡­¡± Hearing themotion in the room, Old Hu¡¯s face turned ashen. Madam Hu-Fang also looked at Mu Yangling helplessly and said, ¡°Ah Ling, your third uncle definitely didn¡¯t do it on purpose. How about this? I¡¯ll help you make up for the seedlingster. How about that?¡± ¡°How? Do you still have seedlings at home?¡± This was what Mu Yangling was most furious about. Now that the entire stockpile of rice had been nted, there was no way to make up for it even if they wanted to. How could she not be angry? Dragged out by Madam Hu-Zhang, Hu Gui pushed her away angrily and said, ¡°It was Little An who was overseeing the oxen. When I went over, the oxen had already gone into the fields. If I hadn¡¯t dragged it out of your 13 acres of paddy fields, it would have eaten all the crops already.¡± Gloating, Hu Gui said, ¡°Everyone has a share in the oxen. Even if you want to me someone, you can¡¯t only me our Hu family. Why should our Hu family be the one to graze the oxen? Your Mu family has never provided a single de of grass since you received the oxen.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t.¡± When Madam Ma-Liu, who had rushed over, heard this, she went forward and shouted, ¡°Did our family use the oxen? When we brought them back, Rocky had already stipted that the oxen in the section would take turns to be used and let out to pasture. My family didn¡¯t need the oxen. We¡¯d already given them to the vigers, so naturally, we didn¡¯t have to graze the oxen. Now that it¡¯s your family¡¯s turn to be the sectionmander, you even dragged all five oxen into your fields and let your subordinates graze them for you. Do you really think you¡¯re a high-ranking official just because you¡¯re a sectionmander?¡± Madam Ma-Liu was not as easy to talk to as Mu Yangling. Her voice was very loud, and not long after, everyone in the vige was alerted and came over. ¡°Today, I want the Hu family to say in front of all the vigers¡ªare you going topensate us for the rice? How are you going topensate? Although my Rocky is no longer the sectionmander, he¡¯s now Little General¡¯s personal guard. He¡¯s not someone who can be easily bullied!¡± Madam Hu-Fang quickly went forward and pulled Madam Ma-Liu back. ¡°Good sister, I didn¡¯t say that I won¡¯tpensate. Aren¡¯t we discussing it now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss? Hasn¡¯t everyone finished nting the rice in the surrounding viges? How do you n topensate? The difference in days is too great. Can the rice ntedter keep up with the ones nted earlier? Who would believe that your son didn¡¯t do it on purpose? Ah Ling, tell me, why did youe to the Hu family?¡± She knew her grandniece well. If she hadn¡¯t discovered something, she wouldn¡¯t have attacked the Hu family directly. Mu Yangling looked at Hu Gui with a dark expression and said, ¡°You said that the cows were already in the field when you went there. From the looks of it, you were the one who herded the oxen all the way from the edge of your field to the river. There are no children¡¯s footprints there.¡± Hu Gui¡¯s expression changed slightly. Old Hu red at him. Seeing that the Mu family was clearly looking for trouble, he said in a low voice, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Great-aunt sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not what I want, but what does your Hu family want?¡± The vigers who had gathered outside to watch themotion stood on tiptoe and watched the Hu family. Some even climbed up the tree to look inside. The Hu family members felt their faces burn. Madam Hu-Jin leaned against the door and sneered. She went forward and pulled the frightened Hu An to her side to watch themotion. When Old Hu saw this, he red at her. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°I¡¯llpensate you with silver.¡± Now that the rice had been nted, they really couldn¡¯t find any more seedlings to transnt for the Mu family. As it would be toote to nt them, they could onlypensate with silver. When Madam Ma-Liu thought of the money that Old Hu had extorted from herst time, she was furious. Holding back her anger, she said, ¡°Alright,pensate me with 17 taels of silver.¡± ¡°What?! You might as well snatch it directly. The rice nted in your family¡¯s 13 acres ofnd is worth nowhere near 17 taels.¡± Hu Gui jumped up and shouted. However, Old Hu and Madam Hu-Fang¡¯s expressions were ugly. They knew that Madam Ma-Liu wanted to settle the debt for the wine. As expected, Madam Ma-Liu smiled coldly and said, ¡°How is it not worth it? The rice seeds used by our family weren¡¯t distributed by the military camp, but by our ancestors. We even ced them in front of the ancestor tablets and burned incense for three years. Our ancestors left a message that this kind of seed is high-yielding and incredibly precious. Yet, you deliberately let the oxen gnaw on a portion of the crops. You¡¯re simply digging out my heart. I¡¯m letting you off easy by only asking for 17 taels of silver. At least I didn¡¯t ask your Hu family to give up the position of the sectionmander.¡± Madam Hu-Jin threw away the melon seeds in her hand and went forward. ¡°Auntie, you don¡¯t have to be angry. My man is willing to give up the position of sectionmander. Since Big Brother Mu doesn¡¯t care for it now, this position can be given up to a capable person in the vige.¡± ¡°Squandering b*tch, do you have the right to speak? Get down!¡± Old Hu berated her. Madam Hu-Jin smiled coldly and said, ¡°Father-inw, you don¡¯t have to re up at me. I didn¡¯t say that. It was my husband who said it. If you¡¯re unwilling, then chase me and my husband out.¡± ¡°You!¡± Old Hu pointed at Madam Hu-Jin, speechless. Madam Hu-Fang said, ¡°Second Daughter-inw, this is not a ce for you to speak. Get down.¡± ¡°Good child, this matter has nothing to do with you. Hurry up and step back. I don¡¯t care if he gives up the position of the sectionmander or not. I only want them topensate me with silver. Old Hu, are you going topensate us with silver or not? If not, we¡¯ll go to the toonmander¡¯s camp to ask for justice.¡± Wouldn¡¯t the toonmander heed Little General¡¯s words? Naturally, Little General would be biased towards the Mu family. Chapter 171: Conflict (2) Chapter 171: Conflict (2) Editor: As Studios Old Hu red at his youngest son hatefully, wishing he had never given birth to him. After obtaining the 17 taels of silver, he hadn¡¯t had the heart to spend it. Was he going to have to give it back before it had time to warm up in his hands? Having never seen so much silver in his life, Old Hu was indignant. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Even if your family¡¯s rice seeds are made of gold, they¡¯re not worth so much.¡± Great-aunt sneered. ¡°How can your family¡¯s wine be worth 17 taels when it¡¯s only sorghum? Aren¡¯t my grains more precious than your sorghum?¡± Upon hearing this, the onlookers outside all understood. At the end of the day, Madam Ma-Liu was unwilling to ept losing the 17 taels of silver that the Hu family had taken from her by means of threat. This was revenge. The people outside were happy to see this. Ever since Hu Man became the sectionmander, their lives had be much harder. The Hu family was not as selfless as the Mu family. It was only afterparing their lives under Hu Man that they realized they had it so good back then. In the past, when Mu Shi was the sectionmander, when it came to farming work, every family in the vige would just be in charge of their own work. The Mu family did not even upy the plowing oxen and farming tools. This had always been an important reason why they were grateful to the Mu family, and also one of the reasons why Mu Shi could quickly win the respect of his subordinates. However, now that the sectionmander was Hu Man, the Hu family upied all five oxen. Previously when they transnted the rice, they even transferred the strongborers from various families to transnt the rice for the Hu family first. Now that it was time to plow the wheat fields, they actually took up all five oxen again. Nobody dared to say anything in front of the Hu family, but there wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t speak ill of the Hu family behind their backs. Even though everyone in the military camp knew that Hu Man was innocent, he was still scolded by the vigers over and over again. At this moment, seeing that the Mu and Hu families were at conflict again and that the Hu family was obviously at a disadvantage, everyone cheered for the Mu family. Someone was already spreading the news in a low voice. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? The Hu family isn¡¯t the most powerful family in this vige. The Mu family is suppressing them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Big Brother Mu easily made Hu Man the sectionmander. If the Hu family and the Mu family be enemies again, Big Brother Mu might not keep his promise and directly get rid of Hu Man.¡± ¡°In my opinion, Big Brother Mu is too pedantic. Back then, the Hu family was in the wrong. Now that they were even bullying his daughter, why should he keep his promise? They should¡¯ve just thrown the Hu family out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said that you can only farm, while Big Brother Mu has gained the favor of Little General. This is called having morals and a bottom line. If Big Brother Mu behaves like you, who will listen to him in the future?¡± While it was noisy outside, it was also noisy inside. Madam Hu-Jin added to the chaos, but the main force of the Hu family, Old Hu and Madam Hu-Fang, did not show any weakness. They insisted that the rice was not worth 17 taels of silver. Madam Hu-Zhang would help from time to time, and Hu Gui would not admit his mistake. Shrewish since she was young, Madam Ma-Liu was evenly matched with them. While Mu Yangling was frowning, Xiuhong squeezed in from outside and said to her, ¡°Cousin, Aunt wants me toe over and talk to you.¡± Xiuhong shouted this. Not only did Madam Ma-Liu stop and turn around, but the Hu family also stopped talking and looked over. Xiuhong said loudly, ¡°Aunt said that it¡¯s illegal for Third Uncle Hu to let the oxen gnaw on the crops, for it interferes with the farming. Cousin, she wants you to look for the toonmander directly. If the toonmander is busy, you can go to the government office. She also doesn¡¯t want you to quarrel with Grandpa Hu and the rest. Thew can decide what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong. Since Third Uncle Hu¡¯s mistake isn¡¯t too big, it¡¯ll most likely be offset by a few months of hardbor in prison. They will have topensate twice the amount of our family¡¯s loss of rice. This is written clearly in thew.¡± Xiuhong nced at them and lowered her voice. ¡°Aunt said that our family doesn¡¯tck money and told you not to make things difficult for the Hu family. Just follow thew.¡± The faces of the Hu family members immediately turned pale. Madam Ma-Liu immediately stopped being anxious. Sneering at them, she said, ¡°Indeed. We don¡¯t want these 17 taels of silver anymore. We¡¯ll just send them to the officials and let the officials judge them.¡± As she spoke, she pulled Mu Yangling and Xiuhong away. Hu Gui knelt at Old Hu¡¯s feet with a pale face and hugged his leg. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t want to be imprisoned. I don¡¯t want to be a coolie. Will I still be able to walk out alive if I be a coolie of the Imperial Court?¡± Old Hu¡¯s hand trembled. Madam Hu-Fang had already stepped forward to stop Madam Ma-Liu. She cried and begged, ¡°Good sister, you can¡¯t send him to the officials. It¡¯s not a big deal. We¡¯ll just pay more money. How about this? How about five taels?¡± Madam Ma-Liu pushed her hand away and sneered. ¡°Our Mu family doesn¡¯tck money. Keep it for yourselves to brew wine.¡± Madam Hu-Fang gritted her teeth and knelt in front of Madam Ma-Liu. Wiping her tears, she said, ¡°Good sister, I know you hate my family¡¯s head for selling wine to you at a high price, but that wine saved your nephew¡¯s wife after all. Even if that wine isn¡¯t worth this money, it did save a life, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Madam Ma-Liu had already pushed Mu Yangling and Xiuhong away when she knelt down and made way for her. Now that she heard her question, she stood in front of her instead. However, her face turned ashen as she raised her face and asked, ¡°But what¡¯s our rtionship? Ever since we moved here, you¡¯ve been calling me ¡®sister¡¯. I asked Rocky to let your family have the section¡¯s oxen first. Whenever my Ah Ling went up the mountain and obtained something good, I gave your grandson a ball of meat every day because I pitied him for being pale. When you were sick and almost died in bed, I was the one who brought my nephew¡¯s wife and an old hen over to nourish your body. You called me ¡®sister¡¯ so affectionately. I really treat you as my sister, but what did you do? When my family member nearly died from a fever and we begged you for a mouthful of wine to lower her temperature, you were so ck-hearted. 17 taels of silver wasn¡¯t enough for you. You even forced my Ah Ling¡¯s father to give up the position of the sectionmander to your son. Don¡¯t you feel guilty? Don¡¯t call me ¡®sister¡¯! It disgusts me to hear that word from your mouth.¡± Madam Hu-Fang¡¯s face was pale. Madam Ma-Liu straightened her back and spat fiercely at Old Hu. As the onlookers outside made way for them to leave, someone couldn¡¯t help but say in a low voice, ¡°They really deserve it. They¡¯re ssic ungrateful people. No wonder Madam Ma-Liu hates them so much. If it were me, I would hate them to the core, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In the past, the two families were so chummy. The two sons of the Hu family often hung out with Big Brother Mu. Now, they¡¯repletely enemies.¡± ¡°The Hu family asked for it.¡± Old Hu looked at his youngest son with a livid expression for a while. Then, he turned around and returned to the house to dig out the 17 taels of silver from under the brick bed. He touched it again and again. Finally, he stuffed it into his wife¡¯s hand and waved dispiritedly. ¡°Go, go. Hurry up and send it over.¡± He couldn¡¯t just watch his beloved youngest son die. If one was punished to do manualbor for the government office, they could grow so thin to the point of being unrecognizable in just 20 days. In a month and a half or so, they could die of exhaustion at the construction site. Looking at the silver, Madam Hu-Zhang gritted her teeth. She said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s spring now, and there¡¯s nothing to do in the government office. How can there be any manualbor?¡± Hu Gui red at her and said, ¡°Since Sister-inw says so, let Big Brother take my ce.¡± Chapter 172: Conflict (3) Chapter 172: Conflict (3) Editor: As Studios ¡°It wasn¡¯t your Big Brother who let the oxen eat their crops. Why should he go?¡± Madam Hu-Zhang said unhappily. Hu Gui red at her. ¡°It¡¯s not Big Brother, but his son. Little An was the one who grazed the oxen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t nder him. Ah Ling already said that the ground is full of your footprints. You knelt down and admitted it just now. Otherwise, why would you be so anxious when she spoke of sending the culprit to the officials?¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Old Hu patted the edge of the brick bed and shouted, ¡°Do you still think that the house isn¡¯t chaotic enough? Now that the money has already been taken out, hurry up and send it to the Mu family. Third Brother, go back to your room and stay there. When I¡¯m free at night, I¡¯ll beat you up. Who asked you to herd the oxen to her fields? Are Madam Ma-Liu and Mu Yangling people you should mess with? They¡¯re a family of shrews.¡± Hu Gui shrunk his neck and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t herd the oxen into their field. They went there themselves¡­¡± At most, he didn¡¯t stop them. Who asked Madam Ma-Liu to always re at him? Her eldest granddaughter actually dared to spit at him when she saw him. It was already considered merciful for him to let the oxen eat just a portion of their crops. Who knew that this was illegal? Hu Gui felt very aggrieved. Madam Hu-Fang had already put away the silver. Not daring to dy, she wiped her tears before running to the Mu residence. Madam Ma-Liu took the silver from her with a dark expression and didn¡¯t let her enter the house. She directly shut them out with a bang. Madam Hu-Fang stood for a while before leaving. Xiuhong stuck her head out to look at the silver in her grandmother¡¯s hand and asked softly, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to report it to the officials?¡± Madam Ma-Liu tapped her forehead and said, ¡°What a silly girl. That was your aunt scaring them. If we really send them to the officials, the vigers will avoid our family in the future. Moreover, how can reporting to the officials be as practical as taking silver?¡± Madam Ma-Liu handed the silver to Mu Yangling and sighed. ¡°But although I¡¯ve gotten the silver back, I still feel ufortable. Back then, your Grandma Hu made it sound so nice, even offering toe over to help if I couldn¡¯t manage it. Although she would say some sour words sometimes, it didn¡¯t matter since our family was indeed more well-off than theirs. Who would have expected things to turn out like this?¡± Xin went forward solicitously and massaged her shoulders. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be sad. We just won¡¯t y with Grandma Hu in the future.¡± Madam Ma-Liu smiled bitterly and patted her little hand. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± However, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Xin is right. Great-aunt, it¡¯s fine as long as we don¡¯t interact with the Hu family in the future. Don¡¯t be sad. There are so many old grandmas and grandpas in the vige. Can¡¯t you chat with whoever you want? Why do you have to look for the Hu family?¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s old face instantly darkened. She patted Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Little brat, what nonsense are you talking about? Who likes to chat with old grandpas? You keep your mouth shut. When your fatheres back, I¡¯ll get him to teach you a lesson.¡± Chuckling, Mu Yangling broke away. She threw away the silver in her hand and said, ¡°This much money is enough to do many things.¡± However, Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s face darkened slightly as she said, ¡°But what about our family¡¯snd? Was it severely ruined when you went to take a look?¡± ¡°It¡¯s serious. The top portion of the long seedlings have been eaten and arge area had been stepped on. In any case, it won¡¯t survive.¡± Tilting her head, she said, ¡°Since i¡¯s only 0.1 acres ofnd, I don¡¯t know what to do with it either. Why don¡¯t we leave it empty?¡± ¡°How will that do? Weeds will grow. It¡¯s gettingte today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go with you to see if we can salvage some. If not, we¡¯ll nt vegetables on the remainingnd.¡± Shu Wanniang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But Aunt, our vegetable field is right behind us and is pretty sizable as it is. In fact, I nted all the vegetable seeds today. Besides, isn¡¯t it too far away to use it as a vegetable field?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll sell the vegetables grown there in the county instead of keeping it for our own consumption. When I went to sell rabbits these few days, I realized that vegetables sell pretty well in the city, unlike in town. The county is just different. Later, I¡¯ll get Ah Ling to fix up thend for me. I¡¯ll buy some vegetables and nt them. In another 20 to 30 days, I¡¯ll be able to sell the first batch. It won¡¯t fetch much¡ªprobably 100 copper coins or so. A little makes a lot, so over time it can umte to a small fortune.¡± Having had a difficult life, Madam Ma-Liu knew how to umte small sums of money bit by bit. Mu Yangling agreed without thinking. ¡°Then when I go hunting in the mountains, Great-aunt will go and collect the vegetables. When Ie back, I¡¯ll carry them to the county together with you.¡± ¡°Alright, with you doing the hard work, I¡¯m even less worried.¡± The plot ofnd was not big, so it didn¡¯t take Mu Yangling much effort to segment out the piece of plowednd. She also loosened the soil. As the soil was still wet, Great-aunt nned to wait for the soil to dry up before nting the vegetables. Madam Ma-Liu carried the hoe and prepared to head home, while Mu Yangling went to check on her rabbits. Xiuhong and Xin were sitting on the grass watching rabbits. Mu Yangling handed the task of collecting the grass to Xiuhong. Every morning, she only had to go to the mountains to hunt, and do farm work. In the afternoon, she would clean up the rabbit feces and clean the sheds. At night, she would teach Xiuhong and Xin how to read. Although such a life was tense andpact, it was fulfilling andfortable. Mu Yangling did not know how long such a life couldst. She could only work hard to umte capital for the future while enjoying this peace. Therefore, she took a keen interest in her wheat, corn, rice, and rabbits. She had to check on them every few days. Seeing her cousine over, Xiuhong waved happily and rushed over. ¡°Cousin, good news. The Hu family is fighting.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Mu Yangling asked as she chose a corner and sat down on the grass. She waved at Xin and shouted, ¡°Xiuhong,e over quickly. Don¡¯t step on the grass anymore. Else, the pasture that has just grown won¡¯t grow anymore.¡± Xin tiptoed over and sat beside Mu Yangling, imitating her. Xiuhong squatted on the other side of her and said, ¡°Brother Dazhuang told me. When he carried the grass over for me, he even deliberately went to take a look. I heard that Second Uncle Hu gave up his position as the sectionmander. Now, the position has gone to the Sun family who lives at the vige entrance. The oxen have all been taken away, so Old Hu was so angry that he got someone to find Second Uncle Hu and beat him up. I heard that Second Aunt Hu is making a fuss about splitting up the family assets. I wonder if the fighting¡¯s stopped.¡± Mu Yangling flicked her forehead and said, ¡°Should you be calling him ¡®Old Hu¡¯? Call him Grandpa Hu. Be careful that my father will beat you up if he hears you.¡± Xiuhong stuck out her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m only saying this in front of you.¡± Mu Yangling didn¡¯t hit her again and only said, ¡°We have to respect the old and love the young. Some things can be said in front of our own people, but not outside, understand? Sigh, who asked us to be so young?¡± Xiuhong also sighed sadly. ¡°I wonder when I can grow up.¡± ¡°Soon. You¡¯ll grow up in five to six years.¡± Mu Yangling rubbed her hair and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to clean the rabbits¡¯ shed. You guys rest. Let¡¯s not bother about the Hu family¡¯s matters. Since things have alreadye to this, it¡¯s impossible for us to reconcile in the future.¡± Chapter 173: Hu Family Chapter 173: Hu Family Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling¡¯s perspective was clearly not supported by Mu Shi and Hu Man because the two of them were really good friends. Mu Shi knew very well that Old Hu was the one who had added insult to injury, not Hu Man. That was why he specially went to tell Qi Haoran not to make things difficult for Hu Man back then. He even pleaded with their toonmander to take care of Hu Man more. Although Hu Man was forced to take on the position of sectionmander back then, he had always been very uneasy. Coupled with his wife¡¯s words, he was even more repulsed by this. His wife had asked someone to pass a message to him, informing him that someone was upying a lot of his section¡¯s resources by unting his sectionmander position. This wasmon in other sections, but it did not mean that Hu Man would agree. Hu Man thought of what his wife hadined to him while crying. ¡°What benefits did we get after you became the sectionmander? All the benefits went to your brothers and their wives, but you and I are the ones bearing the infamy. Wouldn¡¯t it be even worse if we have children in the future? I don¡¯t even dare to have children now. As the head of the family, you have to make a decision. We can¡¯t be ungrateful. Judging from Father¡¯s momentum, we¡¯ll end up offending the entire vige. They live a good life in the vige, and no one can bully them. However, you¡¯re in the army and might have to go to the battlefield in the future. Your life will be in danger if the soldiers under you don¡¯t have your back.¡± This was the main reason why Madam Hu-Jin had always objected to offending Mu Shi and the vigers. To her, her husband was the most important. If he died, she would really have nothing left. It was also this sentence that moved Hu Man. Hu Man looked for Mu Shi behind his family¡¯s back, saying that he was not qualified for this position. It was naturally impossible for Mu Shi to return to be the sectionmander since he was now Qi Haoran¡¯s trusted aide. His treatment and future prospects were much better than that of a sectionmander¡¯s. Seeing that Hu Man insisted on not doing this job, he brought him to see the toonmander. He told the toonmander to reassign the position of the sectionmander. The toonmander was about to re up, but when he heard that he could assign this sectionmander, he restrained his anger. After asking Qi Haoran for instructions, he directly gave the position of sectionmander to Sun Da. When the Sun family came to retrieve the oxen, Old Hu found out that the candidate for the sectionmander had changed again. After his second daughter-inw went to the military camp and came back, there was suddenly a change in the position of the sectionmander. Old Hu¡¯s intuition told him that something was wrong. After asking around, he found out that Hu Man had taken the initiative to give it up. After removing his burden, Hu Man took half a day off and invited Mu Shi to the city to drink and apologize to him. Old Hu was so angry that he fell backward. This way, the benefits he had gained from offending the Mu family would be gone. Why had he spent so much effort back then? Even his wife med him. Old Hu had been unyielding for his entire life, so how could he tolerate this? He immediately wanted his son to divorce Madam Hu-Jin. Also, he called Hu Man back to beat him up. Hu Man protected Madam Hu-Jin. Seeing that his father was being unreasonable, he shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s split up! If we can¡¯t live together anymore, let¡¯s split up. I don¡¯t want anything. Is that okay?¡± Hu Man threw away the stick he had snatched from his father and looked at his parents and brothers with red eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t divorce my wife. She and I are going to live together for the rest of our lives. If you can¡¯t live with me anymore, then let¡¯s split up.¡± Old Hu pointed at him and could not speak. After a long time, he spat out two words, ¡°Unfilial son!¡± Hu Man turned to look at his father and wiped his face. Seeing that his hands were covered in blood, he said, ¡°Father, if you must insist that I¡¯m an unfilial son, so be it. In any case, you and Mother have been biased since we were young. You¡¯ve been biased towards Big Brother and Third Brother. In the past, I¡¯ve tolerated it. I¡¯ve also given up all thend you asked me to give them. I¡¯ve also gone to join the army. When you asked me and my wife to give the house to Third Brother for his wedding, I¡¯ve also conceded. What else do you want?¡± Frowning, Madam Hu-Fang looked at him. ¡°What are you talking about? We gave birth to you and raised you¡­¡± ¡°Then, Mother, don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve repaid you by working hard for you for so many years and died for you once? Now, I¡¯ve even gone to the army on behalf of our family.¡± Hu Man looked straight at his mother and asked word by word, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve paid off the debt?¡± Madam Hu-Fang¡¯s expression changed drastically as she looked at her quiet son with aplicated expression. Seeing that they were silent, Hu Man pulled his wife into the house and said, ¡°Pack your things. Go back to your maternal family and stay for a while. I¡¯ll go back to the military camp and pick you up when I¡¯m on leave. No matter whoes to talk to you at home, don¡¯t believe them.¡± Hu Man took out a few hundred copper coins from his pocket and quietly stuffed them into her hand. He said in a low voice, ¡°I secretly saved this. Keep it well.¡± Madam Hu-Jin looked at him with red eyes and lowered her head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and wait for you.¡± Hu Man nodded. Seeing that his son had sent Madam Hu-Jin away, Old Hu¡¯s expression turned even uglier. He pointed at him and said, ¡°Unless I die and step over me, no one is allowed to split from the family!¡± Hu Man only looked at him in a daze. For some reason, Old Hu felt a little disappointed. He hugged his head and regretted it. If he hadn¡¯t raised those conditions with Mu Yangling back then, the family wouldn¡¯t have been in such a mess. Even if his second daughter-inw was dissatisfied, she could only hide it in her heart. His second son would still only work hard in silence. Their family would still be the second most well off family in the vige, right behind the Mu family. They wouldn¡¯t be criticized wherever they went, unlike now. He had thought that it was an opportunity, but who knew that it was a fire pit? How Old Hu regretted it! Hu Man pulled Madam Hu-Jin and was about to leave when Hu Dian and Madam Hu-Zhang hurriedly pulled them back. Hu Dian pressed his second brother¡¯s shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°Are you really going to be estranged from our family? No matter how chummy you are with him, can you be closer to him than us brothers?¡± Hu Man looked up at him with red eyes. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m only asking you this. If I die, will you support my wife and children? Will you make sure your wife doesn¡¯t mistreat them? Tell me the truth.¡± Looking into Hu Man¡¯s eyes, Hu Dian opened his mouth but did not say anything. Hu Man said in a low voice, ¡°I knew it long ago. Father and Mother are biased. If I really die on the battlefield, my wife and children will have an even worse life. Big Brother, I don¡¯t me you, but your priority will be your own family. Same for me. The annual ie will be in your and Father¡¯s hands. Being the eldest son in the family, Father will certainly not mistreat you. As the youngest son, Third Brother can count on Mother to n for him, so he doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything. However, I¡¯m different. When my wife fell sick and needed to take medicine, I had to kneel down and beg Mother. I won¡¯t live such a life anymore. There are also examples of families splitting up in West Vige. I¡¯m not afraid of being ostracized by our family and the n. I¡¯m afraid that my wife and children will suffer behind my back. I fear that if I die, they won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have children yet.¡± Madam Hu-Fang couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted, ¡°If you me us for being biased, why don¡¯t you say that you forgot your mother after getting a wife? You two don¡¯t even have children yet.¡± ¡°Mother, it¡¯s just that we don¡¯t dare to have children!¡± Looking into her son¡¯s eyes, Madam Hu-Fang¡¯s words were stuck in her throat. She could only watch as the couple left with a bag. Chapter 174: Incredible Chapter 174: Incredible Editor: As Studios Shu Wanniang rubbed her eyes and opened the embroidered screen. The entire family was stunned. Drooling, Mu Yangling asked with sparkling eyes, ¡°Mother, can I learn this skill too?¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch it. Madam Ma-Liu pped her hand away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. This is worth lots of silver!¡± Shu Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled. She said to her daughter, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to learn double-sided embroidery. I¡¯d be very happy if you can master the most basic embroidery skills. On the other hand, Xin is very talented. Although she¡¯s a little old, she¡¯ll still be able to achieve something in the future if she works hard from today onwards.¡± Xin looked at her aunt excitedly and grabbed her sister¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Can¡­ Can I really learn it?¡± Shu Wanniang nodded with a smile. ¡°With your talent, as long as you practice hard, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± Excited, Madam Ma-Liu pushed Xin in front of her. ¡°Then Wanniang, guide this child more often. If she can learn a skill, her livelihood will be guaranteed.¡± ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll teach her well.¡± Mu Yangling stuck out her tongue and said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s only seven years old, and you¡¯re already calling her old.¡± Shu Wanniang red at her daughter. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re all like you? I started learning to separate the threads at the age of three and picked up a needle at the age of four. I only learned the basics after learning from my teacher for 11 years. Now, I can embroider this screen because of all the effort I put in in the past ten years. On the other hand, you¡¯re already 10 years old and can¡¯t even sew a dress properly¡­¡± Madam Ma-Liu also said, ¡°Ah Ling, you can choose not to learn embroidery, but you have to know how to make clothes. Otherwise, who will make clothes for you in the future? Do you have to find someone else to make clothes for you in the future? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± ¡°I understand, Great-aunt. I¡¯ll definitely practice needlework diligently and strive to be aplished as soon as possible.¡± Madam Ma-Liu and Shu Wanniang looked at her in disbelief. Shu Wanniang put away the embroidery and handed it to her daughter. ¡°Alright, exchange it for money in the prefectural capital. I¡¯ll think of a way to embroider another setter.¡± Mu Yangling put it away with a smile. ¡°Mother, how much can this embroidery sell for?¡± Shu Wanniang said, ¡°If it¡¯s in the south, it¡¯s worth at least 500 taels. When the frame is installed, the price will be determined by the value of the frame. However, if it¡¯s leaked out from the Shu family, it¡¯ll be even more expensive.¡± Shu Wanniang smiled slightly. ¡°But in Xingzhou Prefecture, it¡¯s already very good if you can sell it for 100 taels.¡± Great-aunt clicked her tongue and said, ¡°This is already very high considering you¡¯ve only embroidered for two months. That¡¯s 100 taels of silver in two months. It¡¯s already not bad if in my lifetime I can earn half of what you¡¯ve earned in the past two months.¡± She was even more enthusiastic about Xin picking up this skill now. Shu Wanniang touched Xin¡¯s head and didn¡¯t say anything. Actually, what she wanted to teach Xin was another type of double-sided embroidery, which was much simpler than this. After all, this was a family heirloom of the Shu family, and she didn¡¯t want it to spread. Xin¡¯s aptitude was not bad. As long as she worked hard, she might be able to be an expert in 10 to 20 years. Just as Aunt had said, her livelihood would be guaranteed then. As it was impossible to sell such a fine set of embroidery in the county, Mu Yangling decided to go to the prefectural capital tomorrow. Since she was going there, she could not just bring along the embroidery. She decided to go into the mountains today to see if she could catch some big prey and drag them to the prefectural capital. Mu Yangling told Great-aunt and Xiuhong to go take a look at the rabbit sheds. Then, she carried her bow, arrow, and basket and entered the mountain. The rabbits in this area had all been cleared out, leaving only a few sporadically. Every morning, Mu Yangling would go into the mountains to hunt rabbits and pheasants for her great-aunt to sell in the city. Now that she no longer wanted to harm these small animals, she walked straight into the mountains. As the number of rabbits decreased, green sprouts could now be seen on the grass in the forest. It was not like the grass that had been eaten clean a while ago. Mu Yangling paid attention to the traces on the ground as she walked in. When she heard a rustling sound, she stopped in her tracks. Mu Yangling lightened her footsteps and quietly poked her head in. She saw a big wild boar with six small boars arching the ground. There was a wild yam on the ground. Mu Yangling looked at the wild boars for a while and pondered for a moment. She decided to get rid of evil for the people so that this group of wild boars would not run down the mountain to harm the crops. Mu Yangling took out the bow and arrow on her back. After thinking for a moment, she lowered it and retreated to a ce where the wild boars could not detect her. She began to pull the withered vines on the tree. Mu Yangling pulled the vines down and rubbed them, snapping them into pieces before putting down the basket on her back and walking in. The family of wild boars was still there, happily eating yam. When the big wild boar heard themotion and raised its front hooves to be on guard, Mu Yangling¡¯s fist had already arrived. She sent the big wild boar flying with a punch. The wild boar flew out and hit a tree before being knocked unconscious by Mu Yangling. Seeing this, two of the little wild boars turned around and fled. The remaining four rushed towards Mu Yangling aggressively. Mu Yangling kicked one away and sent the other flying with her right hand. She grabbed the front leg of the fourth one with her left hand and tied it up with the vines in her hand. Only then did Mu Yangling chase after the two little ones that had run away. When she returned with the two, other than the unlucky little wild boar that had not fainted, the others were still unconscious. Feeling that their struggles would make it difficult for her to transport them, Mu Yangling knocked out the two still awake and killed the group of wild boars without seeing a single drop of blood. Mu Yangling felt that this was an excellent method. As long as she grasped the right amount of strength and method well, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the smell of blood attracting ferocious beasts when hunting in the future. She could also maintain the freshness of her prey to the greatest extent. Mu Yangling packed the remaining yams on the ground and threw them into the basket on her back. Only then did she stuff the little wild boars into the basket. However, although the little wild boars were still young and the basket on her back was big enough, it could only fit four. After thinking for a while, she hung the other two on her waist and carried the big wild boar out of the mountain. Fang Dazhuang, who was cutting grass at the foot of the mountain to sell to Xiuhong, couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes when he saw Mu Yangling carrying the wild boars out of the mountain. Swallowing his saliva, he said, ¡°If only I were Uncle Mu¡¯s son too. Then I could also inherit Uncle Mu¡¯s divine strength.¡± ¡°Stop dreaming. Mu Bowen is also Uncle Mu¡¯s son, but he¡¯s like a little chick. If you be Uncle Mu¡¯s son, you might end up like him. Only Mu Yangling in the Mu family inherited Uncle Mu¡¯s divine strength.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be willing, too. With such a sister, won¡¯t there be meat to eat every day?¡± Fang Dazhuang looked at the wild boar on Mu Yangling¡¯s shoulder and drooled. Mu Yangling took the things home. Afraid that the wild boar would wake up and struggle, she tied its hooves and locked it in the shed where she had kept the rabbits. At night, when the big wild boar woke up and howled, Mu Yangling went in and pped it, knocking it out again. Mu Yangling touched its neck and stood up to say to the family members watching outside, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s still alive. It definitely won¡¯t wake up tonight. Everyone can sleep well.¡± Shu Wanniang looked at the wild boar¡¯s neck, then at her daughter¡¯s hand. With difficulty, she carried the twins back to the house. The twins waved at their sister excitedly. Great-aunt closed her mouth and returned to her room, leaving the three little kids staring at Mu Yangling with sparkling eyes. Xiuhong said, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re amazing!¡± She decided to follow her cousin closely in the future. Xin said, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Last time, her cousin seemed to have smacked her like this, too. Why didn¡¯t she fall unconscious then? Bowen: ¡°Sister, you¡¯re amazing!¡± When he grew up, he¡¯d marry and have a daughter like his elder sister¡­ Chapter 175: Breaking the Agreement Chapter 175: Breaking the Agreement Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling got out of bed and looked outside. Seeing that the sky was still dark, she fell asleep again. After lying down for a while, she heard the bell from the county. It was time to open the city gate. Mu Yangling opened her eyes with difficulty and got up to wash up. Since she was going to the prefectural capital, she had to set off quickly if she wanted to rush back before night. Mu Yangling tied the still unconscious wild boar to the cart. When Great-aunt saw that she had also tied up the five little wild boars, she quickly stopped her and said, ¡°Such small wild boars aren¡¯t even enough to fill the gaps between your teeth. It¡¯s better to keep it. I¡¯ll raise itter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Mu Yangling tied up the wild boar and said, ¡°How can it be so easy to raise these wild boars? They¡¯re very independent. If you want to raise pigs, I¡¯ll go to the county and bring back two piglets for you. We should sell these few. Don¡¯t worry, the people in the city like to eat these. They might be worth more than that big wild boar.¡± Mu Yangling tied up the things and wrapped the embroidery in oil paper before carefully cing it in her bag and carrying it on her chest. Shu Wanniang was already making her pancakes in the kitchen. Seeing that Mu Yangling was about to get up, she quickly wrapped seven to eight pancakes in oil paper and stuffed them into her arms. ¡°Take them to eat on the way. There¡¯s also a bamboo tube on the cart filled with rice soup. Drink it if you¡¯re thirsty. Be careful on the way. Don¡¯t cause trouble when you reach the prefectural capital. If the price isn¡¯t right, juste back and don¡¯t argue with others.¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. When have I ever been bullied?¡± Mu Yangling waved at them, lifted the cart, and pushed it away. Shu Wanniang stood at the door and watched her disappear before turning around. As Great-aunt didn¡¯t have to go to the county to set up a stall today, she pounded her waist and said, ¡°I¡¯ll rest for a while today. When the sunes out, I¡¯ll bring Xiuhong to remove the weeds from the cornfields.¡± After thinking for a moment, Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll bring the children and go with you.¡± Stunned, Madam Ma-Liu shook her head with a smile. ¡°Why are you going? Aren¡¯t the two children enough to keep you busy? You won¡¯t be able to do any work even if you bring them along. You might as well stay at home and teach Xin how to embroider.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve used up all the embroidery threads at home. There¡¯s only enough for Xin to practice with now. Let¡¯s talk about it when Ah Ling buys it tonight.¡± Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Bosi and Kejia are very obedient. We can put them on the fields where we can see them when we work in the fields. Aunt, I don¡¯t know how to do other farm work, but I know how to weed.¡± Madam Ma-Liu patted her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying you don¡¯t know how to do farm work, but it¡¯s already hard enough to take care of the children. Furthermore, it¡¯s two children. Other than taking care of the children and doing housework, you also have to take time out to embroider. Previously, we were busy with farm work at home and really couldn¡¯t find anyone to help you. Since you¡¯re free now, rest for two more days. Otherwise, when Ah Linges back from the prefectural capital, you¡¯ll have to start embroidering again. Also, we¡¯ll have to start plowing the wheat fields, weeding the cornfields, and fertilizing the wheat. We¡¯ll be even more busy by then. Considering you¡¯re still young, you shouldn¡¯t tire yourself out¡­¡± Madam Ma-Liu persuaded Shu Wanniang in a low voice. Meanwhile, Mu Yangling had also arrived at the county entrance and directly passed through Mingshui County to get to the prefectural capital. Because she was in a hurry, she walked very quickly. The cart creaked as she moved. Mu Yangling was the only one on the entire road. After walking for a long time, she saw a few people intermittently. Everyone was carrying goods and there were some on a donkey cart. Clearly, they were all going to the prefectural capital to do business. Seeing that Mu Yangling had caught up, a donkey cart driver nced at the things on her cart and raised his whip. ¡°Youngdy, this thing isn¡¯t light, right? Do you want to take the donkey cart? I can throw a rope over and pull it for you. How about 20 copper coins to get to the prefectural capital?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. I can pull it myself.¡± That person looked at the things in her car and then at her body. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°When will you be able to walk to the prefectural capital like this? You might wreck your petite body this way.¡± Mu Yangling stopped in her tracks and sped up to overtake the donkey cart. She even took the time to turn around and shout at him, ¡°Uncle, you have to speed up too. If you can¡¯t make it to the morning market, you have to arrive before lunch at the very least.¡± With that, sheughed and sped up to leave. That person watched Mu Yangling leave with his mouth agape and only came back to his senses after a while. Mu Yangling arrived at the prefectural capital before ten o¡¯clock. She directly pulled the wild boar to thergest restaurant in the prefectural capital, Prosperity Restaurant. Mu Yangling knocked on the side door and said to the assistant shopkeeper who came to open the door, ¡°My family has just obtained fresh wild boar meat. I wonder if you guys will ept it?¡± The assistant shopkeeper looked at Mu Yangling from head to toe and asked, ¡°Are you from Uncle Mu¡¯s family?¡± Mu Yangling nodded and took out five copper coins for him. ¡°My father¡¯s name is Mu Shi. He said that he had an agreement with your shopkeeper previously. Please inform him.¡± The assistant shopkeeper took a look at the things on her cart and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to sell this thing of yours. Our restaurant has a fixed supplier. My shopkeeper only agreed to your father¡¯s request because he came to eat with Little Generalst time. Our shopkeeper only said yes on ount of Little General.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Regardless of whether the shopkeeper was faking it or sincerely wanted to buy my family¡¯s prey, I have to ask him. If he doesn¡¯t want to buy it, I¡¯ll go to another restaurant. I¡¯m not afraid that no one will buy the prey I hunted. Little Brother, help me ask.¡± After thinking for a moment, the assistant shopkeeper nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you ask. Whether it seeds or not will depend on your luck.¡± Prosperity Restaurant was a restaurant that Minister He had set up with Minister Sun and Magistrate Wu. It was considered thergest restaurant in Xingzhou Prefecture. Other than purchasing from the He and Sun families¡¯ manors, they also had fixed suppliers for the rest of their items. Therefore, when the shopkeeper heard that someone from the Mu family had sent prey over, he frowned slightly. Previously, he was unwilling to reject them in front of Qi Haoran. During this period of time, when he saw that no one had delivered the goods, he¡¯d thought that the Mu family was tactful. He did not expect them to still deliver it. Thinking that there was no need to offend Qi Haoran over such a small matter, he called the second shopkeeper over and said, ¡°Go and see what she sent over. Just give her some money and dismiss her. If she asks about the next delivery, just say that we already have a supplier and give her some reward money to dismiss her.¡± The second shopkeeper agreed, but when he was halfway there, he was stopped by an assistant shopkeeper. ¡°Shopkeeper, there¡¯s something wrong with the pork that was just sent into the kitchen. The head chef is angry.¡± The second shopkeeper frowned and waved at the assistant shopkeeper. ¡°Go to the side door and send the delivery person away. Tell him that we don¡¯tck ingredients today. Make it sound nice and don¡¯t offend anyone. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to take a look.¡± The assistant shopkeeper agreed and ran to the side door. Mu Yangling was resting on the cart. When she saw the assistant shopkeepering over, she quickly stood up. ¡°Miss Mu? I¡¯m really sorry. We have enough ingredients today. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to purchase the prey that you sent over. Do you see the Red Taste Restaurant diagonally opposite? Why don¡¯t you try over there?¡± Chapter 176: Business Success Chapter 176: Business Sess Editor: As Studios When Mu Yangling saw that only one assistant shopkeeper hade out, she knew that this business was most likely not going to work. She did not know what her father had discussed with the restaurant. At that time, he only said that she was sendingrge prey to sell at the prefectural capital, she should look for Prosperity Restaurant. Perhaps it was because their family came so suddenly that they no longer needed the goods? Just as this thought shed across her mind, Mu Yangling nodded with a smile. ¡°I understand. Sorry to trouble you to make an extra trip.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling was easy to talk to, the assistant shopkeeper¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°This is what I should do.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ask at Red Taste Restaurant.¡± When the assistant shopkeeper saw that Mu Yangling was really pushing the cart towards the Red Taste Restaurant, he could not help but open his mouth wide. He had just mentioned it casually. Who did not know that Prosperity Restaurant and Red Taste Restaurant were rivals? How could someone send goods rejected by Prosperity Restaurant to Red Taste Restaurant? Red Taste Restaurant probably wouldn¡¯t want it either, right? However, seeing that she had already reached the entrance of the alley, the assistant shopkeeper did not stop her. Before he returned, he nced at Mu Yangling¡¯s cart and saw a fat ck wild boar on it. There wererge leaves covering its head and body, most likely to prevent dust from dirtying the wild boar¡¯s wounds. Mu Yangling had not told them that the wild boar was still alive. On the way, in order to prevent the wild boar from being exposed to the sun, she specially picked somerge leaves to cover its head. As the little wild boars were still young, five or six leaves were sufficient to cover them. Mu Yangling was not stingy and directly covered the little wild boars. Red Taste Restaurant was diagonally opposite Prosperity Restaurant and not far away. She was about to push the cart to the side door when she heard the conversation between two people walking out of Red Taste Restaurant and stopped in her tracks. ording to the rules of the industry, if one wanted to deliver or rmend goods to a restaurant or eatery, other than high-grade wine and dried fruits, they had to go to the back door. It was for no other reason than to make the guests in front feelfortable. Otherwise, if they saw chickens, ducks, geese, and vegetables the moment they entered the door to drink and eat, wouldn¡¯t it make for an unpleasant experience? Therefore, the front door was only meant for the guests. Mu Yangling stopped and looked at the two of them. One of them stopped the other and cupped his hands. ¡°Boss Li, you don¡¯t have to send me off further. I can go back myself. Go ahead and get back to your own matters.¡± ¡°Mr. Chen, I wee you at Red Taste Restaurant at any time. Once you¡¯ve thought it through, you can look for me here at any time.¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Boss Li. I¡¯ll think about it when I get back.¡± After watching Mr. Chen leave, Mu Yangling called out to Boss Li, who was about to turn around and go back. ¡°Boss Li, please wait.¡± Boss Li looked in the direction of the voice and met a pair of smiling eyes. Just as Boss Li was about to praise the handsome young man in his heart, he realized that the other party was a little girl. However, with her hair tied up and being d in a short coat, she looked just like a boy. A smile appeared on Boss Li¡¯s face as he asked politely, ¡°Youngdy, are you looking for me?¡± Mu Yangling nodded and smiled. ¡°Boss Li, you¡¯re the boss of Red Taste Restaurant, right? I really wanted to do business with you. It¡¯s a coincidence that I should meet you here.¡± Seeing that she was standing at the entrance of the alley and the cart had already entered half of the alley, Boss Li knew that she understood the rules of the industry. Seeing that she did not chase after him, he was satisfied. He took two steps towards her and asked with a smile, ¡°Youngdy, what business is it regarding?¡± ¡°My family caught some wild animals and I brought them to the prefectural capital to sell. I¡¯m hoping I could find an eatery or restaurant that would buy them all at one go.¡± Seeing that the other party was so honest, Boss Liughed and went forward to lift a leaf on her cart. Hemented, ¡°This is really a wild boar. However, its meat looks quite tough and it¡¯s a female one. It¡¯s not delicious. I¡¯m afraid our restaurant doesn¡¯t want it.¡± Mu Yangling lifted the other leaves and asked, ¡°What about these few?¡± The leaves parted to reveal five fat, small, and ck little wild boars. Boss Li eximed and asked, ¡°Are these also wild boars?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°They¡¯re caught with this big wild boar.¡± ¡°When were they caught?¡± ¡°Yesterday, they¡¯re still alive.¡± Boss Li reached out to touch one of the little wild boars in surprise. As expected, it was still alive. At this moment, he was a little suspicious. ¡°You caught it alive? Then why is it unconscious?¡± ¡°They were knocked unconscious.¡± Mu Yangling said matter-of-factly, ¡°So if you want to buy them, you have to buy four at once. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to knock them out again before I can bring them back. In spite of their small size, they can still attack people when they get ferocious.¡± Boss Li¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then do you have a way to wake them up?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°I only have a way to knock them out.¡± Boss Li thought for a moment and said, ¡°Follow me to the backyard. Try sshing water on them. I want to see lively wild boars.¡± Mu Yangling thought that this was Boss Li¡¯s special hobby, so she pushed the cart and followed. The way to wake a pig up was to ssh water on its face. Mu Yangling only knew that it was useful for humans, but she did not expect it to be useful for pigs as well. Seeing that there was a small one in the cart, Boss Li asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you bringing this one up?¡± Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s not for sale. It¡¯s a gift.¡± Boss Li didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, he looked at the little wild boars that had already jumped up and were running around the courtyard. Boss Li now believed that these were real wild boars, but he couldn¡¯t do anything to them. Mu Yangling went forward and knocked them unconscious again. Wiping her sweat, she asked Boss Li, ¡°How is it? Do you want them?¡± It would be embarrassing to reject her after subjecting her wild boars to such torture, right? However, Boss Li had already nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, of course. I want all four.¡± Thinking that the one left outside also appeared excellent, he tempted her and said, ¡°You can choose other things as a gift, right? I think that big wild boar is not bad. You can always cut seven to eight catties of pork from that big wild boar and gift that instead. Why don¡¯t you sell me that little wild boar too?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°This has long been reserved for others. Besides, how can a big wild boarpare to a small wild boar? Boss Li, I¡¯ll sell four of them. Do you want that big wild boar? Since your restaurant is so big, you¡¯ll definitely be able to find some use for it.¡± Boss Li shook his head and asked someone to retrieve eight taels of silver from the ounts. He said, ¡°That wild boar meat is too tough. Our restaurant won¡¯t ept it. In the future, if there are small or tender ones like this, send them to me. I¡¯ll take as much as you have.¡± Boss Li handed her eight taels of silver and said, ¡°These little wild boars cost two taels of silver each. Four of them cost a total of eight taels of silver. Please count the money properly.¡± Mu Yangling held the money in her arms and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head to another restaurant now. I wish you a prosperous business.¡± Boss Li watched her leave with a smile and replied, ¡°I wish you a prosperous business, too.¡± Mu Yangling directly pushed the big wild boar to the meat stall. After some bargaining, it was sold for 3 taels and 625 copper coins. After receiving the money, Mu Yangling turned around and went to the General¡¯s Residence. The remaining little wild boar was for Qi Xiuyuan. When Mu Yangling carried her things to the General¡¯s Residence, the people from the General¡¯s Residence recognized her and let her in. Mu Yangling carried the little wild boar to the kitchen and put it down. ¡°This is for the General. If he asks, just say that I have something on and am in a hurry to go back.¡± Chapter 177: Selling Embroidery Chapter 177: Selling Embroidery Editor: As Studios Steward Zhu, who had run over, heard this and hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Mu, since it¡¯s already noon, at least stay for lunch. General should be back soon.¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°I have to make a trip to the embroidery workshop and rush back before nightfall. I definitely can¡¯t dy any longer. Steward Zhu, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling was about to leave, Steward Zhu hurriedly got someone to get some food from the kitchen and stuffed it into her hand. As he sent her out, he said, ¡°Then take these to fill your stomach. When youe to the prefectural capital in the future, remember toe to the General¡¯s Residence.¡± Steward Zhu knew that the three masters of the Qi family treated thisdy differently, so he did not dare to be negligent. When Qi Xiuyuan returned, Steward Zhu reported Mu Yangling¡¯s matter and asked, ¡°Young Master, that little wild boar is still alive. How do you think we should prepare it?¡± Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s rare. Keep it for now. I¡¯ll invite a few people to try it tonight. By the way, prepare a birthday gift for Mrs. Qin. I¡¯ll bring Haoran and Zijin to celebrate her birthday with her.¡± The emissary¡¯s mother¡¯s surname was Qin. She came to the office with the emissary, but the emissary¡¯s wife and children were left in the capital as hostages. From this, it could be seen that the emissary was filial to his mother, so Qi Xiuyuan paid a lot of attention to this matter. Steward Zhu started to worry. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for the past few days, but I haven¡¯t been able to find anything suitable. Mrs. Qin is from the south and likes refined and exquisite things. We have no problem finding things like ginseng, lingzhi, or precious fur in Xingzhou Prefecture, but where can I find refined and exquisite things?¡± Qi Xiuyuan couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks. In the end, he waved his hand and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t find it in Xingzhou Prefecture, go to Xingyuan Prefecture to take a look. There¡¯s still a month to go. Take your time.¡± Steward Zhu agreed and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to keep this little wild boar until Fourth Young Master and Young Master Zijin return? Fourth Young Master will definitely like this.¡± Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°Do you think he won¡¯t receive one as well? Since Ah Ling gave one to me, I¡¯m certain he won¡¯t receive any less than us since he lives nearby.¡± Noticing the change in the way Eldest Young Master addressed Miss Mu, Steward Zhu could not help but rejoice that he was sufficiently polite and warm to Mu Yangling just now. After leaving the residence, Mu Yangling went straight to Brocade Workshop. Previously, she had already asked the shopkeeper of Brocade Workshop and he had given her an estimate of about 100 taels of silver. Mu Yangling felt that it was alright. At least, it was not much different from what her mother had said and could be discussed. However, the shopkeeper of Brocade Workshop was someone else this time. Mu Yangling looked at him curiously for a while but did not ask where the previous shopkeeper had gone. After all, no one knew if this shopkeeper had any conflicts with the previous one. The shopkeeper opened the embroidery and looked at it for a while. He ced it on the counter and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°This is good stuff with exquisite embroidery skills. How about this? I¡¯ll give you 20 taels. How about that?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes widened. The shopkeeper thought that she was shocked. After all, 20 taels of silver was a huge sum of money in this remote vige. Unexpectedly, Mu Yangling shouted, ¡°20 taels? Shopkeeper, did you make a mistake? Not 200 taels?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s expression froze. He flung his sleeves and said, ¡°Miss, are you ying with me? What embroidery is worth 200 taels of silver? Have you gone crazy from thinking about money?¡± Mu Yangling sized him up and carefully put away the embroidery before turning to leave. Realizing that he had met someone who knew the market price, the shopkeeper¡¯s face turned slightly ashen. He originally thought that she was a youngdy who did not know anything, but who knew¡­ Seeing that she was about to leave, the shopkeeper stopped her. ¡°Miss, wait. Since you¡¯re not satisfied with 20 taels, we can increase the price slightly.¡± Mu Yangling turned around and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, you sure like to joke. This is double-sided embroidery. Even if you increase the price by a lot, I can¡¯t sell it at such a low price, let alone a slight increase. In short, are you going to give me an honest price? If not, I¡¯ll go to the next shop.¡± The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay 50 taels, how about that? It¡¯s 10 taels more than double the previous price.¡± Mu Yangling pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Then do you know how much the shopkeeper offered me previously?¡± At this point, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t care if she would offend him. As this person was too cunning in doing business, Mu Yangling decided not to interact with him in the future if there was no need. With an ashen face, the shopkeeper sized up Mu Yangling and snorted coldly. ¡°Youngdy, the previous shopkeeper was fired by the boss because he didn¡¯t handle things properly andmitted a crime. The price he offered you might not be right. 50 taels of silver is already not a small amount. Don¡¯t you know what kind of territory this is? Who in the entire Xingzhou Prefecture would use such a refined and unique screen? It¡¯s still unknown if it can be sold after framing it.¡± ¡°Perhaps it might fetch 200 taels in the south.¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°But it has to be framed. Do you know how much it costs to frame this screen? The frame has to be made of excellent wood. Good quality wood is sold ording to weight. How heavy must the wood be for such a huge screen?¡± Mu Yangling sneered. ¡°Shopkeeper, don¡¯t lie to me. Although I¡¯m young, I¡¯m knowledgeable. Before I came, my mother specifically mentioned to me that this embroidery can¡¯t be sold for less than 150 taels. If it¡¯s framed, even if it¡¯s only sent to Xingyuan Prefecture, it won¡¯t be a problem to sell it for 500 taels of silver. In Xingzhou Prefecture, it can fetch at least 300 taels of silver. Even if you¡¯re using top-notch wood, the cost of that plus craftsmanship definitely won¡¯t exceed 50 taels of silver. You can use sandalwood, but can you buy it?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s face immediately darkened. If it were any other businessman, they would probably immediately give in. However, this shopkeeper was clearly not as tactful as other businessmen. He immediately flicked his sleeves and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to sell it. Hurry up and leave.¡± Mu Yangling, who originally wanted to buy embroidery threads, decided not to buy them here now. She turned around and left. It wasn¡¯t as if Brocade Workshop was the only embroidery workshop in Xingzhou Prefecture. However, the other embroidery workshops were not as big as Brocade Workshop, so they were not as confident. The highest bid was only 80 taels. If it was in the past, Mu Yangling might have considered the difference between 80 and 100 taels. But now, she would calcte that 20 taels of silver was enough for Bowen to attend school without any worries for two years, enough for four months worth of food therapy, or enough living expenses for Bosi and Kejia till they reach the age of three¡­ In short, she could not back down on the 20 taels of silver. After buying embroidery threads from an embroidery workshop, she went home with the embroidery. When Mu Yangling returned home, Xiuhong had called Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin over like she had asked. Shu Wanniang was cooking dinner in the kitchen, and Qi Haoran was ying with the children in the courtyard. She didn¡¯t know what Qi Haoran was teasing Kejia with, but Mu Yangling could hear Kejia¡¯s angry cries from afar. Fan Zijin was standing in the vegetable field at the back asking Great-aunt some questions, so he did not notice that Mu Yangling had returned. However, when Qi Haoran heard the sound of the cart, he looked up and met Mu Yangling¡¯s angry eyes. He hurriedly picked up her sister and ced her on the ground properly. He said with his hands behind his back, ¡°I didn¡¯t tip her over.¡± Chapter 178: Argument Chapter 178: Argument Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling red at him before going forward to pick Kejia up to check. When Kejia saw that her sister had returned, she hugged her neck tightly and looked at her with teary eyes. Then, she reached out to point at Qi Haoran and wailed. Surprised that this child couldin at such a young age, Qi Haoran widened his eyes and looked at her. Seeing Mu Yangling look over, he hurriedly exined, ¡°She¡¯s saying that I¡¯m ying with her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. Qi Haoran, if you dare to carry my sister like this again, I¡¯ll throw you into the river.¡± Qi Haoran touched his nose and turned to hug Bosi. Bosi was much more refined than Kejia. No matter who hugged him, he would simply sit quietly in that person¡¯s arms. Having lost interest after carrying him for a while, Qi Haoran craned his neck to look at the kitchen. ¡°Is your mother done cooking?¡± After handing Kejia to Xiuhong to carry, Mu Yangling parked the cart and brought the things back into the house. When she heard this, she said, ¡°More or less I think. By the way, where¡¯s my father?¡± Mu Yangling had asked Xiuhong to call Qi Haoran and the rest over for dinner because she hoped that her father woulde back too. ¡°Your father has something to do and isn¡¯t in the camp now,¡± Qi Haoran said nonchntly. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t ask further. Shu Wanniang had already raised her voice in the kitchen. ¡°The food is ready. Ah Ling, quickly call your great-aunt back.¡± Shu Wanniang made fragrant pork. It was her first time making such a grand dish, so she didn¡¯t have much confidence. She looked at Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin nervously and asked, ¡°How is it? Does it taste okay?¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s mouth was full of oil as he nodded repeatedly. He did not even have the time to say anything. More reserved, Fan Zijin stopped eating and nodded slightly. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Auntie¡¯s cooking is superb.¡± Xiuhong and Xin ate without looking up. Bowen took the time to add, ¡°My mother¡¯s culinary skills are the best. My father said that if my sister can learn 20% of my mother¡¯s culinary skills, she won¡¯t have to worry about getting married.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about getting married now either.¡± ¡°No way. Everyone outside says that Sister won¡¯t be able to get married in the future.¡± Great-aunt patted his head and said angrily, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Your sister is good-looking, talented, and capable. Why can¡¯t she get married?¡± Bowen said aggrievedly, ¡°They said that Sister is so powerful and fierce. What if she beat up the husband and inws after she gets married?¡± Mu Yangling said nonchntly, ¡°I won¡¯t marry someone who has such worries. I bet those are the ones who bully their wives after marrying them.¡± Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly. ¡°Only incapable men would consider such things. What are capable men afraid of?¡± Fan Zijin nced at Mu Yangling¡¯s hands. Thinking about how she had lifted a rockery easily, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver and quickly changed the topic. ¡°Did you go to the prefectural capital today? Did you go to the General¡¯s Residence?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°I sent a small wild boar to the general.¡± Shu Wanniang took the time to ask, ¡°Have you sold the embroidery?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°The shopkeeper from Brocade Workshop is no longer around. He¡¯s reced by a new shopkeeper and that person lowered the price. I¡¯ve asked other embroidery workshops, and the highest price is only 80 taels.¡± Shu Wanniang frowned slightly. Great-aunt said, ¡°80 taels is already a lot.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference of 20 taels. I brought the embroidery back. At most, I¡¯ll bring it to Xingyuan Prefecture.¡± Mu Yangling now deeply realized the importance of money and didn¡¯t want to back down easily. Anyway, she still had money at home now. When she was free after some time, she could take the time to make a trip to Xingyuan Prefecture. It would only take about four days to go back and forth, and she would be able to earn a lot more silver. However, to Madam Ma-Liu, Xingyuan Prefecture was too far away. Even she had onlye to Mingshui County for the first time because of this escape. Fan Zijin asked curiously, ¡°What embroidery is so valuable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my mother¡¯s double-sided embroidery.¡± After eating, Mu Yangling unfolded the embroidery for Fan Zijin to see. The lights were dim, but Fan Zijin was still stunned. He flipped the two sides over and looked at them repeatedly. In the end, he tapped his hand with his fan and asked, ¡°You want to sell it for 100 taels?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°At least.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll take it for 100 taels.¡± Mu Yangling blinked and asked, ¡°What do you want this for?¡± Fan Zijin said with a smirk, ¡°A gift. The emissary¡¯s mother, Mrs. Qin, is celebrating her birthday in a month. Eldest Cousin will definitely prepare a birthday gift. Mrs. Qin likes elegant things. This embroidery is exquisite, elegant, dignified and beautiful. She will definitely like it after I frame it up.¡± Moreover, it was really worth it to settle the gift for Mrs. Qin with less than 200 taels of silver. Unlike Qi Haoran who did not understand such things, Fan Zijin dabbled in everything, and as such has a shrewd taste. If this thing was framed and sent to the south, it would definitely cost at least 1,000 taels of silver. Fan Zijin was very satisfied with this great deal, and Mu Yangling was even happier to see that she could sell the embroidery without going out. This deal was happily concluded. Qi Haoran, on the other hand, saw the smugness in Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes and saw Mu Yangling grinning foolishly. He opened his mouth but did not say anything. However, the moment they left, Qi Haoran grabbed Fan Zijin and said with a straight face, ¡°Zijin, did you scam Ah Ling?¡± Fan Zijin said with a serious expression, ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re friends. Why would I scam her?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me? Then why are you so smug?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fan Zijin looked at him sincerely. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Qi Haoran looked at him from top to bottom seriously. In the end, he snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me. You¡¯re scamming her.¡± Qi Haoran turned around and left angrily. Fan Zijin¡¯s face turned green. Seeing that Qi Haoran was about to disappear inrge strides, he hurriedly chased after him and said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I admit that I took advantage of her. This embroidery is worth more than 100 taels, but she didn¡¯t lose out. No one in Xingzhou Prefecture will be willing to pay 100 taels.¡± Qi Haoran said stubbornly, ¡°But we¡¯re good friends.¡± He waved the things in his hand and said, ¡°She shares with us all the good food and fun things. Didn¡¯t you see that she packed more than half of the food for us just now? Her cousin was ring at us. Not only did you not pay the proper amount for Auntie Mu¡¯s embroidery, but you even scammed her. Zijin, I know you¡¯re smart, but I don¡¯t like you taking advantage of your friends.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s face also turned cold. Sneering, he said, ¡°I think you¡¯re like this because you like her. Other than you, I¡¯ve never tricked anyone else. I¡¯ve even tricked Eldest Cousin before, but I¡¯ve never seen you say anything. Which of your friends in Lin¡¯an Prefecture has never suffered a loss under my hands? You¡¯ll onlyugh and p when you hear that. When have I ever seen you angry? In the past, I even schemed against Eldest Cousin with you, and you were so smug about it. When did I see you feel sorry for him? When did Mu Yangling be more important than Eldest Cousin?¡± Qi Haoran stammered, ¡°Err¡­ how is this the same? Mu Yangling is a girl¡­¡± ¡°Is it really because she¡¯s a girl? Then what about those well-bred youngdies in Lin¡¯an Prefecture? You didn¡¯t care back then. When did you, Qi Haoran, be so protective of girls?¡± The two cousins parted on bad terms in the end. Chapter 179: Peace Chapter 179: Peace Editor: As Studios Thinking that Fan Zijin had misunderstood him, Qi Haoran was furious. How could he be someone who valued a lover over his friend? No, how could he like Mu Yangling? Fan Zijin was also very angry. He could see that his brother valued Mu Yangling more and more, but he magnanimously didn¡¯t mind because the other party was just a youngdy. However, Haoran actually red up at him for Mu Yangling. This was absolutely uneptable. He had never been angry with him even when it concerned his eldest cousin. How could he be so upset with him because of an outsider like Mu Yangling? This time, Fan Zijin kept a straight face and forced himself not to give in first. Qi Haoran waited for half the night, but Fan Zijin did note over to apologize to him. He then went to sleep angrily. When he woke up the next morning, Qi Haoran temporarily lost his memory and did not remember what happenedst night. He ran into Fan Zijin¡¯s room and went to have breakfast with him. Fan Zijin didn¡¯t sleep the entire nightst night and was waiting for Qi Haoran toe and give in to him. Hence, his under-eyes were a little dark. Seeing that Qi Haoran had finallye, his expression improved a little and he went to have breakfast with him with a solemn expression. After breakfast, the cousins finally reconciled. Qi Haoran wiped his mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out for morning exercise.¡± Fan Zijin nodded with a straight face and said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the prefectural capital to look for Eldest Cousinter. Tomorrow, the trade caravan will start to head south. If you need anything, ask Fei Bai to make a list for me.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Fei Bai to do itter.¡± After Qi Haoran left, Fan Zijin ate slowly for a while before waving his hand to call for Yanmo. ¡°Send 100 taels of silver to the Mu family and bring back the embroidery.¡± Yanmo asked in confusion, ¡°What embroidery?¡± He didn¡¯t follow his master to the Mu family¡¯s residencest night. Fan Zijin looked at him unhappily and said, ¡°Won¡¯t you know when you go? Mu Yangling will give it to you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yanmo thought for a moment and said, ¡°Young Master, we don¡¯t have so much silver on hand. Why don¡¯t we take some from Fourth Young Master first?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t Fourth Young Master taken the silver that I gave him?¡± Yanmo smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Young Master hasn¡¯t gone out recently, so he hasn¡¯t had a chance to spend this money. The money¡¯s still with you.¡± Fan Zijin pursed his lips and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t give it to him. Take out another 20 taels of silver from that amount and add it to the 100 taels to be sent to Mu Yangling. Just say that it¡¯s the money for the embroidery.¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t you feel sorry for her? I want to see if you feel sorry for your money or for her.¡¯ Fan Zijin thought as he gritted his teeth. When Qi Haoran found out that he only had 50 taels left because of this matter, he wanted to die. He cried dramatically as he said, ¡°How can you be so heartless? 30 taels isn¡¯t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. How am I supposed to live?¡± Fan Zijin looked at him calmly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sorry for Mu Yangling? I¡¯m taking care of her for you.¡± Qi Haoran was dumbfounded. ¡°When did I feel sorry for her? I¡¯m just saying that we shouldn¡¯t scam her because we¡¯re good friends.¡± Fan Zijin snorted and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Then how can you bear to trick Eldest Cousin when he¡¯s your brother? Yinglian is our (female) cousin, but I¡¯ve never seen you pity her. Don¡¯t try to act all nonchnt. In the end, it¡¯s because you like her.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°Nonsense. She¡¯s not pretty. Why should I like her?¡± ¡°I find it strange too. She¡¯s not pretty, so why are you always willing to follow behind her? Don¡¯t you hate ying with girls the most? You despise them for being noisy and always crying. Mu Yangling is not even as gentle as a girl, let alone beautiful. I really don¡¯t know what you like about her¡­¡± Fan Zijin became angrier and angrier as he spoke. Listening from the side, Fei Bai could not help but defend Mu Yangling. ¡°Young Master Zijin, actually, Miss Mu is very beautiful. It¡¯s just that she usually wears short clothes and dresses like a boy, so her beauty is hidden. Although Miss Mu isn¡¯t gentle enough, she¡¯s skilled and strong. She can exchange more than 150 moves with Young Master. She¡¯s also kind-hearted and is willing to sacrifice herself for her pals. I think there¡¯s nothing wrong with her.¡± Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly in agreement. The corners of Fan Zijin¡¯s mouth twitched as he asked, ¡°Is this a girl you¡¯re describing? Are you guys looking for a pal?¡± Frowning, Qi Haoran said, ¡°You look down on women. Be careful or I¡¯ll tell Aunt and let her beat you up.¡± Fan Zijin looked at him pitifully. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who believes in my mother¡¯s strong personality. If she¡¯s really so powerful, I wouldn¡¯t have an eldest brother who¡¯s two years older than me born from a concubine, and my family wouldn¡¯t be in a mess because of the several concubines. I was even so angry with my father that I ran away from home. Mu Yangling looks tough now, but when she gets married and has children in the future, she might not be so powerful. Haoran, don¡¯t treat girls as guys. They¡¯re not worthy.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°But Aunt is clearly very fierce. She even dared to chase after Uncle with a knife. Which madam in Xingzhou Prefecture dares to do this?¡± Fan Zijin sneered. ¡°So what if she chased after my father with a knife? Doesn¡¯t stop my father from visiting the brothel and sleeping with his concubines. She couldn¡¯t do anything about it. If other people¡¯s wives didn¡¯t chase after their husbands all over the house, they would at least preserve the dignity of a legitimate wife and retain the status of a legitimate son for their son.¡± Qi Haoran said unhappily, ¡°So why didn¡¯t you help Aunt when you know everything? If my mother was still around, I definitely wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to bully her, not even my father.¡± Qi Haoran had lost his mother at a young age and had even forgotten what she looked like. However, he still yearned for his mother, so he could never understand Fan Zijin¡¯s attitude towards his mother. Fan Zijin naturally knew that this was one of his reverse scales, so he said seriously, ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t help her? If I didn¡¯t help her, her life would only be even more difficult, but she never listened to my advice. This time, I came to the border with you to help her.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand. Fan Zijin pushed his head away and said, ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to understand. You just have to know that I stayed outside to help her.¡± Fan Zijin thought coldly that he was forcing her to make a decision. Did she want her husband or her son? If she wanted her husband, he could only watch her continue to be entangled with her father like this. At most, he would stand up for her outside. However, if she chose her son, she would have her maternal family, schemes, methods, and him. What was there to be afraid of then? Weren¡¯t the concubines easy to deal with? However, Fan Zijin was a little disappointed. Until now, other than sending some money, his mother had not said anything. The information Eldest Cousin had received was that she was still fighting with her father and arguing with him non-stop because of him. But was it really for him? Qi Haoran was not sensitive enough to notice what was on his brother¡¯s mind. After Fan Zijin kept pointing out that he liked Mu Yangling, he really started to think seriously. Did he really like Mu Yangling? Qi Haoran thought about it for a few days and finally came to the conclusion that he liked Mu Yangling, but at the thought of marrying her, he felt strange. What if he didn¡¯t want to get married at all? In the end, Qi Haoran came to a conclusion. ¡°I treat Mu Yangling like a brother, really!¡± Fan Zijin pped his face before turning around to continue sleeping. He said in a muffled voice, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping at night?? Chapter 180: Letting Go Chapter 180: Letting Go Editor: As Studios When Fan Zijin sent the embroidery to Qi Xiuyuan in the prefectural capital, thetter said happily, ¡°I was just fretting over this birthday gift.¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at the embroidery carefully and nodded. ¡°Not bad. Where did you get this from? I was still thinking that if I can¡¯t find a suitable gift in Xingzhou Prefecture, I would have to look south.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s luck. I happened to see it when I went to the Mu Residence for dinner that day. She tried to sell it at the prefectural capital, but the price offered by the embroidery workshop wasn¡¯t suitable, so she didn¡¯t sell it. If she sold it that day, we wouldn¡¯t be able to buy it at anywhere near this price.¡± Fan Zijin said, ¡°Eldest Cousin, this embroidery has to be paired with superior wood. If we can¡¯t find such good stuff in Xingzhou Prefecture, why don¡¯t we get someone to look for it in the south? When the timees, we¡¯ll get the embroidery workshop to process it when we transport the wood back. There¡¯s still a month¡¯s time. We should be able to make it in time.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nced at him and knew that he was nning to go south. Don¡¯t think that he didn¡¯t know what these two brats were up to in the 5th Division. If he hadn¡¯t helped cover it up, who did they think they could hide their actions from? Initially, Qi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t want to mention it, but now, he had no choice but to warn him. ¡°Zijin, you¡¯re smart and hardworking, obtaining the¡®xiucai1¡¯ title at the mere age of 11. Even if your father passes the hereditary privilege to your half-brother, I believe that your future achievements won¡¯t be inferior to his or even your father¡¯s. That¡¯s why I tried my best to hire a teacher for you when you came to me. I no longer count on Haoran to study, but I don¡¯t want you to neglect your studies.¡± Other than Haoran, no one had ever talked to him about his future. His father would only ask him to give in to his brothers, and his mother would only ask him to study hard and not let his step-brothers bully him. Seeing that Qi Xiuyuan was serious, Fan Zijin could not help but be serious as well. ¡°I know what you and Haoran are nning, but you have to remember that the 5th Division is only for Haoran to practice. As for you¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuan sighed. ¡°Actually, I wanted you to stay in the prefecture capital to study, but you two brothers are unwilling to be apart, so I let youe along. Although I agreed to let you be Haoran¡¯s Military Advisor, that¡¯s only so that you can interact with external affairs. Your focus should still be on your studies. The 5th Division only provides the logistics for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Divisions. I don¡¯t understand why the two of you are kept so busy that you don¡¯t even have time to attend sses.¡± Fan Zijin could not help but blush. During this period of time, he had indeed spent all his time on business and could only spare two hours to study at night. Qi Xiuyuan patted his shoulder and said, ¡°In my heart, you¡¯re my younger brother just like Haoran, so I hope you can understand what you want and what sort of a future you wish to pursue. Zijin, how long do you think you can be Haoran¡¯s Military Advisor? In terms of marching and formation, you¡¯re far inferior to Haoran. In terms of winning the hearts of the soldiers, you¡¯re iparable to Haoran who can get along with the soldiers. You even have to rely on Haoran to support you in the army. You¡¯re still young now and only think that it¡¯s fun. But what about 10 or 20 yearster? Will you continue to think this way when you still have to rely on Haoran in the army, andck scope for your abilities?¡± Speechless, Fan Zijin was so agitated that he fell onto the stool. Qi Xiuyuan patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Think about it carefully.¡± When he opened the door, he said, ¡°You can only do these private businesses this once. How can my brother do such a lowly thing?¡± Fan Zijin watched Qi Xiuyuan leave in a daze. He had always told himself that he was helping Haoran by staying in the 5th Division. Almost all of Haoran¡¯s logistics were in his hands, and all the supplies in the army could only change hands with his permission. He¡¯d thought that he had helped Haoran a lot, but if not for Haoran suppressing the subordinates in the army, how could he have held onto the supplies in the 5th Division? Fan Zijin could not help but feel confused. What path would he take in the future? Or should he study and return to Lin¡¯an Prefecture to participate in the Imperial Examination? After passing the Vige Examination and the Pce Examination, he would slowly rise in the ranks starting from a seventh-grade official? The civil officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty were indeed very esteemed, but promotion took a very long time. Even if he was talented and smart, he would still have to endure for three years before he could be a schr and enter the six departments before the age of 25. Then, he would be assigned to be a sixth-grade official outside of the capital. Even if he performed well every year, he would have to be outside for at least six years. Then, he would find a way back to the capital to hopefully be promoted to the fourth-grade. The fourth-grade to the third-grade was a huge hurdle. If he was lucky, he might be able to achieve that after enduring six years¡­ As for third-grade, by then he would be 40 years old. Even if he had the confidence to make it that far, would his father live to see it? As long as he could not surpass his father, he would be bound by him. However, if he did not take the path of a civil servant, he did not fancy martial arts and militaryw. He did not have other talents, so what else could he do? Fan Zijin returned in low spirits. Qi Haoran casually realized that something was wrong with him and hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you look like you¡¯ve lost your soul aftering back from the prefectural capital?¡± Fan Zijin said dejectedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of path I should take in the future.¡± He told Qi Haoran in detail about how lost he felt. Qi Haoran pursed his lips nonchntly and said, ¡°You and Big Brother are thinking too much. If everyone thinks like you, how many people in the world can be happy? Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Just take the emperor for example. Wouldn¡¯t he be worried to death every day? ¡®What if I lose the world? What if my kingdom falls? Should I fight this war or not? What if I do? What if I don¡¯t?¡¯ He¡¯d be worried to death and wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything! I think we should all look forward to the future. If I like to practice martial arts, I¡¯ll practice martial arts. If I like to train soldiers, I¡¯ll train soldiers every day. If the Jin soldiers attack, I¡¯ll fight them back. If you like to study, then study. If you like to do business, then do it. In the future, if you want to take the Imperial Examination, go take it. Anyway, considering you¡¯ve always been studying plus you¡¯re smart, you can¡¯t fare worse than others. If you don¡¯t want to take the examination, then forget it. Just follow me. If you¡¯re unhappy, go out and have fun beforeing back. It¡¯s a simple thing, it¡¯s your overthinking that makes it tooplicated.¡± Frowning, Fan Zijin said, ¡°We have to focus on something. How can we treat every situation the same way?¡± Qi Haoran tilted his head and asked, ¡°Why not? That¡¯s what I do.¡± Fan Zijin choked and said, ¡°How is that the same? You could practice martial arts when you were training, and it didn¡¯t take up much time. Now that you handed half of the training to the regimentmander of the camp, you have even more time now. You¡¯ve been running to Chenggu Garrison more and more diligently these few days.¡± Qi Haoran red at him. ¡°Training soldiers is the job of the regimentmander. I just have to watch and make sure he doesn¡¯t make any mistakes. Why should I keep an eye on him? I want to be a general, not a coach.¡± Fan Zijin was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Qi Haoran had already muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot of time too? You can just hand the rabbit business to the men below, and you don¡¯t have to follow the convoy south. When they return, you just have to listen to their report and check the ount book. With Big Brother watching over the supplies in the 5th Division, our supplies won¡¯t disappear for sure. Considering there are experienced ountants and the warehouse is guarded, you only need to take a look every once in a while. You can just use the remaining time to do your own things, right?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to study and are deliberately finding an excuse to skip ss?¡± Fan Zijin rolled his eyes at him and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you?¡± However, he was already enlightened in his heart. ring at Qi Haoran, he thought, ¡®Indeed, a fool has a fool¡¯s luck!¡¯ Chapter 181: Follow-up Chapter 181: Follow-up Editor: As Studios Fan Zijin did not abandon this business as Qi Xiuyuan hoped. Instead, he agreed with Mu Yangling to wait for the trade caravan to return before determining the number of rabbits to be ughtered. Before that, Fan Zijin hoped that she would raise as many rabbits as possible. After all, he was still unwilling to give up this business that he had worked so hard at for so long. Not only did he have to think of a way to open up business avenues, but he also had to find other business opportunities. Qi Haoran¡¯s words enlightened him. Since he could not increase his political capital through studying and the 5th Division, he would umte more wealth. At the very least, he would not have to beg for money in the future, right? As for what Eldest Cousin said about merchants being lowly, he would just pretend not to have heard it. After Fan Zijin¡¯s men went south, they would send news back to him every once in a while. When they arrived at the Jiangling Prefecture, the steward got someone to send back two pieces of ck and red sandalwood. When Fan Zijin received it, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. He said to Qi Haoran, ¡°Who said that business is bad? At the very least, it¡¯s easy to buy what you want. If business is to be mixed with politics, what do you think it will be?¡± ¡°A collusion between government and business!¡± Fan Zijin rolled his eyes at him and snapped, ¡°It¡¯d be the Imperial Merchants, such as the Shen family.¡± Fan Zijin ced the logs properly and stood up. ¡°General Yuan was able to lead the army for decades. Even if the Imperial Court repeatedly suppressed him, he still stood tall. Half of the credit goes to the Shen family. And the Shen family was able to be the number one Imperial Merchant in the world from their humble beginnings,rgely thanks to General Yuan. Haoran, what if Eldest Cousin also has the Shen family behind him?¡± ¡°Then Big Brother will definitely upy a higher position than General Yuan. He might even be a great general.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°I think so too, so let¡¯s work hard towards this goal. Perhaps Eldest Cousin can really be the general of the world¡¯s troops?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be Big Brother¡¯s number one general, and you¡¯ll be the number one Military Advisor.¡± The two cousins fantasized about the future,pletely ignoring how impractical it all sounded. Fan Zijin happily took the embroidery and wood to the Brocade Workshop. Because the item was expensive and it was the Qi family¡¯s business, the owner of Brocade Workshop personally weed Fan Zijin and Steward Zhu with the shopkeeper. The sandalwood was wrapped in silk cloth, and there were only two pieces. As soon as they opened it, everyone smelled a faint sandalwood fragrance. The boss said with a smile, ¡°This is top-quality wood. Young Master Fan, you are indeed resourceful to be able to find such good stuff in Xingzhou Prefecture.¡± Because emperors and nobles liked to use sandalwood as coffins, and sandalwood took a long time to grow, sandalwood was very rare in the country. Hence, it was very difficult to find this. Even if there were, they were mostly sold to ces where powerful people gathered, such as Lin¡¯an Prefecture. Now that there were war disasters in the north, sandalwood was even rarer. Normally, it would be very good if one could gather enough sandalwood to make a box. Now, he could actually find two pieces that were long enough to make a screen. Fan Zijin smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m just lucky. However, there are only two pieces of the sandalwood left, so you have to be careful with them. If anything goes wrong, I won¡¯t be able to find any sandalwood here to rece it.¡± The owner hurriedly said, ¡°Young Master Fan, don¡¯t worry. Our craftsmen are the best in the entire Xingzhou Prefecture. I¡¯ll get them to work slower on the sandalwood and make sure that nothing will go wrong. Let¡¯s take a look at the embroidery. I¡¯m very curious as to what kind of embroidery is worthy of such wood.¡± Fan Zijin looked at Steward Zhu, who took out the embroidery piece from a box and unfolded it for them to see. As soon as the thing was opened, the shopkeeper¡¯s expression turned a little ugly. He recognized that Mu Yangling had brought this thing here previously. After Mu Yangling left, he had asked someone to keep an eye on her. Knowing that she did not sell the item in the end and took it back, he was even less anxious. He thought that the other party would definitely bring it back to Xingzhou Prefecture. When the time came, he would just raise the price slightly. He was not afraid that she would not sell it. Even if she really refused to sell it, he had a way to force her to sell it. Unexpectedly, she actually sold it to the Qi family? Could it be that there was someone backing her? However, she was wearing ordinary clothes that day, and her clothes were even a little dirty. She was a ssic example of a poor person with no money. How did she manage to sell the item to the Qi family? Fan Zijin nced at the shopkeeper and saw the change in his expression. He smiled mockingly but did not expose him. The shopkeeper of Brocade Workshop was not the only one who felt aggrieved because of Mu Yangling. The second shopkeeper of Prosperity Restaurant was also aggrieved because there was a problem with the pork in Fortune Gathering Restaurant that day, causing them to be unable to cook many dishes. It would have been fine if it was any other time, because the customers could just order other dishes. Prosperity Restaurant was not only famous for this. However, that day, Boss Li bought four small wild boars from Mu Yangling. He raised two of them for the time being and immediately prepared the other two into dishes and ced them on the high tform. He announced that they were Red Taste Restaurant¡¯s specialty dishes of the day. Red Taste Restaurant and Prosperity Restaurant were opposite each other. The customers who were originally sitting in Prosperity Restaurant and waiting to order food saw this and went to Red Taste Restaurant to join in the fun. Those who weren¡¯t loyal patrons of the Prosperity Restaurant felt that eating at Red Taste Restaurant might not be a bad idea. In any case, the dishes they wanted to eat in Prosperity Restaurant were not avable that day. Therefore, those who had gone over to watch themotion did not return. What was even more amazing was that the two pots of dishes were bought by two tables of guests at a high price in the end. In the end, those dishes were even evaluated in public and were hailed as the most delicious in Xingzhou Prefecture. As for the guests who were attracted, after eating the dishes from Red Taste Restaurant, they felt that the taste wasparable to Prosperity Restaurant. When they were about to go to the restaurant the next day, they saw that Red Taste Restaurant was still lively, so they changed direction and went to Red Taste Restaurant again. On the third day, although some customers were still used to eating at Prosperity Restaurant, many people chose to go to Red Taste Restaurant. Some people even came directly to the Red Taste Restaurant after seeing that there were many people in Prosperity Restaurant. Originally, Prosperity Restaurant had significantly better business than Red Taste Restaurant, but now, both sides were evenly matched. The shopkeeper of Prosperity Restaurant naturally had to find out the reason, so he found Mu Yangling. The little wild boars that had been made into a dish of ¡®Fragrant Pork¡¯ was sold to Red Taste Restaurant by Mu Yangling. However, the shopkeeper could not find trouble with Mu Yangling because she hade to look for them first and only went to Red Taste Restaurant after they rejected her. Although it was an unwritten rule in this area that if one wanted to do business with Prosperity Restaurant, they could not do business with Red Taste Restaurant. However, it was unwritten after all. Even if Mu Yangling did it, they could not do anything to her. Therefore, he could only look for the second shopkeeper. He had asked him to send her away, but since the other party had brought something good, why did he still push her away? The second shopkeeper could not say anything. Since the head shopkeeper clearly wanted to use him as a scapegoat, he did not even have the chance to exin himself. Mu Yangling did not know about these things. Right now, she was busy fertilizing and plowing the wheat fields. Being a huge project, this was not much easier than nting seeds. Old Man Sun brought an oxen over to Mu Yangling and said with a smile, ¡°Although you¡¯re strong, you can¡¯t be so hard on yourself. Come, this is your family¡¯s share. I¡¯lle back to get it in three days.¡± Chapter 182: Calculation Chapter 182: Calction Editor: As Studios Before Mu Yangling could refuse, Great-aunt took the rope from his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Sun. You don¡¯t have to specially let our family have the ox for three days. Just like everyone else, our family only needs it for half a day.¡± Old Man Sun did not insist. Hearing this, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, bring it over to me when you¡¯re done at noon. I¡¯ll send it to the Hu family.¡± Great-aunt agreed happily. After watching Old Man Sun leave, she said to Mu Yangling, ¡°It¡¯s better for the Sun family to hold the sectionmander position. At least everyone won¡¯t have so much resentment.¡± Now that Old Man Sun¡¯s youngest son, Sun Yue, was the sectionmander, it was naturally the Sun family¡¯s turn to distribute these resources. The Sun family was very good at dealing with people. They didn¡¯t make many changes to the Mu family¡¯s previous rules. Each family still took turns having an oxen for half a day. But instead of deciding the order by means of a lottery like previously, it was up to the Sun family to arrange it now. Just like the Mu family, the Sun family did not ask the people in the vige to help with their farmwork. Instead, they did their own work. Although there were inevitably signs of favoritism in a few of the measures, with the Hu family as an earlier example, everyone epted the current arrangement very well. On the other hand, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t have much of a reaction to this because she didn¡¯t think that she would fight for those resources. Seeing that her great-aunt had epted the ox, she couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the ox would always go astray and ruin the wheat? That it¡¯s easier to order me around instead? Why did you ept it?¡± Great-aunt red at her. ¡°How can youpare yourself to an ox? It¡¯s good that we ept it. Otherwise, the vigers will think that we¡¯re easy to bully when they see that we don¡¯t want anything. Even if I don¡¯t order this ox around, I¡¯ll just spend half a day holding it.¡± Embarrassed, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°But Great-aunt, if the ox is in our hands, we have to be responsible for the fodder. Moreover, not only do we have to be responsible at this time, but we also have to be responsible for it in the future. Xin has to learn embroidery and help take care of the children. Xiuhong has to follow me to raise rabbits and do farm work. You also have to go into the city to set up a stall aside from doing farm work. My mother is busy with needlework all the time. Bowen has to go to school. Who has the time to be in charge of grazing the oxen?¡± Great-aunt was dumbfounded. Only then did she remember that if they used an ox, not only would she have to be in charge of its fodder now, but she would also have to take turns grazing the oxen when farming was less busy in the future. ¡°Then, then can¡¯t we just keep it for half a day?¡± After saying that, Great-aunt said with a determined expression, ¡°It¡¯s settled then. After lunch, I¡¯ll talk to Old Man Sun. Considering your father is Little General¡¯s most favored subordinate now, I don¡¯t think he dares to arrange for our family to graze the oxen.¡± ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s doing,¡± Mu Yangling muttered softly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I said, I don¡¯t know how many barrels of night soil our family has to buy. Didn¡¯t Grandpa Sun say that if everyone buys the night soil together, we can lower the price? We might be able to lower it to one copper coin a barrel.¡± In the past, when everyone went to buy night soil, they would buy it individually or only go with a few families that they were closer with. However, this time, it was the Sun family who organized it. They would step forward and bargain down the price. Later, everyone would hand the money to the Sun family and the Sun family would give it to the person selling the night soil. They only had to bring buckets there to collect it. After pondering for a moment, Great-aunt said, ¡°We have a lot ofnd. Don¡¯t you also want to fertilize corn and rice? Why don¡¯t you just buy all the fertilizer needed in one shot? Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to make a few trips. Later, help me calcte how many buckets you¡¯ll need.¡± When she returned at night, Mu Yangling took out a pen and paper, and looked at her great-aunt. Great-aunt counted on her fingers as she said, ¡°We must certainly fertilize the wheat and rice. There are a total of 72 acres of wheat. We¡¯ve got to fertilize the low-gradend using two buckets per acre. The medium-gradend and high-gradend require a little less¡ªone bucket per acre. That makes 74 buckets. Since the rice is all nted on high-gradend, just one bucket per acre, which makes 13 buckets. How many buckets so far?¡± Without even needing to use her pen, Mu Yangling said, ¡°87. There¡¯s still the cornfield. Since the corn is all nted on low-gradend, we have to use more fertilizer.¡± Great-aunt frowned. Actually, until now, she still didn¡¯t have confidence in the corn harvest. She had heard that corn was nted in a simr way to wheat, but she had never seen anything like Ah Ling¡¯s method. And now, everyone in the vige felt that their 28 acres of corn were wasted on the corn, so Great-aunt naturally didn¡¯t want to put in more effort. Oblivious to what her great-aunt was thinking, Mu Yangling only bit the tip of her pen and pondered. ¡°The nt spacing and height of corn are bigger than wheat. In other words, it should be able to bear more fertilizer than wheat. Since no base fertilizer was used previously, why don¡¯t we just use three buckets per acre? It¡¯s settled then.¡± Mu Yangling wrote down the number 171 on the paper and blew on it. ¡°Great-aunt, this year, our family will use 171 barrels of night soil.¡± Great-aunt was dumbfounded. ¡°This is too much. The fertilizer used on these 28 acres of corn is almostparable to the wheat and ricebined. No, no, it¡¯s too expensive.¡± However, Mu Yangling was already deep in thought. ¡°Great-aunt, why don¡¯t we buy 300 copper coins worth of night soil? We¡¯ll spread the excess on the pasture. This way, the pasture can grow better and the rabbits can be raised stronger. That¡¯s right, how could I forget about this? The pasture has to be fertilized too.¡± Great-aunt, who had never heard that even grass had to be fertilized, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Doesn¡¯t grass simply grow on its own?¡± Mu Yangling knew that it was a little difficult for her to ept this, so she said, ¡°Great-aunt, just treat it as me cultivating thend. Think about it. In five years, my 67 acres of low-gradend will all be medium-gradend. In another five years, it will all be high-gradend. Just the thought of it makes me happy.¡± Great-aunt punched her with a smile. ¡°Nonsense. How can the quality of thend be enhanced so easily? Alright, our family doesn¡¯tck these few hundred copper coins now. I can earn it back by setting up a stall for half a day. If you want to buy it, just go ahead.¡± Now that she went to the morning market every day to sell wild prey, Great-aunt could earn 300 to 400 copper coins a day. Therefore, she didn¡¯t object to this as strongly as she would¡¯ve in the past. Just as Ah Ling had said, if they fertilized thend, it would serve to enhance the quality of their ownnd. Mu Yangling happily calcted and finally reported the number of 300 barrels. The Hu family¡¯snd was twice asrge as the Mu family¡¯s, but they only reported 300 barrels. Seeing the number of barrels reported by the Mu family, Old Hu couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces. When Old Man Sun saw this, he said with a smile, ¡°The Mu family doesn¡¯tck this bit of money now. I heard that Ah Ling¡¯s father asked someone to bring things back again. Moreover, their family can earn a lot of money just by setting up a stall in the city every day. Even the Liu family from the neighboring West Vige has gained a lot of glory because they are rtives with them.¡± Old Hu turned around and left without a word. Old Man Sun pursed his lips. Originally, because of the good rtionship between the second daughter-inw of the Hu family and Mu Yangling, as well as Madam Hu-Fang and Madam Ma-Liu, the Hu family had benefited a lot from the Mu family. Now that the two families had fallen out, the benefits were finally partially given to them. Wasn¡¯t that how his son¡¯s sectionmander position came about? Old Man Sun was determined to follow in the footsteps of the Mu family and build a good rtionship between the two families. If nothing else, the fact that Little General woulde here every few days was sufficient motivation for him to do so. If he adhered to this policy, he would not suffer. Chapter 183: Omen Chapter 183: Omen Editor: As Studios Night soil was a smelly thing to the people in the city, but to the farmers, it was a good thing. The people who poured the night soil had ie from two sources. They poured the night soil for the people in the city at a fee of 1.5 copper coins per barrel. No matter how filled the buckets were, the number of barrels were charged at this rate. And when they sold it to the farmers, they also charged them 1.5 copper coins per barrel. However, that was when they were bought in small quantities. If they wanted arge quantity, the price could be lowered further. For example, thest time, when Great-aunt went to buy it, she lowered the price to 1.2 copper coins. This time, the Sun family could lower the price to one copper coin or even lower. When she pulled the buckets to collect it, Mu Yangling deeply felt that it had not been easy for everyone, especially for her. She would probably still be able to smell the stench after three days. Mu Yangling went back with a pale face. Great-aunt knew that youngdies liked to be clean, so she said, ¡°When your brother is a little older, I¡¯ll bring him there. You¡¯re a girl, so you can¡¯t always do such things.¡± ¡°Do you think my younger brother can move these buckets with his scrawny arms and legs?¡± Mu Yangling nned to pick some grapefruit leaves to take a shower to remove the filth. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. If the matter of raising rabbits can be stabilized, our family might not have to buy night soil next year. Rabbit dung is also a good thing. Look, it hasn¡¯t been long, but I¡¯ve already cleared out arge pile outside. If we can raise rabbits on this scale until next spring, not only will our family have base fertilizer, but we might even be able to leave a lot to nourish thend.¡± Counting with her fingers, Great-aunt said, ¡°Young Master Fan¡¯s trade caravan has been traveling south for seven to eight days, right? I wonder where it has gone? Can the things you guys made really be sold?¡± Mu Yangling was half-confident. The rest would depend on Fan Zijin¡¯s ability. She did not know how to do business, so how could she control it? Now, all she could do was manage these few pieces ofnd and strive for a bountiful harvest. Mu Yangling carried the iron plow and went to the wheat field with her great-aunt to fertilize and plow the 72 acres of wheat fields. By the time they finished with that, it would be time to fertilize the rice fields. This was much simpler. She just had to drain some water and spread the mixed fertilizer into the field. When rain fell, it would most likely be fine. Mu Yangling and Madam Ma-Liu finished it in a day. Then, it was time to fertilize and weed the cornfields. There were only two steps. Once they fertilized the corn at the roots, they just had to use the iron plow and remove the weeds. The fertilizer would be covered with moist soil, allowing the corn to better absorb it. Although it was more tiring than fertilizing wheat, it was much simpler because it was only 28 acres. Mu Yangling and her great-aunt worked hard for six days to finish it. It was already mid-April. When Great-aunt went to the wheat field to see how the wheat was growing, she realized that it seemed to have rained twice since the wheat was nted. Moreover, it had not rained for a month. In the past, it would have rained at least twice between mid-March and the end of the month, right? Madam Ma-Liu looked up at the bright sun in the sky worriedly, feeling even more ominous. It was obvious that Madam Ma-Liu was not the only one who was worried. The people who were used to farming more or less began to worry. Seeing that it had been more than ten days since thend had been fertilized and there was still no sign of rain, Liu Daqian personally came to look for Madam Ma-Liu and said, ¡°Sister, bring Ah Ling and start watering thend tomorrow.¡± Hesitating, Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Once our family starts doing this, I¡¯m afraid everyone will start fighting for the water.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait anymore. Didn¡¯t you see that the river water has gone down? Tonight, our Liu family will start fetching water to water it, and your family can go tomorrow. So you won¡¯t be the ones taking the lead. My Liu family will be the one who starts this.¡± Madam Ma-Liu immediately stopped talking. Liu Daqian stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Sleep well tonight.¡± Madam Ma-Liu quickly stopped him and took out half a rabbit from the kitchen and stuffed it into his hand. ¡°Take it back and give it to the children as a snack. I¡¯ll go into the city to buy a few more wooden bucketster. Don¡¯t worry, no one in Chenggu Garrison will dare to bully the Mu family.¡± Nodding, Liu Daqian said, ¡°Although Rocky is capable, he¡¯s not at home after all. If you have any difficulties, get someone to call us. West Vige isn¡¯t far from here. Our Liu family has many people in this area.¡± ¡°Got it. Hurry up and go back.¡± After Madam Ma-Liu sent him off, she turned around and went into the house to get the copper coins she had saved for the past two days. She entered the city and bought two pairs of wooden buckets. Mu Yangling knew nothing about this. She was still looking at her rabbits in the pastoral area. The wild rabbits had already be much more docile by now. This was because the had been pulled over these 60 acres ofnd, and there were ditches dug outside. Not worried that the rabbits would escape or dig holes, Xiuhong would let them out every night ande over early the next morning to chase the rabbits back into the sheds. As rabbits moved at night, they slept most of the time during the day. This way, Xiuhong had more time freed up since she did not have to prepare a lot of pasture. She only had to patrol to check where the pasture had been gnawed by the rabbits and sprinkle some seeds. Then, she would pull out the rabbits that were sleeping in the hole they dugst night and drag them back into the sheds. Now, she was very familiar with this job, even more skilled than Mu Yangling. Now, more than ten rabbits in the shed were already pregnant. They should be able to give birth soon. This was good news for Mu Yangling and Xiuhong, because this meant that the next generation of young rabbits would be guaranteed. When the sky darkened, Mu Yangling and Xiuhong released the rabbits. Seeing that they had excitedly run into the pasture and disappeared, Xiuhong pped her hands and said, ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go back.¡± Mu Yangling nodded and crossed the ditch with Xiuhong on the wooden nk she had set up. After removing the wooden nk, she stood up and left. ¡°Cousin, why hasn¡¯t anyonee to steal our rabbits? Previously, I was so worried that I couldn¡¯t sleep. I didn¡¯t expect that we wouldn¡¯t lose a single rabbit.¡± ¡°Everyone knows that this rabbit was raised for Little General and Young Master Fan. The 5th Division¡¯s camp is there. Who would be so bold as to steal this?¡± Actually, this was also because Mu Yangling had been sleeping at home feeling reassured. Seeing that the Mu family was not worried about losing the rabbits at all, they did not dare to steal it. They were afraid that someone was lying in ambush in the pasture and would be caught by the Little General the moment they tried to steal it. When the cousins returned home, Shu Wanniang had already prepared food and was waiting. Xin was taking care of Bosi and Kejia, and Bowen was doing his homework under the light. Mu Yangling looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Great-aunt?¡± ¡°Your great-aunt is in the room. Hurry up and call her over to eat.¡± Shu Wanniang brought out all the dishes and said, ¡°Your great-aunt still has something to say to you guyster. Hurry up and eat.¡± After eating, Great-aunt gathered the entire family over and said, ¡°We¡¯ll start watering the wheat tomorrow. Xiuhong and Xin, go and water the high-gradend and medium-gradend first. Ah Ling, no one is allowed to stay upte tonight. We have to wake up early tomorrow morning.¡± Chapter 184: Fighting For Water Chapter 184: Fighting For Water Editor: As Studios Bowen looked at his sister anxiously. Mu Yangling stroked his head and said, ¡°This has nothing to do with you. You just have to study hard. Come back early to take care of your younger siblings after school.¡± Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Aunt, let Xin stay at home to look after the children. I¡¯ll go.¡± Seeing that she was about to object, she said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m also uneasy staying at home. I don¡¯t know if there will be a fight for water. Since I¡¯m an adult after all, I¡¯d be more useful than Xin.¡± Great-aunt immediately stopped talking and nodded. ¡°That works too.¡± She looked at them sternly and said, ¡°If someone fights for the water, don¡¯t argue with them. Don¡¯t get into a physical altercation with them, understand?¡± Great-aunt¡¯s gaze was mainly on Ah Ling as she said, ¡°Ah Ling, I know you¡¯re strong, but it¡¯s difficult to fight back when you¡¯re outnumbered. Since you still have to protect us, you will be no match for them. In short, I won¡¯t allow you to get into a physical altercation with others for water. I¡¯d rather you go home first. It¡¯s no big deal even if we don¡¯t water the wheat.¡± Madam Ma-Liu¡¯s son had quarreled with the son of thendlord because of Ma Youcai¡¯s fight for water. When he returned home, he gathered his cousins and went to seek justice together. When they fought, Ma Youcai hid behind and pushed Ma Fugui out. Attacked by thendlord¡¯s son with a hoe, Ma Fugui copsed. When her daughter-inw, who had gone to take a look, saw this, she quickly went forward to stop those people from beating him up. However, she was beaten up indiscriminately and died after giving birth to a baby boy. That baby only lived for half a day before dying prematurely. This was the most painful memory for Madam Ma-Liu, and it also made her wary and afraid of snatching water. However, no matter how wary and afraid they were, they had to irrigate water to their fields. Otherwise, their crops would bear no harvest. It was precisely because Shu Wanniang knew the danger that she wanted to follow. After all, she was an adult. Even if she was not strong, she could at least say a few words during a conflict. The next morning, the four of them went to the east with buckets. Madam Ma-Liu said, ¡°Ah Ling, go and dig an opening leading to the rice field, and let the water flow into the rice field. Don¡¯t make too wide an opening lest it damages the rice.¡± After Mu Yangling responded, Madam Ma-Liu brought Shu Wanniang and Xiuhong to fetch water to water the wheat. As the 13 acres of high-gradend was facing the river, Mu Yangling did not have to spend much effort to let the water flow into the rice field. Then, she went to fetch water to water the wheat field with her great-aunt and the others. Not to mention Shu Wanniang and Xiuhong, even Great-aunt and Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t stand carrying water non-stop. It was inevitable that their shoulders would ache. Even if Mu Yangling was strong and did not feel tired, her shoulder would definitely hurt from being squeezed for such a long time. That was just the wheat field here. They had an evenrger field over in the south side, and there was only a canal dug there but no river. Mu Yangling looked up at therge wheat field and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but darken. ¡°Great-aunt, you guys rest for a while. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Great-aunt rubbed her shoulders and gestured for her to look up. ¡°Look, all the families are starting to fetch water. The water level is bound to go down in a few days.¡± Since Chenggu Garrison had started, the other viges on the river must have also started to fetch water to water their fields. This river split out from Jialing Lake and had never been used. Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, ¡°Great-aunt, why don¡¯t I bring the water over for you guys to water? That way, you can rest and our progress will also be faster.¡± ¡°No.¡± Panting, Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Your shoulders are still tender. Fetching water is different from carrying things. You and Xiuhong should stop for a while. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to grow tall in the future.¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about it just now. Instead of carrying the buckets on my shoulder, I¡¯ll bring it over using my arms. This way, it won¡¯t press down on my shoulder. Considering my strength, it¡¯s fine even if I do this for an entire day.¡± Mu Yangling did not feel tired carrying water, only that her shoulders hurt from the pressure. Once this problem was resolved, it would be much easier. Mu Yangling carried two buckets of water over for them to water the fields. Surprisingly, she could keep up the pace, and they could even rest for a while from time to time. This way, their speed would be faster. Mu Yangling looked at the distance between the riverbank and their wheat field and couldn¡¯t help but think that it would be great if there was a water pipe. They could then directly pump the water up and water arge area with the water pipe. But this was just a thought. Where could Mu Yangling find a water pipe at the moment? Every family had to start watering their wheat fields. Since the river was only so long, it was inevitable that there would be some friction when they came and went. Some people despised those in front for fetching water too slowly, and some would trespass through other people¡¯s wheat fields in order to save time. Everyone was already in a fiery temper to begin with, so conflicts quickly arose. Fortunately, this was only the first day. Although there were some disputes, it was not to the point of getting into fights. Great-aunt was used to this, for this kind of thing happened every year when people fought for seeds or water. Mu Yangling and the others would look up at first, but in the end, even if an argument happened not far from them, they could still walk past those people without looking sideways. The water level of the river began to decrease. Mu Yangling and the others had already watered the wheat in the east, leaving only the fields in the south. At this moment, snatching water also happened from time to time. Just in the vige alone, there had already been two fights, and that wasn¡¯t even counting the neighboring viges. When Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin rushed over after hearing the news, they saw the situation on the edge of the field in full swing. Frowning, Qi Haoran asked, ¡°Is the drought that serious?¡± The toonmander following behind Qi Haoran who understood the situation said, ¡°Little General, wheat and rice are about to be harvested. During this period of time, the fields require a certain amount of moisture, which is why everyone is in such a hurry. It¡¯s fine if it rains next, but if it doesn¡¯t, they¡¯ll definitely have to water it again when grain filling begins. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know if there¡¯ll be enough river water by then. If there¡¯s not enough, the conflict will probably escte.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s still enough river water now, but they¡¯re fighting because of the order and convenience. If there¡¯s not enough river water next time, won¡¯t they fight even more fiercely? These honest-looking farmers will be willing to risk their lives for their crops. I heard that in the past, many people have been killed in the fight for water.¡± Qi Haoran went down to the field with a dark expression to take a look at the situation. After walking around and not finding Mu Yangling, he turned around and headed south. Shocked as well, Fan Zijin whispered to Qi Haoran, ¡°Fortunately, we dug the reservoir and canal before spring. Haoran, if it doesn¡¯t rain in half a month, send troops to guard those three reservoirs. They can save lives at critical moments.¡± Qi Haoran nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Mu Yangling walked quickly in the wheat field with buckets in both hands and brought them to Shu Wanniang. She picked up another pair of wooden buckets before turning around to fetch water from the canal. At this moment, Mu Yangling could not help but rejoice that she had asked Qi Haoran to dig the canal in her family¡¯snd. Although it upied a lot ofnd, the convenience was apparent now. There was no need to mention the wheat fields in the east. As they were close to the river, the canal was dug through the middle of the low-gradend, so she did not use that canal. However, on the south side, her family could water their fields so quickly because of this canal. Since the canal flowed through their family¡¯snd, it took her the shortest time to fetch water there. Hence although their family was small, their progress was not slow. In addition, theirnd upied a rtively small areapared to other families, so they were almost done watering it now. Mu Yangling wanted to water the cornfield as well, but Madam Ma-Liu felt that there was no need to be in such a hurry. She said, ¡°Let everyone rest for two days and recover first. I think the corn is still very energetic. There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Chapter 185: Reject Chapter 185: Reject Editor: As Studios ¡°Mu Yangling!¡± Qi Haoran ran over and looked at her wheat field. ¡°Not bad. It looks like you¡¯ve almost finished watering.¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, we¡¯re already done. Why are you only here now after such a huge incident happened at on your territory? Also, my father hasn¡¯t been back for more than two years. What exactly did you send him for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about farming anyway. What¡¯s the use of meing?¡± Qi Haoran looked around before saying softly, ¡°Your father has earned military merits. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mu Yangling widened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°You sent my father to the battlefield?¡± Qi Haoran defended himself. ¡°This is your father¡¯s own request.¡± Mu Yangling was silent for a moment and did not ask further. Qi Haoran said, ¡°Your father had someone bring something back for you. I¡¯ll bring it over for youter.¡± Qi Haoran asked Mu Yangling, ¡°I still remember you saying that there will be a drought in the early summer this year. Now that there are signs, how long do you think the drought willst?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°I only heard it from the elders in the vige. They won¡¯t know either. If they could predict the weather, farming wouldn¡¯t be so difficult. Perhaps you can ask someone who knows astronomy.¡± ¡°Our 5th Division has three reservoirs and three canals. At the very least, our losses won¡¯t be too great, but it might not be the same for other ces. Since the Imperial Court won¡¯t allocate this year¡¯s rations, Big Brother must be in a difficult position now.¡± Qi Haoran was a little depressed. He wanted to help his brother. Mu Yangling looked at Fan Zijin, who said, ¡°The trade caravan has just arrived at Lin¡¯an. We don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll return, let alone bring back the money.¡± Without money, they couldn¡¯t buy rations. Sighing, Mu Yangling said, ¡°There are still three months before the wheat can be harvested. At the moment, it¡¯s impossible to tell what the harvest will be like.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. As Xingzhou Prefecture was located in the north, the nting startedter, and the harvest was alsoter than Jiangnan. Moreover, rice could be nted twice a year in Jiangnan. The first harvest was in May, and then the seeds were sown. In September, another batch was harvested. If he had the money to transfer a batch of grains from Jiangnan¡­ The corners of Fan Zijin¡¯s lips curled up slightly. He did not have money now, but his mother did. Fan Zijin did not think that there was anything wrong with asking for money from his mother. Anyway, his mother only had one son. If she did not give it to him, who else could she give it to? Fan Zijin calcted in his heart that perhaps he should let his mother embezzle some of the money in the residence. Most of his father¡¯s money should belong to him, but his absence from Lin¡¯an Prefecture had benefited those concubine-born brothers. If only he could take some of that money. While Fan Zijin was scrounging for his parents¡¯ money, Qi Haoran was also scrounging for his own money in his heart. After calcting, he realized that not only did he not have a single copper coin, but he also seemed to owe Fan Zijin a lot of money. Qi Haoran felt that he was really poor. Qi Haoran had never thought of borrowing money from Fan Zijin to buy rations. It was one thing for him to take advantage of his brother, but it was another thing for the army to take advantage of his brother. After the Mu family watered their cornfields, the fields in various ces were also watered one after another. The river water decreased greatly, making everyone tremble in fear. Fortunately, the three reservoirs were full of water. Every time the people of the 5th Division saw the threerge reservoirs, they would smile in relief. However, things weren¡¯t so optimistic in other ces. Some river segments had already begun to stop flowing, and the heavens still showed no signs of rain. The local officials could only look enviously at Qi Haoran¡¯s three reservoirs, but the other camps had alreadye to ask for water. The main mission of the 1st and 2nd Division was to guard Xingcheng Pass, thus they weren¡¯t in charge of farming many military fields. However, the 3rd and the 4th Division did not receive any preferential treatment. There were many military fields that they had to be responsible for like the 5th Division, so the two assistantmanders came to look for them. Qi Haoran rejected them all and refused bluntly, ¡°Back then, I wanted to build houses, a camp, and repair the water conservancy facilities. When I begged you, you said that you wanted to guard the pass and train soldiers. Don¡¯t tell me I didn¡¯t have to train soldiers back then? In short, I don¡¯t have any water! Scram.¡± Smiling, the two assistantmanders said, ¡°Little General, aren¡¯t you treating us like outsiders? We¡¯re all working for you. At that time, the Jin soldiers were attacking us fiercely, so we really couldn¡¯t spare the time to help. Now, for some reason, the Jin soldiers have started fighting with West Xia. If you need our help for anything, just say the word and we¡¯ll immediately pull people over.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve done everything, it¡¯s toote for you to say that. Alright, I still have to train my troops. Please help yourselves.¡± When the assistantmander of the 3rd Division saw him wave his hand and leave, his expression turned a little ugly. ¡°He¡¯s too arrogant. We begged him nicely, but he didn¡¯t give us any face.¡± ¡°Well, he has the confidence. What can you do when there¡¯s a general shielding him?¡± The assistantmander of the 3rd Division gritted his teeth and said, ¡°In the past, I thought that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to ce him in the 5th Division. At the very least, he helped us take in a lot of trash. But now, it seems that he will still make things difficult for us. If it were anyone else, would they dare to speak to us like this with such a trash battalion?¡± ¡°Aiyo, shut up. Do you think Little General is only relying on the general to make a living because he doesn¡¯t have the ability? Previously, the 4th Division was trained by him alone.¡± The assistantmander of the 4th Division said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t anger him. He has a bad temper. Even the general can¡¯t do anything to him when he res up.¡± The assistantmander of the 3rd Division waved his hand and left. The matter here was quickly reported to Qi Xiuyuan. Jiang Ze said, ¡°General, why don¡¯t you tell the Fourth Young Master to give in to them? Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid the soldiers below will have objections.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said nonchntly, ¡°So what if they have objections? Haoran spent a lot of effort to build the water conservancy facilities. Why should he give it to others just because they ask? Let them make a fuss. I want to see how far they can go. Don¡¯t restrain Haoran. As long as no one dies, he can do whatever he wants. My brother is not a child who only knows how to drink milk. Let him handle it himself.¡± Qi Xiuyuan also wanted to know how far his brother could go. In the past, he had only dealt with the soldiers under his charge. But now, he was dealing with his colleagues of the same level. Since Qi Haoran refused to give it to them, the assistantmanders of the 3rd and 4th Division did note again. Anyway, it was only the end of April, and there was still a long time before they had to water the fields again. It could very well rain during this period of time. Now that he didn¡¯t have to be troubled by them, Qi Haoran began to focus on training his troops. With Big Brother¡¯s approval, he established a scout team specializing in detecting the enemy¡¯s situation. Mu Shi was the captain, and he had sent him out. Now, he was staying in the Jin Kingdom. Because of Mu Shi¡¯s looks, it was very easy for him to be trusted by the Jurchens1 there. Qi Haoran opened the bag that he had brought back. After checking and seeing that there was nothing special inside, he tasked Fei Bai to hand it to Mu Yangling. Fei Bai took out a gold bar from the bag and asked in a low voice, ¡°Master, do you want to keep this too?¡± ¡°Keep it. In the future, as long as it¡¯s not apanied by information, send it to them. Why would I covet the gold bars, especially when Mu Shi risked his life to obtain them?¡± ¡°No, I just feel that the amount of gold bars is too big. What if Miss Mu guessed that Uncle Mu is in the Jin Kingdom?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him disdainfully as he said, ¡°Mu Yangling has long guessed that Mu Shi is in the Jin Kingdom. As long as she doesn¡¯t know what her father is doing there, wouldn¡¯t it be fine? On the other hand, considering you¡¯re always by my side, it¡¯s a wonder it only just urred to you that Mu Shi is in the Jin Kingdom.¡± Fei Bai shrank his neck. Chapter 186: Return Chapter 186: Return Editor: As Studios Upon receiving the bag, Mu Yangling opened it. Inside was a five-foot-long soft cotton cloth with a gold bar hidden inside. When Madam Ma-Liu saw the gold bar, she was shocked and quickly ran to close the door. ¡°Where did your father get this?¡± Mu Yangling also frowned slightly. It seemed that her father¡¯s work was extremely dangerous. Otherwise, how could he have the chance to obtain such a thing? Mu Yangling put away the gold bar and said, ¡°Since Little General sent it over, there¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll just put it away. Great-aunt, we don¡¯t have to worry what to do in the event of a drought now.¡± Madam Ma-Liu frowned. ¡°But you can¡¯t just rely on your father alone. We can¡¯t just sit at home and live off what we have, right?¡± The optimistic Shu Wanniang said with a smile, ¡°It can¡¯t be more difficult than the times we experienced during winter, right?¡± She took out some small items from her bag. ¡°Your father bought these for you. Ah Ling, give them to your younger siblings.¡± Seeing that although Shu Wanniang was smiling, her eyes were red, Madam Ma-Liu knew that she was worried about Mu Shi. She sighed in her heart and stuffed the bag into Mu Yangling¡¯s arms. ¡°Go ahead. I have a few words with your mother.¡± Mu Yangling took the things to her room. Mu Shi had bought some small pearl flowers for her, Xiuhong and Xin, and gave Bowen a seal. Delighted to receive his father¡¯s gift, Bowen blew upon the paper and stamped the seal all over the paper messily. He asked his sister excitedly, ¡°Sister, when will Father be back? I miss him!¡± ¡°Soon.¡± Calcting the time in her heart, Mu Yangling realized that Mu Shi had been away from home for two months. No matter how difficult the mission was, it should be almostpleted, right? It wasn¡¯t like he was hiding in ambush for a long time. Mu Yangling did not expect that they had to wait for more than a month. Mu Yangling was sitting on a stool and haying. The rabbits she raised now had already filled nine sheds, and the remaining shed was used to store the young rabbits. As the rabbits were already very big now, the grass in the pastoral area was a little insufficient, so Mu Yangling went up the mountain and cut a lot of grass. After drying it in the courtyard, she cut the grass into smaller pieces before feeding the rabbits. This way, the rabbit meat would be firmer. Madam Ma-Liu sat on the steps and looked at the sun in the sky. With a sigh, she said, ¡°The heavens aren¡¯t giving us a way out.¡± Old Man Sun walked over and leaned against the wall of the Mu family. He also looked up at the sky and sighed. ¡°Didn¡¯t the schrs say that in the heavens regard everything on earth equally, including humans? The heavens are heartless and unjust. How can they give us a way out?¡± Having just taken the tea bowl to drink water, Mu Yangling spat out a mouthful of water, almost spitting all over the face of Xiuhong who was pouring water for her. Mu Yangling coughed and said happily, ¡°Grandpa Sun is really knowledgeable. You even know how to quote Laozi1?¡± Old Man Sun scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°I heard it from somewhere. How can itpare to you guys who¡¯ve learned to study properly?¡± Mu Yangling became slightly serious and said, ¡°Grandpa Sun, Daoism says that the world is heartless, but I don¡¯t agree. Instead, I feel that the heavens are the most benevolent. In this world, all living beings are treated equally and allowed to live and multiply in it. This is the greatest benevolence.¡± ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t the heavens bless us with rain?¡± Old Man Sun asked in confusion. ¡°This is also a part of nature. Overall, the energy between heaven and earth is bnced. The rain in the sky came from the sun evaporating the water vapor on the ground, after which rain would fall from the sky.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°The snowst year consumed a lot of water vapor. In order to bnce it out, there might be a drought this summer. Perhaps if there¡¯s too much water in another ce, there will be a drought here. Perhaps this year, there will be a drought. In 20 years or so, the clouds that are hiding will appear again, bringing a flood once more. Since we can¡¯t control the weather, we can only try our best to control our actions.¡± Old Man Sun and Madam Ma-Liu did not understand. Madam Ma-Liu changed the topic and asked, ¡°Brother Sun, why are you free toe over and sit today?¡± Old Man Sun was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t there less and less water in the river? In a few days, if it doesn¡¯t rain soon, are we going to start to irrigate the fields? Sister, do you think your ditch is going to be blocked? It¡¯s fine for the vigers in our vige. Those who live near can still scoop water from your ditch, but the other viges have objections and think that your ditch takes up a lot of water¡­¡± Who were those people lying to? Madam Ma-Liu despised them in her heart. There were also people from other viges who dug ditches and canals, but she had never heard of anyone asking them to block them. These water conservancy facilities had been painstakingly constructed. How could they block them? In the end, it was because the vigers were jealous of the Mu family for having ess to such convenience. Not only were there tworge canals that passed through their fields, but there were also small ditches on the 60-odd acres of pasture. Every day, Xiuhong would bring a spoon and a wooden bucket to carry water up to ssh the weeds. She would only carry about 10 buckets of water a day and that wasn¡¯t tiring for her. If she walked along the small ditches like this, she could finish going through the 60-odd acres in ten days. Therefore, even during a drought, their pastures grew well and were sufficient to feed more than 3,000 rabbits¡­ Madam Ma-Liu was silent for a long time. In the end, she was unwilling to get into a conflict with everyone because of this matter. Anyway, as the river water decreased, the ditch would most likely stop being used. So, she went with the flow and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Ah Ling to block the ditch another day. However, I¡¯ll say this first. It¡¯s fine to block the ditch, but I don¡¯t have the time to vent the water in the ditch. Don¡¯t push your luck by asking me to do thister.¡± ¡°Gosh, am I that kind of person?¡± Relieved to hear that, Old Man Sun stood up and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first. I hope you remember this.¡± Madam Ma-Liu nodded. Seeing that he had left, she turned around and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°Ah Ling, go and block the ditch tomorrow. Then, go to your great-uncle¡¯s house and get a few of your uncles to build a straw hut at the rabbit sheds. In two days, I will move there and personally guard it. I¡¯m still worried about leaving the rabbits there. Now that we¡¯re having a drought, people are impetuous. Once they¡¯re impetuous, they¡¯ll easily do bad things.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Let me guard the ce instead.¡± Madam Ma-Liu red at her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the family? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going to light amp. As long as the light is on, those people won¡¯t have the courage to try anything funny. On the other hand, although you don¡¯t say it, I know that your father has done something big outside. If the people he offendede looking for him and you¡¯re outside, won¡¯t we be at the mercy of others?¡± Mu Yangling was deep in thought when Madam Ma-Liu patted her and said with a hearty smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve more life experience than you. I know those little thieves who spy on rabbits the best. As long as there¡¯s someone there and themps are lit, plus with Little General as our backer, they will consider the consequences before acting. Our Mu family isn¡¯t easy to bully.¡± ¡°Who bullied our family?¡± Mu Shi pulled open the door from outside with a scraggly beard and looked at the people in the courtyard with bright eyes. Mu Yangling looked at her father in shock. Before she could react, Shu Wanniang had already rushed out of the house and looked at him with red eyes. ¡°Y¡ªyou¡¯re back?¡± Chapter 187: Happy Chapter 187: Happy Editor: As Studios Mu Shi looked at his wife with a smile as he handed her the bag in his hand. With a gentle smile, he said, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Shu Wanniang lowered her head with red eyes and smiled happily. She said in a clear voice, ¡°Come in quickly. Look at you. You¡¯re covered in dust. I¡¯ll boil water for you to take a bath. By the way, what do you want to eat? Ah Ling went into the mountains to catch a roe deer today, but it¡¯s not very fat. Why don¡¯t I ask Xiuhong to buy two catties of pork from the city so that I can make braised pork for you?¡± Looking at his chattering wife, Mu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you can make the arrangements.¡± Shu Wanniang went into the house happily. Mu Yangling stared at her mother with her mouth agape. Just now, she had the feeling that her mother was only a 16-year-old girl. She had never seen such happiness radiating from her. Seeing her father look at her mother dotingly, Mu Yangling shut her mouth and finally pulled Xiuhong out with her. She wanted to go into the city with Xiuhong to buy pork. Before she left, she also carried Bosi and Kejia away, saying that she would take the two children out for a walk. Great-aunt originally wanted to ask Mu Shi what he had been doing for the past few months. Seeing that only the two of them were left in the entire courtyard, she understood tacitly. She turned around, entered the house, took the hoe, and went out. She decided to weed the vegetable fields. As for Xin, the child was sitting in the room embroidering. Even if the sky copsed, she probably wouldn¡¯t notice. She believed that Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang would forget about her existence. As for Bowen, he was studying in the academy. Mu Yangling carried Bosi. Seeing that it was difficult for Xin to carry Kejia, she reached out and carried her with her arm as well. The two babies were already eight months old. Having eaten well, they were fair, strong, and active. They looked around, making it difficult for Xiuhong to carry them. However, Mu Yangling held one in each arm as if she was carrying two little melons. No matter how Kejia twisted her body and jumped around on her arm, she would not fall. As the two children rarely had the chance to go out, they couldn¡¯t help but gaze around curiously. When they reached the city gate and saw so many people, Kejia reached out to pounce forward. Mu Yangling exerted a little force to pull her back. Although Bosi was more refined, he also widened his eyes and pointed at the people, making babyish sounds. After a while, when he saw that his elder sister did not seem to understand, he turned to his younger sister and made those babyish sounds. No idea if Kejia understood what he was saying, but she nodded. The two babies leaned their heads against each other and conversed in the ¡°babynguage¡± that only they understood, gesturing from time to time. Mu Yangling and Xiuhong first bought two catties of pork belly before strolling around the market. When the two babies saw the many people and colors around them, they kicked their feet excitedly. When Xiuhong saw this, she reached out and patted their little feet. With a fierce expression, she said, ¡°What if you hurt Sister? Behave yourself lest you fall.¡± Mu Yangling raised her arms and pulled them over her head. Smiling, she said, ¡°If you fall, it¡¯d mean I¡¯d trained for years in vain.¡± The two babies suddenly found themselves raised higher and twisted their bodies happily, giggling. Shocked, Xiuhong quickly stretched out her arms to protect them. ¡°Aiya, Cousin, quickly lower them. What if they have nightmares tonight?¡± Mu Yangling could only lower them and carry them in her arms. On the way, she bought some small items for them. After shopping on this street, it was almost time for Bowen to finish school. The two of them brought the babies to the entrance of the academy to pick Bowen up. When the bell rang after school, many children rushed out of the academy. Bowen walked out slowly at the end. Pleasantly surprised to see his sister, he ran over and raised his head to ask, ¡°Sister, why are you here?¡± Xiuhong smiled and said, ¡°Your father is back. Cousin brought us out to pick you up and buy pork belly to make braised pork for dinner.¡± Bowen drooled. ¡°My mother must be the one preparing the dish.¡± ¡°Since Uncle is back, of course it¡¯s Aunt who¡¯s doing the cooking.¡± When the few of them returned home, Shu Wanniang had already prepared several dishes. Mu Shi was sitting in the kitchen to start a fire for her. She was cooking in front of the stove with a red face. Seeing them return, she couldn¡¯t help but say angrily, ¡°Why did it take you so long? Hurry up and bring it over. I¡¯ll cut the pork.¡± Mu Shi took the pork belly from Xiuhong¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°Let me do it. You can prepare the ingredients.¡± Xiuhong stuck out her tongue and ran back into the house with Mu Yangling. Seeing Bowen looking at him with sparkling eyes, Mu Shi took the time to rub his head and praised him with a smile. ¡°Not bad. Not only has Bowen grown taller, but he¡¯s also studying now. I¡¯ll check your homeworkter. You should get back to studying.¡± Bowen¡¯s eyes lit up. He responded loudly and ran into the house. Mu Yangling ced Bosi and Kejia on her shoulders and rubbed her shoulders. ¡°Carrying these two little ones is more tiring than carrying a big wild boar weighing more than 200 catties.¡± Xin was still embroidering with her head lowered when Xiuhong went forward and snatched her embroidery frame. She said, ¡°You¡¯ve been working all day without resting. Sooner orter, your eyes will be damaged. Didn¡¯t Aunt say that you have to stop for 15 minutes every four hours to go out and look into the distance at the mountains outside? Look, it¡¯s almost dark outside, yet you¡¯re still embroidering with your head lowered. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll be blind.¡± Xin shrunk her head and lowered it. Mu Yangling sat beside her and said in a low voice, ¡°Your sister dotes on you. She heard that eating wolfberries is good for one¡¯s eyes, so she earned money to buy you some to soak in water for you to drink. You should be more mindful so that she wouldn¡¯t worry too much.¡± Xin nodded with red eyes. ¡°I know, but I want to learn more so that I can take care of Grandma and Sister.¡± Mu Yangling stroked her head and said with a smile, ¡°You can¡¯t be anxious. Like Bowen who is learning to gain knowledge, you have to learn it step by step. If you¡¯re anxious, you won¡¯t be able to learn it well. Xin, I don¡¯t know what constitutes good embroidery, but I heard from my mother that embroiderers who embroider well are considered embroiderers. However, if the embroidery has spirituality, the embroidery will have its own meaning, which makes a person with such embroidery skills an expert. My mother said that you have enough talent. As long as you work hard, you won¡¯t just be an embroiderer. So Xin, you can¡¯t be anxious. You have to take it slow. Not only do you have to master the foundation, but you also have to fall in love with embroidery. For a person to be a master of an industry, he must love his industry deeply.¡± Xin looked at her in confusion. She did not understand what her cousin meant, but she could feel her solemnity. Xin secretly remembered these words, thinking that she might understand them when she grew up. Seeing that Mu Yangling wasforting her younger sister, Xiuhong sat at the side and teased Bosi and Kejia. When she saw her cousining over, she whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scold her. I just couldn¡¯t care less whenever I get anxious.¡± Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°I understand.¡± Xin put away the things carefully and sat beside her sister. She yed with Bosi and Kejia with her. Soon, the two sisters were talking again. Mu Yangling could not help but smile when she saw this. Before the smile on her lips faded, Kejia suddenly let out a cry and pped Bosi¡¯s face with her tiny hand. Stunned for a good while before he burst into tears, Bosi threw away the toy he had just snatched away. When Kejia saw that Bosi was crying, she also cried out loud. She even pped Bosi¡¯s face as she cried. Mu Yangling quickly went forward and grabbed her small hand. She patted it gently twice and said, ¡°How can you hit your older brother? Even if he snatched the toy from you, you can¡¯t hit him. Can¡¯t you just snatch back the toy?¡± Chapter 188: Sweetness Chapter 188: Sweetness Editor: As Studios Mu Shi had five days off this time. He told Mu Yangling that he had now settled down in Hanzhong Prefecture and would probably have to be a spy there for a long time. He could only go home every now and then to stay for a few days. Qi Haoran did not expect Mu Shi to immediately tell his wife and daughter about this after he instructed him to keep it a secret. He did not know that Mu Shi would never hide anything from his wife, for she was unlike others in his eyes. Also, now that his daughter was in charge, it was even more impossible for Mu Shi to hide it from her for safety reasons. It would have been fine if his daughter was a child, but this daughter had acted differently from others since she was young. Sensible and obedient, she was already like an adult at the age of six. Mu Shi was already used to discussing serious matters with her, and it was the same this time. ¡°I don¡¯t have ess to information over there, and it¡¯s even more impossible for me to interact with you after I go over. I can only ask Little General to bring you some things and a message when I deliver news to him. Fortunately, I can obtain some money from time to time over there. Little General won¡¯t ask us to hand it over, so our family¡¯s livelihood shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Shu Wanniang was stronger than Mu Yangling had imagined. Upon hearing this news, she was only slightly stunned before instructing Mu Shi matter-of-factly, ¡°You have to stay alive!¡± Mu Shi nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I imed that my father is a Jin, so the Hu people over there won¡¯t make things difficult for me. You have to be careful at home. Ah Ling, I¡¯ll be away for a long time. If anyone dares toe and make trouble, don¡¯t hold back. Just throw them out. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take responsibility for you.¡± ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. Qi Haoran is very fair. He won¡¯t sit back and do nothing.¡± ¡°What did Great-aunt say earlier?¡± Mu Shi asked with a frown. Stunned, Mu Yangling smiled and said, ¡°Father, there are thieves everywhere. I¡¯ll try to give them a warningter. I guarantee that they won¡¯t dare to pass by ournd for three years.¡± A bloodthirsty glint shed across Mu Shi¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Since I¡¯m at home, I¡¯ll go with you. At the same time, call your uncles over and ask them to help build a straw hut. I¡¯ll also ask them to take good care of you.¡± Frightened by Mu Shi¡¯s aura, Shu Wanniang was momentarily at a loss. Mu Shi quickly restrained his sharpness and patted his wife¡¯s hand apologetically. Mu Yangling sighed in her heart. She knew that her father had seen blood or that he had killed too many people at once and had yet to recover. Otherwise, he would have been able to restrain his aura. As Mu Yangling stood up to leave, she said in a low voice, ¡°Father, rest first. I¡¯ll go find Uncle and the others tomorrow morning.¡± Mu Shi nodded. Seeing his daughter close the door, he held his wife¡¯s hand tightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Shu Wanniang shook her head and leaned her head on his shoulder. She said gently, ¡°You¡¯re my husband. Why should I be afraid of you?¡± Mu Shi¡¯s heart warmed. He lowered his head and kissed his wife¡¯s lips, then carried her and walked towards the brick bed. Mu Yangling, who was about to carry Bosi and Kejia to her parents, suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to return to the house. Xiuhong asked in surprise, ¡°Cousin, why did you bring them back?¡± ¡°Bosi and Kejia will sleep with me tonight.¡± Xiuhong looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Are Bosi and Kejia willing to sleep with you? They¡¯ll wake up in the night.¡± Previously, when her aunt was sick and could not take care of the babies, her grandmother had helped to take care of them for the entire night. Tormented by these two babies, she had not slept for almost the entire night. She really did not know how her aunt usually served them. Mu Yangling waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I was the one who took care of Bowen in the past.¡± Bowen pursed his lips and said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. Father already said that it was Mother who brought me up until I was three years old before she handed me over to you.¡± Mu Yangling red at him. ¡°Do you dare to say that I didn¡¯t attend to you when you woke up in the middle of the night to pee?¡± Bowen¡¯s face flushed red as he shouted, ¡°You¡¯re lying. I went to pee myself. I remember it all!¡± ¡°Alright, I remembered wrongly.¡± Only then was Bowen satisfied. Pouting, he turned around and crawled into the brick bed to sleep. Mu Yangling ced the two little ones in the middle andy at the outermost side. Looking at the two energetic ones, she immediately had a headache. When were these two going to sleep? The next day, when Mu Yangling got up, her eyes were half-closed. Mu Shi was already in high spirits after filling the two water vats in the courtyard. Seeing that his daughter¡¯s eyes were half-closed, he reached out and flicked her forehead. Smiling, he asked, ¡°What did you dost night? You can barely open your eyes.¡± Mu Yangling looked at him bitterly. ¡°I took care of the two little ones. They¡¯re still sleeping on the brick bed.¡± Mu Shi blushed. He wondered if his daughter knew something, but wouldn¡¯t that make her too mature? Although his daughter was sensible, she shouldn¡¯t be so sensible, right? Mu Yangling didn¡¯t give him time to think too much. After sshing cold water on her face, she asked, ¡°Father, should I go to Uncle¡¯s house now?¡± ¡°Ah? Oh, let¡¯s go after breakfast.¡± ¡°Mother, did you make pancakes?¡± Detecting the fragrance, Mu Yangling tilted her head towards the kitchen. Mu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Egg pancakes. You can grab a few to eat on the wayter.¡± Drooling, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Father, chop up the leftover braised pork fromst night and put it in the pancakes. Then add some vegetables to remove the taste.¡± Mu Shi widened his eyes and said, ¡°How can a child eat so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious this way.¡± As Mu Yangling spoke, she stopped dozing off and ran to rinse her mouth and brush her teeth. Then, she wiped her face and ran into the kitchen. She picked up a kitchen knife and took the initiative to chop up the remaining braised pork fromst night. She drooled as she said, ¡°If only there were more chili. Add a little bit of chili and it¡¯ll taste superb. It¡¯s a pity that Emperor Shizong didn¡¯t get anyone to bring back chili back then¡­¡± Mu Yangling said thest sentence softly. Shu Wanniang didn¡¯t hear it, but the person in front did. Hearing this, he said, ¡°There are many chili peppers in Chuan Prefecture and Guizhou. If you want to eat them, you can check with any merchants thate over from there. However, no one here likes to eat this.¡± Mu Yangling widened her eyes and said, ¡°There¡¯s chili in Great Zhou?¡± Shu Wanniang burst outughing and said in amusement, ¡°If there¡¯s no chili in Great Zhou, where did you hear about this thing? It existed 100 years ago and was also brought back from a foreignnd by Emperor Shizong. He said that it was delicious when added to dishes, but no one could get used to it. The first time Emperor Shizong ate it, he had diarrhea. Later on, the people in the imperial kitchen insisted on not preparing food with chili for him. The court officials also objected, saying that if the emperor liked spicy food, he could eat ginger, which they considered good stuff. Later on, chili slowly disappeared in the capital. However, the people in Chuan Prefecture and Guizhou liked to eat it very much. When I was at my maternal house in the past, I had once read in ¡®The Alternate Matter Records¡¯ that the people there loved this.¡± Mu Yangling was extremely surprised. ¡°The court officials and the imperial kitchen even have to care about what the emperor eats?¡± Smiling, Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Of course. How can they let His Majesty mess around when his health concerns the world?¡± As she spoke, she sighed and said, ¡°Emperor Shizong damaged his health precisely because he loved to try these things too much. He died early at the age of 56. If he could live for a few more years, who knows how glorious our Great Zhou would be.¡± Mu Yangling said sincerely, ¡°Emperor Shizong is so pitiful!¡± Chapter 189: Catching a Thief Chapter 189: Catching a Thief Editor: As Studios After mourning Emperor Shizong in her heart, Mu Yangling rolled up tworge pancakes and ate them before heading to West Vige. Liu Ting and Liu Yuan were weeding their wheat fields at home. When they heard that Mu Yangling wanted to build a straw hut, they called a few nsmen from the vige and brought the tools over. Mu Shi was already waiting for them at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s cut down the trees first and build the foundationter.¡± Liu Ting wandered around and asked, ¡°How big does the straw hut need to be?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s build one with two rooms. This way, it¡¯ll be more spacious and convenient for people to move around inside. We can also put some things inside,¡± Mu Shi said after some thought. ¡°That¡¯s not difficult. With so many of us, we¡¯ll be done in three to four days. Come, let¡¯s get to work.¡± Liu Ting pped his hands and gestured for everyone to start. Turning around, he saw Mu Yangling wandering around the ground, wanting to help. So he went forward and pulled her over. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need for you to be here. Go home quickly. Leave it to us uncles.¡± Seeing that there were many of them and she was indeed not needed, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back. If you need me, just shout. I can hear you from the foot of the mountain.¡± The straw hut was built next to the sheds, about ten steps away. There was a ditch behind it, pasture in front, and a river not far away. Mu Yangling felt that if the straw hut was warm enough, it would actually be quitefortable to live here. Once the Mu family started work here, the vigers knew that this hut was built in order for them to keep an eye on the rabbits. Some of those who originally had designs on the rabbits directly gave up. There was also a group of people who nned to take act first while the straw hut was still in construction. When the time came, they would just leave and not return to Xingzhou Prefecture. Even if Little General knew that it was them, there was nothing he could do. In any case, the drought in Xingzhou Prefecture hassted for a few months now. Everyone said that there was no way out. Instead of waiting to escape south as a refugee, it was better to gather some money now. They didn¡¯t have the ability to enter the house to steal money, but they were fairly confident they could steal rabbits from the fields. With this thought in mind, the five of them quietly arrived at the Mu family¡¯s pastoral area on a dark and windy night. They were all adults. Without using wooden nks, they took two steps back and jumped over the ditch. However, one of them identally fell and got caught in the, making a loud sound. ¡°Be quiet. What if someone finds out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pitch-ck here and we¡¯re the only ones in the entire field. Even if you shout here, no one will hear you.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, stop arguing. Hurry up. We still have to escape after stealing the rabbits. The rabbits have to be sold tomorrow. After taking the money, we¡¯ll go our separate ways. Don¡¯t waste time now.¡± The five of them reached the first shed in the dark. Just as they were about to pry open the door, Thief A felt a tap on his right shoulder. With the shovel in hand, he turned to the right impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me while I¡¯m opening the door.¡± After shouting, he vaguely sensed that there was no one on his right. Although it was dark and windy, it wasn¡¯t so dark that one couldn¡¯t see their outstretched fingers due to the tiny spots of starlight. He could see some blurry outlines. Thief A was on the far right, and there was no one on his right. He turned his head stiffly to look at Thief B on the left and asked, ¡°Were you the one who tapped me on the shoulder just now?¡± Thief B said impatiently, ¡°Who tapped you? Big Brother, do you know how to open the door or not? If you don¡¯t, let me do it.¡± Thief A swallowed his saliva and said after a while, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m skilled at this. Let me do it.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to grab the lock. However, just as his hand touched the lock, someone tapped him on his right shoulder again. He quickly turned his head to the right, but there was still no one on the right. Thief A panicked. How could the person who had tapped him have dodged so quickly when he had turned his head so quickly just now? Unless¡­ unless it wasn¡¯t a human! Thief A¡¯s face was pale as he said with a trembling voice, ¡°S-Second Brother, we might have encountered a ghost.¡± Rolling his eyes, Thief B said, ¡°Big Brother, if you¡¯re not opening the door, let me do it. There¡¯s only the five of us here. How can there be a ghost? The five of us are all men and are full of Yang energy. That ghost must be courting death if he¡¯s looking to mess with us. Come, give me the shovel. I¡¯ll open the door.¡± Thief B was about to snatch the shovel from Thief A¡¯s hand when he heard Thief C say, ¡°There are five of us? Then why do I feel like there are six?¡± Thief B¡¯s body stiffened. He and Thief A turned around stiffly to look at their third brother. ¡°Third Brother, how dare you lie? Be careful, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Thief D pointed behind Thief B with a trembling finger and said, ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother didn¡¯t lie to you. That something is right behind you.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a few chuckles came from behind Thief B. The five of them cried out. Thief A threw away the shovel in his hand, turned around, and ran. Unable to see clearly in the darkness, he hit his head against the wall. Because he fell too hard against the wall, he fainted after rolling his eyes. Thief B copsed to the ground and watched with widened eyes. He was so frightened that saliva flowed out of his mouth. The remaining three people were about to run away when Mu Yangling kicked them to the ground one by one. The one who ran only took a few steps before he was kicked in the chest by Mu Shi, who was standing in the corner. Only then did Mu Yangling light thentern. Seeing that it wasn¡¯t a ghost, Thief B was so frightened that he yelled ¡°Oh my god¡± before losing consciousness. Mu Shi carried back the person who had fled halfway and smacked his daughter¡¯s head. With a straight face, he said, ¡°Nonsense. What if you scare people to death?¡± He wanted to teach them a lesson, but he didn¡¯t want anyone to die. Even though he had killed people before, he still valued human lives. In fact, he all the more felt that life was precious because of those experiences he went through. Life was too fragile, so he had to cherish it even more! Mu Yangling stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be so easily frightened. I won¡¯t dare to do it again next time.¡± Wasn¡¯t it just standing on the left and tapping the person on the right? In the past, when she was in primary school, she could already gauge this based on the strength and direction. It was just that this person was too stupid. Mu Shi and Mu Yangling had waited here for two nights before finally capturing the thieves. Mu Shi and Mu Yangling tied them up and carried them home. They strung them up using a rope and tied them to a tree in front of the door. When the five of them woke up, it was almost dawn. They looked at each other with teary eyes. Then, they moved their bodies and tried to untie the rope. However, because they were tied together, soon, the five of them rolled into a ball and did not even have the strength to move. The five of them could only stare at the Mu family¡¯s door in a daze with tears in their eyes. After the third crow, the vige started bustling with activity. All the families started to get up. The Hu family, who was nearest to the Mu family, habitually looked in the Mu residence¡¯s direction when they opened the door. That was when they saw five people lying on the ground. Old Hu even rubbed his eyes to make sure that he had not seen wrongly. There were indeed five burly men lying on the ground with their arms and legs tied up. There were even strips of cloth stuffed in their mouths. Chapter 190: Disposal (1) Chapter 190: Disposal (1) Editor: As Studios Having slept well, Mu Yangling only opened her eyes when the sun reached her butt. The moment she opened her eyes, she met Bowen¡¯s bright eyes. Mu Yangling reached out and slowly pushed his face away, before turning over to continue sleeping. ¡°Sister!¡± Bowen shouted and pressed himself against Mu Yangling. He shouted in her ear, ¡°Sister, get up quickly. It¡¯s so lively outside.¡± Mu Yangling opened her eyes and asked, ¡°How is it lively?¡± ¡°There are many people surrounding our door. There are also many people kneeling outside, begging Father to let those people go. Father doesn¡¯t care and doesn¡¯t allow us to go out.¡± Mu Yangling yawned and slowly got up. ¡°Father is waiting for me.¡± Mu Bowen puffed out his chest and said, ¡°Father said that I¡¯m a man and asked me to discuss with you how to deal with this matter.¡± ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Mu Yangling asked as she put on her clothes. Without thinking, Mu Bowen said, ¡°Send them to the officials. Since they¡¯re thieves, send them to the officials and let them receive their sentence!¡± ¡°No, think again.¡± Mu Bowen frowned. ¡°Why not? Teacher said that thieves and robbers should be dealt with by the authorities.¡± ¡°Because the government also has a way of dealing with the world, and because the officials aren¡¯t the highest authority in this area.¡± Mu Yangling sat cross-legged in front of Bowen and said, ¡°Let me ask you, if these thieves are sent to the officials, will the officials definitely sentence him?¡± ¡°Of course. They were caught red-handed.¡± ¡°Father is a soldier, and those people are civilians. The two sides have always been divided. Since Father and I were the ones who arrested them, they can very well use us of kidnapping them randomly. They can also argue that they were just passing by our pastoral area. It might work as long as their families are willing to bribe the officials with some money. Alright, even if the world isn¡¯t so dark and we meet a good official who¡¯s upright and honest. We¡¯re naturally happy to see him sentencing the other party ording to thew, but their families will hate us to the core. I can be more careful when we go out in the future. However, we didn¡¯t arrest these thieves to send them to the officials, but to prevent our pastoral area from being robbed again. We want to send the message that even if Father isn¡¯t at home, our Mu family has the ability to protect ourselves and the Mu family¡¯s assets.¡± Mu Yangling stroked Bowen¡¯s head seriously and said, ¡°This move emphasizes intimidation, not punishment.¡± Otherwise, Mu Yangling wouldn¡¯t have let those people off so easily and would certainly have sent them to the officials. But not this time. Bowen seemed to understand. Mu Yangling jumped off the brick bed and said, ¡°Alright, follow me closelyter. Our uncles should already be working in the fields. In a while, go and invite them over and let everyone see that although my Mu family is the only family bearing this surname in this area, we have a lot of rtives and friends. We do have support!¡± Bowen replied loudly, ¡°Aye!¡± Mu Yangling slowly washed up and ate her breakfast before sitting on the chair to drink tea. Shu Wanniang took the time to look up at her daughter. Seeing her behavior, she couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. Seeing that this child could hold her temper, she realized she had been worrying in vain this morning. Mu Shi was sitting in the house reading his son¡¯s homework. Seeing that his daughter was ready, he nodded slightly. ¡°Since you¡¯re done, go out and deal with it. I¡¯ll wait in the house.¡± ¡°Father, just watch!¡± Mu Yangling held Mu Bowen¡¯s hand as she walked out. The people kneeling outside the door were the family members of the five guys caughtst night. They had heard the news and rushed over to plead for leniency. They did want to release the five people on the ground first, but they did not have the guts because there were many people from Chenggu Garrison guarding outside the door. If they really dared to untie the rope, those five people would probably be beaten to death. There was no need to pay for killing a thief. When Mu Yangling opened the door, the people kneeling outside looked up and was instantly disappointed upon seeing Mu Yangling. However, they still knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Youngdy, I beg you. Let your father and mothere out and talk to us. Our family head knows his mistake. He won¡¯t dare to do it again. Please don¡¯t report it to the officials.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°It¡¯s useless to beg my father and mother for this matter. I make the decisions for my family now, and I¡¯m also in charge of this matter. Your family head came to my rabbit shed in the middle of the night to steal rabbits. To think you came looking for me before I could settle the score with you. You¡¯re quite well-informed, aren¡¯t you?¡± The person kneeling on the ground was stunned. The surrounding vigers shouted, ¡°Auntie, Ah Ling is right. Miss Ah Ling is in charge of the Mu family now. It¡¯s useless even if you beg her parents. You have to beg her!¡± When Thief A¡¯s wife heard this, tears immediately flowed down her face. She crawled forward and wanted to hug Mu Yangling¡¯s leg, not minding that thetter was dodging her. She cried, ¡°Miss Mu, you¡¯re a magnanimous person. Please spare our family head. He¡¯s usually very honest and was merely blinded by greedst night. Please spare him this time. He won¡¯t dare to do it again. Our family depends on him for our livelihood. If you send him to the officials, we won¡¯t be able to live.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s the same for my family¡­¡± The family members of the other five men all cried. Mu Yangling said, ¡°My family also has elders and children. At least you have a man to rely on. My father works in the military camp and might not evene back once every few months. Why don¡¯t you pity me? Do those rabbits belong to my family? They belong to Little General and Young Master Fan. If we lose Little General and Young Master Fan¡¯s things, can our family still live? Really, you should be pitying me instead!¡± Mu Yangling snorted coldly. ¡°You want me to let them go? Impossible! If I let these five go, who knows how many thieves will show up tomorrow. In any case, after stealing from us, you may flee from this ce and change your names to start anew. However, our Mu family¡¯s roots are rooted here. Today, I want to make an example out of you.¡± Thief A and the others¡¯ expressions changed drastically as they whimpered at Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling stepped on him and snorted. ¡°Now you know how to regret it? Why didn¡¯t you feel this way earlier? Judging from your wife¡¯s dressing, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re starving. Why did you be a thief? Are you bullying our Mu family because we don¡¯t have any backing? Today, I¡¯ll let everyone know that although our Mu family is the only family bearing the surname Mu in the surrounding viges, our inws are all here. Bowen, go and invite my uncles over. Let these dog-eyed people see if our Mu family is easy to bully!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± Bowen replied loudly and turned to run. However, at the vige entrance, he bumped into Liu Ting and the others who hade over together. It turned out that Liu Ting had brought a few cousins over early in the morning to help build the straw hut. However, when he saw the situation in Chenggu Garrison from afar, he realized that the Mu family had attracted thievesst night. Without thinking, Liu Ting said to Liu Yuan, ¡°Run back and tell my father to bring a few more people over. I¡¯ll help Rocky. We can¡¯t let them be bullied because they¡¯re outnumbered.¡± When Liu Yuan heard this, he immediately ran back to call for help. However, Liu Daqian felt that they couldn¡¯t just rely on just these few families. He went to Liu He to ask for more support. ¡°Let¡¯s gather the young adults in our Liu family who are at home and make a trip there together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right for us to do so since Rocky has treated our Liu family well. I¡¯ll go to each family to call for help now.¡± Chapter 191: Disposal (2) Chapter 191: Disposal (2) Editor: As Studios In this era, one relied not only on the influence of their parents, but also their n. The Mu family was the only family bearing the Mu surname here. Even if Mu Shi became the toonmander or even the assistantmander in the army, the locals wouldn¡¯t take him seriously if the Mu family had no other backing here. As the saying went, ¡®One log cannot prop up a tottering building¡¯. Back then, the reason why the Mu family could hunt and sell their prey in Nearhill Vige without any worries was because they had the protection of the Liu n. They did not have to worry about being ostracized by the vigers nor did they have to fret about being ckmailed by the Junior Officer and the government office. Now that the Mu family had left Nearhill Vige, they were separated from the Liu n to be ced alone in Chenggu Garrison. Although they no longer faced any restrictions imposed by the Liu n, it was also a lot more troublesome now. These days, anyone would dare to inquire about the Mu family. In the past back in Nearhill Vige, should anyone dare to peek outside the Mu Residence, Eldest Great-uncle would be the first to p them. Although Mu Yangling had asked Bowen to call her uncles over, she didn¡¯t want to rely on the Liu n to scare them away. She knew that it was better to rely on oneself than on others, and that the Liu n could only stand behind them and serve as a deterrent to a certain extent. The Mu family would still have to provide the real strength. Mu Yangling hoped that the Mu family could instill fear and respect in those people. Maybe the part about respecting them could be shelved for the time being. For now, she had to make them fear the Mu family! Therefore, as soon as Bowen left, Mu Yangling carried a chair and sat down at the door. She said, ¡°I think we ought to send them to the government and let the officials judge it. Thew is always fair, right?¡± Thief A wailed loudly. His wife boldly nced at Mu Yangling and said, ¡°Miss Mu, if this case is sent to the officials, our family head won¡¯t be able toe out. How about this? We¡¯llpensate the Mu family for their losses. How about that?¡± Blinking, Mu Yangling asked, ¡°What losses has our Mu family suffered? Does suffering a fright count? How should we calcte this loss? No, no. If we ask for too much, you¡¯ll think we¡¯re scamming you. On the other hand, if we ask for too little, I¡¯ll feel ufortable.¡± Thief A finally spat out the cloth in his mouth and alongside with a mouthful of saliva. He asked in a rough voice, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Tilting her head, Mu Yangling thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s said that thieves won¡¯t be thieves anymore after their hands are cut off. I want to test the effect.¡± With a pale face, Thief A straightened his neck and said, ¡°Mu Yangling, don¡¯t go overboard. Even though I did go to your shedst night, I ultimately didn¡¯t do anything. Instead, I was startled by you. How are we going to settle this score?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Are you denying the fact that you attempted to stealst night?¡± Thief A felt a sense of pressure under Mu Yangling¡¯s cold gaze. In the end, he did not dare to deny it and only said, ¡°In any case, you can¡¯t cut off our hands. Without our hands, how can we make a living?¡± Seeing that everyone was looking at his hands with bright eyes, he could not help but shout, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about making a living as a thief! Doesn¡¯t one have to use their hands to work in the fields?¡± Only then did everyone look away. Some of the surrounding vigers began to plead for leniency on their behalf. ¡°Miss Ah Ling, I think we should be lenient. Anyway, they know their mistake. If you really cut off their hands, how are they going to support their family in the future?¡± Someone even whispered to Mu Yangling, ¡°These five people are from the neighboring vige and have a lot of rtives. If we provoke them, we¡¯ll be in endless trouble in the future. I think it¡¯s best not to go overboard. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be peace in the two viges in the future.¡± Mu Yangling lowered her head and thought for a while. Looking around at the surrounding vigers, she saw many strangers. Knowing that they were from the neighboring vige, she said, ¡°I can choose not to cut off your hands. How about letting me pat each of your shoulders? That can be considered your punishment.¡± Thief A asked in a daze, ¡°You¡¯re just going to pat me on the shoulder? You¡¯re not going to chop off my hand or send me to the officials?¡± Mu Yangling nodded with a smile. Thief A stood up with difficulty and said, ¡°Alright, let me be the first.¡± Xiuhong took a kitchen knife from the house and cut their ropes. Thief A loosened his shoulders before stepping forward to say casually, ¡°You can start from me.¡± ¡°How decisive!¡± Mu Yangling stood up and pped his shoulder. Everyone only heard a cracking sound, followed by Thief A¡¯s scream before he fell to the ground in cold sweat. ¡°Hubby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Thief A¡¯s wife quickly went forward to hold him. Sneering, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Don¡¯t use too much strength. Otherwise, the bones in his arm will shatterpletely and he won¡¯t be able to reattach them.¡± Thief A looked at Mu Yangling with bloodshot eyes. He was in so much pain that he could not speak. Mu Yangling walked to the side and touched a rock in front of the door. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t use much strength. With just a light pat, it shattered. It shattered¡ª¡± Mu Yangling gently smacked the stone with her palm. Everyone clearly saw how the rock, which was the size of two adult heads, became filled with cracks. Then¡ªit shattered! Thief A¡¯s wife let out a miserable cry and hugged her husband helplessly. She asked, ¡°What should we do about your broken arm? What should we do? Mu Yangling, you¡¯re so ruthless!¡± Mu Yangling looked at her with a smile as she said, ¡°Who said that I¡¯m ruthless? I¡¯m very kind. Instead of chopping off both his hands, I merely gave him a pat. He agreed just now.¡± Mu Yangling looked at the remaining four people and said, ¡°How is it? Whose turn is it now?¡± The four of them shook their heads in unison and involuntarily knelt on the ground. ¡°Miss Mu, Great-aunt Mu, we know our mistake! We won¡¯t dare to do it again! In the future, when we see you and the Mu family, we¡¯ll take a detour. Please spare us!¡± Among the vigers, a man in his fifties stood out from the crowd and checked on Thief A¡¯s condition. After temporarily stabilizing it with wood, he stood up and looked at Mu Yangling solemnly. ¡°Miss Mu, don¡¯t go too far. Although the five of them made a mistake, they¡¯re still from our Horse Head Vige.¡± Seeing that someone with authority finally spoke up, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t have to beat around the bush. She asked, ¡°Why? Is your Horse Head Vige invincible? Your viger came to steal something, but you came to find trouble with the victims?¡± The person held it in for a while and cupped his hands. ¡°They were in the wrong, but you guys aren¡¯t that clean either. They were caught the moment they got to the door. Weren¡¯t you plotting a scheme? You guys didn¡¯t suffer any losses at all, but you broke his arm and cut off their family¡¯s livelihood. Your Mu family is too domineering.¡± Mu Yangling was so angry that sheughed. ¡°So after our Mu family realized that someone might being to steal something, we should have opened the door wide and waited for the thief to enter and take everything before closing the door? Only then would we be considered not domineering and not vicious? What kind of logic is that from your Horse Head Vige? Or have you always been thieves like this? If the victim doesn¡¯t follow that warped logic, the entire vigees knocking on the victim¡¯s door?¡± ¡°Nonsense. The vigers of Horse Head Vige are decent farmers. Since when did we be thieves?¡± Mu Yangling kicked Thief A in front of him and asked coldly, ¡°Then which vige is he from?¡± The person was at a loss for words. In the end, he said, ¡°I refuse to talk to a child like you. Get your father toe out? How dare a little girl talk to an elder like this? Your Mu family sure teaches their children well!¡± Chapter 192: Disposal (2) Chapter 192: Disposal (2) Editor: As Studios ¡°I¡¯m in charge of the Mu family. Though, I want to ask who you are. Who are you to interfere with how I punish the thieves who try to steal from my family?¡± The person choked and his face darkened. His already dark face became even darker, like charcoal in a ck pot. There were 17 to 18 vigers standing behind him one after another. They mored, ¡°We¡¯re from Horse Head Vige. If you want to deal with someone from our vige, you have to seek our permission first.¡± Another old man squeezed out of the crowd and said to Mu Yangling with a smile, ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t be angry. These are all young men from our Horse Head Vige. Young people are hot-tempered, so they speak a little rashly. The five of them did make a mistake, but as the saying goes, ¡®It¡¯s best to let someone have a chance to start anew after knowing their mistakes¡¯. Since the five of them already know their mistakes, do let them off. They¡¯ll remember your kindness in the future.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze slid past him andnded on ck Charcoal behind him. She asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± ck Charcoal¡¯s eyes darkened. Looking at Mu Yangling, he said, ¡°Then Miss Mu doesn¡¯t have the final say.¡± Liu Yuan, who had already walked over, was about to rush forward when he heard this, but Liu Ting stopped him. Liu Yuan lowered his voice and said, ¡°Big Brother, what are you waiting for? Can¡¯t you see that Ah Ling is being bullied?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Ah Ling wink at us? We¡¯ll go upter. With Ah Ling¡¯s ability, do you think these people can deal with her?¡± Remembering Ah Ling had crawled out of a pile of dead people, Liu Yuan immediately rxed. He suppressed the moring cousins behind him and watched themotion with the surrounding vigers. The people from Horse Head Vige had already started making a fuss, shouting, ¡°You better know when to stop!¡± The originally smiling old man¡¯s face also turned cold. ¡°Miss Mu, you¡¯re not giving me face by saying this. The five of them indeed deserve to be beaten. Men, bring them back. We will punish them by our n rules.¡± A few young men stood up from Horse Head Vige and wanted to escort Thief A and the others away. Mu Yangling kicked Thief A out and stepped on his chest. ¡°You¡¯d better not anger me. My strength is not urate. If I¡¯m not careful, I could turn a person into a rock.¡± After saying that, she moved her foot and stepped on a rock not far away. She rubbed it hard, and the rock cracked. The people who went forward looked at each other and did not dare to go forward. Xiuhong sneered. ¡°What cowards. You can¡¯t evenpare to a finger of my cousin and you still dare to find trouble with her. How shameless for so many people to go up against one person.¡± Bowen tried his best to squeeze past Liu Ting to Xiuhong¡¯s side. He made a face and said, ¡°So many adults are bullying us children. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± As soon as he said this, even ck Charcoal and the old man could not help but blush. Those young men from Horse Head Vige were so angry that they rushed forward to grab Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling blocked his hand and grabbed the other party¡¯s cor and waist before throwing him out. Then, she threw a punch at the people who rushed forward. Turning around, she instantly got everyone from Horse Head Vige entangled¡­ Her movements were swift, and she was very skilled in the ¡®Quick Snatching¡¯ technique. After a while, all 18 people from Horse Head Vige were knocked to the ground by her. Hidden in the crowd, Qi Haoran¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw this. In a lowered voice, he said to Fan Zijin, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Mu Yangling use this move before.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a grappling technique?¡± Even if Fan Zijin didn¡¯t like to practice martial arts, he could still see some traces of it. ¡°It is indeed, but it¡¯s much more refined. Anyone with a little foundation in martial arts can learn it. It¡¯s more effective than the grappling technique we¡¯re learning in the military camp now.¡± After all, Qi Haoran was an expert of a variety of martial arts techniques and was familiar with the various acupuncture points. Mu Yangling¡¯s ¡®Quick Snatching¡¯ move looked simple, but with just a few movements, she aimed urately at people¡¯s acupuncture points, rendering them strengthless with just a squeeze¡­ When ck Charcoal and the old man saw that Mu Yangling had single-handedly defeated the people they had brought, their expressions changed drastically. Just as they were about to say something, Liu Ting had already pushed away the people in front of him and brought the youths of the Liu n forward. 25 to 26 strong young men stood behind Mu Yangling. ¡°Ah Ling, what¡¯s going on? Did someone bully you?¡± Liu Ting asked Mu Yangling, but his eyes were on the people from Horse Head Vige. Mu Yanglingined in front of them. ¡°Uncle, they¡¯re bullying us. Not only did they want to steal from us, but they also bullied the Mu family for being the only ones with the Mu surname here and wanted to take the thieves away just like this.¡± Liu Ting looked at ck Charcoal and said, ¡°Who said that the Mu family doesn¡¯t have any rtives? Even after the daughter of the Liu n marries, she will still be a daughter of the Liu n. Are you people bullying my cousin¡¯s family because he can¡¯t take care of them while he¡¯s in the military camp? Or are you bullying them because the Liu n is not in Chenggu Garrison?¡± Seeing that so many people had suddenly appeared to back up the Mu family, the two of them were truly shocked. The reason why they dared to bring people over to ask for the thieves¡¯ release was because the Mu family was the only one with the Mu surname in the surrounding viges and had no backing. Even if they were unreasonable, they were no match for an entire vige. ck Charcoal and the old man looked at each other. In the end, it was the old man who cupped his hands and admitted defeat. ¡°This is Brother Liu, right? This is all a misunderstanding. We want to bring them back to punish them, not to protect them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to bring them back. You can deal with them in front of my niece and everyone else. This will be more fair. Ah Ling has already given you a lot of face by agreeing not to send them to the officials. Otherwise, if they go to jail, will they still be able toe out in one piece?¡± ck Charcoal and the old man looked at each other and finally nodded. ¡°Since Miss Mu gave us face, we will deal with them here.¡± Mu Yangling said with a smile, ¡°How you deal with them is your business. However, since they have agreed to my request, we have to carry out my punishment first.¡± ck Charcoal¡¯s expression changed. With clenched fists, he said, ¡°Miss Mu, you can easily cripple their arms with a single palm strike. Please be magnanimous!¡± ¡°As thieves, you have to be prepared to have your hands crippled. This is also a lesson for them. Otherwise, if they even dare to steal from vigers, won¡¯t they dare to kill people outside? Since they don¡¯t know how to conduct themselves, I don¡¯t mind teaching them personally and letting them know what they can and can¡¯t do.¡± ck Charcoal¡¯s expression changed drastically, but Mu Yangling did not wait for him to say anything. She took a step forward and pressed down on Thief B¡¯s shoulder with a little force. With a crack, Thief B screamed. When the remaining three people saw this, they all looked at Mu Yangling in cold sweat. Thief C even lost control of his bowels. Mu Yangling mercilessly broke their arms before pping her hands and saying, ¡°This is a lesson for them. Let them remember what they can and can¡¯t do!¡± The expressions of the people from Horse Head Vige were not good. However, because there were more than 20 people from the Liu n here, they did not speak fiercely to Mu Yangling like before. Seeing that the matters outside were almost settled, Mu Shi opened the door and came out. Liu Ting was stunned to see him. ¡°You¡¯re at home? I thought you went to the military camp again. Then why did you call Ah Ling out to deal with it?¡± Everyone also looked at Mu Shi. Chapter 193: Support Chapter 193: Support Editor: As Studios Mu Shi¡¯s gaze slid across everyone until no one dared to make a sound. Then, he walked to his daughter¡¯s side and cupped his hands at everyone. ¡°Everyone, I am a rough and inarticte man. However, I¡¯m not afraid of offending anyone here since we¡¯re in the right. The old people say that we should be lenient wherever possible. Our Mu family isn¡¯t someone who won¡¯t take a step back, but we also have to see if it¡¯s worth it to retreat. If these five people sincerely admitted their mistakes, my daughter wouldn¡¯t be so angry. My Mu family doesn¡¯t want a grudge with Horse Head Vige, but if things reallye to this, my Mu family isn¡¯t afraid either!¡± Mu Shi looked straight at ck Charcoal with a knife-like gaze and said, ¡°I¡¯m someone who licks blood on the edge of a knife. I rely on this ruthlessness. If I¡¯m a wolf, my daughter will be a wolf cub. Today, in front of my fellow vigers, I, Mu Shi, will say this first. Whoever bullies my wife and children while I¡¯m not at home, you¡¯d better hope that I die on the battlefield. Otherwise, I, Mu Shi, will fight him to the death!¡± The expressions of everyone present changed drastically. Not daring to meet Mu Shi¡¯s eyes, some of the more timid ones even took two steps back involuntarily. Liu Ting ced his hand on Mu Shi¡¯s shoulder and shook his head slightly at him. Only then did Mu Shi not say anything else. Smiling, Liu Ting walked forward. He cupped his hands at the silent crowd and said with a smile, ¡°Please forgive us, fellow vigers. My cousin is just a boorish person. He speaks a little arrogantly, but he¡¯s a very good person. The people in the vige have been interacting with my brother for half a year, so they should know him well. It is a well known fact that he treats his wife and children like treasures. Other than this, everything else is fine.¡± ¡°However, since we are all from neighboring viges, why would anyone bully my sister-inw, niece, and nephew? Is that right?¡± Liu Ting continued with a smile, ¡°Our Liu n is in the West Vige next door, just less than 45 minutes away from here. In the future, if my eldest niece does anything wrong, juste to the vige to look for me. I¡¯ll teach her a lesson.¡± Liu Yuan also came back to his senses. He went forward and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right. My uncle used to live in our vige near the mountain. My aunt and I only have one son. The couple passed away early, so my uncle and father treated my cousin as their biological son. Back then, my uncle even officiated his wedding. We also treat my eldest niece as our daughter. If she offends the vigers in any way, don¡¯t get angry. Juste to West Vige to look for us. Even though you won¡¯t be able to teach her a lesson, let us lecture her and seek justice for everyone.¡± The corners of everyone¡¯s lips twitched when they heard that. Although he was seemingly chiding Mu Shi and Mu Yangling, he was undoubtedly supporting Mu Shi and Mu Yangling. In the future, if Mu Yangling really had a conflict with the vigers, everyone would definitely have to gauge the attitude of the Liu n in the West Vige and couldn¡¯t bully the Mu family too much. Otherwise, if they went back to mobilize reinforcements, they would be up against many members of the Liu n. If they really fought head-on, no one would stand to gain. The corners of ck Charcoal¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Since your eldest niece is so capable, I¡¯m afraid no one in the surrounding viges can bully her. We¡¯ll bring these five people back first. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll definitely take a detour when they see the Mu family in the future.¡± Mu Yangling snorted coldly. Mu Shi said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that your vige also metes out its own punishments? I¡¯m waiting.¡± Seeing that Mu Shi was ying the bad guy, Liu Ting hurriedly came out to y the good guy. With a smile, he said, ¡°Cousin, since he has already said that, he definitely won¡¯t lie to you. However, considering they¡¯re injured now, even if they have to punish him, they can¡¯t do it now. I think it¡¯s better to let them go back first. They¡¯ve embarrassed Horse Head Vige so much, so I¡¯m sure they will be punished by them. If you¡¯re still worried, you can just make a trip to Horse Head Vigeter. It¡¯s not far from us anyway.¡± Only then did Mu Shi let them go. Mu Yangling gently tapped Thief B¡¯s arm with the tip of her foot, scaring him so much that he trembled. Smiling, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Do you see your Big Brother¡¯s arm? You have to tie yours up like him. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be crippled even if you try to reattach itter. When the timees, don¡¯t say that I¡¯m too ruthless. I actually held back and only broke two of your bones instead of crushing them.¡± Although this was a reminder, it was also a threat. Everyone trembled in fear and hurriedly used a tree branch to stabilize their arms before leaving in a hurry. The onlookers also hurriedly took advantage of the chaos to leave. Soon, only the Liu n was left in front of the Mu family¡¯s door. Only then did Liu Ting frown and look at Mu Shi. He said disapprovingly, ¡°Since you¡¯re at home, why did you call the children out to settle things?¡± ¡°Come in and sit down,¡± Mu Shi exined. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to let Ah Ling establish her might. I¡¯m often away in the military camp and won¡¯t be able to help much with family matters. The entire family depends on Ah Ling. When others see that she¡¯s a child, they¡¯ll inevitably bully her. This is a good opportunity for her to establish her might. In the future, even if I¡¯m not around, she can shoulder the responsibility alone.¡± In the past, when Mu Yangling was in Nearhill Vige, her words were absolute. It was just that with Mu Shi and the Liu n backing her up, no one dared to bully her. But it was different outside, for nobody knew Mu Yangling. Liu Ting thought about it and understood. Seeing that so many cousins were here, he pped and said, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re here today, don¡¯t be in a hurry to go back. Help us build a straw hut first. We¡¯re almost done and can finish it today.¡± ¡°Brother Ting sure knows how to order people around. Brother Rocky, you have to tell my father that we¡¯re building a straw hut for you instead of skiving outside.¡± When Mu Shi heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely tell them about it.¡± Mu Shi got Mu Yangling to go up the mountain to hunt some prey and distribute some to everyone to bring backter. Then, he went to build the straw hut with them. Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin had already left among the crowd. Qi Haoran gestured as he walked. In just a few moves, he had actually mastered the ¡®Quick Snatching¡¯ technique that Mu Yangling had used just now. Satisfied, Qi Haoran put down his hands and said to Fan Zijin, ¡°In two days, when Mu Yangling isn¡¯t so busy anymore, I¡¯lle and learn this ¡®Quick Snatching¡¯ technique from her. I¡¯ll practice it with Big Brother Jiang Zeter.¡± After saying that, Qi Haoran turned around to look upon hearing no reaction from Fan Zijin. Only then did he realize that thetter had his head lowered in deep thought. He asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering who Mu Yangling learned her martial arts from. Didn¡¯t you realize that her movements are simple but useful? Previously, when you were exchanging moves with her, in the heat of the moment, every move of hers could strike the opponent fatally. Those moves were simply meant to kill. And when you and Mu Shi were exchanging moves, I watched from the side. Mu Yangling was able tost about 150 moves from you, but Mu Shi couldn¡¯t evenst 50 moves. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that Mu Shi doesn¡¯t know any of the killer moves Mu Yangling knows?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? My father doesn¡¯t know everything that I know either.¡± Fan Zijin red at him. ¡°How can that be the same? You have a martial arts master and a secret manual to learn from. Furthermore, your father doesn¡¯t even practice martial arts. But didn¡¯t Mu Yangling learn all her martial arts from Mu Shi?¡± ¡°Who said that Mu Yangling¡¯s martial arts were all taught by Mu Shi? Didn¡¯t she say that her grandfather taught her?¡± ¡°Her grandfather died before she was born.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s also possible that he left behind a manual or something. What¡¯s there to feel conflicted about? Mu Yangling is more talented than her father, so it¡¯s not strange for her to master what her grandfather left behind at a higher level. Zijin, martial arts are different. If everyone copies from the same essay, their essays would be identical. However, martial arts are different. Different people can achieve different effects with the same actions. Even the same people can perform the same actions differently at different times. Mu Yangling was born with divine strength. How can such a person not have talent? Perhaps she¡¯ll even surpass her grandfather after mastering what he left behind?¡± Seeing that Qi Haoran was wholeheartedly speaking up for Mu Yangling, Fan Zijin instantly felt a little helpless. Not in the mood to continue arguing, he nodded perfunctorily and said, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± Chapter 194: Transaction Chapter 194: Transaction Editor: As Studios After half a day, Liu Ting and his men finished building the remaining parts of the straw hut. The roof was covered with thick thatch. Liu Yuan patted the dry and thick thatch and said to Mu Shi, ¡°As long as there isn¡¯t a heavy rain, there won¡¯t be any problems with the roof.¡± With that said, he looked up at the scorching sun in the sky. Wiping his sweat, he sighed. ¡°I would rather it rain heavily, though. Look, the river water is about to dry up.¡± Mu Shi turned to look at the river at the side. The water level in the river had decreased drastically, revealing the stones in the river. Mu Shi stood in the deepest part of the water, and the water only reached his waist. There was only a foot of water left in the dug canal. Now, the water in the river could no longer flow into the canal. Now that sunlight was sufficient, the wheat and rice were growing quickly. The wheat would enter the filling stages after another two days of irrigation. With so many wheat fields, this bit of river water was definitely not enough to water them. A fight for water was inevitable. At the thought that he was leaving the day after tomorrow, Mu Shi couldn¡¯t help but frown. He went back to discuss it with his daughter. ¡°Since I¡¯m leaving the day after tomorrow, why don¡¯t our family start fetching water to water the fields tonight?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you waiting for news from the military camp?¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Little General might open a reservoir to release water?¡± ¡°Even then, we still have to snatch it. While I¡¯m still at home, I can protect you a little. Tonight, we¡¯ll water the rice field first. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll water the wheat field.¡± Since Mu Shi had made up his mind, Mu Yangling naturally listened to him. At the same time, Qi Haoran was also telling Fan Zijin about the irrigation. ¡°Irrigation is a big deal this time. I think we should give the entire army three days off and let them go back.¡± Fan Zijin looked at him with raised eyebrows. Sighing, Qi Haoran said, ¡°I have no choice. Big Brother sent me a message. He said that out of the five divisions, only ours is in a slightly better situation. The other divisions didn¡¯t even manage to get much from the tiller stage, much less reach the filler stage. This year¡¯s rations mainly have toe from our camp.¡± If Qi Xiuyuan wasn¡¯t his big brother, Qi Haoran would have cursed his mother. But since they were biological brothers, cursing Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s mother would mean cursing his own mother. Since he came here mainly to help his big brother, he could only bear this burden. ¡°The assistantmanders of the 3rd and 4th Division are here to borrow water again,¡± Fan Zijin said. Qi Haoran pursed his lips and said, ¡°Ask them to exchange weapons for it. I don¡¯t want much, just 100 long sabers, 100 spears, and five horses. Let them have all the water in Reservoir No. 1 in exchange.¡± Fan Zijin asked, ¡°In total?¡± Qi Haoran looked at him disdainfully. ¡°How can that be? Of course that quantity is for each camp. Considering Reservoir No. 1 is so big, I¡¯m already suffering a loss by only exchanging it for 200 long sabers, 200 spears, and 10 horses.¡± Fan Zijin patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Not bad, not bad. Since you think you¡¯re suffering a loss, I¡¯ll raise the price for you. If you propose this much from the onset, they¡¯ll definitely try to bargain down the amount.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this matter to you.¡± Qi Haoran wanted to wash his hands off of the matter. Fan Zijin turned around and proposed they each give 500 long sabers, 500 spears, and 10 horses each. The assistantmanders of the 3rd and 4th Division almost vomited blood. It was not easy to get rations, but it was also not easy to get weapons. The general had given them a fixed number of things. In this aspect, they could notpare to the 1st Division and the 2nd Battalion. Every time good things came down from above, the 1st Division and the 2nd Battalion would have their pick first before it was their turn. As such, there was only so much that they had. Fan Zijin was really daring to ask for so much. However, they did not have the confidence to turn around and leave. Previously, the 3rd and 4th Divisions did not have any water conservancy measures, and their crops weren¡¯t growing as well as the 5th Division¡¯s. Now, the tilling of the wheat fields was only about 50% sessful. If they did not ensure the filler stage went well, they might have to starve when it came time to harvest next autumn. The general had scolded them two days ago, saying that they were inferior to Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran, a child in his teens, was actually faring better than them. Although the two of them were aggrieved, they had to admit it. There was definitely not enough water in the river, and only Qi Haoran had repaired the water conservancy facilities in the surrounding viges. Now, not only were they envious of the water in Qi Haoran¡¯s threerge reservoirs, but the local squires also wished they coulde up and suck up to Qi Haoran. The two assistantmanders did not dare to be negligent now. In the end, after a painstaking negotiation, the two assistantmanders managed to lower the price to 230 long sabers, 230 spears, and five horses per camp. The two camps divided the water in Reservoir No. 1 equally. Enlightened, Fan Zijin said to Qi Haoran, ¡°I think the grains you owe the Sun and Zhao families can be offset by this. Aren¡¯t they worried about not having enough water to water their fields? Why don¡¯t you offer them the water from Reservoir No. 2?¡± Qi Haoran frowned. ¡°No, I have to ensure my production first.¡± ¡°Are you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to get water when you have so many soldiers? Won¡¯t you be able to get water if you assign your men to Jialing Lake and dig a big hole before blocking the river downstream?¡± If Mu Yangling was here, she would definitely scold Fan Zijin for being immoral. Though tempted, Qi Haoran shook his head and said, ¡°No, that Song Zhi will eat me alive. Moreover, this will also cause trouble for Big Brother. We won¡¯t do that sort of immoral thing.¡± ¡°Then do you think you can return the grains after the autumn harvest? Eldest Cousin wants so much rations that I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have nothing left. How are you going to return them?¡± Qi Haoran tugged at his hair and said shamelessly, ¡°What can they do if I refuse to repay them this year and choose to repay them next year instead?¡± Fan Zijin: ¡°¡­¡± He admitted defeat at the shamelessness. Having made up his mind, Qi Haoran gave all the soldiers a break that same day. The next day, Reservoir No. 2 was opened. All the military households of the 5th Division could go to the reservoir to fetch water and water their fields. No fights were allowed. That afternoon, Mu Shi had already picked up a bucket and started to irrigate water into the paddy field with his daughter and the others. The reservoir was a certain distance away from theirnd. Since there was still water in the river, no one went to the reservoir. However, on the third day, only muddy water remained in the river. When one lowered a bucket into the river, half of it would be filled with mud. Mu Yangling and the others had witnessed three bloody fights in the fight for water. At this moment, Mu Shi had already left for two days. Madam Ma-Liu slumped on the ground and said, ¡°Ah Ling, we have to go to the reservoir to fetch water too.¡± Mu Yangling was using wooden nks to surround the cart. When she heard this, she said, ¡°Great-aunt, don¡¯t go to the reservoir. I¡¯ll go look for Uncle and the others and go with them. You go to the fields with my mother. I¡¯ll transport the water back for you to irrigate the fields.¡± ¡°How will that do? This cart can hold nine buckets of water. It¡¯ll take several trips back and forth. Anyway, since we still have buckets at home, why don¡¯t I fetch another load?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s very chaotic over at the reservoir. If anyone identally bumps into you, what will happen to our family? Just obediently bring my mother to the fields. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to take the time to protect you.¡± Before Great-aunt could make up her mind, Liu Ting¡¯s voice sounded from outside. ¡°Ah Ling, are you done?¡± Liu Ting and Liu Yuan came over with a few cousins. Like Mu Yangling, they were all pushing carts. When Mu Yangling saw that her aunts were also carrying buckets, she asked, ¡°Why are Aunt and the rest going too?¡± Liu Ting smiled and said, ¡°Your aunts are very impressive and certainly not inferior to us. Let¡¯s go quickly while it¡¯s still early and there aren¡¯t many people.¡± Mu Yangling waved goodbye to her family and pushed the cart away. Madam Ma-Liu wanted to chase after her, but Shu Wanniang stopped her and said, ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s not cause trouble. Let¡¯s just wait in the field like Ah Ling said.¡± Madam Ma-Liu red at her. ¡°You¡¯re really broad-minded as a mother.¡± Smiling, Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t I have to be? When Ah Ling was only four years old, she told me seriously that one had to learn to weigh the pros and cons. After so many years, I¡¯m already used to it. If it¡¯s beneficial for Ah Ling for me to follow her, I¡¯ll follow even if she stops me. But if it¡¯s harmful to her, even if someone forces me with a knife to follow her, I can¡¯t cause trouble for her.¡± Chapter 195: Cooperation Chapter 195: Cooperation Editor: As Studios Looking at the people carrying buckets and pushing carts on the road, Mu Yangling asked Liu Ting, ¡°You call this not many people?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be dissatisfied.¡± Liu Ting said, ¡°In a while, it will be more crowded, making it difficult to even walk. If we don¡¯t water the fields in time, we¡¯ll miss the timing for grainfilling1and the wheat grains will be deted, resulting in a dismal output. So, we can¡¯t rest at all now. If it weren¡¯t for Little General¡¯s order to stay away from the reservoir after seven o¡¯clock, I¡¯m afraid everyone would have watered their fields all night.¡± The first time Mu Yangling went to the reservoir, Liu Ting had already been running around for two days. The river and reservoir were about the same distance from theirnd. Instead of running to the river first before running to the reservoir, it was better to familiarize herself with the journey from the reservoir to the field from the beginning. Reservoir No. 2 was surrounded with people. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t a queue like what Liu Ting had mentioned. There were soldiers guarding the reservoir and patrolling back and forth to prevent any fights over the water. Mu Yangling parked the cart under the reservoir for Liu Yuan and another cousin to stand guard by it. Then, she carried two buckets to fetch water. Being young, small, and agile, in no time, she twisted her way to the front and threw the bucket down. When she raised it again, it was full. Seeing this, Liu Ting hurriedly called his cousins forward and said, ¡°Ah Ling, you¡¯ll be in charge of fetching water over there while we carry the filled buckets down.¡± A burly man who was fetching water looked at Liu Ting in disdain when he heard that. Drawing water required much more strength and skill than carrying water. As much water had been drawn from the reservoir over the past few days, the water level had gone down by quite a lot. As such, they had to tie the wooden bucket with a rope and throw it down. When the wooden bucket was filled with water, they would bring it up. Only an adult would be able to pull up a bucket filled with water. Mu Yangling had no objections. Everyone in the Liu n knew Mu Yangling¡¯s strength and was happy with such an arrangement. They lined up to ce their wooden buckets over so that Mu Yangling could fill them with water. Mu Yangling¡¯s grip was strong, and she easily filled a pair of wooden buckets with water. Liu Ting quickly got someone to carry the filled buckets away. When she filled all the wooden buckets with water, no one came forward to bring her any more empty wooden buckets. There was indeed a long distance between here and their cart. When Mu Yangling saw a few teens pulling up the water buckets, she simply threw a bucket down and filled their bucket with water. Stunned, the teens looked up at her. Mu Yangling only smiled at them and continued to fetch water for them. The teens blushed and thanked her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, they picked up the buckets and left in a panic. However, a lot of people rushed up and squeezed their way through. This caused some of the water in their buckets to fall out, and one of them even fell to the ground after being bumped by someone, spilling all the water in the wooden bucket. Mu Yangling frowned slightly, but the person who was knocked down seemed to be used to it. He simply got up, picked up the wooden bucket, and came back to fetch water. Mu Yangling sighed slightly. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t ask her great-aunt and Xiuhong toe. She turned around and fetched a bucket of water for him. After pouring it into his bucket, she said in a low voice, ¡°Try to avoid them. If it really doesn¡¯t work, stand still and wait for those people to pass first. You could get injured from the fall.¡± The young man blushed and nodded hurriedly. After a while, he looked up at Mu Yangling and said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re really amazing even though you look pretty young. I can only pull up half a bucket of water every time. Good brother, can you teach meter?¡± Mu Yangling looked down at herself. Did she look like a boy? After some thought, she said, ¡°I¡¯m naturally strong. You can go back and train your arm strength.¡± Mu Yangling helped him fill the bucket. When she saw Liu Ting bring empty wooden buckets over, she no longer had the mood to talk to him. Turning around, she continued to fetch water for them. After three trips like this, everyone¡¯s buckets were filled. In the end, Mu Yangling carried a bucket of water down herself. Her buckets had already been ced on the cart, filled with water. Mu Yangling carefully ced thest bucket on it. Seeing that everyone was here, Liu Ting waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s walk together. The women will walk in the middle. Those in front, behind, and on the left and right, be careful not to be knocked down. Ah Ling, walk in the middle with your aunts.¡± There were good people in this world, but there were also bad people, especially those who could not bear to see others doing well. When they saw someoneing back with water, they would deliberately bump into them. If they made an issue of it, their efforts that day would be in vain. On the other hand, if you did nothing about it, they would be even worse. Every time the Liu n came out to fetch water, they would form cliques. When there were many of them, no one dared to provoke them. However, there were also some who were unreasonable and insisted on bumping against them. Liu Ting and the rest had only encountered such people twice. Yesterday, they had almost gotten physical. In order not to hurt the women, they had to walk in the middle every time. Perhaps it was because of Mu Yangling¡¯s luck, but they actually returned to the field sessfully this time. Mu Yangling pushed the cart and was about to turn into her own plot ofnd. Before she left, she waved at Liu Ting and said, ¡°Uncle, ask Cousin Li¡¯s mother to fetch water with uster.¡± As the three-day vacation in the military camp was over, Liu Li¡¯s mother was the only one left at home. It was too dangerous for her to go to the reservoir alone to fetch water. Liu Ting nced at his cousins and agreed with a smile. ¡°Wait for us hereter. We¡¯ll be here soon.¡± They only sent the water back for the old and young at home to water the fields before returning with empty buckets. Mu Yangling nodded. The Mu family contained the water using arge vat. Having carried it over from home, Mu Yangling poured the water into the vat. Madam Ma-Liu and the rest then scooped out water with a basin to water the fields, and emptied the wooden buckets so that Mu Yangling could go to the reservoir to fetch more water. Since they had yet to arrive, she helped to water the fields. As she watered them, she reached out to pull out some wheat ears to observe carefully. She memorized these conditions and nned to write them down in her notebookter. Other than that, there was also the weather every day, the agricultural work that needed to be done, and so on. Mu Yangling recorded them all. She did not know if she would be able to achieve anything in agriculture in the future, but she knew that this information would definitely be useful. Even if she had no use for it, it could always serve as a reference for future generations. Therefore, Mu Yangling took this very seriously. Seeing that it was about time, Mu Yangling pushed the cart over to the intersection and waited. This time, Madam Liu-Ma indeed followed behind Madam Liu-Zhang, carrying the empty buckets on her shoulder. She knew that Mu Yangling had asked them to let her tag along, and they were only allowing her to do so on Mu Yangling¡¯s ount. She couldn¡¯t help but nod and smile gratefully at Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling only smiled and focused on walking in front. While pushing the cart beside her, Liu Ting whispered, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you help Cousin Li, but don¡¯t be too biased. Otherwise, it will be difficult for your Aunt Ma in the vige.¡± Mu Yangling snorted and said unhappily, ¡°Great-uncle He is getting more and more muddle-headed. It¡¯s not Cousin Li¡¯s fault for what happened to his family. If Cousin Li amounts to something great in the future, let¡¯s see what benefits the n can gain if they continue to be so biased.¡± Liu Ting did not say anything, but he remembered these words in his heart. Liu Li¡¯s character was not bad, and Uncle He had indeed been a little muddle-headed over the past half a year. On the other hand, Brother Dacang was too honest and might not be able to suppress the people in the n. It was uncertain if the Liu n could still live as peacefully as they had in Nearhill Vige, going forward. With the intention of being kind to others, Liu Ting asked his wife to help Madam Liu-Ma more. This resulted in his family bing closer and closer to Liu Li¡¯s family. Chapter 196: Releasing Water Chapter 196: Releasing Water Editor: As Studios Working together, Mu Yangling and the Liu n could make ten trips to and fro a day. Because the Liu n didn¡¯t have much farnd and they had stayed upte to water the fields during the two days when Mu Shi was around, they only went to the reservoir to fetch water for three days before watering the entire wheat field. At this moment, Reservoir No. 2 had nearly emptied out. Everyone was waiting for Qi Haoran to open Reservoir No. 3, but Song Zhi approached the military camp at this moment. Song Zhi¡¯s face was covered in stubble, and his face was ashen. He looked at Qi Haoran with a haggard expression and said, ¡°Good brother, I didn¡¯t want to beg you, but I really have no choice.¡± Qi Haoran had a good rtionship with Song Zhi. Seeing him like this, he could not help but be surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve been dismissed?¡± Song Zhi red at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you think of something better?¡± ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t exactly look like you¡¯ve been promoted.¡± Choking, Song Zhi said, ¡°I haven¡¯t been dismissed, but it¡¯s close. There¡¯s only one river in Mingshui County. With a decree from the Imperial Court, all the fields along the river will be military fields and freehold fields for your military households. However, there are still many civilian fields downstream and in the distance. If you use all the river water, those civilians will starve to death.¡± ring, Qi Haoran said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask anyone to cut off the water flow.¡± Song Zhi said helplessly, ¡°Yes you didn¡¯t, but there are so many fields to water. How much water can flow down? The civilians are suffering.¡± Qi Haoran came back to his senses and said, ¡°Don¡¯t fool me. I¡¯ve already asked around. Previously, these fields belonged to thosendowners and squires. In a drought year, they cut off the water. In a flood year, they release water into the fields. They¡¯ve done this a lot. Now that I¡¯ve taken over these fields, I haven¡¯t done a single guilty thing. I don¡¯t believe the civilians¡¯ lives can be worse than before.¡± ¡°Little General is benevolent. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t dare toe looking for you.¡± Song Zhi said, ¡°But look outside. The fields of the soldiers under yourmand are by the river. They¡¯re all anxiously fetching water from the reservoir to water their fields. What about themoners who are very far from the river and have no water to use? This year, the heavens are not giving us a way out. It¡¯s about to start collecting autumn taxes. Little General, I don¡¯t want to force themoners to death.¡± Qi Haoran mmed the table in frustration and said, ¡°What do you want then? Just say it. I don¡¯t have the patience to hear you beating around the bush.¡± Song Zhi said carefully, ¡°Little General, I heard that you still have water in Reservoir No. 3.¡± Qi Haoran looked at him with a dark expression. Song Zhi braced himself and said, ¡°Please take pity on themoners and let them have the water from the reservoir.¡± After a moment of silence, Qi Haoran said, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Qi Haoran stood up and left. He went out to get someone to invite the elders from the various viges to ask about the watering situation. Knowing that 70% of the wheat fields had been watered and only 30% were left, and the remaining 30% were still inferiornds, Qi Haoran waved his hand to dismiss them. He returned to say to Song Zhi, ¡°I agree to let them have the water. However, downstream is not only where themoners¡¯ fields are located, but there are also farnd that belongs to the squires like the Sun and Zhao families. I can let themoners have the water for free, but I won¡¯t give the water to these squires for nothing.¡± The corners of Song Zhi¡¯s mouth twitched. How was this a young master from a rich family? He looked more like someone from a beggar¡¯s gang, not letting go of any benefits. Song Zhi asked, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Qi Haoran spat out one word. ¡°Grains!¡± Song Zhi thought for a moment before asking, ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Not much. Just a token of appreciation from each family . I¡¯ll take ten bags of grain from the Sun and Zhao families each, and the other families will collectively send me ten bags. This isn¡¯t much, right? Also, no one is allowed to dig canals and channel water. My water is mainly for themoners downstream. If those squires take advantage of their numbers to dig canals and store water, won¡¯t my water be wasted?¡± Song Zhi was pleased with Qi Haoran¡¯s conditions. He hade for themoners downstream, so he naturally did not want those squires to snatch too many resources from themoners. The matter was agreed upon just like that. When the military households knew that the water in Reservoir No. 1 was going to be released and not opened to them, they were immediately unhappy. However, with Qi Haoran standing on top and looking at them coldly, they did not dare to cause trouble and could only watch as the water flowed out. Someone shouted, ¡°Hurry up and fetch water to water the fields. There won¡¯t be any water left after this!¡± Everyone immediately swarmed forward to get water. Qi Haoran frowned. ¡°They¡¯ve already watered 70% of their fields. Some families have even finished watering entirely. What¡¯s wrong with giving it to themoners? It¡¯s like harming others without benefiting themselves.¡± Fan Zijin waved his fan as he stood beside him. ¡°There have always been many such people. What¡¯s so strange about it? Look, Mu Yangling is among them. Haven¡¯t her family¡¯s fields been watered? Isn¡¯t she here too?¡± Qi Haoran looked down and indeed saw Mu Yangling. However, she was passing the water to the person behind her after fetching it instead of using it herself. Looking over, Qi Haoran realized that there were old, weak, women, and children behind her. He thought to himself, ¡®Mu Yangling is so kind to speciallye to fetch water for others.¡¯ Mu Yangling was not here just to fetch water for others. She was here to fetch water back to water her vegetable fields. Coincidentally, the water from Reservoir No. 1 was being released, so she took a shortcut to the river. When she saw a pregnant woman bend down to get water, she kindly helped her retrieve it. When she saw the olddy behind her fetching water shakily, she also quickly helped her get it¡­ The people behind knew that this youngdy was helping the disadvantaged fetch water. After all, as the water had just been released, the opening of the reservoir was quite wide, and the water flow was rapid. If a person identally fell after being hit by a wave, they could very well disappear. Those who felt that they were disadvantaged, such as the old, weak, women, and children, consciously stood behind Mu Yangling and lined up. Mu Yangling fetched water continuously. Qi Haoran, who was standing at a high ce, quickly saw what was going on. He waved his hand and called for a guard. Pointing down, he said, ¡°Do you see those old, weak, women, and children? Go and get a few who can fetch water. Make them stand in a row to help those people fetch water. Don¡¯t let them fall into the river.¡± The guard responded and went down to pick more than 20 people. Most of the people who came to snatch the water today were vigers nearby and not from military households. As such, they had been waiting for this water for a long time. Therefore, they squeezed against each other and refused to let anyone in. If not for the soldiers maintaining order at the scene, there would probably be a stampede. The guard came over and snatched the wooden bucket from Mu Yangling¡¯s hand. He shouted, ¡°Miss Mu, Little General is here too. Leave this to us. Hurry up and go up.¡± Looking up, Mu Yangling saw Qi Haoran standing on the reservoir. She nodded and went out with two buckets of water. She walked to Qi Haoran¡¯s side and praised, ¡°Qi Haoran, I didn¡¯t expect you to still care about the people. Everyone is praising you now.¡± Blushing, Qi Haoran asked, ¡°What are they praising me for?¡± ¡°There are all kinds of praises for you. They say that you¡¯re benevolent and kind, that you¡¯re a good person, that you¡¯re handsome, and that you¡¯re both good-looking and capable¡­¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s smug face instantly fell, and Fan Zijin burst outughing. Mu Yangling said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s true. That¡¯s really how they praise you. I almost got calluses from listening down there just now.¡± Chapter 197: Whose Chapter 197: Whose Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you made it up?¡± Mu Yangling grabbed his arm and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then put on makeup ande down with me to listen. They¡¯re so very generous with those kind words.¡± Speaking of this, Mu Yangling was also curious. ¡°Why does it sound like the rtionship between the military and the civilians isn¡¯t very harmonious? Otherwise, why would everyone be so grateful simply because of this one good act by the army?¡± The smile on Qi Haoran¡¯s face froze. Smiling, Fan Zijin said, ¡°Other than the Yuan Family¡¯s army, which is well-loved by themoners, the other soldiers are indeed not very popr with themoners.¡± Although the soldiers defended their people against the Hus, there were also cases of soldiers snatching the wealth of the civilians and forcefully enlisting strong men. In Great Zhou, ordinary civilians did not like to interact with the soldiers. Because the Great Zhou Emperor valued literary talent over martial arts, the local government controlled the rations and supply lifeline of the army. There had always been conflicts between the two sides, so their rtionship was not very harmonious. Qi Xiuyuan could be considered to have restrained himself. His rtionship with Wu Shancai was not good either. Because he rarely appeared locally, the citizens of Xingzhou Prefecture were not familiar with him. Although they did not hate him, they did not have a good impression of him either. Instead, they felt some fear and aversion towards him because he had taken over the military households previously. Qi Haoran did not know that he had helped Qi Xiuyuan win the favor of the civilians of Mingshui County by releasing the water to them this time. However, what really made everyone feel grateful towards Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran was that thetter had asked the soldiers to help the old, weak, women, and children fetch water. Looking at the dense crowd below, Qi Haoran felt a sense of aplishment. ¡°I¡¯ve saved a lot of people today, right?¡± Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin nodded as they suppressed theirughter. ¡°Haven¡¯t you watered your fields? Why are you still fetching water?¡± ¡°The vegetables in my vegetable fields are about to die from the scorching sun. I had no choice but toe fetch two buckets of water. Anyway, since you¡¯ve already walked so far, why don¡¯t you go eat at my house?¡± Qi Haoran asked as he walked, ¡°What delicious food do you have at home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy these past few days that I haven¡¯t had time to enter the mountains. How can there be anything delicious?¡± Mu Yangling carried two buckets of water as she walked to Qi Haoran¡¯s left. Coincidentally, she saw the corn standing tall in her field. Her eyes lit up and she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at the corn. It might be edible already.¡± Fan Zijin circled the corn twice and said thoughtfully, ¡°I now understand why you nted two seeds so far away from each other. The corn stalks are so tall and big. If two seeds can grow to be so dense despite being so far apart, what will happen if you nt them like wheat?¡± Qi Haoran frowned. ¡°Won¡¯t there be even more corn then?¡± Fan Zijin smacked him on the head. ¡°Stupid, can the produced corn stalk grow corn? Even if I don¡¯t know how to farm, I know that it requires sunlight. If it¡¯s so densely nted, the corn will either suffocate or won¡¯t germinate.¡± Mu Yangling put down the bucket and went into the cornfield to pick a few to peel. The peeled corn was tender and yellow, and the corn kernels were supple. With a pinch of her fingertips, the slurry flowed onto her fingers. Mu Yangling broke it off and threw it to Qi Haoran. ¡°It¡¯s edible. I¡¯ll take it back and cook it.¡± Qi Haoran sniffed and said, ¡°There¡¯s a refreshing fragrance. Didn¡¯t you say that corn kernels aren¡¯t delicious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the book said.¡± Fan Zijin pushed the responsibility away. He also pried open two of them and asked Mu Yangling thoughtfully, ¡°Can we harvest this corn?¡± ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s still tender and won¡¯t be easy to peel it off. We have to let it stay in the ground for another 20 days.¡± ¡°That happens to be when the filler stage ends for the wheat.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°In other words, corn can be nted with wheat. When the timees, be it nting or harvesting, the timing can be staggered. This is low-gradend, right? The base fertilizer is not good either. Considering just one corn cob alone is so big and heavy, how many catties of corn do you think one acre can produce?¡± Looking at therge cornfield, a fire burned in Fan Zijin¡¯s heart. He vaguely understood why Emperor Shizong said that by nting corn, the people would no longer have to endure hunger in the deste years. It wasn¡¯t that Emperor Shizong was wrong, but that they didn¡¯t use the right nting method previously. Fan Zijin turned around and looked at Mu Yangling with bright eyes. This was a great contribution that would go down in history. In order to obtain the seeds, Emperor Shizong had specially sent a ship to the west. No one in the Great Zhou Dynasty had been able to grow a good harvest of corn for hundreds of years, but Mu Yangling had achieved it. Mu Yangling did not know what Fan Zijin was thinking. She only felt goosebumps all over her body from his gaze on top of an inexplicable chill. She moved lightly and got behind Qi Haoran in order to block Fan Zijin¡¯s gaze. Fan Zijin¡¯s gazended on Qi Haoran. The corners of his lips curled up slightly in joy. ¡°Since you want to treat us to corn, you can¡¯t just pick a few, right? Yanmo, Fei Bai, go in and pick more. Pick the big ones. We¡¯ll bring the rest back to the military camp to eat.¡± Yanmo and Fei Bai agreed happily. They took off their coats and used that to wrap the corn. Fan Zijin walked along the edge of the field and observed the cornfield carefully and seriously. Mu Yangling leaned close to Qi Haoran¡¯s ear and asked, ¡°Is he up to no good again?¡± Qi Haoran nodded. Then, feeling that he had let his brother down, he quickly shook his head. Mu Yangling touched her chin and said, ¡°I think he must be targeting me.¡± Fan Zijin returned after walking one round. Satisfied, he asked, ¡°Ah Ling, does anyone usuallye to your cornfield?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°This is our family¡¯snd and it¡¯s close to the foot of the mountain. Who woulde here?¡± ¡°But only your family is nting corn. Looking around, only your family¡¯s corn is standing tall amid the low wheat fields and rice fields. Won¡¯t others be curious? Won¡¯t theye and steal it?¡± Mu Yangling replied with a smile, ¡°Based on my observation, no one has stolen my corn before. Most of the people here have no idea what it is. When they heard that it¡¯s called ¡®corn¡¯, they weren¡¯t very interested. They¡¯ve heard that the older generations had suffered losses in an attempt to nt this thing before. In addition, no one in Chenggu Garrison really dares to provoke my Mu family.¡± Fan Zijin nodded as he stroked the corn stalks. ¡°This corn is good stuff. You have to watch it carefully. Before we confirm its production rate, it¡¯s best not to let others find out.¡± Mu Yangling blinked and looked at Qi Haoran. They asked in unison, ¡°Didn¡¯t youck confidence in it?¡± ¡°That was before, but now I feel that what Emperor Shizong said might be true. Ah Ling, I¡¯ll leave our cornfield to you. This is an important task. If you¡¯re not confident, get Haoran to send a few people to help youter.¡± Mu Yangling opened her mouth slightly and asked, ¡°When did this cornfield be ¡®ours¡¯?¡± Fan Zijin looked at her strangely and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this cornfield ours? Have you forgotten that Haoran bought the corn seeds? When the seeds were nted, not only did Haoran and I personally go to the fields, but we also sent soldiers to help out. Although thisnd belongs to your family, you can¡¯t take our share, right?¡± This time, even Qi Haoran widened his eyes and pointed at the cornfield. Then, he pointed at himself and asked, ¡°I, too, have a share of this cornfield?¡± Fan Zijin nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Of course. What do you think?¡± Chapter 198: Consensus Chapter 198: Consensus Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin both turned to re at Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran stuttered for a moment under the duo-attack. Then, he turned to Mu Yangling hesitantly and said, ¡°This should be ours, right?¡± Mu Yangling thought about it carefully. What Fan Zijin said made sense. On the other hand, it was clearly wrong for her to think of taking advantage of these two people. Mu Yangling nodded and said, ¡°Alright, then what percentage do you think belongs to you?¡± Under Fan Zijin¡¯s re, Qi Haoran suggested, ¡°10%?¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s 10% enough for? Go away and let Fan Zijin speak.¡± Satisfied with Mu Yangling¡¯s generosity, Fan Zijin said, ¡°It¡¯s useless for us to take the corn. It¡¯s at best a novelty for us. It probably won¡¯t earn us much money even if we sell it.¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Therefore, I want the nting method and nting data. Most importantly, this belongs to Haoran.¡± Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran shook their heads, indicating that they did not understand. Fan Zijin looked at the two equally stupid and adorable people in front of him. He found a patch of grass and sat down, gesturing for them to sit down and have a long talk. Mu Yangling nced at the cornfield as Fan Zijin said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yanmo and Fei Bai won¡¯t take all your corn. These two brats are smart and know that we have things to discuss.¡± Qi Haoran and Mu Yangling sat opposite Fan Zijin and supported their chins as they listened to his exnation. Seeing the two of them move in unison, Fan Zijin felt a little ufortable. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Previously, the corn yield was 300 catties per acre because the nting method was wrong. Although they aren¡¯t ready for harvest yet, based on my estimation, the yield should be no less than 500 catties per acre. This is even on the worst low-gradend, plus using inferior base fertilizer. Coupled with the drought this year, even in the worst case, it should produce 500 catties per acre. What if it¡¯s under good circumstances? Ignoring everything else, if we nt wheat in such a low-gradend, we might not even be able to produce 100 catties per acre in the end. If the entire Great Zhou¡¯s low-gradend is nted with corn, even if we encounter a disaster year, themoners won¡¯t starve or be forced to leave their homes and have their families destroyed! Think about it, this is a huge contribution.¡± Mu Yangling understood. ¡°You want Qi Haoran to take the credit.¡± Fan Zijin raised his head proudly. ¡°This military field is under Haoran¡¯s name and you¡¯re a military household under Haoran. Haoran bought the seeds and even came when the seeds were nted. Don¡¯t you think this is Haoran¡¯s credit?¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched. She patted his shoulder and said, ¡°You should have said so earlier. It¡¯s useless for me to keep the information to myself. I¡¯ll write down the nting method into a book and send it to youter. You can take the credit for it.¡± When Fan Zijin saw that Mu Yangling had taken the bait, he immediately smiled in satisfaction. Qi Haoran widened his eyes and said, ¡°Why do I need this credit? What I want is military merit. I have no problem earning that myself.¡± ¡°This is more useful to you than to Mu Yangling. Since you have resources, why waste them for nothing?¡± Mu Yangling asked them, ¡°Then are you still taking a share of the corn?¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless even if we take it. We¡¯ll just take some when we feel like eating it. The rest is all yours,¡± Fan Zijin said decisively. Mu Yangling stood up and patted her butt. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back now.¡± Seeing that no one was listening to him, Qi Haoran was angered to death. Just as he was about to re up, he thought of Mu Shi and immediately snorted. He thought to himself, ¡®When ites time to take credit, Mu Shi will have to be involved anyway. I¡¯ll just push Mu Shi out then. The credit for Mu Yangling¡¯s farming should go to her father, right?¡¯ At the thought of this, Qi Haoran immediately became smug. He looked at the two of them and thought to himself, ¡®Just you wait. I¡¯ll surprise you.¡¯ No one knew where Yanmo and Fei Bai had gone, but they were still nowhere to be seen. Qi Haoran shouted at the cornfield, ¡°Are you nning to spend the New Year inside? Come out quickly!¡± Yanmo and Fei Bai answered vaguely from inside. After a long time, they ran out with their heads full of grass and each carried a bag of corn. Mu Yangling looked at the two bags of corn and red at them. ¡°Can you finish eating so much? The corn is still tender. Furthermore, you can¡¯t keep it after peeling off the skin. If it goes badter, I¡¯ll stuff it into your mouths. It¡¯s a virtue to love grains and not waste them, understand?¡± Yanmo nodded and bowed. ¡°Miss Mu, I wanted to help you conserve the corn, but I thought of giving some to our eldest young master to try, so I specially picked more.¡± Only then did Mu Yangling feel better. ¡°Since it¡¯s for the general, you have to choose carefully. I¡¯ll choose some good ones for youter. Don¡¯t peel them off so that they canst for three to four days even when the weather is hot.¡± When the group returned to the Mu Residence, Great-aunt was standing at the door and watching. When she saw Mu Yangling, she got angry. Before she could see who was standing beside her, she scolded, ¡°Seriously, weren¡¯t you just fetching water? Why did it take you so long? Gosh, I thought something had happened to you.¡± ¡°Great-aunt, look who¡¯s here.¡± Mu Yangling gestured for her to look at Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin. ¡°I¡¯de back long ago. I thought that our corn should be edible by now, so I brought Little General and the others to pick them.¡± When Great-aunt saw Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin, she weed them warmly and hurriedly asked them to go in. She took the corn from Yanmo and the rest and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare this. Hurry up and sit down. I¡¯ll get Xiuhong to pour tea for you.¡± When she reached the door, she realized that she hadn¡¯t eaten corn before and didn¡¯t know how to prepare it. So, she came back and pulled Mu Yangling. ¡°Ah Ling, go prepare it. I¡¯ll pour tea for Little General and the rest.¡± Mu Yangling sent the things to the kitchen and ced the corn in the big pot after washing them in the water. Shu Wanniang watched curiously from the side. Seeing that she had merely poured some salt into the pot before lifting the pot, she hurriedly asked, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Yeah, what else do you want? Considering salt is so expensive, I¡¯ve already put in so much of it. That should be enough to add vor to the corn. Alright, let¡¯s start the fire.¡± Shu Wanniang said hesitantly, ¡°I remember that there are several dishes made of corn in the books. There¡¯s one called ¡®Bountiful Gold-Jade¡¯ and another one called ¡®Abundant Prosperity¡¯. What¡¯s this one called?¡± Mu Yangling rolled her eyes and said, ¡°This is called corn boiled in salt water. I don¡¯t dare to say anything else, but Emperor Shizong must have eaten this dish before.¡± Shu Wanniang smacked her daughter¡¯s head and said, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense again. When Emperor Shizong said the names of these dishes, corn had yet to be discovered.¡± ¡°Then how do you think Emperor Shizong knew about corn and the names of the dishes made of corn? He must have eaten it before. Perhaps he ate it in his dream.¡± Not at all believing her daughter¡¯s words, Shu Wanniang stood up and picked up the remaining corn beside her to ponder. ¡°This corn does look good. I¡¯ll see if I can make a few dishes out of itter.¡± ¡°Considering this is yellow corn, it probably doesn¡¯t taste good. You have to use glutinous corn and sweet corn for something vorful. But no matter what it tastes like, I don¡¯t like all corn.¡± ¡°Why? It smells quite fragrant to me.¡± Mu Yangling made up a story. ¡°When I was learning how to grow corn from Bodhisattva Guan Yin, I was forced to eat a lot of corn. I ate it every day and every year. I ate so much that I felt like vomiting whenever I saw corn, so I have no desire to eat it anymore.¡± Chapter 199: A Man’s Dignity Chapter 199: A Man¡¯s Dignity Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran, who had heard thetter half of what she said, burst outughing. Blushing slightly, Shu Wanniang felt that her daughter had embarrassed herself in front of the Little General. She pushed her out and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of things in the kitchen. Hurry up and leave.¡± Qi Haoran pulled Mu Yangling out and said with a smile, ¡°Anyway, since your mother is still cooking, practice a few moves with me first. Teach me the moves you used to beat up the thieves at your doorst time.¡± ¡°Were you there?¡± Qi Haoran nodded. ¡°Zijin and I came to join in the fun. What¡¯s the name of the move you used?¡± ¡°Quick Snatching.¡± ¡°It¡¯s even better than the grappling technique I¡¯m using now. Come, let¡¯s spar?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the grass at the back. It¡¯s spacious there.¡± Mu Yangling pulled Qi Haoran to the grass at the back. Seeing that Fan Zijin did not follow them, she whispered to him, ¡°Let¡¯s make an exchange.¡± Qi Haoran sat cross-legged on the grass and listened. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°I also know many moves that are suitable for group training. I¡¯ll teach you all of themter. Most importantly, I have an entire systematic training n that can help you train an outstanding scout team. How about in exchange, you teach me your internal cultivation techniques?¡± Qi Haoran looked at Mu Yangling in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that internal energy is useless to you?¡± ¡°That was before.¡± Mu Yangling held a stone and crushed it. ¡°Look, that was me exerting just a little force. You¡¯ll have to use 50% of your internal energy to catch up to my strength. When I was young, it took me nearly six years to control my strength so that I wouldn¡¯t easily hurt people or smash things again. However, after exchanging blows with you, I realized that although my strength could keep up, my endurance couldn¡¯t.¡± Qi Haoran nodded. ¡°Your endurance is more than twice that of an ordinary man in his prime.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still far inferior to martial artists like you who have internal energy.¡± Mu Yangling lowered her voice and said, ¡°Although you said that it¡¯s impossible, I still want to try. Perhaps I can master qinggong.¡± Mu Yangling held her chin as she said dreamily, ¡°When the timees, perhaps I can fly in the sky too.¡± Qi Haoran touched her forehead. ¡°Hmm, no fever. If such a qinggong exists, please inform me. I wish to learn it, too. Didn¡¯t I tell you before that qinggong simply means having light footsteps and a graceful figure? There¡¯s also a need for bounce off something when you leap. Have you ever seen anyone fly in the sky? Do you think you¡¯re a bird who can soar into the sky simply by spreading open your arms?¡± ¡°Just tell me if you want to trade or not,¡± Mu Yangling asked. Qi Haoran asked, ¡°You said you know how to train scouts?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°Actually, hunters are all natural scouts. It¡¯s just that no one has organized the techniques into a system like me.¡± Mu Yangling had already found an excuse for this. ¡°I¡¯ve read some military books. If the scouts are well-deployed, it can determine the oue of a battle. Qi Haoran, tell me honestly, did you transfer my father to be a scout? A scout spy who went deep into the enemy¡¯s territory?¡± Qi Haoran looked at her with a deep gaze. ¡°Your father told you?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°I guessed it.¡± Mu Yangling wasn¡¯t lying. Before Mu Shi told her, she had already guessed most of it right. She said, ¡°My father has been away from the military camp for so long. Other than scouts and messengers, which soldier would leave the camp for so long? With my father¡¯s ability, he won¡¯t lose to anyone even if he¡¯s ced in the 1st or 2nd Division. You wouldn¡¯t waste his talents by making him send letters, right? Coupled with the huge trouble you caused in Hanzhong Prefecturest time, it¡¯s not difficult to guess where my father went.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°It¡¯s so easy to guess?¡± Did that mean that others could easily guess it too? Mu Yangling patted his shoulder. ¡°Only the few of us can easily guess it. How many people know my father and are aware that he hasn¡¯t been in the military camp recently? How many people know about what happened to youst time?¡± Heaving a sigh of relief, Qi Haoran rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Individualbat is crucial for scouts. Can you really train them?¡± ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± Mu Yangling leaned into his ear and said, ¡°But you have to hide this from Fan Zijin.¡± Qi Haoran frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that he¡¯ll say that you¡¯re ying around. If he finds out that you handed the scouts to me for training, won¡¯t hee to settle scores with me? You won¡¯t be able to escape the scolding, too.¡± Qi Haoran nodded. ¡°No problem. Then it¡¯s a deal.¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s lips curled up slightly. The scouts of ancient times were equivalent to the special forces of modern times. Mu Yangling was not unfamiliar with these trainings, but there were still differences between modern times and ancient times. This was also the reason why Mu Yangling suggested being in charge with Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran would definitely have knowledge in areas which she did not understand. The duo could train an outstanding scout team by taking advantage of their strengths and making up for their weaknesses. At that time, wouldn¡¯t her father be able to return? The two of them discussed the arrangements and venue for this matter. When Xiuhong came over to call the two of them back for dinner, she saw them whispering with their heads leaning together. Xiuhong was instantly infuriated. In her eyes, it was Little General who was seducing and teasing her cousin. She was so angry that she spun around and picked up a stick to hit Qi Haoran. When Qi Haoran heard the sound of the stick swinging, he pushed Mu Yangling away and nimbly rolled to the side. At the same time, he kicked the attacker. Mu Yangling¡¯s sharp eyes saw that it was Xiuhong and she hurriedly stretched out her leg to offset the force of Qi Haoran¡¯s kick. She quickly pulled Xiuhong to the side with her right hand. ¡°Xiuhong, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiuhong was so angry that her face turned red. ¡°Cousin, Little General is a bully.¡± Qi Haoran red at her. ¡°When did I bully you? I haven¡¯t said a word to you since I entered the house.¡± ¡°You bullied my cousin. Why are you so close to my cousin for no reason? You lecher, you deserve a beating.¡± Leaning against the fence leisurely, Fan Zijin said leisurely, ¡°They were whispering secrets. Miss Xiuhong, it¡¯s better not to disturb them. Otherwise, you might lose an arm or a leg.¡± Qi Haoran instantly blushed. Mu Yangling red at Fan Zijin and said, ¡°Why are you everywhere? Go away. Xiuhong, don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. I¡¯m talking to the Little General about something. He didn¡¯t bully me.¡± Xiuhong looked at Qi Haoran suspiciously. Mu Yangling whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m talking to him about something big which concerns my father. Don¡¯t interfere in this matter. You have to hide it from our family and Fan Zijin. Don¡¯t let them know.¡± Xiuhong nodded repeatedly and turned around to block Fan Zijin¡¯s gaze. She red at him and said, ¡°Cousin, Aunt is asking you to go back for dinner. Also, that pot of corn should be ready. I¡¯ve tried it and think it¡¯s quite delicious and sweet.¡± Fan Zijin snorted and said coldly in Mu Yangling¡¯s ear, ¡°Your cousin is quite protective of you. I wonder if you treat her equally well.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s hand itched. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but twist Fan Zijin¡¯s ear and say, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do this for a long time¡­¡± Stunned to see her twisting his ear, Fan Zijin jumped up with a red face and pointed at Mu Yangling for a long time. He was so angry that she could not speak. Equally stunned, Qi Haoran jumped up and pushed Mu Yangling away, shouting, ¡°How dare you pull Zijin¡¯s ear!¡± When Fan Zijin heard Qi Haoran¡¯s voice, his eyes instantly turned red. Even his parents didn¡¯t dare to pull his ears. Yet today, his ears were actually pulled by a little girl. How humiliating! Qi Haoran was also furious. How could a man¡¯s ears be pulled so easily? How would Zijin establish his dominance in front of others in the future? Looking around, he realized that there were only the four of them here. He immediately bared his teeth and threatened Mu Yangling and Xiuhong. ¡°If you dare to tell anyone about this, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Mu Yangling and Xiuhong looked at each other. ¡°All I did was pull his ears. Does that warrant such a threat?¡± Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin red at the two of them. ¡°This concerns a man¡¯s dignity.¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s lips twitched. She tugged at Xiuhong and nodded. ¡°We definitely won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Chapter 200: Inquiry Chapter 200: Inquiry Editor: As Studios Other than Mu Yangling, this was everyone¡¯s first time eating corn. Qi Haoran said pertinently, ¡°It¡¯s quite delicious and doesn¡¯t hurt my throat.¡± Fan Zijin asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that because it¡¯s still tender?¡± Mu Yangling nodded. ¡°We can only eat it like this for about ten more days. The corn grows old very quickly. When the timees, we can only harvest it, dry it, peel off the corn kernels, crush it, and cook corn porridge with it.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, ¡°But I think this is more fit for pigs.¡± Great-aunt widened her eyes and said, ¡°Whose pig is so blessed to be able to eat corn? No matter how bad corn tastes, it can¡¯t be worse than chaff, right? Every year, when there¡¯s a shortage of crops, it¡¯s not umon to eat chaff for a month.¡± Shu Wanniang also nodded. ¡°If this thing can be used as grains to fill one¡¯s stomach, it can indeed save many people. Ah Ling, don¡¯t say anything about feeding this to the pigs lest it causes a misunderstanding should outsiders hear it.¡± In the end, Qi Haoran took a basket of corn from Mu Yangling and asked someone to send it to Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Haoran originally wanted Big Brother to try it too, but Qi Xiuyuan called him back overnight and even specially asked the messenger to bring Fan Zijin and Mu Yangling along. Mu Yangling had just finished watering the wheat and rice fields and was about to sleep, but as soon as shey down, she was pulled up. When she heard that she had to go to the prefectural capital, Mu Yangling immediately rejected that person. ¡°I have to be at home in the middle of the night. If my house is robbed, I have to be at home to protect the old, weak and young at home.¡± Qi Haoran red at her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to stand guard at the door. Nobody will dare to barge in. Hurry up and get up. Big Brother is waiting in the prefecture capital.¡± Mu Yangling could only get up, put on a shirt, and climb onto the horse in a daze. Qi Haoran saw that although Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes were half-closed, she didn¡¯t even sway when she walked. Looking at her in a different light, he jumped onto the horse and started galloping away. Fan Zijin followed behind him. As soon as the horse started running, Mu Yangling woke up. The three of them headed towards the prefectural capital under the protection of a team of guards. It only took an hour to ride a horse from Mingshui County to the prefectural capital. Along the way, they used the token Qi Xiuyuan gave Qi Haoran to get the guards to open the city gate. Qi Xiuyuan was sitting in the study waiting for them. There were even dishes on the table. After riding for an hour, the three of them were no longer sleepy and now stood in front of Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Xiuyuan was chewing on a corn cob in his hand. When he saw them enter, he put down the corn cob in his hand and sized them up carefully. Mu Yangling was only ten years old, and Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran were only 13 years old. Thinking of what these three children had done, Qi Xiuyuan couldn¡¯t help butugh happily. He pped his hands and said, ¡°Not bad, not bad! I underestimated you previously.¡± The three children became a little nervous. They stole nces at Qi Xiuyuan shakily and winked at each other from time to time, as if to ask, ¡°Have you done anything bad recently?¡± Qi Xiuyuan turned around and took out a raw corn from the basket on the table. Then, he turned around and asked them, ¡°Did you make this?¡± The three of them looked at each other. In the end, Qi Haoran was the first to nod and acknowledge it. Seeing the smile on Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s face, Qi Haoran felt that it was not a bad thing, so he bragged. ¡°Big Brother, Zhuang Dawei brought these seeds over back then. Mu Yangling then nted those seeds. I picked these corn out and got someone to send them over for you to try.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve asked Fei Bai. I heard from him that A Ling¡¯s corn can grow two cobs per stalk. Are all the cobs this big?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely impossible for all of them to be this big, but more or less, I guess.¡± Mu Yangling looked at Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s expression as she said, ¡°Because the corn¡¯s seedling emergence rate is a little low this year, it¡¯s a little sparse. It¡¯s only because the fertilization was done well that the corncobs could be so big.¡± ¡°Then will you be able to grow such good corn next year, too?¡± ¡°Now that I have experience and time to prepare base fertilizer next year, it should be better than this year¡¯s.¡± The corners of Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s lips curled up as he asked, ¡°Then estimate how much your cornfield can produce per acre?¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. How could shee up with an estimation when this was her first time farming? She probably only knew how to estimate how big a piece ofnd was. On the other hand, Fan Zijin pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Eldest Cousin, I¡¯ve taken a closer look. If nothing unexpected happens, the production per acre should be between 500 to 600 catties.¡± Qi Xiuyuan instantly clenched the corn in his hand and asked, ¡°What if we nt them on high-gradend?¡± Fan Zijin calcted in his heart and said, ¡°That should be about 700 to 800 catties.¡± ¡°How many times have you watered the corn during the drought this year?¡± Qi Xiuyuan asked Mu Yangling. ¡°Once.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°As corn is a drought-resistant crop, there¡¯s no need to specially water it.¡± Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Who knows about your corn farming? Has news of the high yield of corn spread?¡± Fan Zijin already had a vague guess in his heart. Only Qi Haoran and Mu Yangling were still confused. Shaking her head, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Other than our vige and the Liu family of West Vige, no one knows that mynd is nted with corn because my great-aunt doesn¡¯t have much confidence in that. No one knows that corn will produce high yields. Furthermore, thatnd is in the middle of my family¡¯s fields, near the mountain. Since there¡¯s only my family¡¯snd there, no one else passes by it.¡± In ancient times, the poption density was sparse and information didn¡¯t spread easily. Therefore, other than people in her vige and her uncles, no one was aware that she nted corn. Even for Madam Liu¡¯s family, only Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian¡¯s families knew. Completely relieved, Qi Xiuyuan said to Mu Yangling, ¡°I want you to keep all the corn harvested this time as seeds. Next year, 50% of all the military fields must be nted with corn, and 40% of the freehold fields must be nted with it.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s expression changed slightly as he asked, ¡°Eldest Cousin, is there a natural disaster?¡± Qi Haoran also reacted. ¡°Or is there going to be a war?¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked outside. After confirming that the guards were guarding outside the study and no one could hear their conversation, he said with a sigh, ¡°The natural disaster has already begun, and the war has also begun. This year, other than the drought in Xingzhou Prefecture, it hasn¡¯t rained in Hong Prefecture for two months. On the other hand, it has been raining intermittently in Jinghu from April until now. It hasn¡¯t been sunny for seven consecutive days. Hong Prefecture and Jinghu are both major grain-producing prefectures. In the past, 40% of the grain shipped to the north came from these two ces.¡± The three of them widened their eyes. They only knew that things were hard in Xingzhou Prefecture, but they didn¡¯t expect it to be the same elsewhere. Qi Xiuyuan continued, ¡°This year, the Jin Kingdom is worse off than us. After the Jin soldiers upied the Jingzhao Prefecture, they forced themoners to graze cattle in the Hanzhong Prefecture, ruining many fertile fields. The grains they harvested over there was less than 30% of what they harvested in the past. This year, the overpoption of rabbits at the start of spring also ruined more than half of their pasture. I heard that a lot of cows and sheep have starved to death. Refugees have been appearing since April. The Jin soldiers are fighting with the West Xia now, but if this situation worsens, in order to obtain more food and resources, they might drag the Great Zhou into it.¡± Chapter 201: Credit Chapter 201: Credit Editor: As Studios Qi Haoran swallowed his saliva and recalled the information that Mu Shi had sent back thest time he returned. At that time, he had said that many Han people were looking for a way to escape to Great Zhou. This might have been a good thing in the past, but in the face of a natural disaster, it was a terrible situation. If so many refugees fled to Xingzhou Prefecture, what would they use to feed them? If they didn¡¯t have sufficient food for them, wouldn¡¯t Great Zhou be embroiled in this riot? The riots of themoners were sometimes even more terrifying than the wars outside. As this thought shed across his mind, Qi Haoran¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he raised his head to look at his big brother. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Xiuyuan turned around and asked when he sensed his brother¡¯s movements. Qi Haoran hurriedly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Big Brother, continue.¡± Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin nced at Mu Yangling subtly. They knew that Qi Haoran must have thought of something, but he merely didn¡¯t say it out loud because Mu Yangling was around. The two of them did not probe further. Qi Xiuyuan continued, ¡°Now, the army is in charge of their own rations. Although I can ask the Imperial Court for support, the possibility of them distributing grains to us is zero. Therefore, before the chaos begins, I hope that the camp can stock up on more grains.¡± Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°Not only grains, but also forage. All the wheatgrass and straw harvested this year must be dried and stored. Every family has to hand over a certain amount. We¡¯ll discuss thister.¡± Qi Xiuyuan turned to look at Mu Yangling with a smile. ¡°So you have to keep the harvested corn as seeds. But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take your things for nothing. I¡¯ll buy it at a high price. How about that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, General, but there¡¯s no need to pay a high price. These seeds were paid for by Little General back then.¡± Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°That wasn¡¯t much money. Now, I¡¯m asking for more than 20 acres of seeds from you. This is a big deal. If you have any other thoughts, tell me. As long as it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll help you do it.¡± Mu Yangling thought for a moment before saying solemnly, ¡°General, you said that the future might be chaotic, but in fact, only ordinary people will suffer and starve. Although corn isn¡¯t delicious, it can at least save lives. I want to spread this nting method so that everyone can grow more corn. Even if there are droughts and floods, and the rice and wheat crops fail, at least this can temporarily save their lives.¡± Qi Xiuyuan reached out and stroked her hair. Smiling, he praised, ¡°I¡¯m heartened to see that you care about the world, Ah Ling. I have no objections to this, but there are very few corn seeds left in this world. As far as I know, other than some in Four Tray Vige, the batch you have is thergest.¡± ¡°Moreover, the seeds of Four Tray Vige are not good.¡± Fan Zijin interrupted. ¡°When Zhuang Dawei was still here, I learned from him that Four Tray Vige is surrounded by mountains, so there are very few farnds and simrly few corn nted. In addition, the harvest is not good, so all of them added up might not be as much as yours.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded. ¡°Even if we pay to round up the seeds of Four Tray Vige, it might not be enough for the military households of our army to nt, let alone spread them.¡± Seeing Mu Yangling lower her head in silence, Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°However, we can make some preparations in advance. Disasters take time to arrive and there¡¯s still some grains in the treasury. In addition, considering the autumn harvest ising soon, we should be able to survive this year. There won¡¯t be any problems in the first half of next year, too. Times will start to get difficult in the second half of next year. By then, our second batch of corn will be ripe. Not only can we save a portion for food, but we can also choose arge number of seeds. Before that, we can release the news that corn is high-yielding.¡± Fan Zijin said confidently, ¡°Eldest Cousin, why don¡¯t you let me handle this?¡± Qi Xiuyuan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need you at all. When Ah Ling harvests the corn and obtains the data, I¡¯ll write a letter to ask for credit for Ah Ling. When the Imperial Court rewards her, the entire Great Zhou will know. Why would I need you?¡± Stunned, Mu Yangling pointed at her nose and said, ¡°Ask for credit for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°You were the one who nted the corn. If I don¡¯t ask for credit for you, who should I ask for credit for? In the past hundred years, ever since the fleet returned, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have found many farmers to nt corn, but they haven¡¯t been able to nt it well. The highest yield was only 56 catties per acre. The number of seeds scattered was already more than this. Now that you¡¯ve found the right method, shouldn¡¯t you be rewarded?¡± Mu Yangling opened her mouth and looked at Fan Zijin. Thetter muttered softly, ¡°The seeds were clearly bought by Haoran.¡± Qi Xiuyuan red at his cousin and said to Mu Yangling, ¡°There won¡¯t be any actual rewards for the Imperial Court¡¯smendation, but the reputation will be beneficial to you. When the timees, I¡¯ll submit two names. Your father is a soldier, so this reputation is useless for him. Therefore, I want to submit your and your brother, Mu Bowen¡¯s names. With the imperial decree ofmendation by the Imperial Court, your parents won¡¯t have to worry about your marriage in the future. As for your brother who is weak, with this, it¡¯ll be easier for him to be a civil servant in the future.¡± Qi Haoran pursed his lips and smiled. He winked at Mu Yangling and nudged Fan Zijin before getting up happily. Mu Yangling didn¡¯t expect Qi Xiuyuan to even consider this. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°General, actually, I can¡¯t take all the credit for this. This is actually something that belongs to the ancestors. I¡¯m just relying on something that others don¡¯t have to produce such a yield, but when ites to farming, I¡¯m as good as anyone. I¡¯ve only nted corn for a season, but the vigers of Four Tray Vige have nted it for nearly a hundred years and studied it for as long. Previously, it was because they were stuck in a dead end, but once they ovee that, they¡¯ll only do better than me. If you really want to write a letter to ask for credit, why don¡¯t youmend Four Tray Vige to the higher-ups?¡± Mu Yangling felt that it was a victory in a sense that a vige managed to persist in studying a crop for a hundred years. Regardless of whether they seeded or not, the fact that they couldst for so long was worthy ofmendation. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something else. Corn can withstand drought and cold. In our Xingzhou Prefecture, we should be able to nt it a second time this year. I¡¯m just afraid that the cold wave wille too early and the tender corn won¡¯t age. However, I think the vigers of Four Tray Vige might have a way to counter that. If you wish to obtain arge number of seeds in a short period of time, you have to count on them.¡± Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran looked at each other. Qi Haoran said, ¡°You want us to take over everyone in Four Tray Vige?¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Four Tray Vige has always been isted from the world. Although it¡¯s in the territory of the Jin Kingdom now, it hasn¡¯t been disturbed. There is a road connecting them to Mingshui County, and there are only about 50 families in the entire vige. It¡¯s not difficult to move everyone out. Previously, when Zhuang Dawei helped me nt corn, he mentioned many things to take note of. Some of them were about dealing with the insects and weeds, but in fact, my attention was mostly on the wheat and rice fields. I really haven¡¯t taken much care of these corn. If you want to ask me how to nt corn, I know roughly, but if you want to ask how to get rid of insects and prevent pests, I don¡¯t have a deep understanding of that. If you want to nt these things on arge scale, these are necessary knowledge.¡± Qi Xiuyuan knocked on the table and said, ¡°There¡¯s really no one more familiar with corn than the vigers of Four Tray Vige who have been nting it for nearly a hundred years.¡± Qi Xiuyuan looked at Mu Yangling and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it pain your heart to give away such a huge contribution?¡± Chapter 202: Beaten Up Chapter 202: Beaten Up Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°General, I didn¡¯t deserve this in the first ce.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xiuyuan agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get someone to look for the people from Four Tray Vige tomorrow and try to settle them down here. Once your corn ripens and the harvest is weighed, we can start to work on that.¡± Qi Xiuyuan patted Mu Yangling¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯ste. Go and rest first. I¡¯ll get someone to send you back tomorrow.¡± After Mu Yangling bade farewell, Steward Zhu brought her away to rest. After Mu Yangling left, Qi Xiuyuan looked at Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran with a cold expression. ¡°Whose idea was it to give the credit to Haoran?¡± Qi Haoran took a step forward. ¡°Mine!¡± Qi Xiuyuan kicked him away and shouted coldly, ¡°Shut up! What aspirations! Fighting to im credit for such a glorious matter, huh?¡± Fan Zijin knelt in front of Qi Xiuyuan and said, ¡°Eldest Cousin, this was my idea. I felt it¡¯s good for Haoran¡­¡± ¡°Good? In what way? Haoran can¡¯t even differentiate between the various grains. How can he farm?¡± Qi Haoran held his stomach and got up to kneel beside Fan Zijin. Qi Xiuyuan looked at them majestically and circled around them twice. In a lowered voice, he scolded, ¡°If you continue to take the me for each other like this in the future, I¡¯ll throw both of you into Jialing Lake.¡± Qi Xiuyuan stopped in front of Fan Zijin and couldn¡¯t help but pick up the book on the table and p him. He scolded, ¡°What aspirations! You actually tried to snatch the credit from a woman? Did you hear what I said to youst time? You¡¯re smart and scheming, but there are many people in this world who are smarter and more scheming than you. I wanted you to be aboveboard, but you keep plotting these devious schemes. How can Haoran not be stupid when he¡¯s with you all the time?¡± After scolding Fan Zijin, Qi Xiuyuan went to kick Qi Haoran¡¯s butt. In the end, his anger was still not appeased. He punched his back with the book in his hand and said, ¡°You too. Whatever Zijin says, you just do it without questioning. Don¡¯t you have any brains? Don¡¯t you have an idea of what you can and cannot do? Huh?¡± Qi Haoran said aggrievedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted it. ording to my n, this matter has to go through me anyway. When the timees, I¡¯ll just write Mu Shi¡¯s name¡­¡± ¡°Still arguing?¡± Qi Xiuyuan kicked his butt and knocked him down. ¡°Since you know that Zijin was in the wrong, why didn¡¯t you teach him? You only know how to spoil him. Let¡¯s see what will be of him due to all that condoning.¡± Qi Xiuyuan scolded Fan Zijin, ¡°Fan Zijin, remember this. My younger brothers are aboveboard even when scheming. In the future, if you use such methods again, I¡¯ll beat you to death first so that you won¡¯t embarrass me when you enter the court! Don¡¯t write to your parents for the next two years. If your parents write to you, I¡¯ll ept the letters on your behalf. You can pack your things and immediately move back to the prefectural capital tomorrow. Don¡¯t study anymore. Just follow Rong Ze and serve tea.¡± Fan Zijin looked at his eldest cousin in shock. Qi Xiuyuan looked at him with a dark expression as he said, ¡°Rong Ze is a magnanimous person. I hope you can learn a thing or two from him. After the corn is harvested, immediately take the data to the Shen family in Jiangling. Third Master Shen probably won¡¯t see you himself. He¡¯ll probably let the fifth daughter of the Shen family be in charge. Zijin, remember, whether you continue to stay in the prefectural capital or be sent to Xiangyang by me will depend on your ability.¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Eldest Cousin, why are you sending me to Xiangyang?¡± ¡°Uncle¡¯s family is there. I¡¯ll send you there to train. If I don¡¯t separate you two brats, you two won¡¯t know how to conduct yourselves!¡± Qi Haoran was also unwilling. ¡°Big Brother, how can you send Zijin away? We¡¯ve been together since we were born.¡± Qi Xiuyuan pped him. ¡°If I don¡¯t send him away, the two of you will never grow up and never know the severity of matters. If I had known that you guys would act like this, I wouldn¡¯t have let the two of you hang out back then no matter what.¡± Furious to see their dispirited expressions, Qi Xiuyuan kicked each of them and said, ¡°Kneel down. Only get up when you figure things out. If you can¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯ll send both of you back to Lin¡¯an. You can do whatever you want out of my sight.¡± After he was done lecturing them, he mmed the door and left, leaving Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin speechless. Ever since the two of them learned how to crawl, they had been hanging out together. Qi Haoran had a small courtyard in the Fan Residence, and Fan Zijin also had an exclusive room in the Qi Residence. It could be said that neither of them had ever left each other. The longest time they did not meet was when Qi Haoran sneaked into Hanzhong Prefecture with his men. However, at least they were staying together and were not separated from each other. Now, this pair of brothers that were as close as twins might bepletely separated from each other. Even adults wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it, let alone the two children. The duo was extremely sad. In the end, Fan Zijin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll learn from Brother Rong Ze. When I go to Jiangling, I¡¯ll definitely be able to handle the Shen family. When that happens, I¡¯ll be able to stay in the prefectural capital.¡± Qi Haoran wiped his tears and asked, ¡°Why did Big Brother ask you to go to Jiangling to look for the Shen family? Isn¡¯t the Shen family General Yuan¡¯s inws? How are you going to handle them? Could it be that Big Brother also wants you to marry a girl from the Shen family?¡± Fan Zijin¡¯s sadness instantly dissipated. Gritting his teeth, he looked at Qi Haoran and asked, ¡°How much did you hear from Eldest Cousin?¡± Qi Haoran looked up at him nkly and said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to marry a girl from the Shen family, right? Why don¡¯t I find out for you what the girls from the Shen family like? You can cater to their preferences. If all else fails, we¡¯ll kidnap the bride.¡± Fan Zijin stood up and patted his knee. ¡°Eldest Cousin asked me to bring the corn data to the Shen family to discuss the corn business with them. What does it have to do with the Shen family¡¯s girls? Can you use your brains?¡± Qi Haoran also got up and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t we have insufficient corn seeds? Why do we still have to do business with the Shen family?¡± Fan Zijin snorted coldly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Eldest Cousin has a ¡®good¡¯ superior above him. If we don¡¯t look for them, do you think Cousin can keep this thing?¡± Since even Qi Xiuyuan needed external help to keep this, how could Mu Yangling keep it by herself? She might even lose her life. It was precisely because of this that Fan Zijin had wanted to snatch the credit. Anyway, even if the credit wasn¡¯t given to Haoran, it would go to someone else. In any case, it wouldn¡¯t go to the Mu family. Who knew that Eldest Cousin would put in so much effort to help Mu Yangling? Yet, she was unappreciative and offered to let Four Tray Vige take the credit. Fan Zijin touched his aching back and thought to himself that only Haoran and Mu Yangling knew what he had said today. Fei Bai and Yanmo had both gone to the cornfield, and the guards they brought with them were standing far away. Then who exactly told Eldest Cousin about the snatching credit thing? Since Mu Yangling had been with them the entire time, it couldn¡¯t be her. Could it be Fei Bai and Yanmo? It was also possible that the guards had heard a few words¡­ Fan Zijin was investigating the traitor when Qi Haoran touched his chest and started hissing. Fan Zijin hurriedly went forward to open his clothes to take a look. When he saw the bruise on his chest, his eyes widened. ¡°Why did Eldest Cousin use so much strength?¡± Chapter 203: Rush Chapter 203: Rush Editor: As Studios Qi Xiuyuan pushed open his door angrily and was shocked by Rong Ze. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Rong Ze put down the book in his hand and said, ¡°How can I sleep without concrete news? How is it? How¡¯s the estimated production of corn?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Qi Xiuyuan exined the general situation and said, ¡°If we¡¯re really sure that we can nt a second season, there will be a lot of seeds next year. I¡¯m not sure about anything else, but at least the rations of the people and troops north of the Yangtze River shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Only then did Rong Ze heave a sigh of relief. With a smile, he said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to humbly beg for grains again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of that. I¡¯m just afraid that even begging won¡¯t help. For the sake of the soldiers under me, I¡¯d have no choice but to do some outrageous things¡­¡± Qi Xiuyuanughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll get Zijin to follow you for this period of time. Order him around as much as you can. Get rid of the conceit in his bones first. I¡¯ll send him to the Shen family in Jianglingter.¡± Rong Ze raised his eyebrows. ¡°Actually, Zijin is very smart.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the only smart person in this world. What¡¯s the use of being smart if he doesn¡¯t know how to conduct himself? His father isn¡¯t a good person, and my aunt is focused on him. It¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯ll neglect Zijin. He and Haoran fooled around in Lin¡¯an Prefecture and he has grown to be so scheming. Now that he¡¯s under my charge, he has to change his ways.¡± ¡°In this world, if you don¡¯t scheme against others, you¡¯ll be schemed against.¡± ¡°Still, there are things that you can and cannot do. Even thieves have a moral code. This kid, on the other hand, does all sorts of things. If we don¡¯t correct him while he¡¯s young and before he makes a big mistake, he might cause serious trouble in the future.¡± Qi Xiuyuan originally wanted to say that since he could make use of anyone to scheme for benefits at such a young age, he would probably wreck havoc when he grew up. However, it urred to him that this was a sensitive topic, so he changed his words at thest minute. ¡°Shen San was simr to him when he was young. Perhaps it will do him good to spend some time with Shen San,¡± Rong Ze suggested. ¡°No way.¡± Qi Xiuyuan waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll be worse. Is Shen San doing well now? You¡¯re just deceived by his facade. He looks bright and open on the surface, but who knows what he¡¯s doing behind everyone¡¯s backs. It¡¯s the fifth daughter of the Shen family that I want Zijin to seek. She¡¯s a forthright and generous girl with the meticulousness of a woman. Let him discuss business with her for a while.¡± Thinking of his two younger brothers¡¯ different personalities, Qi Xiuyuan had a headache. ¡°Zijin is too smart, and Haoran is too stupid. If the two of them neutralize each other, I won¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± Rong Ze burst outughing and said, ¡°You should be content. I think they¡¯re both not bad. It¡¯s just that your expectations are too high. Haoran isn¡¯t stupid. He¡¯s just a little slow in reacting, but he¡¯s upright and has a mind of his own. Most importantly, he only likes to train his troops and practice formations. As long as a person is focused on one thing, there¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t achieve. If I had two younger brothers who were so easy to deal with, I would wake upughing.¡± Qi Xiuyuan thought of Rong Ze¡¯s brothers and felt that he was right. In the end, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin did not dare to leave the study. They could only sit on the ground and wait for dawn. When they heard footsteps, Fan Zijin pushed Qi Haoran and hurriedly knelt down. However, Qi Haoran fell to the ground and continued to sleep. Fan Zijin eximed and reached out to pinch his face. He said in a low voice, ¡°Get up quickly! Eldest Cousin is here.¡± Qi Haoran woke up quickly and hurriedly got up to kneel down. Fan Zijin tugged at him. ¡°You¡¯re kneeling in the wrong direction. Kneel inwards!¡± The two of them had just knelt down properly when Qi Xiuyuan brought Mu Yangling in. Last night, Mu Yangling had a good night¡¯s sleep. After waking up, she sat cross-legged on the bed and practiced her internal strength without any progress. Then, she got up to eat breakfast. She was surprised to see that only she and Qi Xiuyuan were at the dining table. Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯re in the study. I¡¯ll bring you there after we¡¯re done eating. You guys can go back togetherter.¡± Mu Yangling stopped asking, but she also wondered if they had any homework to do. Unexpectedly, the moment she pushed open the door, she saw the two of them kneeling side by side with their backs facing them. Mu Yangling looked at the candles that had burned to the roots on both sides and was secretly speechless. ¡°Could they have been kneeling sincest night? How pitiful!¡± She immediately lowered her head and pretended not to exist. Qi Xiuyuan walked around them and sat behind the desk, before saying to the two of them, ¡°Go back now. Zijin, move back today.¡± Fan Zijin said in a low voice, ¡°Eldest Cousin, I still have something to do in the 5th Division¡­¡± Fan Zijin did not dare to continue speaking under Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s cold gaze. Qi Xiuyuan said coldly, ¡°Even if you have a mission assigned by the Jade Emperor in the 5th Division, you have to leave it aside. If you can¡¯t follow your Brother Rong Ze and perform to my satisfaction, then you don¡¯t have to go to Jiangling either. I¡¯ll send you straight to Uncle¡¯s ce. Zijin, you know that I keep my word. Uncle isn¡¯t as amodating as me. If you return, you and Haoran can forget about meeting again in five to six years.¡± Fan Zijin was discouraged. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go back and pack my things now.¡± ¡°Get lost. I get angry when I see you.¡± Qi Haoran hurriedly got up and pulled Fan Zijin up. ¡°Big Brother, we haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask the kitchen to cook for you. Go out and eat.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s mouth was wide open. Just as he was about to say something, Mu Yangling stepped forward and covered his mouth. Together with Fan Zijin, they carried him out. After breaking free from them, Qi Haoran said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me speak? He didn¡¯t even let me eat breakfast. Am I still his younger brother?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just breakfast? Why would you upset the general over a few copper coins? You were beaten upst night, right?¡± Mu Yangling patted his chest with the back of her hand as she spoke. Qi Haoran responded with ¡°Ouch!¡±. Mu Yangling was so startled that she retracted her hand. ¡°Did he beat you up for real?¡± Fan Zijin red at Mu Yangling. ¡°You happened to hit his wound.¡± Mu Yangling carefully looked at his expression and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he hit the back? Why did he hit your chest?¡± Mu Yangling pulled open his shirt and saw that it was bruised. She could even vaguely see a footprint. Mu Yangling quickly fixed his clothes and said, ¡°You have to rub it with medicinal wine. Otherwise, it¡¯ll umte blood.¡± Steward Zhu came over and said impartially, ¡°Fourth Young Master, Young Master Zijin, Miss Mu, the horses have been prepared for you.¡± Fan Zijin red and shouted, ¡°Dog ve, can¡¯t you see that your master is injured? Hurry up and bring the medicinal wine over!¡± Steward Zhu said awkwardly, ¡°Well, Young Master Zijin, Eldest Young Master doesn¡¯t want us to give you anything. He even said that Fourth Young Master will lose all his monthly allowance for the next three months.¡± This was truly shocking to Qi Haoran. He widened his eyes and looked at Steward Zhu. Fan Zijin was about to re up at him when Mu Yangling kicked him, almost knocking him over. ¡°Alright, we should attend to Qi Haoran¡¯s injuries first. I have medicinal wine at home.¡± She pulled Qi Haoran away. Fan Zijin could only re fiercely at Steward Zhu. ¡°Will your medicinal wine be good? I still have some money on me. I¡¯ll go to the pharmacy to buy a bottle.¡± Fan Zijin caught up with Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling snorted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on my family¡¯s medicinal wine. The ones sold in the pharmacy aren¡¯t even one-tenth as ours. Ours was brewed with tiger bones. It¡¯s good stuff left behind by my great-grandfather. When they fled back then, other than silver, it was the second thing my father carried out.¡± Chapter 204: Exhortation Chapter 204: Exhortation Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling¡¯s medicinal wine was indeed superb. Not only was it effective, but it was also painful. Mu Yangling poured some medicinal wine into her palm and rubbed it against her palms before applying it on Qi Haoran¡¯s body. With a little force, the medicinal wine seeped into Qi Haoran¡¯s chest, bringing with it waves of pain. Even though Qi Haoran prided himself on being a man who was not afraid of pain, he could not help but bite his fist in a bid not to make a sound. Seeing the cold sweat on Qi Haoran¡¯s forehead, Fan Zijin couldn¡¯t help but ask anxiously, ¡°Will your medicinal wine work?¡± Mu Yangling said as she exerted force, ¡°It won¡¯t hurt after the clotted blood dissipates. Ask Qi Haoran if it¡¯s useful.¡± Although Qi Haoran was sweating from the pain, he still took the time to nod at Fan Zijin. After Mu Yangling finished rubbing, Qi Haoran felt like he had been pulled out of the water. Fei Bai quickly went into the kitchen to get hot water to help him wipe his body. Seeing her daughtere out of the house, Shu Wanniang hurriedly asked with concern, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the General¡¯s Residence? Why did Little Generale back with injuries all over his body? Who did this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the general, Mother. Don¡¯t ask anymore. The general was teaching him.¡± Fan Zijin snorted and turned to leave. Mu Yangling gave Shu Wanniang a reassuring look before following him. Fan Zijin stood on the grass unhappily and stared at the wheat field not far away in a daze. Mu Yangling walked to his side and asked, ¡°Did the general punish you regarding the credits?¡± Fan Zijin sneered. ¡°Your guess is quite urate.¡± Mu Yangling sat down on the grass and said leisurely, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to guess. Tell me, how did the general punish you?¡± ¡°He punished me by making me leave the 5th Division for a period of time. Happy to hear that?¡± ¡°Whether you leave or not has no direct conflict of interest with me. Why should I be happy? Fan Zijin, has anyone ever said that you¡¯re a problematic youth?¡± Fan Zijin turned around and red at Mu Yangling. However, Mu Yangling patted the grass beside her and said, ¡°Sit down. It¡¯s not tiring for you to stand, but it¡¯s tiring for me to raise my head and talk.¡± Fan Zijin stood there for a while before sitting down some distance away from Mu Yangling. The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched as she continued, ¡°Apart from Qi Haoran and Qi Xiuyuan, you rarely have anyone else in your heart. Fan Zijin, to put it nicely, you¡¯recking in emotions and character. To put it bluntly, you¡¯recking in grace.¡± Fan Zijin said coldly, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mu Yangling patted the grass in agreement and said, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of this that I¡¯m giving in to you in every way. People say that it¡¯s better to offend a gentleman than to offend a petty person, especially a petty person who will seek revenge for the smallest grievance.¡± Fan Zijin nced at her and said, ¡°By saying these words in front of me, aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll torture you to death?¡± ¡°But I kind of treat you as a friend now.¡± Ignoring Fan Zijin¡¯s cracked expression, Mu Yangling said, ¡°Qi Haoran treats me as a friend, and you¡¯re his brother. We¡¯vee to know each other in the past year. I consider you to be my friend. If a friend is about to make a mistake, it¡¯s my responsibility to remind him. Fan Zijin, Qi Haoran might not be willing to ept what you think is good for him. What you think is good for him might not necessarily be good for him either. If you continue to be so domineering, no matter how good your brotherly rtionship is, it will be worn down one day.¡± Fan Zijin looked straight ahead with a dark expression. Mu Yangling turned to look at him and said, ¡°Fan Zijin, you have to remember that you¡¯re an independent person. You have to live for yourself first. Qi Haoran also has his own life.¡± Seeing that he was silent, Mu Yangling didn¡¯t know how much had gone into his head. She could only pat her butt and get up, letting him sit on the grass and think. The carefree Qi Haoran had already fallen asleep. It was only when the sun began to set in the west and Yanmo was so anxious that he was about to fray the floor of the Mu Residence that Fan Zijin slowly returned. Yanmo hurriedly ran over and said, ¡°Master, let¡¯s hurry up and get on the horse. I¡¯ve already packed everything and asked someone to send it back to the prefectural capital. You¡¯re the only one left now. If Young Master Xiuyuan doesn¡¯t see you when hees back tonight, he¡¯ll definitely get angry.¡± Fan Zijin pushed him away and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Fourth Young Master?¡± Yanmo wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, ¡°Fourth Young Master is in the room and was about to get up to send you off when Fei Bai pressed him against the brick bed.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Fei Bai¡¯s moans came from the room. Then, the door opened with a bang and Qi Haoran came out. Fan Zijin suddenly smiled and said happily, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Send me to the horse.¡± Qi Haoran lowered his head and sent Fan Zijin out. No longer as gloomy as before, Fan Zijin patted Qi Haoran¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Alright, wait for me toe back. You have to apply the medicinal wine a few more times. I¡¯ve ced the silver in your room for you. Go take it yourself. Use the money sparingly. Before Butler Chenes back, I don¡¯t have any more silver to give you.¡± Fan Zijin nced at the Mu Residence behind him and smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry,e to the Mu Residence to find food. Auntie Mu will wee you very much.¡± ¡°I know. Be careful on the way. If my big brother punishes you, get Yanmo to send me a letter. I¡¯ll go back and save you.¡± Fan Zijin nodded with a smile. Qi Haoran was in low spirits and wasn¡¯t in the mood to stay in the Mu family. So, he let Fei Bai pack his things and returned to the camp. Mu Yangling packed some medicinal wine for him and handed it to Fei Bai. ¡°Give it to the military doctor and ask him to rub it for him before he sleeps at night. In less than five days, the wound on his chest will recover.¡± Fei Bai took the reminders to heart. Because Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran valued corn very much, Mu Yangling had no choice but to spend half of her attention on the cornfield and record the situation of the corn every ten days. Just as the corn was about to be harvested, a heavy rain fell from the sky. This made Mu Yangling tense up, afraid that the corn would be blown down and germinate in the ground. However, this rain came and went quickly, stopping in less than 35 minutes. Great-aunt couldn¡¯t stop sighing when she smelled the soil in the air. ¡°There truly is a drought this year. Finally rain arrived, but it ended so quickly. If the sun continues to shine like this, we won¡¯t even have enough water to drink.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°I only hope that it will rain properly after we harvest the corn. Let¡¯s forget it for now.¡± Great-aunt asked, ¡°Is the corn ready for harvest?¡± ¡°In a few days, when it¡¯s a little more ripe.¡± Great-aunt muttered, ¡°It won¡¯t taste good if it gets any riper.¡± For the past few days, Shu Wanniang had been studying the various ways to prepare corn. She could taste that the more ripe the corn, the less pulp there was in it, and the less sweet it was. Mu Yangling naturally knew, but Qi Xiuyuan nned to keep these 28 acres of corn as seeds, so she naturally had to harvest them when they were more ripe. These few days, Mu Yangling had to go to the cornfield to take a look almost every day. Great-aunt rejoiced. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s staggered from the harvesting time of the wheat and rice. Otherwise, we will be kept so busy by thisrge area when the corn ripens. In my opinion, it¡¯s better to harvest it early. By the time we finish harvesting the corn, the wheat will be almost ready, too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Great-aunt. When it¡¯s time to harvest the corn, Little General will send someone to help.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 205: Gains Chapter 205: Gains Editor: As Studios On the day of the corn harvest, not only did Qi Haoran bring a group of soldiers, but Qi Xiuyuan and Rong Ze also came personally. Fan Zijin was lucky enough toe over to watch the fun. Qi Xiuyuan personally broke off a corn cob and weighed it in his palm. With a smile, he said, ¡°It¡¯s quite heavy. After breaking off these corn, send them all to the 5th Division. Zijin, don¡¯t you have a workshop there? Just dry them there. Haoran, make sure the doors stay shut during this period of time so that the news doesn¡¯t leak.¡± Agreeing, Qi Haoran kicked the straw under his feet. ¡°Is this thing still useful?¡± ¡°It can be used to feed the cows. I wonder if the horses will eat it. If not, it can still be used to start a fire.¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°But starting a fire doesn¡¯t require so much. If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll use it to nourish thend.¡± Qi Haoran asked with interest, ¡°How?¡± ¡°After cutting it, we¡¯ll leave it in the ground. When it snows heavily in winter, it¡¯ll rot by quite a bit in the ground after an entire winter. When springes, we¡¯ll cover it up with soil. By the time we¡¯re ready to nt the corn, it¡¯ll be about time.¡± Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, ¡°You can make the decision on your own. But didn¡¯t you say that corn can be nted for a second season? I¡¯ve asked the vigers of Four Tray Vige. They also said that as long as we seize the time, we should be able to harvest another season before the cold wave. Is your straw still useful?¡± ¡°General, this is low-gradend and isn¡¯t fertile enough. After nting for half a year, we have to let it rest for half a year. The second season I¡¯m talking about refers to nting on high-gradend. You have to know that corn seeds are precious now and can¡¯t be wasted. Not counting the other camps, just the high-gradend of our 5th Division alone spans 500 to 600 acres. We merely have enough corn seeds to nt on the high-gradend.¡± Qi Xiuyuan hadn¡¯t considered this problem. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this matter, so I still have to leave it to you.¡± Qi Xiuyuan turned to Qi Haoran and said, ¡°Haoran, discuss this with Ah Ling. Since there aren¡¯t enough seeds, nt them in your 5th Division first. Tell the military households that this corn is nted for the military camp. Later, I¡¯ll get your Brother Rong Ze to see how much of next year¡¯s military rations required can be reduced after ounting for the amount of corn handed over.¡± Surprised that Qi Xiuyuan would think of such an incentive policy, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but smile. This way, Qi Xiuyuan would not be at a disadvantage. Themoners did not know how to prepare corn, so they might not be able to ept such crops for the time being. However, if by nting corn they could reduce the military rations that they needed to hand over, they would definitely nt them well. Meanwhile, the Imperial Astronomer had already predicted that the drought situation in Xingzhou Prefecture would intensify next year and the production of grains would continue to decrease. Under such circumstances, it was still uncertain if they could sessfully collect military grains. Now that they were given such an incentive, it would indeed make everyone pay more attention. Qi Haoran quickly understood the crux of the matter and agreed. Turning around, he pulled Mu Yangling back. ¡°Get someone to leave some straws for me. I want some dry and green straws.¡± ¡°What do you need it for?¡± Mu Yangling asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can feed the horses with it.¡± Mu Yangling said in a lowered voice, ¡°Are you willing to let your precious horses eat these things?¡± Qi Haoran nced at her and said, ¡°Who said that this is for my horse? Can¡¯t I give it to someone else?¡± Those who could afford to raise horses could not afford to feed them? However, Qi Haoran had no intention of exining further. He quickened his pace and caught up with Big Brother. Qi Xiuyuan asked, ¡°Can you finish peeling them today?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Qi Haoran said confidently, ¡°They¡¯re all proficient now and we have more than enough manpower. They should be able to settle it in a day.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded. ¡°First weigh them raw. Then weigh them again after they¡¯re dried. Get the data as soon as possible. They should¡¯ve more or less finished harvesting the wheat and rice in Jiangnan and by the twokes by now. I hope this set of data can reach the Imperial Court at the same time as their data.¡± Fan Zijin lowered his head and calcted. He figured that Butler Chen should be back soon, right? Qi Haoran was the one who helped settle down the vigers in Four Tray Vige, so he also understood the corn situation partially. He said, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t rain and the sky is as clear as today, we should be able to obtain all the data in about seven days.¡± This was the advantage of having more people. Qi Haoran could settle the matter with just a few dozen people, while Mu Yangling and the others might have to spend half a month or even longer to harvest the corn and dry it, not to mention peeling corn kernels. The soldiers threw the corn on the ox cart and pulled it back to the 5th Division to dry it on the field in front of the workshop. This ce was originally used to dry the rabbit skin, but because the workshop had stopped operating for a period of time, the fishy smell had dissipated. When the soldiers transported all 36 carts of the corn back, the citizens of Chenggu Garrison stood in front of their houses to watch themotion. When they saw that the corn was transported to the camp, they muttered in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t this from the Mu family? Why are they mobilizing the army?¡± ¡°We all belong to the army. Whatever the army wants, they can simply take it.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was worried about this year¡¯s military rations. This year¡¯s harvest was poor to begin with. Fortunately, there was a lot ofnd, so even after handing over the military rations, they would be able to live a good life. At least, it would be a little better than before. However, if the army insisted on collecting rations, as someone mentioned earlier, how could they not hand over the rations when everyone was considered to belong to the army? Qi Xiuyuan and the others didn¡¯t know what the military households were worried about. They just went to the ground to look at the corncobs scattered all over the field. Looking at the golden corn, Qi Xiuyuan was in a splendid mood. He asked Mu Yangling, ¡°How long will it take to thresh?¡± Mu Yangling scratched her head and said, ¡°We should be able to start threshing after the corn dries a little more.¡± Rong Ze said, ¡°You have to be careful. If you damage the corn kernels, it will directly affect the nting of the next season. I think it¡¯s better to invite the people from Four Tray Vige over and let them help dry and thresh. When the timees, Haoran will order 20 to 30 of his men to help out. Considering there are 100 people or so, they should be able to finish the work very quickly.¡± Nodding, Qi Xiuyuan said to Haoran, ¡°Didn¡¯t you make the arrangements for the people from Four Tray Vige? Later, invite them over. Then, invite the reputable elders from the various sections and those who are better at farming. Let them work with the people from Four Tray Vige, regardless of gender, lest they have to be taught again when they start nting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Big Brother. I¡¯ve already arranged everything. Now that the people of Four Tray Vige have also received somend and are enlisted into the army over here, there¡¯s no need to worry about confidentiality and safety.¡± Qi Xiuyuan nodded to himself. Seeing that it was gettingte, he said to Mu Yangling before he left, ¡°When the data is out, we¡¯ll buy it from you for 20 copper coins a catty. I¡¯ll get someone to send you moneyter.¡± ¡°But General, how can corn be sold at such a high price when the millet only costs 18 copper coins a catty?¡± Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan said, ¡°The corn harvested now will be used as seeds. Of course, it¡¯s worth this price. Just ept it. After this year, the price of grains will grow crazily.¡± No matter how crazy it grew, it was difficult for the price of corn to reach 20 copper coins per catty. Mu Yangling could only swallow the words that were about toe out of her mouth when she saw Qi Xiuyuan¡¯s determined expression. She vaguely understood that he was apologizing for what Fan Zijin had done previously. ¡°Alright, thank you, General.¡± Seeing that she had epted it, Qi Xiuyuan smiled happily. Chapter 206: Yield Per Acre Chapter 206: Yield Per Acre Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling stayed in the military camp to learn about the various characteristics of corn from the vigers of Four Tray Vige. She had only seen others nt corn and knew the steps roughly, but she was not as familiar with the details as the vigers of Four Tray Vige. Since Qi Xiuyuan had already decided that the entire military district would mainly farm corn in the future, she naturally had to learn more in depth. After the corn was dried, everyone rubbed the corn kernels with their hands. As the sun was strong enough, in less than half a month, Zhuang Dawei announced, ¡°This corn can be used as seeds now. We can store them away and there¡¯s no need to dry them further.¡± Qi Haoran brought someone over to weigh them. The vigers of Four Tray Vige gathered around and upied the innermost floor. They looked at the weighing scale eagerly. As the numbers were reported one by one, many vigers wiped their tears. Only the farmers who had been recruited to learn were still a little confused. They did not understand why the vigers of Four Tray Vige were so emotional about it. The ountant used a brush to record the individual weights before adding the numbers up using the abacus. When he was done weighing thest bag of corn, he worked the abacus and obtained the total. At the same time, Mu Yangling also had the total in her heart. There was a total of 16,016 catties, and the yield per acre was 572 catties. To modern people, this was a very low yield. But to the people here, it was a record high. A few older vigers of Four Tray Vige sat on the ground and wailed, ¡°Ancestor, look, we¡¯ve sessfully nted the corn! It¡¯s high-yielding! The emperor didn¡¯t lie to us, and the county magistrate didn¡¯t lie to us either. We were merely ipetent and used the wrong method!¡± Zhuang Dawei also wiped his tears as he said, ¡°Corn is grains. We thought that rice, millet, and so on should be directly nted and the level of moisture maintained. But who knew that corn should be nted like this? I¡¯ve never seen such a big corn cob in my life. The ones nted in the vige were all small with only a dozen or so corn kernels on each one¡­¡± Qi Haoran walked to Mu Yangling¡¯s side and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Only the vigers of Four Tray Vige deserve this merit.¡± Mu Yangling wondered if this world would have been different if Emperor Shizong had foreseen this back then and left behind the method of nting corn before he died. Perhaps then the vigers of Four Tray Vige would not have been isted from the world for nearly a hundred years for such a goal. Qi Haoran was not as sad as Mu Yangling. He only felt sentimental for a moment before turning around to get someone to report to Qi Xiuyuan. However, Qi Xiuyuan had gone to Xingyuan Prefecture, bringing along Rong Ze and Fan Zijin. Only then did Qi Haoran realize that Mrs. Qin¡¯s birthday had arrived. Qi Haoran was stunned for a moment before howling, ¡°Big Brother, why didn¡¯t you bring me along?¡± Of course, it was because Qi Haoran had work to attend to in the 5th Division, so Qi Xiuyuan simply did not bring him along. Although Qi Haoran was angry that he had been abandoned, he still had to work hard to store all the corn in the warehouse and send troops to guard it day and night. He then asked the people of Four Tray Vige toe and take a look at their wheat field and asked, ¡°The wheat is about to be harvested. After harvesting it, we¡¯ll immediately nt corn. Can we really guarantee that we can harvest it before winter?¡± Then, he said, ¡°Now that there¡¯s drought everywhere, the river in our Mingshui County is almost dry. Can the corn withstand such conditions?¡± Everyone in Four Tray Vige looked at Zhuang Dawei. Zhuang Dawei¡¯s family was the best at farming in their vige, so they had to consult him about such matters. Looking at the golden wheat field, Zhuang Dawei gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve also realized over the years that corn is different from rice and millet. It¡¯s resistant to drought, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem since there¡¯s no need for water in the field. However, we¡¯ve got to ensure sufficient base fertilizer and fertilizer.¡± Qi Haoran chuckled and said, ¡°I may not have much here, but I do have an abundance of manpower. With so many people here, need you worry there won¡¯t be enough fertilizer?¡± Having interacted with Mu Yangling for almost a year, Qi Haoran had long understood that the so-called farm fertilizer was actually night soil. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qi Haoran promised. ¡°Even if there isn¡¯t enough in the 5th Division, there are still the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Divisions. Surely the feces of 30,000 people will be enough for you?¡± Mu Yangling elbowed him and said, ¡°Be more refined with your words.¡± Rolling his eyes, Qi Haoran said, ¡°If I speak in a refined manner, can they understand me?¡± Qi Haoran looked around and said, ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s already decided, let¡¯s start harvesting wheat in two days. I¡¯ll give the entire army a break to speed things up. Once the wheat is collected, we¡¯ll immediately nt corn. All the harvest will be submitted to the military camp.¡± After saying that, Qi Haoran waved his hand and asked the four battalionmanders to announce the conditions set by Rong Ze. He pulled Mu Yangling aside and said, ¡°Big Brother is taking on too much risk. If the corn harvest this year is good, some families will be able to almost offset all the military rations next year. If there¡¯s no drought next year, will the entire army have to subsist solely on corn porridge?¡± Two days ago, Qi Haoran got curious and took out two catties of corn to grind into bits and had it made into porridge. Even though the corn porridge had been cooked for nearly two hours, he still had to chew it for a long time. Eating that once or twice might be fine, but if he had to eat it a few more times, he was afraid that his cheeks would break. ¡°What are you afraid of? If the harvest is good, you can sell the corn to buy flour or rice. Otherwise, you can exchange it for rice. Even if two catties of corn are exchanged for one catty of rice, you won¡¯t lose out. Think about it. 600 catties of corn can only offset 100 catties of wheat. It¡¯s equivalent to making them exchange six catties of their corn for one catty of your wheat.¡± Qi Haoran exined, ¡°But we were the ones who provided the seeds, fertilizer, and technology. We were also responsible for some manpower. For this season¡¯s wheat, I even had to shelve half of my military training ns.¡± Mu Yangling patted his shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time ahead. The most important thing now is to ensure the rations of the army. Otherwise, the 1st and 2nd Divisions won¡¯t have the strength to go to the battlefield.¡± The 1st and 2nd Divisions were the elites of the West Camp. Even if Qi Xiuyuan had to starve himself, he would not mistreat them. Qi Haoran also understood this principle. If they wanted to win a war, they had to feed the soldiers. Otherwise, if they did not even have the strength to hold a knife, how could they protect their country? The 5th Division was filled with misceneous people. Under such circumstances, sacrificing the training time of the 5th Division to ensure the supply of rations was undoubtedly a consideration for the overall situation. Mu Yangling and Qi Haoran went back together. When they reached the intersection, Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help but stop in her tracks. She pulled Qi Haoran and said in a low voice, ¡°Qi Haoran, we can¡¯t let news of the corn leak yet. Guard the storeroom carefully for the time being.¡± Frowning, Qi Haoran asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Yangling continued to walk forward, but her gaze drifted to the intersection at the side. She said calmly, ¡°There have been too many strangers passing by our Chenggu Garrison these past two days.¡± Having not noticed it, Qi Haoran was a little surprised by Mu Yangling¡¯s words. Ever since the corn harvest, he had sent people to stand guard in Chenggu Garrison and also sent a message to the military households not to spread a single word about the corn. Those who stayed behind for the past few days did not report anything unusual. Looking around, Qi Haoran realized that there was nothing unusual about the people walking around with the hoes. After all, he was not familiar with the families of his enlisted soldiers, so he was not sure that these were all people from Chenggu Garrison. Chapter 207: Start Harvesting Chapter 207: Start Harvesting Editor: As Studios The two of them walked in silence for a while. This was the path that led to the 5th Division¡¯s camp. Other than the soldiers, almost no one else walked here. Qi Haoran stopped and asked her, ¡°What did you discover?¡± Mu Yangling said, ¡°Not all the people who passed by just now were vigers of Chenggu Garrison. It¡¯s not so obvious on this path yet. When I went to the county yesterday, I realized that two or three strangers had appeared on the road from Chenggu Garrison to the county. Yesterday might have been a coincidence, but I saw them when I went to the county again today, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± Although the other party had disguised themselves, she had also learned how to disguise herself. She was even a farmer now. Since the wheat was about to be harvested, almost no one went to the wheat field these days. Instead, they were all at home cleaning the venue and repairing scythe, carts, and other things to be used on the day of harvest. For the past two days, Great-aunt did not even enter the city to set up a stall. Every day, at dawn, she would clear out the things in the storeroom to make room to stack the harvested wheat. The grass behind was also padded with wooden nks. Mu Yangling sent the necessary tools like scythes to the county to find someone to repair them. Those people on the road were either pushing carts to rest by the roadside or walking around with hoes. The first time Mu Yangling saw them, she was merely puzzled. The second time she saw them, she confirmed her thoughts. Looking at the 5th Division¡¯s camp, Mu Yangling asked, ¡°Have you built the watchtower at the corner of the city wall?¡± Qi Haoran nodded and asked thoughtfully, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s someone from the Great Zhou or the Jin Kingdom? Or West Xia?¡± Mu Yangling shook her head. ¡°Who cares? Since they¡¯re here, just capture those people.¡± However, Qi Haoran lowered his eyes and already had an idea in his heart. If he captured one, ten more woulde. Although he was not afraid, it was too troublesome. He preferred to make them his people and would only kill them should he fail to do so. Mu Yangling did not know that Qi Haoran had already thought of such a ferocious way to deal with it. She only reminded him, ¡°Anyway, be careful. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be very difficult for the people to attack from the outside. I¡¯m just afraid that someone from the inside is not on your side. With so much corn piled up in the storeroom, even if one or two bags go missing, you won¡¯t be able to detect it for a while.¡± Qi Haoran¡¯s brows twitched as he thought of the two disobedient trainingmissioners. Speaking of which, the two of them had indeed be much quieter recently. Qi Haoran smiled and said, ¡°I understand. Go back. With me around, it won¡¯t be easy for them to get the corn out.¡± Seeing that he had heeded her words, Mu Yangling went home in relief. Together with Shu Wanniang, Xiuhong and Xin, Great-aunt was putting wooden nks on the grass behind the house. Bosi and Kejia were ced on a piece of cloth, and they were crawling on it. Seeing their sister return, they reached out to ask for a hug. Mu Yangling kissed them and patted their butts. ¡°Go y by yourself. I¡¯m going to work.¡± Mu Yangling entered the house, carried the wooden nks, and ced them on the grass one by one. Great-aunt couldn¡¯t help but massage her waist. ¡°It¡¯s faster with you here. Your mother, your cousins, and I spent the entire morning and only managed to do this much.¡± Xiuhong looked at Mu Yangling enviously and said, ¡°Who canpare to Cousin? If I¡¯m half as capable as Cousin, let¡¯s see who still dares to bully me.¡± Mu Yangling couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°No one dares to bully you now.¡± Xiuhong was famous in the vige for being hot-tempered. Even adults didn¡¯t offend her easily. Snorting, Xiuhong said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. When I was in West Mountain Vige, I had the same temper, but even a three-year-old child dared to throw stones at me. This was because there was no one in my family who could back me up. Look at them now, who doesn¡¯t call me Miss Xiuhong when they see me?¡± Great-aunt poked her forehead with a finger and scolded jokingly, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. That¡¯s because they respect you. Don¡¯t be arrogant and let others see you as a joke.¡± Xiuhong raised her head and said, ¡°Who says I¡¯m arrogant? Grandma, am I someone who doesn¡¯t know the severity of things?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Hurry up and get to work. I¡¯ve been listening to your nonsense all morning. Ah Ling, your Grandpa Sun has already chosen a date. The day after tomorrow, we¡¯ll start harvesting. Tomorrow, go to the city and buy a chicken and two catties of pork. Since our family has extra money this year, prepare more sacrificial items so that the Earth God will bless us with a bumper harvest next year.¡± The corners of Mu Yangling¡¯s mouth twitched. Not daring to object to this feudal superstition, she agreed. Since she could reincarnate after death, even if she didn¡¯t believe in all that ghost talk, she was no longer as resistant to such ideas. Since she didn¡¯t believe it, she would revere it. This way, it would be good for her and everyone else. This year was not considered a bumper harvest, but the situation in Mingshui County was slightly better than other ces. Firstly, it was because there was a river in Mingshui County, and secondly, it was because of the water in the reservoir that Qi Haoran releasedter on. Of course, things were even better for the military households of the 5th Division. The Mu family¡¯s wheat farming situation was considered above average in Chenggu Garrison. Great-aunt, who had always been top-notch in farming, was dissatisfied with this, but Mu Yangling felt that it was not bad. After all, considering this was her first time farming, it was already God¡¯s blessing to have such an oue. Early in the morning, Mu Yangling ced the entire stewed chicken in a basin and covered it. There was also a piece of cooked pork and two eggs inside. This was a very big sacrificial gift. Although it would be used as an offering to the deity before they could bring it back to eat, they were still the first ones in Chenggu Garrison to prepare such a big offering. ording to Great-aunt, if she wasn¡¯t afraid of attracting too much attention, she would have bought a pig¡¯s head. After putting the things away, Mu Yangling carried the basin out. Great-aunt followed behind and nced at Bowen. Thinking of what Mu Shi had said before he left, she still didn¡¯t stop her. She turned and went back to get the firecrackers. Other families had males carrying the basin. When the vigers saw that it was Mu Yangling who carried the basin in the Mu family and Mu Bowen walking behind her, they couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. At the thought that the Mu family was now Mu Yangling¡¯s family head, they all looked away. Mu Yangling brought Mu Bowen to the vige entrance and ced the basin under an old banyan tree before turning to look at her great-aunt. Great-aunt went forward and lit the incense sticks. She inserted them into the ground in front of the banyan tree before pulling Mu Yangling and Mu Bowen to kneel at the back. Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment. Seeing that everyone was kneeling in front and she was still standing, she had no choice but to kneel down as well with Great-aunt. In front of her, Old Man Sun was rambling on, mainly asking the Earth God to be merciful and give them a good harvest this year and bless the weather next year. If his wish was fulfilled, he would do his best to build a temple for the Earth God¡­ After he finished speaking, the families behind closed their eyes and prayed. They kowtowed three times to the Earth God together. Then, each family went forward to burn the firecrackers they brought before bringing the sacrificial items home. After worshipping the Earth God, Great-aunt heaved a sigh of relief and said happily, ¡°In a while, your Grandpa Sun will start harvesting. We can harvest the crops tomorrow. All of you have to sleep well tonight in order to wake up early tomorrow morning. You can¡¯t get to the fieldster than others, understand?¡± Chapter 208: Fake? Chapter 208: Fake? Editor: As Studios Mu Yangling, Great-aunt, and the others went to the fields to harvest wheat. This year, because there was not enough rain, the wheat was not long enough, and the grains of wheat were not supple enough. Fortunately, there was no insect disaster, so the harvest was still within eptable range. Because the military fields were different from the freehold fields, two soldiers were sent out for inspection per five families. Because the soldiers were randomly assigned, the soldiers and farmers did not know each other and could not fake the data. This being the first year, no one was prepared. However, it was unknown if there would be any tricks in the future. However, she believed that Qi Haoran and the others would have a way to counter that. Mu Yangling only hoped that the higher-ups would not oppress them and forcibly collect grains. They started harvesting the 72 acres of wheat, beginning from the high-gradend. Halfway through, the rice was ready for harvest, too. Compared to noodles, Mu Yangling was more used to eating rice, so she decisively harvested the rice first. The crops she harvested were piled up on the wooden board in three piles. After drying them to a certain extent, they dragged them to the field to thresh. After working for so many years, this was the first time Great-aunt had harvested so much wheat and rice. It was also the first time she harvested so much grain. Although she was tired, she was extremely happy. She counted on her fingers for a long time before saying happily to Mu Yangling, ¡°Even after handing over the military rations, we¡¯ll still have a lot of grains left. If not for the fact that each family has to send one person to risk their lives at the frontline, it¡¯s actually not bad to be enlisted as a military household. At least we can get so muchnd for free. As long as we¡¯re willing to work hard, we won¡¯t starve.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re lucky.¡± Mu Yangling worked the millstone to thresh the grains as she said, ¡°I heard that the section under General Lu Ji of the East Camp can leave behind 40% of their grains. The most ordinary soldiers can¡¯t even keep 30% of the grains their family harvests. Even if they slog away on the fields, a year of harvesting will only barely provide enough food for the family to subsist on. In the event of an illness or a joyous asion, their savings will be drained.¡± Stunned, Shu Wanniang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Imperial Court stipte how much grains are to be collected? Isn¡¯t General Lu Ji afraid of being impeached by the censors?¡± Sighing, Great-aunt said, ¡°Don¡¯t all officials shield each other? For example, when we paid taxes previously, it became heavier and heavier every year. Could it be that the Imperial Court increases the taxes every year? Isn¡¯t the extra money still going into the pockets of those officials? Therefore, Ah Ling is right. Fortunately, we met General Qi. Otherwise, we might as well just work outside without anynd to our name.¡± Mu Yangling also said, ¡°The imperial censor and His Majesty might know about these things, but they just turned a blind eye. His Majesty orders a major renovation of his Imperial Garden every few years and has a taste for rare gems and precious paintings. Since the person at the top is already so greedy, how can the people below not follow suit?¡± ¡°Ah Ling is more discerning than your mother,¡± Great-aunt said with a smile. Mu Yangling nced at her mother and said, ¡°Great-aunt, my mother is very smart. She is aware in her heart.¡± Shu Wanniang tossed the wheat at her and said, ¡°You sure know how to tter me.¡± Mu Yangling grinned. After dragging the stone mill a few rounds, a soldier-like person came to look for Mu Yangling. ¡°Miss Mu, Little General wants to see you. Hurry up and pack up before leaving with us.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s eyes shed. She stopped in her tracks and asked with a smile, ¡°Where is Little General?¡± The soldier pointed in the direction of the 5th Division and said, ¡°He¡¯s on that path. He said that he has something to discuss with you.¡± Mu Yangling¡¯s gaze swept across the area. Seeing that more than half of the vigers of Chenggu Garrison were here, she was slightly relieved. She threw down the rope and said to her great-aunt, ¡°Great-aunt, continue working here with my mother and cousins for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Mu Yangling went forward and moved the twins¡¯ chair to Shu Wanniang¡¯s side. She waved at Old Man Sun next door and said, ¡°Grandpa Sun, Little General is looking for me. Please take care of my family.¡± Old Man Sun was stunned for a moment before saying with a smile, ¡°Ah Ling, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get your uncle toe help you out with the stone millter. Hurry up and go. Don¡¯t let the Little General wait too long.¡± Mu Yangling nodded with a smile. She turned around and said to the soldier, ¡°Let¡¯s go, but I have to go home and change my clothes first. It¡¯d be disrespectful to the general if I show up in these dirty clothes.¡± The soldier seemed to find it troublesome, but seeing that Mu Yangling was indeed dirty, he couldn¡¯t object. However, he urged along the way, ¡°Miss Mu, please hurry up.¡± Mu Yangling nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Seeing that Mu Yangling and the soldier had left, Old Man Sun wanted to call his eldest son over to help the Mu family thresh. Over the past half a year, everyone had finally understood that the Mu family had a close rtionship with the Little General. One wouldn¡¯t go wrong building a good rtionship with them. However, just as he was about to speak, he felt that something was amiss. The Little General came to look for Mu Yangling every few days either personally or by asking the servant called Fei Bai to call her over. When Mu Yangling went, she had never said anything to the vigers. It was precisely because the Mu family kept a low profile and did not show off or bully them with the Little General¡¯s backing that the vigers had a good impression of the Mu family and were willing to help if anything happened. However, why did Mu Yangling specially mention it to him this time? Old Man Sun stopped what he was doing. Holding the stick, he frowned and carefully considered the strangeness of the matter. His eyes couldn¡¯t help but fall on the Mu family¡¯s wheat field. The Mu family was actually not slower than them. Although their family had fewer people, they also nted lessnd than them. Their family had scattered wheat seeds on all thend, but their family still had more than 60 acres of grasnd and 28 acres of cornfield left. Hence, the two families finished harvesting their grains on the same day. However, the Mu family was already one step ahead of them. This was because when it came to threshing, Mu Yangling could take on five burly men alone. She wouldn¡¯t feel tired even if she dragged the stone mill for an entire day. In addition, they didn¡¯t nt much wheat and grains, so their progress was even faster. Therefore, why would the Mu family need their help? Old Man Sun could not figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it. His intuition told him that something was wrong. On the other side, Shu Wanniang had already turned pale with fright. She pulled Great-aunt back and said, ¡°Aunt, something¡¯s not right. That soldier wasn¡¯t sent by Little General.¡± Knowing her daughter, she immediately sensed the abnormality in Mu Yangling¡¯s words and actions. She had wanted to ask, but Mu Yangling had not given her a chance to speak throughout. Now that this person had left, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was amiss. Thinking about the Little General, she suddenly realized that there was something abnormal about that soldier. Great-aunt was confused. ¡°What do you mean that soldier wasn¡¯t sent by Little General?¡± Shu Wanniang was so anxious that she spun around in circles. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s hard to exin this. We have to quickly send someone to inform Little General and get him to bring people to save Ah Ling.¡± At this point, Shu Wanniang stood up and pushed her children in front of Great-aunt. ¡°Aunt, help me look after the two children. I¡¯ll go to the camp to look for them.¡± After hearing the gist of it, Old Man Sun quickly ran over and pulled Shu Wanniang back. ¡°You can¡¯t go. I remember now. Ah Ling might have already realized that something was wrong. Just now she told me to keep an eye on you. If you go out and encounter evil people and get abducted, you¡¯ll implicate Ah Ling.¡± This time, Great-aunt understood what was going on. She said in a panic, ¡°Ah Ling was tricked away?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t tricked into leaving. She left with that person on purpose.¡± Old Man Sun also came back to his senses and said, ¡°She¡¯s putting herself in danger. This girl is too bold.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!